Pan-African music entertainment network, MTV Networks Africa and Shell, one of the world’s best known and respected energy brands, are partnering in Ghana for the first time in an uplifting campaign designed to boost Africa’s contemporary music industry.  The two brands have joined forces to develop the continent’s music video industry, improving creative and technical skills among up-and-coming music video directors and moviemakers.

MTV base and Shell are rolling out a series of five music video workshops under the title of MTV Making the Video with Shell.  Designed to bring together the world’s hottest and most critically acclaimed music video directors and artists with talented African music video directors throughout the continent, the campaign has already visited South Africa, Gabon, Kenya and Nigeria, and wraps up in Ghana at the beginning of December.

Starting in Accra on 10 December, MTV Making the Video with Shell – Ghana will consist of:

- A music video workshop for Ghanaian music video directors conducted by an international music video director.

- An SMS campaign to solicit nominations for a Ghanaian musician or group to have a new video shot free of charge.

- A music video shoot for a Ghanaian musician or group featuring a cameo appearance by an international star DJ.

- A glittering ‘wrap party’ with live appearances by the Ghanaian and international musician.

Featuring high profile international contemporary musicians and artists, MTV Making the Video With Shell puts young African film makers and music video directors in direct contact with their peers from the international music scene, allowing them to gain new skills and insights while engaged in the creation of a state-of-the-art music video.

Commented Alex Okosi, Senior Vice President & Managing Director, MTV Networks Africa, ‘African musicians need to be able to compete against the rest of the world in terms of the skills they harness to market and promote their music repertoire. This wonderful project aims to elevate the standard of African music video production, raising the bar in terms of skills and knowledge, so that African artists can access - locally - skills and expertise that truly complements the vibrant music that they make.’

Continued Mr Daniel Ahene. Nunoo, Managing Director, Country Chairman, Shell Ghana, ‘Shell has always been in the business of finding innovative solutions to bring the energy that the world requires to develop and progress.  We believe that this partnership with MTV base beautifully illustrates what we do by linking together the power of music and the energy of the African youth.’

Each MTV Making the Video with Shell workshop will be conducted by an internationally-acclaimed director, covering modules such as scripting, storyboarding, sound-mixing, editing and production.   At the culmination of the workshop, the local directors and movie makers will be assigned specific roles with the international director to shoot the music video for the Nigerian artist nominated by MTV viewers.

At the end of the workshop roadshow, MTV base will produce a series of 5 half-hour TV ‘rockumentaries’, also entitled ‘MTV Making the Video with Shell’, which will chart the progress of the five separate music video shoots and feature the premier of the African artist videos.  The shows will subsequently air across sub-Saharan Africa on MTV base (DStv Channel 322) and terrestrial partners in Ghana (TV3), Nigeria (STV), Kenya (NTV) and Uganda (NTV).

MTV Making the Video with Shell is sponsored by Shell in association with TV3, CITI FM (Accra), Skyy Power FM (Takoradi) and Fox FM (Kumasi).