I Have Climbed the Highest Mountain Just to Get a Good Shot - Idowu Adedapo (Mr. Views)

With a keen attention to details and a passion for storytelling, Idowu Adedapo well known as Mr. Views has been a driving force behind some of Nollywood most iconic films.

As a veteran cinematographer and film maker he has had the opportunity to have worked with top directors and producers in the industry bringing their unique visions to live on screen.

With a career spanning for decades, he is undoubtedly a master at his craft and we recently had the opportunity to speak with him. Grab your popcorn, let's dive into the world of Mr. Views and get to see from his lens and hear his perspective about the industry and his journey in Nollywood the second largest film industry in the world.

PartyJollof Africa: As a way of introduction to our keen audience and readers, can you please tell us briefly about yourself and take us through your journey into Nollywood? What was is like in the beginning?

Mr. Views: Thank you very much for this amazing opportunity, my name is Idowu Adedapo but well known as Mr. Views. As for my journey into Nollywood, I won’t say it was that easy. So it all connects back to my young self, when I was young, I liked watching action films, especially the Indian ones and then I was curious and always imagined how people get into the television, so one day our TV got spoiled and I was like okay let me use this opportunity to get to see if people inside are still there (laughs) that's funny right?

PartyJollof Africa: (laughs) absolutely funny!

Mr. Views: All this happened around 1981, 82. Some years after, I was done with school so I had to travel down to Lagos to stay with my big brother Jide Olanyi, he was into videography covering all kinds of event. From wedding ceremonies to birthdays, house warming, baby dedication, name it, he covers them all. So, while staying with him, I started following him and it was from there I got the answers to my curiosity as to how people appear on the TV and it was through the device called the camera.

Through my big brother, I got introduced to Mr. Tajudeen Adepetu the owner of Consolidated Media Associate (CMA) and SoundCity, that introduction was my gateway into the industry, started making standard film making and as they say, the rest is history.

PartyJollof Africa: That’s quite a great story. Before we proceed, we have our own share of curiosity, not about people getting into TV (laughs) but about your nickname, what actually inspired the nickname Mr. Views?

Mr. Views: Seems we are going to be on a story telling spree on this session.

PartyJollof Africa: We are here for the spicy time so spill as we are sure our audience are ready to read and get the gist.

Mr. Views: Well, the name actually started when I was still at Soundcity. So whenever my guys then go for any form of coverage and comes back with footages, I take my time to check what they filmed, so on a particular day, our program was about going on air but my boss had to ask them to have ID view it just a way of saying let Idowu check it and from that very day, after any shoot they will say give ID to view it and just like that when they want to call me, instead of calling Idowu or ID for short, they say ID Views and that was how I just got stuck with the views, removed the ID, added Mr. and started using it.

PartyJollof Africa: You’ve really got some spicy stories to share and we are so itching for more. As a seasoned and experienced cinematographer who has worked on notable and amazing projects, what project would you count as the most memorable for you and why?

Mr. Views: Well, every project I have worked on is memorable because they are all special in their rights and again, they are all blockbuster movies (smiles).

PartyJollof Africa: Great! Talking about projects, do you work on any project at all or there are requirements that a project has to meet before getting to work on it?

Mr. Views: The truth is regardless of who is speaking, we cannot jump on every project and that applies to me as well and there are reasons I don't just jump on all and any project. First things first, whenever I get a script for a project, I’m consuming it to understand the story and the needs. After reading, that’s when I will decide if I want to be part of the project or not, so the script plays a very vital and important role. Then again, if the producer and director gives me room to come up with any suggestions it also gives me the morale to get involved in the project but when these factors I listed are missing, you may not likely find me in such projects.

PartyJollof Africa: It’s awesome having these principles in guiding your work process. Talking about the industry and your work, what are some of the risks you've taken especially while filming and would you say it was worth it?

Mr. Views: Before I answer your question, I’d like to state that everyone in this industry whether in front of the camera or behind is exposed to risks so it’s not peculiar to only casts or to only crew members. The difference only is that the level of risk for different people will be different. Coming back to your question, I have taken lot of risks and as a cinematographer, my risks are mostly while filming. While there are lot to talk about, let me give you a very distinct example that happened while we were filming the second part of Jagun Jagun, there was a scene that we were shooting and from all indications, climbing a mountain will give a better and fantastic shot – the mountain I’m talking about is not just some rocks but a very tall one, climbing it with my gears and stuff. Femi Adebayo resisted the idea even when I initially talked about it but my being insistent made him finally gave in and the joy at the end of the day was that the shot came out beautifully well so in this instance and many others, I will say yes, the risk was worth taking.

