Alumnus, Xitsundzuxo Himina, is an official film reviewer for DSTV on YouTube. WHEN DID YOU GRADUATE FROM TUT, AND DID FILM REVIEWS FORM PART OF YOUR TRAINING? I graduated from TUT with a Diploma in Film & TV Production in 2015, and Film Criticism formed part of the programme mix.
HOW DID IT COME ABOUT THAT YOU WERE APPROACHED TO REVIEW FILMS FOR DSTV? I have been investing in developing my own shows, since 2015. But it all really started making sense in January 2019, when I decided to join YouTube to showcase a Film Review Show. I received a lot of advice from the TUT Centre for Entrepreneurship Development towards this venture.
I continued investing in the show, even when I got rejections with commissioning into TV. But I persevered, and later on, received a brief from a production house to audition for the DSTV reviews just when the Covid-19 pandemic started. I tried my luck and I got a contract. Basically, I did my own thing until someone came knocking on my door.
WHAT EXACTLY DOES YOUR CONTRACT WITH DSTV ENTAIL? When I got the audition brief from the production house, I didn't even know what/who it was for. At first glance, I thought this is not my kind of thing because they wanted me to react to a trailer and I only did reviews on my YouTube Channel: Vutirhelo Content Tower. But I took a leap of faith and sent in the audition tape so that I wouldn't regret not trying later on.
I don't know how much I can share about the contract, because of confidentiality clauses. But I can definitely say that I am happy, and I am loving how it is going.
HOW DO YOU GO ABOUT THE REVIEWS? I receive a brief, a script outline, and video clips. I also have a dedicated team from the production company that works with me. I shoot the reviews with them, as per the brief.
WHAT HAS BEEN THE RESPONSE TO YOUR REVIEWS? Generally, most viewers congratulate me. The views are great and the comments are amazing.
YOU CALL YOURSELF MR X IN THE REVIEWS . . . Most people can't pronounce Xitsundzuxo Himina. I got tired of people butchering my name and decided to go for Mr X.
AS A FILM FANATIC YOURSELF, ARE YOU INFLUENCED BY REVIEWS TO WATCH, OR NOT WATCH, A SPECIFIC FILM? Sometimes, but mostly it is film trailers and word of mouth that gets me to the cinema, TV, or streaming platforms. I usually watch reviews to know more about other films – mostly those I wouldn't give a chance on the mainstream circuit, or film genres that I hardly watch.
WHAT, IN YOUR OPINION, MAKES A GOOD FILM REVIEW? It should be fun, easy to listen to, positive, constructive, enlightening, and contain amazing editing skills. A review is supposed to make you realise something about a film that you wouldn't have if you just watched it on your own.
YOU ARE THE FOUNDER AND OWNER OF VUTIRHELO CONTENT TOWER. TELL US MORE ABOUT THE COMPANY. Vutirhelo Content Tower is a baby that was born from a Youth Foundation, called the Strike Needs Youth Foundation, which I started back at high school in the Muyexe village in 2009. The Foundation was a talk show-based organisation that titled youth-related topics, like teenage pregnancy, peer pressure, tertiary applications, and more.
The company focuses more on the creative side of talk shows and content creation. Now, I do the shows, develop content for other people, and work on a film of my own, scheduled to be released on 13 August 2021. Watch this space. We also do promos, adverts, and corporate events.
YOU HAVE THE LAST WORD(S) . . . I am a village child with a dream and I invest money to realise that dream. Most of us look for jobs to fulfil that dream but eventually get so absorbed by the job or the money, that we lose track of the dream. I have gotten lost along the way too. I just got a reality check and reverted back to the dream with a bit of support.
To view Xitsundzuxo’s film reviews, please CLICK ON https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLUlJaLc8tjbe3e8nUAcOuCyc0TpR7Sf-J