Clarence Peters
International music videowhizkid, Clarence Peters, son of modern Juju creator, Sir Shina Peters (SSP), and top Noollywood actress, Clairion Chukwurah, is no stranger to the klieg light. The handsome young man confessed that he actually embraced it since he was two years old. Our contributing Editor, IFECHI OKOH, engaged him to know how it all started for him, the encouragement from his father and mother as people seriously involved before he was born; if he had ever planned to play his father's brand of music, where he packaged formally as a music video professional, his challenges and other titillating insight about him and his evolution till date. Enjoy it!
How did all start for you?
It all started for me when I was just two years old. Initially, I wanted to do something else different what my parents are into. This was when my instinct told me to try out soccer first. After that, I also tried out my hands on music through fondling with studio equipment. When I discovered that I was very good there, I had to turn my back immediately on soccer for music. That was how it all started for me! Since then till now, I have never looked back.
How was the encouragement like from your parents as people who have been into showbiz even before you were born?
Naturally, I am an independent minded person. Although, their being Celebrities before I was born actually gave me the psychological pep up and courage needed to forge ahead boldly. I thank God for this necessary clause which pushed me faster in my career, than expected..
Have you ever planned to play your father’s brand of music?
Not quite! Maybe I may have done somehow as a minor without me actually knowing it. I actually grew up with my grandma in Ibadan, the Oyo state capital. That was when I was seven years till 11years. Incidentally, this was the period when my father’s music actually skyrocketed. That time, I used to gather peer group, using Milo cans, putting woods inside them and trying to make my own guitars and drums. We would then just find a corner and play whatever we love. That was the closest I got. I respect my father’s brand of music, but me doing it was never an option. But I still love his music, though.
Where did you package formally professionally as a music video whizkid?
I learnt over a period of time. I started doing personal assistant jobs since I was 10 years old. By the time, I was 15 years old, I was already an assistant and script director for documentaries. By the time I was 18 years old, I had finished my secondary school and gone too to workwith Tajudeen Adepetu at Alfa Vision Studio. There, I learnt everything, but sadly, failed to learn how to handle the camera. Then, I used to be scared of the camera, it was simply too complicated for my understanding. It was funny and disturbing although. But that was the simple truth. However, I knew everything about focus and white balance, while the almighty cameras still remained a scary mystery, till I got to the City Varsity Multi-Media School, Cape Town in South Africa, where that disturbing myth was formally bashed as I faced the camera and forcefully took it headlongduring my formal classes. I wanted to major in directing, but when I felt strongly thatnobody actually needed to teach anybody that, I changed my mind. It’s a necessary skill you must have. Although all you need is the basic knowledge. I had to concentrate on the camera because I didn’t want to come back to Nigeria, only for somebody to tell me that I couldn’t achieve one or two important things as a professional because of my lack of knowledge of the camera. Hence, I had to do everything thing humanly possible to brush up on my practicals, so as to avoid this impending scandal which would rock my boat to pieces.
What factor really gives you the exclusive kick makes your productions to stand out always?
Oh yeah! I must confess that as a kid, when I think, I used to think faster than when reading. I am naturally a very slow reader. Unfortunately, I grew up with it and the thing gripped me till date, even as a professional I still do it till date. I mean being a disturbingly slow reader. Hence I think visually more than writing. If anybody is telling me something, I simply visualize it in my head. Most times when I am listening to a song, especially the one I am shooting, I usually do this through listening and conceiving it visually in my head. My creative exploits stemfrommy visuals.
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