The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Filmmaking

  • When actors pay for movie roles….

    IT is usually the other way round but with the clamour for the glamour of the silver screens, this dynamism in business of filmmaking points to degradation in the creative sector, and as this may be peculiar to Nigeria, it is high time we cried foul before it gets endemic.

    Why? We cannot move one step forward and two steps backward and claim that our industry is growing.

    In a business that feeds the GDP of other nations, how can we evolve when a trend that erodes quality is the order of the day?

    When an employee credits the bank account of their supposed employer to get monthly pay slips that give the impression that they are employed, that’s asserting that bribery is not the same thing as corruption.

    An actor is an employee of the producer who in turn empowers the most senior employee; the film director to take the captain’s seat.

    If the saying that, he who pays the piper dictates the tune is anything to go by, then the organogram of the movie production line is disrupted.

    For example, how does a director chides an actor over their shortcomings on set? What does the contract even look like in the event that the actor is buying his space in the movie production? Tell me how such an actor won’t dictate to their supposed boss, either directly or indirectly.

    I figure that an actor who pays to get a role demands a lead role, depending on how much is in context. I figure also that an actor who chooses to buy his space is either not a professional in the business or not talented enough to get a role on merit. This is bound to tell on the outcome of the production, in a negative way too.

    I imagine that if the trend is not discouraged, and very soon too, we may begin to see productions in which the entire cast are self-employed, and invariably, co-owners of the film project. Can you imagine a battalion of charlatans interpreting roles in a movie? There is no gainsaying that not only will ethics be eroded, creative license which is already an ‘ass’, will be so glaringly insulted that play will amount to child’s play.

    I had written against communal form of filmmaking among some Yoruba filmmakers who, in this century, have chosen to carry on the model of the old theatre practice whereby actors reciprocate gestures by performing free of charge. This current trend of paying filmmakers for a role is even worse for business.

    How did we get here? There had been stories of sex for roles in Nollywood, and no doubt, some of the actresses we see today may have used such gratifications to get to limelight. Perhaps when the scene became more competitive with many willing to gratify the filmmaker in ‘kind’, cash became a more veritable offering, either in total or in addition to ‘kind’.

    Ever since cash became an option, it probably got the male wannabes thinking that this is fair ground for all.

    Notable comic actor and director, Charles Inojie, offered a perspective recently while criticising this trend. His thoughts on the issue were captured below:

    “In those days, people had more discipline in the industry. Discipline has been eroded in the movie industry. For example, in the past, when someone was called a director, it would be obvious that the person had earned the name, but these days anybody just assumes that role.

    “There are many people who do not really want a career; they just want to use Nollywood as a springboard for them to promote their other businesses. When there is no discipline and order, it trickles down the line. In those days, when an actor came on set, their first question would be: who is the director? If it was a name they couldn’t risk connecting their reputation with, they would leave the job.

    “I think people should be trained, I even hear they pay for roles these days; which should be the other way round. These things have affected the quality of movies in the industry. The solution to this problem is to strengthen the guild to function; they should be able to reprimand their members when they err. The guild should be empowered to organise training but the government also has a role to play in this,” Charles Inojie said.

    Whether we like it or not, the trend is a rot. It is not healthy for the business aspect of the show in the creative space.

    If the guilds and associations are getting livid due to internal politics, and cannot uphold ethics as they used to do, perhaps the time is now, more than ever, for the much proposed Motion Pictures Practitioners Council of Nigeria (MOPPICON) to step in.

  • Multichoice offers free course in filmmaking

    Multichoice is out with a laudable initiative, designed to give young filmmakers in Nigeria world class training, absolutely free-of-charge.

    Called Multichoice Talent Factory, the programme is expected to increase the numbers of trained filmmakers working in Nollywood, and impact on job creation through creative entrepreneurs who will in turn employ others.

    Launched on May 30, 2018, entry had since been opened to applicants in West Africa, with Nigeria as the center. They exercise is expected to produce 20 successful applicants from West Africa for the first year of the programme billed to commence in October.

