FILMMAKER LIKARION WAINAINA TALKS WORKING WITH ALOE BLACC

Filmmaker Likarion Wainaina has talked about working with American musician Aloe Blacc. Speaking to Buzz Central, Wainaina said, “Aloe Blacc happened to watch one of the videos I did and he researched us, he found out we worked a lot with UNICEF and he was shooting a song and he wanted to partner.

They showed me the contract and the concept but they told me Blacc can’t make it to Kenya because he’s doing another campaign in another country so they were like, ‘go crazy’. We worked on the story angle and cinematography and we filmed it. Aloe Blacc was so grateful to us. It was sort of like a nice collaboration- he got to have his music and a message in one place.”

Wainaina also said it is important for actors to balance work and personal life. He disclosed while shooting award winning film Supa Modo, he was hospitalised, “We were filming Super Modo in the middle of Limuru, we were actually at a cliff and I was talking to my producer and everything went dark like blurry and then I collapsed. Despite that I was still like I have to finish the call sheet for the day.

I used to be held by two assistant directors, the nurse from the paramedics was also there and she was like, ‘I’m going to be with you the whole day’ because I refused to go to the hospital. I shot the whole day and in the evening I was hospitalised, throughout the night, I went through 7 IV drips. It was so bad that they thought I had cholera.” This prompted his decision to prioritise rest days, “It’s something I’m struggling with even now, I have to schedule rest the same way I schedule work.”

He urged artistes to take off days, “I always tell artistes to pace themselves, it’s not easy but find things to do. It’s very dangerous especially for actors when they are playing different characters. It’s easy for you to forget yourself. Slow down as an artiste.”