Interview: Mary’s option is a very beautiful production- Ayo Olaleye
The well known Continuity Supervisor and Director, Ayo Olaleye has shared his experience working on the set of Mary’s Option, a movie that will soon be released to the market. In an exclusive interview with Gospel Film News publisher, Oluwafemi Dosu in Ogun State, Ayo Olaleye disclosed that he had a flow working experience on the set. He also revealed the difference between Continuity Supervisor and Script Supervisor, among others. Excerpt:
AS THE CONTINUITY MANAGER OF THIS PRODUCTION, MARY’S OPTION WHAT CAN YOU SAY ABOUT THE PRODUCTION?
This is a very beautiful production. I love the story. From the moment I got the script and I read through it. The flow is totally great and working on it as a continuity manager is a very great experience, I did not have to struggle through it. That is because the story was well scripted and that is why working as the continuity manager on the production is also stress less.
YOU SEEM TO BE MORE DETERMINED AND FOCUSED ON THIS SET THAN YOU USED TO BE ON SOCIAL MEDIA, WHAT IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS?
Well, because this is work (laughs). On social Media you have lots of things calling for your attention. A lot of people; some people want to ask you questions, some want to hear you say something about something, some want you to respond to their comments but here it’s one, thing and that is why I have to give it all my attention, and as a continuity supervisor I need to make sure I followed the continuity; costume, set, make up, etc. So, that is what called for the focus.
IS THERE ANY DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SCRIPT SUPERVISOR AND CONTINUITY MANAGER?
Yes, there is. In Nigeria we have put the two together but for a large production it can be splited and the reason is that the Script Supervisor should supervise the script. The script is written, you need to follow the script and see that the actors are saying the lines as it’s written, the set as it is written, everything as it is written. So, the script supervisor stays with the script. She suppose to….I’m using ‘she’ because when Script Supervision started in the film industry worldwide it was a woman’s business. The first name given to them was Script Girls but later the male crew members started showing interest and it now became Script Supervisor. She (Script Supervisor) suppose to sit with the script and make sure that nothing is broken, but Continuity Supervision should go beyond staying with the script. The Continuity is suppose to be in charge of giving reports.
I have a log sheet here where I write things, that is not the job of a Script Supervisor. She only makes sure that everything is done according to the script but a Continuity Supervisor will have to note all these things and give report after noting all those things. He will give daily production report to the producer; he is supposed to give camera report. All these report have to be submitted to the editorial department, but in Nigeria because independent film making is what we practice in Nigeria. We hardly have the studios, we only have few of them so, because of this independent film making where we have low budget practiced, which is why we put these together.
Now, I am of the opinion that we should get things right because recently I put on social media: I asked producers to find someone else to write names of actors and crew in a production. You don’t expect me to worry about the script, report and all that and at the same time run after actors featuring on a set, running to get his name written. So, maybe a Continuity Supervisor should have a P.A. Well that is my take. I pray they listen to me and things change.
HOW DOES A CONTINUITY MANAGER ENSURE THAT THE STORY IS NOT BROKEN IN ANY FORM?
Concentrations! A Continuity Manager needs concentration. He needs to know the script from cover to cover and he suppose to note things before the shooting, he must have prepared some reports before the shoot, he must have broken the script down. There is supposed to be a script breakdown. The script breakdown will make him analyze the script.
He should know the actors, the characters, props, set. Everything will be well analyzed before the shoot. By the time he gets on set, he would have known the story off hand and will be able to follow the story, but for a Continuity Supervisor who has not done his homework before getting on set, some scenes will even look unfamiliar to him. So, before he gets back to the script to know what is going on there, the shoot is on and he wouldn’t be able to make things together to know what scene is flashback. So, Concentration and Home work is a key.
YOU PREFERRED TO BE ADDRESSED AS A FAITH-BASED FILM MAKER TO BEING ADDRESSED AS A GOSPEL FILM MAKER, WHY IS THIS SO?
I don’t know how to answer this question. I love faith-based film maker because that is what I am. I preach the Christian faith and it reminds me that I am working by faith. The scripture says now the just shall live by faith. The term Christian has even been bastardised: when you say you are a Christian people will still ask you more questions. So, when you say you are a Christian film maker they will just say mediocrity because that’s what it stands for. So, when I was coming in I thought ‘let me come with the faith-based and this is the name given to some film makers abroad. For me it reminds me that I live by faith and I make my productions by faith. When I want to do my production, I draw my budget and part of my budget is faith. So, I add faith to my budget. There are times that I spent money but I spent faith more than the money. By the time the film is out and people say ah your film is good, the faith I spent is more than the money.
Well, they choose, but that is who we are. Maybe yes. Let’s be addressed as Faith-Based film maker so we know what we do we do by faith because there are some things happening among us that is not meant to be but when we know that this thing I’m doing I’m doing it by faith, you won’t think about self, and maybe when we are addressed as Faith-Based film makers, we would be able to go the extra mile, we would be able to push somethings. You want to do a production and you are like this thing is too big and you think you should do it in a little way, you don’t want to push. Even when God is telling you to jump into the sea and all that and the production will be done. Maybe being called the faith-based film makers will make us march to some investors and ask by faith that we need an airport, ask by faith that we need that building, ask by faith that we need the support of the Nigeria police, ask by faith that we need the prison for a movie and the bible says “ask and it shall be given.” That is faith.
