I posted a thread titled "what kind of movies would you like Nigerians to make" but people kept butting in with technical and business ideas about how Nigerian movies can be improved. For that purpose, I've decided to create this thread.

So what do I think Nigerian producers and directors can do to improve their movies?

1) They should stop casting unprofessional stars:
Some so-called stars are so spoilt that they would arrive late to the location without having read the script. How can you give a convincing performance when you've not taken the time to study the material and you're being paid obscene amounts of money? Directors who want to make quality movies should strive cast stars who are also talented serious, humble and hardworking, for better performances.

2) They Should Spend More Time Rehearsing:
For the same reason.

By the way, I'm an aspiring producer, so I am basically [b]advising myself [/b]too.

No.3 They should start writing scripts that are reasonable and creative, no more copy and paste of Beauty and the beast

4). They should get better Directors wey get sense

5). They should be ready to do High budget movies with good logistics

Not much really.  Nigerian movies can only be improved when the quality of Nigerian lives improve.  Movies reflect the true nature of the society.  I guess we have to wait a long time for that since we are still struggling to "fight" corruption.

American movies show American way of living without on ounce of exaggeration. So Nigerian movies are only towing the same line. Nothing to change then.

combrazor:

this is the biggest line of bullshit i've ever heard.

India is every bit as corrupt as Nigeria and yet they make quality films.

and if you honestly believe that American movies depict "the American way of living without an ounce of exaggeration," i'm guessing that you've never actually been to America.

Corruption was used just as a figure of speech. When you have some form of anti piracy laws, maybe you will get some measure of "quality" in Nigerian movies.  I actually live in America and have not seen anything different from what is depicted in American movies as different from their livestyles. I have also lived "the Nigerian" lifestyle in Nigeria and have not seen anything different from what is depicted in Nigerian movies.

That was the point I was trying to make.

almondjoy:

Not much really.  Nigerian movies can only be improved when the quality of Nigerian lives improve.  Movies reflect the true nature of the society.  I guess we have to wait a long time for that since we are still struggling to "fight" corruption.

American movies show American way of living without on ounce of exaggeration. So Nigerian movies are only towing the same line. Nothing to change then.

I quite agree and disagree with this statement, the american movies are not always a true reflection of the american society in some cases. I believe they are more a reflection of the creativity of the movie directors and producers which I Consider to be extreamly excellent, remember these movies are created to entertain the audience or viewers, The movies to an extent depict the true american way of life but some of them are just an outright exaggeration of things on ground. So try to be disenchanted baby

True professionals should be the main people involved in the industry.
Most movies done here are void of any form of professionalism. form directin, to acting, to producing. . .

Also, STORY LINES should give a whole lot of attention.
We all know that the average nigerian movie has very poor story lines that makes educated people weep. .
We need to write stories that make sense. . .
We need to be daring in story writing.
Must we write stories about wat we already know? stories about love, rituals and all,

Have u ever seen a nigerian movie about Law? stories about lawyers trying to prove their cases in the law court. . ?
No. Because our story writers are mentally poor. They cant write a meaningful and intelligent dialogue.

Or have u ever seen a creative story that all happens in a day!!!. .A good example is Eleven Angry Men.. The whole movie was shot in a room. 11 members of the jury trying to decide the fate of a kid who reportedly killed his father. Pure creativity. Just one scene. Just one room. Pure dialogue and it was a helluva movie.
Another beautiful example is Before the Sunset. A guy meets a girl on a train. they were goin to different destinations but on sheer impulse and desire for adventure, they both stopped at Munich and decided to spend the whole evening together.
Just one evening, just 2 characters and a beautiful dialogue between them. . .It was a beautiful movie. I've seen it 4 times and would see it again. .

Point is, We need to write sensible stories that would tickle the brains of educated people. .
and once the story is good, it would be easier for the actor to deliver, . . .then u have a great movie. .

LOl JK, how many Nigerians do you see appreciating a movie like 11 Angrey Men? Good movie btw.

"Nollywood" needs better story lines, alot of actresses are no longer acting cos many of them have complained about being handed the same predictable parts with just different titles.

Also yopu can tell that most of these movies arent scripted and they just act according to what pops in the director's hand that particular moment which is why you have ALOT of unncessary scenes or a movie starts out ok but by the end you dont know what the hell is going on anymore.

1) They should stop casting unprofessional stars:
Some so-called stars are so spoilt that they would arrive late to the location without having read the script. How can you give a convincing performance when you've not taken the time to study the material and you're being paid obscene amounts of money? Directors who want to make quality movies should strive cast stars who are also talented serious, humble and hardworking, for better performances.

I agree. We have good actors/actresses but nowadays they are just employing so called pretty faces. It's pitiful. Alot of these people you KNOW are just there cos they are supposedly cute or lightskinned. It's quite irritating, but one thing is for sure, at least in that aspect we have Ghana beat cos I sincerely believe they have only 5 people in their industry. 4 out of the 5 are biracial.

