Lights! Camera!
. M O V- e
Issue 6
REVIEWS:
The Social Network Liefling
Rising Stars
Lika Berning Bobby van Jaarsveld
CLASSIC:
Alfred Hitchcock
PRESS RELEASE: Eternity
CANON:
The new XF300
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Contents Director’s Chair
Collage: Liefling Premiere The .MOV-e team spent a night of glitz & glamour with the stars of Liefling.
The usual necessary pre-reading blabber. PG 6
PG 26
In the Spotlight
Review: Canon XF300 Wimpie van der Merwe zooms in on the Canon XF300 DVCPro HD Camera.
Mocke Prinsloo talks to us about his award-winning short film, Sielspieël. PG 8
PG 28
Review: Despicable Me
Rumour Has It Read more about eight up-and-coming movie projects.
Elize Pienaar infiltrates the Headquarters of Despicable Me.
PG 10
PG 32
Tutorial: Create Realistic Blood
Review: The Social Network
What’s HOT
PG 18
Wimpie van der Merwe LIKES Fight Club director’s new movie, The Social Network.
PG 12
PG 36
Back due to popular demand, we show you how to create realistic looking blood by using common household items.
Rising Stars: Bobby van Jaarsveld and Lika Berning are the two stars of the movie Liefling, and our very own Rising Stars. We chat to them to gain some insight into these two actors.
Eternity The movie’s almost here and we’re showing our fangs in support of South Africa’s very first Vampire movie. PG 22
Disclaimer Oppinions expressed in .MOV-e do not necessarily represent the official viewpoint of the editor or the publisher while inclusion of adverts/ advertising features does not imply specific endorsement for any business, product or service. Copyright of material in this publication is reserved and may not be reproduced without the written permission of the editor.
Hold mouse over article and CLICK on the ARROW to jump straight to the article you would like to read
Tutorial: Create Realistic Flesh Wounds
PG 38
Building on the blood tutorial, we show you (again) how to create realistic flesh wounds for under a hundred bucks!
We take a minute to compare an original to its pirate counterpart and come to one conclusion: Piracy sucks!
PG 54
Linda Korsten gives us a behind-the-scenes tour of a day on the set of Liefling.
Movie Mistakes
The ARF Team
PG 45
PG 49
Wimpie van der Merwe shares some deeper insight into the master-of-horror, Alfred Hitchcock’s life.
One Day on Set: Linda Korsten
Collage: The rAge Expo
PG 42
Classics: Alfred Hitchcock
Leora Haynes tells us more about the ABF Vital Support Fund and what this team means to the local movie industry.
PG 56
Some random movie glitches from the moviemistakes.com site. See how even the Hollywood greats aren’t perfect.
Give them Credit
Review: Liefling Wimpie van der Merwe sings his praises for South Africa’s first Afrikaans Musical in years.
PG 57
PG 46
We continue the Credit series to teach you what all those various titles at the end of a movie mean.
Flashback and Flashforward The Unforgiving director, Alastair Orr takes no prisoners when he shares his thoughts and experiences as a South African Filmmaker. He also gives some pointers to aspiring Indie Filmmakers that wishes to also walk the long and arduous path to success. PG 34
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The Director’s Chair
It’s a Wrap! My, how time flies when you’re having fun! I can’t believe that an entire year is just about done and dusted. It’s been an exciting year for us here at .MOV-e which culminated at the Liefling premiere. And just what did we think about the movie? We’re sure that almost an entire issue devoted to it should give you some sort of clue ;)
In this issue we review Liefling and The Social Network and also chat to Liefling’s two stars, Bobby van Jaarsveld and Lika Berning. We also show you some snaps we took at … in this format. We will be changing the the Premiere and Linda Korsten shares a day entire content structure for .MOV-e 2011 on the set with us. and will be inviting Indie Filmmakers from all over the world to share their projects Oh yes… You might know this already, but and experiences with our readers. I can’t Alastair Orr, the director of The Unforgiving really give away too much now, but the next will direct his Zombie movie soon. Shooting .MOV-e will blow you away! starts in March 2011. For this reason as well popular demand (and also to restore some That said; we at .MOV-e would like to wish of the Testosterone levels in this issue), everyone a very Happy Christmas and a we’ve decided to bring back two articles Fantastic New Year! If you’re going to be on from previous issues: The Create Realistic the roads, drive safe and take stock footage Blood as well as Create Realistic Flesh of all the places you see. You never know Wounds tutorials. when it might come in handy. Would you like to be cast/crew on Alastair’s movie? Sure you would! Simply send your CV to Kamikaze Motion Pictures at info@ theunforgiving.co.za and be part of this thrilling production! (Yes, we WILL be dedicating almost an entire issue to this movie as well)
Enjoy this issue, and until we meet again, cheerios!
On another note… this will be our final issue…
Len
www.karatekallie.co.za
Mocke Prinsloo’s short film, Sielspiël recently won the Best Female Lead in a South African Short award at the SA Horrorfest 2010. It was the only Afrikaans movie shown at the Festival. We asked him to tell us more about himself and the movie.
I
’ve realized at school already that my passion would also one day become my vocation, and so I decided to study film making at TUT, the Tshwane University of Technology (formerly known as the Technikon of Pretoria) after school. I mainly did freelancing, which included a large number of music videos for talents like Juanita du Plessis, Piet Smit, Wasserfall, and Ronell Erasmus. During 2004, I did work for the Maranatha Record Company where I teamed up with Anita Erasmus to make the Lofkleuters 1 en 2 as well as Piet Smit’s Spore in die Sand DVD’s. For about three years after that I worked full time at Everland 8
Productions as both Camera Man and Director, working mainly on various TV series that we produced for Kyknet, including Stofpad Langs and In Pas. I’m currently freelancing again. The idea behind SielSpieël took shape around June 2009, and by August I’ve managed to pen the first draft of the script with help of Lize Jacobs, who came on board as co-writer and producer. The story took shape over the course of a few months up to where we were finally ready to start shooting in March, 2010. Filming mainly took place over weekends and we had a
wonderful team that tackled the project with us. Johan R. Nel co-produced the film. Very few Afrikaans movies exist outside the Drama or Comedy genre, and that’s exactly why I wanted to make the short film in this language. Through the movie, I want to show those in the industry that we don’t have to be afraid to tackle Afrikaans projects and also want to break away from all the stigmas associated with the language. Sielspieël revolves around Christelle (Vandiet Marx), an Engineering student that starts her 3rd year at a new University. It’s here where she meets Sandra (San-Marie Nel), her roommate in the new commune. Christelle becomes involved with Jaco (Henco J) and at first glance, everything is perfect. But will this fairy tale have a happy ending...?
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Rumour Ice Age 4 - Continental Drift A fourth film was announced by Twentieth Century Fox on May 5, 2010 with the tentative title Ice Age: Continental Drift. It is scheduled to be released in 3D on July 13, 2012.
Star Trek 2 It seems like the cast from the first J.J. Abrahams Star Trek will join us again for the second one. The Time Rift plot of the first movie made it possbile for Abrahams to use ingredients from previous movies or dream up entirely new ones. Rumour has it that we might see the older (William Shatner) Kirk in this one.
The Bourne Legacy Careful developments are underway for 2012’s Bourne Legacy. Seems like Paul Greengrass might direct again with Matt Damon as lead, but nothing is cast in stone yet.Hopefully this movie won’t be labelled The Bourne Redundancy as Greengrass once jokingly said.
