THE Public Relations Officer (PRO) for the Ghana Association of Film and Television Arts (GAFTA), George Bosompim, has advised all filmmakers to be tactical and learn all the rudiments that come with the making of movies.
He asked filmmakers not to just wake up and start shooting movies but educate themselves with all the regulations that govern the industry so they were not found wanting.
Mr Bosompim made the call as a panellist at the Graphic Showbiz Forum, on the theme Future of the Ghana Movie Industry: Bright or Bleak, held on Tuesday, July 25 at the offices of Multichoice Ghana in Accra.
“The movie industry is a very huge area and requires a lot of tactical approaches. For instance, before a filmmaker does a movie, he or she must see a marketer with the script and get to know their target audience.
“You don’t finish shooting a movie and now move out chasing sponsors to help you push it. The marketers will be able to tell you whether the movie will do well or not and which target audience will buy the movie before you start shooting,” he said.
George Bosompim went on to advise filmmakers to read wide on some regulations, such as how to enter international awards such as the Oscars, among others.
“You cannot just send your movies to the Oscars and expect that it is nominated when you do not know what goes on there. For instance, I know that for the Oscars, your movie has to be shown in your country and must be accepted by the people.
“You can use more than 50 per cent local language in the movie and it must be shot with a high-standard camera. These are some basic things filmmakers must know; but, unfortunately, most of them do not read to know.
“When we know all these regulations and apply them, getting our movies out to wherever we want will be easier. Dstv or
Akwaaba Magic rejects certain movies because the standard is low and does not match the terms of quality.
“But when we know what is required, we will use all the sophisticated cameras and good actors to get our movies in there. As we speak now, only a few Ghanaian movie producers have their movies on Akwaaba Magic, which should not be so,” he added.
Source: GraphicOnline
