- il y a 8 mois
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00:00Evuka, thank you very much for making the time today.
00:05I would like us to just drop right into the questions
00:08by telling us about your background,
00:12how you got into film production,
00:15and what shaped your creative voice over time.
00:20Okay.
00:21I mean, I've always loved movies like from when I was a kid,
00:25but then I grew up in a small town,
00:28Oka, Anambra States, Anistan, part of Nigeria.
00:35So it didn't really feel like something I could do
00:40because there was no one close to me I could look up to and say,
00:43okay, this is how it went.
00:46But then I started writing pretty young.
00:50I think I was like 12 when I started writing.
00:53So I started from fiction.
00:54Then I later discovered poetry around playwriting.
00:59So when it was time to gain admission,
01:02I decided to do theatre art, you know.
01:05Then when I was in uni, someone read a short play that I wrote.
01:09I was like, okay, guy, you have to write my first short film.
01:13You know.
01:13So, I mean, I hadn't written any film as at that moment,
01:18but then he convinced me that it's something I could do.
01:21So, I mean, I wrote it.
01:22And then when we were on set for the production,
01:25I realized that, okay, I actually love this thing, you know.
01:29And from then on, I started, you know, researching
01:32and started making films with my friends.
01:34Yeah.
01:34So when I left school, of course,
01:36I had to move to Lagos and, you know,
01:39start making films and all of that.
01:41I think I drew a lot of inspiration from African literature.
01:48And, of course, because growing up,
01:50I worked films from different parts of the world.
01:52So it wasn't just Hollywood.
01:53It wasn't just Nollywood.
01:54It was also Chinese movies, Bollywood,
01:57and anything I could, you know, lay my eyes on.
02:00Then, of course, so over the years,
02:03and I think I was also lucky to grow up at the point
02:08where Afrobeat gradually became, like, a thing.
02:12So I also take lots of inspiration from, you know,
02:16from Afrobeat.
02:17So what that means is,
02:20in as much as I try to,
02:22I work to keep my work balanced
02:26with what's happening universally,
02:28I also bring, like, an African touch
02:32or a Nigerian touch to whatever I, you know,
02:36I work on.
02:38That's a powerful response.
02:39Okay.
02:40So as someone that is actively shaping stories
02:46for the screen,
02:47what is your perspective on Dwanju?
02:50And Dwanju is, like, vertical short drama format.
02:52So what is your perspective on it?
02:55Do you think it's something that is going to
02:56stay as a temporary wave?
02:59Or do you believe that it has, like,
03:01a natural evolution that is going to last longer in time?
03:05The traditional, as we know it,
03:08both the creative end of it
03:10and the business end of it,
03:11is going to evolve over time.
03:14So Dwanju is, like,
03:15one of the natural progressions of that, you know.
03:19So I feel, I mean,
03:21once people started,
03:22once we started having apps
03:25that allow people to, like,
03:26view stuff vertically
03:27and cameras that allow people to shoot like that too,
03:32Dwanju now became, like,
03:33a natural progression for film.
03:36So I don't think it's some,
03:37I think it's something that has come to stay.
03:39I think this is, like,
03:41the beginning of it, like,
03:42in the next five, ten years,
03:43it's going to be, like,
03:44probably times five bigger
03:46than it is at the moment.
03:48So, yeah, it has come to stay.
03:51Well, let's talk about, like,
03:52the production challenges
03:54because this has been a question
03:56that we've been speaking for a while,
03:58like, various Africans
04:00because people have been trying to attempt
04:02this vertical space here in Africa.
04:05So from a production standpoint,
04:07since you are a producer,
04:08what do you see as the major challenge
04:12on opportunities in creating short dramas
04:16here in Africa for African audiences?
04:19In reality, we actually have,
04:22people actually shoot vertical dramas in Nigeria.
04:26But most of it come as skits,
04:29you know, what we call skits,
04:31like the comedy guys and all they do.
