Screen Africa - June 2012

BROADCAST, FILM, COMMERCIALS, NEW MEDIA & TECHNOLOGY NEWS

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BROADCAST, FILM, COMMERCIALS, NEW MEDIA & TECHNOLOGY NEWS

www.screenafrica.com

VOL 24 – June 2012 R35.00

SA post-prod rebate launched For the first time postproduction has been included in the financial incentive offered by the South African Department of Trade and Industry (the dti) to foreign-based film productions shooting on location in South Africa. The incentive also accommodates productions shot in other countries that post-produce in South Africa.

In another first, video game production has also been included as an eligible genre in addition to feature films, tele-movies, television drama series and mini-series, documentaries, documentary series, documentary features and animation.

Additionally, the Foreign Film and Television Production and Post-Production Incentive,

Durban FilmMart latest Twelve documentary projects and 12 fiction feature projects out of a total of 110 submissions from 13 African countries have been selected for the third edition of the Durban FilmMart, which runs from 20 to 23 July during the Durban International Film Festival (DIFF).

A joint project of the Durban

which is an uncapped rebate, offers an incentivised sum totaling 20% (the percentage in the previous incentive was set at 15%) of the Qualifying South African Production Expenditure (QSAPE) of R12m and above.

For a foreign production shooting on location in South Africa with a QSAPE of R12m and above and conducting post-production with a Qualifying South Africa Post-Production Expenditure (QSAPPE) of at least R1.5m, the incentive will be calculated at 22.5% of QSAPE and QSAPPE (an additional 2.5% cumulative 22.5%). Thus the rebate calculation is: 22.5% of R12m = R2.7m; 22.5% of R1.5mil = R337 500; total rebate = R3 037 500.

If shooting in South Africa and conducting post-production with a QSAPPE of R3m and above the incentive will be calculated as 25% of QSAPE and QSAPPE (an additional 5% cumulative 25%). Rebate calculation is: 25% of R12mil = R3m; 25% of R1.5mil = R750 000; total rebate = R3 750 000.

For a foreign production that is shot elsewhere and postproduced in South Africa with a QSAPPE of R1.5m, the incentive is calculated at 22.5% of QSAPPE (rebate = R337 500). If the QSAPPE is R3m and above the incentive is calculated at 25% of QSAPPE (rebate = R750 000).

Significantly, feature films – to page 4

Film Office and DIFF, the Durban FilmMart is principally funded by the City of Durban.

Over 300 delegates are expected to attend the event.

Project submissions came from South Africa, Algeria, Burkina Faso, Ghana, Egypt, Kenya, Morocco, Nigeria, Namibia, Rwanda, Uganda, Zimbabwe and Swaziland.

Says the DFO’s Toni Monty: “Comparing the quality of this year’s applications to those received for our inaugural edition in 2010 there is a marked difference in terms of the industry’s understanding of what a market is and the type of

projects that should enter.

“The Durban FilmMart was initiated with the aim to serve the developmental needs of industry while maintaining the benchmarks of African markets before it and other markets around the world. Striking this balance will always be a challenge and a great deal of thought goes into the mix of projects that are selected.”

She notes that that the overseas co-producers and buyers who attend Durban FilmMart look for projects with a local relevance and international appeal.

– to page 4

GETTING SNAKED: A scene from Katinka Heyns’ new feature film Die Wonderwerker (The Miracle Worker). See page 10

Cape Town permit protest Photographers in Cape Town are protesting against the City’s new photographic and film permit policies which they believe are ‘unworkable’ and put the livelihood of freelance photographers at risk.

The Cape Town Professional Photographers Association (CTPPA) was formed in February this year after photographer Robert Miller contacted City officials to voice his concerns, and was told that they would only engage with representative bodies and not individuals.

Miller notes that the CTPPA currently has close to 300 members, including a mix of freelance commercial photographers, fashion, landscape and wedding photographers, as well as hobbyists.

He explains that their problems with the new system stem from the way the City of Cape Town authorities are

choosing to implement By-Law No. 30441, which addresses film permits. While the law is aimed at minimising the impact of big commercial shoots, Miller says there are no guidelines in place to distinguish between commercial and non-commercial shoots.

“The City claims that only commercial shoots need to be permitted and that noncommercial shoots or tourists don’t need permits. However the by-law does not allow them to make this distinction.

We have numerous examples to prove that the City is in fact targeting all shoots, commercial and non-commercial.”

According to Miller the CTPPA believes the City has no real understanding of the small size and minimal impact of a typical freelance shoot, and that officials seem to use the level of gear being used as the – to page 4

Continued from page 3 | SA post-prod rebate launched out of this was the raising and feature length of the percentage of the documentaries now only need incentive from 15% to to be a minimum of 80 20% for QSAPE of minutes in length (instead of R12m or more. The 90 minutes as stipulated in inclusion of postthe previous incentive) to production in the qualify for the rebate. incentive is refreshing as Over the past few months now there is no gap several industry stakeholders, between post-production including Refinery’s Tracey and production and we Williams, Rudi van As of will be able to attract Film Afrika and GOOD INCENTIVES – more post work into the Moonlighting Films’ Marvin Rudi van As country. It’s important to Saven, have lobbied the dti to note that QSAPPE also include post-production in the includes music and musicians in Foreign Film and Television Production productions.”

Incentive and consulted in the drawing up For the purposes of the incentive of the new guidelines. post-production is defined as the point at Says Williams: “The dti incentives are which the footage leaves set. written by Dr Nonceba Mashalaba, chief Film Afrika’s Rudi van As commends director of Product Development at the the dti for their hard work. “They dti’s The Enterprise Organisation consistently work with the industry to division. Dr Mashalaba was incredibly make the South African film industry helpful – she asked us what we would like more competitive in an international to see in the incentive and this opened up environment. On behalf of the industry I discussion. thank the dti for their open door policy “In March Refinery hosted a meeting – they are an absolute joy to work with. in Johannesburg that was attended by the “I’m certain the new incentive will dti and many key South African secure more foreign investment into producers. The meeting, which included a South Africa, which translates to more conference call to Cape Town facility jobs and the growth of the local industry.”

Searle Street post-production, was He notes that the dti’s other incentive, fantastic and compliments to the dti for the South African Film and Television allowing us such an open dialogue with Production and Co-production Incentive them. is still active and going strong.

“One of the big turnkey results to come

Durban FilmMart latest The producers of the selected projects will have the opportunity to hold one-on-one meetings with potential investors and co-producers at the Finance Forum. Documentary projects will be pitched to a panel of commissioning editors and funders in the DOC Circle.

All the participants will also be able to liaise with industry professionals during several scheduled networking sessions.

Prizes confirmed at the time of writing include the International Documentary Festival Amsterdam (IDFA) and Jan Vrijman Fund Grant for the Most Promising Documentary Project. This prize covers the winning filmmakers’ stay and accreditation to IDFA, the IDFAcademy and observer status at the Forum The International Film Festival of Rotterdam’s co-production forum, Cinemart, will select three fiction projects to attend the Cinemart Rotterdam Lab during their festival.

In addition, as part of the France-South Africa Seasons 2012 & 2013 Canal France International will award a one-year licensing deal to one of the documentary project while Arte France will award a cash prize of €6 000 to a fiction project.

Videovision Entertainment will present a prize for the Best South African Film Project.

Monty continues: “A new prize we are giving this year is the opportunity to 4 | SCREENAFRICA | June 2012

INTERNATIONAL APPEAL – Toni Monty and Peter Rorvik

attend the European Audio Visual Entrepreneur (EAVE) Producer’s Workshop. EAVE is a professional training, project development and networking organisation for producers within the audio visual sector.”

International guests Financiers attending Durban FilmMart 2012 include Kisha Cameron-Dingle from Completion Films; Meinolf Zurhorst of ZDF Arte; Alice Ramsey of Bankside-Films; and Joslyn Barnes of Lourveture Films.

Peter Rorvik, director of DIFF adds: “We also have confirmation from PBS channel POV’s documentary executive producer Simon Kilmurry, Santosh Daniel from the American funding body Global Film Initiative, and a contingent of broadcasting representatives from 12 African countries in addition to

Cape Town permit protest guideline to distinguish between commercial and non-commercial shoots.

“I have personally been asked to leave Clifton Beach when shooting a panoramic vista alone on a rock because my gear was obviously ‘professional’, and was also asked to leave beaches on two occasions during non-commercial shoots because I had a single battery powered light with me. At the same time two other shoots using only reflectors were also chased off the beach. This was at 7am when we were the only people on the beach.

We have heard others complaining about similar incidents through various forums.”

Miller notes that the nature of their business requires photographers to be very fluid and flexible with regard to last minute shoots and location changes.

“A case in point — I have just been asked to shoot for a client this evening. With the current permit system it takes up to 48 hours to get a permit issued and once issued you cannot change location.

“It also means that effectively we can only apply for permits from Monday to Wednesday and weekend shoots that get planned on Thursday or Friday can’t happen.

This could force many of the City’s freelance photographers out of business.”

Instead of the current system they propose a one year open location permit for freelance photographers. “We are happy to give full permit shoots preference as long as the City publishes the information about these on a website prior to the shoots so that we know which areas are off-limits,” he stresses.

According to Miller they are also concerned about the online permit booking system, which they believe was designed primarily in consultation with production companies.

“The whole system is based around the booking and securing of entire locations. This is not what we need in most cases – we just need a small section of a location for a short period of time, and we need flexibility and fast turnaround that the current system cannot offer.

“Another area of great concern for us is that the system requires you to register as both a user and a ‘production company’. If you register as a user, the system informs you that you will be assigned to a production company. We question why we cannot just register as freelancers and why the whole system is built around the concept of production companies being issued with all shoot permits. We believe that the system is unworkable in its current form.”

He notes that they started a discussion with a City representative, but were referred back to the permit office, which has so far failed to respond to them. They are also waiting for a promised response from Cape Town Mayor Patricia de Lille.

