The Nigerian Music Industry has transformed over the years, evidence is the quality of videos that are now key
components of such transformation.
In the 90s not too many people could lay claim to listening to Nigerian Rnb or hip hop songs, not to talk of sitting down to watch a 3 minute video laced with
bare bone productions.
It is a well-known fact that Music videos are now as important as the songs in reaching new markets and sustaining the tempo of air play. With the increase in
smartphone usage and cheaper internet data, the ability to view videos online (Youtube) and download the latest
videos from sites like Tooxclusive.com and
Notjustok.com has never been easier.
Why Are Music Videos Important to
Artistes?
There are 2 major ways through which music videos
help artists:
◾Exposure
◾Revenue
Typically music videos are produced and released in the
early stage of a songs’ release cycle, intended to drive
exposure through additional channels for fans to
consume, whether they are shown on TV, or streamed in
a public area.
When brands enter the picture and strategically place
products in music videos, it can produce a new revenue
stream for the artiste while also building exposure for
the brand. (Nielsen.com)
What Does A Standard Music Video Production Budget
Cover?
A standard Nigerian video can cost between N2 million
and N10 million depending on the production budget of
the artiste.
A standard and top quality video production budget
covers the following but not limited to the following:
◾Concept development
◾Casting
◾On-camera talent
◾Pre-production
◾Choreography
◾Rehearsals
◾Location fees
◾Props
◾Costumes
◾Production equipment
◾Production crew
◾Editing
◾Visual effects
◾Color correction
◾Video encoding
◾Digital delivery
So What Changed the Nigeria Music Video Scene?
With the breakthrough in Nigerian music crossing
borders and foreigners beginning to appreciate our
music better, the Nigerian artistes caught the buzz and
improved the quality of videos. However this wasn’t done without some notable names.
Enter Clarence Peters who took over the market around 2005/06. He changed the face of the Nigerian videos.
What Clarence Peters had that others before him like DJ Tee didn’t have was a good Camera, in fact he was a
very good Camera handler which was his unique selling point.
Most Nigerian videos made use of the Mac3 or Mac2 years back, but Peters was the first to use the D7 camera. With time other producers followed suit and consequently the quality of videos improved
Reasons Why Nigeria Videos Cost Much
Concept: Some Directors have their own in-house creative services department with a team of writers, directors and designers who help develop creative options for the artistes to choose from. This will
definitely cost money.
For example DJ Tee directed the ‘Eniduro’ which shot Olamide to limelight. In the video Olamide wore 25 different outfits and in addition the video was in black
and white.
Technology: Nigerian videos are now advanced and producers have moved from using Coma shoots/Greenhouse effect where the video is shot in one house
or location. With the aid of Cameras like D7 used by producers to shoot videos, this has driven up the cost of
videos shootings. This is because some of these cameras are quite expensive and require efficient maintenance.
Logistics, Wardrobe, and Props: These items determine the look of the video, and their importance cannot be overstated in terms of the final product.
Good locations can be expensive, and sometimes even requires existing relationships. Even free locations end
up costing money. It is easily noticeable that lots of Nigerian artists travel to places like South Africa, Dubai,
America to shoot videos and the locations used in these
places require lots of money.
Ash Hamman a UAE-based Nigerian-born artist is
reported to have shot the most expensive video in the
Emirates. The video gulped a whooping DH850, 000. The
money was spent to rent flashy cars, luxurious yachts
and beautiful girls.
He said “I want to make a statement. Let me do what
everybody is doing, but do it on a larger scale. I said ok,
people want to use one Lamborghini? I want five (5)
Lamborghinis. People want to use five (5) choppers? I
want seven (7) choppers. People want one (1) girl? I
got seven (7) girls.”
For his video, he ended up using 13 exotic cars, 3
yachts and 40 female models.
The Cast and Crew: A great music video requires lots of
talented people. A shoot generally involves at least 7-10
production professionals. These people work on day
rates and sometimes bring their creativity and scripts
on how they want the video to look like.