04:33But apart from that,
04:34on TikTok,
04:35I also see a couple of people doing stories
04:37where at the end of one minute or two,
04:41they'll ask you to check up the next episode.
04:45And if you follow that up,
04:46you'll see, like,
04:47that they have, like,
04:48lots of episodes of that.
04:50So what we don't have yet
04:51is a platform that's
04:55where you can only see vertical dramas.
04:59That's what we don't have yet.
05:01So from the production perspective,
05:03I feel Africa is actually the best place to, like,
05:06maybe not the best,
05:07for at least the cheapest place to, like,
05:09make duandries.
05:10Because what,
05:12I mean,
05:12I read stuff from online
05:13and I hear people make them
05:15for as much as 20k dollars,
05:17sorry,
05:18200k dollars,
05:19300k dollars.
05:21And to them,
05:22that's what it feels like
05:23to make it cheap.
05:25But in Nigeria,
05:26200k dollars,
05:28it's like a high-budget film.
05:31Even for the cinema,
05:32you know,
05:32like a high-budget film.
05:34Because our high-budget films,
05:35like,
05:36start from, say,
05:37150 million naira,
05:40you know.
05:41So,
05:42so it means that
05:43for you to do
05:44verticals in Nigeria,
05:46with, say,
05:4820k,
05:50you can do a very solid project,
05:52you know.
05:53If you now want to, like,
05:54elaborate it and make it something big,
05:56you know.
05:56So,
05:57the,
05:57the financial aspect of it,
05:59now,
06:00it's actually,
06:00you know,
06:01good for the African space,
06:03so to say.
06:04The only challenge
06:06I see is
06:07getting,
06:10how do I put it,
06:12training people fast enough
06:13so that
06:14they can understand
06:16the,
06:17the format
06:17and,
06:18you know,
06:19be giving you what,
06:21what works,
06:22so to say.
06:23But,
06:24logistically,
06:26I feel it's,
06:27there are more
06:28opportunities here
06:29than challenges,
06:30so to say.
06:32Yeah.
06:33Yeah.
06:33Speaking of
06:34training people fast enough
06:35and,
06:36you know,
06:36bringing people along
06:37with you in this format
06:39because it's,
06:40it's very few people
06:42that know about this.
06:43People have been seeing it,
06:44but I don't know
06:45if anyone has tried
06:46or attempted
06:47like you
06:48already,
06:49like,
06:49you know,
06:49have indicated
06:50an interest in it.
06:51Let's talk about,
06:52like,
06:52collaboration.
06:54What kind of,
06:54like,
06:55partnerships
06:55or team structures
06:57or industry relationships
06:58do you think
06:59are necessary
07:00to accelerate
07:02the growth
07:02of Duanju
07:03in Africa?
07:05I mean,
07:06it depends on
07:07how
07:09the platform
07:10coming in
07:11wants to come in
07:11because it's a
07:13two-way thing.
07:15You could either
07:15come in,
07:16you know,
07:17building a different
07:18Duanju app
07:20for Africans
07:21which can work.
07:24You know,
07:24just like the,
07:25if you come
07:26with the
07:27African Magic M-Net
07:28what's it called?
07:34How do I put it?
07:35Strategy.
07:36I think
07:37this is,
07:38like,
07:38the perfect time
07:39to,
07:39like,
07:39you know,
07:40key in
07:41and,
07:41like,
07:41become,
07:41like,
07:42a strong
07:42stakeholder
07:44in,
07:45you know.
07:45But then
07:46you can also
07:46come in,
07:48you can also
07:49put some,
07:50like,
07:50a library
07:51of African films
07:52or Nigerian films
07:53for an already
07:54existing
07:55vertical drama
07:57platform.
07:58So,
07:59it depends on the one
08:00that you actually
08:00want really,
08:01you know.
08:02But what can work
08:03is,
08:04I mean,
08:06for streaming,
08:06for streaming platform
08:08what they usually do
08:09is find some producers,
08:11you know,
08:12and then have some
08:13conversations with
08:14those producers
08:14and then those producers
08:15will now get their
08:16own people
08:17and then
08:18their channel
08:20stop.
