I made my first million, bought car through making skits — Funnyfrosh
A skit maker, Oluwasegun Akorede, aka Funnyfrosh, has over 350,000 followers on Instagram. He tells BLESSING ENENAITE about his career
What influenced your decision to become a skit maker?
It started in 2018, when I was online and I stumbled on a skit by Craze Clown, and I found it very hilarious. Although I had a passion for acting, I never had the chance to work on it because of various reasons. One of those reasons was the fact that l was in school, and I had no knowledge of how to go about it. I had no one to put me through.
One day, I got a chance to see Oluwadorlaz when he was shooting a skit. At that time, I was doing digital painting, and I wanted to deliver a painting to him. When I got there, I met him and his crew shooting, and I watched them. It was so amazing and interesting seeing how they acted the skit. I then decided to go back home and start my own (skits). I actually started acting from my days in the university, and I usually called my friends to shoot with me. At one point, we had a clique, and we were growing gradually, and gaining more knowledge. We learnt how to shoot and edit videos, till I became quite good at it.
What were you doing before you started making skits?
My first career path was in painting, because I am gifted at it. It was later I realised that I loved acting more, and decided to focus on that. Because I was in the university when I started, it was easy for me to switch. Digital painting was my first career choice, even though I was studying Building Technology at the University of Lagos at the time.
What makes your skits unique?
My skits are unique, because no one else can act like me. Besides, I tell stories about things that happen in our everyday lives. They are called relatable skits, because they are things that people can relate with or have experienced.
Tell us about your family and educational background.
I am from Lagos State. Growing up was not easy. My mother was not poor or rich; we were in the middle class. I lived with my grandma when I was little, because I lost my dad when I was quite young.
I started my secondary school education in Lagos as a day student, but after I finished junior secondary school, I enrolled in a boarding school. And, that is part of the reasons I am who I am today. It was practically the toughest part of my life. I attended the Federal Science and Technical College, Yaba, Lagos, which taught me a lot about life. It was a place where only the best was good enough. It taught me how to be a stronger person. It was not easy but I thank God that I was able to pull through. My mum also had a major impact in my life, because it was really hard for her raising me alone. I am happy we are both doing very fine today. I was able to finish secondary school and get into the university. I have also completed the National Youth Service Corps scheme, and I plan to have Master’s degree when the time is right.
Is skit making your full-time job, and how profitable has it been for you?
Skit making is my major job, but I have other things I do as well. I own short-let apartments in Lagos, and I am also an agent, who gets jobs for other influencers. Content creation has been very profitable for me. At least, I am doing fine. I made my first million naira and bought my first car from content creation. I have never regretted going into content creation. However, there are times I make more money from doing other businesses.
Which skit brought you to the limelight?
(Laughs). It was a skit of a challenge by the artiste, Zlatan Ibile, which I joined, and mine was one of the best on the Internet. It got a lot of reposts and controversies, which brought me to the limelight. I actually don’t want to talk about the details of the content, because it is censored. It is not something I want to say in public (laughs). However, it was not what it seemed, because I actually edited the video to make people see what I wanted them to see. I later did a video of how I made the video to ease the tension, and to make people realise I actually did not do what they thought I did.
What influences the characters you play in your skits?
I have different characters, such as ‘Kabiru’, a stupid mallam who is dumb and does crazy things. I also have a character of a cowboy named ‘Champ’, who is from the United States of America. I have yet another character called ‘Frosh’, for relatable contents, which is what a lot of people know me for.
Some skit makers use their contents to tackle pressing issues in society. Have you ever thought of doing this, or you are only focused on making people laugh?
My skits are majorly to make people happy, laugh, forget about their problems, and reduce their blood pressure. I don’t involve myself in any other thing, because I actually making skits to make people happy. Perhaps, in the future, that can change. But for now, that is where I stand.
Who are some of the notable personalities you have featured in your skits?
I have featured some former Big Brother Naija housemates, such as Teddy A, Ik and Frodd. The funny thing is that I always shoot with at least two BBN housemates from each season.
I have also featured other skit makers, such as Craze Clown, Oluwadolarz, Sydney Talker, Nastyblaq and Pankee.
I would love to shoot with Davido, Don Jazzy and Nengi. That would indeed be epic, because it is something I have been dreaming about. I am a huge fan of Davido; hence, he is number one on my list.
What are the challenges you face as a skit maker?
Skit makers face a lot of challenges, ranging from finding suitable locations to shoot, to finding props (materials used to shoot, including costumes), and looking for people to feature in the skits, which is never easy. That is because most of them often disappoint one on the day that one is supposed to shoot. Organising the cast for one’s shoot, and editing could be quite difficult. I think skit makers deserve more accolades than we are getting, because it is really not easy. To think of ideas for our content is a huge part of what we do. Shooting the videos and editing them is another thing entirely.
What are some of your achievements as a skit maker?
I have won some awards, including ‘Best Creator of the Year 2022’ at the Nigeria Achievers Award. I hope to get more awards this year.
Another achievement for me is that I have fans in different African countries, and in places such as the United Kingdom and the United States of America. I consider that to be a big achievement.
What are the requirements for one to be a successful skit maker?
One needs consistency and hard work. Also, one must never give up. There will be times that one could be depressed or sadness, but one should never give up. Working hard and being consistent are very important.
It has been said that stand-up comedians can be successful skit makers, while many skit makers would struggle as stand-up comedians. Do you agree with that assertion, and have you ever thought of doing stand-up comedy?
Those are two different areas of comedy. One involves performing for the camera, while the other is about making people laugh on stage. Some people could be shy to face an audience, while some are camera shy. Basically, it depends on the individual, because some people can do both comfortably. Nevertheless, both are fantastic ways to express oneself.
As a skit maker, what can you never be caught doing?
Actually, there is nothing I can never be caught not doing. I am human and I live a normal life. But, I cannot be caught doing offensive things though.
What are your most memorable moments as a skit maker?
My most memorable moments are when I have a good idea, and it comes out exactly how I pictured it, and eventually goes viral. Basically, every time I shoot is memorable, because we always shoot something new all the time.
What is your most embarrassing moment as a skit maker?
I don’t have any.
What are your other areas of interest?
My other area of interest is real estate, because I already have short-let apartments.
How do you unwind?
I unwind by being alone to experience peace of mind. I also play games. Sometimes, I play the guitar and drums, which relaxes me.
Punch
