Filmmaking: Free post-production training for youths in FCT

MswitchMedia, an Abuja-based talent development hub, has trained 20 budding talents in the post-production aspect of filmmaking.

The aim is to enable them to explore the job opportunitiesthat abound in Nollywood.

Supreme News reports that a graduation ceremony and demo day were held for the beneficiaries ofthe free creative academy on Wednesday in Abuja.

The graduation ceremony was the climax of a two-day stakeholders forum organised by the hub with the theme, “Positioning Nigerian Creatives for Global Post-Production Demand.”

The event had in attendance stakeholders in the creative industry, including actors, filmmakers, and representatives ofrelevant government institutions.

In his goodwill address, Mr. Salami Kadir, co-founder of MSwitch Media, saidthe four-week training was for participants to acquire the necessary skills to operate as professionals in film and music production.

He said having people with the requisite skills and competencies would bridge existing gaps in the country’s audio production industry.

According to him, the initiative is part of measures by the hub to complement the government's efforts in making young and passionate people self-reliant in order to reduce unemployment and curb youth restiveness.

“In Nigeria, we have beautiful and unique stories that the world is yearning to hear, but they will never appreciate our stories if they don’t come up with impeccable quality.

“This is the reason we have decided at Mswitch to champion this cause and develop the next generation of creative and innovative editors, colorists, motion graphics specialists, sound designers, and trailer editors.

“Our goal is not just to prepare them for the global job market and the creative industry, but also impacting them with necessary skills to excel in their personal projects so they can earn a sustainable living.

“At the moment, we do not even have enough people that have been trained to know how to create sound, a massive sound for motion pictures.

“So, we want to create a community of audio creators, people who have products and passion for sound, then we can help them refine those skills,” he said.

He said having vibrant post-production professionals in the industry would ensure that any video being exported would be well packaged to attract direct foreign investment and boost the image of the movie industry.

Some of the graduates that spoke with newsmen on the sidelines expressed gratitude to the creative hub for offering them such a huge opportunity for free.

David Ikani said:” As you can see from my face, I am really excited because I just received my certificate and this entire journey has been an amazing journey.

“This is a big stepping stone to the miles that we are going to cover eventually because this is opening the doors for young creatives who are interested in post-production.

Nkeoma Umudu, a young filmmaker, said : ” I decided to do this because I wanted to know what it means to identify real sounds in films

“I wanted to be able to identify a film that has a good sound, so, moving forward I can sit with editors and be able to tell them, okay, this is how I want my sound to be.”

Highpoints of the event was the presentation of certificates of participation to the students ,and electrifying performances by various artistes.