PartyJollof Africa: We’re glad the risks are worth it for you and the excitement from your tone tells it all. Moving further, how do you approach visual storytelling in your work, and what inspires your creative decisions?

Mr. Views: The answer to this is direct. For visual storytelling I create and make use of mood board, shots list and they also aid my decision making.

PartyJollof Africa: Talking about work ethics, we know you to be someone who gives his all and 100% energy but then, is there any Nollywood actor you have worked with who surprised you with their talents or work ethics?

Mr. Views: In all my years, I have been opportune to have worked with most Nigeria actors and one thing I will tell you about them is that they do have a different approach to the characters they play at each time and they also have different approach to work as well. At all times, they give their energy so to say surprised, I will say not really because they are all hardworking in their own rights.

PartyJollof Africa: Brilliant! While we have touched this aspect before, we’d like to ask it this way, what do you value most in a project and how do you balance your creative freedom with commercial consideration?

Mr. Views: As regards what I value most in a project, I will say it is the gear I am using because that’s what gives me more room and the freedom to be creative, as to the other part of the question, I haven’t really been in the box where my creativity get to be suppressed due to commercial consideration so I’d not have much to speak on that.

PartyJollof Africa: Great, as a seasoned cinematographer, we’d love to hear from you as an industry insider and an industry expert. Do you think Nollywood has evolved over the years in terms of picture quality?

Mr. Views: On this question, I will give you a solid yes as an answer. Nollywood has grown over the years in all ramifications including our picture quality. With new technology, more accurate gears, and lot more, we’ve evolved and I think we now even understand film making than years back and trust me, we are getting better by the day and yet to scratch the surface!

PartyJollof Africa: Beautiful to hear from an industry expert how far grown we’ve come, talking about work and personal care, how do you balance the demand of being a film maker with self-care and personal wellbeing?

Mr. Views: Hmmm! I try my best to strike a balance between both and one of the ways I do that is by creating time for myself and again even with the busy schedule and calendar, I still find time for vacation, in between, I try to read more about what I’m doing and also find time to explore.

PartyJollof Africa: Perfect balance to avoid wearing out. With gadgets being released year in and year out, how do you stay-up-to-date with latest technological advancement in cinematography and how do you incorporate them into your work?

Mr. Views: Honestly, it’s not easy keeping up to date but one must find the time to keep growing otherwise you’ll just become old school in the game. I try my best by updating myself about any new technologies, research and trying out as I learn.

PartyJollof Africa: We know every job has their special tool, as a cinematographer, what camera would you say is your favorite?

Mr. Views: I do love working with any camera as long as it can produce the result I want but if I’m to pick a favorite, I’ll definitely be going for the Arri, Red, and Sony camera. These are the cameras I love working with.

PartyJollof Africa: Coming towards the end of our session, we’d like to ask, if you were not a film maker, what career path will you have chosen?

Mr. Views: If I wasn’t a film maker today, I would have definitely been a psychologist and by the way I studied psychology.

PartyJollof Africa: Wow! Never could have been speculated that you studied psychology, one would think you majored in media. Final question on our list for you, what's your recent project you can't wait to share with us?

Mr. Views: Okay, the recent project I worked on and I can't wait to share with everyone is Ilu, King of Thieves Part 2, and Jagun Jagun part 2, all produced by the amazing Femi Adebayo Salami.

PartyJollof Africa: Wow! These are big titles and we are hearing them here for the first time. Well thank you so much for your time and we are looking forward to having you some other time on a much bigger and a grand stage.

Mr. Views: Thank you for having me.

Every great film starts with a vision, but it takes a dedicated eye behind the camera to bring that vision to life. From scaling mountains to perfecting each frame, Idowu Adedapo fondly known as Mr. Views reminds us that true artistry is about passion, persistence, and perspective.

His story is not just about cinematography; it’s about commitment to excellence and a love for storytelling that continues to shape Nollywood’s visual narrative.

Here’s to more breathtaking shots, more risks that pay off, and more stories told through the lens of a master.