VOA常速英语:African Film Industry Pros Learn From Hollywood(翻译)

Shooting a film in the heart of Hollywood was a dream that is now very real for some African entertainers.

“I could scream, it’s so real, it’s amazing, it’s exciting for me because I never thought I would be here.”

These students, all working industry professionals from different African countries are part of a program called Hollywood In Focus.They participated in workshops and get hands on experience to expand their knowledge base in film production.

For Egim Fortune Kezi learning about film making here is much more visual and hands on than back home.

They are practical. You can see these things. You don’t just hear about them.You see them.You know how they work and all that.”

The workshops also train these students to think of themselves as entrepreneurs.

"It’s not a model anymore where you’re waiting for the phone to ring to get hired into a gig.We’re shifting, this space is shifting from a gig economy to an entrepreneurial space and a space where companies can be born,innovations can happen and content can be distributed from independent voices.”

This shift is happening because of the Internet and changes in technology.

What you’re finding is there are a lot of self-driven content creators.It’s a lot of user generated content.And on the consumption side, with the advent of the growth of mobile technologies across Africa,a lot of this content can now be consumed for much less than it ever was,so the democratization of this process through digital media has empowered a whole new generation of content creators.”

Who are also entrepreneurs.And these students are learning to think of themselves not only as actors or directors but as a brand.

“I see myself as an entrepreneur.The only glitch to that was I had no idea exactly how to, you know,sell my brand, cause along the way you kind of sell yourself short sometimesbecause of the opportunities or because of the lack of the jobs.”

These students say what they’ve learned here will not only enrich their careers but also elevate their African film industry on the global stage.

“To kind of get that experience here and you know put that in my own country and in my own you know, scope basically just so we can be up to speed with what’s happening around the worldand you know, give ourselves opportunities to be able to tell our own stories the way we want to.”

After they graduate from the program,organizers say these creative professionals have the ability to positively impact their country’s economy and culture throughout the different forms of media.