Nyonjo Studio produces videos at no cost
Most Ugandan artistes shy away from making music videos because the videos are costly to make and many do not see the immediate benefit. But all that could change.
By Sebidde Kiryowa
Most Ugandan artistes shy away from making music videos because the videos are costly to make and many do not see the immediate benefit. But all that could change.
Peter Ntende, a Ugandan music promoter based in Denmark, recently founded a company that seeks to help artistes realise their dream of making quality international standard music videos at no or minimal cost. The company, called Nyonjo Video Production Studios, is based in Kawempe.
“When an artiste comes to us with a video idea, we write a script for the video, get the concept and the machinery required to shoot it. We also provide technical and other direction,†Ntende says. “All we require from the artiste is his/her audio track.â€
He says Nyonjo Production handles all the post-production processes – editing, production and finishing. The studio foots the entire bill, from beginning to end.
There are exceptions. “In cases where the artiste has adverts to place in the video, the advertiser is required to foot part of the bill. However, if the artiste has footage they would want to incorporate in the video, it is okay with us.â€
Sounds simple? Not quite. There is a catch: Nyonjo Production retains the copyright for the music video. At the moment, the studio is not paying artistes either.
“The understanding here is that we are bearing all these costs so an artiste can have another avenue for exposure. We are saving him/her the cost. In the end, it is up to us to try and recover our money,†Ntende says. One way of recovering the money is through compiling the music videos into what he calls ‘world class’ DVD collections. The first collection, dubbed Green Lights, a title inspired by Roy Kapale’s Ebitaala Bintadde, features such videos as Black Boy’s Kunjane, Tool Man’s Mumuleke Omwana and a host of Kapale’s other songs.
Most Ugandan artistes shy away from making music videos because the videos are costly to make and many do not see the immediate benefit. But all that could change.
Peter Ntende, a Ugandan music promoter based in Denmark, recently founded a company that seeks to help artistes realise their dream of making quality international standard music videos at no or minimal cost. The company, called Nyonjo Video Production Studios, is based in Kawempe.
“When an artiste comes to us with a video idea, we write a script for the video, get the concept and the machinery required to shoot it. We also provide technical and other direction,†Ntende says. “All we require from the artiste is his/her audio track.â€
He says Nyonjo Production handles all the post-production processes – editing, production and finishing. The studio foots the entire bill, from beginning to end.
There are exceptions. “In cases where the artiste has adverts to place in the video, the advertiser is required to foot part of the bill. However, if the artiste has footage they would want to incorporate in the video, it is okay with us.â€
Sounds simple? Not quite. There is a catch: Nyonjo Production retains the copyright for the music video. At the moment, the studio is not paying artistes either.
“The understanding here is that we are bearing all these costs so an artiste can have another avenue for exposure. We are saving him/her the cost. In the end, it is up to us to try and recover our money,†Ntende says. One way of recovering the money is through compiling the music videos into what he calls ‘world class’ DVD collections. The first collection, dubbed Green Lights, a title inspired by Roy Kapale’s Ebitaala Bintadde, features such videos as Black Boy’s Kunjane, Tool Man’s Mumuleke Omwana and a host of Kapale’s other songs.