By Oluwafemi Dosu
Veteran film maker and director of EVOM film productions, Evangelist Shola Mike Agboola has charged gospel film makers across board on excellence in film making.
Agboola who was speaking on ‘ESSENTIAL INGREDEINTS OF 21ST CENTURY APPROVED DRAMA/MOVIES’ at the concluded congress of Lagos chapter of All Nigeria Conference of Evangelical Drama Ministers, ANCEDRAM.
The Ace movie maker revealed that even God is given to excellence, saying God looked at everything He made and discovered it was not just good but very good, adding that when it comes to stage and film making, if it must be done, it must be done well.
He reiterated that the technical elements of an approved minister is that he gives attention to details in different ways. He stated that he must give attention to script, saying It is the most important part of any production and if the script is weak, the director can’t make it strong, noting that the script is the skeleton every other part hangs.
According to him, ways to get a good script is to avoid a one directional plot, have sub plot, avoid dragging and padding in the scripting, avoid religious cliché (Don’t load movies with bible verses, don’t play church with your movies) and never attempt to preach at your viewers, let them get the message on their own.
He further revealed that while building characters it must be one which viewers can relate to because characters are human beings which the writer builds for viewers. The veteran also called attention of film makers to the actor, noting that good acting is when you don’t see the person acting but what the person is portraying, adding that you don’t act the line, you live the line.
Agboola further revealed that a film must be educative, saying biblical principle should be the main aim while Societal value should be the secondary. He also said that a good movie must move the viewers, saying it is not necessarily the anointing that make people cry when they watch a movie but the emotional impact.
The director further stated Suspense, movie visuals and operating outside the box, feeling of tense excitement about how the movie will end, not able to tell the end until you get the end or being able to tell the end but not knowing how to get to the end is expected of a film.
He stressed that: “movie visual must be clean and clear, that it is the latest does not mean it is better than the former. The quality of a movie visual is more dependent on the camera man than the camera. Go for the best because only the best is good for the master.”