Screen Africa - June 2011

Cannes Lions BROADCAST, FILM, COMMERCIAL, NEW MEDIA & TECHNOLOGY NEWS

www.screenafrica.com

VOL 23 – June 2011 R35.00

PRODUCTION OFFICES

2000 m2 (21500 ft2) of fully equipped production offices which include boardrooms, open-plan offices, kitchens and accounts offices.

7000 m2 (75347 ft2) of high specification soundproof stages spread over four buildings, with dedicated support facilities including greenrooms, wardrobe, rest and dressing rooms.

SOUND STAGES

CREW

A reputable pool of non-unionised technical, creative and business expertise gained by working on international feature films and commercials in both pre- and post-production are just waiting for your call to action.

CONNECTIVITY

Fibre optic network connectivity and the ability to transfer dailies to any part of the world at affordable rates.

POST PRODUCTION

GREEN SCREEN

The largest permanently installed Digi-Green at 60 m x 15 m (49 ft x 97 ft) for any visual effect shoot in South Africa.

CINEMA

A 37-seater 2D / 3D grading cinema available for screenings and grading.

STAR ROOM

Each stage has two furnished luxury star rooms with a queensize bed, make-up station, kitchenette, dining area, work station and a hightech audiovisual lounge area.

LOCATIONS

An endless array of landscapes, architecture and scenery options are all available within a 1-2 hour drive from Cape Town.

2000 m2 (21500 ft2) of stage support which includes star rooms, AD offices, wardrobe offices, make-up rooms and change rooms.

SOUND STAGES SUPPORT

PRODUCTION SUPPORT

Experienced local high-tech service companies, with proven track records, offer a wide variety of production support.

CASTING

South Africa’s mix of ethnicities and cultures mirrors the population of the world. Choose from a wide variety of talent.

ADDITIONAL

Unique ultra-modern localised air-conditioning solutions; internal grid systems for specialised grip solutions able to accommodate fly cameras and flying scenes; 1 MVA backup generators, making the Studios independent of power cuts; 24/7 security with high-end detection systems including camera and fibre optic recording.

Outstanding full audio and video postproduction services are readily available.

FINANCIAL INCENTIVES

Cape Town Film Studios is your onestop shop to film financing in South Africa.

This includes film incentives, equity financing and distribution.

WORKSHOPS

2 x 3150 m2 (33970 ft2) workshops which include art department offices, open workshops, mini-workshops, wardrobe and storage spaces are available for set construction and art department.

Tel: +27 (0)21 843 2400 Email: info@capetownfilmstudios.co.za

www.capetownfilmstudios.co.za

BROADCAST, FILM, COMMERCIAL, NEW MEDIA & TECHNOLOGY NEWS

www.screenafrica.com

VOL 23 – June 2011 R35.00

VOD service to launch in Oct A new television subscription service is promising viewers first-release movies, hit television series and personalised music playlists on demand when it goes commercial in October.

VOD:TV from SouthTel also plans to give local film producers and musicians an alternative platform to distribute and test

‘Hi-Def Cowboy’ comes to SA International digital asset management guru, Bryson Jones, also known as the ‘Hi-Def Cowboy’, will present a session at the Screen Africa Technology + Production Conference on 20 July at the Coca-Cola Dome in Northgate, Johannesburg. The conference runs alongside the biennial Mediatech Africa Advanced Technology Trade Fair (20 – 22 July).

Jones’ company Techworks has built systems for NBC.com, Yahoo Originals, BET, Sony Music Entertainment and Hollywood.TV, and supports or consults for dozens of productions ranging from Celebrity Rehab and Destination Truth, to films like Buena Vista Social Club and 300.

At the conference Jones – to page 44

their products.

The owner and CEO of SouthTel, Oscar Dube, says although loosely based on the model of US Video On Demand (VOD) service Netflix, the model used by SouthTel will be ‘push-based’. This means that, instead of streaming the content to their decoder, it will be ‘pushed’ to the end user at night or at times when there is spare broadband capacity available, “taking away the headache of streaming in a context of limited capacity.”

The content will then be stored on the subscriber’s personal video recorder (PVR) until it is deleted to make way for newer programmes.

Subscribers to VOD:TV will have access to some archived content as part of their subscription, and will pay for premium content such as the

latest movies when they select and push the OK button. The basic subscription fee is projected at no more than R200 per month.

Dube says the PVR recorder was specifically designed for SouthTel and an undisclosed French partner, that will roll out the technology in Europe, since push VOD does not currently exist in this particular format.

The PVR control access system has already been approved by some Hollywood studios to ensure the technology will protect the content from piracy.

Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (ICASA) spokesperson Paseka Maleka says SouthTel VOD: TV was issued with a Class Electronic Communications Service (Class ECS) licence in April 2011. “In terms of – to page 44

The ‘WOW’ factor Johannesburg-based Walking on Water Television (WOWtv) is set to enter South Africa’s commercial satellite pay-TV market before March 2012, as per its licence granted by the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (ICASA) in March this year.

Screen Africa readers may recall that in September 2007 ICASA announced WOWtv as one of five successful applicants (including TopTV and incumbent MultiChoice / DStv) for pay-TV licences. According to WOWtv CFO and cofounder Luyanda Mangquku,

ICASA only awarded WOWtv its licence this year once the broadcaster’s funding had been confirmed.

“We’ve been in existence for five years and have deliberately kept below the radar, drawing lessons from TopTV, which was launched in May last year.

WOWtv learnt that we need to have sufficient capacity before launching – this includes efficient turnaround times for our call centre and for dish / decoder installations,” explains Mangquku.

No launch date has yet been – to page 44

GREAT LINE OF VIEW: General Electric (GE) Line Dance commercial seviced by AFS. See commerecials report page 28

DFM raises African film profile Twenty African projects (10 feature films and 10 documentaries) will be pitched to leading international financiers, sales agents, co-producers and funding organisations from Africa, Asia, Europe, and north America, at the Finance Forum of the 2nd Durban FilmMart (DFM), which takes place in Durban, South Africa from 22 to 25 July.

DFM is a joint venture between the Durban Film Office (DFO) and the Durban International Film Festival (DIFF) created to raise the visibility of projects from the African continent and to create networking opportunities with potential co-producers and other industry players.

Some 126 qualifying projects were submitted for 2011, a

significant increase from 2010’s figure of 76 qualifying projects, 12 of which were selected to participate in the Finance Forum.

DFO CEO Toni Monty stresses that while the DFM partners are keen on growth, the initiative was designed to maintain easy access to financiers and experts.

“Feedback from last year indicated that delegates were most pleased with the intimacy and openness of the market and their ability to have productive meetings with special guests and filmmakers alike. We would not want to see the co-production market get too big too soon as it’s important to ensure that the first few years enable the careful building of strong relationships and business networks.”

This year’s submissions came from 22 African countries including Algeria, Benin, Cameroon, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Egypt, Kenya, Ivory Coast, Morocco, – to page 44

From the editor

The big pay-TV bonanza In this issue we run news of two pay-TV ventures to be launched in South Africa, one in October this year and the other, at an undisclosed date sometime before March 2012. While the prospect of both SouthTel VOD:TV and Walking on Water Television (WOWtv) is obviously great news for the local production industry and bodes for a more competitive pay-TV market, which at the moment has only two players, one-year-old TopTV and the long established MultiChoice (DStv), one can’t help but have a wait and see attitude. Wait and see if the services do actually launch, that is.

This extreme cynicism does not stem from a grotty negative attitude (from a grotty negative person) but from hindsight knowledge of what happened to Super 5 Media (formerly Telkom Media). Along with WOWtv and TopTV, Telkom Media was one of five pay-TV operators announced in September 2007 by the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (ICASA) to be successful in their application for a pay-TV licence. Not long after that, Telkom Media’s overseas partner bailed and Telkom sold its 75% shareholding to Shenzen Media. The pay-TV service was renamed Super 5 Media. More financial troubles followed (and retrenchments) and in March this year, Super 5 Media was granted a third extension to its licence. It now has until August this year to launch its service, but nothing more has been announced.

Positioned as a God-based broadcaster, WOWtv has been around for five years and was only finally granted the ICASA licence in March this year, because it took that long to get the required funding in place. No need to mention that the costs of launching a multichannel satellite pay-TV service are absolutely enormous. WOWtv won’t reveal a launch date but says it’s doing everything in its power to launch as soon as possible.

SouthTel VOD:TV seems to have popped out of nowhere, but hats off to its entrepreneurial founder, Oscar Dube. This video on demand service is based on the model of the US’ Netflix and is promising viewers first-release movies, hit TV series and personalised music playlists.

Screen Africa genuinely wishes both new services all the best and looks forward to seeing them on our screens.

Cannes Lions This year Screen Africa will be distributed at the Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity, which takes place in Cannes, France from 19 to 25 June. Cannes Lions is regarded as one of the top advertising festivals / competitions in the world, and a perfect place for South African productions companies and service companies to market their wares.

On pages 28 to 30 you will read a report on the local commercials industry which has the heartening news that the industry is weathering the recession and that South Africa’s beautiful and diverse locations and highly skilled crews are a big draw card for overseas producers.

Joanna Sterkowicz

Contents

4

6

18

28

SPECIAL FEATURES CANNES LIONS

TELEVISION

TRAINING

The Afrikaans film industry in all

Multi-cam in action......................35

Commercials industry

its glory..........................................10

weathers recession..........28 – 29

A Sony first for SA TV drama...34

BUSINESS

The commercial challenge.........30

SA satire paves the (democratic)

Defining Success...........................37

way..................................................36

DURBAN FILMMART

WILDLIFE

Feature film projects...................24

COMMERCIALS

Boundary? What boundary?...38

Documentary projects................25

Bigger than ads.............................14

Award-winning producer joins

Producers Forum Programme..26

SCREENAFRICA

36

Aquavision......................................39

AUDIO CAMERAS

Sound surfs a wave......................14

AFRICA

Editor: Joanna Sterkowicz: editor@screenafrica.com

Publisher & Managing Editor: Simon Robinson: publisher@screenafrica.com

Different strokes for different folks....................18 – 20

TRACKING TECHNOLOGY

Double shot for director

In-house Journalist: Linda Krige: news@screenafrica.com

Advertisement Sales: Marianne Schafer: marianne@screenafrica.com Hermione Ballinger: hermi@screenafrica.com

The right camera for

Avid Integrated Media Enterprise;

at DIFF............................................40

your budget...................................20

New Ikegami cameras; QTube is

Lesotho film set to stimulate

here; Plain sailing with Lawo......16

local film industry; Doc pitching

Accounts: Marietjie Esterhuizen: accounts@screenafrica.com

NEWS

3D

sessions at ZIFF............................41

‘HiDef Cowboy’ comes to

Keeping both eyes on 3D

Soccer and animation to unlock

Front Office: Delight Ngwenya: adminsa@screenafrica.com

SA; VOD service to launch in

workflow........................................22

mystery of HIV; Tanzanian

Contributors: Andy Stead, Karen van Schalkwyk, Martin Chemhere, Anton Crone, Ian Dormer, Marian Sha, Jakkie Groenewald Sub-Editor: Tina Heron Ratings: Enid Venter enid@ihjohannesburg.co.za Head of Design: Trevor Ou Tim: design@screenafrica.com Website & Production Updates: Anusha Dayal: info@screenafrica.com Subscriptions: Anusha Dayal: info@screenafrica.com

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

filmmaker debuts first feature...42

October, The ‘WOW’ factor; DFM raises African profile........... 1

FILM

Skyf lights up screen; DIFF goes

The critic’s eye view....................32

REGULARS Adcetera............................. 12 / 13

scouting; KykNET’s new ventures............................................ 3

FESTIVALS

Audience Ratings..........................45

Zombies in town; The Cannes

The crème de la crème

Vital Sta’tistiks...............................45

experience....................................... 4

of docs............................................33

Production Updates........46 – 47

Hands up who didn’t watch the Royal Wedding!............................... 6 Hollywood takes on SA health

2 | SCREENAFRICA | June 2011

Dowry for an Angolan short;

issues................................................. 8

Close up.........................................48

| NEWS

Skyf lights up screen South African filmmakers should take a bow as it is extremely difficult to make a film in our industry, let alone secure distribution. Despite this an innovative group of filmmakers known as Easy Sunday Productions recently produced their own feature film.

Skyf (Cigarette) had no formal distribution in place prior to shooting, but the filmmakers decided to go ahead and shoot with their eyes firmly set on creating their own distribution platform.

Producer, writer and lead actor Thapelo Mokoena explains that the film is targeted at the average South African who can’t access or afford the cinema experience. It will be released on DVD. According to Mokoena screenings of the film have proved successful. “There is great hype surrounding the film and we are now engaging with local distributors to screen the film in cinemas nationwide.

But it has been difficult to negotiate with these distributors as they see things from a purely business perspective instead of having a developmental focus that aims to harness and develop local talent.”

Another problem is that there are not enough distributors to meet the growing number of independent productions. Says Mokoena: “The most accessible

sitting at a petrol station smoking a cigarette. I threw my cigarette butt out the car window and it blew towards my open petrol tank. I realised in that moment how you can destroy your life purely from being absent minded.

“Skyf is our first feature film and director Lungelo Mdlalose did a great job. We are currently in development with our second feature which is going to be a fast paced action drama about heritage,” concludes Mokoena.

– Karen van Schalkwyk

KykNET’s new ventures

FIRST FEATURE SMOKIN’ – Filming a scene from Skyf

distribution option for producers is a television licence agreement and we are currently in discussion with a number of broadcasters.”

Skyf is almost 100% funded by the filmmakers. This means that it has no big financial backers except for the Gauteng Film Commission (GFC), which contributed towards post-production.

“Because the film was independently financed we could not afford most of the things we needed to get the film made,” continues Mokoena. “However thanks to everyone’s die hard attitude we were able to do what was needed to see the film

through to a final product.”

All was not plain sailing though. “One night we were shooting interiors and the prop car was broken into and all the props were stolen. But due to the creativity of our crew, we were able to come up with other props. There were also huge time challenges. Continuity of shots was difficult but overall making this film was a whole lot of fun,” comments Mokoena.

Skyf is a story about the lives of several strangers and how they are connected by their common addiction to cigarettes.

“The idea of the film came about in a moment of paranoia. One day I was

DIFF goes scouting at Cannes Organisers of the 2011 Durban International Film Festival (DIFF) attended the recent Cannes Film Festival and Hot Docs in Canada to source the best new feature film and documentary titles from around the world.

DIFF festival manager Nashen Moodley and festival director Peter Rorvik attended Cannes for the third year running. Moodley notes that the 2011 festival felt optimistic. “There seemed to be a feeling that things were getting back to normal after the recession. Certainly the sales agents seemed happy and lots of business was conducted. The Official Selection was very impressive, which set the tone for a fine festival.”

Moodley saw 17 films at Cannes and is delighted to have secured the new South African film, Skoonheid, for DIFF as well as the Russian drama, Elena. Both films were selected for the Un Certain Regard section at Cannes.

Says Moodley “I liked Skoonheid very much. It shows the development of Oliver Hermanus (Shirley Adams) and establishes him as bright talent on the international circuit. Skoonheid won the Queer Palm Award.”

“Elena, directed by Andrey Zvyagintsev, is a murder thriller about a family in contemporary Russia. It’s beautifully done and about loyalty and

YES WE CANNES! – Nashen Moodley

family and greed. I couldn’t understand why this film wasn’t in the main competition at Cannes and neither could many other people.”

There are several Cannes films that Moodley is trying to get for DIFF, such as Woody Allen’s Midnight in Paris and the silent French film, The Artist by Michel Hazanavicius. Moodley continues: “I loved The Artist, it’s really amazing and put a smile on my face. I’m also hoping to get the Dardenne Brothers’ new film, The Kid With a Bike. This is a very humane, beautiful piece of cinema about a little boy whose father has abandoned him, a fact the boy refuses

to accept.

“My favourite film at Cannes was Le Havre (The Harbour) by Finnish filmmaker Aki Kaurismaki. It’s a wonderfully funny but deeply humane film about a shoe shiner in a little seaside town who decides to save a young African refugee from deportation. Le Havre was in official competition but inexplicably did not win any awards.”

Moodley is working hard to secure two Iranian films for DIFF, both by filmmakers facing six-year prison sentences in Iran. There is Good Bye by Mohammad Rasoulof and Jafar Panahi’s This is Not a Film, co-directed by Mojtaba Mirtahmasb. The latter is a documentary about a day in the life of a filmmaker who is not allowed to make films. Another film of interest was the Swedish film, Play, an incredible true story of children in Sweden, by young director Ruben Ostlund.

DIFF’s assistant manager Monica Rorvik attended Hot Docs in Toronto, Canada, where South African filmmaker Ryley Grunenwald’s The Dawn of a New Day premiered.

“We are delighted that Ryley’s film will be one of the many fine South African documentaries to screen at DIFF. I’m currently working on securing a number of other top titles from Hot Docs,” says Rorvik.

Afrikaans-language pay-TV channel kykNET plans to keep spreading its wings beyond television by funding more films for the big screen, following the success of last year’s theatrical release, Die Ongelooflike Avonture van Hanna Hoekom. The next feature project on the cards is Lien se Lankstaanskoene.

Written by Derek van der Walt Lien se Lankstaanskoene tells the story of a poor girl from the platteland who goes to Pretoria where she develops into a beautiful, successful woman. Casting for the production is underway.

Says kykNET GM Karen Meiring: “Our focus for the near future will be on screen adaptations of school set-works. We will choose books that are most suitable for filming and which can be produced within a viable budget. The themes of books are an important selection criteria.”

At this stage kykNET will limit feature film productions to two a year.

Meiring notes that kykNET was also involved in the funding of the feature film spin-off of its popular series, Getroud met Rugby. Season 4 of the series will be produced in 2012.

Although television is kykNET’s core business Meiring says that the channel is about to venture into a new field. “We are planning an Afrikaans film festival in conjunction with Nu Metro Films, to be held at 10 Nu Metro theatres countrywide. This has never been done before. Several films from Afrikaans masters will be screened and we are hoping to get some of the stars of the films to attend the screenings as well.”

The festival is to be held from 4 to 11 August.

In the meantime, film critic Leon van Nierop is working on a kykNET series on the history of the Afrikaans film industry, Daar doer in die Fliek.

It is scheduled to go on air in July this year. (See page 10).

– Jakkie Groenewald June 2011 | SCREENAFRICA | 3

NEWS |

Zombies in town

K

amikaze Motion Pictures recently wrapped shooting its zombie feature film, Rancid.

Producer Ryan Macquet says that based on the international success of Kamikaze’s 2010 release, The Unforgiving, the company decided to do a zombie film.

“The recognition that The Unforgiving gained really inspired us to do another horror film. Alastair Orr, the writer and director of The Unforgiving, had wanted to do a zombie film for some time and asked what kind of zombie movie we would be able to make.

“There are advantages to zombie films, one is that they can be produced cheaply and shot in one location.

Zombie films also have one of the biggest cult followings around the world, which bodes well for distribution.”

Kamikaze was able to secure funds for Rancid from a private investor.

However, Macquet admits that the budget was a challenge. “The most important thing for us was to make the best possible film with what we had available. I think that the problem with most South African features is that they start off with scripts that demand a budget of between R3m and R5m when the filmmakers can only raise R2m.

“With Rancid we knew we had only R250 000 for production and so we wrote the script accordingly. The total budget including post-production, marketing and distribution was R590 000, spread across three phases.”

During the shoot the filmmakers were frustrated by the desire to add more production value and not having the finance to do so. Says Macquet: “For example, we wanted to have 1 000

The Cannes experience

IN DEMAND – Nico Dekker

Nico Dekker made his third consecutive trip to the Cannes Film Festival on behalf of Cape Town Film Studios (CTFS) and reports a buoyant market.

“There was a definite upswing in 4 | SCREENAFRICA | June 2011

business from last year,” says Dekker.

“Even the pessimism that resulted from the demise of the UK Film Council last year has been replaced with optimism now that the British Film Institute (BFI)

rounds of ammunition for our gun sequence when we only had 500. But we made it work.

“Another issue was the length of the shoot. We had enough budget to shoot for 28 days and ended up filming for 31

has taken up those duties. There is even a belief that the situation could be an improvement on the past.

“Sales agents were definitely more open to business and even newcomers to the market found ears more amenable to projects that would not have been considered during the past two years.

Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein described this year’s Cannes as the best in more than a decade.”

Dekker notes that Cannes can be a very confusing market until you establish a profile. “Only after that does it get easier to find people and projects with substance. The great thing about Cannes is that it brings so many real filmmakers together, so you need to set aside five to 10 days for meetings and networking.”

This year Dekker was invited to Cannes as a guest of honour by the Producer’s Network, which led to many discussions regarding specific projects. “I found that producers were tracking me down at the festival to discuss projects initially scheduled for other parts of the world. Some filmmakers from the US and Europe even approached me before Cannes to set up meetings during the festival. There was also interest from producers in India. Film projects under discussion ranged from sci-fi, fantasy to romantic comedies, with budgets from $5m to $15m.”

CTFS worked closely with the

days. This complicated things a little but it was nothing we couldn’t handle.”

Rancid was shot at Kempton Park Hospital. “It has been abandoned since 1996. The place is a mess and yet is a beautiful site for the film we wanted to make. In fact Alastair (Orr) wrote the script in that hospital,” states Macquet.

The film was shot on a Canon 7D which he says is an amazing camera in terms of style and perfectly suited to the required gritty feel.

Like The Unforgiving, Rancid makes use of social media and is being promoted on Facebook. Any information or news updates about the film goes onto its Facebook page.

Although there is no distribution plan in place at the moment, Macquet is confident of the film’s success.

“Rancid was made for the local and international markets so we will definitely be negotiating with South African distributors Ster-Kinekor, Nu Metro and Indigenous Films.