08:21Yeah,
08:22that's
08:23the,
08:23the,
08:24what works
08:25visually.
08:26But then,
08:26to,
08:29there is also
08:30a,
08:31how do I put it,
08:32there's also
08:33a skill gap
08:34in terms of
08:35the kind of,
08:37a quality gap
08:37in terms of
08:38the kind of
08:38films that come out
08:39from this part
08:39of the world
08:40and films that come out
08:41from other parts
08:42of the world.
08:43Like,
08:43we are still struggling
08:44with clean sound
08:46and all of that,
08:47although with AI
08:48it has been
08:49better,
08:50you know.
08:50so there's
08:52stuff that can
08:53also make things
08:54better is
08:55do more of
08:57a co-production
08:58collaboration
09:01in terms of
09:01maybe
09:02we'll have like
09:04some
09:04script supervisor
09:05or whatever
09:06coming from
09:08maybe the country
09:10that is,
09:11you know,
09:11funding it
09:12or
09:12that already
09:13has an understanding
09:14of how
09:15it works,
09:16you know,
09:17then probably
09:18a post-production
09:21supervisor
09:21or something,
09:22you know,
09:23so that at the end
09:23of the day
09:24the quality
09:24would come out,
09:26you know,
09:26tight.
09:27Yeah,
09:27and so
09:29basically that
09:30and then
09:31offering opportunities
09:32for Africans
09:34to probably
09:35go for
09:36trainings
09:37or whatever
09:37happening around
09:38the vertical
09:39drama space.
09:40It could be online,
09:41it could be offline,
09:42you know,
09:43because I noticed
09:44that for MNET
09:45to grow as big
09:46as they did
09:48in Africa,
09:50they had this
09:50thing where
09:51sometimes they'll
09:52fly some South
09:53African writers
09:54or filmmakers
09:55to come to
09:55Nigeria for
09:56some workshop
09:57in Nigeria
09:58and sometimes
09:59they'll fly some
09:59select Nigerian
10:00writers or
10:01directors or
10:01producers
10:02for, you know,
10:03training over there,
10:04you know,
10:05and so over time
10:06of having that
10:07high bridge,
10:09Nigerian filmmakers
10:10or Nigerian
10:11producers
10:12now started
10:12churning out
10:13better quality
10:14stuff for
10:15MNET.
10:16And even
10:16until now,
10:17when they do
10:17some productions,
10:19they could still
10:19have some
10:20South Africans
10:21as part of
10:24the production
10:24to help
10:25with the
10:25overseeing
10:25of the project.
10:27So, yeah,
10:28that could
10:28work.
10:30Let's talk
10:31about the
10:31commercial
10:32potential of
10:33Dwanjuu in
10:34Africa.
10:35Looking ahead,
10:36do you think
10:37that Dwanjuu-style
10:38storytelling can
10:40thrive commercially?
10:41It's one thing
10:42to invest,
10:42it's one thing
10:43to start,
10:44but do you
10:44think it
10:44can thrive
10:45commercially?
10:46And in your
10:46view,
10:47what business
10:48or creative
10:49models could
10:50make it
10:50sustainable in
10:51the long term?
10:52Because I know
10:52that as Nigerians,
10:53we usually
10:54complain about
10:55data consumption
10:56and, you know,
10:57paying to open
10:59something can be
10:59very, very hard.
11:01This is,
11:02so what do you
11:03think?
11:04What do you
11:04think?
11:04Um, I
11:06mean, to
11:06be, to be
11:07fair, that
11:08has been a
11:08concern because
11:10Netflix went
11:12cold on
11:13Nigerian
11:14producers
11:15sometime last
11:17year.
11:18And the
11:18reason was
11:19because they've
11:21been here for
11:22close to 10
11:25years, you
11:26know, and
11:26they only have
11:27like 170
11:28subscribers,
11:31you know.
