In the last few years, the movie industry has thrown new names that are charting a new course and setting new standards in movie-making. One of such names is Temitope Iledo, who is popularly known as Topright. With no fewer than seven movie productions and several appearances, the Edo State-born actor speaks with Imoleayo Oyedeyi on his nine-year bitter-sweet journey in the industry and other sundry issues.
You are fast becoming a popular face and name in the movie industry. The journey would not have started on a right footing, but you have managed to stay on top of your game for seven years. How would you describe the journey so far?
I have been in the movie industry since 2012 and Olatayo Omokade (Ijebu) is my boss. He was the one who trained me and since I joined him, I have been going to movie locations. I produced two movies under him which he assisted me to package. The first one was Alapa Kan, directed by Afeez Owo while the second one was entitled “My fan” directed by Afeez Adio and Okiki Afolayan. But after doing these two movies and spending about five years under my boss, Ijebu, I deemed it fit to stand on my own and personally package a movie. This led me to the third movie I produced entitled “Prodigal Son,” directed by Wale Razak. It was this third movie that gave me the breakthrough because after it, I started getting calls to feature in movies.
For somebody who is becoming known as a producer and actor, what do you think about the quality of movie production in the movie industry today?
Aside producing movies, I like watching good movies that portray elegance and high sense of professionalism right from scripting and type of equipment used, especially the quality of camera being used which all contribute to the overall standard of a film. These are some of the things I considered when I wanted to shoot my fourth movie entitled “Jagunlabi”. It was also directed by Wale Rasak. In fact, Mr. Rasak was the brain behind the storyline. He told me that he wanted to see me in another character, clearly different from those I have been playing in my past appearances. He told me that he saw a very unique instinct in me and that I needed to unleash more of my acting potential for people to see. His words really motivated me to embark on the fourth project which paraded many top Nollywood stars, such as Itele, Muyiwa Ademola, Ayo Adesanya, Antar Laniyan, Kola Ajeyemi, among others. We shot the movie in Ibadan and I received wide commendations from many artistes, producers and directors in the industry. Though I am yet to release the movie, it will be out soon. But aside it, I have four other projects in the pipeline such as ‘Afefe’, ‘Iyaniwura,’ one of which I shot in Dubai. In fact, it was a week after I finished the project of Afefe that I started ‘Iyaniwura’. In all, I am working on my seventh production now and I have released only two of them.
What was the driving force behind the swift production of movies?
What triggered the production of the movies is my quest for recognition and acceptability in the movie industry. This is because as an upcoming actor, people won’t get noticed until one projects oneself. And in Nollywood, one has to belong or else, one would not be invited for jobs. It was only directors that always call me for movies roles. In view of this, I saw the need to showcase my talents to more people in the industry. And since I did all the movies I have done, more players in the industry have been calling me because they have seen me in different characters. And this is what keeps inspiring me to use my money to do more movies.
Why does it seem like every actor is now embracing movie production; is acting no longer lucrative?
The truth is just that as an up and coming actor in the industry, one has to struggle and make one’s own movies which will give the leverage to play any role and appear many times. This is because no producer or director will want to trust an actor with their movie script in view of being new in the industry. Though, as a fresh actor, one can get to do some dirty jobs and deals in a bid to get one’s face on the screen; one will definitely survive the process if one is committed. It’s just that one has to suffer before gaining prominence in the industry.give you. It’s just that you have to suffer before you can gain anything in the industry.
What was it like when you started?
I could remember that when I started, I used to go out to do petty jobs here and there to get money to fund my trips to movie locations. Though I grew up in Ibadan, I had to travel far and near to movie locations. Then, one has to pay for hotel bills and fund trips back home. And to make the matter worse, one may not even get any role to play other than to act as Personal Assistants to the directors and producers. When the situation became very frustrating, I quit the industry for about three years and went back to make money. This is because one cannot thrive in the industry without having money. In fact, one can spend up to twenty years in the industry; yet one would not be recognized without producing one’s own movies.
But in all, do you have any painful part or most regrettable feat?
There is one. And I must say it is one of the most painful part of my movie career. But I see it as part of the experience I need to get to the very top in the industry. What happened exactly was that there was this movie I spent huge sum of money in packaging, from the scripting down to the casting. It cost me a lot. But to my surprise, after the whole process, virtually all the marketers I met rejected the movie, including the online TVs even when it featured stars. They all complained of only its storyline, nothing else. It was really painful, but I had to just dust it off and move on. Though many asked whether I didn’t check the story well before embarking on the project, I didn’t mind them.
What does it take to be a movie producer with the look of things today?
You must be ready to lose millions. This is because you can shoot a movie for two million naira and hardly make five hundred thousand naira at the end of the day. There are days you will be lucky, and there are days, you won’t.
What lessons have you learnt from your mistake?
Another thing I learnt from the mistake is that only one scene can destroy a multi-million naira movie project. This is because acceptability of the audience is very key. Many of them are intelligent and can predict the end of a movie right from the beginning, even though we producers often tend to prevent that. We all know that there will always be a consequence for every bad or criminal act, but if a story now portrays a character that goes scot-free after destroying many lives, such isn’t acceptable because a movie shouldn’t contrast the moral standard of any society.
As an upcoming, how do you source for funds to produce your movies?
Good question. After quitting the industry for a while, like I said earlier, I went into business to gain certain level of financial freedom. And even since I came back, I have continued to run my businesses side by side with my movie career because it is through them I get the money to fund my movies productions which like I said, I need to continue to embark upon in a bid to get more recognitions in the industry. Though the whole processes have been really challenging, I have benefitted massively from close mentorship from my boss, Ijebu. I always consult him whenever I embark on any new project in terms of the right casting, equipment among others. And he has been very supportive.
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