From A Producer To A Global Superstar-Chapter 397: Video Set

The drive to the set moved slowly through Lagos traffic, the kind that forced patience whether you liked it or not. Cars stretched ahead in long lines, horns coming from different directions without any real coordination, while people weaved through tight spaces with the kind of confidence that came from doing it every day.

Inside the car, the air felt heavier than usual.

Shina sat in the front passenger seat with his camera bag resting on his lap. His fingers pressed against the fabric, tightening and loosening without rhythm, like he was trying to steady himself but didn’t know how.

Dayo noticed it without looking directly.

"You go tear that bag if you no relax," he said calmly.

Shina let out a short breath and forced his hands to stay still.

"Sorry."

From the back seat, Sharon leaned slightly forward, resting one arm over the headrest.

"You’ve been like this since morning," she said, her voice soft but direct. "Even when we were leaving the house."

Shina scratched the side of his head and gave a small, awkward smile.

"This one different now."

Dayo shifted his gaze from the window to him.

"How different?"

Shina turned slightly in his seat, still holding the bag.

"Bro... this is Davido..... And JD you.

He let that sit for a moment, like the name alone explained everything.

"I just dey shoot normal content before. Now na full music video, big set, big people, everything. I no even understand how I reach here."

Sharon watched him quietly, then shook her head slightly.

"You reached here because you’re good. Not because anybody is helping you blindly."

Shina didn’t respond immediately. He just nodded slowly, but the tension stayed in his shoulders.

"I just don’t want mess anything up, this is so huge." he added after a moment.

Dayo leaned back into his seat, his voice steady.

"You go mess am up if you carry that mindset go there."

Shina turned quickly.

"That’s what I’m saying—"

Dayo shook his head once.

"No. You don’t understand."

The car moved forward slightly, then slowed again.

"I didn’t pick you by mistake," Dayo continued. "Before I bring you close, I don already watch how you dey work. You get sense for angles, you understand timing, and you sabi how to make simple things look clean and good all of this witgout professional training what does this tell you that you’re big."

Shina listened, quieter now.

"This one just bigger space. That’s all," Dayo added.

Sharon nodded in agreement.

"And you’ve already been preparing for it without realizing," she said. "You’ve been doing this for a while. This is just a bigger version."

Shina exhaled slowly, leaning back into his seat.

Dayo’s tone didn’t change.

"But nobody go hold your hand inside there. I go dey around, but I no go do the work for you."

Shina nodded.

"I understand."

"So decide now," Dayo said. "You wan enter there scared, or you wan enter like person wey belong there."

There was a short silence, but this time it wasn’t heavy.

Shina adjusted his grip on the bag again, but his hands were steadier.

"I go handle am."

Dayo gave a small nod.

"Good."

By the time they arrived at the set, the place was already alive with movement.

Crew members walked back and forth carrying equipment, voices overlapping as instructions were passed around. Lights were being tested, cables arranged, and different sections of the set were still being adjusted.

All the equipment was rented by Davido after all Shina didn’t have the setup for the video so it was taken care of by Davido.

Shina stepped out of the car and paused for a moment, taking everything in.

"This place..."

He didn’t finish the sentence.

Sharon stepped out behind him, glancing around with a small smile.

"Welcome to your new level," she said lightly.

Shina let out a breath, half nervous, half amazed by the scene he is witnessing he had always dreamed of something like this and it is happening right in his front he took a deep breath to calm himself which didn’t even work.

Dayo stepped out last, his expression calm as always, but his eyes moved across the set carefully.

He took in details without rushing.

The setup.

The coordination.

The people involved.

Everything looked structured.

Everything looked like it made sense.

But something still didn’t sit right with him.

He didn’t say it out loud. He didn’t even show it on his face.

It stayed internal, quiet, forming in the background of his thoughts.

And it hae been bothering him for a while as it seems weird An international label doesn’t ignore patterns that work After all Dayo was a living testament of that so why.

That part didn’t align.

Davido wqs signed to an international Label based in U.S so there was no way they didn’t know about Dayo’s record and even if they didn’t know they wouldn’t just change date like that something was fishy but he couldn’t place his hands on what.

He didn’t push the thought further. Not here.

