Gbenga & Tope Salu: Filmmaking, Success, and Love, Beyond Borders.

A Little Back Story

First, they were asked to introduce themselves to their eight-year-old selves.

It's safe to say that young Gbenga would be thrilled and intrigued to learn that he went from being a Mechanical Engineer major at the University of Lagos to becoming a cartoonist. He self-produced comics about student life, including one titled Chief Egunje—a nod to the Yoruba word for "bribe." Now, that's an interesting title. His talent eventually landed him a cartoon column in The Punch newspaper.

But Gbenga's creativity wasn't meant to stay in one lane. He said, "I think I get bored easily when I have to do the same thing for a long time." That itch for something new led him from comics to animation, then from animation to motion graphics.

Then it happened. "I thought, I mean, I like films. I watch films. I think I could also do it. What you do with drawing and animation is create a story and make these characters play these roles. So I could do that with videos as well." That epiphany paved the way for films like Convictus, 10:10, A Christmas Story in Kingston, and the award-winning music video Aye Ole by the gospel group Infinity.

It's clear that Gbenga Salu wears many creative hats—editor, VFX artist, and all-around visual storyteller. And as fate would have it, he met his perfect creative match.

The phrase "a match made in heaven" might just have been coined for the Salus.

Much like her partner, Tope Salu took an unexpected career detour. After earning a degree in accounting at the University of Lagos, sensing fate here, she landed a job as an accountant at one of the top 10 companies to work in at the time. But the corporate world couldn't hold her creative spirit, and she soon traded numbers for narratives. Introducing herself now as "A magician who brings stories to life."

Unsurprisingly, Tope also wears many hats. After leaving accounting behind, she got into filmmaking. First as an actress, then as a voiceover artist, then as a scriptwriter and screenwriter, and ultimately, as a producer. Her notable works include Sandra's Cross, Rumor Has It, and Skinny Girl in Transit.

The Chaos Before The Calm

As all great stories go—especially one featuring a hero and heroine striving to transform the film industry—some battles must be fought and won.

Gbenga had to navigate the world as a VFX artist in a once-growing trade." There was nobody to aspire to become except people outside the country, which I mean, at the time, social media and YouTube weren't that big. So you had to dig deep."

But he didn't let that stop him. He made the most of what he had: "A lot of the tutorials I had to go through to learn were PDFs. They were Acrobat PDFs, and so they were not visual-based. You had to read through the tutorials and practice by yourself."
Tope didn't have it easy as a screenwriter, either. Selling scripts was a challenge. With few avenues to showcase her work, she kept writing, hoping that "I'll be able to send it out to someone when the opportunity comes. That's one thing they say about opportunity meets preparedness."

She took matters into her own hands, scouring Twitter and online platforms for scriptwriting opportunities and submitting her spec scripts. That is how she landed the writing job on Rumor Has It.

Her acting career also came with hurdles. It didn't take off as she had hoped but led her to something even greater. "It was an opportunity because I was allowed to work on my projects and develop my skill set as a producer, which I then realised I also love. I was able to give new actors a platform that I never really seemed to be able to get."
Through every setback, the Salus persist and are committed to growth. Aside from Cupid's number, one thing to take from their story is this: resilience wins.

Moving their talents to the global stage

Gbenga and Tope's decision to leave Nigeria for Canada was driven by their ambition to grow their craft in a more supportive environment. The economic conditions in Nigeria played a significant role in their decision, alongside their desire to make a global impact.

"You need to consider all your economic conditions, personal ambitions, and many things," Tope shared. "After evaluating everything, we realised the world is a global village. Our talents aren't limited to Nigeria; we can make an impact both at home and abroad.

Despite their strong convictions, the decision to immigrate wasn't easy. Leaving family, friends, and an established career came with emotional and practical challenges.

Beyond missing loved ones, they were uncertain: "Am I going to leave what we've been building all along in Nigeria?" "Will this new place allow us to establish ourselves?" As Gbenga puts it, "We just didn't want to feel like we're starting from scratch."

Ultimately, they channelled these concerns into motivation. "I mean, it's the same human being. The same creativity you express back home can apply here as well. Cameras are everywhere. Lights do the same thing." Gbenga noted. This mindset fueled their determination to carve a space for themselves in Canada's creative industry.

"It has stretched us in terms of growth, but it has also made us know that anything is possible. It's also had a major positive impact on our businesses because here, there's a lot of support for businesses," Gbenga explained. "There are grants and resources available. It's up to us to take advantage of those things. And we're soaking up as much as we can."

The move has validated the couple's skills and broadened their creative possibilities. The warm reception of their Christmas film by the Kingston community last December proves their excellence resonates beyond borders.

