ASK & DISCUSS INDEX

11 years, 2 months ago - Markus A Ljungberg, FSF

Thanks Santiago. I'm now starting to get a pretty clear picture of what shooting in Nigeria entails. I've been put in contact with several filmmakers down there and people in UK with experience from Nigeria, this reminds me of what a great community this is, thanks again everyone for your help.

11 years, 2 months ago - Markus A Ljungberg, FSF

I'm there as a DP, but I'm doing my own research here. Main concern is about safety, kit will work out one way or the other. Production has sourced local security in some form but it's very vague what that security is precisely.

What would be considered sufficient security? I understand the best thing is to hire local police? Actually I'll get in touch with the embassy and ask these questions but I'm curios on what experiences other filmmakers have from the region.

What's a good way to find trustworthy transport? Again, a production concern, but I want to know for myself. Thanks

11 years, 2 months ago - Dayo Bash BALOGUN

Hi Markus

Like Santiago explained, getting from A to B is the biggest issue when shooting in Lagos. Ideally you always want to be on the ISLAND side of Lagos as you have better chance of always moving against traffic as oppose to been stuck for hours in one.

Also there about 15-20 different productions that takes place in lagos on a weekly basis so you will come across many international crews. What Production company are you working with?

Lastly make sure you get all your jabs, especially Yellow Fever as you may be delayed without one. Shooting in Lagos is unorthodox and expect to work longer hours, we sometimes forgot to eat lunch...

Overall you will have loads of fun and wealth of stories to share...

If you need any further assistance you can get in touch
dayo@h264media.com

11 years, 2 months ago - Paolo Black

On my last shoot in Nigeria - I was guarded by armed soldiers all the time. It may be necessary, but it's very limiting. I saw a great shot from the second bridge in Lagos - very Mad Max - the sun setting over the shanty village, built on the water, with smoke rising over the top - please stop, I asked my driver. The entire convoy stopped and surrounded me while I shot off pretty breath-taking stills and video from the bridge. Not one of our arranged shoots worked out - and so, it was all about adapting to the constantly changing circumstances. Had a very hairy moment when I put a camera bag under the plane for loading, and it disappeared. I made a huge fuss, and it magically reappeared. After that, I put nothing underneath.

11 years, 2 months ago - Markus A Ljungberg, FSF

Thank you so much John and Tunji. After having spoken to several people who have been filming in Nigeria I'm starting to get a pretty clear picture, what you'r saying Tunji reflects what I'm hearing. The thought of security drawing attention never struck me, how's that for being naive!

I've just had it confirmed from production that we will have armed police security, even escorts from the airport. And like you say as we are outside Lagos, not in Lagos, and working with local crew, it's more of a safe operation.

Feel more safe about flying over there, or rather I have a rough idea what to expect, but for sure I'll be very cautions and I'll keep my eyes peeled =)

Thanks again!

11 years, 2 months ago - Paddy Robinson-Griffin

DP or production? Lx, insurance, crew, security are all production problems. Your production should hire a local production company who will sort most of that out - but in my limited experience of the region, they're all very wise questions to be asking, and I'm not sure I'd be in a rush to go out again.

11 years, 2 months ago - Terry Messenger

I did a shoot in Ibadan, a city of 2m people about 70 miles north of Lagos, well away from the trouble spots in the North. I heard all sorts of horror stories before I went out, all of which were completely misleading. I had a wonderful time. The Nigerians we collaborated with were professional, friendly and efficient. There were a few changed plans for sure but everything came right in the end. And the assumption that Nigerians can't keep time is downright racist in my book. How many times is the hapless assistant producer, who has spent weeks cultivating relationships with contributors, told to ring them up and say "we're running two hours late" by white often arrogant British producers who overshoot everything? I don't doubt for a second that you are in the hands of your Nigerian collaborators and how it goes depends on their individual qualities. But speaking solely from my experience, I had a great time in a bewildering but amazing place.

