Five reasons you should join Nollywood

1. Job satisfaction. Nollywood movies are usually interesting and contain certain morals. Even movies that are produced just to create laughs and fun also contain moral lessons the producers want to teach. Sometimes the message is obscure or ill delivered but the fact remains that most film makers are in it for the love of the art. Working in an environment where there is so much passion for excellence can give you a huge dose of job satisfaction. As a background talent (or extra), you get to meet and hob nob with stars and talented producers, directors, actors and marketers. Learning to be successful is now up to you. If you have a flair for quick learning, you could rise a lot faster than your peers and begin to earn tangible money.

2. Filling a vacuum. The maxim: “there is always room for improvement” seems to be coined for the arts. There is always space for an entrant into Nollywood. As long as we have people watching our films, we will always be employed and employing. Fact is that the people say they want more. I wish I had some smart empirical study results to back this but I don’t. It’s a street thing. If you felt the pulse on the street, you would see that our vendors have not yet gone out of business like predicted ten years ago. They are still in every street corner, still carrying smoking hot titles with genres ranging from action to romance and epic films. Our music stars are not helping matters for the doomsday prophets as they are churning out quality material daily. So, there is always space for you in Nollywood when you finally decide to join us.

3. Most versatile employer. Insiders in the movie and music industry in Nigeria (Nollywood) like to joke that we are the most versatile employers of labour in the economy. Poor educational background, lack of qualifications, old age, etc are not disqualifying factors for any would be entrant. It is not uncommon for a fifty year old retiree to walk up to us in the Actors Guild office in the town I reside and request for a form to join Nollywood.

4. The pay is good. The pay in Nollywood is actually very good. Average pay for a background talent is about two thousand naira per scene. Applying one’s self as more than an ordinary background talent will increase your earnings. Combining a day job or side job with a career in the movie/music industry is so easy; that it has become sort of a norm at least till entertainment begins to pay all the bills. Getting a job as a production assistant, costumier or makeup artist, camera man or photographer on a movie set, is relatively very easy because the industry always seeks new talents to use. The more a particular talent is in demand, the better the rate of pay for the talent in question.

5. Self-betterment. A job in Nollywood gives an individual one of the best chances of self-betterment. Every day, my job throws new and interesting challenges my way. Surmounting those challenges always leave me better equipped to deal with similar issues when they occur in other situations. Many actors have learnt self-defense techniques because their characters in a movie knew self-defense. That is just an example; many others abound.

In conclusion, if the five reasons given above do not make you yearn for a job in Nollywood then maybe your day job has better perks, but if the reverse is the case, then let us help you enter the world of make believe. Welcome to Nollywood.


Olise Ukala (Skillet) is a Nollywood Director, Producer and Talent Scout. He can be reached via www.facebook.com/oliseukala

skillet:
Five reasons you should join Nollywood

1. Job satisfaction. Nollywood movies are usually interesting and contain certain morals. Even movies that are produced just to create laughs and fun also contain moral lessons the producers want to teach. Sometimes the message is obscure or ill delivered but the fact remains that most film makers are in it for the love of the art. Working in an environment where there is so much passion for excellence can give you a huge dose of job satisfaction. As a background talent (or extra), you get to meet and hob nob with stars and talented producers, directors, actors and marketers. Learning to be successful is now up to you. If you have a flair for quick learning, you could rise a lot faster than your peers and begin to earn tangible money.

2. Filling a vacuum. The maxim: “there is always room for improvement” seems to be coined for the arts. There is always space for an entrant into Nollywood. As long as we have people watching our films, we will always be employed and employing. Fact is that the people say they want more. I wish I had some smart empirical study results to back this but I don’t. It’s a street thing. If you felt the pulse on the street, you would see that our vendors have not yet gone out of business like predicted ten years ago. They are still in every street corner, still carrying smoking hot titles with genres ranging from action to romance and epic films. Our music stars are not helping matters for the doomsday prophets as they are churning out quality material daily. So, there is always space for you in Nollywood when you finally decide to join us.

3. Most versatile employer. Insiders in the movie and music industry in Nigeria (Nollywood) like to joke that we are the most versatile employers of labour in the economy. Poor educational background, lack of qualifications, old age, etc are not disqualifying factors for any would be entrant. It is not uncommon for a fifty year old retiree to walk up to us in the Actors Guild office in the town I reside and request for a form to join Nollywood.

4. The pay is good. The pay in Nollywood is actually very good. Average pay for a background talent is about two thousand naira per scene. Applying one’s self as more than an ordinary background talent will increase your earnings. Combining a day job or side job with a career in the movie/music industry is so easy; that it has become sort of a norm at least till entertainment begins to pay all the bills. Getting a job as a production assistant, costumier or makeup artist, camera man or photographer on a movie set, is relatively very easy because the industry always seeks new talents to use. The more a particular talent is in demand, the better the rate of pay for the talent in question.

5. Self-betterment. A job in Nollywood gives an individual one of the best chances of self-betterment. Every day, my job throws new and interesting challenges my way. Surmounting those challenges always leave me better equipped to deal with similar issues when they occur in other situations. Many actors have learnt self-defense techniques because their characters in a movie knew self-defense. That is just an example; many others abound.

In conclusion, if the five reasons given above do not make you yearn for a job in Nollywood then maybe your day job has better perks, but if the reverse is the case, then let us help you enter the world of make believe. Welcome to Nollywood.


Olise Ukala (Skillet) is a Nollywood Director, Producer and Talent Scout. He can be reached via www.facebook.com/oliseukala

Good one