Development

Phone Swap was conceived after a brief from an advertising agency, who were taking proposals on behalf of Samsung to create a movie that would cut across ages 15 to 45, and was shot in Lagos and made in partnership with Globacom and BlackBerry. It also got financial support from Meelk Properties, IRS Airlines, Seven-up Bottling Company, Honeywell Flour Mill and several others. The scripting stage for the film took two years, while the production and post production stages took six weeks and three months respectively.^[4] The film received critical acclaim and was highly successful at the box office.^[5] Ten scripts were submitted from different people and companies, but Afolayan's script eventually won the pitch.^[6] Although Samsung later dropped out of the project, Kunle Afolayan went ahead to solicit funds from other major sponsors as he was keen on concluding the project.^[2] Afolayan believed that although the film is not "arty" like The Figurine, it also had the potential of doing well at the box office because it is a commercial film.^[6] Afolayan however decided to steer clear of slapstick comedy, which had become a tradition for the comedy genre in Nollywood.^[7] He also stated at the press screening of the film in Lagos that the choice of a comedy genre is inline with the bid to diversify his production company; the previous two films from Golden Effects Studios had been thrillers, so Phone Swap was to show that his company was not running on a "one-way traffic".^[8] Kemi Adesoye and Afolayan came up with the story idea for the film; with the scripting stage taking a total period of two years.^[4][9]

Kunle Afolayan noted that investors were slow in responding to his business plan.^[4] However, the film eventually got financial support from telecommunication companies such as Globacom and BlackBerry. Some brands were also approached to take part in the production and Some of them did product placement. Such companies include: Meelk Properties, IRS Airlines, Seven-up Bottling Company, Berrys' Couture, Honeywell Flour Mill and Maclean.^[10] This helped subsidize the budget of the film by thirty^[8][9] to forty percent.^[7]

Casting

The lead male character, Akin was considered initially for Joseph Benjamin but he was later dropped when it was discovered that he had recently been paired as a couple with the signed lead actress Nse Etim for Mr. and Mrs., a film which was also in production at the time and was also released in March 2012. Jim Iyke was then called to play the role but he was unavailable at the time - shooting Last Flight to Abuja, so Wale Ojo eventually became the new lead actor.^[6][8][11] The character of Mary's father was slated for Sam Loco. The actor, however unfortunately died on 7 August 2011 due to an Asthma attack^[12] before filming began and Chika Okpala, best-known for his Zebrudaya role in The New Masquerade, was later signed to replace the deceased actor. Sam Loco was honoured by dedicating the film to his memory in the Opening credit of the film.^[4][6][8]

Ada Ameh and Nse Ikpe Etim, who are from Benue and Akwa Ibom respectively, were required to learn the Igbo dialect of Owerri for a period six months before the commencement of principal photography to fit into Cynthia and Mary characters, as both are portrayed as Owerri natives.^[11] Etim in an interview with Leadership Newspaper stated: "I am not exactly a rookie when it comes to the Igbo Language, but until Phone Swap I never needed to speak Igbo as a native would. I will admit that it was quite challenging, because I had to learn a specific dialect. I am very glad for the experience, though. Igbo is a very interesting language and I enjoyed myself immensely in the process of learning it".^[8][13]

Director, Afolayan, had a major dispute with Globacom, regarding the casting of Hafeez Oyetoro in the film. After seeing the first edit of the film, Mike Adenuga requested for Oyetoro to be dropped from the cast line up, and his scenes reshot with another actor. This was due to the fact that Oyetoro was at the time a brand ambassador for Etisalat Nigeria, a major competitor in the Nigerian telecommunication market. Afolayan however refused, with the belief that dropping Oyetoro would "kill" the film. As a result, Globacom partially withdrew its investment from the film and Afolayan's ambassadorial contract with the company was not renewed.^[14]

Filming

Filming began in Badagry^[15] in August, before moving to Lagos;^[16] the film was shot across six weeks and the post production took three months. According to Afolayan, the most challenging part of shooting was building the interior of the airplane and the airport scene which was shot for twenty four hours without a break;^[4][9] the airplane cabin was recreated in the studio by Pat Nebo and his team.^[15]

