Filmmaker Omoni Oboli has spoken about how she built a successful film platform on YouTube, stressing the importance of audience engagement and consistency.
In an interview with Premium Times, Omoni said, “I was very intentional from the beginning. One, I was intentional about building a community because, as humans, we always want to be part of something bigger than ourselves. I wanted a community that was centred on love, on just peace and togetherness. So I made sure to carry my audience along from the start. I made sure they knew that they were part of this channel.
“They weren’t just coming here to watch movies. They were part of it. They could suggest things. They could talk. So my community is very vibrant. We’re always having conversations. People are suggesting different things. People are saying what they like and what they don’t. That is real-time data. That helps us to make our movies better.”
She also identified her 2025 films Love in Every Word parts one and two as a turning point in her YouTube journey, noting their wide acceptance among viewers.
“To be honest, we knew it was going to be successful because part 1 was successful, and people were asking for a sequel. So we knew they would definitely watch it if we did a sequel. Love in Every World 2.
“We had a bigger cast. We had locations and this and that. But we still managed to get that shoot done in 8 or 9 days. It wasn’t so bad. The wedding alone took one day. We didn’t do anything else that day. That day was just the wedding scene that we shot. From morning till night”, she said.
Omoni explained that her move to YouTube had been planned for years before she eventually acted on it.
“Somehow it just never happened. And then in 2019, I decided, okay, let me do it. And I started shooting some movies, and we were still shooting in 2020 when COVID struck. And somehow, COVID sort of just discombobulated our lives, and I just never got around to even making new movies or releasing those movies until 2 years ago.
“We do take breaks, so that the crew can breathe and see their family. When we’re on set, they can’t even see their family because they’re working back-to-back. Because we’re constantly shooting, we always have films on hand.”
On the financial side, she said filmmaking goes beyond profit for her.
“There are people right now whose bread and butter is my channel. That’s how they feed, that’s how their kids go to school, that’s how they pay their rent. Because we release movies every week, my crew is constantly working.
“They’re constantly working, they’re constantly fed. You say you release films every week. Every Friday. All are original stories”, said the Edo-born.
She added that her focus on romantic films is deliberate, as audiences often seek comfort in storytelling.
Omoni began her acting career in 1996 and has since featured in and produced several films including The Figurine, Anchor Baby and Wives on Strike.
