@ joshjosh

I remember the "pot of life." Though it scared the heck out of me as a child, but those were the days our movies had meaning."The Burning Hut" on NTA  was really captivating. Then it was not about money, it was about content. We used to watch our Nigerian dramas with passion with the likes of "Checkmate", "Fortunes". Not to sidetrack the thread because we are talking about movies here but it appears we went from good to worse. I watched Diamond Ring (which was released in the 90's) recently and it was far better than year 2007 production. I really think we need a no nonsense critic's organization. Producers would no doubt step up their game.

You don't need a critic's organization. You can just start a Nollywood movie review magazine/column. That's all.

Seun:

You don't need a critic's organization. You can just start a Nollywood movie review magazine/column. That's all.

That's a good idea.

@ seun please help me here. are there magazines or periodicals dedicated to films review? i don't think people should just criticize for criticism sake. i don't mind people making money as you know it does bother me when i see the image of the country being tarnished in the name of entertainment.

@ stillwater - pot of life is great little piece of drama. simple but powerful. my uncle has one of the original NTA's video so it is still good to watch. i may have to get it copied to a DVD this year. i will try do that next time i go there

if you can run the site or anybody else wish to volunteer, i wont mind paying for the domain registration.

so guys give us names for the site

@ stillwater

You are not the type of consumer that the present crop of Nollywood producers have in mind as their target audience. There's no point wasting your time and energy demanding anything different from them. As long as their target audience continues buying their films as they are even with all the defects you guys have noted here, they really don't give a hoot about what you or anyone else here thinks. As long as they can make a decent return on their investment, they don't give a hoot about artistic quality. Its all about the benjamins for them.

So if you want better quality movies, you need to consider going into the movie business yourself.

@ blacklion, if shame no dey catch them, shame dey catch me because Nollywood represents Nigeria anywhere in the world and not only the specific group of people it attracts.

@ iranoladun

Yes, the quality needs to improve and the producers might actually make more money if they enhanced the quality. But the fact remains that the present set of dominant producers have neither the capacity nor the motivation to do so. We can preach all we like and insult the producers as much as we like but the fact is that the present crop of producers don't care a whit about what some anonymous people on nairaland think about them or their movies. Bottomline is as long as there are enough people willing to buy their movies as trashy as they are, the producers are A-OK. We need to move beyond constantly criticizing Nollywood producers from our comfort zones on the internet. That's my whole point.

Let'em producers make action movies dat actually av action in them not just slaps.
Action:slap!
Intrigue:slap!
Suspense:slap!
Emotion:slap!
thrill:slap!
Even romance:slap!
Den they tell u to grab ur copy. For wat? So i can watch people slap themselves all day? I dont think so.

Movies that will educate and enlighten the average Nigerian on the evils perpetrated by their leaders and it drastic consequences on their daily lives.
That will also reflect the role and position of the average Nigerian in keeping and maintaining this status quo. i.e.

•Alams was held and sentenced for corruption to the tune of Billions of Naira, after his release he was given a hero’s welcome by a section of the populace.
•Tafa Balogun, same story. Tafa is one of the Nigerians with the highest number of chieftancy titles in Nigeria. For Tafa to be granted bail, he needed sureties and guaranties in the order of 1st class traditional rulers (We are talking the Sijuades, Awujales, Bayeros and Obis) despite knowing the gravity of the crime committed by Tarfa, the so-called respectable? Eminent of the Nigerian society offered their support and stood by him.
•Ibori was arrested on suspicion of large scale corruption; some women went bare-breasted protesting for his release. And the list goes on.

If we can make movies that will not be too complicated to understand, that will spotlight the actions of a few elites and it’s grave consequences on the lives of millions of Nigerian both home and abroad. Like people should realise that the reason basic amenities of life like: drinkable water, electricity, basic healthcare facilities, functional education system, reasonable pliable roads etc. are lacking in Nigeria, is mostly attributed to the addictive corruption practice of their so-called leaders.
A lot of people do not realise the fact that they are purposely being kept stupid, movies can be entertaining, but could also be educative and enlightening.
I think a large section of the Nigerian society requires some sort of mass-enlightenment campaign. A very nice movie could be a good medium to realise this.

MAURI:

Movies that will educate and enlighten the average Nigerian on the evils perpetrated by their leaders and it drastic consequences on their daily lives.
That will also reflect the role and position of the average Nigerian in keeping and maintaining this status quo. i.e.

