Happy and Not Too Happy Tales of Nollywood Story Writers?

Do you ever wonder how people come about the stories, which produce those beautiful movies and television productions that you love? Well, much more than often, movie enthusiasts do not bother to ponder the collaborative process in the productions they watch each time they sit at the theaters, or before their computers and Television sets. What most filmgoers remember for a long time after are the performances of the actors. However, critical lovers of films usually sit until the end to peep at end credits in recognition of the teamwork that filmmaking requires.

Looking through this multi-faceted form of entertainment, one may find it difficult to identify the most important component of moviemaking. However, many filmmakers hold the opinion that the screenplay is the most important factor in the filmmaking process. In the opinion of many industry players, stories and screenwriters, who produce them are the most valuable players in moviemaking.

Speaking on the relevance of screenwriting in filming, actor, director, and screenwriter, Raphael Niyi, told eelive.ng, that there can be no movie without a script. Explaining that screenwriting is unarguably the most important part of film production, he said; “Screenwriting is the bedrock of every movie you see out there. It is impossible to produce a film without having it first scripted. Although, there are many departments as far as filmmaking is concerned; screenwriting is the written and documented version of what will later appear on screen for viewers after production has been concluded.”

Corroborating Niyi’s point, Michael Ubanese, who is also a scriptwriter, explained that “screenwriting is the guide for producers, directors, actors, and the crew, which is exactly what will appear on screen. I think it can be best understood as the common ground that every creative department of moviemaking, including acting, will work with from the start to finish of a production. A script tells the complete story, contains all action in the film and all dialogue for each character. In most instances, the screenplay also describes characters visually, which enables filmmakers capture their styles, looks, and vibe.”

The art and the business of script-writing

The first point to know is that a story cannot be strictly called so until it is written as a script, which details research, creating dialogue, mood and indicate directions of camera and other ancillary factors in the film. The word of the screenwriter set the pace for the emotional impact that the finished production achieves in the hands of the director.

While producers sometimes commission well-known scriptwriters on specific projects; eelive.ng understands that many professional writers just write with the intention of pitching their scripts to producers.  This paper however understands that selling a script could be a real hard deal, especially for upcoming writers. In fact, sometimes, screenwriters do not get paid, neither do they earn the credits they deserve for their jobs, according to sources. This, in the opinion of industry players has affected the quality of stories currently produced.

Stakeholders in the industry believe that this reality is behind a recent tweet by renowned filmmaker, Mildred Okwo, which read; “There is no single good Nollywood scriptwriter who is not holding back a story or two; because they understand fully well that the present crop of producers will not pay them what their story is worth.”

Reacting to Okwo’s tweet, Niyi, who played the role of Kiki’s father in the popular sitcome, Jenifa’s Diary,  told eelive.ng that it is an open secret that screenwriters are not only undervalued but underpaid in the Nigerian movie-making industry.

“As a player in Nollywood, I will tell you that every filmmaker knows that screenwriters do not get the appreciation they deserve for their work. Despite the fact that they belong to an integral department of moviemaking, you rarely see them winning awards, getting deserving payments and credits for their jobs,” he said.

Niyi revealed that filmmakers’ reluctance to pay qualified screenwriters to handle their projects, detract from the quality of productions. “Most times, actors rewrite scripts given to them on set due to the fact that it was written by someone who is either not a professional or poorly paid,” he added.

Unhappy Tales of Screenwriters

Another screenwriter, Gift Wogu, told eelive.ng that she’s yet to be credited for her scripts that have so far been shot and released. She attributed this to the fact that the industry is unstructured, and other departments in the movie-making industry aside acting, are not respected.

Describing her experience in the industry, Wogu; “My journey as a scriptwriter in Nigeria can best be described as horrible. It is an open secret that writers are not valued here, like meeting the right producer is almost impossible, this set of people are hard to come by. This is because most people you will meet as a scriptwriter will take your job without giving you the due credits, not to talk of paying you.

