Screen Africa - July 2012

DIFF

Durban FilmMart BROADCAST, FILM, COMMERCIALS, NEW MEDIA & TECHNOLOGY NEWS

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Major NBC upgrade The Namibian Broadcasting Corporation (NBC) recently upgraded its satellite uplink system to take advantage of new encoding and modulation technologies and to ensure compatibility with digital terrestrial television (DTT).

Completed over a period of four months, the upgrade replaced 14-year old equipment that had become obsolete.

NBC plans to commence the roll-out of DTT in December 2013 in Windhoek.

According to newly appointed NBC chief technology officer Aldred Dreyer, Huawei was appointed as the systems integrator for NBC’s DTT

Busiest Cannes ever South Africa’s presence at the recent Cannes International Film Festival was 40% up on last year, with the largest number of local filmmakers ever hosted at the South African Pavilion.

Some 2 061 Cannes delegates visited the Pavilion over the course of the festival – this number excludes guests at the special functions that took place on the stand.

Organised by the National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF) and the Department of

project and the equipment selected for the head-end comprises products from different industry leaders.

Dreyer, who was formerly with the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC), continues: “We are using Harmonic’s Electra series encoders and ProStream multiplexers. The system makes provision for six video and 20 stereo audio channels with n+1 redundancy. From the multiplexers up to the C-Band up-converters, we have 1+1 redundancy. The system also makes provision for conditional access from Novel Super TV with full 1+1 redundancy and up

to one million subscribers.”

Eventis supplied the electronic programme guide (EPG), while the monitoring system from Onset covers the complete chain from input / source monitoring, off air satellite monitoring and off air DTT monitoring.

“NBC plans to cover its current analogue footprint with DTT by the end of 2013, provided that the funding is available,” says Dreyer. “The plan is to launch with NBC’s existing service and carry the free-to-air private broadcaster One Africa, as well as the community broadcaster TBN Namibia. NBC is planning to – continued on next page

Arts and Culture (DAC) the Pavilion also played host to the South African line-up, where 12 features, eight documentaries and a single short film were showcased to visitors.

Says the NFVF Communications & Public Affairs manager Naomi Mokhele: “The line-up was attended by buyers, sales agents, distributors, media and foreign producers who were keen to see the projects South African filmmakers are doing. There was a lot of applause when the comedy promos were shown, with people laughing in all the right places.

“This was the first time that we hosted the line-up inside the Pavilion, usually it’s at a venue outside the Palais des Festivals.

We had about 100 people attending this time, whereas in the past it’s been in the region of 60 people.”

NFVF’s Marketing coordinator Carla Dias describes Cannes 2012 as ‘very big and very busy’. “The organisers reported that the festival was 9% up in pre-event online registrations. There are now delegations from Algeria, Dubai, Abu Dhabi and India participating at Cannes.”

Dias notes that the South African Pavilion was busy 90% of the time, with the screening rooms utilised every day. “The Pavilion featured a striking new design by Clear Style and many of our visitors commented that we had the most colourful – continued on next page

FOR ART’S SAKE: A scene from Dominic Allan’s Calvet, one of the many documentaries to screen at the Durban International Film Festival (DIFF).

See special feature on pages 24 to 26.

It’s all happening in Durban!

This month hundreds of local and international delegates will attend the biggest event on the South African industry calendar – the Durban International Film Festival (DIFF). It runs alongside integrated industry development programmes such as Talent Campus Durban, an initiative targeted at emerging African filmmakers, and the Durban FilmMart CoProduction & Finance Market.

South African films will book-end this 33rd edition of DIFF. On 19 July the first ever feature film produced in the Venda language, Ntshaveni wa Luruli’s Elelwani, will open the festival. The long awaited animated Adventures in

Zambezia 3D is the closing night film on 28 July.

DIFF director Peter Rorvik is excited to report that an unprecedented 16 South African feature films will be screened at the festival. “This is hugely encouraging as it indicates that the local film industry is currently in a very productive state. Among the many South African titles that are sure to attract interest are Sleeper’s Wake, Gog’ Helen, Taste of Rain, Fynbos, Zama Zama, Blitz Patrollie and Accession.”

Rorvik has scored a major coup by securing the Palme d’Or winner at this year’s Cannes Film Festival, Michael Haneke’s – continued on next page

Continued from FRONT page |

Major NBC upgrade

It’s all happening in Durban!

launch additional channels and more information will be divulged at the appropriate time.

“The analogue signal currently covers 66% of the Namibian population. Once DTT is rolled out we plan to increase that to 88% coverage, but this is all dependent on funding,” explains Dreyer.

Set-top boxes (STBs) required to decode the DTT signal have been sourced through Huawei from a manufacturer in China, Jiuzhou. The newer version of STB, which will be in the Namibian market next year, will have an Ethernet port to allow a return path.

The upgrade was carried out by the NBC’s own staff in cooperation with experts from Huawei. Fifty-eight transmission sites were affected. During the switchover on 11 May 2012, all NBC radio stations and NBC TV, as well as some private broadcasters were off air.

Says RF Network specialist Jesko Bauer: “We replaced old encoding and modulation equipment with the latest technology. Our biggest challenge was to ensure that the old decoders at the rebroadcast sites remain locked after the switchover. These will then be replaced in phases during the upcoming months,” Bauer explained.

He points out that the real benefits will only be visible once DTT is up and

Amour. “This poignant and beautifully executed film brings up important issues of old age and death,” he says.

Alongside the strong South African and African representation and heading a powerful European showing there is a French focus as part of the France-South Africa Season 2012 & 2013, with an alluring array of new French films.

DIFF has also secured the participation of Canal France International (CFI) and 12 African television broadcasters which will host their annual conference at DIFF, and well-known TV channel Arte France. CFI and Arte will both present awards to film projects at the Durban FilmMart.

Some 19 South African documentaries will be highlighted at the festival, including the world premières of Legends of the Casbah: Indian Rebels of the 1950s; Bigger Than Life and Cassette: Who Do You Trust?

There are also two world premieres from NHU Africa – All the President’s Elephants by Richard Slater Jones and The Foster Brothers’ The Dragon’s Feast 3D. International documentary titles include the IDFA Green Screen winner Bitter Seeds; two superb films from Morgan Spurlock of Super Size Me fame; Four Horsemen about the economic apocalypse; and Searching for Sugarman on the success in South Africa of cult musician Rodriquez.

Another music-based documentary with a South African connection is Beware of Mr Baker, a sometimes explosive story of drummer Ginger Baker who played for Cream and Fela Kuti.

MOVING UP – Jesko Bauer and Mbeno Murangi in the satellite uplink room at NBC

running. “Our TV viewers will have better picture quality and the NBC will potentially have more television channels.

Radio listeners will be able to receive their favourite NBC programmes via the STB, complete with EPG and parental control.”

NBC staff involved in the upgrade include Mbeno Murangi, Paul Booysen, Timo Ipinge, Fortune Katataiza, Festus Valombola, Kamwi Musweu, Josephat Tjikumbaize, Abraham Nasimab, Tuulikki Shipanga, Ronnie Rickerts, Leon Engelbrecht and Vaino Ipinge.

Busiest Cannes ever stand,” she states.

One of the South African films to generate lots of interest was the comedy Blitz Patrollie. Says producer Isaac Mogajane of Diprente: “I attended Cannes specifically to look for international sales agents. About five or six agents expressed real interest after seeing the trailer and want to see the finished product.

“Although they liked the footage very much the agents said the language would be a barrier for the American market.

Blitz Patrollie is mostly shot in English but there is a lot of slang and vernacular in the film. Another potential barrier to international distribution is the fact that it is a comedy with localised humour.

“We don’t have any signed deals on the table as yet but I think the reason internationals liked the film is because it’s different to what they are used to.”

Mogajane also had informal meetings with overseas companies about developing some of Diprente’s scripts. Blitz Patrollie will be screened for the first time at the Durban International Film Festival.

In other exciting news Cape Town based Big World Cinema and DRC filmmaker Djo Munga’s Suka!

Productions concluded a new production and distribution deal where their feature films will be distributed by 234 Media in Africa.

Additionally, 234 Media will also include a first look option on financing new film productions by Big World 4 | SCREENAFRICA | July 2012

Cinema and Suka!.

Says Big World Cinema’s Steven Markovitz: “The deal is a natural extension of our previous collaboration on an unprecedented 19-country theatrical release in Africa of Djo Munga’s MTV Movie Award- and African Movie Academy Award-winning noir thriller, Viva Riva!. There’s a real dearth of distribution capacity in Africa, and with a promising line-up of films in development, it’s important for us that we are able to reach not just international audiences but African audiences as well.

234 Media gives us that important reach across Africa.”

New location

Now in its third year, the Durban FilmMart (20 to 23 July) is coming of age and has increased the projects in its line-up; 11 fiction feature projects and 12 documentary projects will have the

The DIFF / Durban FilmMart / Talent Campus hub has moved from the city centre to Durban’s beachfront.

Seminars, panel discussions, master classes and screenings will take place at the Blue Waters Hotel on the Golden Mile.

An important event scheduled to take place during the festival is the launch of the KwaZulu-Natal Film Commission, which is positioned to further stimulate production in the province.

FLYING THE FLAG – SA’s Minister of Arts & Culture Paul Mashatile (right) with Irish counterpart Jimmy Deenihan

recognised,” adds Dias.

Recently appointed NFVF CEO Zama Mkosi had individual meetings at Cannes with her counterparts from treaty co-production countries such as Germany, Italy, the UK, Australia and New Zealand. This was in addition to the NFVF-hosted Co-Production Forum, where treaty countries heard about the latest developments in the South African film industry, such as the new financial incentives from the Department of Trade & Industry.

Filmmakers from Bulgaria, China and Brazil also attended the Co-Production Forum.

To keep the South African film industry updated during Cannes Mokhele communicated regularly via Facebook and Twitter and tweeting during the treaty signing ceremony with Ireland.

The business of film

Official business On 20 May South Africa’s Minister of Arts and Culture, Minister Paul Mashatile and his Ireland counterpart Minister Jimmy Deenihan signed the South Africa-Ireland co-production treaty.

Mokhele continues: “We had lots of Irish filmmakers visit the stand and they were really excited about the prospect of working with South Africa. It’s clear that the rest of the world loves South Africa – they want to know everything about the country and hear our stories. Visitors to the Pavilion were not only enquiring about our feature films but our documentaries, short films and film festivals as well.”

“South Africa is now globally

opportunity to pitch before a panel of international financiers and co-producers.

“With this edition the Durban FilmMart is set to build on its already significant contributions to the development of the African film industry,” says Rorvik.

Durban FilmMart is a joint venture between the Durban Film Office (DFO) and DIFF. Says the DFO’s Toni Monty: “Our theme is ‘Africa meets the World’.

By adding more projects in the Finance Forum we are widening the scope for African storytelling. This year we also boast the highest number of broadcasters – 18 – in attendance at the DOC Circle Pitch Forum.”

Monty notes that the European Audio Visual Entrepreneur (EAVE) master classes will keep Durban FilmMart delegates up to date with trends on the international front. EAVE will present a master class on Finance by Roshanak Behesht Nedjad and another on Script Writing by Jacques Akchoti.

Financiers meeting African projects in DFM’s Finance Forum include representatives from leading funds and international acquisitions and distribution companies including Sundance Institute Documentary Fund, World View, World Cinema Support, Global Film Initiative, Louverture Films, Films Boutique and Focus Features to name a few.

From the editor

On the beach Move over Cannes, here comes Durban! The Durban International Film Festival (DIFF), which runs alongside the Durban FilmMart Co-Production & Finance Market and Talent Campus Durban this month, has moved the hub of its operations from the city centre to Durban’s Golden Mile along the beachfront. The old saying that a change is as good as a holiday is particularly apt in this context, as DIFF, Durban FilmMart and Talent Campus Durban delegates will no doubt experience.

These three events are of major importance to the South African and African film industries. As you can read in this issue of Screen Africa, DIFF provides a platform to showcase local and continental films and reveals global trends in cinema; Durban FilmMart gives delegates a chance to pitch their projects in pursuance of potential funding and learn about finance and distribution from experts; and Talent Campus Durban allows selected emerging filmmakers from all over Africa the opportunity to attend master classes and further their careers.

All three events, inextricably linked as they are, also present ample opportunities for delegates to network, see each other’s films and walk, talk, eat and sleep films.

Kudos to Peter and Monica Rorvik and their team for the sterling job they do every year to organise DIFF, now in its 33rd edition.

As Durban FilmMart is a joint venture between the Durban Film Office (DFO) and DIFF, lots of credit must also go to the DFO’s Toni Monty and her team for all their hard work.

In this issue there are many fascinating articles to read, including one penned by veteran South African director of photography Koos Roets. He writes about his five decades behind the camera and his personal experience of the transition from celluloid to digital.

A fun read is this month’s Director Speak where director, scriptwriter, actress, stand-up comic and former Miss India South Africa Krijay Govender responds to extremely deep and probing questions.

The London 2012 Olympic Games commence at the end of the month and billions of sport-hungry fans will be devouring Olympics broadcast coverage on a plethora of different platforms.

In this issue Ian Dormer writes about the history of Olympic broadcasts from 1948 up until the BBC’s mega plans for the 2012 event.

Documentary lovers are bound to enjoy reading Linda Loubser’s article about The African Cypher, Bryan Little’s film that gets to the heart of South African street dancers.

And there’s more, much more, to read…

Joanna Sterkowicz

SCREENAFRICA Editor: Joanna Sterkowicz: editor@screenafrica.com In-house Journalist: Linda Loubser: news@screenafrica.com Contributors: Ian Dormer, Martin Chemhere, Simba Nyamukachi, Samantha Gray, Koos Roets Sub-Editor: Tina Heron Ratings: Enid Venter enid@ihjohannesburg.co.za Head of Design: Trevor Ou Tim: design@sun-circle.co.za Website & Production Updates: Berkia Banda: online@sun-circle.co.za Subscriptions: Delight Ngwenya: adminsa@screenafrica.com

Publisher & Managing Editor: Simon Robinson: publisher@screenafrica.com Advertisement Sales: Marianne Schafer: marianne@screenafrica.com Hermione Ballinger: hermi@screenafrica.com

Contents

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18

25

32

SPECIAL FEATURES DURBAN FILMMART

FILM

TRACKING TECHNOLOGY

Journey from short to long...... 12

An Olympic performance;

Africa meets the world............. 20

One backpack, several

‘Icy’ real-time conversion.......... 35

Programme of Events................. 21

‘owners’......................................... 14

Venturing into another world;

DURBAN INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL

My great big Cannes adventure;

AJA supports CS6....................... 36

Five projects, two events........... 16

Robotic cameras;

Calling all cinephiles!...24

DOCUMENTARY

3D sport analysis........................ 37

A glance at some of what to expect at DIFF 2012.................. 25 A taste of the documentaries at DIFF;

Accounts: Marietjie Esterhuizen: accounts@screenafrica.com

The other side of DIFF.............. 26

Front Office: Delight Ngwenya: adminsa@screenafrica.com

Major NBC upgrade;

Sun Circle Publishers (Pty) Ltd Tel: 011 025-3180 Physical address: Block A, Process House Epsom Downs Office Park 13 Sloane Street, Bryanston, Johannesburg PO Box 559 Fourways North 2086

8

NEWS It’s all happening in Durban!; Busiest Cannes ever...................... 3

Getting to the heart of dance............................... 18 / 19

INDUSTRY Director Speak – Krijay Govender.......................... 22

BROADCAST A gold medal-winning broadcast............................. 28 / 29

Zahara shoots debut live DVD;

TELEVISION

Accessing all the Olympic action;

Sketch comedy with

SA crew on Game of Thrones....... 6

local flavor.................................... 30

Africa’s Fight Club packs a punch;

Taking Wimbledon 3D to the world; Solving the Games......... 38 On another planet; Server and storage functions optimised..... 39

AFRICA Pushing the (cultural) boat; New Ethiopian feature brings hope................................... 40 Launching African TV into orbit....................................... 41

REGULARS Ratings & Film Lab Stats............ 42

Milestone for local soap............... 8

CAMERAS

Stats................................................ 43

The death of all

Production

ADCETERA

things celluloid................... 32 / 33

Updates......... 44 / 45 / 46 / 47

Beer goes undercover;

Lighter, more mobile 3D rig..... 33

Events............................................. 47

Grounded in a new brand........ 10

Social.................................... 48 / 49

Going for gold; Defining world-class invisible art............. 11 July 2012 | SCREENAFRICA | 5

Zahara shoots debut live DVD Multi award-winning South African songstress Zahara (Bulelwa Mkutukana) recorded her first live DVD concert, The Beginning, at Carnival City’s Big Top Arena on 8 and 9 June.

The DVD recording, which was produced by TS Records and EMI Music in conjunction with SABC 1 and DRUM Magazine, was directed by Paulo Ariel of The Moving Billboard Production Company.

According to Clive Mathibe, the creative director of The Beginning, the DVD is set to deliver the international standards that have become synonymous with Zahara’s work.

“Our aim was to have a world class production that would visually communicate the talent and artistry of Zahara, as well as everyone behind the scenes,” says Mathibe. “The music producers, lighting designer Tim Dunn, who has worked for the likes of Prince, the camera crew and broadcast engineers worked hard to ensure a high quality production.”

The two-day concert was shot on eight Sony XDCAM HD cameras. Two cameras were mounted on Jimmy Jibs, one on a dolly and tracks, another on a Steadicam, with the other four cameras either handheld or on tripods.

Photo by Simba Nyamukachi

NEWS |

WORLD CLASS – Zahara in action at Carnival City

Brendan Marsay and the EFX Productions team were contracted to ensure that the recording went seamlessly with regards to broadcast engineering requirements.

“When working with big lighting and sound rigs, electromagnetic interference in the venue is always going to be a concern,” notes Marsay. “To avoid any

Photo by Kobus Loubser

Accessing all the Olympic action

LONDON CALLING – Olympic swimming champion Ryk Neethling

South African Olympic Games enthusiasts will have several options to follow the event covering 26 sports and 39 disciplines between 27 July and 12 August.

SuperSport communications manager Clinton van der Berg explains that the broadcaster – part of the DStv pay-TV bouquet – will subscribe to various satellite feeds from the International Olympic Committee’s Olympic Broadcast Services. This will be broadcast on four dedicated channels called SuperSport Gold, Silver, Bronze and Spirit in high definition (HD) and in standard definition (SD).

SuperSport Blitz will air rolling coverage and live updates and the Gold channel will stream on SuperSport’s online and mobile platforms daily.

“We will also have news crews and 6 | SCREENAFRICA | July 2012

presenters in and around London, totalling two dozen people,” notes Van der Berg.

The news teams will be headed by presenters Carol Tshabalala, James Wokabi, Nicole Flint and Udo Carelse.

Additionally, Olympic champions Ryk Neethling, Dame Kelly Holmes, Carl Lewis and Wilfred Bungei will provide Olympic updates from famous London venues. SuperSport will also air two Olympics magazine shows called London Calling and Mind the Gap. According to SuperSport head of Channels Tex Texeira it promises to be the biggest Olympics ever in terms of broadcast, online and social media content. “And, of course, London is in a fantastic time zone for broadcast in Africa. Our viewers will get a full day of Olympics broadcast every day for 17 days,” notes Texeira According to the head of commercial free-to-air channel e.tv, Monde Twala, e.tv and eNews Channel do not have rights to broadcast the London 2012 Olympic Games. “The eNews Channel will set up a two-man team, reporter Peter Stemmet and camera man Neil Raath, in central London. They will package stories about South Africans participating in the Games and produce a daily Olympic report called London Calling.”

Twala notes that eNews will also use Olympics news clips from the Reuters news agency for broadcast in their news bulletins.

“Both e.tv and eNews will focus on events related to the Games and South African athletes taking part. e.tv has acquired vignettes and will broadcast these across the schedule as part of the Olympics theme,” says Twala.

interference on the signal, we ran fibre optic camera chains.”

The DVD, which is slated for release later this year, will feature Zahara’s duet with American top 10 X-Factor finalist, Leroy Bell, who is famous for having composed the Grammy nominated Mama Can’t Buy You Love for Elton John.

– Simba Nyamukachi

Two South African wardrobe crew members are in pre-production on the third season of the hit HBO TV series, Game of Thrones, which commences principal photography in Ireland at the end of July.

Both Carolyn Marston (extras wardrobe supervisor) and Susan Pollard (wardrobe standby) also worked on the first two seasons of the medieval fantasy series. They are represented in South Africa by Gudrun Scott of Shoot Out Crew.

Says Scott: “In 2010 I got a call from the Game of Thrones series costume designer Michele Clapton requesting Carolyn, who’d been recommended by Odile Dicks Mireaux. Odile had worked with Carolyn on 10 000 BC which was

shot in Cape Town. Carolyn in turn requested Susan Pollard, who she’d worked with on 10 000BC and Safe House.

“I think it’s really exciting that South African crew is represented on such an enormously successful international production as Game of Thrones. The premiere of Season 2 had a record 3.9 million viewers in America and on the strength of this HBO confirmed Season 3. The finale of Season 2 generated even more viewers – 4.2 million.”

Marston says that while the budget for Game of Thrones may be slightly bigger than some South African productions, the biggest difference is the support one gets from the local Irish production company. “They give me the crew that I need to get the job done perfectly,” she notes.

Over an entire series of Game of Thrones Marston has to cater for up to 5 000 extras. She explains: “On our biggest days there are about 300 extras on set. We are given a guideline for costumes by the designer and assistant designers, Alex Fordham and Chloe Aubry, but within that we have quite a lot of leeway.

“Basically, I look after the logistics. I have a fantastic team who do standby wardrobe for the extras. We have to do pre-fittings and then from there it’s all logistics for me as the set crew takes over.

Sometimes five units shoot simultaneously which results in extremely challenging logistics.”

Each season Marston and her team are introduced to new ‘looks’ for the costumes. “We grow on what we already have created and accumulated over the previous seasons,” she comments.

Game of Thrones 3 shoots until mid-October.

At the public broadcaster, SABC3 will offer viewers Olympic tennis highlights, as well as the men and women’s tennis semi finals and Gold Medal matches, and

an Olympic lifestyle show called The Beat.

No additional information was available at the time of going to print.

– Linda Loubser

EXCITING TIMES – Gudrun Scott

SA crew on Game of Thrones

London 2012 in 3D Panasonic, official Worldwide Olympic Partner, will support the first ever live 3D Olympic Games by providing its cutting edge equipment and technology.

AVC-Intra has been adopted as the standard video recording format for HD delivery at the games.

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300 x P2HD Recorders, 100 x P2HD Camera Recorders, 30 x Panasonic integrated 3D Camcorders, 1000 x Panasonic broadcast monitors, will be used to cover the games.

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NEWS |

Africa’s Fight Club packs a punch

Cairo Howarth (EFC Africa president)

WINNING COMBINATION – EFC commentator Dirk Steenekamp interviewing Heavyweight winner Bernardo Mikixi

Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) managed to break into to the mainstream sports realm when millions of fans across the continent tuned in to watch the first live broadcast of Extreme Fighting Championships (EFC) Africa 12 on e.tv on 2 March this year.

Ratings were reported to have surpassed other sport broadcasts, clocking a peak audience of over 1.6 million and pulling 25.9% of the total available South African TV audience.* “When EFC Africa started our goal was to create a world class event with regards to television production and the fights themselves,” says Cairo Howarth, EFC Africa president. “We are very critical of our own work and always endeavour to improve on every single department of our production. Fortunately, television viewers have embraced the fight

showcases so now we have to continue producing a world class event.”

According to Howarth e.tv’s huge World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) following and extensive African footprint made the free-to-air channel an ideal platform to broadcast EFC Africa and to introduce it to the African masses.

