Screen Africa April 2015

Festival m il f s e n Can

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BROADCAST, FILM, TV, COMMERCIALS, NEW MEDIA & TECHNOLOGY NEWS

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| IN THIS ISSUE

12 #SAFTAs15

30

18 Raising Africa’s undead

OB full speed ahead

28

19

Elements of cinema: Into the wild

Take two: Ballade vir ‘n Enkeling

Special Features SAFTAs 2015 #SAFTAs15 .......................................... 12 SAFTAs 2015 winners list:................ 13 Seen at SAFTAs 2015..............48 – 51

asset management............................... 38

Localised BET channel to feature

FESTIVALS

Go with the flow................................ 40

on DStv Premium.................................. 8

FESPACO 2015.................................... 22

Ikegami HDK-65C 2/3-inch

Cannes Film Festival

3-CMOS portable camera................ 10

‘From our streets to the world’...... 24

News Ministry of Communications makes final amendments to DTT policy....... 3

EVS LSM Connect............................... 10 Sony PMW-PZ1 playback

Documentary

Outside Broadcast

Zambia gears up for

OB full speed ahead........................... 30

digital migration...................................... 3

Alfacam SA here to stay.................... 32

Independent Ugandan production

SABC OB upgrades microwave

house to launch new travel

and tracking capabilities..................... 33

and tourism series................................. 4

ADCETERA

One World Media provides OB

NFVF Box Office report shows

Mobile ad muscle................................ 14

solutions for emerging producers... 34

decline in audiences for local films.... 6

To succeed, ‘fail harder’...................... 15

Sabido eAcademy reaches

Telemedia helps broadcast

SA short to feature at Cannes........... 8

Albany cares......................................... 16

out to the industry............................. 42

Lesotho elections................................ 35

ITV Choice to launch on

Isibaya promo sparks

A busy year ahead.............................. 36

DStv across Africa.................................. 8

viewer suspense.................................. 16

Regulars

Ryan O’Connor will host

The Magic is in the doing.................. 17

Box Office............................................. 43

Media ASSET MANAGEMENT

M-Net’s Power Couple............................ 8

Media asset management for

Dubai production company

the digital transformation................. 37

opens SA branch.................................... 8

Managing media workflows.............. 38

SA invited to present draft

One workflow, multiple

regulations on RPAS.............................. 8

and storage solution for 4K/ HD.... 10 Imagine CloudXtream end-to-end video distribution platform............... 10

Elements of Cinema: Into the Wild........................................ 28

NEW MEDIA APP-titude............................................. 41

Training & Education

Production Updates................44 – 47

FILM Raising Africa’s undead....................... 18 Take two: Ballade vir ‘n Enkeling........ 19

Events..................................................... 47 Social...................................................... 52

Director Speak: Kivu Ruhorahoza.. 20

platforms – today’s 4K media

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From the editor

The Team

Technology or people?

As we gathered material for our outside broadcast feature this month, it was not so much the technologies and practices of OB that made the biggest impression on me.

Generally speaking the technology is what it is; facilities competing on the same level of the market have more or less the same toys so it is not their inventories that set them apart from one another. What became clear as we spoke to the various providers is that while this is certainly a sector of the industry with a heavy technological base, it is actually human resources that give it the edge. There’s no doubt that outside broadcast is a capital intensive exercise and it’s always exciting to see what new equipment has been introduced to the market, but clients won’t make choices about which facility to use based on who has the best vision mixer or audio desk. Service and relationships are the factors that will drive their decisions. This is becoming more and more obvious as more service providers enter the market. I should add that, while OB is our focus here, the trend exists throughout the film, television and media industries.

Related to the shift in emphasis in the industry from technology to service, another interesting trend became apparent to us this month: increasingly, established players are beginning to understand that they need to play an active role in developing the industry and transferring skills and knowledge to the next generation. Some expressed concern at a shortage of high-level technicians in the emerging generation. Instead of complaining about this lack, many are taking active steps to remedy it, both through providing training to new technical staff and by making their facilities available to start-up production companies at affordable prices, thus lowering barriers to entry. A long-lost concept that seemed outmoded a decade ago is making a return to the industry – the notion of apprenticeship.

Our training and education feature, which was meant to be included in this edition but has now been moved out to May, will cover in more depth the steps being taken to increase the human and intellectual capital of the industry.

Actions such as those mentioned above are very refreshing.

Historically, the tight deadlines and need for immediacy have meant that professionals in film and television have not been known for their patience with ‘newbies’ and the small size of the market pie has meant that people have generally been reluctant to share their slices. Now, as technology makes the job more streamlined (and thus makes deadlines easier to meet) and the pie does appear to be gradually growing, this situation seems to be changing for the better, though the transformation is a slow one.

On a different note, the Screen Africa team would like to congratulate all the 2015 SAFTA winners.

– Warren Holden

Editor Warren Holden is a writer and journalist whose lifelong love of film and television prompted him to study for his BA in Motion Picture Medium at AFDA Johannesburg, specialising in writing and directing. After graduating, he worked for three years in the television industry before following his aptitude for writing into the world of publishing. He then worked for five years as assistant editor on the arts and culture publication Classicfeel, before taking the helm of Screen Africa, where his experiences in the separate streams of motion picture and publishing have finally come together. In addition to his work on Screen Africa, he is also hard at work developing stories for film and television and studying for a second degree in economics and African politics.

IN-HOUSE JOURNALISTS Carly Barnes is a writer, journalist and self-professed documentary geek. Before joining Screen Africa, Carly completed a BA honours degree in Live Performance at AFDA Johannesburg, was named one of Mail & Guardian’s Top 200 Young South Africans (2011) and wrote and performed a one woman show at the Grahamstown National Arts Festival. She ran a small entertainment and production company for more than six years before she began a professional writing career – as a contributor to Oprah Magazine. When she isn’t blogging, exploring the local festival scene or dreaming about travelling abroad, Carly is connecting with creative leaders and filmmakers who are shaping the future of content creation on the continent.

Chanelle Ellaya is a writer and a journalist. She completed her BA Journalism degree at the University of Johannesburg in 2011. While writing is her passion, she has a keen interest in the media in various capacities: In 2012 she co-presented the entertainment and lifestyle show Top Entertainment on TopTV and later that year she was handpicked as part of a panel of five dynamic young Africans to interview Winnie Madikizela-Mandela on a youth focused television show called MTV Meets.

Chanelle is an avid social networker and a firm believer in the power of social and online networking. Between writing and tweeting, she finds time to feed her love for live music.

SCREENAFRICA Publisher & Managing Editor: Simon Robinson: publisher@screenafrica.com Editor: Warren Holden: editor@screenafrica.com Journalists: Carly Barnes: carly@screenafrica.com Chanelle Ellaya: news@screenafrica.com Contributors: Claire Diao, Andy Stead, Ian Dormer, Louise Marsland, Sam Charo, Gethsemane Mwizabi

Sub-Editor: Tina Heron Design: Trevor Ou Tim: design@sun-circle.co.za Website & Production Updates: Chanelle Ellaya: news@screenafrica.com Subscriptions: Tina Tserere: tina@sun-circle.co.za Delight Ngwenya: admin@sun-circle.co.za Accounts: Natasha Glavovic: accounts@sun-circle.co.za

CONTRIBUTORS Sam Charo is an independent writer, producer and filmmaker based in Nairobi, Kenya. His passion is sharing great stories about the continent with rest of the world.

Claire Diao is a French and Burkinabe cinema journalist. A member of the Burkinabe Film Critic Organisation, she covers the African film industry for various international media and moderates the Afrikamera Festival in Berlin each year.

Since 2013, she has curated a short film touring programme, Quartiers Lointains, which is held in both Europe and Africa. In 2015, she, together with various African film critics, launched Awotele, a digital magazine that focuses on African cinema.

Ian Dormer – ‘Technophile (n) – a person who loves or is enthusiastic about advanced technology.’ Born in Zimbabwe, Ian has been in the TV business since the 1980s, having served in various positions at the SABC, MNet and SuperSport.

He has carved his career path by embracing technology, breaking it and fixing it again…just better than it was! Ian currently works and resides in New Zealand.

Louise Marsland is a veteran editor and journalist with over 20 years experience in the advertising, media, marketing and communications industries. Based in Cape Town, South Africa, she worked as the editor of AdVantage and Marketing Mix magazines, as well as industry portal Bizcommunity. com. She is currently publishing editor of TRENDAFRiCA.co.za, and an industry columnist, speaker and content specialist.

Gethsemane Mwizabi is an accomplished Zambian photo journalist with several awards to his credit in a career spanning over 10 years in the industry.

Although he has covered many subjects in his work, he is biased towards entertainment (film and music), tourism and development stories.

Based in Ndola, he has travelled extensively and currently works for one of Zambia’s leading daily newspapers, Times of Zambia.

Andy Stead is a broadcast industry professional with over 40 years’ experience in both South Africa and the United Kingdom, having applied his trade at a number of leading industry organisations including the BBC and MNet. Now retired, he remains an active contributor to technical publications in the fields of film, television, broadcast, motoring and travel. He is based in Cape Town.

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South Africa | Zambia

Ministry of Communications makes final amendments to DTT policy In what must surely be the final gambit by government towards laying the groundwork for digital migration, the South African Ministry of Communications gazetted the latest amendments to its Broadcasting Digital Migration Policy on 18 March.

Aside from the obvious changes relating to shifting deadlines, the amendments reflected the recent policy discussions around set-top-box control. The ruling party, the African National Congress (ANC), at its first policy lekgotla of 2015, advised Minister Faith Muthambi that “government must move with the necessary speed” to meet the international deadline and called for “the finalisation of the digital migration process to support broadband roll out”. This was taken by members of the opposition and the press to mean that the ANC supported encryption in the set-top boxes (STBs) that will be rolled out to facilitate digital terrestrial television (DTT), even though no such stipulation appears to have been made at the lekgotla. Because STB encryption was accepted by the Communications Department over a year

ago, it would simply be more expedient to continue along that route and so it was assumed that the ANC’s call for speed amounted to an endorsement of STB control.

As a result of this assumption, the public was thoroughly confused when Minister Muthambi announced not long after the lekgotla that government would not be including encryption in its subsidised STBs. The STBs are a transitional measure that will enable owners of analogue television sets to continue watching the free-to-air (FTA) channels to which they are accustomed, by decoding the digital signals transmitted by the broadcasters to allow for viewing on analogue sets. The debate that has raged for the past few years has been about whether or not the STBs should include an encryption system much like one would find in decoders for subscription television services.

Although the policy in this regard is now finalised, the waters, from a layman’s point of view, still seem rather muddy. The policy seems to reflect the compromise taken by the department under the previous

FINAL GAMBIT: DVB-T2 set-top boxes much like this one will soon be rolled out across South Africa minister, Yunus Carrim, which stated that STB encryption or control would be included but would not be mandatory. The current amendments say the following: “[STBs will] have a control system to prevent government subsidised free-to-air DTT STBs from functioning in non-South African DTT networks” (paragraph 5.1.2.2) “[STBS will] have a robust control system that will be used to benefit the TV households by ensuring that they continue to receive free-to-air broadcasting services in their existing analogue television sets.”

Three new paragraphs have been inserted into section 5 of the policy document stipulating that the STB control system “will be non-mandatory”; “will not have the capabilities to encrypt broadcast signals for subsidised STBs”; will be “used to protect government investment in the subsidised STB market,” thus supporting

Zambia gears up for digital migration In readiness for the historical migration from analogue to digital transmission, the Zambian government through its line ministry, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting Zambia, recently launched the first ever national Digital Migration Policy.

The launch of the policy is in line with the deadline set by the United Nations International Telecommunication Union (ITU) for countries across the world to migrate from analogue to digital broadcasting by 15 June 2015.

The national broadcaster, Zambia National Broadcasting Corporation (ZNBC), formerly Zambia Broadcasting Services (ZBS), and other private television stations like Muvi, are working round the clock to beat the deadline. Zambia’s

number one private television station has already taken a lead on that with eight channels on its new decoders. MuviTV over a year ago launched MPEG4 decoders and announced plans aligned to digital TV migration, featuring a new bouquet of channels, including Muvi TV, Africa Unite, Muvi Muviz, Muvi Combo, Prism Africa plus two more channels.

As for ZNBC, the public broadcaster recently launched test digital transmissions. So far, government has split the rollout of digital migration in the country into three phases to ensure sustainability. Phase one is for the installation of digital transmitters, while phase two is for the installation of studio equipment at ZNBC and digital television transmitters in the provincial centres. Phase

three will involve coverage of areas beyond the main centres.

The change from analogue to digital is in compliance with the provisions of the Geneva 2006 (GE06) Digital TV Broadcasting plan. The plan is intended to transform the old analogue television plan (174-230MHz and 470-862MHz). With digital transmission, up to eight digital television channels can be transmitted on a spectrum formerly reserved for a single analogue channel.

As a result of increased capacity, some spectrum will be freed up for use by broadband wireless access services. Other than capacity increase, digital transmission delivers superior quality with value-added services such as tele-text and online programming guides, as well as

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the local electronic manufacturing sector; and leave the decision open to specific broadcasters as to whether or not they wish to encrypt their content, depending on what kind of service they are providing to the public.

Another amendment states that the satellite multiplex allocated to FTA broadcast should cover 84 per cent of the coverage needed to reach South Africa’s population. The remaining 16 per cent, which will be out of reach of DTT coverage, will be covered by an FTA, direct-to-home satellite network, which will have a footprint covering the entire country. This is to ensure that by the time analogue switch-off takes place, 100 per cent of the population will have access to FTA television, regardless of whether they can receive DTT signals or not.

The document claims that South Africa currently has 13 million TV-owning households, of which about 65 per cent rely exclusively on FTA services.

Government has wisely set no specific date for digital switch-on or analogue switch-off, conscious of the fact that the 15 June deadline is just around the corner and cannot realistically be met. The document states only that these dates “will respectively be determined by the Minister of Communications in consultation with the Cabinet.” – Warren Holden

e-Governance and e-Commerce.

According to Zambia’s Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, a National Task Force on Digital Migration was set up to make recommendations and generally oversee the national digital migration process. The operations of the Task Force are managed by a National Steering Committee composed of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting Services, Communications Authority and Zambia National Broadcasting Corporation.

As the situation currently stands, five African nations have already completed the transition to digital, while the remaining countries are at various stages of preparedness for the changeover, with some looking certain to make the deadline while others are less likely to do so. It can only be hoped that Zambia will fall in the former group.

– Gethsemane Mwizabi

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UGANDA

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Independent Ugandan production house to launch new travel and tourism series Uganda is one of the most vibrant artistic destinations of the East African frontier, hemmed with beautiful hills and enriched with rivers, the country boasts natural scenes that can be captured cinematically in film, thereby offering to a curious audience a panoptic feeling that will leave them with an authentic Ugandan taste.

Isaac Nekemiah Oboth is a visionary 26-year-old Ugandan with one aim; to give the rest of the world an African story that has no equal.

“I dream of an Africa that will tell its story with the best available means to the rest of the world, where it’s appreciated and regarded on the same level of quality as the ones that Hollywood offers to us.”

Isaac, a second born in a family of two was orphaned at seven; knows too well the tough life of fighting for meals and scraping through life from an early age.

“In life you have to dream,” he says. “If you have no dream, you have no vision, you have nothing to live for, and you’re dead, because hope is not a part of you, I had to keep my hope alive and nudge forward.”

In 2010, Isaac founded Media 256; a film and TV production outfit that seeks to produce quality video and

photography work for clients in Uganda.

“I started my company from scratch,” says the proud CEO. “I had to volunteer to offer quality services after I saw big brands that are known the world over with poor video adverts and I knew I had a niche.”

Initially he offered his services for free to these organisations hoping that they would come back to him in future for return business.

“Eventually they called me up and said they like my work and offered to pay for a short film they wanted done and from that moment on life’s never been the same for me.”

With the money he got from his fast gig, he bought his first filming kit, hired two friends of his in film production and rented an apartment to serve as his studio. This launched his career and led his peers and other clients to regard him seriously as a filmmaker.

“I taught myself film production from watching YouTube videos and I wanted to work with people like me.” He beams. “That’s why it was easy for me to choose these pals of mine who had gone through similar experience of teaching themselves film production through

unconventional means.”

This ambitious filmmaker is a recipient of numerous awards, among them the Young Achievers Award for Film and Television, presented by the President of Uganda in company of the Rwandese President and the Queen of Buganda in 2011. He was an Anzisha Award finalist in 2012 .

“I have a dream for this great country,” he says. “That dream is to bring the world’s attention to African film and share stories that are so unique and yet so interesting, which will shape the future of African storytelling and cinema.”

The filmmaker offers volunteer lectures at Artfield Institute of Design for young men and women who are interested in the arts.

“You have to give back,” he opines. “It was not easy for me when I started but that doesn’t make it any harder for me to give back to the community that has molded me into shape.”

Media 256 has expanded in leaps and bounds; it now employs seven full time workers, as well as almost 20 on call. The firm has a client base ranging from Africa Leadership Academy to Ethiopian Commodities Exchange to international

VISIONARY WITH AN AIM: Isaac Oboth NGOs and the list keeps going on and on.

“I feel humbly proud to everyone that has been supportive of my journey.” He says with a tinge of emotion. “When I decided to do this, my aim was not to make just money but to change and shape the art of film production in this great country.”

With an active creative team behind him, Oboth has just completed a TV series titled My Uganda showcasing its untapped tourist locations in Uganda.

The project is going to be his first among other projects that they are producing with M-Net. “I believe this is going to be a game changer,” he hints. “We as Media 256 want to share Uganda’s beauty with the rest of the world and this will not only attract revenue for us but for the country as well.”

The series will be shot on a Canon 5D MK III with Canon EF / EF-S mount Lenses. – Sam Charo

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South AfricA

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NFVF Box Office report shows decline in audiences for local films In March, South Africa’s National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF) published its annual report on domestic box office earnings between December 2014 and January. On the whole, it showed that cinema attendance in South Africa is still relatively robust, with a total national revenue of ZAR880.3 million (+/- US$73.4million), an increase of 0.13 % over the 2013 figure. If we take the average ticket price as being about ZAR60 (about US$5) (the average lower-end price is about R50 and the higher end about R62 for 2D presentations), then we are looking at around 14.6 million tickets sold

throughout 2014. The number is probably slightly lower when the higher cost and increased attendance of 3D cinema is taken into account, but this is still not bad for a format that is often considered by some to be in decline. When we consider that ticket prices increased by an average of roughly 8% between January 2013 and October 2014, the picture changes slightly. It appears that the number of tickets sold actually declined from the 2013 figure by somewhere around 9%. So while revenue showed an absolute increase, it seems that audience numbers have actually diminished somewhat.

Whether this is a result of price increases, a drop in disposable income, or factors related to the popularity of the cinema

format or the content on offer, is a subject for further investigation.

If we consider that the decline in audience numbers was offset by the increase in price, leading to the relatively insignificant rise in revenue reflected in the report, then the outlook has actually changed fairly little when considering the cinema business as a whole in South Africa. Where the figures do show a worrying downward trend is in the area of local productions. South African films accounted for only 6% of box office takings in 2014, down from 11% in 2013.

Between 2010 and 2014, the market share of South African productions has remained fairly constant at 11%, aside from a decline to 5% in 2011 and the 2014

drop. Local movies took a total of ZAR55.1 million in the past year as opposed to ZAR 82.7 million in 2013 – a reduction in revenue of 44%.

Of the top ten South African films released to theatres in 2014, seven were Afrikaans-language films. Of the others, two (iNumber Number and Hard to Get) were in isiZulu and are designed to have a strong appeal to urban black audiences, while the remaining one (Spud 3) is oriented towards English speakers. While it is tempting to leap to easy conclusions about what these facts mean, it might be worth carefully considering a number of factors first – namely the current make-up of cinema audiences as a reflection of economic standing and cultural preference, as well as the historic distribution of movie theatres – a factor which has changed little over the past 21 years.

The NFVF has stated its intention to put initiatives in place to develop a strong cinema-going culture and to foster audiences for local content. A question which does not seem to be asked very often by industry stakeholders is whether it is even worthwhile investing in the cinema as an outlet for mass entertainment or if other platforms, such as television and new media, might serve better as a means for South African producers to reach large local audiences.

– Warren Holden

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WEB NEWS

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Dubai production company opens SA branch

SA short to feature at Cannes The Man with the Heavy Leg is a short film directed by Natasja Maria Fourie, which has been selected to appear as part of the 2015 Cannes Short Film Corner, a part of the Cannes Film Festival which runs from 13 to 24 May in France.

