The Sunday Mail
Takudzwa Chihambakwe
WILL interaction between MultiChoice Africa (DStv) and local content producers ever bear fruit? The two groups have been meeting over the past five years but nothing concrete seems to come out of the gatherings.
This is despite local content makers being consistent in calls for content commissioning, training and increased opportunity for productions aired on the pay-tv platform.
Recently, MultiChoice Zimbabwe hosted a “MultiChoice Content Summit” at The Venue in the capital. The event was graced by DStv representatives from their headquarters in South Africa led by Cheryl-Uys Allie. Connect TV executive producer Petronella Tasara was also part of the delegation. But what is disheartening is the fact that — same old talk that usually ends with no action was at play throughout the full day interactions. Promises made during the course of the summit tallied with what other DStv representatives have already said in the past.
There seems to be no sincerity on the part of DStv. This then leaves one wondering why the engagement continuous to take place when the supposed beneficiaries are getting nothing out of it?
Already filmmakers are frustrated as evidenced by a massive boycott of the event by prominent filmmakers.
Award-winning filmmaker Joe Njagu says: “I for one was invited but it clashed with the première of our latest movie ‘Cook Off’ so I could not attend. However, I still would have not attended the event even if I was free. DStv officials have been here before to meet us but, to be honest, nothing comes out of it.
“There was a call for movie scripts to commission beginning of 2016 and a lot of people, myself included, responded. But no one has got a response since then. You can’t tell me our stuff is sub-standard considering other shows we see on Zambezi Magic.”
In 2015 DStv launched Zambezi Magic specifically for filmmakers in Southern African excluding South Africa, which has a plethora of channels on the pay-tv platform.
Consequently hope for Zimbabwean filmmakers was built by the coming on board of the new channel.
Two years down the line, the hope has faded. Zambezi Magic has since turned into an extension of the Zambia National Broadcasting Corporation. This is judging from productions that dominate the channel and technical support ZNBC are receiving from DStv. Moleko Msiwa, a technical specialist from the pay-tv headquarters, seems to give better insight into the overall crisis.
He highlighted technical issues that results in content being rejected on DStv during his presentation.
Thus one wonders if MultiChoice Africa officials have been struggling “for years” to tell us we have sub-standard productions!
“It is unfortunate that only people that we commission were get this technical and critical information. We have now shared it with you and soon the very same information will be availed on our website so that everyone benefits,” revealed Msiwa.
He said local filmmakers should start considering using the 4K format in their productions. 4K refers to one of two high definition resolutions. It is four times the pixel resolution or twice the line resolution. “As you know Netflix is already streaming productions in 4K, and Japan is already broadcasting in 8K. Dstv is driving towards these productions,” he adds. I encourage Zimbabwean filmmakers to understand the dynamics of making shows in this format. Dstv is driving towards these productions,” he adds.