    The initiative is being replicated in East and Southern Africa, making a total of 20, the number of young filmmakers to be trained in the first season.

    Multichoice is partnering the Pan Atlantic University for this project in the area of curriculum development.

    The Pan-African initiative for film and television industry, according to Multichoice, is aimed at igniting and growing Africa’s creative industries into vibrant, economic centers.

    “The African development story has long been defined by investment in the vast mineral wealth on the continent, leaving our creative industries to fend for themselves on the fringes of economic development for far too long. As a result, the film and television industries have not developed at the same rate as other industries on the continent, and not for a lack of talent, passion or imagination,” says John Ugbe, Managing Director, MultiChoice Nigeria. “We are abundantly blessed in these areas, however, the space given for this expression has at best been limited and at worst, been relegated to the fringes of the mainstream economy, leaving in its wake, unfulfilled dreams, unexplored talent and unwritten stories. As an African business, MultiChoice, together with our valued partners and stakeholders across the continent, have collaborated to make a positive socio-economic impact in the communities in which we live and work through the MultiChoice Talent Factory initiative.”

    Ugbe further stated that the MTF initiative will deliver three touchpoints that launch throughout the year – the MTF academies, Masterclasses and the MTF Portal. The first to launch is the MTF Academy, a 12-month educational programme aimed at furnishing 60 deserving, young, talented people who want to work and innovate in film and television production.

    He said the programme will take place at three regional MTF Academies based in Nigeria for West Africa, Kenya for East Africa and Zambia for Southern African countries and will be overseen by acclaimed local film and TV industry experts. “In West Africa, Mr. Femi Odugbemi, has been appointed as the Academy Director for the hub,” he revealed.

  • Multichoice offers free course in filmmaking

    Multichoice is out with a laudable initiative, designed to give young filmmakers in Nigeria world class training, absolutely free-of-charge.

    Called Multichoice Talent Factory, the programme is expected to increase the numbers of trained filmmakers working in Nollywood, and impact on job creation through creative entrepreneurs who will in turn employ others.

    Launched on May 30, 2018, entry had since been opened to applicants in West Africa, with Nigeria as the center. They exercise is expected to produce 20 successful applicants from West Africa for the first year of the programme billed to commence in October.

    The initiative is being replicated in East and Southern Africa, making a total of 20, the number of young filmmakers to be trained in the first season.

    Multichoice is partnering the Pan Atlantic University for this project in the area of curriculum development.

    The Pan-African initiative for film and television industry, according to Multichoice, is aimed at igniting and growing Africa’s creative industries into vibrant, economic centers.

    “The African development story has long been defined by investment in the vast mineral wealth on the continent, leaving our creative industries to fend for themselves on the fringes of economic development for far too long. As a result, the film and television industries have not developed at the same rate as other industries on the continent, and not for a lack of talent, passion or imagination,” says John Ugbe, Managing Director, MultiChoice Nigeria. “We are abundantly blessed in these areas, however, the space given for this expression has at best been limited and at worst, been relegated to the fringes of the mainstream economy, leaving in its wake, unfulfilled dreams, unexplored talent and unwritten stories. As an African business, MultiChoice, together with our valued partners and stakeholders across the continent, have collaborated to make a positive socio-economic impact in the communities in which we live and work through the MultiChoice Talent Factory initiative.”

    Ugbe further stated that the MTF initiative will deliver three touchpoints that launch throughout the year – the MTF academies, Masterclasses and the MTF Portal. The first to launch is the MTF Academy, a 12-month educational programme aimed at furnishing 60 deserving, young, talented people who want to work and innovate in film and television production.

    He said the programme will take place at three regional MTF Academies based in Nigeria for West Africa, Kenya for East Africa and Zambia for Southern African countries and will be overseen by acclaimed local film and TV industry experts. “In West Africa, Mr. Femi Odugbemi, has been appointed as the Academy Director for the hub,” he revealed.

  • Sahara Group, Zuriel train 90 girls in filmmaking

    Sahara Group, Zuriel train 90 girls in filmmaking

    The popular Grooming Film Entrepreneurs’ initiative of Sahara Group has found another ground to soar, by partnering Nigerian-American filmmaker, Zuriel Oduwole to train 90 young girls in the art of filmmaking.

