Time For a New Business Model for Nigerian Movies

JAP would be hosting series of Guest Blogging on issues relating to the entertainment industry, how to acquire and improve on skills, how to become better, how to move the industry forward. e.t.c. Today am honoured to have a very challenging and interesting article written by JOVI BABS a young Nigerian Actor, Writer, Producer and Entrepreneur, on suggestions of how to create a new business model for Nigerian Movies, i believe you would learn one or two things from it. 
Jovi Babs has written and co-witten several TV Series and Movies including: Araromire the Figurine, The Score, Married but Living  Single, Unforgivable, Needles Eye (season 6), Tweeters, D8 (season 5), Excalibur, Easy Access, Number One, e.t.c. He wrote 'Mind Terror' a short film. As an actor he has featured in productions like; Tears for Tomorrow, Tinsel, Major's Coffee Shop, Bella's Place, Private Sector, Clinic Matters, Binding Duty, Black Town, Temptation, Bishop's Cabinet, Mighty Power of God, Miss Fashion International, just to mention but a few...

Jovi Babs

                    

Time For a New Business Model for Nigerian Movies

have noticed in the movie business that many practitioners would rather have someone handle the sales of their film or TV series rather than take an active part in it most especially those who went to film school and croon about division of labor.

That would work in a developed economy but one can see from the difficulties of recouping sales for your movies and TV series projects that it is challenging in Nigeria. This is the major reason many people are abandoning movie making and going to TV series but you still have the advert execs to deal with and here in Nigeria its a buyers (advertisers)market.

Nollywood became a phenomenon because it didn't go the hollywood route that the whole world was pining after. But more than two decades later it seems that model has a lot of cracks. If one can't make money from his passion it's no use continuing and that is a challenge we all have to deal with rather than being short sighted and having award ceremonies all over the place. Marketers are offering silly amounts for producers sweat and blood which is making many to reduce their budgets to crazy levels and squeeze everybody. 

Location viewing (taking films individually and showing them at one location at a time) is something many film makers are doing but its tedious and time consuming. It's high time someone put on his thinking cap and start a business that does that since the cinema chains are only interested in promoting Hollywood fare at N1500 a pop. (Don't blame them. I find it hard to shell out money for Nigerian films most of which are crappy.) It's high time we have cinemas that cater for the nollywood fans out there. This would enable film producers get their investment back and make the industry sustainable.

Right now the main alaba marketers are pulling out of the business leaving it to their former trainees to take over. We as film makers should come together and find a way to promote our films to the public because there is a market for well made films. Whether it be through cinemas or through VOD (video on demand) like Iroko TV we have to find a way to get our films at an affordable price to the public. Instead of sitting on our asses and calling on the government to help (yawn) we gotta come up with vehicles that will deliver our films to the public. 

VOD seems like a good idea though the internet speeds and costs is a challenge. Yes you might moan about slow internet speeds but its getting better by the day (main one and glo have been reducing their wholesale rates for corporate bodies) so this is the time to explore putting our films on this platform as we have more than 40 million Nigerians who browse the net through their phones. Dobox is doing something but at N500 for 3 days rentage I think its too expensive for the Nigerian market. Well guys I am working on somethng similar to that but the data issue is a challenge.

If you are in the industry and feel this is non of your concern then I have to tell you that you are a fool and hope you have an alternative source of income. But if you are passionate about movies and have any thing to contribute on this lets talk. Leave a comment below okay?

Written by Jovi Babs, actor, writer. producer, entrepreneur and an eternal optimist who hopes for a 180 degree change in the industry that butters his bread. 

You can read more about him and more of his really intriguing and interesting articles about the movie industry on his web: http://www.jovibabs.com

Facebook via: https://www.facebook.com/giovanni.durojaiye

Send him a mail on: jovikool@yahoo.com