Jade Osiberu calls for shared risk in filmmaking

Nigerian filmmaker Jade Osiberu has weighed in on the conversation of disbursing royalties to actors in the Nollywood industry.

The writer and director on her X handle, spoke about the nature and risks of filmmaking, stating that stakeholders should consider the entire value chain when pushing for reforms.

Osiberu also highlighted instances where a producer runs at a loss on a project, adding that actors and crew should come together to contribute to cover the losses incurred.

“I agree, Jare. I think the association should also implement a law that when a producer makes a loss on a project, all the actors and crew come together to contribute to cover the losses incurred. Maybe for actors, you can contribute by how many scenes you featured in, so the leads pay the most, and then day players and extras pay the least. For the crew, it can be by seniority. By the way, I’ve put it here sarcastically cos I thought we were all joking. The conversation has some nuance. I was one of the first producers to offer actors in my films backend deals and even ask them to invest so we can build together. I think these conversations should consider all stakeholders’ POVs and industry realities,” she stated.

While clarifying that her statement was laced with sarcasm, Osiberu stressed the need for people to understand the risks associated with filmmaking, adding that most actors are usually unwilling to invest in projects due to the uncertainty in success and profit.

“I get that everyone wants to look out for themselves, but filmmaking is one of the most capital-intensive art forms. In an industry like ours that is still figuring out and building infrastructure, it carries its own risk. Any single player just looking to earn without thinking about the whole value chain and ecosystem needs to settle down and really learn about their industry,” she added.