•Alams was held and sentenced for corruption to the tune of Billions of Naira, after his release he was given a hero’s welcome by a section of the populace.
•Tafa Balogun, same story. Tafa is one of the Nigerians with the highest number of chieftancy titles in Nigeria. For Tafa to be granted bail, he needed sureties and guaranties in the order of 1st class traditional rulers (We are talking the Sijuades, Awujales, Bayeros and Obis) despite knowing the gravity of the crime committed by Tarfa, the so-called respectable? Eminent of the Nigerian society offered their support and stood by him.
•Ibori was arrested on suspicion of large scale corruption; some women went bare-breasted protesting for his release. And the list goes on.

If we can make movies that will not be too complicated to understand, that will spotlight the actions of a few elites and it’s grave consequences on the lives of millions of Nigerian both home and abroad. Like people should realise that the reason basic amenities of life like: drinkable water, electricity, basic healthcare facilities, functional education system, reasonable pliable roads etc. are lacking in Nigeria, is mostly attributed to the addictive corruption practice of their so-called leaders.
A lot of people do not realise the fact that they are purposely being kept stupid, movies can be entertaining, but could also be educative and enlightening.
I think a large section of the Nigerian society requires some sort of mass-enlightenment campaign. A very nice movie could be a good medium to realise this.

I agree. Good post.

Chinua Achebe, Cyprian Ekwensi, Amos Tutuola all wrote fantastic novels . . . one of them can be made into a classic movie that would be 1000x better than the crap we have had to put up with over the yrs.

Imagine a well made version of Cyprian Ekwensi's Burning Grass . . .

What is Burning Grass? Never heard of it. However, I think your point about adaptations is a popular one.

It's useful to know that a lot of people are interested in such a movie, though, if one can acquire the rights.

combrazor:

producing adaptations of novels is a much more complicated matter than most people think.

acquiring the rights to original work is a legal/financial/creative hassle that most producers probably don't want to contend with, and adapting a novel to a feature film is very messy anyway. if anything, you're probably better off adapting a short story.

For a movie producer interested in quality rather than cash that is not a problem at all. Getting the rights to the novel is not as difficult as you make it sound, all you need is a good scriptwriter to adapt the novel to a screenplay.

What made soaps popular today in Nigeria was the adaptation of the popular Things fall apart

davidylan:

[b]For a movie producer interested in quality rather than cash that is not a problem at all. [/b]Getting the rights to the novel is not as difficult as you make it sound, all you need is a good scriptwriter to adapt the novel to a screenplay.

I agree.

Let's not go off topic. This thread is not about how to make good Nollywood movies; it's about wht people want. The issue of how to get what people want and what it costs can be discussed in the movie business section. Thanks guys!

@seun
u have to consider also that the professionals that would give us what we want must face cost problems, they are kinda related

but if u want to neglect the cost part and simply discuss about improvement ideas, its all good
i suggest there should be more diverse storylines, films about culture and history as mentioned above are nice ideas too,

Lets just stare.

Well, since all nigerian home videos are the same i tink we should try somtin new. like Adult Movies, I will tell the nigerian producers to start making adult films

Does any body know where i can get Diamond ring and hostages from. I dont mind buying 2nd hand as long as it works. Im in london

movie like super man, there should be action like in hollywood movies WHEN i SAY ACTION I mean really action

this is an interesting topic really nigeria movie industry have a long way to go and most story line of nigeria movie are the same.
Although i appreaciate nollywood actor and actress but their is more to do rather than producing 100 film a day.
Am not so much into watching nigeria movie but the little i watch are horible.
to me if am going to advice nigeria producer they need to be creative and also they should learn not to rush into producing a movie without a good writer.
A good actor/actress should be selective in acting not just feacturing in any how film. JMO

HOW ABOUT A MOVIE ABOUT THE UNIFICATION OF ALL THE WEST AFRICAN 'ECOWAS' NATIONS INTO THE WORLD'S FIRST BLACK SUPERPOWER SINCE THE BLACK MOORS (WHO RULED FROM NIGERIA TO SPAIN.

Let's start with the movie.

1. The worlds large nations like India, China, The North American Union (coming sooner than we think, from Central America to Canada -- a single nation of about 500,000,000 people), Europe begin to form 'polar' superpowers.
African nations are targeted for exploitation.