“MMA content is booming worldwide and Africa is no exception so I expect that viewership is going to grow as e.tv continues to broadcast live into 49 countries across the continent,” he adds.

The cage fighting tournament is produced in house by EFC Africa in conjunction with Johannesburg based FinePoint Productions, with Nu Metro Home Entertainment responsible for the DVD authoring and distribution. Shaun Pearce and Nadia White are used as the

Rowina Dawson (EFC Africa production manager)

show’s directors with Silas Howarth and Rowina Dawson performing the producer and production manager duties respectively.

EFC Africa, which takes eight weeks to prepare for, presents a number of challenges for the production team.

Milestone for local soap On 2 July 2012 Villa Rosa, the Afrikaans language daily soap produced by Spectro Productions for South African pay-TV channel kykNET, broadcast its 1 500th episode.

Episode 1 first went on air on Monday 4 October 2004.

KykNET renews the Villa Rosa contract with Spectro Productions, which also produced Plek van die Vleisvreters and Stralejakkers, on an annual basis from August to July.

Villa Rosa was created by Johan van de Vyver in conjunction with Leon van Nierop, who wrote the first episode.

The story centres on a grand mansion in Bloemfontein – Villa Rosa – that was previously owned by the Rossouw family for more than a hundred years. It was initially bought by the Retief family who wanted a guesthouse and is now owned by a few shareholders. The plot involves drama, intrigue, family strife, backstabbing, a few ghost stories and a 8 | SCREENAFRICA | July 2012

treasure hunt.

According to Spectro Productions the soap holds between 25% and 28% viewership share in its timeslot (6pm) and has an average viewership of about 190 000.

The producers believe that the soap has proved so popular among viewers because it keeps the storylines interesting and addresses real life issues. It also caters for all age groups and ensures that good Afrikaans moral values are reflected.

Villa Rosa is shot with a double-camera setup at Atlas Studios in Braamfonteinwerf, Johannesburg. One episode per day is recorded. There are occasional location shots but the soap is mostly shot in studio.

All in all about 57 people work on the production, including six storyliners and six freelance writers.

Villa Rosa goes out four nights a week on kykNET, Mondays to Thursdays at 6pm.

EPISODE 1500 – Scenes from Villa Rosa

“Broadcasting live is always a challenge because you have to ensure that everything runs smoothly so that the production remains within the allocated time while factoring in last minute deviations,” says Dawson.

“Sometimes a fight can be cancelled at a moment’s notice due to medical reasons and it is up to the team to fill that time slot while simultaneously pleasing both the live and television audiences.”

The tournament is recorded using seven high definition (HD) Phillips LDK 8000 cameras, consisting of three cage-side cameras, an overhead camera, a single Jimmy Jib and a Steadicam. “We used to use Sony cameras but the Phillips LDK 8000s are better for low light and they allow us to shoot on a clear filter for quite some time before needing external lights,” adds Dawson.

So far EFC Africa has produced 11 DVDs with three new offerings scheduled for release in the coming months. The DVDs are available for purchase in leading DVD retail outlets and the EFC Africa’s web shop. “Each DVD is world class visual production that contains loads of exciting knockouts, technical submissions and some of the best MMA fights ever fought on the African continent,” concludes Dawson.

The next live event, EFC Africa 15, will be held on 27 July at the Carnival City Big Top Arena. The main card bouts will be broadcast live on e.tv from 10.30pm. *Media Update 2012. EFC Africa at the top of TV sports. [online] Available at: < http://www.mediaupdate.co. za/#IDStory=46487> – Simba Nyamukachi

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AD cetera

Report on the South African commercials industry

Beer goes undercover In the first ever commercial for Armstrong, a new spirit beer for Guinness Ghana, an undercover bar converts into a business when the men’s wives come to check in on them.

Directed by Slim of South African production company Egg Films, the humorous spot was conceptualised by Saatchi & Saatchi Cape Town creative director Gavin Whitfield and art director Yvonne Hall.

The entire conversion from bar to business was done in-camera – all the revolving sets were operated by hand.

Egg Films executive producer Nicci Cox explains: “Slim wanted the ad to be real – we didn’t want to do anything that went beyond the realm of believable. In order to make it real, it had to be real.”

Slim adds: “I want the viewers to believe without question that these guys created the crazy mechanisms themselves, using their own skills from everyday life and by hand. As soon as we involve any unbelievable or post-intensive (3D) devices, our story becomes far-fetched and less entertaining.

“This is not to say that the mechanisms and contraptions we see in the ad are not insanely clever and impressive. They had to deliver entertaining and memorable moments that have to be appreciated by even the least manly-man.”

Three big sets – the bar, pool table and the revolving wall – were built over four

Armstrong commercial

weeks by Marcia Vermaak and Raphael Reineke from Marcia’s Studios, as well as computer tables, a dart board, signage and a video game.

Although the agency mentioned casting the spot in Ghana, it wasn’t a prerequisite for the job. However, Cox and Slim flew to Accra to cast the leads and research Ghanaian bars, office spaces,

colours and textures, before shooting the commercial in an empty shop in Jeppestown, Johannesburg.

Cox continues: “We also shot a Twi (Ghanaian language) version of the ad so the leads needed to be fluent. I’m very happy we did cast in Ghana – we found three great guys and one lady. It also gave us the opportunity to see Ghana and

make sure that what we re-created in Johannesburg was authentic and wouldn’t be questioned by the viewing public in Ghana.”

Slim adds: “I was really blown away by the level of guys we saw – it was quite a hard choice. Our cast was amazing and super friendly. I’d work with them again anytime.”

The ad was shot over two days by DOP Willie Nel, edited by Saki Bergh at Left and scored by Markus Wormstorm.

“We spent a full day rehearsing, with all the sets working, so we could choreograph each shot,” comments Slim.

“During the actual shoot, we could have got it in one take – everything worked immaculately.”

Cox concludes: “According to the agency the spot has been very well liked.

It’s also been featured on a number of blogs internationally, like MediaBistro’s AgencySpy, Coloribus and We Love Ads.”

Grounded in a new brand Kagiso TV & Communications recently bought out of the Kagiso Group to strike out on its own, necessitating a name change. The company has rebranded as Grounded Media.

Says Grounded Media CEO Coco Cachalia: “Obviously, once we no longer had Kagiso Trust Investment shareholding, we needed to rebrand in line with our new independent status. We formally left the Kagiso stable in late 2010 and in terms of the Sale of Share Agreement, were given time to re-brand.

“Our new name speaks to the fact that we pride ourselves on being firmly rooted in the South African context, and to our identity as an independent, integrated communications specialist. We spent time thinking about the name and, more than anything, wanted it to reflect the work that we do.”

Cachalia and her team tapped into the creative talent within the company and had a series of brainstorming sessions with staff to identify a number of new names.

She explains: “After lots of lively debate we finally settled on Grounded Media.

These brainstorms were informed by our 10 | SCREENAFRICA | July 2012

Coco Cachalia with Mike Krzychylkiewicz and Jacob Bruce Hinson

desire to match our new name with the kind of work we do and our commitment to communicating with South Africans, often marginalised in traditional communications.

“All the rebranding was done in-house with the exception of the logo design. We have a great marketing and communications team that worked on the rebranding and communication strategies, while the events department organised the official launch party. Our TV team

created a beautiful video that showcases our different departments as well as our gorgeous new office space,” notes Cachalia.

In addition to the launch party, traditional PR was used to spread the word to clients, former clients, partners, stakeholders and suppliers. A striking new website (www.groundedmedia.co.za) and the company’s new quarterly newsletter are also used to communicate the rebrand.

“In the second phase of our rebranding process we will launch a Facebook page, a Twitter page and refresh our other communication channels, while we continue to use PR to market ourselves.

“So far we’ve had lots of great comments from our clients, service providers and partners that they love the new funky logo, which shows our connection to ordinary South Africans while also demonstrating our focus on communications. What better symbol than a tin-can telephone? It is an extremely evocative and emotive image that most South Africans can relate to.

“The logo, designed by Hayley Cameroon of Inklings Design, perfectly encapsulates our belief that sometimes the simplest communication solution is the most effective,” comments Cachalia.

AD cetera

Going for gold When creative production house Thackwell & Whittaker was invited to pitch for pay-TV broadcaster SuperSport’s Olympics 2012 campaign, they came up with the concept of using past Olympians.

Says Gareth Whittaker: “Our concept is based around the beauty of the stories that have touched the Olympic Games in the past. The next step was to identify some iconic Olympians to re-tell their magical stories.

“In this campaign you will see Ehtiopian long distance runner Haile Gebreselassie, American swimmer Mark Spitz, South African Paralympic champion Oscar Pistorius, British rower Sir Steve Redgrave, Romanian gymnast Nadia Comaneci, runner Vivian Cheruiyot and footballers Victor Ikpeba and Daniel Amokachi, among others.”

The first shoot was with South African swimmer Penny Heyns in a studio at

SuperSport commercial

SuperSport in Johannesburg on 4 April, while the final shoot with Sir Steve Redgrave took place in the UK on 1 June.

In the course of these two months

Whittaker and his team shot in Austin, Oklahoma City, Los Angeles, London, Addis Ababa, Nairobi and Eldoret in western Kenya.

“Filming in Ethiopia was tricky as construction work was in progress next to the hotel we were shooting in. Thankfully, Haile Gebrselassie was very accommodating and came back at six o’clock the same evening so we could shoot without background drilling and hammering. Filming on the African continent is fantastic; filming African heroes in their hometown is all the more incredible,” notes Wittaker.

The campaign was shot on Canon EOS 7D (shooting 1920 x 1080 at 25 frames per second) with a Carl Zeiss – Planar T* 1,4 / 85 mm ZF.2 lens on a Nikon to EOS mount.

As to which Olympian he personally found most inspiring, Whittaker responds: “Zimbabwean swimmer Kirsty Coventry is an African Olympic legend.

The way she inspired the people of Zimbabwe during a difficult time in her nation’s history, is to me, what the games are all about. I am inspired that she continued to represent the people of Zimbabwe at a time when it would have been a lot easier for her to represent the US. She is one of my sporting heroes.”

Only limited digital visual effects (VFX) were required in post-production.

This was expedited in-house at Thackwell & Whittaker.

The theme music for the campaign is Coldplay’s Fix You.

Defining world-class ‘invisible’ art

By Paul Meyer

Invisible art, on the face of it, may seem to be an intangible subject. In terms of motion graphics design, invisible art can be found in the title sequences, animated logos and art which appears on commercials, television and the Internet.

It’s invisible because it is largely unnoticed by the viewer.

The rise of this art form owes much to the leap in technology over the past decade. This conglomeration of 2D and 3D animation and motion graphics is for the most part achieved with programmes such as Adobe After Effects.

It’s a complex procedure that requires a specialised team versed in art, design, conceptualisation and animation. Motion graphics does its job best when it goes unnoticed as a seamless part of the television show, a subtle animated logo in a corporate documentary or the enhancement of a commercial advert.

Viewer recall is paramount because motion graphics design that’s world-class comes across as ‘invisible’ yet packs a mean subliminal punch.

World-class motion graphics begins, like most great artworks, with an idea or

SUBLIMINAL PUNCH – Paul Meyer

concept where the look, feel, complexity and message will be decided. The design studio typically receives a brief from a client saying they’d like a certain type of character, image or animation to portray a particular message or emotion. It’s important for the studio to capture the genuine brand ethos in the design. A quirky and colourful character animation would be wrong for a funeral plan company, for example.

A standout motion designer is a person

trained in traditional graphic design who knows how to integrate the elements of time, sound and space into his or her existing skill-set of design knowledge.

An understanding of filmmaking and animation is an integral part of creating exceptional work. If the motion graphics designer is aware of emotional engagement and narrative progression, this insight into the design and animation mixes with a more potent message and elicits increased engagement from the viewer.

It is this deeper understanding of what engages people that makes the difference between an average and a world-class designer. An exceptional design has originality, meaning and relativity to the viewer. If the designer knows how to portray a message in an appropriate way and also understands the limits and bonuses of choosing a certain style, it can make or break the design.

For example, if a client desires a science fiction-themed clip aimed at a younger, male audience, the designer must know what elements must be included on a technical, design, narrative and emotional

level. If there is a robot, it must be a composite of every robot the youngster has ever seen, but with something that sets it apart. It has to look cool, act cool, and be cool. The child will see the design and feel it speak directly to him.

A designer with a stylistic understanding of the brand and how it may be unpacked knows in what ways the character should be animated, coloured and stylised. There is nothing worse than being subjected to a faux-cute animated critter that is simply annoying and pretentious. Television and movie audiences are merciless in their judgment and criticism.

But, it’s not only about visuals. Sound, if applicable, plays a major role in the design equation. Incoherent and ill-fitting sound can destroy any piece regardless of how good it might look.

Invisible art is distinguished by originality, engagement, understanding, knowledge and appeal. Let the (moving) picture speak a thousand words, and let the words be well ‘spoken’. * Paul Meyer is MD of Luma Design Agency

July 2012 | SCREENAFRICA | 11

FILM |

By Linda Loubser

Journey from short to long

South African feature film Lucky, releasing in local cinemas at the end of July, has been adapted from an award-winning short film.

A question of trust

B

ritish director and scriptwriter Avie Luthra wrote a script for the feature film Lucky after the success of his 2005 short film of the same name, which won 42 international awards and was nominated for a BAFTA and shortlisted for an Academy Award.

The idea for the short film came while he was living in rural KwaZulu-Natal in 2003. “At a funeral I saw a little boy crying over the grave of his mother who had suffered from Aids. The starting point for the film was me wondering what would happen to him. It was quite a potent moment.”

“At that time there was also a lot of heat about the relationship between Africans and Indians in Durban. I had this idea for a story of a boy coming into the city after his mother died and meeting an old Indian woman. It’s not an Aids orphan story – Lucky just happens to be an Aids orphan. It’s really a story about parenthood and the bonding between communities that were separated

by Apartheid for many years,” says Luthra.

The feature is produced by South Africa’s Out of Africa Entertainment and executive producer Christopher Wilmot’s US-based How Town Film Production, with funding from independent investors in South Africa and the US. “Once the funding came together with the support of producer Lance Samuels from Out of Africa and the Department of Trade and Industry, it all happened very swiftly,” says Luthra.

12 | SCREENAFRICA | July 2012

In the feature film 10-year old Lucky travels to Durban after his mother’s death because he dreams of going to school.

After his uncle mistreats him and stops him from going to school, he is taken in

by Padma – an elderly Indian woman who distrusts black people – as she would take in a stray dog.

Lucky was shot over 26 days in March and April 2010 and was moved away from the Durban setting of the short film.

“This was mostly because it was financially more expedient for us to shoot in Johannesburg. I think it would have cost us R1m or R2m more to shoot in Durban,” explains Luthra.

They spent a lot of time on finding the right locations and casting. Says Luthra: “I knew we had to go to India to find an actress with the right experience to play the role of Padma. We eventually found Jayashree Basavra who is a renowned theatre actress and also a member of the Indian parliament.”

Casting agent Moonyeenn Lee found Sihle Dhlamini, the young actor who portrays Lucky. “He just really stuck out among the kids we looked at,” says Luthra. “Sihle was quite extraordinary because he just always, emotionally, knew where to be in any scene. He’s an incredibly instinctive actor.”

To get a natural performance out of Dhlamini, Luthra tried to keep instructions very simple and to build a bond of trust. This was complicated by the fact that Dhlamini didn’t speak English at the time.

“I don’t speak Zulu, so I had work with the other actors and rely on them,” notes Luthra. “I was quite gentle with Sihle – it was a tough gig for him as he had to work for 26 days. We made sure he was comfortable and very well supported, but it did take a lot out of him.”

No room for error Luthra says while they had ‘incredible’

VERY REALISTIC EUROPEAN STYLE – Avie Luthra directing a scene from Lucky

support from Out of Africa, no film is easy to shoot. “With low budget films you really don’t have any room for error – I knew I couldn’t come back and do reshoots, so each day was all or nothing.

“We were also moving locations every single day for about a week, which just drained the resources out of a small shoot.

But I don’t think the challenges were any different from other low budget shoots.”

Director of photography Willie Nel shot the film on an Arriflex D-21 in high definition, with a muted palette in terms of set design, lighting and costumes.

“It was important for me not to make a film which was beautiful – I avoided vistas and big open spaces. I wanted to capture a level of realism and not glamorise the poverty,” says Luthra.

“I was interested in a sort of European style of filmmaking that’s very handheld and very real – we only used a tripod once – rather than the American style that is very controlled and glossy and makes you feel at ease. I wanted the audience to feel that they’re seeing something they haven’t seen before and also feel slightly uncomfortable in this world.”

The film, which also stars Vusi Kunene and James Ngcobo, had its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival in September 2011. “That was a big highlight,” notes Luthra. “We were listed in the top 20 films of the festival alongside big 2011 films like The Descendants and The Artist.”

Lucky won Best Film at the Bengaluru International Film Festival, Best Crossover Film at the London Asian Film Festival and a Special Mention Award at the Cape Winelands Film Festival. Jayashree Basavaraj also won Best Actress at the Abu Dhabi Film Festival against well-known actresses such as Mia Farrow and Keira Knightley.

“That was quite a mark of acceptance,” notes Luthra.

The film releases at 15 theatres across South Africa on 20 July and will release on the US art house cinema circuit in September / October this year.

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FILM |

One backpack, several ‘owners’

By Joanna Sterkowicz The coordinated efforts of 25 different filmmakers from 13 countries around the world – including South Africa – resulted in CollabFeature’s first ever production, The Owner.

I

n a global road movie of sorts, The Owner follows the adventures of a mysterious backpack that makes its way around the world, intersecting the lives of dozens of fascinating characters along the way.

The film’s 25 directors come from Germany, the US, Ireland, France, Austria, Colombia, England, China, India, Lebanon, United Arab Emirates, Brazil and South Africa.

On 25 May the film’s world première took place at several locations across the globe, including Johannesburg where director of the South African segment, 29-year old Francois Coetzee, was on hand to introduce the film.

Supervising producers on The Owner are Americans Marty Shea and Ian Bonner. Shea told Screen Africa that in many ways the finished product exceeded the filmmakers’ expectations.

“Since we were working with almost no budget we weren’t sure what kind of production value we would end up with.

The filmmakers went all out to create beautifully shot segments and we were especially pleased that so many talented actors were involved.

“I’d always been attracted to the idea of collaboration and had talked about different film collaborations with Ian Bonner over the years. In 2008 we decided that the time was right; the Internet and social networking were exploding with possibilities and we created CollabFeature. At that point we had no idea where it would lead – we just built a website, a message board and began to contact filmmakers. The rest is history.”

According to Xavier Agudo, director of one of the Berlin segments of the film, Power Outage was CollabFeature’s very first project. “We reached the stage where we had a good draft for a script with segments from all over the world but realised it needed a major budget. The project was put on hold to raise financing and a second project was launched, once it became apparent that many more filmmakers were willing to join up and shoot on their own budgets. Thus The Backpack Project, now The Owner, was born.”

14 | SCREENAFRICA | July 2012

SOuth Africa Making it work Every filmmaker was in charge of his own production with Shea and Bonner overseeing the whole process.

Says Agudo: “Different tasks were assigned among the filmmakers, so there was a group captain, a post-production TRULY INTERNATIONAL – captain, a music Scenes from The Owner captain, press captain, and so on. write in our “All the collaboration was centralised personal styles. on a web platform developed by Ian We were given (Bonner) in which we exchanged scripts, deadlines for voted, posted messages and managed everything and tasks. We would share videos of our cuts had to pitch our through a known video platform and have stories to the the inevitable Skype talk or live chat to producers and address different matters.” the other Principal photography commenced in filmmakers and May 2010 in Brazil. All the film’s then submit funding came from each of the drafts of our filmmakers, with operational costs scripts.” covered by the project directors.

Coetzee had his initial draft accepted and worked South African element really hard to make sure it would stand alone as a segment. Once his script was In 2009 Johannesburg based Francois approved, as well as the actors and props, Coetzee (Diesis) saw an ad for Coetzee received greenlight status. He CollabFeature on a website. used R6 000 of his own money to produce “I contacted them, submitted some of his segment. my previous films and was accepted.

“I filmed my sequence in a single day in Initially the project was going to comprise August 2010 at a bus stop in Emmarentia, 12 filmmakers working on Power Outage.

Johannesburg, with the shoot facilitated But when that was put on hold Indian by the Gauteng Film Commission. My filmmaker Varun Mathur came up with segment stars Nambitha Mpumlwana the idea of a travelling backpack. (suggested by casting director Christa “All collaboration on The Owner was Schamberger) and Philip Nolte. done via the Internet and everything had “The theme of my segment is about to be accepted by the 24 other self-acceptance during adolescence and filmmakers. As none of us were forced acceptance by your peers. Gregory Cattel into a through-line story we were free to

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Berlin from Cape Town edited the sequence which I had to upload and get approval for from the other filmmakers. As the other segments came in from around the world we were able to view assembly cuts on the Internet. This project took a huge amount of my time but it was wonderful to work with so many different filmmakers,” explains Coetzee.

He notes that The Owner was shot on 25 different formats. Johannesburg company FiX Post Production was responsible for marrying all the different formats together and for the grade.

The Owner is represented by Australian sales agent Screen Launch. Coetzee and FiX are working on securing South African distribution.

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FILM |

My great big Cannes adventure South African filmmaker Samantha Gray made her first ever trip to the Cannes Film Festival in May. Here she writes about the experience.

I

attended Cannes because a short film I wrote and directed, But We Slept, won Best South African Short Film at the 2012 Cape Winelands Film Festival.

This awarded me a place among a team of delegates – brilliant, seasoned business people focused on the growth of the South African film industry. I went into battle armed with a lipstick.

The division of festival and market at Cannes is a palpable one. I saw far too much of the market (an endless labyrinth of movie posters) and not enough films.

Cannes is a dichotomous blend of worker bees and a few, rare queens. There is a measured hierarchy in every sense, as is evident in any industry. More so, it requires tenacity and buckets of hope.

Even acquiring a ticket to a screening at Cannes is a hopeful endeavour.

The only première I attended, because a dear soul took pity on my unworn designer gown (yes I walked the red carpet, heels sinking into the sludge), was the winner of the Jury Prize, The Angels

Share directed by Ken Loach. The context of the film neatly boxed Cannes for me as everyone’s dreams bear the same markings after all. Loach sources his actors from real life and flips their mundane, ordinary budget-light lives to stardom. In retrospect I wondered if their little flames would go out in the most conventional draft?

Amidst a landscape of hustlers, schemers and dreamers, the South African Pavilion – home to the 130-something South Africans attending Cannes – was a haven from the unusually wet weather. The delegates, ranging from actors to directors, producers, business tycoons, distributors and festival curators, represented South Africa well on the whole, with the local daily Cannes press praising our industry and its filmmakers.

It was avidly expressed that our creative (as well as our service) industry has advanced magnificently to further encourage international economy.

The festival veterans pioneered a

ON THE R E

A

ccording to Fireworx Media’s Dan Jawitz, the feature films Taste of Rain and One Last Look are the fruits of many years of development and financing.

“The documentary Bigger than Life was brought to us by French director Delphine de Blic in 2010 and we co-produced with her company.

“As for our Durban FilmMart selection, we are one of South Africa’s 16 | SCREENAFRICA | July 2012

SPACE, TIME, TRAUMA and HEALING – A scene from Taste of Rain

most awarded companies in the documentary genre so it is not unusual for us to have a few documentary projects on the go at the same time,” explains Jawitz.

