Behind-the-scenes pros helped Kannywood rise – Bashir Datti

Bashir Datti, a popular Jos-born continuity supervisor has worked in many big Kannywood movies, and he spoke on the under-appreciated roles played by ‘invisible’ industry professionals, and more. Excerpts: WM: What attracted you to Kannywood? Bashir Datti: I began to work in the Hausa movie industry, popularly called Kannywood, in 2001 as a child actor. […]

Bashir Datti, a popular Jos-born continuity supervisor has worked in many big Kannywood movies, and he spoke on the under-appreciated roles played by ‘invisible’ industry professionals, and more. Excerpts:
WM: What attracted you to Kannywood?
Bashir Datti: I began to work in the Hausa movie industry, popularly called Kannywood, in 2001 as a child actor. I remember my first movie was ‘Kallon Gajimare’ produced and directed by Magaji Mijinyawa. My second film was ‘Gori’, directed by Ali Nuhu, and I played the role of a rascal with actress Saima Muhammad as my mother, who spoilt me. Those were fun to do. My dream has always been to be an actor, but fate trumped all my efforts, and I chose to be a continuity supervisor, as well as an assistant director.
Ali Nuhu was the first to tell me to focus on continuity. He told me I wouldn’t see the benefit of what he told me until later in the future. I followed him from one location to another, and over the years he taught the basics of continuity. After Ali Nuhu, I met the producer, director and production manager called Salisu Mu’azu, who sat me down and gave me everything that I need to be a world-class continuity supervisor. Since then, there’s been no looking back. I’d say what attracted me to Kannywood is a need to play my role in entertaining, educating and informing.
My journey to Nollywood is unique. I can remember when my family relocated to Jos, I wasn’t into Hausa movies. I watched Hollywood or Nollywood fare instead. Then one day I visited an aunt living in Kano, where I stayed for more than two months. She was always watching Hausa films and I didn’t have any friends or places to visit, so I sat down and watched with her. The rest is history.
After I returned to Jos, I continued watching Hausa films. One day, a popular actor called Tijjani Faraga came to visit my sister Iyami, and I’d just returned from playing football field, whistling music from the soundtrack of a film named ‘Mujadala’. He told her I’d be a good actor, which she told me after he left. Of course I was ecstatic about that.
WM: Of all the stages of movie production, why did you choose a career in Continuity Supervision?
Datti: Actually, my dream is to be a director. The best way for someone to achieve that feat within a short period is to be a continuity supervisor, as they oversee wardrobe, props, set dressing, hair, makeup and even the actions of the actors during a scene. The notes recorded by the script supervisor during the shooting of a scene are used to help the editor cut the scene. They are also responsible to keep track of the film production unit’s daily progress. He must record each scene to be shot. He is the one to account for good shoots and bad ones; he is always behind the cameraman and director.
A good Continuity Supervisor will always learn from a director, he will know the best scene to shoot, et cetera. Even behind the scenes, they help improve the quality of Kannywood films immensely.
WM: What has the experience of being a continuity supervisor in Kannywood been like?
Datti: There have been challenges, the major one being I started my career in Jos, where we used sheets, which we called paper logging, and we recorded all the shots taken during each scene. But when I went to Kano, the filmmakers there were not using continuity sheets, and some don’t even know the importance of continuity sheets. They were looking at me as if I was an alien; they groaned that I was making their work cumbersome. They saw me every time behind the cameraman and director, taking the records. I found it difficult before I convinced them to see the merits of continuity.
I also sat with editors, because after I gave them the sheets they would just leave them at home. I explained to them how continuity sheets would and they later understood that it would only simplify their work and improve accuracy. Continuity, in my opinion has helped Kannywood to produce more error-free films.
WM: You’re certainly popular, but how successful would you say you are so far?
Datti: I joined Kannywood with nothing to show, but I was blessed enough to raise money to produce my first film. And I’m taking care of myself, paying my school fees, and now I am an assistant director. I have bought a car, I’m helping others. I thank God.
WM: Could you please mention some films on which you worked as Continuity Supervisor?
Datti: There are many; all the films produced by FKD Production owned by Ali Nuhu from ‘Sai Wata Rana’ to his last film ‘Halacci’. Also, films produced by Saira Movies starting from ‘Qona Gari’ to ‘Ya Daga Allah’. I have more than 100 films to my credit, and my filmography is quite robust.
WM: Last year you produced ‘Gidan Aure’. How well did it do commercially?
Datti: We sold thousands of copies in its first week of release; I bought my new car with the profit I made.
WM: What are the challenges facing Kannywood and how can they be solved?
Datti: Lack of technical know-how. We have to go back to school and learn the basics of film production. Another is casting, as most of the time producers only focus on relationships with actors, not whether they can deliver as a particular character. The third challenge is piracy. Filmmakers will work under the sun and in the rain to produce a film, but in a flash, pirated copies would flood the market. I personally think the National Copyright Commission is not doing its job. The fourth challenge stems from the viewers. They buy pirated copies. The solution to this challenge is for fans to stop buying.
WM: Where do you see Kannywood in the future?
Datti: I am seeing better days ahead. More professionals are going back to school to better themselves. This is a plus for Kannywood. In the future, if someone doesn’t have the knowledge of filmmaking, it will be impossible for that person to be in the industry. It’s always a great idea to learn more about this craft we all love.
For me, directly, my dream is to make Kannywood a force to be reckoned with globally, to be able to compete with Hollywood and Bollywood.