TG Omori Reveals Why Certain Music Videos Command Over $100,000

Renowned Nigerian music video director, ThankGod Omori, widely known as TG Omori, recently shared insights into the substantial production costs of some of his projects, stating that certain music videos have exceeded $100,000. This disclosure came during an interview on the Afropolitan podcast, which aired on YouTube on Wednesday, where he elaborated on the financial aspects of video production, especially for shoots conducted internationally.

Omori explained that video directors and filmmakers generally prefer not to publicize their project budgets. He attributed this reluctance to the subjective nature of filmmaking, where costs are heavily influenced by the creative concept and chosen location. He was quoted saying, "As directors, we don’t really like to reveal budgets because filmmaking is subjective. The ideas vary, and sometimes we don’t like to put budgets out."

He further elaborated that making production budgets public might deter potential clients or lead to a devaluation of the artistic effort invested. "It doesn’t scare people. It doesn’t also speak cheap of our art. To some people, it might be scary to some people. It sounds very… So it always boils down to the concept that we’re trying to work on," Omori stated.

The director highlighted that shooting music videos in the United States, specifically in locations like Las Vegas and Los Angeles, incurs significantly higher expenses. This is due to various supplementary production costs. He explained, "Most times if we’re shooting abroad, it’s actually more expensive. So most of the videos I’ve had to shoot in Las Vegas or LA have had to be a bigger budget, not necessarily coming to me, but because shooting in America, I have to pay for insurance, have to pay for these, have to… Every hour spent, all of those things."

Omori confirmed that these types of international productions frequently surpass the $100,000 mark, attributing this to dollar-denominated payments and a multitude of required expenditures. "At the end of the day, you’re paying in dollars, and sometimes it goes way above a hundred thousand dollars," he revealed. When questioned if he meant this figure applied to a single music video, his response was, "Yeah, most times."

He also mentioned producing some music videos within Nigeria for approximately $100,000, pointing out that such budgets tend to yield greater profit margins when executed domestically. "But in Nigeria here, I’ve done a couple for around a hundred thousand dollars. But it’s easier here. You make a lot of profit from that in Nigeria," he stated.

Conversely, Omori clarified that allocating a comparable sum to an overseas production would likely result in considerably reduced returns, as a significant portion of the funds would be absorbed by production and service fees. He elaborated, "But if I do that abroad, you probably might not make… You just probably get a service charge because everything is actually very…"

Omori also touched on the benefits of engaging local artisans within Nigeria, asserting their ability to facilitate elaborate production designs at comparatively reduced expenses. He then added, "That’s why I enjoy shooting in Las Vegas because I won’t say cheap, but manpower or labour is quite affordable here. You can get good artisans, local artisans."

He maintained that local craftsmen are capable of delivering high-quality results, provided they receive adequate supervision and precise creative guidance. "If you have the vision that can help you get the best, if you can… It’s just that working with people in Lagos is actually, you are going to sacrifice your sleep and your time to make it happen," Omori explained.

While acknowledging that employing local artisans could lead to cost savings, he cautioned that directors frequently need to meticulously oversee the entire production process to guarantee the intended outcome. "It might save you some money, but to save your health, to go after your sleep and your health, because you have to literally work with them with every nail that is going into the wood," he remarked. He concluded, "You have to watch the process of everything. But they’re going to get it right. But you’re actually going to have to monitor everything to actually get what you really want. So those are the downsides."