•Reveals How He Got A CBN Loan
Kunle Afolayan is one of the most brilliant filmmakers in the industry producing blockbuster movies back to back. His movies have given the industry special recognitions abroad and presently he has the highest Nigerian movies showing on Netflix. The brilliant actor was a special guest at one of our City People Instagram Live Chats where he talked about how he has been able to cope with the lockdown, what makes him unique and different as a filmmaker and about his latest projects KAP HUB. Below are excerpts.
What have you been up to in the last 3 months?
Thanks for inviting me. We now live in a new world where journalism and media have taken a new turn and am happy City People have joined. For me, I won’t say it’s been tough but it has given me many reasons to start thinking differently. Luckily we started a film titled Citation and we finished in February before the lockdown started so we have been doing post-production. When all this is over we will have something very amazing to show to the world. Beyond that, my company Golden Effect is expanding a little bit. We now have a subsidiary of the company and it is called KAP Kunle Afolayan Productions Hub. It is a new cultural centre like an art space where lots of creative things will be happening. We took a bank loan and this is the first time I am saying this officially and with the loan, we have managed to secure a property and have completed the first phase of the project. This project is going to have a film school and it is called KAP television film academy. There will be KAP cinema which will sit 100 to 120 guests. We are going to our normal production arm that’s KAP motion pictures then the company which is known to the whole world Golden Effect will be handling more of services which are equipment rental and production services. We would also have a sound studio where people can come for their video and photoshoots, create their own effect. We also have a restaurant lounge and bar that people can hang around and relax after work so its a one-stop hub for creative minds. The first phase has been completed, the second phase is the cinema hopefully before the end of the year and the social distancing is lifted we publicly announce the official opening of the first phase. I‘m actually speaking from there now so people can come and join us
When the news about Covid19 broke, what did you make of it?
Well, when I heard I had my doubt as a typical Nigerian until I started seeing proofs and victims which proved it was actually real. For some of us who are enlightened we don’t take things like that for granted so what we did was to protect ourselves and the people around us and am glad the lockdown was imposed and that way my children and family decided to take precautions and do what was advised but at the same time, I was paranoid to an extent. Like I said earlier, we took a loan to embark on a project and the interest is like 800k monthly without the principal and we just started paying
I was like how do I cope with this, so I was glad when CBN stepped in and said they will reduce the interest a little bit. It gave a little comfort but it was not enough but we have still not resumed even though the interest was reduced to 5 percent, no business was happening. I believe in the next few weeks business will improve even if it’s not coming back to normal completely yet, at least with that we can start paying back. All the same, I love the quick response of the state and the federal government generally. I am a bit relieved now and we are working around the situation.
Someone like you who always comes up with ideas and all that, I am curious do you really sleep?
The people who write, the creative mind is a bit different from that of other people but in my own case I am the thinker, executor, creator and advertiser and all that, it’s not like I don’t want to share responsibilities but at the end of the day you realize if something is your call, then it’s your call. You will sleep when it’s time but once the mind is thinking of ideas then sleep won’t come.
Do you feel fulfilled for all you have been able to do?
I am now in a space where there is no rat race, let me put it this way. I am somebody that is not looking for too much in life, I don’t want to have 2 to 3 houses, I am doing a job that brings fulfillment, the work people see and the feedback which is positive keeps me going. As a creative mind your current film is as good as the last one so am at the stage that my legacy project for me which also the essence of setting this KAP HUB where people can come to learn and my name will be remembered not just for rendering services but also to impact so I think being in a comfort zone I can’t stop, because the moment I do, I will stop being relevant. Though all the works I have done will never die but the moment the brain still has lots to think about it means I still have a lot ahead of me but it’s not a rat race.
What makes you different from your peers?
I would say my brain is different from any other person, we think differently. People have different goals in life, mine is different and it reflects in what I do, that is why at times it is difficult to get people to agree to your ideas until you do it and bring it to light that’s when they will now understand, I am created differently.
What would you say is the state of the industry today?
It’s getting better before now it was VHS then VCD, then we started taking our films to the cinema, DVD started coming up, now besides cinema Africa Magic and Multichoice acquire contents, also we have Netflix, Apple, Amazone to monetize our content, people also put contents on YouTube now and make money, we currently have over 50 Nigerian movies on Netflix, these movies are monetized, it’s not for free and the movies in question are also seen beyond Nigeria and this gives us more exposure and if your job is very good it can attract more deals for you. People are paying attention to quality because if your film is not very good it won’t get to that big platform so we are getting better.
What is your formula for success?
For me when I do a project, I am not doing it to give me comfort, I always see it as a project that will take me to the next phase. Take for example my movie Ceo, we did it and a lot of expectations were expected it got lots of reviews and attention but our projection was not met. I took 50 million loans from the bank of the industry as part of the money to make the movie, it was meant to be a 2 yrs loan but I spent 4 years paying it. But was the movie CEO a failure, I would say No because it paved the way for other projects, Netflix acquired it just last year so the movie is not something you monetize once, it’s forever. To me it’s like building a house and renting it out, the property will continue to appreciate it might even get to a point that what you get as rent will be far more than what you spent building the house, so any money bag that desires to make quick money from movie productions might get it wrong. I have a business structure. I use bank loans so I don’t bite more than I can chew, I run from things that will kill me.
Why do you enjoy lots of old school things and it even reflects in your movies?
I think am just “Omo Agba” it’s in my blood and for me to get to the next point you can’t forget your past. I try to balance my past with my present and look forward to the future, that’s how I think I love vintage stuffs, old school things and I didn’t inherit them rather I acquired them. As an adult I developed an interest in them and started acquiring them and when I use them I always stand out. I define luxury in different ways. When you come to my house you will see different things. Nature allows me to think better than the normal luxurious environment, those vintage things give me joy and fulfillment and it reflects in my movies and lifestyle.
Can you tell us what effect your dad has on what you have become today?
I picked integrity from my father. You can ask his colleagues, if my father is caught doing anything he will own up to it. He was an open-minded person, very blunt though people term it rudeness I took all that from him. Then workwise I still compare my work to his at times. I will be like oh technology has changed or this should have been done this way. But I know wherever he is now, if truly he can look back he will be so joyous and happy his legacy continued. He will be happy not just because of me but for Gabriel, Aremu Moji and our other siblings who have continued with his legacy which is the joy of every parents
Any message for your fans all over the world.
Please continue to support the work of art and am happy a lot of people have diversified, there are lots of people who studied sciences , laws and are doing well in the industry today. I also do fashion too and please if you want an update on what we do in KAP HUB follow on us on ig, you see all our handles. Also check golden effect you will see all we do and also, please always support City People media group. Thank you very much for having me, am grateful.
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