Monsters Inc. 2 John Goodman and Billy Crystal are rumoured to reprise their roles as Sulley and Mike in Monsters Inc. 2. We’re not entirely sure about the plot yet, but it’s Pixar, so we can certainly expect something awesome.
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r Has It... Untitled Ouija project Universal is currently Director-hunting for a movie based on the Hasbo product, the Ouija board. So far rumours are that it would be one of the scariest movies of 2012, and with a whopping $80 to $100 million budget, we can certainly only hope that they’re right.
The Dark Knight Rises Christian Bale said that he refused to play Batman if Robin appeared in any of the 3 films. Chrisopher Nolan agreed, so guess what? Yup, The Dark Knight Rises soon...
Spider-Man 3D Marc Webb’s Spider-Man reboot will swing into cinemas in all its 3D glory. The movie is already in production and first glance appears that Gwen Stacy (Emma Stone) will play Spidey’s love interest.
Superman: Man of Steel Zack Snyder will direct Superman: Man of Steel with a maximum budget of $175 million.Thomas Tull, the Predisent of Legendary Pictures said that Superman needs a powerful antagonist, a worthy opponent. We personally hope they decide on Doomsday.
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bby
Bo “...performing my own song Spieëltjie made it very exciting and memorable.”
Risi St
Lik
a
ing tars “This was new for me, and I found it to be enormously fun, and challenging!�
F
irst up we have Liefling herself, Lika Berning. This stylish and elegant actress spends time sharing some thoughts on Liefling, the industry and her career;
gethoblaster playing the backtrack, all crackly and inaudible. It was hard to focus and get that in love inner smile feeling.
grateful to them for their humility and approachability on such an enormous set. I also enjoyed meeting the beautiful Anna Davel, singing with Bobby van Jaarsveld, joking around with hilarious Kevin Leo and the equally funny Paul du Toit. What a cast! This is what makes the movie magic!
• How did you feel about working with Paul Kruger, the • What did you enjoy most producer and Johan Heysteck about making Liefling? musical director? Recording the songs, working in a Paul Kruger is the heart and soul sound studio, and then re-enacting of this movie. It is his dream-big • How do you deal with the the song for the camera. This was vision, and unfailing enthusiasm critics? new for me, and I found it to be that has made it a reality. A There will always be critics, and enormously fun, and challenging! producer and camera man! He that is what keeps the industry alive and the standards growing. I am unfazed by the possible criticisms because as an insider on the project I am aware of the challenges we faced and also of the triumphs of this film. No critic can knock true passion and hard work.
• How do you think Liefling will influence your career? I think the marketing campaign and the nationwide cinema release will be great exposure for me as an actress. It is a rarity and a treat to do work on a big screen feature film in this country, so the experience is invaluable.
didn’t only create the beautiful pictures, but the entire production from inception to distribution is headed by him. And Johan Heysteck our musical director is super talented and absolutely tireless. He worked night and day, beyond the call of duty, creating the fabulous reworkings of these classic Afrikaans songs. He is a • Describe Liefling in one word. creative genius and a mentor Nuwe-nostalgie, is that one word? indeed, that helped me through my inexperience. • What scene was the most challenging for you? • How was it working with both I had to sing “Ek verlang na jou” the younger, as well as the on the Lucerne bridge, it was veteran actors? absolutely freezing, my toes What an honour to share the were soaked through and it was screen with great veterans like Elize snowing! Brian, the director, was Caywood, Sonja Herald and Roule next to me with an ancient, dodgy Beukes. I soaked it up, and am
• Do you have any advice for people who would want to break into the movie industry? Do you think any formal studies are essential? I didn’t study acting formally. I would recommend studying for plan B though! I have an honours degree in Documentary filmmaking and this is still something I can pursue when I like. It’s a tough industry, and those who work get more work. So stay busy, work for free, offer your services, be enthusiastic and it’ll pay off. I think you learn best from the mentors and veterans already in the industry. • What are your views on the future of the South African Entertainment Industry for both the musical and the film market? I believe we are entering into a new era of very strong South African Films. Musicals included. We have the technical ability, what we need are good screenwriters and creative producers who can
need to be comfortable with your fellow actor, maybe there needs to be warm up, or a getting-toknow-you game so that you are able to play off each other in the moment. Fear is the enemy, so remembering to breathe is a good thing! The part most difficult about acting is playing emotions that are uncomfortable, like a bad breakup. Or acting on a day when you are sick, or in a bad mood.
I loved Paljas. Also Jans Rautenbach’s films. “Die Kandidaat” is one of them. My dad, Regardt, and my grandfather, Gert van den Bergh played in this film. These were challenging stories being made for their time.
• Are you working on any new projects? And do you have a dream project? I am making a documentary film about the life of my grandmother, • What do you enjoy most about Bettie Cilliers-Barnard, she was a painter. And I am working at acting? I love the game, it’s great to enter Binneland Sub Judice on contract into an imagined situation, when till end of February next year, who you start any scene the feeling is knows what the future holds! I marry artistic integrity with the always, anything could happen definitly have many dream-plans right financing skills. now, the character exists beyond and projects! the given lines and it’s a very free • How do you go about feeling. preparing to act and what part of acting is be the most • Besides Liefling, what other difficult to you? Afrikaans films will be among It is always essential to know your favourites? your lines... backwards! Then you
Celeb Profile
Age: 30 Originally from: Johannesburg Hobbies: Outdoors, reading, watching movies, cooking! Favourite Director: PT Anderson, Jane Campion, Majid Majidi Favourite Actor: James Mcavoy, Javier Bardem, Gael Garcia Bernal Favourite Actress: Penelope Cruz, Brenda Blethyn Favourite Movie: Many!! The Piano, Amores Perros, Punch Drunk Love, Colour of Paradise, Babel Favourite Food: Mediterranean, potjie kos! Thai. Sushi Favourite Quote: Every person you meet can be a teacher, so be open to discover and learn every day.
S
econd on our list is singstar Bobby van Jaarsveld. He is still young to the moviemaking scene, but is already up there next to the big guns. This is what he had to say; • What did you enjoy most about making Liefling? To get out of my comfort zone! All the amazing and different locations, and performing my own song Spieëltjie made it very exciting and memorable.
• How was it working with Paul Kruger, the producer and Johan Heysteck musical director? They are just amazing, I love everything about them. They are so professional yet considerate!
Do you think any formal studies are essential? Studies, definitely. I think that you have to know everything about it; it will just help you along the way. Be willing to trust the director and also yourself.
• How was it working with both the younger, as well as the veteran actors? It was great to see the various types of styles everyone has, so I just learned a lot from all of them!
• What are your views on the future of the South African Entertainment Industry for both the Afrikaans film and the overall market? It sure is booming now, and it can only get better. If people see quality in a movie, then every movie that follows has to live up to that same expectation or even surpass it!
