For the 20 students of the inaugural MultiChoice Talent Factory Academy, October 2018 will always be a month to remember. On 8 October at MultiChoice facilities in Lagos, which host the Academy, they were unveiled to the world at a ceremony widely expected to be the start of great things for them and greater things for the African film and television industry.
(l-r) Femi Odugbemi, MultiChoice Talent Factory Academy Director (West Africa), Mr. Steve Ayorinde, Lagos State Commissioner for Arts Culture and Tourism; Dr. Ziblim Iddi, Ghana’s Deputy Minister for Tourism, Arts and Culture; and Mr. John Ugbe, Managing Director, MultiChoice Nigeria, at the opening of
MultiChoice Talent Factory Academy in Lagos.
Bold hints of a whole new world were etched on their faces, which lit up with broad smiles as their eyes flickered with joy at the life-changing opportunity with which they have been presented.
The students, comprising sixteen young Nigerians and four Ghanaians, were practically combusting with glee, as they were unveiled as the first batch of students admitted into the MultiChoice Talent Factory (MTF) Academy for the West African region.
The Academy is a major component of the MultiChoice Talent Factory Project, a continent-wide initiative conceived to find and equip the next generation of African film and television professionals with skills required to-through a comprehensive curriculum comprising theoretical knowledge and hands-on experience in cinematography, editing, audio production and storytelling-put them on the same pedestal with their peers around the world.
The MTF Academies, three in number and each with 20 students, operate from Lagos, Nairobi, Kenya (for the East African region), and Lusaka, Zambia (for the Southern African region).
The students are currently undergoing a fully funded one-year academic and practical training programme at the academy, which is headed by local industry experts and supported by creative organizations, regulatory as well as government bodies. The major aim is to provide students with education in all aspects of film and television production to enable them launch successful careers in the creative industry.
Just for being considered for admission must represent a major milestone in the life of each of the students. It did not come easy and could not have, given the competition for places. Selectors had to trawl through over 3,000 applications to arrive at the names for 60 available slots, an indication of great interest in the creative industry.
The significance of the unveiling ceremony was adequately conveyed by the big name guests in attendance. Among dignitaries present were Dr. Ziblim Iddi, Ghana’s Deputy Minister for Tourism, Arts and Culture; Mr. Steve Ayorinde, Lagos State Commissioner for Arts, Tourism and Culture; and Mr. John Ugbe, Managing Director, MultiChoice Nigeria. The ceremony was also sprinkled with big names in the Nigerian creative industry
Speaking at the occasion, Ayorinde, the Lagos State Commissioner for Arts, Tourism and Culture, told the students to consider themselves fortunate to have been considered for admission and called on them to make good use of the opportunity, as big things are expected of them upon graduation He also commended MultiChoice for coming up with an initiative that seeks to upgrade the skills of young Africans in television and film.
“What MultiChoice did deserves huge commendation and these 20 students should consider themselves lucky. They need to acknowledge the fact that stakeholders in the entertainment industry in Nigeria and across the continent expect a lot from them and the students on their part should make good use of this opportunity given to them,” he counseled.
The Ghanaian Deputy Minister for Minister for Tourism, Arts and Culture spoke in similar vein. Dr. Iddi described the opportunity the students have been given as “life-changing” and advised them to be committed to learning. He also commended MultiChoice for initiating the MultiChoice Talent Factory Project, saying.
Explaining the decision to commit resources to the Project, Ugbe, Managing Director, MultiChoice Nigeria, said it was borne out of the need to nurture and refine the raw film and television production abilities talents that abound across the African continent. He added that that the MultiChoice Talent Factory Academy will provide the appropriate environment for the students to acquire the skills required to produce high quality movie and television content as well as learn the business of filmmaking.
“The film and television industry is the pioneer of creative industries in Africa and is particularly relevant as a tool for shaping the African narrative. We have been telling authentic and well-produced stories that only Africans themselves can tell. Nevertheless, there is a lot of raw talent that need to be nurtured and polished. The Academy will give such talent the opportunity to hone their skills, thereby increasing the pool of world-class talent within the industry. It’s also about teaching the selected candidates the business of film and television,” he said.