    The project which seeks to promote economic empowerment through the arts has drawn the 90 beneficiaries from Nigeria, Ghana, and Cote d’ivoire.

    The Lagos edition kicked off on Monday at the Lagos State Skill Acquisition Center, Surulere, where the Principal of the school, Mrs. Yetunde Akin-Taylor expressed her excitement for the girls, who will be adding to the skills already acquired at the center, emphasising the need for the girl-child education.

    Tagged “Empowering the African Girl Child”, Sahara is set to rewrite researcher’s statistics, indicating that 15 million girls of primary school age – half of them in sub-Saharan Africa – will never enter a classroom, hence the collaboration with Oduwole, young film maker and advocate for girl child education and gender equality.

    The filmmaking session, running from January 8 – 17, 2018, is expected to give the beneficiaries a head start towards pursuing a career in the creative arts.

    Head, Corporate Communications for Sahara Group, Bethel Obioma says, the project is expected to drive the advocacy message for girls’ rights, highlight key issues affecting girls across the three African countries and equip 90 girls with the foundational skills required to become film makers. “Sahara Group is particularly passionate about the fact that the project would give traction to ongoing conversations and interventions geared towards the pursuit of Gender Equality and Quality Education, being Goals 4 and 5 of the Sustainable Development Goals,” he said.

    Oduwole is hopeful that the success of the project would encourage more corporations around the world to create partnerships with small groups to empower more girls.

    “I like the fact that Sahara Group sees some value in what I am doing with Girls’ Education across the world, and just like the African proverb, if you want to go fast, go alone, and if you want to go far, go together. I think I have gone very fast in the last 5 years, since I started my project at age 10. Sahara has shown they are serious about Girls Education, so it’s easy for me to create a partnership, so we can do more together, for Girls Education in Africa, and also around the world,” said Oduwole who, at the age of 12 had her self- produced movie screened in a commercial cinema.

    Manager, Sahara Foundation, Oluseyi Ojurongbe said the filmmaking workshop would run for two days in each of the three countries, adding that “the participants will be expected to execute a joint docu-film project featuring human angle stories of children across Africa – using their countries as case studies – to highlight challenges, opportunities and aspirations of the girl child in Nigeria, Ghana or Cote D’Ivoire.”

     

  • FILMMAKING IS LIKE A SPIRITUAL PRACTICE…–NOSA IGBINEDION

    FILMMAKING IS LIKE A SPIRITUAL PRACTICE…–NOSA IGBINEDION

    Nosa Igbinedion is a British-based filmmaker with roots in Edo State. Presently, he is teaming up with other partners to retell the African pantheons as super heroes. So far, he has come up with the Rise of the Orisa brand which has seen the production of two movies already, Oya which was screened at the Africa International Film Festival (AFRIFF) last November and Yemoja which was released recently. In this interview with JOE AGBRO JR, he speaks about his passion for spiritual films and other things. Excerpts

    HOW did conceptualising African pantheons into superheroes begin?

    The way it began was as a response to the direction my career was going as a filmmaker. So, when I started out filmmaking, I got into the industry in the UK by making a film that won quite some awards and got me talking to people in the industry. So after a while, I started to realise that there are certain kinds of films that people want to see – like the people who fund the films, they’re certain ways they want to see Africans portrayed in those films.

    So, what happened is that I started to feel creatively bankrupted. I started to feel I wasn’t producing the best kind of work I could produce because I was trying to fit in to what people wanted me to be. So, I sat down and said for my next film, what is it that I want to make? And the two things that I love is mythology and superheroes. So, I said, let me put the two together, let me use some of the stories that I would have heard when I was a young child, some of the stories that would relate to the people where I come from. And from there, the idea of doing stories within the pantheons of Orisa came up. And it was natural progression from there, just developing the ideas, comics to where we are now.

    How long ago was this?

