TG Omori: Some Music Videos Cost More Than $100,000
Nigerian music video director ThankGod Omori, popularly known as TG Omori, has disclosed that some of the music videos he has worked on 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 factors that determine music video budgets, particularly productions filmed outside Nigeria. He explained that directors are often reluctant to disclose production costs because filmmaking is subjective, with expenses varying according to the creative concept, scale and location. According to him, publicly stating a budget can also cause people to undervalue the creative process or become discouraged by the amount involved. Omori said productions in the United States, especially in cities such as Las Vegas and Los Angeles, generally require significantly higher budgets because filmmakers have to cover costs including insurance, labour, equipment and other services, with expenses accumulating for every hour of production. He said that because many of these costs are paid in dollars, the total budget for a single music video can sometimes rise well above $100,000. When asked specifically whether individual videos had exceeded that figure, he confirmed that this was the case “most times.”
Omori also revealed that he had produced several music videos in Nigeria with budgets of about $100,000, but said such projects could be more financially rewarding when produced locally because production expenses are comparatively lower. He explained that spending the same amount abroad could leave a filmmaker with little more than a service charge after other production costs have been settled. The director highlighted the availability of local artisans in Nigeria as another advantage, saying skilled craftsmen can help execute elaborate production designs at relatively affordable rates when properly supervised and given clear creative direction. However, he noted that achieving the desired standard often requires directors to closely monitor the process, sometimes down to individual construction details. While this approach can reduce expenses, Omori said it can also demand significant personal time, energy and sleep from filmmakers. He described the need for constant supervision as one of the major downsides of working with local artisans, although he maintained that they can deliver quality results when their work is carefully managed.
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