Filmmaking Does Not Make You Rich In Nollywood - Nora Awolowo
In this debut edition of Nollywood BTS with Filmmakers Mart, we speak with cinematographer and director, Nora Awolowo about what it means to operate in Nollywood and her filmmaking process.
Nora Awolowo first caught our attention with her filmmaking work on the moving documentary, Life at the Bay, which documented the struggles of the female residents of the Tarkwa Bay beach community, in 2019.
The following year, stunning aerial pictures of Abuja, Nigeria’s capital city, flooded the internet showcasing Awolowo’s skills as a talented photographer to a wider audience. Since then, the cinematographer, director, producer and photographer has worked on major Nollywood projects and documentaries
In 2023, she earned an award at the 9th edition of the African Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards (AMVCA) in the best documentary category for her work on The Debut. A film which narrates Nigeria’s journey as debutants at the 1994 FIFA World Cup.
With her extensive experience across multiple project formats in the Nigerian film industry, Nora talks with the IN team in this interview about the nuances of making money in Nollywood as a crew member and her filmmaking process.
This interview has been condensed and edited for clarity.
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You’ve done such impactful projects in a short time. How do you feel?
I usually just move to the next project after finishing one but I am currently learning to enjoy the moment. I take lessons from projects and apply them to the next. That's where I find my fulfilment currently and I am just enjoying the process and the moment.
How do you pick Nollywood projects to work on?
I think luck also comes to play for me o! Let me say that first but when I am not working, I am doing interesting personal projects. They catch people’s attention and I get offers based on them sometimes.
It is important for me to do things I like and enjoy. It’s the way I pick my projects. The story also has to make sense. I remember getting a script and I had to say no because it was terrible. I have gotten a really good script and moved my vacation because it was something I really wanted to work on.
There are projects like that, they are so good that you want to work on them and there are others you wouldn’t want your name to be on.
What do you consider a good project?
Hmmm. So, first things first, it depends on what I’m working on. So, sometimes it’s a script or for an ad, it’s a brief. I look at it, see if it has a strong direction and try to understand the vision of the company or person behind it. I also look at their previous projects and how they push these works.
I also check if it’s a project that will resonate with people and how the audience would likely receive it. These are some of the things I consider.
What are the unspoken facts about doing filmmaking for a living?
Filmmaking in Nigeria will make you famous but not rich, especially if you are a technical crew member. Making ads will likely pay better because the budgets are better, shoots are straight to the point and it’s a sharper experience.
It helps if technical creatives find a balance between both. So, you work on a film project, it makes a certain amount at the box office, it comes on Netflix, and everyone is talking about it. The Agency people see it and call you to work on a brief. It really requires a fine balance.
It also applies to actors in a sense but crew members more. It’s why you see most crew members in Nollywood jumping from set to set. People are making multiple films in a year, hoping that they can do something with the influence that comes from the promo and performance of the films.
Film is longer. People watch it and connect with it so they will give feedback and interact. Commercials, on the other hand, are easier to work on and forget. Balance is important for filmmakers.
That’s why I tell people to find other stuff to do where they can make money for survival. Film alone isn’t going to make you a millionaire if you are simply a Nollywood crew member. Maybe in the next generation.
Which is your artistic favourite between directing, producing, and cinematography? And why?
Cinematography. I enjoy working with directors on executing the visuals of a film. And there are some directors that understand the technicalities of filmmaking. I worked with a director in late 2023 and the job was easier because they understood the technical aspects — things like the lenses I was recommending and why. It just makes things easier.
As a cinematographer, I work with the director to make the visuals look great and to bring their vision to life with my own creativity. I get to decide how scenes, actors and movements should be filmed. You hear people talk about how Nollywood’s pictures have significantly improved in the last decade and cinematography is a major part of this progress.
I'm curious about the behind-the-scenes. What needs to happen between the time that you get a script and filming begins? What are the things that need to be in place from a cinematographer's perspective?
I have my own way of working and I think film should be done in doses. People shouldn’t jump from set to set. It is a privileged take in this industry but I believe we should take our time with films.
Talking about my process. I see a script, like it and talk to the director about their vision. Directors who know what they are doing will also give you references. Then, the main pre-production work starts. I like to talk about every scene thoroughly with the director so we are on the same page when production begins.
Back to having breaks between projects. Filmmaking is mentally draining and you need time to recover. If you start the cycle over and over every couple of days, you will burn out and eventually have notice to give.
What is the biggest challenge faced by cinematographers in Nollywood?
The biggest challenge is time. Cinematographers in Nollywood don’t have enough time to process a project before filming needs to start. I saw a tweet about two weeks ago that said people just call a cinematographer on board for a film two weeks before production begins. There’s no time to plan, to see the vision. Some people are shooting twelve to twenty scenes a day. It’s a problem. There isn’t time to set up properly.
Money is an important factor. Production design and lighting are often underlooked and I always ask people to pay attention to this. There should be time to plan and execute projects better.
What project should we be expecting from you this year?
I have three projects on the way. I did something with Lota Chukwu and Niyi Akinmolayan. Actually, about four or five projects.
This series is jointly presented by Filmmakers Mart, the leading film logistics marketplace in Nollywood.