Movie and music industry turn 'swapping games'

Instead of building strong systems and structures to promote the music and movie industry, players in both industries have rather turned the two independent industries into swapping games.

Despite the reviews and criticisms to make it better, there seems to be no hope. From poor storylines, directing, cinematography, make up, costuming, editing, sound lighting, etc, most of our movies come out as execrable products.

Aside the poor products (movies), the sales and marketing strategies to promote the financial gains of the movies are also weak and unreliable. Yet, we wish our movies get international recognition.

The Ghanaian music industry is also wobbling for international attention. This industry is also pitted against by myriad number of challenges ranging from poor and loose lyrics, lack of originality and less creativity in song composition. These factors hinder our music industry from making way into the international market.

Apart from the product (songs), the packaging, sales and marketing strategies for our music are also so weak that, Ghanaian music is not even played in international airlines that operate on our soil not to talk of their member countries.

Currently, the general challenges that face the music industry are either the same or akin to that of the movie industry. Piracy, negative effects of technology, non-payment of royalties, non-existence of systems and structures, non-governmental support, disorganized unions and associations, are but a few of the challenges that fisticuffs both industries. Players in the music industry every now and then rail about the above ills and so do those in the movie industry.

Funny enough, the players in the music industry think the players in the movie industry are making financial gains. To that effect, they are now crossing carpet to movie making. Conversely, players in the movie industry also think players in the music industry are making supernormal profits. They are also delving into music production. Some music producers and musicians we knew some years back are today, making movies. In the same vein, some movie makers and actress we've known all these years are also into music production. An act of swapping game is now their resort.

Names like Bandex and Slim Buster who are known as ace music producers are today making movies. A renowned music video director like Stip of Solid multimedia recently also made it public he wants to enter into movie making so he's even enrolled at NAFTI. Names of musicians such as Paulina Oduro, Ben Brako, Mzbel, D-Flex, and the likes have made appearances in one or two movies and still counting.

Gradually, players in the music industry are entering the movie industry. On the movie front, names of actors and actress such as Van Vicker, Nadia Buari, and Nana Ama Mcbrown are alleged to be stepping foot into the music industry very soon. Already, names such as Agya Koo, Kwaku Manu, Kyeiwaa, Mercy Asiedu and others have entered the music industry.

What the players in both industries fail to recognize is that, they are all running away from their fear and this fear is also eagerly chasing after them wherever they go. If you're a musician and you think the movie industry is doing well, you will go and face the similar problems you faced in the music industry.

Same goes to those in the movie industry who are also drifting into the music industry. Since both industries are at their crawling stages and face the same problems, swapping from one to the other is like running away from a ghost in the darkness to broad daylight, certainly, night will fall again for darkness to take over. The ghost you ran away will……..

As the old axiom says; “brighten the corner wherever you find yourself”. This is the message players in the music and movie industry should note and practice. The movie and music industries have potentials of growing.

The matured and sensible thing to do is to better whichever you find yourself in. If you're a musician or music producer, it should be your desire and aspirations to work hard, help solve the challenges that the music industry faces and make the music industry grow to its peak. If you're a movie maker or actress/actress, the same advice goes to you.

Swapping from one industry to the other at a time they both face the same or similar problems is not prudent neither is it a solution.

It is true some musicians in other continents of the world at a point, swap into movies. The reality is that, in their case, both industries have fewer challenges. Good systems and structures exist in both industries so a musician can be making money from movies at the same time.

In our case, the systems and structures don't even exist talk less of its weaknesses.

We should'nt turn our music and movie industry into a swapping game because it is not a solution to the problems that face both industries. Until then…..MOTWUM!!