Reality is always different from expectations and things don’t always go as they should. Deceit, hardship, and hate are constantly twisting the minds of good people. Nollywood, behind the scene, is no different.
Some years ago, people used to converge from many different regions of Nigeria to participate in auditions held in the east.
This was the time that most of the events that defined the Nigerian movie industry took place.
Making friends was at your own risk, as everyone had their own agenda. Maybe things have changed slightly for the better lately, but it is still important to address these events. There are still some corrupt practices and darkness in present-day Nollywood.
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Nollywood Behind the Scenes
Actors would often go behind the back of other actors to steal roles that had already been assigned. Some didn’t even bother to go for the audition.
Many actors experienced going for auditions and being the 100th on the list. This is in itself already very annoying. But what’s even worse is that before it is 3 PM, directors are tired and the audition is dismissed for the day.
Nollywood attracted a lot of people seeking a brighter future. When they arrived there was obviously no place to sleep. Many Nollywood actors spent many nights sleeping under the staircase of the hotel used for auditions.
Many girls who were first-timers were fooled to do stupid things. One common scam was to approach them with a script and offer them a role in the upcoming movie production. Unknown to them, they were handed used scripts by a random person who claimed to be a director, hoping to get a date out of it.
Many aspiring Nollywood actors were hoping to secure a role by writing a script they play a lead role in. After presenting it to a director, they would often see the movie being produced – without getting either money or a role for themselves.
Working without getting paid was a recurring issue that haunted almost everyone back then. There were several cases. Doing voiceovers, or shooting scenes as an extra were typical examples of where the contributors would never see the money. Young girls and boys were made to spend the night outside in the cold shooting scenes as extras. They didn’t get as much as food to eat for staying put under the cold wind of the night.
Extras were frequently also taken to film locations and abandoned there. No food, no payment, and no transportation were what awaited.
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