2. Large super-powers create divisions among Africans (as in Kenya, ect, ) in order to keep Africans weak and divided.

3. A great African CONSCIOUSNESS (before a leader emerges) overtakes the African maind. Finally, we begin to feel thretened. A SYSTEM OF LEADERS EMERGE, THEY PROPOSE THE REVIVAL OF THE ANCIENT NOK-WAGADU, GHANA, MALI, SONGHAI EMPIRES, AND 'FOREST KINGDOMS' ALL IN ONE.

4. The "UNITED STATES AND KINGDOMS OF AFRICA" is created.

5. All Nigerians, Ghanians, and other West Africans living miserable lives of racism and oppression in places like Europe, return to rebuild the new African super-power.

6. Diaspora Africans with skills and talent (from the US, Britain, Latin America, Caribbean -- WHO ARE PRESENTLY ALL OVER AFRICA AS TEACHERS, DOCTORS, ENGINEERS, AGRICULTURISTS) organize to help rebuild Africa.

7. Tens of thousands of former workers for America's great industries (now moved overseas) move to West Africa to help with the industrialization process by applying their skills. The help build a strong industrial base in Africa.

8. Africa's towns, villages and cities are rebuilt using African architecture and MODERNIZED VERSIONS OF AFRICAN STYLE HOUSES.

9. Africa's money now in foreign banks are returned home for African development.

10. The 'UNITED STATES AND KINGDOMS' OF AFRICA ESTABLISHES AN AFRICANIST/PAN-AFRICANIST IDEOLOGY.

11. The union rebuilds infrastructure throughout West Africa.

12. The educational, cultural, manufacturing and information sectors are greatly improved.

13. The Union encourages POPULATION EXPANSION because they realize that the SLAVE TRADE DISTROYED THE POPULATION OF THE REGIOIN FROM SENEGAL TO ANGOLA -- AND AFRICA'S POTENTIAL POPULATION SHOULD HAVE BEEN ABOUT 4 BILLION PEOPLE TODAY, were it not for the 50,000,000 to 100,000,000 who were captured, perished during the Atlantic crossing or sent to the Americas.

14. The United States and Kingdoms of Africa takes every step to build A STRONG EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM AND A STRONG SYSTEM OF RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT FOR THE INVENTION AND CREATION OF NEW PRODUCTS.

15. Every effort is made to develop a strong health system for the people's 1,500,000,000 (one billion, five hundred million people) who live on the continent as well as in the Americas.

This would make a great movie -- FORTUNATELY, this idea is in the minds of many people in Africa and the Diaspora. Many of us are not wasting our time wasting energy but are working for the day when Africa will stand at the top of the world as a continent of united regions ( UNITES STATES AND KINGDOMS OF WEST AFRICA, EAST/CENTRAL AFRICAN FEDERATION, SOUTHERN AFRICAN UNION OF STATES, AND OTHERS)

In order for Africa not to be 'partitioned' and colonized again by today's new 'parasite' colonialists, Africa and Africans globally must unite on working to create larger, stronger, more populous, economically and militarily powerful states on the African continent.

NOW THAT WOULD BE A GREAT MOVIE -- ADD THAT TO MAKING MOVIES ABOUT THE NOK-WAGADU KINGDOM, the Ghana Empire, Songhai, Mali and others. Movies about the journey of Meci to the Americas about 3113 B.C. (a sacred day to the Mandinga Indians of Mexico and to Blacks in the AMERICAS, BECAUSE THAT IS THE DAY THAT Meci sailed from West Africa in 12 ships and settled in Mexico, where he built a pyramid and religios site).

What about movies about the Cush and Khemites -- the very ancient ancestors of most Nigerians who established the world's first civilizations in the Sahara and in Cush and Egypt?

After all, anyone who has been looking at movies from Asia will notice that REVIVING THE MEMORY OF ASIAN CULTURE THROUGH MOVIES IS OCCURRING AND HAS BEEN FOR MANY DECADES.

One can watch Bo Dae Jong (Korean War series ) about the Korean struggle during the 800's AD, the very time that Nubia-Cush had defeated the people who came in from across the Red Sea and tried to impose their culture and slavery on Sudanese, (these invaders were able to start slavery in Africa despite their defeat by Emperor Kalydosos of Nubia).

