‘Film is a very expensive art; YouTube not designed for it’, says Nollywood producer, Bolaji Ogunmola

Nollywood actress and filmmaker, Bolaji Ogunmola, has spoken about the financial challenges of movie production in Nigeria, saying filmmaking remains an expensive venture despite the growing use of YouTube for film distribution.

The 34-year-old actress made the remarks during an interview with Jay-on-air, where she discussed the realities behind producing movies, the rising cost of hiring actors, and the level of planning required before production begins.

Speaking during the interview, Ogunmola argued that YouTube was not originally created as a platform for films, adding that even low-budget productions require significant financial investment.

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”YouTube was never designed for films. Film is a very expensive art. Yeah. It’s expensive. 
Actors are collecting four or five million. For four days, for five.

“If you see anybody, do a YouTube film. 
And you are thinking, ‘what is she doing?’. Even the worst film on YouTube costs money to make. And nobody’s trying to play a terrible film,” she stated.

Ogunmola also explained that successful filmmaking goes beyond shooting scenes, stressing the importance of proper preparation before production starts.

”When we want to put together a movie. First of all, the story, I need the right cast. I need the right location, the right team, and the right post production team,” she added.