Better Nollywood In Focus As SMC Announces Msc In Film Production

A target of 30-60 students would commence studies for the MSc Film Production in October 2019 as the School of Media and Communication (SMC), Pan Atlantic University sets to produce industry-ready graduates for the “new Nollywood of global standards.”

The course starts amid renewed global interest in the study of Nollywood sparked by its mention as one of three market-creating innovations in an essay in the January-February 2019 issue of Harvard Business Review. Harvard scholars Clayton M. Christensen, Efosa Ojomo and Karen Dillon (2019) in “Cracking Frontier Markets”, analysed Nollywood from the perspective of market-leading innovation.

Dr Ikechukwu Obiaya, the dean, announced the commencement of admissions for the new programme at a media briefing held on Tuesday, May 14 at the university premises.  He said the SMC MSc in Film Production will cover four key knowledge areas of Scripting and Directing for the Screen; Cinematography; Editing for the Screen and Sound Design for the Screen. He added, “The course offers specialisation options in seven major film production areas of short film; documentary; interview and feature film. Others are serial drama, commercial filmlet and the music video”.

Obiaya said SMC would run the programme on the back of its deep interest in the industry including its Nollywood Studies Centre with a stock of over 10, 000 films, and its ongoing collaboration with the industry serving as curriculum guide for the DSTV Multichoice Talent Factory Academy.

The Dean said SMC has first-rate facilities for the study of film including four studios for audio-visual, sound and audio engineering, four editing suites and 50 units each of Apple and Windows workstations graphics and animation suite.

Players in Nollywood joined the Dean at the briefing to underline the support of the industry were Mr Okechukwu Ogunjiofor, Paulo in the 1992 trail blazing movie, Living in Bondage and Mr Femi Odugbemi, Director for West Africa DSTV MulitChoice Talent Factory Academy. Also present were Mr Kene Mkparu, founder of FilmHouse Cinemas and Mr Dapo Adeniyi, promoter of the forthcoming Lekki International Film Festival starting in June.

They commended the School of Media and Communication for the initiative to ensure improvements in manpower in the industry.

Students have the option of full or part-time study. The course would cover five semesters or seven depending on the stream the student enters. The school targets Nigeria and Africa.