We walked away from a significant collaborator!

Talk about an uno reverse! How did we go from getting our first big no last month to turning down a massive collaborator in March? Girl, have a seat; let’s talk.

In its entirety, March was a progressive month. I am much closer to shooting this now than I ever was, but here are the boxes we checked off for the month:

What we achieved this month

Had our first table read where creatives from different walks came together to give us their thoughts and notes on the script in a closed setting
Hired more people for our production team (Line Producer, and Production Assistant)
Decided on where we would be shooting our film
Started the ground work on finding a Locations Manager
Started creating our budget
Research on potential international film festivals that fit the themes in Adanne
Declined a collaboration with one of Nollywood’s notable production houses

Catch up on February’s update here!

So far, this is the most we have done since we started pre-production, but, why does it seem to me as though not much was achieved?

March did feel slower compared to February because we are at a pivotal stage where our story and plans have to be shared with other people, and aside from the obvious fact of it being nerve-racking for me to share, I have found it to be a bit of a buzz kill honestly.

Why is everything in Nigeria so damn expensive?

I have had the privilege to work in both Nigeria and London and it honestly has been polar opposites when it comes to experiences, expectations and outcomes. And no, this has nothing to do with “jand” but rather mindset which ultimately comes down to money.

How much do you have?

No matter who I speak with in Nigeria, the constraint of money keeps coming up and to be very frank with you, this month, I did consider walking away on several occasions. There seems to be no end to the expectation of having millions to shoot a movie.

When did creativity turn into relying solely on resources? When did we have to negate all of our minds and the ability to utilise the tools we already have as creative? When did having and making billions at the box office become the standard??? It is heart-wrenching and very upsetting trying to hire or work with people in Nigeria knowing that money would always be a hindrance for them, no matter how hard they try to feign it.

I understand that the country has been so difficult economically but what the current industry has become is nothing short of scary and pathetic!

There, I said it!

It is either money is holding you back from creating what you want or it is used as a tool to bully independent creatives into sharing their work with the “big boys” without protection.

Whereas, in the UK, creatives come together very often to shoot movies, put plays together, create music, fashion shows, and so much more without having as many as thousands into the project.

Pathetic I tell you.

This vent just reminded me of a post I made in 2021 on what it is like being a creative in Nigeria.

On a brighter note, I did enjoy hosting our first closed table read. It lasted about five hours, and everyone, and I mean EVERYONE, had something positive to say about the story.

Some of my observations of the room were:

1. This script is funnier than I thought it was
2. It is an important story that needs to be told
3. All the characters are likeable

Anyhoo, that is all from March! April looks like a busy one already, and my team and I are gearing up for it.

We aim to:
1. Hire a Locations Manager
2. Begin recce
3. Finalise our production budget

Thanks so much for reading this bit and I look forward to catching up next month!

As usual, wish me luck and I am sending all my love to you!