'Unlocking your star power as an actor' Q+A with Femi Oguns MBE
Yourcinemafilms.com | Hollywood agent Femi Oguns MBE gives an in depth insight into what it takes to make it as an actor and unlocking your star power!
Recorded at Our Stories Festival
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Recorded at Our Stories Festival
’Welcome to Your Cinema'
Follow us on socials:
Tiktok: @yourcinemafilms
Instagram: @yourcinemafilms
Twitter: @yourcinemafilms
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FunTranscript
00:00:00 Our Stories Festival was really set up to help support people from diverse backgrounds to really get into the industry.
00:00:08 Those people that you see do fantastic stuff, they put in the work.
00:00:14 This man has, I would say, transformed the industry. Definitely over here but also in America.
00:00:23 I mean, Letitia Wright, John Boyega, Damson Idris, Malachi Kirby, all very pretty big actors.
00:00:31 And that's only the tip of the iceberg in terms of the careers that he's broken and shaped.
00:00:37 As well as that, he has got the leading, dare I say, is it the leading, probably the leading part-time drama school,
00:00:48 probably drama school when you look at the alumni as well. It's a lot, it's a lot.
00:00:54 We have got a mogul here, Femi Ogunz MBE.
00:00:59 Thank you.
00:01:02 Thank you, thank you. He's also our headline ambassador for the festival.
00:01:08 So thank you for, you know, really believing in this vision, understanding it and fully supporting it.
00:01:16 Honestly, Pierre, I can't say enough. And yes, guys, my voice is this deep.
00:01:20 I can't say enough that, Guy, Pierre, you've done a massive, wonderful thing.
00:01:25 You've been doing it for many, many years and you're really, really changing the game of everything.
00:01:29 So just thank you so much for giving us the platform and everybody else.
00:01:32 All that hard work hasn't gone wasted. Thank you.
00:01:35 Cool. So we're going to get into it. I've got some questions. You guys might have some questions as well.
00:01:41 So please have them ready. But we're going to start with me if that's okay.
00:01:45 Cool. So, Femi, look, the number of actors that like have really come through you and you've represented over the years are vast.
00:01:57 Right. Like it's huge. Why do you think you've got such a keen eye for spotting talent?
00:02:03 Because I think it's because I understand people.
00:02:09 You know, I'm a great believer that art imitates life.
00:02:15 And I've lived at the age of 46. I've lived.
00:02:20 And I'm grateful for the things I've been through in my life.
00:02:24 But it's allowed me to be really to be able to be relatable to the talent that I have the fortune of meeting.
00:02:32 So I think that's a really, really important component when it comes to spotting talent. The relationship.
00:02:40 Amazing. So as well as the relationship, are there any like keys or things that you're looking for when you're when you're like looking for someone that you might represent?
00:02:53 Well, you probably don't look, but when you come across talent.
00:02:55 So if we're talking about talent, it's funny because with talent, you don't know what you're looking for.
00:03:06 It's just that something. You know, it's the I like to see it like the difference between Evian water and that Nestle's from Costco.
00:03:16 Yeah, yeah. You know, yeah. Yeah.
00:03:18 The difference between, you know, Waitrose and Lidl's.
00:03:26 That type of thing. So it's something in the water when you when you spot it, you taste it, you feel it, you know it.
00:03:34 I hear you. I hear you. So.
00:03:36 In terms of like the people that I've come across, I would say in life, this is not a bad thing.
00:03:44 It's a good thing, but like actors are some of the hungriest and passionate professionals that I've come across, particularly when they're on the come up. Right.
00:03:54 What would you say is the borderline between dedication and desperation?
00:04:03 OK. So for me, I see is this.
00:04:08 It's almost like one wants to make love to the industry.
00:04:13 I want once the industry to make love to them.
00:04:16 OK. And what we need to realize, I'm going to be quite frank, crude and direct, because this is the industry that we're in.
00:04:26 The fact is, when you're desperate. You want the industry to make love to you.
00:04:33 You want that industry to stroke back your hair, give you that forehead kiss, tell you how much it loves you.
00:04:40 When reading truly is going to use you for as long as it can.
00:04:45 And when it's done with, it's going to replace you.
00:04:48 So you need to be the actor that is passionate, dedicated, that knows themselves and knows exactly what they want to get out of this industry.
00:04:57 And then therefore you find yourself in a position where you're making the industry feel as though you're making love to it when really and truly you're not.
00:05:06 You're using it for every single thing you can get out of it.
00:05:09 That's going to help you build.
00:05:11 Wow. Wow. That's a keen understanding.
00:05:14 Go for it. Go for it. Go for it.
00:05:18 Because I just want to say, because it's really important, because when you're desperate.
00:05:22 You know, we can smell your mile off.
00:05:26 What we can't do, as I said, art imitates life.
00:05:30 Like, just think about it in any other scenario.
00:05:33 If you're dealing with somebody who reeks of desperation, you just don't want to be in the room for them for too long.
00:05:38 It's as simple as that.
00:05:41 When you know yourself and you know your goals and you subscribe to that notion where preparation meets opportunity and you have a really, really strong faith belief.
00:05:51 It's about letting go and trusting and living within that moment and knowing that you are following the chapters of your life.
00:05:59 So as far as I'm concerned, I'm on chapter 46.
00:06:04 And I allow God to dictate exactly what he's going to do on the next pages, whether the next page is going to be a drawing or it's going to be, you know, a wonderful poem or whatever it is.
00:06:12 I trust and allow that to lead.
00:06:14 But if you're going to be desperate for it, and you're going to be one of these actors that says, Oh my God, acting is my life.
00:06:20 I live for acting, then we've got a problem.
00:06:22 Because acting should never, ever, ever be your life.
00:06:26 Acting, if you're talented enough, it's just one of the many strings to your bow.
00:06:32 There's so much more important things.
00:06:34 Unfortunately, and I have to say this, we've had situations where especially one young girl took her life.
00:06:45 Out of the fact that she wanted the industry to make love to her.
00:06:50 That she didn't know what her own value was.
00:06:54 And that really, really, really, really pained me to the core.
00:06:58 That's why we don't neglect the business.
00:07:00 And we let them know, we remind them that acting, there's much more to this.
00:07:05 What about your family?
00:07:08 What about your friends?
00:07:10 Some people are fantastic writers.
00:07:13 You know, there are so many talents that we've got.
00:07:17 So we can't put it into one box.
00:07:19 And you'll find that those people that diversify their talents, they prosper.
00:07:26 But those guys that just want to keep it there, lock everybody off, and it's all about the acting.
00:07:30 They find themselves drowning in it.
00:07:33 So I just want to add that to you.
00:07:35 Thank you, thank you, thank you.
00:07:37 You mentioned preparation, meeting, opportunity, right?
00:07:44 Is there any preparation, or what sort of preparation could you advise actors to do?
00:07:53 I say they're athletes, actors are athletes.
00:07:56 So then the question is, what preparation does an athlete do when they're getting ready for that race?
00:08:02 The thing is, it's all good and well knowing what you want.
00:08:06 But if you're not willing to work hard and understand and sharpen your craft, it's going to fall to the floor at one point.
00:08:14 So yes, you might be that person that gets spotted out of a thousand people with hardly any ability or whatever it is.
00:08:21 But it'll be a short-lived career.
00:08:23 But if you prepare yourself with your craft, and you see it as an exercise, go into the gym, that's when you prepare yourself for battle.
00:08:32 It's just like if you're going into the battlefield, and that's exactly what it is.
00:08:35 As an actor, you're going into the battlefield.
00:08:38 And you have to be prepared, you need to have the right armour.
00:08:41 So what's going to happen then, somebody attacks you with a shield.
00:08:46 Well, they can't attack you with a shield, can they?
00:08:48 But somebody comes at you with a sword, you've got to have your shield up.
00:08:52 A shield can't fight a shield.
00:08:56 So you've got to know what's in your armoury.
00:08:59 You've got to know exactly what this acting means to me.
00:09:02 It's not just the vision, it's all about the preparation.
00:09:05 Especially when you go from one job to another.
00:09:07 Do you know what? You just made a really interesting point, right?
00:09:11 In terms of the preparation and the training and honing of your craft.
00:09:17 Is it common for actors who are established to still train?
00:09:22 Absolutely.
00:09:24 But it depends how they train, you know?
00:09:26 And this is not one of those ones where I'm trying to plug identityschoolofacting.com.
00:09:30 It's not, right?
