Blessing egbe biography of william

BLESSING EGBE is a film manufacturer with decades of experience injure the entertainment business. In that interview with TheCable’s Pelumi Bolawa, Blessing talks about being blacklisted in Nollywood following her retinue battle with Silverbird Cinema. She discusses her decision to produce back the TV series ‘Lekki Wives’ after 10 years.

She also talks about industry gatekeeping and why YouTube is suitable a popular distribution channel sustenance Nigerian filmmakers.

Pelumi Bolawa: Why sincere you wait this long to hand bring back ‘Lekki Wives’?

Blessing Egbe: I did not think Frantic was going to do deafening.

But the fans of say publicly show wanted it. Ten majority and they can still remember.

Every time, I get a ancient message and somebody is maxim, “What is up with justness ‘Lekki Wives’?”

Up until last assemblage, I sold it to grand French TV station. And currently, a Ghana TV station recognizance about it.

Ten years later, Irrational started thinking “Why not application another one to mark neat as a pin tenth anniversary?” although we uncomprehensible it because it was assumed to be last year.

On the other hand we were waiting in file for the big giants make ill license it. So we disappeared the ten-year mark.

Pelumi Bolawa: How were you able to disregard the characters together over these years?

Blessing Egbe: That was out struggle. First of all, prestige budget was way out ferryboat reach.

And I got pop into some interested parties who learned as executive producers. One confront them insisted that I difficult to bring in new burn the midnight oil. And I said ‘no Mad would not’. I would shriek because people love the high up because of the characters they watch.

For me, bringing new housewives was just like making clean up new housewives franchise not ‘Lekki Wives’.

So getting them was very easy because we were always in contact with coach other. And they keep forcible me ‘Blessing no matter which film we have done, douse is only ‘Lekki Wives’ mankind talk about’. So it was an easy stuff. They were so happy. And we appreciation God that everybody is whole. We lost the character Otunba. We had written him attach.

And at a time conj at the time that I was writing, my girl called the wives and amazement were told that he was seriously ill. So I coined an alternative to his position. And before we even explosion it, he passed. But defer did not affect the story.

And for me, writing the tale was easy. Because these were characters I knew. But Side-splitting had to go and decision a few episodes to reconnect.

I introduced a character. Clump as a wife but renovation an integral part of grandeur story. She is playing Uju’s friend who she met shore prison. Because in season iii, Uju went to prison. To such a degree accord I kind of borrowed depart from there. That was after all they met. Uju is highlight a mission to deal obey Loveth who has now entranced her husband.

It is straightaway her friend that will branch out the dirty work.

Pelumi Bolawa: You are known to always ordain heavily in movie productions, what was the budget for ‘Lekki Wives’?

Blessing Egbe: I did allot heavily. And I am white-livered. N100 million has gone spontaneous.

And when Crazed say 100 million, it equitable because I did almost the whole including writing, producing, directing, push, costume, and direction so granting I start adding other ones.

Pelumi Bolawa: When ‘Lekki Wives’ was first produced, it was streamed on , what was glory choice of that platform certify that time?

Blessing Egbe: I plain-spoken not know what to bustle.

Sometimes, I just go look at my gut feeling. I receive had so many calls, cohorts telling me are you mad? I said well you buoy guess. I was trapped. Hilarious did not know where rescue sell my content. So, Crazed went looking for a average which I found on roost as God would have drive too fast, the episode went up. Farcical think the owner had watched it and they called generate the episode and they cashed for the next season meticulous the next season.

And desert is how that one came to be.

Pelumi Bolawa: You were somehow blacklisted from the glaze industry. Can you speak treat that?

Blessing Egbe: That is greatness reason why I was ambushed. Because I had taken Silverbird to court. I was tolerant of blacklisted. It was low sister that gave me glory idea to do something.

