The music business has been and is undergoing crazy changes that is shaking up all the major and small players in the industry. The problem is not the evolution of a different way of manipulating and consuming media but the failure of the player to foresee and yield to these changes.
In studying entrepreneurship last semester, I came across the concept of "creative destruction" which for example had eliminated the elevator man and made extinct the typewriter. On the other hand, the same concept has improved the functionality of the cellular phones and mobile devices, which has become the "now" gadget of the 21st century and beyond. If these devices get smarter, they will start to walk.
Before I ramble off topic, I want to implore us not to be like some in the music industry and ignore the mobile device revolution. Their enhanced functionality/usability has made these devices indispensable to us and their sheer convenience has made them more indispensable to our potential consumer,their new personal companion and 24/7 personal assistant, decision-maker and shopper.
As of today, in light of the confusion in the music industry and the advancement in communication technology, it may be wise to adopt the QR code/mobile marketing early. You don't have to be a sorcerer to see the future as it is coded in black and white.
Bob Dylan said it right,"The times, they are a changing." We either embrace it or like the some in the music industry, face exinction, FOREVER.
According to O'Guin, Allen and Semenik in their book Advertising and Intergrated Brand Promotion, the new world of advertising is full of companies who are looking for new ways to get their brand across to audience and potential consumers. In this seemingly ad cluttered environment, small businesses are caught in the struggle between big corporation on how to make their brand visible and recognizable, send out culturally relevant in a refreshing way and become top-on-the-minds of audience and potential customers. How can new small businesses favorably compete considering the criteria listed above. Let us examine one of ResQ Records brand: The Omogo Reloaded Logo. The Omogo Reloaded logo is good because it is simple, representative and fresh.
Omogo Reloaded brand, Yahoo, Disney and Taco Bell brand all have something in common: Simplicity. When encountered, they are supposed to evoke some sort of feelings in the minds of audience. In comparison, the 4 brands have visual simplicity. These brands employ texts and sometimes an image (as seen in TACO BELL). In the music industry, ResQ Records is a new player with a relatively new genre of music called Afrofusion. The logo just spells the brand out in bold uncomplicated type-face, the smaller font well spaced to hold the weight of the larger ones on top. There are just two colors: Green and black plus the neutral white. The task is to clearly communicate the essence of the music to potential audience and customers and keeping the new logo simple will make recall and association easy for music enthusiasts, potential industry business partners and customers. Simplicity is synonymous to recall and easy recognizability and the Omogo Reloaded brand has that quality.
As Disney appeals to the fun-loving population and Yahoo to the instant messaging internet users, the Omogo Reloaded logo is packed with cultural appeal. The text is set in white background with green on either side. Green-White-Green is the flag of Nigeria, where Afrofusion originates evolving from Afrobeat. According to WorldFlags101.com, " The green stripes represent Nigeria's agriculture industry and its lush vegetation and the white stripe represents the desire for peace and unity within the country". In relation to Afrofusion blend of music, the green and white mean flourishing in harmony. Brand logos do not just represent names, they carry meanings. Here in North America, almost everyone is familiar with the recycle symbol. It is also used as part of the brand. Representation is what makes the Omogo Reloaded logo better. It is packed with meaning of cultural relevance that an African, American and global audience can relate to.
Notice that the "G" in Omogo has been slightly and intentionally rotated to imitate recycle symbol and the refresh button. This symbol is common on the internet and eye-catching. It represents giving vitality to something that may be worn out. Refreshing, starting afresh and new are the intended messages. At the same time, the rotated "G" also represent ResQ Records consciousness of the diminishing state of the world's resources and our support for the green revolution like encouraging dowloads and reading electronic copies instead of print-outs. The world craves new and refreshing ideas and the Omogo Reloaded brand represents just that. The word, "Reloaded" is implied in the rotated "G" and along the line of brand evolution, all other elements on the logo will be dropped. Like the NIKE swoosh, the slightly tilted G with a arrow head will come to identify Afrofusion music by Omogo Reloaded, percieve as something new/fresh and infigurating.
It's lunch time and you're driving on highway 33, when you spot a fast food restuarant sign. Almost immediately, you're feeling hungrier. Result and that's what an advertisers in that industry desire.
For the Omogo Reloaded brand, the composition is created to stimulate ones imagination by arousing one's curiousity. A look at top ranking national and international brands will reveal their simplicity, their struggle to be very represnetative and relavant in meaning transmission to audience and strive to stay fresh. The Omogo Reloaded brand possesses the above-mentioned qualities, making it very easy to recall. Upon immediate recognition and recollection, certain subtle cultural messages are conjured and a sense of affiliation with the brand is established. It is easy to support a brand that customers have a connection with. This connection is importnat to the survival of a brand.