11:31to make
11:35vertical drama
11:37successful in
11:38Africa, if
11:39you are going
11:39by building
11:41like a
11:42special app
11:43for reads,
11:44you have to
11:45go beyond,
11:46it can't be
11:47targeted at
11:48just Nigerians,
11:49you know.
11:50It has to be
11:51targeted at
11:51Africans.
11:53And so it
11:53means that you
11:54won't just be
11:54shooting Nigerian
11:55content.
11:56You'd also
11:56probably target
11:57like five,
11:59ten top
12:00movie industries
12:02in Africa.
12:03That's Nigeria,
12:04South Africa,
12:05Ghana, Kenya,
12:08I think Ethiopia
12:08and so it
12:10would be like
12:11an African
12:11thing.
12:12So that way
12:12you now
12:14budget based
12:16on how much
12:16viewers you
12:18expect to get
12:18from each
12:19part of the
12:20continent.
12:21And then you
12:22also have to
12:24find a
12:25price that
12:26works for
12:27Africans or
12:29if you
12:30are going
12:30like a
12:31price that
12:31works for
12:32the middle
12:33class Nigerians
12:34I think can
12:34work for
12:35anybody in
12:35Africa.
12:36And also
12:37probably have
12:38a free
12:38version.
12:40But to
12:41make that
12:41free version
12:42work,
12:43you might
12:44need to
12:44collaborate with
12:46some platforms
12:47so that
12:50probably when
12:51you watch
12:51one episode
12:52you could
12:52get to
12:53watch like
12:5315,
12:5430 seconds
12:54or one
12:55minute of
12:55art.
12:56you know
12:57so that
12:58way
12:58basically
13:00like the
13:00YouTube
13:00system
13:01so to
13:01say
13:01you get
13:02what I
13:02mean.
13:03So if
13:03you want
13:04it free
13:04you have
13:05to watch
13:05some ads
13:06but if
13:06you want
13:07to pay
13:07for it
13:08then you
13:08can pay
13:09for it
13:09and then
13:09you don't
13:10need to
13:10watch
13:10ads.
13:11I think
13:11that model
13:12could work
13:13for Nigeria
13:13and then
13:14figuring out
13:16the figure
13:17that the
13:18middle class
13:19Nigerian
13:19would want
13:20to let
13:20go of
13:21every month
13:22too.
13:23And then
13:23another
13:23juice you
13:24might add
13:25to it
13:25is instead
13:26of just
13:26making it
13:27dramas you
13:28could make
13:29it a
13:30full non
13:32media platform
13:33where that
13:34could also
13:34carry news
13:35and all of
13:36that but
13:37they would
13:37all be in
13:38the one
13:39two minutes
13:41per episode
13:42and shot
13:43vertically
13:43you know
13:44but then
13:44you now
13:45have like
13:46variety of
13:47contents
13:47there like
13:48lifestyle
13:49shoes you
13:50know stuff
13:51on makeup
13:51stuff on
13:52fashion
13:54stuff on
13:55you know
13:56basically
13:56to like
13:58you know
13:58and then
13:59to
14:00I know
14:01Nigerian
14:01love their
14:02stars
14:03so you
14:05might want
14:05to at
14:06least for
14:07the beginning
14:07use a
14:08couple of
14:09Nigerian
14:09stars to
14:10easily like
14:11penetrate
14:11the markets
14:12you know
14:12otherwise
14:13it might
14:14take you
14:14longer
14:14period to
14:15penetrate
14:16the Nigerian
14:17market
14:17you know
14:17that's
14:19and then
14:20you know
14:20how these
14:21things are
14:21over time
14:22of experimenting
14:23and maybe
14:24you can now
14:24have like
14:25a schedule
14:26for like
14:27every three
14:27months or
14:28six months
14:28you look
14:28at the
14:29strategies
14:29that you
14:30use
