A picture speaks a thousand words.
This brief article is not for the faint hearted. Its time we develop a sense of boldness and self confrontation. The truth always hurts but when taken to heart and digested with enough objectivity, a path to change is created.
I just TRIED to watch a movie with Kate Hensahw Nuttal and Chidi Mokeme. My brain took in the first two scenes and I went numb. It was definitely not something that could venture into the recesses of my mind and leave me in a capable mind frame. I have totally forgotten what the movie is called now. There is no way I will recapitulate such an event.
Why is it such a painful journey for me or why was it? the same information was repeated three times in the same scene. Suddenly, I had an epiphany! the real reasons it sometimes is a drag to deal with home movies. the repetition makes the entire movie boring, redundant, monotonous, mundane, elastic, torturous and of course sedating. (possibly right there with boring but we are talking about repetitiveness so moving on with it).
Kate Hensahw got proposed to by her lover, Chidi Mokeme. She went joyously home and broke the news to her mother. Her mother rejoiced with her and later that night, she went to break the same news to her father. ermm, hallo, we just saw that like three times already. IT IS ALREADY 5 MINUTES INTO THE MOVIE! We are not dumb! she has been offered a marriage proposal, next please?
When you miss five minutes of a standard good movie, the rest of the movie is viewed with questions. You go back and try to watch the beginning. Like a Nigerian will say, una own no dey so o. The movie is over 20 minutes gone yet you get the message loud and clear. Too loud and clear if you ask me.
NEWSFLASH!
Each scene of a movie must consist of a beginning, middle and an end. Something new must be presented in each scene. Each scene must contain NEW information that is progressive. Each scene must hold conflict. A character who wants, who has a desire and in that scene is making a conscious and opposed effort to achieve his or her aim. A hero’s journey is one filled with predators, mentors, hopes, encouragement and conflicts that resolve in the final showdown.
But, because of part one, two, three, four, five and six, today we are subjected to tormenting movies like Yankee boys and girls, Beyonce and Rihanna, girls connection, pretty queen and a host of others I have spared myself of remembering.
A good movie will sell itself. Regardless of whether you cut it into a million terabytes.
Now I am in no way against multiple part movies. I am against unnecessary cutting; inserting as much nonsense as possible into a movie in order to maximize profit. Make all the excuses possible and show enough solidarity to defend the craziness, it still will not take away from the truth. I know Amazing grace, Rivals, White waters, life and living it, Onome all made money. I also know that a movie like speak the word or where oceans touch worked in two parts (they were under an hour and half though) so I guess they also fall into this net. Yes some movies will work and work better as trilogies when you consider disc space too but please, stop abusing and taking advantage your audience dear producers.
In all honesty, we can make all the noise we want about the “Africawoods” but but our home movies need a lot of work. From the scratch work too. From the very basics and be loyal all you want, the truth remains, on an international level, we are a laugh. A big joke.
Obama just became the first black president, YES WE CAN make change if we try. Time to be blunt and take that honest step to making better movies. Accepting this era of mediocrity does not translate to others that we Africans are also looking to move with the times.
Hurray for Obama and lets join hands and say a prayer for Ghana and Nigeria film industries that an “Obama type” miracle will find its way into our territory.
If any producers come to https://www.nigeriafilms.com to read, do take note of this and take that bold step. We are solidly behind you!
We buy the crappy movies, we shall by all means buy the good ones too. That’s simple common sense 🙂