"This is a warning to you. It has come to our notice that you have produced a video about the problem in the Niger-Delta without proper consultations regarding the true state of affairs in the area. You are hereby warned not to release that video or be faced with grave consequences.
We are very well informed about your daily routine and that of your child. Your address is 35 Colorado Close, Maitama, Minister's Hill and your child schools at Ecole Francais Marcel-Pagnol d'Abuja, Durumi district,Abuja. Be warned"!
Amata and wife
Those who have watched the movie said it amy have revealed some uncomfortable secrets behind the struggle of the Niger-Delta and how some disgruntled leaders are playing politics with the lives of the citizens.
These and more are what the said group does not want to be a public knowledge.
The Niger Delta region of Nigeria has 606 Oil-fields and exports 50% of all its oil resources to the United States and is the world's capital of oil pollution.
Corrupt government officials, greedy oil companies and violent rebels go on a war path over oil spills and the degradation of the land caused by oil exploration
The film x-rays fifty years of uncorrected oil spills and lack of clean-up which has destroyed the environment and ecosystems leaving the area almost uninhabitable while obliterating the livelihood of its residents costing them basic human rights such as health, access to food, clean water, and an ability to work.
Black Gold was to be premiered on February 24th at the Silverbird Galleria in Lagos but the latest developments may have distrupted the plans of the movie producers.
The film has an impressive casts, starring Mbong Amata, Tom Sizemore, Vivica Fox, Billy Zane, Hakeem Kae-Kazim, Sarah Wayne Callies, Razaaq Adoti, Dede Mabiaku,
Eric Roberts, Larry Manetti and Michael Madsen.
The film produced by Starkid productions owned by American based Nigeria, Ori Ayomike, was directed by Jeta Amata in collaboration with Suzanne DeLaurentiis was shot in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria and in Los Angeles, California.
Something imitating an outrage is brewing about Tonto Dike, the light-skinned Nollywood actress with eminently kissable lips. Tonto–some contend her name is sexually evocative–is hardly a stranger to controversy. The imitation of the controversy brewing this time is Tonto’s role in a yet-to-be released movie, Dirty Secret. In the movie clip already uploaded on Youtube, the actress was shown in a steamy scene with Mura Obiekwe, swapping French kisses and showing fractionally little more flesh than is normally seen in Nigerian movies. The movie, produced by Sanga Entertainment, a US-based company, also featured Jibola Dabo. As at press time, it had recorded 45,201 views–hardly a viral hit. Obiekwe was also shown wearing a G-string revealing the upper part of his ass cheeks while passionately kissing another man.
The clip, with a running time of 65 seconds, has attracted varied reactions, especially on the social media. On Youtube, viewers accused it of promoting obscenity, which they allege is a product of the influence of relative explicitness of Ghanaian movies.
A viewer, who identified himself as “Devil Forbid,” wrote: “I am so ashamed, I was amongst the people critisising Ghana for their soft porn. Is this all about money, fame, or just emulating the western world? This is insane, proper Nollywood malfunction. I hope they put a ban on this movie and penalise the actors respectively. This is a sign of the end. Muna is kissing a man.” Pobosky 100, another viewer, wrote: “I hope you realise movies like this were created for controversy and creativity, and may or may not reflect the sexuality of the actors and writers of the movie. It’s not like incest and homosexuality isn’t occurring in Nigeria anyway, so this rant and pretence on display is sardonic.”
Gentlelyke85 was scathing, in less than gentle language. “Did I really just see that? Lord have mercy upon my eyes. Wow, what the f**ck are Africans doing in their movies these days. That’s so disgraceful,” he wrote.
Glenakin, who also took a dim view of the clip, wrote: “Guess they saw it worked for Ghana and trust Nigeria, they had to take this to the next level.”
Not every viewer has been sanctimonious. For example, one who called himself Amblors could not understand what the fuss is all about. “Look at Nigerians getting all holy and sh**t like they don’t have sex or do kinky things like wear thongs,” he wrote.
Tonto feels–naturally–the same way too. “Why would we enjoy seeing nudity in Hollywood? It’s a f**cking profession, peeps. Grow up. I’m all out with my job and f**ck you hard if you find it otherwise,” she wrote.
She said that change is inevitable and wonders why the society will want to remain in the past. “I hate fake damn tradition. I have got a mind and heart my profession requires,” she wrote on Twitter.
Reactions from Tonto’s colleagues are similarly varied.