11 years, 2 months ago - Markus A Ljungberg, FSF

Yeah I've experienced this, was shooting a dark high contrast film with mixed cast black / white skin and getting the light right to get good details in everyones faces was tricky =)

11 years, 2 months ago - Santiago Burin des Roziers

I recently came back from a shoot in Lagos. It was a different type of shoot it appears. I was doing a docco for BBC and brought all the kit with me. I had a Nigerian producer with me who lives in the uk. DAYO BALOGUN
h264.media@gmail.com
Call him, he might be able to help you out.
In my experience security wasn't an issue, but I would recommend a security guy/ driver to be with you. A big thing about Lagos is getting from A to B, as the traffic is hell.
If you have any specific questions, I'd be happy to help out budo10@gmail.com
All the best

11 years, 2 months ago - Tunji Akinsehinwa

Hello Markus,
I live in Nigeria having relocated to Lagos last year after living in London for over 30 years. I'm also a DoP/Location fixer and have shot across Nigeria and other countries in West Africa. Firstly, security is a normal issue on any film but less so outside of Lagos,. You do not need to organise your own security because then you are implying that you are of someone of considerable importance and therefore will attract the wrong attention. The fact that you are with an all Nigerian crew means you are perfectly safe and well protected. Local security will be either be armed police or at the very least, production security both of whom know how to handle themselves and the location. There are plenty of white people in Nigeria and they mostly go about their business unhindered and unbothered. Mostly you will find that people will want to talk with you out of curiosity and friendliness. If you are bringing equipment it will be safe although I am sure you will have insured it. I location fixed for a BBC crew here in March and the producer/director kept leaving his C300 on the ground and wandering off. Nobody touched it and the local Nigerians kept watch. To steal here is virtually a death sentence if the locals catch you so it rarely happens in the working day. What you need to be sure of, is that your hotel is secure and has round the clock 24hr security and electricity. Power supply in Nigeria is terribly erratic. Also, ensure that there is a good hospital in the area. What town or city are you going to? If you want you can emall me on info@tunji-akinsehinwa.com

11 years, 2 months ago - John Lubran

Some very good advice given already. I've been filming across quite a bit of Africa over the years, north, south and west, just once in Nigeria though several times in Ghana, which one might expect to be quite similar being an ex British West African country. My colleagues have considerably more experience in Nigeria which also informs my opinion. The difference between Ghana and Nigeria is huge however with Ghana being many times better in terms of security, relatively less corruption (note the term ‘relatively’) and better local support mechanisms and yet even Ghana can be a nightmare for the unprepared Westerner. That gives some indication of just how onerous filming in Nigeria can be. Personally I would not accept any work in Nigeria right now unless a very well set up Western organisation, expert in Nigeria, with the best contacts at every level, was organising things. I would not accept work from a Nigerian organisation unless I had the most proven and/or established relationship with them. The chances of being properly paid, if at all, only after you've done the work should be considered unlikely, expecting to be ripped off must be the starting point of any negotiation. One thing I learned early on is not to rely on any local entity to provide anything technical even in the smallest thing. I take every last nut and bolt that I may need with me on the plane, whatever the excess baggage comes too. The availability of relatively compact broadcast standard HD cameras and other lightweight kit has made that part of the task so very much easier than when we had to take Betacams. Don't presume that anything will be as it may be described beforehand. While for sure people are mostly very lovely and great collaborators can be found, corruption, brutality and the criminality born of grinding poverty and horrendous inequality is endemic. Oh, there's no real law or justice either, expect to dash (bribe) anyone who has power over the smallest issue. It's no place for the naive unless blessed by Divine Grace

11 years, 2 months ago - Owen A Smith

I used to be asked to shoot films in Nigeria but today I would just put the telephone down as from the experiences I have had filming even just in the UK with Nigerians I would not do any business with them again. My advise is simply this make sure you get paid in full before you go and always keep your passport on you never give it in for safe keeping and make sure you have cash American dollars will do nicely to get the F_____ out of the country and to pay off the police when you need to. But if you want my advise don't go. I'm however sure you are not going to listen to me so be very careful indeed. And good luck as I think you are going to need it.