In addition to learning, the Academy will also provide students the opportunity of networking with established industry professionals. Femi Odugbemi, an accomplished professional and Director of the West African regional Academy, said the students are being prepared to become major players on the African film and television landscape and ensure its vitality as well as sustainability.
“The talented creatives that will go through the MultiChoice Talent Factory Academy will be primed as key players in the growth and sustainability of Africa’s creative film and television industry. As Academy Director, I will be preparing these candidates as future business owners who will in turn, play their own part in building the economy around the industry. It’s time that we not only reap the rewards of high-end quality TV and film products, but we also equally benefit from the investments behind the lens,” he stated.
The hopes and expectations of the students also dovetail into the objectives for which MultiChoice established the Academy. For instance, Adeniyi “Taj” Joseph, a 26-year old Nigerian cinematographer, reckons that the biggest challenge of the African film and television industry is paucity of technical skills.
He is of the belief that the situation is what an initiative such as the MultiChoice Talent Factor Academy will provide remedy for. Joseph said he expects to learn a lot about the process and business of filmmaking at the MultiChoice Talent Factory (MTF) Academy.
Another student, Blessing Bulus, who had aspired to be a filmmaker since she was a child, said her ambition is to learn about filmmaking beyond being behind the camera. She added that she hopes to become a filmmaker that creates jobs, following in the footsteps of industry giants such as Odugbemi, Niyi Akinmolayan and Kemi Adetiba.
For Dumevi Irene Yaamaokoa, a 25-year old television director from Ghana, the MultiChoice Talent Factory Academy has the potential to produce world-class talents in film and television production. She predicted that in the next 10 years, the continent’s creative talents will compete on an equal footing with their global counterparts in terms of skills, finance and technology. She also hopes to learn new skills from her colleagues.
Indogesit Peter, another Nigerian is hoping that his period in the MultiChoice Talent Factory Academy will assist him take the opportunity provided by digitalization to tell quality stories. The 22-year old writer believes that the authenticity of African stories will preserve the African heritage and bring about acceptance of African culture by the rest of the world.
For Kemi Adeyemi, her target at the Academy is the improvement of her film production, scriptwriting and directing skills. This, she believes, will bridge the gap between talent and profitability in film and television production. Another Nigerian, Salma Saliu, is hoping to become a filmmaker or television presenter. The graduate of Journalism, Media and Cultural Studies aspires to create a fantasy-based television show, as she believes that the genre has not been sufficiently explored. She is convinced that the MultiChoice Talent Factory Academy will provide him with adequate training in scriptwriting and directing to ensure she is able to better translate her ideas from paper to screen.
“African creatives,” she said, “are bolder with their ideas now. Nothing is off the table and I want to be part of that,” she said with barely disguised enthusiasm.
Similarly enthusiastic is Metong Miniwon, a Nigerian sound engineer in the MultiChoice Talent Factory Academy. Miniwon, who is desirous of creating a television show that highlights the challenges faced by film and television production crews, is impressed by the determination of African professionals in film and television to promote the the continent’s rich cultural heritage before the rest of the world. He believes that the future of film and television in Africa will be made brighter by the MultiChoice Talent Factory Academy, where he hopes to gain more experience and network with filmmakers across Africa.
The expectations of Mnena Akpera, a Nigerian radio/television producer and presenter, are no different. She is convinced that the future of the African creative industry has just got better with the MultiChoice Talent Factory Project, which he believes will provide participants with professionalism in content delivery.
The promise of the MultiChoice Talent Factory Academy to raise production standards in a programmatic way gives it the look of the biggest ever intervention in the African creative industry.
Odugbemi, the Academy Director, in an interview, noted this when he said: “We must consciously build capacity so that our next generation film makers and producers can also create wealth and create employment by being entrepreneurs as well. Nigerian cinema 10 to 15 years ago was challenging. It’s better in lighting, audio even in production design. It’s getting better. Proficiency and efficiency is good, [but] excellence is really ideal, and to be excellent in a consistent form. That is the goal of every winning industry.”
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