Emeka Ike believes that films like Dirty Secret dent the image of the industry. “I don’t know what the movie industry is turning into now. It will be a sorry-scene if this is true,” he said. Ike, who is yet to see the film, said soft porn is not what Nollywood wants at the moment.
Stella Damasus argued that Tonto is old enough to decide what she wants to do and should not be slated for that. She, however, said she does not believe that the movie qualifies as porn. “I doubt the fact that she will star in a porn movie,” she added.
Segun Arinze, National President, Actors Guild of Nigeria, AGN, believes that measures will be taken, if it is true that Dike acted nude. “I’m yet to see the preview of the movie, but if it’s true that she acted nude measures must be taken to curb such practices,” he said.
Arinze added that the interest of the actress is paramount to the Guild and that he will have to watch the film before he makes more comments.
The equally provocative Shan George argued that there is no need to make a big story out of the movie. “I have been told that there’s no big deal about the movie. I don’t think there’s need for a fuss over this,” she said.
Actress Halima Abubakar is of the opinion that Tonto did her job to the best of her ability. “It’s time Nigerians realised the difference between reality and fiction. She’s a professional and she knows what’s good for her,” she said. “For people to be talking about it this way means she played her role very well.”
Claims that she starred in anything akin to pornography, especially when the whole movie has not been seen, are exaggerated. Beyond the scenes of wet kisses and show of G-string for a few seconds, nothing heavy is on display.
Dike, 25, came to prominence through a reality show, The Next Movie Star, from which emerged as first runner-up. Her ascent has been meteoric. But so has been the speed at which she attracted controversy.
Celebrity journals have linked her to marijuana use, alcohol abuse and bi-sexuality. All these were denied.
She was also reported to have a fondness for peeling off her dresses in public places, especially after having a drink too many. This was reported to have happened on location as well as at Lagos’ Eko Hotel, New Expo Centre, where popular hip-hop artiste, Tu Face, was performing.
Tonto, a graduate of Petroleum Engineering, grew up without her mother in a family of nine. She idolises American actresses, Julia Roberts and Sharon Stone.
Inspired by Bollywood musicals and Brazilian soap operas, the Nigerian film industry is now the second largest in the world
Die-hard fans have known for some time that the Nigerian film industry is truly unique, but even they may be surprised to discover just how big – and lucrative – it has become..
A new festival, Nollywood Now, takes place in London from 6-12 October and is the first major event to celebrate the second largest film industry in the world. Its chief aim is to draw wider attention to the success and popularity the films enjoy across Europe, and particularly the UK.
Nollywood makes about 2,400 films per year, putting it ahead of the US, but behind India, according to a Unesco report last year. Nigerian film-makers tend to operate in a fast and furious manner; shoots rarely last longer than two weeks, cheap digital equipment is almost always used and the average budget is about $15,000 (£9,664). The finished products often bypass cinemas altogether and are instead sold directly to the “man on the street” for about $1.50 (£1). Most films shift between 25,000 and 50,000 copies globally – although a blockbuster can easily sell up to 200,000.
So, what exactly is it about the films that resonates so much with their audience? For all of their populist appeal, Nigerian films are very rooted in local concerns, according to Nollywood Now’s creative director, Phoenix Fry: “Many of the films have looked at how traditional beliefs co-exist with Islam and Christianity, Nigeria‘s main religions,” he says. “There are some superb sequences using quite simple video effects to transform aunties into demons, or show evil animal spirits being driven out from the possessed.”
This view is shared by Nigerian director and producer, Ade Adepegba, whose feature film Water Has No Enemy, explores corruption in his native country: “Nigerians are the largest group of Africans living in the UK, and the majority of them live in London,” he says. “Nigerian films still hold their strongest appeal to first generation immigrants who feel a deep attachment to their homeland. So, at the moment nostalgia is the main reason for the appeal of Nollywood.”
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Agony of A Dad: Morpheus must be asking himself "Did i take the red Pill or the Blue one ."Matrix Movie Star Lawrence Fishbourne's DaughterStars in Porn Film .Tried to buy film rights ..too late papi Agent Smithgot them all Sold out .
