By Clinton Samuel
It has been an exciting training for everyone that had the opportunity to be in Film in a Box. Of course, it was open for all, so there were no excuses for anyone in Alimosho looking for a career in Film/Theatre that did not get this big opportunity to groom themselves.
The future stars have been able to meet like-minds, explore, network and improve their skills and better understand the process of filmmaking.
It was an experience that will not be forgotten nor wasted. A memory that will put a big smile on everyone’s faces when we see them on screen very soon with their names being recognized on the big stage. Watch out!
Just as we concluded in Alimosho, we spoke with two students; Miss Sylvia Chiwendu (a scriptwriter) and Miss Hadassah Obot (a cinematographer and an actor) to share their experiences on what scriptwriting and cinematography are all about respectively.
Sylvia said, “We started the scriptwriting class with Mr. Joe Dudu. He started by tutoring us on scriptwriting basics, which he explained in layman’s terms.
Scripting/screenplay is the ability to put a story in a visual form. Stories that are told with pictures.
You need a story idea, and once you have one; the beginning of your story, the setup of your story, the climax of your story, and the resolution of your story. This is considered to be your story structure.
You need to develop a logline, that is, a synopsis of your story in one to three lines. A tagline is necessary, as it is the punch line of your story. An example of a punch line would be MTN’s ‘everywhere you go.’
Then, the plot of your story. To get the plot of your story, you need to know who your protagonist and antagonist are.
A character ark, as Mr. Tony Anih (a scriptwriter facilitator), would call it is also important to talk about in the development of a story.
Let us say your story was about a man, your hero, who was faced with tribulations and challenges, you would need to explain how he overcame those challenges, what he had to do to become victorious, the people that contributed to the story how it shaped them.
A story idea can come from anywhere. The ability to interpret those ideas, write them down, and put them on screen for visualization is what scriptwriting is all about.
It is imperative to know if your story is marketable. This is an important question you need to ask yourself as a scriptwriter.
It is also important for you to be able to convey your story in a way that will thrill your audience with movies they can see and leave with questions in their heads.
To wow your audience, not just the usual stories we see in Nigeria where we can see a bad film and can easily predict the events.
Film in a Box has made me think outside the usual Nollywood setting. This training has been able to make the young people see and understand the problems in the industry and how they can be solved.
My experience in Film in a Box has been exciting and amazing. I have been able to network with creatives. It is hard to have such opportunities in communities like Alimosho. How many cinemas do we have here?
There is a lot of potential here in Alimosho and Film in a Box has done well with this initiative to discover talents here. I am proud to be here. We had amazing facilitators and I learned a lot.
I think Nollywood needs to give more credit to the crew of a movie. Mention all the names of those in the set designs, makeup, costume, writers, producers, directors, and all. Let everyone’s name be recognized.
I have a story, and I would be working with the facilitators on that. I would not have had this opportunity at this time if not for Film in a Box. With the knowledge that has been imparted in me, I expect to start working as soon as possible.
My special thanks to the organizers of this training, the Lagos state government, Africa Film Academy, Mrs. Peace Anyiam-Osigwe, the facilitators, and everyone in general.”
Hadassah gave us a brief explanation of cinematography. She said, “Mr. George Joel and Mr. Kafari Kadzai were our facilitators. They taught us so well that it was easy for a beginner like me to learn so quickly.
Cinematography is the art of motion-picture photography. It involves techniques like the composition of a scene, lighting, choice of a camera, choice of lenses, camera angles, and movements.
The five C’s of cinematography are Composition, Continuity, Close-ups, Camera angles, and Cutting.
Composition is essentially what you are shooting. Continuity is the continuation of your shots, to get the accuracy of things that are in your frame, and Close-ups are closer pictures and shots to depict the emotions of the character(s) in focus, and the Camera angles can tell different stories and different emotions just as low angles will make the subject elevated whilst the high angles are used to show a depressing subject. Cutting is where you go from one scene or one shot and cut into another shot to co-create a story that you are working on.
We learned about lighting, too. The three-point lighting is made up of the key light, fill light and backlight.
It takes a lot of work and effort to put a film together. I am grateful to be here to learn cinematography and I would delve into the world of cinematography. It is the key in filmmaking because the shots and angles are part of what tells the story. Without the right angles and lighting, your story/picture would be defeated.
Film in a Box has allowed me to meet great minds, and mentors and network with a lot of amazing people, not just in cinematography, but in every aspect of filmmaking. Special mention to Mr. Keppy Ekpenyong-Bassey who has been a father figure to us here. Our facilitators were always intentional about our goals. The organizers chose an amazing set of people with social intelligence. I am honored to be part of Film in a Box, Alimosho.
Life is about growth and changes, and we are in an evolving world, so this is an avenue to raise new people in the filmmaking industry, groom people who can do better, and explore them in filmmaking. I am intrigued and see cinematography as a career path. There are not so many female cinematographers in Nigeria, it is something I want to do.
I appreciate everyone and everybody that has made this a success. Words cannot express my gratitude. Thank you!”
These prodigies will have their names up in the lights. Watch out for them.