That film cooperative in Surulere...

[Sola]

I have been reading about the film cooperative setup by the practitioners in the movie industry. I wonder what it is about. What exactly is it designed to do? Is it competing directly with the marketers or just opening up another channel for selling the productions? What are the potentials for success, considering the fact that practitioners in the industry are historically known to be very uncooperative? Can it last?

 

[vince]

I've read about it too.What i do not understand is,why does every aspect of the sector has to be handled by the same people?Distribution should be democratized and allowed to be handled by professionals dedicated to distribution and marketing.The end products should be brought much closer to the viewing public than it is now.I don't see why the public has to travel a long distance to buy a naija movie tape.It only make business sense to move closer to the consumers who are the viewing public.
I think the cooperative is a very good idea as it moved the end products closer to the viewers.

 

[Sola]

Vince,

I just posted a pix of the Film Cooperative market in the photo area. I stopped by there twice while I was in town. I had my interview with Zack Orji and Paul Obazele there. I also ran into Chico, Charles Novia, Rosemary Ingbi and a bunch of other key people there. Hopefully, I will get to writing that story too soon. I have too many and I am going nuts.

But here's what's happening: The film cooperative was started by movie producers, directors and actors. They believed the marketers of their movies were not giving them enough returns on their efforts, so they decided to take their destiny into their hands.

They also say since many of the marketers have become producers and directors, thereby cutting them out of the income they had, what is the point of them staying in the production sector alone.

Makes sense, but as you have observed, division of labour is what makes the advanced societies make money in this business. They let thos who know how to sell movies do the selling while they just produce. This is just another screwed up thing we do in our dear screwed up Nigeria. One day, sanity will creep in. They are working hard at it...

 

[vince]

I just saw the pic.They better get their acts together.I understand the producers' point of view sha.There has to be a certain degree of trust,transparency and accountability in the business.