How Wearing The Police Uniform Got Me To Jail - Frankie Seeka
Singer, comedian and actor, Franklin Isika, aka Frankie Seeka, has 134,000 followers on Instagram. He tells BABATUNDE TUGBOBO his journey
When did you get into acting?
I have always worked with actors and content creators. I also wrote scripts. However, I officially started my acting career in 2020.
What is the inspiration behind your character, Frankie Seeka; the boy, Kiriku; and the dog, Storm?
It came naturally given that Storm has always been the smartest when the story is about me. Kiriku is also an intelligent character, so I thought of having a "face-to-face" between the two.
One of the recurring themes in your sketches is when Storm tries to expose your character or retaliate for the harm you've done to her. What caused this?
I have always studied dogs, vis-à-vis their behavior. I have always sincerely felt that deep down they (dogs) think they are smarter than us (humans). For example, a dog will make certain faces when it wants something from you. As far as I'm concerned, it's emotional blackmail. In light of that, I thought of a world where dogs would feel more inclined to prove they're smarter than us, and how that would play out. That was the idea behind Storm, which always turned out to be one step ahead of my character.
Did you have similar experiences of your skits with dogs growing up?
Not of a dog. But, that's basically what happens when you have a younger sibling, so I'm linking it to having a younger one.
How do you come up with ideas for your sketches?
I get inspired by different things. It could be something I saw, or something someone said. There are really a lot of funny situations around us every day. Also, I watched a lot of cartoons growing up, and still do.
What's it like to be a social media comedian?
I really don't feel different or special. Maybe it's because I still have a lot to do. I haven't even scratched the surface of everything I want to do. I still wake up every day thinking about what content to create and how to improve myself and reach my potential.
In the process of building your brand, have you ever been frustrated?
Yes. I feel like a lot of people really don't understand the hard work I put into making my videos; from writing the script to shooting the video and editing it. I have to work at least three times like everyone else because everything my dog does in my videos is real; no special effects. It's hard enough to shoot videos with human beings; talk more with a dog.
What challenges have you faced over the years?
The biggest problem is the lack of resources. You have to pay for the accessories and even the locations. Contrary to popular belief, you can't just start creating content and immediately start buying cars. That's not how it works.
It is also difficult to shoot videos even in Lagos because there are always thugs threatening to grab your camera if you don't give them money. They usually claim that they are the ones watching our skits. They want us to pay them to entertain them, when it should be the other way around. They assume that we (social media content creators) buy cars because they watch our videos; yet they do it for free.
Have you ever experienced online bullying?
Yes, I have. People have said hurtful things about me because they think it's the way to get attention. When we reacted, we would then say: “I am your number one fan. I just wanted you to answer".
You have over 100,000 subscribers. How did you manage to build your fanbase?
It was a gradual process. I constantly worked to make sure I was creating content at least twice a week. I also got support from people who have more social media followers than me. Famous music producer and record label executive, Don Jazzy has always supported me by reposting my videos. It also allowed me to expand my audience. Social media personality Tunde Ednut has also been very supportive over the years.
Which of your videos made you famous?
I really don't think I'm famous yet. I'm working on it. In fact, I have so many things I could do.
What efforts are you making to...
Singer, comedian and actor, Franklin Isika, aka Frankie Seeka, has 134,000 followers on Instagram. He tells BABATUNDE TUGBOBO his journey
When did you get into acting?
I have always worked with actors and content creators. I also wrote scripts. However, I officially started my acting career in 2020.
What is the inspiration behind your character, Frankie Seeka; the boy, Kiriku; and the dog, Storm?
It came naturally given that Storm has always been the smartest when the story is about me. Kiriku is also an intelligent character, so I thought of having a "face-to-face" between the two.
One of the recurring themes in your sketches is when Storm tries to expose your character or retaliate for the harm you've done to her. What caused this?
I have always studied dogs, vis-à-vis their behavior. I have always sincerely felt that deep down they (dogs) think they are smarter than us (humans). For example, a dog will make certain faces when it wants something from you. As far as I'm concerned, it's emotional blackmail. In light of that, I thought of a world where dogs would feel more inclined to prove they're smarter than us, and how that would play out. That was the idea behind Storm, which always turned out to be one step ahead of my character.
Did you have similar experiences of your skits with dogs growing up?
Not of a dog. But, that's basically what happens when you have a younger sibling, so I'm linking it to having a younger one.
How do you come up with ideas for your sketches?
I get inspired by different things. It could be something I saw, or something someone said. There are really a lot of funny situations around us every day. Also, I watched a lot of cartoons growing up, and still do.
What's it like to be a social media comedian?
I really don't feel different or special. Maybe it's because I still have a lot to do. I haven't even scratched the surface of everything I want to do. I still wake up every day thinking about what content to create and how to improve myself and reach my potential.
In the process of building your brand, have you ever been frustrated?
Yes. I feel like a lot of people really don't understand the hard work I put into making my videos; from writing the script to shooting the video and editing it. I have to work at least three times like everyone else because everything my dog does in my videos is real; no special effects. It's hard enough to shoot videos with human beings; talk more with a dog.
What challenges have you faced over the years?
The biggest problem is the lack of resources. You have to pay for the accessories and even the locations. Contrary to popular belief, you can't just start creating content and immediately start buying cars. That's not how it works.
It is also difficult to shoot videos even in Lagos because there are always thugs threatening to grab your camera if you don't give them money. They usually claim that they are the ones watching our skits. They want us to pay them to entertain them, when it should be the other way around. They assume that we (social media content creators) buy cars because they watch our videos; yet they do it for free.
Have you ever experienced online bullying?
Yes, I have. People have said hurtful things about me because they think it's the way to get attention. When we reacted, we would then say: “I am your number one fan. I just wanted you to answer".
You have over 100,000 subscribers. How did you manage to build your fanbase?
It was a gradual process. I constantly worked to make sure I was creating content at least twice a week. I also got support from people who have more social media followers than me. Famous music producer and record label executive, Don Jazzy has always supported me by reposting my videos. It also allowed me to expand my audience. Social media personality Tunde Ednut has also been very supportive over the years.
Which of your videos made you famous?
I really don't think I'm famous yet. I'm working on it. In fact, I have so many things I could do.
What efforts are you making to...
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