By Jose Carrillo

As a preface to the quality of photos used in these blogs, they come from a camcorder. Before departing from the United States I decided to film with one in order to; 1) document my time here, 2) use footage to create personal projects, and 3) have the grainy/VHS look of a better time (an aesthetic I’m very much in love with). With that quick debrief, I can talk about my first time in the Oasis. As mentioned before, I had been given the opportunity to shadow production shoots around Accra. However, this particular instance was my first time being able to visit the official production studio used by Innova. The “Oasis Studio.” One might assume that the work process would be less hectic than navigating the streets of Osu, Jamestown, or the markets in Madina, but you’d be wrong. As a side note, this was also my first time navigating to the actual production shoot by myself, which was surprisingly easier than I expected. The only issue was finding the building, which was on a block as busy as the streets of New York, and just as loud if not more. It was interesting to notice the difference in infrastructure. The studio, being located in a business complex, was sleek and modern-looking, while the surrounding structures were more unmaintained. An observation is noticeable in random locations, with the level of difference (between structures) changing depending on the purpose of the building. Upon entering the studio, the first thing I heard was the sound of a hammer smacking wood and voices shouting orders. Of course “hectic” here isn’t the same as the markets, but it was still evident. The set was still being made, while another was in use a couple feet away, models were moving in and out of changing or makeup rooms, and food was being handed to directors on set.

The only major difference, which I LOVED, was the availability of A/C and areas to sit. Something you take for granted when moving around underneath a scorching sun and humid air. However, if this is the only difference from public and private shoots then I think it goes to show just how passionate these individuals are about their profession. Not only do they have the ability to spread this sense of comfortability of camaraderie, found in private shoots, they also were so open to allowing my opinion/perspective on certain shots be heard and incorporated. I absolutely loved the sense of collaboration evident in these production shoots