CINEMATOGRAPHER and video director, Ukpong Kingsley Essien, otherwise known as Prodigee Film Works, has become the toast of the music video industry having sealed his place as one of the pantheons of the movie art visualisers in Africa and beyond.
Yet he remains an enigma because of his penchant for shunning publicity, preferring instead that his body of works speaks for him.
In a recent interview, he broke this jinx by providing an elaborate insight into his personality, track record and motivation for his works.
“I am a “real-time” visual artist, not just a film director because I picture things and bring them to life,” he declared.
Speaking of his career trajectory, he said: “Cinematography as a profession or a career path did not happen to me intentionally. My quest into cinematography happened as a result of my “shyness” or what I would call “introversy.”
Essien, who is CEO of Prodigee Film Work, explained further: “I have always been this shy kid that has always been relegated in fun activities that most of my peers were engaged in. That prompted me to want to be the guy behind the scene and to create things that would be celebrated and not be known as a creator. At a point in my adventure, Prodigee Film Works was birthed. I became the guy who makes videos and pictures for fun. While it was fun, I realized that this fun can pay my bills and so I monetized my intuition and thus was my cinematography enterprise born. Ever since it has been from one impossible-seeming milestone to another.”
Largely self-taught and self-trained, Kingsley Essien founded Prodigee Film Works in 2012, which specialises in creative visuals, music videos, commercials, movies, and television.
The company has worked with an impressive group of artistes including Iceprince, Kevin lyttle,Sky D,Bred,Erigga,Challex D Boss, Ayrastarr,Peruzzi,Bellashmurda. Prodigee film works also worked with De9jaspirits talent hunt 2021 for some of their official commercials.
Of the inspiration behind his creativity, Essien credited his intuition, saying “everything about Prodigee is based on intuitions, not regular intuitions but divine intuitions.”
