Making Movies For An International Audience?

Is it realistic for Nigerians to make movies for the rest of the world, not just Nigeria or Africa?

- How do you distribute your movie internationally without world distributors? www.createspace.com

- How do you deal with the strange Nigerian English accent?  Subtitles?  Speech training for actors?

- How do you create a storyline that travels well?  Make action and horror movies, which travel well?

so . . . no discussion of this topic or what?

sad ain't it?

i think a lot of it has to do with the fact that a lot of Nigerians really don't understand the international market at all.

one of the reasons i cringe when Nigerians use the term "Hollywood movies" to describe films from outside of Africa (or Asia) is because it shows how deep this misunderstanding is.

first of all, ALL American films are not "Hollywood" films. and there is not just one market for movies in the United States. some Nollywood filmmakers i've talked to have said "Look, we're never going to penetrate the American market to compete with Hollywood films, so why bother?"

well . . . yes, it's true that Nollywood films will most likely never compete directly with "Hollywood" blockbusters like Lord of the Rings or the latest Will Smith vehicle. but that's not the only tier of distribution in the US, nor is it the only audience.

over here, we have theaters that show only indie films and they have a dedicated audience that supports them. we have theaters that show foreign films and they have their own audience. there's the art house circuit, patronized by people who wouldn't watch a Tom Cruise movie if you paid them to.

beyond that, you have direct-to-DVD distribution, you have cable TV . . . and so far, i have only talked about the US  and not even Europe and South America, which are full of markets to be exploited.

but when Nigerians hear "international distribution" they automatically think it means "Hollywood" . . . that's silly.

if you could get a Nigerian movie onto some art house screens, the amount of money it will make will be small, compared to the gross of, say, the last James Bond movie. but it will still probably bring in more money than it did in Nigeria.

exactly.

you have to do something to get the interest bubbling . . .  to let people know that something really IS happening in Nigeria, movie-wise.

yes, there HAS been a lot of interest in Nollywood, but honestly . . . i don't think people really take it seriously per se. i think abroad, a lot of people are interested in Nollywood the way you'd be interested when you see a dog walking on two legs: it doesn't do it very well, but you'll just surprised to see it doing so at all.

Nigerian moviemakers need to try to make a movie that can minimally stand on the same level as any other "international" film--and no, i am not talking about big budget and special effects. i am talking about basic, proper lighting and picture composition and good sound. i've not seen ONE Nollywood movie that has those two things.

sorry to say, but i really don't see it happening in the near future . . . not from the Nollywood establishment, anyway.

i said "not the from Nollywood establishment," didn't i?

do you see the Nollywood establishment turning their focus to "competent and original storytelling" in the immediate future.

if it's going to happen, it will most likely have to happen from OUTSIDE of Nollywood.

(notice that i draw a clear distinction between "Nigerian filmmakers" and "Nollywood."

between that Amazing Grace link you posted doesn't work.

EDIT: don't worry: i found the article now.