Nollywood actress and producer, Juliet Ibrahim, has explained her decision to release her latest films on YouTube rather than other streaming platforms. She revealed this in a recent interview with TheCable Lifestyle at the Nigeria International Film and TV Summit in Lekki. Juliet revealed that she chose YouTube due to its less demanding requirements.
Unlike platforms like Netflix or Prime, YouTube doesn’t impose strict criteria for equipment, editing, lighting, or crew members. This flexibility allows for a more accessible and inclusive approach to filmmaking.
She said,
“Before you submit to a streaming platform, either Netflix or Prime, you have a list of equipment you must use. There is a criteria for editing, lighting, your crew members, a whole lot of things and that includes a lot of money. That is where I said the funding would now become a problem.”
Speaking further on YouTube’s benefit, Juliet also acknowledged the risk of piracy, saying,
“You see, there is something about being a filmmaker, you make your movie, and you want to own your rights. There is also piracy, so even YouTube is not 100% safe because people still pirate, they would steal your content. However, there is a whole market on YouTube where people make quick and easy money with less stress. Without having to go buy the cinema criteria or streaming platform criteria.”
Juliet Ibrahim also highlighted the importance of reaching diaspora audiences who cannot access cinema content.
“As a filmmaker, you want to have multiple streams of income, and there are people in diaspora who want to watch our content but cannot access our cinema content. Until we can give them good cinema content over there, we can put it on Netflix or YouTube. If Netflix says the content is not good enough for them, we can put it on Showmax or YouTube uploads. A lot of people have different reasons, but most times you have to look at it strategically and also what goes into your pocket,” she added.
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