WHICH PAYS MORE, HOLLYWOOD OR PORNY WOOD.. LAWRENCE
FISHBORNES BABY GIRL GOING ON THE DOWN LOW "ACTS PORN" LAWRENCE FISHBORNES BABY GIRL GOING ON THE DOWN LOW ACTS PORN
The daughter of Hollywood star Laurence Fishburne has moved out of his spacious home as she tries to make a name for herself as a porn star - and insists she doesn't want to hurt to her dad. Montana Fishburne, 19, is said to have infuriated her famous father when she broke the news of her unconventional career path, and has since packed her bags and left the LA home she was sharing with 49-year-old Laurence, his second wife Gina Torres and her half-sister, baby Delilah. It’s understood the teenager has put pen to paper on a deal with Vivid Entertainment, who will release the steamy film – titled Montana Fishburne:
An A-List Daughter Makes her XXX Debut – later this month. “I wanted to do my own thing,” she tells TMZ. “I didn’t feel living in my father’s house with his new baby was the best thing.” Montana, whose porn name is Chippy D, will star alongside the aptly named Brian Pumper in the film – a seasoned porn star who also directs as well as performs. And despite facing her father’s wrath, Montana is determined to make a name for herself in the controversial industry. “I can’t help that he’s my dad,” she told the New York Post. “I can’t help that I’m his daughter. I’m just trying to start my own career.
This is my goal. When I have my mind set on something, I’m gonna do it. “(Our) relationship has nothing to do with why I got into porn. I got into porn because I wanted to f**k on camera. I knew it was going to affect him. But I’m not doing this to slander his name. There was no ‘I want to hurt my dad.’ That’s bull.
That’s selfish to do that. I’m not going to try to hurt my dad that publicly. That’s ridiculous. I love my dad to death. "This is not about him. It’s about me.” And its really about her because as it is.. she is sold out....
Montana Fishburne's porn film has disappeared from shelves across the country. Porn purveyors, Vivid Entertainment, who produced the DVD, have now offered her a multi-film deal that could keep her productively engaged employed for many more days. Vivid head honcho Steve Hirsch tells TMZ that the initial lot of 25,000 copies of the DVD have sold out and backorders are now piling up. According to TMZ, friends of Montana's father, Laurence Fishburne, had pooled in $1 million and offered to purchase the DVD rights from Vivid, but by then copies had already shipped. In a recent interview with E! Online, Montana said that she is still open to an alternative career choice. We are wondering if the new multiple film offer from Vivid will make her forget the alternative career option.
The much publicized Nigerian’s first science fiction movie premiered at the Silverbird Cinema in Abuja over the weekend. The premier which started at about 6pm was hosted by actor Francis Duru and witnessed appearance of the major cast and crew members of the movie including lead actors Desmond Elliot, Adonijah Owiriwa, and Keira Hewatch. Also present at the premier were notable celebrities from the Nigerian mainstream entertainment world including the Rooftop MCs; Idol West Africa winner, Timi Dakolo; Ace Nollywood actress, Rita Dominic; Nigezie music presenter, Andre Blaze; and erstwhile Kush rapper Emem Ema. Blaze who obviously couldn’t hide his excitement before the movie screened said after: “Before watching, I had an impression about this movie, but now that has changed totally; overall I am really impressed.” Kajola, a movie with a reported N180 Million budget is produced by Adonijah Owiriwa for Adonis Production and is written and directed by Niyi Akinmolayan for Anthill Multimedia. The movie is woven around how a heroic person, through a rebellious action, thwarts the plan of some elite from eliminating a community of lower strata..
see trailer at bottom.
Chuddy K performs acapela at company launch
‘Slow Slow’ singer Chuddy K wowed fans with his vocal prowess as he gave a captivating, no beat assisted, performance alongside the one called Shalom at the A&R and the Lot Services company launch. The launch was held on Saturday 31 July 2010 at the Best Western Hotel Ahmodu Bello way Victoria Island. The launch also witnessed a solo performance from saxophonist, Femi and a brief fashion show parading the Night Night (evening wears) and Who’s the Boss (corporate collections) of Doyin Kafidipe’s Kafidipe Creations. A&R and The Lot Services provide talent management services amongst its other entertainment wheeled services and is founded by Wummie Benjamin.
Omotola’s shoots new video
Nollywood actress, Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde, was in South Africa a few weeks ago (during the World Cup) where she shot the second video off her sophomore album which is tentatively titled ‘Me, Myself and Eyes.’ The video is for the song ‘Missing U’ and was shot by Nigerian music video director, Bobby Boulders. ‘Missing U’ is an emotional song and tells the story of a partner who disappeared without any explanation. Omotola’s “runaway love” was played by South African male model Chris Du Plessis, who recently won the Heat Magazine “Six Pack of 2010″ Award! Omotola will host selected guests and friend to an exclusive album listening party on the 24th of September 2010 while on the 26th of September at Fantasy Land in Lagos, a special listening party will be take place for Omotola fans. She will also be flagging off her ‘Give and Let Get project, a charity project which will provide platform where her friends and fans can donate gifts which will be distributed to various orphanages.