14:30and now
14:31say okay
14:31what's
14:32working
14:32what's
14:32not
14:32working
14:33and then
14:33because
14:34Nigeria
14:34is a
14:36unique
14:37place to
14:38do business
14:39in
14:39you know
14:40what's
14:41my work
14:42in other
14:43parts of
14:43the world
14:44might not
14:44work here
14:45so
14:46doing business
14:46here takes
14:47a lot of
14:48you know
14:49paying attention
14:49to things
14:51as they
14:51you know
14:52as they
14:53go on
14:53and you
14:54know
14:54but
14:54one thing
14:55I know
14:55is that
14:56Nigerians
14:56love drama
14:57and Nigerians
14:59can pay
15:00for drama
15:00when they're
15:01getting it
15:01hot hot
15:02you know
15:03and you
15:03just find a
15:04way to
15:04like over
15:05time make
15:05it king
15:06so to say
15:06but then
15:07I know
15:08a couple
15:08of Nigerians
15:09who actually
15:10pay for
15:11vertical drama
15:13platforms
15:14you know
15:15just two
15:16people actually
15:16but I mean
15:17maybe when
15:19I act
15:19around more
15:20I get
15:21to know
15:21more
15:21so you
15:21never
15:21can tell
15:22if you
15:23want to
15:23do a
15:24situation
15:24where
15:24it's more
15:26of creating
15:26a library
15:27of Nigerian
15:28or African
15:28content
15:29for an
15:30already
15:30existing
15:30platform
15:31you might
15:32now have
15:32to go
15:33a different
15:33route
15:34I think
15:35what could
15:35now work
15:36in that
15:37case
15:37is
15:38either
15:39bringing
15:39some
15:40actors
15:41who are
15:41already
15:41popular
15:41in that
15:42platform
15:42to Nigeria
15:44to do
15:44like
15:44an international
15:47collaboration
15:47or
15:48you take
15:48some
15:49popular
15:49Nigerians
15:50there
15:50to do
15:51one or
15:52two
15:52things
15:52with
15:53them
15:53you get
15:54and
15:55over time
15:56that
15:56could work
15:57or you
15:57could just
15:58start out
15:58with just
15:59a normal
15:59vertical
16:00drama
16:00with
16:01one or
16:02two
16:02Nigerian
16:03B-list
16:06or A-list
16:06actors
16:07and then
16:08with enough
16:08promo
16:09and all
16:09of that
16:10that
16:10would also
16:11fly
16:11you know
16:13that's
16:15actually
16:15a good
16:16idea
16:16to wrap
16:17up on
16:18a lighter
16:19note
16:19are there
16:21like any
16:21projects
16:22or ideas
16:23or upcoming
16:24work that
16:24you're excited
16:25to talk
16:26about
16:26that you
16:27want the
16:27audience
16:27to know
16:28like any
16:31project
16:31that you
16:31are starting
16:32for yourself
16:32drama
16:33ideas
16:33it doesn't
16:35have to
16:35be
16:35vertical
16:35like
16:36something
16:36that you
16:36are starting
16:37yes
16:37yes
16:38exactly
16:38I mean
16:41I'm working
16:42on
16:42I'm always
16:43working on
16:43stuff
16:43you know
16:44like
16:44next
16:46future
16:47is going
16:47to happen
16:48sometime
16:48first
16:48second
16:49quarter
16:49of
16:49next
16:50year
16:50it's
16:51basically
16:51about
16:51a
16:52about
16:53a
16:54community
16:55that
16:55their
16:56king
16:56gets
16:57poisoned
16:57so
16:58before
16:59he dies
16:59he
16:59causes
17:00his
17:00throne
17:00saying
17:01that
17:02until
17:02they find
17:03who poisoned
17:03him
17:04whoever
17:05enters
17:05the throne
17:06will die
17:06and whoever
17:07discovers
17:07who poisoned
17:08him
17:08will be
17:09the next
17:09king
17:09so
17:10it's
17:10like