• Are you satisfied with the end• How do you think Liefling will product? influence your career? Very, very much!! I am my own Liefling can only help and excel my worst critic so I feel I could have career as an artist and maybe as done better, but everyone feels • How do you go about preparing actor, who knows, but it can only that way! I am thrilled with the to act and what part of acting is the most difficult to you? make my brand bigger and better. movie though. I’m still not too sure, this was my • Describe Liefling in one word. • How do you deal with the first time, but I trusted everyone, and asked for help whenever I All-in-one critics? I take in everything I can, and I needed to. • What scene was the most choose to learn from it and accept challenging for you? it! It is definitely constructive in • What did you enjoy most about acting? Most certainly the scene where the end. Learning something new from this I played towards myself in the mirror while singing Spieëltjie. • Do you have any advice for experience and again, loving the people who would want to idea of stepping out of my normal I had to cry, and the scene was break into the movie industry? comfort zone. quite lengthy. • Besides Liefling, what other Afrikaans films will be among your favourites? Basically anything that has quality and style. • Are you working on any new projects? And do you have a dream project? I am busy with my album and some other things. I would love to play in a movie like the new amazing film, “To save a life”. That is more who I am. If you are interested in using Lika or Bobby for your own production, mail your proposal and contact details to info@mov-e.co.za and we will pass it on to their respective agents for you.
Celeb Profile Age: 23 Originally from: Paarl Hobbies: Writing songs, outdoor stuff Favourite Director: Still not sure, too many to choose from Favourite Actor: Adam Sandler Favourite Actress: Angelina Jolie Favourite Movie: At the moment it is; “To save a life”, but it changes all the time Favourite Food: Sushi
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Film of the Month: Review
having a chat this month makes perfect sense when we’re talking about...
E
very year has its fair share of brilliantly produced movies and 2010 was no different when looking at films like Inception, Book of Eli, The A-Team, Toy Story 3 etc. and then the late bloomer; The Social Network. This is one of those films where you are not sure what to expect, but you know it’s going to blow your mind. Director David Fincher (Seven, Fight Club) never seizes to amaze his viewer and always seems to be one step ahead. This time round he takes actuality, stirs in a bit of confidentiality, whips it with
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practicality and mixes it with personality to bring us one of the top films for 2010. The Social Network is quite a force to be reckoned with. The film revolves around the birth of the social phenomena called, Facebook. Nuff said. Jesse Eisenberg (Zombieland) plays as Mark Zuckerberg in probably one of the most convincing character depictions of our time. His ability as an actor to envisage the view we as the audience member receives regarding the real deal, is a direct correlation to the artistic brilliance of the director
David Fincher. Another role which one could not have imagined being pulled off before seeing it actually happen, is that of Justin Timberlake. He plays the part of Sean Parker who co-founded Napster back in 1999 and eventually became President of Facebook in 2004. The film starts of fairly slow with a lengthy dialogue scene, but it somehow manages to set the perfect mood, capturing your attention and taking you on a two hour journey. The film has the ability to keep you engaged to the very end and you almost feel cheated, wanting to see a little bit more without realising how much time has passed. The pace and tone is in perfect balance and not even a single beat is wasted.
celebration.
The Good What more is there to say? The Social Network is filmmaking at its best. It combines great talent with a great story and will surely create a following of fans, although probably in smaller scale though, much like the subject matter itself has. I also see it reaping in a couple of prizes.
The Bad Except for the altered storylines of some characters and the fact that you want to see more, which is actually not a bad thing at all, there is really not too much fault to find this time round. If you haven’t had a chance to see this film, please get with the program in order not to be left out at the next social gathering with your mates. This is one of those films that gets the mind pondering and soon you will be trying your chances at the next best scheme. So, good luck and please don’t forget about .MOV-e when the millions start rolling in.
Some might argue that the storyline has been altered a bit too much, but hey, it still boils down to entertaining the viewer and I strongly believe that this is as fair of a representation as one could get. The script is witty, yet serious enough to capture all the crucial plot points in bringing the characters to life. It gives the film and especially the characters a certain personality that almost everyone can relate to in some or other manner. The story not only focuses on the subject matter at hand, but deals even more so with the topic of human relation and nature. Thus, it actually SCORE: becomes very relevant to the core idea regarding social networking. The look and feel of the film is of benchmark creating standards and a sure trait from Fincher. He is a master of setting mood with light and sound that relates harmoniously together with the subject matter. Even though the film jumps between different time periods, there is always a distinct separation which is perfectly balanced to prevent confusion. It actually ensures for a well rounded piece of work. Fincher pulls out all the stops to bring us another filmic
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Editing: 9 Character Development: 9 Cinematography (Camera work) & lighting: 10 Directing: 9 Acting: 9 Set Design/Costumes: 9 Script: 9 Story: 8 Pay off: 8 Sound: 9 19
Ou NO t W !
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Christina Storm is set to give fans of the Twilight saga and True Blood a treat during the holidays, with the opening of home-grown vampire love story Eternity at cinemas nationally in December. Set in an atmospherically Gotham-like, inner-city Johannesburg, the film tells the tale of Billy (Andre Frauenstein), a sensitive, handsome young vampire who spends his nights prowling the city haunts with his friends. They appear to lead a charmed life, owning the night and partaking in the rich social life that the city offers. But Billy is lonely and yearns for the one true love who will give meaning to his solitary life.
When he meets Jenny (Rikki Brest), a beautiful and captivating human girl at a nightclub, he is immediately smitten. His easy charm and gentlemanly manner draw Jenny to him and, despite all attempts by Billy’s ex-girlfriend Lisa (Christina Storm), to scupper the budding relationship, Jenny falls for him. It seems that destiny has favoured both of them. But all is not what is appears in the twilight world of the vampires. Jenny’s father, Tevis Shapiro (Ian Roberts), a human
scientist researching a cure for the human HIV/Aids virus accidently produces a serum that will enable vampires to survive the sun’s rays and share the daylight with humans. This leads to a clash between the vampire clan leaders – Constantine (Gys de Villiers), a traditionalist who is against the serum and Borlak (David James), a power-hungry upstart who is determined to lead the vampires out of the shadows and into the light so that they can walk with the humans. An all-out war ensues and Billy teams up with Detective Joe Kau (Hlomla Dandala), to defeat Borlak, and claim the hand of the girl he loves.
these gothic figures,” says Ernst. “Billy is part of a new generation of vampire heroes who are stepping out of the moonlight and into the everyday world of humans. But like the traditional vampire gentleman, he is alluring in all the old-fashioned ways.” Director, Christopher-Lee dos Santos says the experience of directing a vampire film was unique. “It’s never been done before in South Africa. Making a vampire film allowed us to enter a stylistic world with a certain set of visual rules that I’ve always wanted to play with. It was also amazing to work with the cast and the parkour vampires, whose physical feats are astounding. It’s fast, it’s gritty, and it’s exciting.” Eternity is the latest film to be released by Indigenous Film Distribution, which specialises in the distribution of South African movies. “The genre and the fact that it’s packed with excellent special effects makes it a great addition to our slate of films for the year,” says Helen Kuun, CEO of Indigenous Film Distribution.
The film is produced by independent South African producer Anton Ernst of Makadi Entertainment Ventures whose impressive body of work over the past 10 years includes the 2010 sleeper hit Jakhalsdans, an Afrikaans language love story. “Eternity is a modern-day vampire film that contemporises 23
Attending a glamorous event such as Liefling’s premiere is always a privilege and a treat. The evening was filled with a warm and luxurious atmosphere. Everybody who is somebody was part
This Month .MOV-e celebrates
of the celebration. Passion and pride was oozing out of everyone involved, young and old. .MOV-e had the opportunity to capture some special moments and to bring it to you...
Canon’s latest answer to the camcorder market makes a quite a statement and can be considered as a hardcore contender...
