By Solaire Munyana
“When the roots are deep, there is no reason to fear the wind.” ~ African proverb
“Your next draft will be better than your first.” I cannot remember when I first heard those words but I’m sure it was during one of our Mass Communication lectures at Makerere University between the years 2000 and 2003. As a film and TV producer, I would fall back on these words time and time again when it came to writing scripts, editing videos, or interviewing guests on a show.
As students majoring in TV and radio broadcasting, we were thrilled when we got our “big” assignment - to film a documentary. Earlier, we had learned what white balancing of a video camera entailed using a whiteboard that the lecturer drew illustrations on. That was easy enough. However, there was one problem, there were no cameras. Our visiting American professor took it all in stride and proceeded to Game Store where she bought 10 Sony HandyCams for the class to use for the assignment. She later donated them to the department. We saw in practice throughout our time at Makerere, that for every challenge, there was a solution.
Striving to meet expectations
“You’re only as good as your next episode,” our supervisor and mentor Sharleen Samat would say to us. As the production team at NTV Uganda, we were at the forefront of the transition from analogue to digital on the local television landscape. Internally, the bar was set pretty high and we rose to the challenge of creating and delivering quality content on time. Most importantly, we learned how to be reliable teammates to one another.
The author, Ms. Solaire Munyana
I’ve gone on to do some incredible work in television, film, and online, such as producing the very popular drama series, The Hostel, and working in different countries in Africa as part of amazing production teams. As a director, having my first short film, Opera in the Dusty City, open for a film festival in Sweden was one of the highlights of my career. I’ve also ventured into the online space creating and producing podcasts, and co-hosted 360 Mentor with Robert Kabushenga on Twitter/X spaces. It’s been a wonderful ride and I cannot wait for what the future has in store.
As I came up in the industry, I did notice right from the beginning, the low numbers of women both in front of and behind the camera. And to be honest, a lot of women didn’t get the support they needed to thrive in the industry. Workplaces didn’t plan for them past maternity leave. Uganda is still quite traditional when it comes to gender roles in families. But things have been improving and I’m glad to see a lot more young women behind the camera and taking on more leadership roles in the industry. It was a full circle moment for me to go back to Makerere University and partner with the Department of Performing Arts and Film’s Assoc. Prof. Sylvia Nannyonga-Tamusuza.
Solaire on set as a narrative strategist
We held one of our series, “Creative Talks with Women in Film Initiative” (an initiative created by Film256 and the American Embassy) at the main campus. Our panel had female directors who shared their experience with the students. When the talk was over, the feedback from the students in the room was overwhelmingly positive. What stood out was hearing one young female student say, “I never thought it was a possibility that I could be a director or editor. I thought these roles were for men. But now, I want to give it a try and see if I can do it”. So, representation does matter. When they see us, they know that they too can do it and even better.
Giving a hand to the younger ones
My mission for the next decade is to give back to the ones coming up from behind me. To continue to mentor and train with the intention of helping them discover the greatness that lies within and to use their talents to express themselves and create the narrative that they want to see in the world.
So, to the young (and not so young) creatives, you’ve got to fight to keep your dreams alive. If you are female, remember that your gender is not a weakness but a strength. Your stories are very much needed in this space. Be more vocal about what you want. You can have a seat at the table but you need to speak up.
Never stop learning and strive to ensure that that next thing – be it an assignment, a video, a reel, an article – will be the best one yet. Get to know the business side of your field – it’s really important to learn how to make money, hire teams and run a business. Make use of the free resources available today, from YouTube, to being a part of networks like Film256 who cater to young and upcoming film makers (if you can’t find one that suits you – create it!). Talk to your lecturers; they are a great source of knowledge and excellent at helping you become better if you are willing. Find a mentor and take responsibility for your life and career. I cannot emphasize enough just how important it is for you to do so. Failure is not the end of the world; you now know better and can do better. Give yourself grace for mistakes that you make but don’t put off getting back into the game and giving it all you’ve got.
And finally, you don’t have to walk this journey alone. Those people seated beside you in the lecture rooms or who live with you in your hostels and halls of residence, make the journey towards your future worth it as you will share your failures and triumphs with them. Look around you and see that you were born in a country that is ripe with opportunity for you to let your creativity thrive. In Makerere, you have the perfect place to brush up your skills and build your networks. We’re all cheering you on – you’ve got what it takes to succeed.
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