“We wanted to create a unique zombie film, something that steers away from your typical, post apocalyptical brain-eating horde of monsters chasing people. Rancid is very different, a lot more intimate and intricate.”

National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF) using the South African Pavilion at Cannes to host two significant events called ‘South Africa Hour’. Guests were invited for networking sessions and to taste some exclusive South African wines, sponsored and flown in from Distell and Vergenoegd, and snack on canapés.

According to Dekker, The Hollywood Reporter rated CTFS in its last edition. “A representative from another studio asked me: ‘What are you doing to achieve such a high profile?’ It started three years ago with a carefully planned marketing campaign. This consisted of targeting key players in the US and Europe for one-on-one meetings and at the same time building a specific image with the media.

“The experience of hosting the 3D blockbuster Dredd at the end of last year has helped to solidify the promise that CTFS is able to accommodate and service a sizeable high-tech production.

“At the moment we have two international productions working at CTFS, which will be made known shortly. There are also a number of big international productions in the pipeline.

So in spite of the strong rand and our weak incentives (in comparison to our competitors), things are looking extremely buoyant which bodes well for the South African film industry.”

011 313 1622 • www.pansolutions.co.za

NEWS |

Hands up who didn’t watch the Royal Wedding!

Photo by Richard Wise

By Ian Dormer

O

Photo by Steve Wise

ver and above the two billion TV viewers of Kate Middleton’s nuptials to Prince William was an estimated 400 million online users. To put these numbers into perspective, when Prince Charles married Lady Diana Spencer in 1981, it was a monumental occasion, one that attracted 750 million TV viewers.

Thirty odd years ago the Internet was but a pipe dream, so not only was Kate and William’s wedding the biggest event of the digital broadcast age, it was also the most interactive media experience of all time. The young royals chose to reach out to their audience through social media – from a Facebook page to Twitter and various apps that would allow people to watch the wedding on their cell phone, iPad or other devices.

Google and YouTube were the official providers of the live stream of the event, but lots of other online broadcasters climbed aboard the royal bandwagon as well.

Yahoo, for instance, had more than 80 million people click from its home page to special pages dedicated to wedding coverage. The Yahoo stream was provided

by ABC News, which in turn bought the rights from a British provider.

For IP distribution, KIT Digital INC.

6 | SCREENAFRICA | June 2011

Who made the dress? Who did her hair and what about the make-up? Who the heck cares…well about two billion viewers actually! With over 300 international networks covering the ceremony live, The Royal Wedding on 29 April was the biggest TV event in history and William and Kate sure did their part to keep viewers glued to their screens. was a premium provider of the end-toend video technology and services. KIT Platform, the company’s cloud-based solution, helped enterprise, media and entertainment and network operator clients to produce, manage and deliver the multi-screen wedding experiences to audiences wherever they were.

KIT’s content services team captured the raw footage of the Royal Wedding from satellite and then scripted and edited the content into 45- to 90-second clips.

These were localised and translated into 15 languages using the KIT Platform, before being transcoded for distribution across multiple types of video devices (TV, IPTV, PCs, tablet and mobile).

TV coverage From a traditional broadcast perspective, the BBC fed the event to 180 countries.

With 10 000 international reporters and over 200 HD cameras covering the live action, even networks such as CCTV in China, NDTV in India, France 24 and Al Jazeera English ripped up their news schedules to carry the ceremony in real time, in addition to all the main US networks.

Stunning images from within Westminster Abbey through to the view of Buckingham Palace from the cockpit

of the Lancaster Bomber in the flypast, were all part of a massive network of pooled resources from around the globe.

UK- based Canford Electronics manufactured and supplied the vital interconnection equipment which enabled high definition signals (HD) to be routed and transmitted from the outside broadcast trucks onto the broadcast satellites. The firm secured a position at the cutting-edge of broadcast technology after it re-engineered basic connection systems capable of handling the latest generations of HDTV signals.

Canford’s David Holloway said: “It is very satisfying for us to be involved in a unique and historic occasion such as this.

Substantial quantities of our equipment have been employed in the critical broadcast path for many prestigious events in the past, including the last few World Cups and Olympics. But to have our products chosen over all others for the wedding is a real feather in our cap.”

3rd Dimension All this technology, what about 3D? Back in February, BSkyB’s request to film the Royal Wedding in 3D within Westminster Abbey was turned down by

Buckingham Palace as they feared the rigs would be too big and the 3D audience too small. Desperate to get a 3D slice of the pie BSkyB was eventually given permission to film from a few specific positions – outside the Abbey looking straight down the aisle; outside Clarence House to get some of the pageantry from the spectators’ viewpoint; outside Buckingham Palace; looking down the Mall; and at Green Park’s Canada Gate.

In addition there were two time-lapse rigs to cover the assembling crowds on the Mall.

Sky used 3Ality Digital’s rigs with Arri Alexa digital cameras. Filmed on Friday, edited over the May Day weekend and broadcast as The Biggest Day – Highlights from the Royal Wedding in 3D on Tuesday.

Quite a feat!

So who didn’t watch the wedding?

Well, Bloomberg and CNBC preferred to focus on the investigation of Goldman Sachs in the collapse of the credit default swaps market, while Russia Today kept to their own programme schedule. Their highlight of the morning…a documentary called Arctic Circle: Snow Kingdom. Twenty people, five dog teams and nine snowmobiles speeding through Russia’s North towards the Arctic…in comparison to the rest of the world. A Royal pain if you ask me!

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NEWS |

Hollywood takes on SA health issues

By Linda Krige

H

ollywood writers, producers and executives visited South Africa in May as part of efforts to inspire more global health storylines on popular US television shows.

The visitors were Karen Tenkhoff, a development partner at Walt Disney Feature Animation who has worked as producing partner with Robert Redford on films including The Horse Whisperer and The Motorcycle Diaries; Carol Barbee, consulting producer on Hawaii Five-O

HEALTHY DISCUSSION – Sandra de Castro Buffington

and creator of the medical drama Three Rivers; and John Max Burnett III, creator and executive producer of Nickelodeon’s The Troop.

The group was hosted by Hollywood Health & Society (HH&S), a programme of the Norman Lear Center at the University of Southern California, funded by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the National Cancer Institute and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

According to HH&S director Sandra de Castro Buffington the programme is a free service to writers and producers of prime time television and daytime soaps.

It encourages the accurate portrayal of health issues in popular entertainment by offering story ideas, case studies, expert consultations and briefings on health 8 | SCREENAFRICA | June 2011

issues. “Writers always need ideas – that’s why they come to us,” she explained on her recent visit.

Among the shows that have consulted HH&S are not only a host of medical dramas like Grey’s Anatomy, ER and House, but also shows such as Army Wives, Law & Order: SVU and the soap The Bold and the Beautiful.

The programme has been specifically working to inspire more storylines on health issues of a global nature, and has already seen these storylines increase from only nine in 2009 to 27 storylines in 2010 – an increase of 300%. The visit to South Africa, followed by a visit to India, formed part of efforts to inspire a greater focus on diseases like HIV/Aids, TB and malaria by putting writers in touch with issues ‘on the ground’.

To do this the Hollywood contingent visited clinics and hospitals in and around Johannesburg and listened to the personal stories of patients and recovering patients and the staff who treat them, to try and understand the health challenges facing the country and the innovative solutions used to address them.

“We’ve responded most to real stories of people who have really transformed their lives, and we’ve heard some amazing story tellers,” said De Castro Buffington.

“It’s been so inspiring, I’m sure we’re going to see a lot of creative output as a result.”

SA vs Hollywood approach The Hollywood visitors also interacted with the South African educational entertainment industry during a panel discussion at the Market Theatre in Johannesburg on 5 May. The South African industry was represented by Harriet Perlman of the Soul City Institute, Makgano Mamabolo of Puo Pha productions and Harriet Gavshon of Curious Pictures.

During the discussion the different approaches of HH&S and the South

African industry to imparting health messages through entertainment were clear.

“South Africa is a bit of an anomaly in that we show edudrama in prime time.

Some of the best drama on South African television is actually educational,” said Harriet Gavshon, owner and managing director of Curious Pictures, the company behind edutainment hits such as Intersexions and Hopeville.

Intersexions, for example, was produced as an educational drama in partnership with Johns Hopkins Health and Education in South Africa (JHHESA) and SABC Education, with funding from USAID and PEPFAR. In South Africa specific health messages are often carefully researched and worked into scripts while they still aim to make series as entertaining and accessible as possible.

South Africa was chosen as a destination for the HH&S visit partly due to the country’s long history of edutainment. However, De Castro Buffington said that HH&S follows ‘almost the opposite model’ when sending health messages.

While the programme tries to encourage and inspire writers and producers, it has no control over the actual health messages that go out on the shows they work with, since entertainment is the main aim of popular television. For example, while HH&S bought the Hollywood industry experts to South Africa, the visitors are under no obligation to use the material gathered.

“The purpose of the trip was to learn about global health in a local context and hopefully inspire its accurate portrayal in some form,” she explained.

Although entertainment comes first in the Hollywood approach, De Castro Buffington said they have extensive documented proof published in scientific journals of the impact of health messages in popular television. “When health messages are integrated into Hollywood’s riveting storylines, the impact on

knowledge and behaviour is exponentially greater than with traditional public health campaigns.”

Life-saving impact Carol Barbee also testified to the potentially life-saving impact that popular entertainment can have, citing her time as the creator and writer of the medical drama Three Rivers. The drama is set at a transplant hospital and each episode tells the story of organ donation from the perspectives of the donor families, the recipients and the doctors.

“During the time the show was on air the rate of people registering to be organ donors went up nearly 10%, with people documented as saying they signed up to be donors specifically because of what they saw on Three Rivers,” explained Barbee.

The day the network (CBS) called her to say the show was cancelled, she got an email from a woman saying that her daughter had received a heart transplant because the donor (a teenage girl) had watched Three Rivers with her parents the previous week and decided to become an organ donor.

“Our job is to make money for our corporate overlords firstly, then to entertain, not to educate,” said Barbee, “but contrary to popular belief Hollywood is actually filled with people who care deeply and want to make a difference.”

However, during the panel discussion Hollywood and South African industry experts agreed that health messages are strengthened when they are not sent out in isolation.

Harriet Perlman from the Soul City Institute emphasised that for educational drama to promote collective action and social change, it needs to be linked to wider social movements and campaigns for change within society.

De Castro Buffington concluded: “There is more power in acting together than acting alone.”

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B e c a u s e

i t

m a t t e r s .

TELEVISION | A documentary series that explores the Afrikaans film industry from 1896 to the present day will be screened on pay-TV channel kykNET commencing 7 July. The series is titled Daar Doer in die Fliek, which is a tribute to the late Jamie Uys’ iconic film, Daar Doer in die Bosveld.

The Afrikaans film industry in all its glory

By Karen van Schalkwyk

A RICH HISTORY – Leon van Nierop with crew

L

eon van Nierop was brought on board as the researcher, scriptwriter and interviewer for the series, which explores the origins of the Afrikaans film industry, hence the word ‘doer’ in the title.

“It is a nostalgic and appreciative tribute to a time when the Afrikaans (and South African) film industry was finding its feet, technically and artistically,” he says.

Produced by Marida Swanepoel and Christa and Johan Lategan of Diaz Films, Daar Doer in die Fliek consists of 26 x 22-minute episodes. It starts in 1896 with the first ever image of Paul Krüger and moves through the Anglo Boer War ending with the 2011 release, Roepman.

Van Nierop explains how the series originated. “Head of kykNET Karen Meiring heard an award-winning radio programme I did for RSG about the music in Afrikaans films. We got together to talk about Afrikaans films and within half an hour we had the background for a television series that looked at the entire history of Afrikaans cinema.”

To ensure accuracy Van Nierop watched over 200 Afrikaans films over an 10 | SCREENAFRICA | June 2011

eight-month period and talked to more than 70 industry players including directors, actors, writers and stunt performers.

“It took me eight months of total commitment to research this project,” says Van Nierop. “Fortunately I grew up with Afrikaans films so I had seen most of them. I read as much material and articles as I could and watched countless documentaries and interviews.

Cameraman Andre van den Heever and I travelled a total of 3 600kms to interview and film people.”

As there is such a wealth of Afrikaans cinema the filmmakers had to decide what to include in the series and what to leave out. They decided to concentrate on figures that played a leading role and contributed most to the industry.

Van Nierop elaborates that the series is completely uncritical. “I switched off my film critic brain totally and simply looked at what each film meant at the time to South Africa and the industry.”

Rare footage The filmmakers sourced some titles from CARFO Films, which made religious

Afrikaans films in the 1950s and 1960s.

Some of these prints were found in dilapidated school buildings, church halls, private homes and even attics.

Also featured in the series is extremely rare footage of Al Debbo’s first film, Die Wonderwêreld van Kammie Kamfer. “We also found some rare gems like Sarie Marais (1931), the first full length Afrikaans feature film, Moedertjie, and others like Marmerpoel, Die Wildsboudjie and Die Skerpioen. Trevor Moses from the South African archives in Pretoria was a huge help and also served as our script editor,” notes Van Nierop.

Many themes emerged while the series was researched and filmed. Although each theme was explored, the filmmakers found that there was not a specific movement in Afrikaans films such as the French New Wave or American Film Noir. Many filmmakers simply made films for box office purposes.

Says Van Nierop: “In the 1960s Jans Rautenbach dared to challenge the Afrikaner’s view of himself, his religion and politics. Manie van Rensburg did the same in the 1970s, Johan Blignaut in the 1980s and Katinka Heyns in the 1990s.

“There was also an era in the 1960s

when Boer War films dominated, as did army propaganda films in the 1970s with the likes of Kaptein Caprivi, Ses Soldate and Grensbasis 13. Regardt van den Bergh challenged these films with Boetie Gaan Border Toe and Boetie op Manoeuvres in the 1980s. Those were the first ‘cool’ Afrikaans films that gave a new voice to the industry.”

Respect All the people Van Nierop interviewed opened their hearts to him. “I heard the most wonderful stories of what happened behind the scenes of certain iconic films.

These stories evoked deep feelings of nostalgia and respect for pioneers like Pierre de Wet, Manie van Rensburg and Jans Rautenbach. Jans gave a masterful interview of about three hours and we still do not know how we are going to accommodate all his wisdom into a single episode.

“One of the most poignant interviews was with Wynand Uys who talked about his dad, Jamie Uys and the making of Dirkie. We travelled to Hoedspruit to interview him in the bush and he had incredible stories about what happened on set.”

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AD cetera

Report on the South African commercials industry by Anton Crone

Keeping it simple Director Bruno Bossi and producer Kirsten Clarence of Egg Films are a busy team.

They’re finishing a commercial for C Track vehicle tracking systems conceptualised by

Fishgate. Looking at the result so far it’s refreshing to watch an ad that’s so easy to take in. A simple, clear message beautifully presented. But that doesn’t mean it’s simple to produce and I can

see why they’re so busy.

The shoot involved helicopter shots, sweeping landscapes, tracking car shots and drive-bys through forests and city

buildings – and quite a few prayers for the weather to hold out.

After getting the go ahead they had just a week and half to prep before filming. Yet even with little time the only thing they could not control was the weather.

The Big Guy may have answered their prayers in a different way though as the dramatic sky shots and misty forest scenes rock the ad. The CGI, which involves some very complicated tracking and lighting, was so masterfully handled by Cape Town’s Blackginger that it doesn’t intrude and does just what Bossi intended – it adds to the intriguing conceptual hook, seamlessly.

The idea is that, with C Track, your car is always visible.

Interpreted by Bossi, nothing

can hide it – not trees, bridges, tunnels or buildings — and these mysteriously vanish as the car goes by. Simple and intriguing, no doubt it will stand out from the clutter on the tube.

I leave Egg wondering whatever happened to those single-minded briefs? In today’s marketing world the pressure is on to get as much information across as possible, only to the detriment of the communication. There’s only so much a viewer can absorb and, with the incredible variety of channels and programmes, the TV remote is wielded like an executioner’s sword. This ad reminds me just how important it is to be simple and engaging so that the remote stays put.

Here’s to the brave marketers, agencies and production companies who embrace single-mindedness.

continuity. I needed a place that was not too dark and depressing yet had an ethereal quality to it.”

To enhance the sensation of dreams, a misty atmosphere, provided by 400 metres of smoke generating piping, cloaks the scene as the camera searches the landscape finding those remnants of dreams discarded: a grand piano with weathered sheet music slipping to earth; a row of scarecrows cloaked in the garb of an astronaut; a university graduate and a bride; an ancient house; a prancing horse and more.

The visual effects were created

by Joburg VFX shop, Pixomondo. The wardrobe, by

designer Richard de Jager, is a catwalk dream of his own and the art direction of Elmi Badenhorst fuelled more of her own imaginings.

The combination of all this is an enticing commercial ambiguous enough for people to weave their own dreams into the thread of the film and compels them to follow their dreams and live without regret.

“We embrace opportunities to produce unique and powerful work,” says SSC producer, Linda Notelovitz, “Thanks to Alexander Forbes and the Bester Burke team. We are very pleased with the finished product and look forward to people living their dreams.”

Sweet Dreams

TV advertising is going to the dogs

Feelgoodfilms recently made a payment to a Johannesburg couple for the use of their property in an ad filmed by industry veteran, Jeremy Goodall. However, this couple broke the mould by donating every cent to animal shelters.

“I received an email with proof of payments to five different animal shelters, stating that the charities had not been expecting the windfall and that the couple had decided that they would rather pass the money on to animals in need,” says Liza Goodall, producer at Feelgoodfilms. “I was so surprised and touched that in today’s greedy and needy society, there are still people who put others first. Often people talk the talk but rarely ever act and this was a reminder that there are still good people out there. It really lends to everything that we, as a company, stand for.”

Goodall doesn’t just talk the talk either – Feelgoodfilms recently donated money to charity rather than spending it on corporate gifts.

Although the financial problems of these animal shelters are far from over, this story is about more than that. It’s about individuals who simply gave up what they could have easily kept for themselves. It’s about selflessness and kindness and those two qualities reveal the gentler and often forgotten side of humanity.

It’s about paying it forward and getting a little something in return: that feel good sensation.

12 | SCREENAFRICA | June 2011

Miles Goodall of production company, SweetSpotContent, has just completed a dream job.

The ad, conceptualised by Cape Town agency Bester Burke Slinger for Financial institution Alexander Forbes, reminds us of the dreams we abandon along the course of our lives.

“A graveyard of dreams was our intention,” explains Goodall.

“We consciously steered away from a Disney dreamland type theme.”

Goodall chose a site surrounded by trees and hills in Noordhoek as the location to stage this dreamland. “The connection to nature was important to aid the sense of

AD cetera An ant’s performance Anton Visser of Velocity Films is best known as a performance director who brings out the best in amateurs and pros alike. It’s easy to see why — he has a humour and calmness about him that puts you immediately at ease.

Though he does abuse this gift, I have discovered, at the poker table. But that’s another story.

He doesn’t play poker with his clients, however, and they reap the rewards for Visser delivers more than he promises. That’s why he’s a busy guy, having just completed a campaign for Fosters Lager in India and a new ad for Chicken Licken in South Africa.

His latest work follows an ant alighting on the knee of a young guy enjoying a picnic with his mates. Of course the unfortunate Formicidae is flattened under hand, where his dear insect friends congregate upon the man’s knee to perform a heart-breaking lament in memory of their pal, which reduces the picnickers to tears. As the insects depart, the guilty party raises a bite size burger to his mouth as if in salute to the little fella. ’For the Love of the Little Things’ is the pay off line.

This ad, conceptualised by Network BBDO, was a greater challenge than usual for Visser because great performances were demanded from a cast of first time

actors who had the dramatic range of Keanu Reeves. Not only this, they had to be coaxed into a musical performance that ultimately plucks at the heart strings.

Ever humble, Visser gives the credit for these performances to Lung of Cape Town who animated the insects. The real challenge for Visser was marrying this with human performance. “We had to create a coherent

story without the animated insects. In terms of performance I had to ensure that the actors went through a specific arc that we had worked out before the time.

Not only were they acting opposite thin air, but we were also shooting out of sequence, so with every take I had to make sure that we were getting good performances, believable performances and the right performances.”

Is viral viable in SA?

I

’m sitting over a beer with Allan Kent, head of AtPlay, the digital division of Saatchi & Saatchi, and creative director, Alan Cronje. I ask about the potential of viral film in South Africa.

Kent’s statement: “Viral isn’t a strategy, it’s an adjective,” throws me off as I was hoping for a solution like: “make it shit hot” and that would be it, box ticked, simple write up and we can get on with drinking beer.

But it’s not that easy. Firstly, Kent doesn’t drink (Cronje makes up for that) and secondly, marketers don’t fully appreciate the stupendous amount of media on the web. Says Cronje: “So many clients want to see their TV ads go viral.

But to stand out from the clutter and become one of the most liked, tweeted things out there, you need to be incredibly

entertaining, really authentic and not oversell the brand.” Put that in a strategy and you’ll be crying in your beer.

“What’s vital is to understand the community you’re talking to,” explains Kent. Quicksilver’s viral video, which appears to show surfers detonating a bomb in a river in order to ride the ensuing wave, is a good example of this. It tapped the attitude of the worldwide boarding community and exploded on the Internet.

I meet digital leadership researcher and educator, Dave Duarte, for a much needed coffee. Like Kent and Cronje, he echoes the need to speak to communities in their own language. It’s also important to know what the zeitgeist is.

“If it’s hot, ride the wave,” he says, “timing’s essential. Whatever’s topical is

more likely to spread, so don’t fight upstream.”

Another factor is who you feed it to – well connected people of influence in the relevant fields is key.

To my surprise, Duarte adds an insight from The Bible. He refers to the Matthew Effect of accumulated advantage: “For to all those who have, more will be given.”

He relates this to viral content by explaining the more likes or tweets something has, the more others feel comfortable sharing it.