Life In Canada

The Salus are living proof that "Teamwork makes the dream work." They effortlessly balance a 9-5 job, growing a business, parenting, and pursuing multiple creative projects.

When asked how they manage it all, Tope shared, "We've built a structure and a schedule around the kids, how we get them ready for school, and what we do, and we're both actively involved. We also understand our responsibilities to our employers and are people of excellence and integrity.

Their creative ambitions take centre stage in their 5-to-9—or, in their case, 5-to-2 a.m.—and weekends. They've crafted a system that works and fully leans into it.

Gbenga added on the power of teamwork, "The only thing that overlaps with the two of us is that we are creatives and can come up with stories individually and collectively. But Tope is the enforcer in terms of making things happen. That's her job as the producer. I'm the director and the editor, and we do the creative stuff together."

It's no wonder that, within just over two years of relocating to Canada, they successfully established their production house, Creatopia Studios, and produced A Christmas Story in Kingston.

A Christmas Story In Kingston

The film, released in December 2024, features Kingston's mayor, Bryan Paterson. It is a heartwarming Christmas tale about a young girl who, disillusioned by her home struggles, loses faith in the magic of Christmas. Without giving too much away, the story beautifully unfolds as she rediscovers joy and hope with the help of family, friends, the people of Kingston, and a mysterious stranger.

You can watch for yourself here.

It's a must-watch for the touching storyline and stunning showcase of Kingston's community, including its beloved Santa parade. You can watch it for yourself here.

The film's inspiration came from Kingston's popular Nighttime Santa Parade, a cherished winter tradition. "It was such a great experience for us. I always said the seed for the Christmas story was planted then. Last October, the thought came again, and then we thought we should do it: Make a film about Christmas in Kingston and feature the Santa parade in the film," Gbenga shared.

With that spark, the story was crafted around the parade, offering the people of Kingston a new and unforgettable way to experience their beloved holiday tradition.

The film truly captures the essence of Kingston. Above showcasing its biggest seasonal event, it features a racially diverse cast and even the city's Mayor. Interestingly, getting Mayor Paterson on board wasn't as complicated as one might think. Gbenga recalled, "I was fortunate enough to be present at an event where the mayor was. I spoke to him directly and showed him a picture design of what we've done already, and he said it sounded like a good idea and something he would like to be part of. He said to send mail to his office, and we would take it from there, and that's what we did."

Another remarkable aspect of the production is that it was shot with a volunteer crew over three weekends.

At its core, A Christmas Story in Kingston is about love, joy, and community. It reminds us that small acts of kindness and selflessness can restore happiness to us and those around us. And with this film, they did exactly that

What The Future Holds For The Salu's

With Creatopia Studios firmly established, the goal is to pursue even more creative projects, bringing diverse stories of people and cultures to life. As they say, "The world is our oyster."

Currently, Creatopia Studios produces films, animations, advertisements, and animations, but its peak is collaborating with Hollywood studios to create exceptional works. You can learn all about their fantastic job on their YouTube Channel.

Nuggets of Wisdom

Toward the end of the interview, Gbenga and Tope generously shared some advice for people in the film or creative industry who are considering immigrating to a different country.

• Count the Cost: Your journey is unique. What worked for someone else may not work for you, so weigh your options carefully before making big moves.
• Check Your Expectations: Moving abroad won't magically transform you from a lizard to a crocodile. Success isn't automatic; it takes humility, hard work, and a willingness to start from scratch.
• Get a Survival Plan: Bills don't pay themselves. Be practical and consider getting a full-time job to support yourself while you build your filmmaking dreams.
• Pray & Stay Anchored: Stay grounded in faith, whether it's God or whatever you believe in. The journey will have its ups and downs, and you'll need something to hold on to.
• Showcase Your Work: Social media is your best friend. Don't just post finished projects; share behind-the-scenes content so people appreciate your process.
• Forget Perfection; Focus on Progress: If you wait for perfection, you'll never get anything done. Keep creating, keep putting your work out there, and opportunities will find you.
• Be Bold, Be Seen: The loudest person in the room isn't always the best, but they get noticed. Don't be afraid to step out, network, and put yourself in spaces where opportunities happen.
• Take Risks and Follow Through: Approach people, pitch your ideas, and see things through. Half-done projects don't make history; finished ones do.
• Explore All Your Talents: One skill may take the spotlight now, but don't ignore the others. You never know which one will open doors for you.
• Lastly, Keep Your Sense of Humor. It will help you through the tough times—trust us, there will be plenty of those!

Gbenga and Tope's journey is far from over. Among many lessons, they have taught us that success isn't about where you start; it's about how far you are willing to go.

As they look to the future, one thing is clear: the world has yet to see the best of the Salus.