A day's seminar on the streaming industry has been held at the University of Cape Coast (UCC).

The seminar, organised by the Department of Theatre and Film Studies, was on the theme: "The Streaming Industry in Flux." 

The resource persons included Prof. Bill William Lancaster of North Eastern University, USA, and Michael Krentzman of Redsummit Productions, USA.

Speaking to an audience of faculty and students at the Naana Jane Opoku Agyemang Auditorium, Prof. Lancaster said the streaming business was a changing marketplace where technology and consumer habits shift daily.

He said Africa was one of the fastest-growing continents on the planet and global streamers, including Netflix and Amazon Prime Video, had viewed the vast territory as the last frontier of growth.

Prof. Bill William Lancaster of North Eastern University, USA addressing the gathering

"Africa is expected to see significant growth in subscribers. This is encouraging news for global players established in Western and European countries," he added.

Prof. Bill William indicated that there had been growing concerns about the small number of Ghanaian movies on global movie streaming sites, particularly Netflix although filmmakers in Ghana have quality content.

He lauded the Department of Theatre and Film Studies for the collaboration and said the seminar also served as a platform for intellectual discourse, exchange of ideas, and the sharing of best practices. 

Theatre and Film studies, he said, was not merely an academic pursuit but also a transformative force that opened doors of opportunities, offering young minds the skills needed to tackle the challenges of the 21st Century.

He encouraged students to let the seminar be a melting pot of diverse perspectives, among others, to address the challenges faced by the Theatre and Film industry on the continent.

A section of the participants

The Head of the Department of Theatre and Film Studies, Dr. Xornam Atta Owusu, in a remark, said Theatre and Film Studies was a catalyst for change, adding that it provided students with practical skills fundamental to industrial growth.

Source: Documentation and Information Section-UCC