The film and television landscape contnues to evolve at a rapid pace, with storytelling no longer confined to traditional screens. Today, platforms shape not just how stories are told, but how they are consumed, monetized, and remembered. 

This formed the foundation of a recent speaking engagement themed “Storytelling & Platforms: A Poducer’s Blueprint,” hosted by iREP Internatiional Documentary Film Festial, where Hadizat Ibrahim was featured as a speaker.

In her session, Hadizat delivered a practical and insightful breakdown of the producer’s role in shaping stories from ideation to distribution. She emphasized that beyond creativity, producers must adopt a structured and strategic approach to storytelling in order to thrive in today’s competitive industry.

Her key highlights included a deep dive into the producer’s workflow, outlining how producers oversee projects from ideation through execution, ensuring that every stage aligns with the intended vision and market demands.

She also explored the fundamentals of story development, stressing the importance of strong concepts as the backbone of any successful production.

A major focus was placed on basic story structure, where she explained how well-defined narratives drive audience engagement. Building on this, she walked attendees through a story development workflow, giving a step-by-step guide on how ideas evolve into fully realized scripts and productions.

Hadizat further highlighted key story elements producers should look out for, encouraging creatives to pay attention to character depth, conflict, goal, setting, and transformation which are factors that ultimately determine a story’s impact.

Beyond development, she addressed the business side of storytelling by discussing film festivals as vital platforms for exposure, networking, and industry visibility. 

She also examined the growing influence of streaming platforms, noting how they have reshaped content creation, distribution models, and audience expectations globally.

Drawing from her extensive experience, Hadizat provided real-world insights that resonated strongly with both emerging and established creatives. 

As the founder and Executive Producer of March 31 Media, she continues to champion growth and capacity building within the industry.

There’s a certain kind of hunger that lives in people who refuse to stay on the ground floor. 

SYNOPSIS:
Employee of the Year isn’t your typical office romance. It’s a high-stakes story set inside the high-pressure world of Rubicon Diamond Realtors, where every floor climbed comes with a cost. At the center is Nana Bello, sharp, driven and done waiting for recognition. But just as she begins to rise, love walks in… disguised, complicated, ad dangerously tied to secrets that could destroy everything she’s worked for. 

As ambition collides with betrayal, and power reveals its darkest corners, Nana is forced into a game far bigger than promotion or prestige. It becomes a question of survival, truth, and how far she’s willing to go when success is no longer clean. 

This is more than a love story.
This is a climb.
And not everyone makes it to the top. 

Commissioned as an Africa Magic Original, the movie is produced by Hadizat Ibrahim, written by Pearl Agwu and directed by Muyiwa Aluko and Hadizat Ibrahim. If you are ready to see how far ambition can take you, Employee of the Year is now streaming on Showmax. 

CAST:
Daniel Abua, Mena Sodje, Kuchi Chris, Doris Okorie, Nnamdi Agbo, Lord Frank, Moyin Olutayo,  Kingsley Ndukwe, Emetekefe Akpovwovwo.

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SPOTLIGHT ON EMPLOYEE OF THE YEAR CHARACTERS

Step into the world of power, passion, and hidden agendas. Meet the characters driving the story everyone is talking about.

Meet Nana

Bold. Relentless. Unstoppable.

Nana has always done the work while others took the credit. Now that it’s finally her time, one secret threatens to either elevate her or ruin everything. Her journey is proof that sometimes, the biggest battles aren’t external, they are the ones within.

The beautiful Mena Sodje embodied the character Nana.

Meet Ovie

Charming. Intentional. Unpredictable.

He came in quietly but there’s nothing simple about him. As his truth unfolds, so does the tension betwen who he is and who he’s expected to be.

This character is brought to life by the amazing Daniel Abua. Brilliant on screen, a certified ladies’ man with a face you don’t forget.

Meet Zuby

Loyal. Honest. Soft but not weak.

She believs in love and truth, but what happens when both begins to clash? Zuby must decide to either trust her heart or trust her instincts.

This character is heartwarmingly brought to life by the beautiful Kuchi Chris.

Meet Sasha

Elegant. Calculated. Unforgiving.

She’s always been the center of attention and she intends to keep it that way. When her dominance is threatened, Sasha doesn’t compete… she declares war.

Watch the beautiful and energetic Doris Okorie step into her role as Sasha.

