Kat Risteska talks about "The Accidental Pirate"
30/08/2010
As an actor, singer and dancer, here's what Kat had to say about TV, film and music piracy.
How does Piracy affect you now that you're in the TV and music industry?
I have chosen one of the hardest industries as my future and with Piracy it gets harder and harder to determine what kind of a financial future I will have with my career choice. In the music industry illegal downloads have reshaped how the whole industry operates and this affects how much an artist can make from their music and whether a label wants to invest in that artist. I don't think TV has been affected too much but already the film industry has had to make changes such as 3D Movies to try and stop the illegal downloads. I hope that we can put a stop to this somehow so people like myself can continue to do what they love for a living.
How does Piracy affect people in the industry? (is it a victimless crime considering how much money TV studios and film studios make already?)
I think it would affect everyone from the Actors right down to the whole production team, crews, directors and publishers. Everyone gets paid from the budget to make the films so they rely on the sales of the films for their revenue. It may seem like a victimless crime but there are so many people affected by it.
Did you ever consider how it affected the industry before you got involved with this campaign?
I never thought about how I could be affected financially in an industry that I am so passionate about. All I ever wanted to do since the age of 3yrs is to perform. I am only learning that I have to make some kind of a living out of this industry and support myself and my future family from what I do so I am taking it a lot more seriously now.
How important is the fight against piracy to the youth of today?
I think it is a really important issue. Everyone loves music and films, and we all love to be entertained somehow. I think it's really important for every young person to be informed about how it will affect them in their future if they wiped out this industry. It's like our planet: we didn't know how bad plastic garbage & toxic chemicals were growing up as kids but now that we are informed we try to look after our world a little better for our future.
What does piracy mean to the average person?
I don't think the average person really cares, in today's economy people are trying to save every cent they can so if they can get their kids free movies and buy them popcorn at home they are happy. I went to my local video store a few months ago and noticed that they didn't stock many kids films and the guy told me that people don't hire them as they are starting to download them for free to save money!!!!!
Why should we care about fighting piracy?
Going to the movies is a real treat when you are a kid, nothing beats that Cinema experience. It would be sad if the future young generation was robbed of this incredible experience.
What measures are being taken to prevent piracy?
Look all we can do at the end of the day is make people aware of the situation and the consequences of piracy and only hope that they will make the right decision to not do it. I am so proud to be part of a campaign that is bringing awareness to the people as I feel at least I am doing something about it.
For more information, visit:
http://www.AccidentalPirate.com.au
BIOGRAPHY:
Kat Risteska has been singing, dancing and acting since the tender age of 3yrs. After auditioning for SYTYCD in 2009 she got into the show and danced her way up in to the top 6 dancers in the country which followed a tour performing around Australia in front of thousands of supporters. Upon returning from the tour Kat landed a role on an upcoming drama series, which will air on the ABC3 network this year called "Dance Academy" where she plays the role of a Hip Hop chick called Kaylah.
Since the show Kat has been in the recording studio putting the finishing touches to her debut album. You can hear Kat's first single "OFF THE RAILS" which has just been released on the new SYTYCD music compilation CD.
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