17:10an
17:10epic
17:11wood
17:11on
17:11it
17:11so
17:12to
17:12say
17:12yeah
17:13I've
17:14gotten
17:15a
17:16community
17:16that's
17:17interested
17:17in
17:17funding
17:17it
17:18so
17:18first
17:18second
17:18quarter
17:19of
17:19next
17:19thing
17:19then
17:20I
17:20also
17:20have
17:21this
17:21horror
17:23film
17:23basically
17:24the
17:24title
17:24is
17:25about
17:26a
17:28demon
17:28that
17:28hunts
17:28people
17:29through
17:29the
17:29internet
17:29you know
17:31so
17:31it's
17:31basically
17:32built
17:32around
17:32the
17:32concept
17:33of
17:33imagine
17:34if
17:34the
17:34world
17:34is
17:34going
17:34to
17:35come
17:35to
17:35an
17:35end
17:35today
17:36it's
17:36not
17:36going
17:36to
17:36come
17:37through
17:38air
17:38or
17:38water
17:39or
17:39it's
17:40most
17:41likely
17:41going
17:41to
17:41come
17:42to
17:42the
17:42internet
17:43so
17:44that's
17:45you know
17:45I've
17:46written a
17:46script
17:46for that
17:46but we're
17:47still running
17:47around
17:48to get
17:48funding
17:50and all
17:50of that
17:50and a
17:51couple
17:51of other
17:52because
17:53the way
17:53my head
17:54works
17:54my ideas
17:57are not
17:57gender
17:58specific
17:58you know
18:00I have
18:00wrong
18:00com ideas
18:01I have
18:01sitcom
18:02ideas
18:02I have
18:02horror
18:03ideas
18:04I have
18:04epic
18:05ideas
18:05I have
18:06normal
18:08slice
18:08of
18:09life
18:09ideas
18:10and I've
18:11also
18:11been
18:12developing
18:12some
18:12ideas
18:13that
18:13work
18:13specifically
18:14for
18:15verticals
18:16you know
18:17maybe I can
18:18share that
18:18with you
18:19but I'm
18:19not sure
18:19we still
18:20have time
18:20yeah
18:21oh
18:22that is
18:23wonderful
18:23we'll make
18:24sure that
18:24people
18:24will look
18:25into
18:25that
18:26especially
18:26this
18:27king
18:27storyline
18:27you just
18:28told me
18:28now
18:28I am
18:29very
18:30very
18:30interested
18:31thank
18:32you
18:33again
18:33for
18:34taking
18:34your
18:35time
18:35to
18:35share
18:36your
18:36journey
18:37and
18:38your
18:38perspective
18:39on
18:39this
18:40involving
18:40storytelling
18:41format
18:41because
18:42we have
18:43been looking
18:43for Africans
18:44that are
18:45very
18:45interested
18:46in it
18:46and
18:46I am
18:47just
18:47excited
18:48that
18:48you
18:48are
18:49so
18:49open
18:49to it
18:50and
18:50you
18:50really
18:51have
18:51ideas
18:52which
18:53quite
18:54frankly
18:55I believe
18:55can work
18:56out
18:56so
18:56I
18:57appreciate
18:57the
18:58whole
18:58points
18:59that you
18:59dropped
18:59and
18:59everything
19:00and
19:01to
19:01everyone
19:02that
19:02is
19:02watching
19:02this
19:03thank
19:03you
19:03for
19:04being
19:04a
19:04part
19:04of
19:05this
19:05spotlight
19:06series
19:06that
19:06we
19:06are
19:07about
19:07to
19:07start
19:07because
19:08at
19:08Dwanju
19:08what we
19:09are
19:09doing
19:09is
19:09that
19:10we
19:10are
19:10committed
19:10to
19:11elevating
19:12Africans
19:13Australian
19:14African
19:14creators
19:15and
19:15exploring
19:16the
19:16future
19:16of
19:17vertical
19:17storytelling
19:17in
19:18the
19:19continent
19:19so
19:20yeah
19:20thank
19:21you
19:21again
19:21yeah
19:22see you
19:23next
19:23time
19:24bye
19:26it's
19:27a
19:27pleasure
19:27yeah
19:28bye
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