00:09:32 Actors train in so many different ways.
00:09:35 Some train by going to the theatre a lot, you know?
00:09:38 Some train by going to movie theatres and whatever it is.
00:09:42 Some train on a one-to-one, even though I'm not a fan of that.
00:09:45 Because I don't believe in working in isolation is ever going to give you the ingredients that you need.
00:09:50 How is somebody going to be able to train you and observe you?
00:09:54 Observe and also give you notes? It doesn't make sense whatsoever.
00:09:57 But there are different ways to train and that's what a lot of actors do.
00:10:00 A lot of my actors still do it.
00:10:02 You know?
00:10:03 Whether it is in a very, very intimate setting, you know?
00:10:06 Or maybe if it is subscribed to that one-to-one teaching or whatever it is.
00:10:10 Or if they are in class.
00:10:12 But training is so important.
00:10:14 You've got to sharpen those tools.
00:10:16 Please take notes.
00:10:18 Okay, cool.
00:10:20 So, you've got the school, right?
00:10:22 Which is an amazing factory of new stars.
00:10:27 What would you say is the secret to unlocking your star power?
00:10:33 See, I've got a few of the students.
00:10:37 Can you put a show of hands, anybody that's at Identity or has been to Identity?
00:10:41 Wow, great.
00:10:43 You see?
00:10:44 And this is beautiful.
00:10:45 And I'll tell you why it's beautiful.
00:10:46 Because for those guys who haven't been to Identity, but have only heard,
00:10:51 and sometimes you might just hear from those people that didn't make it, right?
00:10:54 The fact that we've got so many people from Identity,
00:10:57 that is a pure illustration of where the love is.
00:11:00 You can't fake it.
00:11:01 The fact that they're here because they embrace exactly what it's all about.
00:11:05 What was your question?
00:11:08 It was the secret to unlocking your star power.
00:11:12 So, this is why I got into that.
00:11:14 Because they've heard me say this a million times,
00:11:16 and I'm not going to change the script, because it is what it is.
00:11:18 The secret to unlocking your power is unlocking yourself.
00:11:22 And you can't divorce yourself from this practice.
00:11:27 I've often said, and these guys will snatch the words out of my mouth,
00:11:31 God does not make mistakes.
00:11:33 And he hasn't made a mistake when it comes to creating each and every one of you.
00:11:38 I mean, you've been created to absolute perfection.
00:11:40 Absolute perfection.
00:11:42 But it's only when we give it to the world, to be able to define who we are,
00:11:45 and conjure up and feed off all of our insecurities,
00:11:48 that's when we start to compare ourselves with other people.
00:11:51 But the secret to it is realising that no two people are alike.
00:11:56 Yes, people say that I look like Indris Elba and Tyson Beckford.
00:12:01 Better not me.
00:12:05 I'm Femi.
00:12:07 So the bottom line fact is embracing that secret that is you.
00:12:11 And it's funny, because somebody who really inspired me to create the drama school,
00:12:19 and I'm fortunate enough to have her still at the school,
00:12:22 she taught me at the age of 16, so I've known her for 30 years,
00:12:25 is the wonderful, beautiful Greta Mendes.
00:12:27 Can we give her a round of applause?
00:12:29 [Applause]
00:12:34 So Greta is responsible for so many, so many stars of the past,
00:12:40 and also of the present.
00:12:42 A lot of them would also often quote her.
00:12:44 But the reason why I've mentioned her in this instance is purely because
00:12:48 she used many, many, many moons ago, she used the example of,
00:12:52 you know, the amount of sperm that travel, you know, in that time.
00:12:57 It takes one to fertilise, or maybe two, or three in certain cases,
00:13:02 but that one to fertilise, and that's you.
00:13:04 Imagine all those different sperms that died along the way, but you were chosen.
00:13:09 What about that time when some of us have been able to see on a monitor, you know,
00:13:13 a baby in the womb, just to be in the back, and you're like, "Wow, look at that.
00:13:17 The mystery of all that blackness and that grey."
00:13:19 And that was you.
00:13:20 And as soon as we get into this world, we lose sight of that.
00:13:24 We start looking to our left, looking to our right, but we don't look within.
00:13:27 And that's where the secret is.
00:13:30 So, what this industry needs, what this world needs,
00:13:35 is the realisation that you are enough, and there's nobody else like you.
00:13:40 And God has designed such a wonderful, beautiful being.
00:13:44 Whether they come in the shape of a king or a queen, that is you.
00:13:48 And it's only those people that subscribe to that notion, that reality,
00:13:53 they're the ones that go on to do wonderful, powerful stuff.
00:13:57 So, some of the people that you've mentioned, in fact, all of the people
00:14:00 that you've mentioned, subscribe to that.
00:14:02 They believe in their royalty, they own their power, they own their faults,
00:14:07 but they know exactly what they're going to bring to this world,
00:14:11 and the blueprint that they're going to leave.
00:14:13 And that's what it's all about.
00:14:15 That's how you unlock it, looking within and not around.
00:14:18 Wow. Wow.
00:14:20 Fire, fire, fire.
00:14:25 So, you, over the years, and even now, you've represented
00:14:30 and represent a whole range of top-tier talent, right?
00:14:35 Do you still look for emerging talent?
00:14:39 And do you personally still look after emerging talent?
00:14:46 Absolutely.
00:14:47 That's why I put all my whole life into it.
00:14:52 It's only now that I'm trying to, and I'm glad I am,
00:14:55 in a certain way I slightly regret it,
00:14:57 because I should have given even more time to my family.
00:15:00 But in a weird way, I see this as an extension of my family.
00:15:05 I just really feed off seeing people prosper.
00:15:10 I really do.
00:15:12 And that's the reason why my hunger is there,
00:15:15 even at this stage where I'm still the principal of the school.
00:15:18 I can't let go.
00:15:19 And that's for a reason.
00:15:21 You ask the students, I am near enough there
00:15:24 in every single showcase, which I have been
00:15:26 for the last 20 years.
00:15:28 Come the new term, I'm actually teaching two sessions,
00:15:34 because I can't take it no more.
00:15:35 I'm getting that itch.
00:15:36 Because, for me, being able to be part of that process
00:15:41 or being able to spot talent, to be able to nurture talent,
00:15:45 to be able to go on a journey with the talent,
00:15:47 that's what I feed off,
00:15:48 and that's what the rest of my team feed off.
00:15:50 And that's how we've been able to be unchallenged
00:15:52 in this industry.
00:15:53 There's no other agency,
00:15:55 and I'll beg anybody to challenge me on that,
00:15:58 that's been able to, A, churn out the kind of talents
00:16:01 that we are from that school,
00:16:02 but not only that, be able to have so many
00:16:05 of our actors working in America.
00:16:07 I'm ashamed to say, on IMDb, we were number one on IMDb
00:16:12 in the UK about two years ago,
00:16:14 and we dropped down to number seven.
00:16:16 So I want to see exactly who's tampering
00:16:18 with those figures, right?
00:16:20 But that's a testament to what we're about.
00:16:23 So we're about diversity,
00:16:25 and before diversity became a buzzword,
00:16:27 that's what we are, and that's what we're about.
00:16:30 And I'll continue being a part of that process.
00:16:32 That's the only reason why I continue to do this,
00:16:34 is to find new talent.
00:16:36 And it's funny, I had a conversation with somebody
00:16:39 a few days ago, and they asked me,
00:16:41 "What is the biggest joy that you get out of this job?"
00:16:44 And in a weird way, even though creativity's the one
00:16:47 that leads it, it's being able to go,
00:16:51 these are the amount of people that we've had,
00:16:53 that we've signed up, they lived at home,
00:16:58 not only have they got a great career,
00:17:00 but they've got four properties.
00:17:02 Maybe it's the Nigerian in me,
00:17:04 always wants to be business, business, business, right?
00:17:06 And the funny thing is, it's nothing to do,
00:17:08 those properties, whatever it is,
00:17:09 I don't get any stake in that,
00:17:10 but it's just the fact that I see young people
00:17:14 and old people create generational wealth
00:17:18 and be very, very intelligent with the way
00:17:20 they use their money.
00:17:22 Because this is a completely different landscape now.
00:17:26 Back in our day, back in our day,
00:17:29 back in our day, to do an episode,
00:17:33 people are getting 20, now people are getting 20, 30, 50,
00:17:36 100,000 per episode.