However, according to Cape Town Mayoral Committee Member for Tourism, Events and Marketing, Councillor Grant Pascoe, the City has met with Miller on two previous occasions and the current issue has been up for debate before. “There was an appearance on Cape Talk, where the City’s executive director: Tourism, Events and Marketing, Anton Groenewald, met with Mr Miller and the issue was seemingly resolved,” says Pascoe. “However, the City will consider all input aimed at facilitating film permitting in Cape Town and ensuring the integrity of the system,” he adds.

They believe the film permit policy is being misinterpreted or misunderstood. “It is designed to protect production companies that are registered with the City for film permitting,” says Pascoe. “The policies in place legitimise permits and streamline the system – if a freelancer is acting on behalf of a service provider, the actual client must provide confirmation that the freelancer is doing so legitimately. This is to protect both the City and the service provider and also to avoid misrepresentation by parties.”

As protest against the City’s policies, the CTPPA has asked members to submit photographs of themselves holding a message asking the mayor and City officials to stop ignoring the issues that threaten their livelihood.

The CTPPA has also joined the Cape Film Commission (CFC), which has offered to assist in managing a ‘workable’ freelance permit system that they have proposed to the City. “Most importantly, the CFC shares our belief that the City cannot in future adopt policy or implement systems without ensuring that the entire industry has been consulted,” concludes Miller. – Linda Loubser representatives from Arte, Aljazeera and e.tv.

“In addition to connections facilitated

by CineMart and IDFA, the Durban FilmMart also uses the services of international match-maker Lucas Rosant, who has a lot of international coproduction experience and an impressive array of international links. Lucas has attended the last two editions of Durban FilmMart and helps our delegates to find the right fit for their projects,” says Rorvik.

Kisha Cameron-Dingle is a returning financier and has participated at Finance Forum in the last two years. On her first visit she connected with the producers of Tok Tokkie, and has been involved in the development of that project ever since.

Hot Docs Blue Ice Documentary Group will bring their first grantees for in

depth development with six mentor / broadcasters. These broadcasters will also be able to take part in the DFM projects during DOC Circle and Finance Forum.

Master classes Durban FilmMart includes two master classes provided through EAVE’s international workshop programme.

Roshanak Behesht Nediad will present a master class on Finance while Jacques Akchoti will present a master class on scriptwriting.

The COA Group returns to the Durban FilmMart to join a panel on digital trends and new media entitled Digital Africa.

DFM and DIFF have moved their residential and workshop hub to Durban’s Golden Mile.

From the editor

Giving post a push In further proof that the Department of Trade and Industry (the dti) not only recognises the film industry’s contribution to stimulating the South African economy, but that it also listens to the needs of the industry, important amendments to the Foreign Film and Television Production Incentive have been made to include post-production. (See front page story.)

While there was a bit of initial confusion stemming from the wording explaining the terms of the post-production incentive, it’s clear that this is a positive development for the sector. Post-production has never been included in any of the dti’s previous incentives. Thanks to the new incentive, the local post-production sector will be able to attract more foreign jobs into the country.

When asked for its feedback to the post-production rebate one design and animation house pointed out that the rebate makes no provision for commercials, which is a pity as most of the work coming into such companies is commercial.

However, since they were first introduced in June 2004, the dti incentive schemes have only ever focused on long form productions.

Our cartoon this month highlights a story on page 8 about the large number of film permits issued in Gauteng during March, indicating a buzzing hive of filmic activity.

Cape Town has always been regarded as South Africa’s shoot capital so it’s encouraging to hear that other cities are attracting a good deal of work.

Still photography forms an important sector of the film industry and it’s distressing to read in our front page story that photographers in Cape Town are being hampered by the City’s new photographic and film permit policies. A new organisation, the Cape Town Professional Photographers Association (CTPPA), has been formed and is doing its best to tackle the problem. But buy-in from the City of Cape Town is needed to affect change.

The wonders of wireless connections seem to be ever on the increase and in this issue we look at optical fibre technology and see how South African companies are forging ahead in this regard.

This issue also includes a story on the latest film from renowned veteran South African filmmaker Katinka Heyns, whose film Paljas was the first ever local film to be entered into the Foreign Language Film category of the Oscars back in 1998. In her new film, Die Wonderwerker (The Miracle Worker), Heyns has picked a fascinating topic – a period in the life of the late Eugène Marais, the legendary poet, writer, lawyer and natural scientist.

Joanna Sterkowicz

SCREENAFRICA Editor: Joanna Sterkowicz: editor@screenafrica.com

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

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

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

Contributors: Andy Stead, Martin Chemhere, Ian Dormer, Anton Crone, Cliff Graham Simba Nyamukachi Sub-Editor: Tina Heron Ratings: Enid Venter enid@ihjohannesburg.co.za Head of Design: Trevor Ou Tim: design@screenafrica.com Website & Production Updates: Simba Nyamukachi: online@screenafrica.com Subscriptions: Delight Ngwenya: adminsa@screenafrica.com

5 | SCREENAFRICA | June 2012

Accounts: Marietjie Esterhuizen: accounts@screenafrica.com Front Office: Delight Ngwenya: adminsa@screenafrica.com

Contents

25 SPECIAL FEATURES FIBRE CONNECTIVITY The light pipeline......................... 28 Fibre backbone grows; Meeting all transmission requirements................................ 30 Growing its fibre......................... 31 On a cloud of their own........... 32

38 FILM Heyns brings iconic poet to the big screen..... 10 / 12 Multi country co-production wraps.................. 12

COMMERCIALS Music video magic....................... 16

DOCUMENTARY

DURBAN FILMMART

Galloping back in time..... 18 / 19

About the Durban FilmMart; Durban FilmMart Partners and Supporters; Some of the Durban FilmMart 2012 Experts.............. 21 Selected Projects: Documentaries.................. 22 / 23 Fiction Features................. 23 / 24

INDUSTRY

NEWS 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

20

18

SA post-prod rebate launched; Cape Town permit protest; Durban FilmMart latest................ 3 Putting African movies in your palm; Encountering local doccies.................................... 6 New WGSA initiatives; Crew org upskills data wranglers; Busy month for Gauteng.............. 8

Director Speak – Sara Blecher................................. 20

TELEVISION Converting a new look for rugby drama.......................... 25

COMMUNITY BROADCAST New community radio station in Parys; Opportunities for filmmakers at CTV...................... 26

BROADCAST Social TV gets more sociable... 27

NEW MEDIA IPTV on rapid growth path....... 34

39 Wireless intercom; Express capture and playback.................. 36 Ultra light-weight camera; Nearline storage system .......... 37 Business as usual for Harris Broadcast; New high speed camera on market...................... 38

FACILITY New age company...................... 39

AFRICA Zooming in on Malawi............... 40 Not passing the ‘buck’............... 41

ENTERTAINMENT & MEDIA INSIGHTS Consumer insights: Filmed entertainment................. 47

REGULARS Adcetera ............................ 14 / 15 Audience Ratings......................... 46 Film Lab Stats............................... 46 Events............................................. 45 Production Updates........... 42 / 43 / 44 /45 Social.............................................. 48

TRACKING TECHNOLOGY Affordable high-performance switcher; Touring with the Dave Matthews Band................. 35

June 2012 | SCREENAFRICA | 5

NEWS |

Putting African movies in your palm

THE WINNERS – Emeka Afigbo, Tope Omotunde, Chike Maduegbuna, Juliet Ehimuan and Bobola Oniwura

Nigerian based Fans Connect Online (FCO), a digital marketing, social media and mobile application (app) development company, recently launched Afrinolly, a mobile app that gives users access to African movie trailers, music videos, online comedy, celebrity updates, gossip and the latest entertainment news.

Afrinolly was inspired by an idea from

a speaker at Google’s G-Nigeria conference in 2011 says FCO CEO Chike Maduegbuna.

“At the two day conference, Aneto Okonkwo of Google charged the participants to pay attention to African entertainment and develop a product that will be relevant for such a growing industry. That was what inspired us to

build Afrinolly,” he states.

The mobile app is currently available as a free download on Android, BlackBerry and Nokia operating systems but plans are in place to develop Afrinolly for Smart TV; iPhone Operating System (iOS) and Windows Phone.

Afrinolly was built on the Android platform using the Android Development Tools (ADT) plugin for Eclipse. Data is passed between the application on the phone and the server using JavaScript Object Notation (JSON) with the help of the GSON Java library.

The ImageLoader library makes it easy for the application to download and display images. FCO also incorporated Intents to integrate with the YouTube player on the phone.

“Our primary objective is to give as many people as possible an opportunity to download and use Afrinolly on many devices,” says Maduegbuna. “Samsung Nigeria has pre-installed Afrinolly in its Galaxy Note and it will soon be available on Samsung South Africa’s Android

market. Nokia Nigeria has also preinstalled Afrinolly in its Asha Series phones and is currently collaborating with MTN Nigeria on a data plan bundling.”

Afrinolly, which won Google’s Android Developers Challenge for Sub-Saharan Africa in 2011, has been likened to the Internet Movie Database (IMDb) mobile apps.

“Such a comparison is both a compliment and motivation,” comments Maduegbuna. “IMDb is a massive institution and their app is world class – we learnt a lot from them. Africa’s entertainment industry needs such an institution and we hope to replicate a part of what IMDb does for the African continent.” – Simba Nyamukachi

Encountering local doccies Sixteen South African documentaries and six local shorts, including 15 world premieres, will screen at the 14th edition of the Encounters South African International Documentary Festival, which runs in Cape Town and Johannesburg from 7 to 24 June 2012.

“Initially we struggled to attract enough entries, but they all came in close to the deadline. In total we received 51 South African films, including four coproductions. We received 487 entries in all categories,” says festival director Mandisa Zitha.

“There are many new directors in the programme, as well as previous festival participants like Cliff Bestall, Dylan Valley and Bryan Little,” she notes.

