Chief Executive Officer of Kofas Media, Kofi Asamoah, has argued that piracy targets only films that attract public interest and have commercial value.
Speaking on Starr Showbiz with Feeling Daddy on Starr 103.5 FM on Saturday, September, Kofi Asamoah stressed that piracy has always existed, long before digital platforms, and continues to thrive wherever films generate mass attention.
“Piracy has always been there. In the days of CDs and DVDs, piracy existed. In the days of video decks, piracy did exist. Even now, in Ghana, you’d still find films on certain spaces that have just been released in the USA. Films are released today and tomorrow, boys have it,” he said.
He emphasized that the focus for filmmakers should not be the existence of piracy, but how to maximize returns on their work.
“The piracy will still be an issue if the film is good. People only pirate films that have great commercial value, that have eyeballs. It’s not every film that’s pirated. People pirate films that have general mass interest,” Asamoah noted.
READ: YouTube gives independent filmmakers ‘everyday money’ – Kofi Asamoah
The filmmaker explained that streaming platforms, particularly YouTube, have become an attractive option for independent producers who lack access to traditional distribution networks.
“If I put a content on YouTube and I have four hundred thousand views, that’s four hundred thousand people watching my content. With the choice of repeating the watch, all of which makes money. But ask yourself, can I fill the cinemas with four hundred thousand people, even in a month or in a year?” he questioned.
According to him, while platforms like Netflix and Amazon Prime remain a dream for many, YouTube offers what he calls “everyday money” that supports the sustainability of independent filmmaking.
READ: Kofi Asamoah fires back at Leila Djansi: Not all of us get funded films
“And that’s what YouTube is. Every time anybody watches, you still make money out of it. And for an independent producer, I think that should be encouraged,” he added.
Asamoah concluded by dismissing claims that digital platforms are diminishing, saying they are instead creating more opportunities for filmmakers.
“We are complaining, oh, the film industry is dead. Believe me, I feel that it is not dead. We have just not decided to pay attention to the medium that is reigning now, which is the digital medium,” he stated.
Source: Starrfm.com.gh