Track listing

Critical reception

The film was met with mostly positive reviews. Nollywood Reinvented commended the cinematography, the subtle comedy and the romance. Though it noted that the film portrayed an unrealistic situation, it gave a 68% rating and concluded: "One great thing about the movie is the emotional connect it creates between the viewers and the ‘couple’, the viewers and the individual characters, the characters and each other and not just Mary and Akin. At the end of the movie you don't just feel like you've seen another movie. It has a lasting impact that only a few movies can create. It's one of those movies that will have you coming back to it time after time."^[36] Augusta Okon of 9aija books and movies also praised the cinematography, use of language, production design, editing and soundtrack but talked down on the obvious commercials exhibited in the film. He gave the film a rating of 4 out of 5 stars and concluded: "Phone Swap is incontrovertibly a first class comedy movie in Nollywood, sailing on the seas of dynamism and ingenuity, with its mast of professionalism beating proudly in the air and pointing to one fact…It has raised the movie bar in Nollywood once again!".^[11] Kemi Filani praised the cinematography, editing, character development, scripting and props of the film; she concluded: "Phone Swap is full of laugh out loud moments and shows how the most unlikely people can adapt to unexpected situations and circumstances. A film I can definitely recommend."^[37] NollywoodForever gave it a Watch Definitely rating and concluded that "...It was funny, it was witty, it was heart warming and more."^[38] Dami Elebe of Connect Nigeria commended the directing and scripting of the film and stated "Without a doubt, this is the movie you are proud to show off. It is a beautifully done film and we can’t wait for another collaboration from them (the lead actors) in the future".^[39]

Andrew Rice of The New York Times commented: "Kunle Afolayan wants to scare you, he wants to thrill you, he wants to make you laugh, but most of all, he would like you to suspend your disbelief — in his plots, yes, which tend to be over the top, but also about what is possible in Africa."^[40] Shari Bollers of Afridiziak stated "All the characters were created to enable the audience to warm up to them and to laugh with and at them. With its switching of dual languages of native and English, it was easy to follow. It was a film that included everyone and warmed us with the humour. Whether Nigerian or not you will find this film funny."^[41] Caitlin Pearson of The Africa Channel stated: "What makes the plot of Phone Swap engaging are the performances from its all-star cast, and a visual range in its cinematography that allows us to see more of Nigeria than any claustrophobic Nollywood film could ever hope to do.^[42] Francis McKay of Flick Hunter gave a 3 out of 4 stars and concluded: "Kunle Afolayan crafted a highly watchable film with a good story and a cast led by two talented actors. The film is a good representation of Nigeria...".^[43]

Kemi Filani commented on the positive portrayal of women in the film: "I love the way women were portrayed. For a change, Nigerian women were strong, smart and beautiful. Although the women in this film are flawed, like every other human being, they were also shown to be inherently good and beautiful."^[37] Dami Elebe commended the acting skills of the two lead actors in the film: "Nse Ikpe-Etim executed her role in this movie with precision, perfect pronunciation and class. Wale Ojo is not the typical Nollywood leading man. He is not the hot young boy we always want to just stare at, but the mature fine man we also want to hear. He blended in his role perfectly and showed that he is not a one movie wonder but an actor who will last a lifetime in Nollywood".^[39] Caitlin Pearson commented on Wale Ojo's acting skills by stating: "Ojo definitely impresses with his versatility as an actor in taking up this role, and manages to balance the austere qualities of Akin’s character with a sense of compassion". She also commended Hafiz Oyetoro's character by stating "the most funny and entertaining performance is by Hafiz Oyetoro who plays Akin’s assistant Alex. Alex’s character exists in a fine balance between subservient and sneaky that is pure pleasure to watch."^[42]

Box office

Phone Swap was highly successful at the box office. The film recorded ₦3,720,000 in its domestic opening weekend.^[44] It topped the charts in its first week of release in Nigeria by grossing ₦20,713,503,^[45][46] beating films like Wrath of the Titans and John carter. This has been said to be due to the number of showing times given to Phone Swap with at least 6 showing times per day for a theatre. It was also reported that the film had several private screenings for corporate organizations and brands.^[5][47] Moreover, the film received nominations at the Africa Movie Academy Awards just before its general theatrical release.^[48]

Awards

The film received four nominations at the 8th Africa Movie Academy Awards including the category Best Nigerian Film. It eventually won the award for Achievement in Production Design. It received the most nominations at the 2012 Best of Nollywood Awards with ten nominations and won the award for Best Production Set; Nse Ikpe Etim also won the award for Best Lead Actress in an English film.^[49] Phone Swap also got most nominations and most wins at the 2013 Nollywood Movies Awards with a total of twelve nominations and won the awards for Best Movie, Best Actor in a Supporting Role for Hafeez Oyetoro, Best Actress in a Supporting Role for Ada Ameh, Best Cinematography, Best Original Screenplay and Top Box Office Movie of the Year.^[50][51] It was nominated for eight awards at the 2013 Golden Icons Academy Movie Awards, where Kunle Afolayan won the Best Director category.