Why I’m looking for rookie screenwriters, says Zeb Ejiro
By Anote Ajeluorou
NOTABLE Nollywood producer and director Mr. Zeb Ejiro has put out a call for ‘Student Scipt/Screen Writers’ as part of his youth development initiative to train and empower young ones desiring to enter into the film industry. Mr. Ejiro put out the call a few days ago, and has since been receiving a pool of interests from wannabe writers from across the country who he will train to write for him.
Mr. Ejiro said his motivation for this call is based on his conviction to open up avenues for fresh voices in the industry. Mr. Ejiro hinted that stories in Nollywood are sometimes cliches and regurgitation of one and the same stories already told but only being tweaked somewhat, adding that such practice has continued to deny originality to most of the stories being told in films.
But with fresh voices like the ones he’s seking to groom for his new Youtube TV channel, Mr. Ejiro said there was bound to be a differfence in storytelling approach, as he would make them start on a new slate and not be inluenced by what they had watched over the years, but to attempt a distinct, unique voice that is all their own. The man fondly referred to as the ‘Sheikh’ of Nollywood said it was time for a new era of storytelling in the film industry, adding that such newness could only come from harvesting fresh, untainted voices to give the industry a new cinematic leash of life.
He debunk claims that it was the high charges older scriptwriters charge that is driving him towards this direction. He said the new film he was editing that will soon be ready for the cinemas had older hands as writers in February, so he could not be afraid of paying older writers appropriate fees for fear of high costs, whatever that was, but a desire to introduce fresh voices into the writerly space in Nolywood to secure the industry’s future.
He reinterated that script/screen writing is at the heart of any successful film industry, and that poor sripts are mostly to blame for most of Nollywood’s failures as a global cinema powerhouse, a development that should concern every practitioner in the industry.
“Only those of us in the industry can correct the storytelling anomaly that poor scripts bring,” he said, “and it must start with us seeking to inject new voices into Nollywood to secure a better storytelling tradition for it. This is my sole objective for this drive for new voices. Every practitioner should do the same, so we have a fine blend of old and new working together to make Nollywood a better cinema experience for our fans globally.”
Zeb Ejiro
