Last week Saturday, the Nollywood department of School of Media and Communications, Pan Atlantic University, hosted screenwriter, Kemi Adesoye, to an afternoon of discussion on screenwriting.
Adesoye, who has been screenwriter for many short films, TV and feature films
including award winning ‘Figurine’ and ‘Phone Swap’ produced by film maker Kunle Afolayan, spoke extensively on her experience as a screenwriter. According to her, one of the hurdles faced by screenwriters is that no school has been equipped specifically to teach screenwriting.
She said the first school of screenwriting she attended was in a book she discovered in the science library, explaining that there was usually no one to encourage screen writers, to make them understand that this was a viable industry and a viable career, as most people have to find their way to the top, especially if they have love for the profession.
“Working with people who do not understand or appreciate the part of a screenwriter in a film or those who take it for granted and meeting people who can’t tell the difference between a good story and a bad story, can kill the love for the profession,” she said.
According to Adesoye, the career is not that defined, unlike other professions, in writing nothing is guaranteed and people don’t take it as a serious profession. While sharing her experience on the career, she aid: “As a child in school, I used to write short stories and I enjoy watching films. The first stories I saw were those I saw in films.
I wanted to be part of the story telling world and I didn’t think there was a profession called screenwriting until my days in university and I stumbled upon a book called ‘The elements of Screen Writing,’ that opened my eyes to know that people get paid career.” She said that in 1999 she entered for a competition called ‘New Directions,’ and sent in an entry and her writing sample, and the story was accepted and shortlisted, adding that although she didn’t win the first time but the second and third time, she won and the stories were converted into short films.
“When DStv helped in producing a medical series, called ‘Doctors Quarters,’ I was called upon and along the way, I was called in for more jobs until I worked on Figurine,” she said. She however encouraged the government to look into these challenges and proffer solutions so that more people will be properly trained to become professionals on the job and develop love for the profession.