00:17:38 And what I don't want to do,
00:17:41 like what they do in the sports agencies,
00:17:43 is just allow actors just to do their thing
00:17:47 with their money and whatever it is,
00:17:48 and just go, "All right, let me just keep quiet
00:17:50 "because the money's coming in,
00:17:51 "I'm getting my good little 15%."
00:17:53 I'm not made that way.
00:17:55 And sometimes that comes with being clothed as the enemy
00:17:59 or family's too hard, too harsh.
00:18:01 I would never control what those young people,
00:18:03 those developing people, what they want to do.
00:18:05 But I'm responsible, the same way I live for God
00:18:08 and I make mistakes,
00:18:10 is the same way I can't live with myself,
00:18:12 seeing somebody going in the wrong direction.
00:18:15 My job is to make sure I go,
00:18:16 "Listen, this is the path where you should go.
00:18:19 "You're earning all this great money now.
00:18:20 "What are you going to do with it?"
00:18:22 "Oh, I don't know yet."
00:18:23 Start knowing.
00:18:24 Because like we've got the right strike now,
00:18:27 there's a lot of people that are shivering right now,
00:18:29 pretty, pretty cold.
00:18:30 So it's about not only the acting,
00:18:33 making wonderful master moves,
00:18:36 but it's also about how do we make intelligent choices
00:18:39 with the money that you've got.
00:18:40 And if they decide to go for it, great.
00:18:42 If they don't decide to go for it, it's up to them.
00:18:44 But for me, hard discipline, that's what I'm all about.
00:18:47 And people realise,
00:18:49 when it's my time to be called up to heaven,
00:18:51 they're going to go to themselves.
00:18:52 I might not have agreed with Femi, whatever it is,
00:18:54 but one thing I'll say about Femi, he spoke his truth.
00:18:58 And that's what it's all about for me,
00:18:59 speaking my truth and guiding you the best way I can.
00:19:02 - Wow, wow.
00:19:04 (audience applauding)
00:19:05 Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
00:19:09 So you spoke about uniqueness
00:19:12 and embracing who you are, right?
00:19:15 On a practical level,
00:19:17 what advice can you give for emerging actors
00:19:20 in terms of how to do that?
00:19:22 - You know, it does boil down to affordability, really,
00:19:30 doesn't it?
00:19:31 'Cause I mean, it's really easy to say,
00:19:33 guys, put your attention in the right place,
00:19:37 which is, you know, train.
00:19:40 This whole thing of networking, networking,
00:19:42 I've never been a fan of it.
00:19:44 And maybe because I've never been a fan of it,
00:19:46 I don't really understand it.
00:19:48 And maybe because I don't understand it,
00:19:50 I put it into that desperation bracket, you know?
00:19:53 Seeing so many people with massive folders
00:19:55 underneath their arms, you know, in networking gigs,
00:19:58 giving people their CVs and you're like,
00:20:00 so what do you want me to do with this
00:20:01 for the rest of the night?
00:20:02 Drink my wine and hold it with one hand, you know?
00:20:05 (audience laughing)
00:20:08 People, you know, honestly, people don't think, you know?
00:20:11 What I'll say to you is, wherever you can,
00:20:15 even if it's about getting a collection of you guys,
00:20:17 working together, frustrating one another, you know,
00:20:20 try and do that.
00:20:22 Find your private spaces, wherever's the park,
00:20:24 wherever's, you know, maybe you've been able to hustle
00:20:27 getting into a small little room, do that.
00:20:29 Other than that, go and train.
00:20:32 Trust me, because it's an investment into your future.
00:20:37 I'm not saying, there's so many places that you can go to.
00:20:41 There's so many places that offer drop-in sessions,
00:20:44 if that's your thing.
00:20:45 But trust me, those people that you see
00:20:48 doing fantastic stuff, they put in the work.
00:20:51 And that's one thing that we say in identity,
00:20:53 the work is the work is the work.
00:20:56 That's what it's about.
00:20:57 And you will reap the rewards at the end of it.
00:21:00 The same way if you went to RADA or Central,
00:21:03 whatever it is.
00:21:04 Now what I am going to say,
00:21:06 and it is going to be a bit controversial,
00:21:08 I'm not a fan of full-time drama schools.
00:21:10 We could have been in full-time drama schools
00:21:12 many, many, many years ago.
00:21:14 Mainly the reason why I'm not such a fan
00:21:17 is because I wanted to make sure that we were able to target
00:21:20 the very, very people that we created a drama school for.
00:21:22 But given the current climate especially,
00:21:25 I feel as though full-time drama schools set people up to fail.
00:21:29 In the sense of, you're going to lock people away
00:21:32 for five, maybe six days a week
00:21:35 in an environment that's sterile and competitive.
00:21:39 They're going to be paying thousands of pounds
00:21:42 just to wear that fancy belt, I go to this drama school.
00:21:45 At the end of it, they're going to have to train for three years
00:21:49 only to see a few agents dotted around.
00:21:52 And if those few agents are in takes life,
00:21:55 if they don't know you,
00:21:57 if they can't relate to you in reality,
00:22:00 how are they going to be able to relate to you
00:22:02 in terms of your career prospects?
00:22:04 How do you know you're not going to be the actor
00:22:07 that has to wait for that next black role to come up
00:22:09 before they go, "We've got a role for you"?
00:22:12 Or, "We've got a Greek role, we're looking for a Spanish person,
00:22:17 "that's the role for you," whatever it is.
00:22:19 You need someone that understands you.
00:22:21 So what we do at Identity is that for us, we're colourblind.
00:22:26 Whether you're black, white, Middle Eastern, Asian,
00:22:29 all we see is the spirit that exists
00:22:32 and the possibilities that are at hand.
00:22:35 And that's the reason why we've been able to break down so many doors,
00:22:38 because as I said, diversity to us wasn't a buzzword,
00:22:42 it's what we are and what we do.
00:22:45 Sorry, I'm not saying each thing just to get a clap every single time,
00:22:49 it's just the way I talk, sorry.
00:22:51 Obviously, I haven't been here the whole day,
00:22:54 but we've only really had one clap at the end of each of our talks.
00:22:58 So this is... Yeah, you're saying gems, basically.
00:23:01 Yeah.
00:23:02 So given the amount and number of people that...
00:23:06 or actors that you've been able to export over to the US, right,
00:23:11 and get American work,
00:23:13 what does it take to go international?
00:23:15 From your perspective.
00:23:18 So my question to you is, what do you mean about "go international"?
00:23:21 I mean, anybody can get on a plane and, you know...
00:23:24 Good point. I would say being able to land those roles.
00:23:28 Because... and I'm speaking from the perspective
00:23:31 of the outside perception of, like, when we see you post,
00:23:36 like, I don't know, it's a new Amazon Prime trailer
00:23:40 and it's an American show and it's one of your clients,
00:23:44 it's like, OK, cool. This happens a lot.
00:23:47 So are there any secret ingredients or key things
00:23:52 that make the talent transferable or not?
00:23:57 It's a partnership. It's having the right team.
00:24:01 It's... We've got a wonderful agency
00:24:04 and you just can't divorce that from anything.
00:24:07 The reasons why our actors have been able to, you know,
00:24:10 to get where they are, and they would say it to you,
00:24:13 is because of the agency backing that they've got,
00:24:15 but also the relationships that we have got overseas,
00:24:18 and, you know, and making sure they understand
00:24:21 that when we hand this gift to you,
00:24:24 it's to be treated as a gift, right?
00:24:27 So, for us, we are...
00:24:29 The way we think about things, we always say it's all about making history.
00:24:33 Unfortunately, like, if identity is a place that any of you guys want to,
00:24:38 I'll be honest with you, I confess, and it's not a great thing,
00:24:41 we don't specialise as much in stage.
00:24:45 We've got people in the national and all that kind of stuff,
00:24:48 but, you know, I've always been a sucker for screen.
00:24:50 That's me, and I've always been a sucker for America.
00:24:53 So our business model is nurture, develop, train or spot,
00:24:58 and then boom, develop them so we can get to a certain level,
00:25:01 and then boom, we create our...
00:25:03 This is what... I got this boom, bash, all this stuff from Greta.
00:25:06 This is what she's given me. Yeah.
00:25:08 She used to say, like, boom, bash, push,
00:25:10 and you're supposed to understand what that was,
00:25:12 and I did eventually. I was able to interpret it.
00:25:15 So, yeah, and that's what we do.
00:25:17 And so it's funny, cos I often hear from other actors,
00:25:22 "Oh, my God, if you get with the CAAs and UTA,
00:25:24 "you can be like a fish in a big pond."