With this in mind, I meet Jon Cherry of Cherryflava Media who specialises in experiential marketing. Cherry challenges the perception that success is measured by how many views something gets. “The Old Spice ad may have been viewed by millions globally, but that doesn’t mean

it’s a success here.”

Cherry hones in on aspects particular to South Africa. “The advantage of increased bandwidth will be that more stories and information will be spread within Internet communities.” One of the upsides, he believes, is that it will give them relevance by seeing their initiatives take root online. “It used to be that when you cracked the nod on TV, that was the thing, but here is something more accessible.”

Viral film is new to us. Our limited Internet makes South Africa a small market. On top of that it’s segmented, culturally as well as economically. For our work to be relevant we need to understand the communities we are speaking to; be authentic, topical, attract influential people and of course, make it shit hot.

June 2011 | SCREENAFRICA | 13

COMMERCIALS |

Bigger than ads A

By Anton Crone

fter an age of TV ads that exaggerate, exploit and obfuscate, there is a vein of communication that embraces sincerity and honesty. Today’s wiser audience can see through the sales pitch, that’s why an approach that enriches their viewing might be more appreciated.

Such is the case with a mini documentary series commissioned by Master Card in the build up to the Rugby World Cup 2011, which takes place in New Zealand from 9 September to 23 October. The series celebrates rugby history and gives people a richer perspective on the game.

Directed by Australian Richard Bullock working with Prodigy Films of Sydney, a small crew with two Canon 5D cameras, a Canon 1D and a range of Nikkor primes captured the stories of some rugby legends. The series delves into their lives, the people that inspired them and who they in turn inspire. From

COUNTDOWN TO KICK-OFF – Scenes from the mini documentary series commissioned by Master Card

tattoos hammered into Samoan skin, to New Zealand cow pastures doing double duty as rugby fields, to a school in Paarl, South Africa where the coaches who towered over Chester Williams now gaze up at him, the cameras capture scenes both fascinating and uplifting.

Bullock, who worked as a copywriter in Johannesburg during South Africa’s formative decade, says: “I was present for the 1995 Rugby World Cup. It was the

beginning of my love affair with this incredible country. Being asked to travel the world to meet my rugby heroes and tell their stories was an absolute privilege.

“Having South Africa as the last leg of the shoot was a fantastic way to finish off.

It was wonderful talking to Chester Williams and his friends and family, and realising that all those who experienced South Africa’s 1995 World Cup win had very similar feelings. The South African

team and the public all felt as if they were living through something bigger than sport.”

Williams has been instrumental in giving youngsters hope through sport, and his funding of a junior rugby team’s tour to London this year, as well as support for his old school, are the focus of the South African leg of the series. It is facilitated by local service company Cape Direct.

Standing before a mural not far from his school, painted to commemorate his part in the 1995 World Cup, Williams says: “I’ve been involved with this community for the past six years. What’s wonderful is that this documentary gives more exposure to the community and shows how things have developed in South Africa.”

Here’s to more rugby history in the making.

AUDIO |

Sound surfs a wave

S

By Karen van Schalkwyk

outh African sound engineer and owner of Sound Surf Audio Post Production Jim Petrak recently won the African Movie Academy Award (AMMA) for Best Achievement in Sound for the film Shirley Adams.

“I was thrilled to receive the AMMA Award and was extremely happy to win in this category. It means a lot to me to gain this type of recognition for my work,” says the SAFTA-nominated Petrak, who has worked on a variety of local and international features including Stander, Hotel Rwanda, Catch a Fire, Tsotsi, State of Violence, How to Steal 2 Million and Skyf.

Petrak notes that the challenge with Shirley Adams was that the soundtrack had to be very simple and straightforward while simultaneously reflecting the emotional headspace of the film’s title character.

“It’s a very demanding film in terms of visuals as the camera follows Shirley around all the time – she is always in the frame,” explains Petrak. “We had to ensure that the soundtrack reflects her state of mind so that the audience feels 14 | SCREENAFRICA | June 2011

her suffering. The other challenge was that we only had four weeks in which to do the final mix and polish.”

Petrak was brought on by producer Jeremy Nathan to do the sound design and final mix for the film. Ivan Milbrrow did the sound editing.

Asked what makes a great sound engineer Petrak responds: “The most important thing is to achieve the right feel for the film and make it more powerful. I do not believe that one must create sound to be cool; sound must be meaningful.

The sound track should be subliminal and most importantly evoke emotion. I like to incorporate synthetic and organic sounds to make the sound more organic and natural.”

Sound design for a feature film takes about six weeks. Petrak stresses that producers should look at placing 6 to 10% of their budget aside for this process.

In 2009 Petrak started his company Sound Surfers. “I am passionate to make local sound engineering and recording on par with international standards. My objective is to be the best there is in

A RE-SOUNDING SUCCESS – Jim Petrak

the industry.”

He began his career with the late, legendry local sound engineer Jeremy Saacks of Chris Fellow Sound Studios.

“Jeremy truly was my mentor. I started to work with him after graduating with a diploma in sound recording and engineering. Jeremy taught me about ADR recording, sound effects and

sound design.”

One of the highlights of Patrak’s career was doing sound for the Coca-Cola commercial for the 2010 FIFA World Cup. “This commercial was flighted all over the world and accompanied the tournament. Don Searll did the 3D and it took me two months to do the sound from scratch.”

TRACKINGTECHNOLOGY |

Avid Integrated Media Enterprise

At NAB Avid® announced Interplay® Central – a revolutionary offering that demonstrates Avid’s Integrated Media Enterprise in action, enabling businesses to dramatically improve processes, increase revenues, and compete more effectively.

Designed to accommodate a wide array of workflows, Interplay Central delivers next-generation workflow tools for on-the-go media professionals through both web- and mobile-based apps. With an open user-interface, Interplay Central allows individuals in different media production functions to access the tools they need to complete tasks with greater visibility to assets, team collaboration, and workflow agility. First available to users through both a lightweight, intuitive web-based portal and a mobile app, Interplay Central represents the latest evolution of Avid’s Interplay family of solutions.

“Customers across nearly every media discipline have been telling us about the challenges they face, producing hundreds of thousands of hours of content every year, requiring functional specialists and an assortment of dedicated applications to get the job done. This has added significant complexity and inefficiency to our customers’ business operations,” said Gary Greenfield, chairman and CEO at Avid. “Interplay Central is a groundbreaking way to replace dedicated, monolithic applications with open, flexible workflows. Now, virtually anyone involved in the content creation, management and distribution process can work from any location and use toolsets tailored to the tasks they need to perform.

“This is a paradigm shift for our industry, and one that will enable businesses to improve their productivity, agility, and operational efficiency.” For more information contact Spescom Media IT.

New Ikegami cameras Introduced at the recent NAB in Las Vega, the HiMotion2 Super Slow-Mo HD camera is a cooperative development with NAC Image Technology.

Designed to meet specialised HD super slow-motion production applications, the HiMotion2 system features a unique three-CMOS sensor camera head with built-in memory, delivering greater than ten-times-speed (10x) for thrilling super-slow-motion playback of HD sports action.

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Ikegami addresses HD cinema production with the introduction of the new Four-Thirds GFCAM™. Based on the workflow-efficient tapeless GFCAM™ HD Flash camcorder, the new camera is equipped with a 4/3-inch optical format Aptina 4K CMOS sensor for high resolution digital

Ikegami HiMotion2 Super Slow-Mo HD camera

filmmaking. Providing excellent MTF both horizontally and vertically with over-sampling and 24p/25p/30p native recording, the camera uses lower-cost 64/128 GB Flash media that employs MLC (Multi Level Cell) technology with 10 000 times rewrite capacity. The new Four-Thirds GFCAM™ is designed to accept large format PL-Mount lenses for film-style highaperture, shallow depth of focus cinematography.

The Ikegami GFCam™ model HDS-V10 HD camcorder for ENG remains popular. Using MPEG-2 compression and the MXF file format for an open-codec HD / SD recording architecture compatible with a large number of leading editing systems, the GFCam™ is part of the GFSeries product line for ENG and other workflow-efficient,

Plain sailing with Lawo

QTube is here Quantel launched QTube at NAB 2011, its revolutionary Workflow Over IP technology that makes truly global media workflows a reality for the first time. QTube enables fast, flexible workflows that span countries, continents and even the globe, ushering in a broadcast revolution.

QTube allows media assets to be securely accessed within seconds from anywhere there’s an Internet connection. Microsoft Smooth Streaming adaptive bitrate technology provides the best possible picture quality on a second-by-second basis at all times.

The Virtual Quantel File System (VQFS) enables instant access to the content over Smooth Streaming – an inspired combination of Commercial Off The Shelf (COTS) software and Quantel know-how.

Far more than just a media viewer, QTube offers metadata editing, quality downloads and frame accurate editing. QTube handles work in progress, finished clips, in-progress recordings; all over the Internet, with low latency and full security thanks to Microsoft IIS authentication and SSL encryption. QTube works with SD and HD, and is completely scalable, supporting as many users as required.

16 | SCREENAFRICA | June 2011

tapeless HD production applications.

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Ikegami 50 Series multiformat HD monitors include the HLM-3250W (32-inch), HLM-2450W (24-inch), and HLM-1750WR (17-inch) models, all of which feature accurate color and gamma reproduction, embedded audio-level metering, time code reader display and optional 3G-SDI inputs.

For more information contact Harambe Technologies.

Lawo mc²56 digital audio console

Broadcast dry hire and systems rental specialist Presteigne Charter has ordered three mc²56 digital audio consoles and a Nova29 router from Lawo, for one of the most glamorous sporting events in the world – the inaugural America’s Cup World Series 2011-2012, a global programme of regattas designed to bring the sport of high-performance sailing to a wider audience ahead of the legendary America’s Cup itself.

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Different strokes

CAMERAS |

Peter Zeitlinger

for different folks

By Andy Stead

The art of filmmaking is a complex and diverse procedure and no more so than from the cinematographer’s point of view. A while back it was simply a choice between 35mm or 16mm film cameras but the introduction of high quality video cameras and more recently, cameras using CMOS and CCD technology, have left the DOP with a wide variety of choice.

R

ecent feature and episodic productions shot on South African shores are testimony to the variety of equipment being used and reveal the reasoning behind the choices. We asked three top cinematographers to share their pick of camera formats.

Peter Zeitlinger is an accomplished filmmaker whose career encompasses cinematography, directing, writing and editing. Born in Prague, Czechoslovakia (now Czech Republic) Zeitlinger was in South Africa recently as the DOP on a

first German TV Network ARD Degeto production, A Chance in Africa, which wrapped on 7 May. “On this shoot we worked with two Super16mm Cameras,” says Zeitlinger.

“The main focus of the production is on wild animals interacting with the actors.

We used a lot of blue screen and other visual effects.”

Zeitlinger has also shot three feature films on the Red ONE for theatrical release. “Digital camerawork needs much more precision than film if it is to be correct,” he notes. “You can achieve

mediocre results very quickly, but to compete with film you need more lights to balance contrasts. The ‘guerrilla’ style of filmmaking works better on film cameras. It is possible to shoot an entire movie without lights on film. You can’t do that with digital cameras.”

He is complimentary about the quality of South African crews: “They are highly motivated and experienced. Our crew was very flexible in adapting to the ‘guerrilla’ requirements that were necessary to make this film as we had only a month in which to shoot everything. We had to do more than 35 setups a day including action and visual effects.”

Young Leonardo

Dirk Nel

18 | SCREENAFRICA | June 2011

Dirk Nel is a DOP who has a passion for storytelling and the use of light whether it’s for a feature film, drama or documentary. He has been twice nominated for Primetime Emmy Awards for outstanding cinematography – in 2010 for the docu-drama America The Story of Us and in 2006 for the BBC film Children of Beslan. He also won the Rory Peck Award for Cinematography on the BBC film Killer’s Paradise shot in Guatemala.

“I was the DOP on Young Leonardo which is a multi-episodic drama series for the BBC produced by Kindle

Entertainment and serviced in South Africa by Out of Africa Entertainment,” says Nel. “We started our shoot late last year and filmed for six weeks.”

Nel originally wanted to use the Arri Alexa but as it wasn’t yet available in South Africa he opted for an Arri D-21 package supplied by Media Film Service in Johannesburg “I went with the Zeiss ultra prime lenses but dropped the zoom for budget reasons,” he says. “My research in terms of the best avenue to pursue for postproduction led me to the Cinedeck as a data workflow option along with the P2 system. But this would have been more expensive for us at the back end in post-production because of the required conform process. So we shot on HDCAM SR which has far higher quality and helped our VFX process.

“To further save money we recorded a DVCAM copy alongside the HDCAM SR for the offline edit. This proved a little challenging in terms of time code and applying a LUT which was done through a FIG box using a software package called Tomato.”

Nel finds huge differences between digital and film. “Shooting on digital requires a lot of micro management all the way through from communicating with – to page 20

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CAMERAS |

Jamie Ramsay

from page 18 production regarding the workflow pipeline to taming highlights and lowlights when lighting. Digital also requires one to be much more involved in the post-production process in terms of codecs and end results. It is much slower than film as well. I would often let highlights go using film, knowing it would either burn or hold but digital

requires much more finessing. On a more positive note digital offers a lot more freedom to the director in not being restricted by film stock costs.”

Skoonheid Jamie Ramsay, known as the DOP on the South African films Shirley Adams and

Triomf, also worked on Skoonheid, which was selected for this year’s Cannes Film Festival’s Un Certain Regard competition.

“I shot Skoonheid on the new Red Mysterium X camera,” he says, “which has a higher latitude and is more sensitive in the blacks. However, this didn’t really affect the lighting package size. We still needed a ‘film’ size package so we employed the use of LED light panels which proved to be very useful in tight spots as well as car shots. These very flat lights are as thin as a piece of cardboard and can give as much illumination as Kino Flow.

“We are in a world of computer apps and this applies to DOPs as well as a number of iPhone apps that assist us to plot the tracking movement of the sun and judge focal ratios. Apps like pCAM can be downloaded for as little as a dollar.

I’d say the most useful tool for a DOP at the moment is the iPhone.”

Again the question of film vs digital came up as it so often does. “I believe that digital in the hands of a master can be as effective as film,” says Ramsay. “However, it’s like comparing digital and analogue in the world of sound. They are just

different. There are some huge pros to shooting on a high end system like the Red or the Arri Alexa, such as the ability to pre-set your grade and the look of the movie and have it with you on set to reference the end result. Your workflow speed is a lot faster than film. I would sit with my director Oliver Hermanus and watch the rushes at the end of each day.

“Film still has that organic beauty. No matter how many filters you throw in front of an HD camera you can still only achieve that with film – so the battle continues!”

Ramsay believes that South Africans shooting low budget films should consider the Canon 5D. “It gives you good production quality, minimises the size of your crew and your lighting packages and simplifies your location choices.”

It is unlikely that any two productions will use the same complement of equipment given the wide variety of choice. At the end of the day budgets may well be the deciding factor, although the creative aspirations of the cinematographer and his desire to accomplish the best results often dictate the final choice.

The right camera for your budget

By Karen van Schalkwyk

SHARP SHOOTERS – Sony F3

S

electing a camera for an independent film budget can be tricky as there are so many options to choose from.

Some key aspects for consideration include format (Super 35mm, 35mm, digital, 2K, HD, etc.); whether to rent or buy; specific requirements of the shoot; and distribution.

Says Gideon Furst of camera rental house Media Film Service: “You obviously want to spend as little as possible on the camera itself and rather invest as much as possible on what is in front of it. However, any decision should be based on quality – the camera needs to have the right specs and lenses for what you want to achieve.

“Another aspect to consider is whether 20 | SCREENAFRICA | June 2011

Arri Alexa

the film is destined for DVD or cinema release. If you are releasing theatrically then you should shoot as high quality as possible, either in 2K or full HD. It is easy and cost effective to downres footage but almost impossible to upres.”

Marius van Straaten of The HD Hub maintains that final delivery will often determine format. “If your film is meant for broadcasters you must pay attention to their stringent delivery requirements.

This is especially true of Discovery and National Geographic. Your budget will determine what formats are viable to use.

Workflow is also critical and can affect budget, so it is important to understand the whole process from acquisition to post-production.”

Asked which camera to use on a film

with a budget of around R2m to R3m, Furst responds: “I would recommend the Sony F3 with an external Atomos Ninja recorder, which allows for ProRes 422 HQ file recording. This bumps the native Sony recording bit rate up from 35mb/s to 220mb/s. It also allows for extensive online post-production, colour grading and off-line editing from a single file source.”

Van Straaten comments: “Assuming this figure is the film’s complete budget and not just the camera budget, I would recommend the Sony F3 with external Convergent Design Gemini recorder. A basic camera package costs R12 000 a day excluding discounts. The Sony F3 is economically priced and with a firmware upgrade can output S-Log to an external

recorder. It can use PL film lens mounts and therefore allow for a wide range of lens options.”

For budgets between R6m and R8m Furst recommends the Arri Alexa. “This camera offers a higher file format and more possibilities for VFX and CGI. No external recording is required.”

Van Straaten agrees. “The Arri Alexa is a great camera for higher end productions.”

Furst stresses that the camera must be able to shoot in the Super 35mm aspect ratio. “It must record at a minimum of 180mb/s and record at a minimum of ProRes 422 HQ or Avid DNxHD 2020X and have short term and long term archiving capabilities.”

3D |

Keeping both eyes on 3D workflow The new ‘it’ format – stereoscopic 3D – is gradually taking root in South Africa, with a 3D commercial, an international feature and wildlife films recently produced in the country.

A

s digital imaging technician Stefan Nel pointed out at the recent Wild Talk Africa Conference in Stellenbosch, producing in 3D is ‘quite a mission’

because there is two of everything – two cameras (one to produce an image for the right eye and another to produce an image for the left eye), two lenses and two streams of data.

“Before shooting 3D you need to pre-plan everything meticulously from start to finish. The shooting format, such as high definition (HD), 2K or 4K as well as the file format coming out of the camera, need careful consideration.

Locking the cameras together is the most important thing.

“The amount of 3D data involved is huge and it has to be transcoded into another file format. All of these processes require lots of computers. In postproduction you have systems like Baselight to help you out. The big question in South Africa is budget. If things go wrong in 3D it costs huge amounts of money to fix.”

Nel, who worked on SAA’s 3D commercial, maintained that 3D conversion (where 2D source material is converted into 3D) doesn’t work that well as the 2D footage is not shot in the same way as 3D. 22 | SCREENAFRICA | June 2011

Dredd The international film Dredd (DNA Films, IM Global, Paradise F. X. Corp.) was shot in South Africa at the end of 2010 and is the country’s first live action 3D feature production. Prior to the shoot technicians at Media Film Service spent 80 hours matching lenses for the eight cameras used in the production with four 3D rigs.

Says Media Film Service Data Lab producer Jared Haviga: “We decided to stick with Optima zoom lenses and brought in Phantom Flex high speed cameras – these work really well and offer a frame format that is higher than 1080.

The film crew also used Red and Sony F900 cameras.

“I spent about 300 hours on set working with the Dredd 3D stereographer and data manager. The filmmakers wanted the 3D format to tell a story and not make audiences’ heads hurt with inaccurately aligned images, which is why the pre-planning stage was so extensive.

Similarly the post-production process was very long.”

Media Film Service’s DIT workflow technician Ed de Vega was tasked with handling the complexities of the data management of the three different types of cameras. “In 3D post-production data management is a must. You have to have files because if you lose one eye’s footage then you’re in big trouble. Dredd was a tough data management job. The idea was to conform colour spaces and matrixes to standardise footage. Colour matching the footage from the different cameras was a big issue and required a full time colourist.

“The workflow concerned pulling data in for the digital check and the 3D quality control. One of the main technical issues that we encountered was with the Red cameras – there was a phase offset with the time code which means no 3D image in post-production. We found the Phantom Flex the easiest camera to use.”

De Vega stressed that if you don’t have the right equipment in post-production your 3D footage will be ruined. “It’s also important in post-production to make sure the images are perfectly aligned, something that is difficult to do with mirror rigs.”

Filming crocs in 3D

Broadcasting live in 3D

Graham Wallington of WildEarth produces live 3D wildlife broadcasting on a daily basis. “We do two, three-hour game drives each day for our 3D safari experience. Because it’s live it really captures viewers’ attention and the 3D format provides an immersive experience.”

As the footage is broadcast live there is no post-production which means cameras and lenses have to be perfectly aligned.

“It’s a real challenge controlling the interocular (distance between the lenses of the two cameras) and the convergence (the point at which the two lenses converge on the subject) in real time,” continued Wallington. “When we started 3D in June last year we had to use industrial cameras from Sony rather than broadcast cameras so that we could send the data back to our production centre.

We record on solid state and deliver footage on HD 3D at 6 megabits per second for our 3D channel in Europe.

Broadcasters use a frame compatible format for broadcast.”

Damon Foster describes his and brother Craig’s latest film The Dragon’s Feast, as a ‘doccie-horror’ that lends itself to 3D. In the film Damon Foster dives with Roger Horrocks in the Okavango Delta to observe the feeding hierarchy of crocodiles.

Says Foster: “In the past 12 months there have been huge advancements in 3D technology. All wildlife filming is tricky but 3D is even more complex as you have to work with big camera rigs. In order to come up with a more fluid way of filming 3D we worked with stereographers in Los Angeles. Stereographers are critical for 3D as you have to closely monitor what you shoot all the time. It’s quite possible to go out and film 3D shots and then find that none can be used in post-production.

“You have to really plan shots to take advantage of the technology. It’s a fascinating format because it forces you to have a particular mindset and look at filmmaking in a different way. It takes years to hone 3D skills and get the most out of it.”

