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Very little can win the hearts and minds of many like filmmaking in West Africa.
What distinguishes this film industry from those of other African countries is that the stories are deeply rooted in everyday life. That is why industries such as Nollywood Nigeria and the Ghanaian equivalent have managed to be the favorites of fans from Rwanda to South Africa.
The film industry of West Africa, like many others, has not flourished. For renowned filmmakers and film industry leaders like the Nigerian Femi Odugbemi, his journey into the cinema has been through photography.
"[Where I] grew up, I lived near a photographer.He was the one that all the kids were going to watch when he was taking pictures because we had never really seen Maybe that was my beginning, "says Odugbemi. "I remember very clearly the joy I felt while watching him tell stories with his camera.And I loved the idea that he was shaping the way people like it." I have been talking for a long time – 1967, 1968. "
Cinemas showing Indian and Chinese films were abundant in the 1960s in Lagos, and Odugbemi savored, unearthing his love for narration and leading him into the movie theater. He has since become one of the most prolific professionals in the film and television industry in Nigeria and West Africa. The legacy that he continues to shape is deliberately steep for those who will come after him, and his intentions are to make sure that Nollywood's content and narration are rooted in the craft and craft industry. l & # 39; authenticity.
up to 50 films a week and up to 1,200 films a year. Hollywood and Bollywood, by extension, can produce up to 800 and 1600 movies respectively. Hollywood tops the list in terms of the size of the global industry, followed by Bollywood and Nollywood in third place
Nollywood's average production budget is unparalleled to that of Hollywood: an average Nollywood budget can however, reach $ 15,000. as opposed to the average Hollywood film production budget of $ 47.7 million. The average Bollywood is 1.5 million naira
Despite the small budget, Nollywood is part of almost every household on the continent. More recently, the stunning 2016 film "The Wedding Party", directed by Kemi Adetiba, an extraordinary videographer, television and film, has become the most profitable Nollywood film of all time. According to Quartz, he reportedly brought in just over 300 million naira (about $ 800,000) in Nigeria alone. The 2017 sequel to the film grossed more than 70 million naira (about $ 200,000) during its first weekend.
In dollars, these figures can be compared to Hollywood and Bollywood, but certainly not to Nigeria. "The Wedding Party" has not only proven that Nollywood can go to the big screen in Nigeria and compete with Hollywood base films, but also set the bar for a new genre of Nollywood, where simple and authentic storytelling and production High quality are the key ingredients for making a movie that can fill local and continental cinema seats.
High-quality films such as "The Wedding Party" are however not as prevalent as they should be, which indicates that the level of technical skills of many Nigerian filmmakers are still in progression.
"Nigerian cinema, 10 to 15 years ago, was difficult, it's better in the lighting, the audio even in the design of the production. Odugbemi explains: "Competence and efficiency are good, [but] excellence is really ideal, and to be excellent in a consistent form. It is the goal of any winning industry.
High-quality film production and filming continued throughout Odugbemi's career, especially in the best shows such as the Nigerian soap Tinsel, the hugely successful Gidi Blues film-making film. recent pushing borders such as "The Eve".
"Tinsel" which aired in 2008, was the first daily soap opera on the M-Net network in Nigeria at the time. His latest soap opera Africa Magic, "Battleground", demonstrates the constant desire to offer high quality content on screen and behind the camera.
Alongside his legacy as one of Nollywood's most prominent personalities, Consistency has recently earned him becoming a member of the Academy of Arts and Film Science in the United States [19659015]. His last role as director of the West African Academy of Multichoice Talent Factory also means that Odugbemi's talent Decades of work at Nollywood will be pbaded on to the next generation of Nigerian filmmakers, many of whom need from a solid background in cinema.
"Training is an important step for our industry, it must become a fundamental pillar [for] of our industry," says Odugbemi. "Any industry that thrives, be it architecture or science, is the pillar of his professional training [We need] to pbad on this training to the next generation in order to constantly improve the result. "
Training as a Key to Authenticity [19659002] For young Ghanaian filmmaker Togbe Gavua, his training became a double-edged sword in his first attempts behind the camera. After completing film studies in Vancouver, Gavua returned to Ghana in 2014 with an itch to use his filmmaking knowledge. He learned the Hollywood way, but what was waiting for him was different.
"I was privileged [to have been] trained in North America, in the Hollywood system. At first, I was very spoiled in the sense that some roles and some [45] in the film that I expected to exist did not exist here, "Gavua says. "It was up to me to go up and fill those positions."
Gavua must do what most filmmakers did: retrofit his Hollywood knowledge with Ghanaian storytelling and cinematic style to make a balanced film. Like Nollywood, Ghana's film industry is thriving thanks to a solid foundation. In the 1990s, however, the Ghanaian film market had to face that of Nigeria, while Nollywood films flooded the Ghanaian market. The size of Nollywood was already booming
Today, filmmakers like Gavua prove that while Nollywood remains a household name, a new wave of Ghanaian films and industrial creatives are working hard to create local films and television for Ghanaians and Ghanaians
Gavua's first short film, "Sophie", which he wrote and directed in 2015, proved it by winning a Silicon Valley Africa award in California, as well as a price in Ghana. He also gave Gavua the validation he needed to continue creating films in Ghana and for Ghanaians.
"It made me feel good that a project that I put my heart into was appreciated by the public [local]it did a lot better than I thought," he says. he "[Sophie] was one of those projects where I really wanted to get my hands on something outside the film school circuit. I just wanted to prove to myself that I could make a coherent movie. "
His upcoming film" Lucky "which is his first feature film, brimming with energy and wealth of Ghanaian daily life through the eyes of lucky college student. He should be coming out this year and was shot in 13 days.In spite of a stellar story and equally strong storyline, Gavua's biggest challenge was to continue to create high-quality films, notably thanks to "Sophie" and its success
A quality production invariably means more money, which young filmmakers often do not have in hand.To bring local investors into local cinema would be another obstacle, especially when local film industries like Kumawood are known for their small budgets and poor quality finished products. "In this part of the world, especially in West Africa, it's hard to let investors understand they can make their investment in a film profitable. Most movies do not really put as much money into the product, so it 's hard to convince investors to invest in the film to get higher quality, "says Gavua
. Lucky "has been successful in attracting investors, but Ghana is still grappling with a full formalization and structuring of its entire industry and distribution market. Despite the country's parliament adopting a bill to regulate locally produced films, the Film Development and Clbadification Bill also aims to promote a legal framework for the development, distribution, exhibition and exhibition of films. The most prestigious offices in the country clearly indicate that a more formal structure and supervision is needed throughout the Ghanaian film industry.
For the lucky ones like Gavua , who studied film and managed the deficits of the industry It will be difficult, but not impossible, because they can fall back on their training, patch the gaping holes and produce quality movies.
For the rest, whether as a professional by experience or seeking to learn from experts, formalized training could become a hindrance to their work in the future.
Cinema is a profession, after all, that must be studied to create authentic African stories. It's the most important talisman of Gavua as he continues his journey into the cinema.
"Cinema and cinema is a language all its own, it's a whole craft that needs to be studied and understood.I have the impression that it's where we miss Kumawood and the Ghanaian film industry in general – just understand the language of the cinema and tell our daily stories in that language, "he says.
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