Read 10 Tips For Getting Your Original Nollywood Screenwriting Ideas
A lot of people think Nollywood starts and ends with acting or any area that makes the papparrazi stalk you wherever you go. We get the impression in that everybody wants to act, everybody wants to make movies in Nollywood. Screenwriting is somehow an isolated and often ignored part of the movie business in this part of the world. Many tend to forget it exists because of its relative seclusion. Hence, many aspiring screenwriters are often discouraged due to how quiet or unprofitable the art seems.
The funny thing is screenwriting is the first and arguably the most important part of the film making process. In other words, no script, no movie. Therefore, this article intends to show you why you should consider becoming a Nollywood screenwriter.
1. Producers are constantly looking for good screenwriters
Currently, screenwriters are not enough in Nollywood. Don’t get it twisted. Nollywood is littered with screenwriters. But few are actually good which means there’s always a space for you to take the industry by the storm. Have you noticed that many top Nollywood filmmakers are also writers? The truth is many of them do not actually enjoy writing. They simply do it because they can’t find a screenwriter good enough to give them what they want. You can be that person. Grab the opportunity.
2. Being a Nollywood screenwriter makes you a creator
A screenwriter is a god or goddess. He or she is the creator of the screen universe. Without you, there is no movie. Without you, the audience cannot be entertained. And without you, other members of cast and crew are lost. As a Nollywood screenwriter, you hold the key that decides whether a movie is made or not. See, screenwriters may seem to be overlooked or taken for granted, but they are most definitely indispensable.
3. Screenwriting boosts your writing career
Nigerian writers will agree that writing and publishing in Nigeria is tedious and often not profitable. We have talented writers whose published works are lying on shelves gathering dusts. Screenwriting in Nollywood offers you the opportunity to harness your writing talents to the fullest. Writing for Nollywood gives you the opportunity to play with your writing career anyhow you want and still emerge victorious. You can adapt your novels, plays, poetry into screenplays and vice versa. Not only will you be able to profit financially if you team up with the right people, you will gain more prestigious recognitions that can boost your writing career. You can be the next J.K Rowling in Nollywood.
4. Being a Nollywood screenwriter is not expensive
As complex and technical as screenwriting is, it is not expensive. You don’t need to pay top dollars to be in the industry. All you need is what’s in your head, your writing skills, a laptop and the ability to pitch your script to a filmmaker. That’s all.
5. Screenwriting is one of the easiest ways to get into the industry
Nollywood isn’t an easy place to be. Competition is the name of the game. Most people find it very difficult to get into the industry, mostly due to lack of finance and connections. People like Emem Isong, Kemi Adesoye started out as screenwriters and now they’re big producers in the industry. For instance, you want to be an actor but you can’t seem to find the right opportunities or connections. You can start with screenwriting. Write your way into the filmmakers’ hearts and you can find an easier access to your dream role.
6. Your private life is protected
Writers are often private people. A lot of people in Nollywood can do without the exposure that acting and producing often brings. That’s the beauty of screenwriting. You can choose to be famous. And you can choose to remain at the background. Your choice. Either way, you won’t stop enjoying the benefits of an artist and entertainer.
7. You won’t run out of jobs
As pointed out earlier, a good Nollywood screenwriter is a hot cake. Filmmakers are on constant look out for people like that. Once they sniff out that you’re one, trust me, you will write and write until you beg them to give you time to rest. You will be constantly engaged. Na dem go rush you.
8. Finding fulfillment
There’s nothing better than an audience watching figments of your imagination playing on the screen and loving every minute of it. Nothing can top that feeling of fulfillment. In fact, forget money and fame. The best part of screenwriting is wrapping your audience around your fingers as they are gripped by your own creation displayed on the screen. If that doesn’t fulfill you, nothing can.
The point is, Nollywood needs you. So go out there and spark up your screenwriting world.
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