00:25:26 It's down to your team.
00:25:28 It's down to your British team letting those guys know, "This is it.
00:25:33 "If you get this gift and you're jumping on board,
00:25:36 "you're jumping on board for these reasons."
00:25:38 And we have that respect across the board.
00:25:40 So, for us, the majority of our staff is very much geared towards...
00:25:44 And that's why this strike has hit us a tiny bit, I'm not going to lie,
00:25:47 because, you know, a lot of them are like,
00:25:49 "OK, should we now start crawling over to all the British casting directors now
00:25:54 "and trying to get some British programmes and all this kind of stuff?"
00:25:57 But it's a lesson learned in that regard.
00:25:59 So a lot of people are doing British stuff, but we're very filmic,
00:26:02 we're very, you know, Amazon, Netflix and all that.
00:26:05 That's very much what we're geared towards and what we do
00:26:07 and what we specialise in.
00:26:09 I love that. I love that.
00:26:11 Any questions from the audience?
00:26:14 I will let you guys choose.
00:26:18 OK, should we go for the guy at the back with the phone in his hands?
00:26:24 Yeah, in black. Thank you.
00:26:27 Hello, how you doing? My name is Jonathan.
00:26:30 Hi, Jonathan.
00:26:31 I just wanted to ask about more like the application process
00:26:35 and obviously where I put this, I didn't know there was audition already.
00:26:39 What would you recommend someone going into identity
00:26:43 should come with, the mind frame they should come with?
00:26:45 Because I literally just graduated from a normal institutionalised school.
00:26:51 So how would I delve into identity as an applicant and as a student?
00:26:57 Yeah, so what I would say to you is, and you can speak to the other members,
00:27:01 and guys, to students of identity,
00:27:03 I cannot wait for you guys to see this new space.
00:27:05 I cannot wait for you to see it.
00:27:07 These guys are looking at me thinking,
00:27:09 "Femi, why can't you just reveal the address?"
00:27:12 I'm not doing it because you guys are going to be like looking at it too early
00:27:15 and then gossiping to everybody. It's not all that.
00:27:17 But when you go in, you're going to see it's beautiful.
00:27:19 Identity is like a home, honestly.
00:27:22 And even in terms of like the interior design that we've done in that place now,
00:27:26 it's going to feel like a home from home.
00:27:28 It's a beautiful spot.
00:27:29 I want to make sure it's a place that's not sterile,
00:27:32 that's got a family-orientated feel.
00:27:34 When you come in, we expect you to be as professional as possible.
00:27:38 I often say, when you walk through that door,
00:27:41 I want you to hear the cha-ching sign coming in.
00:27:43 And what I mean by that is you paid your fees.
00:27:46 So you need to make sure you get the best out of this experience.
00:27:49 Because if you don't, you're going to do yourself an absolute disservice.
00:27:52 So the process is, obviously, you have to audition to get into the school.
00:27:56 And in the school, we've got different tier levels,
00:27:58 from foundation, intermediate, advanced, and tier one.
00:28:02 And the great thing about the school is,
00:28:04 not only do you learn different styles and different techniques,
00:28:07 but you also get to execute in performances,
00:28:10 whether that comes in the shape of a showcase, a film case, or monocase.
00:28:15 We've also got an Accelerate program,
00:28:17 where we really, really focus intensely on screen audition techniques
00:28:23 and winning the room and all that jazz.
00:28:25 We are an industry, career-driven drama school.
00:28:30 That's how we model our practices.
00:28:32 You know, we're very screen-driven in a lot of ways.
00:28:35 And when we do work on practices like voice and movement,
00:28:38 we try and find how do we integrate that into the opportunities that we've got.
00:28:43 We're also a drama school that's got its own talent agency called IDSA Talent,
00:28:48 which is the bridge between the school and IAG.
00:28:53 But the great thing is, under the wonderful leadership of Nina Malone--
00:28:58 can we give her a round of applause?
00:29:00 [applause]
00:29:03 She's been able to revolutionize it.
00:29:05 She's taken it to places that we didn't even realize it would go to
00:29:09 in such a short space of time.
00:29:11 So there's a very thin line now between IDSA Talent and IAG,
00:29:15 whereby we had so many people on Netflix shows, Amazon shows, Apple shows,
00:29:19 whatever it is, from IDSA Talent.
00:29:21 And what then happens is we give them the opportunity,
00:29:24 "Do you want to move over to IAG?"
00:29:26 And some of them say, "No, I'd rather stay with my agent at IDSA Talent
00:29:30 as long as I'm getting those same opportunities."
00:29:33 So for us as a school, we expect you to be professional, to be driven,
00:29:37 to be focused, but also to give--
00:29:40 not just to receive, but also to give in that space.
00:29:43 And we will work you to your absolute core.
00:29:46 You're not going to be fans of us at certain times, you know,
00:29:50 but one thing I hope is that the majority of you will leave thinking,
00:29:53 "You know what? I've got my money's worth."
00:29:55 But for us, it's to nurture, develop, and give the opportunities,
00:29:59 the full 360.
00:30:00 We're not like these dramas that go, "Great, we're going to take, you know,
00:30:04 $11,000 a year from you," and whatever it is,
00:30:07 and that's going to be $33,000 after three years,
00:30:10 and you haven't got an agent.
00:30:11 It's like, "Bye."
00:30:13 I don't believe in that nonsense.
00:30:16 And I don't believe in when you decide to go, "Great, oh, all of a sudden
00:30:19 I see color now, so let's do this whole thing where we start getting loads
00:30:22 of black people in, or Indian people in, and all that kind of stuff,"
00:30:24 because we have to.
00:30:25 We're not about that.
00:30:27 We are the most diverse school there is in the world, period.
00:30:32 As I said, we've got people from all over the world, and guess what?
00:30:35 They're nourishing each other with their experiences.
00:30:37 They're elevating each other with their experiences,
00:30:39 and that's what makes us different from anywhere else.
00:30:42 So when you walk through those doors, trust me, you're going to realize
00:30:46 how different we are to this institution that you're talking about.
00:30:48 But one thing I would say, and I'll be final in this one,
00:30:51 I respect the fact that you did not name that drama school.
00:30:54 There's great maturity in that, so well done on that.
00:30:57 Thank you.
00:30:59 Next one, please.
00:31:01 Okay, yep.
00:31:02 Thank you.
00:31:03 Person in the middle.
00:31:04 Yep, yep, yep.
00:31:09 Hi, Femi.
00:31:10 My name's Richard Adetunjem, an actor from southeast London.
00:31:13 Hi, Richard.
00:31:14 I wanted to ask a question about your opinion on the state of the industry
00:31:17 in the U.K. right now.
00:31:19 For the past couple of generations of black actors in the U.K.,
00:31:23 I felt like they've gone over to the U.S., partly because of opportunity
00:31:26 and who doesn't want to work in the U.S., but partly out of necessity as well
00:31:29 because the opportunity wasn't here in the U.K.
00:31:32 I was wondering where you think the industry's at now
00:31:35 and the direction you see it heading, and whether you still think
00:31:37 that's a necessary jump for black actors that really want to make a name
00:31:40 for themselves.
00:31:41 What I would say is that the industry has definitely moved on
00:31:44 from even a couple of years ago.
00:31:46 I think what we can't do is deny trying to shift the way
00:31:50 and wanting to be seen.
00:31:52 You've only got to look at commercials now.
00:31:54 Even I'm saying, "Oh, another black couple on there," which is great.
00:31:59 But it's great to see that people are listening.
00:32:03 I think that a lot of people have decided to go overseas now.
00:32:06 It's about the opportunity but also the money.
00:32:10 If you think about it, if you think about a standard show over here,
00:32:13 like an ITV show, they might pay you, what, £3,000 a week
00:32:18 compared to $15,000, $20,000.
00:32:22 There's a massive difference.
00:32:24 I think that's the reason why a lot of actors are deciding,
00:32:27 "You know what? Unless the money meets the same grade,
00:32:31 then I've got to think about my future."
00:32:33 That's the reason why.
00:32:34 But what I would say is there is so much more--
00:32:36 there's much more opportunity here than there ever has been.
00:32:39 If it's a situation whereby you don't want to follow the flock over there,
00:32:42 that's a great opportunity for you to make sure that you monetize
00:32:46 from this whole situation that we've got over in this country
00:32:49 because they're really, really suffering now,
00:32:52 trying to draw back talent to this country.