The problem with the Nigerian Films is that they tend to use cheap products and average camera's in their film making, the production work are bad and majority of the scripts are scrap.

The quality of the Nigerian English are far better than the Yoruba ones, the only problem with the Nigerian English films is that everyone wants to be American. Talk and behave like them in the films which annoys me, there is originality in our films and until we start behaving like Africans then there will be no improvement.

Obviously you havent watched any Tunde Kelani/MainFrame movies, kokorunna.

D-reloaded,

Don't get me wrong I have watched all the films produced by Tunde Kelani and MainFrame movies, but there is just a few of them like that produces good films.

Majority of the other producers are SCRAP,

actors should start getting their tenses and grammar right by proper reharasals

producers should should start paying good money for Good scripts to improve ingenuity of writers

producers should start giving cast to ladies that really fit the role not on bottom power or who u know

producers should stop cutting one movie into parts 1, 2, 3 to 10 so as to make more money

quality research should be conducted on any topic of interest before actors are cast and movies shot

producers should quit the mentality of starting and finishing a movie under 2wks

repetition of foreign movies with different title should be discouraged

suspense should be incorporated in every script

Nigerian copyright law should be enforced to protect intellectual property

premier of movies and adverts should be properly promoted

"shouting" and "screaming" in the name of movie promotion so as to maximise time should be discouraged

ndubest:

repetition of foreign movies with different title should be discouraged

I pray that someone listens to this one in particular

all those fools in the industry should expecially hanks anuku should be kiled and talented not jus styupid drunkad boys and ashawos should be employd.dey no dey try sam sam for niga film

almondjoy:

Not much really. Nigerian movies can only be improved when the quality of Nigerian lives improve. Movies reflect the true nature of the society. I guess we have to wait a long time for that since we are still struggling to "fight" corruption.

American movies show American way of living without on ounce of exaggeration. So Nigerian movies are only towing the same line. Nothing to change then.

God forbid naija films dont depict my lifestyle, imagine they never go to toilet,church,buy fuel all they do is worthlessly waste our time, i magine showin one scene for 10mins so therr wud be part2

The tribulations plaguing the Nigerian movie industry today are boundless. But amongst these seemingly endless list, one in particular is ubiquitous… copyright infringement. Many might argue against the quality, over exaggeration of dialogue and mediocrity displayed in our movies today. But the true reason’s that our movies lack the quality and the well thought out planning required to make a quality picture, is the simple but inevitable fact that no movie producer, or director is willing to risk investing such funds as is required to make a good quality movie, only to loose the proceeds to boot legers. All other aspects can be attributed to this simple fact. Let’s examine a quick example… In America, most films are shot on a format know as “Film” hence the terminology. This format provides a certain warm and personable quality that is immediately noticeable when viewed especially when compare against video or digital media. Digital media on the other hand is sterile and cold and looks like something made with a home camcorder.
Sadly enough this is the format that most Nigerian producers chose to film with because it is cheap and readily available. Film in itself is highly expensive and can cost anywhere from $50 for 100ft of film (which is equivalent to 3min of shooting time) to thousands of dollar for the same length, depending to the quality grade of film or the nature of the project e.g. black and white vs. color. So do the math! And figure our how much it would cost to shoot a full length picture of 1hr 45 min also consider outtakes and bloopers? Another contributing factor to the stunted growth of the Nigerian movie industry is the attitude of the market. In economics, we learn that the demand determines the supply. Thus when the behavior of the market changes, and more Nigerians start to demand quality pictures, the movie execs would have no other choice but to provide the funds necessary to produce such film in order to meet that demand, then the government would have no choice but to implement stricter copyright laws and penalties in order to protect the investments of the various Movie Associations. Hence less piracy, more money to pay better actors, script writer, directors, costume designer, and all those other persons who assist in some capacity or the other to ensure the successful completion of a movie. This is the nature of demand and supply. The mere fact that this is not occurring leaves me no choice but to conclude that we Nigerians are happy with the current state of our movie industry.

@reloaded
Nigerians need movies that would make them think. Nigerians need movies that would make them say OK!! so that was what happened!!. I have never been surprised in a Nigerian movie. U always know wat happens.
This is because of the quality of the stories.
A movie like 11 Angry men would surely do well in Nigeria. It is easy to understand and to relate with. A kid's fate been decided by 11 strangers. . .
Well I'll understand ur argument if u have said we do not practise the Jury system here. But the point is, our stories are the biggest problems. . .
We have dull story writers. no creativity.

A way out is to seek intelligent story writers and pay them for their stories. but the greed in them would not allow them,

movie producers should allow others edit, direct, write the film

you'll see some written, directed, produced by Charles anuwi
edited by william anuwi
logistics by harry anuwi
make up by Sheila anuwi

@ Dis guy you are absolutely correct.

