Actress and producer Juliet Ibrahim, from Ghana, has explained why she would rather post her films to YouTube rather than Netflix.
She claims that while other streaming services have stringent policies regarding content uploads, YouTube does not.
Juliet Ibrahim revealed this while speaking with newsmen at the Nigeria International Film and TV Submit in Lekki.
In her words:
“YouTube does not have any strict requirements for gear, editing, lighting, or crew members, unlike Netflix or Prime.”
While stressing YouTube’s benefits, the brand influencer who is well known in Nollywood also acknowledged the risk of piracy. Juliet Ibrahim said:
“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 being required to visit the store or meet the requirements of the streaming service. 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.”
The director and content developer also emphasized how critical it is to connect with audiences across the diaspora who lack access to theater programming. Juliet Ibrahim added:
“Having multiple sources of income is important for filmmakers, and there are people in the diaspora who would like to watch our content but are unable to access it in theaters. Until we can give them good cinema content over there, we can put it on Netflix or YouTube.
“We can post content on Showmax or YouTube uploads if Netflix decides it is not good enough for them. A lot of people have different reasons but most times you have to look at it strategically and also what goes into your pocket.”
Published by Ejoh Caleb