“I’ve seen that happen a couple of times, and I have experienced it personally. They will read your story, express their excitement, and how lucky they are to have such a script, and surprisingly for you, they will later come back to tell you that they don’t like it anymore. And before you know it, they have produced it with another title, but as someone who conceptualised that idea, you will know you own this story, and you can’t do anything about that because the Nigerian copyright law is not serious.

“Aside from meeting the wrong producers who will use your job without your knowledge, the amount of money they pay scriptwriters is very low compared to the effort and time you put in creating that story. And the experience is different. For instance, I’m a screenwriter and a storyteller. Writing a script is different from writing a novel, play or poem. It has its own format; having a story is not enough, putting it in the script format is more important. So, for someone like me who can tell a story and put it in the script format, telling me that you are not going to pay me a good amount of money because of the economy doesn’t make sense, and sadly, that’s what we have been enduring all this while.”

Ubanese also indicated that he has had it rough. The writer whose credits include, My Greatest Love and Sparkle, said: “to be honest, most producers don’t value writers. I was not well valued considering the low pay. Some of these producers even feel they are doing you favours by using your work and crediting you, which is a big problem. The pay is not encouraging, especially when I just started. It will surprise you to know that some producers price scripts like crayfish. You can imagine when a producer is offering you N20,000 to write a feature length film. Is that not crazy?” he lamented.

Although, now a successful screenwriter, Dami Elebe, highlighted some of the challenges she faced in the course of her career in an interview with The Guardian. “Getting people to buy into your dream is difficult. I was close to giving up when Ndani picked me to write for them. At first, I didn’t even know how to write a treatment or pitch my stories. Now, I get scared that if I write the perfect treatment or pitch my stories, it might be stolen,” the Skinny Girl In Transit and Rumour Has It screenwriter was quoted as saying.

Similarly, Kemi Adesoye, who is unarguably one of the revered screenwriters in the country, shared with the 2015 audience of Nollywood Studies Centre’s Filmmakers Forum, the various hurdles she had to face in order to actualise her dream of becoming a successful screenwriter.

Citing the non-existence of script-writing school as part of the hurdles she faced at the early stage of her career, Adesoye said; “the first school of scriptwriters I attended was in a book I discovered in a science library. Secondly, there was no one to encourage me. As a result, I had to build myself from scratch.”

She further revealed that the problem of having to work with people who do not appreciate or understand the role of a scriptwriter in a film, is another hurdle she faced.

“Meeting people who can’t tell the difference between a good story and a bad story because if they are crticising your story which is good, then they are actually making it worse. I am not against criticism. But there’s a good criticism that makes the script better and there’s a bad one that makes it worse. So, these were the hurdles I faced earlier in my career,” Vanguard quoted her as saying.

But the Land is Green Elsewhere

However, there are some writers, who have had relatively better experiences.  These set of screenwriters have been able to build productive relationships with movie producers and directors, such that they have earned credits and make a living from screenwriting. They are –Tunde Babalola, Chris Ihidero, Olu Yomi Osasanya, Biodun Stephen, Xavier Ighorodje, Kemi Adesoye, Dami Elebe, Uyoyou Adia, Dominic Ajayi, Mildred Okwo, amongst others.

With films like Figurine, and Phone Swap, under her belt, Adesoye, who has built a solid career in scriptwriting, and is solidly owning her space, shared the secrete of her success with her audience at the Nollywood Studies Centre’s Filmmakers Forum

On how she triumphed, Adesoye explained that she remained committed to the job in spite of the challenges. Her words; “scriptwriting is a passion; I give it all. It’s something you do because you love it, first before it loves you. People have different experiences when it comes to scriptwriting. To some people, their first attempt is a write-off. To some, they hit a goldmine and that’s it, and to many others, it takes a bit longer.”

