Barring any change in calculations, at least a target of 30-60 students would commence studies for the M.Sc Film Production (MFP) in October 2019 as the School of Media and Communication, Pan-Atlantic University (PAU) is set 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, EfosaOjomo and Karen Dillon (2019) in “Cracking Frontier Markets”, analysed Nollywood from the perspective of market-leading innovation.

Dr. Ikechukwu Obiaya, the Dean of School of Media and Communication, announced the commencement of admissions for the new programme at a media briefing Tuesday, May 14.

He said the SMC M.Sc 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, adding, “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 a curriculum guide for the DSTV Multichoice Talent Factory Academy.

He noted that 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 lent their support, including Okechukwu Ogunjiofor, a.k.a Paulo, in the trailblazing Living in Bondage and Femi Odugbemi, anchor of the DSTV MultiChoice Talent Factory Academy for West Africa. There was also Mr Kene Mkparu, founder of the FilmHouse Cinemas and Dapo Adeniyi, who is inviting the world to the new Lekki Film Festival starting in July.

SMC also targets students from across Africa interested in the landmark achievements of Nollywood and the New Nollywood.

The Dean noted that there are many opportunities for graduates of the programme within Nollywood and in near areas of the digital switchover in Nigeria.

“The Digital Switchover (DSO) in broadcasting in Nigeria means there are opportunities for trained persons to work in content creation, production and marketing for the expansion that digital would cause in radio and television. Programming would require new skills and capabilities that the MFP would teach. The history of the industry shows that it is one that creates new markets and vistas almost out of nothing. It is an exciting time to study such a course,” he declared.

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. Each semester costs N900,000.

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