In Nollywood today, the spotlight burns brighter than ever. With streaming platforms like Netflix, Prime Video, and Showmax pouring into Nigeria, and YouTube emerging as a powerful stage for indie creators, the question of who truly carries a film has become unavoidable.
The credits at the end of every movie stretch on for minutes, a silent reminder that filmmaking is never a solo act. Yet, when money enters the conversation, the discourse almost always tilts toward actors. Their faces dominate posters, their interviews sell premieres, and their fame secures sponsorships. But beneath the glitter lies a more complex truth: the crew, invisible to the audience, shoulders the real machinery of production.
The Unseen Backbone of Nollywood
Behind every Nollywood film, whether a high-budget Netflix release or a grassroots YouTube hit, is a crew whose labor is constant and consuming.
- Director of Photography (DoP): Crafts the visual language, from lighting to camera movement.
- Sound Team: Records, filters, and monitors every word, every rustle, every silence.
- Production Managers: Balance chaotic schedules, fix sudden breakdowns, and keep the set alive.
- Makeup, Costume, and Continuity Teams: Maintain character consistency across endless shooting days.
- Editors and Colorists: Shape raw footage into a story, unseen yet indispensable.
Unlike actors, who may film intermittently across days or weeks, the crew works start-to-finish. They are the first on set and the last to leave, their energy tethered to every shot.
The Logic of Day Rates
In Nollywood, crew members are typically paid per day. This structure reflects both the intensity and the constancy of their work. An actor may feature in just 40 percent of scenes, but the gaffer, sound recordist, and production designer are locked in for 100 percent.
This reality challenges the narrative around pay disparity. It is not about who is more “important,” but about who sustains the production across its entire lifespan. Crew members are not interchangeable accessories, they are the operating system of the film.
The Glamour Divide
Still, the imbalance persists because of visibility. Actors occupy the posters, red carpets, and billboards. Their influence attracts sponsors and secures box office numbers. Producers, often under pressure to maximize returns, pour disproportionate funds into star fees, while crew budgets shrink.
This visibility-driven economics has birthed what Nollywood insiders now call “the glamour divide” a structural inequity where the audience-facing cast thrives while the backbone of production bends under neglect.
The Risk of Collapse
The consequences are already visible. In some mid-tier Nollywood projects, star actors consume up to 60% of the production budget. The remainder is left to cover crew salaries, equipment rentals, locations, post-production, and marketing.
The result? Downgraded cameras, overworked editors, poor sound design, and rushed shoots. Ironically, films with A-list casts often fail online not because of acting but because of poor technical execution. On YouTube, where audiences have infinite alternatives and low tolerance for weak quality, such lapses can be fatal.
The Case for Balance
The argument is not to devalue actors. Their craft, charisma, and fanbase are essential. But sustainable growth demands balance. Crew members must be respected and compensated as indispensable professionals, not hidden labor.
As Nollywood shifts further into global streaming and monetized YouTube releases, the films that endure will not simply be those with star faces but those with technical depth — crisp sound, consistent continuity, and visual polish.
For the industry to mature, producers must adopt a new mantra: the actor is the face, but the crew is the spine. One dazzles; the other endures. Both must be invested in.
Written By Adesina Kasali