For example when Clarence peters shot the video for
‘Ghostmode’ Olamide ft Phyno. An eye-witness who
was at the making of the video confirmed that about 10
tankers of water and flowers were used during the
shoot.
Availability of resources: Much more money is flowing in
the music industry with artists selling millions of
albums, million dollar sponsorship deals from the top
companies in the land. Lots of these money is spent on
music videos to keep pleasing the fans and maintaining
the make-believe lifestyle these artists live.
Olu Maintains’ ‘Enuf Effizi’ has been claimed to be the
most expensive music video. Olu Maintain has been a
big player in the game for a long time and has the
resources to spend so much. In the video he used a
Private Jet, Ferrari, Lamborghini, and expensive
PROFESSIONAL models.
P square has one of the highest selling albums in the
country and also generate the highest revenue from
shows for any African artist or group. They have
featured American Rapper Rick Ross in their video shot
in the US on a yacht. We all know how much it is to
feature a foreign “A” list artist, then to also get him to
appear on the video also. This would cost as much as
$30,000 in cash.
Experience and Connection of Producer/Director: Only a
handful of people know that Clarence Peters worked on
the set of TV Programme Everyday People as Assistant
Director, then he went to South Africa, came back and
had a deal with TV Station Soundcity. The deal was that
for every of the video he directs, he has a playing slot
on the station. This also helps drive his price because
Nigerian Artists know that once he directs their videos
the chances of their videos being aired is higher.
Sesan, another famous Producer who shoots all of
Mavin records videos has his style. He doesn’t shoot
low budget videos and wouldn’t want to work with the
Artists budget, even if the artist has over 1 million
Naira.
Conclusively, a major factor attributed to the expensive
nature of producing videos here in Nigeria or anywhere
is the excuse artistes give concerning the exchange rate
between the naira and the dollar. They argue that if the
Federal Government gives the same or better treatment
as the one given to pilgrims as it affects the exchange
rate, their bills will be minimal in producing music
videos.
components of such transformation.
In the 90s not too many people could lay claim to listening to Nigerian Rnb or hip hop songs, not to talk of sitting down to watch a 3 minute video laced with
bare bone productions.
It is a well-known fact that Music videos are now as important as the songs in reaching new markets and sustaining the tempo of air play. With the increase in
smartphone usage and cheaper internet data, the ability to view videos online (Youtube) and download the latest
videos from sites like Tooxclusive.com and
Notjustok.com has never been easier.
Why Are Music Videos Important to
Artistes?
There are 2 major ways through which music videos
help artists:
◾Exposure
◾Revenue
Typically music videos are produced and released in the
early stage of a songs’ release cycle, intended to drive
exposure through additional channels for fans to
consume, whether they are shown on TV, or streamed in
a public area.
When brands enter the picture and strategically place
products in music videos, it can produce a new revenue
stream for the artiste while also building exposure for
the brand. (Nielsen.com)
What Does A Standard Music Video Production Budget
Cover?
A standard Nigerian video can cost between N2 million
and N10 million depending on the production budget of
the artiste.
A standard and top quality video production budget
covers the following but not limited to the following:
◾Concept development
◾Casting
◾On-camera talent
◾Pre-production
◾Choreography
◾Rehearsals
◾Location fees
◾Props
◾Costumes
◾Production equipment
◾Production crew
◾Editing
◾Visual effects
◾Color correction
◾Video encoding
◾Digital delivery
So What Changed the Nigeria Music Video Scene?
With the breakthrough in Nigerian music crossing
borders and foreigners beginning to appreciate our
music better, the Nigerian artistes caught the buzz and
improved the quality of videos. However this wasn’t done without some notable names.
Enter Clarence Peters who took over the market around 2005/06. He changed the face of the Nigerian videos.
What Clarence Peters had that others before him like DJ Tee didn’t have was a good Camera, in fact he was a
very good Camera handler which was his unique selling point.