Jeta Amata’s new movie
Award winning director, Jeta Amata, is preparing to come out with his most recent job, the first musical film produced by Keke Bongos called INALE. The movie is a story of enchantment and intrigue, a legend of bravery and valour. Its theme revolves around the test of true love, and restoration of peace between warring communities. The lead actress of the movie, Inale, played by Caroline Chikezie, is the beautiful daughter of the great King Oche of the Idoma people in Idomaland, Nigeria. Her beloved Odeh, played by Hakeem Kae-Kazim, must win their customary wrestling tournament to take Inale’s hand in marriage. The villagers had gathered for the big ceremony only to find a stranger in their midst, that challenges not only the tradition of the village law, but the strength of Odeh and Inale’s true love. The sound track of the movie featured original songs performed by Bongos Ikwue, along with special appearances from Ini Edo, Keppy Ekpenyoung, and Dede Mabiaku.
Over the past few days, the kids have been rediscovering the trailer for a Ugandan movie called Who Killed Captain Alex? If you’re wondering why, it’s because this isn’t just any movie: It has the distinction of being the first action movie made by the Ugandan film industry, courtesy of a studio called Ramon Film Productions. And it is so transcendently, beautifully, well – bad, we want it on DVD right now. Where to begin?
How about:
*The hyperactive young narrator who repeatedly reminds you that the movie is both an action movie and for sale, and who makes Fred sound like a dignified elder statesman
*The fact that whenever a gun is fired, it emits glowing yellow muzzle fire; whenever someone is shot or wounded, they emit glowing red blood; sometimes, when someone is shot their skin produces glowing yellow muzzle fire for some reason
*The scene at about the 26 second mark when a helicopter destroys an entire city, apparently just by sitting on it
*What the hell is going on at the 45 second mark
*The fact that this is actually an extremely violent and disturbing movie about a war between police and drug dealers, and features the brutal deaths of women, children, and roofs, but you just can’t take it seriously
According to Ugandan newspaper The Observer, Who Killed Captain Alex? is about the aftermath of a police raid in Kampala, Uganda’s capital, in which a police captain (Alex) and a drug racketeer’s brother are killed, and both sides seek revenge, “escalating into ‘war.’” The article sheds further light on the film’s production, which apparently required some creativity when Uganda’s Central Police Station wouldn’t give the filmmakers anything to work with except uniforms:
It is a well scripted movie, but the visuals are too graphic. Nabwama says, he just wanted to produce an action movie, acted, produced and directed by Ugandans. But he can’t be forgiven for using toy guns and pistols in the production.
“When we approached CPS about the project, we were told that we [film industry] are not yet at that level. They could only provide us with police uniforms,” he says. “But we had asked them to provide us with helicopters, guns, tankers and access to army barracks. So we had to settle for the computer.”
The article quotes a cost of 8 million Uganda shillings, which converts to about $3500; it’s unclear if this is cost per major scene or cost for the whole film. Either way, the American movie industry could learn a lot from this movie’s pluck and economy. And good news! There’s apparently a sequel on the way.
An American gay movie which was supposed to premiere last Friday at the Silverbird Cinemas in Lagos, South West Nigeria, was stopped from being shown by the National Film and Video Censors Board, NFVCB, regulators of the film and video industry in the country.
•A photo scene from the suspended gay movie The movie, I Love You Phillip Morris, which stars U.S. top actor, Jim Carrey, was postponed four times in the United States before it was finally released in May 2010, two years after it was filmed.
In the semi-gay movie described as obnoxious by European audience, Jim Carrey plays a gay con man who falls in love with his prison cellmate, Ewan McGregor.
last Friday I Love You Phillip Morris was already listed by Silverbird Cinemas and was to be shown in the afternoon when it was suddenly cancelled.
An enraged movie-goer who had come to the Silverbird Galleria in Victoria Island to watch the gay movie was seen yelling at the Silverbird staff who could not explain why the movie was suddenly withdrawn.
“Is it because it is about homosexuality?” he asked, adding “you should remove it from your website then.”
