Emmanuel Olabode

West African Senior School Certificate (1990-1995). Trainee, Carvers and Klinks Studio (1997-2000). AFDA Johannesburg (South African School of Motion Picture and Live Performance); Auckland Park, Johannesburg (2010-2012) with Bachelors Certificate of Arts (Motion Picture)/Cinematography. Mr. Emmanuel Olabode was born in 1977 and grew up in the province of Imo State, in Nigeria West Africa, which is an inland from the Niger Delta, approximately 70km away from the oil capital city Port Harcourt (PH). He is the third child of eight siblings and grew up with his maternal grandmother (Faith Agummadu). Mr. Emmanuel Olabode is the founder of PISTOS PICTUERS INT LTD and has been a filmmaker over 19 years of experience in the film industry. He has worked on many projects in Nigeria (Nollywood) and has become a member of Nigeria Society of cinematographers (NSC). Also a member of Directors Guild of Nigeria (DGN), as well as a member of Christian Film Association of Nigeria (CFAN). He was once celebrated as the youngest director of photography in Nollywood and was the first Director of Photographer (DOP) to be awarded by Nigeria Chamber of Commerce in California, USA in 2005. Emmanuel was born in 1977 and raised in the province of Imo in Nigeria just inland from the Niger Delta approximately70km from the oil capital, Port Harcourt. He is the third of eight siblings and grew up with his maternal grandmother, Faith Agummadu. His father, Jeremiah Olabode was a soldier and was largely absent as a result of political turmoil shaped by waves of military coups. Emmanuel only made contact with him in his late teens. His mother, Victoria Agummadu was a nurse and they enjoyed a close bond. Emmanuel attests to enjoying a happy childhood. The family was financially comfortable and he was brought up in a middle-class environment.

At age 20 Emmanuel got his first break in Nollywood as a 'Best Boy' in the camera and grips department on the set of a film called Scores to Settle in 1998. This experience ignited an unstoppable passion in Emmanuel to make something significant of his life. He quickly moved up the ranks in the camera department and became camera assistant, Another watershed moment for Emmanuel happened on the set of a film called Sharon Stone, which launched the career of Genevieve Nnaji, now enshrined in the pantheon of top Nollywood stars. The cinematographer scheduled to shoot Sharon Stone had double booked himself on two productions simultaneously, thinking one would fall through and had to drop Sharon Stone, giving Emmanuel the opportunity to leap into his position. This marked the start of a prolific career as a Nollywood cinematographer. From 2000 to 2009, Emmanuel shot 120 films - more credits than his Western counterparts amass in an entire lifetime. Most of the films shot in this period were typical Nollywood productions, shot on shoe string budgets and usually completed within a week. In 2005 he was flown to the Nigerian Chamber of Commerce in Los Angeles to receive an award for his enormous contribution and celebrated as 'Nollywood's youngest cinematographer'.