11 years, 2 months ago - Markus A Ljungberg, FSF

Thanks James. How would you go about organising your own security? That sounds like a costly venture, if I was filming for Oil Company Infomercials sure but I'm shooting an indie-drama down there. Regardless. How would one go about organising security?

Yeah I'm expecting that lack of organisation I've heard war stories, nothing I can to to prepare for that though, have to wing it =) Thanks

11 years, 2 months ago - Marlom Tander

http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Tropical-Traveller-Essential-Countries/dp/0140165487 is the bible, buy it.

A friend of mine is a Nigerian producer (now in UK), and is full of war stories. My take, be there in a technical capacity only. Tell the producer what you want, getting it is his problem. But be prepared for "they said we'd have X but they've let us down and I got Y instead, work with it".

If you take your own kit, actually, just don't take any kit. You'll only worry, and with good reason.

11 years, 2 months ago - John Lubran

I have to say that the positive reports here of the experiences of others shooting in Nigeria are encouraging. Ironically it's often said that filming in the countryside, (but not those several regions where it's downright dangerous because of ethno-political-economic conflict) is preferred and enjoyed over filming within Lagos or indeed any of the big cities. Each to his own. Filming in Nigeria and other places around the world, where conditions are far less cosey than most of us are used to, deserves sensible consideration. Being a part of a big corporations production means enough funding to have, maybe not so much a security team per se, but enough staff, infrastructure and official oversight to have enhanced security in terms of both physical and project well being compared with a small crew from a less well cosseted production. I've worked at both ends of that spectrum. It's often brilliant and wonderful but being sensible will minimise the opposite occurring.

11 years, 2 months ago - John Lubran

It's good to hear about happy shoots in Nigeria these days. It's been a decade or so since I was there, though I continue to shoot in other parts of West Africa and elsewhere on that continent. It does remain a fact for me though that I continue to hear from others of the same sort of issues occurring with Nigeria projects as were ever told. Not being an arrogant white racist must be the first base to reach before working there but being well organised and in control of ones project is the second.

The fundamental nature of humanity is the same everywhere but circumstances of environment and socio-political structures differ hugely from place to place. Being sensible is about not assuming that ones own values are a generality. It has nothing to do with racism

11 years, 2 months ago - Jeffrey Daniel Owusu

Hi Marqi,

hope your well, i had a few team mates who went over and its not easy, they had to pay soldiers be with them at all time so as they can shoot their film, they soon found that it was best to hire the kit out there, there is a south African production company that does a lot of work in nigeria, they may be able to to share some light, sorry but the name escape me, you might have to do a google search.

Just to add that its not just Nigeria, even Ghana where i came from is he same in some part no way as bad but all the same. ias you know i did some stuff in Brazil in the favalas and i had to get permission from the G-men out there, who gave me protection.

its just that there is poverty to a level beyond imagination, so when you go with camera kit you might as well be flashing money around.

if you have to go with something you dont might losing and insurance companies will hit you with a premium anyway.

Good shooting

11 years, 2 months ago - Franz von Habsburg FBKS MSc

I was told (at a BKSTS conference) by a black DP that black skins require an extra 1/3rd of a stop for a correct exposure otherwise faces can look fully underexposed.

11 years, 2 months ago - James Martin

Be very, very careful.

Security is a massive concern but my main concern, having worked in Nigeria before (although not shooting) is that they cannot organise or keep time for toffee.

Do not expect things to just be sorted like you would on a European or American shoot. I would consider organising your own security. If you're white, you will be noticed everywhere you go.

The people I worked with are great, but no country is without danger!

James

11 years, 2 months ago - janus avivson

vaccinations first, good driver/security dubbing as your fixer, lots of bottled water, mosquito net, a portable generator, sense of humour and good luck!