The film stars Albert Maritz, Deon Lotz and Sello Maake and tells the story of two men: a homeless war veteran who is ill and in desperate need of help and a man who witnesses his suffering and after doing nothing about it, experiences a strange syndrome of his own.

The film is based on the story by South African writer Jan Rabie.

As well as having a successful presence in Dubai over the past nine years, Rolling Thunder, a full-service film production studio, launched their first branch office in South Africa this past year. Rolling Thunder has produced a number of original and commissioned projects including the documentary short Owning Mandela: Down the Rabbit Hole, directed by co-founder Hermann Venter.

“With the rapid growth seen in the South African film production landscape during the past few years, we were thrilled to be able to expand our brand

ITV Choice to launch on DStv across Africa ITV Choice will launch across Africa for the first time following a deal between ITV Studios Global Entertainment and African pay-TV operator MultiChoice. The commercial channel will launch exclusively on DStv across the continent as the home of great British entertainment and drama.

ITV Choice has a packed schedule lined up for its launch on DStv on Tuesday, 5 May 2015. Entertainment highlights include ITV Studios’ awardwinning primetime entertainment series Ant & Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway; family entertainment shows Big Star’s Little Star from 12 Yard and Keep It In The Family from ITV Studios and Over The Top Productions, celebrities mastering

SA invited to present draft regulations on RPAS variety acts in ITV Studios’ Get Your Act Together and 12 Yard’s Eggheads and Coach Trip.

The drama offering features brand-new titles such as Poldark, the period drama adaptation of the classic novels produced

by Mammoth Screen; Arthur & George, Buffalo Pictures’ adaptation of Julian Barnes’ novel about the life of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and ITV Studios’ World War II drama Home Fires. It also features Britain’s best-loved soaps, Coronation Street and Emmerdale.

ITV Choice will be exclusively available to DStv Premium customers on DStv channel 123, across the African continent.

Ryan O’Connor will host M-Net’s Power Couple M-Net has appointed KFM’s Ryan O’Connor as the presenter of Power Couple, the much-anticipated new reality show that will employ intense challenges to test the relationships of eight couples who will be living together in a luxurious villa, hoping to win a stash of cash.

M-Net CEO for South Africa, Yolisa Phahle said, “We wanted a new face for this big new show and we know that some of the best television presenters come from radio.”

According to M-Net’s head of publicity, Lani Lombard, the Power Couple producers were looking for a presenter with great people skills to whom both the contestants and viewers at home could relate. “As the show is all about love and taking risks, the contestants are bound to go on a roller-coaster ride of emotions and Ryan is the perfect person to guide them through this incredible journey. He’s a natural who has proved on radio that he 8 | SCREENAFRICA | April 2015

into South Africa,” says Venter.

Owning Mandela: Down the Rabbit Hole focuses on the events surrounding the small sculpted rabbit that was placed in the ear of the nine metre high Nelson Mandela statue, outside the Union Buildings in Pretoria. The rabbit was placed in the ear by the artists, Andre Prinsloo and Ruhan Janse van Vuuren, sparking controversy and raising many questions about ownership, copyright and ethics within art and the creative production industry.

Rolling Thunder has a number of projects in the pipeline, designed with the South African audience in mind.

The International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) hosted a Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS) Symposium from 23 to 25 March 2015.

The event brought together key partners from civil aviation authorities, international organisations and the civil aviation industry, including RPAS manufacturers and operators, as well as other aerospace stakeholders such as research organisations and academia.

South Africa was nominated to present draft regulations together with seven other states, among them the Czech Republic, Canada, France, the United Kingdom and the Unites States of America.

This opportunity allowed South Africa, as represented by the South African Civil Aviation Authority (SACAA), to showcase to other states, Air Navigation Service Panels (ANSPs) and operators, how the development of draft RPAS regulations was achieved, and once approved how they will be applied.

This is a major milestone for South Africa as a state and is set to position the country as a leader in the area of RPAS. Given the comprehensiveness of the current draft regulations, it is anticipated that the rest of the world will focus on South Africa for benchmarking purposes.

Notwithstanding the commitment of the SACAA in addressing the need for RPAS regulations, the use of this type of aircraft remains illegal in South African skies. Any operator who ignores this warning will face the full extent of the law.

Localised BET channel to feature on DStv Premium

Ryan O’Connor has the ability to handle difficult situations and his wit, warm personality and amazing energy will set the scene for this fantastic, feel-good show.”

Power Couple will be broadcast on M-Net 101 from August 2015.

Viacom International Media Networks (VIMN) Africa is partnering with MultiChoice to launch a new localised BET channel on DStv Premium in South Africa. Designed to reflect, respect, and elevate the rich variety and positive values of African and African-American culture, BET will be VIMN Africa’s second BET channel on the continent, expanding the network’s family entertainment offering for viewers between 20 and 49.

BET will air exclusively on DStv channel 129 from 2 April 2015. The channel will co-exist alongside sister channel BET2

(formerly BET International), which currently airs on DStv channel 135.

The new 24-hour channel will provide an uplifting blend of locally produced and international programming from a variety of genres, including drama, familyfriendly sitcoms, stand-up comedy, documentaries, talk shows, awards specials, reality series, gospel music, and more.

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News

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TECHNOLOGY | ON SHOW AT NAB

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• A modular platform that includes the CloudXtream cDVR and CloudXtream Dynamic Ad Insertion as its primary components • Allows flexible, cloud-based content, readily accessible from any device • A wide variety of player operation options such as rewinding, restarting and replaying scenes • Enables creation of incremental paid service offerings for subscription-based OTT business • Enables user-centric personalisation and management of content 10 | SCREENAFRICA | April 2015

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SAFTA s 2015

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9 t h a n n u a l S o u t h A f r i c a n F i l m & T e le v i s i o n A wa r d s

Image ©Jade Photography

#SAFTAs15

STEPPING UP: The SAFTAs 2015 stage

The 9th annual South African Film and Television Awards (SAFTAs) took place on 20 and 22 March 2015 at Gallagher Estate in Midrand. The awards saw filmmakers, television personalities, celebrities and all round big names in film and television gather under one roof to celebrate outstanding achievements in the industry.

T

he show was emceed by previous SAFTAs winner and Emmy nominee, the witty and entertaining Loyiso Gola, who had the audience in the palm of his hand with his hilarious and often unconventional antics.

‘Coming of Age’ was this year’s SAFTAs theme – a celebration of the South African film and television industry coming into its own and telling its own stories. The theme gave way to a host of outlandish outfits from both guests and nominees. The red carpet this year was co-hosted by radio personality and socialite Jen Su and SABC2’s Ayanda Paine who highlighted the array of fashion trends that were on show this year; from glamorous black-tie attire to more casual

12 | SCREENAFRICA | April 2015

cocktail wear, skimpy women’s clothing and even some traditional African get-ups.

SAFTA’s Committee Chairperson and NFVF CEO Ms. Zama Mkosi – in her address to the industry on the second night of #SAFTAs15 – commented on the growth of the industry and its ‘coming of age.’ “Our theme this year…appropriately ties into 21 years of democracy in South Africa,” she noted.

“This is a time where we are proud to stand tall and declare that we have made immense strides. Our content, both in film and television, technical aspects including make-up, sound and visual effects, pre- and post-production, crew and talent, all play a significant role in the

telling of our stories.

“We have reached a point where international productions come to South Africa in pursuit of our talent, the use of our locations and studios, thereby contributing positively to our economy.

Indeed we have come of age, a period where our successful productions have a tremendous emotional and intellectual effect on the viewers both locally and around the world.”

Night one of #SAFTAs15 – held on Friday, 20 March – saw the coming-of-age thriller Four Corners win its first award for Best Achievement in Cinematography in a Feature Film. The film itself went on to scoop another three awards, including the coveted Best Feature Film award, which was presented on the second night. The Four Corners’ cast also received a lot of love at #SAFTAs15 with lead actor Jezriel Skei winning Best Actor in a Lead Role in a Feature Film – Skei was 13 at the time of filming. Additionally, Brendon Daniels won the award for Best Supporting Actor in a Feature Film for his role as Farakhan in the film.

Another big winner at #SAFTAs15 was satirical TV comedy ZANews: Puppet Nation, with directors Thierry Cassuto and Alex Fynn taking home the prize for Best Directing in a TV Comedy. The hugely successful TV show won seven

awards in total at SAFTAs15.

The hotly contested soapie awards took place on the second night of #SAFTAs15 where The Bomb Shelter won the award for Best TV Soap for Isibaya.

The much-loved soapie scooped up seven awards at this year’s SAFTAs. Multitalented Donovan Marsh proved to be a triple threat when he scooped up the awards for Best Achievement in Scriptwriting, Best Achievement in Editing and Best Achievement in Directing, all for his feature film iNumber Number.

The #SAFTAs15 Lifetime Achievement Award went to Mr. Marius Weyers.

Weyers, who has been in the industry for nearly 50 years, is a well-known actor who has appeared in over 35 feature films, several television productions and a whopping 115 theatre productions. Some of his performances include Andrew Steyn in The Gods Must Be Crazy and Rudolf Van de Kaap in Blood Diamond.

The SAFTAs saw an increase in entries this year, receiving a total of 415 submissions across all categories. The show was a huge success on all levels, from the industry’s response to the call for submissions, the higher calibre of judging and a larger media presence, SAFTAs15 was certainly one for the books! – Chanelle Ellaya

20 & 22 March 2015, Gallagher Convention Centre, Midrand, South Africa

SAFTAs 2015 winners list: Best Student Film Ana, Patrick & Nicholas: AFDA Best Achievement in Scriptwriting – TV Comedy Check Coast: Meren Reddy, Rethabile Ramaphakela, Katleho Ramaphakela, Salah Sabiti, Tumi Osei-Tutu, Mpho Osei-Tutu Best Achievement in Cinematography – TV Comedy Lastborn Does the Loeries: Moabi Maseko Best Achievement in Sound – TV Comedy ZANews: Puppet Nation: Lyle Bennet Best Achievement in Editing – TV Comedy Lastborn Does the Loeries: Kholofelo Malatshi Best Achievement in Original Score – TV Comedy ZANews: Puppet Nation: Lyle Bennet Best Achievement in Art Direction / Production Design – TV Comedy ZANews: Puppet Nation: Franci Van Den Heever, Matthew Sanna Best Achievement in Make-Up and Hair Styling – TV Comedy ZANews: Puppet Nation: Franci Van Den Heever Best Achievement in Costume Design – TV Comedy ZANews: Puppet Nation: San-Mari Calaca Best Children’s Programme Challenge SOS: 2 Blonds and a Redhead Filming Best Youth Programme Ispani: Blue Wizard Productions Best Achievement in Sound – TV Drama 90 Plein Street: Guy Steer Best Achievement in Original Score – TV Drama 90 Plein Street: Jorge Arrigone Best Achievement in Production Art / Design – TV Drama Swartwater: Marna Heunis Best Achievement in Make-Up and Hair Styling – TV Drama Donkerland: Nicola Roodt Best Achievement in Costume Design – TV Drama Donkerland: Sune Jansen Best Achievement in Scriptwriting –TV Drama Geraamtes in Die Kas: Joshua Rous, Luke Rous, Sandra Vaughn, Corine Du Toit Best Achievement in Cinematography – TV Drama Soul City: Tom Marais Best Achievement in Editing – TV Drama End Game: Nicola Comminos, Jeremy Briers, Jack Esterhuizen, Karien Goosen, Gugulethu Sibandze Best Reality Show Ultimate Braai Master: The roads less travelled: Cooked in Africa Best Magazine programme Mooiloop!: Blue Marble Entertainment Best Factual /Educational programme Think Big: The Bomb Shelter Best Current Affairs / Actuality Programme Safe Haven: Combined Artists Best Variety Show Charley’s Cake Angels Season Two: Cooked in Africa Best Talk Show I am Woman: Leap of Faith: Plexus Films Best Game Show Clover Little Big Cook Off: Quizzical Pictures

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SAFTA s 2015

Best International Format Show Clash of the Choirs SA: Endemol South Africa (Pty) Ltd

Best Achievement in Cinematography – Feature film Four corners: Vicci Turpin

Best Achievement in Scriptwriting – TV Soap Isibaya: Catherine Stewart, Libby Dougherty, Craig Higginson, Jacob Ntshangase, Gillian Breslin, Desiree Maarkgraaff

Best Achievement in Make-up and Hairstyling – Feature Film Faan se Trein: Theola Booyens

Best Achievement in Cinematography – TV Soap Isibaya: Zeno Petersen

Best Achievement in Costume Design – Feature Film Winnie Mandela: Pierre Vienings

Best Achievement in Editing – TV Soap Isibaya: Sibongeleni Mabuyakhulu, Jeremy Briers

Best Achievement in Art Direction / Production Design – Feature Film Faan se Trein: Waldemar Coetsee

Best Achievement in Sound – TV Soap 7de Laan: Neil Rattray

Best Achievement in Sound – Feature film Four Corners: Barry Donnelly

Best Achievement in Original Score – TV Soap 7de Laan: Jason Cochrane, Louis Van Rensburg

Best Achievement in Original Score – Feature film Four Corners: Markus Wormstorm

Best Achievement in Art Direction / Production Design – TV Soap Isibaya: Dylan Lloyd

Best Supporting Actor – TV Comedy Warren Masemola as “Thokozani” in Ses’Top la II

Best Achievement in Make-Up and Hair Styling – TV Soap Binnelanders: Elzette Van der Schyff Best Achievement in Costume Design – TV Soap Isibaya: Rochelle Selling Best Wildlife Hippo vs Croc: Earth Touch Best Achievement in Directing – Wildlife Mystery of the Arctic Cairn: Kyle O Donoghue Best Achievement in Editing – Wildlife Hippo vs Croc: Ruaan Botha Best Achievement in Sound – Wildlife Hippo vs Croc: Dave Birch

Best Supporting Actress – TV Comedy Brenda Ngxoli as “Pinky” in Ses’Top la II Best Actor in a Lead Role – TV Comedy Thomas Gumede as “Zanele” in Single Guys Best Actress in a Lead Role – TV Comedy Mary Mhlongo as “MaKhambule” in Skwizas Best Achievement in Directing – TV Comedy ZANews: Puppet Nation – Thierry Cassuto, Alex Fynn Best TV Comedy ZA News: Puppet Nation: Both Worlds Best Supporting Actor – TV Drama Fezile Mpela as “Zwide” in Donkerland Best Supporting Actress – TV Drama Brenda Ngxoli as “Gladys” in Rockville

Best Achievement in Cinematography – Wildlife Hippo vs Croc: Boris Von Schoenebeck, Grant Brokensha, Barry Skinstad, James Boon, Dale Hencock

Best Actor in a Lead Role – TV Drama Louw Venter as “Francois Le Roux” in Swartwater

Best Achievement in Original Score – Wildlife Hippo vs Croc: Dave Birch, Nux Schwartz

Best Actress in a Lead Role – TV Drama Nthati Moshesh as “Dibuseng Makwarela” in Thola

Best Short Film Picture Perfect Heist: Benchfilms

Best Achievement in Directing – TV Drama Swartwater: John Trengove, Jozua Malherbe, Denny Miller

Best Documentary Short Port Nolloth: Between a rock and a hard place: Butterfly Films

Best TV Drama Swartwater: Quizzical Pictures

Best Achievement in Directing – Documentary Short Port Nolloth: Between a rock and a hard place: Felix Seuffert Best Achievement in Cinematography – Documentary Short Orbis: Felix Seuffert

Best Supporting Actor – TV Soap Justin Strydom as “AK” in Isidingo Best Supporting Actress – TV Soap Marjorie Lange as “Gloria” in Scandal Best Actress in a Lead Role – TV Soap Masasa Mbangeni as “Thembeka” in Scandal

Best Achievement in Sound – Documentary Short Orbis: Guy Steer

Best Actor in a Lead Role – TV Soap Jamie Bartlett as “David Genaro” in Rhythm City

Best Achievement in Editing – Documentary Short Port Nolloth: Between a rock and a hard place: Anna Telford

Best Achievement in Directing – TV Soap Isibaya: Adze Ugah, John Berker, Denny Miller, Alex Yazbek, Phiwe Mkhanzi, Tebogo Malope

Best Documentary Feature Miners Shot Down: Uhuru Productions

Best TV Soap Isibaya: The Bomb Shelter

Best Achievement in Directing – Documentary Feature I, Afrikaner: Annalet Steenkamp

Best Supporting Actor – Feature Film Brendon Daniels as “Farakhan” in Four Corners

Best Achievement in Cinematography – Documentary Feature The Vula Connection: Peter Rudden

Best Supporting Actress – Feature Film Marga Van Rooy as “Tannie Marietjie” in Die Windpomp

Best Achievement in Sound – Documentary Feature Miners Shot Down: Vaughn Phillips, Mark Phillips Best Achievement in Editing – Documentary Feature The Vula Connection: Annamarie James Best Achievement in Scriptwriting – Feature Film iNumber Number: Donovan Marsh Best Achievement in Editing – Feature Film iNumber Number: Donovan Marsh

Best Actress in a Lead Role – Feature Film Thishiwe Ziqubu as “Skiets” in Hard to Get Best Actor in a Lead Role – Feature Film Jezriel Skei as “Ricardo” in Four Corners Best Achievement in Directing – Feature Film iNumber Number: Donovan Marsh Best Feature Film Four Corners: Giant Films & Moonlighting Films

April 2015 | SCREENAFRICA | 13

ADCETERA

|

Report on the South African commercials industry

Mobile ad muscle If there is any doubt in your mind about the degree to which mobile has become an integral part of your daily life, perhaps you should ask yourself – ‘what would I be prepared to give up in order to keep my smartphone?’

Last year Heidi Cohen, president of Riverside Marketing Strategies, published a report on her website which revealed that 45% of Americans would give up alcohol, 13% would give up sex and 34% would give up chocolate for their smartphones.

Smartphones have opened the door to a mobile marketplace where consumers use apps, watch videos, connect on social media and search for information. For marketers and advertisers, this creates a number of possibilities for brand communication which are not always achievable using only traditional forms of media.

Sarah-Jane Boden, chief firestarter at strategic content marketing and social media agency Soul Providers, says that it is fast becoming standard practice to include mobile advertising as part of a broader digital advertising strategy.

“It’s no longer a question of whether someone, no matter their economic status, has a mobile phone or not, but rather how smart their mobile phone is and where on their phone we can communicate with them the most effectively.”

for one.

Shaun Rosen, CEO of mobile media agency Mobiclicks explains: “In South Africa and Africa, mobile is a mass medium – almost everyone has a mobile phone irrespective of LSM, age, gender or location. Businesses are able to directly reach consumers on their devices and communicate with them. Mobile as a medium therefore allows marketers to reach the right audience at the right time to drive higher quality leads for brands.”

Boden adds that understanding how a particular target audience spends time on their mobiles is crucial in successfully connecting with them. “Your more affluent target audience is using apps so in-app ads are highly relevant,” she explains. “Your broader markets are using social media platforms so the ads we’re placing on there have great results.

In-browser ads are always going to have relevance and uptake – how often do you pick up your phone to Google?”

‘Moment’ advertising

Reach and scope

Wading through ad clutter is a daily exercise for the average consumer.

However, the key to reaching potential customers via mobile may be less about shouting the loudest and more about being available to present them with a potential solution, when they are looking

What makes mobile a particularly handy communication tool above all others is that it is a non-stop, can’t-live-without, carrier of information and connectivity.

Don’t know what time the movie starts?

Want to read a review before you make a product purchase? Where’s the nearest

14 | SCREENAFRICA | April 2015

Screenshot of Mobiclicks Suzuki campaign banners pizza place? – Mobile is the one place that can conveniently give you this information on-the-go. Boden sites the always-on and in-consumers’ pockets benefits as well as cost, ease of media management and low barrier to entry as mobile triumphs over other forms of media.

Rosen adds: “With SIM card penetration at 128% in South Africa you can see what the potential is. This means that there are more SIM cards than people in the country. Mobile also allows for Key Performance Indicators to be set right from the word go and monitored hourly in order to drive sales and reduce costs, when compared with other media.”

Because mobile reach can also be accurately measured, marketers are able to adjust their campaign strategy based on real-time data and results – a super-power when it comes to delivering a return on investment.

Annnnd action!

“We have found that mobile campaigns can work for all audiences, from lower end feature phone users to the more tech savvy tablet users. What is important is how you engage with them with the correct, powerful call to action,” remarks Rosen.

For all marketers playing in all

mediums, the end goal is to entice people to enter brand conversations, converting them from passer-by consumers into engaged customers.

