When Nigerian film editor and post-production supervisor Biyi Toluwalase learned that he would be working on Makemation, Nigeria’s first feature-length film about Artificial Intelligence, he felt no hesitation or fear. Instead, it was an exciting and challenging opportunity for him. “For me, it felt more like a challenge, and I was just eager to see how it was going to play out. I was excited because that call came a couple of months after I had finished working on Jade Osiberu’s Gangs of Lagos. Coming off a project of that nature, you’re obviously not looking to work on something less significant—you’re looking for something equally big or even better,” he tells Get Unruly.

Makemation is a coming-of-age film that tells the story of Zara (played by Tomi Ojo), who learns how to use AI to address issues in her community despite the challenges she faces. The film also explores girls' education and inequality in tech, especially among underrepresented communities. Produced by Toyosi Akerele-Ogunsiji—who also serves as a writer alongside Nengi Diri—and directed by Michael “AMA PSALMIST” Akinrogunde, the film highlights the potential of young Africans in technology and how they can use it to drive change in their communities.

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As the first Nigerian feature-length film centered on AI, it represents a significant milestone, standing out as one of the films showcasing Nollywood’s growing ability to weave narratives around technology. The film also offers a refreshing perspective on the tech world, delivering an emotionally rich story that emphasises the importance of education and the potential to achieve greatness from humble beginnings. The film marks a pivotal moment in the convergence of Nigerian cinema and technology, signaling that Nollywood is ready to tell more stories of this nature. As one of the key crew members, Biyi discusses his experience navigating his role as the film’s online editor and post-production supervisor, offering readers a behind-the-scenes look at his process and involvement in the project.

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Before we get into Makemation, can you walk us through your journey into film editing?

Interestingly, I initially learned editing as a hobby—I never saw it as a profession or considered pursuing it as a career. I just wanted to be able to do certain things on my own without relying on others. That’s how I started learning editing, and over time, I got better at it.

I had friends who were professional film editors, and I used to say I could never do their job. But there came a time when they were overwhelmed and asked me to help with some of their projects. After that experience, I continued editing, started getting more gigs, and eventually thought to myself, “Since this is paying the bills, I might as well take it seriously.” And that’s how I ended up here.

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When you got called that you were going to be working on Makemation, what was your first reaction? What was it about the film that drew you to this particular project?

I was excited because that call came a couple of months after I had finished working on Jade Osiberu’s Gangs of Lagos. Coming off a project of that scale, you're obviously not looking to work on something smaller—you want something equally big or even bigger. At the time, I didn’t want my next project to be just another random gig. So when the producer called and shared her vision for the film with me, I was genuinely excited.

The fact that it was a film about AI—something you rarely see in Nollywood—made it feel even more unique. It felt like a privilege to be part of a project like that, and from the very beginning, it stood out to me. That was one of the main reasons I was so eager to be involved.

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We’ve seen AI-based films like Korede Azeez’s short film Halima’s Choice, but Makemation is the first feature-length film focused on AI. Was there any hesitation or fear about executing this idea? If so, how did you approach it?

For me, it felt more like a challenge, and I was eager to see how it would play out. Like I mentioned earlier, I had just finished working on Gangs of Lagos, which was a significant learning experience. Working with the Amazon team required me to adapt — my process had to change, and I had to adjust my technical language. My experience on Gangs of Lagos was a journey of unlearning and relearning. So, when Makemation came along, it felt exciting because I thought, 'This is something else that will challenge me.' I was excited to be involved in all these projects and to be growing through the experience of entering a new creative space.

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As the post production supervisor, you were in charge of managing the post production team. How did you collaborate with the VFX artists, editors, and sound designers to create a cohesive final product?

I would be wrong to take all the credit for this because it was a collaborative effort involving the producer, the director, myself, and the post-production team. It was truly a team effort—we held numerous meetings, experimented with different ideas, and discussions. I believe what made the film truly shine was that collective collaboration.

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In an interview with Afrocritik, you mentioned that you had a technique for editing and I’d like to know if that played a role in Makemation? Did the film’s subject matter influence your post-production strategy or workflow?

My process is quite simple: let the story drive the edit. For me, it starts with reading the script—even before receiving the footage, I’m already visualizing how certain scenes might be shot and how they could be edited. Then, once I have the footage, I interact with it: I watch it and begin the editing process. There’s also a creative back-and-forth with the directors. This was the same process I followed for Makemation; I wasn’t trying to reinvent the wheel with the film. It was simply about letting the story ultimately guide the editing decisions.

I wouldn’t say it necessarily did, but what I would say is that because it was a film about AI, we had to be intentional in ensuring that some of the processes were actually carried out using AI. You know, with AI, a lot depends on prompting, so it was quite different from working with a human being, where you can easily correct or adjust outputs. It’s generally easier when working with humans. With AI, it took some learning to understand that you can’t give careless prompts—you have to be precise. But overall, it wasn’t like my creative process changed significantly because of the film’s subject.

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As the online editor, how did you know the film was ready? Walk me through your work process?

Before the film was released, I had probably watched it from beginning to end at least 20 times, and that’s part of the job – carefully watching, painfully scrutinizing everything, and making sure nothing is missed that could become an issue later on. So, I had watched the film multiple times, and the director and executive producers also watched it to ensure there was a second layer of quality control, just in case I missed something. That’s the job of an online editor – you watch it until you are confident it’s ready.

Before I did the final export, the distributors did one last viewing and brought up some things they thought were issues. However, because I had interacted with this material and understood why those elements were included, I was able to explain that what they saw as issues were actually creative decisions, not technical ones. After we had that session, everyone understood my explanation, and I was given the green light to export the final copy of the film. Essentially, the job of the online editor is to watch the film until you are confident the world is ready to see it.