XF 300
The
XF300 (and XF305) is the newest pro model from Canon, and the company’s first to feature flash memory recording. The camcorder has many of the same manual controls and features as Canon’s HDV line of professional camcorders, but the company also packed in a number of exciting updates and design improvements. Our first impression of the XF300 is that it is easier to use than Canon’s previous pro models. Its design is more streamlined and the buttons are simpler and easier to access. Canon did away with the large mode dial that you’ll find on models like the XH A1S, and this gives the camcorder a simpler appearance. The dedicated auto mode is also a splendid sight to see (although the switch is a bit small, so it may be difficult to find at first). We applaud Canon for including simple things like easy-access switches, and features like the LCD panel that can be positioned on either side of the camcorder. Of course, some users may be wary of switching from tape over to flash memory recording. This is probably the biggest concern about the XF300 as far as ‘ease of use’ goes. This is a concern with all new camcorder equipment, however, and since flash memory is clearly the direction the industry is heading, this will have to be something most professional videographers get used to at some point in their career. The XF300 records to Compact Flash (CF) memory cards and it is compatible with highspeed UDMA CF cards. CF cards are widely available—especially compared to professional recording media like P2 and SxS memory cards— so if you’re in a pinch it shouldn’t be too difficult to find a spare card. The camcorder has two CF card slots on the back of the camcorder, both of
which are covered by flip-open doors (that open by flicking a small switch). The camcorder uses an MPEG-2 compression system that is based on a codec recently developed by Canon. There are a variety of record modes available on the camcorder, with the highest quality setting being 50Mbps 1920 x 1080 recording with 4:2:2 sampling. The memory cards are hot-swappable and the camcorder has a relay record feature that allows you to automatically continue recording onto a second inserted card once the first fills up. According to Canon, you can record 80 minutes of footage at the highest quality setting on a 32GB CF card (a 64GB CF card should get you roughly 160 minutes of record time at highest quality). The connectivity options on the XF300 are fairly basic for a pro camcorder. Near the back is a large collection of ports including: AV-out, USB, Headphone, LANC (wired remote), HDMI, and Component-out. Moving around to the side from these ports you’ll find the video-out BNC connector and a DC-input. Two XLR ports are located on the front-right of the camcorder, but the XF300 has no 3.5mm external mic jack. If you want more professional connectivity options you can go with the Canon XF305, which offers a TC connector, GENLOCK, and HD-SDI terminal. This jack pack is the only difference between the XF300 and XF305 (besides price). Neither of the camcorders offer a removable lens system, which might be a letdown to some, but on the other hand means they are fairly compact and quick and easy to operate. The camcorders come with an 18x optical zoom lens and include a three 1/3 inch CMOS sensor system. The lens itself has a built-in image stabilization
system comprising of three stabilization modes; standard, dynamic and powered. The LCD on the XF300 is a whopping 4-inches in size. The screen also has an impressive 1.23 megapixel resolution. Interestingly, the LCD can be positioned on either the left or right side of the camcorder—a feature that is unique to these new Canon models. The viewfinder on the XF300 is equally impressive with its 1.555 megapixel resolution. The EVF is 0.52-inches in size and it can be used independently from or simultaneously with the LCD. The XF300 has been a long time coming for Canon, as all of the other major professional camcorder manufacturers have had tapeless models out for quite some time now. Still, we are very impressed with what Canon has done with the XF300 from a design perspective. The camcorder has a wonderful LCD and viewfinder setup, excellent manual control features, and many quick-access dials and switches to make settings as easy to adjust as possible. Whether or not the XF300 succeeds as far as image quality is concerned is another matter entirely. The camcorder’s MPEG-2 compression system has some users worried, but that concern may be entirely baseless. Many aspects go into determining video quality, and compression systems and codecs are just a small part of the formula. The quality of the camcorder’s lens, the type of processing, and the design of the image sensor are all just as integral as bitrates and recording codecs. So, for now, we are excited about the XF300 and the camcorder appears to be a strong addition to Canon’s professional line-up. The 4-inch LCD,
comfortable handling, and the fact that the camcorder records to easy-to-find Compact Flash memory cards can all be considered strong points. Canon’s dedication to manual controls also remains very impressive, as the XF300 has an endless amount of customizable settings and features.
SPEC SHEET
• 3 x 1/3 type Full HD Canon CMOS sensors • 18x wide angle Canon L-series lens
• 10.1 cm LCD (1.23M dots); 1.3 cm (1.55M dots) Viewfinder • MPEG-2 MXF recording to CF cards at up to 50Mbps (4:2:2) (2 card slots) • 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.
Recording formats: - MPEG-2 Long GOP - 50Mbps CBR (4:2:2) MPEG-2 422@HL; - 35Mbps VBR (4:2:0) MPEG-2 MP@HL; - 25Mbps CBR (4:2:0) MPEG-2 MP@H14 Recording frame rate: - 50Mbps: 1920 x 1080/50i, 25p; 1280 x 720/50p, 25p; 7. - 35Mbps: 1920 x 1080/50i, 25p; 1280 x 720/50p, 25p; 8. - 25Mbps: 1440 x 1080/50i, 25p 9. Slow/Fast motion: 10. - 720p: 12, 15, 18, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 30, 32, 34, 37, 42, 45, 48, 50fps 11. - 1080p: 12, 15, 18, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25fps • 1. 2. 3.
Inputs/Outputs Audio in: XLR inputs with 48V phantom power x 2 Headphone output: 3.5mm stereo jack Video monitor output: BNC, composite Standard Definition video, output only 4. HDMI: Type A, output only 5. IEEE 1394 (Firewire): NO 6. USB: Mini-B, USB 2.0 Hi-Speed, output only • Image stabilization system: Optical lens shift system (angle & vector movement detection); 3 modes: Dynamic, Standard, Powered • Dimensions: Approx 180 x 192 x 394 mm • Weight (camera only): Approx 2700g
Reader Review
Elize Pienaar infiltrates the HQ of
Despicable Me 2010 has been ‘n very good year regarding children’s animation movies. “How to train your Dragon”, “Toy Story III” and others like “Shrek Forever After” have set a very high standard in this genre, but in my opinion, “Despicable Me” (from Universal Pictures in association with its Illumination Entertainment division) is on par with the best of them. This is Universal’s first venture into GC animation, and they are in my humble opinion, hugely successful. My review is going to be full of superlatives, because this movie cannot be described in any other way. It is a mixture of somewhat dark humour and sentiment that tugs at the heart-strings and it gels very well, much to the enjoyment of the whole audience. 32
Steve Carell is casted as Gru, a super villain who delights in the misery of others and has an elderly scientist, Dr Nefario (Russell Brand) as well as a cute clan of squeaking yellow minions to aid him in his nefarious schemes. In the opening scene, his dark house and garden – in contrast with all the other bright and cheery houses in the colourful neighbourhood, sets the mood, and you know this man is definitely up to no good. You sit back with glee, and await the story to unfold. And you are not disappointed. Gru has a disapproving mother (voiced by Julie Andrews), who (as we learn in flashbacks) was emotionally distant during his childhood, and still is. He has tried many schemes to win her
affection and approval, most of which has failed. To crown it all, the new nerdy villain on the block, Vector (Jason Segel) is suddenly a much more attractive option for the Bank of Evil, leaving Gru out in the cold. After Vector outdoes Gru by stealing a pyramid from Egypt, Gru devises a plan to pull off the biggest heist in world history: to shrink and steal the moon! These will surely, and at last, impress Mother and restore his pride and self-respect. But things do not go according to plan, and Vector steals the shrink-ray gun right out of his hands. What’s a super villain to do? Steal the gun right back, of course, and Gru quickly realises, after observing the cookie-selling skills of three very (to him) annoying orphan girls,
Reader Review
The Good
that by adopting them, he can use them to infiltrate Vector’s lair. But what he doesn’t realise at that stage, is that the trio will prove to be his greatest challenge yet. The orphans Margo (Miranda Cosgrove), Edith (Dana Gaier), and Agnes (Elsie Fisher) are not without their own issues. They are forced to sell cookies for the orphanage they live in, which is run by an uncaring woman, more interested in sales quotas than the children she is charged with guarding. So when their new father comes to collect them, they are more than ready to go home with him. The three little girls are irresistibly adorable with a huge “awww” factor, but also very resolute in their own ideas on how little girls should be raised by a “loving and caring” father. Each of them have in their own way a strong will, and they use it! The film is richly textured in both its exquisite animation and storytelling. The character arcs are well-executed, the gadgets and gizmos are awesome to behold, and the eventual tenderness that seeps into Gru’s dark heart is touching without ever being soppy. Gru might be a bad guy, but it’s hard not to like this utterly charming and lovable character, especially when the girls get to him and his softer side begins to shine through. To quote Gru: “It’s like my heart is a tooth, and it’s got a cavity that can only be filled with children”.
