Light skinned and serious-minded Nollywood Producer/Director, Victor Emeghara, hates talking always. People know and respect him for that. Hence, he could be in a place for hours without being heard. This trait too, he reflects in his production marked by high qualities. Our Contributing Editor, IFECHI OKOH engaged him recently for an in-depth close-up and he threw-up, relieving how it all started for him, that is from music to drama, acting to Nollywood movie productions and directing.

He has done quite a lot of jobs in Nigeria and Ghana relieving his experiences in both countries and insisting that no script is bad for a creative director who knows his onions. Enjoy the in-depth close-up!

Who is Victor Emeghara in details?

He is a film maker from Imo State. Although I wanted to be a musician initially because I came from a musically inclined family, the lead super guitarist of the celebrated Oriental Brothers Band, Kabaka Opara, who came from the same linage. In other words, he is my brother. My journey into Nollywood started from NTA were I met formally their ace producer Peter Igho and later another top producer, Chris Obirapu, who advised me strongly to put my mind in whatever production I was involved, insisting that by so doing, I will be learning fast without knowing it. I took his advice in good faith and followed it up honestly to the letter. I started movie directing in Nigeria which I did for years before moving to Ghana for continuity. There, I met Zinox film director Abusalam. He was selling movies shot on VHS. But when I explained to him the need to shoot on something higher and standard, he agreed and his productions became better and more standard.

How many movies did you direct in Ghana?

I directed over 50 movies both in Nigeria and Ghana. Some of them are “Governor’s Wife”, “True Colour”, “Things We Do for Love”, “Cross My Heart”, “Jealous Heart”, and a good number of productions which movie freaks may have applauded for reasons bothering on satisfying the producers tight production and entertainment value. I really thank God who made them so.

How can you describe your journey so far?

Naturally, there have been challenges in my movie directing which is normal with any production that is worth its while because nothing good comes easy, according to Bongos Ikwue in one of his hits songs. From experience, I know deep down in me that movie directing is not all about being creative. It is much more than that. There is no script that is bad for a creative movie director.

When you get a script, and you scrutinize it, noticing that it is not good enough for your directing because if you try it, it is bound to rock your image and professional standing. All you need to do at this time, is to reorder it completely, to your creative best, subtracting and adding a lot of things. At the end of the day, you must have succeeded in turning a half-baked script to a master piece as a creative director. Hence I send and still maintained that no script is bad for a creative director. When you give me a script, I look at it seriously, trying to see what it teaches. Personally I have never directed any movie for movie sake. My modus operandi is for people to watch my productions, and take something concrete home at the end of the day. For instance, if you are such a hardened person, watch my movie, I will make sure that it will touch your conscience, forcing you to turn a new leave either instantly or gradually. That to me is creative and effective movie directing.

What are the major different between Nigeria and Ghana movie production?

To start with, any good movie should cut across continents. At the particular time I went to Ghana, Nigerians were not accepting Ghana Movies because the ones coming to Nigeria then, were simply sub-standard because Ghanaians were not using standard camera. Hence their substandard productions. They were using VHS. How do you get standard productions with such? So when we went there, we introduced them formally to standard movie productions with standard equipment. Since then, they have been churning out standard movies. Presently, I can say that the standard of Ghana movies is better than the Nigeria ones. What is the reason? Good! The reason is simply due to the fact that a Ghanaian actress is pretty real on set when acting and this makes the movie more natural and convincing too. It is not so in our own case. This is so because of the flimsy excuses that actors/actress give that they don’t want their family members to see them acting such provocative roles but ironically, they do worst or unimaginable things in secret. Can you imagine that?