Mobile seems to consistently deliver these responses, if the correct call to action can be mechanised. “For example a marketer targeting the lower LSM would need to have a simple landing page that renders correctly on the lower end feature phones, whereas a brand that wants to interact with the higher LSM smartphone and tablet users could use more rich media to engage users on these devices,” Rosen explains.

Boden recalls a recent campaign which effectively delivered the desired results by integrating mobile mechanisms. The goal was to recruit medical doctors in rural areas. “We spent time researching the mobile and digital behaviour of three different doctor profiles and we then established where best to reach them on their mobile phones and launched a highly-targeted rich-content campaign,” she explains.

“We observed the data and results very carefully and then tweaked our content, targeting and placement, as well as our spend, to optimise our returns. The results were incredible; we managed to recruit over 800 high quality leads in less than two months. Our client was blown away.” – Carly Barnes

| ADCETERA

To succeed, ‘fail harder’ Culture, love and chaos is what one of the world’s greatest advertising agencies, Wieden+Kennedy, responsible for creating global brands like Nike, was built on. It’s an agency that encourages failure on the path to great work.

The legendary Dan Wieden, founder and chairman of Wieden+Kennedy, was a keynote speaker at the annual Design Indaba Conference and Expo in Cape Town end-February.

Design Indaba aims to harness the creative industries to use creativity to come up with innovative and sustainable solutions to solve societal problems, using design to engineer a renewable new world.

Wieden+Kennedy is one of the largest independently owned advertising agencies in the world, launched on 1 April 1982 in Portland, Oregon in the USA, and is renowned for their work on Nike. They famously won over the brand which used to be ‘suspicious’ of advertising.

No plan for success Wieden (70) was forthright and disarming, claiming he had no process, no plan for success for the agency founded by himself and David Kennedy on April Fool’s Day, 33 years ago in a basement, with five employees and $1 000 as their personal capital investment.

Wieden+Kennedy is now a global agency brand with 1 200 employees and their work on clients like Nike created history. They have offices in New York, London, Amsterdam, São Paulo, Delhi, Shanghai and Tokyo.

Apart from creating the Nike brand as we know it today, they have been winning awards recently with their work on Procter & Gamble for their ‘Proud Sponsor of Moms’ commercials. Clients around the world include Coca-Cola, Chrysler, Facebook, Nike, Old Spice, Sony, ABC Television, Delta Airlines, ESPN, Gap, Heineken, Southern Comfort, Mondelez, D&AD, Honda, Lurpak, Orange, Prada, Tesco, Citizen watches, Netflix, Powerade, Booking.com and Audi.

Dan Wieden “I can’t tell you whatever the hell this thing is, it’s amazing. We are an ad agency with a success story that makes no sense whatsoever,” Wieden quipped.

“We didn’t even have a phone when we launched, we had to run to the payphone nearby. The only people who would consider moving to Portland were those who had been fired everywhere else or kids straight out of school. We began as a ship of fools. It was just so simple and so crazy.”

They never had a mission statement in the beginning or a plan.

“Wieden+Kennedy exists to create strong and provocative relationships between good companies and their customers. For decades we have been making ads that create good brands. Our ability to come up with provocative ads is what makes the nature of our relationships with customers.”

Then there was the fact that they didn’t know much in the beginning, which was a benefit, Wieden said. “We were struggling to figure out what an ad agency was. And our one and only client (Nike), was trying to figure out what to do with us. When you don’t know, you try desperately to find out. The minute you think you know it all, that is when you start believing your own historical wisdom and then you are dead. We figured out the importance of being stupid.”

‘Weird culture’ What did become apparent over the years was that their culture has played a huge role in their success. “We created a culture so damn weird, that it hurts your soul to leave this place. We created the kind of environment to retain the best people and inspire them to do the best work of their lives.

“It’s the culture that lifts the people.

The people that make the work. It’s the culture that makes the relationship between good companies and their customers.”

Another key insight from the renowned ad man was on failure. “We give people permission to fail. That is the heart and soul of this agency. Fail harder. You have to be able to fail if you are going to do anything worthwhile.

“The other thing I try encourage people to do is, ‘walk in stupid every morning’.”

None of the agency’s multiple awards it has won for its work over the years hangs on its walls. Instead they have pictures of their people doing the crazy things that make them who they are.

Wieden urged advertising agencies to create a culture were you allow people to be utterly themselves, to stretch themselves, individuals who come up

with solutions. That is what creates the ‘chemistry’ for the kind of culture on which Wieden+Kennedy was built.

Creating out of chaos “We are a bit more chaotic than most places, but it is love. I love this great agency the most when we are off balance, when we are in a ‘car crash’ scenario... I just love that shit. Chaos does this thing that ‘order’ can’t: chaos is the only friend which demands you be creative so you can make something that matters.”

Wieden said the most important aspect of chaos was that it challenged authority and cared more about truth than power. Something the global advertising industry needed more of, instead of the comfortable networked position many found themselves in.

The digital revolution has shaken up the industry, resulted in a clashing of cultures. The results of this change will be momentous and shocking, Wieden predicted.

Wieden+Kennedy will live on as an independent, railing against the current tide of global agency groupings, even creating a trust for the agency which forbids its sale. They’re ‘weird’ that way.

– Louise Marsland April 2015 | SCREENAFRICA | 15

ADCETERA

| Report on the South African commercials industry

Albany cares Advertising agency TBWA/Hunt/Lascaris in Johannesburg conceptualised this charming new commercial for Tiger Brands’ Albany Bread. An emotive display of the special bond between a mother and her child, the Albany ‘Small’ spot shows a little boy taking special care in choosing the perfect bread for his mother and unborn sibling to enjoy. After carefully prodding the different brands of bread to find the perfect ‘sponginess’, the little boy settles on Albany with a smile.

Co-directors Laurence Hamburger and Michael MacGarry explain that the brief from the agency stipulated that the client wanted to reinforce the history that the brand has had with South Africa in LSM 5-7. “They wanted an ad to show the ‘care’ that people take in choosing a premium brand at that level and that this care is mutual. They were also very keen that the work was very authentic and had an emotional quality that was genuine and memorable,” says Hamburger.

The concept and script for the commercial came from the agency, with creative directors George Low, Greig Watt and Jared Osmond, and CCO Peter Khoury at the helm. Although the directors were allowed some creative freedom in their execution, Hamburger says that there were some very clear narrative events – such as the choosing of

the bread over another by testing its ‘sponginess’, or the giving of the sandwich to the mother – that were important to the client as emotional touchstones that the narrative was built on.

“TBWA/Hunt/Lascaris in particular are very modern in the way they deal with the making of TV ads,” explains Hamburger.

“They expect input and they expect a vigorous and lengthy exchange on your ideas, which we like. They understand that storytelling on film is a process, and they’re very good and clear in their communication.”

The message of the Albany ‘Small’ commercial is simply that the product is one which is made with care, “and that there is a strong tradition of this that the market understands,” says Hamburger.

To properly convey this message, Hamburger and MacGarry wanted to create a look and feel that translates into something genuine without talking down to the audience. “We wanted them to really see themselves in the piece, both actually and emotionally and despite the inherent sweetness, we still wanted it to have a coolness,” he says. “We also think the market is getting tired of this 35mm/85mm/135mm paint-by-numbers graphic framing that is all over our TV now. The US TV series and the new

Still from the new Albany Small commercial dynamics of their film language have changed the way local audiences ‘read’ images. We wanted the camera and the cuts to reflect that influence and so contribute to that ‘realness’.”

The commercial was shot over three days in December 2014 in multiple locations in Westbury, Johannesburg.

Hamburger and MacGarry wanted the TVC to be fluid as an image but also as a unit: “We spoke to DOP Jamie Ramsay… and spoke about if we could avoid legs and dolly completely and do the whole shoot on his Ronin, even the statics, and he was delighted. “…the relief for us as directors is that

now, instead of having the long waits and frustration of communication with Steadicam, this system puts your DOP at the helm again. We mounted a Red Dragon, with Zeiss Ultra Primes and some Master Primes too.”

The Albany ‘Small’ commercial possesses an authenticity and universal emotional quality that all South Africans can relate to, “despite the specificity of it,” says Hamburger. “It’s an ad for anyone from wherever you may come from. ‘Care’ isn’t unique to us, but a little kid being sent to the spaza to buy the bread is, so it’s a classic case of local makes global.”

– Chanelle Ellaya

Isibaya promo sparks viewer suspense The local TV drama scene is heating up!

Following its cast exodus, Generations, which was previously a Goliath of TV drama viewership, has experienced a diminishing audience, offering telenovelas like SABC1’s Uzalo and e.tv’s Umlilo a shot at some serious ratings.

One show which already has South African audiences completely gripped is Mzansi Magic’s Isibaya, a telenovelaturned-soapie, which garnered 10 nominations at the 2015 South African Film and Television Awards. Heading into its third season, the team at Bomb Commercials led by producer Marc Harrison and director Tebza Malope, shot a promo for the next installation of the show which was sure to ignite nail-biting suspense ahead of its launch.

Conceptualised by creative agency Black River FC, the promo features the highly anticipated return of lovers Sbu (Sdumo Mtshali) and Thandeka (Nomzamo Mbatha ), who walk towards each other unperturbed by a world of turmoil sizzling and sparking around them. SFX supervisor Gerhard van der Heever was tasked with making this vision come to life beautifully, but safely.

Working closely with Harrison, Malope and the art department, headed by Gavin Scates, Van der Heever took creative guidance and direction regarding the positioning of props and effects. Then, in 16 | SCREENAFRICA | April 2015

A screenshot of the Isibaya promo collaboration with assistant Zakhele Mkhize and key grip Zaan Wienand, he ensured safety distances were checked and tested, and that basic firefighting equipment was well-placed and hidden behind props. He explained, “Our only concern was to make sure that the location was well ventilated so that we

didn’t expose crew and cast to unnecessary smoke inhalation.”

The elements which needed to be created included lights exploding into sparks, a burning taxi and some muti which fizzled and popped into magical embers when thrown into the fire by a sangoma. Old, unoperational lights and a

firework were used to create the effect of fire raining down, while a wrecked minibus, which was already burnt out, was kitted out with smoke machines and LPG flame bars to create the effect of a burning car.

In addition to these on-set effects, Schalk van der Merwe of SplashFX used rotoscoping techniques to layer various elements and plates from the shoot while editor Melanie JankesGolden of Deep End Post was responsible for offline editing. “We decided to add the power of Mocha to track and rotoscope the owl and other elements that required a lot of work. We brought it all together in Autodesk Smoke for finishing. This was very quick and efficient as we can export data straight from Mocha into Smoke without rendering mattes that might need tweaking later on in the process,” says Van der Merwe.

Van der Merwe added that in post-production their goal was not to overcomplicate the chaos in the scene, but to add subtle nuances that would support the fiery action already captured on set. “We focussed on adding a city scape in the background and reintroduced the dust and dirt in front of it. We also added some more sparks which we duplicated from shot footage.” – Carly Barnes

Opinion

The Magic is in the doing Having attended the 2015 Design Indaba, I was struck by a common thread trailing its way through some of the speakers’ talks. The notion that some of the best creative solutions, the ‘Magic’ doesn’t come from merely thinking through creative problems but rather comes from actually doing stuff to solve those problems.

It sounds like a fairly simple approach, but so often when faced with a problem the first thing we do is spend days thinking about it.

Sure we need to think about it, but what about actually doing something physical to solve what seems like an abstract problem.

Some of the designers work in physical mediums like timber or stone and so for them the ‘doing’ part is going out and carving away at whatever piece of material they use and often some they don’t use. I think we can take that philosophy into a business platform as well as a methodology to tackle certain projects.

It is in this process of doing that the solutions to some of the more complex problems are revealed in ways that could never be thought or theorised about, and

| ADCETERA

By Bruno Bossi, Carbon Films

the result is often far beyond the initial expectation.

We are all bound by the memory of what has been done before and it pollutes our reactions to new problems.

In the world of making commercials the time between thinking and doing is very limited. It is, after all, a system that seems to work for the most part and every part of the process has been tried and tested before.

What some of the designers at the Indaba were talking about was not the tried and tested route; it was finding the magic in the unknown and the untested.

They were not suggesting a free-for-all, go out and make stuff for the-sake-of-it approach.

Rather, what they were saying was that trying and testing is backed up with both the skills and more often the experience of having done a lot of other stuff before.

This is not a new idea in the film business.

Some of the best takes in a day are not planned for – those magic moments that seem to reveal themselves on set and most often make it into the final cut don’t just happen by pure chance or luck, but rather in having all the elements in place so that the unplanned moment can

Bruno Bossi

happen.

Wouldn’t it be great if every now and then, a bit of the magic was left up to the assumption that everyone in the room was pretty good at what they did, in fact rather amazing, and that when approaching a new idea one was more

than 50% confident that the result would be something new and incredible.

Less thinking and more doing is a risky business. It is much easier following a tried and tested formula – but where’s the magic in that?

markex I

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April 2015 | SCREENAFRICA | 17

FILM

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Nigeria

Raising Africa’s

undead

WORKING TO THE BONE: Adefunke Olowu applying make-up on the set of Ojuju

When Adefunke Olowu is asked to bring a film’s characters to life through her artistic skills as a make-up artist, the first tool she utilises is her ability to improvise and adapt. The bloodcurdling beings which appear in zombie movie Ojuju are testament to her capacity to work at lightning speed, create resources where there are none and rough it out in Nigeria’s challenging production environment.

“I

t’s interesting and challenging, and there are always few constraints here and there – but it’s what I love to do – and because I love to do it – I’ll always find a way around those constraints,” said Olowu.

Brutal budget Unlike on the set of Hollywood zombie TV series The Walking Dead, which is one of the shows from which Olowu drew inspiration when she was creating monstrous looks for Ojuju, there was no air-conditioned trailer lined with workstations, lights and mirrors. There was no assembly line of assistants or an office of horrors filled with full-face prosthetics for her to play with, and according to director C.J. Obasi, next to no budget.

“We made a budget, but when no one would give us any funds to make the film we decided to lunge forward, rather than wait for funds that may never come,” he remarked. “Frankly, I can’t tell you how much went into make-up and effects because there literally wasn’t any money to begin with. We more or less winged it 18 | SCREENAFRICA | April 2015

from start to finish. Miraculously if I dare say so.”

Though Olowu had originally wanted to use a lot of prosthetics, latex and other kinds of materials to create fleshy wounds for the film’s characters, she would have to come up with other ways of achieving this look, as buying all of these materials was just too expensive.

“I had to use my powders and many foundations as well as eye shadows and body paints to get the right texture and look I wanted.

“At some point I remember going to an abattoir to get bone for a scene where somebody was going to have their hand ‘eaten’ off. I got this free of charge and was able to build on this bone to give a realistic portrayal of the actor’s arm. This is normally something you would have to create from a number of materials in advance, but I didn’t have that luxury,” she explained.

Olowu went as far as concocting her own skin-friendly recipe for a substance that could be manipulated to look like zombie flesh. “I used my own trade secrets to come up with a kind of latex replacement that worked just as well,” she said.

Possessed by pace As Ojuju was shot in just two weeks, time pressure was an ever present hazard. At the start of the production the actors featured as ‘normal’ people and so the make-up for their characters was relatively simple and easy to complete in a timely fashion. But as the plot progressed into blood and gore territory, so would they.

This meant Olowu, who had only one assistant, would have to spend up to 45 minutes applying make-up and effects on each main actor.

“Sometimes we had to work continuously, because we had to finish,” she recalled. “When we started we would work relatively normal hours – say from nine to five – but as the shoot carried on we realised we were running out of time and so we worked around the clock – especially during the last week of production.”

Ghetto gruesome The film was shot in a ghetto in Lagos, Nigeria which proved to be a challenging work environment. But Olowu maintains that being immersed in her characters’

world, which was one of struggle, only further released her creativity.

“It actually helped me to get in touch with the look of the characters in a very authentic way and be more creative with how I was going to portray their transformation. Naturally some of these actors looked posh and well-groomed so I knew once I experienced the environment that this was something I’d need to work on.”

Olowu said that as a make-up artist, part of her job is getting used to handling things which most people would consider a huge challenge.

“We don’t usually get to work in a studio environment like they do in Hollywood where everything is set up for you. Yes, the set was dirty, there was no space to set up my things, I kept everything I needed in a box and had to be ready to carry it quickly from scene to scene. But as a make-up artist you must be able to adapt to any situation, and I keep that in mind whenever I arrive on set. The most important thing for me is to do my job and to do it the best I can in whatever circumstance that is.”

– Carly Barnes

Take two: Ballade vir ‘n Enkeling

South Africa

| Film

FROM TV TO THE SILVER SCREEN: Still from Ballade vir ‘n Enkeling

From 1987 to 1993 the Ballade vir ‘n Enkeling TV series drew South African audiences in with its gripping story, intriguing characters and epic soundtrack. On 20 March 2015 the film adaptation, produced by The Film Factory, released in South Africa to the delight of fans of the original show as well as those enticed by its legacy and a revamped star-studded cast.

O

riginally told over two series, the story has all the makings of a brilliant mystery – love, action, suspense, plot twists, lust, betrayal and danger. Staying true to this was important for director Quentin Krog and producer Danie Bester, but with towering audience expectations for the film, creating the cinematic version meant enriching the movie with modern elements while trusting their instincts as filmmakers.

Breathing new life Aside from a sturdy narrative foundation, what makes Ballade vir ‘n Enkeling that much more engaging is its ability to speak to a new audience and a generation which has advanced immensely since the late 80s. Each production discipline applied different modern nuances to deliver an end product which is fresh, slick and completely relatable.

Krog believes that 21st century audiences are conditioned to films with a faster rhythm and pace, and so a lot of effort was put into tightening the story structure and stripping away unnecessary elements and characters. The film also incorporates modern tech such as tablets, computers and smartphones, and is set in

the trendy and upcoming Maboneng precinct in Johannesburg. Wardrobe and production designers Marle and Waldemar Coetzee took inspiration from current colour palettes which were then applied in their design aesthetic.

“We also played with some nice VFX elements, which can be seen when Carina does her research and work on computers. DOP Tom Marais and I also worked out some pretty nifty scene transitions which came out beautifully, most of them being in-camera effects with a bit of assistance from VFX designer Quinn Lubbe,” says Krog.

One aspect which stayed close to its initial style was the film’s score and musical tone, which both Bester and Krog felt strongly about. “The music played a very important role in the original show and we used original elements and reworked some from the original show.

The music is one of the many highlights of the film,” comments Bester. Iconic hits from the old series – Ballade vir ‘n Enkeling, Tussen Treine and Voshaarnooi are included and revived in the remake.

Class acts Ballade vir n Enkeling follows three friends as they journey through frivolous youth, misadventure, the process of growing up,

and coming to terms with who they are as adults. Main character Jacques Rynhard, played by Gavin van den Berg in the TV series and Armand Aucamp in the film, is a missing writer who is pursued by journalist Carina Human, originally played by Karin Retief and more recently Donnalee Roberts. In her relentless pursuit of the truth, Carina uncovers buried secrets, a possible love triangle and an unscrupulous villain.

Lelia Etsebeth was responsible for casting the film, which according to Bester, was the most challenging part of production. “There were so many variables to consider in matching the characters in the present and the past and retaining performance intensity and energy between time periods. I think Lelia Etsebeth did the most unbelievable job in guiding the process and staying true to a very difficult brief.

We ended up with an amazing cast who blew life into the spirit of a new Ballade.”

Allowing the film to resonate with a contemporary audience also required Krog to adjust his directorial approach.

“Performance style has changed considerably over 30 years and I tended to direct the actors more towards realism than the melodramatic style of old,” he adds.

‘Moenie dink nie, doen net’ Leon van Nierop, who wrote the original TV series and novel, created the screenplay for Ballade vir ‘n Enkeling, which was shot over five-and-a-half weeks in August and September 2014 in Johannesburg, Kragbron, Pretoria and Buffelspoort.

“There was always a lot of pressure on us to do justice to the original TV show,” says Bester, who believes the real power of the film lies in its story essence and not the era from where it came. “We wanted to tell the timeless story of friendship, love, family and betrayal, and we felt it was classic narrative for any age. I think we were very successful and Leon did an amazing job adapting the original series and his novel into a feature film.”

“To me, this was about the journey of a friendship between three friends, so I made sure that the script and the performances reflected that,” says Krog. “My strategy in meeting and exceeding expectations was just to rely on my own instincts and expectations (which are really high anyway) and make a movie that I would want to watch.”