Taste of Rain, directed by Richard Pakleppa, has been selected for official competition at DIFF. Says producer Bridget Pickering: “This unusual film could have been made with the independent cinema movement of the 1980s. It is about space, time, trauma and healing – about two people who experience trauma in different ways, who are brought together.”

The psycho-thriller One Last Look is represented worldwide (excluding Africa)

by Los Angeles-based sales company, Lightning Entertainment. The sales agency agreement was negotiated between Richard S. Guardian (Guardian

– David Horle

r and Samanth

receptive path for all relatively new and unseasoned South African Cannes attendees and filmmakers, of which there were a few. Chatting in ‘the haven’ to fellow industry peers, there was the definite warmth of international engagement. I was grateful for the even road ahead.

My very first meeting was with internationally renowned British producer, Samm Haillay. He kindly advised me to be gentle with Cannes, because the festival did not respond well to business bombing. And he was right; it seemed rather evident that Cannes is a forum to build relationships for the future of business.

Five projects, two events Two feature films and one documentary produced

by Fireworx Media will première at the Durban International Film Festival (DIFF) in July, while two of the company’s documentary projects are selected for the Durban FilmMart, which runs alongside DIFF.

D CARPET

Entertainment International) and Jawitz.

“Lightning Entertainment screened trailers at the recent Cannes Film Festival to prepare for the film’s international première in late 2012. The trailers received a very positive response from buyers. Indigenous Film Distribution will handle the South African release,”

notes Jawitz He believes One Last Look is a landmark film. “It was developed and financed entirely by government investment funds (Industrial Development Corporation, National Film and Video Foundation, Department of Trade & Industry and Gauteng Film Commission) as part of a new initiative to produce ‘genre’ films in an attempt to achieve wider distribution.

“Writer / director Philip Roberts has produced a genuinely intriguing and disturbing narrative for his debut feature, combining elements of Sunjata, a 13th Century West African griot myth, with Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness.

The film was shot entirely on location at Aloe Ridge Game Reserve, 40km from Johannesburg.”

a Gray

He also shared a gem of advice: “Don’t shoot your budget”. The point here is twofold: don’t be limited by your budget and don’t let your budget dictate to you as a creative. We are so easily (and sometimes out of necessity) swayed by tax incentives, rebates and other provocations that tend to manipulate our dreams.

While it is universally agreed that business needs to make financial sense, as creatives we still need to cling to the earnest passion that defines us.

In many ways, Haillay was saying: “Don’t sell out kid. The game is tough, but worth it.”

Bigger Than Life was commissioned by The French Institute of South Africa (IFAS). Says Pickering: “Delphine de Blic approached me to produce the film and I immediately liked the sensibility of the project. It’s about a group of artists; puppeteers, designers, musicians from South Africa and France who come together on the eve of the 2010 FIFA World Cup.” With unparalleled access to the head of a Cape Flats gang, Riaan Hendriks’ Devil’s Lair, has been selected for the Durban FilmMart. The film has 75% of the financing in place.

Producer Neil Brandt elaborates: “It is funded by Britdoc / Puma Creative Catalyst Awards / NFVF / Open Society Foundation and the Jan Vrijman Fund.

We have just returned from the IDFA Academy Summer School in Amsterdam where we deconstructed and then reconstructed the film’s premise with some of the world’s best documentary filmmakers. Principle photography commenced at the end of June. I aim to take a rough-cut to IDFA at the end of the year.”

Regarding Odette Geldenhuys’ Gold Dust, the second Durban FilmMart project, Brandt comments: “We’ve just started this project and this will be the first pitch to the market. The timing is perfect as it explores the dark heart of corruption and greed in the murky world of politically connected gold-mining gone wrong.”

screen africa advert sept5.indd 1

2012/06/28 6:32 PM

DOCUMENTARY |

Getting to the heart of dance

By Linda Loubser

A documentary about the lives, passions and struggles of South African street dancers premièred at the Encounters Documentary Film Festival in June and will also screen at the Durban International Film Festival (DIFF) this month.

RAW WILDNESS – Director Bryan Little

T

he African Cypher was conceived when Red Bull South Africa approached award-winning filmmaker Bryan Little’s Fly on the Wall Productions in 2011 to make short teaser films for the inaugural Red Bull Beat Battle – a search for the best dance crew in South Africa.

“While shooting the short films we realised that there was a much bigger story to be told, so we started shooting a full length documentary concurrently,” explains Little. “As a white guy from Cape Town, what really attracted me to this project was the opportunity to explore street dance culture in different parts of our country.

“I went in completely ignorant and told the story from that starting point, which makes it really interesting for anyone watching the film who is perhaps also unaware of these vibrant sub-cultures, like isiPantsula and Sbhujwa.”

He notes that during filming, themes of identity, confidence, courage, passion and the ability of dance to elevate people above their struggles emerged. “Thanks to the characters involved, this is no ordinary dance documentary. There is a raw wildness and truth to it that should speak to all of us.”

18 | SCREENAFRICA | July 2012

Massive response Little’s previous documentary Fokofpolisiekar was named Best South African Documentary at Encounters in 2009.

“Encounters has become our home for the world premières of our films. The team there is incredible and deserve all our support,” says Little. “At the premiere of The African Cypher we had a massive, unrestrained, response from the audience – at times it was so vocal it felt like a ‘shebeen screening’, as Encounters’ Mandisa Zitha put it.”

The documentary was in part funded

by Red Bull South Africa and all funds went into hard costs. “I am blessed with a crew of filmmakers from production to post-production that are passionate about film and gave of their skills and experience for very little financial reward,” says Little.

They were also hired by Red Bull International to shoot a commercial.

“They got really excited about some of the footage from the Red Bull Beat Battle virals we shot. The commercial went really well and I think that international interest in the project has grown from

there,” notes Little.

Pre-production started in June 2011 and post-production was completed in June 2012. Director of photography (DOP) Grant Appleton shot on two Canon 5Ds in ‘cinestyle 16x9’ in high definition, with additional material shot on Phantom and RED Epic. “The 5Ds performed remarkably well and their size allowed us to get into really intimate scenes as well as allowing us into more ‘dangerous’ environments without drawing too much attention,” he notes.

Appleton was recently the VFX DOP on blockbuster Chronicle for 20th Century Fox. “He has incredible talent and

experience and he made the 5D mossie sing like a lark,” says Little.

Going deeper They shot on locations across the country and spent months in Soweto, Orange Farm, Mohlakeng and the Cape Flats trying to integrate themselves into the communities. “We were very careful about how we approached the situation – as filmmakers we have the power of the camera and that is easily abused. People want to be on TV, want to be famous and it is easy to go in and exploit a culture with your camera and pull away with

| DOCUMENTARY

Pictures by Suicide Monkey

documentaries, so my style tends to clash with purely voyeuristic / objective documentation. This can create documentary that feels more like a movie but the process is a constant anguish as I have to carefully mould and sculpt on the fly, trusting my intuition rather than creating and ‘setting up’ scenarios. I do create scenes from time to time but always in the spirit of the character and his / her emotion that I am trying to portray.”

Post-production

superficial footage.”

Little notes that they wanted to go deeper by finding out what really fuels the passion and fear of the dance crews. “We spent a lot of time at first just meeting people and hanging out in the communities, drinking with people, meeting their friends, their moms and elders and family.

“I only wanted our camera to go in when it could be followed by our hearts. It sounds cheesy, but I believe you have to care about the people you are filming or nothing special will come out of it no matter how beautiful the shots.”

He notes that the look of the documentary is ‘quite natural’. “We tried to stay true to the raw feel of the different communities and allow the textures and characters to speak for themselves. The films’ richness can be attributed to the incredible access we got into the dancers’ lives and their communities,” explains Little.

“We spent a lot of time with the dancers cruising around their communities and working together to find interesting locations to perform and shoot – most of the time these locations were ones that the guys were naturally using and just happen to be really cinematic in themselves. Some of my favourite scenes were shot at the magic hour of winter light found in Soweto /

Jo’burg. This is truly a beautiful asset to have in the film, and it’s free!”

He describes capturing street dance on film as ‘chaos’. “When a crew like the Real Actions in Orange Farm gets revved up and start blocking intersections, huge crowds form, the cops start buzzing the area and the guys feed on the energy getting wilder and wilder. It’s exhilarating, but also a challenge to direct.

“My philosophy is to try and create a three dimensional feeling for the scene to allow the audience into the space, so I will have one camera shooting the action, another shooting reactions and wider shots as well as shots from the points of view of passers-by or nearby windows, and then, if possible and we have a third camera, I will personally look for really intimate reactions and moments that can portray the heart of the scene.

“This doesn’t always work but by the end of the film I hope to be able to craft a real sense of who the main characters are and what their world view is.”

Wild According to Little it was, in general, a wild shoot. “My producer Filipa Domingues had to kill and gut a chicken on the shoot and a baby was born on set while we were shooting the commercial

for Red Bull International in KlipTown – our paramedic had to deliver the baby as the ambulance refused to come into the neighbourhood. So yes, things happen but you have to go with it. As always when shooting a documentary the challenges are constant and every day, you have to problem solve constantly and be flexible, especially if there is no money to throw at issues.”

Little explains that they shot with a small team. “That really helps, as we could easily all share a room and we ate informally at Shisa Nyama’s on the side of the road.

“Managing a small intimate team is often harder than a big crew as the issues of living in each other’s space – in one room and one vehicle – can at times start feeling like a band on tour. But the nature of what we were shooting inspired and humbled us a great deal. How can you complain about someone’s stinky socks when our main cast member shares a bed in a shack with his elderly mother?”

He notes that the biggest challenge for him as director was translating a very broad subject into an engaging film.

“This involved spending a lot of time with the main cast and crafting scenes that spoke for them and hopefully creating a backbone to the film that runs deeper than dance. I come from a more narrative background and sort of fell into

Offline editing was done in-house by Grant Birch, online and grading by Craig Parker at 744 Digital and final mix and mastering by Sound & Motion studios.

Music plays an important part in the film as they wanted to ‘capture the rhythms of the street’. Little explains: “The soundtrack alone is worth watching this film for. We were lucky to have Simon Kohler compose original music and sound design, as well as carefully source music that really brings these subcultures to life.

“Simon also recorded a vast sound bank of location sound to create an ambience that, combined with the music in this film, will instantly transport you into the various communities as they move and evolve. The Red Bull Studio was also a big part of this process.”

Little says that, while he wants to believe the film is for everyone, it will probably resonate with anyone who has an interest in the subcultures of the townships or is interested in dance.

“Strange as it may seem I don’t consider this a dance film but rather a film about what it means to be human, to have hopes and dreams, to struggle against all the external and internal forces that seek to crush the pure and the true.”

After Encounters, Little is looking forward to screening the documentary at DIFF. “We hope the experience will provide a few insights into how we can look to distribute the film locally as well as meet people who can help make our next film possible.

“Fokofpolisiekar was accepted at the International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam (IDFA) after it won at Encounters, so we hope to return to the Netherlands in November with this film and take it internationally from there.

“One thing we are committed to doing in partnership with Red Bull SA is to have local informal screenings in all the communities that the film was shot in.

This will probably take place in the summer of 2012.”

July 2012 | SCREENAFRICA | 19

Opportunity: Pre-arranged meetings between financiers and African fiction and documentary filmmakers in Durban FilmMart’s Finance Forum.

Includes a DOC Circle pitching forum.

Exposure: Directors, Producers, Financiers, Scriptwriters, Broadcasters and Distributors in one place for four days.

Development: Build your future with workshops, masterclasses and presentations by key agencies and organisations.

20th - 23rd July 2012

Durban FilmMart at the Durban Internat

ional Film Festival 20

For more information on DFM 2012 contact: Mona Pilane – DFM Project Manager

Tel: +27 31 311 4243 Direct: +27 31 311 4095 Fax: +27 31 311 4092 Email: durbanfilmmart@durban.gov.za Alt : durbanfilmmart@gmail.com www.durbanfilmmart.com Durban FilmMart is a joint programme of the Durban Film Office (DFO) and the Durban International Film Festival (DIFF).

12

PROGRAMME 20 - 23 July 2012

FRIDAY 20 JULY

SATURDAY 21 JULY

08h00 - 09h00

08h00 - 09h00

Registration: Durban FilmMart

Registration: Durban FilmMart

09h30 - 10h15

09h00 - 11h00

How to Work the DFM and Make the DFM Work for You

Getting to Green Light with Independent Producing

10h30 - 12h30

11h15 - 12h30

Working between Africa and Europe: Co-production and Finance with EAVE’s Roshanak Nedjad

NFVF Engagement with Industry

12h30 - 13h30 DFM Lunch

12h30 - 13h30 DFM Lunch

14h00 - 15h30

14h00 - 15h30

Africa In Focus: The Digital Media Frontier: Straight Talk on Defining the Digital Media Opportunities in Africa

Africa In Focus: Finding the Right Fund for Your Film: Meet the Funders.

15h45 - 17h00

15h45 - 17h00

15h45 - 17h00

Africa In Focus:

Africa In Focus:

The Inside Story of International Co-Producing in Africa

Transmedia Tales with the Documentary Filmmakers Association Case Studies

Talent Campus Durban Masterclass with Tom Tykwer

Sunday 22 July 09h30 - 17h00 DOC CIRCLE PITCHING FORUM

SUNDAY 22 JULY

MONDAY 23 JULY

08h00 - 09h00

08h00 - 09h00

Registration: Durban FilmMart

Registration: Durban FilmMart

09h00 - 11h00

09h00 - 11h00

Developing African Stories for Global Markets with EAVE’s Jacques Akchoti

Launch of KZN Film Commission: Hosted by KZN Department of Economic Development and Tourism

11h15 - 12h30

11h15 - 12h30

11h15 - 12h30

Pre-visualisation to Virtual NFVF Sediba Masterclass on Production: Technologies SPARK Scriptwriters Training Revolutionising the Way Films get Made

NFVF In Conversation with...

Filmmakers on International Platforms

12h30 - 13h30 DFM Lunch

12h30 - 13h30 DFM Lunch

14h00 - 15:30

14h00 - 15h30

14h00 - 15:30

14h00 - 15:30

The Art of the 3rd Dimension: Utilising 3D Technologies to Tell a More Emotive Story

Africa In Focus: Taking it to the Next Level Global Training Initiatives

Africa In Focus: Request For Proposals

Africa in Focus: Meet the Filmmakers

15h45 - 17h00

15h30 - 17h00

Africa in Focus:

Africa in Focus:

Going Global with Your Film - The Importance of Film Critics

Been There, Done That: Real World Distribution Case Studies

INDUSTRY |

Director Speak Krijay Govender South African director, scriptwriter, actress, stand-up comic and former Miss India South Africa Krijay Govender holds a Master of Arts (Drama & Performance studies) degree from the University of Natal. As an actress she is known for roles in South African soapies Isidingo and Generations and drama series Zero Tolerance.

She has worked as multi-cam director on Isidingo (2004 to 2007), City Ses’la (2010) and Rhythm City (2008 to 2011) and is currently part of the South African Film and Television Award (SAFTA) winning directing team for M-Net outdoor soap The Wild.

HOW DOES ONE GO FROM BEAUTY QUEEN TO STAND-UP COMIC TO ACTRESS TO TV DIRECTOR?

IF YOUR LIFE HAD A SOUNDTRACK WHICH SONGS WOULD IT FEATURE?

WHO’S YOUR FAVOURITE LOCAL STAND-UP COMIC?

Too Late to Apologise – OneRepublic.

That’s like asking me who’s my favourite child? I mean, I know who it is… but I can never say it out loud.

Evolution.

HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOURSELF IN THREE WORDS?

World class juggler.

WHAT COMPLETELY INSPIRES YOU?

Talented people – beyond just our industry!

HOW DO YOU WHILE AWAY THE TIME DURING THE VERY LONG DAILY COMMUTE TO AND FROM THE WILD’S LOCATION?

Mornings are great, the early-fresh air, no traffic and Classic FM which makes for great thinking space.

Evenings are driven by thought of food and bed.

WHAT IS THE WILDEST THING THAT’S EVER HAPPENED ON THE SET OF THE WILD?

You mean other than the snakes, hectic weather, rough roads, wild animals, wind storms, isolation, tight schedule, heavy equipment and the job itself? Every now and then a local Heidelberger visits… and that’s always fun (especially the conversation).

IF YOU WERE TO CAST A WILD ANIMAL IN THE WILD, WHAT WOULD IT BE?

John Vlismas.

WHAT’S YOUR FAVOURITE COMFORT FOOD?

Potatoes in the form of chips.

22 | SCREENAFRICA | July 2012

IF YOU HAD TO BE STRANDED ON AN ISLAND WITH FIVE TV CHARACTERS (LOCAL OR INTERNATIONAL), WHO WOULD THEY BE?

Kim, Khloe, Kourtney and any two other Kardashians. I will be doing the world and the TV industry a big favour, though I do believe conservationists will be angered that I am dumping trash on an island.

WHAT ARE THE CHALLENGES OF DIRECTING TV DRAMA?

The challenges are actually what make the job exciting. Orchestrating and manipulating / getting a performance out of an actor / inspiring a crew / fixing a weak scene / shooting economically but making it look like a million dollars… and dieting in the presence of daily lunch pudding!

HOW DO YOU HANDLE STRESS ON SET?

I don’t stress on set. I am of the firm belief that if a director stresses the wheels come off fast and furiously. The director’s energy sets the tone for the day.

WHO IN THE LOCAL INDUSTRY WOULD YOU LIKE TO WORK WITH?

I love intuitive actors who can think… these are the few who can step out of their character to analyse and deconstruct but who effortlessly and instinctively step right back in when action is called. I often get so involved in watching these sorts of performers that I forget to call cut.

Leeanda Reddy, Milan Murray, Michael Gritten, Linda Sokhulu and Susan Monteregge are among this lot who I would love to work with on film.

WHAT IS YOU DREAM JOB?

To work for The Berg! (Spielberg).

W W W . D U R B A N F I L M F E S T. C O . Z A

From 19 to 29 July film lovers in and around Durban will be exposed to a mind-boggling array of art house films, thought-provoking documentaries and intriguing short films sourced from all over the world.

Calling all cinep hile s!

N

ot only is the 33rd Durban International Film Festival (DIFF) the largest and oldest festival in South Africa, it also caters for the business side of the industry through the Durban FilmMart Co-Production and Finance Market – a joint initiative with the Durban Film Office (DFO).

Another DIFF initiative, Talent Campus Durban, enables selected emerging filmmakers from all over Africa to participate in an intensive programme of master classes and workshops.

With support from National Lottery Distribution Trust Fund (principal funder), National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF), KwaZulu-Natal Department of Economic Development and Tourism and others, DIFF 2012 will present over 290 screenings of 175 films, from 56 countries, at venues across Durban. In among high profile international films such as the Cannes Film Festival Palme d’Or winner, Michael Haneke’s Love (Amour), are 16 South African feature films.

Says DIFF director Peter Rorvik: “First and foremost DIFF has always been a platform for South African productions so I’m delighted that we have a record number of 16 local feature films. There are also 19 local documentaries as well 27 short films and four South African films in the Wavescape section. Consequently, we are able to launch a number of new South African films on each day of the festival.

“DIFF opens with Ntshaveni wa Luruli’s Elelwani, a beautiful story set in Venda and that addresses the convergence of modernity and traditional culture. One of the national mandates is to promote indigenous languages and Elelwani is the first ever film to be shot in the Tsivenda language. Our closing night film is Wayne Thornley of Triggerfish Animation’s long awaited Adventures in Zambezia, which will screen in 3D. “Other exciting South African feature titles include Barry Berk’s psychological thriller Sleeper’s Wake, Richard Pakleppa’s Taste of Rain, set in drought-ridden Namibia, and Harry Patramanis’ Fynbos, a drama set, yes, in the Western Cape fynbos.

“Adze Ugah’s Gog’ Helen features many popular television stars, as does Faith Isiakpere’s Cry of Love and Akin

The core team of the DIFF

Omotoso’s Man on Ground. Vickus Strijdom’s Zama Zama has Presley Chweneyagae in the lead role, while the long awaited Blitz Patrollie by Andrew Wessels includes leading South African comedians, as does Oliver Rodger’s Copposites. There is also Rolie Nikiwe’s Inside Story, Ngwane Ndaba;s UhlangaThe Mark, the rhino-poaching saga Snare

by Diony Kempen, while on the darker side, Michael Rix has directed a harrowing film called Accession, and Philip Roberts launches his slasher thriller One Last Look.”

Africa calling From further afield is the world premiere of Kenyan production Nairobi Half Life, directed by Tosh Gitonga and executive produced by German filmmaker Tom Tykwer.

Fresh from Cannes acclaim is La Pirogue, the French-Senegalese by Moussa Touré.

Other African gems include the FrenchSenegalese film Tey, directed by Alain Gomis and starring renowned poet Saul Williams, Grey Matter by Kivu Ruhorahoza of Rwanda and the Egyptian film Asmaa, directed by Amr Salma.

International fare A key focus area of DIFF 2012 is contemporary European cinema. Rorvik explains: “Since the earliest days of cinema Europe has produced some of the most influential films and filmmakers in the world. In particular we are focusing on the rich reservoir of France as part of the France South Africa Season 2012 & 2013.”

Legendary French actress Isabelle Huppert stars in three films at DIFF 2012 – Cannes-winner Love (Amour); My Worst Nightmare; and Captive, the last directed by previous DIFF Best Film winner

Brillante Mendoza (Foster Child). Other French films include Luc Besson’s potrayal of Aung san Suu Kyi in The Lady, Damien Odoul’s The Rest of the World, Pierre Pinaud’s On Air, Leila Lilani’s On the Edge and others.

Other international titles include The Dardenne Brothers’ The Kid with the Bike, Turkish film One Upon A Time In Anatolia

by Nuri Bilge Ceylan – both winners of the Cannes Grand Jury Prize in 2011, Alexander Soukarov’s Faust, and 360 by Fernando Mereilles. There are also five films from Japan on the programme.

On the factual trail DIFF assistant manager Monica Rorvik reports a rich crop of South African documentaries. “World premieres of local documentaries include Legends of the Casbah: Indian Rebels of the 1950s, a walk-through the history of Durban gangland heroes, educationists, rebels, female doctors, soccer and cricket heroes; John Barker’s Cassette: Who Do You Trust; two productions from NHU Africa – All the President’s Elephants by Richard Slater Jones and the Foster Brothers’ The Dragon’s Feast 3D; and Bigger Than Life directed by Delphine de Blic.”

Films such as Healers, Umbilical Cords, Me, You, Mankosi and Meanwhile in Mamelodi all add to the debates and reflection on identity and challenges in South Africa, while Gangster Project by Teboho Edkins flirts, often dangerously, between fact and fiction.

Noteworthy international documentaries include the IDFA Green Screen winner Bitter Seeds, Call Me Kuchu (Audience Award winner at Hot Docs), two films from Morgan Spurlock, and a definitive documentary on Woody Allen.

Films reflecting on the Palestinian

situation include Roadmap to Apartheid and the multi award-winning 5 Broken Cameras. Jafar Panahi’s This Is Not a Film was shot during his house arrest in Iran; Whore’s Glory from Austria’s Michael Glawogger focuses on the sex trade with the same relentless lens that won Glawogger’s Working Man’s Death Best Documentary Award at DIFF 2005, while Russian director Victor Kozakosky’s conceptual Vivan las Antipodas is documentary art at its most exquisite There are eight films that deal with music: Cassette: Who do you Trust?; Rockstardom; The African Cypher; United States of Africa: Beyond Hip-hop; Neil Young Journeys; Searching for Sugarman; Beware of Mr Baker; and Marley.

Surfing the wave Hugely popular, the Wavescape Surf Film Festival is once again a key component of DIFF. This year’s repertoire has extended to include the snowboarding boundarypusher The Art of Flight. South African films include The Africa Project; and Surfing and Sharks.

