Veteran Ghanaian filmmaker, Socrate Safo, has reminded industry players and fans alike that behind the glitz of entertainment lies an unpredictable business where success is never assured.
During a discussion on Hitz FM, Safo contrasted the sector with other professions, noting that the creative industry thrives on uncertainty. To drive home his point, he recounted an incident from his early years when he wanted a Nigerian actor for a project but lacked the funds to hire him.
“I would love to be in the movie. I said, ‘Okay, come, but I would not pay you, but I would give you the Nigerian right,’” Safo recalled.
Rather than a paycheck, the actor was offered full distribution rights in Nigeria, a deal that allowed him to earn profits or shoulder losses depending on how the film performed. Safo said this type of arrangement is common, especially when producers cannot afford star actors’ fees.
According to him, similar models are used in Hollywood, where high-profile performers sometimes forgo upfront payments in exchange for equity or a share of the box office.
“To do the distribution in Nigeria and take the money. It happens, Hollywood, it’s done. That’s how people say that actors do get shares. He charges you $150m, and you don’t have it, so he has equity in the movie, so as you are distributing, then he is also getting a percentage in the movie,” he explained.
Safo emphasized that the entertainment world is inherently risky, reminding filmmakers and investors that financial success is never guaranteed.
“I give him the full right, so he can sell as many as he wants and he can also make losses. One thing about entertainment is that returns are not guaranteed,” Socrate Safo stated.
Watch his remarks below.
"In entertainment, returns are never guaranteed." – Filmmaker Socrate Safo, recalling when he gave his movie as equity to a scriptwriter#ShowbizReview pic.twitter.com/mJtE91tEuP
— Hitz 103.9 FM (@Hitz1039FM) August 18, 2025
