Lancelot Imasuen goes Hollywood
By Anote Ajeluorou
Published: August 6, 2006
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For notable Nollywood practitioner, Lancelot Oduwa Imasuen, nothing could be more fulfilling than the break-through he had in his recent trip to America. He may well be reckoned as the first Nollywood director to shoot a film in mainstream Hollywood, Carlifornia. With a $200, 000 non-union budget film titled, Friendly Enemy Imasuen has also succeeded in entering a major deal with three Hollywood companies that might see coming into fruition the much-expected Nollywood/Hollywood collaboration. Friendly Enemy was produced by Adeniyi Bamiro, a Nigerian living in the US. Imasuen said the coming together of Hollywoods cinematic high-tech and Nollywoods speed and creativity will yield a high-breed movie experience.

Starting from December 28, 2006, the first Nollywood/Hollywood-brokered production deal will kick off in Nigeria. He said his desire is for Nollywood technical crew to learn some of the rudiments of filmmaking, which have long been taken for granted in Hollywood. Nollywood, he said, must imbibe the use of such equipments as lens filters, rail-tracks, a different sound recording system, to create a cinematic effect. Imaseun noted that Nollywood had been using television cameras, which make the pictures plain and unappealling. Once special filters are used, both cinematic effect and mood are created. These, he said, are what make the difference between Nollywood and Hollywood films.

Imasuen said he was amazed at the array of equipment placed at his disposal to make Friendly Enemy, so much so that he looked like an illiterate, even with his experience in Nollywood with over 150 films to his credit. The wide range of equipment could easily make a directors head spin, he confessed. It was amazing. They never knew I was seeing the equipment for the first time. But he quickly adjusted to the challenge and gave a good account of himself. Narrating his experience further, Imasuen said, the duo of Zack Orji and Kate Henshaw-Nuttal who starred in the movie, made his job easy as they proved themselves.

But the Nollywood sense made me to adapt easily to the new situation, he continued. Our sense of speed and creativity, you cannot take away from us. Then our actors, Zack Orji and Kate Henshaw-Nuttal, were my major amazement. They were my selling point. They floored every other actor. Oris played in Sometimes in April as supporting lead; Sam Rotidi was in Tears of the Sun and Akeem Kai Kazim played prince in Hotel Ruwanda. All of them had one desire, to play in Nigerias Nollywood. They were delighted playing alongside Zack Orji and Kate Henshaw. They value credit in Hollywood.

The PUNCH

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