Meet Stanley

Focused.Driven. Complicated.

He came with a plan, revenge. But love was never part of it. Now caught betwen purpose and emotions, Stanley must decide what truly matters.

The charming Nnamdi Agbo is Stanley

Meet Reuben Snr

Power. Control. Legacy.

A man who doesn’t suggest, he commands. For him, legacy is everything, and he will stop  at nothing to ensure it remains intact… even if it means deciding the fate of others.

Watch Lord Frank deliver his role as Reuben Damatie Snr; and for many reasons, we loved him in the role.

Meet Mrs Damatie

Gentle. Wise. Grounded.

The quiet strength holding everything together. Where there is conflict, she bings calm. Where there is pride, she reminds them of love.

The beautiful MoyinOluwa Olutayo is Mrs Damatie and she was

Meet Floor Manager

Sharp. Observant. Effortlessly in control.

He keeps the ground floor running like clockwork, seeing everything… missing nothing.

This character was embodied by the Funny and energetic Kingsley Ndukwe

Meet HR

Authority. Structure. No-nonsense.

In a world of chaos and ambition, she is the order that keeps everything from falling apart.

Watch Emetekefe Akpovwovwo in this amazing movie as she played the character of HR

Who will rise? Who will fall? And who will burn everything down to win?

Watch Employee of the Year now and find out.

Employee of the Year is now streaming, exclusively on Showmax!

MOVIE TRAILER

Working with an experienced Producer/Production Company such as March 31 Media on your project reduces the risk of legal nightmares, and having produced more than 10 content titles across multiple genres and broadcast on reputable platforms, here are 9 binding agreements we recommend for use in content production:

1. NON DISCLOSURE AGREEMENT

NON DISCLOSURE AGREEMENT popularly called NDA, binds the receiving party from sharing confidential information they receive to do preliminary work, understand scope of project or for negotiation purpose. This is typically the first document that gets circulated. It is important to send this to anyone (cast or crew) before proceeding to share your content idea or script with them.

1. WRITER’S AGREEMENT

WRITER’S AGREEMENT is an agreement with a writer that details the types of right that the production has over the story or script. These rights range from Option Right, Right to First Rewrite, Outright Sale of Script etc. Key feature of this Agreement is transfer of rights from the writer (who is the copyright holder) to the Producer, Production company or any other third parties the Production Company deems fit.

1. CREW CONTRACT

CREW CONTRACT is an agreement with crew members highlighting job tittle, work hours, pay and benefits, payment structure, duration of engagement. It should also clearly spell out expectations for copyright and transfer of rights, confidentiality agreement and notice period/modality for termination of agreement.

1. CAST CONTRACT

CAST CONTRACTis an agreement with on-screen talents, also known as Actor’s Contract or Host Contract, depending on the type of Cast engaged. This grants permission for a Producer/Production Company to use the IMAGE, LIKENESS, VOICE, NAME and PERFORMANCE of a person in their production. The Cast Contract is issued to cast members with more appearances and stake in the creative project.

1. TALENT RELEASE FORM

TALENT RELEASE FORM also called a Performance Agreement, is an abridged form of a cast contract, often used for one-off performances within a movie or TV series. You may also use this for performers who have very minimal screen-time or role in your project.

1. LOCATION AGREEMENT

LOCATION AGREEMENT is executed with property owners for the use of their space. If there are fees involved, and shoot hours’ limitation, it is highlighted in this document. Details of what the location will benefit from the Production, such as mentions, montage of their space, showcase of their features, are also captured in the Location Agreement.

1. MUSIC LICENSE AGREEMENT

Media projects feature a wide variety of sounds to enrich the viewer experience. Some of these sounds are recorded on the field or in the studio, while others are sourced from existing music library or from music artistes/producers. It is important to agree on the use of music, duration, scope and number of years the license covers. This forms the basis of music license agreement.

1. PRODUCTION AGREEMENT

PRODUCTION AGREEMENT is issued by a commissioning party to a production company for the production of a movie or TV project. The commissioning party may be a broadcast platform, a distribution company, a brand or an agency. The production agreement details the title and form of content, number of episodes (where applicable), synopsis, total budget, copyrights (and transfer of rights), production timeline, payment structure.