Most Nigerian videos made use of the Mac3 or Mac2 years back, but Peters was the first to use the D7 camera. With time other producers followed suit and consequently the quality of videos improved
Reasons Why Nigeria Videos Cost Much
Concept: Some Directors have their own in-house creative services department with a team of writers, directors and designers who help develop creative options for the artistes to choose from. This will
definitely cost money.
For example DJ Tee directed the ‘Eniduro’ which shot Olamide to limelight. In the video Olamide wore 25 different outfits and in addition the video was in black
and white.
Technology: Nigerian videos are now advanced and producers have moved from using Coma shoots/Greenhouse effect where the video is shot in one house
or location. With the aid of Cameras like D7 used by producers to shoot videos, this has driven up the cost of
videos shootings. This is because some of these cameras are quite expensive and require efficient maintenance.
Logistics, Wardrobe, and Props: These items determine the look of the video, and their importance cannot be overstated in terms of the final product.
Good locations can be expensive, and sometimes even requires existing relationships. Even free locations end
up costing money. It is easily noticeable that lots of Nigerian artists travel to places like South Africa, Dubai,
America to shoot videos and the locations used in these
places require lots of money.
Ash Hamman a UAE-based Nigerian-born artist is
reported to have shot the most expensive video in the
Emirates. The video gulped a whooping DH850, 000. The
money was spent to rent flashy cars, luxurious yachts
and beautiful girls.
He said “I want to make a statement. Let me do what
everybody is doing, but do it on a larger scale. I said ok,
people want to use one Lamborghini? I want five (5)
Lamborghinis. People want to use five (5) choppers? I
want seven (7) choppers. People want one (1) girl? I
got seven (7) girls.”
For his video, he ended up using 13 exotic cars, 3
yachts and 40 female models.
The Cast and Crew: A great music video requires lots of
talented people. A shoot generally involves at least 7-10
production professionals. These people work on day
rates and sometimes bring their creativity and scripts
on how they want the video to look like.
For example when Clarence peters shot the video for
‘Ghostmode’ Olamide ft Phyno. An eye-witness who
was at the making of the video confirmed that about 10
tankers of water and flowers were used during the
shoot.
Availability of resources: Much more money is flowing in
the music industry with artists selling millions of
albums, million dollar sponsorship deals from the top
companies in the land. Lots of these money is spent on
music videos to keep pleasing the fans and maintaining
the make-believe lifestyle these artists live.
Olu Maintains’ ‘Enuf Effizi’ has been claimed to be the
most expensive music video. Olu Maintain has been a
big player in the game for a long time and has the
resources to spend so much. In the video he used a
Private Jet, Ferrari, Lamborghini, and expensive
PROFESSIONAL models.
P square has one of the highest selling albums in the
country and also generate the highest revenue from
shows for any African artist or group. They have
featured American Rapper Rick Ross in their video shot
in the US on a yacht. We all know how much it is to
feature a foreign “A” list artist, then to also get him to
appear on the video also. This would cost as much as
$30,000 in cash.
Experience and Connection of Producer/Director: Only a
handful of people know that Clarence Peters worked on
the set of TV Programme Everyday People as Assistant
Director, then he went to South Africa, came back and
had a deal with TV Station Soundcity. The deal was that
for every of the video he directs, he has a playing slot
on the station. This also helps drive his price because
Nigerian Artists know that once he directs their videos
the chances of their videos being aired is higher.
Sesan, another famous Producer who shoots all of
Mavin records videos has his style. He doesn’t shoot
low budget videos and wouldn’t want to work with the
Artists budget, even if the artist has over 1 million
Naira.
Conclusively, a major factor attributed to the expensive
nature of producing videos here in Nigeria or anywhere
is the excuse artistes give concerning the exchange rate
between the naira and the dollar. They argue that if the
Federal Government gives the same or better treatment
as the one given to pilgrims as it affects the exchange
rate, their bills will be minimal in producing music
videos.
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