Improving the Theatre, Film Industry in Belize
Today, the National Institute of Culture and History, through the Institute of Creative Arts, concluded an Acting Intensive Training. The sessions were conducted by Panamanian actor and director Jaime Newball. Over the past three weeks, twenty-seven persons, including dramatists and playwrights, participated in the sessions. News Five’s Duane Moody has this report.
Duane Moody, Reporting
A cohort of twenty-seven persons successfully completed two weeks of intensive training in theatre and acting for film. The sessions were facilitated by Jaime Newball, a Panamanian actor and director, who is on his fourth visit to Belize since 2011.
Jaime Newball
Jaime Newball, Facilitator, Acting Intensive Training
“The difference between the stage acting and the in front of camera acting. So we have to start first in an intro process, we have to start to build up all the characteristic of the role we are playing and then afterwards start to have more natural acting because the camera picks up everything. So all these big acting that we need on stage have to be adjust because it is based on frame. We work in front of camera on frame so it is not the same as an opened frame or a small frame or when it is very intimate, the scene.”
The film industry in Belize has been growing. There has been a resurgence of plays being debuted at the Bliss Center for the Performing Arts and, as we have seen in the past, Belize is being chosen as a destination for filming of movies and series. The training helps to build the capacity of the participants who form the pool of talent for playwrights and directors to tap into.
Kim Vasquez
Kim Vasquez, Director, Institute of Creative Arts
“This is one of the skill sets that we want to develop. We know that we also have here at the Bliss Center the Belize Film Commission. Director Carlo Habet endorsed this training. It is our hope that as more foreign productions come into the country that they will be able to cast extras. So that’s one of the objectives for the training here in Belize City. The training in Belmopan had a slightly different objective. We are supportive and encouraging of the re-emergence of theatre and theatre companies. We need more theatre companies to be active in that area of the arts.”
The participants are from various backgrounds – some with theatre experience, while others have been featured in film. News Five got their perspectives on how the training has improved their craft.
Javier Canul
Javier Canul, Participant
“I came in here as an observer to see what’s going on. I’ve had a lot of experience in acting as “Ozzy the Clown,” I have been in movies; I have done a lot of stuff. So I came in to just observe and see what’s going on and to my surprise, I learnt a huge lot. And I have been attending a lot of workshops in Mexico City, all over and this workshop is what I would say is the bomb for me. It opened my eyes to a lot of stuff. I thought I knew about acting and it just open my eyes a lot.”
Prosper Shodiya
Prosper Shodiya, Participant
“I have always really loved writing scripts. Aside just participating in plays once in a while, script writing is my huge passion and so I have been writing a lot of scripts and I just wanted to see what it’s like to be an actor. It is one thing to just sit behind your computer and write all these wonderful things, but then being an actor, I must say it is complex and I have learnt a lot and I have also been able to incorporate it in soemthign that I have been writing recently.”
Kareem King
Kareem King, Participant
“I’ve been in the music, arts and culture for over thirty plus years. From I was a little boy at school in the festival of arts program and then join the Pantempters Steel Orchestra in Music, I also do music in my church and also now a member of Jankunu Productions which we are doing a lot right now. For me it is something that will improve the way I see things in the theatre and arts and music. It will help me to improve the way I place myself in different roles.”
Duane Moody for News Five.
