BY SYLVIA UDE
The film industry or motion picture industry comprises the technological and commercial institutions of film-making, i.e., film production companies, film studios, cinematography, film production, screenwriting, pre-production, post production, film festivals, distribution; and actors, film directors and other film crew personnel.
Currently, the largest markets by box office are United States, China, United Kingdom, Japan and India; and the countries with the largest number of film productions are India, Nigeria, and the United States.
One smart way of penetrating Nigerian movie and music industry (Nollywood) is music video directing. This career is compatible with your current position as a student, a house wife, or employee and a good option if you need another source of income.
According to PriceWaterhouseCooper (PwC)’s prediction, Nollywood will be worth above $8billion by 2019 (Source CNN) and is currently the biggest in the African continent in generating millions of dollars. In view of that, it will be smart to invest into this growing and booming industry especially if you have passion for films.
Nevertheless, considering the present economic situation in Nigeria, it is also wise to observe before making any major investment or quitting your current job to pursue a career in film making, especially because one needs adequate experience to grow in the industry. In essence, career success is highly unpredictable. Many people have leaped without looking and have been caught up in serious financial frustration and without job recommendations due to lack of experience. Moreover, in this industry, people must see your creative portfolio to ascertain your capability before recommending you for major roles. It is therefore advisable that young artistes have their fun, build clientele and make additional income until they get to limelight with improved income before they can fully get involved.
THE IMPORTANCE OF A MUSIC VIDEO DIRECTOR
Music video as an art of visual story telling is a significant part of music consumption which gives an artist a substantial advantage over his contemporaries. It remains the most effective tool that promotes an artist, and accumulates a large fan-base. By this also, an artist showcases his other talents aside voice such as looks, dancing and acting.
This competitiveness has increased the demand for music video directors for their creative ideas and skills which are necessary to promote a song and market an artist.
A music video director conceives dramatic idea and artistic concept while listening to a song. He combines his ideas with that of the artist and all the mental pictures that played on his mind when he was composing a song. He also directs the technical crew, actors, models and dancers. Every video on any social media platform or aired on televisions is judged by the creative ability and hard work of the director. A music video director capable of conceiving the right mental picture and tell a good music story through motion picture can turn an ordinary song into a hit and the singer into a star.
Therefore, the rise of an artist to stardom and the popularity of his video director are inversely related. Suffice it to say that a music video director is as famous as the artist he directed.
THE WORTH OF A MUSIC DIRECTOR IN NIGERIA
Notable music directors in Nigeria charge up to 6 million naira per track. This means much when one directs about ten songs a year. The cost of these videos can be significantly reduced where there is creativity. Apart from the monetary values, there are lots of other opportunities like traveling adventures.
BASIC EQUIPMENT
- A camera
- A radio and
- A laptop with editing software
Get second hand equipment for cost minimization. To save rent on a studio, one can create a studio from the bedroom, office or garage or concentrate on outdoor shoots.
HOW TO START
- Watch lots of musical videos
- Learn camera handling. You can learn the basics of film and photography such as framing, lighting, camera angle and shots from a cinematographer. Visit movie locations or join the camera crew of your church and start experimenting with your camera phone.
- Form a creative production crew: In selecting a crew member, look out for intellectuals who can contribute to a production process. A crew of about 3-5 people comprising a script writer, an editor, production/location manager, costumier/make-up artist etc can make a good start. Find multi-talented and passionate individuals who are ready to work for free or little pay and grow with you. Some need creative resume to land themselves media jobs and have been giving out there intellectual properties without getting credit.
These talents are around you as family and friends.
- Choose a convenient day in a week; say Saturdays for your shoots. You can use the rest of the week to plan for a stress free video shoots.
- Shoot complimentary videos or amateur videos to hone your skills, perfect your craft, make your mistakes and learn.
- Now go ahead and spread the news for people to come and shoot their videos free of charge. You will be shocked at the number of up-coming artist that will dive into this offer. Take advantage of the fact that many of them cannot afford to hire a director. Develop your skills and build your connection by helping them on their way to stardom. Five percent of these up-coming artists will become stars someday. You only need one star to get to the rest. If you successfully shoot a video per week, in 3 months, you will have about 12 videos to your credit. There are so many music video directors that cannot boast of that much despite being in this industry for years. Most importantly you have hands-on experience that you will never learn in a cinematography class.
By next week, you will learn how to direct a music video with low or zero cost and make money in your first two months.
SYLVIA UDE is an intern at G&BJOURNAL
