Entertainment & SocietyI am passionate about acting, storytelling

I am passionate about acting, storytelling

September 13, (THEWILL) – Twenty-year-old online content creator, Tamunokuro Tonye-Nathan, also known as Tee Kuro, has about 188,000 and 100,000 followers on Instagram and Youtube, where he has scored over a million views. He speaks to IVORY UKONU about his career and the thing he loves to do best, which is storytelling. Excerpts:

Tamunokuro Tonye-Nathan, also known as Tee KuroHow did your journey to content creation begin?

Glo

It began with me basically trying to make a name for myself. In 2017, I had just taken the West African Senior School Certificate Examination and made a skit just for fun. I was yet to be admitted to the university. I only showed the skit to my family and they found it hilarious. I didn’t put it up on social media because I was shy about it. I just left it in my phone for about a year. My elder sister kept hounding me to harness the Internet. She literally held my phone while it was in my hands and posted it because I was so scared of posting it, I didn’t know what the reception would be like. When she posted it in September of 2018, it kicked off from there and I have been making videos till this day.

How did your family react to your decision to become a content creator?

I don’t think my family really had the opportunity to react. It is not like I gathered everyone and told them I want to be a skit maker. It just happened. When I started, I told my mum that I wanted to start making funny videos. She pronounced blessings on me and I started. My family accepted what I wanted to do and sometimes when I need privacy or need them to be quiet when shooting, they oblige me. And today, they are happy for me.

What inspires the kind of contents you create?

My life, the people around me, what I see, what I hear and what I have experienced. These are the factors that inspire my choice of content. Basically, just being myself also does the magic. Content about family is something I can easily create because it comes naturally to me, I don’t have to force it because I have a family; three siblings and my parents. Besides, my audience likes the family characters.

Do your contents reflect what happens in your family?

No. They don’t reflect what happens in my family. Obviously, bits and pieces come from what happens in my family and what happens in other families. When I get an idea, I build on it, exaggerate it a bit and over-emphasise some things for comedy’s sake and for the purpose of entertainment, just to make it lively.

How do you source the costumes you use in your skits?

About 80 per cent of the costumes I use in my skits are from my home. I invade my mum’s wardrobe. I also have two sisters. So it is easy to source the costumes. And everyone’s clothes fit me perfectly. For other costumes I need that aren’t easily available at home, I reach out to my colleagues, friends or just source for it if what I need it for is important. Luckily, I get the kind of costumes that suit what I need them for.

When you started out, did you ever think that your contents would be well received?

Like every beginner, I was sceptical about the first content that I created. I didn’t think it was good enough, compared to what my older colleagues were putting out. But as I kept on doing it, I began to find courage in what I was doing. Also, I had people who were encouraging me. Any time I came up with contents, I would show them to my older brother and my friends to find out if they were good enough to post or not. After some time, I would just make contents without showing anyone. I became bold and confident enough to post my contents, believing that what I was making was good enough.

Tamunokuro Tonye-Nathan, also known as Tee Kuro

One of your skits is a two-part series depicting the kind of epic movies Nollywood churns out. And your acting is top-notch. Are you thinking of doing a stint in Nollywood?

Nollywood has always been at the top of my agenda. Not just Nollywood, but also film making. Even before I started making skits, I knew that I wanted to break into the film industry as an actor, director or script writer. I have always known that storytelling is what I want to do. At the time, I started with acting stage plays. As I grew to understand the craft more, I was convinced that this was what I wanted to do. Even before I began to make skits, I tried to get into Nollywood, but I couldn’t get an audition for a movie role. The few times I applied for an audition online, I didn’t get a response and so I started posting my skits online. Nollywood has always been a part of my journey.

I often say to myself that the first day I recorded myself acting in a skit and posted content online was the day I became a part of Nollywood. I feel that what I do, although it is shorter than a five-minute video, is the same as a movie. I act, shoot and edit the skits in my own little way, just like they do in Nollywood. I didn’t have to wait for anyone to hire me. The difference is that people are watching my stuff on a small screen rather than on the big screen. I am not thinking of doing a stint in Nollywood because I am also part of Nollywood. I am also working on stuff that I will release soon. I don’t think you have to appear in a Nollywood movie to be a part of the industry. Some people are visible in Nollywood movies, but not in the film industry. I am in Nollywood.

You are quite good at editing. Are you self-trained or did you acquire your editing skill from a school?

Thank you. I taught myself how to edit a film. I didn’t attend any editing school. I haven’t even been to any film school yet. I learnt how to make films and create content online. I learnt from YouTube and Google, read articles, watched behind the scenes videos, checked out animation videos, dug up information on who did the voice-overs, how they were done. etc. I have always been inquisitive about these things and so learning editing came naturally to me. I didn’t have anyone to edit my contents; I had to learn to edit them myself.

Beyond the feedback you get in the comment section of your social media platforms, what other kinds of feedback do you get that spurs you on?

When I meet some of my fans in person, I see how they respond to my skits. They are always excited. Sometimes, they call me my characters’ names and tell me their favorite videos. This shows that they have been following my work and they appreciate it so much. This motivates me.

What about feedback from older colleagues and entertainment celebrities?

I do get feedback from my fellow content creators, influencers, etc. From time to time the feedback is in my comment section. At other times, they send me direct messages to tell me they love what I am doing and that they admire my work. I am grateful and I am humbled that people that do what I do also see that I am doing it right. I see older colleagues and celebrities that I look up to, commenting positively to my skits. Some of them follow my page and that wows me. I remember Bovi, the standup comedian, telling me he is a fan of me. I was really excited. A lot of these celebrities; actors, movie directors, etc. follow me and tell me they like my stuff and I am really humbled that people that are in the industry see something in me and appreciate it.

