BUILDING STRUCTURE AND PROFESSIONALISM IN THE NIGERIAN FILM INDUSTRY
Professionalizing the film industry - among others - is one of the issues we have in Nigeria.
We don't have enough people following due procedure and that affects not just the quality of what we do, but how the outside world looks at us.
Professionalism refers to the methods, character, practises or standards expected of an organisation or professional as they commit to due process that promotes quality, reliability, evenhandedness, and fair play.
Why it matters:
Lack of professionalism comes at a price.
When we fail to present ourselves as professionals we give off the message that the industry is somewhere anyone could come into and do whatever they want any how they please.
To be well respected or acknowledged in the creative industry today you have to be a professional.
"It [Nollywood] is being seen as an entertainment industry - which it is - but it's also a business sector. And this side of it had been neglected. Anyone could just come in and do whatever they like." - Adedayo Thomas (Executive Director | NFVCB)
MAJOR DRIVERS OF PROFESSIONALISM IN THE FILM INDUSTRY IN NIGERIA
- The NFVCB (National Film And Video Censors Board)
- The Guild System
- *Mutual Collaboration
THE NFVCB
The National Film Video Censors Board is the regulatory body set up by Act No.85 of 1993 to regulate the film and video industry in Nigeria. The Board is empowered by law to classify all films and videos whether imported or produced locally.
Key Points & Debunking Myths:
"The NFVCB is a regulatory agency - to a lot in business circles, this means throwing a lot of challenges at them and not letting them have their way, especially creatively."
Adebayo Thomas (Executive Director | NFVCB)
- The NFVCB is widely perceived as a creativity stifling force. However, this is an enduring misconception - perhaps a consequence of a path its leadership had taken in the past; but the NFVCB was formed by the government to create an enabling environment for the film business and industry to flourish not to be a hindrance to its practitioners
- You can't present a film if you're not a member of a professional association with an ID Card
- Associations that have registered with CAC must also register with the NFVCB as well and submit their membership list for recognition. Once given an ID card your registration/membership is approved.
- You don't need an agent to work with the NFVCB, just fill your form, even if online, and submit your film.
- It takes at most one week to have the certificate, rating or result of any film submitted to the NFVCB.
- A film can be banned when there is no morals; no consequence; or if out of line with culture or global trend.
“Your reporting and getting closer to us is like building our capacity. We're bureaucrats; you understand the business more than us, we understand the law."
- Adebayo Thomas (Executive Director | NFVCB)
THE GUILD SYSTEM
We started off with baby steps but our movies are no longer where they used to be, standards have improved and it's high time it reflected on how we organize ourselves.
- Viktor Okhai (President | Director's Guild of Nigeria)
The Guild is an umbrella union that regulates and represents the affairs of it's members - an association of people with similar interests or pursuits.
The term "representation" is key as it helps harmonise the voices of each individual and thus fostering communication, collaboration and accountability; it also gives one the leverage to understand the government and get closer to them.
Whenever the government looked to do things in the creative industry, those truly within it never really benefited until the formation of these associations. People had (and have) been using the creative industry and film industry as a front to take grants and use it elsewhere.
"If we don't get ourselves properly organized then what we're going to find is something like the scramble for Africa: where in these parts in the late 19th century or there about, raw materials were here and people would come from outside and invade the continent, taking away the raw materials (...) We were providing the raw materials but the real money was going outside." - Viktor Okhai (President | Director's Guild of Nigeria)
Guilds have undergone positive reformations and transformations over the years; no longer like those in the past that came under bad light for monetary and leadership issues. There are now structures in place to report any form of corruption or unfairness from any angle.
So recognised is the guild, and widespread its members accross the country now, that it is steadily becoming general consensus that to build the industry, everyone must belong to a professional Guild - and, indeed, the industry is gearing towards a time where you might not be able to get your movies censored for exhibition or distribution without belonging to the guild because the guild would have to recommend or send your name to the censorship board. This is because every Filmmaker in this industry is an ambassador. If anybody gets their fingers burned doing business with you, they're likely to assume the rest of us are scammers.
"Neither the guild nor government will offer any assistance to anyone - corporate nor individual - who gets their hands burned working with any practitioner not part of the guild system. It's important that you work through the guild system that way you're protected; that way you know your interests are being looked after because you're talking to the right people."
-Viktor Okhai (President | Director's Guild of Nigeria)
Benefits Of Belonging To An Association/Guild:
- If you can't find or don't have access to something or somewhere you can always rely on your association to help out - if you have good leaders within.
- The Guild tries to build as much capacity for their members. For example: aiding it's members work within the new scope of the digital evolution that is going on.
- The Guild educates their members about the different windows that have commenced/come in for filmmakers and distributors as well.
- A lot of people have problems accessing the funding that is available for filmakers in Nigeria by government or other grant systems so the Guild eventually puts them through. and follows up to ensure the money is paid.
- In the Guild are people who can back you up or put your issue across to any of the regulatory bodies out there. You don't have to leave what you're doing to squabble with the government. You get top people to fight for you.
- The Guild teaches and makes sure people understand the value chain
"No one is inhibiting your creativity, there are just certain areas we'll like to see producers understanding the full process of production, understanding the value of the ecosystem and doing their job properly"
"In the country today everybody is a Filmmaker and you can't say "no, he shouldn't be a Filmmaker," because creativity is a free gift anyone could get, but when it comes to issues that have to do with money parting ways from one person to another then there must be due diligence that that person is able to manage such funds and one of the ways to that is to have somebody to fall back on that can be there as a buffer between you and whoever you're loaning or releasing your money to so if there's a problem you'll be able to go back."
- Peace Anyiam-Osigwe (President| Association of Movie Producers)
"Capacity building is very important because it's the only way we can compete globally. It's the only way we can partner with our colleagues across the world"
- Viktor Okhai (President | Director's Guild of Nigeria)
COLLABORATION AND COORDINATION
Why it matters:
Filmmaking is a collaborative effort; there must be some kind of coordination between all the various departments within any production and without. There's a need for everyone to align and be on the same page.
"It's interesting to note that in the evolution and development of Nollywood all the various departments are not developing at the same pace - some catapult into the future. The need for the coordination of all these is very apparent."
-Fred Amata | Actor/Director
Creativity is not about hierarchy, it's all about sharing; it's all about ideas; all about pushing ourselves to the next level.
"Like a football match, filmmaking is all about teamwork. Everybody has to be on the same page."
Keppy Ekpenyong (Board member | NFVCB)
"Once you begin to associate within a profession there is need for the members of that association or profession to actually associate and make sure there can be betterment and progress in that vocation."
-Fred Amata | Actor/Director
Potential Guild Awareness Strategy
- The guilds should reach out to the film academy’s and schools springing up, so as they train the future filmmakers, they are taught the importance of the guild in hand. That way they will value it and join.
- There should be incentives since you can't force anyone to join the guilds. E.g. A film with a writer not in the guild could pay the NFVCB more, whereas one where all its cast are part of a guild could pay less
- The guild should use the films of those within to promote themselves.
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