By Olufemi Oni, Ilorin
Kwara’s Sugar Factory Film Studio will, in October, launch a ‘Dancinematic Universe’, a series that combines the creative energy of music videos with the cinematic grandeur of feature films through creative dance storytelling.
A first of its kind in the industry, the pilot project in the fictional universe is titled ‘The Big Bang’.
According to a statement by the Film Studio’s Creative Director Tunde Ayinla, it will also introduce a unique and immersive world-building experience through a transmedia storytelling initiative to the Nigerian creative industry.
He said: “This initiative is to establish Sugar Factory Film Studios as a pioneering haven for intellectual properties and brands that want to benefit from the unprecedented blend of product placement and branded content concept to enhance the world-building of their promotional storytelling.
“The initiative is modelled after the most innovative version of it in the world at the moment as seen in The Boys and Deadpool franchises. What makes it a first in Nigeria is the level of the immersion with the specific kind of transmedia storytelling as a world-building tool.”
Ayinla commended Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq for his bold vision for Kwara and support for the creative industry.
The production comes a few weeks after Kwara won the hosting rights for the 2024 BON Awards, which brings to Ilorin close to 500 movie stars, producers, marketers, and enthusiasts. The event is slated to hold at the iconic Sugar Factory Film Studios, a major project of the Abdulrazaq administration.
“The Big Bang project serves as an inaugural project of the Dancinematic Universe. This creates an uncontested market space in the Nigerian
entertainment industry as a first of its kind with a massive pool of cross-pollinated target audience,” he added.
“The Big Bang is a unique musical fantasy short film inspired by a true story of renewed hope, combining elements of dance, music, and cinematic storytelling as it follows the journey of a young creative who envisions a groundbreaking entertainment concept.”
He said the Dancinematic Universe has initial revenue projections of N5.4bn in its early peak period as a blue ocean project, which sets the film studio apart in the Nigerian entertainment industry.
Thousands of jobs are expected to be created for young people, especially Kwarans, in the creative sector, he added.