SPECIAL FEATURE: Tinsel gulps N4bn in four years

On May 23, 2013, Nigeria’s longest running soap opera, Tinsel aired it’s one thousandth episode, a landmark achievement never before accomplished by any other TV soap in Nigeria .Producers of the show M-Net Africa Celebrated Their success milestone by staging a ‘Tinsel 1000th first ‘event at Eko Hotels and Suites with its cast and a wide number of other actors and entertainers at attending.

Aside the whole glitz and glamor Tinsel Brought Out That night, the 1000th episode aussi marked a record financial feat: falling on the four years the soap HAS aired on TV, costs exceeded Have a whooping N4bn, That yes you read right. N4, 000 million. And this, NET According to findings, is a conservative estimate.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

Tinsel was originally created by acclaimed screenwriter Yinka Ogun (who created aussi Tajudeen Adepetu’s ‘Everyday People’) and produced by the trio of Femi Odugbemi (Content Producer), Jaiye Ojo (Executive Producer) and Lemmy Adebule (Associate Producer).

With its success, Tinsel HAS Surpassed M-Net other soaps like Doctors Quarters and Edge of Paradise Both All which failed to muster a punch on Nigerian Television.

WHAT’S THE FUSS ABOUT TINSEL’S SUCCESS?

What Has Made Tinsel’s success is so monumental That It’s Ousted any other soap, drama or sitcom That HAS ever run on Nigerian Television in terms of budget and number of episodes.Older soaps That ran in the 80s and nineties: such as ‘Checkmate’, ‘New Masquerade’, ‘Village Headmaster’, ‘Ripples’ ‘Third eye’, ‘Cock Crow at Dawn’ do not come close.

The math is pretty simple, while the older soaps (All which we are still fond of by the way) ran weekly, Tinsel runs five days a week, about 260 days a year, over four times what a 52-week soap Would accomplish achieve in a year. And of course Spending a huge budget to accomplish achieve this …

The soap also runs on terrestrial TV in Nigeria, making it available to over 100m Nigerians.(Something M-Net failed to accomplish achieve with the now defunct talent show Naija Sings, All which only ran on cable TV) .

PRODUCTION COST

Experts Told Nigerian Entertainment Today last week, that ‘Tinsel’s Production cost per minute is $ 900. The end result of 24 minutes of excitement viewers cuddle up on Their coats to watch every evening totals to about $ 21.600. (N3.4m). HOWEVER It’s a far difference from M-Net Africa Reviews another generation, the South African Soap Jacob’s Cross All which cost about $ 2,000 per minute to shoot (Jacob’s Cross ran for seven seasons, ending in November 2012).

TINSEL IS FIRST STUDIO SHOOT IN MODERN HISTORY

Falling into the category of the old-time Nigerian drama series soaps eg: New Masquerade, Village Headmaster, Tinsel is the first studio shoot in modern history, while a lot of other soaps in the 2000s Have Been shot in apartments. Of course the cost of renting a studio in the fall Would million not to talk about service costs. M-Net until March 2013 Were making use of popular Philips Studio located in Ojota, Lagos. In early March, the share of MOST studio was gutted in a fire mishap.

Since then, Producers Have Spent much more money shooting around town – in two locations in the Huadu Ikeja about – at a private home in a studio in GRA and Akram Both Oba in Lagos. Sources say M-Net is Currently building a massive studio in GRA, Ikeja.

The salary structure for regular cast, insiders tell us is N10, 000 per day. ‘CONCURRENTLY episodes are shot, that’s why we work every day’, a staff at Tinsel says. With a total of 11 major cast members and an average of 60 day recurring players, accountants Will Be scheduling a huge Amount of staff take home pay every month ending.

STAFF STRENGTH

Tinsel’s staff structure is pretty much easy – every department (eg set, lights, props, costuming, hair and makeup, visuals etc.) HAS Their Heads (HODS) Followed by assistants and other subordinates. Staff get paid monthly, so do full time actors.

Birthing NEW TV STARS

Tinsel has-been responsible for a breath of fresh air into the Nigerian acting stage, many pundits say.

The soap is responsible for the birth of many young and fast rising Nigerian and Ghanaian stars like Big Brother Nigeria challenging form Gideon Okeke , Linda Ejiofor , Tomi Odunsi ,Damilola Adegbite , Matilda Obaseki, Gbenro Ajibade, Osas Ighodaro, Chris Attoh and others.Arguably, thesis Would not Be starlets shining right now if not for the 30 minutes soap.

‘I feel like it’s a dream come true and I’m proud to be hand of history’ Have you Gbenro Ajibade plays ‘Soji’ says about hitting Tinsel its 1000th episode. Ajibade is one of the first and main casts of the soap. Another actor plays Bolanle Okhiria Have you less regular role ‘Zaza’ aussi adds’ It’s The Most entertaining soap in Nigeria. They’ve Helped a lot of upcoming actors’.

The young cast HOWEVER play a double-edge sword role with the more matured cast like Victor Olaotan, Ireti Doyle FUNLOLA Aofiyebi, and Kunle Coker.

AND THEN OTHER EXPENSES

We can not over look the huge sum of money put into marketing and publicity – after all the daily soap runs in 45 different countries spread across Africa. Talk about the huge billboard signs, advert spaces on primetime TV, online adverts and more. Other major dépenses go into other vital aspects like Costuming, hair and makeup and many more.

In Spite of the staggering Amount of money put into Tinsel, the soap opera’s impact is highly debatable; Good It has taken four years to get some traction and some still argue Would That icts appeal falls Within the ‘elitist’ class.

The mass audiences are still warming up to the soap Unlike the old soaps (Village Headmaster, Checkmate, Super Story) All which Gathered Cult Following Almost IMMEDIATELY. So has it really worth all beens That Money?

Perhaps M-Net shoulds look at other soap operas Creating truly catching the massive audience and stirring up reactions with true social values.

‘It is nice They Have gotten this far, I am not overly aim excited because i know They will go farther like Egoli and Generations All which is reaching icts seventeenth season’ creator Yinka Ogun Told NET on Sunday.

Asked Whether any Nigerian soap opera Will reach this milestone in the Foreseeable future, he answered with ‘a capital NO’. ‘The investment in Tinsel is humongous, thanks to M-Net for doing this …’

By Osagie Alonge