Little is back at the festival with the world première of The African Cypher, which focuses on township crews preparing for the Red Bull Beat Battle.

Jumu’a: The Gathering is a new documentary from Valley that tells the story of a small, energetic community of Murabitun Muslims in Muizenberg.

Bestall is at the 2012 festival with Between Heaven & Hell, which follows the lives of five people living in Hillbrow.

6 | SCREENAFRICA | June 2012

According to Zitha they’ve also got a strong international programme. “The public will be interested in the opening night film, Under Africa Skies (about Paul Simon’s Graceland album) by Joe Berlinger, Wim Wenders’ Oscar nominated homage to dance legend Pina Bausch, Pina, and Kevin Mcdonald’s Bob Marley documentary Marley,” predicts Zitha.

Oscar winner Oscar, Emmy and Bafta award winning South African-born director Jon Blair will present a master class called Style and Storytelling in Documentary on 9 June.

Zitha believes screenings of three of his films, Anne Frank Remembered (1995), Reporters at War: Dying to Tell a Story (2004) and Dancing with the Devil (2009), will be a highlight of the festival.

“There are three master classes / presentations planned with highly experienced and innovative international film practitioners,” notes Zitha. “In addition, the South African Guild of Editors (SAGE) is hosting a seminar on 23 June with local filmmakers as

panellists.”

“We are excited about a new partnership with Al Jazeera English, which includes a film focus, a public presentation by the broadcaster and a pitching session,” notes Zitha.

The pitching session on 11 June in Cape Town will give up to 20 African documentary filmmakers five minutes to pitch their film to a panel that includes Blair, Dominique Young and Diarmuid Jeffreys.

Growing attendance Zitha notes that funding remains a challenge for Encounters, as is the case with festivals globally. “We have the continued and valuable support of the National Film and Video Foundation and our new partnership with Al Jazeera. As we are still waiting on the outcome of the National Lotteries Board response, we are currently under-funded,” she notes.

Despite these challenges, Zitha says the festival is showing growth. “The festival saw attendance number of 11 060 for 2011 for all festival activities; a 27% increase from 2010.

IN ATTENDANCE – Jon Blair

“Films by celebrity directors are drawing in ‘new’ audiences to the festival.

We are developing our own new audiences through film schools and encouraging their participation at industry events and screenings. We see this as a long term strategy in developing future audiences for film festivals,” explains Zitha.

Changes at the festival this year include adding The Fugard Theatre as a Cape Town screening venue, joining Nu Metro V&A Waterfront. In Johannesburg screenings will again take place at Nu Metro in Hyde Park and at The Bioscope independent cinemas.

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NEWS |

New WGSA initiatives The Writers’ Guild of South Africa (WGSA), which recently chose its first democratically elected council, is making progress in their quest to secure standard contracts and rates for writers in the film and television industry.

“We have a standard contract ready from the writers’ side, but it is up for negotiation with producers and broadcasters,” says the guild’s Natasje van Niekerk.

According to the WGSA’s Thea Aboud, negotiations are going very well,

THE CHOSEN ONES – WGSA chair Thandi Brewer, Thea Aboud and Harriet Meier

within the industry, which is currently being tested on WGSA members.

(See May issue of Screen Africa.)

According to Harriet Meier, WGSA treasurer and editor of the WGSA Magazine, the WGSA also launched an electronic magazine (e-zine) recently, which is distributed by email to their members and a database of interested parties.

Other plans for the near future include Skills Lab – an extension of the regular WGSA workshops and knowledge exchange sessions. “It will give writers the opportunity to work with trainers in small groups or even one on one, if necessary,”

with a meeting on this subject scheduled with the Independent Producers’ Organisation (IPO) at the beginning of June.

Among new initiatives, the WGSA is involved in the creation of MediaCamp, a social network for media professionals to improve networking and collaboration

Crew org upskills data wranglers

8 | SCREENAFRICA | June 2012

Busy month for Gauteng Photo Courtesy Gauteng Film Commission

The Crew Members Association (CMA), representing crew members in the South African film and television industry, recently started courses in digital data wrangling in Johannesburg and Cape Town.

According to CMA spokesperson Stefan Nell the organisation – a registered non-profit company – has seen membership ‘growing steadily’ and reached the 500 member milestone recently.

An important mandate of the CMA is to standardise training, designed around the specific needs of the industry, to certify crew members in their respective fields and to raise the level of expertise in the industry.

“We are ensuring that technical standards within our industry remain at an international level and that the skills and knowledge attained by years of collective experience are passed on to the younger generation of crew,” explains Nell.

At the moment they are aiming to address the shortage of qualified people to deal with the data and work flow requirements created by the switch to digital.

“The first run of courses in Johannesburg and Cape Town – the Level 1 Data Wranglers courses – has just been completed. These courses were so well attended and in demand that we will be running them again in both cities soon,” says Nell.

“From these first courses we learned that the general level of knowledge pertaining to digital formats and the management thereof is not great at all.

Protocols and procedures of dealing with the data on a film set are far from being followed, placing all who shoot on digital at huge risk and incurring huge insurance claims and damaging reputations.”

According to Nell they are in the process of setting up various skills and certification courses for other technical departments besides data and camera.

“However, the need for education and skills transfer in the data field of digital acquisition are the most needed presently.”

He adds that freelance crew members in South Africa face vast challenges daily, including uncertainty of work and unregulated work conditions. “It is difficult surviving and sustaining the basic rights and benefits attached to any other industry when you have no rights or recourse within your workplace,” says Nell. “We play the role of advising crew members and give them a platform and a voice.”

explains Meier.

The labs will include sessions for new writers or those writing in a language other than their mother tongue; skills enhancement for professional writers; and ‘Script Flip’- where writers can work on their scripts with either peer groups or a story editor in a ‘creatively safe’ environment.

“We are awaiting decisions from prominent funders so that we can make Skills Lab affordable for our writers – who already suffer due to the fact that they do not get paid jobs,” says Aboud.

She adds that the non-commissioning of local content and the ongoing crisis at public broadcaster the SABC remains the biggest challenge facing writers and threatens to impact the sustainability of the industry.

“The SABC put out a request for proposals in November 2011, but over six months later no one has been called in to pitch their ideas. Writers are also being paid less and less for the little local content there is. The rates broadcasters offer in many cases is totally exploitative,” says Aboud.

She adds that they are addressing the lack of local content through the South African Screen Federation (SASFED).

The Gauteng Film Commission (GFC) reports a busy March in terms of shooting activity in the province, based on the fact that a total of 21 shooting permits were issued.

Film crews are required to obtain film permits when filming in public spaces such as streets, pavements, sidewalks, government-owned buildings, etc. The number of permits reflected above obviously does not include any shoots that may have taken place in studios and private areas.

All 21 permits issued in March were for local shoots as no international productions were logged. Out of the permits nine were for commercials; one was for a feature film; two were for television dramas; three were for music videos; one was for a student project; two were for promos; and three were for documentaries.

Locations used were Rosebank,

Newtown, Soweto, Johannesburg CBD, Yeoville, Ormond and Broederstroom.

Some 285 crew members were employed on commercials; 60 on the feature film; 53 on television dramas; 76 on music videos, eight on student productions; 12 on promos and 23 on documentaries.

The number of shoot days in total was 151 broken down as follows: commercials – 34; feature film – 15; television drama – 22; music videos – 17; student project – 5; promos – 30; and documentaries – 28.

The GFC recommends that filmmakers apply for permission at least 14 working days before filming is due to start.

Its online Directory offers listings of location scouts, location managers, facilitation companies and location agencies who offer services securing private locations.

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Heyns brings iconic poet to the big screen

FILM |

A new film called Die Wonderwerker (The Miracle Worker) by acclaimed filmmaker Katinka Heyns will shed light on a period in the life of renowned South African poet and natural scientist Eugène Marais.

By Linda Loubser

PORTRAITS – Dawid Minnaar and Anneke Weidemann in a scene from Die Wonderwerker (The Miracle Worker)

D

irector Katinka Heyns has been fascinated by Eugène Marais, who lived from 1871 to 1936, for as long as she can remember and worked for more than 10 years to bring his life to the big screen.

“He was a genius. A poet, an advocate, a journalist, a storyteller, a psychologist, a drug-addict, a natural scientist and a prolific writer. He was a bohemian and described by Robert Ardrey as: ‘a man courtly, gentlemanly in every old time ecstatic sense’. Emphasis is often placed on the fact that he was a morphine addict, but I consider him to be one the most brilliant South Africans of all time. He remains internationally renowned for his studies on primates and termites.”

She explains that the script, written by her husband Chris Barnard, was ‘literally completed by the turn of the century’.

“It took me 10 years to raise the necessary funds and I continued doing

Kaz McFadden

10 | SCREENAFRICA | June 2012

funds from a private organisation supporting South African culture and entered into a licensing agreement with the Afrikaans pay-TV channel kykNET to fund the feature film,” says Heyns.

Historical fiction

research during that time. Thanks to The Department of Trade & Industry (the dti), the dream was realised. On the strength of their participation I raised

Marius Weyers

She and Barnard decided to focus the film on one chapter of Marais’ life – between 1908 and 1932 – when he was studying nature in the Waterberg in the north of South Africa.

“Basically, Marais stops at the farm Rietfontein for a drink of water on his

Anneke Weidemann

way to Nylstroom (now Modimolle). He ends up staying on the farm for several years and affects the lives of the Van Rooyen family and their step daughter Jane in a profound way.”

She describes the film, shot in Afrikaans, as a delicate love story in the genre of historical fiction.

Marais is portrayed in the film by Dawid Minnaar (Ouma se Slim Kind).

“He played Marais in the stage play Prophet of the Waterberg. Dawid was the perfect choice, physically, mentally and emotionally. He is a brilliant actor,” says Heyns.