2 Durban FilmMart, South nd

Delegation registration is open for the 2nd Durban FilmMart which takes place during the 32nd Durban International submitted from all over Africa. The twenty feature fiction and documentary projects selected for Durban FilmMart’s Feature Film Projects: Hossam Elouans and Ibrahim EI Batout (Ein Shams Films) Ali, the Goat and Ibrahim Ali Mea’za

Hossam Elouans is a film scholar, screenwriter, documentary researcher and independent film producer in Cairo (Egypt). Hawi, the third independent feature by director Ibrahim EI Batout , participated in the Durban FilmMart 2010, and received completion support from Hubert Bals Fund (Netherlands), Doha Film Institute (Qatar) and Aroma Film Labs (Egypt). The film will screen at DIFF 2011 Ali, the Goat and Ibrahim, both living in the historical neighborhood of Al Darb al-Ahmar in Cairo, were labeled “weirdos” for very different but equally interesting reasons. Both Ali and Ibrahim’s paths cross and they embark on a journey that will change their lives.

David Max Brown and Kyle Lewis (MAXI-D Productions) This Boy

David Max Brown has been producing quality award winning films in drama and documentary for over twenty years. He began his visual career in 1983 as a photographer with the ANC in Tanzania and later studied film in Canada. Kyle Lewis is the film’s director and writer.

Four boys in a friendship sealed with blood have the gallows as their destiny.

This Boy is the true story of the one who wanted to live. Abraham’s mother, who is a dedicated Christian with a gift of prophecy, professes that he will one day end up on the gallows. And so it comes to pass that Abraham is arrested with several of his friends on a charge of murder.

Ihab Ayoub and Ayten Amin (Collage Film Productions) 69 Messaha Square 69 Midane el messaha

Founding member of Collage Film Productions, Ihab Ayoub (Producer), worked before with the some of the most respectable production companies in Egypt and The Middle East.

69 Messaha square is a human comedy about facing death. The film is different from the mainstream commercial

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comedies in Egypt which depend mainly on verbal contradictions without artistic depth. Dealing with death in a comic vein is something very personal and this film throws a light on the declining current social and cultural conditions in contemporary Egypt.

Bridget Pickering and Elan Gamaker (Fireworx Media) Lock Yourself In

Bridget Pickering was the South African co-producer on Hotel Rwanda, the Terry George Oscar nominated feature film. She started her film career as a Casting Associate with Bonnie Timmermann at Universal Pictures in New York on films such as The Last of the Mohicans and Glengarry Glen Ross and is now an industry veteran who has produced and directed over 20 films.

Elan Gamaker is a writer/director based in Cape Town, South Africa and Amsterdam, the Netherlands.

Lock Yourself In South Africa, 1986. A national state of emergency has just been declared. Life on the streets of the city has just gone from bad to extremely dangerous. Patience Dumisa (29) must stand in as babysitter at the home of her mother’s employers, the Willow family.

This film stands as an allegory for what the country once was and what it’s becoming again.

James Tayler and Donald Mugisha (Switch) Boda Boda Thieves

James Tayler produced the Yes! That’s Us films Divizionz (2008) and Yogera (2010) and it’s companion research documentary Silent City (2010). The association and friendship between James Tayler and Donald Mugisha dates back to 2004 when they met at the Sithengi Talent Campus. James Tayler worked in television as editor, DP and director prior to turning his focus to features and their production.

Co-producer and writer, Donald Mugisha is a founder member of the Yes!That’s Us collective and also heads up Deddac (Uganda), a production company in its 10th year of operation.

In Boda Boda Thieves, a man and his son search Kampala city for their stolen motorbike and in the process gain insight into urban Africa, the Kampala underworld and the generation gap

between urban migrants and their first generation children.

Veronique Doumbe (Ndolo Films) Robin of the Web Robin du We Veronique N. Doumbe was born in France and raised in Cameroon, France and Ivory Coast. She develops projects through her production company Ndolo Films, LLC. She received her Licence en Droit, in Law, at the University of Paris X, Nanterre in France before moving to New York City in 1981. Some of her short films include the The Birthday Party, and Luggage. Denis A Charles: an interrupted conversation was her lauded first feature length documentary.

Have you ever received an email informing you that you’ve just won an enormous sum of money?

Robin of the Web is set in a fictional neighborhood called Quartier Soleil in a large city in Africa.

Robin our main character, like a growing number of disenfranchised youngsters, has taken to the internet to create havoc. This movie is to shed light on the lives of people on the other side of mailing game.

Joel Karekezi (Karekezi Film Production) The Pardon Imbabazi

Joel Karekezi, in 2008 got a Diploma certificate in film directing (CINECOURS from Quebec in Canada). In 2009 he attended Maisha film lab in screenwriting and after the course he directed his short film The Pardon, which won The Golden Impala Award at Amakula Film Festival in Uganda. It screened at Kenya International Film Festival in 2009 and at Zanzibar International Film Festival, Durban International Film Festival, Images that Matter Short Film Festival in Ethiopia, and Silicon Valley African Film Festival in California in 2010.

Imbabazi is the heart- wrenching story of two best friends who fall on opposite sides of the Rwandan Genocide. Fifteen years later, when Manzi is released from prison for his role in the killings, Karemera sets out to avenge the murder of his family. Will Manzi’s guilt destroy him, or lead to acts of redemption to educate the next generation about his mistakes?

Atieno Odenyo and Phillippe Ndisi-Herrmann (ThirstyFish) Two Princes

Atieno has produced one short documentary on a girls’ soccer initiative in Korogocho, a low income area in Nairobi. She has also been involved at various stages on other documentary projects (research, interviews, editing) mostly concerning human rights violations in Kenya.

Philippa is a photographer and filmmaker, and an African, she has lived in the Netherlands, France, Ethiopia, Kenya and South Africa. Currently based in her home town of Nairobi, Kenya she re-drafting her first feature screenplay, Two Princes.

In a patriarchal society, what would it be like for a woman to return to her husband, after she had left him for another man?

Appie Matere and Ekwa Msangi-Omar (Tick Ads) Children of the Sand

From producing TV commercials Appie Matere went on to produce her first short film- Killer Necklace for MNET in 2009.

Ekwa Msangi-Omari (writer/director/ producer) has directed for some of the biggest TV shows in East Africa including The Agency (MNET),a 13-part TV series.

Children of the Sand’s Guma is a 19 year old boy who has found a way to survive.

He has created a colony where he has cajoled orphaned children to work in mining for water – the most desired resource in the world. They are known as the Sand Rats.

Guillaume de Seille and Lassaâd Dkhili (Arizona Films) Midnight Dogs.

Entre Chiens et loups

Guillaume de Seille’ Paris based, Arizona Films produces art-house feature films, directed by non-French emerging talents.

A teacher for young filmmakers in Nantes, France, Lassaâd Dkhili also works on stage theater plays. Midnight Dogs is his first feature film. Midnight Dogs, a thriller-like film, violent but human, that takes place in the outskirts of Tunis during a rainy, foggy and cold winter. The film explores a world made up of the dregs of society, thieves and marginal idealists.

Africa 22 -25 July 2011

Film Festival (21 – 31 July). The 2nd edition of the Durban FilmMart received a large selection of exciting projects Finance Forum have roots in Algeria, Cameroon, Egypt, Kenya, Morocco, Nigeria, Rwanda, South Africa and Tunisa.

Documentary Projects Hicham Brini and Karima Zoubir (Douaa) Camera Saida Fenan

From the institutional film to the advertising spot, from reportage to the documentary, from the short film to the cinema and TV movie, Hicham Brini has been responsible for a large body of production.

A law graduate, Karima Zoubir, has been working as a freelance director and script girl since graduating with distinction in 2005.

Islamisation of certain Moroccan families forbids social interaction between men and women outside of marriage. Camera Saida Fenan was created following the tragic killing a few years ago of a woman by her own brother after being taped dancing suggestively at a wedding. In Casablanca, one woman has found a way to live amidst all these contradictions in an unexpected lifestyle which brings us into a world only she has penetrated until now.

Jean-Marie Teno (Les Films du Raphia) Naana, La Reine-Mere Naan,The Queen Mother

Jean-Marie Téno has been producing and directing films on the colonial and post-colonial history of Africa for over twenty years. Téno’s films have been honored at festivals worldwide, many have been broadcast in Europe and featured in festivals across the United States.

Naan, The Queen Mother, is the story of sixty-year-old Ghanaian, Naana Banyiwa Horne. After being resident in the United States for thirty-five years, circumstances led her to spend more time in Ghana. She started looking into her family history, discovering more and more about the story of her mother, whom she had always known to be of royal descent. This led to Naana being chosen to take up the throne in the effort to fill the power vacuum left after the death of Ansomaa II, queen mother of Naana’s hometown Apam.

Anna Teeman and Adze Ugah (End Street Productions) The Black President

Anna formed End Street Productions in 2008 after 9 years as a BBC filmmaker. A bursary winner of UK Film Council’s Interdoc programme she is also a graduate of Eurodoc and a member of European Documentary Network.

Through the life and work of Johannesburg based and Zimbabwean born artist Kudzanai Chiurai The Black President examines the power and punch of political art. Chiurai is going to stage the “inauguration” of an African president in Johannesburg and stream it live worldwide. The inauguration speech is inspired by actual independence day presidential addresses from African leaders. Broken promises are examined in painting, video and photography in an accompanying exhibition.

Steven Markovitz and Eddie Edwards (SM Production) Rollaball

Founding director of the production company Big World Cinema (est. 1994) and the Encounters Documentary Festival (est.

1999) and the Close Encounters Documentary Laboratory, Steven Markovitz has been involved with film and television since 1992, producing and executive producing features, documentaries and shorts. He is a founding member of the Independent Producers Organisation (IPO) and has sat on various international juries and panels. He recently established a pan-African production company with Djo Tunda wa Munga called Suka!

Rollaball, focuses on polio disabled people who live on the streets of Accra, Ghana. While they are appear to be victims of poverty, they are trying to take control of their lives through sport; they are finding ways to keep fit, have leisure time and build a community. This is a film which looks beyond their daily struggles.

Mathien Muller and Damien Ounouri (Kafard Films) FIDAI

Damien Ounouri has directed several short films and documentaries, he is also a tutor, conducting cinema workshops for children and teenagers in Algeria and France. Almost 50 years after Independence, Fidai is the story of Ounaouri’s great-uncle El Hadi, a veteran of the FLN during the Algerian Revolution. El Hadi, reveals for the first time his secret life. Far from legend, this is a subjective and necessary look at the history of Algeria that provides a fresh perspective on the Algerian Revolution.

Nicole Schafer (Thinking Strings Media) Homage to the Buddha-of Africa

Namo Amitofo Africa

South African-born Nicole Schafer is an independent filmmaker and video journalist who has been living and working in Malawi for the past two years.

She has produced freelance features for Reuters pan-african magazine show Africa Journal as well as commissioned videos for various organizations and NGO’s. She has worked extensively in the film and television industry in South Africa and has an MFA degree in Film and Television production from the University of Cape Town.

Homage to the Buddha-of Africa, is the story of two orphans growing up in a Chinese Buddhist Orphanage in Malawi. Malawi entered diplomatic relations with China two years ago. The orphans read, write and speak Mandarin and are rapidly becoming masters of Kung Fu.Will this help to break down some of the cultural barriers and prejudices Malawians have against the Chinese?

Lauren Groenewald Annalet Steenkamp (Plexus Films) I, Afrikaner

and

Producer, Lauren Groenewald, a partner in PLEXUS FILMS where she has produced and conceptualised new strands of innovative documentary programming. Her Projects include “O’se District 6” the multi-award winning series, which dealt with forced removals in Apartheid South Africa.

She is currently Co-Chair of the Documentary Filmmakers Association.

Annalet Steenkamp is a camera director and researcher with firm roots in journalism and factual film-making.

Through the lens of I, Afrikaner, four generations of a rural Afrikaner family portray a people anxious about the future and obsessed with personal security. Not just one family but also a community struggling to come to terms with change.

But in a landscape of pessimism real hope comes from a new untainted generation of Afrikaner, a generation born after the death of Apartheid.

Bryony Roughton and Mayenzeke Baza (Mandela Bay Pictures) Ndiyindoda I am a man

Bryony Roughton has 12 years experience in film, TV and theatrical productions. Bryony and Mayenzeke Baza’s production company Mandela Bay Pictures are involved in facilitating the growth and development of the Eastern Cape’s fledgling film and television

industry which presents unique opportunities in training, skills development and job creation, which includes post-matric internship programmes for young filmmakers.

I am a Man tells the story of the circumcision ritual through the eyes and voice of Mayenzeke Baza, highlighting the dilemma it poses for South Africa as it forges a position in the modern world, and attempting to reconcile its strongest traditions with today’s ideas of democratic rights.

Xoliswa Sithole (Nayanaya Films) Return to Zimbabwe

Accomplished and celebrated African storyteller, Xoliswa Sithole, returns to the country that adopted her as a child, Zimbabwe. Benefiting from the film maker’s unique insight and access we meet a diverse group of Zimbabweans who take us along on a journey through 30 years of Zimbabwean independence and freedom. Sithole guides us along the footpaths of her childhood during the liberation war to the heady days of Zimbabwean independence from British Colonial rule to the present challenges faced by Zimbabweans. Sithole weaves a tapestry of fresh facts and information, intriguing characters, dramatic life moments, privileged insight and robust debate.

Cyrille Masso and Ariane Mborou (Malo Pictures) In Terre Incognita

Pioneer in the Cameroonian independent cinema milieu, Cyrille Masso is one of the influential young film makers of the post-1995 generation. Following training at the FEMIS in Paris he created Malo Pictures in 1999 and, has produced many award winning fiction and documentary films.

A participant in the 3rd Talent Campus Durban Cameroonian Astrid Mborou’s first feature documentary Koundi and the National Thursday had its World Premiere at Durban International Film Festival in 2010, won a Special Jury prize at 7th Dubai International Film Festival and was selected for Goteborg International Film Festival 2011 and Hot Docs 2011.

In terra incognita, Astrid, is the young woman on a journey of investigation during which she attempts to confront the silence and mystery that surrounds her father’s relationship with his homeland Benin, where he has not set foot for 36 years, and the family he left behind there.

Durban FilmMart 2011 Producers Forum Programme The Durban FilmMart 2011 programme comprises three strands: Finance Forum, Producers Forum and Africa in Focus.

• Twenty selected projects (10 fiction features and 10 documentaries) will take pre-arranged one-on-one meetings with potential financiers in the Finance Forum, assisted by International Film Festival Rotterdam’s CineMart. The documentary aspect of the Finance Forum will include pitching of projects to a panel of commissioning editors co-ordinated in association with the International Documentary Festival of Amsterdam (IDFA).

• The Producers Forum encompasses four days of master classes, seminars and workshops on film finance, marketing, distribution, project packaging, co-production, new media, and other topical issues.

• The Africa in Focus component offers wide-ranging seminars and panel discussions featuring local and international filmmakers and industry experts with special focus on African initiatives.

Participation in the Finance Forum is restricted to the selected projects.

Participation in the Producers Forum, DFM networking sessions, Africa in Focus programmes, and access to films in the Durban International Film Festival is open to all accredited DFM delegates.

Visit www.durbanfilmmart.com for programme details and registration.

filmmakers from around the world to succeed in the rapidly changing U.S. and international marketplaces. He formerly ran Next Wave Films and helped launch the careers of filmmakers such as Christopher Nolan and Amir Bar-Lev. A key player in the growth of the ultra-low budget feature movement, Broderick became one of the most influential advocates of digital moviemaking. Now focused on the revolution in film distribution, Broderick gives keynotes and presentations internationally, most recently in Amsterdam, Sydney, Toronto, Cannes, Guadalajara, Berlin, London, and Rio de Janeiro.

In 2004 Broderick launched Films to See Before You Vote, harnessing the power of film to impact the US presidential election. Peter partnered with cutting-edge journalist Scott Kirsner to create and present Distribution U., a one-day crash course on the new rules of marketing and distribution in Los Angeles and New York.

Broderick has written articles for Scientific American, The New York Times, and The Economist. His seminal article, “Maximizing Distribution,” has been reprinted in publications around the world. His reports, “Welcome to the New World of Distribution” and “Declaration of Independence” are concise guides to the latest distribution strategies.

Hetty Naaijkens-Retel Helmrich Scarabee Films

Peter Broderick, Paradigm Consulting

Peter Broderick will present pioneering master classes on digital marketing and distribution and crowd funding respectively. Peter is President of Paradigm Consulting, which helps filmmakers and media companies design and implement state-of-the-art distribution strategies. These strategies empower them to maximize distribution, audiences, and revenues.

Peter has enabled outstanding

In 1989 Hetty Naaijkens-Retel Helmrich founded Scarabee Films, that specializes in high-quality creative documentaries, short films and features.

A prominent figure in the business, both locally and abroad, Hetty received the bi-annual Martha Hering Award for Dutch women in film and media who have actively supported other women in their field. Her self-produced/directed feature-documentary Contractpensions – Djangan Loepah received Holland’s Crystal Film Award. The track record

of Scarabee Films is impressive: Shape of the Moon won the first-ever World Cinema Documentary Competition at the 2005 Sundance Film Festival, as well as the VPRO Joris Ivens Award 2004 at the International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam (IDFA).

Position Among The Stars repeated the IDFA/Sundance top prizes sweep again this year. Hetty works on a global level with broadcasters including : NPS, VPRO, NCRV, KRO and AVRO (Netherlands); HBO, PBS, YLE, RTBF and VRT (Belgium), Arte (France/Germany), TV 7 and France 3 (France) and Télévision Suisse Romande (Switzerland). Hetty will present a master class on documentary finance wizardry during the Durban FilmMart 2011.

Juliane Schulze peaceful fish

Juliane Schulze will present a master class on Film Finance Fundamentals.

She is Senior Partner at peacefulfish, a strategic media consulting company based in Berlin, specializing in content financing, and in particular in developing innovative financial solutions for audiovisual projects. peacefulfish is working for independent producers around the world, but also for public institutions, to support regional development through tailor-made financing tools or financial incentives.

Juliane specialises in creating positioning strategies for media regions as well as financing solutions, and financial instruments for the film and audiovisual industries. As Executive Advisor, she holds an extensive cross-industrial knowledge, covering feature film, internet and mobile content. She advises not only international production companies but also public institutions and works on several projects for the European Commission and MEDIA. She is director of the Multi Platform Business School, lectures at the Media Business School and the Binger and Torino Filmlab, and is an expert at the Mediatech Investment Forum as well as the Creative Coaching Center in Berlin.

Some other exciting participants confirmed in this year’s Durban FilmMart include: Bruni Burres, is producer and senior consultant with the Sundance Documentary Program (SDP), where she works to expand the roster of national and international documentary filmmakers, deepen national and international collaborations with filmmakers and cultural institutions, and broaden the human rights themes explored by the SDP. She will mentor projects inside Doc Station Durban (part of the Talent Campus Durban) along with Peter Raymont, Peter Broderick and Sandi DuBowski.

Sandi DuBowski’s award-winning work has screened at over 200 festivals, had theatrical release in over 150 cities, aired on BBC, The Sundance Channel, ZDF-Arte, and been funded by over 60 foundations. He is Outreach Director for The Good Pitch, is a media strategist with The Sundance Institute, developed and co-leads Seize The Future with Peter Broderick, and launched Films That Change the World.

Don Edkins produced the Southern African series on truth and reconciliation and the multi-awarded documentary project Steps for the Future. He is Executive Producer of the STEPS International global documentary project Why Democracy? and is now working on its follow-up project Why Poverty? He is a mentor for documentary projects at the Durban FilmMart.

Beadie Finzi, is a producer and a Director at Channel 4 BRITDOC Foundation which is dedicated to reinventing funding and distribution models for documentary filmmakers. It has funded over 60 award winning films and brokers relationships between filmmakers and NGO and brand sectors to create better, more effective films. As part of this strategy, the Foundation runs the Good Pitch events.

Peter Raymont has produced and directed over 100 documentary films.

His films have taken him to Ethiopia, Nicaragua, India, Rwanda, the High Arctic and throughout North America and Europe and has received over of 35 international awards. His films are informed with a passion for human rights and social justice .

Midge Sanford, co-head of Sandford/ Pillsbury Productions, and producer of 7 feature films for theatre and four made for TV movies. She is a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, and Academy of Television Arts and Sciences.

For more information on DFM 2011 contact: Mona Pilane – DFM Project Manger 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

CANNES LIONS |

By Linda Krige The South African commercial production industry has remained a competitive and popular destination for international productions, despite the global recession. Screen Africa spoke to the chairperson of the Commercial Producers Association (CPA), Peter Carr, as well as representatives from regional film bodies and production service companies to get an idea of the current state of the industry.

S Moonlighting – Jacob’s Biscuits commercial for Fish Films and Ogilvy & Mather Ireland

Navigator Films – 3D Panasonic commercial for Markenfilm

28 | SCREENAFRICA | June 2011

outh Africa has over time earned a reputation as a competitive and creative commercial production destination. CPA chairperson Peter Carr says on the whole the past season saw less international work coming into South Africa, but he believes that the country has been doing a lot better than most foreign countries during the recession.

“The strength of the rand has certainly made it harder to attract price sensitive clients and provide the same value as in previous years, but the quality of our production has kept clients returning to South Africa even though they were still hard pressed on the tail-end of the global recession,” says Carr.

He explains that they had to act mid-season to ensure that the industry cut costs to remain attractive as a commercials destination. They engaged with the entire industry from suppliers, to producers, crew and talent associations and postproduction facilities to ask those involved to keep their prices competitive.

“Most crew agreed to work 12-hour days for a period to remain competitive on lower budgets. Our efforts paid off as suppliers became very negotiable.

We researched other foreign markets that were cutting costs during the recession to make sure we remained attractive.”

Despite competition from Malaysia, South American countries including Chile and Argentina, and European countries like the Czech Republic, Hungary, Romania and Bulgaria, Carr believes that price, locations and solid production support continue to draw international productions to South African shores, as does the country’s diverse talent pool.

“Our directors play a vital role in attracting business with the quality of their work. The level of creativity in our scripts has vastly improved lately, so this will bring us more attention. We need to start winning a few awards around the globe to gain more momentum and bring in work directly for our director base,” says Carr.

