One Gospel hints at videos

With only a few of the truckloads of Malawian gospel music getting time on One Gospel Channel, the DStv content-provider has urged artists to produce video with quality sound and pictures to get airplay.

One Gospel Channel Manager Wendy van Eyck made the statement when asked why a negligible number of Malawian videos appear on the channel broadcast in 47 countries on the continent.

Eyck hinted that the budget size is no constraint because the outlet wants excellent quality. This calls on gospel artists to strive for videos that are easy for both the ear and the eye.

“We look for videos with excellent audio quality and a great picture quality. This doesn’t mean that the video has to be made on a big budget, but it does need to be easy on the ear and appealing to the eye,” said Eyck in response to a questionnaire.

Recently, One Gospel, which has over two million viewers in South Africa alone, asked artists to submit music videos.

Eyck could not disclose how many Malawian videos his team has accepted or trashed, saying: “We’ve rejected videos from every African country at one time or another.

“Our reasons for rejecting videos are because the audio quality or image is not up to standard.”

He reckons the making of a good video starts with ensuring that quality of the audio track is as flawless as possible. Afterwards, he explained, artists must work with quality camera people and editors with top quality equipment.

He elaborated: “We have [ever] shot music videos in one location with no props or anything else that look and sound great because the team and equipment we’ve been using are good quality.

“Rather than trying to get fancy with your music video, shoot and edit simply, perform honestly and let the message speak for itself.”