The film also stars Elize Cawood (Liefling die Movie) as Maria van Rooyen, Marius Weyers (Blood Diamond) as Gys van Rooyen, Anneke Weidemann (Die Ongelooflike Avonture van Hanna Hoekom) as Jane Brayshaw and Kaz McFadden (Egoli: the Movie) as Adriaan van Rooyen.

– to page 12

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FILM | worked wonders,” notes Heyns.

“I am currently involved in audio post-production and the plan is to final mix in June. Post-production is being done at Waterfront Post and Searle Street Post in Cape Town as well as Refinery in Johannesburg.”

Cinema release

MONKEY BUSINESS – Katinka Heyns with Andries, the tame baboon

from page 10

Baboon Earlier in the year it was reported that the production team had trouble finding a tame baboon for some of the scenes. “One of the ‘miracles’ Marais performs as ‘miracle maker’ is to hypnotise or ‘mesmerise’ a baboon. The scene was crucial,” explains Heyns. “We placed an advertisement in Beeld newspaper and the owners of the baboon Andries, who lives in Wolmaranstad, reacted. It worked out

beautifully in the end.”

Official pre-production took four weeks and the shoot, starting on 10 October 2011, took five weeks. “Due to financial constraints we filmed the interiors at Brookers farm near Brits and the exteriors 170km further in the Waterberg. The story takes place on the farm (Rietfontein) with the house, farm yard and surrounding veld as the main locations.”

Heyns notes that shooting in the Waterberg during the rainy season

without weather cover and shooting among wild animals such as baboons, lions and reptiles, proved difficult.

Finding the right look for the film was also tricky. “The challenge was to combine the earthy elements of the landscape and the characters with poetic elements enhancing the magical qualities when Marais inconspicuously performs his magic. As in all my movies, lighting was crucial in creating atmosphere and enhancing emotional transitions from the dramatic to the poetic. My director of photography Koos Roets is a master and

The film will be released countrywide by Ster-Kinekor on 7 September 2012 on 35mm and digital format.

Heyns notes that the film is aimed at a ‘discerning’ audience. “My target is to attract film goers who are interested in honest indigenous movies told by people who are passionate about the art of storytelling. Individuals who know the difference between a movie aimed solely at a return on financial investment and a movie seeking return on a creative level as well.

“I believe the film will inspire people to discover and rediscover Eugène Marais as a unique ‘human community in the person of one man’.”

In the time between her last film Paljas in 1998 and Die Wonderwerker, Heyns produced and directed numerous drama series for kykNET and M-Net and produced 40 docu-dramas on mental health, directed by her son Simon Barnard and funded by Medihelp.

“I loved working with a new generation of dedicated youngsters who taught me so much,” says Heyns.

Multi country co-production wraps

South African born director Pia Marais recently finished shooting her new feature film Layla Fourie in KwaZulu-Natal, Gauteng and Germany.

SA FILM, EUROPEAN PERSPECTIVE – Pia Marais and Jeremy Nathan

L

ayla Fourie, described as a classic suspense thriller, is the third film from Berlin-based director Pia Marais who garnered critical acclaim for her previous films The Unpolished (Die Unerzogenen) and At Ellen’s Age (Im Alter von Ellen).

Her new film is produced by Germanbased Pandora Film Produktion in co-production with Johannesburg-based Dv8 Films, Cape Town’s Spier Films, Topkapi Film in Amsterdam, Paris-based Cinema Defacto and WDR/Arte.

12 | SCREENAFRICA | June 2012

According to co-producer Jeremy Nathan from Dv8 Films, they’ve had a long working relationship with Marais and Pandora, having worked together on two previous projects. This includes At Ellen’s Age, which was partly shot in South Africa three years ago. “Pandora also came on board as co-producers of Oliver Hermanus’ Shirley Adams, and we’ve been involved in the development of Layla Fourie for about four years,” he notes.

In the film, written by Marais and her regular co-screenwriter Horst Markgraf,

polygraphist Layla Fourie is given the opportunity to work for a company specialising in lie-detection and security.

As a single mother she is forced to take her son Kane with her into the country where she hopes to find the beginning of a ‘real life’. An accident occurs that puts the trust of the mother and her son to the test as the truth threatens to tear them apart.

“It’s basically the story of a single mother and her son whose lives change dramatically because of a traumatic event,” explains Nathan. He describes it as ‘a South African story told by a South African filmmaker, but with a European perspective.’

Shot in English the film stars South Africans Terry Norton (Spud) and Rapulana Seiphemo (Skeem), as well as German actor August Diehl (Salt, Inglorious Bastards) and Rayna Campbell as Layla Fourie.

Production took place from December 2011 in Tongaat, Verulam and Ballito north of Durban in KwaZulu-Natal, as well as various places in Johannesburg, including the city centre and some suburbs. Additional scenes were shot in Germany at the end of May.

Director of photography André Chemetoff shot the film on an Arri Alexa. Says Nathan: “The footage we have seen so far looks brilliant, and the actors were all great.

“Pia is very organised, very thorough and very detailed. The shoot went according to schedule, according to plan and according to budget.”

Post-production is currently being done in Germany and the Netherlands, with plans to finish the film at the end of the year to target the big international film festivals in 2013.

They are also working towards a commercial theatre release. “The film will have a very strong art house appeal; it also has break-out ability because of the stars,” notes Nathan.

Because of the European coproduction partners the film has guaranteed distribution in the Netherlands, France and Germany, and is being distributed by Indigenous Film Distribution in South Africa.

Layla Fourie received funding from all the European countries involved, as well as South Africa’s Spier Films and The Department of Trade & Industry.

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AD cetera

Report on the South African commercials industry by Anton Crone

Speedy ad scores interactive first Joburg agency Ireland Davenport had viewers looking twice when they aired their ground breaking new television commercial for the new BMW M5.

The challenge was to create an ad as innovative as the M5 as well as demonstrate the car’s blistering speed.

Ireland Davenport’s approach was to create a speeded-up version of an ad where the images of the car and scenery are too fast to take everything in at first sight. Using the mechanism of replaying television footage on personal video recorder (PVR) decoders, viewers were then encouraged to view the commercial again at a slower speed, all the better to appreciate the M5. The interactive nature of this ad makes it a first in South Africa.

Originally conceptualising a print campaign for the M5, copywriter Jenna Smith says the idea to do this on television meant the budget was quite limiting, therefore existing international footage was used for the ad. That much of that footage was clearly shot in the Cape Town area was a bonus.

“The biggest challenge we faced was definitely the DStv PVR mechanism,” says Smith. “It was quite tricky to get the

BMW M5 timing right and still ensure that we kept the right balance of not really being able to see the M5 while the ad played at real time, and then revealing the details which make this car so iconic and unique when the ad is played back in slow motion.”

Response to the ad has been markedly good, inspiring various Internet articles and thousands of posts on Twitter and other social media platforms. Viewer response has apparently been as good.

“People’s reactions towards this

interactive and innovative kind of advertising have been very positive and encouraging,” says Smith. “I think they thoroughly enjoyed the fact that we found a new and fun way of communicating with them.”

Santam vs Nando’s

Nando’s

The hype around the recent exchange of back-and-forth commercials between fast food chain Nando’s and insurance company Santam was due not only to the power of viral marketing but also to the industry’s ability to rise to a challenge with a sense of humour and purpose.

Behind the entertaining repartee were agencies King James for Santam and Black River FC for Nando’s. As the pressure was on to respond in the most entertaining way and as quickly as possible, production companies Plank Film Productions and Bouffant had to really put the screws on to produce the ads in time to ride the wave of hype.

A timeous response meant the ads had to be flighted within two days of each other. Bouffant producer Boris Vossgatter wasn’t surprised when he heard that 14 | SCREENAFRICA | June 2012

Santam

Nando’s had ‘ripped off’ their latest Santam ad, after all, someone had done it to their first Santam ad, which featured Sir Ben Kingsley and a host of look alikes.

Vossgatter didn’t expect a response from Santam and King James to the Nando’s ad, but when he heard what the concept involved he was keen to get going.

“We knew it would be a challenge due to the short deadline – the commercial had to be turned around to film in a mere two days. Finding a location, props and crew who were available in such a short space of time was a challenge but we made it happen.”

Directed by Chloe of Fringe @ Bouffant, they cast Rob Schroder in the role of Santam spokesman – he was one of the original Sir Ben Kingsley doubles and

also created the music in that Santam ad.

Schroder was soon on our screens throwing down the gauntlet to Nando’s and asking them to donate food to The Johannesburg Children’s Home to make up for their infraction.

Anco Henning of Plank received a phone call from Black River FC at 11am on Wednesday 25 April, asking if they could have a Nando’s ad for them ready for the next day.

“Pete Pohorsky was already busy in post-production on another commercial and wasn’t available to direct the Nando’s response,” says Henning. “But I decided that it was worth a go and within six hours managed to put the whole shoot together, find a suitable location, key crew and art department. Luckily the artist was available, the agency wrote a quirky script,

we booked in the post-production facility and the next day at 10am we shot the commercial in the Joburg CBD. And don’t think that finding two brand new yellow foam hands at short notice was easy!”

Using Anthony Fridjhon, who featured in Nando’s original Santam spoof as the spokesman, the Plank team rose to the challenge and delivered – a full day ahead of ‘schedule’, even upping the ante by pledging to deliver food to the home on the last Friday of every month for a year.

“It created a conversation and made an impact and that is what good ideas and advertising are all about,’ says Vossgatter. “King James was very clever with the angle of the children and the charity being the end winners.”

AD cetera Student directs D’Urban Knights A music promo for Durban group D’Urban Knights is Alistair Heath’s latest offering as proof of his directing skills.

Heath is currently studying for his master’s degree in fine arts and has a background in video technology. He directed and filmed his first music video in 2010 for Durban hard core band, Go! Go! Bronco, and has experience in front of the camera too, having performed with his own band in eight videos.

“I learnt a lot about how to organise projects and keep them running as smoothly as possible, just from watching how the other directors went about making videos,’ says Heath. “About 90% of my education in film has come from hanging out with other Durban directors, cinematographers, photographers and editors.”

