Cultured Magazine's annual CULT100 issue spotlights 100 people shaping culture across five generations. For the 2025 issue, I worked production assistance on the shoot and interview feature for Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie — the Nigerian novelist behind Half of a Yellow Sun and Americanah — timed to the release of her new novel, Dream Count. Shot on location at Salon 94.
My Role
Managed on-set logistics to keep the shoot running to the day's schedule
Handled talent care for Adichie throughout the shoot — comfort, timing, communication between her and the production team
Coordinated catering and made sure the full crew and talent were fed on schedule, without disrupting the shoot flow
Supported the wider production team (hair, makeup, styling, tailoring) to keep the day moving smoothly
How I Handled It
Worked backward from the 7pm return deadline to set firm timing checkpoints for hair, makeup, styling, and the shoot itself, building in buffer for her four-hour drive home
Kept a close eye on the shoot's running time against that schedule, flagging early rather than after a delay had already compounded
Built rapport with Adichie early in the day so timing check-ins landed naturally rather than as interruptions or pressure
Timed catering around shoot breaks so meals never competed with the shoot for time
Stayed in close communication with the rest of the crew (hair, makeup, styling) to keep transitions between shoot setups tight and protect the deadline
The Challenge
Adichie traveled roughly four hours by car to reach the shoot, with a hard deadline to be back home by 7pm — meaning the entire day (travel, hair and makeup, styling, the shoot itself) had to run on a fixed, non-negotiable clock with no room for delay on either end. At the same time, she's a subject known publicly for being private and measured, meaning the day depended on a calm, low-friction set where she felt comfortable rather than managed.
The job was to hold both of those at once: protect a hard deadline down to the minute, while making sure nothing about the day felt rushed or transactional from her side of it.
The Result
The shoot wrapped on schedule, and Adichie made her drive home in time for her 7pm deadline. The feature ran in Cultured's 2025 CULT100 issue, alongside interview coverage of Dream Count.
We had no reshoots, everything was done in a timely manner.