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What are some of the challenges you’ve faced while working on the film, and how did you overcome it?

One area the post-production team had challenges with was VFX. Due to the nature of the film, we couldn’t just include just any VFX. We had to engage a significant number of VFX artists. Ultimately, we ended up working with two VFX artists, sharing their responsibilities between them. Before settling on the final two, we reviewed a long list of VFX artists. The selection process was where we faced the major challenge, and it was where we spent most of our time during post-production.

My other challenge was that I had never worked with such a large team before. Prior to joining Makemation, the largest team I had worked with on a project consisted of about three or four people. This time, however, I was working with around seven people in post-production. It stretched me a bit, and I had to learn how to manage a larger team effectively, as this was nearly double the number I was used to. I needed to adapt and become more efficient while coordinating a bigger group. Although it was a challenge at first, as the project progressed, I was able to fine-tune my process and strike a balance.

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From your experience with working with the team on Makemation do you think the Nigerian film industry has the tools and talent to take on more high-concept films like this?

The truth is, for Nollywood, there is still a lot of learning that needs to happen. There's still a lot of catching up to do, but we can't deny the huge potential that exists. If you look at what Makemation was able to achieve with what we had, it's quite impressive. So, I strongly believe that there is huge potential. Maybe we are not there yet, but it's not like we're far behind. A bit of catching up just needs to be done, and I think we're ready to take Nollywood to the world.

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Post-production is often underrated, but it can really make or break the story. Can you speak to the importance of the post-production team in any project?

There is a saying that a film is written three times: first, it is written as a script; secondly, it is written on set; and finally, the last writing of the film is done in post-production. First of all, for those who don’t take post-production seriously, the outcome of the product always reflects that neglect. There is no way you can ignore post-production and it won’t show in the final product. Just as the writing of the script is important and the filming of the script is important, if both are done correctly but post-production is neglected, the results will be obvious.

Post-production is a crucial process, and it is equally important that the right people handle it. Just as you wouldn’t give your script to someone who doesn’t understand the intricacies of scriptwriting, you wouldn’t assemble a crew of inexperienced people to film your project. In the same way you pay attention to the people filming your project, you should place equal importance on your post-production team – hire the best professionals. We have seen the impact of this in many instances. Projects that prioritize post-production are often acknowledged for how well put together they are.

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Can you share the most exciting part of working on Makemation?

For me, the most exciting part was working with the team. I worked with people I had collaborated with before and others I wasn’t familiar with, but we all became like a big family. At one point, it felt as though we were brothers striving toward a common goal, with everyone giving their best. It wasn’t that stressful because of this. For instance, I had known the director from afar for a long time, but on this project, we ended up bonding. It was a case of working as a family, and when you work like that on films, it’s always exciting because it makes the work easier and smoother.

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What is the best reaction you have gotten about the film so far?

Everyone I’ve encouraged to watch the film has expressed how much they loved it, but my best reaction so far is from my family. They were so excited to see my name in the credits, and that felt special. It was refreshing to realise that I could do something that would make my family proud and excited. I doubt anything will surpass that reaction.

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While the film’s main focus is AI, it also explores themes of family, education, girl child rights, and many others. What do you hope viewers take away from this film?

At the core of the film, I think there’s a line mentioned within it—this idea that you can achieve great things from small places. Personally, I really hope that’s the takeaway for everyone: the ability to dream, no matter where you currently are, because it doesn’t matter—you can accomplish great things from humble beginnings. That’s the essence of the film, and I want anyone who watches it to carry that with them.

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In a recent tweet you talked about the distribution issues plaguing Nollywood, was this one of the challenges Makemation faced? Have any of the films you have worked on faced this challenge?

Makemation didn’t face any distribution challenges. Not necessarily all the films I have worked on have faced this challenge, but I have friends who are filmmakers, and I see the headaches and struggles they go through trying to secure distribution. Many mainstream filmmakers are experiencing distribution challenges, but when you move further down the ladder, those who don’t have a name yet face even more strenuous distribution hurdles.

There are people who can easily go to the cinema and be assured of making a certain amount of money, but most up-and-coming filmmakers can’t afford to go to the cinemas because, when they do, nobody knows them. They organize a meet-and-greet, and nobody shows up. All of this inspired the tweet because I had just had a conversation with a friend who has been trying to sell a film for over a year, if not more. Every avenue he has tried has been futile, and the people willing to give him a shot are offering terms that are ridiculous considering the amount of investment that went into the film.

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What did you enjoy about working with the director and crew?

First of all, the director, Michael “AMA PSALMIST” Akinrogunde, is a very creative person. One of the things that makes post-production really difficult for us is when you work with directors who don’t have a clear vision of what they want. It often becomes a case of them pushing the work onto you, and based on what you’ve done, they start having unrealistic ideas. Working with such directors makes the process very challenging because something that could have been handled in a week extends to a month, with you and the director still going back and forth.

For the director of Makemation, he was someone who, from the onset, knew what he wanted to achieve with the film. I remember when we were working on the first cut, there were some edits that he pointed out, explaining why he shot certain scenes and what he was trying to achieve. So, working with a director who knows what he wants was great. Post-production is a long process, so working with someone who makes your life easier is the dream of every editor and anyone involved in it. Working with this director was a breeze, and it was easy to align with him on many things. Everyone else on the project was very professional, and it was fun—I really enjoyed it.

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What’s next for you after Makemation?

Currently, I am working on a four-part series for Ramsey Nouah, and we are almost done with it. The project should be released either later this month or early next month. Also in the pipeline is a high school musical series that I am working on. We are still in the early stages of that, and there is still a lot of work to be done. But for now, those are the two major projects on my plate.

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