Partnership to uplift regional music industry

MTV Networks Africa and Shell earlier this week announced that they are partnering in Africa for the first time in a campaign designed to boost Africa’s contemporary music industry.

Starting October 2007, MTV base and Shell will rollout a series of five music video workshops or master classes under the title of MTV Making the Video with Shell.

Commented Alex Okosi, SVP and MD, MTV Networks Africa, “African musicians need to be able complete against the rest of the world in terms of the skills they harness to market and promote their music repertoire. This wonderful project aims to elevate the standard of African music video production, raising the bar in terms of skills and knowledge, so that African artists can access - locally - skills and expertise that truly complements the vibrant music that they make.”

Added Dennis Matsane, communications manager, Shell South Africa, “Shell has always been in the business of finding innovative solutions to bring the energy that the world requires to develop and progress. We believe that this partnership with MTV base beautifully illustrates what we do by linking together the power of music and the energy of the African youth.”

Campaign tour

The two brands have joined forces to develop the continent’s music video industry and improve creative and technical skills among the continent’s young music video directors and movie makers. Designed to bring together the world’s hottest and most critically acclaimed music video directors and artists with talented African music video directors throughout the continent, the campaign will tour South Africa, Gabon, Ghana, Kenya and Nigeria in October - December 2007.

Starting in South Africa on 5 November, the first workshop date pairs veteran British video director Nick Quested - director of videos by Nas, Timbaland, Diddy, Brandy, TI, Eve, The Firm and KRS1, among others - and US R&B diva Amerie with SA video directors and local musicians.

Featuring high profile international contemporary musicians and artists, MTV Making the Video With Shell puts young African film makers and music video directors in direct contact with their peers from the international music scene, allowing them to gain new skills and insights while engaged in the creation of a state-of-the-art music video.

As part of the workshop process, a local SA artist will have the opportunity to have his or her latest video shot by Nick Quested, with a guest appearance by Amerie. MTV viewers and music fans will participate in the project by nominating their favourite local artist via online and SMS voting.

Each MTV Making the Video with Shell workshop will be conducted by the internationally-acclaimed director, covering modules such as scripting, storyboarding, sound-mixing, editing and production. At the culmination of the workshop, the local directors and movie makers will be assigned specific roles with the international director to shoot the music video for the local artist chosen by MTV viewers.

At the end of the workshop roadshow, MTV base will produce a series of five half-hour TV ‘rockumentaries’, also entitled ‘MTV Making the Video with Shell’, which will chart the progress of the five separate music video shoots and feature the premiere of the African artist videos. The shows will subsequently air across sub-Saharan Africa on MTV base (DStv Channel 88) and terrestrial partners in Ghana (TV3), Kenya (NTV), Nigeria (STV) and Uganda (WBS).