After I graduated from the University, I decided to go to a film academy before I serve. There was a program for three, six months and a year. I planned spening three months, go for my youth service and come back to spend the remaining nine months so I could be better and also have more experiences.
The program went on and I kept on enjoying it that I had to spend a whole year on a stretch before I went for my youth service program. As a theater practitioner, one of the things you should be familiar with is how to face the crowd. Normally, most people we see on the stage usually have stage fright before they come on stage but most people try their best not to make it show so it won’t look like they are really battling with such. To be very honest, facing crowd seem to be one of my greatest fear and I was able to overcome it in that academy.
As lectures went on, I was called from the academy one day to play a role on a popular African Magic Yoruba series titled “Awon Aladun De”. I go there at times when they are shooting episodes to see what the actors are doing but it seemed different that day. I was the cynosure of the set and everyone was looking at me. Even if they were not doing that, that’s actually how I felt because I was facing the crowd. I’m sure you all know that kind of crowd that are usually behind a shoot. Those are the set of people there and I became nervous. At some point, the movie producer shouted and even insulted me. I went to a corner and started crying but at the end of the day, I did well and everyone applauded me.
Also, when we finished the six months program and about to go to the advanced stage, we had a stage play. To be very honest, I’m very good at what I do and I was chosen to start the play. We rehearsed well already and on that day, the energy was different and that’s because I was the first person to climb the stage. I became nervous and was thinking of how to enter. I had an entry format in my head but I was thinking about myself shaking and so much more. I had to summon courage and entered the stage not with full energy but it was not bad. As my peers joined, I no longer became scared and that was because I was not the only one there and when the stage play ended, I was given a special recognition. I’m not lying but I was the one who tried the most.
That was how I was able to overcome my greatest fear. Well, I would not say that I already overcame it totally but I can face a good number of crowd without being scared or nervous. Since then, I have been going to places that requires me to speak in the presence of so many people and I’m getting better.