Can You Present your company to us?
I work for a group of companies called Film house Cinemas and Film One Distribution-Production
What do these companies offer?
Film house cinemas is a dynamic film exhibition company. Our expertise are in the areas of – Cinema Operations: We manage cinema locations; own cinema location and Consultancy for cinema development: Design; Fit-out; Cinema Project ManagementFilmOne is an independent distributor and producer of filmed entertainment providing top-end film release services with. FilmOne is an independent distributor and producer of filmed entertainment providing top-end film release services with emphasis in Nigeria territory. We distribute a wide-range of mainstream, commercial pictures including international and indigenous titles, and maintain international strategic alliances and relationship with studios/distributors across the globe.
The FilmOne team possess sound expertise and extensive experience, gained in the United Kingdom and Nigeria, in theatrical and non-theatrical distribution of feature films.
Our business operations are modelled in line with International best practices and cover;
- Feature Film Rights Acquisition
- Pre-sale Advice
- Theatrical Dating
- P & A Consulting
- Marketing Strategy Implementation
- Box Office Analysis
Who are your clients?
Guests: Those who visit the cinema buy tickets to watch a film and or buy our cinema food or merchandise
Business Owners: Those who use our cinema media platforms for advertising.
Distributors: Those who provide the film for us to show to our guests
Hirers: Those who require
We also work with different Film Producers, Media Owners Cinemas and Studios across the Country and global.
What is the Market like?
The Market is growing rapidly, and there is an increase in potential for movies that are produced locally. Cinemas are growing at a very appreciable rate, there was only 1 cinema in the country as of 2004 and now we have 20; currently we (Filmhouse) are running 6 active cinemas, and have an additional 5 in various development stages but with the expectation of opening all this year.
The market for our distribution and production arm filmone has to do with the number of titles we co-produce, the amount of films we acquire for release and those films we provide a distribution service for. The total number of films released year on year is growing and so is the Gross Box Office Revenues
Is your company an International company? Nationality?
We are a primarily a Nigerian Company, but we have the ambition of being an International company, as we are able to capitalize on the benefits of globalization.
How old is your company?
Film house cinema commenced trading December 7, 2012.While Film One Distribution released its first film Half Of a Yellow Sun on August 1, 2014. Administratively both companies started as far back as 2010. We all know that businesses like ours take some time to get started especially in the planning stage. What is your staff strength?
What is your staff strength?
We are approaching the 200 staff mark as we speak but if you include indirect and contract-based employment then you are looking at the 500+ employee mark.
What makes your company so unique?
The Filmhouse people are the key to our services. Our senior management and development teams have over 100 years combined experience in cinema operation and development and film entertainment gained in England, Italy, USA, Spain and Nigeria.
We lead the way in terms of providing unrivalled premier guest service to all those that visit our cinema.
Our pricing policy is the most aggressive in terms of what our competitors offer but the fairest and value-friendly to our guest who are the most important to us. So you can see your favourite blockbuster in a welcoming and clean cinema environment for as little as N500 or N600 which is the equivalent of less than $3.
We are also very proud of our investment in technology by being the only cinema to boast of 7.1 surround sound technology across our circuit not to mention our 3D cinema offering, Stadium seating technology, High Frame Rate Digital Projection, Cinema Food offering and recently our luxury cinema offering which is an exclusive experience for those Film Lovers who prefer their film viewing experience to be a more intimate, private but luxurious affair.
What is your role in the company?
I’m the Group Executive Director of Filmhouse Cinemas and FilmOne distribution and Production. I also serve as the Chief Operating Officer for FilmOne distribution.
What are your responsibilities?
As Executive Director, I am responsible for formulating, developing and implementing the strategic plan of the company. Strategy involves taking a long-term view on our operations and implementation is about ensuring the moving parts in our businesses are responsible steered in the right direction to achieve set objectives.
I am specifically responsible for our Admin, Retail, Marketing, Health and Safety, Cinema Operations, Human Resources and Facilities department.