I agree to what most peoplle have written here. Here are just a few mistakes I see in Nigerian movies and they need to be avoided no matter how minute they seem.
1) Unnecessary parts (e.g an actor staring in open space thinking for like ever) should be deleted. It bores people.
2)An actor playing the part of a billionaire should look the part. The kind of cars he uses and clothes he wears should reflect his status.
3)When using a borrowed house make sure the pictures of the original owners are removed.
4)I agree with hilli666. It appears sponsors are really needed in the movie industry to update the cameras.
5)Employ good actors with good diction e.g the likes of Joke Silva, Olu Jacobs. Those who find it hard to construe a single sentence would flow better in their languages.
6) A script should be reviewed by real people who are literature competent.  

I'll be back.

They should start by having a script. Sometimes (all the time) I get the feeling they just tell the actors what to say. Imagine this if you will

Director (if you can call him that) to lagbaja - So Tamedo will come to you and ask why are you sleeping with his wife and you'll say because you love her.

(Turns to Tamedo)

Director  to Tamedo - And then you will get angry and try to punch him. Shei you get? Oya let's start.

Director to "crew" - Where are the Babaluwes and the unfunny characters with charcoal on their faces? Okay put them there so they can waste time by talking in rubbish in delibrate broken english because nothing spells blockbuster than having undeveloped characters taking up airtime.

Directot to self - Yep, if this isn't the best movie ever, I don't know what is.

And ENOUGH with the endless storylines. Why can't they tell a story in 90 mins? Why do we need 6 parts, with each part almost 3 hrs long? By the time the movie ends, they've strayed so far off from where they started you're left scratching your head thinking, "what movie was that again?" (Or is that just me?)

And for the love of all that is good and sacred, STOP using the same people over and over again. I love RMD (Segun Kadiri was my absolute favorite soap character) but enough already with him running around in dungarees trying to be a hip young thing. Dude, you are 40 something, no one will ever believe you are in your 20s okay, so spare us. It's time these old actors start acting their age and look for dignified parts.

Finally (yes, there is a finally) please, please, please, stop with the songs that practically tell us the whole story.

"Oh she was a poor young girl, who left the village to seek greener pastures in the city.
Chorus - Life is not fair, life is not fair
"When she came to the city, she met people who took advantage of her"
Chorus - How unfair life is, How unfair life is
"They took her money and now she is sleeping under the bridge"
Chorus - This unfair life, this unfair life

, Meanwhile, the title of the movie is "The unfair life of the village girl who came to the city to seek greener pastures and was taken advantage of by the bad city people"

Egad!!!!

Improve the sound quality of movies. The background noise shouldn't be as loud as (or even louder than) the actors' voices.

Finished movies should be REVIEWED before selling to the public. A lot of Naija movies have horrible sound quality, it makes me wonder if the directors, producers, editors, etc actually watched their movies before selling. With all the background noise, the actors might as well be using sign language.

When someone drives out of a parking lot or driveway or something, cameraman should stop showing all around the car, following it all the way onto the street. That's a waste of time. I mean, as a viewer, we get the point that the person is driving out.

In a lot of Naija movies, I can see the microphone hanging above. They should conceal it more, or use directional mics.

Enough of movies where the only way to become a millionaire is to be in a cult! How about a movie where someone became a millionaire by investing in real estate, or owning a successful business, or winning the lottery!

When people are eating, cameraman should not zoom into the food (at least for a long time), unless there is a reason for doing so.

In dance club scenes, there's no need to show every single person in the club!

As mentioned above, there's no need to split a movie into several multiple parts. Might as well turn it into a mini-series.

In Naija movies, why do parents call their children "my son" or "my daughter"? I don't know any mother that calls her daughter and says "my daughter, go and get me something, ". Don't they normally call them by name, instead of "my son" or "my daughter"?

Forgot to add, I am an aspiring screenwriter, so seeing what Nigerians churn out and call movies, irks me to no end. it's amazing how far our Bollywood counterparts have come, especially with cinematography, when some 10 yrs ago, we were on the same level. I also agree with the comment about getting real people to do the work instead of hiring your younger sister, brother in law, sister in law's grandmother as the Director, producer and editor respectively

kpomkwem:

Finished movies should be REVIEWED before selling to the public. A lot of Naija movies have horrible sound quality, it makes me wonder if the directors, producers, editors, etc actually watched their movies before selling.

In a lot of Naija movies, I can see the microphone hanging above.

Enough of movies where the only way to become a millionaire is to be in a cult! How about a movie where someone became a millionaire by investing in real estate or winning the lottery!

In Naija movies, why do parents call their children "my son" or "my daughter"? I don't know any mother that calls her daughter and says "my daughter, go and get me something, ". Don't they normally call them by name, instead of "my son" or "my daughter"?

