Estimated reading time: 2 minutes
Here’s a tip for the fiction writers, comic book creators, animators, film makers and storytellers: If you’re ready to go global and make it big, research your Nigerian and African histories and tell our stories.
Africa is one of the final frontiers for fresh and original content. Let us not wait for outsiders to take our rich histories and write them as they wish.
Let us write our own stories, control our own narratives, and let them have to pay us writers, creators and storytellers to adapt our work for the silver screen.
Don’t sleep on your culture. Don’t sleep on your history. Don’t sleep on your ability to tell tales as old as time. Don’t sleep on your writing skills.
As you create, be intentional. Create as an African but for the global market. I have spoken to many authors and comic book creators but they still don’t see the opportunities in this industry.
The few African comic books that are published on Amazon are doing amazing. African storytelling is gaining the attention of the global audience. Control the narrative.
Explore the many opportunities that exist. Get exposed to Hollywood and international platforms like the San Diego Comic Con, DC Fandome etc.
Research on what makes books and movies critically acclaimed. Study the New York Times and their bestsellers list. Research on Rotten Tomatoes and IMDB.
Learn the difference between a production company, a studio and a content creation company. Study the submissions for movie festivals.
Don’t just watch movies for entertainment’s sake. Study every single aspect of it. The plot, the location, the set design, the soundtracks, the score, the choice of actors and actresses, the producers, directors and crew.
Study the release date and why. Study their opening weekend box office records. Study the production company and the previous works of the producers and directors.
Study the trailers for the movie. Study the marketing and press junkets. Listen to the interviews by the actors and directors. Check our the fan reviews versus the critics reviews. Ask yourself why certain movies are given certain ratings. Study book adaptations and the books that were adapted. Find the differences and nuances in both. Be a student not just a fan.
We have a lot more to offer than just our music. We have stories we can tell in various forms. Don’t sleep on your history and be intentional with strategic positioning and alliances.
