Life & Work with Isioma Oramah

Today we’d like to introduce you to Isioma Oramah

Hi Isioma, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Hi! I am Isioma Oramah, a first-year Film and Television producing student studying at Chapman University. I started in film during my junior year of high school in the UK, where I created an 18-minute documentary on the “Misrepresentation of Black Women in Media and Where Those Portryals Came From” for a class project. It was the first time I had written, produced, and edited a project in that capacity. Though the documentary was a little choppy, it was a great experience to conduct independent research about a socially important topic. 

During my Senior Year of High School, I decided to apply for a marketing bachelor’s degree. The way the UK education system works is that university acceptances are conditional on the grades you get on your final exams during your senior year. I obtained conditional offers from various universities. However, I realized that film was my true calling. Long story short, I pivoted my career path and applied for a Film Studies degree at Queen Mary University of London. As a Nigerian daughter, this was a risky decision to make as I would be straying from the traditional career path that my family would have wanted me to embark on. 

As I embarked on my undergraduate degree in Film Studies, I learned about different film theories and conducted film analyses on several films from different countries and periods. Though this experience was great, it was mainly theoretical. I realized I had a desire to create my own films and video content. I decided to go on a year abroad program at The University of Texas at Austin, where I majored in Radio, Film, and Television. The year in the school introduced me to my creative desire and showed me the creative possibilities that I could take advantage of. One significant risk I took was creating a TikTok account where I made satirical videos pretending to know everything about anything. Surprisingly, many people enjoyed my videos, resulting in me amassing over 144.8k followers and 5 million overall likes on TikTok. This experience showed me all that I am capable of, so I decided to fully delve into the work of film, television, and content creation. 

I applied and got accepted into Chapman University for Film and Television Producing during the fall of 2023. Throughout my first year, I produced two short films and two television pilots. I look forward to all my creative projects ahead of me! I could not have done this without the support of the friends and family closest to me. They inspire me to keep believing in myself, and they uplift me in moments of doubt. I am truly blessed to have them in my life. 

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
When I first started, imposter syndrome was a major obstacle for me. I did not think I was good enough to be in certain rooms, resulting in me missing out on certain opportunities. However, upon growing up and meeting successful individuals who looked like me, I decided that I was hurting myself by not trusting in my skills and abilities. Now, I walk and talk with my head held high in any room I enter. 

The people closest to me have guided me in growing my confidence. I believe that having a supportive community has made me realize that I can be so much more than what society tells me I should be. 

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I am currently a first-year film and television producing student at Chapman University. During my time here, I have produced 4 short films. These experiences have been so informative to me. I am currently looking to produce projects outside of Chapman. 

How can people work with you, collaborate with you, or support you?
People can follow me on TikTok: isoyy_milky or Instagram: @isoy_milk. 

They can also check out my website (that needs to be updated) here: https://isiomaoramah.wixsite.com/isioramah/blank-1 

Contact Info:

• Website: https://isiomaoramah.wixsite.com/isioramah/blank-1
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/isoy_milk/
• Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@isoyy_milky?lang=en

Image Credits
Erika Dunn
AJ Thames
Olushola Grace Fagbamila
Devon Sean Davis
Y’Dhanna Daniels
Marci Urling
Ronald Sinclair