A-list comedian and actor, Bright Okpocha aka Basketmouth, has shared his inspirational story, touching on the need for Nigerian content creators to produce content that not only strikes a chord with their target audience but also outlives the creator.
While discussing the future of content in Africa, with a panel of communication experts at Viacom International Media Networks Africa’s (VIMN Africa) forum at the Social Media Week in Lagos recently, Basketmouth said, “while it is good for us to evolve, we have to remember to make content that has substance. We need to understand our target audience and what they need.”
Themed: ‘Music, Content and Consumer Experiences… Changing The African Narrative’, the discussion was moderated by MTV Base VJ, Folu Storms and featured MTV Base Africa (ROA), Senior Channel Manager, Viacom International Media Networks Africa, Solafunmi Oyeneye; Founder/Principal Consultant, Peaceville Entertainment Group, Ernest Audu; CEO/Chief Creative Officer, X3M Ideas Limited and X3M Music, Steve Babaeko and Founder, BlackHouse Media and ID Africa, Ayeni Adekunle.
Speaking about the comedy scene in Nigeria, Basketmouth appreciated the efforts of Comedy Central, a property of Viacom, in creating a platform not only for traditional stand-up comedians but also trendy one-minute skits comedians. He, however, noted that while he has no problem with the new generation of Instagram comedians, he still does not see enough comedians taking time to hone the craft of stand-up comedy.
Expressing his displeasure with comedians, who take the easy route of only creating skits, Basketmouth said: “There’s nothing like a good joke. A joke can always be improved, and even, I often share some of my jokes with fellow comedians and they tell me it’s okay, but tell me how to make it better. Doing skits on social media is very different from performing on stage. There is no filter on stage.”
Basketmouth also urged up and coming acts to work on their content and create a fan base for themselves before approaching brands and demanding showcase opportunities. In addition to honing their craft and building their engagement, Basketmouth also encouraged consistency because opportunity for the next big gig might just be a view away. “Create content that is buyable. All you need is good content and it will sell by itself,” he urged.