My role as Chief Operations Officer of FilmOne means that I am more hands-on with the daily management of the company’s activities. In terms of distribution my role will be anything from Acquisitions to developing the marketing strategy for a film’s release to Theatrical Sales to Film Promotions. In terms of production, I am involved as early as the development and script stages to production and post production work. My distribution experience does go a long way in shaping the kind of production projects we commit to or eventually do Describe your typical work day?
I start my day with a prayer so everything goes well.
I deal with numerous emails from the both companies. Following this is a catch up with the different departments for updates and new developments, which usually takes up a few hours of the day. Then I have meetings with client’s and stakeholders, then draft a “to do list” for the different departments and take calls from different cinemas for support.
Tell us about your background?
My name is Moses Babatope from Ilesa in Osun State, Nigeria. I am also a naturalized citizen of Great Britain. I’m married to a very supportive and caring wife called Mrs Margaret Babatope and we are blessed with two young boys, aged 4 years and 6 months old.
From 1988-1993 I attended Iyaniwura Nursery and Primary School Ilupeju, Lagos .
I had my secondary school education at Home Science Association Secondary School, Lagos 1993-1999
In 1999 I started my University Education at Babcock University Studying for a degree in Economics before transferring to Middlesex University Business School where I completed my Bachelor’s degree in Money Banking and Finance and graduated in 2003.
I continued my education at Middlesex University Business School with a Master’s degree in International Finance and graduated with a Merit in 2005. I enrolled on The Chartered Financial Analyst programme in 2006, as I wanted to work in investment banking but today I literally sell cinema tickets and popcorn for a living.
What is the most important quality to do your job?
There are so many important factors required to do this job, but the most important is communication, and information dissemination. It is necessary that I am informed and carried along on every aspect of the work. There is no excuse for not being aware of the changes in the business. A multi-site business like ours cannot exist effectively if those at the top are not great at communication.
A second vital quality is passion, when you are passionate about something, you can achieve anything.
How did your company adapt to the market?
You have to understand the peculiarity of the Nigerian market, what works in one city will not be easily implemented in a different one. Anticipating the challenges of the market are inevitable, and viewing them as opportunities, not obstacles, is the key.
How do you see the Nigerian market evolution for your sector in the next 5 years?
It has been 11 years since the return of modern cinemas to Nigeria with Silverbird Cinemas which started in Nigeria in 2004 and was the only cinema in the country for 4 years between 2004 and 2008. Currently there are 20 cinemas and we are expecting 27 by the end of the year.
The industry is evolving from a viable industry without structure, to where it is today, an industry with; one of the best screen average figures in the world, more investment in technology, more funding hence more cinema locations active (and more in the pipeline) and crucially interest from the private sector and the government.
We have about 2-3 million people purchasing movie tickets now annually and our population is about 170 million which is where the opportunity is. In the next 5 years the population of cinema guests would have increased because it’s an ever-growing industry and the entertainment space is in of options such as ours.How has ecommerce and social media improved your market?
How has ecommerce and social media improved your market?
It’s a big area of opportunity which would assist the growing cinema culture. We are looking forward to online ticketing, electronic gift vouchers and so many more.
We also run several very active channels of social media, where we interact with movie lovers providing a platform where they talk about movies they want to watch after seeing the trailers.
We have over 16,000 likes on Facebook and 2,500 followers on Twitter. we are also very active on Instagram. We are also looking into improving the interactions on social media.
Managing a team is not easy what advice do you have for young managers ?
To start with it is not different from what has worked in the past.
- Keep it simple.
- Keep your emotions under check.
- Don’t make hasty decisions.
- Try and inspire your team by leading by example.
- Let everyone in your team be accountable.
What is your advice to keeping clients satisfied?
Let them know their patronage and visit to the cinema is highly valued by warmly welcoming them. Always strive to deliver the best services. Stop at nothing to ensure they are satisfied. Knowing and accepting people’s differences will assist you serve them better. Always give a bespoke and personalized treatment