    The idea first came up in my mind, I’ll say in 2012. I was on a scholarship in America for a very famous filmmaker called Tim Reid. So, he was teaching me and a bunch of other people. And he spoke about your art being propaganda. So, I said to myself, ‘what is my propaganda? What are my trying to say to the world?’ And I’ve been working on it ever since.

    ATR where some of your pantheons like Oya and Yemoja have come from is not popular in Nigeria and there is a huge influx of western superhero movies in the country. How has the reception been?

    Well, the reception has been fantastic. And for me personally, I’ve had movies shown across the world but this is my most popular and most successful project. And that’s because people have reached out and said they want to support this movie, they love this idea, they want to be a part of it. It’s been great to move it across the world. I’ve been to festivals in Brazil, in the US, in AFRIFF in Nigeria, in South Africa, in London, in Canada and Paris as well.

    So, I think people really love this. I think people want to see something new because here in the UK and Africa-America, a lot of the time, the movies that they see regarding to the African past, are movies relating to slavery which aren’t the only films that probably depicts the history of African people, be it in Nigeria, Africa or the Diaspora. I think people really want to see something unique and fresh and we have the tools to make that. So, for me, I’m just going to keep doing this.

    This is what I love. And at the end of the day, I want my daughter, my grand-children to look at what I did and say, ‘this changed something, in the media, in the society, in the world, somehow.’

    From your name, you seem to have Edo roots. Have you lived in Nigeria?

    I haven’t lived in Nigeria. I was born and raised in the UK. And I think that’s another reason why I wanted to focus on movies that dealt with African Traditional Religion and history because it’s a way of researching and reconnecting back to our heritage which when you grow up abroad, you can hear the stories from your parents but you don’t physically live it. And there are disconnections sometimes.

    So, yes, I’m a son of Edo of the Benin Empire. And I have been (in Nigeria) quite a few times but I haven’t lived there. So, as for me, I have family members there and lots of people who are seeing what I’m doing and telling me that physically, I need to make my movies out there. That’s something I plan to do. So, I plan to go to Nigeria and to make movies that are different and show a different perspective to the world. Because I live in the west and I live in London, I kind of see how the ‘world’ views Nigeria and how the ‘world’ views Africa in general. And my thing, is ‘how can I work to improve and make sure that that perception is really good?’

    How did you go about doing your research about the Orisas to be able to tell your story?

    Initially, I looked online at the different Pantheon. And then, I started following different groups and communities online. And I started connecting to people. And I realised that there were a lot of people that were very interested in this spirituality from all across the world because initially, I thought it was just Nigeria. But then, I started seeing people from Cuba, Brazil, US, and other places who really are passionate about it. I spoke to Ifa priests. I spoke to knowledgeable people who knew about the spirituality. Also, I had conversations with my elders in my family as well. We are Edo but there is a similar connection with Yoruba with the deities that we have. So, I got a lot of ideas on different stories that could be told.

    Was there any particular attraction for Oya?

    Yes, let me be clear, Rise of the Orisa for me is a brand. It’s a trans-media project across many movies which would focus on as many of the Pantheons as possible. And I think the reason why I gravitated to Oya initially was when I started to shoot the movie, I learnt that I was going to have a daughter. And for some reason, I could sense that her energy was very powerful.

    And if you meet her today, she’s two and a half years old, she’s a very powerful young lady. So Oya is the warrior spirit. I immediately gravitated towards that and I said, ‘this is the deity that is speaking to me represented.’ I think that was the reason.

    You’ve been involved in several projects like The Hydra, The Prayer, Decoration for the Soul, which all suggest a kind of spiritual awakening. Are those the things you love doing?

    Well, you know, this world isn’t just what we can see with our eyes. So, for me, film and filmmaking is my philosophy. And at the same time, ii think it’s almost like a spiritual practice in itself. So, I think that, for me, I like to explore these things that we can’t see, these spiritual realms, these spiritual entities.

    But it’s never been something that I’ve said to myself that I wanted to make spiritual movies. It’s just a thing which I gravitated to. It’s almost like the movies choose me to make them and then they come out. But it’s interesting you just said that because I’ve never actually looked back at those movies and said they all have that same theme but it’s very true.