According to Carr most business continues to come from the UK, although he expects the CPA survey in August to show an increase in visits from Germany, France, Italy and the Eastern markets, with India as a particular growth market.

Regional business The CEO of the Cape Film Commission (CFC), Denis Lillie, says he got the impression that the Cape Town region was ‘pretty busy’ during the past season, but not as busy as previous years. He believes this is not only due to the recession but also a change in the way advertisers are addressing the public around the world, making use of viral marketing and social media and reducing budgets for traditional advertising.

However, he says commercials continue to be filmed in Cape Town within the restrictions of shrinking advertising budgets, with locations such as Long Street, the Green Point Stadium and Camps Bay remaining popular, as well as the use of Cape Town as an ‘invisible backdrop’.

Gauteng Film Commission (GFC) marketing manager Puisano Phatoli says that 20% of film permits facilitated by the GFC are for commercials. “It is therefore fair to say that commercials represent the life blood of the film and TV industry in Gauteng,” says Phatoli.

She notes that the recession and strong rand contributed to a reduced number of productions coming in to Gauteng.

“However the GFC is optimistic that the 2010 FIFA World Cup played a positive role in increasing awareness of South Africa as a major production centre. This together with our strong skills base, technical know-how, world class infrastructure and diverse locations, will yield good results in the future. Good client relations and easy access to locations also contribute to most clients coming back to film in Gauteng,” says Phatoli.

Toni Monty, CEO of the Durban Film Office (DFO), says that the city is well known and often used for its art deco architecture and the stretch of easily accessible golden beaches and mangroves.

“In previous years the commercials industry has been very active in the region, however this year we have noticed a slight decline for a number of reasons, including the global recession,” she explains.

The Northern KwaZulu-Natal (NKZN) Film Office project manager Leonie Berning says the information they’ve gathered indicates that there is quite a lot of commercial activity in the area, but no definite figures are available.

“Awareness is the key to success and I am

| CANNES LIONS

convinced that once the film industry is aware of the NKZN Film Office, the work will be directed via the office and statistics will be tracked better,” says Berning.

She says more production companies are considering the area because of the vastness, natural beauty, forests, long stretches of beach, accessibility, film support and good weather.

Production service companies Ken McKenzie, owner of Cape Town based production service company McKenzie Rudolph, says they were down on previous seasons with regard to turnover and profitability, but he believes that the recession forced the South African industry to become more competitive. “The awareness of the recession by all parties is helping the industry to find creative ways to maintain a work flow. In a funny way the tough times are bringing healthy solutions,” says McKenzie.

Cape Town based company Moonlighting Film Production Services reports a good season. Marketing

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manager Beccy Kellond says: “It started off quite slowly with just a few jobs in the run up to Christmas, and then January through to March was amazing.”

“I think at the end of the day South Africa still offers huge production value with world renowned expertise alongside all the natural benefits of location, climate and so on. For example, we’ve just shot a production entirely in studio - it was shot here because of our competitive prices and depth of talent,” says Kellond.

Meike Laesch-Schoeman, executive producer at Navigator Films, says they had a very busy summer with 92 shoot days and over 30 projects. “We had a large amount of very interesting shoots to facilitate, one of which was our first 3D production,” says Laesch-Schoeman Their work has also continued into the fall / winter season. “This project originates in the US and features a lot of local talent, so the saving in royalties seems to pay off the chance of rain,” says Laesch-Schoeman.

Domestic market According to the CPA’s Carr, who is also executive producer at Velocity Films, the

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industry has been fortunate to capitalise on the strong local market despite the drop in international work.

“The domestic market has been surprisingly active and most budgets are reasonable relative to foreign budgets.

Most local TV agencies are very busy right now and agency producers predict a busy year ahead.”

He says the African emerging markets are also providing a boost, as local agencies are picking up business from around Africa and producing it locally.

“African television markets are growing and demanding better quality production from South African film directors and companies,” says Carr.

They set up Velocity Afrika in 2010.

“The business has exceeded our expectations and gotten off the ground a lot quicker than we anticipated,” says Carr.

Cannes Lions Carr explains that Velocity Films and sister company, Bouffant, will be attending the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity in France in full force this year, although it won’t be a

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“Keith Rose (creative director at Velocity) is president of the film craft judging panel, so it will be great to have Keith there with us to highlight Velocity’s name,” says Carr.

Moonlighting will also attend the Cannes Lions. Kellond says they are one of a group of companies that have started a joint initiative to have ‘a great South African party’ at Cannes.

“We had such an amazing presence as South Africa Exposed in Cannes from 2005 to 2009, and while we don’t have the funding this year to recreate that, we are determined to make South Africa a presence there again,” says Kellond.

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CANNES LIONS |

The commercial challenge

By Andy Stead

AFS – Michelob Beer commercial

General Electric (GE) Line Dance commercial

The standard of commercials made in South Africa is exceptionally high and the number of top awards won for creativity and technological finesse are testimony to this.

It’s not just local agencies that harness this expertise, so do internationals who regularly visit our shores.

BlackGinger Cape Town-based animation and visual effects studio BlackGinger is known for its creative use of technology and is responsible for many highly regarded commercials.

BlackGinger’s Hilton Treves expounds on what he considers to have pushed the boundaries of technology. “This time last year we were in final production on two M-Net commercials designed for 3D cinemas. Stereoscopic 3D (S3D) at the best of times is challenging. The issues you face in creating the illusion are not simple. One needs to take into account the average viewer’s ability to resolve the stereo effect.

“3D reconstruction of the surrounding

BlackGinger – M-Net commercial

world occurs in the visual cortex at the back of the brain and is based on visual stimuli and previous knowledge of the world. This is key for us to understand how to create S3D content. Monoscopic depth cues are very powerful visuals used in S3D reconstruction; these include occlusions, atmospheric effects, shadows, illumination, parallax induced by subject motion and point of view motion — all very important as we use binocular vision to combine the images of our two eyes.”

BlackGinger chose to push the boundaries of S3D production by combining three approaches — CGI, miniatures and live action. Treves continues: “The miniatures were at a scale of 18:1. Creating CGI 3D films is pretty straightforward. Basically, you have two CGI virtual cameras on a scene, render

two sequences of images (left eye and right eye) and combine them and project them and, if you’ve followed the basic rules, you have a stereo picture. This applies to the other two disciplines as well. However, when you have to combine all three in one piece things get interesting.

“We first created the pre-viz on what we wanted in CGI and worked out all the timings and camera moves. However, we had to take into account that we were going to do the miniatures as stop motion on a motion control rig with a Canon 5D full frame 21mp. Plus we were also shooting the live action on the Red at 4K using cinema lenses. We ended up writing a new control system of the reflex motion control rig and developed a preview system on set to check if the stereo effect was working correctly. The miniatures took 21 days to shoot. We could shoot up to eight passes on a scene – different lighting passes, green screen passes, highlight passes and each was shot with left and right eye takes. The data management was an enormous task.”

As a result of having developed the software for the motion control (moco) rig, BlackGinger was able to use the camera moves as the base for their CGI pipeline. Then they animated the characters and built virtual set elements to match the miniatures so that the CGI lighting and the animated characters would integrate correctly.

“After that we had to shoot the Red footage,” notes Treves. “As we did not have the moco for this part we had to shoot everything locked off and create the virtual camera moves. Shooting through a mirror changes the vertical alignment due to refraction and so you end up with different colour plates if you shoot through the mirror.

“In producing these spots we had to ensure that the left and right images were identical in all respects, except for a slight horizontal shift in object positions, shapes and textures. Any other discrepancies in lighting, timing, focus and so on lead to visual discomfort and eventually eyestrain and headaches.”

AFS Productions Established 15 years ago to service international commercials and other film productions in Africa, AFS Productions is a South African-based company with offices in Los Angeles and Cape Town.

One recent highlight from AFS Productions’ commercial season was a duo of exciting spots for Michelob beer.

30 | SCREENAFRICA | June 2011

The commercials were directed by Mathew Cullen of Motion Theory LA and the concept was originated by Palm + Havas. The idea behind the spots was a play on mobile phone touch screen interaction; the talent changes different scenarios in real life situations, mimicking the idea of sliding and zooming pictures on a cell phone.

The commercials saw the AFS team shooting multiple locations all over the city, from golf courses to beaches and cityscapes. The commercial was shot on the Red Mysterium X and the offline cut was done by Greg Shaw at Upstairs Post in Cape Town.

Another extremely exciting and challenging spot serviced by AFS Productions was for General Electric (GE). The spot was titled Line Dance and was conceptualised by BBDO New York and brought to life by Traktor out of Los Angeles.

“Last year we shot the much acclaimed GE Say Aah campaign with Traktor and this year the guys were back to shoot with us again,” says Brin Kushner, executive producer of AFS Productions. “The theme called for a huge cast of people line dancing around the world. Cape Town had to double for a number of international locations including Europe, South America, Asia and Africa.”

The casting process was very intense as they needed 250 real dancers who could actually line dance. Not an easy feat, but with the help of a very talented choreographer and AFS’ executive producer Dale Kushner, they succeeded in teaching the dancers the correct steps.

“We managed to put together a great cast,” says Brin Kushner. “One scene was meant to be at an airport in Asia so finding 90 Asian line dancers was a real challenge. We even scouted numerous Asian restaurants and take-outs to find the perfect cast.

“In another scene all the extras were dressed in warm winter clothing, dancing on the mountainside, but as luck would have it, it was a sweltering summer’s day.

That afternoon called for an aerial shot of dancers on a warm summer’s day and – you guessed it – the weather changed at the next location and it was freezing! The extras were all good sports though and we got the shots we needed.”

Putting together all the required elements to create a commercial of this nature was tough even by world standards. “I am always amazed by the range of talent and advanced technology available in this country – it is world class,” concludes Kushner.

FILM |

Critics’ eye view

By Karen van Schalkwyk

Filmmakers around the world rely on film critics to review their films and give their stamp of approval. Karen van Schalkwyk spoke to some of South Africa’s most recognised critics to get their perspective on local films.

Liefling

T

he South African film industry is taking off with more and more local films produced and released theatrically.

Leon van Nierop (Beeld, Artslink) believes that the industry is in an exciting phase. “This is a vibrant period in which local filmmakers are discovering who they are and where they are going. The contemporary industry reminds me of the mid-1960s, when major talents like Jans Rautenback and Emil Nofal emerged and were not afraid to take chances. A new dynamic seems to be rubbing off onto today’s filmmakers – pride in the filmmaking process.”

Another significant factor is that more South African films, such as Liefling, Spud, Bakgat! 2 and Paradise Stop, are

Films that hit the mark

KEEPING IT LOCAL – A Small Town Called Descent

making some impressive returns at the box office. Barry Ronge (The Sunday Times, Radio 702) comments: “My overall impression is that we are getting to see better and more profitable films, which is a good thing.”

However, Ronge says he gets the impression that South Africa has a number of world class technicians who

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Paradise Stop work mostly on international features.

“You can’t blame them for wanting better pay and credits on international films, but it does not serve the local industry.”

Shaun de Waal (Mail & Guardian) simply states: “There are some good local movies but my overall impression is that we are still an emerging industry.”

Issues Commenting on industry challenges De Waal maintains that the biggest problem is script development. “Sometimes one questions if a film should have been made at all. The production values are also often not strong enough in many local films.”

Ronge points out two big (ongoing) problems - finance and distribution.

“Where is the seed money that allows aspirant filmmakers to make their own films? I get bombarded by young filmmakers who make movies but cannot find theatrical distribution. They may get some money through a Department of Arts and Culture (DAC) grant or some other source, but they’ll plough all the money into production and have nothing left to promote and market their film.”

Van Nierop believes filmmakers should not only make films to make money.

“They need to tell stories that are worth telling and that reflect who we are at the moment. We need films that are distinctly (South) African and not imitations of America box office fodder.

Scripts also need more work.”

South African films have been criticised for being obsessed with Apartheid and the past. Bruce Dennill (The Citizen) agrees: “There is a hangover from Apartheid as well as other cultural phenomena. Many filmmakers seem to still think that a South African film has to deal with the fallout of racism or the friction caused by co-existing alongside other cultures. That is all relevant, but there is more to each individual’s make-up than an obsession with these themes.”

2011/02/08 9:40 AM

What are some of the better South African films and why? Ronge cites The Bang Bang Club as an obvious example.

“This is easily the best South African film since Tsotsi. Also Jock of the Bushveld looks terrific. Liefling was good although the great curse of Afrikaans films is the TV rip-off - Egoli and Getroud Met Rugby - and films like Bakgat!, Superdelde and Stoute Boudjies.”

De Waal adds: “Tsotsi was great and Jerusalema was good too. I liked Darrell Roodt’s Faith’s Corner as a minimal kind of art movie about poverty. Other favourites are Bunny Chow, Jozi and White Wedding. A Small Town Called Descent is also very powerful.”

Van Nierop regards Roepman as a very good film. “The producers and director managed to adapt and retell the story from an Afrikaans novel, with respect, innocence, simplicity, sensitivity and insight. This film is of the highest order and will hopefully start a new movement and style that directors can be proud of.”

Dennill states that if District 9 can be classified as a South African film then: “It was brilliant. White Wedding was also enjoyable because it explored the minutia of a relationship with sharp humour.

Triomf was wonderful, a dark, difficult locally-generated story and Tsotsi was also great.”

The future Van Nierop believes the key is to make a good film and spend time on it, rather than cranking out films simply for the sake of making money.

If local filmmakers can find ways to make movies cheaply and find good stories then the local industry will be in a good place according to De Waal. “There have to be ways of funding that do not rely on government funding such as the National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF), which often chooses to fund movies that have serious subject matter but shies away from anything confrontational.”

Ronge concludes: “I want to see more films with contemporary themes, by which I mean films like Jersualema.

Filmmakers need to be more media savvy as the media can help them market their films.”

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orty-two full length documentaries, 18 of which are South African, will screen at the Encounters South African International Documentary Festival, which takes place in Cape Town and Johannesburg from 9 to 26 June.

The South African production, Whatever Happened to Robert Mugabe (directed by Simon Bright) is the opening night film. Other local films to screen at Encounters are Tim Wege’s King Naki; Simon Wood’s Forerunners – South Africa’s New Black Middleclass (winner of the Dikalo Award – 2011 Pan African Film Festival, Cannes); Lauren Beukes’ Glitterboys and Ganglands; Navan Chetty and Eric Miyeni’s Mining for Change: A Story of South African Mining; Omelga Mthiyane’s Li-Xia’s Salon; and Khalid Shamis’ Imam and I. Headlining international films at Encounters are this year’s Oscar-winner Inside Job by Charles Ferguson; Disney’s Samuel L Jackson narrated nature documentary, Africa Cats by Alastair Fothergill and Keith Scholey; Black Power Mixtape 1967 – 1975 by Göran Hugo Olsson; Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work; and If a Tree Falls: A Story of the Earth Liberation Front by Marshall Curry.

Encounters 2011 is celebrating that the Festival has come of age. Says festival director Mandisa Zitha: “We are now 13 years old and have established a local and international reputation and endured challenging times. Our 2011 line-up includes award-winning films and international festival darlings, quality auteur-driven South African films, and new exciting products from students.

Themes are very diverse and comprise of (in)famous icons, music, sports, human rights, current news and humour, among others.”

A new innovation this year is

Omelga Mthiyane filming Li-Xia’s Salon

PMW-F3K

WHAT’S UP AT DOC FEST – Whatever Happened to Robert Mugabe

Encounters’ online entry system which created a more efficient process of receiving entries. Zitha explains that Encounters also charged international entries $15, excluding African filmmakers. “As the festival’s international reputation grew we found ourselves inundated with hundreds of entries from all over the world and we simply did not have the capacity to review and manage all of them. The online entry system enables us to work within our capacity and generate additional funds toward the festival’s operational costs.

This year we received 400 entries (including 53 local entries), compared with 800 in 2010.”

In the past few years sponsorship challenges have threatened Encounters’ future. Zitha is delighted to announce that the National Lottery Distribution Trust Fund (NLDTF) is providing core funding for the 2011 festival. “This is vital towards operational costs and some festival activities. We have also received funding from long-term partners, the National Film and Video Foundation (NFF) and the Cape Film Commission (CFC). Many of our funders provide in-kind sponsorship, which is valuable to us. We are still not in the clear, with critical funding still needed to sustain the festival.”

Encounters 2011 will host a master class in Cape Town presented by Göran Olsson, director of Black Power Mixtape 1967 – 1975. He will show delegates how to make sense of a massive archive and produce a historical documentary that is tight and topical. Olsson’s visit is courtesy of the Embassy of Sweden.

David Sieveking, director of David Wants to Fly, will present a seminar called: The Pleasure and Pain of Realising Your First Film and the Perils of Success! Sieveking travels courtesy of the Goethe Institut.

Encounters will also host a Documentary Producers Workshop (in partnership with the Cape Film Commission) for producers who have produced at least one film.

In addition there will also be an editor’s panel discussion in partnership with the South African Guild of Editors (SAGE).

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HARD CORE TRUTH – Bertus (Anrich Herbst) and Elna (Hanli Rolfes) in a scene from Hartland

Antoinette (Franci Swanepoel), Adriaan (André Odendaal) and Elizabeth (Elné Pretorius)

A Sony first for SA TV drama

By Linda Krige productions can’t afford these. “What the market needed was a full-frame Super35mm sensor camera with a PL lens mount, a price tag suited to local productions and a post-friendly codec.

Essentially an EX-3 on steroids; the F3 fits the bill like a Lycra suit on a racing cyclist.”

Kovel says the F3 features the same menu as the Sony PMW-EX3 with the same user-friendly design, but as a drawback: it also features the same viewfinder and LCD: “Neither of which is great for judging exposure, although the red peaking function is great for judging focus.”

All in all Kovel is pleased with the result: “While capitalising on the excellent quality and post-friendly nature of the EX-3 codec, the full frame sensor marries 35mm lensing to a sharp, crisp, beautiful image and has a compression ratio that holds up down the line.”

A

new Afrikaans series for kykNET is bound to cause conversation with its controversial subject matter, and is already a talking point as the first television drama in South Africa to be shot on the Sony F3.

Hartland, a sequel to the successful Kruispad, is produced and written by playwright Deon Opperman, and inspired by elements from three of his Hertzog prize winning plays: Kaburo, Stille Nag and Boesman, My Seun.

According to Opperman certain plot lines, elements and characters were used from each of these plays.

The series, produced by Bottom Line Entertainment, explores the identity crises of contemporary Afrikaners in Johannesburg around the themes of politics, economics and the spiritual. The story is told by an ensemble of seasoned Afrikaans actors and actresses including Marius Weyers, Sandra Prinsloo and Brumilda van Rensburg, and directed by Gerrit Schoonhoven.

Among the sensitive issues explored in the 13-part series are the lingering effects of the border war on the soldiers who were involved, far right white groups plotting to overthrow the government and immigration: the question of whether there is a future for Afrikaners in South Africa.

According to Opperman he followed a very straight and hard-core approach to these thorny issues. “KykNET didn’t censor me at all, these are the things that are happening and they’re the issues that people are talking about,” says Opperman.

Asked about the message the series will send out, Opperman says that it is not a moral lesson. However, specifically with regard to far right groups, he says the series does show that the consequence of getting involved in any kind of violence is inevitably more violence and death 34 | SCREENAFRICA | June 2011

HAVING THE ‘KYK’ – Director Gerrit Schoonhoven, assistant director Jozua Malherbe and DOP

Jonathan Kovel with the Sony F3

— whether you’re black or white.

“I think it’s going to be controversial; it’s going to cause a huge amount of conversation. It’s when you bring audiences hard core truth that they will be glued to their seats,” says Opperman.

KykNET learnt this from the ‘fantastic reaction’ they received to Kruispad, one of the most successful dramas in their history.

Hartland and Kruispad form part of a trilogy and Donkerland is in the pipeline as the ‘prequel’ and third instalment. “It’s about being Afrikaans and white in South Africa,” says Opperman, “these are my people; I want to investigate their lives.”

Camera talk Director of photography (DOP) Jon Kovel says he is extremely pleased with

the results of shooting on the Sony F3: “It’s a huge step forward in my opinion.”

Given the budget they leant towards using a Canon 5D, on which Kovel had worked on a number of productions in 2010. “Although it gives great results there are a lot of drawbacks, the 5D is simply not designed to shoot a television series,” says Kovel.

A week before the shoot was due to start Henk Germishuizen called from Puma Video in Randburg, informing them that the F3 had just landed and would be available for their shoot.

According to Kovel he jumped at the opportunity to be the first TV drama production to try the camera. “It was just a stroke of luck really,” he adds.

The F3 is Sony’s answer to high end digital cameras like the Red and the Arri Alexa, but Kovel says many local

Investing in local content The series was shot on locations around Johannesburg including Northcliff, Houghton Estate, Kyalami, the Constitutional Court parking garage and the Krugersdorp game reserve, and is currently in the hands of editors CA van Aswegen and Quinn Lubbe of FiX Post Production.

According to kykNET GM Karen Meiring, it is an important priority for kykNET to continue investing in local programming. The channel’s viewership has grown by about 30% in the past year, which Meiring ascribes to the fact that South Africans love local content. This is further illustrated by a 20% nonAfrikaans kykNET viewership.

“There’s generally a better awareness of the channel and there’s a real need for good local programming,” says Meiring.

Hartland will start on kykNET on 19 July in the 8pm slot.

Multi-cam course in action

V

isual Impact Academy will run a multi-cam course for skills development from August in Cape Town and a pilot television show will be produced as part of the training course.

The TV pilot – in conjunction with Renegade Pictures, Shoot the Breeze and the Visual Impact Academy – is an inter-generational talk show that examines issues affecting South African youth and the elderly. Its premise is that wisdom, life experience and growing up can be shared between two generations.

