Why Most African Actors Will Forever Remain ‘Local Champions’-Passion & Talent Are Useless

 

Believe it or not, we have real champions and local champions. The former take their jobs or whatever competition they are involved in as a craft, they go through vigorous training to perfect their craft.
When it comes to local champions which most of our African movie stars and film-makers are; they have this false assumption of talent and passion. What is talent and passion if it is not constantly trimmed and developed? Again, what is talent and passion if it cannot stand tall in a competitive market?
I am sick of the whole talent and passion talk; I will only pay attention and take someone who claims to have a talent or passion serious if this is backed up by series of conscious efforts to perfect these talents. And I believe any reasonable investor or movie Director will do the same.
How many times have you heard our local champions proudly say they are into movies because they believe they have the talent and passion…Even if passion and talent pushes you into a field, don’t you have to enhance yourself and experience now that you are there?
With millions of trainings, courses and workshops all around the world for Actors and film makers, our African local champions are still glued on talent and passion to the extent that they find no need to undertake any of these enterprises.
Wouldn’t it be nonsense to your reasoning if you I told you I want to be a pilot because I have the passion and talent to be one? Better still, will you ever hire a pilot or get on a plane which the pilot has no training but only passion and talent?
Though the above analogy may sound absurd, that is how ridiculous talent and passion makes you.
Don’t we see the best footballers in the world training and perfecting their skills day in and day out?
What is no different about movie making and acting in Africa that majority of our local champions think they only need talent and passion to make it to the top?
I get at least 5 new people each week telling me they want to be Actors. When I enquire about what they have done to place themselves above the many out there, they simple answer, I have the talent and passion.
When a film maker with no training but only talent and passion hijacks a set of Actors who do not also have any sort of training but talent, passion and probably looks, the end result is the garbage our industry keep producing…
Let’s say until our local champions begin to recognize the power in knowledge, training and personal development, we are stuck with those hopeless movies and acting!