By Lawrence Enyoghasu
Damilola Solesi, the CEO of Smid Animation Studios, grew up loving cartoons, after she saw her first 3D animated movie in SS2. It was Pixar’s movie and at the end of it, she saw the names of the crew and it just dawned on her that some people do such for a living and she made up her mind that she was going to do same thing. In this interview with Inspire, she narrated how she started doing researches on what she had to do in order to study animation.
How did you start what you’re doing today?
I went to Bowen University, Iwo, Osun State to study Computer Science. In my second year, I started thinking of how I would get the skills that I needed. I went to the most popular computer school around and I was able to take a course on Animation. It was not an extensive course, but it was a good introduction. I was able to understand how the software works and all that. From there, I started practising and learning on my own. During my NYSC, I was certain that this is what I want to do. I served in Abuja; I was saving the extra money I was being given in my place of work and my allowance with a Microfinance bank. At the end of my service year, I took that money and I used part of it to register my business and the other part to buy few equipment and I came back to Lagos. I was sure that I was going to do this and my parents were adamant that I needed to get a job, I needed to do graduate internship, I told them no and that this is what I wanted to do. I still had to apply for as many things as possible because they wanted me to apply. I started the journey in 2010, from then till now; it hasn’t been easy. I’m happy that I am doing what I love to do.
Was computer science what you wanted to study?
I wanted to study Computer Animation but that was still not available in Nigeria, so I decided to study Computer Science. It was a good experience, learning at least part of what I wanted to do.
What was your parents’ reaction when you told them that you wanted to study computer animation?
They didn’t understand what that meant, neither was there a career nor an option out there. They didn’t understand what I wanted to use it for, they kept trying to convince me. So I did Computer Science instead of Computer Animation.
What were your friends’ reactions?
Some of them didn’t know about it.
Even when they belong to your generation?
Yes, it’s just now that people have knowledge about it because of animated clips online and people are just finding it interesting. It wasn’t what anybody was thinking about as a possible career. Then, it was a bit challenging, but now people understand what the career is all about.
At what point did you convince all?
I never got a job except my national service, so I continued doing this and tried to convince people, that I can get as many jobs as possible and be able to build my career. There was a turning point when they saw the recognition I was getting. I got an award for girls contest and I was able to get an internship with Tara, from there I got an IBM fellowship, an IBM moment challenge and I also got a mentorship from that programme. A Canadian boy based in China, helped my business greatly through his perspective. After that we were able to establish equipment and all that. When they started seeing things like these, they were so amused, and when I joined the Mandela Washington Fellowship and we went to UN in order to meet (President Barack) Obama, they asked: “Is this small thing making you go international?” This little achievement increased their belief and even seeing how persistent I was doing what I love to do. These were things that made them believe in my dream.
How has the road been since then?
The road has been challenging, it is much more challenging now. In the beginning; I just thought it would be easy, that I would come out, start my business, and that in three years I would be making movies like Disney world, but that definitely wasn’t the road. One of the issues is that the skills and talent are not still readily available in Nigeria. Also, there are no schools yet for proper training of people on animation. That basically was a challenge. If you ever want to get your team, you have to train first. Even the acceptance for animation and the pack for animation are still not readily available. There has been a lot of progress over the years but it’s just now that it’s coming around, you see the success of Nollywood, you see the success of the music industry, but yet there are no contents for kids in Nigeria, no cartoon network, nothing. They’ve been few coming up now and I think another challenge in animation is that it is capital intensive. I thought that it was about people who love cartoons coming together and making cartoons, I didn’t realise what the business side of it was and how many equipment you need and people, how expensive the subject and equipment are and how much really goes into it; how long it takes to bring out the good production; these are the things that I took into account as I went in. But it’s been a great journey, so many ups and downs, so many lessons learnt and based on how to do things better, ensure that you are creating a sustainable business and building big. Everyone knows how in love I am with Disney World, and I want to be able to build that type of brand out of Africa and I believe that that dream is happening very soon, so every day I am hammering on how to do things and do them right.
How are you tackling the challenges?
When it comes to non-availability of school, what we decided to do is, once in a while we train a few people, after which we keep running with them as a team, but we have not done that this year and I’m not sure if we are going to do that. It’s something we have to do when we expand, so that’s how we tackle these issues. When it comes to funding, there are so many ways. In the past we were unable to access brands but we are moving forward now, we are looking for production and partnership, also, some of the projects we are working on are our only way to get the success that we require.
What is the tool for every entrepreneur?
For me it’s really about balance. I know that this path I have chosen as an entrepreneur, ensuring that you have the hands of God on it, ensuring you have the right support and having a good partner. My husband is also an entrepreneur, he is one of my biggest cheers. He is always there to remind me, because I have a picture of my vision in 20-25 years and he would be like; see your picture, you were the one that put it up there on the wall. You need to work towards it. I also have an amazing son, who loves cartoons, who I learn from everyday, so I feel it’s about you seeing the life from a child’s view, as an animator, it’s for you to see how they see things, how they perceive the world, in their own perspectives they are always unique but as an adult, you are very rigid in your ways; but looking at life through a child is very precious.
A lot of people think that most animators act weird, what do you think?
I think that’s a stereotype. Most times some people are misunderstood. I also think people are diverse, there cannot be one set of creative persons, everyone is creative in their own way. Most of the people I hang out with are sane and I believe very strongly that I am sane too. I dream about cartoons, I don’t see it as weird, I see it as normal.
How does your success so far define your person?
The story is being formed, the success is being formed, and that is everyday achievement. I see it as part of the plan to keep moving towards the goal. I have that picture in my mind of where I’m going to and that is what the goal is for and until I get there. I am not celebrating yet because I’m yet to be there. This is just phase one of our dream. Our ultimate goal is to build an expansive family entertainment brand like Disney that has so many facets. When you talk about Disney brand, they have the studio, the animation studio, they have the pin packs, and all that.
How did you feel when you were given a job worth six figures?
I was excited, was some years back. When I first saw it I was happy that at least people are beginning to believe in our skills and what we do; because convincing people about what we do was a very huge challenge. I really don’t think much about the money, I mostly think about what we offer and how our clients think of the services rendered, and this has been the challenge for us then and now.