1. LICENSE AGREEMENT

LICENSE AGREEMENT – At any phase during your production, you can arrange with a distribution/broadcast company for the specifics of broadcast for that content. In that case, you sign a license agreement, stating how long the platform has the rights to show your work, and whether those rights are exclusive or non-exclusive. License agreement allows a producer to have flexibility over their work.

1) ALL MINE

ALL MINE…is it true love if it’s deadly?
All MINE is a psychological drama and a gripping tale of love and tragedy. Commissioned by
Africa Magic and premiered in 2024, the movie was produced by Hadizat Ibrahim, written by
Pearl Agwu and directed by Muyiwa Aluko. Featuring an awesome cast of Ibrahim Suleiman,
Wendy Lawal, Oduche Christian, EjiroOghene ‘Jyro’ Asagba, Obehi Aburime, ALL MINE will
leave you with twist and turns you didn’t see coming.

Tola has a huge crush on her colleague, Daniel; she has had this since she started working at
Champagne FM. But asides the usual wave, smile and stolen glances, he has never said more
than a few words to her. Just when she has given up on Daniel, a new guy joins the station.
Tola decides that the only way she can get Daniel’s attention is by making him jealous.
Unknown to her, she has pushed a deadly button!

2) THE COUNSELLOR

THE COUNSELLOR is a heartwarming romantic drama, that will leave you feeling warm in all
the right places. Commissioned as a Showmax Original curated to launch the new Showmax
platform in 2024, the movie stars David Eyo, Teniola Aladese, Eyiyemi Olivia, Uzoamaka
Anuionoh, MoyinOluwa Olutayo. Produced by Hadizat Ibrahim, written by Pearl Agwu and
directed by Muyiwa Aluko, THE COUNSELLOR is a perfect watch this Valentine.

Gbenro and Aisha have been unlucky with love all their lives, but once they meet each other,
they know they’ve found true love. Theirs is a whirlwind romance. Barely 2 months after they
meet, they move in together and when Gbenro pops the question a month later, Aisha says
‘yes!’. Gbenro’s mum is unsure about this union. As a single mum, she is skeptical about the
durability of this sudden romance. To put his mother’s fears to rest, Gbenro and Aisha agreed
to attend a marriage counselling session by a counsellor that she swears by. According to her,
“If Dr Cynthia Oladimeji says you are perfect for each other, then you have my blessing”.

Gbenro is determined to prove that Aisha is perfect for him, but the couple soon finds out that
love is only one of 10 steps when it comes to marriage.

3) THE IRABORS FOREVER AFTER

THE IRABORS FOREVER AFTER is a 5-part series that features the love and life of one of
Nigeria’s most celebrated media couples, Betty and Soni Irabor as they count down to their
40th wedding anniversary and renewal of vows.

Commissioned by Africa Magic and premiered in 2023, this series was produced and directed
by Hadizat Ibrahim, one of the creative minds behind the success of other Africa
Magic/Showmax docu-reality series such as The Real Housewives of Lagos (RHOL), Our
Perfect Wedding Season 1 and The Wellingtons.

Featuring expert and community residents’ interviews as well as reality scenes, the documentary is aimed at highlighting the work done in education, health, sports, community engagement etc.

This documentary is Produced and directed by Hadizat Ibrahim, a filmmaker nominated as Best Producer African at the 2024 Toronto International Nollywood Film Festival (TINNF).

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March 31 Media was responsible for the livestream and multicam production at this event. Deploying a 5-camera set up using Sony FX6, the coverage captured red-carpet interviews, the insightful speeches and robust conversations at the panel discussions.

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Aimed at equipping young creatives looking to kickstart and build their career in film and TV production, the course is created as a capacity-building tool to address the information gap among these emerging media professionals. The course features 23 modules on relevant film & TV production areas in easy-to-understand video format. This virtual learning experience is further enhanced by practical insights and scenarios.

Why take Fundamentals of Production course with March 31 Media Academy?

Here are four (4) compelling reasons why taking this course is a worthy investment in career development, especially if you are looking to be build a successful career in film and TV production.

1) COMPETENT FACILITATOR

-> The course is facilitated by Hadizat Ibrahim, an accomplished and experienced media producer with over 20 years’ active industry experience. Responsible for successful productions such as The Real Housewives of Lagos, The Voice Nigeria S3, The Irabors Forever After and movies such as The Counsellor, All Mine, The Playbook. Hadizat’s creativity and expertise in storytelling and production has received numerous industry recognition and nominations such as Best Unscripted M-Net Original at the 2024 Africa Magic Viewers Choice Awards (AMVCA), Best Producer – African at the 2024 Toronto International Nollywood Film Festival (TINFF) and Best Female Filmmaker – International at the 2023 TINFF.