Related :Naija Gay Movie read article herehttp://www.9jabook.com/xn/detail/2109467:BlogPost:1202246 The Censors Board’s Zonal Director in the South West, Mr. Edward Edion, who spoke with our sources on phone yesterday, confirmed the story but denied reports that the movie was banned outright. According to him, the movie was stopped from being shown last Friday because it had not been properly classified. “During our screening, we discovered that there was a scene that had to do with homosexuality and as such it was not okay for every member of the public to watch it. That was why we stopped the movie from being shown to enable us reclassify it. “After its proper classification and with the final decision by our headquarters in Abuja, we’ll know the next step to take,” he said. Edion, however, disclosed that the previews of the movie were allowed on air because of a special concession given to movie distributors such as Silverbird, Ozone and few others. He said: “Nigeria is suffering today because movies are made mainly as home videos while the money, all over the world, is in the theatres. That is why we are encouraging even the local movie producers to take their movies to the theatres.” Written by Bad Santa screenwriters Glenn Ficarra and John Requa, the film is a dark comedy based on the true story of Steven Jay Russell (Carrey) who gets sent to prison for insurance fraud, and subsequently falls in love with his cellmate (McGregor).
Ben Bruce Boss Silverbird : Photo below was not available for comment The movie was first released in Europe and Taiwan. With straight actors playing gay roles being such a trend, the film struggled for years to find its place in U.S. theatres. The movie was to be released in the U.S. by Consolidated Pictures Group. It was filmed in 2008 and was screened at Sundance Film Festival on 18 January 2009. The following countries and cities have already released the movie: France, Monaco, Russia, Taiwan, Belgium, Luxembourg, Finland, Sweden, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Kazakhstan, Japan, United Kingdom, Ireland, Philippines, Czech Republic, Romania, Iceland, Italy and recently it premiered in Norway.
Thomas Ikimi may not be known in Nollywood, but in Hollywood, the Nigerian movie director has made a name for himself as the first Nigerian to direct a Hollywood movie.
According to Paris Harcourt of Paris Harcourt Media Consulting, London, organisers of the movie launch, 'Legacy' will be released in Nigeria later in the year.
Life and Beat gathered that the movie will be showing next at the Tribeca Film Festival in New York, followed by the American Black Film Festival in Miami.
Talking about the movie , Harcourt said 'Legacy' is a psychological suspense thriller that tells the story of two brothers in conflict.
Thomas Ikimi was born in Westminster, London on April 10th 1979. He is of Nigerian descent. He attended primary school in Nigeria, prep and public school in England and university in America. He holds a literature and writing degree from Columbia University, New York.
Thomas' student film, 'Limbo' (2005), after a showing at the Cannes Film Market in 2005, was subsequently invited to the Taormina International Film Festival in Sicily, Italy as an Official Selection. It was one of only 12 films chosen worldwide, and had the added honour of opening the festival. This brought attention to Thomas due to the fact 'Limbo' only cost $9000 to produce mostly on his student credit card, and it was in a fest where the $153 million Batman Begins was premiering in Italy. Thomas was a second year student when he wrote, directed and produced the film, balancing the 2 1/2 week shoot with his mid term exams. He was nominated for best director and best picture at the Eerie Horror Festival 2004, and he won the Honorable Mention Award at the Flint International Film Festival 2005. Thomas has been working as a screenwriter in London since 2005, writing and developing screenplays for producers.
Africa ’s most decorated football player, Nwankwo Kanu has joined the ranks of global figures whose compelling stories_have been immortalized on the silver screen (i.e. Pele, Muhammed Ali,_Maradona and Mike Tyson). But Kanu takes it a notch further as his feature_is to be released simultaneously with his biography, after the World Cup_in South Africa. Kanu considers this movie and book to be his heartfelt gift to Nigeria on her fiftieth anniversary, to Africa and indeed the world...
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Titled Lion Heart: The Kanu Story, the movie is a documentary feature,_directed by BBC London-trained Nigerian director, Bayo Awolaja, and_produced by Neil Oyenekan (Dragons Den Nigeria, Taking Sides, 2002, UK ).
The Executive Producers include Kanu Nwankwo, Lighthouse, IBST Media, Worldwide Management Ltd. and Connect Marketing. The movie is currently being filmed in Nigeria, London, Amsterdam, the USA, South Africa and_India, and has a plot that chronicles Kanu’s inspiring rags to riches_story from a unique perspective that delves into his journey into the world of soccer from his humble beginnings in Owerri, to his struggle with a near fatal heart condition at the peak of his football career, to his heart surgery in Cleveland, Ohio, and back to his tribulations and triumph at Arsenal, Ajax, Portsmouth etc.
In addition to his exploits on the football pitch, the movie also unveils one of the most recognisable UNICEF ambassadors as a mentor, businessman, husband, and friend. According to the Lighthouse Productions CCO, “ this film isn’t just about Kanu the footballer, we intend to reveal the Kanu story through interviews with all the world renowned players, coaches, administrators, including his wife, his child-hood friends, his doctors and those people that played very important roles in his life.
