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Stephanie Boateng & Kwame Augustine:Behind the Scenes with 'Johnny'
Stephanie Boateng and Kwame Augustine join us to share the captivating journey behind their latest creation, 'Johnny.' This dark comedy-drama mini-series, premiering at Silverbird Cinema in Ghana on Thursday the 11th of January 2024.
This episode also opens up a critical dialogue about the broader implications of cross-continental collaborations in the film industry. As Stephanie and Kwame navigate the intricacies of weaving together the UK and Ghana's creative sectors. They give us a sneak peek into the charismatic yet complex character of Johnny, whose layers of charm and trauma provide a fresh take on storytelling. Looking ahead, the conversation teases future projects that promise to invigorate not just the local film industry but resonate on a global stage, cementing the exciting trajectory of Ghana's creative future.
Welcome guys, welcome to Jutsalus, welcome to the podcast. How are you doing today?
Speaker 2:Great thank you Good, good, good, thank you.
Speaker 1:Excited to have you on. We've got some good news. We've got a premiere coming up. Before we dive into it, introduce yourselves and then we'll take it from there.
Speaker 2:Yeah, sure. So my name is Stephanie. I do say Wasing. I'm a film director producer. I also dabble in editing, writing and yeah, that's me.
Speaker 3:My name is Kwame Augustine. I'm a writer, producer, actor, voiceover artist. Nice, nice or non-creative.
Speaker 1:Nice, nice. Let's talk about your upcoming film that's premiering. It's very close. Is this Thursday, right?
Speaker 3:That's Silverbird Cinema January 11th. Okay, Akramo.
Speaker 1:Okay. So, Stephanie, do you want to tell us a bit about what this film is about? What can we expect to see?
Speaker 2:Yeah, sure, so yeah, this Thursday at Akramo Silverbird we're premiering Johnny, and Johnny is a mini-series which we shot in the UK. We've already had a London premiere at the Curz on Mayfair, which was such a fabulous turnout Like everyone came to support. Room was full of about nearly up to 300 people and it was such a great affair and we're really, you know, pushing bringing Johnny to Ghana to literally debut this black British cockney guy who's had a bit of trauma growing up with white parents that fostered him.
Speaker 2:And he's really just trying to find himself and so that brings him through so many different adventures. And, yeah, we want to premiere Johnny in Ghana. Give people a bit of laughs. It's a dark comedy, it's a drama and, yeah, just show people, you know, what we can do as black African people of Ghanaian heritage, but also from Dara Asper as well, you know. So there's a little bit of twang in there from what we're kind of used to and, yeah, we hope people really enjoy it.
Speaker 1:How do you connect this story to Ghana? Yeah, sure, yeah.
Speaker 2:So we connect to Ghana because number one is written, produced and acted by a Ghanaian man himself, kwame Augustin, and so that's the first, you know, biggest connection, and so we really feel like, with this story it's something that we want to continue to push.
Speaker 2:We want to continue to push excellence in work and building and just kind of bring in diverse different cultures to the screen. You know, I love being Ghanaian, that's number one, that's who I am, and so anything that I do, and also with what Kwame does as well, we just want to do things with excellence and as who we are. Do you know what I mean? So it's really lovely to come and bring this to Ghana because there's, you know, there's so many things we want to do and I think it gives a little bit of a different perspective as well. It's something different from what people might usually watch in the cinemas and we want to bring that. We want to bring that diverse difference, the culture from the UK as well, a little bit of that in there and just really showcase who we are and all its facets, because you know there's so many angles. So that's essentially, johnny.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, Kwame back to. Let's talk about the character a bit. What went into it was a story behind it. What do you want the audience to take away from the character as well?
Speaker 3:So it initially started off almost 10 years ago, started off as a monologue and then in 2016, we adapted it to a theatrical play which we sold out the Broadway theater in 2016. Critical New York playing five star in the upcoming. So the response was incredible. And then some years passed by and some of the TV stations didn't pick it up. And then it just got to a point where we thought you know what this story needs to live on and we need to see it on screen.
Speaker 3:And I got together with Stephanie, who I created, locked in with, and we just said let's just put our money where our mouth is and bring this to the screen. And so we just dug deep and created this mini series and I just want the audience to take whatever they can take away from it. And the character is a mirror to our own insecurities, our own trauma and how we judge each other or face value. So it's intriguing to see what the audience responses once they've left to see. Ok, how did it make me feel and what does this say about myself? Yeah, essentially.
Speaker 1:Yeah, let's talk about putting this project together. How long did it take to develop this?
Speaker 3:Well, it's slowly been developing over the past 10 years. Yeah, in terms of the actual thing, about a few months, but a few months in terms of 10 years of progress. So it's like in terms of me and Stephanie sitting down and really saying you know what? We're going to put this onto the screen and talk about two to three months.