– Carly Barnes April 2015 | SCREENAFRICA | 19

FILM

|

Rwanda

Director Speak

Kivu Ruhorahoza is a Rwandan director, writer and producer whose film, Things of the Aimless Wanderer, was recently selected to appear in the Sundance Film Festival’s New Frontier section. Someday he plans on doing an African remake of Stanley Kubrick’s Lolita, but for now he’s focused on sharing more authentic African narratives.

How would you describe yourself as a director?

KR: I communicate a lot with artistic collaborators and technicians. For that part, I like to be fully in control. I direct the actors but I also like giving them room to share their ideas as much as possible, allowing them to improvise within the limits I have set. I never shout. I hate it when filmmakers are being unnecessarily vulgar and aggressive to prove that they are tough and tormented artists.

What is your favourite African and international film, and why?

KR: This question should be preceded by the definition of what is an African film because that’s an ongoing debate... If capitals and crew are international, is the film African? How about a director from Africa with an African cast and crew for a film set in Europe made with European capitals?

I quite like Au Nom du Christ by Roger Gnoan Mbala.

It is not the best ‘African film’ out there but I think it should be seen. It is beautifully shot by a little known Algerian cinematographer/director, Mohammed Soudani, whose work I wish I had seen more of. It is also very relevant in these times of religious fundamentalism and is quite irreverent in the way it portrays religious believers, which we don’t often see in cinemas from Africa.

International film? There are certainly over 50 but I’ll talk about Bodysong by Simon Pummell. This film manages to make the viewer ‘feel’ things that parents, religious and political leaders have failed to be convincing of. There’s one shot in the film with a woman holding a baby she has just given birth to in a bathtub...

That shot can convince a hardcore anti-child individual to rethink their position. Personally, I really think I view motherhood differently.

Where do you get your story ideas from?

KR: Anything can trigger a film idea. A smile, a building, a sound, a TV news story, everyday life, history, current news... Any and everything.

Which five film characters would you invite to a dinner party?

KR: 1. The female English narrator of Chris Marker’s Sans Soleil. Her voice and diction are unforgettable. After dinner, it would be great to eat dark chocolate, smoke and drink good cognac with her.

2. Naago played by Aboubacar Sadikh Bâ in Moussa 20 | SCREENAFRICA | April 2015

Sène Absa’s Madame Brouette. A womanising police officer whose bad faith is quite hilarious. Dinner could never get boring with this guy.

3. Jackie Brown played by Pam Grier in Quentin Tarantino’s Jackie Brown. I have always been attracted to beautiful 40-something women down on their luck.

4. The Old Monk played by Oh Yeong-Su in Kim Ki-duk’s Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter... and Spring. We could drink vodka and eat pickled herring with him.

5. Marcel played by André Wilms in Aki Kaurismaki’s Le Havre. In an unpretentious setting I could have lots of red wine with him.

What does the future of film in Africa look like to you?

KR: It is impossible to tell, because African film industries are not organised except for three or four nations. That makes them quite unpredictable. All I know is that there will be more and more great films coming from the continent. Unfortunately, those successes will stem from personal ingenuity rather than a policy that favours a creative environment. But the easy access to production and post-production equipment will keep inundating viewers with content to be watched on all sorts of screens including portable devices.

There’s a lot going on when it comes to film training but if we don’t invest in film education, we’ll end up with

lots of films made to live for only a few days.

Fast-films that can be compared to fast food.

Cheap, guilty pleasure, unhealthy type of films.

If you could shoot a film anywhere in the world, where would it be?

KR: Chernobyl – the setting is unique.

What has been your proudest moment as a director?

KR: There’s one particular shot I am happy with.

The choreography of my camera and the actor’s movement decided by me, worked quite well. I recently saw it on the big screen and I blushed (and I’m black).

What is your favourite oneliner from a film?

KR: “Quand les hommes sont morts, ils entrent dans l’histoire; quand les statues sont mortes, elles entrent dans l’art.” From Statues also Die

by Chris Marker and Alain Resnais.

It can be translated to: “When men die, they enter into history. When statues die, they enter into art.”

Compiled by Carly Barnes

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FESTIVALS

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BURKINA FASO | MOROCCO | ALGERIA |TUNISIA | NIGERIA | SOUTH AFRICA

FESPACO 2015 Regardless of the transitional political situation in Burkina Faso and the threat of Ebola and jihadists in the region, the Pan-African Film Festival of Ouagadougou held its 24th edition with 134 African movies in competition. Here’s an overview of some of the awarded films.

GOLDEN STALLION Fièvres

followed the French occupation, Fadhma N’soumer was supported by the Algerian Agency for Cultural Influence and the National Centre for Studies and Research on the History of the National Movement and on 1 November 1954 Revolution.

BRONZE STALLION

L’œil du cyclone

SPECIAL MENTION SHORT FILM

by Hicham Ayouch Morocco – 89min International sales: La 25eme Heure (France) pierre-emmanuel@25hprod.com Set in a Parisian suburb, Fièvres recounts the story of the 13-year-old Benjamin (stunningly portrayed by Didier Michon) who decides to live with his father (Slimane Dazi), with whom he has not had a relationship up to this point, and his grandparents. But Benjamin has a rage inside him that explodes through insults, bad behaviour and graffiti.

The film is a poetic analysis of generational misunderstandings, parenthood and the search for love.

Previously awarded for Best Actor at the Marrakech Film Festival, Fièvres received the support of the Région Île de France, the Abu Dhabi Film Festival, the Doha Film Institute and the CNC.

SILVER STALLION Fadhma N’soumer

Aissa’s Story

by Sékou Traoré

L’œil du cyclone was definitely the biggest surprise at FESPACO, as the Burkinabe features in competition were mostly low budget and featured non-professional casts. Sékou Traoré raised the standard with two interpretation awards (the brilliant Maïmouna Ndiaye and Fargass Assandé) and a high-level cinematographic, script and mise en scene level.

Adapted from Luis Marques’ eponym 2005 theatre play, L’œil du cyclone reminds one of The Silence of the Lambs with a lawyer forced to defend a former child soldier considered as a monster by society. Produced in seven years, the movie received the support of the EU-ACP and the Fonds francophone de production audiovisuelle du Sud.

Zakaria

Algeria – 116min International Sales: AARC (Algeria) contact@aarcalgerie.org

22 | SCREENAFRICA | April 2015

by Iquo Essien Nigeria/USA – 15 min International Sales: Iquo Essien (USA) iquomma@iquomma.com This is the story of a housekeeper (Jennifer Tchiakpe) struggling to pick up the pieces of her life after the legal case against the hotel guest who assaulted her is dismissed. Inspired by the Dominique Strauss-Kahn case, Aissa’s Story follows the maid as she struggles through her work and family life, supported by her daughter who also suffers from threats and jokes at school.

This student movie is a brilliant depiction of a modern interpretation of the David and Goliath story, where the richest remains the winner, but the poorer pursues their fight for dignity. Hopefully viewers can soon look forward to Essien’s feature, for which she is currently working on raising funding.

Twaaga

by Leyla Bouzid Tunisia – 27 min International sales: L’Agence du court-métrage (France) f.keller@agencecm.com Winner of two Special Prizes (Thomas

This was one of the most brilliant short films presented this year but it didn’t receive the accolades it deserved.

Perhaps this is because it already won the top prize in Seattle, Namur and SaintGeorges-de-Didonne. Set in 1987 when Burkina Faso was under Thomas Sankara’s revolution, Twaaga is the story of an eight-year-old boy (brilliant Sabourou Bamogo) who dreams about comics and super heroes. He longs to overcome his circumstances by attaining superhuman powers. With a mix of animation and real shots, Twaaga received the support of French CNC, ARTE and Focus Features’Africa First grant.

Miners Shot Down

SPECIAL MENTION SHORT FILM

by Belkacem Hadjadj

Burkina Faso – 33 min International Sales: Bizibi (France) bizibi@free.fr

BEST DOCUMENTARY

Burkina Faso – 120min International sales: Les films d’Avalon (France) aguyot@avalonfilms.fr

BRONZE SHORT FILM

Set in Algeria in the 19th Century, when France sought to acquire the strategic region of Kabylia, Fadhma N’Soumer is an epic recounting how Fadhma N’Soumer (Laetitia Eïdo), a holy Kabylian figure, fought to keep her people free of French colonisation.

Recalling Algeria’s glorious past and explaining the war of independence that

Sankara and Royal Air Maroc Awards), Zakaria is set in France and recounts the story of a teenager looking for her freedom and the conflict between her will and her father’s: he wants to go to Algeria to bury his father, she wants to stay in France while refusing to recognise her Arab heritage.

With intelligence, Leyla Bouzid underlines the difficulties that migration causes within a family. This short also won Best Producer Award at the 2014 Abu Dhabi Film Festival.

by Cedric Ido

by Rehad Desai South Africa – 86min International sales: Deckert Distribution (Germany) info@deckert-distribution.com In 2012, miners from the Lonmin platinum mine at Marikana in South Africa’s North West Province began a wildcat strike for better wages. Six days later, the police surrounded them, killing 34 and injuring many more. The Marikana massacre became the first post-apartheid massacre and a national trauma. With footage from this strike as well as from the Marikana Commission of Inquiry, Rehad Desai makes a strong case for poor workers facing collusion and corruption in the corridors of government and corporate power.

The documentary follows some of these workers, features interviews with Lonmin, the ANC and National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) leaders, Desai made this documentary with the support of the JustFilms Foundation, Bertha Foundation, National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF), WorldView, Hivos and the South African Department of Trade and Industry. Due to its controversial nature, this acclaimed film has yet to secure a television broadcast deal. – Claire Diao

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Cannes Film Festival

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Advertorial

Source: Wikimedia Commons. Photo by Silar

‘From our streets to the world’

INCREASING SOUTH AFRICA’S PROFILE: Palais des Festivals et des Congrès in Cannes

T The 68th annual Cannes International Film Festival takes place from the 13th to the 24th of May 2015. As it does every year, the National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF), an agency of the Department of Arts and Culture, will be leading a South African delegation to the world’s best known international film market, with a view toward increasing the profile of South African films on the world stage.

24 | SCREENAFRICA | April 2015

he official South African presence at Cannes usually consists of an SA Pavilion, set up to allow South African filmmakers and other delegates to do business, as well as screenings of a special selection of South African films.

At this year’s SAFTAs “From our streets to the world” was unveiled as a theme that the NFVF will extend to its presence at Cannes 2015 and other markets. This theme reflects the NFVF’s intention to take South African stories from our streets to the world, creating opportunities for our local filmmakers to collaborate with other global filmmakers, especially those from the BRICS countries as well as countries with which South Africa has co-production treaties.

Ms. Vuyo Sokupa, the recently appointed head of production and development at the NFVF, says that the selection of films for screening this year has been particularly interesting. “There’s a mixed bag of stories submitted this year for the SA catalogue, from political thriller to comedy. It is good to showcase new voices, stories that international audiences haven’t seen from South Africa before. It’s a tough choice because we can only screen two apart from the SA Showcase, which is a screening of trailers of all the films we’re showcasing at the festival. We have decided to screen Ayanda and the Mechanic and Stone Cold Jane Austen.”

Boot camp Assisting South African films and filmmakers to get out onto a global platform is one of the foundation’s objectives and, towards that end, it has added some very practical programmes to its agenda this year. One such event is

the ‘Cannes boot camp’. The boot camp is a successful partnership with the Association for Transformation in Film and Television (ATFT).

“We are hosting the boot camp for selected filmmakers before they leave for Cannes. Here we give producers tips on how to be successful at this market.” says Sokupa. “It’s often very intimidating for filmmakers heading to festivals like this for the first time. We need to appreciate that festivals and markets like this have been going on for so long that there’s a tradition of people who know exactly what to do. You get there; you know how to hustle, where you need to go, to whom you have to talk. For a first timer, firstly there is the admin then you also have to know how to weave your way through things. By day 5, you’ve lost so much ground and you’ve potentially missed out on great opportunities. So it’s very important for us to host this boot camp.”

‘We are Africa’ Peter Kwele, head of marketing and communication at the NFVF, emphasises that the work of the NFVF always takes place within the broader context of its parent body, the Department of Arts and Culture (DAC). “While we are pursuing our theme of ‘From our streets to the world’, Minister Nathi Mthethwa will also be there with a view toward following the DAC’s theme, ‘We are Africa’. So the NFVF remains mindful that, as we promote the South African film industry and strengthen our ties with the rest of the world, we are also promoting Africa as a whole and strengthening ties within the continent.”

African co-productions have long been a focus of the NFVF and while treaties and memoranda of understanding are

already in place with countries such as Kenya and Nigeria, the question now is how these can be activated so that they become more than just a matter of bilateral diplomacy.

Sokupa says: “We are hosting a CNBC Africa roundtable discussion on the 19th of May with the topic being Africa Month.

We’ll be looking at ways to stimulate co-productions, and discussing content, distribution audiences. We will also host three co-production forums to boost the treaties that we have in place.”

The business of film NFVF stresses the importance of the business of filmmaking and empowering producers to that end.

“There is a need to understand this industry and that it is also a very competitive business environment,” says Kwele. “That is one of the messages that we want to communicate with the industry. A festival like this gives us the opportunity to really put that message out in the market place and see how we rally the industry around it.”

Sokupa adds: “On the content front, we want to establish what sells, start getting a true understanding of what the market wants so that when we come back we are able to give filmmakers some definitive direction. Producers have to start ticking the boxes of what international markets want to see. What draws financing, what content works, what is more likely to sell? It’s very important for us to come back with some strong insights on these questions.”

This year the official partner of the NFVF is the Kwazulu-Natal Film Commission. The SA Pavilion will be situated at the Village International Riviera, stand No 118.

www.kwazulunatalfilm.co.za.

Documentary

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Elements of Cinema: Into the Wild Wildlife documentaries offer a glimpse into a world untamed, where inhabitants act on instinct, form alliances, fight the forces of nature and at times display characteristics which are not dissimilar to our own. In reference to this scene from Gangland Killers: Hippo Gangs, the team at Aquavision breaks down what it takes to produce these rare and breathtaking moments.

Peter Lamberti on producing:

Craig Gardner on creative direction:

Creating an exceptional final product like this is about collaboration, brainstorming, maintaining integrity as well as drawing on 25 years of wildlife filmmaking and what I have learned from pitching to international broadcasters.

When we start on a wildlife series we first look at what our camera crews, who are positioned throughout the year in various places of interest, have captured.

We look at what the wildlife is doing and we use that as building blocks. We then develop a concept, decide where to ground the story and send a dedicated crew there to get more extensive footage.

After Peter briefed us I created a very broad thread to tell the story of these hippos living along a river. I always think about what characters we can extrapolate to tell a particular story in a way which uses all the behaviours we want to showcase, but doesn’t anthropomorphise the animals.

It’s different to a movie, where you would write a script and then go shoot footage accordingly. It’s almost backwards – you’ve got to take all this disparate footage and create a cohesive story with a through line and characters which the audience can follow and empathise with.

28 | SCREENAFRICA | April 2015

Este Nortje on editing: The challenge with wildlife is that you don’t have actors to tell what to do – the behaviour has already taken place. I have to find a hero figure, which in this instance was our bull, and I have to stick to that character.

I planned my edit around key sequences identified from the footage and plotted scenes to build momentum for the major event. When I saw this amazing fight which Peter was lucky to get, I thought: this has got to be the ending for the story; and from there I worked backwards. In this scene the bull is victorious, so I went back over the footage and selected shots which demonstrated key developments in his journey such as him taking over the pod and conquering the females.

| Documentary

Peter Lamberti on cinematography:

Martin Ferreira on sound:

Anyone doing wildlife camera work needs to understand the body language of animals. Common sense lets you know when you are getting close to trouble.

There are rare occasions where an animal will just charge you all of a sudden but most of the time you know it’s coming. I find if you move a few metres back, the animal sees it as submission and calms down.

I’ve always been a Sony fan – we shot this in 4K on the Sony F55. They are reliable and durable which is crucial for this kind of filming. I’ve used them while climbing Kilimanjaro, in snow, at 60m underwater, in the wet and rain; and we’ve never lost a day’s shooting.

We always want to give the viewer a highly immersive experience and whenever possible try to keep the original sound. It sometimes happens that we need to replace sound – for example, some footage is captured 300 metres away from the action, but appears to be close-up on screen. In that case I would recreate the sound using animal behavioural noises from our extensive library, which we’ve built over the past 10 years.

Similarly, I’m careful not to overpower the narrative with music or sound effects being used to drive emotion of the story with an ambience track. It’s a balancing act – highlighting emotion without overpowering any specific elements. In this scene we managed to capture great original hippo fighting sounds, so I just enhanced them by placing them in a surround sound, sound stage.

Compiled by Carly Barnes

MOUTHING OFF: A scene from Gangland Killers: Hippo Gangs

April 2015 | SCREENAFRICA | 29

Outside Broadcast

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OB full speed ahead Outside broadcast has always been a notoriously complex aspect of the television business, entailing masses of equipment, intricate dovetailing of broadcasting and communications technologies, not to mention the obvious logistical considerations. While there are certain aspects of this sector that have not changed much, the game is very different now from what it used to be in terms of engineering and operations. Andy Stead explores the latest developments in OB.

D

riving from Cape Town to Johannesburg recently I passed two ultra large SuperSport outside broadcast (OB) units together with tenders also en-route to Gauteng. One is astounded by the sheer size of these vehicles, their complexity and their ability to provide massive production facilities on wheels.

Evolution This reminded me of my first acquaintance with an OB unit. It was around 1974 in London, where a live performance of the Puccini opera La 30 | SCREENAFRICA | April 2015

THE ADVENT OF TELEVISION: An old Marconi OB van

bohème was being recorded for the BBC. I had the good fortune of spending time in the production unit during the performance and was overawed by the ability to cram a full production control into a mobile unit with a team of experienced operators and engineers working seamlessly in this confined environment.

OB units (or scanners as they are sometimes called) have been around since the advent of television. The need to create a ‘studio’ on wheels was critical but not a simple matter, particularly in the early days when equipment was far larger and bulkier than today, and camera line-up, stability of equipment and difficulty in routing signals back to base were complex to say the least – let alone those clumsy two-inch recording machines, and a large slow-mo replay disc thrown in.

Nowadays things have changed and a 24-camera double extender van with multiple recording, replay and graphics is commonplace and as mentioned previously, can be seen travelling the roads of South Africa providing highdefinition coverage of all kinds of event countrywide.

Their applications vary considerably, as do their size and functionality. While traditionally when one thinks of OB units one thinks of sport, their usage extends to live concerts and other major events, including, for instance, the opening of parliament, political rallies, large functions and the like.

Expansion In the early days of South African television it was left to the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) and a

couple of privately owned OB vans to provide coverage. However when M-Net commenced operation, cognisant of what would attract viewers, the picture changed and a concerted thrust saw the subscription service acquire exclusive rights to the most important sporting events.

This meant the acquisition of OB vehicles – and several of them.

SuperSport was up to the challenge and now boasts an impressive array of vehicles – mostly supplied and built by Sony – and capable of world class coverage of any event and comparable to the best in the world.

Johan van Tonder, technical operations manager, Production Services at SuperSport gives us an insight into the latest developments in OBs. “Our newest vehicle is OB1, which arrived about a year ago after its

| Outside Broadcast assembly in the United Kingdom,” he recounts.” We have five big vans which are all around 27-camera units and we also have two six-camera units. This would include four ‘super slo mo’ cameras and we also make use of an ultra-motion or high-speed camera.

“We use robotic cameras but these are more for commentary purposes than for action use. A typical rugby game uses between 12 and 16 cameras. This is split between 12 manned cameras and four small, automated robotic cameras.

“We have had talks on signal distribution and in particular fibre connectivity, but currently it’s pretty much as usual: SNG microwave and Telkom services. Other methods are still in research and development at this stage.

“It’s not easy to make changes to the vans as they are fully-equipped, custom-made vehicles. However there are changes and challenges, and there is new technology about. For the last international cricket tour in December and in January, we did some research and development using a 4K camera in HD workflow which is something new and untested. There is new technology out there that can increase viewer interest, but the day-to-day technology remains pretty much the same.

“Sony gave us the 4K camera on loan and the software was opened to us to use the 4K, so we looked at its potential usage. For instance a 4K camera would be rigged to do wicket-to-wicket coverage which could be recorded, and then the Epsio zoom feature enables zooming in Ultra-HD resolution. Using this tool, the EVS operator is able to replay an HD sequence acquired from the UHD cameras to provide additional perspectives and enrich the analysis of key actions.”