Wavescape commences with an open air screening at the Bay of Plenty Lawns.

Additional events at the WaveHouse at Gateway include flow rider demos, live music, screenings and a talk by wave and weather expert Steve Pike, who is curator of Wavescape.

The network In addition to the screenings, festival director Peter Rorvik reminds us that: “The DIFF, Durban FilmMart and Talent Campus Durban programmes have become a key industry gathering point and an excellent networking opportunity between local and international filmmakers. Join us in Durban!” he says.

www.durbanfilmfest.co.za

A g l a nce at s ome of what t o e x p ec t at DIFF 2 0 1 2 ACCESSION Directed by Michael Rix South Africa South African director Michael Rix returns to DIFF with a remarkably sombre live action film. Chronicling the terrible lengths to which an HIV-positive man goes in order to try and cure himself.

Brave and brimming with purpose, Accession is a harrowing but vital addition to the South African film canon.

have had the misfortune of being stationed in an anonymous depot in the Johannesburg CBD. This hilarious comedy offers itself as a portrait of Jozi and its many contradictions.

ELELWANI (Opening film) Directed by Ntshavheni wa Luruli South Africa

ADVENTURES IN ZAMBEZIA

BEASTS OF THE SOUTHERN WILD Directed by Benh Zeitlin United States For 6-year-old Hushpuppy, who lives almost parentless in an isolated bayou community, the natural world is a fragile web of living things that depends on everything fitting perfectly, until a freak storm sees the natural order collapsing.

Universally engaging despite its idiosyncratic heart, this is a rare, revolutionary work. Winner of the Sundance Grand Jury Prize and the Fipresci Award at Cannes.

BLITZ PATROLLIE Directed by Andrew Wessels South Africa

Elelwani is a young university-educated woman who has been brought up in an environment steeped in tradition. In this world, Elelwani must abandon her dreams of travel, further education and – most importantly – her commitment to her one true love. This thought-provoking film comes from acclaimed filmmaker Ntshavheni waLuruli, whose film, The Wooden Camera, has won awards at both DIFF and the Berlinale.

Directed by Aki Kaurismäki Finland This latest film from absurdist Finn, Aki Kaurismäki, centres on a former author who has retreated into exile in the harbour city of Le Havre and become a shoemaker. He lives a small but happy life, until an underage African refugee interrupts his cozy existence. The understated, accessible and gorgeous film is a delightful introduction to Kaurismäki’s work.

NAIROBI HALF LIFE Directed by Tosh Gitonga Kenya, Germany

town, John encounters Roelf and his family, including Jackie, his provocative 17-year-old daughter, with whom John ends up entwined in a dangerous relationship.

TABU Directed by Miguel Gomes Portugal, Germany, Brazil, France

Directed by Adze Ugah South Africa Gog’ Helen lives a forgotten life in a South African shackland. When her granddaughter buys her a new mattress, she throws away the old one without Gogo’s knowledge. But her granddaughter, Agnes doesn’t know that her she keeps her money inside the mattress, and the two go an unlikely adventure, discovering what’s most important in life along the way.

GOODBYE (BE OMID E DIDAR) Directed by Mohammad Rasoulof Iran This is the latest film from the director of Iron Island and The White Meadows (Best Feature at DIFF 2010). When Noura discovers that she is pregnant, and has no one to support her, and considers terminating it as part of a scheme to leave Iran. Goodbye won Best Director honours in the Un Certain Regard section at Cannes last year.

Directed by Kivu Ruhorahoza Rwanda Balthazar is a young African filmmaker on the verge of directing his first film, a story about a woman who survives unspeakable war crimes, only to end up in the same mental institution as a man driven insane by the atrocities he committed during the war. As he imagines his movie, reality begins to blur with scenes from his script.

The temperamental elderly Aurora lives in an imposing Lisbon tower block with her Cape Verdean maid, Santa, and a compassionate Catholic woman named Miss Pilar. When Aurora falls ill, the two women learn of an intriguing episode from her past involving love and crime in colonial Africa – and Miss Pilar is tasked with finding Aurora’s long lost companion.

TASTE OF RAIN

GOG HELEN

GREY MATTER (MATIÈRE GRISE)

Blitz Patrollie is a buddy cop comedy set in Johannesburg. The film chronicles the adventures of two police officers who

Directed by Moussa Touré France, Senegal A fisherman is forced by economic and moral pressures to captain a refugee boat for a people-smuggling operation. Having been offered the job of leading one of the many fishing pirogues heading towards Europe via the Canary Islands, he accepts, knowing full-well the dangers that lie ahead. A colourful and compelling drama that gives humanity this political issue.

LE HAVRE

(Closing film) Directed by Wayne Thornley South Africa

This beautiful first 3D animated film from Cape Town’s Triggerfish Animation Studios tells the story of a high-spirited young falcon who lives in a lonely outpost with his strict father. He leaves to discover Zambezia, a rumoured city of birds, where he learns about his true origins and discovers the value of community.

THE PIROGUE (LA PIROGUE)

Mwas is a young man from rural Kenya who dreams of becoming an actor. He leaves for the bright lights of Nairobi but is soon liberated of all his belongings.

Finding himself alone in an unknown city, Mwas befriends a small-time gang leader and is drawn into a world of crime, but continues with his dream of acting.

A SIMPLE LIFE Directed by Ann Hui Hong Kong SAR China This is the deceptively simple story of Ah Tao, who has been working for the Leung family for six decades, when she has a stroke and decides and has to retire. As Roger, the last family member in Hong Kong, starts to pay attention to the needs of his former housekeeper, he comes to realise her value.

SLEEPERS WAKE Directed by Barry Berk South Africa Sleeper’s Wake is a riveting slice of psychological film noir. The film follows John, who has recently lost his family in a car accident after falling asleep at the wheel. Taking refuge in a small coastal

Directed by Richard Pakleppa South Africa, Namibia, Germany A tense, dark journey, this is the story of Rachel and Tomas whose Namibian farm life has become difficult and depressing after years of drought. After Tomas leaves for a few weeks, Ray arrives, courtesy of the government’s drought relief programme. Ray and Rachel fall in love but their relationship is doomed by ghosts of the past.

TRISHNA Directed by Michael Winterbottom United Kingdom A relocation of Thomas Hardy’s Tess of the D’Urbervilles to contemporary Rajasthan, Trishna chronicles the tragic relationship between the son of a property developer and the daughter of a rickshaw owner. When Trishna meets Jay, a wealthy British businessman, he is immediately smitten by her. But their relationship becomes poisoned by issues of class, privilege and inequality.

TYRANNASOUR Director Paddy Considine United Kingdom When Joseph, an alcoholic widower incapacitated by his own internal rage meets Hannah, a respectable Christian woman, it seems as if his guardian angel has suddenly appeared. At first, Joseph is contemptuous of Hannah’s religious conviction and general kindness, but gradually develops a grudging admiration for her. Tyrannosaur won the 2011 Sundance Special Jury Prize.

A ta s t e o f t he Do cu me n ta r ie s at D IFF 5 BROKEN CAMERAS Directed by Emad Burnat, Guy Davidi Palstinian territories, France, Israel, The Netherlands The personal and the political are inseparable in this simultaneously brutal and painfully intimate story of a man with an unfailing commitment to documentary filmmaking. This is an incredibly powerful story of the tenacity and humanity of a Palestinian community in the face of violence and oppression.

transform the agricultural industry, farmers are discovering that not all that glitters is gold. Green Screen winner at IDFA, this balanced film relates grassroots experiences to a global context.

CASSETTE: WHO DO YOU TRUST? Directed by John Barker South Africa

BEWARE OF MR BAKER Directed by Jay Bulger United States A biopic on the notorious and talented Ginger Baker, drummer for rock giants Cream, and Afrobeat pioneer Fela Kuti. It gives fresh insight into the life and career of the calloused persona who is a magnetic and rogue-like genius.

BITTER SEEDS Directed by Micha X. Peled United States, India Every thirty minutes, a farmer kills himself in India. Although multinational corporations assure the global community that GM technology will positively

Directed by Jafar Panahi, Mojtaba Mirtahmasb Iran This Is Not a Film takes censorship and turns it into art. Jafar Panahi was banned from making films for 20 years, and spent six years in prison, after criticising the Iranian president. This defiant work is testament to an unshakable creative spirit.

LEGENDS OF THE CASBAH: INDIAN REBELS OF THE 1950s

UNITED STATES OF AFRICA – BEYOND HIP HOP Directed by Yanick Létourneau Canada

PLANET OF SNAIL “We’re literally either gonna be the biggest f#&$ing band in the world, or we’re gonna crash and burn in a ball of flames,” says Jon Savage, frontman of South African band Cassette. The film tries to discover what it takes for a local band to transcend the domestic market and make it big internationally.

Directed by Seung-Jun Yi South Korea This entrancing film that won Best Feature-Length Documentary at IDFA last year, details the life of the blind and deaf Young-Chan. Locked inside his own body, his sense of beauty remained in the world beneath his fingertips. This is a truly astonishing film about a couple for whom ordinary tasks are magnificent feats.

THE EDUCATION OF AUMA OBAMA

ROADMAP TO APARTHEID

Directed by Branwen Okpako Germany, Kenya A compelling portrait of the half-sister of Barack Obama, a notable and admirable figure in her own right, and an intimate sketch of a family in whose bloodline sharp wit, ambition, and a passion for social justice run strong, this film looks at issues of feminism, postcolonial identity, affiliation and belonging.

Directed by Eron Davidson, Ana Nogueira United States, South Africa, Israel This film explores the oft-made comparison between Apartheid South Africa and Israel-Palestine today, interrogating the analogy, teasing out its complexity, and explaining its use in describing the conflict in the area. The film also puts forward a story of hope for a way forward.

Directed by Michael Glawogger Austria, Germany From the director of A Working Man’s Death, comes a hard-hitting piece that adds sex to the labour-capital dialectic.

This haunting triptych explores prostitution by infiltrating brothels in Thailand, Bangladesh and Mexico. With a startling level of access to the people who compose it, this searing film gets into the industry without being salacious.

(a co-operation with Talent Campus Berlin) applicants. “We received over 250 applications from emerging African filmmakers and have selected 50 talents from 18 countries around the continent.

Through the Doc Station three selected Talents will receive mentoring and then pitch their projects in the DFM DOC Circle.

“Talent Press is a brand new project where young film critics in Talent Campus Durban receive mentoring by various established film critics – the Talent Press project is done in collaboration with the International Federation of Film Critics (FIRPRESCI) and the Goethe Institut,” says Rorvik.

Famed German filmmaker Tom Tykwer (Run Lola Run, The International, Perfume, Soul Boy) will present a Talent Campus master class.

The third tier of workshop activity is open to Durban FilmMart delegates.

These master classes and seminars are held with leading experts in the areas of finance, marketing, distribution, project packaging, co-production and new media.

DIFF’s involvement in the France South

Africa 2012 & 2013 Season has resulted in a number of special projects: Through DIFF’s sister–city festival, the Festival of 3 Continents in Nantes, France, the Produire Au Sud (PAS) Co-production Market will run a workshop on feature film scripts for six participants from the Talent Campus programme.

Canal France International (CFI) will award a one-year licensing deal to one of the DFM documentary projects while Arte France will award a cash prize of €6 000 to a DFM fiction project. CFI will host its annual conference with English-speaking African broadcasters (12 in total) during DIFF. The CNC and the NFVF have entered into a collaboration within the framework of the South Africa-France Audio-Visual Coproduction Treaty. In this joint initiative, the director and producer of two French audio-visual projects, in search of South African partners, will be invited to meet with South African producers at the Durban FilmMart, with the aim of initiating new partnerships.

T he o t her s ide of DIFF A key component of the Durban International Film Festival (DIFF) is its extensive programme of seminars, workshops, panel discussions and master classes which are meticulously designed to grow and develop the South African industry.

As DIFF assistant manager Monica Rorvik explains, there are three forms of workshop activities. “The first are the free and open Africa in Focus sessions, covering elements such as industry development, funding, editing, scriptwriting, co-production and film criticism. The National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF) will present a number of ‘In Conversation with…’ sessions with various filmmakers and industry experts. There are panel discussions on cutting edge New Media and calls for proposals from a range of film funds and African initiatives.

“Both the Documentary Filmmakers Association (DFA) and the South African

THIS IS NOT A FILM

Directed by Teboho Edkins Germany, South Africa A young white filmmaker who self consciously epitomizes the Capetonian bourgeoisie leaves the comfort of the suburbs in search of “real” gangsters, finding himself in the heart of a world of fast-paced criminality where he has to work hard to keep his head above water.

Directed by Riason Naidoo, Damon Heatlie South Africa An in-depth cross section of a uniquely spirited South African Indian community.

It visits iconic Durban spaces in the legendary “Casbah” area, painting a picture of a diverse community, of politicians, gangsters and sportsmen.

THE AMBASSADOR Directed by Mads Brügger Denmark In what’s being called the “greatest documentary stunt ever”, director Mads Brügger takes a trip to the Central African Republic, posing as a benevolent, enigmatic diplomat; with comic deceptiveness along the lines of a darker Sacha Baron Cohen.

GANGSTER PROJECT

Guild of Editors (SAGE) will hold workshops. A scriptwriting course will be hosted by the Writers’ Guild of South Africa (WGSA) and Mtutuzeli Matshoba will do workshops on indigenous script writing. An acting workshop will be presented by popular actresses Hlubi Mboya (Isidingo) and Florence Masebe (Elelwani).”

Rorvik continues: “There will be more funders than ever before on the DIFF funders’ panel discussion. A lot of funds have changed their remit and need to advertise these changes to the industry.

We have attracted quite a few more funds who would like to connect to the African industry, including World Cinema Support, World View and funding initiatives such as the Hot Docs Blue Ice Fund Grant who are bringing six projects and their mentor/broadcasters to DIFF/ DFM. The second form of workshop activity is open to the 5th Talent Campus Durban

Contact: Tel +27 (0) 31 260 2506 / 1816 Website: www.durbanfilmfest.co.za

As hip hop’s revolutionary edge is blunted by materialism in mainstream American music, the genre’s power to inspire change is blossoming in Africa. Engaging a variety of issues, hip hop musician Didier Awadi gives an optimistic account of a new African generation that refuses to surrender control of their destiny.

WHORE’S GLORY

Twitter: @DIFFest

The IDC Media and Motion Pictures unit provides development

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acclaimed Hotel Rwanda and the Academy Award-winning

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The unit focuses mainly on projects to enhance the value chain

If you have the true entrepreneurial spirit and a project that can

and the development of locally-produced television shows,

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Telephone: 086 069 3888 Email: callcentre@idc.co.za To apply for funding online visit www.idc.co.za

BROADCAST |

T

he BBC’s broadcast of the 1948 London Olympics was quite an achievement, especially considering that its service had only relatively recently been reactivated after World War II. Because accommodation was scarce due to wartime bombs, male athletes were billeted in private homes and at former military camps, while women athletes were housed in nursing and college dorms. Bed linen and blankets were provided, but athletes had to bring their own towels and had to provide their own food.

Despite the hardships, the 1948 Games were extremely well supported with about 6 000 athletes representing 61 nations. This was the first time that the Olympics were shown on home television, with an official audience of just 500 000 within the British Isles.

The BBC used the old Palace of Arts, built for the British Empire Exhibition of 1924, as its broadcasting centre. It had eight radio studios, 32 audio channels with 15 commentary boxes plus 16 commentary posts at the Empire Pool (now Wembley Arena), where the swimming and boxing events were held.

For television broadcasting a coaxial cable was installed between the Empire Pool and Broadcasting House.

Among the technological innovations used by the BBC for televising the Games were the all new CPS (Cathode Potential Stabilisation) Emitron cameras, which delivered a clearer image than previous CRT (Cathode Ray Tube) based video cameras. The Games also saw the first use of a mobile television control room for covering events at the Empire Pool.

One of the significant developments for the 1948 event was the introduction of an outside broadcast (OB) truck that allowed the crew to sit down while

28 | SCREENAFRICA | July 2012

A gold medalworking outdoors for the first time in television history! Inside the Empire Stadium a TV producer and his assistant kept an eye on three monitors. From here, they could control the changeovers from one camera to another via a telephone link to the scanner van at the stadium.

2012 scenario Today, 64 years later, the BBC has been appointed by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) as the host nation broadcaster. The IOC is the owner of the global broadcast rights for the Olympic Games – including broadcasts on television, radio, mobile and Internet platforms – and is responsible for allocating Olympic broadcast rights to media companies throughout the world through the negotiation of rights agreements.

Olympic Broadcasting Services (OBS) is responsible for providing the international television and radio signals from the Games to all rights-holding broadcasters around the world. The IOC established OBS in 2001 to serve as the permanent host broadcaster for the Olympic Games, eliminating the need to continually rebuild the broadcast operation for each edition of the Games.

OBS ensures that the high standards of Olympic broadcasting are consistently maintained reach time.

Panasonic, a top-tier worldwide partner of the IOC, will provide on-site production services including equipment and a technical support team for the pools of broadcasters to utilise during the London Games.

Photo courtesy NHK Japan

By Ian Dormer

Photo courtesy London 2012

At this year’s London Olympics Games, which take place from 27 July to 12 August, about 2 500 hours of coverage will be transmitted via the BBC’s broadcast channels, supplemented with up to 24 live streams on broadband, in high definition (HD), 3D and Super Hi-Vision. This is a far cry from the 1948 London Olympics, when the BBC provided 60 hours of coverage.

GEARED UP FOR OLYMPICS – NHK crew with state of the art camera kit

A host of firsts Over the years, the Olympics has been a breeding ground for new broadcast technologies – including the first HD captures in Los Angeles in 1984 and 3D in Barcelona in 1992. This year the entire workflow is tapeless, 52 HD OB vans will be deployed with over 1 000 cameras and 40 High Super Slow Motion units, to produce over 5 600 hours of coverage.

The BBC has teamed up with Japan’s public service broadcaster NHK to provide Super Hi-Vision coverage of the Olympics on three specialist 600 inch screens during the 17-day Games, located in London, Bradford and Glasgow. The broadcast will not be beamed to homes as there are no TV sets in the UK that can support the 4320x7680 pixel signal, as current ‘full HD’ sets only display 1080 x 1920 pixels.

Transmission will run at 60fps (frames per second), but Super HiVision can operate at up to 120fps.

Ultimately, the BBC believes that Super Hi-Vision could be a ‘better long-term prospect’ than 3D, but that would depend on bringing down the current massive costs of producing sets that can handle the signal, along with the heavy bandwidth requirements of broadcasts.

NHK expects to offer Super Hi-Vision to homes in Japan by 2022.

Third dimension While 3D has been an offering since Barcelona, the London 2012 Games

will be the first Olympics to be broadcast live in 3D. Head of BBC 3D Kim Shillinglaw, says: “We have always said we believe some of 2012 should be captured in 3D, and we’re delighted to confirm our offer to audiences in the UK, providing them with a new way of getting close to some of the key moments from the 2012 Games.”

All of the BBC’s free-to-air 3D output will be broadcast via its HD channel and will include the opening ceremony, closing ceremony, the men’s 100m final, and a highlights package at the end of each day.

Eurosport are taking 3D one step further. The pan-European broadcaster will showcase all of its 3D coverage on the Sky 3D channel, the UK’s only dedicated 3D TV channel which is already enjoyed by more than 250 000 Sky viewers as well as thousands of pubs nationwide.

For the duration of the Games, Sky will make its 3D channel free-to-view for all Sky+HD customers, to ensure that more than four million homes will have the opportunity to experience Eurosport’s extensive 3D coverage. This will be the first summer Olympic Games to have extensive 3D coverage freely available to a mass audience in the UK. Eurosport will provide around eight hours of live 3D action every day during the Games, alongside four additional hours of the day’s main highlights, providing the most comprehensive 3D coverage of the Games on British television as well as feeds to the US and

| BROADCAST

Photo courtesy Panasonic

-winning broadcast

MORE DIMENSIONS – A Panasonic 3D camera to capture live 3D broadcasts

Bandwidth demands With 107 ‘technology-supported venues’ (combining competition and noncompetition locations), the 2012 Olympic Games has been dubbed the world’s largest sporting event. Project planning for IT requirements began way back at the end of 2008. In this, the digital age, bandwidth demand will be massive.

Anticipating high demand of mobile services, Ofcom, the UKs independent communications regulator, announced that it will borrow wireless spectrum

End of the race There is a huge amount of planning to handle an event like the Olympic Games, which will be over no sooner than they have begun, but the experience for all

those involved will leave a legacy for the future.

BBC director of London 2012 Roger Mosey and colleague Dave Gordon both agree that the experience of London 2012 will create a better understanding of the streaming technology.

“These digital Olympics will enable us to meet the 21st century need for consumer choice. All the various platforms provide that opportunity and London 2012 will be a milestone in that development,” states Gordon.

But beyond technology, Mosey also sees the personal development of work skills as a legacy. “The Olympics require a high level of manpower and to help handle that we have run two rounds of our apprenticeship schemes and several work experience periods.

“We now have a very sound base of technical operators and this training will provide an ongoing benefit for the industry as a whole. All in all, this really is going to be a very positive and exciting year for the BBC,” concludes Mosey.

This year’s London Olympic Games will be the BBC’s largest single broadcasting operation in its history, with daily coverage spanning across 16 hours, starting with Olympic Breakfast at 6am and the broadcast ending at midnight.

It is staggering to think that the 1948 games were organised in less than two years and with a budget of £730 000.

By contrast, the 2012 Games broadcast operation is expected to cost £7.267bn.

Photo courtesy London 2012

rights-holding broadcasters in Australia, China, France, Italy, Hungary, Korea and New Zealand.

Says Takumi Kajisha, Panasonic’s corporate communications managing director: “There is no doubt that the Games provide the best ever content for the 3D market and 3D will drastically change the way we enjoy them in our living rooms. We believe that our partnership will provide a true end-toend solution for the success of the first 3D live Olympic Games and a great new era for Olympic broadcasting.”

from other public agencies in the summer, including the Ministry of Defence. Ofcom will use about 20 000 wireless frequencies during the Games, and will take advantage of frequencies that were freed up after the UK’s switchover to digital broadcasting earlier this year, for cell phone communication.

The agency will also use frequencies slated for an auction of the 4G spectrum that won’t be used for the Olympics. This spectrum will not be licensed.

The UK’s airwaves are already among the most intensively used in the world.

Not only will the Games bring athletes and media but also the need for masses of wireless communication along with them, including wireless cameras, microphones and walkie-talkie systems, not to mention the mobile devices fans and journalists will no doubt bring.

Indeed the whole of Europe identifies the need to combat possible Internet slow-downs and blackouts. The British Cabinet has already warned businesses that the country might not be able to meet their Internet needs during the Games and Internet providers may be forced to ration access to the web during certain times of day, and service may fall out altogether at other times.

July 2012 | SCREENAFRICA | 29

TELEVISION |

Sketch comedy Report by Linda Loubser

with local flavour

A new local sketch comedy show commissioned and funded by public broadcaster SABC is hoping to break the mould of South African comedy.

PLAYING WITH COMEDY – The cast from Sketch U Later

S

ketch U Later, which airs on SABC3 in the Thursday 6.30pm time slot, is an edgy, six-episode sketch comedy show produced by Clive Morris Productions and directed by Genna Lewis and Gilli Apter.

The series draws inspiration from similar shows from around the world such as Monty Python, Little Britain and Catherine Tate.

Lewis explains that she and co-head writer Meren Reddy worked together on SABC1 sitcom City Ses’la. Last year SABC3 put out a brief for new local comedy.

“We got together, pooled ideas, pitched it to the SABC and here we are,” says Lewis.

