Hacking The Film Business with Adekunle NODASH Adejuyigbe

Adekunle “Nodash” Adejuyigbe is the Writer, Director, and Producer of the critically acclaimed movie, “The Delivery Boy” which has become the classic of modern Nigerian cinema filmmaking. “The Delivery Boy” has screened in 4 continents to brilliant reviews and it won the best Nigerian Film Award at Africa International Film Festival (AFRIFF) 2018. Adekunle “Nodash” Adejuyigbe has won various awards and with commendations for his directing, writing, producing and cinematography talent-he possesses an uncanny ability to create artistic, emotional pictures, to deeply analyze stories and find a way to creatively and technically express them.

Below is a summary of The Interview Hacking The Film Business with Adekunle NODASH Adejuyigbe

Speaking about the different changes in the Nigerian film industry he said that people are now aware of the things that go into film making and the meanings that film creators often tried to pass across. He said that with every business where some form of investment was required they too in the film industry were looking to build trust with the audience so that they can be trusted in the future. On the cost of making a film, He explained that film budgets often vary as it depended on the type and length of the production.

He stressed on the importance of education for filmmakers even beyond film schools. He said that most filmmakers did not attend film schools and as such learned through reading extensively and using the internet to their advantage. He was of the opinion that one could hack the industry if they would study and experiment.

He explained that a great movie was often dependent on the storytelling as the intention of the filmmaker had to show through the finished product. Adekunle shared optimism about the Nigerian film industry saying that the reception of Nigerian movies so far in film festivals across different countries has been positive.

On the qualities film directors look for when casting for a role he said that it was important that an actor connects with the character, this he said will be evident with the actor’s mannerisms during auditions. He was of the opinion that an audition was a two-way process, as it was also important that a director understands his job in a film project and is suitable for the role.

He also shared his experience casting actors for certain roles in his movie, the Delivery Boy. He explained that in judging a scene there were two areas; what one sees on set and what they see after the film is edited. He said that it was important for directors to be their worst critic and to also trust their feelings.

Adekunle explained that dialogue was very important in filming as it could express what a person is saying and also what they are communicating but not saying. He said it was important for a film director to be able to distinguish this in a writer’s work.

He expressed optimism saying that compared to ten years ago Nigerian filmmakers are now making movies that project the future.
A caller into the show asked as to why as Adekunle stated earlier in the show why only 10% of the Nollywood workforce were credible enough. Adekunle responded saying that when things are done in a certain way over time others pick up the practice and even with the statistics things are bound to change and it only takes time.

As to why certain scenes as the Nigerian police scene are not portrayed well, he said it was due to carelessness on the part of producers as they failed to do adequate research before making a movie. Another reason he gave was compared to other countries where their movies were government-funded, but currently, some Nigerian stations had begun to adopt this method.