4K makes its mark Thanks to 4K zooming, it is possible to switch from a wide-angle view to a detailed one, and vice versa, with no loss of quality. A lot of action on the pitch often happens out of shot, and is then lost to viewers. With the Epsio Zoom, the quality of the image that 4K zoom offers, enables operators to get closer to the action, enhancing coverage and adding spectacular effects simultaneously.

“Currently I am not sure 4K is really worth it as domestically the costs are prohibitive, and the results are not ‘Wow’, so is it worth it to spend that much money on it? But then not long ago HD was a bit of a pipe dream.

“However 4K is making things exciting and your typical super-slow camera is going to disappear as it’s cheaper for me to buy a 4K camera and use it on a lower frame rate.”

Graphics is outsourced to a third party

by SuperSport and Alston Elliot television sports graphics is used. Alston Elliot provides the computers and operators so it’s a totally exclusive service.

In the very near future SuperSport hope to replace old technology for new.

The early technology is getting old – first generation HD, so this would mean complete replacement of both coach and equipment. Some of the early units are in fact eight to nine years old.

“The most covered sport is soccer,” says van Tonder.” We also obviously do rugby and cricket, but in truth we cover all sport. There is no sport in the country that we don’t cover. We often work together with SABC OBs on sporting events, particularly soccer. Sometimes we are the main van and they do the unilateral and vice versa. We also make use of their vans from time to time if we

ROLLING FORWARD: SABC’s flagship OB vehicle with flyaway kit

run out. The SABC vans also broadcast in HD, but their newest van is five years old.

I have three vans built after 2010 so the technology of our vans is more up to date.”

For its part, SABC OB remains one of the two major players in the sector, boasting an impressive fleet of large and small OB vehicles. Longtime general manager Nic Bonthuys went into retirement at the beginning of 2015 and Cosmas Tshabalala now captains the ship at the OB headquarters on Bunting Road, Auckland Park.

More players in the market It’s not just the SABC and SuperSport that provide OB services. Several smaller local companies have their own units, and are extremely active. Among these are Telemedia, Obeco, EFX, Alfacam and Dimension Television Facilities.

Obeco have a comprehensive range of outside broadcast units including an eight-camera full HD van with Sony HD Triax Camera Chains, For-A HD Broadcast switcher, For-A Character Generator and a Grass Valley K2 server and Dyno Controller – similar to the EVS system.

Recording formats are Sony HDCAM, XDCAM H, or AJA Kipro HDD Recorders.

The second van is an SD van with four cameras and a third van the same as OB2, currently being used on Urban Brew programme called Dumisa. There is also a full HD DSNG van with a redundancy system using DVBS4 encoders and 200Watt amps with a 2m dish.

Dimension Television Facilities (Pty) Ltd (DTF) have an impressive offering of several vans. Their OB6 is HD with Grass Valley LDK 8000 and 8300 Cameras. They utilise KU Band, Mpeg4 SN’s for signals to

base, and a Pixel Power Clarity 3000 for Graphics.

DTF cover golf, rugby, soccer, boxing and cycling (Cape Argus and the Cape Epic) as well as events over our borders.

Their challenge is to cater for all the various recording formats and different codecs.

Alfacam South Africa was formerly known as Alfacam Africa and was an extension of the European broadcast facility. When its parent company was bought out, managing director Greg Nefdt and a group of investors decided to buy the name and the equipment and go it alone. For the past year, it has operated as an independent entity, with considerable success. Its full-HD, 24-camera unit, OB1, has seen considerable action both in South Africa and abroad.

Last year saw at least one new entrant in the OB market – One World Media. A smaller operation geared towards up-and-coming production companies, One World makes use of modern technology to offer high-end production value regardless of the lower budgets of their clients. In so doing, they are addressing an ongoing challenge in this part of the industry. The setting up of OB facilities requires very high CAPEX and the cost of hiring such facilities for producers is correspondingly high as well.

For the emerging sectors of the production industry, the price of OB services is generally prohibitive. Several operators, such as Alfacam and One World Media, have spotted this gap in the market – consisting of up-and-coming producers who require OB but struggle to scrounge together the funds to pay for it – and are offering deals that make their services more affordable.

OBs have come a long way since the advent of the first units in the 1930s.

4K imaging in the future is almost a certainty, as well as fibre optic signal paths among other technological innovations. The emergence of softwarebased technologies is making the creation of high-quality content a relatively cheaper and simpler process – and not a moment too soon. With the DTT switchover just around the corner, the demand for content will increase considerably. Production capacity will have to rise to meet it and this cannot happen with only the major players offering their high-end, high-premium services. Increase in quantity, together with maintenance and even improvement of quality, as well as increasing competition and the lowering of barriers to entry, are likely to be defining characteristics of the OB sector in the near future. – Andy Stead

April 2015 | SCREENAFRICA | 31

Outside Broadcast

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ADVERTORIAL

Alfacam SA here to stay By 2013, Alfacam Africa had been operating for four years – the African branch of Europe’s largest outside broadcast facilities provider.

With equipment and technical support from its Belgian-based parent company, the facility established its reputation during the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup and the 2010 World Cup, before going on to become an established OB facility over the course of the next four years.

W

hen 2013 rolled around, the future of Alfacam Africa became uncertain. That year, Alfacam Europe’s Frenchbased competitor Euro Media Group bought out all of its assets and merged them with its own, eliminating the Alfacam name from the market. Alfacam Africa seemed destined to go the same way as its parent company. However, managing director Greg Nefdt, together with a group of investors, made a deal with Euro Media to buy the OB 16/44 vehicle and all associated equipment from the French corporation and continue trading as Alfacam South Africa – a completely independent entity and now the only company in the world operating under the internationally respected name.

Business as usual In 2014, Alfacam SA carried on with business as usual without any fanfare.

“Many people would have been asking questions,” Nefdt says. “‘The big holding company’s gone, they’re on their own now – how is this going to work?‘ As it 32 | SCREENAFRICA | April 2015

AFRICAN BRANCH: The Alfacam crew with OB1

turned out, it was a tough year but a good one – thanks to the support of our clients.”

In early 2015, the OB facility provider, which is based in Kew, Johannesburg, decided to drop the original Alfacam colours and branding and create an entirely new look, as a preface to officially declaring its presence on the South African OB market. The new look creates a much-needed distance between Alfacam South Africa and the now defunct European brand, generating a distinct identity.

Alfacam currently owns one large OB unit – formerly known as OB16/44 and now renamed OB1. This full-HD, 20-camera rig includes Grass Valley LDK 8000 and 8200 cameras, a comprehensive contingent of Canon lenses ranging from 11x to 86x box lenses, high-speed CCUs for slow motion, five EVS XT2s, four X-Files units, two HD cam recorders, a 3ME Kayak video mixer with 48 inputs and 24 outputs, a Soundtracs DPC2 audio console with 80 inputs and 20 outputs, and a Digico D1 live audio console.

As Nefdt says, “we all play with the same toys” – it’s the people, their skills and their attitudes that set service providers apart. Alfacam draws from a pool of both permanent employees and top freelancers for its projects.

Overseeing operations are two core staff members whose expertise forms the basis of Alfacam’s work. Quentin Davis heads up the audio side and has 20 years

of experience in the OB game, starting with his apprenticeship at Air Time (SABC) OB and progressing through Sky Sports and CTV OB. “He’s in a class of his own,” Nefdt says. “He’s calm under pressure, he has a phenomenal understanding of audio and he’s able to deliver to any level the client wants.”

Industry veteran Gerhard Roets is Alfacam’s leading video engineer. “Apart from everything else, Gerhard is one of the most skilled problem solvers in the business,” Nefdt says. “There’s an art to locating and identifying problems in mid-production and calmly solving them in such a way that no-one else even knew it was there to begin with – and Gerhard is a master of that.”

Giving back to the industry Nefdt has identified what he regards as two pressing challenges that the industry currently faces and which he and the Alfacam crew strive to tackle. Firstly, the industry is experiencing an influx of entry-level production houses who don’t have the budget for the considerable expense that outside broadcast incurs.

Secondly, Nefdt is concerned about the relative shortage of new OB technicians rising through the ranks.

“There are a lot of up and coming producers that just don’t have the budgets to spend on OB facilities,” Nefdt explains. “So we are looking at ways in which we can draw in the smaller

operators, the new guys that are just starting out and give them a shot at using high-end equipment at a cost that they can manage. At the moment they have to use what they can get and that works against them. I’m very open to working out a way where we can put together a deal for them in our down time. Along with the facilities we would also be able to provide training.

“When it comes to training we can’t provide a school but what we can do is identify key people to bring in and train, show them how it all works. We have strong international links, so with deserving candidates we could also send them overseas for upskilling. Essentially we would be offering an apprenticeship.

My biggest fear is that I am not seeing many new engineers coming through.

That worries me because the TV industry is growing but the number of key crew is not increasing at the same rate. Don’t get me wrong: there are some brilliant engineers in the industry. I just don’t think that there’s a big enough pool. We are prepared to make our contribution towards increasing that pool.”

Alfacam SA’s record over the past year, since it struck out on its own, speaks for itself and serves to assure the industry that it has weathered the changes that arose from its severing from its erstwhile parent company and, as Nefdt concludes, “Alfacam is here to stay.”

For more information on Alfacam SA, visit www.alfacam.co.za or contact info@alfacam.co.za

Advertorial

| Outside Broadcast

SABC OB upgrades microwave and tracking capabilities At the end of 2014, the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) made several important additions to its news gathering capacities on events such as processions, parades and marathons.

These additions came in the form of a number of repeater systems, point-topoint microwave transmitters and two specially modified BMW K1600GT motorcycles.

The repeater systems use the latest modulation technologies and carefully selected frequencies to relay HD television signals from ground-based vehicles (such as motorcycles) via helicopter to receive sites located approximately 50km away. The microwave systems carry multiple HD signals from one fixed location to another.

The bikes, specifically selected for their ability to carry a significant amount of weight and move at a slow, steady speed, are fitted with the comms and microwave technology. The three components together make up a sophisticated, HD, microwave news gathering system, which working in tandem with helicopters and the SABC’s flagship OB units, can perform these specialised tasks at higher quality and fidelity than before.

TECH ON THE MOVE: Inside of one of SABC’s OB vans The system replaces the ageing SD systems that the public broadcaster had maintained for the past decade or so.

Recently retired SABC OB General Manager, Nic Bonthuys, who was still in his position at the broadcaster when the procurement took place, said of the old system: “It was right for the job in the beginning but over the years, the results we were getting started deteriorating each time. On the last Comrades

Marathon we really started to get a bit worried. The next Comrades, with the new technology being put to full use, will show a dramatic improvement, and this system will be able to do the job well for a good number of years to come.”

Cosmas Tshabalala, who took up the GM position after Bonthuys’ departure, adds: “We faced another problem in that the old system was analogue but the cameras we were using were digital. So

we had to convert the footage from digital to analogue and the end result actually looked worse than it would have if we had had analogue end-toend. Now we have digital and HD throughout the value chain and the results are really amazing.”

The only drawback, Tshabalala jokes, is that they bought these beautiful motorcycles and have had to pull them apart to customise them for the job. “It was a bit sad when I walked into the workshop and saw one of the guys taking a hacksaw to the bike,” he laughs.

According to Tshabalala, the system has already been put to good use on several marathons and has received glowing feedback from the producers in question. “One producer told us that in all his years of working on these events, this is the first time he experienced next to no break-up. He told us that since he has been covering marathons, he has never seen images like this.”

For enquiries on SABC OB’s new motorcycles and microwave systems, as well as its full fleet of outside broadcast vehicles, visit www.sabc.co.za/tvob or call 011 714 2961/ 4300.

April 2015 | SCREENAFRICA | 33

Outside Broadcast

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ADVERTORIAL

One World Media provides OB solutions for emerging producers A relative newcomer to the world of broadcast and television production (notwithstanding the collective experience of its founders) One World Media has based its business on making top-quality OB facilities available at a price that can fit the budgets of up and coming productions.

According to Reginald Tshikota, principal founder of the 100 per cent black-owned company, One World Media seeks “to provide state-of-the-art OB facilities, largely focusing on smaller-scale producers and productions. The current infrastructure available to a producer with a small budget would be a very inferior OB facility. We are able to pitch a high-level technology offering and technical prowess at a very reasonable price. When a client approaches us with a budget that other facilities wouldn’t even look at, we always find a way to accommodate them. Pursuant to the fact that larger production companies would still procure services from one of the major OB suppliers in the country. We are striving towards joining their ranks but for

34 | SCREENAFRICA | April 2015

now we target the smaller-scale projects by offering state-of-the-art facilities at relatively low cost.”

The heart of One World Media’s OB facility is the TriCaster, the multipurpose production platform developed by Texan hardware and software company NewTek and sold and serviced in South Africa by Timbre Broadcast. Working through and with this hub is an eight-camera platform that accommodates Panasonic HDX 372, 500 and 600 with complete vision control and a PreSonus digital audio desk. The van prides itself on full live text and graphics, live social media broadcast, free Wi-Fi and complete Comrex hybrid system, as well as capacity for Super Slo-Mo equipment if needed.

One World Media is fully licensed by the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (ICASA), holding both Electronic Communications Network Service (ECNS) and Individual Electronic Communications Service (I-ECS) licences.

The company is the brainchild of Reginald Tshikota, Simon Nyarugwe and

STATE OF THE ART FOR SMALL-SCALE BUDGETS: One World Media’s flagship OB unit Gilbert Nemamilwe, with each of the members bringing his own specific expertise to the mix. Tshikota has a Masters Degree in Engineering from the University of the Witwatersrand and is currently working towards his doctorate in Business Leadership at the University of South Africa. His area of expertise is communications, so he handles the telecoms aspects while also bringing his business knowledge to bear as One World’s executive chairman. Nyarugwe is a broadcast engineer with decades of experience under his belt, going back to his early training at the SABC’s OB division. He is the brains behind the OB unit’s architecture. Nemamilwe handles the more operational aspects of the company.

Outside broadcast forms one pillar of the company’s four-part mission and structure. The other three are made up of studio space and channel hosting for free-to-air broadcast platforms, particularly community TV stations;

enabling community television stations to develop content for their platforms; and youth broadcasting, whereby One World Media offers hands-on training facilities to tertiary institutions that host courses in production and broadcasting.

Among the productions that One World has already been involved in was the coverage of the recent e-tolls review meetings for the South African National Roads Agency (SANRAL), as well as coverage of minority sporting codes that generally receive little television exposure, such as college hockey tournaments. An ongoing job for the facility is the Vusion Media production Pop-Up TV, which currently airs on SABC 3.

One World Media’s second OB unit, which will include built-in SNG facilities, is set to be operational in April.

For more information, visit www.goinglive.co.za or call 071 382 9749.

ADVERTORIAL

| Outside Broadcast

Telemedia helps broadcast Lesotho elections In March 2015, Telemedia was again selected to be part of Lesotho Television’s coverage of the country’s elections. This is the second time that the Rivonia-based facility has helped cover national elections in the little mountain kingdom.

The election coverage consisted of two major event periods: party rallies the weekend before the elections and coverage of the elections themselves.

The party rallies aspect involved four different political parties hosting rallies within Maseru. In order to get coverage from the different venues Telemedia utilised terrestrial microwave via a temporary repeater within the capital city that enabled live coverage from all the venues into Lesotho Television. The rally programming consisted of live speeches

REMOTE CHALLENGE: Telemedia’s SNG kit on a 4x4 vehicle in Lesotho from the party candidates, comments from the public that attended the events and crowd atmosphere.

The election day coverage had the challenges of getting news from the remote areas of Lesotho; Thaba Tseka; Quthing; Leribe and Qacha’s Nek. These areas are so remote they have little or no infrastructure. Telemedia used four SNG kits built on hardy 4x4 vehicles to enable crews to negotiate the rugged Lesotho terrain. Telemedia has always prided itself on building SNGs onto 4x4 chassis to overcome these sorts of challenges in Africa.

The satellite used for this event was

Gazprom’s Yamal 402 55° East. This satellite was chosen for two main reasons: firstly, when transmitting from venues that were located in valleys, the look angles were ideal for some of the remote locations where the elevation to the satellite cleared the high mountains and the transmission performance of the satellite allowed the SNGs to transmit and receive programming. Secondly, the final programming output from Lesotho Television is also available on Yamal 402; so this was ideal for the journalists in the field to use as a confidence feed in the remote locations.

On election day, Lesotho Television

had available to them six roving news crews; four using SNG and two using terrestrial microwave. The entire day’s programming consisted of live news feeds covering the election process around the country with journalists in the field interacting with presenters and election specialists in studio.

“Special events like these highlight Telemedia’s commitment to providing innovative solutions to enable clients to capture what they need in order to create an informative and entertaining product for their viewers,” says Telemedia’s Quentin Barkhuizen.

– Copy provided by Telemedia

Broadcast Services • Video & IP Connectivity • Studios • SNG • Fibre Services• Data Centres

WITH THREE DECADES OF EXPERIENCE PROVIDING SOLUTIONS FOR THE RADIO AND TELEVISION BROADCAST INDUSTRY

PO Box 1853, Rivonia, 2128, South Africa | Tel: +27 (0)11 803-3353/4 | Fax: +27 (0)11 803-2534 | E-mail: sales@telemedia.co.za | www.telemedia.co.za

April 2015 | SCREENAFRICA | 35

Outside Broadcast

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Advertorial

A busy year ahead

BREWING UP BUSINESS: One of Obeco’s OB vans ready to roll

www.lasernet.co.za info@lasernet.co.za Tel: +27 87 742 2210

Obeco is an outside broadcasting company founded and established in 1988 in South Africa, by Anton Pretorius.

Anton Pretorius gained an immense amount of experience after his training at the South African Broadcast Corporation in the 1980s as a television engineer and this prompted him to pursue his vision of establishing his own company. Since then Obeco has quietly and firmly established themselves as a reliable, affordable and highly recommended outside broadcasting company in South Africa.

Currently, Obeco is a subsidiary of Urban Brew. Urban Brew is an independent, empowerment-driven communications company now commonly recognised as the best independent live broadcast platform in South Africa and delivers complete solutions from inception to delivery. Urban Brew recognised the immense potential in Obeco and acquired all the OB vans in 2010. Now, having access to resources from a huge pool of broadcast equipment, offering exceptional surety and reliability, Obeco believes it is one step ahead of any other OB supplier in South Africa.

Obeco has a comprehensive range of outside broadcast units, tailored to suit its clients’ needs. It currently has an eight-camera full HD van, utilising Sony HD Triax Camera Chains, For-A HD Broadcast switcher, For-A Character Generator. It has just invested in a Grass Valley K2 server and Dyno Controller, which is very similar to a EVS system.

Recording formats are either Sony HDCAM, XDCAM HD, or AJA Kipro HDD Recorders. Obeco also has a HD live Ultimatte system, which offers exceptional Chroma Key quality.

Obeco’s second van is an SD van utilising Sony SD Triax cameras. It comes standard with four cameras but another four can be added. It has a 12ch Sony DFS900 Production Switcher and uses Apple FCP as video server and Cgen.

The third van is exactly the same as OB2 but is currently being used permanently on an Urban Brew programme called Dumisa.

The facility has a full HD DSNG van with full redundancy system using DVBS4 encoders and 200Watt amps with a two-metre dish.

Obeco also stocks “Live Mix” kits all in HD, all using Sony HD Camcorders like the PDW700, PMW 300, HVR-S270 and NX5. Obeco can supply an eight-camera HD Live mix setup with coms, tally and digital recording mostly for corporate events.

Obeco offers technology from many of the world’s leading manufacturers.

Industry focused and on pulse with ever changing technologies, Obeco upgrades its equipment regularly. Obeco also prides itself on the fact that it builds its own OB vans. This gives us an exceptional advantage and power over our vans as we know our equipment, inside out.

Much detail, attention, considerations and loads of experience goes into the layout of its OB vans. The vans are designed for optimal utilization.

Urban Brew will always be Obeco’s biggest client, with various weekly live shows and a growing number of 24/7 channels. But it also works for many other clients, some with huge productions like X Factor SA, some with much smaller corporate productions such as product launches. “We find that most of our clients have been with us for many years, and instead of asking for quotes they will normally tell us what the budget is for a particular production, and we tell them what we can supply for the budget. This creates a working relationship much more conducive to a better final product.

Quoting against a competing company all the time tends to be detrimental to the finished product,” explains Pretorius.