She notes that they ‘cast the net wide’ with comprehensive auditions to find the right cast. “We were really surprised and pleased with the results. We found a group of actors who like to play, which, in comedy, is fantastic.”

The cast includes Reddy, Kaseran Pillay, Michelle Ayden, Thomas Gumede, Noluthando (Nolly) Meje, Terri Ann Eckstein, Jo Galloway, Danilo Antonelli and Bruce Little. Some of the characters that feature in recurring sketches include The Real Housewives of Eldorado Park, PC (politically correct) Woman, Bitter Expats and Public Service Lady.

30 | SCREENAFRICA | July 2012

Mythical characters According to Lewis, her favourite characters are the Indian Builders, played by Reddy and Pillay. “They are two bickering builders who get calls from mythical characters or superheroes to do renovations – like renovating the bat-cave for Batman. They are extremely obnoxious and rude, but they always get the job done with extras added in at no additional charge,” explains Lewis.

She adds that comedy is difficult to write because every person has a different idea of what is funny. “But it’s a good indication when you see how excited your team is about a project.

When you’re on set watching something on the monitor and you look up to see your camera guys are trying hard not to laugh, that says something, and it has certainly been the case on our shoot so far.”

Ntokozo Mbuli, a member of the writing team, adds that the challenge was to take the concept of sketch comedy and make it appealing to a local audience. “We had to bear in mind how varied audiences in South Africa are, culturally and language wise and it also had to appeal specifically to SABC3’s audience.”

According to executive producer Clive Morris, the SABC3 audience finds comedy more in wording than in the action. “There is comedy in action as well, of course. But it’s not just The Three

Stooges where a pie in the face is funny; it’s more about what you say before and after you put the pie in the face.”

Pushing boundaries Morris notes that sketch comedy has the added challenge of not having 24 minutes a week to build character — as in sitcoms. “The challenge is to make each character burn in the viewers’ mind, without necessarily having enough time to build them up.

They need to be instantly recognisable.”

Lewis says she hopes the series pushes boundaries. “We need to learn to laugh at ourselves more. That’s something that the UK, US and Australia do very well – taking the mickey out of themselves and really looking at the idiosyncrasies and what’s funny in their culture. We’re still getting to that point.

I think we’re ready for it and it’s quite exciting to see how the show will be received.”

Morris notes that they want to break the mould of South African comedy. “It has generally been pretty conservative and safe, and this is not conservative.

Well done to the SABC for being prepared to take a risk on a show that’s definitely going to get some flack. We bash everyone – Afrikaners, Jews, various church groups – we even bash the SABC,” says Morris.

Sketch U Later was shot in studio and on a variety of Johannesburg locations

including Delta Park, the Randburg Medi Clinic, Linden police station and office parks. “The Indian builders were shot on green screen at the Clive Morris studio. Our graphics person Letitia Lerm created a really fun 3D environment for the beginning of the sketch – they always start on a scaffold high up on the side of a building,” explains Lewis.

She notes that they started shooting in June, alternating two weeks of shooting with two weeks of pre- and postproduction. “I hop between being in pre-production, on set and in postproduction. We edit as we go along at in-house facility The Digital Cut, so it’s all happening at the same time. It gives us a chance to see what we’ve got, what’s working and what might not be working which – for comedy – is invaluable.”

According to director of photography (DOP) Daniel Black they shot on Sony Z1s. “We felt that we could shoot a superior quality to what the SABC was expecting us to deliver, which allowed us more creativity for the edit. Going back to the tape format meant we could save on space and edit time, as well as archiving.

As we needed three cameras most of the time, budget played a big role, but they’re very reliable, easy to shoot cameras.”

They are hoping that, if the show is successful, they will get a second, longer season. Adds Lewis: “And if I hear a stranger quoting just one of the gag lines from one of the characters, it will make my millennium.”

| DOCUMENTARY

Inside the Gosa Gang – in 3D The daily life of a Kalahari meerkat clan is beng documented in 3D by South African production company WildEarth, which has developed a unique beamsplitter rig specifically for the purpose.

L

ed by the alpha-female Cleo and her mate Gandalf, the Gosa Gang in the Tswalu Kalahari Game Reserve ventures out each day from dusk to dawn to forage for food and keep watch for predators. Cleo’s sister Delilah is heavily pregnant and about to give birth…

Since WildEarth began filming Kalahari Meerkats 3D in March this year, one set of pups has been born and killed and the Gosa Gang has had to deal with a territorial take-over.

These are examples of the continuing wildlife soap opera that viewers can see in the 2D Making of Kalahari Meerkats 3D programme shown as part of WildEarth’s LIVE broadcast on www.wildearth.tv/ meerkats, www.tswalu.tv and www.ustream.tv/meerkats. It will soon be available at www.dailymotion.com and www.livestream.com.

The project came about as WildEarth needed a change after broadcasting its LIVE safari from the Djuma Game Reserve in the lowveld for five years continuously. The company had also shot the 3Dsafari series in Djuma.

WildEarth CEO Graham Wallington explains: “Specifically we wanted to tell a story that was more focused on a single family group. In addition the vast bulk of our audience is female and therefore more interested in mother-baby stories than in animals killing and maiming each other.”

Wallington and his wife Emily have known Gus van Dyk, the general manager of Tswalu Game Reserve, for years and were aware of their meerkat habituation programme.

“We instantly knew that these cute little fellas have what it takes to be 3D wildlife superstars,” says Wallington.

The Gosa Gang is one of the more habituated clans in the territory which has a small hill overlooking it – ideal for WildEarth’s LIVE signal repeater.

On meerkat watch Kalahari Meerkats 3D is currently positioned as a 3 x 30-minute part series but WildEarth plans to produce half-hour episodes of about one a month.

According to Wallington, Kalahari Meerkats 3D is quite similar to the famous Animal Planet series, Meerkat Manor, in

that it tells the story of a single gang of meerkats living in the Kalahari.

“However, our series differs because of the 3D aspect and because we shoot entirely from meerkat eye-level, without any zooming in at all. We spend the entire day with the meerkats when they are above ground, no matter where they go. Plus we will broadcast the making-of LIVE stream, which means that our viewers watch the story unfold and will likely experience nostalgia when they see the finished 3D series.”

AT MEERKAT LEVEL – Rob Bruyns shooting meerkats for Kalahari Meerkats 3D

The ‘Hero’ WildEarth’s 3D beamsplitter rig (where one camera is placed on top of another) consists of two new GoPro Hero2 cameras, which Wallington describes as ‘utterly amazing little cameras’.

He elaborates: “The camera crew shoots 25fps of 1920 x 1080 HD video, with an impressively high dynamic range.

Of course the standard GoPro lenses are just too wide and that barrel distortion would not be comfortable for a 30-minute

programme, so we changed the lenses accordingly.

“We specifically wanted a small lightweight beamsplitter rig that could be carried all day by a relay team of operators shooting continuously at meerkat eye-level. The only small camera with good enough specs is the GoPro Hero2 and so we worked with GoPro South Africa and a team of engineers and designers to build a beamsplitter rig to house two GoPros. To keep weight down the rig was ‘grown’ out of nylon. We believe it is currently the world’s lightest and smallest 3D beamsplitter rig – weighing in at less than 2kg.”

Initial 3D tests were done with the cameras in side-by-side rigs but this configuration did not enable the team to shoot the meerkats close enough without having an un-fuseable background when viewed in 3D, caused by the relatively high inter-ocular distance (the distance between the lenses of the two cameras) of 30mm.

“A beamsplitter configuration allows us to reduce our inter-ocular distance to

5mm which results in perfect 3D, even if the meerkat is 25cm in front of the camera,” comments Wallington.

Surround sound is recorded by a stereo X/Y microphone positioned above the beamsplitter.

The camera operator star of the show is Rob Bruyns, who plays a role in the series in that the story is told through his eyes.

Bruyns is supported by a team of four newcomer cameramen.

WildEarth’s ultimate objective is to film and broadcast LIVE a wild and natural meerkat birth in a sleeping chamber below the earth.

Social life Fans are constantly updated about the meerkat family dynamics on Facebook (www.facebook.com/Gosa.meerkat.gang) and Twitter (@WildEarth or www.twitter.com/wildearth).

“Within the first few days the broadcast was viewed over 70 000 times in the US alone and there is a growing group of Gosa Gang followers on Facebook,” notes Wallington.

Kalahari Meerkats 3D will only be licensed once complete but there is already commitment from 3flow, which is available in France, the Dominican Republic, New York, India and Chile as well as MTV in Hungary.

July 2012 | SCREENAFRICA | 31

CAMERAS |

The death of all things In a Screen Africa exclusive, veteran South African director of photography (DOP) KOOS ROETS writes about his camera adventures over the five decades of his illustrious career.

O

n 2 June this year it was exactly 50 years ago that I started working for Jamie Uys Films at the old Aasvoëlkop Studios, at the top of the Northcliff koppie. Elmo de Witt, then one of the new young lions in the industry, was shooting a road safety documentary for Sanlam and I convinced him that he could do a grand thing by employing me as an assistant-assistantassistant gaffer.

As a seasoned 8mm filmmaker I was absolutely awestruck when DOP Judex Viljoen opened a magical looking silver box and hauled out an Arriflex IV B camera. As destiny would have it, focus puller Manie Botha contracted tick-bite fever and on my first day on set I had to take over as camera assistant. Where the other assistant-assistant gaffers were at that stage I have long since forgotten. By the way, there is absolutely no truth in the malicious rumour that is still going around to this day that I planted that tick on Manie!

That was the day that changed my life as Judex decided to keep me as his focus puller and my love affair with the old Arri ‘coffee-grinder’ began.

Soon after that we started on a feature film directed by Emil Nofal and, as he

VETERANS OF FILM – Koos Roets and Katinka Heyns on the set of Die Wonderwerker

decided to shoot final sound, Judex and I built a blimp for the Arri IV B constructed out of an old inner hair mattress and lots of Meccano parts. It was only a year or two later that we eventually got cutting edge technology in our hands – the 100S blimp and a Nagra 3 sound recorder.

The soundman on Emil’s film, a Hollander called Bonne Ter Steege, still recorded on 17.5 perforated tape on a massive machine the size of a smallish fridge. In the veldt this contraption was powered by 12 big 12-volt lorry batteries with an output of 144 volts. This was then redirected through a rotary converter (the size of a young pig) that upped it to 220 volts, which supplied the Arri and the recorder with the vital juice they required to run in sync.

The 220 volts was first sent through a black box (the size of a big cat) with a few vibrating fingers and this had to be adjusted by twiddling a mysterious looking knob so that only the 50 cycle

1966 – Koos Roets sand Sias Odendaal on the back of an Alfa

32 | SCREENAFRICA | July 2012

pair vibrated. The operator then shouted: “Speed!” to indicate all was well. Only then did the director give the “Action” cue.

A good operator could get all of this done with about 50 feet of precious film stock running through the camera!

Anamorphic days Everything in those days was shot in the 35mm anamorphic format (Dailascope and Ultrascope and Cinemascope at Killarney Film Studios). Jamie Uys later started filming his movies in Techniscope, a two-perf system that was pioneered by the Italians on the early Clint Eastwood Spaghetti Westerns.

Then came disaster! Television arrived and we all went rapidly downhill. First we worked on 16mm and then on the dreaded Beta video format. I made a promise to myself that I would never in a month of Sundays work on video... I would rather be a waiter at the Spur. But

1969 – Roets on horseback

we all know the rest of the sad story and I worked my way all the way down to eventually shooting dramas such as Feast of the Uninvited on mini DV! Arriflex eventually came to the rescue and dispatched their knight in bright shining armour into the industry.

Actually it must be a knightess as the camera is called the Alexa – and it changed the world for us forever.

Die Wonderwerker Director Katinka Heyns (Paljas, Fiela se Kind) asked me to DOP her feature film Die Wonderwerker and I started looking at the different camera formats that are available today. While living in Australia I shot a digital movie on the RED camera and although it gave a wonderful end result, I absolutely hated working with it as it looked and operated like something that was built in somebody’s backyard.

Nevertheless I thoroughly tested the new RED camera and was again struck

| CAMERAS

celluloid with its quality. But it still looked and felt very alien to me. So I asked DOP Paul Thompson’s advice and he recommended the Alexa. I was immediately struck by its film camera looks and its simplicity of operation. Seventy-yearold brains do not understand these new-fangled electronic gadgets and being called a ‘retard’ by my computer wizard son Werner, does not help either.

A thorough test confirmed my good feeling about ‘the beast’ (‘beastess?’) and I booked one with Media Film Service for Katinka’s shoot.

Going beyond 2012 – Koos Roets with a baboon on the set of Die Wonderwerker

2012 – Amelia ‘Mielies’ Henning with the Arri Alexa shooting Die Wonderwerker

Die Wonderwerker about the late legendary writer Eugene Marais, was one of the first features that I have done where I did not operate the camera myself. This task fell into the hands of the extremely capable Amelia Henning (known as ‘Mielies’), who knows and understands the Alexa backwards. So all my time was spent on taxing gaffer Jean du Plessis and his brother Daniel to death with new lighting ideas. Jean is one of the brightest sparks (no pun intended) in the industry and between the four of us we pushed the Alexa way beyond its limits. ‘Mielies’ swears she heard the camera cry one particularly dark and dreary night!

The film is mood and character driven, with mostly lamp and candle lit scenes. We used

only two 600-watt lamps bounced off white umbrellas (as used by still photographers with studio flash units). The main source light was a huge candle with five wicks which was jokingly referred to as a 5k. This gave us exactly the amount of light a paraffin lamp or candle would and, working on the Alexa’s sweet spot of 800 ASA, gave us a stop of T1.6. We used a set of Zeiss Super Primes for these low light scenes and tried never to open them completely. It seems the more we starved the Alexa, the better images we got.

A lot of the scenes were shot on the 75-mm lens at T1.6, which should have given focus puller Kyle Smit a bit of a hard time, but he just shrugged it off. Being the best focus puller that I have ever worked with, the movie ended up razor sharp!

Day interior or exterior scenes were shot on the Angenieux Optimo 24-290-mm zoom lens with the same outstanding results. We found that Infra Red (or Deep Red as the Australians call it) filters are a must, rather than the conventional ND filters.

The film was shot at the Waterberg on the real location where Eugene Marais spent some of his time and, being summer, it was extremely hot. Unlike so many other digital cameras the very rugged and reliable Alexa coped with absolutely no overheating problems and finally convinced me that Arri has now driven the final nail in celluloid film’s coffin.

Lighter, more mobile 3D rig ANDROID 3D – The Pro Light 3D camera rig with Android device

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new stereoscopic 3D rig called the Pro Light has been designed by The HD Factory and Visual Impact due to demand for a lighter, more mobile rig.

According to The HD Factory’s Russell Bowden, most 3D rigs are fairly heavy and bulky. “Our first Pro Ultra Rig weighed 18kg without cameras. The Pro Light is more compact – it weighs 7kg without cameras and can be used handheld or in a Steadycam set-up. It is designed for lighter weight cameras of up to 5kg such as the Sony F3, RED Epic or Canon C300.”

Bowden explains that The HD Factory handled the mechanical design of the new rig, while Visual Impact designed the electronics and Android programming.

Visual Impact’s Shaun de Ponte notes that the Pro Light is the first automated

rig to be controlled by an Android device.

“It can be run from many kinds of tablets and smartphones and it is the first to be completely automated using the electronics and software I’ve developed for it,” says De Ponte.

Bowden adds that users can select the cameras used, focal length and the required negative and positive parallax (based on the screen size that will be used for viewing the 3D), and allow the software to do the necessary calculations.

“You enter the nearest and furthest points in frame – and the rig sets the cameras to their correct Inter Axial and Convergence positions,” explains De Ponte. “All the maths and hard work is eliminated – pan, tilt and height control is motorised and the rig can perform a primary alignment in less than 10 minutes.”

“Because the rig is automated, it allows the stereographer to get the camera geometry correct when shooting thus removing the necessity for extensive post-production corrections,” notes Bowden. “This saves a lot of post time and costs. The rig itself is also 25% cheaper than the Pro Ultra Rig.” While there are other rigs with electronic capabilities, Bowden says they are a lot more difficult to set up and require more crew than the Pro Light.

The new rig also allows lenses to be changed in less than three minutes.

De Ponte explains that the design is

unique in that it allows the user to constantly adapt the rig and software based on the specific needs of the shoot.

According to Bowden there has been a huge interest in the new rig. “As soon as we’ve finished testing and ironed out all the bugs it will be available for rental or manufactured to order.”

In other news Visual Impact recently became a partner company of THX, a division of George Lucas’ Lucasfilm that focuses on colour quality, assurance and fidelity as well as calibration certification. – Linda Loubser July 2012 | SCREENAFRICA | 33

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| TRACKINGTECHNOLOGY

An Olympic performance Panasonic Corporation, a TOP (The Olympic Partner) sponsor of the Olympic Games, will deliver the largest supply of its audio visual equipment for any Olympic Games in the company’s history to support the London 2012 Olympic Games in July and August.

With its full line-up of high definition (HD) equipment, Panasonic will provide strong support for the operation of the world’s largest sporting event, at sporting venues, broadcasting sites and homes, in cooperation with the International Olympic Committee (IOC), the London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games (LOCOG) and the Olympic Broadcasting Services London (OBSL). Panasonic will also bring the first-ever 3D Olympic Games to homes, based on the 3D technical partnership with the IOC and the Olympic Broadcasting Services (OBS).

At the London 2012 Olympic Games, the video signals distributed by the International Broadcasting Centre (IBC) to the broadcasters of each country will be distributed in the HD format. Additionally, the opening and closing ceremonies and events displayed on the large screens in the venue will also be distributed in HD video.

Panasonic will support the first-ever 3D Olympic Games by providing its cutting-edge equipment and technology, such as its latest integrated twin-lens 3D camera recorders (AG-3DP1).

In addition to the company’s DVCPRO HD standards that have already been adopted as the video recording format, the adoption of the file-based workflow using the high quality AVC-Intra standards has been decided. Panasonic will offer a wide range of broadcasting equipment and devices to the IOC, including the solid-state memory ENG (Electronic News Gathering) product P2HD series. Since the Barcelona 1992 Olympic Games, the London 2012 Olympic Games is the 10th Olympic Games where Panasonic’s broadcasting equipment is adopted as the recording format.

For the opening ceremony that will be held at the Olympic Park, the world’s smallest and lightest 20,000 lumens projectors (PT-DZ21K and PT-DS20K) with a high brightness and high quality yet compact form will be installed. Panasonic will boost the mood of the opening and closing ceremonies by delivering vivid and impressive HD footage to the audience.

Panasonic will provide LED Large Screen Display Systems, offering the largest number of screens and the largest area ever at the competition venues. At the indoor event sites, 103-inch PDP displays will be adopted for the first time in the history of the Olympic Games.

‘Icy’ real-time conversion

To deliver National Hockey League (NHL) games to Nordic countries TeliaSonera International Carrier is using nine Alchemist Ph.C – HD TX50 motioncompensated HD standards converters for real-time conversion of live feeds for satellite broadband service provider Viasat.

Supplied by Snell’s Swedish channel partner, Danmon Svenska AB, the systems are dedicated to simultaneous 60-Hz to 50-Hz frame-rate conversion of live ice-hockey matches from the US for distribution to Nordic territories in partnership with Encompass Digital Media. A Snell Centra control and monitoring system facilitates remote IP-based control of the Alchemist Ph.C – HD TX50 systems, installed in New York, from TeliaSonera’s Stockholm facilities.

“We invested in the Alchemist Ph.C – HD TX50 systems because they provide the sophisticated motion compensated processing necessary to deliver live high-profile sports events with perfect clarity,” said Steve Collett, global product manager, media services, at TeliaSonera International Carrier. “As we leverage our extensive fibre network for distribution of HD content worldwide, the Snell standards converter ensures that through the conversion process, we can maintain the exceptional visual quality of that high-end content.”

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TRACKINGTECHNOLOGY |

Venturing into another world Santa Monica-based Company 3 used Blackmagic Design’s DaVinci Resolve for colour grading for four different versions of 20th Century Fox’s 3D movie, Prometheus. Director Ridley Scott chose Company 3 to help enhance the visual style for the film, shot by renowned cinematographer Dariusz Wolski, ASC. Starring Noomi Rapace, Michael Fassbender, Guy Pearce, Idris Elba, Logan Marshall-Green and South Africa’s Charlize Theron, Prometheus is set on another planet and has a feeling of lifelessness, with much of the action occurring in dark environments.

Colourist Stephen Nakamura of Company 3 helped enhance the feeling of Wolski’s imagery by further desaturating the already minimal colour in the sequences. The filmmakers wanted the environment’s darkness to feel somewhat oppressive but not so all encompassing that it would obscure the incredible details of this alien world and the technology employed by the characters.

Nakamura combined Resolve’s tracking tools and Power Windows with the aperture correction feature to emphasise specific objects in the frame with some

additional sharpening.

“The filmmakers’ vision was of a burnt, almost ashen like look. Everything had to be muted and cold looking,” says Nakamura, who previously worked with Scott on Robin Hood, “but the actors still needed to maintain their human qualities, and be seen in warm light without causing the darkness around them to appear muddy. To accomplish this in his films, and with Prometheus in particular, Ridley likes to make use of the aperture correction feature to subtly enhance the sense that the images have a more limited depth of field. It helps direct the viewer’s eye right to a specific person or object without looking like a special effect.”

“Interestingly, aperture correction that worked well in 3D viewing situations did not work as well in 2D,” Nakamura continues. “The 3D glasses act as sort of a softening filter so that the amount of sharpness that looks subtle and natural under those conditions can look extreme when watching the film in 2D without glasses.”

Because of the node based setup of Resolve, he adds, “it was not that complicated, for the 2D version, to go

through the footage and just selectively pull back on the sharpening effect without affecting the rest of the image.”

Nakamura also made use of Resolve’s Power Windows to help shape some of the virtual ‘lighting’ in environments that couldn’t really be illuminated with traditional approaches, such as creating a

kind of ‘lighting’ inside characters’ spacesuits to bring out the actors’ faces amid the lifeless environment. “I created Power Windows for walls and across the sides of caves,” said Nakamura, “and built soft orbs of ‘light’ around the characters that might not be ‘motivated’ in the traditional sense, but made sense within the world of Prometheus.”

Company 3 also worked with the Prometheus stereography team to refine shot to shot convergence for the 3D version, a very important facet of refining the 3D effect and smoothing out what could otherwise be jarring transitions.

Resolve was also used extensively to prepare the film to be exhibited in a variety of different 3D venues. Different 3D projection systems bring varying levels of light (and therefore contrast) to the displayed images. Company 3 was able to build look up tables (LUTs) within Resolve to partially translate the work done for the lower brightness systems and create an additional master designed to make the most of the greater contrast range offered by the higher brightness projection.

Supporting speed

Leading manufacturer of professional video interface and conversion solutions AJA Video Systems is supporting the new release of Adobe Creative Suite 6 (CS6) software with AJA’s Io Express, Io XT and KONA family of products for both Mac and Windows customers.

The new drivers supporting Adobe Creative Suite 6 are available now as a free download.

These drivers deliver added support for CS6 applications and streamline performance of AJA’s video I/O solutions with Adobe’s new plug-in architecture dubbed Adobe Mercury Transmit. All of the new AJA drivers support video out in Adobe Premiere Pro CS6 through the new Transmit plug-in.

“Adobe Premiere Pro CS6 software is full of speed and performance enhancements for all aspects of video production,” said Al Mooney, product 36 | SCREENAFRICA | July 2012

manager, professional video solutions at Adobe. “Having support for AJA’s Kona, Io XT and Io Express products offers our customers very reliable, high-quality and top performing video options”.

