The current high wave of Nollywood movies on YouTube has opened the floodgates to global visibility, delivering a continuous stream of Nigerian, nay African, stories to millions across Africa and the diaspora. These productions, mostly uploaded by actor-producers and some filmmakers, are rich in cultural flavour and dramatic themes. Their titles scream emotion, their plots thrive on chaos, and their characters reflect everyday realities. But beneath this creative energy lies a more sobering truth: many movies trade artistic depth for speed, virality, and volume.
A prominent Nollywood actress once noted that many of these productions are shot with just “one take per scene.” It's a telling comment that reflects a wider issue: essential film elements like cinematography, editing, and screenplay are often overlooked in the hustle to get content out quickly. The result? Films that are creative but not always crafted.
Cinematography often suffers the most in Nollywood’s YouTube offerings. The visual storytelling—how mood, tone, and emotion are expressed through lighting, composition, and movement—is frequently missing or underdeveloped. Instead of using deliberate lighting design or thoughtful visual framing to enhance atmosphere, many productions default to the décor and lighting already available at the plush apartments or locations they use. As a result, cinematography becomes secondary to convenience. The camera becomes a tool of necessity, not a creative device. It captures, but rarely elevates. In many cases, the visuals feel more like documentation than direction.
Directing is another major gap, particularly in YouTube-released films. There’s often a heavy reliance on actors' interpretations with little evidence of clear directorial vision. This is especially noticeable when the film is developed, written, and produced by the lead actor—a trend that’s fast becoming the norm.
Historically, Nollywood has favoured the “Producer’s Credit”, undervaluing the director’s contribution. This legacy, inherited from the Home Video era, still lingers—even in some cinema releases. Though more directors are gaining visibility today, it often seems to happen only at the producer’s discretion. Now, big-name producer-actors are also claiming the director’s chair, sometimes resulting in films credited to two or even three directors. In the YouTube space, the absence of cohesive creative direction is glaring—there’s often no one truly steering the ship.
The screenplay, arguably the architectural blueprint of any film, is another area where structure often loses out to spontaneity. Many of these YouTube productions are built on loosely connected scenarios rather than tightly woven plots. It’s common to see opening scenes drag on for ten minutes when four would suffice.
This pacing problem isn’t new. It echoes an old marketing tactic from the Home Video era, where films were stretched unnecessarily to justify splitting stories into two or three parts for more sales. But today’s audience is savvier. With sharper writing, many of these stories could be told in less time and with more impact. Instead, we get long-winded dialogue and scenes that explain more than they reveal, often making the narrative predictable and flat. Great screenwriting thrives on subtext, structure, and restraint—three things often missing in the rush to create content on YouTube
Editing might seem less affected at first glance, but a closer look reveals issues. Inconsistent sound mixing, awkward transitions, and sluggish pacing are common. Dialogue-heavy scenes tend to drag, and background music often overwhelms emotional beats. These may seem like minor infractions individually, but collectively, they chip away at the viewer’s experience.
Still, these movies rake in millions of views—and quickly. That’s largely because Nollywood’s YouTube audience craves relatability and drama more than polished production. Viewers want to hear their languages, see their realities, and experience stories that mirror their emotions. And that’s completely valid. But relatability shouldn't come at the cost of craft. Representation and professionalism should coexist. Being seen and heard in the cinema is important, but how those stories are told matters just as much.
The audience may continue to overlook these technical gaps, but there's no denying that something vital is lost when artistry is sacrificed. Strong direction, visual storytelling, and well-paced scripts are what give a film its immersive power. Without them, the emotional and intellectual connection weakens, no matter how relatable the content.
This disregard for artistic value isn’t new. It has roots in the Home Video and DVD eras, where speed, affordability, and mass appeal reigned supreme. At the time, that made sense. But the industry has evolved. New-age Nollywood has shown what’s possible. Landmark films like Chineze Anyaene’s Ije and Kunle Afolayan’s The Figurine, along with the rise of cinema distribution hubs like FilmOne Entertainment, have proved that Nigerian films could be both culturally resonant and artistically refined. These works raised the bar. Since then, it's fair to argue that at least 85% of Nollywood's output, especially on platforms like YouTube, should reflect both creative ingenuity and production quality.
To truly elevate, Nollywood must establish well-structured systems that support higher production standards. That includes technical quality benchmarks, creative guild certifications, structured funding tied to professional output, and most importantly, a wider embrace of the principle of division of labour, allowing experts in specific roles to lead the charge in their areas.