    What religion do you practice?

    For me, I wouldn’t say I’m religious at all. I would say I appreciate a lot of different religions, a lot of different beliefs. The way I see it is that the universe is really massive and is really too big for any of our minds. So, I think that everybody has their own path to follow but I think for me, I’m still someone who likes to be in church and look at different things and see what fits for me. For instance, everything about Christianity, I may not agree with.

    But there may be some things which I say, ‘that’s really interesting.’ I may look at Buddhism and everything may not agree with me but there will be something to learn. It’s like my father used to say, ‘you can learn wisdom from a fool.’ So, I try to pick wise practices from all types of religions and incorporate it into my own life. I think it’s a section of different things from different places. To be honest, this is another reason why I think that Ifa is really interesting because it’s one of the only religious belief systems that is open to being mixed with other things. I remember when I went to Brazil, I saw people praying to the Virgin Mary and also at the same time praying to Yemoja. So, it’s a very open system. I think if we’re going to live in a world where everybody gets along, you need to have openness with the whole of humanity, different ideas and beliefs.

  • Agenda for growing filmmaking in Nigeria

    Agenda for growing filmmaking in Nigeria

    The  Plateau International Film Festival, which started six years ago in Jos, is fast becoming a major tourism event. Itsdirector, Mrs Debrah Jalmet-Ododo, speaks with Assistant Editor (Arts) OZOLUA UHAKHEME on the event.  

    Looking back, what are the challenges organising the annual film festival?

    Well, as usual every event and indeed each edition of the festival has its challenges. But then, these challenges have always opened new vistas for us to succeed. We have and are still dealing with issues of funding for the festival. We use this opportunity to thank our strategic partners and those who have supported us in several ways, too numerous to mention, for believing in what we have set out to achieve with this festival, which is in its sixth edition. We are very hopeful that in the coming years, film makers especially in and around Plateau State will beat their chest and there will possibly be no other film platform to promote creativity, employment and entertainment other than the Plateau International Film Festival (PIFF).

    Despite these challenges you kept faith with the festival, what is the staying power?.

    Yes, we have because film enthusiasts in and around Plateau State, Nigeria and the world over have keyed into what we are doing here. From the level of domestic and foreign participation in past editions, it is evidently clear that we have the endorsement and support of many. The level of foreign and domestic film entries have continued to grow with each edition of the festival. Our target is to develop principally young Nigerian youths who are either in the film making business or want to take to filmmaking as a career or profession. Consequently, we have leveraged on the existence of the National Film Institute (NFI), sited in Jos and hopefully we intend to access some of our participants to enroll at the NFI for further training in filmmaking. Above all, we are determined to sustain the film festival despite the daunting challenges, just as we  will count on the goodwill of our partners, hotel and hospitality providers, transportation companies and especially, the Plateau State Government and the Nigerian Film Corporation(NFC) in the hosting of this year’s, and future editions of the film festival.

    Specifically, what is the driving force or motivation that keeps you on?

    Participation has been the greatest force behind the successes of the festival. This includes film entries in the various categories of awards from domestic and foreign filmmakers, professional and upcoming. Apart from our determination, our team of resourceful management, resource persons and faculty, including diligent volunteers, have been instrumental to the sustenance of the festival.  We have, and are receiving commendations from around the world. These encourage us to forge ahead. Also, we are receiving notifications and advanced bookings for participation. And we are equally assessing and expanding the scope and content of the festival to meet modern day realities in contemporary film festival and markets. All of these and many more have made us to continue to drive the festival.

    What is the unique element of the festival that separates it from others?

    The uniqueness of the festival is hinged on the fact that we have targeted young and upcoming filmmakers, and we are succeeding. Above all, I think we have done more than even what we set to do in each of the festival editions. The participation levels of these categories of attendees have kept the festival going. And the support level is equally a factor. We shall continue to work on our strengths and develop strategies to deal with our challenges.

    Beyond entertainment, what socio-economic issues is the festival promoting?

