The odds are against Nigerian entertainers —Animashaun Martini

Animashaun Martini is an actor, producer, digital marketer and an entertainment executive who runs Tinimash Entertainment. He speaks with SEGUN ADEBAYO on how he sustains his brand, copes with commitment on many fronts and his desire to see a better entertainment industry.

 

You have sustained your brand, Tinimash Entertainment, for almost a decade alongside other interests in the entertainment industry. What would you say has been your stay-in-power logic?

I have learnt to be consistent, flexible and persevering over the years. These are important values for someone who has set his sight on achieving big things. You must have it in mind that you’re building a legacy. Perseverance and consistency will help you to survive the test of time and to thrive in this digital generation requires flexibility and adaptability.

 

With your experience in the entertainment industry, does it bother you that so much still needs to be done to take the industry to greater heights?

It always leaves much to be desired because the Nigerian system doesn’t favour entertainment practitioners. We all want a system that sees entertainment as a national treasure. It should be an industry with a lot of investors but here we are, battling constraints. I’m astonished by what we’ve achieved despite the challenges. In Africa, we are still a force to reckon with when it comes to music, movies and fashion. One can only imagine what we could have achieved if we have a system that favours the craft.

 

Tell us about what prepared you for this entertainment journey and the challenges that almost got you off the track.

I’ve been a digital enthusiast since I was young. I used to go to a cybercafé every day and at some point, I had a rapport with 50 Cent in the early 2000s. So, when I got university admission, my love for entertainment grew to another level so much that I used to organise shows for many artistes then, including Tunde Bernard (Baba Tee). Whenever there is an entertainment show, I help different departments in sending reminders to students through Yahoo and Hotmail bulk mails. I felt useful being a go-to guy when the school wanted to pass information through the web.

 

Let’s talk about digital marketing and how it has become a booming trade in the music industry that everybody embraces. In your view, are practitioners getting it right?

I call the digital space a saving grace for the entertainment industry. Comparing digital marketing to traditional marketing, you could see the difference and gulf in class and the reason digital marketing has been a positive catalyst to the progress of the craft. You don’t need to go to a radio or TV station to advertise your work. You can see how your social media is your TV with no validation before showcasing your craft to the world. To practise digital marketing, all you need is an expert that can help you run a successful campaign.

 

You have honed your skills as an actor, moviemaker and digital marketer, how do you manage to balance commitment on all these fronts and still live up to expectations?

As I have said my interest grew from working on computers. So, if not for the digitisation, I wouldn’t have pictured myself as an actor. I’d have been a programmer and entertainment executive but when things changed and the industry ushered in a new trend which is the digital space, I realized I had an edge. The motivation to be an actor arose from the content I created for people and how it paid off for them. I decided to try it out for myself.

 

You are one of those who believe in the potential of the entertainment business in Nigeria and have helped a lot of content creators to earn from their intellectual property, what motivates you to do this?

I am always motivated to help a person gain financial freedom in their craft. It gives me goose bumps that my work is helping people to sustain themselves and stay relevant. I can’t imagine what would give me more passion than that. Seeing people happy is gratifying.

 

Tell us about the life-changing experience you had that gave you the big break.

I’ve been around a while but to be honest, my big break was when I started teaching top Nollywood marketers and producers about creation and content marketing on YouTube. I met top people in the movie industry during that time and I’ve been riding on the contacts till now.

 

They call you the go-to guy when it comes to content creation and strategy, does it not bring too much pressure for you?

Once you love what you’re doing and you’re doing what you love, you are always happy being the go-to guy. The only pressure I experience is how to improve day by day, you always want to do better than the previous time and that is the key to keep enjoying the power of referral.

 

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