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Banned: RMD, Genevieve, Omotola, Ramsey, Jim Iyke and six others face temporary unemployment
By Seni Durojaiye,
correspondent
In a move that lends credence to the popular saying that ‘he who pays the piper, dictates the tune,’ movie marketers and producers in the English genre have placed an embargo on 10 top actors and a director in Nollywood. If they act out their words the affected artistes and the director may not feature in any movie for the next 12 months.
The meeting, which was held at an undisclosed location in Lagos, had in attendance major movie marketers based in Lagos, Onitsha, and Aba. They include OssyAffasson, RemmyJess, Sunny Collins, Elonnel, Annex Merchandise, among others.
Some of the far-reaching decisions they arrived at were:
Henceforth no marketer – being the ones that fund most production - should use the following artistes in their films, Richard Mofe Damijo, Genevieve Nnaji, Rita Dominic, Stella Damasus-Aboderin, Omotola Jolade Ekeinde, Jim Iyke, Ramsey Nouah, Sam Dede and Emeka Ike.
Those who narrowly escaped, our correspondent gathered, are Pete Edochie and St. Obi who recently returned from a long stay in the U.S. Ossy Afasson, according to our sources, reportedly pleaded for Pete Edochie.
The marketers also suspended production for one month until November 1, 2004, while producers presently on location shooting were given two weeks to round off shooting. They also agreed to fine whoever violates the agreement N5m .
Among other reasons given were unethical behaviour on the part of the artistes and lack of creativity and astronomical movie appearance fees, which they claimed, may spell business doom for them if it persists. The only director that was blacklisted, Tchidi Chikere, it was claimed instigated the artistes to hike their fees. He could not be reached as at press time. Other reasons given by producers spoken to include that they have become very arrogant and no longer respect the producers, directors and marketers that made them in the first place.
One of the producers spoken to told us the artistes were blacklisted because of reasons that border largely on unethical conduct.
“Some of these artistes’ professional conduct leaves much to be desired. Imagine someone you pay as much as N1.2 m and he wants to be on your set for only three days. Of course, that puts the director under undue pressure.”
Continuing, the producer who wishes anonymity told our correspondent “some of them are in the habit of collecting money from more than one producer, establish on one location, and then start jumping from one location to the other. Of course that delays production and stretches the production initial budget,” he argued.
Aside the foregoing, knowledgeable industry insiders contend that the affected artistes have been too frequently featured in movies, at the detriment of other talented up and coming artistes. It was also gathered the regularity with which why have been appearing in movies have been affecting how they interpret their roles.
“Some of them have become stereotype. Take Ramsey Nouah in Dangerous Twins and London Boy. There is no difference in his carriage, gesture and facial expressions. Go and watch the films critically and you will notice that fact,” a young movie director argued, explaining that he wouldn’t want to be named because “the wrong notion in the industry now is for people to say you’re beefing anybody you critically appraise.”
However, a notable member of the independent movie producer, a body of actors cum producers, alleged to have been set up to check the supposed overbearing influence of the marketers, Charles Novia, saw the development differently.
He told Saturday Independent that though he sympathises with the affected artiste, he insisted that the latest reform is long overdue and that it would lead to discovering new talents in the industry.
“I don’t see it as a ban, Rather, I see it as a way of discovering and creating new talents in the industry. I support the move as an independent producer who has always been at the vanguard of the clamour for fresh talents.” The director, whose latest film Missing Angel is enjoying rave media mention, added “some of us are working for these people with the way they inflate their fees. They put producers under undue pressures.”
He went ahead to suggest that there should be a code of conduct to be put in place to check the excesses of artistes.
Saturday Independent investigations reveal that the move is welcome by a cross section of othet Nollywood players. Up and coming artistes see it as a chance for them to get movie roles more than they used to. Some of them openly discussed the issue on Wednesday when our correspondent visited Winnis Hotel, Surulere, Lagos where they normally assemble.
