Where to sharpen film skills and tap into entertainment billions
On account of the time people are spending flipping their handsets, it is no doubt that perhaps the most impactful form of art of our time is image in motion.
And through films and shows, creative individuals, communities, businesses and even governments are harnessing the power of moving images to share their most profound messages.
Films are also being deployed to address burning issues in the society such as crime, drug and substance abuse, corruption, oppression and bringing out these ills to millions of viewers across the world.
Equally, films are being used to provide entertainment, as music and movie producers keep reaching out to the crème de la crème in the industry for their releases.
The fine skills in the art of writing, directing, shooting, or editing films remains elusive and expensive for budding film production professionals, who would like to get a slice of the ever growing entertainment fortunes.
Enter the Multichoice Talent Factory (MTF). The centre, which is an initiative of entertainment giant Multichoice, learning the craft of film making is hands-on.
Using tools and know how that is in application in the real world, the learners are hard boiled, bringing out the best in skills that apply to all their future pursuits in the film industry.
Here, one learns through a curriculum comprising theoretical knowledge and hands-on experience in cinematography, editing, audio production as well as storytelling.
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The school, which is overseen by local film and television industry experts, is instrumental in training of raw talent across East Africa, who are later absorbed into the local market.
The opportunities for growth in the film industry in Kenya are increasing as the sector transforms into a key cog of the country’s economic growth, job creation as well as million-dollar investments.
A study by the Kenya Film Commission published June last year shows that the country’s film industry generates about Kes12 billion in revenue per year but it has the potential to hit Kes40 billion if harnessed optimally.
At the Multichoice Talent Factory academy students get the chance to network with industry professionals and learn how to tell impactful African stories.
Across Africa, the training takes place at three regional MTF Academies based in Kenya, Zambia and Nigeria.
The Kenya centre serves East Africa drawing film production students from Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania and Ethiopia.
In the Western Africa region, Multichoice has established the MTF centre in Nigeria while Zambia centre draws learners from the Southern African countries.
In order to upskill the training to global standards, Multichoice has partnered with New York Film Academy, the Henley Business School Africa, Pan-Atlantic University in Nigeria, Kenyatta University in Kenya, the University of Zambia.
Multichoice has also collaborated with internationally acclaimed organizations such as audio noise reduction experts Dolby, video production house Jasco Broadcast Solutions and global consulting firm Nihilent to help turn dreams into reality.
