How to become a successful actor in Nollywood

I thought I should share this...

"I recently had an ‘interview’ with my old high school and one of the questions that was asked was one of the questions that I find so hard to answer. “What advice would you give to someone who wanted to become an actor?” Whenever I’m asked this, my first thought is – who am I to be giving advice? Especially when I’m still figuring it out myself. But this is what I said and it came out pretty cohesively, so I’m going to keep this and make it a monologue whenever I’m asked again in the future.

“Don’t do it. Find something else to do that you can be happy doing. It’s not glamorous, that’s only what you think it’s like because of what you see and read in magazines and the internet. There’s no money in it, you’ll be poor, poor to the point that every penny seems like $100. You’ll have to leave all your friends and family behind at some point, if you truly want to pursue it on a professional level. You’ll be rejected over and over and over and over again on a daily basis, countless times you will hear NO before you get out of bed in the morning. You can work and sacrifice for fifteen years of your life and never see a dime or even get a single part in a TV show or movie. If you can read all that and be unfazed, then you can start thinking about pursuing a career in front of the camera.

This is always a tough question to answer, one that I asked a long time ago too. And you’ll find so many people saying the same things – DON’T. I never understood why established and successful actors and celebrities, who were obviously successful at what I want to do, advising hopefuls to ‘do something else’. Now, over ten years of being in this business, I fully understand what they meant and whole heartedly agree with their advice. It’s a tough, tough business. I don’t think there’s anything like it, no industry to compare it to. There’s no corporate ladder to climb, there’s no step by step process, you don’t make money for a long time (if ever), and there’s just no guarantee of a job, ever. It sounds harsh but that’s the reality of this business.

To help paint a picture, when I started out, I didn’t have any idea of where/how/who/what I was supposed to do – heck, some days, I still don’t. It took a good two years just to get my bearings straight and even begin heading towards some kind of path I thought may be beneficial. I worked for free for many, many years, never saw a dime from acting. I worked various part time jobs to make rent and eat, spent tens of thousands of dollars that I didn’t have (thanks Visa, Mastercard and American Express!) on classes, workshops, pictures and more. It’s been doing this for over a decade and I’m still paying off the debt I created from many years of struggle. I was prepared to live out of my car, I never had to but I have friends that have had to, I know people who couldn’t afford anything except bread and peanut butter for every meal, every day.

Over a decade and I’m not a household name – my neighbor doesn’t even know my name, I’m not a millionaire, there’s no fame, there’s no fortune. I’m rejected everyday, I fail daily. I get about 1% of the acting jobs that I audition for, out of more than thousand auditions which has spanned over more than ten years, I only have about fifteen legitimately professional credits . I still work a day job. Often times, there is no free time, no time for hobbies because of classes, workshops, working a job, studying, etc. For awhile it was and still sometimes is, eat, sleep, breathe acting business, and not even because you want to, but because you have to in order to keep your dream alive. The worst of it all, I’ve had to leave all my friends from high school and college, and my family behind. And I’m not whining, I’m telling you this because this is typical for any actor and it’s what to expect. Sure we all hear stories about someone plucked from obscurity and thrust into stardom for instant fame, money and “success”, but that is not going to happen to you. You have a better chance of reciting the script of my favorite movie BRAVEHEART, better than me – it’s just not gonna happen. One of my favorite quotes is (not from Braveheart), “How does one become successful? – Right Decisions. How does one know which are the right decisions? – Experience. How does one gain experience? Wrong Decisions.” You will fail, hopefully over and over again until the doubt creeps in and you just want to give up. And that is exactly how you will succeed.

And honestly, there’s no one path to take. Every actor finds their own way and I promise you, they’re all different, all million of them. All I can really offer is that you keep consistent, do the work – no shortcuts, have patience, persistence, positivity and be yourself, not what you think others want or need you to be. And just know that this industry is full of opinions and don’t listen to any one who tells you that there is only one way or the way to do it, including me. Believe in yourself, your talent and don’t ever underestimate that you belong.”

The above are opinions based on our experience. We are not experts and do not make any guarantees as to the success or practice of these opinions."

I read through the above, mirrored the thoughts of the writer to mine and those of so many others in Nollywood and thought to share. I owe the writer big time.

                         Emeka Amakeze writes...

Is the Nigeria Film Institute dying?

This letter was posted on the WhatsApp Forum of the Directors Guild of Nigeria by Dickson Iroegbu. The voices of these students must be heard.

"I got this very disturbing mail from the students of NFI - with pictures attached.

Greetings Sir!

It is rather an unfortunate situation that the first line of communication and exchange that would exist between the students of the National Film Institute, Jos and your noble self as a strategic industry icon would be on the ground of unfavorable developments. While we concur to the shamefulness of the prevailing circumstances, we believe that somehow fate and chance have gifted us with an opportunity to interact, network and ally in the interest of our passion and for the common good of the Nigerian Film Industry.