A large number of them openly welcome the move and based their position on the fact that were the affected artistes not commanding such huge amount the other less popular ones would be better paid by movie producers.
However, findings further revealed that some of the artistes might have shot themselves in the leg. Some of them, aside holding up production or absconding with upfront appearance fees are known to have openly flaunt their artiste fees, a situation some industry watchers described as socially irresponsible considering the prevalent poverty in the country. This is not helped by some of them who, though popular have no academic pedigree worth flaunting.
Only recently, Jim Iyke to told our correspondent that “the lowest I can collect for a movie role is one million naira.” He’d explained that Nigerian movies are very popular abroad especially in Western Europe.
When contacted on phone, Stella Damasus told our correspondent she is aware of the decision of the marketers but she will treat it as a rumour until she is officially informed.
“I’ve heard of it but it’s still rumour until it is officially communicated to me. I expect them to make it public or send me a letter to that effect. If they have not done that, I take it as a rumour.” That was her verdict during a telephone conversation onThursday morning.
When we called Rita Dominic’s phone, a lady who claimed to be her personal assistant asked our correspondent to call back. When we did, the call didn’t go through.
Personal assistant, Seagal, initially picked up Jim Iyke’s phone and wanted to know what we wanted to discuss with his boss, when Jim eventually came on, the line suddenly went dead. Repeated efforts to reach him afterwards yielded no fruits.
Beyond the forgoing, findings suggest that business considerations might be a major reason behind the marketers’ latest decision to blacklist the affected actors. This argument is supported by unconfirmed reports that the marketers also plan to peg artistes fee at N500, 000. It is also argued that at that rate, movie producers can afford to pay other members of a production crew like make-up artiste, costumiers, set designers and others.
To shoot a good movie, a producer confided in our correspondent, will require a minimum of N2.5m. The ability to break even, much more make appreciable gains from such investment has continually been threatened by some odds like the nefarious activities of pirates and sharp practices of some video club operators.
Saturday Independent investigations revealed that while some video club operators play by the rule, renting out only original movie procured from the marketers or distributors, many of them buy one, dub it into several other VHS cassettes then rent out to their customers.
“Of course this will eventually affect the sales of such films negatively no matter how well packaged it may be in terms of content and form. Added to this, is the diminishing purchasing power of the buying public.”
As regards pirates, the battle has become more and more fierce in the past couple of months. About three weeks ago, Gbenga Adewusi, a film producer and music promoter was almost lynched when he went after suspected pirates at the popular Alaba International Market. Barely a fortnight later, president of the Performing Musicians Employers’ Association Of Nigeria (PMAN) Charley Boy literarily saw hell in the hands of armed soldiers at the Signals Barrack, Mile 2 in Lagos. His offence?. A military officers wife runs one of the shops where pirated films were found.
A recent media report quote a source within Association of Movie Producers (AMP) as lamenting that Nollywood films are being pirated in major European countries like UK, Belgium, Italy as well as countries in Asia and Africa.
In another report contained in Daily Independent Newspaper of July 8, 2004 and which buttress the producers’ body’s claim, it was reported that a syndicate pirating Nigeria movies was traced to London.
Captioned Syndicate Pirating Nigerian Films Traced to London, the report quote Chief Sunny Collins based in Onitsha, Anambra State as saying, “I have also traveled to some Asian countries where my works and those of my colleagues were being pirated.”
Meanwhile, the artiste who command as much as N1.5 million per film do not seem to bother whether the marketers recoup their investment or not. That probably explains Charles Novia’s conclusion that movie producers work for the artistes. Whether the latest onslaught against the actors will lead to discovering new artistes as argued by some is left to be seen when the production of new movies commence after the expiration of ban.
Madu C. Chikwendu, president of the AMP however sees the development beyond the ban. According to him, the measures taken are part of “an all-embracing move to sanitise the industry.”
The marketers’ decision to do away with the services of the affected artistes emanated from a two-day meeting that held on 29th and 30th of September 2004.
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