Tunde Babalola is arguably one of Nigeria’s best screenplay writers. With successful Nollywood titles such as Mildred Okwo’s The Meeting, Critical Assignment, Tunde Kelani’s Maami, Obi Emelonye’s Las Flight to Abuja, and now Kunle Afolayan’s October 1 under his belt, the very talented Mr Babalola is fast becoming a Nollywood institution.

Though he started his film career in the United Kingdom, over the past 4 years Babalola has become firmly entrenched in the Nigerian film industry.  Not given to much publicity, not much is known about him and we aim to change that with this series.

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Q: Asides your name; Tunde Babalola and an impressive list of your work, not a lot is known about you personally. Give us a brief glimpse into the man Tunde. Where were you born, how large is your family and what is your educational background.

TUNDE: I was born and grew up initially in England, before relocating to Nigeria in my early teens with my parents and four siblings. I attended Obafemi Awolowo University in Ife, where I graduated with a degree in Dramatic Arts.

Q: Was the dream always to be a writer and was it specifically screenwriting?

TUNDE: From youth, I was always involved in some form of entertainment, be it church plays, school productions, dance groups, anything that involved active participation in artistic creativity. I always displayed a flair for that. My passion for writing developed during my senior secondary school days. In fact I wrote my first film script when I was 14 years old. Although I liked all facets of entertainment such as Acting, Dance, Music, it was script-writing that really got me excited. The ability to start with a blank page and create a whole world from there still gives me a huge thrill today.

Q: What is the very first thing you wrote for screen and how did you land that gig?

TUNDE; I wanted to work in an industry that was structured, so after graduation, I relocated back to the UK. They don’t have a great film industry but their TV industry is simply a thriving environment for a scriptwriter. It was a good place for me to hone my skills, test myself, to see if I was good enough to make it. And the pay is good too.  It took me three years of constantly writing and receiving rejections from various TV stations and production companies. I had four shoe boxes full of rejection letters. I was competing with the best out there, other British up and coming writers. Eventually my breakthrough came when UK Channel-4 accepted an idea for a sit-com series of mine called In Exile. That was my very first commission. I stared at the cheque for hours! It was a huge amount at the time. My mindset was, so someone in the UK industry actually thinks I’m a good enough writer to pay me for my work? Wow!

Q: You’ve written for TV/film in the UK, is writing for Nigeria largely different or is it a case of same fish, different ponds?

TUNDE; Well the pay is a lot lower and there are hardly any residuals *laughs* Although the Nigerian industry is still growing and not as structured as it should be, I apply the same degree of dedication and diligence to my work over here as I did in the UK. So it is not different in terms of the actual script. Producers/Directors still expect the same quality. But we still have a distance to go in terms of the applied structure of the industry, right across the board. But slowly, we are evolving.

Q: Not a lot of financial value is assigned to off camera creative professions in Nigeria, does writing pay your bills or do you have a day job?

TUNDE: I am an exception to the rule. Yes, script- writing does pay my bills, and I have no other job except writing. But I am very aware that I am one of the fortunate ones.  Script-writing can be profitable but I know of only three scriptwriters in Nigeria (including myself) who are what I can call full-time writers. That is people who totally live, and live well, solely off their earnings from script writing. Hence it’s not an easy gig but the industry is growing and things are getting better. There’s more work out there. I turn down a lot of work and refer it to others up and coming. Perseverance and dedication is the key. Even though scriptwriters in the UK and States get paid a whole lot better, only a small fraction of them are actually working at any one time. Most scriptwriters in those countries are out of work. It’s a highly competitive field. The weak, the untalented can never survive in it.

Q: Is romantic comedy your favorite genre or is it just a case of you wrote one good rom-com script and every producer then wanted you to write a rom-com for them?

TUNDE: I actually love all genres, and write across the board. Most producers tend to know that about me due to my varied work. I wouldn’t say rom-com is my favorite though. I also enjoy writing dramas and thrillers.

 Q: 12 years a slave director, Steve McQueen was denied onscreen writing credit by the writers’ guild for his changes to John Ridley’s adapted screenplay. Have you ever had a dispute with a Director who made changes to your original script and then wanted to be given screenwriter credit? How did you resolve this?

TUNDE: No, that has never happened to me but I am aware of such cases. Steve McQueen was always going to lose that case. The WGA (Writers Guild of America) have a golden rule: The second or additional writers on a script can only be given a screenwriting credit if they contributed up to 50% of the original writer’s material. In other words, a second writer just can’t come along, change a few character names, add a few scenes, delete a few scenes, and then add his or her name to the screenwriting credit. It is unethical bordering on immoral. They have to rewrite up to half the original script. Recently the ScreenWriters Guild of Nigeria, of which I am a member, has also adopted this policy. When such dispute cases arise henceforth, the original writer and additional writer(s) will all submit their scripts to the Guild panel, who will then determine if the subsequent writers have done enough work on the script to merit a credit.  Most directors, by right, will always make alterations on a script in order to achieve their artistic vision.  However to be credited for such alterations, that Director has to rewrite up to 50% of the original work, otherwise it’s just a script-edit, which means Steve McQueen should have received no more than a ‘Script Editor’ credit, if that. I will advise all scriptwriters in Nigeria to join the Guild and pay particular attention to the screen credit process on their produced scripts, as I will also do henceforth.

Q: Have you watched your work on film and been disappointed by it? If yes, why?

TUNDE: I’ve never really been disappointed.   But I understand where the question is coming from.  It’s an occupational hazard. A script is like a baby. So imagine handing your baby over to someone else and walking away. It’s heart-wrenching. But there is a standard process and it involves a script being made into a film. At that point, it becomes the Producer’s production and the Director’s film. I can’t say I have ever been dissatisfied with the final production of any of my scripts. Fortunately I’ve worked with highly professional directors and producers who value my contribution without me overstepping my boundary; hence I have for the most part been involved in many productions of my films. But I’m very aware and respectful of the status quo. A good scriptwriter has to step back and lets others carry forth the vision. It’s like a relay-race; you pass the baton and get the heck out of the way.

Q: Are all your scripts originally conceived by you, or are you commissioned to develop story ideas?

TUNDE:  It varies.  Some scripts I write myself. Others I’m commissioned to write.  I tend to give priority to other people’s scripts then write my own in my own spare or down time.

Q: So I’m Tunde and I want to write a script, what is my process?

TUNDE: It all starts with an idea. I write a synopsis, then character breakdown. I also do characters arcs and plotting/sub-plotting. I then commence the first draft, which I write over and over again until I’m satisfied. Most of my best stuff comes out when I’m actually writing the script. So by the time I finish, I find that I have digressed somewhat from the original synopsis.

*********Watch out for the concluding part of this interview**********