David Nicholas: The Creek producer explains his winning secrets

BY AJIBADE ALABI

For fast-rising film producer and actor, David Nicholas, his string of accomplishments in the film industry is basically as a result of his personal conviction to outperform his last record with every new production he gets involved in.

During his recent interaction with journalists, Nicholas who etched his name on the creative map of Nigeria with ‘The Creek’, a story about the struggles in the oil-rich Niger Delta region of Nigeria, revealed that he basically embraced creativity as a means of expressing his wild imagination.

According to him, “My journey into the creative industry began at a young age, when I would act all alone in the house, playing the actor, the villain, the producer and the director, all in one. As I grew older, that childhood interest gradually became something I wanted to pursue seriously.

“I eventually decided to give that passion proper direction by going to the film school, graduating from PEFTI Film Institute as the best student of my academic year. From there, I moved into professional filmmaking, taking on freelance jobs, working with different crews and learning the industry through practical experience. As I grew professionally, I also had the opportunity to return to the film institute as a lecturer, which added another dimension to my journey – moving from being a student of the craft to also sharing my knowledge with others.

“Professionally, one project consistently led to another; each job brought a referral, and each referral opened the door to bigger opportunities, greater responsibilities and more ambitious productions. I am in competition with no one but myself.”

With his phenomenal film, ‘The Creek’ being adopted for inflight entertainment on Virgin Atlantic, Nicholas who has collaborated with filmmakers like Obi Emelonye, Toka McBaror, Sam Dede, Bucci Franklin, Hakeem Effects, Geoff Brwon, and Jimmy Jean Louis amongst others is looking at creating more socially-impacting films. 

“I am interested in stories that have strong human emotions, social relevance and commercial potential. Drama, thriller, romance, action and docudrama all interest me because what attracts me most is a compelling story. Beyond producing individual films, I am interested in building systems and platforms that create opportunities for other filmmakers. I believe the Nigerian film industry needs not only talented individuals but also stronger structures for training, collaboration, production and distribution.”