Heath met the lead singer of D’Urban Knights, Marcus, through friends and when he heard the band’s Banana Clip single, realised their potential and approached them to make a video.

Determined to avoid the hip-hop cliché, they decided on a theme that was one of ‘local reality’. Heath tapped into the symbols, colours and energy of the street-side barbers that are synonymous with Durban.

“These people are local treasures and totally emblematic of the bright side of

Agency gets blogging

D’Urban Knights

Durban’s inner city environment. They’re humble but loud and overwhelming – just like D’Urban Knights,” continues Heath.

“We all agreed that we wanted to keep the concept of the video as distanced from your typical ‘cash’ and ‘bitchaz’ hip hop video as possible. This is mostly because the group have neither of these things and to pretend that they did would just be a straight up lie.”

A combination of street footage and studio set, Banana Clip was shot on a Canon 60D with a basic kit-lens

(18-135mm 3.5) and the cheap, plastic 50mm 1.8.

“It just freakin’ rules,” declares Heath.

A DIY dolly and track set-up was used and the interior ‘barber salon’ footage was shot in the Durban University of Technology (DUT) studios using redheads for lighting. Being a DUT student, Heath had free access to the studio and lights and didn’t spend a cent on equipment rental.

As a young director he embraces the digital era and loves the fact that you don’t

need to spend much to get into the game.

“Kids who previously had no means to make films – not having the cash to rent gear – are now able to do things like save up, with a bunch of other people, pitch in cash and collectively purchase an affordable DSLR camera, with a kit lens,” states Heath.

He believes in contributing to and learning from the various communities of filmmakers and is indebted to his friends in the industry who have helped him in so many ways.

Agency gets blogging

Y

&R South Africa has officially launched its blog – www.whyweare.co. za. The name was crowd sourced through Y&R staff countrywide and the suggested name with the most (staff) votes was selected.

Says Y&R Advertising PR director Michelle Cavé: “Why We Are is all about showcasing our agency’s culture and flavour. Although a global website – www.yr.com – already exists, it serves a very different purpose.

Our blog intends to illustrate what it would be like to work with us, and what it would be like to work for us.

“It aims to keep the industry regularly updated with our news, including our latest creative, staff events, thought leadership, interesting things we’ve seen or done, opinion pieces generated by staff, and commentary on industry issues etc.”

The content will be leveraged via Facebook (YRSouthAfrica) and Twitter (@infoyrsa), too.

June 2012 | SCREENAFRICA | 15

COMMERCIALS | A first time music video director walked away with the Best Video of the Year award at the recent South African Music Awards (SAMAs) in Sun City.

Music video magic

By Linda Loubser

T

he SAMA winning music video for the song It’s Magic by South African band The Parlotones was directed by Ryan Peimer, which he co-produced with his Flaming Frames Productions partner, Itumeleng Lobelo.

After The Parlotones wrote the song for pay TV broadcaster M-Net, the broadcaster commissioned the music video for their Magic campaign. The video is executive produced by M-Net’s Pierre Cloete and Derek White from Clearwater Productions.

“Derek approached us with a general concept and outline for the video,” explains Peimer. “We fleshed out the original concept, converted it into a script format and then devised a plan to bring the concept to life effectively.”

Peimer notes that the idea behind the video was to create a magical environment around the band while origami (folded paper) creatures come to life and interact with the band.

“The video builds to its peak when a magical invisible M-Net force creates a powerful whirlwind as all the origami creatures come together and the entire world disintegrates, leaving the band wondering whether this was all real or in their imagination.”

It’s Magic was shot at Q-Studios on 5 September 2011 by director of photography Rory O’Grady on a RED Epic. “We used the Epic because we needed to shoot at 4k resolution for keying purposes and we wanted to achieve a filmic look,” explains Peimer. “We shot on 4k and downsized to 2k for post, and then to high definition (HD) for final output.

Post-production took about two months.”

3D animation The striking visual effects were created by animators Gigh Zack and Dave Theron

16 | SCREENAFRICA | June 2012

huge challenge to shoot everything in one day considering the complexity and timing of all the shots.

Directing The Parlotones to react to objects that aren’t actually there was a challenge in itself.”

The music video was shot against a blue screen and all the animation and creatures the band members were supposed to react to, were added in post-production.

FLYING HIGH – Ryan Peimer directing the band “Every shot was very The Parlotones for their SAMA Award winning music video carefully storyboarded to It’s Magic accommodate the creatures. I also had to draft a timing script from Aces Up, while Clearwater that would cue The Parlotones to react to Productions did all the chroma keying, certain objects within their environment at rotoscoping and the edit. specific points in the song using lyrics as Peimer notes that ‘everything’ was a their cue. We also created certain eye lines challenge. “Considering I had never so that they would know where to look, worked with 3D animation before this and I had a microphone headset so I also project, it was a huge learning curve for us to understand the technical intricacies and communicated with them during the shoot to cue their eye lines. Nailing the production requirements that come with timing was difficult.” such challenging animation work. It was a

Honour However, he says working with the well-known band was ‘an absolute pleasure’. “There may be a common assumption that many wellestablished bands carry a certain arrogance with them, however, this was not the case with The Parlotones.

The band members are such humble, down-to-earth guys who were extremely co-operative and patient throughout the process, which helped us create a fun and enjoyable mood on set.”

Peimer says it was an honour to receive a SAMA as a first time music video director. “We were up against some serious competition, some really outstanding music videos. It is always a very humbling experience when you invest time, energy, blood, sweat and tears into a project and it receives public recognition.

“With regard to our company, Flaming Frames, I hope this award has put us on the map. It has always been our intention to break cinematic boundaries in South Africa with every production that we undertake.”

Peimer previously directed a feature length documentary, a few short films, corporate videos and commercials.

Flaming Frames Productions is currently developing a feature film called H.O.S. – described as an action / drama film that revolves around a crew that comes together to execute ATM bombings.

“The story encapsulates the complicated humanity and contentious relationships that lurk within the depiction of criminal minds in South Africa. We shot a 24-minute pilot for the film that we’re using as a promotional tool to secure funding. The film should be released early in 2013,” says Peimer.

M-Net is inviting filmmakers and creatives in the advertising and film industry to create public service announcements that will shine light on good causes. Categories include Newcomer, Professional and TAG 10.

Visit http://tag.mnet.co.za for more information.

DOCUMENTARY |

REPORT BY JOANNA STERKOWICZ

Galloping back in time

An initial idea of making short vignettes about South Africa’s most legendary racehorses has evolved into two separate, gargantuan documentary series. Each requires massive amounts of research and a challenging hunt for elusive archive material.

FINISH LINE – Gatecrasher wins the Clairwood Christmas Handicap

T

hat Johannesburg-based Aidan Lithgow of Last Cowboy Productions finds himself immersed in the making of a documentary series about racehorses and another about the history of racehorse breeding in South Africa is not surprising given his background.

“I’m extremely horsey, having been born into the horse racing world on my mother’s side – both she and my grandfather were professional racehorse trainers while my great grandfather was an amateur trainer,” explains Lithgow.

The concept for Legends of the Turf, a three-part series that tells the stories of iconic South African racehorses such as

Sea Cottage, Hawaii, Gatecrasher, Politician and Horse Chestnut, was inspired by an episode of You Be The Judge, a talk show that Lithgow produced for the racing channel, Tellytrack.

“In December 2008 I decided to do a fun episode for the show where the panel had to choose South Africa’s greatest ever racehorse. As part of this I prepared a 45-minute surface-skimming programme where I talked to ex-jockeys, trainers and handicappers. The episode was such a success that I decided to pitch a series of short vignettes about famous racehorses to the Thoroughbred Breeders Association (TBA) with the intention of a DVD release.

EXTREMELY HORSEY – Kathy Pienaar and Aidan Lithgow

18 | SCREENAFRICA | June 2012

“The TBA liked my pitch but it soon became evident that a five- or 10-minute format wouldn’t do the horses justice. Some of them have incredibly dramatic stories like Sea Cottage for example. Three weeks before the 1966 Durban July, a bookmaker hired a hitman to shoot Sea Cottage because he was the odds-on favourite to win the race.

“Sea Cottage was shot in the hindquarters yet still managed to run the race and come fourth. He went on to win multiple races before being sent to stud. Vets were never able to locate and remove the bullet,” says Lithgow.

CANNED HISTORY – African Mirror reels in storage

Historical splurge Legends of the Turf is structured chronologically and starts with 10 episodes covering the golden era of South African racing – in the 1960s and 1970s.

The series moves through the 1980s and 1990s in the next 10 episodes, with the final 10 episodes covering the international era when South African racehorses started racing overseas with great success.

Lithgow originally planned to do a prologue episode for Legends about the history of racehorse breeding in South Africa.

“However the prologue turned into a monster as I soon discovered that this subject is vast as it is intricately linked to South African history as a whole. We uncovered racing history dating back to 1792 when the British colonists arrived in the Cape and started to race their horses.

“Prior to that in 1652, shortly after Dutch settler Jan van Riebeeck landed at the Cape, he saw a Spanish stallion running up and down the beach. The horse must have been marooned from a Spanish vessel as up until that time there had never been any horses in South Africa. Van Riebeeck began importing horses into the country and racing was given a boost with the arrival of Lord Charles Somerset, a major racing fan,” notes Lithgow.

| DOCUMENTARY

DEAD HEAT – Jollify and Sea Cottage win the 1967 Durban July

“It’s really been a journey through people’s personal photo albums and home videos – like a detective mission of note.” –Aidan Lithgow

A horse racing cartoon from the early 1880s

The prologue has grown into its own yet to be titled series.

Footage galore Editor Kathy Pienaar has been working on both documentary series off and on for about a year and a half. She continues: “Aidan and I work out the initial structure for each Legend based on the interviews he has conducted with various breeders, jockeys, trainers and owners.