Not now.

Davido stood near a small group, talking casually, one hand moving as he spoke while the other held a drink. When he noticed Dayo approaching, he gave a quick nod.

"You don come."

Dayo stepped closer.

"Yeah."

They shook hands, firm and brief.

There was a slight pause after, the kind that wouldn’t be obvious to most people, but it was there.

Davido broke eye contact first, turning slightly.

"You see the setup?"

Dayo glanced around.

"It’s clean."

"Still dey adjust some parts," Davido replied.

Sharon joined them, greeting politely before stepping slightly aside, allowing them space while still staying present.

Shina stood a few steps behind, watching everything carefully.

Davido looked toward him and smiled.

"Director."

Shina straightened immediately.

"Sir."

Davido laughed lightly.

"No pressure. Just do your thing."

Shina nodded.

"I go try."

Dayo looked at him.

"Not try. Do am o ."

Shina corrected himself quickly.

"Yes. I go do."

Before the shoot started, Shina moved to one side, setting his bag down and bringing out his camera.

He checked the settings.

Adjusted.

Checked again.

Sharon walked up to him quietly.

"You’re overchecking," she said.

He glanced at her.

"I just want everything to be perfect."

She smiled slightly.

"It won’t be perfect. It just has to be good."

He paused, then nodded taking a deep breath.

"Alright."

Dayo approached him and asked. "How are you feeling?."

Shina smiled "Honestly terrified and happy."

Dayo looked at him with all seriousness. "I would say this only once and that’s not everyone get chances like this you have one make sure you use it well so you have a good regret and not a bad one trust your ability and control the set you’re the director."

Dayo walked back immediately without saying anything again.

Shina sat donw and thought about all Dayo Said and stood up immediately.

"Okay, make we set this first."

His voice wasn’t loud, but it carried.

People turned toward him.

He pointed toward one of the lights.

"Shift that small. Not too much."

The crew adjusted it.

"Stop there."

He walked into position, checking the frame through his camera his aura change and one could tell by just hearing the confidence in his voice.

"Davido, stand here."

Davido stepped into place without hesitation.

"Here?"

"Yeah."

Shina raised the camera, paused, then made a small adjustment.

"Alright."

At the beginning, his movements were careful.

Measured.

He spoke, then rechecked.

Adjusted, then confirmed.

But as time passed, something changed.

His voice became firmer.

His instructions clearer.

"Reset. One more take."

"Hold that position."

"Camera rolling."

The crew responded without delay.

Sharon stood off to the side, arms crossed lightly, watching him with a small, satisfied expression.

She leaned slightly toward Dayo.

"He’s settling."

Dayo nodded once.

"I expected that."

Davido noticed it too.

Between takes, he looked toward Dayo.

"Your guy dey deliver."

Dayo didn’t look away from the set.

"I know."

Davido smiled slightly, but it didn’t fully reach his eyes.

There was something else there.

Something held back.

He took a sip from his drink, then looked away again.

The feeling lingered for a moment before he pushed it aside.

Guilt maybe ... but he didn’t know.

The shoot continued smoothly.

Scene after scene came together, each one cleaner than the last.

Shina moved through the set with growing confidence, adjusting angles instinctively now, no longer second-guessing every decision.

At one point, he stopped mid-setup and repositioned the camera.

"This angle better."

He checked it again, then nodded.

"Yeah. This one."

The difference was clear.

Even the crew could feel it.

This wasn’t luck.

He knew what he was doing.

From the side, Dayo watched quietly.

He didn’t interfere.

He didn’t step in.

He allowed it to unfold.

Shina had found his rhythm.

That part was working.

But even as things progressed smoothly on the surface, his thoughts circled back again.

The label.

The decision.

The timing.

He didn’t force a conclusion.

He didn’t jump ahead.

He just held onto the question.

Because something about it still didn’t align.

As the day moved forward, the energy stayed consistent.

Work.

Focus.

Progress.

From the outside, everything looked right.

Opportunities were opening.

Things were moving.

Growth was happening.

But not everything that mattered was visible.

And not every decision had revealed its full impact yet.

Dayo stood still for a moment longer, then shifted his attention back to the set.

For now, the work came first.

Everything else could wait.