Another screenwriter, Uyoyou Adia, whose credit accomplishments include – Lost, Akachi, The Family, N.E.W, and The Fourth Side, also shared her success

In an interview with eelive.ng, she admitted that it hasn’t been easy to push her works and get them shot; but writing consistently has improved her skill, which has earned her good gigs with reasonable remuneration. She said, “I’m a self-taught screenwriter. So, I really can’t say I struggled honestly. Writing consistently has tremendously improved my writing ability and I’m grateful to my mentors that push me to be better. It’s hard to get your work out there. But once it’s out there and people see or like it, more gigs will surely come to you. My triumphs have been as a result of hard work and consistency, and I appreciate the opportunity every day.”

Domini Ajayi is also a screenwriter who has a lot of movie projects to his credits. Having written over 12 scripts for Nollywood, alongside 7 non-commissioned films expected to be shot and released for Hollywood, Ajayi said he has so far been enjoying the profession. “My story was different. As far back as 2015 when I sold my first script in Alaba International Market, I sold it for N300,000. The thing is you don’t get that kind of money easily from people. For me, I think I have gotten some piece of the cake, which is fulfilling and at the same time, makes me happy,” he stated.

How Can the Story Change?

For Niyi, there is hope for struggling screenwriters in the movie-making industry. According to him, scriptwriters need to have a formidable association that will protect their interests and address their issues of lack of credits, poor payments, and lack of recognition. “I won’t lie, scriptwriters are as important as actors. And because of this, they need to be taken seriously. It is a known fact that the industry is not structured. And that’s why we have a lot of unprofessional parading themselves to be scriptwriters.

“These people are the ones messing up the real professionals, who won’t take peanuts and will do a good job. There needs to be an association that will protect their interests before they can thrive. It will shock you to know that AGN and NANTAP have guilds for scriptwriters, but are they functioning? These people are just there for their own sake. Its only courtesy visiting they are good for, not addressing the issues impeding the industry from growing,” he advised.

Ubanese also sought for a functional umbrella body for scriptwriters in the movie-making industry. His words; “We need an active union to survive in this industry. If there is a union, producers will respect us, and our colleagues will be more professional, and at the same time, compelled to place value on their arts for the sake of the industry. For instance, in the US, they have Writers Guild of America, which is a labour union for representing TV and screenwriters. I strongly believe When we have a functional body in place, everyone will be happy.”

Also, Adia does, however not think that having an umbrella body would solve the problems. According to her, individuals should take responsibility for their payments, credits, and respects. She said; “As a creative, I don’t think one is ever paid well.  I negotiate what’s good for me or what I think I deserve at the time. It’s all about negotiation, and if I feel the pay isn’t worth it then I won’t take the job. There’s a functioning guild for screenwriters. Though I’m not part of the guild, yet I believe they are there for the interest of writers, which I think is necessary. But as a non-member of the guild, I look out for myself. To thrive in the industry, you need to know and appreciate your worth. Sometimes that means days or months with no income. But when you eventually get that gig, it will be worth it.”

On his part, Ajayi expressed his belief that every screenwriter has a tendency to thrive; owing to the fact that they understand and have a full grasp of the art.

“When a scriptwriter knows his onions, when he writes well, directors and producers will salute him. For instance, I wrote a script for a producer and up till today after the script has been shot and released long ago whenever a flyer of any of his movies is out, he sends it to me first for vetting before going public. If I hadn’t known my onions, it wouldn’t be like that. While doing your job, try to upgrade yourself, learn something new, attend competitions, and events.

“These are the only ways you can expand your network and make your portfolio colourful. Another thing everyone should understand is that there are different types of screenwriters in Nigeria. We are in grades, and if you are up and coming; you need to grow from your locality and ensure your payment is within the range of your locality. So, start little and be aggressive with churning out quality scripts, and with time, you will grow.”

Like Ajayi, Adesoye said every screenwriter who wants to thrive in the industry regardless of whatever challenges; must have their styles. “You must develop your own unique style. There is a need for you to have a particular pattern of writing; especially now that the industry is growing and the world becoming a global village. You must come out of your comfort zone to write yourself into prominence,” she advised.