We do our best to personify each horse to try and get into the hearts and minds of viewers. Each horse has its own character and unique story. What happened behind the scenes in the pursuit of glory and prize money is fascinating.

“Source material has been a huge challenge. We found a wealth of material from African Mirror newsreels but they came to an end in the mid-1970s and nothing was really archived after that. So we’ve had to source people’s own VHS

tapes.”

Lithgow adds: “It’s really been a journey through people’s personal photo albums and home videos – like a detective mission of note. My home is stacked to the brim with scrapbooks, photo albums and old racing magazines that people have kindly lent me. I’ve had to digitally photograph thousands of old photos and articles, as well as scan a mass of old negatives.”

All in all Pienaar is working with about 300 hours of footage for both projects.

The money game Ironically, whereas horse racing is totally money-driven, the biggest challenge Lithgow has faced is trying to find funding for the two projects. Legends was initially funded by the TBA but requires

more money. At the moment series one is nearing completion, with series two and three ready for post-production.

In terms of the prologue series, Lithgow has managed to secure a funding commitment from a private investor within the racing industry.

He notes that horse racing in South Africa has never been well marketed and is traditionally regarded as an elitist, white sport. “I see the Legends and prologue series as a big marketing drive for the sport. The response from test audiences has been overwhelming – we have found that the stories touches a chord with all viewers, whether they are racing fans or not.”

For distribution Lithgow is targeting a plethora of overseas racing channels.

Locally, he plans to approach the SABC and pay-TV broadcaster SuperSport.

June 2012 | SCREENAFRICA | 19

INDUSTRY |

Director Speak Sara Blecher South African filmmaker Sara Blecher has made some outstanding and noteworthy documentaries including the SAFTA-winning Surfing Soweto and Kobus and Dumile, for which she won CNN’s African Journalist of the Year award. She is co-creator, director and producer of the award-winning drama Bay of Plenty and directed and series produced the local version of Who Do You Think You Are? Blecher currently lives in Johannesburg and has just completed her first feature film, Otelo Burning, which has received great acclaim worldwide and has won numerous awards.

DO YOU SURF? IF SO, WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE SURF SPOT?

I don’t surf but I am a passionate body boarder.

I love the break at Scottburgh – also the Bluff, but only when I am super fit.

HOW DID YOU GET INTO THE FILM INDUSTRY?

Actually I was living in Paris. I had, seriously, no money.

I was working as a waitress and babysitter and pretty much doing everything I could to feed myself. Anyway, I met this guy and he invited me to a party. It was by far the coolest party with the hippest people I’d been to in all my time in Paris.

So eventually someone came up to me and started talking to me. He introduced himself as a photographer and asked me what I did. Seriously, this

was the moment I decided to be a filmmaker.

I decided right there and then that I would never again be at a party like this and have to say I was a waitress. Or even worse a babysitter. That simply wasn’t the plan for my life. So I went back to New York and enrolled in film school.

Not a sexy story but a true one.

WHAT IS YOUR DREAM LOCATION?

WHAT TRULY, MADLY, DEEPLY INSPIRES YOU?

I’d love if we had a cinema going audience like they do in Korea. There young kids line up to watch local films. I wish we had a culture like that here.

New thoughts.

WHAT IS THE WEIRDEST SCENE YOU’VE EVER HAD TO SHOOT?

The first scene I ever had to shoot was a necklacing and the second was a hut being burnt to the ground — both for an episode of Zero Tolerance. This was slightly challenging for a director who had never shot any drama before.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE FILM OF ALL TIME AND WHY?

My favourite film last year was an Israeli film called Footnote. I can’t possible have a favourite of all time.

WHICH LOCAL FILMMAKERS DO YOU ADMIRE?

Below the recce base on the Durban Bluff. This is right by the entrance to the harbour so huge ocean liners pass by constantly, as do trains.

IF YOUR FAIRY GODMOTHER GRANTED YOU ONE WISH FOR THE SOUTH AFRICAN INDUSTRY WHAT WOULD IT BE?

IF YOUR LIFE HAD A SOUNDTRACK WHAT WOULD BE ON IT?

Tanita Tikaram – Twist in my Sobriety Bob Dylan – Sad Eyed Lady of the Lowlands JR and HHP – Show Dem Tumi – Usain Bolt IF A BENEVOLENT HOLLYWOOD PRODUCER GAVE YOU A BUDGET OF $200M, WHAT FILM WOULD YOU MAKE? WHO WOULD YOU CAST?

I know this is odd, but I wouldn’t know what to do. I’ve never imagined ever having a budget that big.

I think I’d be lost.

I think Oliver Hermanus is truly talented.

WHAT DO YOU DO TO RELAX? IF YOU HAD TO INVITE FIVE CHARACTERS FROM DIFFERENT MOVIES TO A DINNER PARTY, WHO WOULD THEY BE?

I run. Preferably along water — the sea, rivers, streams…

– Willie Wonka (Johnny Depp) – Jason Bourne (Matt Damon) – Mallory Knox (Juliette Lewis) – Shaft (Samuel L Jackson) – Mickey Knox (Woody Harrelson)

WHAT IS YOUR STRESS-COPING MECHANISM ON SET?

WHICH HAVE YOU FOUND TO BE THE MOST CHALLENGING TO MAKE – DOCUMENTARIES, TV SERIES OR FEATURE FILMS?

I have been struggling to answer that question for years. I think I am a filmmaker ‘cause I can’t do anything else.

Working in television in South Africa at the moment is totally soul destroying. Making documentaries is very challenging because you get involved in people’s lives and, much as you try not to, you land up affecting them. So this is hard. But nothing compares to having to work for public broadcaster SABC.

20 | SCREENAFRICA | June 2012

I phone home.

IF YOU WEREN’T A FILMMAKER WHAT WOULD YOU BE?

WHAT ARE YOU WORKING ON NOW?

A romantic comedy called Andani and the Mechanic.

I am also one of the recipients of the National Film and Video Foundation’s (NFVF) slate funding. So I am working on this.

Durban FilmMart

20th – 23rd July 2012 About the Durban FilmMart www.durbanfilmmart.com

The Durban FilmMart 2012 programme is presented in three strands – Finance Forum, Master Classes and Africa in Focus.

Finance Forum is a development platform where the 24 selected projects will have an opportunity to hold one-on-one meetings with potential financiers, co-producers, distributors and sales agents co-ordinated in association with Rotterdam International Film Festival’s CineMart. The documentary projects will also have an opportunity to pitch their projects to a panel of international commissioning editors in DOC Circle a structured pitching forum co-ordinated in association with the International Documentary Festival of Amsterdam (IDFA).

Durban FilmMart Partners and Supporters CineMart is an annual co-production market which takes place over five days during the International Film Festival Rotterdam and is the first and largest international co-production market in the world. Each year CineMart presents 30-35 projects from all over the world to an international audience of around 800 professionals to facilitate financing, sales and distribution of these projects.

CineMart’s Rotterdam Lab brings together around 75 emerging international producers to support them in building up their knowledge and network by offering an intense programme of pitching, speed dating and workshops on various topics.

CineMart plays an important advisory and skills transferral role in the Durban FilmMart and also assists DFM in inviting and facilitating the participation of appropriate fund representatives and potential co-producers. CineMart also contributes a prize at the Durban FilmMart by selecting three DFM producers to participate in the CineMart Rotterdam Lab. These producers are awarded accreditation, accommodation and transportation to this valuable incubator lab.

IFFR’s Hubert Bals Fund provides grants to cinema projects in various stages of completion and is designed to bring feature films by innovative and talented filmmakers from developing countries closer to completion. The fund offers grants for script/project development, post-production, distribution and workshops. The HBF also has different initiative in Africa, among which the Cinema Mondial Tour in partnership with the Jan Vrijman fund of the IDFA.The Hubert Bals Fund Award at the Durban FilmMart is E5 000 towards script and project development, for ‘The Most Promising African Project’in the DFM selection.

International Documentary Festival of Amsterdam (IDFA), widely acknowledged as the world’s leading documentary film festival, works with DFM to produce DOC Circle. DOC

Circle is modeled on IDFA’s Forum format, where selected documentary projects pitch for support to a professional panel of funders. A grant is given by IDFA and Jan Vrijman Fund for the ‘Most Promising Documentary Projects’, enabling three winning filmmakers and producers to attend the annual IDFA festival, with IDFA providing accreditation and accommodation for the festival.

The Dubai Film Connection is the co-production market of the Dubai International Film Festival that aims to raise the visibility of Arab filmmakers and stimulate the growth of film production originating from the Arab world. The DFM and Dubai Film Connection partnership looks to developing AfricanArab film projects through the exchange of information and expertise.

Attending this year’s DFM and sponsored by the Hot Docs-Blue Ice Group Documentary Fund are the inaugural six HDBIGDF grantees – one is DFM2011’s Nicole Schafer with her Buddha of Africa project. Along with the HDBIGDF project representatives, the fund will bring six mentors/broadcasters who will take part in the DOC Circle Pitch and the Finance Forum one-on-one meetings. Hot Docs is the largest Documentary festival in North America.

France-South Africa Seasons 2012 & 2013: As part of the French Season in South Africa, two more prizes will be awarded at the DFM. The broadcaster Arte France will be represented at the Finance Forum meetings and give a prize of E6 000 to the Best Feature Film Project.

During the DFM footprint, Canal France International will gather a dozen African Broadcasters for the annual CFI conference. They will attend the DFM DOC Circle pitches and take one-onone meetings in order to give an inaugural CFI pre-sale prize for the most promising African Documentary Project.

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The Durban FilmMart also comprises a series of Master Classes and seminars held with leading experts in the areas of Finance, Marketing, Distribution, Project Packaging, co-production, New Media and other topics. Master Classes are open to all delegates of the Durban FilmMart, who may also attend master classes in the Talent Campus Durban.