Who are some of the people you look up to in the industry and why?

There is quite a number of them and it depends on the exact side of the industry they belong. I am a hyphenate and I do a lot of things. In terms of content creation, I admire Maraji. When I started creating content, I used her works as guides because I was really inspired by what she was doing all by herself. I could relate with her contents and I could see that she always strives for the best. She has an excellent spirit and I like that about her. She is hard working. I feel that we are alike when it comes to work ethics. Maraji doesn’t like mediocrity and she puts in her best. I am that kind of person. I’d rather not do it all, if I am not going to give it my best. I was opportune to meet her in person and we connected. I also like Broda Shaggy. Aside from his contents, I think he is one of the most hardworking content creators in Nigeria. In other parts of the industry, I like Funke Akindele-Bello because she is a versatile actress. I watch her behind the scenes in Jenifa’s Diary; acting, writing, producing, etc. She is really hard working. So I look up to that side of her. I also love movie producer/director, Kemi Adetiba. I think that she is a good story teller. To top it all, it has to be Tyler Perry. I feel that he is one of the greatest filmmakers and storytellers. I am amazed by his success story, about how he never gave up despite the obstacles he encountered.

You are based in Port Harcourt, but most skit makers live and work in Lagos. Do you think location matters in what you do?

As much as I like to tell people that location doesn’t matter, I feel that they can leverage wherever they are, as long as there is access to the Internet there. Your works will always speak for you. But I must say that location plays an important role. I know the number of times I have missed an opportunity or turned down an offer, invitation or request because I wasn’t in Lagos. Not being where it is happening and seeing other skit makers attending to those things you have the privilege to attend to as well, can be quite painful. I achieved some of the greatest things I have achieved in my career in Port Harcourt. Some people are surprised that I live in Port Harcourt when they meet me. People already have this mentality that if you are this successful in what you do, you are obviously based in Lagos. I am proud of myself. I call myself the lone wolf creator or the one-man army because I am grateful that I have achieved so much in Port Harcourt. But I do come to Lagos from time to time and I am working on being here for a while.

Some skit makers also portray the family setting like you do. Has there ever been an occasion where there was a conflict of interest as regards your contents being similar to that of another skit maker’s?

I feel like everyone is different. If you give different content creators the same concept, everyone will churn out different contents because there is something different about everyone. Mine will turn out different because everything I have been through shapes my content. I tell content creators not to beat themselves up because there is nothing new under the sun. So, if they are striving to create something, it is their authenticity that makes it fresh. Obviously, there are contents I have made only for me to realise that a lot of people have made that kind of concept before. Even if I want to copy a video, there is no way I would copy it so that it will come out the same. It won’t be the same because I will add my flavour to it. So that being said, I can’t remember having a conflict of interest as regards my contents.

You look very much like a lady when you get into your feminine roles. Have ever been teased for this?

I look very much like any role that I want to look like, not just the female role. I just think that I am blessed with a very attractive face and features. I think the audience is more fascinated by the female character because people can’t fathom why a boy would look as legitimate as that while playing a female role. I don’t know if it should be a compliment, but I feel like I am impersonating well and I am making it as believable as I can.. Being teased about it? I haven’t really paid attention. Anyone who is bothered by it should know that I am only doing my job.

Have you ever been a victim of online bullying?

No, not in more than two years I have been creating content. Although early in my career, there was a particular troll who made sure he left a bad comment on each video I created. I saw that this guy was intentionally trying to get to me by insulting everything I made. This was in 2019. I didn’t say a thing, but the few fans I had at the time turned on him and insulted him. Eventually everything died down and I deleted his bad comments. A few months later, the same troll sent me a direct message asking, ‘Boss can you repost my video (skit)?’ I just laughed. When he did what he did then, I didn’t quite realise that it is what public figures face and it almost got to me. Other than that, I haven’t experienced anything major. When it happens, I will be ready for it because I am better prepared mentally.

How old are you?

I am 20 years-old

What was growing up like?

As funny as this may sound, I really don’t remember much about my childhood. I am usually blank when my primary school mates who see me or send me direct messages tell me they were my classmates. I don’t have a lot of memories of my childhood. I think that my childhood was like the usual average Nigerian childhood.

What are the challenges of skit making?

It would be pretty convenient to just say some of the challenges are paucity of ideas, inadequate equipment for shooting, location, social media algorithm, etc. But for me, I would say, consistency because skit making is a full-time job. I do the entire production myself, making sure I drop contents every week, these are what matters most. So aside from all those other minor challenges, no matter what happens, just remain consistent, productive and make sure you do what you do, which is creating content. A lot of people actually start by making a few videos and when the videos fail to get the traction they expected or a repost, they quit.

What did you study in school?

I studied Theatre and Film at the University of Port Harcourt

If you weren’t a skit maker, what other profession do you think you would have excelled in?

I am a filmmaker, a visual storyteller. My contents will not just end with skits. I have made short films. I have a lot of stories to tell that the world needs to hear and I have only just scratched the surface. So even if I wasn’t a skit maker, I would have been doing something in the entertainment industry. I don’t see myself doing a nine-to-five job. In the worst case scenario, I would have been a master of ceremony.

Have you ever thought of quitting?

I have gotten tired at certain points. I have had creative burnouts where I was exhausted and didn’t want to do anything, I have had days like that. But I think I have come too far to quit. If I quit, it means quitting my dreams as what I am doing is beyond skit making, it is bigger than me. What I do is very powerful because people watch what I do and I think having the platform I have is a blessing. I pray to God to continue to strengthen me enough.

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