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| Funke Akindele |
Nollywood actress and filmmaker Funke Akindele has revealed that the dance videos she shares to promote her movies began as a low-cost marketing strategy when she could not afford a full publicity campaign.
Speaking during an interview with BellaNaija, Akindele said the idea was born while promoting her blockbuster movie, Battle on Buka Street, after discovering she lacked the budget for traditional public relations and marketing.
Naija Brain reports that the award-winning filmmaker explained that she decided to create promotional dance videos from her home as a creative way to generate awareness and attract audiences.
According to Akindele, many people wrongly assumed the videos were merely for entertainment, whereas they were part of a carefully planned marketing strategy.
She disclosed that after completing Battle on Buka Street, she set up a simple backdrop in her sitting room and, with the assistance of her cinematographer and brother, began filming the now-famous dance clips.
Urging critics to stop dismissing her efforts, Akindele stressed that the videos represent hard work rather than mere dancing.
She said, “I did Battle on Buka Street and I didn’t have the budget for PR and marketing. So I just did a backdrop in my sitting room in my house and I put the camera there. Stop belittling my work. It’s not dancing. It’s hard work.
“If you don’t feel like you want to jump on it to promote your movie, you’re welcome. But you don’t have to dance. Create your own ideas. Come up with something different.
“I want to build the next generation of female filmmakers. I want them to be audacious. I want them to be hardworking. I want people to look back and say, ‘I remember Funke Akindele. She gave us the opportunity to be seen and heard.
“She taught us how to be audacious and to be firm.’ I was watching the next episode of Ayetoro Town and I saw a lot of young actors. I became emotional because I saw so much young talent. Some of them looked exhausted while acting, and I noticed discoloration on their skin. I said to myself, ‘Funke, there was a time you were like this.’
“I’m not really making money from it. But I made a vow and prayed, ‘God, keep giving me the grace to lift people up. They need to be seen. They need to be heard.’”