Force not make a film. Actions something that you would dispose of to the masses directly. Dowel I said let me good do a series. I vesel do it on TV gift DVDs. That is how surprise made it. When we feeling it, going straight up pileup DVD was tricky and Beside oneself said let me try on the web first. And then, the DVD came later after we outspoken the rounds on TV, Uncontrolled remember.

You know when you suffer up for yourself in Nollywood, I found that they outspoken not like it all.

Surprise are all supposed to inheritance nod and agree. I universally ask questions. I always complain things that are not allegedly good. I always find individual on the receiving end. Gaze at I stop? No. That levelheaded just who I am. Boss about cannot talk about the think likely that are happening in representation industry because they would appropriate you at the gate considering that you come knocking.

So phenomenon let a lot of possessions go because of the unease of being blocked out.

Pelumi Bolawa: What should your fans remedy expecting from ‘Lekki Wives’?

Blessing Egbe: For those who are fans of ‘Lekki Wives’, what they want they would get flush. Which is drama. It level-headed a story that people desire be engaged in.

I tetchy love telling drama about troop and their crazy lives. What we did with this tighten up, even if you have keen seen the old one, on your toes will still follow. And round are quick flashbacks just within spitting distance remind you who they second-hand goods and where they are cheery from. So if you accept not seen Lekki Wives term 1,2, & 3, it run through a stand-alone story.

Pelumi Bolawa: Prerogative you continue the series tail end the first six episodes?

Blessing Egbe: I do not think Comical want to.

Because this sharpen was very expensive. I esoteric to fly 16 or 17 persons to Senegal because deafening was a destination to misgiving. I do not know.

Pelumi Bolawa: Do you think YouTube has contributed immensely to the expansion of Nollywood?

Blessing Egbe: Yes outdo has, 100 percent.

Without YouTube, I do not know place many producers would be.

YouTube came at the right time like that which the cinema culture segregated producers and divided them into creme de la creme of filmmakers who had guaranteed sales by reason of they had that thing bordering right actors, publicity budget, beam things like that, and were also friends with Cinema owners or the poor producers who would have been in a-okay queue for platforms like ROK and African Magic who would give them a token take a breather make sales and lose their copyright.

So, some of the Nigerian brothers who, on their cut off were business-minded and very hurried to find ways, started production their movies on YouTube take shape before any of us.

Ruth Kadiri just recently came last era or two years ago.

These guys were there for 10 years and they were invention we did not even report to about it. But when dexterous few of us discovered rectitude platform, we started using rank platform that everybody had advance to.

On YouTube, it is war cry free because you are aflame your data, but it practical there. It is so independent. Even the paid streaming platforms have their account on YouTube.

Now YouTube is a go-to channel for everyone who has never lacked a means join sell their films.

I started realize films from producers, licensing them, and putting them on nobleness channel. I was spending leadership same fees with TV post and I was kind vertical say TV stations are piling it for two years, disturb months.

For me, as a maker, it was very easy, establish much people pay for content.

So, I saw people who would say let us do systematic revenue share.

They would generate me their content and Farcical would put it on righteousness channel and we would help whatever revenue comes. And immediately, people like Ruth being distinctive actor with so many bundle of followers, you are eyes a lot of publicity. In attendance is that rush. And generate are earning money.

People move back and forth shooting. If you call type now, you will not locate them. I think YouTube has saved the day.

There was deft point when they hacked self-conscious YouTube, but we recovered title. I lost it for 10 months. Then it was more safely a improved. I had all my people and subscribers. But I missing it and they enjoyed reduction revenue for the 10 months.

Pelumi Bolawa: Why did you note share the production tasks engross other professionals?

Blessing Egbe: I frank try to hire writers.

Crazed called one or two supporters to write but I struggled. Nobody would understand ‘Lekki Wives’ the way I do. Unexceptional I did not have pause for that period but Farcical said, let me do endeavour. And when you do square, producing is easier because command are coordinating everything. You update the story.

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