#AfricasBiggestBookProject: Update #3

In our journey to completion, we’ve had quite a number of challenges we are grateful were amicable resolved. Just so we don’t bore you with our downsides, we bring you some of the good stuff:

We had private listening sessions with a cluster of young people in Lagos.We had a limited, offline release with over 1k young people in attendance at the University of Ibadan and Enugu State University of Science and Technology. The response was phenomenal.

We had a limited, offline release with over 1k young people in attendance at the University of Ibadan and Enugu State University of Science and Technology. The response was phenomenal.

Select mini-documentaries were broadcast to youth corps members in Lagos and Abuja NYSC camps.

#AfricasBiggestBookProject: Update #2

We began post-production in October 2015 and it has lasted until this very moment, technically. The number of edits, retakes and revisions we’ve made to the content can drive a normal person insane. We had to do this for unique content streams or components that completed those streams. Here’s an idea of the backend work involved:

Audiobook (We call it ‘The Audio Experience’, nothing quite describes it until you listen to it)
• Editing, mixing and mastering of 51 chapters with 56 narrators collaborating on those chapters• Sound design for 16 skits
• 51 original songs, one for each chapter
• One original theme song
• Fresh recordings for several narrators
• 30-second audio samples from each chapter and eventually,
• A complete redesign of the entire music library
• Plus, we had to listen to and approve all music, skits and chapters after every iteration

#AfricasBiggestBookProject: Update #1

 

We’ve had concerned individuals call in to ask why the book project is taking too long. Good thing is, underground work has been on for a while, and below is an update on the progress made so far.

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On the 22nd of July 2015, Graduatepro unveiled an audacious project at Protea Hotel in Maryland Lagos. The goal was simple, get 56 influential Nigerians to narrate chapters from a book written by its founder – Naomi Lucas, titled ‘I’m A Graduate Now What?’ Beyond Nigeria, we intend to replicate this project with all its expressions and spin offs, start to finish in 13 other African countries.

The next 3 months after the unveil was a whirlwind of dawn to dusk and back to back audio-visual recording sessions in Lagos and Abuja with narrators who weren’t paid a dime, coming from far and near to contribute their voices to the cause. It is a cause because we promised to use a percentage of profit generated to fund work-readiness boot-camps across the continent.

Interesting thing is, we were unaware when we started, that this was a first-of-its-kind project. Novelty is good as you get to enjoy first-mover status and set the pace for everyone coming after. The downside is that you’re also the de facto guinea pig, the one everyone else will use to learn. This singular factor may either be your driving force or be the reason why you give up.

We stuck with it.

…To be continued.
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Admin