At the film’s start, Gru handles the dark comedy, the trio of orphans get the cutesy comedy, and the minions the slapstick. But as the film progresses, these lines begin to blur, building up to a strong emotional finale and a satisfyingly complete tale. There are no loose ends, and no questions are left unanswered. Granted, the tale of rival villains isn’t very original. Nor is the idea of a villain having his heart melted by adorable children. But the way “Despicable Me” blends these two ideas, is absolutely fantastic. There’s humour, action, and heart -- what more could you want from any film? The plot has enough twists and turns to keep things interesting, and the antics of the minions provide lots of fun, although it’s never OTT. The film is being shown in 3-D, and in this case the medium is used so well that it turns the movie into a visual feast, bringing
SCORE:
its underlying emotions into even sharper focus. Watch out for some very amusing antics executed by the minions during the end credits – not to be missed, so pretty please, don’t rush out of the theatre as soon as the words “The End” appears on the screen!
The Bad I really, really can’t think of anything. My final verdict: This movie is definitely worth watching. But beware, your heart has got a cavity that only Gru, his minions and his three little girls can fill! Will I buy the DVD? Oh yes, I can’t wait to add it to my collection, and I’m keeping my eyes peeled for its release. Even without the 3-D effect, it will be a great DVD which will keep children and this grown-up glued to the TV for hours on end.
98%
Editing: 10 Character Development: 10 Cinematography (Camera work) & lighting: 10 Directing: 10 Acting: 10 Set Design/Costumes: 10 Script: 9 Story: 9 Pay off: 10 Sound: 10
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FlashbacK
F l a s h f o r wa r D -
and
-
Looking at the past and future of The Unforgiving. by Alastair Orr My name is Alastair Orr and I’m an addict. I like putting myself through unscrupulous pain time and time again with no reward. People tell me to stop all the time but I can’t. I sacrifice all the things normal people my age have or want for that one ultimate high. My name is Alastair Orr and I’m a South African Filmmaker. I compare making films to taking drugs because that’s what it’s been like for me. Every now and then you get that one high moment when it makes all the hardship worth it, every now and then it all makes sense. And is it worth it? There isn’t a drug in the world that could compete - if you are willing to make the sacrifices. The Unforgiving was never intended to win oscars, the Unforgiving was never meant to be a blockbuster, what it was was a chance for a group of filmmakers to go out and showcase their talent in a genre that they loved. A genre that the American film market is built on. Sam Raimi, James Cameron, Peter Jackson - these are all filmmakers that are making the best movies in the world, and they all started off in this genre. So in that sense, The Unforgiving has worked 34
better than we could ever have imagined. We have funding for our next feature film and very exciting overseas prospects with The Unforgiving - things that we were too scared to dream of when we started making the film. Below is a list of things that I have learnt about making films in South Africa, and are based solely on my experiences. Some of you have had other experiences, some of you have dealt with them in a different way, this is the way I did things and how they did or didn’ t work for me. 1) Use your own money - This way you don’t have to answer to anyone. You can make the film you want to make without any interference and you can take as long as you want to make it. I wouldn’t take out a second mortgage, but invest in a film as a hobby and make a film with what you’ve got. 2) Read Case studies on guerilla filmmakers like Christopher Nolan and Robert Rodriguez. If you get anything out of it it will be inspiration and motivation. 3) You are not going to win an oscar off this film. This is a good thing. Having this attitude allows you to grow a pair of balls and take risks while filming.
4) Don’t promise people money later on for working on the film for free at the moment - the chances are this will not happen and it will just upset the crew later on. People are more than happy to work on a feature film for free just to get their names out.
unanimous flop stateside, but here it did extremely well. Decide, are you going to make a film for South Africans or for a Global audience - we thought we were making the film for South Africans - but it turns out we weren’t.
5) Sell your film in as many markets as possible as quickly as possible. South Africa has a minimal amount of screens and there is an ever growing supply of South African films fighting for the same market. We waited a year to get onto the big screen. We were literally sitting with a finished film for over year before we could do anything with it. This is my biggest regret, but it was out of our hands (Or so we were told)
11) Lower your expectations. You are not going to do Transformers or Lord of the Rings on a South African budget. A South African budget will be defined in a dictionary one day as: The small sum of money South Africans scrape together to make an entire feature film comparable to what Michael Bay spends on Pollyboards per scene in any one of his films.
6) Make sure your poster has some indication it is a local film. Ours did not, so when people went in to see it based purely on the poster, they were expecting a typical American horror film, and with our R40k budget, those expectations could never be met. 7) Push your distributors. Make sure your posters are up on time and your trailers are out when they are supposed to be. If you figure out how to do this, pass on the information to me. 8) Mix in Stereo. Most of the time the projectionists don’t flick the 5.1 switch and your film plays with missing sound. 9) Define your target market and make sure there is one for the film before you start. Don’t make a film and then find a target for it.
12) When you export your Final Mix, get the engineer to export a separate M&E (music and effects) track for you. You will need this if you want the film to go overseas. You do want the film to go overseas. 13) Keep your head high. You will always get some virgin with acne facebooker or youtuber telling you how terrible the film looks and what’s wrong with it. Every film gets this - even Speilburg - so feel privileged that at least you are getting noticed. 14) Write the best script ever written - then all you have to do is film it. 15) No one will die if the film fails. 16) Show the film to friends and family - see what they say and listen to their suggestions. Don’t get too fixated on “your vision”. Look at Lady in the Water.
These are the 16 things I’ve learned from my 10) Don’t look at American success stories first feature film done in South Africa. Some and try and emulate it here. South Africa has of these things are simple and stupid, but I one of the most unpredictable box offices had to learn these nonetheless. in the world. Step Up 3d is regarded as a 35
Blood Create realistic
W ith common h ou se h o ld i t e m s
You don’t have to break the bank in order to create blood that will look good in your home-made movies. This special effect can be achieved quickly and cheaply by using nothing more than everyday household items.
