MTV Video Director on ‘African Punctuality’

Internationally acclaimedmusic video director Rachel Watanabe-Batton, who is working with MTV Base and Shell to shoot a video for hiplife genius Tinny has bemoaned Africans’ attitude towards time.

The director, who is in Ghana for the first time but has been to other African countries earlier, said her greatest challenge working in Africa was time management.

According to her, the African crew she had been working with for the past few months always came in an hour or half an hour late.

This, she indicated, caused huge losses, adding “I am trying to cope since there are bound to be some sought of oddities in every endeavour”.

She continued that in the United States an hour’s lateness caused the loss of over thousands of dollars, and that they prevent it as much as possible.

She stated these at the launch of ‘MTV Making the Video with Shell’ in Accra at the Alisa Hotel on Thursday when she was asked about the challenges of working in Africa.

‘MTV Making the Video with Shell’ is an initiative by MTV Base and Shell to provide assistance and inspiration to musicians across Africa by improving the continent’s music video industry.

Marketing Manager of MTV Network Africa, Mr Jandre Louw said “at its heart is the idea of transferring skills and expertise and initiating creative exchange between established international music video practitioners and exponents of the video art.”


According to him the programme was designed to benefit both intentional and local video directors as they would learn from each other.

Previously visited places include South Africa, Gabon, Kenya and Nigeria. In Ghana, rapper Tinny was the music star to have his video directed by the great US music video director Watanable-Batton, with a special cameo appearance by French/Cameroonian turntable ‘royalty’, DJ Prince Charles.

At the launching, Tinny said it was a great opportunity to showcase his talent to the entire world, congratulating MTV Base and Shell for the special initiative. In January, the video will start showing on DSTV, GTV and TV3.

The following Friday a sensational rap party was held at the Aphrodisiac nightclub, featuring Tinny, DJ Prince Charles, DJ Master and E’ Double.