A fellow asked me a very salient question yesterday. He enquired "What is the difference between theatre and film school graduate and those that learn it as a trade (apprenticeship) who are clearly dominating the film industry?"
To answer his important question, I made an analogy with "roadside mechanics" and those who studied mechanical repairs in higher institution. I liken the theatre apprentice and masters to the roadside mechanics who are always avialiable, cheap and can be the knight in a shining armour when your car breaks down unexpectedly. But the damages being done to your car are immeasurable largely due to lack of inept understanding and proper diagnosis of the car. The bandwagon of today's Nollywood practitioners does not understanding the core of film making and they and their audience are contented with their output just as the car owner is contented with the deathly fix given him by the roadside mechanic.
I then equate those who studied the art of film making with those who study the anatomy of car and its repairs in higher institutions. They are not common and are expensive to patronize, but they diagnose a car by scanning and proper interpretation of its problem and then proffer the necessary care. They may not come cheap, but they make sure your car is as healthy as brand new. The approach a film scholar will give to a production will be diligent and researchful.
But just as Nigeria is full of second hand vehicles which gave rise to second class repair shop so also is the love of Nigerians for quantity rather than quality. But with the rise of the economy, we are witnessing a change with the influx of brand new cars by folks who can afford to pay N40.000 for servicing. Film industry in Nigeria is undergoing a change people are now attending cinema but the number need improvement. But who would made a movie worth 30million and sell its DVD for 150. Talk about the love of our film audience for quantity.
Another area to frown at in our film industry is the lack me depth in our stories; due to the absence of trained scriptwriters and Nigerians inability to enjoy a film devoid of rituals, awful dressing, derogatory messages. Etc.
Despite these hanging problems, few film makers have choosen to stand out; notable among them is Kunle Afolayan.
He has shown us that a good film cannot be done without the input professionals and not theatre apprentice. Below is the breakdown of his crew for October 1:
KUNLE AFOLAYAN [Director], a graduate of Accounting and Directing at the New York Film Academy. His knowledge of the business world has helped him to plan his film budget and to solicit funds. Also his training in Directing has shown deeply in his work.
YINKA EDWARD [D.O.P], an award winning cinematographer and a product of National Film Institute Jos.
TUNDE BABALOLA [Script-Writer] a graduate of Dramatic Arts from UniIfe now Obafemi Awolowo University.
PAT NEBO [Prod Designer] a graduate of Architecture and Fine Arts both in Italian university.
KULANEN IKYO [Music] a graduate of Physics from University of Jos he specialised in acoustics and pychoacoustics with a special interest in morphology of sound.
LOLA MAJA [Make up] with over 16 years experience, this graduate of Fine Art is blazing a trail for other to follow. She majored in painting which is similar to make up according to her.
JASON R. MOFFAT [Colourist] with various international awards under his belt. This colour grading British guru is the owner of Jason Moffat coloring Institute in London.
One does not need a soothsayer to decode that until Nollywood begins to welcome theatre/film school graduates, the much needed change is still far from us.
(C) 2014 Coolflame