Ingredients: Golden Syrup, Red Food Colouring,
Maizena Cornflour, and Chocolate Syrup.
First, take a bowl and squirt a blob of the Chocolate Syrup into it. This gives the blood a more darker and rich colour. If your blood turns out too bright, simply add more sauce.
Now pour some Golden Syrup over it. The Syrup will add some elasticity to the blood, giving it somewhat of a sticky nature. If it turns out a bit too sticky and doesn’t flow naturally, you can dilute it somewhat by adding a few drops of water to your final mixture.
36
d
Add a splotch of Red Food Colouring for the main colour of the blood. It doesn’t have to be much. One or two caps full should do fine. If your blood turns out too red, you can desaturate it slightly by adding some Maizina Cornflour. Take note that the Food Colouring will stain the skin and clothes, so don’t use clothes that you can’t afford to write off, and don’t leave the blood on your skin for longer than absolutely necessary. Finally, sprinkle some Maizina Cornflour over your concoction to lighten the red a little and make it look more natural. Stir it all together until the colour and texture is smooth. You can add more of the ingredients depending on the outcome that you’re looking for. To make it richer in colour, add more Chocolate Syrup. To make it more sticky and elastic, add Golden Syrup. To make it more red, add Food Colouring.
Congratulations! You’ve just made non-toxic blood that looks real, using nothing more than common items found in your average household. The trick is to keep playing and experimenting until you have exactly what you’re looking for.
There are tons of other ways of achieving the same or even better results. If you know of another way to make realistic blood, please log into the forums on the .MOV-e site and share your findings with our other members. Send us your snaps of your creations using blood, and if they’re good, we’ll post them in our upcoming issues. Next, we’ll build on this tutorial and show you how to create Zombie-like flesh wounds. 37
First we’ve created blood with common household items. Now we’ll kick it up a gear and show you how you can create a realistic flesh wound for as little as R74.00, including VAT. Required: 1 x bottle or tub of Liquid Latex 1 x vial of blood as per the previous tutorial 4 x blocks of toilet paper A standard makeup kit A few grains of coffee Some cotton wool or tissue paper Hair Dryer (optional) A little practice A LOT of patience First, dab your finger in the latex and create a base for your wound. This base will come in handy when applying makeup and also when removing the wound. Allow the base to dry before moving on to step 2. You can use a hair dryer to speed up the process. This thin layer of latex should turn completely invisible by the time it’s completely dry.
38
Next, take the block of toilet paper and roll it into a cigarettelike shape. Coat it in latex using 2 fingers to smear it gently over the paper and then place it in a crescent shape on the spot you would like to apply the wound to. Use more latex to secure the toilet paper to the arm and gently blow dry to firm the latex and keep the tissue in place.
Use the second block of toilet paper and also roll that into a cigarette shape like above. Close the wound from the other side to create a small dam-like shape. This will be used to pool the blood. Now add more latex and toilet paper as you see fit to create a more gentle taper towards the outer rim of the wound.
After the latex has dried completely (can take quite some time, so be patient), apply base makeup and whatever else you need to make the latex blend in with the skin. Use a base colour that best matches your skintone. Use dark makeup to colour the inside of the wound. Mix a dark red with a light purple or experiment with whatever colours work best for you. 39
Remember the blood that we created in the previous tutorial? Well, this is where you get to use it! Fill the inside of the wound with the blood. The “walls” of the wound should keep the blood neatly pooled inside.
Now take a sponge and dip it in the blood. Now gently dab areas around the wound and the wall with the blood. Spread it as thick and far as your particular wound requires. TIP: Sometimes less is more. Rather apply too little and then carefully spread as you see fit than to apply too much and mess up all the hard work up to that point. Tear off small pieces of cotton wool or tissue paper and place it inside the wound. Add more blood over it and it will become darker than other parts of the wound. This will add more ‘texture’ to the wound than just plain blood. TIP: Take a few grains of coffee and mix it into the blood to add darker spots which will give the wound a more gritty look. Don’t use too much, or your blood will change from red to brown. 40
Finally, add your prop knife if required and voila! You’ve just created a gruesome flesh wound that would disturb even the most die-hard movie fans.
The trick is to play with the latex to test various types of wounds and how they react with the blood. An alternative type of wound is to add four to seven layers of latex on top of each other and then to tear it from the middle and peel it outward like a banana peel. The main idea is to experiment and have fun :)
Need Latex? Pia van Rensburg was kind enough to put us in touch with Plastocure, a small company with LARGE quantaties of latex. We managed to get a 1KG tub for R74.00 including VAT. One tub like this should be able to create several hundred or even thousands of flesh wounds like the one in this tutorial. To get yourself a tub today and play, play, play!
Plastocure Physical Address: 6 Lynburn Road Lynnwood manor
Upload your creations to the forums or e-mail them to info@mov-e.co.za
Tel: (012) 365 1364 / Fax: (012) 365 2851 E-mail: info@plastocure.co.za
W
We spent the day at
When you’re in need of vital support, you need the best there is! You need...
ABF
The
Team
by Leora Haynes The South African film and television industry is as challenging as it is exciting. Steadily growing and putting our country on the map with the likes of District 9, Tsotsi and Jerusalema, and proudly South African shows such as Vodacom Thumbwars and Carte Blanche, Mzanzi is proving to be a vast field of gold for many. However, where there are UFO’s, celebrity snapshots and star-studded premieres, there is also the path one must take to get there and that path is often paved in Rands, scorching the heels of those who can’t afford to pay the price.
goes through to assist those in need. In 2008 the ABF paid out grants of aid to the value of R338 000. (I guess you could say they’re the Robin Hoods of the industry. Minus the “steal from the rich” part) So how do I get involved? You must be thinking. Well, any company which falls under the industry sectors of advertising, media and marketing may become a Corporate Member and individuals who would like membership can become members with an annual fee of R310 (R28.50 per month on debit order.) Membership also has its benefits from free lifeline counselling to discounts on air tickets.
This is where the spotlight turns to the ABF. The Advertising Benevolent Fund was founded fortyone years ago with the help of generous donations from various media publications- independent newspaper company-The Argus and Readers Digest magazine to help those in the industry who have fallen by difficult times. It is however, a non-profit organisation, relying solely on membership fees, fundraising and support from others in order to flourish.
If you are interested in further affiliation with the ABF, please contact:
From events of a serious nature like the President’s Cup Golf days to others with a more relaxed feel, such as bowling events, this is what the organization
Until we meet again Sirs and Ladies, Take Care! Lee
E-mail: sharlene@abf.co.za Tel: +27 83 452 6191 Fax: 086 518 4980 Sharlene Vallance is the Vice president of the foundation and has been involved for over fifteen years.
45
Local film of the Month: Review
! ! ! EW
I V RE
This month everybody’s liefling, is... Liefling M
ost people will think; Musical... nah, Local... naah, Afrikaans... naaah, but this time round avid movie goers will have quite something to talk about. It has been many years since South Africa has produced an Afrikaans film of this calibre and even more so a Musical. Liefling takes us back on a nostalgic journey through time, culture and heritage. It is a breath of fresh air which can only be rewarding to our local industry. The basic story revolves around the local lass, Liefling, and heartthrob, Jan, who fall in love during the holidays. The green-eyed, Melanie, is not going to let Jan slip through her fingers and tries everything possible to steel his heart from Liefling. It is a typical boy meets girl, boy loses girl, boy meets girl again kind of chick-flick.
