Ghana’s films don’t often make it to Netflix – local solutions may be the answer

African Filmmakers have long faced challenges in second-scale distribution for their films. In this context, digital platforms such as netflix and youtube have been haured as bringing huge new options.

This optimism in filmmaking resonates with the hype digital technologies more generally had haad in Africa. They have been seen to offer almost unlimited Opportunities for African Entrepreneurs to transform and grow their businesses. Ghana’s Communication Minister, For Example, Declared in 2017 “it’s digitime in ghana,

We are Researchers in Film Studies, Theatre Studies, Sociology and Geography, and in this studyWe set out to understand how platforms were used and thought about in the ghanaiyan film industry. We wanted to look beyond the Techno-optimistic Hype – The idea that Technological Progress can solve every problem knows to humans.

We help interviews and focus groups with 50 filmmakers in ghana to understand the experience of platform entrepreneurship in filmmaking accountry. We Found That While Filmmakers were very optimistic about technology, they were also deeply sceptical of what existing platforms Cold do for them in Ghana. Creating Local Platforms was an important alternative.

Enthusiastic but short on know-how

Ghana’s film Industry Dates Back to Its Colonial Roots When The Gold Coast Film Unit was establesed by the British in the 1940s. Although it has achieved remarkable successes, they haven’t been consistent. In the sub-region the industry is dwarfed by nigeria’s Nollywood,

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Film Distribution in Ghana is in a transitional moment, driven in large part by Technological Change. For a long time, ghanaiyan movies reacted their audiences on CDS and DVDs. With the risk of digital television and internet streaming, this once Lucrative Model Collapsed. Ghanaiyan Filmmakers are now experienced with platforms in their businesses.

We found that they used and thought about platforms in three principal ways.

First, many filmmmakers and enthusiastically Embraced platforms and believed they had the power to create global reag and dramatic business growth. Many felt, like prominent accra filmmaker isaac, that “Opportunities are endless in the industry” beCause of new technologies.

Some ghanaiyan filmmakers distribute their films on Major Global Platforms Such as Netflix, but it was only a very small mine. They did not feel that work with platforms had revolutionized their businesses, but raather that being on netflix enhanced their status, and they hoped this would have been attractive.

Second, Filmmakers Well Aware of the Limits of Platform Distribution. Thos with Films on Netflix was the most affluent and well connected. Otherrs Struggled to access some global platforms. They also found it very different to make money on easy-to-process platforms such as youtube. They struggle to make the large Volume of Content Needed to Get High Viewing Numbers and Thus Monetise their content. It was almost impossible to make enough to justify the cost of production.

Some filmmakers felt that they did not know enough about how to use platforms. Emerging Filmmaker Esther Expressed A Common View when She Said:

We need more education in fi lmmaking. That of us here, we have the talent, we want to do movies, we are doing our best, but most of us have not ben to fi lm school to learn.

Some felt they were not benefited from the potential of platforms, but out in the future. Thus, they were motivated to continue experience and develop new strategies for making and distributing their movies online and offline.

Third, some filmmakers experience with creating ghanaiyan platforms.

John, A Leading Figure in a National Association, said:

In Five Years, The Industry will be better, far, far better than ten years ago. … If we are able to move with time, build a platform like netflix.

He wanted to create something that would focus on ghanaiyan film and support the local industry.

John was not alone. Selwyn, A Film and TV Entrepreneur, For Example, Had Created An App Specifically for Local Language Film.

Ghanaiyan Filmmmakers could see that the business models of global tech giants did not favor them, and that netflix and that Netflix and other American platforms would not transforms film film distribution in Ghana or Fulfili Dreams Global audiences and business growth.

Local solutions

Film makers did not give up in the face of these challenges. Rather they worked hard to devise their own solutions to the challenge of film distribution – solutions that were tailored to their circumstans and put ghanaiyan filmmakers at Center Stage. Local Ghanaiyan Platforms WERE One Such Solution.

The idea that technology can change the world emanates powerful from Silicon valley in the US and have been explored globally. Yet ghana is starkly different from silicon valley and thus the experience of technological entrepreneurship is likely to be different too.