Nollywood: Forging Ahead With Better Picture Quality

The Nigerian movie industry has without doubt evolved over the years. With new technology and ideas in movie making, Film makers and men behind the camera have been part of the process. The film industry that was pioneered by different personalities like Hubert Ogunde, Ola Balogun and others have become an enterprise and the second employer of labour after agriculture. Thanks to the passion and focus of the great brains that wanted to tell the Nigerian story through films.

‘Living In Bondage’ produced by Kenneth Nnebue became the reference point in production of home videos. Since the 90s when the era of home video industry came, different people got opportunities to learn film making and actor and actresses were made. Like a child that needed to grow the industry witnessed so many ups and downs, bad picture quality, poor role interpretations and inadequate equipment to get the best out of a production. The resolve to match passion with skill became the prerogative. Now in 2015, Nollywood has no place to go but up with different stakeholders buoyed by the need to steady the ship and build a robust industry. Movies nowadays have higher budget productions with skilled men. In the last decade, great movies from Nollywood have been showcased and the world has awoken to the Nollywood effect. Movies like Amazing Grace shot on celluloid cameras, Sitanda, and the recent Head Gone, FIFTY, Silence, Road To Yesterday and so many others are reflecting the testament that there has been an improvement in recent times not just in picture quality but in the way stories are told. According to the director of photography DOP of Road To Yesterday, Idowu Adedapo, 50 percent of cinematographers and DOPs who trained abroad that travelled back home to work and this has enriched the industry. He added that the movie producers before normally don’t spend millions on equipment alone because the need was no there and quality was compromised.   For Wale Adebayo, a reputable cinematographer and DOP, training makes the difference. Agreeing with Idowu Adebayo, he said the world of the DOP demands that you know the story that you are interpreting with cameras. The usage of cameras has also evolved with new technology. “Yeomatic Super 16 was used before, we have 35mm, back then, it is dockable with the recorder at your back pocket. From them we go to Betacam and all that. Now times have changed. A cross section of fil makers and DOPs speak on their experience and why the improvement in picture quality

The era we are in the movie industry, you need to go to school and get more knowledge. It is imperative that Cinematographers and Directors of photograpy know the story you are about to shoot, the texture of the scenery and the various kind of cameras needed to bring the story to light. If you cannot understand the story then you won’t able to give the director what he wants. DOP is the only one sees the heart of the director through visuals. It is now left for the cameras to interpret it through visuals. I’ve a name and reputation in the industry and I want to keep it, if the producer cannot provide what I need to get the job done, then I won’t take it. I started as a Production Assistant in 1998 and in 2006, I became a director of photography having enrolled in Nigeria Film Institute based in Jos in 2008. I shot Sitanda directed by Izu Ojukwu, White Water, Cindy Notes, Distance Between, Shut In, Alero Symphony. I was also part of the project of the movie, October 1st using Steady Camera to work with the director, Yinka Edwards. Nollywood is evolving and those that don’t know what they are doing are finding their way out. A lot of people are going to school to improve their skills and the industry is better for it.