46
The film is very good technically. It has a few minor hiccups here and there like some focus problems and a couple of lighting errors which could have been better. The spot on choreography and extravagant sets at least make up for these issues. The editing is a tad slow in places and maybe tries to incorporate too many techniques which can become slightly distracting. The overall impression is of a high standard though and sets some new benchmarks for local filmmakers. The biggest problems occur within the story itself unfortunately. The plot is quite thin and the motivations for what, where and how the characters operate is not presented as properly as it could have been. There is not enough chemistry between the characters and the resulting actions are thus not emotionally achieved or supported. The lack in certain acting scenarios
is understandable, due to the fact that a lot of the cast consists of singers rather than actors, but at least the characters are warm and well rounded. The other minor/sub storylines work well to support the main theme. I suppose one can find fault in any of the best critically acclaimed films and this is definitely not the intention here. Although Liefling consists of these minor problems, it gives almost every other locally produced film a run for its money. It is going to become an all-round crowd pleaser and that is what is needed for audiences to start supporting the industry. It is not vulgar, pretentious or even tries to be politically correct; it is pure and simple entertainment at its best.
The Good
In the end this was a nice trip down memory lane and will go down as one of the years’ highlights. Go see it for what it is and I can assure you that you will be in for quite a treat. This might be the spark for a lot of independent filmmakers and very soon, hopefully, we will see a lot more of these top quality productions.
This film sets a new benchmark technically and in terms of overall production quality. It is honest family entertainment for a change and is all and all a feel good experience.
The Bad The plotline could have been somewhat more intriguing and motivated. The film is lengthy, which in turn means that the editing needed some tidying up. Maybe it could have done with a song or two less. This is all really nitpicking and should only be regarded as constructive criticism.
SCORE:
80%
Editing: 7 Character Development: 7 Cinematography (Camera work) & lighting: 9 Directing: 8 Acting: 8 Set Design/Costumes: 9 Script: 7 Story: 8 Pay off: 8 Sound: 9
Classics Case study nr. V
“The length of a film should be directly related to the endurance of the human bladder...�
film production for a production company’s branch in London, which would later become Paramount Pictures. He received a full-time position in 1920, designing the titles for silent movies and it took him five years to work from designer to film director. Hitchcock enjoyed technical challenges of film making, for example in his film Lifeboat; he stages the entire action of the movie on a small boat. The film, Rope, was made as if the film was shot completely using only a single take.
With
the Halloween festivities recently out of the way, the best choice for this month’s classic article can belong to no other than the infamous, father of horror; Alfred Hitchcock. The Master of Suspense was born on 13 August 1899 in Leytonstone, London and he passed away on 29 April 1980 at the age of 80 in the United States. He was Roman Catholic and the youngest of three children of William Hitchcock, a greengrocer and poulterer, and Emma Jane Hitchcock. Alfred was named after his uncle. His education began at a Jesuit Classic school, St. Ignatius’ College in Stamford Hill, London. Hitchcock, also known as Hitch, often described his childhood as being very lonely. On numerous occasions he said that his father sent him to the local police station with a note asking the officer to lock him away for ten minutes as punishment for behaving naughty. His mother would often make him address her while standing at the foot of her bed, especially if he behaved badly, forcing him to stand there for hours. Because he was so frequently treated harshly and been wrongfully accused it is often displayed in his films. An example will be the portrayal of the character, Norman Bates, in his film; Psycho. When Hitchcock was 14 his father died. After he graduated he became a draftsman and advertising designer for a cable company. It was during this period that he became intrigued by photography. He started working as a title-card designer on a
Over a career spanning more than a half a century, Sir Alfred Joseph Hitchcock fashioned an individual and recognisable directorial method, directing more than fifty feature films. He was regarded as the greatest British filmmaker. He pioneered many techniques in the suspense and psychological thriller genres, with the camera that moves in a way meant to imitate a person’s gaze, forcing the audience to engage in a form of voyeurism, becoming a trademark. Hitchcock manipulates the feelings of the viewer with his framed shots and he will emphasize on the viewer’s anxiety, fear or empathy, and use original film editing to reveal the point of view of his characters. His stories are known to have twist endings and thrilling plots featuring a picture of violence, murder and crime. Hitchcock’s films also borrow many themes from psychoanalysis and feature strong sexual undertones. Film critics believed he did more than any other director to shape modern cinema and without him, there would have been a gap left in film history.
Through his cameo appearances in his own films, interviews, trailers, and the television program; Alfred Hitchcock Presents, he became an iconic cultural figure. Hitchcock’s first few films, unfortunately, faced a string of terrible luck. His first directing project Number 13 in 1922, was cancelled due to financial problems. His second feature as director in 1925, was given to him by Michael Balcon of Gainsborough Pictures with the film, The Pleasure Garden, made in Germany. Unfortunately the film was a commercial flop. The Mountain Eagle was next and was another financial lost. His fortune changed with his first thriller, The Lodger: A Story of the London Fog. The film released in January 1927, being a major commercial and critical success in the UK. This film was also influenced by Expressionist techniques, which Hitchcock had witnessed first-hand in Germany. Commentators regard this film as the first truly “Hitchcockian” film. Alfred married Alma Reville, his closest collegue and assistant director, on 2nd December 1926 in South Kensington. He felt that she gave a major input to his films and he always privately acknowledged it, as she was not keen on public attention. On 7 July 1928, their only child, Patricia was born. Hitchcock’s tenth film Blackmail in 1929, is frequently considered to be the first British sound feature film, when the studio decided to convert the film to sound. With the film The Man Who Knew Too Much, in 1934, he worked for Michael Balcon again, this time the film was a success. The following year he made the film, The 39 Steps, which is often regarded as one of the best films from his early period. This film was the first to introduce the concept of the “Macuffin”, which is a plot device around which a whole story revolves, but ultimately has nothing to do with the true meaning or ending of the story. The next major success was the film The Lady Vanishes, which was a fast-paced film
made in 1938, about an old lady who disappears while on board a train. The first American movie Hitchcock made was Rebecca, which was set in England and based on a novel by English author, Daphne du Maurier. This was the fourth longest of Hitchcock’s films, being 130 minutes long. Topaz was his longest film being 142 minutes long. Rebecca won the Academy Award for Best Picture in 1940. Hitchcock made his second American film in 1940. An European-set thriller, Foreign Correspondent, filmed during the first year of World War II. It was apparently motivated by the swiftly changing events in Europe. The following year Hitchcock made the film, Mr. & Mrs. Smith (not similar to the 2005 film) a romantic comedy. The film Suspicion (1941) was the first film where Hitchcock was the producer as well as the director. Saboteur was made the following year and it was the first of two films that Hitchcock made through Universal Studios, forcing him to use Universal contract actors. Hitchcock’s personal favourite film of all of his films was his 1943 film, Shadow of a Doubt, about a young girl who suspects her favourite uncle of being a serial killer. In 1944 Hitchcock worked at 20th Century, to adapt a script of John Steinbeck for the film Lifeboat, with the sequences shot on a small boat. Because of this limited space of the boat, it left Alfred’s cameo appearance to a problem, but it was soon solved when they printed his image on a newspaper that the main character reads while on the boat. Hitchcock filmed his first colour film, Rope, which appeared in 1948. In this film he experimented with suspense in a confined environment and also with exceptionally long takes – up to ten minutes long. The film looks as though it is shot in one take. The film is about two students, who kills another student and puts his body in a big drawer. They then invite student friends and professors over to see if
To Catch a Thief was made in 1955 and in 1956 Hitchcock successfully remade his own 1934 film The Man Who Knew Too Much. Alfred Hitchcock’s final film for Warner Brothers, was The Wrong Man in 1957, it was a low-key black-and-white production based on a real-life case of mistaken identity. In 1958, Hitchcock filmed Vertigo, about a man with an obsession with a woman. Though the film is widely considered a classic today, the film received negative reviews and had poor box office takings upon its release. After this film Hitchcock made three more successful films: North by Northwest (1959) another film about mistaken identity, Psycho (1960) to be considered as his most famous film and The Birds (1963).
they will be caught out in an attempt to pull off the perfect murder.
