TG Omori Reveals Some Music Videos Cost More Than $100,000

Nigerian music video director ThankGod Omori, popularly known as TG Omori, has revealed that some of the music videos he has directed have cost more than $100,000 to produce.

Omori made the disclosure during an interview on the Afropolitan podcast, published on YouTube on Wednesday, while discussing the high production costs involved in creating music videos, particularly projects filmed outside Nigeria.

The renowned director explained that filmmakers are often reluctant to publicly disclose the budgets of their projects because production costs vary depending on the concept, location, scale and other requirements.

“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,” Omori said.

He noted that publicly revealing the cost of a production could also influence how people perceive the project and the creative work involved.

According to him, the cost of shooting music videos abroad can increase significantly because filmmakers have to cover several additional expenses that may not apply to productions carried out in Nigeria.

Why Shooting Abroad Costs More

Omori specifically mentioned cities such as Las Vegas and Los Angeles in the United States, where music video productions can require significantly larger budgets.

“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,” he explained.

He said the expenses can quickly accumulate because payments for various services are made in US dollars.

“At the end of the day, you’re paying in dollars, and sometimes it goes way above a hundred thousand dollars,” Omori said.

When asked whether he was referring to a budget of more than $100,000 for a single music video, the director responded, “Yeah, most times.”

Nigerian Productions Can Be More Cost-Effective

Despite the high budgets associated with some international productions, Omori said he has also directed music videos in Nigeria with budgets of around $100,000.

However, he explained that spending such an amount in Nigeria can be more financially beneficial because production costs are generally lower compared with filming in the United States.

“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 said.

According to Omori, a similar budget spent on a production abroad could produce significantly lower returns because a large portion of the money would go towards operational and service-related expenses.

He explained that international productions often involve costs such as insurance, labour, equipment, location-related expenses and payment for time spent by crew members.

Local Artisans Help Reduce Production Costs

Omori also highlighted the importance of Nigerian artisans in helping filmmakers achieve elaborate production designs without spending as much as they would in some foreign locations.

He said Nigeria has skilled local artisans capable of delivering quality work when they are properly guided and supervised.

“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 said.

According to the director, having a clear creative vision is essential when working with local artisans, as it allows them to understand exactly what the filmmaker wants to achieve.

He, however, acknowledged that working with artisans can be demanding because directors may need to closely monitor almost every stage of the production process.

“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 said.

He added that although the approach could save money, it could also require significant personal involvement from the director.

“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 said.

Omori explained that directors often have to monitor the construction and design process closely to ensure that the final result matches their creative vision.

“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,” he added.

His comments provide an insight into the significant financial and logistical demands involved in producing high-budget music videos, particularly when projects are filmed outside Nigeria.

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