Lumoe unLimited

We’re losing days like buttons, slowly the realization creeps up, that thing I did the other day was actually weeks ago and there is a million and one things waiting to be done, mocking me with their indifference to my need for sleep and trying to make a dent in our determination to deliver something you’ll all love. What they don’t know is I only need to sleep only once a week and even then it’s sitting down, in front of the computer. In any case when I do finally crash and burn you guys will know I was trying to make you happy.

Anyway it seems this week my lucky star has been doing the fusion thing overtime and shooting me lucky streaks all over the place. After a less than stellar start with a producer who seemed to think I am a walking ATM machine without the daily limit, I get a call. You know the deal, you’re busy trying to get something finished only for your concentration to be rudely broken by an unfamiliar number, hesitating you pick up anyway. He’s heard of us, He thinks we have something good, He wants to meet us and if I wouldn’t mind he would like to introduce us to a few of his producer friends. I try my best not to fumble and give him my most aloof response while I’m sweating bricks.

I later find out that this producer is actually quite a big deal and pleasantly surprised to find him quite jovial and approachable, giving us advice on how to get other people on board. Now that we have a decent number of films, we are saddled with the unenviable task of finding a decent connection to upload said films to our server. So far all the big name networks have failed woefully either cutting midway or not even starting at all, makes you wonder whether they’re having a secret tea party rather than investing in their network with decent switches. If there does exist such a party and somehow one of you happens to work there, please invite us.

I am also relieved to inform you all that the tables have turned in our lawyer-client relationship, these days we’re the ones doing all the threatening, we’ve now been hounding him for some agreements we need before we can let you guys start using the site. In fairness though we’re quite happy he’s on our side, so far he’s saved us from determinedly pursuing a course of action that would have led us straight to the gallows, been the voice of reason amidst the cacophony of craziness we offer up daily, he’s also been intimating to us how business really works and the finer points of engaging in fierce and unequal combat.

So you’ve read this far again, either my writing has improved exponentially or Lumoe has found a place in your hearts and you feel compelled to read anything we come up with. I doubt it’s the former and am hoping it’s the latter, if it is then you’re rooting for us and you are definitely at the top of our charts. We would love to hear from you so please comment, write on our wall or better yet give us a call. Later

A rather odd week in that while we were busy toiling away doing Lumoe stuff, the Lagos International Film festival was not so quietly underway with a number of critically acclaimed films being premiered, the perfect opportunity to introduce ourselves to the industry and we missed it. I should point out that luck didn’t completely pass me over in that sitting in the cinema over the weekend I saw a film trailer for a new Nigerian film by a very famous actress who had turned her talent to producing her own movie, while watching the trailer I resolved to find out who she was, thinking we could pitch Lumoe to her. So with frenetic determination I set off to the office on Monday morning vowing to make up for lost time.

Tracking down the production company’s number wasn’t difficult and when I called asking to speak to her I was pleasantly surprised (and thrown off) to find  she had picked up the phone and wouldn’t mind meeting with me for a few minutes if I could make it all the way across town in not very much time. Not having a presentation prepared and despite being in an ill-fitting NYSC outfit courtesy of our dear Government I somehow made it. After convincing her I wasn’t a yahoo boy trying to drain her bank account, I managed to sell our idea to her in principle and she asked for documents she could give her lawyer. Lumoe 1 Entropy 0.

With a victory this early in the week we continued with even more zeal and have tracked and spoken to a Kannywood Super producer, a reclusive but critically acclaimed producer looking for a release medium for their film and even a producer who’s still in school, casting his friends in his films. You will notice I haven’t mentioned names, films of any identifiable information. This is because I have been threatened in pain of death by my lawyer not to say anything until we have signed agreements. No fear, his threats will get old and I will start ignoring them, better yet we would have signed them and you will be able to watch them on the site.

To Understand Recursion, One must understand recursion.

We’re launching. Again. For the many people who have known about us, Lumoe and our barely concealed schemes to take over the world in some capacity, bear with us, we’ve had our eureka idea. We actually had it a while ago but have been busy polishing it off, testing it with some of you (thank you very much, you’re always welcome at our office). It now works and does what it’s supposed to do but has curiously developed its own personality, very temperamental and prone to tantrums. Nevertheless we are quite proud of it and look forward to introducing it you, we are confident a more amiable personality would have developed by then.

So what exactly have we come up with? Well we’ve always felt that Nollywood, one of the biggest contributors to silver screens around the world gets a raw deal as far as the net is concerned. Though you could sate your appetite for Hollywood (Nollywood makes more movies by the way) from the comfort of your couch or dorm room you would have to go down to the market to get an overpriced CD that gives up the ghost after it’s been played a few times. It’s even worse if you live outside Nigeria, always begging cousins and rather questionable aunties to maintain a steady supply. What we have now does away with all of that, letting you pick and choose whatever you want to watch without the attendant hassle.

There’s a lot more that we’re working on but they will be under wraps for a while until we get them working. In the mean time we think this would be a nice way to let you know what we’re up to, we will shortly be releasing snapshots of the new and improved site and subsequently a more inclusive test phase. We will have something new for you every week and will increase the frequency of the posts as we get ourselves into more amusing/ embarrassing misadventures trying to get the ropes of being a business.

So far this has included a lawyer (whom we like, curiously) who has no qualms about threatening to end either of our lives should we bother his life, which one would think would be bad for his prospects, to being regaled with business advice from a Lagos cab driver (very sound advice) who also refused to take any fare from us and wished us luck instead. We have also come to develop a deep appreciation for how much food can help you stay awake much longer than your garden variety solutions of cola and or energy drinks.

Anyway if you’ve come this far, we have profound gratitude in your indulgence of our quite limited writing skills but, starting from the lowest denominator, we are sure it can only get better so we hope you will read our next post, feedback would also help, lots of feedback. Later.