YouTube has given Nigerian filmmakers unprecedented reach. Now it's time to meet that reach with craft, clarity, and cohesion. The audience is already here. The world is watching. And the stories we tell deserve to be not just loud and relatable, but well-made.
A prominent Nollywood actress once noted that many of these productions are shot with just “one take per scene.” It's a telling comment that reflects a wider issue: essential film elements like cinematography, editing, and screenplay are often overlooked in the hustle to get content out quickly. The result? Films that are creative but not always crafted.
Cinematography often suffers the most in Nollywood’s YouTube offerings. The visual storytelling—how mood, tone, and emotion are expressed through lighting, composition, and movement—is frequently missing or underdeveloped. Instead of using deliberate lighting design or thoughtful visual framing to enhance atmosphere, many productions default to the décor and lighting already available at the plush apartments or locations they use. As a result, cinematography becomes secondary to convenience. The camera becomes a tool of necessity, not a creative device. It captures, but rarely elevates. In many cases, the visuals feel more like documentation than direction.
Directing is another major gap, particularly in YouTube-released films. There’s often a heavy reliance on actors' interpretations with little evidence of clear directorial vision. This is especially noticeable when the film is developed, written, and produced by the lead actor—a trend that’s fast becoming the norm.
Historically, Nollywood has favoured the “Producer’s Credit”, undervaluing the director’s contribution. This legacy, inherited from the Home Video era, still lingers—even in some cinema releases. Though more directors are gaining visibility today, it often seems to happen only at the producer’s discretion. Now, big-name producer-actors are also claiming the director’s chair, sometimes resulting in films credited to two or even three directors. In the YouTube space, the absence of cohesive creative direction is glaring—there’s often no one truly steering the ship.
The screenplay, arguably the architectural blueprint of any film, is another area where structure often loses out to spontaneity. Many of these YouTube productions are built on loosely connected scenarios rather than tightly woven plots. It’s common to see opening scenes drag on for ten minutes when four would suffice.
This pacing problem isn’t new. It echoes an old marketing tactic from the Home Video era, where films were stretched unnecessarily to justify splitting stories into two or three parts for more sales. But today’s audience is savvier. With sharper writing, many of these stories could be told in less time and with more impact. Instead, we get long-winded dialogue and scenes that explain more than they reveal, often making the narrative predictable and flat. Great screenwriting thrives on subtext, structure, and restraint—three things often missing in the rush to create content on YouTube
Editing might seem less affected at first glance, but a closer look reveals issues. Inconsistent sound mixing, awkward transitions, and sluggish pacing are common. Dialogue-heavy scenes tend to drag, and background music often overwhelms emotional beats. These may seem like minor infractions individually, but collectively, they chip away at the viewer’s experience.
Still, these movies rake in millions of views—and quickly. That’s largely because Nollywood’s YouTube audience craves relatability and drama more than polished production. Viewers want to hear their languages, see their realities, and experience stories that mirror their emotions. And that’s completely valid. But relatability shouldn't come at the cost of craft. Representation and professionalism should coexist. Being seen and heard in the cinema is important, but how those stories are told matters just as much.
The audience may continue to overlook these technical gaps, but there's no denying that something vital is lost when artistry is sacrificed. Strong direction, visual storytelling, and well-paced scripts are what give a film its immersive power. Without them, the emotional and intellectual connection weakens, no matter how relatable the content.
This disregard for artistic value isn’t new. It has roots in the Home Video and DVD eras, where speed, affordability, and mass appeal reigned supreme. At the time, that made sense. But the industry has evolved. New-age Nollywood has shown what’s possible. Landmark films like Chineze Anyaene’s Ije and Kunle Afolayan’s The Figurine, along with the rise of cinema distribution hubs like FilmOne Entertainment, have proved that Nigerian films could be both culturally resonant and artistically refined. These works raised the bar. Since then, it's fair to argue that at least 85% of Nollywood's output, especially on platforms like YouTube, should reflect both creative ingenuity and production quality.
To truly elevate, Nollywood must establish well-structured systems that support higher production standards. That includes technical quality benchmarks, creative guild certifications, structured funding tied to professional output, and most importantly, a wider embrace of the principle of division of labour, allowing experts in specific roles to lead the charge in their areas.
YouTube has given Nigerian filmmakers unprecedented reach. Now it's time to meet that reach with craft, clarity, and cohesion. The audience is already here. The world is watching. And the stories we tell deserve to be not just loud and relatable, but well-made.
- Jimi D Baldheaded Guy
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