Redesigned by and for editors, Adobe Premiere Pro CS6 combines faster performance with a sleek, customisable user interface and powerful trimming tools that let editors work the way they want to.

“Many of our customers use some combination of the Adobe Creative Suite as part of their toolset,” said Nick Rashby, President, AJA Video Systems. “With the new Transmit plug-in architecture we anticipate significant performance boosts in video I/O for our KONA, Io XT and Io Express customers using Adobe Premiere Pro CS6 software.”

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| TRACKINGTECHNOLOGY

Robotic cameras

The Ross Furio robotic camera system has been used to control cameras and provide compelling visuals on productions such as the Eurovision Song Contest, So You Think You Can Dance and in augmented reality productions like the Spike TV VGA Awards, as well as in news and variety production studio production environments.

Furio is available in two variants – Furio Robo (Full Robotics System) and Furio RC (Remote Control System). The system’s absolute positioning system and rail based tracking sets it apart from the competition and makes it ideally suited to virtual set and augmented reality applications.

It is designed for live television production studio use in which typically a single operator controls multiple cameras with pre-set shot and motion path recalls. The system consists of a Pan-Tilt-Zoom Head (PTZ), Rail Based Dolly System with Elevator and a sophisticated IP based control system. The system scales from a simple PTZ head on a fixed tripod to a full multi-camera rail system.

Furio RC is designed for applications in which an operator controls the camera system remotely using a joystick or local (encoded) fluid head and foot pedals to move the camera along the rail and up and down. Highly responsive, Furio RC is perfect for live stage productions. This system allows one camera operator to rapidly move a camera from one end of the stage to the other and get shots simply not possible with a roaming camera person.

3D sport analysis

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Various broadcasters around the globe recently utilised 3D sport analysis software from LiberoVision, a Vizrt company, to break down the key moments of the Euro 2012 championship.

Broadcast networks that used Libero Highlight were ZDF Germany, TV2 Denmark, TV2 Norway, Globosat Brazil, Medcom Panama, TSN Canada and TVP Poland.

During their live coverage, these broadcasters used LiberoVision’s powerful 3D virtual replay system.

Utilising live camera signals and video clips captured by the various video server systems, Libero Highlight’s interactive toolbox lets sports commentators replay the action and apply 3D effects and telestration.

Initiated by a 3D camera flight, this exclusive image processing technology takes the viewers to vantage points that cameras never captured, such as a referee or linesmen view, on the goal line, or from a bird’s eye perspective.

New features in Libero Highlight 5.0, released on 1 June, include: Virtual run, which visualises where and how one player may run in a given play while the remainder of the players are held in a freeze frame; Panorama Stitch, which brings all parts of a stadium together for a full, panoramic, 3D stadium virtual view; Vizrt export to design customised graphics and interactively playout clips via Sports Hub; 3D Offside Blade for a clearer separation of offside players; Greyboard to highlight selected players in a vivid colour on top of a greyed field; iPad control of the Libero Telestrator; editable graphics playlist to quickly post process clips; Faster operation and enhanced annotation features.

The new features are also available for American football, basketball, baseball, ice hockey, rugby, and handball. The upcoming Highlight 5.1 will incorporate volleyball and beach volleyball.

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TRACKINGTECHNOLOGY |

Taking Wimbledon 3D to the world Sony Digital Cinema has announced that five major global broadcasters and cinema exhibitors will screen the 3D production of the Wimbledon 2012 Men’s Finals in multiple countries and regions globally.

For the second year running, Sony will deliver Wimbledon in live 3D across the globe through its distribution partner SuperVision Media, offering an exhilarating and dramatic Wimbledon experience for fans unable to attend Centre Court.

Live public screenings of Wimbledon will be shown in 3D in Europe, North America, Africa, Latin America and Asia. At the time of going to press negotiations were underway with other broadcasters for further deals.

Sony is working in partnership with the All England Lawn Tennis Club (AELTC) and with the support of the Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) to deliver the 3D experience to viewers.

David McIntosh, senior vice president of Sony Digital Cinema says: “This is a very exciting time for cinema and sport as more and more theatres opt to show leading sports events on their screens.

“Sports fans want to experience the energy and speed of a match and cinemas that broadcast in 3D are able to capture this perfectly. The demand from cinemas to screen Wimbledon shows there is a huge appetite from fans everywhere to experience Wimbledon, and sport in general, in 3D.” Mick Desmond, commercial director of the All England Lawn Tennis Club adds: “We were delighted with our 3D partnership with Sony last year and look forward to working with them again.

Sony is uniquely placed to capture the finals of The Championships in Live 3D, bringing the exhilaration of Wimbledon to the world. We are proud to be at the forefront of this huge technological movement and firmly believe that with Sony we will deliver the most immersive viewing experience of Wimbledon to date.”

Solving the Games

Miranda Technologies Inc., a global provider of integrated solutions for production, playout and delivery systems for television broadcasters and multi-system operators (MSOs), will provide NVISION hybrid routing; Kaleido multiviewers; Densité infrastructure equipment, including signal conversion, fiber and media cards; and iControl signal and facility monitoring to NBC Olympics, a division of the NBC Sports Group, for its production of the 2012 London Games in July and August.

The Miranda production solutions are being used within the remote network production studios in London. Miranda will supply equipment to NBC’s Olympics division at each venue in London for the Games, as well as back in the broadcast centre to provide monitoring and control of the remote signal paths.

Jay Gravina, VP, Sales US, Miranda says: “We are proud to be a part of the on-going broadcasting history that is NBC’s Olympics division’s’ production of the Games and are looking forward to providing them with world-class signal management and risk-free monitoring and control solutions.”

David Mazza, senior vice president engineering, NBC Olympics adds: “We started using Miranda when we converted to HD in 2006, and have never looked back. My team has come to rely on Miranda’s continued development of products that we need, with the reliability that our Olympics coverage demands.”

38 | SCREENAFRICA | July 2012

| TRACKINGTECHNOLOGY

On another planet Newly launched Leeds-based facility, The Other Planet, operates on two Quantel eQ editing systems, both upgraded to the latest V5 software.

They are also in the process of completing seven additional multipurpose rooms and a dubbing theatre used for wet or dry hire.

The Other Planet is one of the first facilities to upgrade to Quantel’s EVO5 technology and support programme.

EVO5 maintains Quantel systems at their latest software level, as well as providing storage and PC platform upgrades to keep systems at their most productive and creative.

Says The Other Planet’s Phil Bedwell: “We’ve recently been working on the BBC drama, The Syndicate, which was filmed mainly using natural light. With only three days to grade the drama, the pressure was on to get a good result. Without our EVO5 upgrade there’s no way we would have finished the project on time. Our eQs with the latest Version 5 software are quick, efficient and have all the tools we need.

“I can’t think of any reason why you wouldn’t upgrade to EVO5; it’s a no brainer. The advantages are fantastic. EVO5 gives us all the latest software, with new grading tools and the latest technology; we keep our systems at their most productive and most creative. EVO5 is simply brilliant; it’s exactly the right thing at the right time.”

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The next-generation AirSpeed 5000 video server, new Avid ISIS 2000 near-line storage solution and Avid ISIS 7000 v4.0 all significantly extend ingest, production and playback speed and capacity.

AirSpeed 5000 features new codec flexibility with Avid DNxHD playback included in HD versions, Avid production workflow integration, and new, high-availability features such as advanced RAID 50 protection for reliable operation. Supporting production workflow and playback, this system accelerates HD and SD workflow with ingest and playout of multiple video formats. It also delivers reliable master control service while supporting standalone operation with Avid and third-party editing systems for smaller news production environments.

A new, cost-effective near-line storage solution that works with Avid Interplay, ISIS 2000 provides enterprise-wide search, browse, access and management of media that expands media access and augments real-time production. Situated between online production storage and archive, this unique high-density, disk-based storage system lets customers economically extend their media library and optimise their overall storage investment while maintaining direct workflow linkage with editorial production.

Avid has doubled the storage capacity in the newest release of the industry-leading Avid ISIS 7000, with the new i4000 storage blade. Supporting up to 24 ISIS Engines in a single ISIS 7000 system, raw capacity is raised to 1.53PB. “These latest additions to the Avid server and storage line offer greater flexibility, storage capacity, better workflow integration and a more affordable range of choices,” said Dana Ruzicka, vice president of segment and product marketing at Avid. “Media professionals in networked production environments all over the world rely on these solutions to raise the quality and profitability of their businesses.”

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AFRICA |

Reports by Martin Chemhere

Pushing the (cultural) boat A new Malawian film explores the collision between African traditional culture and modernisation and its impact on a family caught in the middle.

Malawian director Charles Shemu Joyah’s second feature film, which he also wrote and produced, is titled The Last Fishing Boat and is currently in post-production.

The film tells of a once successful fisherman on Lake Malawi who is struggling to make a living due to the depletion of fish in the lake. At the same time his cultural values are threatened by the expanding tourist industry.

His son, who he hoped would become a fisherman, works as a tourist guide.

Rumours abound that the son sleeps with female and male tourists for money, while his young beautiful third wife is torn between loyalty to her husband and the sexual overtures of a white tourist ready to pay her to sleep with him.

It took Joyah three months to write the script. He says: “I then consulted with some friends about their thoughts on the script and spent another two months re-writing it.”

The Last Fishing Boat was shot over 22 days in February this year, mostly on the beaches of Lake Malawi. Additional footage was filmed in the surrounding villages of Mpemba and Makawa, with some scenes shot at the local Sunbird Nkopola Lodge hotel.

Lead roles are played by Hope

Chisanu, Robert Loughlin, Flora Suya, Robert Kalua, Tereze Mirovicova and Ashukile Mwakisulu.

“I worked with Hope and Flora in my first film Seasons of a Life but the rest of the cast is new. They really impressed me during auditions and I am sure audiences will like them in the film,” explains Joyah.

Extras that appear in the film comprise local villagers and fishermen in Mangochi. Joyah believes they did a great job.

The film’s budget was about $100 000 of which about $50 000 came from the Norwegian Embassy in Malawi and about $15 000 from the Göteborg International Film Festival Fund. The remainder came from FirstDawn Arts, Joyah’s own production company.

“Unfortunately I had to cut my budget by half which meant I could not hire the equipment I wanted from South Africa. It was also not possible to have the services of my South African DOP with whom I discussed the project for more than a year.

I had to settle for less sophisticated crew and equipment,” comments Joyah.

The reduced budget meant the proposed 35-day shoot had to be cut to 22 days. “I really felt sorry for the cast and crew as I had to push them very hard. We

SAILING CHALLENGING WATERS – Charles Shemu Joyah

shot extremely quickly and for more hours per day than is usual. Somehow the crew had belief in me and no-one complained.

Fortunately the film has turned out well and I feel a great sense of satisfaction,” he states.

As Malawi only has one single cinema house, Joyah is exploring suitable venues to ensure a wide distribution of the film. He plans to launch the film at international film festivals.

New Ethiopian feature brings hope Shot on a budget of around $65 000 the new Ethiopian feature film The Last Dress launched on 20 May in Addis Abba.

STORY OF HIV – Director of The Last Dress Rediat Yaregal

40 | SCREENAFRICA | July 2012

Filmed in and around the Ethiopian capital between July and December last year The Last Dress was written by Leul Solomon and Tsegaye Yohanes, and directed by Solomon and Rediat Yaregal who also produces under his Addis Ababa-based production company Hanos Film Production.

The film is anchored on the premise that a new hope comes with every sunrise. It focuses on the challenges of HIV positive orphaned female children, traces their daily life and reveals what happens when they reach adolescence.

Says Yaregal: “The story also shows that while it is possible to prevent transmission of HIV from mother to child, there is not enough information available to drive prevention. However, the social work sector is doing great work by giving assistance to HIV positive orphaned children so that they can visualise their future and live with an optimistic attitude.”

The idea for the film came after the Ethiopian Prime Minister addressed a women’s conference in March 2009. One of the HIV-positive attendees asked the question: “We have female children in our orphanage who are born with

HIV. When they reach adolescence they start dating boys and going to night clubs and more. How can we address this challenge?”

Popular stage actor Feleke Abebe plays the lead role in The Last Dress and has starred in feature films The Foot Print, Heroshima, Yemist Yaleh and Hindeke among others.

Co-starring are Azeb Worku, a well-known film writer who has acted in various films such as The 8 Women and Mehalet Shumete, who has appeared in more than five feature films including Surprise, Diplomat and Yewendoch Guday. New to film but with bright futures are actresses Seble Worku and Tsegenet Tafese.

Yaregal notes that challenges during the shoot included finding suitable locations especially for the orphanage. The film’s story revolves around this location and the crew had to settle for a camp used by the employees of a local sugar factory.

The Last Dress, which will be distributed on DVD, is Hanos Film Production’s first feature film. Previously the company produced two documentaries that were awarded at the 4th and the 5th Ethiopian International Film Festivals.

| AFRICA

Launching African TV into orbit NEW

Nigeria Communications Satellite Limited (NigComSat) recently launched a satellite into orbit. Dubbed the NigComSat 1R, it has a minimum service life of 15 years.

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NEW SE 600 • BIG LIFT-OFF – NigComSat MD T Ahmed-Rufai (far left) and chairman of the NigComSat board Prof Turner Isoun (far right)

Previously Africa’s ICT penetration level was low compared with the rest of the world; the significance of this launch means that African technology and communications industries can now be on a par with the rest of the world. This satellite enables NigComSat to play a critical role in the provision of an ICT infrastructure for Nigeria and Africa and help to raise Africa’s Digital Opportunity Index (DOI) and its Digital Access Index (DAI).

The 1R satellite was constructed by China Great Wall Industry Corporation (CGWIC).

The Nigerian government is reportedly upbeat about the launch, which is expected to boost the broadcast industry as a signal carrier distributor for direct-to-home television content. Other players in the sector are expected to benefit from the launch.

Says NigComSat senior manager of Business Development Olufunke Fagbeja: “This is not Nigeria’s first launch into space as a remote sensing satellite was launched in 2003.

The first communications satellite in Nigeria, and indeed sub-Saharan Africa, was launched in 2007.”

Fagbeja stresses that NigComSat, a government owned company with its head office in Abuja, was formed to ease satellite communication challenges in Nigeria while also creating downstream industries and employment.

“NigComSat targets a number of areas, among them the enhancement of national economic and social development and the modernisation of telecommunication and related technologies. Also NigComSat integrates Nigeria into the global telecoms environment to make telecoms services efficient, affordable, reliable and available to all,” Fagbeja says.

She believes achieving these goals will result in increased access to ICT for citizens in the pursuance of the country’s Constitution. It will also see the provision of cost effective solutions for the nation’s ICT requirements and affordable access to information and communication for Nigerians and the continent.

A number of the company’s activities include the commercialisation of satellite resources through the procurement, management and operations of communications satellites. The company also provides, deploys and implements various solutions that include bandwidth leasing, communications satellite based applications such as Internet infrastructure, voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP), telephony and wireless communications.

“NigComSat provides a wide array of products and services to end-users, while building and servicing networks and benchmarking international best practices in technology,” says Fagbeja.

Among its objectives the company manages and operates a fleet of satellites to sustain its communication satellite business, which includes but is not limited to transponder leasing and telecommunications services, in particular direct to home transmission services.

NigComSat’s accompanying ground infrastructure includes two ground stations equipped with satellite control centres, network operations centres and teleports in Lagos and Abuja. In addition the company has built a direct to home (DTH) transmission facility and a micro-electronics centre, which provides vital components for ICT products and satellite services.

A synergy between NigComSat and Main One Cable Company is set to provide broadband services to the rest of Nigeria.

•

NEW HS 600 • • • • • • • •

• •

• • • • •

8 channel SD Video Mixer/ Switcher (6 composite video + 2 inputs from PC/ Mac via DVI) Lumakey overlay of text/ graphics

Logo insertion via SD Card Take button with selectable speeds RCA and XLR 4 channel Audio mixer DVI output to Multi preview monitor Extremely good value for money !

8 channel complete SD Mobile Video studio in lightweight briefcase 6 composite video + 2 DVI inputs Lumakey overlay of text/graphics Logo insertion via SD Card Take button with selectable speeds RCA and XLR 4 channel Audio mixer Integrated Comms and Tally Supplied complete with 4 beltpacks, cable runs, headsets with mic & tally lights 17’’ Multi Preview display Based on the SE 600 Mixer/Switcher

For information on these products contact: Macro Video, Pretoria. Tel: Eric 012 346 7601 email: info@macrovideo.co.za Digivision, Cape Town. Tel: AJ 021 422 1103 Natal Video, Durban. Tel: Ian 031 312 7217

www.macrovideo.co.za www.datavideo.co.za Official distributors of Datavideo products in Southern Africa July 2012 | SCREENAFRICA | 41

RATINGS & STATS | APRIL 2012 This monthly feature selects prominent local productions and ranks them in terms of audience ratings (ARs). Selected foreign programmes are shown only for comparison.

ARs are weighted over the period of transmission and the number of transmissions during the calendar month. Data is supplied by the South African Advertising Research Foundation and processed by Interactive Market Systems (South Africa) (Pty) Ltd.

Audience Ratings

SABC3 Rank Programme 1 Isidingo: The Need 2 Mr Bones 2: Back from the Past 3 Days Of Our Lives 4 Isidingo – R 5 7de Laan – R M-Net Rank Programme 1 Water For Elephants 2 Carte Blanche 3 No Strings Attached 4 The Next Three Days 5 Grey’s Anatomy e.tv Rank Programme 1 Rhythm City 2 Big Momma’s House 2 3 News 4 Big Momma’s House 5 Ekasi:Our Stories My Brother’s Keeper

Date 13/04/2012 15/04/2012 26/04/2012 30/04/2012 24/04/2012

Date 29/04/2012 22/04/2012 22/04/2012 15/04/2012 16/04/2012

Genre Soap Movi Soap Soap Soap

Genre Movi Actu Movi Movi Dram

Date Genre 23/04/2012 Dram 22/04/2012 Movi 19/04/2012 News 15/04/2012 Movi 02/04/2012 Dram

AR 6.5 6.3 6.1 5.6 4.8

AR 1.3 1.2 1.2 1.0 0.9

AR 13.6 13.3 11.4 11.4 11.4

We feature the top five shows viewed for each of the channels.

Apr 2012 AR

Mar 2012 AR

AR 12.0 10.2 8.8 8.3 8.1

Channel

Date Genre 10/04/2012 Dram 01/04/2012 Sitc 23/04/2012 Soap 26/04/2012 Actu 03/04/2012 Vari

Frequency

SABC2 Rank Programme 1 Muvhango 2 Stokvel 3 7de Laan 4 Speak Out 5 Powerball

Day/s

AR 26.7 20.0 16.8 15.2 15.1

3 Talk

Talk

16:30

M-F

S5

3

3.2

2.7

3rd Degree

Actu

21:30

Tue

W

e

7.8

7.2

7de Laan

Soap

18:30

M-F

S5

2

7.7

7.2

Binnelanders

Dram 18:30 M-F S5 K

0.9

Carte Blanche

Maga 19:00

Sun

W M

1.0

1.0

Sun

W

5.5

4.5

Name

Date Genre 02/04/2012 Soap 02/04/2012 Dram 03/04/2012 Dram 23/04/2012 Y-Ent 14/04/2012 Movi

Start Time

The cream of the local productions Genre

The top five programmes

SABC1 Rank Programme 1 Generations 2 Zone 14 3 Montana 4 Soul Buddyz 5 Mr Bones 2: Back from the Past

Fokus

Actu

Generations

Soap 20:00 M-F S5 1 22.9 21.1

Gospel Gold

Musi

Inkaba

Dram 20:30 M-T S4 MM 0.3

Isidingo:The Need

Soap

19:30

M-F

S5

3

4.9

5.1

Jam Alley

Vari

18:30

Fri

W

1

5.8

5.0

Live Lotto Draw

Quiz

21.30

W/S S2

2

5.4

8.5

Morning Live

Maga 06:00

M-F

2

1.9

2.1

Muvhango

Dram 21:00 M-T S4 2

9.2 9.6

News at Seven

News 19:00

Daily D

e

8.1

7.4

News at Seven on 3

News 19:00

Daily D

3

2.9

2.8

Pasella

Maga 19:30 W W 2 4.8 4.2

Rhythm City

Soap

Scandal

Dram 19:30 M-T S4 e

9.7 8.8

Selimathunzi

Vari 18:30 Wed W 1

5.8 6.6

Special Assignment

Actu

21:15

Thu

W

3

1.5

The Wild

Dram 19:00

M-T

S4

M

0.1

Top Billing

Maga 20:00

Tue

W

2

2.9

Villa Rosa

Dram 18:00

M-T

S4

K

0.8

Yo-TV

Y-Ent Vari Vari D e 1.6 1.5

42 | SCREENAFRICA | July 2012

18:30

Sun

M-F

W

S5

S5

2

e

5.6

11.6

4.1

9.8

1.7 3.1

Days of Our Lives

Soap

17:10

M-F

S5

1

5.1

4.7

WWE Wrestling Smackdown

Spor

20:30

W

W

e

5.5

5.4

The Bold and the Beautiful

Soap

18:00

M-F

S5

1

6.3

4.1

• Television Universe estimated at 5.232 million households. • One ratings point of all viewers represents about 145 590 viewers

The Collective Dream laboratory in Cape Town and the FILM LAB @ Media Film Service have chosen not to release statistics at this stage.

The Johannesburg Lab is still processing a feature film but again commercial levels remain extremely low, with the odd short movie going through the bath. Bulk printing reveals that 108 features have been printed as well as 1 030 trailers and 2 485 commercials. This is a major increase over the previous month and the highest level this year to date.

Media Move reports that it did 1 195 transfers of commercials in May, which is well up on the previous month. Adstream reports 644 transfers of commercials, a similar figure to last month.

We would like to thank the Johannesburg Laboratory, Media Move and Adstream for the information they have supplied to us.

We make no attempt to identify the title of the production, or the

Vari

2

Top foreign shows

Key: Day/s refers to the day or days of the week the programme is transmitted. Frequency refers to how often it is transmitted D=Daily, W=Weekly, S (followed by a number) indicates a series of that number of episodes.

Key to genres: Actu: Actuality, Docu: Documentary, Dram: Drama, Educ: Education, Maga: Magazine, Musi: Music, News: News, Quiz: Game Show, Real: Real life, Reli: Religion, Sitc: Sitcom, Soap: Soap, Spor: Sport, Vari: Variety, Y.Ent: Youth Entertainment,

Film Lab Stats

18:30

The above represents a selection of programmes only, and is calculated on the total calendar month’s weighted average of the total audience over all age groups. If you want a particular programme included please contact Enid Venter on +27 (0)11 339-1051 or email enid@ihjoburg.co.za. The purpose of the schedule is to show the types of programmes South African audiences view, and to what extent.

Statistics for May 2012 Through the labs: Johannesburg Features 1

Shorts Commercials Doccies 16mm 35mm 2 2 2 3

Commercials submitted to broadcasters via: Media Move: 1 195

Adstream: 644

production house or any other information as this is often confidential information – we supply simply the numbers.

We rely on the co-operation of broadcasters, suppliers of commercial material to broadcasters and local film laboratories for information however at the moment local broadcasters are not forthcoming in providing these vital statistics.Efforts will continue to be made to build on this statistical data base in order to improve the accuracy, and should readers have comments or other ideas in terms of statistic gathering, please send an e-mail to andy@screenafrica.com. Your comments would be appreciated.