HOW ABOUT MOVIES ABOUT THE BENIN CIVILIZATION AND SYSTEM OF KINGSHIP, THE TAKING OF BENINS GREAT AND MAGNIFICENT BRONZE WORKS, OR THE MAGNIFICENT CIVILIZATION OF BENIN AND THE BUILDING OF THE 'BENIN IYA' (BENIN WALL) OVER 2000 YEARS AGO?

sorry there was an error scroll down for my comments

Excellent commentary !

I don't think the genre of a movie really matters, if it did how will you explain a grown man watching cartoons, lol.
Generally people will always have their preferences to movies, for example I'm a die hard "who dunnit"type of thriller fan so naturally every one on this thread will give a type of movie they would like to see, be it epic, romance, horror, adventure,

I don't think Nollywood has a money problem, infact i  believe big budget movies shouldn't be done in Nigeria for a while, Surprisedwell i just do not believe  the audience is ready, film watching is like dating, there's a period of the chase and the period of the shakara, before romance begins. I think nollywood got tired of the chase in the days of the first few films that were made, when we the expecting audience eyed nollywood from afar wondering and chattering about it,  now the norm in nollywood is to do really bad movies and shove it down our throats.
, it's going to take a lot of wooing and chasing and flirting to get them back,  and the best way to do that is with
good medium and small budget movies that will gradually make the audience have faith in nollywood.


Storylines aren't  the problem either, honestly most amercian movies are kind of cliche if you ask me.
Theres the typical boy meets girl kind of story, the lets save the world from mass destruction kind of story, the conspiracy kind of of story where its the last person you expect that's the killer, honestly i can't remember the last foreign movie i watched and didn't know what was going to happen in the end, the key thing in movies is not what you tell but how you tell it,  it doesn't matter if people can predict the story just take them through an unforgettable journey till they reach the end.


There are two major senses at work when you're watching a movie, your eyes and your ears. The audience takes in everything, the things they see and what they hear. If you want people to connect to your movie then you have to connect to their eyes and their ears by feeding them with the right kind of things that will make your characters believable.

The truth is people do not really identify with the characters in the Nigerian movies, Directors, writers, the whole nollywood making lot do not pay attention to details,

in movies everything matters, from the colour of the rug to the books on the shelves, in a movie nothing is meant to be there by accident, everything on the screen builds the character,  too much detail can kill your character by making them fake, (this is now being splashed across most Nigerian sitcoms and soaps, where everything is over done, )

There is no such thing as a villain in a movie, villains belong in fairytales,
people have their reasons for being bad and a good movie will show it, we never fall in love with the bad guys in Nigerian movies because they are unreal, they just do not exist, but i have a thing for Lex luther even though he is the cause of mayham in smallville, Bad guys can be sexy and good girls can be irritating, a good movie will show that.
I want to be able to choose who i like in a movie, not be told who to like, this is the bad guy, this is the good girl, with movies my eyes and ears should tell me what to choose, there are no rules,

And that takes me down to words, where the Nigerian problem originates from, words aka dialouge, since words build the characters, then the wrong words will lead to badly portrayed characters, badly portrayed characters will lead to bad acting, and bad acting = bad movie,

I think screen writing is probably the hardest type of writing, with prose it's easy to tell your reader what a character is feeling with movies you only have words and very few words at that.
A screenwriter has to be able to write with his eyes and his ears, he should be able to transform the thoughts and feelings of the character into words, words that will make me believe this person is real and not an actress. The right words remove the actress from the actress and instead i see the character in the actress, suddenly I'm not watching Omotola or RMD, but I'm watching this character who has a story to tell,

I'm still yet to watch one movie with this very simple but always absent qualities, in an attempt to achieve greatness in Nollywood we forget the important little details,  I don't need to see one million cars to know a man is rich, little things like his watch, his dress sense, even the book he is reading can tell me who he is,

Some directors have come close, like Tunde kelani for example, even Amaka Igwe isn't bad at all,
excuse my harshness but i am a natural critic, it would have been my alternate career choice if such existed,

Nollywood has promise has good story's, but the emphasis shouldn't be on big budgets of twisted stroy lines but should be on the foundation, remember , the eyes and the ears!!!

Cheers

Excellent Commentary Robie Lex !

Ima Ero:

Excellent Commentary Robie Lex !

Thanks