The rise of YouTube as a major distribution platform for filmmakers in Nollywood has elicited some positive developments and interest among practitioners in the film industry.
A number of filmmakers who spoke with THISDAY confirmed this in separate interviews.
The filmmakers who have had their works distributed on the global video-sharing platform offered various reasons why the platform has now become a major distribution channel for Nollywood filmmakers and producers, disregarding the existing notion associated with the platform.
Over the past few months, Nigerians have witnessed YouTube channels driving conversations and becoming a new frontier for streaming Nollywood films following the pullback by other major platforms like Amazon Prime Video and Netflix.
A filmmaker, Mildred Okwo, said there are two schools of thought on this development.
Sighting the quick-fix syndrome and the easiest way out associated with situations.
“One says you have to remember Nollywood has been about quick fixes and the easiest way out. You can’t blame them; it is the society we live in.
“No long-term plans just the quickest way to make money and reach the greatest amount of people. The second is that our practitioners are only going where Nigerians are.
“Majority of Nigerians consume their content on YouTube so Nollywood filmmakers have simply followed them there and they are assured of payment from the platforms.”
According to her, the majority of Nigerians can’t afford other streaming platforms so they go for YouTube, which offers free screening.
Another filmmaker, Obi Emelonye said, YouTube has risen to a dominant position in the Nollywood monetisation food chain.
“Revenues from cinema these days have been reduced to a game of luck and at best a case of who screams the loudest. This makes life uncomfortable for filmmakers who spend on films over a certain budget,” he said.
Emelonye, also noted that in desperation today, filmmakers of every ilk are clamouring for subscribers and eyeballs on their YouTube channels.
In his contribution, Moses Inwang stressed that the awareness was getting higher and filmmakers are taking to the platform because its seamless for distribution.
“Filmmakers have been putting their movies on YouTube for a few years now or for many years actually.
“It’s just that the awareness is getting bigger now and a lot of filmmakers are now finding themselves on that platform or finding that platform as an option for distribution because it’s the most seamless platform for distribution.
“You don’t need a date, you don’t need anybody’s permission, you distribute your films on your own terms at your own date as you well please as long as you obey the YouTube guidelines you are good to go.
“And the revenue is not bad considering that it is films, the duration will help you attract bigger revenue. Filmmakers are just finding out that it’s the right revenue generating model for their films. As long as you know how to do a low-budget film, I think YouTube is the right fit for you.”
Asked how long he thinks this development will remain, or likely change, he said “I think it’s here to stay as long as the YouTube platform exists then our filmmakers will keep releasing their movies on the platform.
“Like I said, it’s only getting better, we are only attracting more. You know YouTube is an advertiser based business model.
“So the awareness our films are creating is only attracting more advertisers to the platform and it means that the more advertisers that come from our region to YouTube, the more revenue content creators on YouTube will be able to generate.
“So if this kind of awareness, especially with films like ‘odogwu’ and ‘achalugo’ trending so much it’s not just on YouTube but on the entire social media space, that’s going to attract more advertisers and that’s a good thing for all content creators on YouTube.
“So I think moving forward it’s only going to get better, except one day we wake up and we see that YouTube has crashed! That will mean that filmmakers will start looking for another option and we always find other options.
On the low-budget notion associated with Nollywood productions on YouTube, he said, this development impacts.
“First of all YouTube is a low-budget business model. I make films for N300 million to N500 million and up to N600 million. And unfortunately, I can’t put such films on YouTube.
“YouTube is not going to generate the revenue to cover this amount invested. So, the YouTube business model for a filmmaker is well suited to a low-budget production.
“So, it only means that as more filmmakers migrate to the YouTube platform, there’s going to be more low-budget films in production and less of the bigger budget films.
“I mean owing that also to the exit of Netflix and Amazon Prime Video in our region. So yes there’s going to be more low-budget films in production and distribution in circulation to audiences.”
Another filmmaker, Victor Okpala, who has made films across YouTube, cinema, and streaming platforms said YouYube has become the main distribution platform for most Nollywood movies, especially from independent producers.
“Even big producers like Kunle Afolayan, Jade Osiberu and a whole lot of others have started hosted a YouTube channel and they are already uploading either their old films or shooting new ones for YouTube. The exit of Netflix and exit of Prime Video have also affected filmmakers.
“You can hardly see big budget movies being shot. A lot of people have taken a break, thinking through the process, deciding what to do or not to do this time around.
“And so we have found it to be a veritable platform to distribute our movies and a lot of people are making good movies, putting on it and are making good money (ROI) and that’s what really counts with artistic work.
“The problem of Nigerian movie industry has always been distribution. When Netflix came, a lot of people heaved a sigh of relief. Prime video came, we said ‘oh thank God, God has answered our prayers. But the coming of this administration, floating of the Naira and everything affected the income of the streamers. When they left, YouTube became the go-to place for everyone.
“To be honest I don’t know how long YouTube is going to remain the go-to place for Nollywood producers to showcase their movies. I think what Nigerian movie industry lack is our inability to introspect, look inward and find solution. We are always looking to outsiders as our savior.
“The cinemas are trying but they are not enough. Hardly you make back your money from the cinemas. I have gone to the cinemas at least four times I can’t say I make back my money any of those times except for the big productions that they give special slot during the Christmas period. You can hardly see anybody exhibiting from January till maybe October or November say they made their money back.
“Nollywood is basically a low budget industry, that’s the truth. Whether we show cinema, or whatever, it’s low budget. If the shoot is 100 million naira here how much is 100M naira in dollars. That’s less than 100,000 dollars. Which blockbuster in Hollywood do they shoot with 100,000 dollars? So predominantly we are low-budget industry and we are okay.”
For Kunle Afoloyan who recently released his 2016 thriller, The CEO on the platform, he said he decided to explore YouTube due to its global reach and the commercial purpose.
He explained, “This is a film with so much potential.”
According to Afoloyan, releasing the multi-lingua movie on YouTube gives the larger audience an opportunity to enjoy it and to give it a new lease of life, having premiered it first some nine years ago.
“We decided to explore YouTube platform because since The CEO was released in 2016 it has only gone to the cinemas. And then from there to Dstv for like a year or two and then from there to Netflix and since then it’s been on Netflix. This was like 9yrs ago. Since then nobody has seen it outside of Netflix.”
Ferdinand Ekechukwu
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