At the Nigerian reunion in Atlanta, they did the premiere of 30 Days with Genieve and the director was also there. Luckily it was a test screening and the sound was terrible, you could barely hear anything plus when people were talking, they would play LOUD music in the background so you could barely make out what was said,. After the movie, alot of people complained about that issue and the director said she'll do something about it before they sell it publicly.

They should do more of such things in Nigeria before they put out the final product.

I totally agree with you that a millionair is aloften shown as having dubious means of making money. If anything it's worst for the girls as I've never seen a movie where a girl is shown as having money/independently wealthy without them implying that she's a hooker/aristo. It's very disgusting.

Lmao I thought I was the only one who noticed that whole "my daughter" rubbish too. It's so sad

Dis Guy:

movie producers should allow others edit, direct, write the film

you'll see some written, directed, produced by Charles anuwi
edited by william anuwi
logistics by harry anuwi
make up by Sheila anuwi

lmao. Another great sumation.

LIST OF THINGS THAT CAN BE DONE TO IMPROVE OUR NIGERIAN MOVIEZ

1. Get reasonable stories and scripts
2. Work on how to end their movies (stop the church or police endings)
3. All our actors and actresses need to go get proper training. Meaning their should be a school of acting.
4. We need to work on our special effects cos what they have now is just lame.
5. Instead of releasing 100 foolish moviez a week, they could pump alot of money into one movie and put out a world standard movie.
6. EDIT THE DAMNED MOVIES. I'm sick and tired of hearing these so called actors and actresses dropping english bombs on our movies.
7. Our producers and directors should go abroad (prolly hollywood) and understudy them and learn how to produce good movies.
8. Most of these so called Nigerian moviez stars should be dropped.
9. Too many stars in one movie. Its appauling.
10. Lights, Cameras, e.t.c of good quality should be bought. Some of the picture quality on some movies are a disgrace.
11. Movie Giants such as Paramount, Fox, Warner bros, e.t.c should come in and help.
12. Cinema. i.e Movie should be first released and put in cinemas across the country before being released on DVDS. (like they do in the U.S and India)
13. Sets. I'm sick of watching movies and seeing crowds of people gathered togerther in the background and staring at the actors.
14. Costumes and Make-up. Do I need to explain this. You could watch five different movies and see an actor wearing the same shirt he wore in a previous movie, slippers, e.t.c.
15. PART I, II, III, IV. whats up with that??
16. TO GOD BE THE GLORY, IN GOD WE TRUST, e.t.c. Is thiks really necessary?
17. We need a FILM CRITICS BOARD.

I'll update later.

they shld spend mo time to rehearse, dem 2 dey rushhhh 4 there films, in a week dem go produse 50 films, ah ah, hollywood never do liek that, dem dey do part 1vthis year maybe nest 2 years part 2 neva kom out, bt for us here, dem go write filmd 1 day produce a, bring am out the same day ah ah.

wetin dey rain for dem now b say, if dem do film finish, instead of part 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8 etc, dem go change d name to another name do the part 1 n 2, den again with anoher name dem go do part 1 n 2

e.g

Rush hour 1n 2
final hour 1n 2

and so many, i dey vexxxx anytim dem do films like this, e dey make mi dey tire to watch Naija movie, abeg dem need to wise, nobody b mugu these days

These are my suggestions
1. Producers should concentrate on producing quality films rather than quantity.
2. Nigerian culture and society should be depicted We shouldn't try to imitate foreign styles, accents, dresses etc. Just as was mentioned, the Indians portray their culture in their films.
3. Good movie scripts
4. Each movie should come to a conclusive end and not to be continue in part 2,3 etc.

If the Ghanian storyline was absolute crap, how is it better than a Nigerian movie. The story is the main thing!

If the Ghanian storyline was absolute crap, how is it better than a Nigerian movie.  The story is the main thing

It was better than a Nigerian movie because the production was incredible, the shots were excellent, the sound was on point and directing was beautiful. Besides, I think movie making goes beyond the story, haven't you ever found yourself so taken in by the way a movie is shot yet disappointed by the storyline? If movie making was only about the story, why do we have awards given to best editing, best directing or best cinematography.


What we need to understand is that we can't focus on just one aspect of movie making (i.e storyline) at the expense of all other aspect of it. If we find a way to combine ALL facets of movie making, I honestly believe we will get there.

Lets not put all the blames on the producers and directors though they are also contributin in a long way to the problem in the movie industry.so also the actors and actress that feel too big to report to location.
But i think the nationa film and video censors board are not helping issues at all.they should learn to screen movies with a good sense of judgement so we can bring out the best in our movie industry

THey need new and better concepts,

Lol typical Nigerians. Even in arguments, they still ahve time to advertise themselves