Are memes important to a film project?
Nov 07, 2023
While some nations have embraced memes as effective marketing tools, Ugandans are still deliberating whether to consider them integral to project promotion. Ugandan filmmaker Isaac Nabwana, renowned for his work at Ramon Pictures (Wakaliwood), attests to the power of memes. He told The New Vision that memes played a crucial role in the global publicity and promotion of his film "Who Killed Captain Alex," Uganda's most popular action movie.
Are memes important to a film project?
Hussein Kiganda
Journalist @New Vision
Memes, initially comprising images, videos, or humorous content swiftly replicated and disseminated by internet users, have become commonplace in our rapidly modernizing world, permeating various entertainment industries.
While some nations have embraced memes as effective marketing tools, Ugandans are still deliberating whether to consider them integral to project promotion.
Ugandan filmmaker Isaac Nabwana, renowned for his work at Ramon Pictures (Wakaliwood), attests to the power of memes.
He told The New Vision that memes played a crucial role in the global publicity and promotion of his film "Who Killed Captain Alex," Uganda's most popular action movie.
"Memes facilitated our movie's marketing on the international stage when they were shared globally. They continue to be instrumental, but Ugandans have yet to grasp their impact," Nabwana remarked.
He emphasized that the significance of memes also hinges on how the audience interprets the movie and how they choose to engage with it through memes. He regarded memes as a form of audience feedback, demonstrating their genuine viewership and enjoyment of the film.
Actor Ronnie Nkalubo suggested that filmmakers should leverage all available marketing avenues to ensure a film achieves its marketing objectives. According to him, memes could also contribute positively to a project.
Actress and producer Nana Kagga, renowned for her roles in Mukisa, Nalwawo, and several other films, emphasized that the nature of the memes derived from a particular work is crucial, as creativity is highly sensitive.
She believed that memes should not be discouraged as they can serve as effective publicity if utilized appropriately, potentially elevating a project to an international level.
"At times, a movie may not gain the visibility it deserves until a meme goes viral, sparking sudden interest in that particular film. While it enhances a movie's visibility, it may simultaneously undermine the gravity of the subject matter," she commented.
While some filmmakers perceive memes as advantageous for a project, it remains unclear whether these memes, derived from a project, comply with the law.
Filmmaker Patrick Lorimo, the producer of Atonement, asserted that if memes are created from a movie without the producer's permission, they could potentially infringe upon copyright, necessitating accountability.
A meme made from the movie "Who Killed Captain Alex" (Courtesy pictures)
He also cautioned that actors cannot create memes from their images in the films they have appeared in, nor can they prevent memes from being generated using their images, as these rights belong to the production house, which holds the authority to grant permission.
"It's always stipulated in the contracts that all images and likenesses of the actor within the project belong to the production house. Therefore, an actor cannot object to the use of their image as a meme.
Moreover, the public cannot create memes from pictures or videos without the permission of the production house unless expressly authorized," Lorimo clarified.
This discourse on memes arises in the wake of Hollywood actor Nicolas Cage renowned for his role in the blockbuster movie "Ghost Rider," expressing discontent over the inappropriate use of his images as memes on social media.
In Africa, actors Osita Iheme and Chinedu Ikedieze have themselves become global memes following their roles in movies such as "Aki Na Ukwa" and "Aki Na Pawpaw," among others.
Even those new to the internet can easily stumble upon memes featuring these two actors and their movies have since become hits
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