THE need for training and skills’ updating is an essential ingredient for a robust and rounded film and television industry, says Cashell Horgan, an Irish filmmaker from the National Film School of Ireland.
Horgan made this declaration recently at the Advanced Film and Television Training Africa (AFTTA) workshop held at Mainframe Studio, Oshodi, Lagos. The workshop was designed to serve the needs of film and video practitioners who are without experience in the industry.
At the three-day masterclass on blocking and staging for the camera, where 15 participants learnt the use of tracking, dolly and jib and lighting scenes, Cashell identified several factors that would help the growth of Nigeria’s film industry.
One of the defining characteristics of the training was the calibre of national and international instructors, and they ensured a good sense of professionalism was injected in the training scheme.
At the workshop, Tunde Kelani, popularly known as TK in the local film circuit said, “As all professionals know, you never stop learning in this business and if you want to master your craft or be the best, you need to keep learning. Training in the film industry is mostly left to the individual. We are offering the level of advanced training that would normally only be available in other distant countries and that would otherwise not be affordable”.
Training, said Kelani, may not be the only road to professional success, but it does provide the skills needed to ensure that success would continue into the future. “The training we are providing our participants would enable them to work anywhere in the world on an equal footing”, he said.
While commenting on the relevance of the programme to the development of Nigeria’s movie and theatre practitioners, Cashell said, “I know there is Nollywood because all we hear about in the west is Nollywood, but I didn’t realise that there is a Nigerian film industry and a Nigerian film culture which Nollywood is a part of; that there are different aspects, like the Yoruba, Hausa, Ibo”.
He expressed his amazement at what Nollywood has achieved with what is available to it; what people have done on their own and the industry they have created and how hard they are working to get where they are, especially the actors and producers and directors.
Horgan, however, added, “From what I have read, especially from the papers, there is beginning to be a shift in the people’s mentality by the kind of films they want to make. They want to get their films out there to large exhibitions; they want to see it going to cinemas and that certainly is a very positive step because you are more protected so far you have copyright and you are getting box office returns, going through cinemas rather than just putting the films straight on. This way, they are bypassing possible piracy, which is affecting the industry immensely”.
Nevertheless, what Horgan perceived to be a major obstacle to film producers in Nigeria is distribution system, which he said must be put in place for the industry to progress, “because you need a distribution channel so that the money that is realised from the films made can be used in making other films and then budgets can improve and then people can afford training”.
He suggested that Nigeria should adopt the ways of the West, where there is government initiative that promotes the culture of filmmaking and the artistry that is involved. Horgan stressed that “filmmaking also has a craft that is involved, because it is not just a business, it’s a two-way thing and that is when the film board comes in like giving out money to scriptwriters and directors to make films that will represent their country internationally, which is very important. It’s not just the individual who sponsors a film with the hope that he will make returns”.
Horgan, whose area of specialisation is directing and editing, said sourcing for adequate finance to make films is important but said that it depends on the film, adding, “That is one of the attraction for me about the Nigerian film industry because the resources are lacking and there are many obstacles like power supply and generator noises to overcome; traffic is congested to move from one location to another and yet they go ahead and made feature films; whereas, in the West they won’t move until they have all the finance budgeted.
He continued, “The Nigerian film industry, if well structured, could solve most of the unemployment problem. I will like to see several studios here that could be making soap operas, TV programmes or feature films, if the equipment is there; the technicians are trained and people are using the facilities to produce works. I will like to see international companies coming here because things are good here; it’s a fantastic location, it’s a beautiful place; there is so much culture to be used here.
“The Americans and Europeans are going to the East now to make films because labour is cheap, so they can make the films for half the fees; that system could work here but that needs to be initiated. Let people out there know that you have the equipment, labour and talent that could be used”.
Horgan said films from Africa with traditional themes, locations, indigenous languages, costumes are appreciated at international festivals as people respect culture, which is a matter of pride and something to be celebrated and preserved at all costs.
He stated that when people see an idea they are not used to, they latch on to it. Films from Africa give a glimpse of the culture from Africa, said Horgan. “It was the same thing for me; when I saw TK’s film. I realised that it was such a rich and vibrant culture because in the modern world you don’t know that people come from some traditions that come from hundreds and thousands of years of development; and people love that. So, replicating American movies is quite boring; people are more interested in true-life stories, the drama of day-to-day living.
“Or even giant commercial movies like the history of the Yoruba will make an amazing epic movie and they will do amazingly well; the Chinese have done that. I am looking forward to bringing some Irish crew here and using the talents here for such collaboration and see how that works.
“To make movies, you have to love it and have a lot of patience and passion; otherwise it will never happen because there are too many obstacles. There are many films that go into pre-production and never see the light of day although the situation here is different. Here somebody writes a script and he goes to shoot the movie; that is to be envied”.
Also, Horgan identified piracy represents as a huge problem to film development. “James Cameron said the only way to stop piracy was to make 3-dimentional films and his Avatar became the most pirated film of all times. The only way is copyright laws on intellectual property rights to be looked at and implemented and taken seriously. But definitely, the distribution system must be in place so that the menace could be reduced,” offered Horgan.
