Working with talents is a job that I love and every opportunity that I get to be involved in their project, I take advantage of it. It comes with a lot of responsibilities but it is fulfilling to watch another person shine knowing that you were a part of his or her team. This was the case at the AMAAs 2017 with Nse Ikpe-Etim who was hosting and I had to coordinate the glam team which is quite a lot of work that many do not realize. From a distance, it seems like a really cool work that has you glamming up and chilling with the stars. Falz hasn’t helped either with his hit single soft work which gives everyone the impression that the media and the entertainment industry is the road to take when you need to make quick cash. If that was true, I would have been a billionaire with properties as my guilty pleasure and fleet of cars as decoration.
Anyway, when you work with a team who has passion for what they do and are willing to go all out, it becomes a lot easier but even more is when they have restrain and respect for each other’s profession. Restrain in terms of self control because everyone will be pushed to the wall. Voices may be raised but there has to be that person who tries to calm all the nerves and have the work going. It also helps if they have worked with one another before or at least meet before the D-day. As the coordinator, you cannot even be upset. You are the chief kasali (servant) who needs to make sure that everyone is happy. So even when they call you out in a way that doesn’t go down well with you because you are also under a lot of pressure, you will have to put your ego aside and keep it moving.
Having said that, I can say with so much confidence that I had professionals in my corner. Let me break it down to you…
Before the day, we had a shoot and there and then, the people got to know each other and had several conversations. In fact they had a mood board done by the head hair stylist because she wanted them to have an idea of the hair looks she was looking to create. From there, the makeup person got her inspiration and the designer knew what she should make available. The photographer also knew what angles to shoot from and who he needed to come with him. All we did that day was come in, get the work done and the model which was Nse in this case was ready to roll. Now, because they have all worked with the talent in the past, it also helped to know what she wants and wouldn’t want and if she makes any comment, they know what’s a joke and what should be taken seriously. Let me just say, it’s about understanding.
On the day, the designer, Agatha Moreno, brought a box full of clothes and when it seemed like a few errors had been made, we were not trying to fold our arms lamenting. She got into remedy mode immediately whilst trying to convince Nse to try other options that we ended up with way over 8 options. Can I tell you all a secret? When Nse climbed the stage, she had just one look but by the time she drew the curtains, she had about 4 looks. If that is not GRACE + being PROFESSIONAL, tell me what is.
The makeup artist, Nene belle has worked with Nse for quite sometime now and for everytime that I have worked with her, I notice that Nse is pretty much calm. She had to prep her skin before Nse went out for final rehearsals while the hair stylists, Omozo and Rita of O’Naturals also did French braids after moisturizing the hair. That way, it was easy to manipulate and style the hair when it was time. We had the photographer, Olumide Adisa of Omide Photography and his team of 2- Marvelous and John, on ground to take shots with the professional cameras and then used my Samsung Galaxy S8 for videos.
It also pays to have the talent calm before she climbs on stage. She needs to be in that space where she doesn’t have to panic and for that to happen, she needs to trust that her team will pull it off. So, trust is key and it is earned. Maybe not immediately but even the first impression and referrals matter a lot. You need to take charge of every opportunity you get to work with anyone and give it your best. It is never easy but it is worth it.
I am really grateful to everyone that I worked with on this project. Everyone was amazing. Even my nail guy who I had to call up to help get the manicure and pedicure done and he did deliver. I would be surprised though if he didn’t because I have known Gomez for about 4 years or a little more and every time he does my nails, I see the difference and I love it. We recently had a chat about his career and it was quite insightful. I can’t wait for you to watch it when it’s ready because you will learn so much about the art of manicure and what it really takes to be a professional in that sector.
I have a post that shows about 3 of the looks that Nse wore as well as a video of some of the things that went down Behind The Scene which I have published on YouTube. If you have any questions about being a talent manager or working in that sector, feel free to leave your comments and I will stop by to respond. I do not consider myself an expert as I am still learning each day but I do have about 2 years of experience in that industry. If you will like to contact any of the Glam Team, I have their Instagram handles below so that you can holla at them whenever you want to. Fear not, they won’t ask for your arm or leg *smiles*.
Hair by O’Naturals (@onaturals1)
Makeup by Nene Belle (@nenebelle_)
Dress by Agatha Moreno (@agathamoreno)
Nails by Gomez (@mikeade25)
Photography by Olumide Adisa (@omidephotography)
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