Nollywood actor Deyemi Okanlawon has lamented the low profit margins filmmakers accrued, which discouraged them from cinema production and encouraged them to switch to YouTube streaming.
Deyemi revealed during an interview on Channels TV that the challenges accompanying theatrical distribution to cinemas have made independent producers and newcomers settle for producing their work on YouTube.
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“Taking a film to the cinema is difficult for an independent filmmaker, especially if you’re starting. There are so many things that you’ll find as obstacles.
“So, it’s not really to their advantage. That’s why you find now that there are a lot of people who are serious filmmakers, but they are now gravitating towards YouTube,” the filmmaker said.
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The actor further explained the flexibilities of YouTube film production, saying, “It’s very democratic. Nobody’s standing in your way. There’s no politics of, are you a popular producer?”
“Are we giving you enough showtimes? Are you spending enough money on your marketing so that we can now decide whether your film is worthy of attention in cinemas?” Deyemi queried.
The actor said :“Your profit is different, now you’re looking at how much I spent? How much did I make? And remember that the entire 130 million cinema ticket sales wouldn’t come to just the producer.
“It is split between the cinema and the government, who take its taxes. You’re going to get about 40% of that amount. And I’ll tell you, that didn’t cover my costs,” he lamented.
Career break
Expressing his shock over the dynamics of movie production in Nigeria, Deyemi said he took a break from acting in 2019 for a marketing job to fully understand the industry.
“Remember that in 2019, I quit acting and joined Silverbird Film Distribution for two years. See, I cannot afford to go to school, do an MBA, and then come back and perform. So, I went to work. I went to school to understand the industry from the other angle.
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“I joined Silverbird as the head of marketing, and then I was promoted to head the Nollywood distribution desk, and eventually I became the acting CEO for Silverbird for a brief period in 2021,” The filmmaker said.
Nollywood
Deyemi also cited problems encountered by streaming platforms’ heavyweights in Nigerian original commissioning as local economic issues and unmet expectations.
“They were looking for their Squid Game. They were looking for their Money Heist that would come out of Nigeria,” he stated.
He added that the future of Nollywood is crystal clear as new talents keep emerging in the industry. The industry maximises talents and then minimises budget.
Speaking of his optimism about his career, Deyemi said he is willing to adapt to any change coming to the industry in future and put the sector visibly on a global map.
“No matter where I find myself, whether it’s a Netflix original, a cinema film or now on YouTube, I’m going to give my 100%,” he stated.