% %

%

%

%

| ENTERTAINMENT& MEDIA INSIGHTS

Consumer insights: Television

of consumers claim to use the internet to download their favourite shows

13%

of consumers claim to use the internet to download their favourite shows

How often do you watch sport on TV? Watching sport is important to How often do you watch sport on more than 70% of respondents

of consumers owned a PVR, and of consumers owned a PVR, and of consumers claim to use the internet to 14% had an HD PVR

13%20%

Watching sport is important to more than 70% of respondents

7%

download their favourite shows 14% had an HD PVR

20%45%

How often do you watch sport on TV? Watching sport is important to more than 70% of respondents

7% of consumers agreed they skip the commercials on shows they have recorded 29% (9% of all Pay TV subscribers)

of consumers agreed they skip the commercials on shows they have recorded of consumers agreed they skip the (9% of all Pay TV subscribers)

18%

29% 24%

24% 22%

18%

22%

24%

Never

Less often than once a w

22%

commercials on shows they have recorded (9% of all Pay TV subscribers)

90%

7%

29%

of consumers owned a PVR, and 14% had an HD PVR

45%

18%

Once a week of all consumer who have HD PVR watch HDNever Never content provided by their operator (13% of all 2 - 3 times a week Less often than once a week Less often than once a week Pay TV subscribers)

90%

of all consumer who have HD PVR watch HD content provided by their operator (13% of all Pay TV subscribers)

80%

of all consumer who have HD PVR mentioned they would use video on demand if made available (16% of all Pay TV subscribers)

Daily

Once a week

Once a week of all consumer who have HD PVR watch HD 2 - 3 times a week Daily content provided by their operator (13% of all 2 - 3 times a week of all consumer who have HD PVR mentioned Pay TV subscribers) they would use video on demand if made

80%

available (16% of all Pay TV subscribers)

Daily

•

Watching sport is

•

Sport is generally watched

of all consumer who have HD PVR mentioned • Watching sport is extremely important they would use video on demand if made extremely important to 47% of consumers available (16% of all Pay TV subscribers) About this research to 47% of consumers This publication aims to provide readers with useful • information and to bring this to life by including reallife consumer insights. To this end, we commissioned GlobalEdge Marketing Consultants to perform consumer lifestyle research relating to the media and entertainment industry.

•

Sport is generally watched between 1 – 3 times a between 1 – 3 times a week for 46% of week for 46% of consumers (17% watch consumers (17% watch daily) daily)

Watching sport is This research comprised face-to-face interviews with extremely important a sample of consumers that included a mix of the following demographic groups: to 47% of consumers • Persons between the ages of 15 and

50;

•

A mix of racial groups;

• •

•

•

Sport is generally watched Males and females; between 1 – 3 times a Residing in Gauteng, the Western Cape and KwaZulu-Natal; and week for 46% of * Information courtesy of PricewaterhouseCoopers’ Entertainment and Media industry group.

LSM 5-7 and LSM 8-10.

Reference: South African entertainment and media outlook: 2010-2014 – First South African edition consumers (17% watch © 2010 Published in South Africa by PricewaterhouseCoopers. All rights reserved. daily) www.pwc.com/za/outlook South African entertainment and media outlook: 2010-2014 53

July 2012 | SCREENAFRICA | 43

P R O D U C T I O N U P D A T E S FOR FURTHER DETAILS VISIT www.screenafrica.com

real IT

real HD

real flexibility

Official Worldwide Olympic Partner

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

C A M E R A S • M O N I T O R S • P L A S M A D I G I TA L M I X E R S • 3 D • P R O J E C T O R S

Avmark Systems cc Digital - Broadcast & AV Systems Unit 5 Bryanston Gate 170 Curzon Rd, Bryanston South Africa Tel: +27 (11) 463-3167/8 Fax: +27 (11) 463-2534 Email:avmark@icon.co.za

Av m Pa

nas

IN DEVELOPMENT 80 MINUTES

ark Systems

Periphery Films Dir: Simon Taylor / Julia Taal Feature Drama

d mite Unli alists

A LION IN THE BEDROOM

ci onic B ro a d c a s t S p e

Authorised Distributor

www.avmarksystems.co.za

Two Oceans Production Prod: Giselher Venzke / Bertha Spieker Feature AMABHUBESI

Inkwasi Television Prod: Bell Curle TV Magazine AMKA CORPORATE

Panache Video Productions Exec Prod: Haroon Kalla Corporate At The Creek Without A Paddle

Zen Crew Exec prod: Laura Tarling Documentary BAD MEDICINE

Tin Rage TV Production Dir: Enver Samuel Documentary Bagged

Izithulu Productions Exec Prod: Donovan Mulligan / Mike Westcott Short Film BLAST FROM THE PAST

Sirius Films Prod: Ian Manly Documentary

BODA BODA THIEVES

Yes That’s Us Prod: James Tayler Feature

BREAD AND WATER

Periphery Films Dir: Simon Taylor / Julia Taal Feature Documentary BREAKDOWN

Bollysamo Pictures / Apeiro Productions Prod Man: Carolyn Gregorowski Feature CAPE OF GOOD HOPE

howard music SACA ADVERT_bold.pdf

1

9/13/11

11:18 AM

Two Oceans Production Prods: Giselher Venzke / Bertha Spieker Feature CHILDREN OF FAMOUS ACTIVISTS

Current Affairs Films Prod: Jane Thandi Lipman Feature Film CHILLI CHICKS

International Radio Pictures, Inc Kit Reynolds TV series

M

Y

CM

MY

CY

CMY

K

SERVICES INCLUDE FINAL MIX SOUND DESIGN COMPOSING & ARRANGING M U S I CA L D I R E CT I O N FO R C O R P O R AT E E V E N T S ADDRESS M i n i st r y O f I l l u s i o n B lo c k D S to n ewe d g e O f f i ce Pa r k N o 1 We d g ewo o d L i n k R d B r ya n sto n , J h b , 2 0 2 1

C O N TACT w w w. h ow a rd m u s i c . co . z a +27 (0)72 994 9695 +27 (0)11 463 8538 a d a m @ h ow a rd m u s i c . co . z a

44 | SCREENAFRICA | July 2012

Current Affrairs Films / French Connection Prod: Jane Thandi Lipman Drama series FOR THE NEW CITY – DANCE ON FILM

SWiTCH / Resonance Bazar Prods: James Tayler / Julia Raynham Film FORSAKEN

DO Productions Prod: Marlow de Mardt / Brigid Olën Feature Genius

Inhlakanipo Films Dir: Dumisani Vusi Nhlapo Short Film GOUE STERRE

Suite People TVP Prod: Bell Curle TV Series GRIZMEK

SHORT BUSINESS FEATURE WITH BBC / ABC

Current Affairs Films Prod: Jane Thandi Lipman Short Business Features SUPERMAMA

GoogelPlex Productions Dir: Karen van Schalkwyk Feature SWANK!

International Radio Pictures Prod: D Gillard Musical The Black Blonde

Steve Radebe Post Productions Prod:Steve Radebe Feature Film tHE blood kIng and the red dragon

Current Affairs Prod: Jane Thandi Lipman / Mtutuzeli Matshoba Feature

Two Oceans Production Prod: Giselher Venzke / Bertha Spieker Feature

THE CONSEQUENCE

HISTORICAL KIMBERLEY

THE EDGE

IIQ

THE FILM MAKER

IK1 – TOURISTS IN DANGER

The Scores Are In

Spike Productions Prod: Steve Mueller Bsc. Documentary

Sukuma Media Dir: Bonginhlanhla Ncube Feature Two Oceans Production Prods: Giselher Venzke / Bertha Spieker Feature Inventing Africa

Imageworks Prod: Anthony Irving Documentary

KADU’S JOURNEY

DO Productions Prods: Marlow de Mardt / Brigid Olën Feature DYINGCRACY

Sabstance Productions Producer: Edmund Mhlongo Documentary LEARNER TEACHERS

Curious Pictures SABC Comedy Series LION GIRL

DO Productions Prod: Marlow de Mardt / Brigid Olën TV Feature Lonely Plannet

Two Oceans Production Prods: Giselher Venzke / Bertha Spieker Feature MUTI DOT MOBI

Vuleka Productions.

Prod / Dir: Julie Frederikse / Madoda Ncayiyana .

Feature Film NEW BEGINNINGZ

Sukuma Media Dir: Bonginhanhla Ncube Documentary

DO Productions Prod: Marlow de Mardt / Brigid Olën Feature International Radio Pictures Kit Reynolds TV Series Elle Bolt Productions Prod: Elle Bolt Reality Series

Current Affairs Films Prod: Jane Thandi Lipman Game Show / Entertainment Series VULTURE KILLING FIELDS

SuitePeople TVP Bell Curle Documentary

WAY TO ROLL

Blue Ice Productions Dir:Freddie Strauss Feature WARD 22 AKA SPECIAL OPS

DO Productions Prod: Marlow de Mardt / Brigid Olën Documentary Welcome To The Club

Two Oceans Production Prods: Giselher Venzke / Bertha Spieker Feature ZERO DIET

Two Oceans Production Prod: Giselher Venzke / Bertha Spieker Feature ZEBRAS

DO Productions Dir: Bruce Beresford Feature

PRE-PRODUCTION CAPE TOWN INTERNATIONAL JAZZ FESTIVAL 2011

Nongoloza

Esp Afrika (Pty) Ltd Prod: Yana Lombard Documentary

Current Affairs Prod: Jane Thandi Lipman Feature

Chabela Day Spa

Palace of the Faithless

Grey Cloud Production Dir: Jacques Brand Information Video

DO Productions Prod: Marlow de Mardt / Brigid Olën Feature

Production Company: White Heron Pictures Dir: Themba Sibeko Feature

CONSERVATION & BEYOND

PASSARES (BIRDISH)

Market Street Productions Prod: Paul Van Zyl Short film

COILED C

Ex Pats

SuitePeople TVP Prod: Bell Curle Documentary DAISY

Bamboo Media (PTY) LTD Dir: Marguelette Louw Feature Film do good design south africa

Concept Interaction Producer: Karl Fedderke Educational ECONOMIC TRANSFORMATION

Gaonakgang Film Productions and Publications Writ: George Phuthiyagae Documentary ESCAPE

Current Affairs Films Prod: Jane Thandi Lipman / Beata Lipman Feature Film

Elegy: forsaken in South Africa

White Heron Pictures / Casa De Criacao Cinema Prod: Themba Sibeko Feature

Holidays for Madmen

RACHELTJIE DE BEER

IMATU UNION VIDEO

RAF INDUCTION VIDEO

LET HEAVEN WAIT

ROAD ACCIDENT FUND INDUCTION

Mandela

Brett Michael Innes Films Producer: Brett Michael Innes Feature Film Panache Video Productions Prod: Liesel Eiselen Corporate Panache Video Productions Dir: Liesel Eiselen Corporate SEBOKENG

MPA (Motswako) Dir: Charls Khuele / Zuko Nodada Feature

Imageworks Prod: Anthony Irving TV Series

FC Hamman Films Prod Man: Odette van Jaarsveld Corporate Video Revolution real entertainment Prod/Dir: Deon Potgieter Sitcom Synergy Films Drama / Documentary MASTERS OF DREAMS

Current Affairs Films / Hambrook Prod: Jane Thandi Lipman Documentary

P R O D U C T I O N U P D A T E S MISTIFY

Gleam studios/ Wilddogs productions Prod/Dir: Sonja Ter Horst / Johnny Swanepoel Independent short film NATIONAL LIBRARY OF SOUTH AFRICA

Panache Video Productions Prod/Director: Liesel Eiselen Genre: Corporate.

Agape

Gabaza Productions Prod: Sarah Ngubeni Magazine Alex: A history from below

Uhuru Productions Dir: Rehad Desai Documentary

EASTERN MOSAIC

Red Carpet Productions Magazine Programme FORMIDABELE VROUE: Martie Meiring

Khaki Productions Dir: Wynand Dreyer Documentary

ALL ACCESS

FORMIDABELE VROUE: Rosa Nepgen

Fireworx Media Pruducer: Dan Jawitz / Philip Roberts Feature

Homebrew Films Prods: Paul Venter/ Hannes van Wyk / Tammy Anne Fortuin Magazine Show

PSALTED

AMBUSH ALLEY

FORMIDABELE VROUE: Rykie van Reenen

RATE MY PLATE

ANIMAL COMMUNICATION

Freedom Park installations

One Last Look

Engage Entertainment Exec Prod: Vusi Zion (previously Twala) Variety International Radio Pictures Exec Prod: Kit Reynolds Community Project

NHU Africa Exec Prod: Vyv Simson / Sophie Vartan Wildlife Documentary

Si-solutions

NHU Africa Exec Prods: Vyv Simson / Sophie Vartan Wildlife Documentary

SA’S GOT TALENT

Steplite Films Dir: Jacqui Logie Tv Series

SAFE IN THE CITY

Seven20 Entertainment Prod: Francois Van Wyk Reality

International Radio Pictures Exec Prod: Kit Reynolds Community Project Rapid Blue Prod/Dir: Kee –Leen Irvine Reality Imani Media.

Comedy

SLENDER WONDER INFORMATION VIDEO

Grey Cloud Productions Dir: Jacques Brand Information Video

SUZUKI “ Braveheart”

Bragge Film & TV Dir: Guy Bragge Commercial

TALK OF THE TOWN

SuitePeople TV Productions Bell Curle TV Series The Black Out

Dithakeng Projects and Flms Exec Prods: Thabang Nkunyane Short Film TO CARE FOR YOU ALWAYS

Noble Pictures Prod: Claudia Noble Short Film TRUE DREAM

Awesome Africa

THE BAR-ONE MANHUNT 2

barbour and thorne: 60 years strong

Our Time Productions Dir: Juan de Meilon Corprate Video

BBC PLANET EARTH LIVE

Wild Images Dir: James Smith, Tim Scoones, Roger Webb Documentary Big Brother StarGame

Endemol South Africa Reality show BINNELAND

e.tv Investigative TV series 50 50

Clive Morris Productions Current Affairs A 400 year old bestseller – The King James Version of the Bible

Eugene Botha Productions / It’s a Wrap Productions Prod: Eugene Botha Documentary

ABC AMERICA NEWS SPECIAL ON MANDELA

Current Affairs Films Prod: Jane Thandi Lipman Feature News Special

Africa Facts Season 3

Lebapi Productions Dir: Daniel Moleabatsi TV Magazine AFRICA 360

eNews News Head: Patrick Conroy Current affairs AFRO CAFÉ SEASON 7

Bonngoe Productions Exec Prod: Pepsi Pokane Music Show

AFRO SHOWBIZ NEWS

SABC News International Exec Prod: Jody-Layne Surtie TVMagazine AFROX AFRICA INSIGHT EPS 4

FC Hamman Films Prod Man: Odette van Jaarsveld Corporate Video

AFROX YEAREND RESULT

FC Hamman Films Prod Man: Odette van Jaarsveld Corporate Video

FRENZY

Red Pepper Pictures Prod: Palesa Mopeli Variety GENERATIONS

Morula Pictures Exec Prod: Mfundi Vundla Soapie GETROUD MET RUGBY SEASON 4

Bottom Line Productions Dir: Jozua Malherbe Series

GNLD AFRICA CONVENTION

FC Hamman Films Prod: FC Hamman Corporate Video Gospel GOLD

Bonisanani

HEAVEN – Africa

Kagiso TV Talk Show

Firefly Animation Studio Exec Prod: Antony Steel Short Films Modern Times Prods: S Phirippides / J Pienaar Documentary Child Geniuses

3RD DEGREE

Firefly Animation Prod: Ant Steel Animation Short

GROEN

Firefly Animation Prod: Ant Steel Animation Short

Carte Blanche (inserts)

Urban Brew Talk Show

Freeway Frog

Bopsy Bunny

VKB LANDBOU BEPERK

3 Talk

Kevin Harris Productions Dir: Nadiva Schraibman Documentary

Engage Entertainment Exec Prod: Vusi Zion (previously Twala) Music Show

BOPSY BUNNY

IN PRODUCTION

Khaki Productions Dir: Wynand Dreyer Documentary

Stark Films Dir: Danie Joubert TV Drama

South African Great Movies Production Dir: John Wani Feature FC Hamman Films PM: Odette van Jaarsveld Corporate Video

Khaki Productions Dir: Wynand Dreyer Documentary

Talent Attack TV / Fuel Media Productions Prod: Paul Llewellyn Documentary Series Club Culture

Bonngoe Productions Prod: Tumi Rabanye Variety The Communist Republic of South Africa

Jam TV, Creative South Africa, Nkhanyeti Production Prod: Barthelemy Ngwessam Documentary

Codesign – commercial spot for furniture designers

SWiTCH Dir – James Tayler Commercial

Cooking With Siba

Prod: Siba Mtongana Variety Cool Cats

Red Pepper Exec Prod: Cecil Berry Children’s Show CORTEX MINING

FC Hamman Films PM: Odette van Jaarsveld Corporate Video Come Dine with Me South Africa

Rapid Blue Prod: Kee-Leen Irvine Reality Cutting Edge

SABC News Current Affairs

DADDY’S MESS

Dzunde Productions Prod: Thandiwe Mashiyane TV Sitcom DIY Met Riaan

Prod: Riaan Venter-Garforth Magazine

Homebrew Films Prod: Jaco Loubser Wildlife Two Oceans Production Prods: Giselher Venzke / Bertha Spieker Feature

Maggs on Media

eNews Prod: Jeremy Maggs Current Affairs

Million Dollar Race

PEACE PARKS

NHU Africa Exec Prods: Vyv Simson/ Sophie Vartan Wildlife Documentary Series

Two Oceans Production Prods: Giselher Venzke / Bertha Spieker Feature

POPCRU 7TH CONGRESS

MK Campus

POWER COMBAT ZONE

Prods: Michael Mol Magazine

Homebrew Films Prods: Jaco Loubser / Ben Heyns Student Show

HOUSE CALL

Montana 2

Project MV

Imizwilili

MOTSWAKO

Red Bull Beat Battle

MUVHANGO

REDI ON MZANSI

MZANSI INSIDER

Religion and the ANC

Hectic 99

Okuhle Media Prod: Wilna van Schalkwyk Magazine Show Hello Doctor

Izwe Multimedia / Urban Brew Series Prod: Annalie Potgieter Live Medical Talk Show

Penguin Films Exec Prods: Roberta Durrant Drama Series

Inkaba

Carol Bouwer Productions Prod: Vesko Mrdjen Talk Show

INSIDE STORY

Word of Mouth Prod: Pieter Grobbelaar Feature

ISIDINGO

Bonngoe Productions Exec Prod: Pepsi Pokane TV Magazine

Ukhamba Communications Music Urban Brew Studios Prod: John Kani Telenovela Curious Pictures / Discovery Channel Dir: Rolie Nikiwe Feature Endemol South Africa Dirs: Raymond Sargent / Johnny Barbazano Daily TV Drama JOU SHOW MET EMO en Wickus

Homebrew Films Prod: Jaco Loubser Variety Show Jam Alley

Red Pepper Prod: Melody Xaba Game Show

Music Moves Me

Live

Urban Brew Music Show Live Lotto Show

Urban Brew Game Show

Imani Media Prod: Bruce Townsend TV Series Eugene Botha Productions / It’s a Wrap Productions Prod: Eugene Botha Documentary

RHYTHM CITY INTERACTIVE

Nigcomsat – television commercial series

Rivoningo

eNews Prods: Nikiwe Bikitsha Current Affairs

Laugh out Loud

Urban Brew Prod: Enel Viljoen Reality

Fly on the Wall Prods: Filipa Domingues Corporate

News Night

Tom Pictures / Authentic Images Comedy

Khumbul’ekhaya

Zen Crew Prod: Laura Tarling Music Video

RHYTHM CITY

Judge For You Self

Exec Prod: Rapulana Seiphemo Comedy

Mixed Motion Entertainment Dir: Dieter Gottert Sport – Martial Arts & Combat

Engage Entertainment Exec Prod: Vusi Zion (previously Twala) Music Show

SWiTCH Prod: Sarah Wanjiku Muhoho Commercial

eNews Current Affairs

FC Hamman Films Prod Man: Odette van Jaarsveld Corporate Event

Curious Pictures Prod: Yula Quinn Soapie

Curious Pictures / e.tv Prod: Viva Liles-Wilkin Interactive Platform Media

Asi-B Films Exec Prod: Asivhanzi ‘Asi’ Mathaba Kids ROCKING FUTURE

ONS MENSE

Summertime Productions Prods: Sean Gardiner / Tanya Vandenberg Educational Video

OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS

Homebrew Films Prod: Jaco Loubser Cooking Show

Nomzamo

Homebrew Films Prod: Jaco Loubser Current Affairs

ROER

Plexus Films Prod: Miki Redelinghuys Corporate Film

Roots

PASELLA

SANPARKS YOUTH & PARKS

Tswelopele Productions Insert Dirs: Liani Maasdorp / Werner Hefer TV Magazine Programme

Ukhamba Communications Music Show Francois Odendaal Productions Prod/Dir: Francois Odendaal Genre: Natural History TV Series

July 2012 | SCREENAFRICA | 45

P R O D U C T I O N U P D A T E S SCANDAL

TOP SHAYELA

Bitter Root

SELIMATUNZI

Top 10 at 10

BLITZ PATROLLIE

Ochre Moving Pictures Series Prod: Romano Gorlei Daily TV Soap Sikhoyana Productions Prod: Baby Joe Correira variety series SAKEGESPREK MET THEO VORSTER

Dirk Mostert Camera Production Dir: Dirk Mostert Talk Show Ses’khona

Tswelopele Productions Prod: Phuthi Ngwenya Magazine

Siyakholwa – We Believe

X CON Films Dir: Munier Parker Edutainment

Sony Presents Mgongo

Sony Variety

Spirit Sundae

New Wave Productions Prod: Mishkah Roman-Cassiem Spiritual STRANDED

NHU Africa Exec Prods: Vyv Simson / Sophie Vartan Wildlife Documentary STUDIO 53

M-Net Inhouse Productions Insert Dir: Navan Chetty Mag Programme TASOL “Old Geezer”

Bragge Film & TV Dir: Guy Bragge Commercial

Spectro Productions Dirs: Luhann Jansen / Andries van der Merwe/ Leroux Botha/ Isabel Smit TV Drama WEEKEND LIVE When The World Was Here

Why are We so Angry?

Fuel Media Productions Dir: Scott Smith, Shaft Moropane Documentary Series Why Poverty?