Sharon Farr and Lee Otten (Shoot the Breeze) will produce. The ultimate goal is to produce a 13-part series for broadcast.

Paul Lensen, director of Visual Impact Academy and a key trainer, explains that the multi-cam course will accommodate 12 learners at a time.

“This ensures individual attention, access to equipment and an opportunity to participate in all the roles on a multi-cam shoot. Each learner will get the opportunity to vision mix, shoot, floor manage even though he or she may be a cameraperson first. We believe by doing this the learning experience is enriched and each person will understand how interdependent the roles and tasks are on

a multi-cam shoot.”

The five-day course is aimed at learners who have some elementary camera work and lighting knowledge. Learners will receive a theory lecture in the morning followed by a hands-on practical session in the afternoon.

The course is based upon best practice BBC multi-cam training.

Lensen explains that Paul Lensen assessing student during a training course each leaner is afforded the learners are competent in the field of opportunity to multi-cam operation. The successful ‘role play’ each of the functions of a candidates receive a certificate of multi-cam shoot. Lensen explains: “This completion that reflects the unit standard is part of the learner’s formative they have passed.” assessment. Regular feedback from our The equipment used on the course will lecturers is key to ensuring that they are be portable Sony units. “This system is informed of learners’ progress so they can also known as PPU (portable production deal with problem areas. The course unit) and has been used very successfully concludes with a summative assessment in in shows like Fear Factor and Idols. The the form of a theory test and practical trend is increasingly to use fly away observation to ensure that graduating

| TRAINING

THE MORE THE MERRIER – The multi-cam setup for Fear Factor

studios consisting of five boxes. These boxes contain carefully packaged cameras, vision mixers, vision controllers, communications units and monitors. The idea is that you can land anywhere and do a five- to 10-camera shoot, as long as there is enough power,” notes Lensen.

Asked about the standard of multi-cam skills in the South African industry, Lensen responds: “With our local productions, soaps, talk shows and sports it is excellent. However, the recording of certain live events could use more creative planning where shots are planned and sequences are created rather than simply ‘responding’ or ‘reacting’ to what is taking place.

“Multi-cam shoots are also a cost effective option to producing content, especially where time and budget constraints are an issue.”

– Karen van Schalkwyk

June 2011 | SCREENAFRICA | 35

TELEVISION |

SA satire paves the (democratic) way

By Karen van Schalkwyk

Satire is characteristically subversive and always takes on ‘the powers that be’. This makes ‘the powers’ very nervous as satire reflects society and analyses political issues through the use of sharp and outrageous humour.

T

here are a few examples of great satire on South African screens, such as ZA News (which is streamed on the Internet) and comedian Loyiso Gola’s Late Nite News (LNN) on free-to-air commercial channel e.tv.

Thierry Cassuto of ZA News says that although satire has not been seen much on South African screens it is appreciated all over the world. “The difference is that most countries have more local TV channels than South Africa and because there is more competition, so broadcasters have to be more innovative and daring.

“Locally I think that LNN is a great show to have on TV and we wish there could be more satirical shows across all our channels. Satire is great for democracy.”

Partick Conroy, group head of e.tv News, explains that the broadcaster commissioned LNN as it had been looking for a satirical show for several

political points in a humourous way.

However, the second season has found its rhythm and we have commissioned a third season.”

Both ZA News and LNN have proved to be very successful. Cassuto explains ZA News began streaming on the Internet 18 months ago. “We have had over two million views and moved to a mobile platform to increase the access to our videos. ZA News will also launch soon on MXit.”

Savvy audiences Andrew Wessels, Diprente executive producer, director and editor of LNN, believes that audiences know and appreciate more than they get credit for.

“The significance of LNN is the democratic right to be doing the show in the first place. It allows us to educate society through this style of critical comedy and to spark debate on issues. I

LATE NIGHT LAUGHTER – Presenter Loyiso Gola

POLITICAL PUPPETS – Famous South African political characters from ZA News

years. “When Kagiso Lediga and Loyiso Gola approached us with a pilot for LNN, we felt it had potential. This was a first in South Africa; nobody had really taken on the task of getting a satirical news show off the ground.

“The learning curve was steep and the team struggled in the first season to highlight hypocrisy and make witty 36 | SCREENAFRICA | June 2011

think that is one of the main reasons why it is successful.”

Tamsin Andersson, Diprente producer of LNN, maintains that there needs to be more satire on South African televisions.

“We need to start using TV to challenge government and society. E.tv has been quiet brave in this regard because LNN breaks new ground.”

Conroy says e.tv has taken a long term view with LNN. “The show has been successful and we have a very good working relationship with the team.

Satire is always going to push the boundaries of what is deemed acceptable for public consumption and we work closely with the LNN producers to insure that the content is thought provoking, witty and funny.”

He makes the point that satire is an important part of any democratic society and something that is currently lacking in South Africa.

Humour appreciated Loyiso Gola is humbled that the show has been so well received. “People from all walks of life like the show; even politicians generally like the show even if

we speak against their ideas and political organisations. They appreciate the humour, however a few conservative groups have complained about some of our content. We speak freely as we have the freedom to ridicule anything and everyone. E.tv gives us the space to be funny.”

Cassuto adds that ZA News has had no complaints, only compliments.

“Archbishop Desmond Tutu, DA leader Helen Zille and even Cosatu’s Zwelinzima Vavi have praised the show and their puppets. Now we’d love to hear from President Jacob Zuma and from ANC Youth League leader Julius Malema.”

Asked how he goes about sourcing and developing content for LNN, Gola responds: “We have about 12 writers, we brainstorm and the ideas start to flow.

Kagiso Lediga, the head writer, contextualises the ideas and turns them into a script. He then hands it to me to do final edits. We do a read through with graphics and footage an hour before the show is recorded, where we time the episode. In the final read through, a lot of the gags are cut for various reasons, including any pertaining to stories that have dated. I have learnt so much from Conrad Koch and Riaad Moosa, who are my comedy mentors.”

Challenges Wessels says that the biggest challenge is dealing with audiences who are not necessarily educated in satire and parody.

“People have to understand what we do in this context. It’s sometimes difficult to be impartial because the comedic instinct is to parody anything that asks for it. We do strive for impartiality though because we don’t want to be perceived as taking any political sides. Political figures should not be allowed to get away with talking kak; if they do they must expect critical feedback from society.

“Media is a platform for self expression.

Commissioning editors should be braver in commissioning shows that challenge people because it stimulates healthy debate. People should not be so sensitive.”

| BUSINESS

Defining Success

“You have it all in you to be all that you want to be.”

Mariam Sha has worked with international best practice standards and has assessed and advised over 100 organisations. Her clients range from large organisations to developing small organisations across all sectors.

Setting business objectives It’s been a while since my last article which was in February this year. That article focused on the role of SWOT analysis when developing a business plan.

To recap: SWOT analysis is a good planning tool to examine an organisation, at any given time, to gauge its Strengths and Weaknesses, to discover Opportunities and to identify Threats.

Once you have identified your organisation’s Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats, the next crucial step is setting business TV Broadcaster Objectives

objectives. I often meet senior management in organisations who say they want the business to be successful, or to be the best in the industry, but have not clearly defined what that really means. What is success? How do you measure success? How do you measure being the best in the industry?

Objectives are also confused with goals. To clarify: a goal is a measurable aim to be fulfilled usually without certainty as to when it should be achieved. An objective, unlike a goal, has to be fulfilled within a specified time frame. Therefore clearly defined

Sales Support Department A’s Team Individual Objectives Objectives Objectives Objectives

X Y Z

A B C

1 X X 2 X X 3 X X

business objectives are the end goal for a defined period. Of course the objective can change due to many factors or once it’s been achieved.

Here are examples of common objectives: • Sales targets – 500 sales to be achieved by the end of September 2011 • Production – 5 x 30 minutes films to be produced by December 2011 • People management – ie. recruitment, retention, motivation levels – recruitment of 20 full time employees by July 2011 • Quality of output – Achieve ISO Standards by February 2012.

• Budgets – Net profit of R500 000 by financial year end February 2012 The primary reason why strategic objectives need to be measurable is that if they can be measured, they can be managed. Therefore, when formulating strategic measurable objectives, make sure they are SMART objectives. Each objective has to be: S – Specific M – Measurable A – Achievable/Attainable R – Realistic/Relevant T – Timely

It is important that objectives are communicated throughout the organisation. Research shows well informed people are more committed to working together to achieve organisational objectives. There is a greater incidence of alignment between personal goals, team objectives and organisational objectives.

The table below (left) is a template for cascading your business objectives to each level in the organisation.

In the planning stages once the strategic objectives have been set, involve people in developing their team and their individual objectives.

Objectives at every level should be measurable. Having the big picture means individuals are able to see how they contribute to the objectives and realise the importance of their role in achieving business objectives.

Having set the objectives the next step is to unpack how the objectives will be achieved; This unpacking is contained in an action plan in my article next month.

For customised business solutions, personal coaching, training and development contact Mariam@awakeningexcellence.co.za

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neil White Sales & Service Consultant Cell: +27 (0)82 8000 217 Email: neil@sbss.tv Tel: +27 (0)21 425 6337

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Formally Shoal Creek 1 Port Road | V&A Waterfront | Cape Town | South Africa

June 2011 | SCREENAFRICA | 37

WILDLIFE |

Wildlife filmmakers and presenters frequently go to extraordinary lengths and risk their lives to tell unforgettable stories. But what happens when they cross the invisible line between man and beast?

D

iving with Nile crocodiles in the Okavango Delta for the first time in The Fosters Brothers’ award-winning Into The Dragon’s Lair was the most terrifying thing that marine photographer and presenter Roger Horrocks has ever done.

“When people first dive with sharks they know what to expect because it’s been done so often before. But no-one had ever dived with crocodiles so I was venturing into the unknown. If French cameraman Didier Noirot (Jacques Cousteau’s cameraman) hadn’t dived with me I wouldn’t have done it,” said Horrocks at the recent Wild Talk Africa Conference in Stellenbosch.

The first time Horrocks encountered a Nile crocodile underwater his immediate instinct was to swim away as fast as possible, but he knew he had to remain still.

“It’s an advantage being a cameraman underwater as you’re armed with equipment and lights so you look strange to the crocodile and it doesn’t automatically assume that you are prey.

The moment you are above water, however, the crocodile immediately recognises you as prey. Our big challenge was to get under the floating papyrus in the Delta and follow the crocodiles into the tunnels and caves.”

At the time of Wild Talk Africa Horrocks and The Foster Brothers were in the process of filming a new installment in their Dragon trilogy, The Dragon’s Feast. Craig Foster talked about the powerful emotions you experience when an animal actively comes into your space and seeks human contact.

“My first meaningful interaction was with tiger sharks – we’d touch them gently and they kept coming back to us,” said Foster. “Sharks react differently to different people; they will actively come towards some people and not others. The same is true of big cats. Some people have a certain sense that attracts animals and allows for peaceful interaction.”

Inner peace When Foster gets into the water he does breathing exercises to put him into a peaceful, ecstatic state of mind. “About 38 | SCREENAFRICA | June 2011

ENTERING THE DANGER ZONE – BACK ROW: Craig Foster, Graham Wallington, Roger Horrocks, Richard Terry

FRONT ROW: Hanli Prinsloo, Sophie Vartan

three weeks ago I was in the best state of mind I’d been in for three months and an otter popped up in the water next to me.

So I swam with it for 10 minutes. It is an incredible experience to be so close to an animal. When I got out of the water the otter barked as if it was calling me back.

“A few weeks ago my son and I were sitting peacefully on some rocks when some baboons approached and started to groom him. When you go into the wild you have to be in that moment of presence to interact with animals. The interaction is so powerful that it can heal whatever emotional pain that you might be feeling at the time. It’s like therapy.”

Safety first As Graham Wallington of WildEarth pointed out, all wildlife filmmakers have a deep urge to connect with nature.

“However, there are situations where you push the boundary and things go wrong.

Such as in December 2004 when we filmed a pilot show in the Okavango with our presenter Diana Kruger (formerly Tilden-Davis). We were on a raft filming but nobody knew that there were hippos a few metres away. Suddenly a hippo’s head popped up 10 metres away and appeared in the back of the camera frame.

“We were all nervous but everything seemed to be fine so we carried on filming. What we didn’t know was that the hippo was trapped in the water and couldn’t move away from us. Because we had unwittingly blocked its escape the hippo charged at us and bit Diana’s leg so badly that was literally dangling by the Achilles tendon.”

Luckily someone had a trauma kit but Kruger refused pain killers because she knew she would need morphine once in hospital. Wallington continues: “Diana was amazingly courageous throughout her ordeal. Despite being in a completely remote spot we thankfully managed to get help and she was evacuated by helicopter 35 minutes later. Diana has had 23 operations since then but managed to keep her leg. She is able to walk around without crutches most of the time.

“My big lesson from this terrible incident is that not only should you respect wild animals, you should fear them too. Today if I see a hippo I keep my distance. We do lots of planning before any shoot and it’s vital to have a safety and emergency evacuation plan, as well as insurance.”

Controlling the uncontrollable One person who has spent the past 13 years pushing the boundaries of the human body is free diver Hanli Prinsloo, who regularly dives with sharks. “I believe that humans are aquatic beings just like seals and dolphins. The fact that I can hold my breath underwater for six minutes allows me to access ocean life in a way you cannot do when wearing an oxygen tank. I swim with a monofin and underwater mammals interact with me as a fellow aquatic mammal in their sphere.”

Prinsloo has managed to touch the dorsal fin of a shark but has never been threatened by any animal. She’s found that sharks have different personalities and get skittish if the diver is agitated. “If

they feel your inner state of peace then they let you into their world. Dolphins and whales interact with humans immediately.

“I think it’s advisable to always have an expert with you when working with wild animals. Experts can give you advice that helps you to control the uncontrollable.”

Accidental presenter British camera operator and director of photography (DOP) Richard Terry had worked in many different genres before he became a wildlife presenter by chance.

“I needed to make money so I answered an ad for a cameraman to shoot in Alaska.

When they offered me the job I was told I had to live in Alaska for six months with an eccentric old man called Charlie Vandergaw, who lived in extremely close proximity to grizzly bears. I also had to present the programme. The result was the Animal Planet production, Stranger Among Bears.”

One day during the shoot Terry went to the outside ablution block and found himself face to face with a grizzly. “The bear yanked at my underpants. All I had to fend him off was a stick which I showed him. Mercifully he sauntered off.”

Since then Terry shot and presented Alone Among Grizzlies and National Geographic’s Man vs Monster series.

“Every single job that I’ve done in front of the camera has resulted in an injury. In fact, I almost lost a finger,” noted Terry.

According to Foster if you work in the wild you must be prepared to get injured.

“But never ever shoot the animal – that’s way over the line.” – Joanna Sterkowicz

Awardwinning producer joins Aquavision

By Andy Stead

| WILDLIFE the international market is extremely important to us but we have struggled in the past with the American style of writing, their accents and terminology.

Steve comes with a broad base of experience and is not pigeon-holed into any one specific genre.”

Eder has written, directed and produced a plethora of programmes including America’s Secret Weapon for National Geographic, Moments in Time

for Discovery Channel (a $5m production) and Sugar Scandal for Turner Broadcasting.

“I‘ve been at it since 1980,” says Eder, “and I‘ve worked with pretty much all the natural history channels and many other networks. It is great to be in a country where filmmaking is alive and thriving, and to be in a position to assist Aquavision, not only with their natural history programming, but also to go

S

outh African natural history production company Aquavision TV Productions recently signed a two-year contract with Los Angeles-based producer Steve Eder, whose Terra Nova Television Inc. produces a wide range of documentaries on science, technology and history topics.

Terranova also works with other production companies to assist in the completion of their projects in north America and abroad. It has created original, award-winning projects for Discovery Channel, Discovery Health Channel, National Geographic Channel, Turner Broadcasting and many other international broadcasters.

“Steve Eder is a big asset to us in our quest to further penetrate the north American and global markets,” says Aquavision GM Dave Keet. “The development aspect of our productions for

REACHING NEW HEIGHTS – Steve Eder in the Andes mountains

beyond wildlife into a variety of other programming opportunities. I will be overseeing all production and development, as well as the flow of material and information between South Africa and north America.”

Keet notes that Eder is up and running already. “We have a lot of material in development right now, around 20 programmes including a couple of really big shows, so Steve’s involvement comes at just the right time. The scope of wildlife programming is somewhat limited as there are only a certain number of channels catering for this genre internationally. In order to grow we need to spread our wings and Steve has the expertise to guide us with this.”

Eder’s contract was the result of an intense selection campaign organised mostly by New Zealand-based NHNZ, which acquired a stake in Aquavision in February 2010. He was advised that his CV had been put forward for a position in Africa.

“I forgot all about it until a couple of months later I received another call,” says Eder. “When I read the job description I figured that at least a hundred people would be after the position. However, I was asked to come out to South Africa and meet with Aquavision’s Peter Lamberti and Dave Keet. We hit it off, worked out an arrangement and here I am, delighted to be in South Africa.”

June 2011 | SCREENAFRICA | 39

Reports by Martin Chemhere

Dowry for an Angolan short

UNIVERSAL LANGUAGE – Mário Bastos

A new Angolan film grew out of the need to tell an Angolan story to Angolans and out of the filmmaker’s determination to begin his directing career at home.

F

ilmmaker Mário Bastos, who recently returned to Angola after studying film in the US, states: “As an artist I believe that every work I create includes some of my own feelings, emotions and experiences.”

His latest offering is no exception. Set in the city of Luanda Bastos’ Alambamento tells the story in Portuguese of a man with the simple dream of marrying the person he loves. Matias’ family has prepared a sizable dowry, or alambamento, for his future wife Mena’s family, as is customary in Angola. When Matias drives to the rough shantytown where Mena lives to deliver the dowry, he accidentally hits a young boy who is playing soccer. The town’s people quickly surround Matias wanting retribution. He panics — for his own safety and for that of the dowry.

Matias realises how much he is willing to fight for Mena’s love.

Lead roles are played by Correia Adão (Matias) and Marieta Cabuço (Mena), who is known in Luanda as a dancer.

The 15-minute film was completed last year and cost about $80 000. It was shot over seven days in Luanda and was written and directed by Bastos and produced by Hassan Said.

Alambamento was screened at the Pan African Film and Arts Festival in the US in February and at Festival Itinerante de

Ekwa Msangi-Omari, Milton Kam and TimTrotman on the set of Taharuki

Língua Portuguesa Festin in Lisbon, Portugal in April.

Twenty-five-year-old Bastos, who studied at the New York Film Academy and the San Francisco Academy of Arts University, believes that working in Portuguese doesn’t limit the market for his work.

“Language is important but it’s not everything when you are a filmmaker.

Five countries in Africa have Portuguese as the main language which means there are five potential markets for my films,” he says.

Bastos has also produced two short films Kiari and Saudade. Kiari won the City of Luanda Award at Luanda International Film Festival in 2008 and in the same year screened at the ReelHeART International Film Festival in Toronto. It was also shown at the Washington DC Independent Film Festival and won Best Student Short Film at the Show Off Your Shorts Film Festival, in Hollywood in 2008. Saudade won Best Black and White 16mm film at the Epidemic Film Festival in San Francisco in 2006.

Says Bastos: “My films have a universal language and my hope is that African filmmakers collaborate more in the production and distribution of each others’ films.”

Photo by Liz Strong

AFRICA |

The cast and crew of Alambamento

Photo by Milton Kam

Double shot for director at DIFF

MEETING THE INTRUDER: Gilbert Owuor in a scene from Taharuki 40 | SCREENAFRICA | June 2011

A

new Kenyan / US film, Taharuki (Suspense), completed in February this year has been accepted into the Durban International Film Festival (DIFF), which runs in Durban, South Africa from 21 July to 1 August.

The film’s US-based director Ekwa Musangi-Omari has also been selected to participate in the Durban FilmMart (DFM), which runs alongside DIFF, with a another project called Children of the Sand.

Taharuki is a 12-minute film in Kiswahili with English subtitles. Musangi-Omari says the message of the film is uplifting. “It shows two young people struggling together during a very tense time.”

The film is set against the backdrop of the devastating post-election violence in Kenya in 2008 that left tens of thousands of Kenyans homeless, traumatised or dead. It is the fictional account of a man and woman from opposing ethnic tribes who work for an underground liberation movement that aims to expose a childtrafficking cartel.

Taharuki was written, directed and produced by Musangi-Omari, and co-produced by Kia Barbee with two consulting producers, Inna Braude and Ela Thier.

Told in the drama / thriller genre, the film was entirely shot in Brooklyn, New York even though the story is set in Kenya. This accomplishment excites the writer and director, who says: “It was a bit of creative genius that came together to make that happen believably and I’m happy to say that our team pulled it off.”

She explains that due to the size of the budget, everyone worked ‘pro-bono’ and the location was also

donated for one day. Demanding shooting situations included having exactly 12 hours to turn a tiny nursery school into an underground hideout and childtrafficking warehouse, with 30 scheduled shots and three-hours of make-up.

There are only three roles in the film and they are played by US-based Kenyan actors: Miriam Chemmoss, Gilbert Owuor and Chris Kamau.

Screenings continue worldwide, including at Universal Studios in Los Angeles as part of Women in Film International’s spotlight on Kenyan film; at the Sistah’s Doing it For Themselves screening series; and at the 18th New York African Film Festival.

Musangi-Omari has over 20 short films and documentaries under her belt. She also created the 13-part (one hour) series, The Agency, for pay-TV broadcaster M-Net. Set in the world of advertising the series has screened all over Africa.

Her other notable project Weakness (15-minutes; 2009) is a short film about two brothers, a recovering alcoholic and an award-winning writer. It was nominated for a 2010 Kalasha Award for Best Supporting Actor and a 2011 AMAA award for Best Short Film.

