Deco, the make-up and costume artist lands in hot water.

Over the years, several film producers have been left wondering and wandering about how to get back on their feet or serve as producers for subsequent film projects. Some have even decided not to continue the film production business again; the end to their career has to come so short.

This happens so because most of the projects for some of the said film producers have been foiled or deterred by either their cameramen or editors. They might add upon those who quitted because the production houses they managed to produce the movies for failed to sell either the tickets for the premier or the copies of the DVDs. We all know the quality of any movie lies not only in the hands of the director but the supporting system around him or her, which is the technical crew.  

Some technical people in the Sierra Leone Movie Industry have been the bedrock for discouraging passionate filmmakers who cater and pour their hard-earned money, time and other resources into very prospective film projects that might have ended up only in the camera or editing software. The said technical people, – editors or cameramen might have been hired and paid for their services either partly, or fully before even stepping foot on the set. Adding to their numbers have been the make-up artist and costume artist, etc. Some would agree on a time with the producer or director but will end up dictating the terms of the shooting schedule against the budget at hand as they’ll show on the set based on their terms.

In this case, the costume and make-up artist – Joseph Koroma a.k.a. Deco landed himself in hot water when he dishonoured the deal he agreed with the Actors Salone and its collaborators. The Actors Salone is a potential movie Production Company limited by guaranty and it is owned by very well known figures in the Sierra Leone Movie Industry, with a web of members in every region in the country. In collaboration with the Justas Production and the Supdee Movies arranged with Deco for the production of brand new costumes for their film –Stain Scarf which is current at the post-production stage; but he deliberately did not do as the agreement said. In the agreement, he charged the producers eight million leones and they ended up paying five million leones. According to ImageSALONE’S investigation, he mixed up some new costumes with more old costumes that were already used before for some other film projects.

After the shooting, the producers of the movie noticed the reality after photographs of costumes that were used in another very highly rated film project with high calibre actors were posted on various social handles by those who participated in the project. Our informant said he was called upon by the producers of the Stain Scarf Film Project but he did not show up. They too had to take the matter to the CID. A letter was served to Deco’s mother, for him in his absence. Since then, he only shows up at his house at late sleeping hours and leaves at the time of morning prayers.

This is a lesson every Sierra Leone filmmaker needs to learn from as such an incident is to make us keep to promises, always respect contracts say and maintain some standard of professionalism. Why should one of the finest make – up and costume artist do such? However, we have been trying to reach Deco to get what he has to say but we have not been able to because his phones have been down throughout. We’ll keep trying until we get his own side of the story.

By Fayia Foray

All Rights Received – ImageSALONE 2021