BY ADDISALEM MULAT
It is interesting to note that the Ethiopian film industry has been going through multifarious negative and positive effects since time immemorial. Apart from progressing at a snail’s path, the industry has been going through many twists and turns many a time and oft. To everyone’s dismay, as much attention has not been given to the industry by all stakeholders to the level expected, attaining the intended destination is turning out to be like getting blood out of a stone.
As the Ethiopian film industry needs hugely turning the spotlight on movie making which is used to manipulate, capture, and store motion images geared towards meeting the needs of making a moving picture, the industry without any hyperbole needs cinematographers that know the nitty-gritty of the various stages of the film making process and cinematography techniques in filmmaking.
It is no secret that movie making is the art and skill of motion-picture photography that incorporates wide-ranging composition of a panorama, the selection of cameras, the camera angle and moments, lenses, as well as an amalgamation of any distinct effects. In the absence of all these elements accomplishing the wished-for target is not a low-hanging fruit or a walk in the park.
In actual fact, in the present circumstances, various schools have been moving heaven and earth to propel the film industry of the country to a higher standard by producing professionals in various fields of studies emphasizing Ethiopian film. While on the subject, Tom Videography and Photography is one of the training centers that has been pumping new blood into the Ethiopian film industry by producing competent professionals and designing a broad range of effective strategies.
Of late, The Ethiopian Herald had sat down with Yared Kassa, Deputy Chief Executive Officer of the training center with the purpose of bringing into contact our esteemed readers with the inside out of the existing situation of the Ethiopian Film industry.
In addition to this, he has touched upon a diverse range of issues focusing attention on the overwhelming challenges the industry has been confronting, the contribution of the training center to the film industry, and other pressing matters.
Since the establishment of the training center, the Deputy Chief Executive Officer has been taking the bull by the horns and discharging his duties and responsibilities with flying colors. On top of that, he has been working around the clock with a focus on contributing his share to the Ethiopian Film industry and taking the industry to new heights. Excerpts:
What is your take on the Ethiopian film industry?
The Ethiopian film industry has been grappling with a vast number of challenges that need a quick fix before this goes any further and continues getting off the track. As things currently stand, the industry has been running like a chicken with its head cut off given that it does not know how to move in the right direction dusting off its challenges hovering in Ethiopian skies.
It would not be an exaggeration to say the industry is inundated with a broad array of loopholes that need a silver bullet in no time at all. If we continue turning a blind eye to the existing reality on the ground, the situation for sure will keep on moving into uncharted territory. Notwithstanding the fact that the Ethiopian film industry came into being in the not-too-distant future, we are talking the talk, but not walking the walk.
At the present stage, promising moves that signal the rosy future of the Ethiopian film industry are being witnessed in all aspects of filmmaking. If we continue working at the same tempo by following the right path, attaining the desired destination in the measurable future will not be easier said than done. According to my way of thinking the Ethiopian film industry is moving in the right direction in comparison to the past, despite the progress is slow as molasses.
What challenges have you encountered in due course of running activities?
At this point in time, as filmmaking equipment cost an arm and a leg, and turns out to be beyond one’s purchasing capacity, we have been battling with the challenges along these lines. For the sake of truth, thinking about the film industry devoid of filmmaking equipment for production would be like leaning over backwards to perplex the people of Ethiopia with cock and bull story.
In the same manner, predicaments revolving around film production phases such as development, pre-production, production, post-production, and distribution have been witnessed. When we come to the production phase there are mishaps to be bridged on the subject of writing, organizing, and planning stage of a given project. There are as well stumbling blocks with respect to director, cinematographer, scriptwriter, production designer, producer, editor, casting director, location manager, and other things of a similar kind.
The obstacles in the aforementioned matters have been pouring cold water on the film industry despite progress being witnessed compared to the past. As modern filmmaking equipment has been bringing state-of-the-art technologies into play catapulting the industry to a new stage would not be like nailing jelly to a wall.
What should be done to take the industry to the next level of success?
The government should stop considering the film industry as a profit-making business as it has played an indispensable role in raising public awareness towards unity, fraternity, peaceful coexistence, and working for a common goal. It could by no means be taken as a sole business source as it plays a paramount role in buttressing social values and communal fabrics.
Hence, it is high time to work hard to push the industry to a greater level of achievement. Above and beyond, the government should stand by the side of us and pull out all the stops to fill the gaps circling around the film industry. As working in a rented house will not help us achieve the desired objective, the government is expected to do something meaningful to help us hit the set target with regard to the film industry.
As the work needs a wide place, something must be done so as to make it capable of providing all interested bodies with standardized and world-class filmmaking skills. The other problem is getting professionals in the sector is turning out to be very difficult. The good thing is some higher learning institutions in the country have been opening a film department … this is a good beginning, indeed.
How would you describe your contribution to the film industry in terms of containing youth unemployment?
As I have tried to mention so far, we have been in the business for more than two decades. At the stated time we managed to graduate quite a lot of students in various fields of studies that have been contributing their share to the development of the country via various electronic media outlets and film production gadgets. They have been as well working in sixty to seventy spiritual channels across the country.
Speaking frankly, the center managed to pass through a number of highs and lows and rises and falls. However, through the passage of time, we are turning out to be successful by bridging gaps being witnessed in the film industry by offering training in directing, script writing, cinematography, video editing, basic photography composition techniques, lighting for cinematography, and other important courses for the industry.
In the bygone days, movies were made in a traditional way. Most of them were running activities following traditional fashions devoid of skills and expertise. Nobody denies the fact that experience could not be put at equilibrium with skills as the latter grows progressively.
The Ethiopian Herald June 10/2022
