Figma - Config 2025: From storytelling as a PM to storytelling as a film director with Ebi Atawodi
The video highlights the historical significance of the Benin Kingdom, once one of the most powerful and well-planned cities in the world, admired by early European visitors for its architecture and governance. It also discusses Mansa Musa, the wealthiest man in history, whose pilgrimage to Mecca showcased his immense wealth. The speaker, a descendant of the Benin Kingdom, expresses pride in this heritage and emphasizes the importance of storytelling to preserve and celebrate West African culture. They describe their journey in creating Zuba Studios, a platform for sharing these stories through films, and the process of developing a film project focused on the talking drum, a significant cultural artifact. The speaker draws parallels between storytelling and product management, highlighting the importance of emotion and structure in both fields. They conclude by encouraging others to find and tell their own stories, emphasizing storytelling as a means to inspire and heal.
Key Points:
- The Benin Kingdom was a powerful and well-planned city admired by Europeans for its architecture and governance.
- Mansa Musa, the wealthiest man in history, demonstrated his wealth during a pilgrimage to Mecca, impacting the gold market.
- Storytelling is crucial for preserving and celebrating West African culture and history.
- Zuba Studios was created to share West African stories through films, focusing on cultural artifacts like the talking drum.
- Storytelling and product management both require emotion and structure to effectively engage and inspire audiences.
Details:
1. 🏰 Rise and Influence of the Benin Kingdom
1.1. Historical Context and European Interactions
1.2. Architectural Achievements and City Planning
2. 🌍 Rediscovering African Heritage and Pride
- A 17th-century Dutch visitor named Olaf Dapper described the architectural style of the Benin Kingdom, noting that the buildings were adorned with gables and steps, and featured many rooms separated by walls made of red clay.
- These walls were maintained to a high standard, polished to a smooth, mirror-like finish, comparable to the quality found in Holland.
- The narrative highlights a personal revelation and emotional response from a descendant of the Benin Kingdom upon learning about this aspect of their heritage, indicating a gap in historical knowledge and cultural pride.
- This rediscovery underscores the significance of preserving and celebrating African heritage, as it fosters a deeper connection to cultural history and identity.
- The architectural prowess of the Benin Kingdom serves as a testament to its historical and cultural importance, challenging prevailing narratives and inspiring renewed pride among descendants.
3. 💰 Mansa Musa: The Pinnacle of Wealth in History
3.1. Introduction to Mansa Musa's Wealth
3.2. Mansa Musa's Pilgrimage and Economic Impact
3.3. Cultural Legacy and Connections
4. 🍹 Zobo: A Cultural Connection Across Continents
- Zobo, a drink with cinnamon, cloves, pineapple, and ginger, connects cultures across continents, reflecting both simplicity and complexity in its cultural nuances.
- In Nigeria, Zobo not only serves as a refreshing beverage but also carries significant cultural meaning and social importance, often shared during gatherings and celebrations.
- The drink's ingredients, such as hibiscus, are rooted in historical trade routes and cultural exchanges, symbolizing a blend of traditions and history.
- Naming the project 'Zobo' highlights its role as a cultural bridge, emphasizing the shared heritage and diverse influences embodied in the drink.
5. 🎥 Zuba Studios: A Journey in Storytelling
- The speaker realized that their initial vision of Zobo, a concept for storytelling through various cultural aspects like art, architecture, fashion, and food, was too grand and unrealistic, similar to common issues in product teams having visions that do not align with their strengths.
- The idea of turning Zobo into a restaurant was abandoned because it did not align with the speaker's strengths and interests, such as disliking cooking for large groups despite enjoying cooking itself.
- Considering a photo book as a medium for Zobo was also dismissed due to accessibility issues, as it would require people to find, buy, and read the book.
- The speaker revisited the Japanese concept of 'Ikigai' to find a purpose that combines what they are good at, love, what the world needs, and what they can be paid for, leading to putting Zobo on hold.
- A breakthrough came when the speaker realized that storytelling was at the heart of all their impactful experiences, leading to an obsession with storytelling as both a craft and a powerful tool.
- The speaker highlighted the importance of storytelling with a quote: "We tell ourselves stories in order to live," emphasizing the role of storytelling in making sense of life and its experiences.
6. 🎞️ The Filmmaking Process: Roles and Creativity
- Storytelling involves understanding change, emotions, and structure, which is crucial not only in filmmaking but also in designing customer experiences.
- Creating a pitch deck is a fundamental step in the filmmaking process, similar to crafting strategic plans in product management, providing a visual and conceptual overview of the project.
- Developing a tagline is essential for capturing the essence of a film and ensuring it resonates with audiences. Effective taglines, like Uber's 'One Wallet' and YouTube's 'Expression Meets Connection', demonstrate the power of concise messaging.
- A log line should be both compelling and concise, offering intrigue without revealing too much, akin to strategic marketing techniques that engage users while maintaining mystery.
- The filmmaking process emphasizes collaboration, illustrating that projects thrive through communal effort rather than isolation. This mirrors successful team dynamics in various industries.
7. 📽️ Crafting the First Film: Focus on the Talking Drum
- The project Cheddar focused on trust in team dynamics, similar to film production roles that require a cohesive team effort.
- Key film roles include the producer (like a program manager), director (visionary leader), cinematographer (akin to UX designers), and editor (compared to engineers).
- The director's subtle yet crucial role parallels a product manager's responsibility to execute vision without hands-on task execution.
- Iconic film symbols like the slate and 'action' command emphasize coordination and precision among a skilled crew.
- Selecting a film topic demands focus, with the talking drum chosen for its accessibility, uniqueness, and historical significance.
8. 🎭 The Emotional Core of Storytelling
- AI tools are used to explore filmmaking concepts such as 'tight shot' and 'establishing shot,' but the core of storytelling remains a human endeavor—AI serves as a starting point, not a shortcut.
- Scripts for storytelling should be approached like user journeys in product development, emphasizing context, emotion, purpose, tension, payoff, and transformation.
- Emotion is crucial for making stories memorable; it is what makes people care and remember experiences, not just understand them.
- In both film and UX design, every element should be intentional, with a focus on evoking emotion to create memorable experiences.
- Emotion in UX is as vital as in film, influencing how users feel during interactions, and can lead to feelings of being welcome, alive, delighted, understood, and even joyful during problem-solving.
- Designing for emotion is key to creating beloved products and films, transforming good experiences into great ones.
9. 🎬 Launching Creative Projects and Finding Purpose
- Successfully launching creative projects requires a cycle of imagination, creation, and obtaining feedback from the audience, which helps refine the work.
- The speaker's achievement of having their film nominated for Best Documentary at Africa's Oscars highlights the impact and recognition that can result from well-executed projects.
- Practical advice includes engaging in scriptwriting as a skill that can be developed from writing specifications, emphasizing the transferability of writing skills.
- Strategically aligning vision and creativity is essential to deliver stories that resonate emotionally and make an impact.
- Storytelling is identified as a core purpose, with the power to inspire and heal audiences, which the speaker aims to achieve through their work.
- The speaker challenges the audience to consider, 'What story are you dying to tell?' which serves as a call to action for aspiring storytellers to find and pursue their unique narratives.