Musangi-Omari’s production company is called E.Pic Film Production. She divides her time between New York and Nairobi and has a BFA in Film / TV Production and an MA in African Cinema from New York University.

| AFRICA

Lesotho film set to stimulate local film industry

T

he Forgotten Kingdom is a film that reminds audiences that one should never forget one’s roots.

Producer Pieter Lombaard of Johannesburg-based Binary Film Works says the crew has just wrapped up the four-week summer shoot. “We are currently prepping for the winter shoot in Lesotho. This runs for four weeks from mid-June as we need to capture snow on the mountains.

“The summer shoot was a challenge as we are shooting an epic film on a very tight budget. Lesotho has very little infrastructure compounded by a mix of mountain area ranges with potholed roads and in some instances no roads at all. We used 4x 4 vehicles rented from locals in Lesotho and at least one vehicle got stuck in mud each day.”

He points out that 95% of the film is shot in Lesotho – from Maseru to the remote mountain villages in Semongkong, Leribe, up in the Bokong Nature reserve and at Sani Top. “The Forgotten Kingdom is primarily a Lesotho film as the South African location component is very small. Since Lesotho has no real film industry all the crew and gear comes from South Africa.

Media Film Service (Johannesburg) has been very helpful in giving us the support and equipment we need to tell this epic story with a very low budget.”

Five years after writing the screenplay director Andrew Mudge finally raised enough money to shoot his first feature film. He sourced most of the funding from family and friends as well as couple of private investors for about $280 000.

The Forgotten Kingdom is produced by Cecil Matlou, Lombaard and two New York-based producers, TR Boyce Jr and Andrew Mudge. The executive producers are Zen-HQ’s Chris Roland (Cape Town) and Terry Leonard (New York).

Binary Film Works facilitates the entire local production and New York based TFK LLC is financing the project.

To encourage local film industry development in Lesotho Matlou connected with the Limkokwing University of Creative Technology in Roma, Lesotho and used its second year film students as interns on set.

The Forgotten Kingdom tells the story of an unemployed young man, Atang, who spends his days idling in the slums of Johannesburg. When his father dies from

an Aids-related illness, Atang must give up his selfish ways and fulfill his father’s last wishes: to be buried in the rural mountain kingdom of Lesotho, the country they left 15 years earlier in search of a better life.

Atang feels like a stranger in the land of his birth but instantly makes a connection with his childhood friend, Dineo. A beautiful and compassionate young woman, Dineo cares for her younger sister, Nkoti, who is suffering from HIV/ Aids. However, Dineo’s tyrannical father thwarts the budding romance and relocates his family to a remote village where he can hide his shame over Nkoti’s illness.

Lombaard hopes to premiere the film at next year’s Tribeca Film Festival.

Doc pitching sessions at ZIFF

OVERSEAS PANEL – Nick Broomfield

S

elected documentary filmmakers from East Africa will present their projects for the Documentary Pitching Tree Contest, a key focus at this year’s Zanzibar International Film Festival (ZIFF), 14th Festival of the Dhow Countries, which runs from 18 to 26 June.

The Documentary Pitching Tree Contest is an extension of ZIFF’s Soko Film Programme and occurs at a time of growth in the East African (Kenya in particular) film industry.

Festival organisers have secured an international panel of trainers, led by producer Donald Ranvaud and director Nick Broomfield.

Ranvaud has credits on a number of

Donald Ranvaud Oscar nominated films such as The Constant Gardner, City Of God, Central Station and Farewell My Concubine. He is an ambassador for Latin American cinema, campaigning for and raising the profile of lesser-known film industries throughout the region in scores of ventures and projects, from film festivals to film funds.

Broomfield is regarded as one of the best documentary filmmakers in the UK. He is a multiple award winner with a string of controversial and exciting documentaries to his name, including Biggie and Tupac and His Big White Self.

The Documentary Pitching Tree Contest has selected projects in which filmmakers use innovative techniques to

tell their stories. Each filmmaker will be given the opportunity to showcase their creativity in the pitching session.

Ten entries will be selected for development to be pitched to a panel of commissioning editors from East Africa.

A panel of industry specialists will select the winning documentary pitch from among the finalists.

Visionary theme This year’s ZIFF is themed A Season of Visions. “Increasingly we see, hear and read of effective new discoveries in many fields of endeavour which are a testament to human creativity and brilliance, something that is paramount to our

existence. It is with this in mind that ZIFF hopes to provide an increasingly vital energetic forum to galvanise our delegates to achieve greater heights,” say the festival organisers.

A total of 71 films from around the world have been selected for ZIFF, with 45 of these in competition.

The Canadian / Ugandan film, Making The Band, will open the festival. It is an inspirational story about four women who use and motivate each other to increase their self-worth and attain a full life.

Nineteen African premieres round up this year’s offering including the humorous Bran Nue Dae, an AboriginalAustralian story that celebrates diversity and its antics.

June 2011 | SCREENAFRICA | 41

AFRICA |

Soccer and animation

By Linda Krige to unlock mystery of HIV

GETTING UNDER THE SKIN: Aric Noboa

V

iewers will be taken on an animated trip inside the human body to unravel the mystery of how HIV/Aids works in a new feature film by Curious Pictures and the non-profit Discovery Channel Global Education Partnership.

Inside Story tells the story of an East African soccer player who moves to South Africa to pursue his career at a club in Johannesburg. He falls in love, but realises that he has become infected with HIV. The film will use CGI animation by

Masters & Savant for the scenes inside the body, and it will be the first feature film to illustrate what happens at the moment of HIV infection.

According to Aric Noboa, president and executive producer of the Discovery Channel Global Education Partnership, they learned from focus groups across Africa that many people are tired of being told what to do, and instead want an explanation of how the disease works.

“Many people don’t really understand how HIV works, regardless of where they live or where they were born,” he adds.

Therefore the film will specifically look at the science of HIV/ Aids. “It will provide information in an entertaining way instead of issuing commandments,” says Noboa.

He believes that soccer, high drama and high production value can help to cut through a lot of the so-called ‘Aids fatigue’ that may stop people from watching another HIV film. “There’s a lot of HIV media in South Africa and we didn’t want to reinvent anything, we want to do something different.”

South Africa’s Curious Pictures was approached to produce the film due to their expertise in health and educational

Tanzanian filmmaker debuts first feature

P

roduction wrapped last month for Mnyororo (The Chain), the debut feature film from writer / director Daniel Nyalusi of Dar es Salaam-based Dean Space Entertainment.

This 90-minute low budget film was produced by Pilipili Entertainment and shot entirely in Dar es Salaam – in offices, a private home, bars, clubs and hotels.

Mnyororo is set against the pandemic of 42 | SCREENAFRICA | June 2011

DEADLY SEDUCTION – Daniel Nyalusi, writes and directs the film Mnyororo (The Chain)

HIV/Aids and youth empowerment.

Madam Rosa (played by Ndumbagwe Misayo) is a rich widow whose husband

explains: “it’s a breakthrough actually.”

She adds that the combination of soccer and science works very well. “When we go inside the body we use soccer analogies to explain the science.”

The director of Inside Story, Rolie Nikiwe, says the film will shoot in June on an Arri Alexa, a high end digital video camera, on location in South Africa and East Africa. “It’s a very competent format, we’re very excited about it,” says Nikiwe.

“It will present South Africa in a way not seen before.”

As a fan of soccer, Nikiwe is also keen to show the popular sport in a way that is hard and edgy. “I’ve never seen soccer on film shot in a way that I admire; it’s never been captured as a tough contact sport with a whole physical competitiveness to it.”

Noboa says that Inside Story will feature actors from South Africa, Nigeria and East Africa with a soundtrack of pan African music; therefore it is an African film for an African audience.

He explains: “The film will be distributed through free-to-air broadcasters across Africa, and grassroots distribution will be done through a growing cadre of local and international organisations and government agencies.

Inside Story is also being considered for a possible theatrical release.”

The production is funded by PEPFAR, Chevron, Nigeria’s Access Bank, Discovery Communications, Seacom, UNAIDS and the South African Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) rebate.

previously passed away from Aids, leaving her ill as well and in possession of all her husband’s assets. She decides ‘not to die alone’ and begins to seduce young men.

These include Prince (Michael Remigius), a successful young manager, and his best friends Sharif (Juma Rajab), a young upcoming artist and Dean (Kennedy Victor), a television presenter.

Madam Rosa does not stop there and goes out of her way to seduce other young men. She will stop at nothing to get any man she wants.

Nyalusi is an IT specialist turned filmmaker who honed his skills in the short film genre. He has worked on the television programmes Mgongano wa Mawazo and Ulimwengu wa Vijana (ITV), Ukimwi na Jamii and Longa Kijana for Channel Ten. Nyalusi made his first one-minute films in 2005 – Local Divers, Direction to My Home, Too Much, What a Mess and Back Home. In 2009 these five one-minute films were selected for the

World Tour of One Minute Films (www.theoneminutes.org). Local Divers was nominated for the One Minute Awards 2005 winning first Runner Up in the category Best of Worlds.

In addition to his long list of endeavours in 2007 he worked as researcher and assistant production manager on the documentary Popobawa produced by Destination Truth (USA), Ginger Ink Films (Kenya) and Jicho Communications (Zanzibar). A year later he co-directed the documentary Home to Mother by the Danish National Television and Radio Crew. In June 2008 his short film Direction to My Home was selected to be screened at the Beijing Olympic Games in the World One Minute video exhibition.

Nyalusi also worked as production manager on the short film series African Tales produced by Savannah Films.

He formed Dean Space Entertainment in 2008. – Martin Chemhere

entertainment. Says Noboa: “It was clear that they got the project and understood what we wanted to do. They were willing to jump in for the long term.”

According to Harriet Gavshon, owner and managing director of Curious Pictures, it is important to constantly come up with new strategies and technology to overcome Aids fatigue.

“But this is a new idea,” she

The ‘WOW’ factor

Continued from page 1 | VOD service to launch in Oct ICASA’s position paper in relation to IPTV and VOD, a Class ECS licence is a requirement for the provision of VOD services whether on a provincial or national basis,” explains Maleka.

According to the Class ECS licence SouthTel is not allowed to rollout their own network, but they are allowed to enter into a commercial agreement with any company that has an Electronic Communications Network Service (ECNS) licence to provide a VOD service. Dube says he cannot disclose the name of their network partner yet.

The new service will be aimed at higher Living Standards Measure (LSM) groups. “We believe that there is a huge market for this, the technology is trendy so we’re expecting a huge uptake,” says Dube. The assumption is that, due to multimedia convergence, TV viewers increasingly want to manage their time and watch the content they choose at a time they select. Says Dube: “We want to offer convenience, more than anything else.”

When asked about potential problems of securing premium content, since pay-TV operator

MultiChoice has exclusive agreements with a number of international studios, Dube says that they respect exclusivity agreements, but that there is still a lot of content that is not shown to the South African public yet.

They are currently in talks to secure suitable content.

However, he emphasises that local content will also be a very important part of their offering.

Local filmmakers will be able to approach SouthTel and have their content available on the PVR on a revenue share basis.

The PVR will also give users an option to rate or comment on the content, providing a valuable tool of feedback and customer reaction to the filmmaker.

“We’ll be looking for exciting local content of the right calibre,” explains Dube.

Among the unique features promised by SouthTel VOD:TV is location based advertising.

Dube explains that a local pizza shop, supermarket or golf course will be able to advertise only in their specific area.

SouthTel VOD: TV will also offer Internet access via 3G through embedded technology in the PVR and a keyboard at the back of the remote control.

The company will launch a trial pilot of the service in Gauteng in July 2011, running parallel to a trial pilot by their partner in France. The test will run for eight weeks with 60 PVRs distributed throughout Gauteng.

The launch of commercial services is planned for October, but Dube says they are taking things step by step and not rushing to cover the entire country or to steal anyone’s customers.

“I don’t want to be seen as MultiChoice or TopTV’s competition. What we’re offering is something completely different, it could be seen as a complementary service,” says Dube.

MultiChoice has reacted to the imminent launch of VOD:TV by saying they welcome competition in the pay TV market, since competition is good for the industry and for viewer choice. While the pay TV giant is not ready to confirm the rumours of their own VOD offering, they have said that they are planning a number of exciting new initiatives this year, and told Screen Africa to “watch this space”.

DFM raises African film profile Nigeria, Rwanda, South Africa, Sudan, Tunisia and Uganda.

Monty notes that DFM 2011 sees a strengthened documentary filmmakers’ programme, thanks to the partnership with IDFA (International Documentary Festival of Amsterdam) and a team led by its Head of Industry Office, Adriek van Nieuwenhuyzen “DFM will present a pitching forum specifically for documentary projects, where local and international commissioning editors are invited to engage with pitches by selected documentary projects, in addition to closed one-on-one pitching sessions. An additional package of seminars, panels and workshops aimed at addressing the particular challenges of documentaries will feature this year. IDFA will play a key role in coordinating the pitching forum and workshops,” explains Monty.

South African Don Edkins (STEPS for the Future; Why Democracy?; Why Poverty?), who has vast experience in local and international sectors, is to engage with all the documentary projects in the month prior to DFM and will, together with 44 | SCREENAFRICA | June 2011

IDFA and other selected experts, help prepare projects for the pitching sessions.

A pitch and packaging mentoring programme will be offered to all DFM official projects prior to the investor meetings on Sunday 24 and Monday 25 July.

Three Talent Campus Durban participants who have projects in the Doc Station Durban, will be given the opportunity to participate in much of the DFM Producers’ Forum programme. Similarly, Talent Campus Durban Master classes are open to DFM delegates. Leonard Retel Helmrich, winner of Sundance 2011 and IDFA 2010 prizes for his film, Position Among The Stars, will give one of these master classes.

“The Hubert Bals Fund will, as in 2010, offer an award to the most promising DFM project.

We are also excited that this year will include the PUMA. Creative Catalyst Awards and PUMA.Creative Mobility Awards, which will be adjudicated by Channel 4 BRITDOC Foundation, PUMA.Creative and Creative Africa Network,” comments Peter Rorvik, DIFF Director.

“Channel 4 BRITDOC Foundation producers Beadie Finzi and Elise McCave, supported by the PUMA. Creative Catalyst Programme, are also going to take part in the mentoring sessions and in panels at the Co-production Forum. In addition, IDFA and the Jan Vrijman Fund will offer accreditation and accommodation at IDFA 2011 for two selected documentary projects.

“The DFM is heartened by the success of our 2010 projects such as Egyptian producer Hossan Elouan, whose film Hawi directed by Ibrahim El-Batout, scooped an award at the Doha Tribeca Film Festival.

Hawi was also presented at International Film Festival Rotterdam 2011 and will showcase at this year’s DIFF.” Three official projects from last year – Jenna Scott Bass (winner of the Hubert Bals Fund Award at DFM), Tahir Aliyev, and Tom RowlandsRees – were also invited to attend the Rotterdam Lab during International Film Festival Rotterdam’s Cinemart earlier this year, courtesy of the DFM / CineMart partnership established in 2010.

announced but Mangquku notes that prior to launch WOWtv will undertake a 90-day road show around the country to market the service to people on the ground. “We are doing everything in our power to launch as soon as possible, but it would be wrong to say the launch was imminent.”

WOWtv is currently negotiating a contract with its satellite provider. While Mangquku will not disclose the name he concedes that it is not SES Astra (TopTV’s provider). Decoders are more likely to be imported, but they remain in talks with a local manufacturer.

Originally conceived as a single channel, WOWtv has switched to a multi-channel service that will have up to five channels at launch on its entry level bouquet (R49 per month) and up to 10 on its premium bouquet (R99).

“The WOWtv directors decided that to launch a single channel service into a market where there were already two multi-channel operators (DStv and TopTV) would make no impact,” says Mangquku. “Likewise we have had to re-size and restructure our business as we don’t have unlimited funds.”

WOWtv has also had to clarify what it is. Mangquku insists that contrary to WOW’s initial positioning and what is stated on WOW’s website, it is not a Christian-based broadcaster. It will not play the advocate for Christianity because they believe that Christianity is but one of many religions. “We are a God-based broadcaster with Christ being our core and will provide entertainment with a purpose.

WOWtv is positioned as a national asset – our programming will address problems which South Africa faces such as crime, HIV/Aids, domestic violence, unemployment, etc. It will teach audiences life skills and present values from a Godly perspective.”

The programming WOWtv wants to broadcast is very South Africa-specific which means that it will have to commission local content. Says Mangquku: “We’ve only found limited overseas content that is suitable for WOWtv so 50% of our content must be made in South Africa. But we know that we have to deliver what our audiences need.”

WOWtv plans to have its own in-house production unit but will outsource production as well. It has created a register on its website (www.wowtv.co.za) for interested independent producers. Prior to commissioning any content WOWtv will invite producers to a workshop that will familiarise them with the WOWtv ethos.

Genres include sports, fashion, news and current affairs, dramas, soaps, sitcoms and telefilms.

Mangquku and his wife Nontokozo Mangquku, who is the WOWtv CEO and also a co-founder, own 40% of the business.

Other shareholders are Cornastone Technology Holdings, WindsObey Pty Ltd, LIFA Investment Holdings, Vhomakadzi Enterprize and the WOWtv employee scheme (10%).

‘Hi-Def Cowboy’ comes to SA will talk about asset management for the mid-sized production. Says Jones: “The collection and management of digital assets has become a growing concern for any modern production, but until now most small to mid-sized productions have taken a ‘wait and see’ approach.

The initiatives of large-scale networks and producers have been well documented and this market is well served, but these solutions have been largely out of reach for most digital content producers. In this session, we will address digital asset management concepts and real-world solutions for the smaller producer.”

Another highlight of the conference is the 3D practical workshop which will bring delegates up to speed on the latest 3D techniques and the possible future of 3D. After an overview by Marius van Straaten of current 3D trends and future scope, Stefan Nel and Russel Bowden will demonstrate the set up of a 3D camera rig. Common mistakes and user tips will be highlighted. Using the 3D camera rig, Shuan de Ponte will take participants through the challenges of 3D on set monitoring. Variables like correct and incorrect interaxials and convergence points will be demonstrated. The critical variables and pitfalls of shooting 3D will be discussed. The workshop is pitched at an introductory level.

An in-depth look at South Africa’s digital migration project is scheduled for the conference. This session will cover the delays in the project; Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (ICASA) regulations; GE 06 frequency plans; two national DTT multiplexes; the DVB-T2 transmission standard; decoder background; Conclusion of SABS decoder standard; network delivery; and the dual illumination period. For more information visit www.screenafrica.com

March 2011 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.

The cream of the local productions

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. Television Universe estimated at 5.232 million households. One ratings point of all viewers

M-Net Rank Programme 1 The Bounty Hunter 2 Carte Blanche 3 Hurt Locker 4 CSI Las Vegas 5 The Mentalist e.tv Rank Programme 1 Kung Fu Hustle 2 Ekasi: Our Stories Neighbour 3 Aquamarine 4 Rhythm City 5 Ekasi: Our Stories Mapule We

Date Genre AR 20/03/2011 Movi 1.2 13/03/2011 Maga 1.1 13/03/2011 Movi 1.1 29/03/2011 Dram 0.9 30/03/2011 Dram 0.8

Date Genre AR 27/03/2011 Movi 11.6 28/03/2011 Dram 10.1 12/03/2011 Movi 10.0 31/03/2011 Dram 9.9 14/03/2011 Dram 9.7

3

1.55

2.0

e

6.6

6.2

7de Laan

Soap 18:30 M-F S5

2

7.6

7.7

Binnelanders Sub Judice

Soap 18:00 M-F S5 M

0.5

0.4

Maga 19:00 Sun

W M

1.0

0.9

Actu 18:30 Sun

W

4.1

4.4

brought to you by

The Cape Town Lab reports that feature work is keeping them busy and that they are up on last month. They have also completed some work for Klosterfrau on 16mm. International commercials are considerably lower compared with the previous year, but there is only a slight drop in local work. Some student work has also been processed.

The Johannesburg Lab remains without feature work.

Commercials have again reduced from last month and in general the work level remains low. The Film Lab does however report a total of 240 916 ft of positive processing with 3 468 bulk commercial prints.

The commercials submitted by Media Host again show an increase from the previous month – a definite indication that more commercials are going digital.

We would like to thank the laboratories and Media Host for the information they have supplied to us.

2

Soap 20:00 M-F S5 1 22.2 21.2 W

2

5.0

5.7

18:30 M-F

S5

3

4.6

3.7

18:30 Fri

W

1

5.1

4.2

Quiz 21.30 W/S S2

2

4.8

4.4

Morning Live

Maga 06:00 M-F S5

2

2.3

2.4

Muvhango

Dram 21:00 M-T S4 2 10.2

Musi

Vari

Soap Vari

Sun

News at Seven

News 19:00 Daily D

e

6.1

5.8

News at Seven on 3

News 19:00 Daily D

3

2.9

2.9

Pasella

Maga 19:30 W W 2 4.3 4.7

Rhythm City

Soap 18:30 M-F S5

Scandal

Dram 19:30 M-T S4 e 7.6

7.9

Selimathunzi

Vari 18:30 Wed W 1 4.5

4.2

Special Assignment

Actu

W

3

1.8

2.3

Top Billing

Maga 19:30 Thu W

2

2.4

3.1

Yo-TV

Y-Ent Vari Vari D e 2.1 2.1

Vari

M

e

8.7

7.5

Top foreign shows Days of Our Lives

Soap 17:10 M-F S5

1

4.1

3.7

WWE Wrestling Smackdown

Spor

W

e

5.8

5.9

The Bold and the Beautiful

Soap 18:00 M-F S5

1

7.4

7.0

20:30 W

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)11 884-3162. The purpose of the schedule is to show the types of programmes South African audiences view, and to what extent.