In 1972, Hitchcock returned to London to film, Frenzy, his last major triumph. In this film Alfred allowed nudity and profane language, which had always been prohibited in his films. Family Plot in 1976 was Hitchcock’s last film though. Near the end of his life, Hitchcock had worked on the script for a projected spy thriller, which was never filmed due to his own failing health and that of his wife, Alma.
In 1949 Hitchcock formed a production company with Sidney Bernstein called Transatlantic Pictures. In 1950, he filmed Stage Fright, this was the first production for Warner Bros., which had distributed Rope and Under Capricorn, because Hitchcock’s production company experienced financial difficulties and was eventually closed.
Alfred Hitchcock died peacefully in his sleep on 29 April 1980 at 9h17, his body was cremated and his ashes were scattered over the Pacific Ocean. He was a filmmaking phenomenon. He wasn’t only a maker, but also a creator. Many have, and will, try to follow in his footsteps. May this classic Director be remembered for many years to come.
Strangers on a Train in 1951 was based on the novel by Patricia Highsmith, Hitchcock combined many elements from his preceding films. The film is about two men that meet on a train and they speculate on removing people who are causing them difficulty, with one of the men taking this banter entirely seriously. Dial M for Murder was adapted from the popular stage play by Frederick Knott. It is with this film that Hitchcock experimented with 3D cinematography, although it was not released on this format, but was later released in the early 1980s. In 1954 Hitchcock worked with Paramount Pictures and filmed Rear Window. Concerning a man that must temporarily use a wheelchair and out of boredom he begins observing his neighbours across the courtyard and becomes convinced one of them has murdered his wife.
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One day on set with
Linda Korsten
D
uring the filming of ‘Liefling, die Movie’ we worked with a very small production team and as the Producer, Paul Krüger says, ‘we did it our way!’
My designation was: Co-Producer, but whatever that means, that is not all I did. Together with Christa van der Walt, the Production Manager, I was in charge of the following: scheduling, bookings of actors and singers, bookings of sound studios, organizing locations and making sure everything was okay there, booking of catering, finances and payments every week, seeing that the script and the schedules for each day was done, organizing the rides to and from Johannesburg and Hartbeespoort, liaising with the actors and singers, etc. etc. A typical day in my life during the filming of ‘Liefling, die Movie’ was: 54
• Getting up at 05h00 to get everything and myself ready for the day • Arriving at the studio at about 06h00 with the scripts, call sheets etc. and seeing that everybody was there who should be there. Most of the time we started off at the Hartiwood Studio in
Hartbeespoort and then moved from there to the location. During the following hour or two I saw to it that everybody got breakfast and something to drink as well as had their make-up and hair done. • At about 08h30 we moved to the location where we had
to film that day. Sometimes I went with the crew, but other days I had to see that everything was organized for the next few days. During filming, Christa doubled up as AD, so she wasn’t available to organise things. • During the day I would go back to my office, see to it that the locations were in place, the actor’s bookings were made and that the following days’ catering etc were booked. Some of the locations took ages to organise e.g. closing the Hartbeespoortdam wall for a day, so that we could film one of the last dance scenes there. One had to get permission from Water Affairs, the Police, the Traffic Police and the Municipality of Madibeng. Getting hold of most of these departments was a nightmare. I had to phone, have meetings and remind them almost every day and then was lucky to get final permission a day or 2 before the time!!! • During lunch time I would try and go to the set to see that everything was okay. Sometimes there were a few things to organise, but we were quite on top of everything. • At the end of the day everything had to be in place for the next day – making sure everybody knew they were on call, checking with the
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different locations, seeing to it that everybody had a lift, etc. I also had to make sure that the music for each day was finished. Because we were busy with a musical, this was of the utmost importance, because the actors and singers had to get the music before the time to practice their miming and we had to have it on the day of filming to play back to them. When the filming for the day was finished, so was the crew!! I had to get notes from the director, Brian Webber, for the next day’s shoot. After seeing to it that my family at home had supper and were organised, I would start typing out the notes for the next day, as well as the changes on the script, the call sheets, making copies, etc. At about 12h00 in the night, I would go to bed, just to start again the next day.
Some days I would be on set for the whole day, depending on how big the cast was for the day. We had 4 days where the whole cast (about 24) as well as extras and dancers were involved. On those days I would be on set the whole day, as well as some of the other BIG days. On Thursdays I had to see that all the invoices were received so that they could be paid by Fridays. January and February 2010 were
hectic with the filming of ‘Liefling, die Movie’, but even though we were a small team, we are all (including cast and crew) very proud of the movie and hope that all South Africans would love and appreciate it and walk out of the movie theatres with a smile on their faces, humming the tunes they heard in the movie.
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Different titles, different jobs! What do they all mean? Our journey continues with our credit list, as we bring you some basic definitions of the most common job titles in film and television... Script Supervisor: A script supervisor is also generally known as the continuity person. Since films are not always shot in chronological order, the script supervisor keeps track of what parts of the script have been filmed and makes notes of any deviations between what was actually filmed and what appeared in the script. They make notes on every shot, and keep track of props, blocking, and other details to ensure continuity from shot to shot and scene to scene. The script supervisor works in close conjunction with the director.
Storyboard artist: The storyboard artist meets with the director of the film who describes his or her idea of the camera shots, camera angles, camera placement and action of the actors of the film. The artist draws the shots the director described. This allows the film crew to have a visual idea of what the director wants in the scene. This can prevent a lot of wasted time in filming aspects of the scene that are not what the director is looking for. Usually in black and white and drawn with a pencil within a rectangle which represents what the camera actually will see in the viewfinder. Set Dresser: The set dresser is responsible for everything on a set except props that are essential to the scene. The set dresser selects items like drapes, artwork, bed linens, dishes and anything else, to make the set a realistic environment. They work closely with the Set Decorator. Location Scout: Does the actual research, footwork and photography to document location possibilities. This is crucial for finding the perfect location. Many elements can influence the decision on using or not using a certain location. This can be anything from noise factors (Maybe it’s too close to an airport or highway which will make the sound recording difficult), to things such as availability, permissions, weather, budget constraints etc. Composer: The composer is responsible for writing the musical score for a film. This can sometimes be what makes or breaks a film and the composer has a huge responsibility in enhancing the overall mood and feel. Foley Artist: The foley artist creates sounds that cannot be properly recorded during the shoot. This often includes creating footsteps, thunder, creaking doors and even the sound of punches during a fight scene. These are then laid into the soundtrack as if part of the original sound. It creates extra mood, atmosphere and an overall fullness to the film’s sound.
To be continued... 57
Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaand CUT!