    Beyond entertainment, our focus has been to empower attendees with the necessary skills and up-to-date information on filmmaking as a business venture. Consequently, we have always chosen themes in each edition  and aligned with the nation’s aspirations. In other words, we try to ensure that in all we do, the people and the nation Nigeria come first. For instance in 2011, the festival theme was ‘Art and Peace’, in recognition of film as a tool for peaceful co-existence. In 2013, it was ‘Building Relationship through Film’, in 2014 ‘Film, Tourism and Culture as a tool for education and entertainment and in 2015, ‘Film for the development of the society.

    What’s your dream for the festival?

    Our dream is to grow the festival into that which will make Jos, the Plateau State capital, the hub of filmmaking and entertainment. By this, the tourism potentials of the state will be enhanced. Employment will the generated and wealth created through the various trades associated with filmmaking, film festivals and market.

    When are you returning to the stage and screen as a specialist in cinematography?

    Even with the enormous task of mounting the festival each year, I am working on some productions and I intend to fully engage in active stage and screen appearance as well. In fact, preparation for the next edition of the festival begins from the closing ceremony of the out gone edition. Despite these, I do at times provide advisory roles and supervise some film projects, including the holding of technical sessions and briefs with international faculties on film matters.

    This year’s festival is around the corner what is the preparation level?

    Yeah, this year’s edition has since started. Call for entry has since opened, and as usual, filmmakers are responding. We are equally stepping up sponsorship; partnership and support drive to enable us achieve maximum success. We have also expanded the categories to now include, drama, animation, commercial/advertorial and music video. We obviously expect large turnout of participants. As usual, barring any circumstances we a hoping to live up to expectation and host a successful 2016 edition of PIFF.

  • Three ways to become a good filmmaker

    Three ways to become a good filmmaker

    Prolific filmmaker and one of the pillars of Nollywood, Madu Chikwendu in a chat with Justice Ilevbare, outlines three ways of becoming a successful filmmaker

    Ever wondering how you could be a good filmmaker?

    Here are three ways, According to Chikwendu, to becoming a good filmmaker

    1. The first element is talent – You are born with talent. Talents come in many varieties and you should know this. They may be inwardly directed or outwardly. They need not be profitable, useful, or conventional, but they will always be your own, a part of what makes you, you. Talents are usually second nature. So for you to be a good filmmaker, you have to discover your talent in this regards.

     

    1. The second element is skill – Skill is acquired and you must acquire the skill because it is the skill that will help you to use the talent. So for those desiring to be successful in filmmaking, you must get the needed skill. This usually comes through training. You need to develop skill in these areas; writing, visual storey telling, communication and technical expertise among others.

     

    1. The third element is passion – the creative industry is not about money making because people make the mistake that it is all about money – This is a paradox because it is about money really, but you don’t start with money in mind because of the nature of the industry.

     

    In the beginning you are practically worthless nobody knows you. So you actually need to persuade a producer to use you. So if you have in mind that it is all about money, you won’t get anywhere. Your talent has not been fine-tuned, it is still like a rough diamond that needs to be cut and polished.

     

    It is the passion that will drive you. It was this same passion that drove us when we started Nollywood. Some of us didn’t even have money to rent location buses. We may manage to get a bus that will drop us at a location, but when we get there we share the equipment. Some of us even carried equipment on our heads to the next location.

  • CHIKA IKE graduates from LA Film School

    CHIKA IKE graduates from LA Film School

    NOLLYWOOD star Chika Ike has joined the growing list of actors who have an interest in filmmaking.

    The actress recently returned to Nigeria after completing a course at the New York Film Academy, Los Angeles, where she majored in Filmmaking.

    According to her publicist, she took courses in Producing, Directing and Editing.

    The graduate of Human Kinetics and Health Education from the Lagos State University, Ojo has been described as one of the busiest actresses in Nollywood.

    Also an entrepreneur, the CEO of Fancy Nancy is not resting on her oars to keep herself in the limelight.

    Since her marriage crashed sometime last year, Chika has continued to receive a lot of media attention from her numerous trips and movie roles, especially in the eastern part of Nigeria.