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

VitalStats

Feb 2011 AR

Channel

S5 W

Carte Blanche SABC2 Fokus Rank Programme Date Genre AR Generations 1 Muvhango 01/03/2011 Dram 14.8 Gospel Gold 2 Powerball 29/03/2011 Vari 10.3 3 Stokvel 27/03/2011 Sitc 10.3 Isidingo: The Need 4 Ke Kgwelo Ya Ke Ye 29/03/2011 Dram 9.7 Jam Alley 5 Lesilo Rula 25/03/2011 Dram 9.3 Live Lotto Draw SABC3 Rank Programme Date Genre AR 1 Mr Bones 2: Back From The Past 19/03/2011 Movi 11.6 2 Mama Jack 05/03/2011 Movi 8.3 3 Two Brothers 21/03/2011 Movi 6.1 4 Isidingo: The Need 07/03/2011 Soap 5.9 5 ICC Cricket World Cup

South Africa vs India 12/03/2011 Spor 5.6

Mar 2011 AR

Frequency

18:00 M-F

Actu 21:30 Tue

Day/s

Talk

3rd Degree

Genre

3 Talk

Name

Date Genre AR 23/03/2011 Soap 24.3 29/03/2011 Dram 19.0 21/03/2011 Dram 18.5 21/03/2011 Y-Ent 15.4 26/03/2011 Spor 15.0

Start Time

represents about 145 590 viewers.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,

The top five programmes

SABC1 Rank Programme 1 Generations 2 Intersexions 3 Zone 14 4 Soul Buddyz 5 South Africa vs Egypt (AFCON Qualifier)

| Audience Ratings

Statistics for April 2011 Through the labs: Johannesburg Features 0 Cape Town Features 2

Shorts Commercials 0 3

Doccies 16mm 35mm 2 2 3

Shorts Commercials 1 11

Doccies 16mm 35mm 1 4 10

Commercials submitted to broadcasters via Media Host April 2011:

1777 compared with 1667 last month

We make no attempt to identify the title of the production, or the 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 email to web@screenafrica.com. Your comments are appreciated.

June 2011 | SCREENAFRICA | 45

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

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: info@screenafrica.com

Those productions in red are newly listed this month Order of Information

HOWARDMUSIC

1. Title 2. Production Company 3. Director 4. Genre

IN DEVELOPMENT

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5 GOUE STERRE SuitePeople TVP Prod: Bell Curle TV Series AMABHUBESI Inkwasi Television Prod: Bell Curle TV Magazine AMBUSH ALLEY NHU Africa Exec Prod: Vyv Simson / Sophie Vartan Wildlife Documentary A LION IN THE BEDROOM Two Oceans Production Prod: Giselher Venzke & Bertha Spieker Feature AMBASSADOR 2 Two Oceans Production Prod: Giselher Venzke & Bertha Spieker Feature BAD MEDICINE Tin Rage TV Production Dir: Enver Samuel Documentary BLAST FROM THE PAST Sirius Films Prod: Ian Manly Documentary BREAKDOWN Bollysamo Pictures / Apeiro Productions Prod Man: Carolyn Gregorowski Feature CHILLI CHICKS International Radio Pictures, Inc Kit Reynolds TV series COILED DO Productions Prod: Marlow de Mardt / Brigid Olën Feature CONSERVATION & BEYOND SuitePeople TVP Prod: Bell Curle Documentary FORSAKEN DO Productions Prod: Marlow de Mardt / Brigid Olën Feature GRIZMEK Two Oceans Production Prod: Giselher Venzke & Bertha Spieker Feature IK1 – TOURISTS IN DANGER Two Oceans Production Prod: Giselher Venzke& Bertha Spieker Feature IIQ Sukuma Media Dir: Bonginhlanhla Ncube Feature KADU’S JOURNEY DO Productions Prod: Marlow de Mardt & Brigid Olën Feature LION GIRL DO Productions Prod: Marlow de Mardt & Brigid Olën TV Feature NEW BEGINNINGZ Sukuma Media Dir: Bonginhanhla Ncube Documentary

ON THE LION’S TRACK Two Oceans Production Prod: Giselher Venzke & Bertha Spieker Feature SHARON AND MUGABE’S ELEPHANTS NHU Africa Exec Prods: Vyv Simsin / Sophie Vartan Wildlife Documentary SUPERMAMA GoogelPlex Productions Dir: Karen van Schalkwyk Feature THE BODA BODA THIEVES Deddac & Switch Prod: James Tayler/ Donald Mugisha Feature THE CONSEQUENCE DO Productions Prod: Marlow de Mardt / Brigid Olën Feature THE FILM MAKER Elle Bolt Productions Prod: Elle Bolt Reality Series VULTURE KILLING FIELDS SuitePeople TVP Bell Curle Documentary WARD 22 AKA SPECIAL OPS DO Productions Prod: Marlow de Mardt / Brigid Olën Documentary ZERO DIET Two Oceans Production Prod: Giselher Venzke/ Bertha Spieker Feature ZEBRAS DO Productions Dir: Bruce Beresford Feature

PRE-PRODUCTION COLOUR TV Bongoe, Jungle & Brand bernie Productions Line Prod: Hulette Pretorius Variety MANDELA SPECIAL ABC Exec Prod: ABC America TV Magazine TALK OF THE TOWN SuitePeople TV Productions Bell Curle TV Series TO CARE FOR YOU ALWAYS Noble Pictures Prod: Claudia Noble Short Film

IN PRODUCTION 3RD DEGREE e.tv Investigative TV series AFRO CAFÉ SEASON 7 Bonngoe Productions Exec Prod: Pepsi Pokane Adult Contemporary/ Music AFRO SHOWBIZ NEWS SABC News International Exec Prod: Jody-Layne Surtie TVMagazine AFRICA CALLING Two Oceans Production Prod: Giselher Venzke & Bertha Spieker Feature

ALL ACCESS Homebrew Films Prod: Paul Venter/ Hannes van Wyk/ Tammy Anne Fortuin Magazine Show ANIMAL COMMUNICATION NHU Africa Exec Prod: Vyv Simson & Sophie Vartan Wildlife Documentary BINNELANDERS SUB JudicE Stark Films Dir: Danie Joubert TV Drama BOPSY BUNNY Firefly Animation Studio Exec Prod: Antony Steel Short Films CHEETAH DIARIES 3 NHU Africa Exec Prod: Vyv Simson & Sophie Vartan Wildlife Documentary DRAGON’S FEAST 3D NHU Africa Exec Prod: Vyv Simson / Sophie Vartan Wildlife Documentary EASTERN MOSAIC Red Carpet Productions Magazine Programme FIRESTONE Street Smart Creative DOP: Peter Palmer Commercial GENERATIONS Morula Pictures Exec Prod: Mfundi Vundla SOAPIE GROEN Homebrew Films Prod: Jaco Loubser Wildlife HARTLAND Bottomline Entertainment Michael Modena TV Drama HOOFMEISIE The Film Fctory / Fix Post Production Morne Du Toit Family Comedy HOUSE CALL Izwe Multimedia/ Urbanbrew Series Prod: Annalie Potgieter Live Medical Talk Show INSIDE STORY Curious Pictures Dir: Rolie Nikiwe Feature ISIDINGO Endemol South Africa Dirs: Raymond Sargent/ Johnny Barbazano Daily TV Drama JOU SHOW MET EMO Homebrew Films Prod: Jaco Loubser Variety Show JOURNEY INTO THE INTERIOR Tekweni TV Productions Prod: Sandra Herrington Documentary MASTERS OF RHYTHM Fuel Media Productions Dir: Marvin Raftopaulos Dance Reality Contest MARY ANNE Shadow Films Exec Prod: David Forbes Documentary MK Campus Homebrew Films Prod: Jaco Loubser & Ben Heyns Student Show MOTSWAKO Carol Bouwer Productions Prod: Vesko Mrdjen Talk Show MZANSI INSIDER Bonngoe Productions Exec Prod: Pepsi Pokane TV Magazine O SESSIONS Fuel Media Productions Dir: Paul Llewellyn Music Show ONS MENSE Homebrew Films Prod: Jaco Loubser Current Affairs OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS Plexus Films Prod: Miki Redelinghuys Corporate Film PASEKA EASTER ELEPHANT NHU Africa Exec Prod: Vyv Simson & Sophie Vartan Wildlife Documentary

P R O D U C T I O N U P D A T E S PASELLA Tswelopele Productions Insert Dirs: Liani Maasdorp/ Werner Hefer TV Magazine Programme PEACE PARKS NHU Africa Exec Prod: Vyv & Sophie Vartan Wildlife Documentary Series RATI EN MAATS Khaki Productions Dir: Wynand Dreyer Edutainment REDI ON MZANSI Imani Media Prod: Bruce Townsend TV Series RHYTHM CITY Curious Pictures Series Prod: Anthony Shaw e..tv Soapie RHYTHM CITY INTERACTIVE Curious Pictures/ e.tv Prod: Devon Brough Interactive Platform Media ROCKING FUTURE Summertime Productions Prod: Sean Gardiner & Tanya Vandenberg Educational Video ROER Homebrew Films Prod: Jaco Loubser Cooking Show SAFE HOUSE Moonlighting Prod: Genevieve Hofmeyer Feature SAVING RHINO PHILA NHU Africa Exec Prods: Vyv Simson / Sophie Vartan Wildlife Documentary SCANDAL Ochre Moving Pictures Series Prod: Romano Gorlei Daily TV Soap SHORE – THING Homebrew Films Prod: Jaco Loubser Reversioning SLENDER WONDER FC Hamman Films DOP/ Dir: FC Hamman Commercial STRANDED NHU Africa Exec Prod: Vyv Simson & Sophie Vartan Wildlife Documentary STUDIO 53 M-Net Inhouse Productions Insert Dirs: Navan Chetty Mag Programme TECHNORATI Talent Attack TV Dir: Maxine Nel Technology Magazine Show THE STORY OF LITTLE FOOT Paul Myburgh Film Prod: Paul Myburgh Documentary THE TRIP OUT A Roddam van der Merwe Production Prod: Bonginhanhla Ncube Feature THE TRANSPORTERS Sukuma Media/ Reality Motion Pictures Dir: Bonginhlanhla Ncube Documentary TOP BILLING Tswelopele Productions Prod: Patience Stevens TV Magazine TOUCHING THE DRAGON NHU Africa Exec Prod: Vyv Simson & Sophie Vartan Wildlife Documentary VILLA ROSA Spectro Productions Dir/s: Luhann Jansen / Andries van der Merwe/ Leroux Botha/ Isabel Smit TV Drama WHY ARE WE SO ANGRY? Fuel Media Productions Dirs: Scott Smith / Shaft Morapane Documentary Series

POST-PRODUCTION 48 Sukuma Media Bonginhlanhla Ncube Short Film A MILLION COLOURS – eLollipop 2 Cloverleaf Films Exec Prod: Charles Fries Feature AFRICA CALLING Two Oceans Production Prod: Giselher Venzke & Bertha Spieker Feature CHAMELEON NHU Africa Exec Prod: Sophie Vartan Wildlife Documentary

CHEETAH DIARIES 2 NHU Africa Exec Prods: Vyv Simson / Sophie Vartan Wildlife Documentary DANGEROUS TRAILS – ELEPHANTS IN THE MINEFIELDS NHU Africa Exec Prod: Sophie Vartan Wildlife Documentary DEAR SISTER Media Village Prod: Debbie Matthee Short Film DOOMSDAY Rogue Pictures Dir: Neil Marshall Feature EK JOKE NET The Film Factory / Fix Post Production Stefan Nieuwoudt Candid ENDANGERED NHU Africa Exec Prod: Sophie Vartan Wildlife Documentary Series Iqili Impucuzeko Prod: Sharon Kakora Feature KING NAKI Plexus Films Prod: Miki Redelinghuys Documentary LACONIA Two Oceans Production Prod: Giselher Venzke & Bertha Spieker Feature MISSION CRANE Two Oceans Production Prod: Giselher Venzke & Bertha Spieker Feature OPERATION CRANE Two Oceans Production Prod: Giselher Venzke & Bertha Spieker Feature PURPLE TOWN Sukuma Media Dir: Bonginhlanhla Ncube Documentary SA JUNIOR MASTERS Our Time Productions Dir: Jaun de Meillon Series on Supersport SCHOOL EWASTE INITIATIVE/ DESCO/ INCREDIBLE CONNECTION Philip Schedler Productions Prod: Philip Schedler Corporate SOKHULU AND PARTNERS 2 Paw Paw Films Prod: Roberta Durrant TV Drama TASTE OF RAIN Luna Films & On Land Productions Prod: Bridget Pickering & Richard Pakleppa Feature TREASURE GUARDS Tandem Communications Exec Prod: Jonas Bauer/ Rola Bauer Feature VINE COLLEGED (PTY) LTD Sukuma Media Dir: Bonginhlanhla Ncube Corporate

WELLBODI BIZNES Plexus Films & Four Corners Media Prod: Miki Redelinghuys Documentary WINNIE Ma Afrika Films/ Equinoxe Films Dir: Darrell James Roodt Feature ZAMA ZAMA Kokamoya Productions Prod: Bertus van der Walt Feature ZION Letcosmart Prod: Zibusiso Nkomo Feature

COMPLETE ALICIA KEYS ON HER JOURNEY BACK TO AFRICA DO Productions Prod: Marlow de Mardt / Brigid Olën Documentary AWOYE – RETRIBUTION SMS Multimedia Line Prod: Temitope Akanbi Feature FORERUNNERS SaltPeter Productions Dir: Simon Wood Documentary INHLIZIYO YAMI Sukuma Media Exec Prod/ Dir: Bonginhlanhla Ncube Music Video KAN EK SO LEEF Liquid Gate Creative Studios Prod: Kobus Swart Music Video O SESSIONS Fuel Media Productions Dirs: Paul Llewellyn / Shaun Pearce Music Show RED SUN OF AFRICA DO Productions Prod: Marlow de Mardt / Brigid Olën TV Feature ROCKING FUTURE Summertime Productions Prod: Sean Gardiner & Tanya Vandenberg Educational Video ROEPMAN Combination Bosbok 6/ Film Factory Dir: Paul Eilers Feature TIMELAPSE Team GR8 (for 48 HFP) Writers: Carl Roddam / Deon van der Merwe Short Film THE TEACHER BIP Films Dir: BI Phakathi Feature THE BETRAYAL Shakarny Inovations Prod: James Kingston Feature VISCOUNT DOWN Msasa Enterprises Dir: Harmon Cusack Feature WRONG CALL Team GR 8 Dir: Bonginhlanhla Ncube Short Film

S O I D U T S ABLE AVAIL

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460m

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TV ★ FILM ★ EVENTS ★ SOUND STAGES & SUPPORT FACILITIES

Cnr. Frost Ave & Owl St | Milpark | Joburg | +2711 482 7111

www.atlasstudios.co.za

general post the finest freelance post-production & creative crew editors * researchers * animators * visual effects artists storyboard artists * directors * sound engineers * writers post-production producers & supervisors

ALSO offering flexible, cost-effective post-production solutions for the commercials industry tel: 0860 111 553 fax: +27 11 706 7949 bookings@generalpost.co.za www.generalpost.co.za after hours emergency number: 076 225 9173 June 2011 | SCREENAFRICA | 47

Close up |

Events |

ASE Graduation, Johannesburg

JUNE

6 – 11

Annecy International Animated Film Festival

9 – 26

13th Encounters South African International Documentary Festival

11 – 18

8th African Film Festival of Tarifa, Spain

Annecy, France www.annecy.org

Jon Pentreath (Prosound) with graduate Rayne Ramsden

Chris Andrews (left) and John Silver (Right) from Audio Sure with graduate Ryan Janse van Rensburg.

Darren Durbach (left) from Wild and Marr and Maldwyn Greenwood (right) from SEGMA, with graduate Jon Awe

Matla 3-D Lab

Cape Town, Johannesburg

www.encounters.co.za

Calle Monte Carmelo, 5 bajo 41011 Seville, Spain www.fcat.es

15 – 26 Edinburgh International Film Festival

South African innovation company Matla launched the country’s first 3-D film lab at the Durban University of Technology on 26 May.

Edinburgh, Scotland, UK www.edfilmfest.org.uk

18 – 26

Zanzibar International Film Festival (ZIFF)

Stone Town, Zanzibar, Tanzania www.ziff.or.tz

19 – 25 Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity

Hollywood entertainment experts visit SA

Cannes, France www.canneslions.com

20 – 22

Mediatech Africa

20 July

Screen Africa Production Technology Conference

JULY

Photos by Kobus Loubser

Coca-Cola Dome, Northgate, Johannesburg www.mediatech.co.za.

Coca-Cola Dome, Northgate, Johannesburg www.screenafrica.com

21 July – 1 Aug Durban International Film Festival

Hollywood industry representatives Carol Barbee, John Max Burnet III, Sandra de Castro Buffington and Karen Tenkhoff at the Market Theatre in Johannesburg on a Hollywood Health & Society trip to South Africa

John Max Burnet III, Sandra de Castro Buffington, Karen Tenkhoff, Carol Barbee and Caroline Mändlein from Heartlines visiting the Ekukhanyisweni Primary School in Alexandra, Johannesburg

wanted a supplier that could provide everything on a gear list, putting less pressure on the production manager,” explains Nel. “I’m trying to create a full one stop shop.”

The company moved from rentals to include engineering and repairs and started to do sales as well.

The new premises will include the new broadcast retail store that will stock cameras, lighting, sound, grip equipment,

LOG ON TO NEWS

|

•

Big growth in satellite broadcasting predicted

SABC and DeafSA team up

•

“I’m a Nazi” – Von Trier

•

Apple tops global brand power list

•

Digital storage needs explode

•

Sesame Square debuts in Nigeria

•

Internet tales for African youth

•

Africa First initiative calls for submissions

•

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Tshwane gets community TV

US release & Cannes sales for SA / UK / Kenya co-prod

•

SABC wants more money

Services SETA CEO vindicated in court

•

TopTV celebrates a year

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Namibian film collection expands to Berlin

•

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Cannes Pan African Film Fest Award for UCT film

• •

Google advertises on TV SABC TV reporter dies Millions to boycott e.tv’s Naked News

48 | SCREENAFRICA | June 2011

22 – 26

Durban FilmMart

22 – 26

4th Talent Campus Durban

Durban, KwaZulu Natal www.durbanfilmmart.com

Durban, KwaZulu Natal www.cca.ukzn.ac.za/talentdiff2011.htm

AUGUST consumables, tape stock, edit suites, final mix suites and audio computer programmes. Nel says this will be different from other rental companies that offer sales.

“Everything will be displayed on the shelves, and if you want it you can buy it immediately, you don’t have to wait for an order to come in.”

The new premises offer more personalised gear check bays and two dedicated rental bays for larger shoots. Among the new offerings at Nate’s are dry hire edit suites and final mix suites for clients and LTO backups.

– Linda Krige

www.screenafrica.com

•

•

Durban, KwaZulu Natal www.cca.ukzn.ac.za www.durbanfilmoffice.com

New Moves | Nates moves and expands Nate’s Audio Visual in Johannesburg has moved premises from Rivonia to Main Avenue in Randburg and plans to offer ‘the first broadcast retail store’ in South Africa.

According to owner Nate Nel the company was running out of space. “We needed a drastic change to accommodate all the areas we’re growing into,” says Nel. “Nate’s used to be a rentals company only, but clients

Aug – Nov

Out In Africa South African Gay and Lesbian Film Festival

Various venues and dates – check website www.oia.co.za

SEPTEMBER

8 – 13 IBC2011Conference

Amsterdam RAI, Netherlands www.ibc.org

9 –13 IBC2011 Exhibition

Amsterdam RAI, Netherlands www.ibc.org

OCTOBER 27 Oct – 6 Nov Africa in Motion (AiM)

Edinburgh African Film Festival

Edinburgh, Scotland www.africa-in-motion.org.uk

Advertisers List | African Film Services...................29 Aja Video Systems...........................9 Aon Insurance...............................37 Aon Insurance...............................46 Atlas Studios .................................47 Avmark Systems ..........................46 BlackGinger.........................FC Black Magic Design.........................7 Blade bfx...........................................1 Cape Town Film Studios...IFC Case Connection, The ................46 Creative Broadcast Solutions (CBS)...............................................35 Durban FilmMart..........................23 Frame 24.........................................21 Gauteng Film Commission (GFC)...............................................45 General Post .................................47 Harambe Technologies.................15 Howard Music...............................46

Inala Broadcast..............................27 Jaycor...............................................39 Lawo / B&I......................................19 Mediatech Africa...........................43 Panasonic..........................................5 Panavision South Africa...............32 Pink Room Productions..............39 Pro-Sales.........................................33 Questek..........................................31 Screen Africa Technology + Production Conference.... IBC Specialised Broadcast Sales & Services (SBSS)..............................37 Spescom Media IT........................11 Stock Options...............................47 Telemedia........................ OBC Thomson.........................................17 Video Africa....................................35 Vision Cases .................................47 Visual Impact..................................29

SCREENAFRICA technology + production

Hosted at:

CONFERENCE Date: Wednesday 20 July 2011 Venue: Coca-Cola Dome, Northgate Johannesburg, South Africa

Bryson Jones, the internationally renowned ‘Hi-Def Cowboy’ will present a session on digital asset management for the mid-sized production. Jones has worked on several high profile international TV productions (Celebrity Rehab, Destination Truth) and major motion pictures (Buena Vista Social Club, 300) in his mission to bring order to the Wild West of tapeless production as it exists today.

Other Conference Topics: • Digital Migration Panel Discussion • 3D Production Workflow • 3D Post-production

Book your conference seat now Contact Ellen Oosthuizen

Cell 083 268 6868

E-mail ellen.oosthuizen@pixie.co.za

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Embracing Africa

With cutting edge Fibre Optic technology • Dark Fibre connections to SABC, Multichoice, Urban Brew, Sasani Studios, Christ Embassies Church and the others.

• Dense Wavelink division multiplex systems allow 40 high definition uncompressed videos on one fibre.

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With nearly three decades of experience in the radio and television broadcasting industry.

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