00:32:55 Well, during a strike now, don't be surprised if you've seen
00:32:57 A-listers and B-listers and Casualty or Hoping City
00:33:01 because, yeah, all of them are on their knees now.
00:33:04 But when it strikes over, it's going to be the same situation
00:33:07 until that money meets the same level.
00:33:11 Thank you.
00:33:13 Yeah, sorry, the person at the front, please, in the black and white.
00:33:20 In the red--thank you.
00:33:26 Hi, my name is Amy Priscilla.
00:33:28 Hi, Amy.
00:33:29 Hi. Thank you so much for this.
00:33:31 But basically my question is I also graduated from drama school
00:33:35 literally like a month ago, and I did go to a more traditional one.
00:33:39 Like you said, the diversity wasn't giving at all.
00:33:42 And I am in that position now that I've graduated.
00:33:44 By God's grace, I did get an agent,
00:33:46 but I feel like they may not understand what I want to do.
00:33:50 What would you suggest that I kind of do for my career now?
00:33:53 Like what's the best transition?
00:33:56 Well, what I'll say to you is, listen, congratulations.
00:34:00 Congratulations for graduating and going through that course.
00:34:03 So we never can live with regrets, absolutely.
00:34:07 But it's great that you've identified something now.
00:34:09 What I would say to you is the best relationship you can have with an agent
00:34:12 is one where you can actually pick up the phone and talk to them.
00:34:15 If you're living from a place of fear where you're like,
00:34:17 "I don't know if I can--that's not the right place to be."
00:34:20 So my advice to you would be you need to have a frank and honest,
00:34:25 you know, a polite conversation with them
00:34:27 and let them know exactly what your feelings are
00:34:30 and you want it to be repaired.
00:34:33 Because you put a lot of investment, a lot of money into this,
00:34:35 so you have a right to do that.
00:34:37 And if it doesn't seem to work, then it's time for you to go.
00:34:40 And what I would say to anybody in choosing an agent,
00:34:43 it's very important that they understand you.
00:34:47 Yeah? It's very, very important that they understand you.
00:34:50 I would even talk to them about, you know, politics
00:34:52 and about race relations and all that kind of stuff.
00:34:55 These things matter.
00:34:57 Because as I said, if somebody doesn't understand you as a person,
00:35:01 how do you think they're going to understand you
00:35:02 when it comes to the choices they want to give you
00:35:04 where you're just limited to stuff that's culturally specific,
00:35:07 as if to suggest that, or, for example,
00:35:10 black people walk, talk, eat the same?
00:35:12 You know?
00:35:13 We're just as diverse and as complex as they are, you know?
00:35:16 So it's very important that in choosing an agent,
00:35:19 whether you're white, black, whatever it is, they understand you.
00:35:22 And by understanding you is that they can relate to you
00:35:26 in some shape or form, but also, but being realistic
00:35:29 and understanding that you need to also entrust them
00:35:33 to guide you in the right direction.
00:35:35 Because as actors, you're going to have high, massive ambitions.
00:35:39 "This is what I want to do. I want to be the lead in this.
00:35:41 "I want to be the lead in that."
00:35:42 If everybody's a lead, then you're not going to have a show, are you?
00:35:45 It's the truth.
00:35:47 And also, if you've got a good agent, you're building blocks.
00:35:52 You're building blocks. One block.
00:35:54 As long as it's going in that direction, you're in a good place.
00:35:58 For us, the way I see it, the way I work with my actors,
00:36:01 is either it's adding width to your career or height.
00:36:06 We always progress. We don't digress.
00:36:09 So all I say to you is have a chat, and you can't be fearful of this.
00:36:14 If you're fearful of that, you're going to be fearful of a lot of stuff
00:36:16 in this industry, and if it doesn't work, you need to go out there
00:36:20 and take some more meetings.
00:36:23 OK, any other questions?
00:36:25 Yes, the person on my right with the white cap.
00:36:29 Thank you.
00:36:31 Hi, my name is Carmela.
00:36:33 Hi, Carmela.
00:36:35 Nice to see you. I'm also at ADSA.
00:36:38 Likewise.
00:36:39 It's a beautiful talk.
00:36:41 I wonder, you brought out many groundbreaking talent.
00:36:45 What are tips you gave them for their first big job?
00:36:49 Or what are tips from audition to the role,
00:36:55 when you get the role, like how to produce it?
00:36:58 So I think the best way for me to answer that would be the second bit,
00:37:02 where it's for the actual roles, to live the moment.
00:37:06 To live the moment, to be in the moment.
00:37:09 What actors tend to do is that they tend to over-rehearse a scene,
00:37:14 and almost they want to cut and paste it,
00:37:17 and they work in isolation when they do that,
00:37:19 because when they're in a scene with somebody else,
00:37:21 whether it's an audition room or whatever it is,
00:37:23 they're doing exactly how they plan to do it.
00:37:26 I'm going to cry on this line. I'm going to look down on this line.
00:37:29 I'm going to give that nice filmic look on this line.
00:37:34 You know? And it's divorced from what's going on.
00:37:37 But if you live the moment, if you--
00:37:39 Because the way I say it is, as an actor,
00:37:41 when you're rehearsing, you're rehearsing for one thing.
00:37:43 It's only helping you to strengthen your reasons for being there
00:37:47 and understanding why you are there. That's it.
00:37:50 When you rehearse, it's not there for you to go,
00:37:52 "Great, I'm going to do it this way and then do it that way.
00:37:54 I'm going to say my line like this." No.
00:37:56 You rehearse more and more and more
00:37:58 to find new things about why you're in this situation.
00:38:02 So what we say in identity, you know,
00:38:04 is a character is an extension of yourself.
00:38:07 A character is an extension of yourself.
00:38:10 A character is a situation that you now find yourself in.
00:38:15 So if you work from a place of yourself,
00:38:17 and you put yourself in that situation,
00:38:19 you can give in to the moment.
00:38:22 The same way you leave this space here now,
00:38:24 you've got nothing but yourself to rely on
00:38:27 when you cross that road, when somebody approaches you,
00:38:30 when you get into an argument,
00:38:32 or when somebody's, you know, being abusive.
00:38:34 You've got to rely on your own natural instincts.
00:38:36 That's the same thing you've got to do in a scene.
00:38:39 Give in to that moment.
00:38:41 And you know when you've done a good job in a self-tape,
00:38:43 when you say to yourself, "Oh, my God,
00:38:45 "I found," underline, underline, "myself doing this,
00:38:49 "saying this, reacting like this now,"
00:38:52 as opposed to, "Oh, God, I'm just bored of rehearsing,"
00:38:56 because you're rehearsing the wrong way.
00:38:59 So I hope that helps you.
00:39:01 But these are the kind of things, you know,
00:39:03 that we speak to our actors about.
00:39:05 Yes, person at the front with the glasses, please.
00:39:13 Afternoon. Thank you for your time.
00:39:15 I wanted to know, how do you maximise your time in drama school
00:39:19 so you're not leaving thinking that you've just wasted your time and money?
00:39:24 And also, after drama school, other than auditions,
00:39:28 open calls, et cetera, how do you get auditions
00:39:31 to make it to international stages?
00:39:35 So, with the drama school,
00:39:38 I don't believe you would ever waste your time
00:39:41 if you apply yourself correctly.
00:39:43 That's it.
00:39:45 So I think that's the long and short answer to that.
00:39:48 The other thing I would say to you is the same thing I talked about
00:39:52 with international, international, international.
00:39:54 It's about...
00:39:56 It's about building.
00:39:58 The same way when we build a house, you just don't go, "Bricks."
00:40:01 You know, what about the cement in between it?
00:40:03 You know, what about the pipe?
00:40:05 I understand a lot of people get caught up in the glitz, the glam,
00:40:08 whatever it is, but they don't want to understand about the foundation.
00:40:12 You know, you have to have that building block.
00:40:15 And unfortunately, that's where also having the right representation,
00:40:20 because they will help to guide you in those steps,
00:40:23 but also the right ones will give you a reality check and say,
00:40:27 "Listen, if that's ever going to come, it will come.
00:40:30 "You don't need to go seeking it.
00:40:32 "What you need to do is to commit to this moment now.
00:40:34 "That's the most important thing."
00:40:37 Yeah. Person in the middle, in the black with arms raised.
00:40:41 Thank you.
00:40:43 - Hi, Femi. I'm Whitney. - Hiya.