“It’s going to be a three dimensional documentation of Kanu’s story according to Kanu, his fans, and his critics too – it’s definitely going to be compelling and well-balanced because we intend to highlight the challenges he’s encountered and how he overcame_them, in order to inspire many young Africans with his exceptional story of hope, determination and success”
Explaining the plot a step further, the film director, who used to work with BBC Wales, added that “it’s not just about Kanu and his story, but Lion Heart: The Kanu Story is a film with a strong message that will greatly touch audiences across the globe, because despite the fact that his role as a great sportsman is emphasised, yet the salient themes in the movie revolve around determination, overcoming tribulations, triumphing over life-threatening obstacles and circumstances to soar to heights of iconic greatness.”
Kanu expressed his excitement when he spoke about the project, saying: “I’m a very private person, but it has been a very interesting experience to watch my colleagues, team mates, coaches, doctors, fans, friends and family telling my story in a very passionate manner. This movie humbles me – I can see the aspects of my life that the world identifies with, and it’s not easy to open up your life to the world, but then it is very noble to do so in order to inspire those who wish to do the things you have done – at least so that they can see how you did it.”
But why do we have to wait until after the World Cup to see this movie? And to this Kanu replied: “The producers have been working tirelessly for a very long time now, but I believe this World Cup should be part of the film. Whether I play or not, I definitely want the experience to be part of the film…”
Lion Heart: The Kanu Story is scheduled for a global premiere in_September, but so far the film parades an excellent cast of renowned footballers from some of the teams Kanu has played for, alongside coaches, and revered FIFA officials, all passionately telling the story of a true African icon in more than four languages.
An official movie trailer, posters, and snippets from the projects will be leaked to the media soon. Also, an interactive website is also in the works, and fans can participate in fun trivia for a chance to win a front-row seat at the London premiere of the movie.
Posted by Jane Okinedo on November 20, 2009 at 12:30am
Vampire movie New Moon is deviant, says the VaticanVampire movie New Moon has been condemned by the Vatican as a 'deviant moral vacuum.'The latest film in the Twilight saga stars British actor Robert Pattinson as a blood-sucker who falls in love with a beautiful teenage girl.It is based on the hugely popular series of books by Stephanie Meyer, an American Mormon and mother of three. But that means little to the Catholic Church in Italy.This film is nothing more than a moral vacuum with a deviant message and, as such, is something that should be of concern,' said Monsignor Franco Perazzolo, of the pontifical council of culture yesterday.'This theme of vampires in Twilight combines a mixture of excesses that, as ever, is aimed at young people and gives a heavy esoteric element.'Three weeks ago the Vatican condemned Halloween as 'anti-Christian and dangerous' and it urged parents not to dress their children as ghosts, goblins and vampires.Such statements are not likely to dent New Moon's massive box office appeal. The first Twilight movie grossed more than $550million (£330million) in US box office and DVD sales.
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Producer Paul Julius is confident that the tens of thousands of dollars he has spent producing the soap opera “Tomorrow’s Tears” will be recouped, no matter the electricity shortages, lack of investors or grease-palmed government officials hampering his shooting schedule.Fighting to be heard over a steady stream of traffic and actors complaining about the lack of food, money and air conditioning, Mr. Julius explained the plot of his soap, which he hopes to sell to local TV stations. “I changed the subject from the normal stuff: blood, magic, stepmothers, etc.,” he said. “This is going to be about real-life issues.”Mr. Julius is an up-and-coming player in Nigeria’s film and television industry, known as Nollywood, which has grown from its infancy in the 1980s into the one of the world’s biggest movie industries, but is facing some real-life issues of its own.In 2006, nearly 900 movies, almost all straight-to-video, were shot in Nigeria, trailing only India and almost doubling Hollywood’s total for the same year, according to a Unesco report released this month. Currently around 40 movies are shot every month in Lagos, Nigeria’s commercial capital, not counting the dozens of television dramas that are also shot here. The industry generates an estimated $250 million a year, and is popular throughout Africa and immigrant enclaves in Europe and the U.S.But rampant piracy means substantial losses for producers and directors already operating on tight budgets. Understaffed and bribe-ready police means copyright enforcement is minimal. Inadequate roadways inhibit a small distribution network itching to grow. Constant electricity outages stall production schedules. These problems threaten to derail the industry.Nigeria’s messy and often corrupt oil industry drives much of what happens in this country. It is the biggest oil producer in Africa, and as much as 95% of the country’s export earnings come from oil. Nigeria has taken in roughly $400 