“Obviously, we feel the crunch of the current economic climate just as much as our competitors, but because we are an Urban Brew subsidiary we have a much better chance to survive now. As with everybody else, our work load has subsided a bit but we find that we are getting involved more and more in bigger budget live broadcast events, even though the corporate side seems to be getting smaller. We are constantly looking at expanding our own market, and at the moment we are looking at expanding more into the live sport arena by covering lesser exposed sport types. We are very excited about 2015, and if all the quotes and budgets are approved that we have done so far, we will be very busy this year,” Pretorius concludes.

Archiving

| Media ASSET MANAGEMENT

Media asset management for the digital transformation Not that long ago, consumers of media were a remarkably compliant group.

They accepted how, what and where broadcasters wanted to deliver content to them. Now, changes in technology and society alike have created the need to allow for greater mobility and diversity in how media is consumed.

The importance of media asset management (MAM) and archiving is ever increasing as the media and entertainment industry continues its digital transformation. Most of the early adoptees of MAM systems are showing just how these set ups are working for profit.

Major shifts in the media industry demand that media businesses both large and small acquire a greater ability to handle an ever-growing array of file-based media and metadata, streamline and automate workflows and distribute to new emerging platforms.

The conversion from analogue to digital, which promised so much, has created numerous problems, both because it has left most organisations with a hard to manage mixture of technologies, and also because the move away from analogue has created numerous ‘digital grey areas’ which each address a part of the process but fail to join up very well, if at all. These problems affect every kind of media business, from production companies to broadcasters, from distributors to production facilities.

From workaround to standard practice Many, if not all media businesses, have evolved extremely complex operational

processes with regards to asset management. This is partly due to the fact that they have to deal with multiple media types which still, in many places, have quite separate production chains.

Added to that is the environment of deadlines. Splitting tasks up and spreading them about is one way of getting them done quicker. Occasionally, complicated ways of doing things that started life as workarounds become standard operational procedures because a better way of doing them was never found.

Warner Bros. Entertainment, a Time Warner Company, was among the first in the content industry to grasp the full power, potential and implications of digital technologies and media asset management. After careful selection of business partners, Warner Bros. started a mutual multi-year, multi-stage evolution towards creating the world’s first high-performance, digital media and entertainment business in the form of a transformed digital media asset management system.

Now Warner Bros. can speed up distribution of entertainment content, open up new revenue streams, free up resources to focus on creative innovation and lower all related annual distribution and management costs by an astonishing 85 per cent through effective media asset management practices.

Implementing new asset management is far more than just buying technology; it requires leadership, governance, technical integration, cultural change and user adoption to make it work.

By undertaking a return on investment analysis, organisations can better understand the business case, identify where media asset management can

provide the greatest impact to the business and identify where business processes can be optimised.

A case in point is BBC Scotland. Last year was momentous for Scotland with a historic referendum on Scottish independence from the UK, as well as the Commonwealth Games. These two major events added hugely to BBC Scotland’s already heavy production workload.

In preparation for the eyes of the world on Scotland, the decision was taken to migrate its digital content to a new MAM system with the main criterion being to allow users to access the system remotely from outside the BBC’ s Glasgow headquarters. There were around 700 users who routinely used the system and their choice of MAM was instrumental in making this possible. It has had a huge impact on production values and as a result better workflows were created efficiently at a lower overall cost.

Archiving It is estimated that the broadcast industry will consume US$7.8 billion worth of digital storage infrastructure by 2017, representing more than 80 exabytes of digital storage capacity; most of that capacity is being driven by preservation and archiving. A significant amount of investment has been put into the improvement of the Linear Tape Open (LTO) format and the development of Linear Tape File System (LTFS).

The implementation of LTFS in technology terms was a massive step forward in moving tape storage away from its reputation as complex and difficult to use. LTFS allows customers to capitalise on the advantages of tape, including the low cost/TB and low total

cost of ownership of tape storage without the perceived management challenges, complexities and time consuming constraints of legacy tape operations.

Providing an open source specification for a file system LTFS has been a game changer in the archiving industry.

However, the industry is fully aware that it is inevitable that digital storage hardware will eventually reach end of life and the media assets stored on them must be migrated to the latest technology. While tape storage can help ease this pain by having the longest of all lifecycles, users still need to plan a seamless way to initiate media migrations. The development and introduction of media lifecycle management tools has been necessary to proactively track, manage and report on all facets of tape usage and health from creation to retirement.

There has also been some resurgence in the development of an archiving format originally researched and developed by Kodak called DOTS (Digital Optical Technology System), which claims that their archival media is non-magnetic, chemically inert and immune from electromagnetic fields and able to be stored in normal office environments.

Because there are no demanding climate control requirements, DOTS is a low-cost, environmentally friendly way to truly archive data long term. By long term they mean 100 years plus versus the 30 to 50 years offered by LTO. Group 47, which acquired the DOTS patents from Kodak, plans to license the technology to manufacturers that will make and sell it, in order to keep it a non-proprietary system. Is it possible that this could be the future of archiving or are we yet to see another format or two that promise more? – Ian Dormer April 2015 | SCREENAFRICA | 37

Media ASSET MANAGEMENT

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4K TECHNOLOGY | ADVERTORIAL

Managing media workflows Perfect media management requires an exceptionally well integrated IT architecture. To maximise the capabilities of the modern broadcast facility it’s essential for MAM technology providers to apply precision in IT technology to broadcast and media. The right media IT solutions architecture now provides broadcasters with full integration across their entire business from acquisition and production through to packaging and delivery, enabling increasingly efficient and cost-effective operations.

Traditional linear playout and viewing on demand has evolved more quickly than many expected into the concept of ‘content everywhere’ via smart TVs, tablets, smart phones and PCs. To keep up with the pace of this consumer behaviour, broadcasters need to have a number of key processes in place including multi-site, multi-format, multi-platform delivery and increasingly,

media business reporting.

Today’s broadcasters require media tools that provide continuous access to content throughout their business.

Removing the unnecessary, and at times, overwhelming complexity caused by multiple workflow states, wrappers and codecs etc. enables easier discovery of related media. By providing better tools, this complexity is replaced by a logical view of the content and workflow with direct access to the different components for validation: forms to easily select audio; metadata enrichment for packaging and delivery of content in the correct format.

Broadcasters and global media companies worldwide rely on Tedial’s unique media IT solutions to manage their entire media workflow and to cost-effectively reach new audiences on every screen. Tedial’s next generation Evolution™ MAM achieves real results from business-driven media workflows. It

UNIQUE SOLUTIONS: Tedial Evolution

delivers a full range of scalable, flexible solutions that address the ever-changing media management landscape. Built on Tedial’s proven flagship Tarsys core, Tedial Evolution significantly enhances user productivity, quality and accuracy.

Advanced search/indexing tools, new services to surf/explore archives and improved integration between third-party

business systems, and archive and workflow engines reinforce a collaborative environment. – Esther Mesas, Chief Sales & Marketing Officer, Tedial Tedial products and solutions are sold and serviced in South Africa by Inala Broadcast. www.inala.co.za, 011 206 830

substantially higher than it was for HD in its beginnings. From a physical point of view, the bandwidth that 4K consumes and the storage space it takes up is much bigger. Broadcasters will need more storage, and increased network capacity to incorporate new codecs to handle 4K. The job of the MAM system is to manage all of these changes.

The introduction of 4K in a MAM system like Viz One, will not change basic services such as file management, load balancing, partial retrieval, and file movement. For these services, 4K is simply a system configuration. It is more on the transcoding side, where new codecs will require updated transcoding toolsets for MAM users to be prepared for the future.

It’s no secret that broadcasters will need to produce 4K content to keep market share and a similar level of existing revenues. A 4K MAM system will need to help increase production efficiency and

this is something Viz One can provide to users.

One workflow, multiple platforms – today’s 4K media asset management Broadcasters and professional video production companies working in live entertainment, sports and news continue to be tasked with capturing, preparing and distributing content in the fastest and most efficient way. The implementation of an effective media asset management (MAM) platform that benefits the entire chain of production has become critical.

Today’s best MAM systems are capable of simplifying the production environment and adapting workflows, while providing the related tools needed to optimise the production of the many versions and variants an asset needs to be delivered.

‘One’ Vision Integrated and streamlined tools allow asset production and delivery to any platform in one workflow, enabling content packaging and delivery that is dramatically more efficient than traditional workflows. Extensive live entertainment experience – from high-profile concerts to major sporting events like Olympic Games and FIFA 38 | SCREENAFRICA | April 2015

FIELD-TESTED TECHNOLOGY: Viz One workflow World Cup – as well as live newscasts for the likes of BBC, CNN and Fox News, brings a unique understanding of the requirements for these fast-paced, no-compromise productions. Field-tested technology, such as the Viz One enterprise-level MAM system, helps customers quickly find desired content stored on servers and sends it to the right desktop for further processing (e.g., editing in an NLE, or graphics production with tools such as the Viz Artist application). The underlying infrastructure is able to manage all types of media during production – including for ingest, cataloging, archiving and editing.

Building MAM for a 4K future To ensure the success of future end-toend 4K workflows, a MAM system is integral. The level of preparation that broadcasters are undertaking for 4K is

Simplifying production for all involved Integration and centralised control and management are critical to seamless, high-speed operations. Today, most of Vizrt’s production tools can be tightly integrated into and controlled by one overall Viz One platform that can be accessed by anyone, whether they are located at their desk or somewhere remotely around the globe. That’s the type of access, flexibility and collaborative workflows the most advanced content producers and distributors in the world are counting on to keep their businesses successful.

Vizrt’s products and solutions are sold and serviced in South Africa by Concilium Technologies. www. concilium.co.za, 012 678 9200

4K Technology

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Go with the flow Over the past year one of my quests has been working out a reliable 4K backup and prep workflow. With different camera formats it is quite hard to come up with a single solution so you have to be armed with a few ‘plans’ to make it work.

My list keeps changing but I have found some really interesting products out there that can make life a little easier. First and foremost, nothing really comes for free so be prepared to spend some money!

M

anaging data on set or after a shoot can be a very time consuming and cumbersome experience for all moviemakers.

Depending on the client you serve, the choice of equipment and software is a factor that will affect your workflow. The important thing is to get it right first time, no mistakes, no losing data or ‘accidentally’ deleting camera cards.

Everybody, it seems, is shooting 4K to get the best acquisition possible.

Managing any media, let alone 4K media, can be a bit of a nightmare if you don’t have the right toolset. There are a number of really great tools out there (and yes despite what I said earlier some of them are free) to make life easier for you but the starting point is a good computer.

Portable or not?

While having a powerful workstation is great, the reality is that most freelancers need to be portable. A good laptop with maxed out RAM, SSD to boot your OS and programmes from, two BUSpowered external hard drives, and a good pair of headphones make for a great starting point. With kit like this, you’re able to work from almost anywhere and work on anything from Canon DSLRs to the ARRI ALEXA, provided you have the software to process the data.

Personally I prefer the desktop type approach and, although I hate to admit it, Apple has made the choice easy.

Currently, Apple sells two desktop solutions to benefit a wide variety of consumers and professionals alike but their newly released iMac 27” is just the ticket for me. The iMac has a randomaccess memory (RAM) expansion ceiling of 32GB, but what it lacks in RAM it makes up for in numerous other categories.

40 | SCREENAFRICA | April 2015

Running the fastest CPU in the world for most single-threaded tasks, a Core i7-4097K, the iMac performance exceeds that of the cylindrical Mac Pro model. The inclusion of a built-in 27” 5K monitor makes it a fantastic choice for transcoding, photo editing and colour grading for 10- and 12-bit 4K/UHD footage. If you need to put a lot of computing power towards large-scale video editing and VFX creation, if you require a series of monitors and many thunderbolt drives, then the new Mac Pro is likely your best option and quite frankly not that much more in cost.

The first step is to get the media from the camera cards to reliable hard drives.

It’s preferable to have at least two copies (from the location) and to make the copies using software that verifies the backup. This is a process often handled on location under less than ideal conditions and there are a number of applications to help accomplish this task.

Adobe Prelude and ShotPut Pro from Imagine Products are two examples, but for me the best is Red Giant Offload. It uses a really simple interface permitting one source and two target locations and it has the sole purpose of safely transferring and checking media with no other frills.

In terms of hard drives the debate will always be SSD versus hard disk and

budget will always be a factor but I like the simplicity of DROBO Data Solution products. The Drobo Mini is extremely reliable, easy to use and good value for money.

Transcode or not?

To streamline the process of interchanging files between applications, it is best to transcode to one of several common media formats. You also want every file to have unique file names, reel IDs and timecode, so with multiple camera sources I transcode everything.

The easiest common media format is QuickTime, using the MOV wrapper and encoded using either Avid DNxHD, Sony XDCAM, Panasonic AVC-Intra or Apple ProRes codecs. These files are readable in most applications running on Mac or PC. My preference is to first convert all files into QuickTime using one of these codecs if they originated as something else.

That’s because the file is relatively flexible at that point and doesn’t require a rigid external folder structure.

Of course, there are dedicated batch encoders like Apple Compressor, Sorenson Squeeze, Telestream Episode and Adobe Media Encoder. But my tool of choice for transcoding is Blackmagic Designs Da Vinci Lite (free!) which has the ability to apply LUTs, change file names

and export to multiple targets in batches and for any files with timecode and reel issues (and there will be) a great asset to own is VideoToolSheds QtChange.

With the practice of shooting footage with a flat-looking log gamma profile, many directors like the ability to see the final, adjusted look on location. This often involves some on-site colour grading to create a temporary look. Several applications are available that will do the job, including DaVinci Resolve Lite, Pomfort Silverstack and RED Redcine-X Pro. Some new applications specifically designed for the field use include Red Giant’s BulletProof and Catalyst Browse/ Prepare from Sony Creative Software.

Catalyst Browse is free and designed for all Sony cameras, whereas Catalyst Prepare is a paid application that covers Sony cameras and other brands, including Canon and GoPro. Depending on the application, these tools may be used to add colour correction, organise media, transcode file formats, and even prepare simple rough assemblies of selected footage.

Getting the 4K content off the set and into the edit suite is easier with the correct tools and a clear idea of how you are going to handle the workflow. 4K is here today and here to stay so get working with it! – Ian Dormer

APP-titude

| NEW MEDIA

We take a look at apps that are simplifying workflows in pre-production and production.

Celtx Script Publisher: Celtx Inc. Compatible devices: iOS, Android Price: Free on Google Play or US$4.99 from iOS store. US$9.99 for the universal application for iPad, iPhone and iPod.

How it works: Celtx Script gives writers a handy framework to craft their stories, storyboards and production notes in. As the app is accessible across a number of devices, including desktops, phones and tablets, it allows writers and storytellers the ability to create, edit and share their work on the go. The app enables users to format their work according to industry standards while incorporating script tags, shot lists, shooting schedules and budget notes.

Why this is awesome: A huge draw card for this app is the collaborative capabilities which it offers filmmakers; as in most cases a script involves more than one contributor and is constantly relayed back to many facets of production. By storing all scripts, notes and storyboards online and enabling other members of a team to access them to make revisions and add their own notes, Celtx Script offers a streamlined workflow for the pre-production stage of filmmaking.

ShotPro Publisher: WebGames3D.com Compatible devices: iOS Price: US$29.99

How it works: This pre-visualisation app gives filmmakers access to a simple composition process, which allows them to create animations of desired shots and share them with crew members before production. The platform allows users to block and light a scene as well as play with different camera angles and positions. It also features customisable characters, props and movements with all adjustments taking place in real time.

Why this is awesome: Having a rough idea of how a scene is going to look while still in pre-production is a valuable process which allows for analysis, experimentation and adjustment of technique before the actual shoot, where mistakes cost money and time. This way a filmmaker can predict how long a scene will be, identify any continuity or spot issues and view ideas from the shot list in a more practical context.

Using a filmmaking app you think we should know about? Tell us why you think it’s awesome by emailing: carly@screenafrica.com. – Compiled by Carly Barnes April 2015 | SCREENAFRICA | 41

Training & Education

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Advertorial

Sabido eAcademy reaches out to the industry Sabido eAcademy officially opened in August 2014 and has reported a highly successful first eight months in operation. It is now launching two new initiatives to help spread its particular brand of learning across the country and to stimulate transformation in the industry.

A

ccording to Sabido eAcademy’s managing director Natalie Delport, the first few months in the college’s life have exceeded her expectations in terms of the industry’s response and the number of students enrolled. As a result she and her staff are in an expansive mood and are developing two new operational streams to complement their core learning programmes.

Regional training partnerships The first new initiative was born out of the eAcademy’s desire to expand its footprint beyond its Johannesburg base. Delport notes that start-up training facilities in the film, television and media industries are fairly common, but few of them last because the processes involved with setting up a base, designing a curriculum and getting accreditation from the necessary authorities, are timeconsuming and costly.

“With this in mind,” Delport says, “the eAcademy wants to expand its reach and become truly national. Short of us opening offices everywhere – which is just not feasible – we thought, why don’t we rather partner with individuals or smaller, start-up institutions around the country?”

These partnerships would essentially work as a kind of training franchise, in which eAcademy’s partners, flung far and wide from Cape Town to Beitbridge, license its training content and assessment processes. “For each training programme, our partners would use our

material but if they wanted to use their own we would need to approve it,” Delport explains. “Their trainers can then offer training and qualifications under licence from Sabido eAcademy so that every certificate issued will carry our logo and the stamp of approval from MICT-SETA and SAQA. In preparation for the partners’ programmes we aim to hold ‘train-the-trainer’ sessions.”

“Discussions are already underway with potential partners in KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo, Western Cape and the Eastern Cape,” Delport continues. “We also have our feelers out in the Northern Cape and Mpumalanga. This is a call to small companies with an interest in providing training for the industry to work with us rather than reinventing the wheel or struggling to build from the ground up.”

Media business incubator An important objective laid out in eAcademy’s five-year plan is the enabling of start-up businesses and empowering of young people by giving them the opportunity to establish their own companies. In a programme dubbed ZA Media Incubator, the college has set aside a section of its premises for use by start-up companies enrolling on this programme. The academy undertakes to provide office space, furniture, computers and internet connectivity, as well as other technical and business support, to these fledgling companies for a maximum of five years.

Delport explains: “We can accommodate up to six companies at one

EXPANSIVE MOOD: The Sabido eAcademy campus in Hyde Park, Johannesburg

42 | SCREENAFRICA | April 2015

time and we are looking for candidates who have completed some kind of training programme – not necessarily at eAcademy – and also have some measure of work experience. Several young producers/candidates who recently completed the eKasi Television Skills Programme (in partnership with e.tv) will also be included in the incubator. There is also a team of experienced 2D animators on board. While the startups are establishing themselves, eAcademy will utilise their services instead of procuring from suppliers outside. . The new business owners will also attend monthly classes to help them develop various skills that they will need to run their businesses, be it labour law, HR practices or budgeting. These programmes would be offered free of charge as part of their development. Each incubator company will be partnered with a ‘Biz Buddy’, an established company that can offer guidance and support where needed.

The Biz Buddy will also be required to pitch and partner with the incubator on larger projects. We are taking profits from our other programmes and reinvesting them in this initiative as enterprise development. Once the businesses have established themselves in the industry and moved on to greener pastures, we start the process again with new groups.

Delport is outspoken about the need to transform the industry – a cause that strongly underlines this programme – and the role that all established industry participants ought to play in it. “We are appealing to the industry to join us in giving these start-ups the opportunity to

get their businesses off the ground.

Give them the chance to pitch their ideas, let them be heard. They can then succeed or fail on the basis of their own efforts. That’s what transformation is all about. We may have had 21 years of democracy now but the truth is that the industry has not changed that much. With this incubator scheme we are investing in companies that we believe has what it takes to succeed. We are giving them the basic platform and some guidance and, other than that, letting them have complete control so that they can prove themselves and reap the rewards. By the same token, eAcademy appeals to the industry to get involved either as a mentor, a Biz Buddy or an investor in Enterprise Development.

In conclusion, to those who may ask why they should invest in developing potential competitors, Delport says, “Leadership is about empowering people to surpass you.

That’s the only way an industry can grow.”

Sabido eAcademy is accredited

by MICT-SETA (Media, Information and Communication Technologies Sector Education and Training Authority) and SAQA (the South African Qualifications Authority).

For more information, visit www.eacademy.co.za or call 011 537 6000.

| Box Office

Figures supplied by SAFACT

Top SA box office earners 2014

This month we’ve decided to keep it strictly local with the top 10 South African films of last year, as per the NFVF’s box office report for December 2014 to January…

Pad na Jou Hart Director Jaco Smit’s heartwarming romantic comedy was the biggest earning local film at the South African box office last year. Released on Valentine’s Day 2014, the Afrikaans flick, starring Ivan Botha and Donnalee Roberts, brought in an impressive R11 597 209 in ten weeks running at local theatres.