Africa in Focus is a range of Durban International Film Festival seminars and panel discussions featuring local and international filmmakers and industry experts with a special focus of African issues and initiatives. Africa in Focus programmes are open to all Durban FilmMart delegates.

Some of the Durban FilmMart 2012 Experts European Audio Visual Entrepreneurs – EAVE – is a professional training, project development and networking organization for producers within the audiovisual sector. EAVE is an international programme that has a network of partners in Europe, Russia, Latin America, the Arab world, Asia and Africa. Established twenty-four years ago, EAVE aims to provide training opportunities and bring producers of different regions together in order to facilitate co-production relationships.

EAVE’s current involvement includes the European Producers Workshop, the Film Finance Forum, the Film Marketing Workshop, Puentes (Latin America), Interchange (Middle East), Ties that Bind (Asia) and B’EST (Russia and the CIS countries).

Alan Fountain, as the President of the Board of the European Audio Visual Entrepreneurs (EAVE), has overseen the delivery of industry training to some of the most prolific producers in the various regions where EAVE conducts programmes. Fountain has worked with many programmes of EAVE including, most recently Interchange, Mini EAVE Georgia and Puentes.

Before becoming President of the Board, Fountain worked for twelve years at EAVE as Head of Studies as well as Chief Executive. In his early career, he was one of the founding Commissioning Editors at Channel Four Television, UK – working there for over a decade.

Fountain has a rich background in Media training and academia, having worked for three years as Head of the Northern Media School at Sheffield Hallam University. He also served as Professor of Television Studies at Middlesex University.

Roshanak Behesht Nedjad began working in the film-industry as a festival coordinator and production manager before she started her company Flying Moon, together with Helge Albers and Konstantin Kröning. Flying Moon produces audience-oriented arthouse, feature length fiction and documentary films. Their films have an edge and a strong focus on International co-productions, with partners from countries like Ireland, UK, Turkey, Iran and many others.

Films by Flying Moon have been screened successfully at festivals and sold around the world. Their filmography includes award-winning projects like Havanna mi

amor, which won the German National Film Award for Best Documentary and Khamosh pani, which won the Golden Leopard for Best Fiction Film as well as the Best Actress award at the International Film Festival in Locarno. The film 32A, by Marian Quinn, received Best Irish Script and Best Irish First Feature when it had its Irish premiere at the Galway Film Fleadh. Critically acclaimed, The Market received numerous awards including Best Turkish Film and Script. Their most recent project is the documentary Football Under Cover, which received the Prix Europe Iris.

Roshanak is a graduate of the EAVE European Producers Workshop programme and works with several EAVE initiatives including European Producers Workshop and Interchange their Middle East programme. Most recently she delivered a Masterclass at the 2012 Cannes Producers Network. She also serves as a member of the German Film Academy as well as the European Film Academy.

Jacques Akchoti completed his studies at the New York University film school and went on to work in different areas of film production with many critically acclaimed directors including French New Wave director Robert Bresson, JeanJacque Beineix and Lars Von Trier. He then became a screenwriter, script consultant, and headed the development of many French and international films for cinema and television.

Films he has worked on have garnered much critical acclaim and obtained selections and awards at major film festivals – his most recent project, A Screaming Man

by Haroun Mahamat Saleh, recieved many awards, notably the Jury Prize at the Cannes Film Festival two years ago.

Akchoti has also directed a feature film for television and written several screenplays. His latest script, Don’t Look Back, a film by Marina De Van featuring Sophie Marceau and Monica Bellucci was part of the Official Selection of the Cannes Film Festival in 2009.

Akchoti has taught writing and directing at the Femis (French National Film School) for 24 years and facilitated many international screenwriting and development workshops, including, Sud Ecriture, DV8 films, Vision Cinema, Ekran, Interchange, Jerusalemn Film Lab and so forth. Akchoti regularly works with the EAVE European Producers Workshop as well as several other EAVE programmes and has three years as an expert on five EAVE training programmes.

Durban FilmMart

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Durban FilmMart 2012 Selected Projects Documentaries Bread and Angels (Morocco)

The Devil’s Lair (South Africa)

Producer/ Director: Rachid Biyi

Producer: Neil Brandt Director: Riaan Hendricks

Moroccan Rachid Biyi has studied in Morocco and France, holds a PhD in Communication Arts and Entertainment and teaches at Ben M’sik Faculty of Letters and Humanities, Casablanca. He has participated in writing workshops in Europe, co-written a fiction short and co-produced three films.

Bread and Angels tells the story of the 1981 Bread Revolt that took place in Morocco. Rachid follows family members as they meditate on the loss of their loved one’s leading up to the official opening of the graveyard for the victims of the revolt.

Conversations with Mandela (South Africa) Producer: Carolyn Carew Director: Khalo Matabane

Carolyn Carew and Khalo Matabane form part of the production company Born Free Media which has produced numerous award winning South African television productions including, most recently, 90 Plein Street. Matabane’s filmography has earned him many awards including Best South African Film at the Durban International Film Festival for Conversations on a Sunday Afternoon.

Their documentary project, Conversations with Mandela, interrogates the memory of struggle icon Nelson Mandela.

Using interviews with leading public intellectuals including Rian Malan, George Bizos, Prof. Njabulo S. Ndebele and Albie Sachs, Mandela’s philosophy of forgiveness and reconciliation is tested while the film reflects on this philosophy’s impact on contemporary South African society.

Story and Cycle of Life. Mditshwa studied music at the Durban Westville University, now the University of KwaZulu-Natal, and has worked extensively in marketing and arts management.

EMBO is a ten-part documentary series that seeks to discover the religious beliefs of Southern African people before the arrival of missionaries in Africa, tracing the historical journey of Africans migrating down south. The documentary series uses research and interviews from African scholars including Professor Leonard Ngcongco, Dr. Mathole Motshekga, Dr. Nokuzola Mndende and Professor Jabulani Maphalala.

Gold Dust (South Africa)

Neil Brandt has produced an extensive list of award winning documentaries including Sea Point Days, Affectionately known as Alex and Dear Mandela, which won best South African Documentary at the Durban International Film Festival. His feature film uGugu no Andile won Best African Language Film at the African Movie Academy Awards. Riaan Hendricks’ previous documentaries include A Fisherman’s Tale, Revolutionaries Love Life, The City that Kills Somalians and The Last Voyage, for which he was nominated for a Golden Horn for Cinematography.

The Devil’s Lair looks at the struggles of a community against crime while exploring the challenges faced by ex-convicts who can only make a living in the criminal underworld. This project has been developed through support from the Puma/ BritDoc Foundation and has received support from the NFVF and the Jan Vrijman Fund.

EMBO (South Africa) Producer: Madoda Mditshwa Director: Ayanda Mncwabe-Mama

Ayanda MncwabeMama and Madoda Mditshwa co-own Iliso Films a South African production company whose work deals mainly with issues of faith and heritage. MncwabeMama is a Video Technology graduate from the now Durban University of Technology. She has directed for spirituality based television series Issues of Faith and Izwi Labantu as well as the documentaries Who Am I: Nonhlanhla’s

Producer: Neil Brandt Director: Odette Geldenhuys

Gold Dust, Brandt’s second project in this year’s Durban FilmMart, is a documentary directed by Durban-based filmmaker Odette Geldenhuys. Geldenhuys has directed Here be Dragons, Grietjie van Garies and Being Pavarotti, winner of the Best South African Documentary Award at the Durban International Film Festival. Through her production company, frank films, Geldenhuys is the executive producer of Gold Dust.

Gold Dust looks at the controversial case of Aurora Empowerment Systems, a consortium part owned by South African president Jacob Zuma’s nephew Khulubuse Zuma and former president Nelson Mandela’s grandson, Zondwa Mandela.

This scandal received wide coverage in South African media and led to the loss of 3500 jobs and ZAR1.7bn. Gold Dust confronts the moral issues at stake in a case of rampant greed and abuse of political power.

Jan Smuts – An International Icon Ahead of His Time (South Africa) Producer: Sandra Herrington Director: Neville Herrington

Sandra and Neville Herrington co-own the Durban-based production company Tekwini Television Productions. Tekwini Television Productions has over 22 years of experience producing documentaries as

www.durbanfilmmart.com

well as environmental and wildlife films for local and international broadcast.

Jan Smuts- An Icon Ahead of his Time is a biographical feature length film that documents the life and political career of statesman Jan Smuts, who lost the decisive election that put the National Party in power and officially ushered in the apartheid regime in South Africa. The documentary speculates on the course of events that would have unfolded had he achieved victory in the South African election of 1948.

Logs of War (Kenya) Producer: Anjali Nayar Directors: Anjali Nayar and Hawa Essuman

Anjali Nayar is a Kenyan environmental journalist and documentary filmmaker who cover environmental issues across Africa and Asia. She has a Masters Degree in Documentary/ Broadcast Journalism from University of Columbia and is currently completing her next film, Heart of Iron. She will be co-directing Logs of War with Hawa Essuman (See Djin in Features).

Logs of War exposes the environmental and war crimes of former Liberian president Charles Taylor, now awaiting sentencing in the Special Court on Sierra Leone set up through the ICC. The film seeks to uncover how Charles Taylor presided over the irregular allotting of forestry concessions and the trade of timber for weapons. This film was developed through the Britdoc PUMA. Catalyst award and has won funding from the Jan Vrijman Fund.

Mother of the Unborn (Egypt) Producer: Fawzi Saleh Director: Nadine Salib

Fawzi Saleh is a screenwriter, filmmaker and human rights activist who’s first feature length documentary Living Skin had success in the festival circuit being selected for HotDocs among others. Nadine Salib is an emerging independent filmmaker with a background in fiction and factual directing. Mother of the Unborn is her first feature length documentary and looks at the challenges faced by Egyptian women unable to conceive as they face rejection by their

families and stigmatization by their communities. The film tells the stories of several childless women who navigate their world of rural Egyptian myths, legends, habits and traditions surrounding childbearing and infertility. The project has secured funding from the Screen Institute Beirut.

