Building A Successful Career In Nollywood

Afimag.com –

Christopher Odiatu is a movie director, a producer, and a scriptwriter. He is based currently at Ogwashi Uku, Aniocha South Local Government Area, Delta State. Odiatu speaks with Journalists on Nollywood dynasty.

Can we meet with you, sir?

My name is Christopher Ikechukwu Odiatu. On the musical stage, I am known as Christopher Wealth or Chris MC as many of my artists will call me. I am a Pastor or Apostle by calling. I am married with children. I am a film director, producer, actor, a scriptwriter, a story-teller and a musician. That’s the little I can say about myself.

How many movies have you produced or directed?

I have done a lot of movies, talking about a production. Though, they are not movies that are out there or you can see in the market , because of personal challenges and issues that God has helped me to sort out and has delivered me from.

I have been in the industry for the past 21 years. But I must tell you that mysterious things have happened to me. Well, I did ‘Transition’ 2005 ‘My Righteousness’ in 2008, recently, I did ‘Show Me Love’, and so many others. These are the ones we have released but didn’t really break into the market.

What is your track record on music?

I have also done music, I have done songs, Sorry to say. I have done songs in the past; everything about my story is in God’s hand. I have done one called, ‘Delta State Obodo Oma’. My wife and I have a song which will be out between now and the end of this month (May).

Are there particular actors or actresses that you work with?

No, the industry is general. You create your stories to accommodate your immediate actors – those you are training. You also create a space for invited actors; the ones we called the ‘faces’, the ‘superstars’ because of market value.

What is your overview of the Nigeria Movie Industry?

Generally, Nigeria Movie Industry is growing tremendously, I must say so, because it is not what it use to be in the past, like 10 to 20 years ago, it is really growing and as of now, it’s the fastest growing film industry in the world. Though, I still think that it’s of quality not of quantity. But we must be sincere to ourselves.

Nigerians have started making good films that can stand with any other film in the world aside from the fact that we are not getting the kind of budgets or funding that we needed in the industry to make some outstanding films. But based on our stories, we cannot start producing fictions when there are factual stories to tell. From the little we can, we are doing well. That’s all I will say for now.

Whose responsibility is it to finance a movie production?

Film production is a business anybody can venture into. In other parts of the world, finance can be done by government, banks, well to do individuals that are interested in the movie industry. Suffice to say that a good government should initiate the idea of funding films.

For instance, in America, 40 percent of her GDP comes from entertainment. So they have the mortgage banks, they have places where filmmakers could go and get their funding. There are individuals who go into the business.

Just as you have the community banks and individuals who approach mortgage banks and get the money in large quantities and smaller quantities to film makers. Like we that are just coming up, assuming I had a project with a budget of N100 million and I approached a mortgage bank for a loan.

You will hear something like – “you need to have thirty per cent of the capital in your account”. Where will I get it from? Do I have N30million? But if there are smaller people in the street who have gotten this loan and can as well give it out with little interest. Well, to cut the long story short, government, banks and individuals do the sponsoring of film.

How could one build a successful career in Nigeria movie industry?

It is a lot of sacrifice. You create the time. You must have the financial power also because it is an entertainment industry. Of course, it is a glamorous industry so to say. It is an industry that everybody who comes into it must look good.

If you are coming from outside, you might think that it’s just a place to go; but when you get in, you see that there is a class in the industry. And for you to fit in you must be well to do. I am not saying that until you get rich. Your talent can announce you. But in the industry of today, talent is not enough. You need the financial power to package yourself.

You need to look good; you need to create time to come out for rehearsals, auditions. If already established, you still need to turn to where your mates are hanging out because that is where the connections, the ideas, and projects are cost and discussed.

Let me tell you, some films are not just pre-planned. It is where guys are hanging out that somebody brings out an idea. So if you are not there, how would you know? As people will always say that they will walk you out of the work.

As a young man or woman going into the film industry, you need good financing. You need to be financially stable and create time because it is time consuming. Then your talent must be up to date.

What do you mean by talent in film-making?

Well, it depends on the area one is going into in the film industry. When you talk about the industry, it is a large family. I think that is what you call the conglomerate – chain of company.

In the industry, we have the acting department, we have the production department, we have the directing department, we have the filming which is under production, we have costuming, we have the make-up, the props and sets, the script supervising which is generally known as the continuity.

We also have still photography and so on. In the general industry, everybody has a role to play. For whichever department you are going into in the industry, you should build your capacity.

For instance if you are handling the camera, you don’t need so much English carriage. But if you are going into acting, especially the English part of the movie industry, then you should be able to speak good English language – speaking and reading, most importantly.

The necessary steps required of an aspiring actor?

Number one is to know yourself that you can act. Start from somewhere. Maybe you have been acting in your church, school, or community. You are known in that area that you can act, everything in you tells you that you can act. The next step is to go and register with the Guild – the Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN). In any state you are in Nigeria, they are there.

Then, get a production house. A production house is a place where actors and actresses gather for rehearsals, auditions and all that. They have a coordinator, a director, or producer who takes them to camp for film production once in a while.

You can also join an academy where they teach acting because acting is a field of study – a lifestyle. It is not something you do part-time. For instance, in the Yoruba film industry even in Ibo, some of the actors started acting in the 1960s and they are still acting till date, So it is a lifestyle you need to grow with and study it.

Do you have any knowledge of the registration fee?

Though, I am not an executive of Actors Guild of Nigeria but at least, the little I know for now is that; it is not more than N25, 000. Though, I am an ex-officio and a member of the industry.

Can someone who wants to build a career in the industry register with you?

Yes! They can.

What’s your registration fee?

People can register with my production house because I train upcoming actors. I started doing that a long time ago. In 2005, I trained a lot of actors who have become stars now. You’ll register with me with the sum of N30, 000 only. It can go more than that depending on what you want.

What’s the name of your production house?

My production house is Precept Films Academy. Within Precept, I also have a production company. We have the testimony life ministry films. The one we have started now, we are collaborating with another ministry – New Evangelical Films and Theater Mission (NEFTIM). All these collaborations that I do will provide an opportunity for incoming actors to feature. Even now, we are working on a series.

How would you react to claims that the industry is not safe for young girls who are not willing to offer s*x for movie roles?

Story for the gods! You see, who spoil don spoil. When has offering of s*x become a do or die affair in movie industry? Is it not a choice?

The industry is safe for everybody. Let me tell you the truth. In the industry, I know some producers and directors who don’t ask anybody for anything. But you see these girls, so many of them come into the industry with this mindset of giving ‘everything’ to have their way.

It is generally known as seduction. It is everywhere. I am not saying that there are no directors who approach girls. If someone approaches you for such a thing; it is within your discretion to say yes or no.

It’s not my way but I am just telling you generally that this is what they say to spoil the people in the industry. If a director or producer approaches you to have s*x with you, it is an adult discussion between you and the person.

It is your choice to either oblige or decline. Don’t come to tell us that somebody rap.ed you. If you are rap;ed, go to the police, the appropriate office and report for the officials to take it up.

The rating of Nollywood

The rating depends on the perspective you are coming from. Like I have told you, in quantity, we are known as the second largest film industry in the world. In quality, we have not done enough, but we are trying.

Your advice to the public

Nollywood is a creative and lucrative industry. It is something that I will advise people to come into, especially the people looking for a job. There are a lot of job opportunities in the film industry. You can invest in the industry.

People watch movies everywhere you go. So, they all need more of our contents but funding is a constraint. I implore people to come into the industry. Come in as a financier, come as a practitioner, come in as in whichever way you like. Thank you.