Spud 3: Learning to Fly Released in November last year, the third installment of the Spud film series underperformed in comparison to the first two films, earning just R3 788 281 in four weeks running. Critics put the film’s poor performance down to insufficient marketing.

Leading Lady

Konfetti

Katie McGrath, Bok van Blerk and Gil Bellows star in this lighthearted rom-com by director Henk Pretorius. Raking in R7 567 630 in just six weeks at South African cinemas, Leading Lady also managed to secure a cinematic distribution deal with Freestyle Releasing in the USA where it will screen later this year.

Director Zaheer Goodman-Bhyat’s Konfetti stars Louw Venter, Nico Panagio, Casey B Dolan and Kim Engelbrecht in a romantic-comedy about friendship, love and everything in between. The film garnered R2 558 221 in eight weeks at local theatres.

Faan se Trein

iNumber Number

This Afrikaans comedy by award-winning director Koos Roets was the third highest performing local film of 2014, grossing R7 158 787 nationally in five weeks running.

Released in January last year, Faan se Trein is based on the play by Pieter Fourie, originally performed in 1970. It has been lauded as a classic of Afrikaans cinema.

Los Angeles-based production and distribution company Wrekin Hill Entertainment has acquired the North American rights to iNumber Number, starring S’dumo Mtshali and Presley Chweneyagae. Director Donovan Marsh’s award-winning thriller ran for 13 weeks at local cinemas and earned an unimpressive R1 956 873.

Vrou Soek Boer

Hard to Get

Starring Lika Berning and Nico Panagio in the lead roles, Vrou Soek Boer uses both romance and humour to touch on the divide between Johannesburg’s fast-paced city life and the ‘platteland’s’ more humble way of living. The film earned R5 458 669 in five weeks running at the local box office.

Hard to Get tells the story of a young man who plunges into the criminal underworld in Johannesburg after he falls for a beautiful but dangerous woman. Directed by first-time feature director Zee Ntuli, the film screened on the South African circuit for 17 weeks and garnered a disappointing R1 714 862.

Knysna Director Andre Velts’ comedy Knysna comes in at number five with R4 893 911 in six weeks at South African cinemas.

The film, starring Neels van Jaarsveld and Marguerite Wheatley, received mixed reviews from local critics.

Die Spook Van Uniondale Die Spook van Uniondale takes audiences on a flight of fancy, telling the story of a man who is forced to stay in a small town in the Klein Karoo when his car breaks down on the way to his parents’ house. Directed by Pierre Smith, the film earned R1 495 744 in three weeks.

– Compiled by Chanelle Ellaya

April 2015 | SCREENAFRICA | 43

PR ODU CT IO N

UPDATES FOR FURTHER DETAILS VISIT www.screenafrica.com

Those productions in red are newly listed this month Production Updates Order of Information 1. Title 2. Production company 3. Director 4. Genre

IN DEVELOPMENT

1464 Vragboot Steet Cnr Vooraadskip Streets Laserpark, Honeydew

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69 BODIES/SHARPEVILLE Tamol Media Prod: Thabang Molibeli Feature 80 MINUTES Periphery Films Dir: Simon Taylor / Julia Taal Feature A Bank in Krugersdorp (working tile) Panda Broadcast Prod: Sam Groenewald Feature Film AFTER MARIKANA – PART 2 OF A TRILOGY Uhuru Productions Prod/Dir: Rehad Desai Documentary ANTHOLOGY Journey, Home & Treasure Prod/Dir: Feizel Mamdoo Feature Are Aganeng/Asakhaneni Michics Global Communications Exec Prod: Mishack Motshweni Talk Show AT THE CREEK WITHOUT A PADDLE Zen Crew Prod: Laura Tarling Documentary BREAD AND WATER Periphery Films Dir: Simon Taylor / Julia Taal Feature Documentary BIG LITTLE FRIEND Two Oceans Production Prods: Giselher Venzke / Bertha Spieker TV movie CHILDREN OF FAMOUS ACTIVISTS Current Affairs Films Prod: Jane Thandi Lipman Feature CINDERELLA Two Oceans Productions Prod: Giselher Venzke / Bertha Spieker Feature Cybervisions Writer:Tawanda Murimirwa Completed Sci-Fi Screenplay DE BRAZZAVILLE A JOHANNESBURG Site et Sons Media Productions Feature Film DIE VERHAAL VAN RACHELTJIE DE BEER Nostalgia Productions Prod: Brett Michael Innes Feature Die Vervoerder Grey Cloud Productions Dir: Jacques Brand Prod: Jarrod de Jong Feature ENTREPRENEURS Footprint Media TV Prod: Cheryl Delport Magazine ESCAPE Current Affairs Films Prod: Jane Thandi Lipman / Beata Lipman Feature EX PATS Current Affrairs Films / French Connection Prod: Jane Thandi Lipman Series FISTS OF FURY P.I.M.P Dir/Prod: Daniel P Nxumalo Feature Future Legends Phoenix Entertainment and Productions Prod: Koketso Sefanyetso TV Magazine

Izinyembezi Zami Inhlakanipho Films Dir: Vusi Nhlapo Feature Film HHOLA HHOLA Vuleka Productions Prod: Julie Frederikse Feature High School Modeling Michics Global Communications Exec Prod: Mishack Motshweni Feature HOTEL SONGOLOLO The Media Workshop Dir: Benito Carelsen Series IN THE CASTLE OF MY SKIN Film Fetish Prod: Siphiwe H Sibeko Documentary IN SILENCE & IN TEARS Alternative Cinema Prod: Ikechukwu Omenaihe Feature ISIHLOBO ESIHLE Dogg Bite Entertainment Dir/Prod: Siphiwe Dominic Mpanza Documentary IZINJA ZAMI P.I.M.P Dir/Prod: Daniel P Nxumalo Feature JIVA Tamol Media Prod: Thabang Molibeli Feature KING SEKHUKHUNE / EVERYONE’S LAND Sukuma Media Prod: Leonard Sekhukhune / Bonginhlanhla Ncube Feature Film LEKKERKAMPPLEKKE Grey Cloud Productions Dir: Jacques Brand Prod: Jarrod de Jong Variety MANCHE, THE AFRICAN SAINT Get the Picture Prod/Dir: Jacky Lourens / Fiona Summers Documentary M/A/N/D/E/L/A P.I.M.P Dir/Prod: Daniel P Nxumalo Feature M-NET/CARTE BLANCHE CURRENT AFFAIRS FILMS Current Affairs Films Dir/Prod: Jane Thandi Lipman Current Affairs MONDAY MAN Tincup.tv Dir/Prod: Matt Torode Mini Series MOST BEAUTIFUL DAY Two Oceans Productions Prod: Giselher Venzke & Bertha Spieker Cinema Feature Film NONGOLOZA/ THE BLOOD KING AND THE RED DRAGON Current Affairs Films Prod: Jane Thandi Lipman / Mtutuzeli Matshoba Feature Ntomb’khona Sibongokuhle Media and Entertainment Prod/Dir: Sakhile Lushaba Corporate On the spot Karabo Shaun Productions Dir: Gugu Mbatha Film Oscar Pistorius Synergy Prod: Jane Thandi Lipman Documentary PALACE OF THE FAITHLESS White Heron Pictures Dir: Themba Sibeko Feature PASSARES (BIRDISH) White Heron Pictures / Casa De Criacao Cinema Prod: Themba Sibeko Feature Pippie se Towerkombuis Grey Cloud Productions Dir: Jacques Brand Prod: Jarrod de Jong Variety

Ponte Nostalgia Productions/ Black Irish Productions Prod: Jamie Ramsay/Brett Michael Innes Feature PROTECTION ORDER P.I.M.P Dir/Prod: Daniel P Nxumalo Feature Rachel Weeping Nostalgia Productions Prod: Johan Kruger/ Brett Michael Innes Feature REALITY CHECK Rainbow Pepper Prod/Dir: Helga Palmer Reality Rockville Season 3 Ferguson Films Prod: Bobby Heaney TV Series THE SAMARITANS Xeinium Productions Dir: Salim Keshavjee Series SARAH GRAHAM: BITTEN 2 Okuhle Media Dir: Chris Lotz Series Sea Monster Triggerfish Animation Studios Dir: Anthony Silverston Animated Feature SEBOKENG MPA (Motswako) Dir: Charls Khuele / Zuko Nodada Feature Sin Bin Diamond Hill / Engage Entertainment / Coco TV Prod: Sisanda Henna / Stephen Lorenzo Documentary SIXOLELE BABA Ndlondlo Productions Dir: Hamilton Dhlamini Feature SOWETO SINDERELLA P.I.M.P Dir/Prod: Daniel P Nxumalo Feature The Dandelion ShootAway Production Prod: Patrick Walton Drama THE DREADED EVIL EYE FROM PAST TO PRESENT AND ACROSS CULTURES Blue Marble Entertainment Dir: Eugene Botha Documentary The Exchange Engage Entertainment PROD: Stephen Lorenzo Feature THE GIFT Ferguson Films Prod: Shona and Connie Ferguson, Bobby Heaney TV Feature Film THE GREAT KAROO Current Affairs Films/ White Pine Pictures Prod: Jane Lipman Series THE HITCHERS: A GHOST STORY Blue Marble Entertainment Dir: Eugene Botha Short Film The Mountain of the Night Nostalgia Productions Prod: Herman Mabizela/Brett Michael Innes Feature The Norwegian Brothers (working tile) Panda Broadcast Prod: Sam Groenewald Feature Film The Reggies Rush Nostalgia Productions Prod: Brett Michael Innes Feature The Sales Lab Time Frame TV Prod: Vanessa Yelseth, Jasmyn Asvat Series TIENERWERELD Grey Cloud Productions Dir: Jacques Brand Prod: Jarrod de Jong Variety

PRODUCTION UMASHONISA P.I.M.P Dir/Prod: Daniel P Nxumalo Feature WAY TWO ROLL Way To Roll Pictures Dir: Freddie Strauss Feature Welcome To Art Michics Global Communications Exec Prod: Mishack Motshweni TV Series Westgate Shopping Mall attack (working tile) Media Village Productions Prod: Diane Vermooten Documentary

IN PRE-PRODUCTION ABLAND PROPERTY DEVELOPERS FC Hamman Films Dir: FC Hamman Marketing Video Alex on 7th Xcut Studios Dir: Engelbert Phiri Documentary ATTACHMENT PARENTING Blue Marble Entertainment Dir: Eugene Botha Insert BIG BROTHER ANGOLA Endemol South Africa Prod: Terja Beney, Llonka Geudes Reality BUSHPILOT – Episode 3 & 4 Two Oceans Productions Prod: Giselher Venzke & Bertha Spieker TV movies CASE Tamol Media Thabang Molibeli Short Film De Brazzaville a Johannesburg Site et sons media productions Dir: Elvis Nkosi Feature Film Die Laaste Ure: Inconnu French Film Festival Grey Cloud Productions Dir: Jacques Brand Producer: Jarrod de Jong Short film Domestic Bliss 2 Blonds and a Redhead Filming Prod: Anne Myers Advertising Funder Project EL ELJON PROJECTS FC Hamman Films Director: FC Hamman Marketing Video ESPAFRIKA PRESENTS THE CAPE TOWN INTERNATIONAL JAZZ FESTIVAL 2014 ESPafrika Prod/Dir: Rashid Lombard / Yana Lombard / John Bright Documentary EXTREME CAMPERS Pro Media & Spider – Co Productions Prod/ Dir: Dee Vanzyl Reality FOR GOLD AND GLORY Sabido Productions Prod/Dir: Christopher Mason Reality

GAUTENG PROVINCE LEGISLATOR Global Access Creative Agency Dir: Guy Sclanders Documentary GENERATION FREE Okuhle Media Dir: Jemima Spring Series GENiAS Khinc Studios Dir: Khalid EL – Jelailati Feature Film HIDDEN HOLOCAUST IN THE DUNES: GENOCIDE IN NAMIBIA Blue Marble Entertainment Dir: Eugene Botha Series LOVE MORE: POLYAMORY IN SOUTH AFRICA Blue Marble Entertainment Dir: Eugene Botha Series MARRY ME IN MZANZI Blue Marble Entertainment Dir: Eugene Botha Series MEGABOERE Khaki Productions Dir: Wynand Dreyer Documentary Series MOMCHICHI Pro Media & Spider – Co Productions Prod/ Dir: Dee Vanzyl Children’s Program PEDAL BENDERS Pro Media & Spider – Co Productions Prod/ Dir: Dee Vanzyl Reality PHOENIX RISING...

THE BUSINESS OF STYLE: SEASON 2 Phoenix Entertainment and Production Prod/Dir: Koketso Sefanyetso Reality SEATBELT MEDIC FC Hamman Films Dir: FC Hamman Commercial SLENDER WONDER INFORMATION VIDEO Grey Cloud Productions Dir: Jacques Brand Information Video SNAP JEI Co Ltd Mauritius/Jujuma Productions SA Prod/Dir: Neil Hetherington Feature SOCIAL WORKER Tamol Media Thabang Molibeli Short film STICKS+STONES (working tile) Fireworx Media/ Tunc Prodcutions Prod: Bridget Pickering Telenovela THE MESSENGER Footprint Media TV Prod: Annalise Van Rensburg Series Unashamedly Ethical Media Village Productions Prod: Diane Vermooten Awards and Gala Evening WHILE YOU WEREN’T LOOKING Out in Africa Dir: Catherine Stewart Feature

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WHIPLASH Get the Picture Prod/Dir: Jacky Lourens / Meg Rickards Feature WORKERSLIFE NETWORK MARKETING FC Hamman Films Director: FC Hamman Marketing Video

IN PRODUCTION 3 TALK Urban Brew Talk Show 20 and Free X CON Films Dir: Munier Parker Documentary 50/50 Clive Morris Productions Current Affairs 53 EXTRA M-Net Inhouse Productions Dir: Navan Chetty Magazine A BROTHER’S LOVE 1300 Pictures (Pty) Ltd Dir: Elvis Nkosi Feature A CALENDAR OF EVENTS – MEDUPI & KUSILE Betta Beta Communications Prod: Tommy Doig Documentary A MAN OF HIS OWN PRINCIPALS Sekgopha Productions Prod: Buhle Mofulatsi / Thapelo Hlagala TV movie AQUELLE’ MIDMAR MILE 2015 Media Ventures Prod/Dir: Chris Moolman Documentary AFRICA 360 eNews News Head: Patrick Conroy Current affairs AFRO CAFÉ SEASON 7 Bonngoe Productions Prod: Pepsi Pokane Music ArtsCulturex Talent 1000 Championships Michics Global Communications Exec Prod: Mishack Motshweni Series Auditor General Global Access Creative Agency Dir: Brad Montgomery/Natalie Varoy Corporate BACKBONE PROJECT Global Access Creative Agency Prod: GA Creative Agency Documentary BIG BROTHER MZANSI Endemol South Africa Prod: Terja Beney, Liza Kleitman Reality BINNELAND Stark Films Prod/Dir: Friedrich / Elsje Stark Series BRAVO! Homebrew Films Prod: Jaco Loubser Magazine BONISANANI Grounded Media Talk Show

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46 | SCREENAFRICA | April 2015

UPDATES Bugatti Together Lucky Fish Productions Dir: Raphaël Crombez Commercial CARTE BLANCHE (INSERTS) Modern Times Prod: Sophia Phirippides News Carte Blanche shorts TIA productions Prod / Dir: Tarryn Lee Crossman News CLAASENS DESIGNS MARKETING VIDEOS Panache Video Productions Prod/Dir: Liesel Eiselen Marketing videos CLASH OF THE CHOIRS Endemol South Africa Prod: Josh Feldman Talent / Reality COOL CATS Red Pepper Pictures Prod: Cecil Berry Children’s Show CORTEX MINING FC Hamman Films Prod Man: Odette van Jaarsveld Corporate Video COME DINE WITH ME SOUTH AFRICA Rapid Blue Prod: Kee-Leen Irvine Reality CUTTING EDGE SABC News Current Affairs Debra Deel Khaki Productions Prod/Dir: Christelle Parrott, Wynand Dreyer Series DIMENSION DATA Global Access Creative Agency Dir: Natalie Varoy Corporate DINNER DIVAS 2 Blonds and a Redhead Filming Prod: Anne Myers Series DISHONEST Inhlakanipho Films Dir: Vusi Nhlapo Feature Film Ditokelo tsa Medupi LMOL Production Dir: Lizzy Moloto Feature DIY MET RIAAN Prod: Riaan Venter-Garforth Magazine EARTH BEAT Tekweni TV Productions Prod: Sandra Herrington Series EASTERN MOSAIC Red Carpet Productions Prod: Saira Essa / Mark Corlett Magazine END GAME Fireworx Media/ Tunc Productions Prod: Bridget Pickering Dir: Akin Omotoso/ Thandie Brewer/ Thabang Moleya Feature EXPRESSO (Season 2) Cardova Prod: Paul van Deventer Series FACE OF GEMINI Footprint Media TV Prod: Cheryl Delport Series Facility Management Lectures (A4FM) Panache Video Productions Dir/ Prod: Liesel Eiselen Educational Faith Today Impact Christian Media Prod: Carl Schultz TV Series FOX NEWS CHANNEL Betta Beta Communications Prod/Dir: Tommy Doig News Free State Toursim Indaba Our Time Productions Dir: Jaun de Meillon Corporate FRENZY Red Pepper Pictures Prod: Morena Sefatsa Variety GENERATIONS Morula Pictures Prod: Mfundi Vundla Series GOOD MORNING AFRICA Planet Image Productions SA Prod/Dir: Wale Akinlabi Magazine

GOSPEL GOLD Engage Entertainment Prod: Sthembile Mhlongu Music Got It Global Access Creative Agency Dir: Guy Sclanders Corporate GROEN Homebrew Films Prod: Jaco Loubser Wildlife HEAT WAVE Ruby Rocket Media Dir: Eddie Edwards TV Series HECTIC 99 Okuhle Media Prod: Wilna van Schalkwyk Magazine HITACHI POWER AFRICA MEDUPI AND KUSILE Betta Beta Communications Prod/Dir: Tommy Doig Documentary HOUSE CALL Izwe Multimedia / Urban Brew Prod: Annalie Potgieter Talk Show IGNITE Footprint Media TV Prod: Cheryl Delport Reality IHAWU LE SISWE Provoke Entertainment Dir: Sechaba Morojele TV Series iParent training clips Global Access Creative Agency Dir: Guy Sclanders Corporate IMIZWILILI Ukhamba Productions Prod: Alfred Mpofu Music INKABA Urban Brew Studios Prod: John Kani Telenovela In search of our own Open Window school of film arts Prod: Adriaan De la Rey Documentary ISIDINGO Endemol South Africa Prod: Pumla Hoppa, Leo Phiri Soap JOU SHOW Homebrew Films Prod: Jaco Loubser Talkshow comedy KOKKEDOOR 2 Homebrew films Prod: Jaco Loubser and Paul Venter Cooking reality series KOLLIG Homebrew Films Prod: Jaco Loubser Magazine KONA The Directors Team (Pty) Ltd Prod/Dir: Laurence Lurie / Cathy Sykes Series KOOLCON CORPORATE VIDEO FiX Post Production/ Marketing AV Marketing Video LATE NITE NEWS ON E.TV Diprente Productions Prod: Tamsin Andersson Series Light Girls South African Unit White Heron Pictures Prod: Themba Sibeko Documentary LIVE Urban Brew Music LIVE LOTTO SHOW Urban Brew Game Show Mandela’s Gun DV8 films Dir: John Irvin Feature Marang Estate: Mixed Used Development Nov/ Dec Our Time Productions Dir: Jaun de Meillon Documentary MASHELENG1 LMOL Production Dir: Lizzy Moloto Feature MASHELENG 2 LMOL Production Dir: Jonny Muteba Feature