billion in oil-generated revenue since 1970 but the standard of living for most Nigerians has actually decreased.Nonetheless, the country’s residents have an impressive appetite for movies. The most successful Nollywood movies are often melodramas like “Living in Bondage” and “Domitilla,” filled with adultery, bribery and elements of local mysticism.A comedy, however, may have given Nollywood its best chance at international exposure. “Usuofia in London,” about a Nigerian man who lands in the big city straight from his native village, may be the best-selling Nollywood movie to date, with an estimated 500,000 copies sold. Only a handful of Nigerian movies have made it to international film festivals, such as “The Rivals,” directed by Aquila Njamah, which was shown at the New York International Independent Film and Video Festival in 2007.Most Nigerian movies are produced fast and cheap, shot in a few weeks for $15,000 to $25,000, then roughly edited and handed off to marketers and eventually street-side vendors, or video clubs, as they are known locally. Financiers, usually friends or family members of the producer or director, want to see their investments recouped and care little for artistic exploration or high-quality technical effects.Directors are under pressure to keep each movie on schedule and under budget. Profits, when made, are small. Producers estimate that as much as 70% of their yearly revenue is lost to piracy. “I would say the biggest challenge facing the industry at the moment is lack of structure, and a high level of informality,” said Emeka Mba, the chairman of the National Film and Video Censors Board, the Nigerian movie industry’s main regulatory body.There is no formal distribution network for Nollywood producers. A finished movie in Lagos is burned onto around 15,000 DVDs with no copy protection and released into the market. If it’s a hit, demand swells. Vendors need more copies. But the producers often can’t keep up. So the movie is copied by pirates and thrown back into the market. The producer can only hope he made back his investment in time.“We’ve been crying to the government. If these things are not checked now, Nollywood will go into extinction,” said Cosmas Ndulue, 42, a producer and owner of one of only two indigenous DVD manufacturing companies in Nigeria.Industry officials and government agencies have started paying closer attention to piracy, but so far there hasn’t been much of an effect. A recent police raid on a well-known DVD-copying operation resulted in a brief confrontation between police and piracy-ring leaders. The pirates stood their ground and burned a police truck, then went back to work making knock-off Nollywood copies. The only repercussion for the offenders? A bill for the damage to the police vehicle.As piracy takes a larger and larger chunk of the profits, finding enough money to shoot a movie is becoming even more of a challenge. Chico Ejiro, a producer and director, has been struggling to find financing for his movies. A few years ago, during the shooting of his movie “Sisters on the Run,” he sold his car to keep the production afloat. This year he convinced a local bank to sponsor “100 Days in the Jungle,” a film about abduction and village lore, but it was a flop and Mr. Ejiro says the bank quickly soured on Nollywood.Mr. Julius, despite his production headaches, is optimistic about the future of Nollywood, as are most industry players. While watching two of his actors struggle to finish a scene on a busy Lagos street, Mr. Julius was looking forward to a complicated shoot that would involve a substantial police convoy, hundreds of extras, and foreign actors.“I need someone to play the British prime minister in the big scene we’re shooting this weekend,” Mr. Julius said, eyeing a reporter up and down. “Am I looking at him?”
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Posted by 9jabook.com on August 6, 2008 at 12:10am
A message to all members of www.9jabook.com
Hi 9jabook Family,
We have decided that not only are we all members but we are also a family of Nigerians,Africans and Children of this world, ready to make a difference.
This week is movie star week.
Monday and Tuesday was Female Movie Star Week
Wednesday and Thursday is for the guys !
We have for the guys
Jim Iyke
Ramsey Noah
Segun Arinze
Babes
Omotola Jalade Ekeinde
Stella Damascus Aboderin
Genevieve Nnaji
Just goto 9jabook.com click on groups.
We have created groups for the hottest movies stars if your star is not there be the first to create a group for them !
No double groups please, one star one group !
If you consider yourself an up and coming star then create a group ,if your group has less than five members by the next week Sorry o ! We go delete am ! No vex !
The up and coming star with the most members automatically gets a place in 9jabook bigbroda !
9jabook says Congrats to princess Anyamele she is Miss 9jabook and the first Webmate on 9jabookbigbroda, the first Nigerian big broda on the web !
nominations for bigbroda 9jabook continues send to 9jabook@gmail.com.
Also Mr 9jabook is coming soon Guys get ready to rumble.
We have partnered with www.huhuonline.com as our sole news provider.huhuonline is an investigative news service covering Nigeria.
we also now have online games to knock you out !
In two weeks our Full scale Web University will take off online at www.9jamovies.com !
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Have fun !
Gongo Aso
Weboga aka JB !
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