Gone are the days when you need to work your way up the ladder from personal assistant through the various movie crew positions to getting registered with the Directors Guild to become a Nollywood director. All of that gatekeeping process is non-existent thanks to the democratisation of the industry.
Today, anyone with determination and a willingness to work hard can direct their own films by simply learning the craft through YouTube tutorials.
Becoming a Nollywood director requires skill, consistency, storytelling, and positioning yourself within the industry.
Nollywood is one of the largest film industries in the world, and new directors break in every year by following the right path, especially by showcasing their work at film festivals.
In this post, I will guide you through my personal experience on how to become a Nollywood director in Nigeria, even if you’re starting with little or no industry connections.
How to Become a Nollywood Director
Here are the steps to becoming a creative director in the Nigerian movie and entertainment industry:
- Understand What a Nollywood Director Really Does
- Learn the Basics of Filmmaking
- Make Short Films Consistently
- Study Nollywood Directors
- Build Industry Relationships
- Pitch Yourself to Producers
1. Understand What a Nollywood Director Really Does
Understanding the roles of a director on a film set is the first step to becoming one yourself. Many people think being a director is all about yelling “action” and “cut”.
At least for me, I thought it was all about being the boss by instructing actors or crew members what to do, until I had to storyboard my first short film, I realised that being a director was tedious.
Furthermore, movie directors are not just people on big movie sets with big camera rigs. With your mobile phone or entry-level camera setup, you can become a bona fide creative director.
Who is a Creative Director?
A creative director is a person who understands the vision of a film, whether a feature or short film, music video, commercial, social media content, or documentary, and can interpret the concept to the actors, crew, and all those involved to bring the project to fruition.
Directors Role
The roles of a film director are;
- Story structure and script analysis
- Camera angles and shot composition
- Blocking and actor direction
- Editing fundamentals
- Sound and continuity.
You can learn all of these basics on YouTube, especially with channels like StudioBinder, which helped me get started as a filmmaker.
Alternatively, if you have the funds or sponsorships, you can attend film schools like the EbonyiLife Creative Academy or High Definition Film Academy to take courses on film directing.
2. Learn the Basics of Filmmaking
As a director, you must know the basics of filmmaking to become successful. Back then, you started as a production assistant, script supervisor, casting director, continuity supervisor, and assistant director, before becoming a director.
But, since you don’t need to go through that ladder, you must learn the job description of these roles.
A director must know the basics of cinematography because their job requires creating a shotlist and storyboards.
The following are the basics of filmmaking you must learn;
- Story structure and script analysis
- Camera angles and shot composition
- Blocking and actor direction
- Editing fundamentals
- Sound and continuity
These roles will teach you how a movie set operates, the methods directors communicate, and time and budget management in film.
Fortunately, you can learn all of these skills online on various helpful channels on YouTube. If you want the traditional routes, then film school is your best option.
Again, if you belong to a religious organisation that has a standard media department, joining them would be the best hands-on training.
3. Make Short Films Consistently
Making a short film is the best entry route to becoming a film director without attending film school.
Short films provide upcoming filmmakers the opportunity to showcase their skills without any barriers based on cost and equipment.
Unlike a feature film, where you need a large crew and more technical expertise, you can make a short film with your friends using your smartphone, and voila, you’re a film director.
Making a short is the best learning experience as you will get to do film shortlisting, location scouting, cinematography, and other areas of filmmaking.
Unlike a feature film that requires huge financial resources, you can fund a short film with limited resources. Your short films are your calling card, acting as a portfolio for future collaborations and employment.
Keep your scenes and characters simple by writing a story that utilises location and people in your immediate environment.
After making your short film, ensure you upload it to YouTube or submit it to film festivals if you’re convinced it is the best route.
4. Study Nollywood Directors
Studying successful directors is one of the open secrets to becoming successful yourself. In the book “Steal Like an Artist” by Austin Kleon, it teaches how creativity is about modifying the ideas of other people.
If you like a director’s style and movie genre, you can model your films in their direction. It is a creative way of learning how to create like them.
Most likely, you will not get the opportunity to receive direct mentorship from successful directors in Nigeria like Kunle Afolayan, Tunde Kelani, Kemi Adetiba, Funke Akindele, and others. But you can always watch their movies, behind the scenes and interviews, to draw inspiration.
Analyse how they frame scenes, direct actors, handle dialogue-heavy scripts, and work within Nigerian realities.
5. Build Industry Relationships
The movie industry runs on relationships; it is about the people you know who can position you for opportunities.
As a filmmaker, you have to learn how to network by attending events like film festivals, movie premieres, and workshops where you will get to meet actors and fellow filmmakers.
All of these networks will come in handy when you want to collaborate on certain projects with professionals.
6. Pitch Yourself to Producers
Once you have short films, a showreel, and a clear directing style, start pitching to independent producers, streaming platforms, and production companies.
At this point, you are ready to take your career to the next step. Thankfully, you have built a solid portfolio, which should give you a seat at the table.
Be strategic with your pitching because filmmaking is a business that must be mastered to become successful.
As you await opportunities, keep improving yourself by learning visual storytelling, actor direction, script interpretation, and leadership skills
Conclusion
Becoming a Nollywood director in Nigeria requires passion, discipline, hands-on experience, and persistence.
By learning the craft, making short films, networking, and positioning yourself professionally, you can build a sustainable directing career.
If you’re an aspiring director looking for production support, mentorship, or collaboration, Arraya Studios works with emerging filmmakers across Nigeria to develop, produce, and execute film projects professionally.
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