Speaker 1:OK To do. Ok, let's talk about the challenges as well. Definitely, there are some downsides to putting such a project together and then, obviously, bringing it here to Ghana. So what have been the challenges? What have been the difficulties?
Speaker 2:I think we're always, when it comes to filmmaking, the biggest, one of the biggest things especially a lot of filmmakers struggle with indie filmmakers is funding. So I think that's always going to be the number one, you know, challenge.
Speaker 3:Where's?
Speaker 2:the sick cat. Exactly, I think. That's literally, I think, the same all out problem is just, you know, moving past it and seeing how we can utilize what we have like resources, people, facilities. How can we kind of pull together what we have in order to still give that kind of big show that we want to also, you know, provide here, same way we did at Mayfair in Coz Coz on Mayfair, sorry.
Speaker 1:Okay, how did you figure that part out, the money part?
Speaker 2:Chale, we're still working on it, Literally.
Speaker 1:How did you pull this together? That's what I'm wondering.
Speaker 2:Um, you know, once you've kind of been like doing this for a while, you realize that a lot of people in the industry are you going to generally want to help you or just want to kind of show faces the actors if they've helped, right, a lot of people want the accolades and they don't really want to share the knowledge. Or you know the insight, and I think over the years you build connections, you build networks and then you start to kind of find out information. You know, you find out information yourself and you see what works for you and I think, even with you know being able to do it in Silverbird, then it's not actually a full feature, um, in terms of the full entirety of the what's going to be shown there. That also doesn't happen. You know they they only show films. Yeah, you know, I'm saying it's not something that happens, but I think it's also the way you speak to people is telling them about the vision, what you want to do and like what you're trying to achieve and the persistency. That is really what kind of makes the difference.
Speaker 2:And that's what we were like. You know. We said, yep, this is where the venue that it's going to be done in. How do we do that? Who can we connect with? Looking the resources? Okay, that person said, hit this person up and then you take it from there and you start in negotiations, you talk, you know. So it's. I think it's all um. With time, you just kind of learn, like, ways to work and how to kind of um maneuver your way around, and I think that's so important and key when it comes to filmmaking in general. Like you, just maneuvering is it's going to take some time, but once you figure it out, you can pull the things together that you want, um even with limited funds budget or you know resources technically, so yeah, Okay, I feel like it's almost like you being a chef without a recipe.
Speaker 1:you're cooking without knowing what you're making, but as you're making it, you sort of have to figure it out.
Speaker 2:I mean, you know how it, what you want it to taste and you know what ingredients you're going to use to make it, but it's the method right. And it might be a bit of madness in the method, but at the end of the day it's going to deliver and it's going to taste delicious.
Speaker 3:It's finding certain alternatives. For instance, like you've made the recipe, but because you don't have the funds to have X amount of eggs and this particular level of sugar, you might go for honey instead. Yeah, yes, it's not what the sugar that you need, but it still tastes sweet, it still gives you the flavor that you want Exactly. It's not quite the same how you envisage, but it's still something, if not something even better than you could even imagine. So, essentially, we work with the recipes and the ingredients that we have at our disposal.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, let's talk about bridging the gap between the UK and Ghana, especially in media such as film, and how we can grow that moving forward. What are your thoughts on what currently Ghana is and what are some ideas that do you think that we can put in place to move forward?
Speaker 3:I feel we've gone in terms of the creative and filmmaking industry is pretty much non-existent, but the creatives have extreme talent, like I see wonderful creatives everywhere. But I feel like we need a bit more of a structure, a way that we can raise finances, make sure people get paid on time, make sure we get an appropriate equity fund, so there's a minimum standard fee that every first day see gets, every colourist gets, every actor gets, and create an infrastructure to allow people to access the best that they can be.
Speaker 1:Yeah, Is there anything you want to add to that?
Speaker 2:Yeah, I think Kwame really said it all. And also, on top, I think it's important to just kind of understand that when we come here, we're trying to just do what we can and make it greater, you know, because I think there's a beauty about having a mixed experiences, because it's different film in the UK, to USA, to Ghana, and like having like that triad of experiences it's only going to make the movie the best it can be, right. So if we had someone that had studied in France, you know, part of the team, someone in Italy like bringing those people together is what is going to help to make, you know, a really great product.
Speaker 3:And so that's how I feel when it comes to just us coming and wanting to continue to enhance an industry and also I feel like just also us just all trying to work together, us all trying to work together because often we find sometimes that with other vendors they find that that we're from abroad and everybody's charging us ridiculous rates but we don't have loads of money and so on, and we're trying to put our country and our creativity to the forefront. So if you don't work with us and we can work with you, how can we push our, our culture forward? Because you've taken all our money before we can even get to the next hurdle. So it's finding that level of collaboration between everybody, where people from abroad don't come over to Ghana and exploit people, but also the Ghanians should know that we are not also made of money and so on. Let's find the middle ground to work with each other to build this industry forward and rejuvenate the Ghanaian film industry.
Speaker 1:Where's that middle ground?
