Resilience is the word that comes to mind when art is mentioned. 'Don't throw in the towel!' they say but that's easier said than done. Being part of a fully functioning cast takes a lot more than just talent, its a whole new world of art out there. the industry is no place for the faint hearted, its a man eat man circus full of ''sharks'' who would rather swallow up the new talent than see them replace them at the helm of industry. An article on the Nairobian dated 20th April, 2014 clearly spells it all out. Mulwa Mutinda a stage manager at Phoenix players explains how casting calls and auditions for both screen and stage theater has evolved from searching for untapped raw talent to "who's the fairest of them all." Call me old school, but beauty over brains in art is only applicable in commercials, or so i thought but boy was I wrong! Now, am not in habit of whining about the many injustices done to artists but this has gone on long enough and its about someone said something. the fact that the industry only favors those with the looks, the class and taste for high end designer stuff is enough proof that no matter what stunt the art industry pulls, we will be still ill still be weighed down by idealistic views of those in reign. but then again , to be in ART it takes HEART!
Take a sneak peak into the film industry for starters: directors
are more and more leaning towards incorporating big names in their
productions, why? marketing purposes. Now that may work in already
established platforms such as Hollywood and Nollywood but for a growing
industry like what we have, focus should be given more to the quality of
production(s) rather than sales. I for one am a movie freak but truth
be told some Kenyan productions just leave me face down holding my
forehead thinking ''what in the hell we're they thinking???!!". It's no
wonder many celebrities and big names in the music industry are shifting
their attention to this goldmine called the "film industry" and when
asked why..."i have always had a talent in acting ever since i was
young...!!" that's bull and we all know it but still you buy their bunch
of lies. Well am not taking this lying down,no!! not in a million
years. Let the actors do the acting, you should do you and that's keep
building our music industry and to the directors, NOT ALL CELEBRITIES
ARE ACTORS!! And you wonder actors who have the passion and talent
complain about screen acting is not being profitable!! Personally I have
nothing against celebrities but those who try so hard to pull a Jammie
Foxx in Kenya those i will have words with..what do you think an
upcoming aspiring actor will do when u grab all the spots for every
other production. it is with their endowed talents that the bills get
paid while you treat it as some kind of side hustle. Its a who know who
world where you are just a pawn in the game; if you have no
connections.But still every other day, the same pawn goes to the famous
K.N.T and the Alliance Francaise to look up audition not giving up.
Other very talented thespians have opted to go 'solo' due to unending
frustrations and disappointments, whom of which by the way would have
propelled this crawling industry to unimaginable heights like a decade
ago. This is proof that in ART, it takes HEART!
Just the other day, I was flipping through the channels looking for something eye catching to watch. And it was no surprise i kept going in circles because there was nothing worth spending my time watching.Our local productions have deteriorated a huge deal in the last decade. Looking back at programs like 'Tausi', 'Kisulisuli', 'Changes', 'Changing times', 'Penzi Hatari' and other masterpiece locals that used to be aired are what made television a whole lot more interesting. Now flash forward to this day and age what do we see on our television sets, soap operas, Naija movies and a bunch of sitcoms.The only interesting thing these days is the 'NEWS BULLETIN!!' Television is a nightmare save for a few productions here and there that keep us from completely discarding our t.v sets. Shows such as 'Churchil live' and reality shows like 'Naswa', 'TPF', 'Big Brother' 'Sakata' are what is left in creative show-business. And the annoying thing is stations copy each others program line ups.You say am lying? Well try flipping channels during the morning hours, i will confidently bet all my money that it is either a lame; Naija movie, a lame Soap opera or some music mix that is put on repeat airing. but it is because of all this we stay keep saying like it is hoping someone, anyone will see the sense in this and be a part of the solution. It is for this cause that we give all our HEARTS to be in ART!!
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