Tunde Kelani Completes Teaser for AI-Assisted Yoruba Micro-Web Series 'Opalaba'

Veteran Nigerian filmmaker Tunde Kelani has finished the teaser for 'Opalaba', a satirical micro-web series rooted in Yoruba culture and contemporary African life. The production began with conventional filmmaking — story development, authentic performances, and principal photography shot on a Nikon RED ZR camera and an iPhone 16 Pro Max with the Blackmagic Camera App — before AI tools were brought in during visualisation, animation, and post-production. Kelani frames the experiment as proof that emerging technology can serve a story without displacing human creativity or cultural identity.

Kelani has been clear that AI occupies a supporting role rather than an authorial one, describing it as "another production department serving the story." Principal production on the full series is expected to begin before the end of August 2026. He expressed hope that the project would encourage other African filmmakers to explore technological innovation while staying grounded in their own cultural traditions.