MassTalk Global Access Creative Agency Prod: Brad Montgomery Corporate MATRICS UPLOADED Educational Improvement and Study Help (EISH) Prod: Lisa Blakeway Educational MOTSWAKO Carol Bouwer Productions Prod: Grant Paul Roy Talk Show MCA Training Global Access Creative Agency Dir: Guy Sclanders Corporate M-NET SHORT FILMS Current Affairs Films Prod/ Dir: Jane Thandi Lipman Film MURDER OF A FORMER FIRST LADY Sabido Productions Dir/Prod: Catherine Rice Documentary MUVHANGO Word of Mouth Prod: Pieter Grobbelaar Feature MY GENERATION Current Affairs Films Dir: Jane Lipman TV Series My name is Funeka Sabido Productions Dir/Prod: Catherine Rice Documentary MZANSI INSIDER Bonngoe Productions Prod: Pepsi Pokane Magazine NEILL ANTHONY – THE PRIVATE CHEF Okuhle Media Prod: Grant Flynn Cooking Show NET1 – SASSA Betta Beta Communications Prod: Tommy Doig Corporate NEWS NIGHT eNews Prod: Nikiwe Bikitsha Current Affairs in Oscar Pistorius Documentary Inserts TIA Productions Dir/ Prod: Tarryn Crossman Documentary PASELLA Tswelopele Productions Dir: Liani Maasdorp / Werner Hefer Magazine PAWN STARS SOUTH AFRICA Rapid Blue Prod: Kee-Leen Irvine, Ed Worster, Johan Naude and Kat Weatherall Reality PHUNDEKA READING PROGRAMME SummerTime Productions Exec Prod: Phundeka (NGO) Documentary POWER COMBAT ZONE Mixed Motion Entertainment Dir: Dieter Gottert Sport PROJECT MV Zen Crew Prod: Laura Tarling Music Rands with Sense 2 Blonds and a Redhead Filming Prod: Anne Myersin Education RHYTHM CITY Quizzical Pictures Prod: Yula Quinn Soapie RHYTHM CITY INTERACTIVE Quizzical Pictures / e.tv Prod: Viva Liles-Wilkin Interactive Platform Media RIVONINGO Asi-B Films Prod: Asivhanzi ‘Asi’ Mathaba Children’s Show ROLLING WITH KELLY KHUMALO Red Pepper Prod: Cecil Barry Reality ROOTS Ukhamba Communications Prod: Alfred Mpofu Music SAINT AND FREEDOM FIGHTER Blue Marble Entertainment Dir: Eugene Botha Documentary

PRODUCTION SA Top Model for a Day Michics Global Communications Exec Prod: Mishack Motshweni TV Series SAKEGESPREK MET THEO VORSTER SEASON 5 Dirk Mostert Camera Production Prod/ Dir: Dirk Mostert Series SAUBA IMAGOFILM Prod: Tam de Vries Reality TV Series Shreds and Dreams Penguin Films Prod: Roberta Durrant TV Series SOUTH AFRICAN TOURISM Rapid Blue Prod: Kee-Leen Irvine Global TV Commercial SA’S GOT TALENT Rapid Blue Prod/Dir: Kee-Leen Irvine Talent show SCANDAL Ochre Moving Pictures Prod: Romano Gorlei Soapie SCHOEMAN BOERDERY – MOOSRIVIER Khaki Productions Prod/Dir: Christelle Parrott / Wynand Dreyer Documentary SELIMATHUNZI Sikhoyana Productions Prod: Baby Joe Correira Variety SHIZ NIZ Red Pepper Pictures Prod: Allen Makhubele Variety SHIFT Urban Brew Talk show SISTERHOOD Red Pepper Pictures Prod: Andy Leze Variety SIYAKHOLWA – WE BELIEVE X CON Films Dir: Munier Parker Edutainment Slender Wonder Doctors Conference Grey Cloud Productions Dir: Jacques Brand Prod: Slender Wonder Corporate Video Slender Wonder Patient Testimonial Videos Grey Cloud Productions Dir: Jacques Brand Corporate Videos SOCCER ZONE SABC Sports Head: Sizwe Nzimande Magazine SODA AND Mayoral Awards Global Access Creative Agency Guy Sclanders Corporate SPRINGBOK STORIES Angel Music Studio Productions Dir: Chrissie Rossouw TV Series STUDY MATE Educational Improvement and Study Help (EISH) Exec Prod: Lisa Blakeway Educational SUPERSWIMMER Media Ventures Prod/Dir: Chris Moolman TV Series THE CHAT ROOM Eclipse Prod: Thokozani Nkosi Talk Show THE COMMUNIST REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA Jam TV, Creative South Africa, Nkhanyeti Production Prod: Barthelemy Ngwessam Documentary THE JUSTICE FACTOR eNews Prod: Debbie Meyer Current Affairs THE REAL GOBOZA 7 Urban Brew Entertainment The Revolution Betrayed Shadow Films Prod/Dir: David Forbes Documentary THE RUDIMENTALS Periphery Films Prod: Simon Taylor Feature

THE TECH REPORT Homebrew Films Prod: Jaco Loubser Technology Magazine TOP BILLING Tswelopele Productions Prod: Patience Stevens Magazine TOP TRAVEL (Season 3) Cardova Prod: Bradley van den Berg Series Transnet Financial Results Global Access Creative Agency Dir: Brad Montgomery Corporate Troopship Tragedy ( Working Title) Sabido Productions Prod/Dir: Marion Edmunds Documentary TSHIPE BORWA MANGANESE MINE Betta Beta Communications Prod / Dir: Tommy Doig Documentary Vaseline Experience Xcut Studios Dir: Lee Anne Theron 4D AV production VILLA ROSA Spectro Productions Dir: Luhann Jansen / Andries van der Merwe/ Leroux Botha/ Isabel Smit Series Volkspele South Africa Grey Cloud Productions Dir:Jacques Brand Prod: Bertie Brink Documentary WARD 22 TIA Productions Prod/Dir: Tarryn Crossman Documentary WEEKEND AM LIVE SABC News Current Affairs WIZARD OF ZIM Away From Keyboard Dir: Samora Sekhukhune Documentary YILENGELO LAKHO Prod: Nndanganeni Mudau Current Affairs ZOOM IN Footprint Media TV Prod: Cheryl Delport Talk show

IN POST-PRODUCTION A BUSHMAN ODYSSEY Onetime Films Prod: Richard Wicksteed Documentary A DIFFERENT COUNTRY Sabido Productions Dir: Lisa Henry Documentary series A Love Letter to Luxor Shadow Films Prod/Dir: David Forbes Short Film A MOTHER’S MADNESS Sabido Productions Prod/Dir: Ayesha Ismail Documentary AFROX CO2 PLANT FC Hamman Films Prod: Odette van Jaarsveld Corporate Video AFROX FINANCIAL RESULTS FC Hamman Films Prod: Odette van Jaarsveld Corporate Video AFROX RAU INSIGHT FC Hamman Films Prod: Odette van Jaarsveld Corporate Video AFROX SHEQ INDUCTION FC Hamman Films Prod: Odette van Jaarsveld Commercial CAESAREAN COMPLICATIONS SummerTime Productions Exec Prod: Professor Eckhart Buchmann Documentary Challenge SOS 2 Blonds and a Redhead Filming Prod: Anne Myers Reality Collide Media Village Productions Prod: Ardeen Munnik TV Series CROSSBOW KILLER Sabido Productions Prod/Dir: Barbara Friedman Documentary

DEBRA DEEL Khaki Productions Prod: Christelle Parrott TV Series FASHION GURU SA Pro Media & Spider – Co Productions Prod/Dir: Dee Vanzyl Reality FORMIDABELE VROUE: CISSY GOOL Khaki Productions Prod/Dir: Christelle Parrott/ Wynand Dreyer Documentary HAD BETTER DAYS Uniquely Novel Productions Prod/Dir: Deon VD Merwe Feature Film THE HOCKEY STICK KILLER Sabido Productions Prod/Dir: Melanie Rice Documentary HOPE NHU Africa Prod: Vyv Simson / Donfrey Meyer Documentary HOUSE OF ENCOURAGEMENT Panache Video Productions Dir/Prod: Liesel Eiselen Corporate I AM…CRAIG Away From Keyboard Dir: Samora Sekhukhune Documentary IQILI Impucuzeko Prod: Sharon Kakora Feature Joyous 18 RM Recording Prod: Lindelani Mkhize Other JULIUS HAS A DREAM Creative South Africa, Nkanyethi Productions,Jam TV Prod: Bathelemy Ngwessam Documentary KADARA Media Navigation Prod: Dan Akinlolu/ Biola Karonwi TV Drama Kerels wat Kook Penguin Films Prod: Roberta Durrant Reality TV Series KNYSNA West Five Films Prod/ Dir: Maynard Kraak; Andre Velts Feature Film LINCOLN CLAN Total Recall Media Ltd Dir: Adebanjo Oluseyi TV Series MURDER ON MILLIONAIRE’S MILE Sabido Productions Prod/Dir: Barbara Friedman Documentary NIGHT OF THE MASSACRE Tshepo Lesedi Projects, Mathope & Izibuko Films Dir: Charles Khuele Documentary NEW LAND Plexus Films/ Four Corners Media Dir: Kyle O’ Donoghue TV Series NIGHTCLUB KILLER Sabido Productions Prod/Dir: Nobathembu Stefane Documentary Nyaope Gangsters LMOL Production Dir: Lizzy Moloto Feature PERFECT SHISHEBO Quizzical Pictures Prod: Nthabiseng Mokoena Series PLAY MORE GOLF FC Hamman Films Prod: Odette van Jaarsveld Commercials Pushi- Passion LMOL Production Dir: Lizzy Moloto Series ROSA 3 Two Oceans Productions Prod: Giselher Venzke & Bertha Spieker TV Feature SAFE BET Sukuma Media Producer: Nokuthula Sakhile Mguni / Bonginhlanhla Ncube Feature Film SAMURAI KILLER Sabido Productions Dir: Catherine Rice Corporate

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UPCOMING EVENTS

|

MAY 5

Screen Africa Golf Day

Johannesburg www.screenafrica.com

6 – 7 DIGITAL BROADCASTING SUMMIT

12 – 13

Nigeria www.bspmediagroup.com

Broadband & TV Connect Asia 2015

Singapore www.asia.broadbandworldforum.com

13 – 24 Cannes International Film Festival

26 – 27

France www.festival-cannes.com SatCom Africa

Johannesburg www. terrapinn.com

26 – 28 OTT TV and VOD Summit

Johannesburg www.bspmediagroup.com

JUNE 2 – 4 DISCOP Africa Express

2–5

Ivory Coast www.discopafrica.com Broadcast Asia

Singapore www.broadcast-asia.com

4 – 14 Encounters Documentary Film Festival

Johannesburg, Cape Town www.encounters.co.za

17 – 19 Convergence Africa World

Nairobi www.convergenceafricaworld.com

19 – 20 Cannes Lions Health

France www.canneslions.com/lions_health

21 – 27 Cannes Lions International

Festival of Creativity

France www.canneslions.com

25 – 26 Cannes Lions Innovation

France www.canneslions.com

SHALLOW GRAVE Sabido Productions Prod/Dir: Meggan Raubenheimer Documentary SLENDER WONDER FC Hamman Films Prod: Odette van Jaarsveld Corporate Video SLENDER WONDER MJ LABS FC Hamman Films Prod: Odette van Jaarsveld Corporate Video SWARTWATER Quizzical Pictures Prod: Bianca Isaac Dir: John Trengove/ Jozua Malherbe/ Denny Y Miller Series SUPERDAD Two Oceans Productions Prod: Giselher Venzke & Bertha Spieker TV Feature SURVIVOR Endemol South Africa Prod: Anton Burggraaf, Josh Feldman Reality TELKOM: BUSINESS INSIGHTS WEBSERIES UZI Films Prod/Dir: Steven Hall Corporate The calling LMOL Production Dir: Lizzy Moloto Feature THE CODE BREAKER NHU Africa Prod: Vyv Simson / Donfrey Meyer Documentary THE FAMILY PUZZLE Site et Sons media productions Prod/Dir : Zamo Missie Feature THE LAST GREAT TUSKERS NHU Africa Prod: Vyv Simson / Donfrey Meyer Documentary The Message Reel Edge Studios Dir: David Golden TV Drama Series THE STORY OF LITTLE FOOT Paul Myburgh Film Prod: Paul Myburgh Documentary

THE TRANSPORTERS Sukuma Media/ Reality Motion Pictures Dir: Bonginhlanhla Ncube Documentary TROOPSHIP TRAGEDY Sabido Productions Prod/Dir: Marion Edmunds Documentary Traffic Penguin Films Prod: Roberta Durrant TV Series UNDER THE MOUNTAIN Plexus Films Prod: Miki Redelinghuys,/ Lauren Groenewald Short film UNSOLVED – THE STORY OF THE CAPE RIPPER Sabido Productions Prod/Dir: Johann Abrahams Documentary VKB LANDBOU BEPERK FC Hamman Films Prod: Odette van Jaarsveld Corporate Video When I Was Water Shadow Films Dir: David Forbes Documentary XJ-1 Eternal Film Productions Prod: Marius Swanepoel/ Dana Pretorius Feature You Deserve It Penguin Films Prod: Roberta Durrant TV Game Show

Screen Africa relies on the accuracy of information received and cannot be held responsible for any errors or omissions which may occur.

E-mail production updates to: online@screenafrica.com

April 2015 | SCREENAFRICA | 47

SAFTA s 2015

|

9 t h a n n u a l S o u t h A f r i c a n F i l m & T e le v i s i o n A wa r d s

The red carpet

ZANews: Puppet Nation production team

Four Corners crew and cast members

Jen Su

Naomi Mokhele and daughter

Bonang Matheba

Bujy Bikwa

Busisiwe Lurayi

Deep Fried Man and partner

Deon Lotz and partner

Fiona Ramsay and Tony Bentel

Gilli Apter and Ze-ev Krein

Israel Makoe and partner

JB Arthur and partner

Jen Su and Khanyi Mbau

Anna Teichert and Eugene Botha

Jerry and Claudine Mofokeng

Johan and Colleen Stemmet

Katlego Maboe

Kgomotso and Calvin Christopher

Khanyi Mbau

Kyle Ambrose and Sumache Venkatas

Lilian Dube

Mampho Brescia

48 | SCREENAFRICA | April 2015

20 & 22 March 2015, Gallagher Convention Centre, Midrand, South Africa

Nkuli Sibeko, Karen Jeynes, Angel Campey, Yoaseen Barnes – ZANews: Puppet Nation

|

SAFTA s 2015

Screen Africa’s video crew with the world’s youngest filmmaker – Paballo Mthakathi, Zuriel Oduwole, Palesa Mphithi and Rejoice Ntamu

Minister of Arts and Culture Nathi Mthethwa with wife Philisiwe

Minnie Dlamini

Motlatsi Mafatshe and Millicent Nkangane

Mpho Osei-Tutu

NFVF CEO Zama Mkhosi

Nolwazi Shange and Mzwandile Ngubeni

Pam Andrews

Pretty Mthiyane

Rolanda Marais and Jozua Malherbe

Stassy Baleta and Jack Esterhuizen

Tema Sebopedi

Terence Bridgett

Thando Thabethe

Thembi Seete

Thlompho Mokoena and Peter Kwele of the NFVF

Tumi Masemola and Mandla N

Willie Esterhuizen and Ilze Peinke

Zuriel Oduwole

Welcome Msomi and partner

Sandra Vaughn and Luke Rous

Marion Edmunds and Chris Nicklin April 2015 | SCREENAFRICA | 49

SAFTA s 2015

|

9 t h a n n u a l S o u t h A f r i c a n F i l m & T e le v i s i o n A wa r d s

F r i d ay N i g h t W i n n e r s

Check Coast writing team – Best Achievement in Scriptwriting – TV Comedy – Mpho Osei-Tutu, Rethabile Ramaphakela, Katleho Ramaphakela, Tshepo Ramaphakela

Earth Touch production team – various awards in the Wildlife category for Hippo vs Croc

Jack Esterhuizen, Karien Goosen, Nicola Comminos, Jeremy Briers and Gugulethu Sibandze – Best Achievement in Editing – TV Drama for End Game

Susan Comrie and Sasha Schwendenwein

Annalet Steenkamp (Best Achievement in Directing – Documentary Feature for I, Afrikaner) with Jo Higgs

Derek Thomas, Nobuntu Webster – Best Factual Educational programme for Think Big

Gena Du Plessis – Best Student Film for Ana, Patrick and Nicholas

Guy Steer – Best Achievement in Sound – TV Drama (90 Plein Street) and Documentary Short (Orbis)

Jorge Arrigone – Best Achievement in Original Score – TV Drama – 90 Plein Street

Lyle Bennett – Best Achievement in Sound and in Original Score – TV Comedy for ZA News: Puppet Nation

Pierre Vienings – Best Achievement in Costume Design – Feature Film for Winnie Mandela

Sune Jansen – Best Achievement in Costume Design – TV Drama for Donkerland

Theola Booyens – Best Achievement in Make-up and Hairstyling – Feature Film for Faan se Trein

Tom Marais – Best Achievement in Cinematography – TV Drama – Soul City

Barry Donnelly, Best Achievement in Sound – Feature Film for Four Corners

Moabi Maseko – Best Achievement in Cinematography – TV Comedy for Lastborn Does the Loeries

50 | SCREENAFRICA | April 2015

20 & 22 March 2015, Gallagher Convention Centre, Midrand, South Africa

|

SAFTA s 2015

S u n d ay N i g h t W i n n e r s

Isibaya cast and crew – Best TV Soap

ZANews: Puppet Nation production team – Best TV Comedy

Four Corners production team – Best Feature Film

Fezile Mpela – Best Supporting Actor – TV Drama for Donkerland

Marius Weyers – Lifetime Achievement Award

John Trengove, Jozua Malherbe and Denny Miller – Best Achievement in Directing – TV Drama for Swartwater

Brendon Daniels – Best Supporting Actor – Feature Film for Four Corners

Donovan Marsh – Best Achievements in Editing, Scriptwriting and Directing for iNumber Number

Jamie Bartlett – Best Actor in a Lead Role – TV Soap for Rhythm City

Jezriel Skei – Best Actor in a Lead Role – Feature Film for Four Corners

Justin Strydom – Best Supporting Actor – TV Soap for Isidingo

Katlego Maboe – Best Presenter

Louw Venter – Best Actor in a Lead Role – TV Drama for Swartwater

Marga Van Rooy – Best Supporting Actress in a Feature Film for Die Windpomp

Mary Mhlongo (Best Actress in a Lead Role – TV Comedy for Skwizas) with Somizi Mhlongo

Masasa Mbangeni – Best Actress in a Lead Role – TV Soap for Scandal

Nthati Moshesh, Best Actress in a Lead Role – TV Drama for Thola

Thishiwe Ziqubu – Best Actress in a Lead Role – Feature Film for Hard to Get

Thomas Gumede (Best Actor in a Lead Role – TV Comedy for Single Guys) and Mother

Warren Masemola – Best Supporting Actor – TV Comedy for Ses’Top la

April 2015 | SCREENAFRICA | 51

Social

|

Photos by Eventpho

Ballade vir ‘n Enkeling premiere

Bobby van Jaarsveld, Marie Pentz and Karlien van Jaarsveld

Drikus Volschenk and Helene Lombard

Joshua na die Reen performing Voshaarnooi

Lelia Etsebeth and Danie Bester

Lotie and Pieter Koen

Zak Hendricks

A+E Networks Upfront Event

Bakori Davis and Anthea Petersen of A+E Networks receive guests from DStv Africa

Guests from media agencies, trade and consumer press and DStv enjoy a snapshot of upcoming shows on Lifetime, CI and History 52 | SCREENAFRICA | April 2015

Bakori Davis, VP of Commercial at A+E Networks UK, presents forthcoming content from A+E Networks’ portfolio of channels

Special guest Miss D from Lifetime Show Bring It makes an entrance

G O L F

D A Y

2 0 1 5

The Annual Screen Africa Golf Day will take place on Tuesday 5 May 2015 at CMR Golf Club in Maraisburg, Roodepoort.

A cocktail party and prize-giving is held at the CMR Clubhouse following the competition, which provides great networking opportunities. Hole sponsorship costs for 2015 stay the same as 2014.

Secure your sponsorship and 4-ball by 5 April 2015.

Date:

Tuesday 5 May 2015

Venue:

CMR Golf Course

Sponsorship:

R6 800 (Hole 1)

Halfway House:

R5 250 (all other holes) (Sponsorship is excluding VAT) For your own account

Green Fees:

R270 per player - includes VAT, cocktail snacks and prize giving

Start:

Shotgun Start @ 12pm

Contact: Ellen Oosthuizen Cell: +27 (0)83 268 6868 Fax: +86 (0)86 670 6809 e-mail: ellen.oosthuizen@pixie.co.za

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23 Galaxy Avenue, Linbro Park, 2090 South Africa Telephone: +27 11 719 5700 E-mail: shaunk@protea.co.za www.protea.co.za

2014-06-26 12:15 PM

2014-10-14 9:56