00:40:47 - Thanks for doing this. - Hi, Whitney.
00:40:49 I also went to quite a traditional drama school
00:40:52 and have gone quite the traditional route
00:40:54 in terms of doing theatre, lots of Shakespeare.
00:40:57 How would you...?
00:40:59 I've come to a point, I think, of frustration
00:41:01 in terms of been out a couple of years
00:41:03 and want to do more screen.
00:41:06 How would you advise someone who isn't really, I guess,
00:41:10 an emerging talent to be able to come out of that box, I would say?
00:41:15 It's so funny. You know when we use this term "traditional",
00:41:18 "traditional", right?
00:41:20 The same time when we're speaking to our parents
00:41:22 and they're giving us that traditional stuff,
00:41:24 you just think, "Oh, here we go."
00:41:26 And there's a telltale sign there.
00:41:28 What I'm saying is your three years has not been a waste.
00:41:30 It hasn't been a waste.
00:41:32 You've got more tools in your box.
00:41:34 I'm just talking about moving with the times
00:41:37 and even the social and economical financial climate that we're in
00:41:40 is about being a bit more responsible.
00:41:43 So what I'll say to you is that
00:41:46 it's about some of those ingredients that you've learned,
00:41:49 it's probably going to be extra layers that you're going to be able
00:41:51 to bring into screen in itself.
00:41:53 So for you now, you've got the extra tools in your toolbox.
00:41:56 It's for you now to find these different courses that are out there.
00:41:59 Do you understand? Where you can start playing around with that.
00:42:02 I mean, that's the best thing I can say.
00:42:04 I know it could be very, very frustrating,
00:42:06 but just understand that you have got great tools in your box now
00:42:09 that you can use.
00:42:11 It's just about how to apply them.
00:42:13 That's the most important thing.
00:42:15 Yes, the person to my left with her arms raised.
00:42:19 Thank you.
00:42:21 - Hi, Femi. - Hiya.
00:42:25 Thank you so much for coming out today.
00:42:27 - My name is Femi. I'm an actress. - Hiya, me.
00:42:30 I just wanted to ask, I believe that you're religious,
00:42:33 and I'm religious as well.
00:42:35 - I'm not religious. - But I just...
00:42:37 - You were saying God, I didn't know. - No, no, no.
00:42:39 For me, I believe in one R, which is relationship.
00:42:42 So I've got a relationship with God.
00:42:44 I don't go into the whole religious things.
00:42:46 And I've got a relationship with Jesus. That's me.
00:42:48 I have the same relationship as well.
00:42:50 OK, so I would just say, like, with me,
00:42:54 I have, within my mind and myself, I just think to myself,
00:42:57 like, I know that God has got a plan for me,
00:43:00 and I know that nothing is going to, like, change that plan.
00:43:03 So within, like, my waiting process, I would say,
00:43:06 because I just graduated from a drama school,
00:43:08 I really enjoyed the school, I would say.
00:43:10 I learned a few things, and I was able to come out of my comfort zone
00:43:13 more than I would, like, ever have done.
00:43:16 So I would just say, like, within my waiting process,
00:43:20 what, like, skill sets do you feel like I need to, like, acquire
00:43:23 before I get there, in a way? I don't know how to, like, describe it.
00:43:27 I can't answer that, because I haven't seen you.
00:43:30 I haven't seen your work.
00:43:32 But I would hope that after three years,
00:43:35 that you would have learned quite a number of things anyway.
00:43:39 And it's good that you've got that.
00:43:41 And what I would say to you, and it's not to you,
00:43:43 I'm just saying in general, sometimes we can...
00:43:46 And it's not to you, by the way.
00:43:48 Sometimes we can design our own God,
00:43:50 our own God that tells us, "This is what you're going to be,
00:43:53 "and this is where we're going to go."
00:43:55 And it's very, very important that understanding that
00:43:58 if you just trust life and its process, it will reveal.
00:44:02 And you will understand that this process, for me,
00:44:05 this is my faith belief, you will understand this process
00:44:08 is a process that God has put all of us through.
00:44:10 So whether it's the highs, it's the lows, it's there to sharpen us.
00:44:14 Do you understand? So I'm not saying this for you,
00:44:16 I'm just saying in general, because I hear it a lot,
00:44:19 God said this, God said I'm going to be a superstar,
00:44:22 and this is what's going to happen.
00:44:24 And in cases, I've looked at it and I've gone,
00:44:26 "Well, God, of course, I can't judge. I can't judge."
00:44:29 But I'm very interested to see how this is going to happen.
00:44:33 But I can't judge, do you understand?
00:44:35 So it's just very important that we have that blind faith,
00:44:38 but we're willing to put in the work, yeah, preparation.
00:44:42 And I would love to, if I see in your work,
00:44:44 I'll be able to tell you exactly, "You know what? This is on point."
00:44:47 Or, "This is areas that you might want to explore."
00:44:50 Next question, please.
00:44:52 Yeah, yes, person in the middle there,
00:44:55 and then the person on my left with the glasses, yeah.
00:44:59 - Hi, Femi, my name is Chinonzo. - Hi, Asha.
00:45:03 - Chinonzo. - You could tell, I was like...
00:45:05 - Just tripped up a bit there. - I was like, "If I go, 'Shun, shun...'"
00:45:09 - Yeah, I just... - Did you say Shondo?
00:45:11 - Chinonzo. - Chinonzo.
00:45:13 - I've kind of... - It's Nigerian, isn't it?
00:45:15 - I've kind of bitched it. - Yeah, all right.
00:45:17 Yeah, I just wanted to ask, did you go to drama school?
00:45:20 - Yes, I did go to drama school. - Okay.
00:45:22 I was going to ask how you came about founding Identity,
00:45:25 and if you ever felt any imposter syndrome
00:45:27 whilst you were trying to found the school.
00:45:30 And then I was going to also ask another question.
00:45:33 Do you have any advice for people that are facing rejection,
00:45:39 or how people should deal with facing rejection in the industry?
00:45:43 Because I know the industry's fickle and you're always going to face it,
00:45:46 but I just want some advice from you.
00:45:48 Yeah, so, see, I went to drama school in 1997.
00:45:52 I'm giving away my age now.
00:45:54 And I had a very, very...
00:45:56 See, and I'm not intoxicating the water, you know,
00:46:00 just because of my experience.
00:46:02 It's just about in terms of experiences that have been shared to me
00:46:05 that were very, very similar to my own.
00:46:07 And I just felt as though I wasn't seen, I wasn't pushed.
00:46:11 And that's what spurred me on to create a drama school
00:46:15 that would give actors,
00:46:17 irrespective of their colour, their background, whatever it is,
00:46:20 the opportunity to celebrate their identity.
00:46:22 So that's the reason why I created the drama school, Identity,
00:46:26 because I wanted to not only have an ongoing programme
00:46:31 which was inspired by, you know, the leadership of Greta Mendes,
00:46:36 cos Greta also trained me for many, many, many, many, many summers
00:46:40 to the extent where she said, "That's enough, you're not going anymore."
00:46:43 And I said, "OK, I want to get you back, I'm going to create something
00:46:46 "that's ongoing and I can decide if I want to do it or not."
00:46:49 So that's pretty much the story
00:46:51 in terms of why I created that drama school.
00:46:54 And creating a drama school is so funny,
00:46:56 cos 20 years ago I literally went out to all these different areas
00:47:01 and started handing out flies.
00:47:03 Handing out flies and on the flies it would say,
00:47:06 "Would you like to be trained by actors, you know, acting tutors
00:47:09 "that have been in The Bill, Hobie City, you know,
00:47:12 "Prime Suspect and all this kind of jazz?"
00:47:14 And I was talking about myself. So I wasn't lying.
00:47:16 I was going to be the Jack of all trades.
00:47:18 And I remember many, many years of going to all these different areas
00:47:21 and only ten people turned up.
00:47:23 And it's thanks to those ten people that experienced it,
00:47:28 it then grew and grew and grew.
00:47:31 So that's the first answer to your question.
00:47:34 What's the second thing that you asked me?
00:47:36 How do you... Any advice for how to do it?
00:47:39 You just... You have to, or else this is not the industry for you.
00:47:45 And what happens is, from time to time,
00:47:48 we often get a lot of people that are going through things in their life
00:47:51 or, you know, mentally in the right space.
00:47:55 This is not the profession for you to be in.
00:47:58 You've got to put a big, massive pause until you sort that stuff out.