STEPS International Exec Prod: Don Edkins Documentary Series Wicket to Wicket

SABC3 Lefa Afrika Magazine

Workers World Series

Cape Town Television Prod: Sharon McKinnon TV Series WORLDSOUTH

Leago Afrikan Arts Foundation Dir: Sakhile Gumbi Documentary Xihlovo

Grace Bible Church Religion

Imageworks Dir: Kerry Negara Documentary Diprente Films Prod: Kagiso Lediga Feature BUA NNETE

Owami Entertainment Dir: Charles Khuele Short Film Calafornia: Valley Christian School Transformation

Media Village Prod: Diane Vermooten Documentary DEAR SISTER

Media Village Prod: Debbie Matthee Short Film DRAGON’S FEAST 3D

NHU Africa Exec Prods: Vyv Simson / Sophie Vartan Wildlife Documentary ERFSONDES

Imani Media Dir: Peter Heaney TV Drama FROM GUN TO TAPE

Content House/Shadow Films Producer / Director: Jackie Lebo/ David Forbes Documentary HARTLAND

Bottomline Entertainment / Fix Post Production Michael Modena TV Drama Hong Kong

Media Village Prod: Diane Vermooten Documentary IQILI

Impucuzeko Prod: Sharon Kakora Feature Israel Inside (Working Title)

Imagination Productions / Wayne Kopping Films Dir: Wayne Kopping Documentary Kemang?

lmol Production Dir: Lizzy Moloto Feature Film JULIUS HAS A DREAM

SABC Commissioning Ed: Dinah Mahlabegoane Variety

Yilengelo Lakho

Creative South Africa, Nkanyethi Productions,Jam TV Prod: Bathelemy Ngwessam Documentary

The Chat Room

Zone 14

The Bomb Shelter Prod: Angus Gibson Drama

Launch of the Academy of Young SA Scientists

The B-Ball Show

Eclipse Prod: Thokozani Nkosi Talk Show

The Justice Factor

eNews Exec Prod: Debbie Meyer Current Affairs THE RUDIMENTALS

Periphery Films Prod: Simon Taylor Feature Documentary

THE STORY OF LITTLE FOOT

Paul Myburgh Film Prod: Paul Myburgh Documentary

The Tech Report

Greenwall Productions Exec Prod: Nicky Greenwall Magazine THE WILD

Magic Factory Exec Prod: Bobby Heaney Daily TV Soap TRANSFORMATION STORIES

Media Village Productions Dir: Diane Vermooten Documentary

THE TRANSPORTERS

Sukuma Media/ Reality Motion Pictures Dir: Bonginhlanhla Ncube Documentary THERE ARE NO HEROES

AFDA Cape Town Dir: Kyle Stevenson Science Fiction TOP BILLING

Tswelopele Productions Prod: Patience Stevens TV Magazine

46 | SCREENAFRICA | July 2012

VILLA ROSA

Soccer zone

Spoon Fed Generation Lerato Letebele Talk show

us on

FC Hamman Films Prod: FC Hamman Corporate Video

Fuel Media Productions Dir: Mzilikazi Kumalo Documentary Series

The Cypher

SCREENAFRICA

Verraaiers (Traitors)

SABC News Current Affairs

SABCSports Head: Sizwe Nzimande Magazine

tel: 0860 111 553 fax: +27 11 706 7949 bookings@generalpost.co.za www.generalpost.co.za after hours emergency number: 076 225 9173

Fuel Media Productions Dir: Ben Brewster Dance Reality show

Soccer 411

Engage Entertainment Exec Prod: Vusi Zion (previously Twala) Magazine

ALSO offering flexible, cost-effective post-production solutions for the commercials industry

Turn It Out

VKB BRANDING LAUNCH

Red Pepper Pictures Prod: Vuyo Sokupa Variety

editors * researchers * animators * visual effects artists storyboard artists * directors * sound engineers * writers post-production producers & supervisors

NHU Africa Exec Prods: Vyv Simson / Sophie Vartan Wildlife Documentary

Shift

SISTERHOOD

the finest freelance post-production & creative crew

TOUCHING THE DRAGON

White Heron Pictures/Film Factory / Bos Bok Ses Films / Spier Films Dir: Paul Eihlers Drama

Urban Brew Talk show

general post

Don’t Look Down Radio/TV Simulcast

Red Pepper Pictures Prod: Allen Makhubele Variety

SHIZ NIZ

Unit C5 RobeRtville Mini FaCtoRies 255 nadine stReet RobeRtville RoodepooRt 1709

Curious Pictures / Vuzu Prod: Khobi Ledwaba Reality Magazine Series

Prod: Nndanganeni Mudau Current Affairs

POST-PRODUCTION 4LIFE NETWORK

Bragge Film& TV Dir: Guy Bragge

Infomercials A BUSHMAN ODYSSEY

Onetime Films Prod: Richard Wicksteed Documentary AFRICA CALLING

Two Oceans Production Prods: Giselher Venzke / Bertha Spieker Feature AFROX CO2 PLANT

FC Hamman Films Prod Man: Odette van Jaarsveld Corporate Video AFROX SHEQ INDUCTION

FC Hamman Films Prod Man: Odette van Jaarsveld Commercial ALL’S FAIR

PianoJ Productions Prod: Pia van Rensburg Short Film AMBASSADOR II

Two Oceans Production Prods: Giselher Venzke / Bertha Spieker Feature Animal Doctor (Working Title)

Animal Doctor cc.

Prods: Greg Simpson, Jonty Acton TV Series Bally Cullen Guesthouse Ad

Panache Video Productions Prod: Liesel Eiselen Corporate

Panache Video Productions Prod: Liesel Eiselen Documentary

LIFE UNDER THE FLAG

Lifeundertheflag.Com Prod: Prince Angelo Doyle Documentary LION’S TRACK

Two Oceans Production Prods: Giselher Venzke / Bertha Spieker Feature MARRY – ANN

Shadow Films Dir: David Forbes Documentary

Melodi Jazz Festival 2011

L. Dukashe Productions Dir: Lumko Dukashe Live Concert DvD

National Heritage Council Educational Outreach Programme

Panache Video Productions Exec Prod: Amos Mlaudzi Corporate PERFECT SHISHEBO

Curious Pictures Prod: Nthabiseng Mokoena AFP – Cooking Show PURPLE TOWN

Sukuma Media Dir: Bonginhlanhla Ncube Documentary RESTYLE MY STYLE

Curious Pictures Prod: Anita van Hemert Children’s Programming River of Stones

Prod: Wiseman Mabusela Documentary SA JUNIOR MASTERS

Our Time Productions Dir: Jaun de Meillon Series on SuperSport

P R O D U C T I O N U P D A T E S SCAREDYKAT

90 PLEIN STREET III

IMATU 3 DAY CONGRESS

SCHOOL E-WASTE INITIATIVE/ DESCO/ INCREDIBLE CONNECTION

AFRICA CALLING

Israel Inside: How a Small Nation Makes a Big Difference

Dirty Soul Productions Dir: Kyle Lewis Horror Feature Film

Philip Schedler Productions Prod: Philip Schedler Corporate SLENDER WONDER

FC Hamman Films Prod Man: Odette van Jaarsveld Corporate Video South african Field Band Foundation Championships

Panache Video Productions Prod: Liesel Eiselen Documentary STETSON HATS

Fourth Dimension Films / Creative Photo Services Dir: Neil Hermann Corporate Stolen Time

Prod: Eric Myeni Feature

Tanzanian Investment Opportunities

Benchmark Productions Dir: Dermod Judge Corporate TASTE OF RAIN

Luna Films / On Land Productions Prods: Bridget Pickering / Richard Pakleppa Feature Technology Innovation Agency CEO Address

Panache Video Productions Prod: Liesel Eiselen Corporate Technorati

Talent Attack TV / Fuel Media Productions Dir: Maxine Nel Technology Magazine Show The Animal Communicator

NHU Africa Exec Prods: Vyv Simson / Sophie Vartan Wildlife Documentary TREASURE GUARDS

Tandem Communications Exec Prod: Jonas Bauer / Rola Bauer Feature Triple O

Monarchy Prod: Mosibudi Pheeha Feature TRUE DREAM ( Revised Version)

South African Great Movies Production Dir: John Wani Feature Film

Vallejo Transformation

Media Village Prod: Diane Vermooten Corporate Vehicle 19

Forefront Media Group / Pictue Tree / The Safran Company Exec Prod: Paul Walker Feature VERITAS

Media Village Prod: Debbie Matthee Documentary WALKING IN VICTOR’S SHOES

Current Affairs Films SA Prod: Jane Thandi Lipman Feature Documentary WELLBODI BIZNES

Plexus Films / Four Corners Media Prod: Miki Redelinghuys Documentary WOLWEDANS IN DIE SKEMER

The Film Factory Dir: Jozua Malherbe Movie ZAMA ZAMA

Kokamoya Productions Prod: Bertus van der Walt Feature ZION

Letcosmart Prod: Zibusiso Nkomo Feature

COMPLETE 4PLAY: SEX TIPS FOR GIRLS III

Curious Pictures Prod: Stephane Coetzee Drama

Born Free Media Exec Prod: Carolyn Carew TV Series Two Oceans Production Prods: Giselher Venzke / Bertha Spieker Feature

FC Hamman Films Prod Man: Odette van Jaarsveld Three-day Corporate Event

AFRI-INFRA OVERVIEW 2010

Jerusalemonlineu Prod: Raphael Shore Documentary

AFROX AFRICA INSIGHT EPS 3

ZG Films Prod: Javed Jafferji Documentary

Panache Video Productions Dir: Adele de Klerk Corporate FC Hamman Films PM: Odette van Jaarsveld Corporate Video

All the president’s ELEPHANTS

NHU Africa Exec Prods: Vyv Simson / Sophie Vartan Wildlife Documentary Angels Of The Sky

CDS-Films Exec Prods: Chris Dos Santos, Andrew MacDonald Feature Film AYESAN – FIGHT TO LOSE

SMS Multimedia Inc Dir: Seyi Specialborn Akanbi Feature

AWOYE – RETRIBUTION

Sms Multimedia Line Prod: Temitope Akanbi Feature CHAMELEON

NHU Africa Exec Prod: Sophie Vartan Wildlife Documentary CHEETAH DIARIES 3

NHU Africa Exec Prod: Vyv Simson / Sophie Vartan Wildlife Documentary Child On-Line Protection Week

Imageworks Dir: Anthony Irving TV ad

CHINESE SCHOOL, PRETORIA

Video clip productions/Panache video productions.

Prod/ dir Rudi Kruger/Liesel Eiselen.

Corporate.

DANGEROUS TRAILS – ELEPHANTS IN THE MINEFIELDS

NHU Africa Exec Prod: Sophie Vartan Wildlife Documentary

Dept of Social Development Congress

FC Hamman Films Prod Man: Odette van Jaarsveld Three-day corporate event DUMISANI FILM TOUR

Creative Pictures / Genius Productions Dir: Vusi Dumisani Nhlapo Documentary ENDANGERED

NHU Africa Exec Prod: Sophie Vartan Wildlife Documentary Series Evocative AfricaVentures of Discovery

Clifton Publications Gerald Cubitt Photographic book publication FIRESTONE

Street Smart Creative DOP: Peter Palmer Commercial Food with Friends

Studio Republic Prod: Darren Kerr Talk Show

Free State Balloon Fiesta

Imageworks Prod: Anthony Irving Corporate

JAM ALLEY CREW VS CREW SEASON 2

Red Pepper Pictures Prod: Melody Xaba Music Reality Competition

GLAMOUR – THE REALITY BEHIND DREAMS

ZG Films Prod: Javed Jafferji Feature GULUVA

BIP Films Dir: BI Phakathi Feature Film I Am Woman – Leap of Faith

Plexus Films and Lisa Chait Prod: L Groenewald, M Redelinghuys, L Chait Television Series

JOURNEY TO STATE HOUSE

JOURNEY INTO WILDERNESS

Tekweni TV Productions Prod: Sandra Herrington Documentary KAN EK SO LEEF

Liquid Gate Creative Studios Prod: Kobus Swart Music Video Ke mo fumane

StreTalk Productions Bobby Mokhema TV drama KING NAKI

Events | JULY Ends 10 Jul

African News Innovation Challenge

Africa www.africanmediainitiative.org

Ends 8 Jul

National Arts Festival

Grahamstown www.nationalartsfestival.co.za/

Ends 5 Jul

Celludroid Mach III The 3Rd Sci-Fi/ Anime/ Fantasy Film Festival

Cape Town www.celludroid.net

7 – 15

Zanzibar International Film Festival

Zanzibar www.ziff.or.tz/

15 – 19

IAMCR (International Association For Media and Communication Research) 2012 Conference

Durban http://iamcr.org/

19 – 29

Durban International Film Festival

Durban www.cca.ukzn.ac.za

Plexus Films Prod: Miki Redelinghuys Documentary

20 – 23

Durban Filmmart

Durban www.durbanfilmmart.com

Lepelle Northern Water

20 – 24

Talent Campus Durban

Durban www.cca.ukzn.ac.za

29 – 29

The African Audio-Visual Awards (TAVA)

Nigeria www.tava-awards.com/

SummerTime Productions Prod: Sean Gardiner Corporate

Lepelle Water Safety Induction

SummerTime Productions Exec prod: Elaine Tribe Corporate

AUGUST

Mad Buddies

Keynote Films Exec Prod: Helena Spring Feature MATRIX, KLAS VAN 2011

Laurie Botha Entertainment Dir: Laurie Botha Reality

MENTALIST MARTIAL ARTS

Panache Video Productions Dir: Ryan Blumenthal Training

Mutshenzhe Dzivha Production

24 – 26

Edinburgh International Television Festival 2012

Edinburgh www.mgeitf.co.uk

29 – 30

Mobile Entertainment Africa Conference 2012

Cape Town http://entertainment-africa.com/wp/registration/

SEPTEMBER

Exec Prod: Walter Gumbu Feature Film

15 – 23

Creative Week Cape Town

Cape Town www.theloerieawards.co.za/

My Perfect family

18 – 23

Africa In The Picture Film Festival

Amsterdam http://africainthepicture.nl

21 – 23

The Loerie Awards

Bunt Onion Productions Prod: Rethabile Ramaphakela Comedy National Heritage Council Educational Outreach Programme

Cape Town

http://www.theloerieawards.co.za/default. aspx?link=awards_background

PASEKA EASTER ELEPHANT

OCTOBER

Pananche Video Productions Documentary

NHU Africa Exec Prods: Vyv Simson / Sophie Vartan Wildlife Documentary PROGRESS

Periphery Films Dir: Simon Taylor Feature Documentary

1–4

SABA AGM

Namibia

13 – 21

Fcat Córdoba African Film Festival

Spain www.fcat.es/FCAT_en/

Summertime Productions Prod: Sean Gardiner / Tanya Vandenberg Educational Video

18 – 28

15th UNAFF (United Nations Association Film Festival)

Palo Alto, Stanford University, East Palo Alto and San Francisco www.unaff.org/2012/

SAVING RHINO PHILA

19 – 21

Citizen Jane Film Festival

Columbia, Missouri www.citizenjanefilm.org/

ROCKING FUTURE

NHU Africa Exec Prods: Vyv Simson / Sophie Vartan Wildlife Documentary Shoprite Showcase

SummerTime Productions Exec prod: Janine Truter Corporate Sweet Serinity

Our Time Productions Dir: Juan de Meillon Corprate

25 – 2 Nov

Africa in Motion Film Festival

Edinburgh

30 – 31

Ip&Tv Me And North Africa 2012

Dubai http://iptv-mea.com/

31 – 2 Nov

Discop Africa

Johannesburg www.discop.com/ci/pages/show/da7_index_en

TERMINATRYX – “Midnight” (The Awakening Remix)

Flamedrop Productions Prods: Paul André Blom, Sonja Ruppersberg Music Video TIMELAPSE

Team GR8 (for 48 HFP) Writers: Carl Roddam / Deon van der Merwe Short Film THE BETRAYAL

Shakarny Inovations Prod: James Kingston Feature THE MEDUPI WAY

Panache Video Productions Exec Prod: Adele De Klerk Corporate

TOUCHING LIVES SEASON 2 GHANA

WEC Projects Corporate Video

Supreme Launch Video (Joe Public)

YOUR LOVE NEVER FAILS: FRED DE MEILLON

Launch Factory Dir: Spero Patricios TV Series

Fuel Media Productions Dir: Paul Llewellyn Corporate

PSP Productions Dir: Philip Schedler Corporate

Our Time Productions Dir: Juan de Meillon Corprate

VISCOUNT DOWN

Msasa Enterprises Dir: Harmon Cusack Feature

Screen Africa relies on 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 July 2012 | SCREENAFRICA | 47

Social | Mad Buddies première

Executive Producer of Mad Buddies, Helena Spring with the Loco VFX team

Director Gray Hofmeyr

Loco VFX meets Christine Service of The Walt Disney Company Africa

Music composer Ed Jordan

Encounters, Johannesburg

The cast of Mad Buddies Leon van der Merwe with Saying Goodbye director Izette Mostert

GFC signs MoU with FPB

Encounters’ Nodi Murphy, Mandisa Zitha, Lesedi Moche and Steven Markovitz

Kathy Pienaar, Oloff Bergh and Kira Ivanoff (Saving Rhino Phila)

FPB COO Mmapula Fisha and GFC acting CEO Mzwandile Masina

Carte Blanche’s BHP Billiton Medical Centre handover ceremony Photos by Simba Nyamukachi

Photos by Simba Nyamukachi

H.O.P.E’s debut music video launch

Xoliswa Makhasi (FPB) with the GFC’s Zizi Kodwa and Tumi Ntshingila

Maxwell Motaung

Brian “Bob” Tiribabi, Suzana Dhlabo, Dineo Trish Mongae and Sello “Smug” Dhlabo

House Music Duo Krosfaderz, with H.O.P.E (centre) 48 | SCREENAFRICA | July 2012

H.O.P.E (centre) with Princess, Andile and Nosipho Mtakati

Matshepo Mothlanthe, Lesego Moagi, Zohrah Nxumalo and Lerato Kedijang

DJ Silent K

Bongani Bingwa

Dr Xolani Mkhwanazi (chairman – BHP Billiton)

Karolina Andropoulos, Nomsa Dlamini and Koo Govender

Jon Sparkes, Nikola Vrahimis, Derek Watts and Gerri Bouwer

| Social Cannes International Film Festival

SA producer Helena Spring, Swedish producer Jan Blomgren and the NFVF’s Clarence Hamilton

NFVF’s Carla de Gavino Dias, Karen Son and Lerato Mokopanele

Actor / comic David Kau

Actor / comic Kagiso Lediga

NFVF’s Thandeka Zwana and Naomi Mokhele

SABC3 Winter Press Screening

Sketch U Later’s Bruce Little, Ntokozo Mbuli, Danilo Antonelli, Genna Lewis, Clive Morris, Michelle Ayden and Jo Galloway

TV Plus’ Mique van der Merwe and Isidingo star Ashish Gangapersad

Zahara concert

Business coach Greg Mason with Standard Bank’s Laura Douglas and Marius le Roux

Isidingo star Tema Sebopedi with Thabiso Sekhula from True Love

Photos by Kobus Loubser

Photos by Simba Nyamukachi

SuperSport’s Olympics launch

SuperSport CEO Happy Ntshingila

Lungelo

Arthur Mafokate with daughter

Former Olympic 400m hurdles athlete Llewellyn Herbert

South African marathon runner and current Olympic hopeful René Kalmer

The Olympic Games mascot with a statue mime

SA Olympic athletes Kylie-Ann Louw and Janine van Wyk (Banyana Banyana), cyclist Sifiso Nhlapo, walker Marc Mundell, René Kalmer and boxers Sihpiwe Lusizi and Ayabonga Sonjica

Clive Mathibe, Motlatsi Motsilanyane and Lebo Toko

Carol Khasa, Dan Khasa, Khutso Sibanyoni, Mandisa Nombembe and Bongi Mandla

Lungile Mnisi and Jay Badza

New Moves | Dreyer appointed NBC CTO South African broadcast engineer Aldred Dreyer has been appointed chief technology officer (CTO) of the Namibian Broadcasting Corporation (NBC).

Dreyer, a PRINCE2 practitioner and holder of a B-Tech in Electrical Engineering, has 14 years of experience in the South African broadcast and signal distribution industries. Before joining the NBC, Dreyer worked as Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT) project manager at the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC).

His duties included planning for the SABC’s digitalisation and managing the DTT trials. He also

assisted with the SASBC’s turnaround strategy “Enhanced Content Planning Business Process” project and designed the central planning unit functions and structure with the stream leads.

Before joining the SABC in 2002, Dreyer worked for South African signal distributor Sentech, where he had the opportunity to investigate video compression and DTT. “NBC has a lot of potential and if we all work together to fix the corporation we can turn it into the leading multi-media public broadcaster of choice on the African continent,” says Dreyer.

Advertisers List | AJA Video Systems.......................13 Atlas Studios..................................45 Avmark Systems ..........................44 Black Ginger.....................................3 Blackmagic Design..........................9 Blade bfx.........................................11 Case Connection, The ................44 Durban Film Festival..........23 – 26 Durban FilmMart................20 – 21 General Post..................................46 Howard Music...............................44 IBC................................. OBC IDC..................................................27

Jasco...................................................2 Jaycor...............................................38 LaserNet.........................................37 Macro Video............................ 39, 41 M-Net TAG.....................................17 MultiChoice................. FDPS Neotel...............................FC Neotel.............................................34 Obeco..............................................36 Panasonic..........................................7 Pro-Sales.........................................35 Sony.................................................15 Vision Cases .................................46

July 2012 | SCREENAFRICA | 49

RAIAmsterdam Amsterdam RAI

RAI Amsterdam

Conference6-11 6-11 September September Conference September:: Exhibition Exhibition7-11 7-11 September Conference 6-11 September : Exhibition 7-11 September

IBC2012 IBC2012 Discover More Discover More Discover More IBC2012 Discover More RAI Amsterdam

Conference 6-11 September : Exhibition 7-11 September

is at the cutting-edge of new technology in the IBC is at theIBC cutting-edge of new technology in the rapidly evolving electronic media industry.

It couples rapidly evolving electronicofmedia industry. Itincouples IBC is at theacutting-edge new technology the of comprehensive exhibition covering all facets arapidly comprehensive exhibition covering all facets of evolving electronic media industry.

It couples today’s industry with a highly respected peer reviewed today’s industry with athat highly respected peer reviewed conference helps shape the way theof industry a comprehensive exhibition covering all facets conference that helps in shape the way the industry will develop the future. today’s industry with a highly respected peer reviewed will develop in the future. conference that helps shape the way theinindustry IBC is at the cutting-edge ofanew the including: Take advantage of varietytechnology of extra special features will develop in the future. rapidly evolving electronic media industry. It couples

• IBC Production Village • Future Zoneof extra special features Take advantage of a variety including: a comprehensive exhibition covering all facets of presenting the latest camera showcasing the latest developments Take advantage of a variety of extra special features including: today’s industry with a highly respected peer reviewed in broadcast technology technology in a purpose built environment Village that helps shape the way the industry Future Zone IBC Production •conference • • Future Zone • IBC Connected World • IBC Production Village showcasing thethe latest developments presenting the latest camera will develop in future. including demonstration area presenting• the IBClatest Awards Ceremony showcasing latest developments camera in broadcastthe technology technology in a purpose built in Hall 14 acknowledges those who have made in broadcast technology technology in a purpose built environment a real contribution to the industry IBC Connected World •Take advantage of•aIBC variety of extra special features including: Big Screen environment hosted on Sunday 9 September • IBC Connected World thearea including demonstration providing perfect platform • IBC Awards Ceremony • Future Zone • IBC Production Village in Hall 14demonstration acknowledges those who have made including area demonstrations • IBC Awards Ceremony for manufacturer showcasing the latest developments presenting the latestcontribution camera a real to themade industry in Hall 14 acknowledges those who have and the Saturday Night Movie • IBC Big Screen technology a purpose in broadcast technology on built Sunday 9 September a realinhosted contribution to the industry providing the perfect platform • IBC Big Screen hosted on Sunday 9 September forConnected manufacturer demonstrations environment • IBC World providing the perfect platform and thedemonstration Saturday Night including area Movie • IBC Awards Ceremony for manufacturer demonstrations acknowledges those who have made in Hall 14 and the Saturday Night Movie a real contribution to the industry

• IBC Big Screen providing the perfect platform for manufacturer demonstrations and the Saturday Night Movie

hosted on Sunday 9 September

www.ibc.org IBC Fifth Floor International Press Centre 76 Shoe Lane London EC4A 3JB UK T +44 (0) 20 7832 4100 F +44 (0) 20 7832 4130 E info@ibc.org

www.ibc.org IBC Fifth Floor International Press Centre 76 Shoe Lane London EC4A 3JB UK www.ibc.org T +44 (0) 20 7832 4100 F +44 (0) 20 7832 4130 E info@ibc.org IBC Fifth Floor International Press Centre 76 Shoe Lane London EC4A 3JB UK T +44 (0) 20 7832 4100 F +44 (0) 20 7832 4130 E info@ibc.org

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