Let me be real with you: the “traditional” path in film is basically a waiting room.
You sit there with your script. Your pitch deck. Your dream.
And you wait for a stranger to bless it with a yes.
A studio exec. A funder. A grant committee. Some random person with a fancy title and a short attention span.
Yeah… I’m not built for that.
I’m a 4th-generation entrepreneur, which means two things are in my DNA:
- I respect the hustle.
- I don’t worship gatekeepers.
So I did the most “boss” thing I could do: I funded King of Tɛma myself. Not because money grows on trees (it doesn’t). Not because I love stress (I don’t). But because I’m done letting other people decide what’s “worth” telling.
The Family Lesson That Put Fire in Me
My father was an electrical engineer one of the early guys in surge protection. Smart. Precise. Built real solutions that protected businesses and homes from disasters you never see coming… until they hit.
His product was solid. His reputation was spotless.
But here’s the part that stuck with me: he didn’t market hard enough.
He had the value… but not the volume.
And that’s a painful truth a lot of entrepreneurs learn late: if people don’t know you exist, you might as well not exist. Not because your work isn’t great because your work is invisible.
That regret became my fuel.
That’s why at Anibok Studios, we don’t just “make videos.” We build visibility. We tell the story and we push it. Because “best-kept secret” is not a compliment it’s a business problem.
“No Gatekeepers” Looks Like This in Real Life
Self-funding isn’t a motivational quote. It’s not a vibe. It’s a decision you feel in your stomach.
It’s you looking at your budget and realizing: if this goes left, it’s your money. Your name. Your sleep.
And then doing it anyway.
And when we were on set, it got real fast.
One minute you’re the producer doing the math.
Next minute you’re right there, shaping the performance, making sure the story hits like it’s supposed to because nobody’s coming to save the day. We are the day.
Why I Put My Own Money Behind King of Tɛma
Here’s my rule: if I’m not willing to bet on my own story, why should anybody else?
Self-funding is skin in the game the kind audiences can feel. There’s a certain sharpness to a project when the people behind it aren’t playing with “someone else’s money.”
When it’s your funds on the line, you don’t do lazy choices.
You don’t do “we’ll fix it later.”
You don’t do “good enough.”
You do what needs to be done.
And yeah sometimes that means I’m the one behind the camera making sure we’re not just capturing footage, we’re capturing moments.
The Part People Don’t Post: The Grind
Let’s talk about the unglamorous part: the team grind.
The long days. The quick pivots. The “we have to make this work” energy. The kind of teamwork that’s half skill, half stubbornness.
This is what self-funding really buys you: ownership.
Not just of the film of the standard.
Because when you’re not waiting on approvals, you move different. You create different. You lead different.
About Tema and Why This Story Doesn’t Need Permission
King of Tɛma lives in Tema, Ghana industrial, gritty, honest. Not the “tourist brochure” version.
And that’s exactly why it matters.
Some stories don’t fit the “proven formula.” Some stories don’t come with a built-in audience. Some stories don’t make sense in a boardroom.
Cool.
The best stories don’t ask for permission. They make their own lane.
And I wasn’t about to let a gatekeeper decide Tema doesn’t deserve a spotlight.
Business Owners: This Is Your Sign
If you’re reading this and you’re not a filmmaker good. This is still for you.
Because I know you’ve got something you’ve been sitting on:
- the brand video you keep “meaning to do”
- the campaign you’ll launch “when things calm down”
- the story you’ll tell “when you’re bigger”
Let me save you some time: it’s not calming down. And you don’t magically become “ready” one day.
The winners aren’t the ones with the most permission.
They’re the ones with the most momentum.
So here’s the call to action: stop waiting and start betting on your own story. Put money behind it. Put strategy behind it. Put consistency behind it.
And if you want a team that can produce it and help you push it pull up.
Kobina de Graft-Johnson
CEO, Anibok Studios
4th-Generation Entrepreneur | Storyteller | Strategic Partner for Small Businesses Who Refuse to Stay Silent