Speaker 3:I don't think there's an actual number that you could say, but it's a collaborative process. Everybody knows it's like biosimilarsis Everybody knows when you're being fair. You can never say, oh, this is that, but it's just being fair. That's the only way I could say it's just being fair Looking at the person, seeing what funds they have available and working together to to make it happen.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, I hear you on that, I hear on that. But I feel like, obviously, when 2024, things are changing slowly, you know, obviously even look at the projects that you've done in the last three years here in Ghana it's no-transcript putting in place that conversation where we're discussing okay, now there's progress, but how can we move forward as a collective, how can we move forward as a group? Not just what Kwame is doing, not just what Jude is doing, but let's see ways in which we can collaborate to say we're all winning together. Yeah, let's also talk about details of Johnny, and there's a mini series. So how many parts are out and what can we expect to see in the future as well?
Speaker 3:so we haven't released it on TV or any networks is only going to be premiered at specialist cinemas as well. So what we're attending to do with Johnny is we're creating a massive event, a massive experience. So it's more than just watching the three-part mini series. It's going to the cinema, experiencing new talent, seeing new creativity and watching it in that experience.
Speaker 1:And that's what we're doing essentially why did you set it up that way?
Speaker 3:because I feel we live in a very fast society and the art of cinema is slowly being lost. People are watching amazing movies on their phones, with noise in the background or somebody coming into your office, and I want to bring back that feeling. Where people dress up, you go to the cinema, there's popcorn, there's lights and there's no distractions. You're not on your phone and you can truly absorb the content that not just myself but other creators have spent hours, if not decades, putting their blood, sweat and tears, and you can see it in the best place possible in the cinema with all its glitz and glam.
Speaker 1:I want it to be an event and bring back the beauty of cinema yeah, I think well, since really COVID happened, we really lost that sense of like looking forward to going to the cinema now it's just like definitely yeah, and the stories have changed as well.
Speaker 2:That's the thing.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah how different is Johnny from anything else?
Speaker 3:that's out there it's never been seen on British television before a fictional black British Cockney who was adopted or fostered by a white family. We've only seen autobiographies with Cass and the farming one that Idris did, but we've never seen it in a fictitious format and it's and it's a story that we really need to push forward.
Speaker 1:It's never been seen before okay, okay, um Kwame, let's also talk about the character. Can you go into details of who Johnny is?
Speaker 3:Johnny is a charismatic individual. He tells these wonderful anecdotal stories. He's very wild, he likes to have a good time. He's a Johnny, so he has a great time, and to everybody else he seems that this is fun. Charismatic, a little bit of a madman, but we realize all this exuberance and all this extroverted character is him trying to cover up his past trauma and his past wounds. And at moments in between the drinking and the dancing and having a great time, we see the realness that comes and it's essentially a representation of many people in society. We have these masks of smiling but deep down we're suffering a lot of pain and trauma that not everyone gets to see. So putting that on the forefront of a TV screen allows people to almost see themselves in this, this character, in an entertaining, funny but thrilling way sounds amazing.
Speaker 1:Looking forward to it. Obviously, kwame, you're the actor playing Johnny. Can you give us like a teaser, since this is a podcast, to give us a teaser for what the character sounds like, looks like?
Speaker 3:how's it going? Jude, you're right. Yeah, my name is Johnny and I'm here on the podcast with Stephanie Barton and Kwame Augustine. That's how he sounds. Essentially, he's a cockney guy from East London sounds good, sounds good, sounds good.
Speaker 1:Yeah, so, guys, we're almost wrapping up, stephanie. Any last words for our listeners?
Speaker 2:I would just say, you know, come support, come to the venue, come down in your finest attire, come and watch Black Brilliance, african Brilliance, on the screen in the cinema. Come laugh, come be entertained. And yeah, come to see Johnny across Silverbird Cinema.
Speaker 1:Yeah, no, 6 pm 6 pm on the 11th Thursday. On the 11th yeah, what can our listeners get tickets?
Speaker 3:You can go to wwwquamioagustincom and all the tickets that are sold there. You can also send it via Momo and all the information will be there, and you can follow Stephanie and myself on social media, which is like Instagram. Mine is Quamio Augustin all as one word.
Speaker 2:Mine is StephBwatting, yeah, so you'll see everything on there as well. On our socials, we're posting it.
Speaker 1:Okay, I'll put it in the show notes as well. Yeah, so what future projects can we expect to see? What should we look forward to?
Speaker 2:I think there's so much in the works right now, honestly. There's features, there's TV series, and I think what we would say is just stay tuned. You know, as long as you are following us on socials, you're supporting, you've got our email contacts let's collaborate, let's work and just keep watching, because there's so many things on the rise, honestly.
Speaker 1:Sounds good. Sounds good, yeah, so come check out Journey on Thursday, the 11th, at 6 pm.
Speaker 3:And we're off, thank you, thank you for your time All right, thank you.