2) PRACTICAL COURSE CONTENT

-> The course is perfect for young creatives who are looking to kickstart their career in film and TV production and is enriched with practical insights and scenarios. It’s a career-development course that fuels curiousity, features useful information about the stages and processes involved in production as well as provide insights into building a successful career in film and TV.

3) SELF-PACED VIRTUAL LEARNING

-> The course is a self-paced virtual learning experience, with 23 easy-to-understand modules on relevant film & TV production areas in engaging video format. The course explores topics such as phases of production and what happens in each phase, the creative minds responsible for the magic of content production, common production terminologies, useful tips for building a successful career and how to negotiate your worth as  a young creative.

4) ADDITIONAL BENEFITS

-> In addition to the practical knowledge obtainable from the course, the course is currently available for a limited-time discounted fee at https://march31media.selar.co/FundamentalsOfProduction

The course, FUNDAMENTALS OF PRODUCTION, which is now available on Selar, is also a pre-requisite for the paid internship programme at March 31 Media where young creatives are given practical, hands-on experience in the field of content production.

To access the course and obtain a certificate of completion, click here – https://march31media.selar.co/FundamentalsOfProduction

Over the past twenty years, Hadizat has excellently honed her career in the industry. From her early days at Radio Nigeria to her pivotal role in television as a producer at M-Net/Africa Magic, owning her own production company (M31M), and initiating life-changing courses, her journey has been inspirational. Hadizat’s journey in media started at Radio Nigeria in 2004 before she fully transitioned into television in 2014, joining MNet/Africa Magic, working on primetime entertainment shows and overseeing well-loved series like “Tinsel,” “Battleground,” and “Ajoche”. In 2020, she established her own media production company, March 31 Media (M31M), producing and contributing to notable projects such as “The Playbook”, “The Counselor”, and “The Real Housewives of Lagos”. Her expertise and passion for storytelling have been evident throughout her journey, earning her respect and admiration across the industry. In 2012, she was nominated as Radio Presenter of the Year by the Nigerian Media Merit Awards (NMMA). In 2017, she was recognized for her outstanding contribution to production, and in 2023, she was nominated in three different categories at the Toronto International Nollywood Film Festival (TINFF), Best Producer – African 2024 (TINFF) and Best Unscripted M-Net Original (AMVCA) 2024.

At this significant milestone celebration, there was the launch of March 31 Media’s new course tagged FUNDAMENTALS OF PRODUCTION. Facilitated by Hadizat Ibrahim, the course aims to build on the legacy of Hadizat’s impact in the media and serve as a platform to empower young and aspiring media professionals. By equipping aspiring media professionals with the skills and mentorship they need to thrive, Hadizat continues to impact lives and shape the future of the industry globally.

Access the course here – https://march31media.selar.co/FundamentalsOfProduction

These gaps have prompted our next webinar tagged DEAR YOUNG CREATIVE: NEGOTIATING YOUR WORTH IN FILM & TV.

Targeted towards young creatives with less than 5 years of experience in the film and TV space but promising to be beneficial to all attendees, the webinar will cover:

• Useful negotiation skills
• 3 biggest factors that influence your pay
• How to improve your earning power
• Specific average costs for key roles in film & TV based on insights from reputable producers.

The facilitator is Hadizat Ibrahim, an experienced TV Producer with nearly 20 years industry experience. She has recruited hundreds of crew across her productions as well as worked on local and international formats. Some of her production credits include TINFF-nominated  movies (The Counsellor, The Playbook); docureality series (The Irabors Forever After, The Real Housewives of Lagos, The Voice Nigeria S3, Our Perfect Wedding S1) and several other TV content. She is the Founder/Executive Producer of March 31 Media, a blossoming media firm in Lagos-Nigeria passionate about capacity building for young creatives.

This FREE online session will hold on Saturday 27^th of July 2024 at 10am

CLICK HERE FOR MEETING LINK

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March 31 Media handled multicam video production at this prestigious event and was responsible for capturing and editing the captivating discussions, thought-provoking sessions, fun networking events and BTS coverage of set up.

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