You have been one industry icon that we have followed with keen interest with your film, “Widow’s Cot,” being a reference film for us at different times. However, we are glad that beyond recent events and saddening scenarios we are finally getting in touch with you in a relationship that we hope that will be mutually beneficial and very significant to this industry that you have shown so much passion for.

As it may have come to your knowledge, the Film Institute in Jos is currently undergoing difficult times. This has motivated the several protests that have rocked both the institute and the Film Corporation. Ever since the appointment of Engr. Danjuma W. Dadu, the Managing Director of the Nigerian Film Corporation, the supposed apex film agency in Nigeria, it has been clear retrogression for the institute, the corporation, and the industry at large. The Marine Engineer by training, without a prior experience in film or anything related to it, has continued to live up to the tag of a “square peg in a round hole”. Therefore, on Wednesday 20th of July, 2016, the student had had enough and would keep quiet no more.

When voices rose at the appointment of Engr Dadu, with notable industry practitioners like Ibinabo Fiberesima, Chike Bryan and a host of others, rejecting the appointment and calling for a change, we thought, as students, that the government of the day may have thought about what is best for us and the industry. After all, the government was showing the zeal to promote the Nigerian Film Industry and would not deliberately throw spanner in the works. Alas! We were wrong, despicably, utterly wrong! Dadu is the worst thing to happen to the National Film Institute, the Nigerian Film Corporation, and the Nigerian Film Industry at large!

The National Film Institute Jos, a film training institution that had hitherto been a prime film school, and had produced very talented film craftsmen doing great works; from the likes of Yinka Edward (Oct 1st, Shuga, Figurine), Achor Yusuf (Desperate Housewives Africa), Leo Nformi (Head Director, Ebonylife TV), Afred Chia (D.P/Director, Ebonylife TV), Kenneth Gyang (Confusion Na Wah) Ali Mustapha (Aljazeera), Adaobi Obiegbosi (African Students International Film Festival), Aaron Ugede (Mnet) Mike-Steve Adeleye, Mak’ Ukusare, Chinedum Iregbu, Lot Pindem, Ifeanyi Iloduba, Ejim Fortune Kezi, Julius Morno, Jide Bello, Akasa Stephen Angba, and many others too numerous to mention with several awards under their belts – the school is dying under the incompetent management of Engr. Dadu.

To be factual, elements that are not fit for the classroom are currently holding sway as proud resource persons. All the qualification they need is to be Dadu’s tribe, or his stooge. Qualified lecturers, most of them tested and trusted, and adequately trained abroad, have been either transferred to the now moribund film corporation where staff only sit-out and gist, or frustrated into resignation. The curriculum is the worse since the history of the school. The classrooms, facilities, and library of the institute is the type you don’t wish for even an enemy while Dadu scrapped all hostels sending students into the often volatile city of Jos. High point of this careless decision was the untimely death of two students last year when a Chlorine Gas exploded at a Water Treatment Plant close to where they rented an apartment. These are dreams and hopes unnecessarily cut short, and have been how unfavorable Dadu’s decisions are.

No internet facility, no water, no light, broken toilet facilities, dilapidated classrooms and over-levying of students have taken their toll on once-very-bright talents. Poorly motivated staff, many of whom have not been paid for over two years make matters worse. Then, the result of students has not been seen for close to two years now with the graduates of 2015 currently stranded. Their results have not been seen while their NYSC mobilization is currently under jeopardy. The University of Jos, where the institute is affiliated is currently threatening disaffiliation over owing of some University Professors who come to teach the students of the institute key GST courses. Truly, the lives of students here are in shambles. Threats to life and graduation have kept students perpetually in bondage and sadly, there have been 6 deaths between NFI and NFC in the last 12 months, the worse since the history of both institutions.

Note that in all these, no student is allowed to owe while students were coerced into jettisoning the Federal Government’s TSA arrangement for a cash payment at the school’s bursary. Yet, no staff is paid and students have no access to equipment, facilities, and social welfare.

These students could be your sons, daughters, brothers, and sisters. Evil thrive when good men sit and do nothing. The conscious alienation of the students of the institute is a deliberate ploy to cut them off from the larger industry to ensure they do not get a large support base. This is a detrimental tactics because no institution can exist in isolation. We need each other alike to foster a bigger and better industry and we think now is the time to raise a voice together.

Therefore, we solicit your support at this peculiar time in any way possible, anything to remind Engr. Dadu that the students of the institute are human beings and not animals. We also urge you to help us cry out to the government to save us or we perish.

The main SUG force of the students was suspended indefinitely by the MD to drown out our voices and ensure that we do not have a common front. This can only happen if you choose to remain silent. Please, don’t!

We are all united by one passion, one profession, and one industry. Posterity is watching!

Michael Chimex Onwunali

For: and on behalf of the entire students of the National Film Institute, Jos."