00:48:01 I mean, how are you going to be able to deal with all the challenges
00:48:04 that comes with this
00:48:06 while still dealing with your own mental challenges that's going on?
00:48:09 So for this, as I said at the beginning,
00:48:11 I know it sounded crude about making love and who makes love, whatever it is,
00:48:14 but you can't expect the industry to care.
00:48:17 You can't, because they just don't.
00:48:20 As far as they see, they're looking at commodity. That's it.
00:48:23 How much money you can make for them.
00:48:25 And that's what I'm saying, is that you need to make sure
00:48:28 that you get with the right agent that does actually care about you.
00:48:31 Yeah? Who is an agent that you can rely on for you to be able to say,
00:48:34 "You know what? These are my securities."
00:48:37 It's funny, because Nina is probably on the phone most of the time
00:48:41 dealing with that, you know, with our clients,
00:48:43 because it's all out of love. It really, really is.
00:48:46 But also an agent that can tell you the reality.
00:48:49 The reality is, you're in this industry,
00:48:52 it's about you going in there,
00:48:55 celebrating your love, your passion for the arts,
00:48:59 but not banking on the fact that these people are really going to care.
00:49:03 And that's why I say, "What are you going to do when you do make that money?"
00:49:06 Because it has to be more than just being in it.
00:49:09 It's about what you're going to do with it. Yeah? Thank you.
00:49:13 Yes. Lady there in brown, please. Thank you.
00:49:19 You're going. I love this. Yeah, go, go, go, go.
00:49:23 Thank you. Hi, Femi. Hiya. I'm Keisha. Hi, Keisha.
00:49:26 And my question was actually kind of referring to what you said
00:49:29 about finding yourself and finding who you are as a person.
00:49:34 So in terms of finding yourself, what advice would you kind of give to how you can go about
00:49:40 developing your own identity, finding yourself, not looking left and right,
00:49:45 and just focusing on yourself? And then also, when you look at an actor,
00:49:50 how do you see that they have found themselves?
00:49:54 I think you hit the nail on the head when you said focusing on themselves.
00:49:58 That's the secret. You know, sometimes we overcomplicate things, you know,
00:50:02 and it's simple. It's about investing, celebrating and drawing from oneself.
00:50:07 That's it. That's what's marketable.
00:50:10 That's when you don't become part of that conveyor belt of the same tune
00:50:13 and the same talent that looks and acts the same way.
00:50:16 What makes you different? There's nobody else that's got your personality.
00:50:19 Nobody on the face of this earth that's got your personality, that looks just like you.
00:50:23 Nobody. In that, that's already a power.
00:50:27 It's about us realizing what that power is.
00:50:29 The same way they talk about society and how people are able to control the masses,
00:50:33 you know, brain control and all this kind of stuff.
00:50:36 They will just make sure--they'll make you feel as though you're powerless,
00:50:39 and that's the best way they can control you.
00:50:41 There's this thing that's called problem-reaction-solution.
00:50:44 Create a problem in order to get the desired reaction,
00:50:47 and we're going to give you a solution to the problem that we created.
00:50:51 It's about you realizing that you are who you are and what you are
00:50:55 and what you're about to leave. That's it.
00:50:58 Once you realize your queenship, that's when you can start, you know,
00:51:01 really, really, really homing in on your natural talents.
00:51:05 There's nobody else like you.
00:51:07 That's how wonderfully complex God is.
00:51:10 It's ridiculous. You, beautiful you, nobody else but you.
00:51:15 Just remember that. Thank you.
00:51:18 [applause]
00:51:22 Yes, okay, sorry about this.
00:51:24 You're going to be nice to me at the end, aren't you?
00:51:26 Me making you do all these, you know, burn these calories.
00:51:29 Thank you very much.
00:51:32 - Hello. - Hiya.
00:51:33 - I'm Alpha. - Hi, Alpha.
00:51:35 I was wondering, actually, are you still an agent,
00:51:39 and do you, like, still see a majority of the applications that come through?
00:51:44 And another question is, I know you cater to, like, black people and stuff,
00:51:48 so I'm sure there's, like, loads of, like, black people in your agency.
00:51:55 [laughter]
00:51:57 So I was wondering if that's, like, if that's still--
00:52:01 if, like, in the long run, if that's a-- if that's actual--
00:52:04 if that's a thing that--
00:52:08 would you still be hiring black people in the future?
00:52:10 [laughter]
00:52:13 So, yeah, so I'm still an agent.
00:52:17 I've always been an agent.
00:52:21 I don't look at the applications, because the applications to do with the school,
00:52:24 people will go in.
00:52:25 What I do is I look at all the talent when it comes to showtime and performing,
00:52:30 because that's our bread and butter.
00:52:32 That's why we're overinvested.
00:52:33 So all of us, like a team of, what, 15 of us,
00:52:37 will come down on the showcases and we'll watch,
00:52:40 and that's where-- this is answer to your question--
00:52:42 that's where we're spotting the next, hopefully, big thing,
00:52:45 or the thing that we feel is, oh, you know what?
00:52:46 Not thing, or the person-- or the person or persons that we feel is,
00:52:49 oh, you know what?
00:52:50 There's something there.
00:52:51 We want to be a part of that person's journey.
00:52:54 I don't just represent black people.
00:52:55 I represent white people, Asian people, Malaysian people.
00:52:58 I just represent great people.
00:53:00 That's it.
00:53:01 [applause]
00:53:04 Okay.
00:53:06 - Maybe we've got time for two more questions.
00:53:08 I feel like Femi could go for another hour, but--
00:53:11 - You can tell. You can tell.
00:53:12 I'm not even foaming in the corners of my mouth.
00:53:13 You can tell that I'm still-- still got a wet palate.
00:53:16 - Yeah, you are ready.
00:53:17 - I don't know what the breath smell's like, but I still got a wet palate.
00:53:19 [laughter]
00:53:21 - Okay, yeah, yeah. Let's go on the other side.
00:53:25 - I got the mic.
00:53:26 - Okay.
00:53:28 You know what? You guys had a good relationship there.
00:53:30 Yeah, you guys continue. Go for it.
00:53:34 - Hi, Femi, first and foremost.
00:53:35 God bless you.
00:53:36 You know you made history with identity.
00:53:38 - Oh, God bless you, sir.
00:53:39 - Obviously, people do go.
00:53:40 They can testify to that a lot more than I can.
00:53:43 Well, I've got two questions, but I'll keep them short.
00:53:46 First question, just in case you might have flown over some of our heads,
00:53:51 in Shea Cole's case, because he stated earlier,
00:53:56 when he got on Small Apps, for example, it wasn't a very off-the-watch choice
00:54:00 because the drama school he went to was a bit more traditional.
00:54:04 But is that something that you'd actually encourage that as a part-time drama school
00:54:09 to still be going out looking forward, even if one was still a student?
00:54:13 - Absolutely.
00:54:15 - And--
00:54:16 - Yeah.
00:54:17 - What would you say is the biggest thing you've learned from the time you started
00:54:20 and now, like, the process of looking for talent?
00:54:24 Obviously, the standard hasn't changed, but just, like,
00:54:27 what do you think is the biggest thing that you've learned from the beginning to right now?
00:54:32 - Okay, so in answer to your question, absolutely.
00:54:35 It's about fostering this, these opportunities, you know, embracing it.
00:54:40 It's an extension of their study.
00:54:41 So for us, trust me, we've got this newsletter that comes out every two weeks.
00:54:45 Anything that people are doing, boom, we put their school fees on pause,
00:54:51 and they go and do that because that's an extension of what they're studying.
00:54:55 So we're 100% behind that.
00:54:57 The second question is about what's the biggest thing that I've learned for this whole process.
00:55:01 And unapologetically, I'll tell you something.
00:55:04 It really, really hits differently when another fellow black person said what you said
00:55:11 and commends me for what I've done.
00:55:13 It really hits differently because, unfortunately, the biggest obstacles when I created a drama school
00:55:20 came from my own community.
00:55:23 And there's this thing about us that when we see each other doing well,
00:55:28 rather than drawing inspiration from it, we tend to see it as though this reflects where we're not at, you know?
00:55:37 And that's what really, really, really pained me.
00:55:40 It was the outside communities that actually rallied behind and elevated.
00:55:45 And this is something I kept to myself because you know us as a community,
00:55:49 we don't like to put our dirty laundry out.
00:55:51 But I felt as though it was important for me to say that because it was a big struggle.
00:55:56 It really, really depressed me thinking, wait a minute, I'm creating a drama school, right, an opportunity,
00:56:01 but my own people have seen this as to say, why should he have it?
00:56:05 It's all about the money. He's Nigerian. What's he doing with our money?
00:56:09 That's what used to happen, you know?
00:56:11 And I'm proud enough to say, 20 years, nobody can ever say that I've stolen anybody's money,
00:56:16 done fraudulent things with anybody's money, whatever it is.
00:56:19 And without any public assistance, any funding whatsoever, we're still here and we're strong.
00:56:25 Without any public funding, we've got a branch not only in London, but we've got one in Los Angeles.
00:56:30 Without any public funding, we've got one of the biggest agencies in this country.
00:56:36 And that's all done by the same person that looks like you.
00:56:39 So I just want to say thank you very much because that hits me differently
00:56:43 when I hear my own community say, you know what, God bless you and thank you.
00:56:48 And that's what we've always got to take to heart.
00:56:50 You know, when somebody says God bless you, that's something, man.
00:56:53 You've got to take and embrace it. Yeah.
00:56:55 But I'm so glad now we have a school that just celebrates us, everybody as human beings.
00:57:03 Just seeing even, you know, Italian, Spanish and, you know, all these people.
00:57:08 And I'm seeing everybody just hugging each other, embracing.
00:57:12 That was my dream because if I had a school that was just one way, one type,
00:57:17 I'll be subscribing to the very thing that I ran away from, working in isolation.
00:57:22 So, well, anyway, God bless you, sir. And I hope that answers your question there.
00:57:27 Can I quickly fit in two more quick questions? Is that all right?
00:57:30 Go for it. Go for it. Go for it.
00:57:32 Yes, the gentleman back there in the beige.
00:57:37 No, the beige or pink. I can't see it from here, so I'm colour blind.
00:57:40 Do you seem like a man who's driven on getting results and moving forward,
00:57:44 pushing forward, progressing?
00:57:46 What's something you'd say you feel like you could have done better with and improved on?
00:57:54 I'd say listening. Listening.
00:57:58 You know, sometimes you could be so driven and you can feel as though
00:58:01 you know what's right for your clients that sometimes you don't allow them to breathe.
00:58:06 And there's a book that I read many, many years ago, and it really helped.
00:58:11 And it talks about comparing being an agent to being a driving instructor.
00:58:19 And it went through four different stages.
00:58:21 So stage one would be you've got this actor, fresh, they're at a steering wheel.
00:58:27 You tell them to go left, you tell them to go right.
00:58:30 You tell them to reverse, you tell them to do 360, you tell them to do everything.
00:58:33 And they do everything.
00:58:35 Then they get to, then they've done about 15, 20 sessions. Right.
00:58:39 And you tell them to go 30 miles an hour. They're going 31.
00:58:44 Yeah, you tell them to go left. They missed that left.
00:58:47 They decided to take the other one.
00:58:49 And as you go up and you go through the journey, it's the same way when it comes to actors.
00:58:54 When an actor hasn't been on set yet, they're listening to everything that you say.
00:58:59 They're hanging on every little word that you say.
00:59:02 Then they get on set and they have a taste for it.
00:59:06 Then they come back. You're giving them advice.
00:59:09 They listen to some of it. They throw away some of it.
00:59:12 They end up getting a serious regular.
00:59:14 You give them advice.
00:59:16 They now know, they now tell you how to do your job.
00:59:19 All right. But that's the same way.
00:59:21 So as an agent, what you can't do, the driving instructor you were on day one,
00:59:26 you can't be that driving instructor on day 60.
00:59:29 You've got to be able to listen, but you've also got to be able to shift.
00:59:33 And if you can shift the right way, you get to a place where both of your beliefs are aligned.
00:59:38 Yeah. Which is the end goal.
00:59:41 So that's what I've learned is to listen.
00:59:44 And I will answer the first question.
00:59:46 And it is a cocky response in terms of what would I tell my 19 year old self?
00:59:50 I'll just say, well done. Well done.
00:59:54 Okay. Okay. And one person there because the smile, that smile there,
00:59:59 I know people commented about it. Such a beautiful smile.
01:00:02 We'll go for you first. And somebody I haven't heard from.
01:00:06 Yes. And another beautiful smile. We'll go for your one next.
01:00:10 What a nice guy.
01:00:13 I know Piers was just thinking about this in the time in the room, you know.
01:00:17 No, no. It's cool.
01:00:19 Okay. Sorry.
01:00:21 Don't worry Femi, don't worry.
01:00:25 Hi Femi. I am representing one of your international students that you managed to get.
01:00:33 You got me out of my, in Belgium. You got me out of Belgium.
01:00:37 You convinced me to come here to the UK and I moved to the UK to attend Identity.
01:00:42 And I don't know how many international students are here, but I think I want to represent them.
01:00:50 In the future, considering that now that we have entered the Brexit and you have a lot of students
01:00:58 that would love to get represented either in the US or in the UK, but because of the law,
01:01:08 they have a lot more rejections that they have to face.
01:01:13 Would you or will you be opening later on in the future, or the same agency,
01:01:21 will the same agency open the way for European actors that do want to break in to either the UK or the US?
01:01:32 And what advice do you have for me?
01:01:36 Because I am, I am, I'm literally, this is my, this has been my roadblock.
01:01:42 I got all my materials ready to go, training my muscle, and the only thing that's blocking me is the law.
01:01:49 But you know what? The funny thing is, and I know I've got Fela and Nina here looking at me going,
01:01:55 we already do that. We already, we, we, we represent God knows how many people that are in that situation.
01:02:03 Without a shadow of a doubt. I mean, join a board, it's just one person, a list of names that I can even just draw from,
01:02:09 who's done so much great stuff and continues to do so. We, we, that's not for us, that's not an obstacle.
01:02:16 If you're, if you're great and we've been able to identify that and had the fortune to be able to identify that, boom, that's it.
01:02:23 So I hope that, I hope that, you know, leads you to something.
01:02:27 Okay. Yes.
01:02:33 Can I be cheeky? I got, hi Femi. My name is Dorothea Darby.
01:02:38 What's the name, sorry? Dorothea Darby. Dorothea. Dorothea. Darby. Darby.
01:02:43 Yeah, there you go. I got two little questions.
01:02:47 Thank you, man. First of all, just in terms of, sorry, in terms of this phrase of like star power,
01:02:56 you obviously are blessed with the gift of like foresight. Is like star power you like automatically see,
01:03:02 or is it something that you're kind of like, all right, I see something in you.
01:03:05 Star power is what I want to like guide you towards. And is there like points where you've had to kind of stop,
01:03:11 even as actors and also as agents, be like, are you ready to unlock your star power?
01:03:16 Knowing what the industry can do to people in terms of like, you know, what it, just what it can do.
01:03:24 And then my second question was going to be, do you have any like advice for,
01:03:29 because I didn't go to drama school per se, I went to traditional university training with like a year abroad in Cali and all that.
01:03:38 But I've done a lot of theatre. But do you have any advice in terms of like crossing over now to the screen world and all that screen acting and everything?
01:03:47 Well, I think I answered the second one already, you know, transferring from theatre, from stage to screen.
01:03:54 It's just to be able to, yeah, just be able to embrace it. You know, you've got it in your toolbox.
01:04:01 Just go through the process of learning and giving yourself an opportunity to practice with it.
01:04:05 You know, in that there's nothing more I can say on that point.
01:04:09 When it comes to star potential, it's two things. Either A, you feel it straight away and you get shivers.
01:04:17 And it's almost like you just see like a glow around them that they might even realise they've got or they don't realise they've got.
01:04:24 It's the same way, you know, if they just elbow walk through, like you could just tell this energy, there's a lead.
01:04:28 It's something that you can't, if you've got it or you haven't got it or it just hasn't come out yet.
01:04:34 That's what it's about. Right. But one thing I love about what you said is about unlocking it and making it feel safe, you know,
01:04:41 because if it's not in the right hands, then it will go nowhere. And Greta mentioned it to me.
01:04:46 She said to me that, you know, it's all good and well having somebody who's a magnificent actor, but without the right care.
01:04:54 It means nothing, you know, and that's why it's important that we look at ourselves and we reason with ourselves and we accept that we are a gift.
01:05:02 So when we give this gift to somebody, we know what we expect and how they work and in how we want them to treat it.
01:05:08 But thank you very much indeed. It's been a wonderful pleasure.
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