Shattered Pieces of Peace (Swaziland)

Sands of the Skei Queen (working title) (South Africa)

Sakhile Dlamini began his career presenting and producing a children’s show in Swaziland as a teenager and has gone on to produce regular documentary pieces for Dutch television station VPRO Broadcasting. Nonhlanhla Dlamini has worked on numerous South African television shows including Gaz’lami, Mzansi, Muvhango and Stokvel and has attended Berlinale Talent Campus as well as Talent Campus Durban.

Shattered Pieces of Peace is Nonhlanhla’s first feature length documentary and was selected for pitching at DOC Circle 2011 through Talent Campus Durban’s Doc Station. It tells the story of a mother whose relationship with her daughter breaks down as a result of her public declaration of her homosexuality and HIV+ status.

Producer/ Director: Ryley Grunenwald

Ryley Grunenwald has a BA (Hons) Motion Pitcure degree from AFDA and is currently studying toward her Masters of Arts at Wits Univeristy. Her debut feature length film Dawn of a New Day travelled the festival circuit widely and was selected for the Durban International Film Festival.

Grunewald serves on the board for the Documentary Filmmakers Association.

Sands of Skei Queen was a selected project of this year’s HotDocs and shows the attacks on ecologically sensitive tribal land by multi-national corporations and mining interests intent in exploiting the land for titanium. The film chronicles the work of Nonhle a young rural activist and her 79 year old headman fighting for the voiceless on an issue that is often denied media coverage.

Producer: Sakhile Dlamini Director: Nonhlanhla Dlamini

Soweto Messiah (South Africa) Producer: Mike Auret Director: François Verster

Mike Auret is the Managing Director of Spier Films and is responsible for most of their award-winning fiction and documentary projects including Master Harold and the Boys, Black Butterflies and Robert Mugabe... What Happened? Auret previously worked as the director for the Cape Town World Cinema Festival and the Sithengi Film and TV Market.

François Verster is a critically acclaimed director whose 2002 film A Lion’s Trail won an Emmy award for Outstanding Cultural and Artistic Achievement. His filmography includes the titles Sea Point Days, The Mother’s House and When the War is Over. Vester is currently completing his Durban FilmMart 2010 project, The Dream of Shahrazad. The Soweto Messiah is a project that will document 25,000 Sowetan choir singers as they come together to perform Handel’s MESSIAH oratorio at Johannesburg’s Orlando Stadium.

Underground/ On the Surface (Egypt) Producer: Mohamed El Tohami Director: Salma Eltarzi

Mohamed El Ttohami began his career as a freelancer in the commercials sector before starting his first production company, 35 Film Production which produced commercials. Through Aker Productions, Eltohami produces feature length features and documentaries. Salma Eltarzi is an Italian/Ethiopian documentary director who studied Animation at the High Cinema Institute in Cairo. Her short documentary Do You Know Why? was screened to critical acclaim at the Rotterdam Arabic Film Festival and she has produced several television documentaries for Al Jazeera TV. Underground/ On the Surface revolves around a new underground musical genre known as Mahraganat Shaabi which despite being rejected by the mainstream has become very popular with the youth in the streets of Cairo. This project received development funding from the Arabic Fund for Arts and Culture.

Fiction Features A Shot at the Big Time (South Africa, Australia, UK) Producer: Janet Van Eeden, Magda M Olchawska Director: Stephen de Villiers

Highly accomplished KwaZulu-Natalbased screenwriter and scriptwriting teacher, Janet van Eeden is a writer and co-producer in this project. Co-producer Magda M Olchawska is an independent filmmaker and children’s book author whose short films have won numerous awards in the festival circuit. Stephen de Villiers is a graduate of the University of KwaZulu Natal as well as the Australian Film Television and Radio School.

A Shot at the Big Time is the coming of age story of a young South African man forced into military conscription during the apartheid regime. The film draws from the rebellious sounds of late eighties rock and roll to portray the spirit of defiance of the End Conscription Campaign.

Djin (Kenya) Producer/ Director: Hawa Essuman

Hawa Essuman began her career as a theatre actress and started working in production for TV commercials and documentaries before directing drama series in Kenya. Her directorial filmography includes Selfish?, The Lift and Soul Boy, which was an official Durban International Film Festival selection and won a number of awards in festivals around the world.

Djin is a story about an old Kenyan mythical wind called Djin which hits the coast of Kenya every 30 years blowing away all uncertainty and bringing a

determination to pursue the deepest desires of those who encounter it.

Flatland (South Africa) Producer: David Horler Director: Jenna Cato Bass

David Horler studied towards a BA Motion Picture degree at AFDA and thereafter worked for leading South African production companies Velocity Films and Egg Films. He has since worked on a freelance basis collaborating on a wide range of projects before starting Proper Films to develop film projects. Director, cinematographer, editor and magician, Jenna Cato Bass is also an AFDA graduate. Her Zimbabwe set short film, The Tunnel was selected for the Africa First Short Film Programme while

her debut feature Tok Tokkie was awarded the Hubert Bals Fund Award for the Most Promising Project at Durban FilmMart 2010.

Flatland is a South African western set in the Karoo that sees three women face mental and physical hardships as they search for a fabled apartheid-era nuclear bomb.

In Silence… & In Tears (Nigeria, UK, Germany) Producer: Ikechukwu Omenaihe Director: Didi Cheeka Anni

Ikechukwu Omenaihe studied film at the National Film Institute, Jos and has worked on various productions including the BBC’s Wetin Dey as well as feature films Confusion Na Wa and A Place in

Durban FilmMart

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the Stars. A graduate of the National Film Institute, Jos and Nigerian Institute of Journalism, Didi Cheeka Anni is a director and film critic. His films include the short film Bloodstones, Red Light District and Lonely is the Night.

In Silence…& In Tears is tale of two star-crossed lovers whose tribal differences tear them apart. It is a dark, rage-filled, poetic depiction of revenge and lust.

Jabu (South Africa) Producer: Bonnie Sithebe Directors: Vivian Moodley, Philani Sithebe

Bonnie Sithebe produces fiction and non-fiction film and television content through Durban Motion Pictures. Her debut film Nothing for Mahala Gazi gained a cult following in KwaZulu Natal through DVD distribution. She recently completed production on three low-budget films for pay-television channel Mzansi Magic. Vivian Moodley is a veteran actor, writer, comedian and director with extensive experience in stage and radio.Philani Sithebe has over 15 years experience working in film production. His directorial debut was Nothing for Mahala Gazi and his most recent film was the Mzansi Magic feature Knife Edge.

Jabu tells the story of an unlikely friendship that develops between three people living on the margins of society and how this friendship connects them to their humanity.

Jambula Tree (South Africa, Kenya)

acclaimed features, documentaries, short films and festivals. His filmography includes the titles, Viva Riva!, Proteus and A Boy Called Twist. Kenyan Wanuri Kahiu is an awardwinning director whose films include From a Whisper, For Our Land and the short film Pumzi.

Jambula Tree is a coming of age story about two Kenyan girls who fall in love and whose desire for each other flies in the face of African conventions. This project was awarded support from the Göteborg International Film Festival Fund.

documentaries and dramas for numerous broadcasters including SABC, MNet and PBS. She is a former participant of the Sundance Screenwriter’s Lab and the Director’s Lab. Papwa is based in the real life story of Papwa Sewgolum, a Durban man of Indian descent who defied the odds and the discriminatory sports codes of apartheid to play golf. Papwa’s prowess in the game won him acclaim worldwide and rubbished the rationality of apartheid segregation laws.

Live in Zimbabwe (Zimbabwe)

Repeated Stopping (Egypt)

Producer: Jackie Cahi Director: Rumbi Katedza

Producer: Hossam Elouan Director: Marouan Omara

Jackie Cahi is a Zimbabwebased producer whose credits include Tsitsi Dangarembga’s Kare Kare Zvako, That’s Me for the Steps for the Future series, Blue Sky and Playing Warriors. Rumbi Katedza studied English at McGill University, Montreal and Film at Goldsmiths, University of London as a Chevening scholar. Her credits include Playing Warriors, The Team and The Axe and the Tree.

Live in Zimbabwe takes place in a remote Zimbabwean village in the mountain region where the government refuses to bring development. When the chief’s son acquires a radio transmitter and sets up a pirate radio station, revolutionary will takes over the people who demand change.

Hossam Elouan studied towards an MA in Cinema Studies at San Francisco State University, specializing in Arabic and World Cinema and is a graduate of the EAVE programme. He produced the feature film Hawi, which won Best Arab film at the Doha Tribeca Film Festival. Marouan Omara recently completed his studies at Helwan University and works as a writer, cameraman, editor and director.

Repeated Stopping tells the story of Egyptian youth frustrated by poverty and unfulfilled desire for independence in a state bogged down by systematic stagnancy. It’s about a young man whose search for work forces him to live on his own in the city and leads him on an unexpected journey of self discovery.

Papwa (South Africa)

The Mercy of the Jungle (Rwanda)

Producer: David Selvan Director: Catherine Stewart

Producer / Director: Joel Karekezi

David Selvan is an executive producer with a legal background who has worked extensively in Los Angeles and London. His previous works include The Fourth Reich and Ask The Dust, released through Paramount. Catherine Stewart studied Film in Stanford University and Columbia University and has directed

Producer: Steven Markovitz Director: Wanuri Kahiu

Steven Markovitz has over 20 years experience producing critically

Joel Karekezi’s debut short film Imbabazi (The Pardon) screened at numerous festivals including the Durban Intternational Film Festival. He developed the feature film version of Imbabazi in collaboration with Columbia University and Maisha Film Lab Mentorship before it participated in Durban FilmMart 2011, where it was selected for the Rotterdam Lab. The Mercy of the Jungle tells the story of two men who are separated from their battalion and left to fight for survival in the

unforgiving jungle of the Congo. This film is a heartfelt stand against war and its tragic results.

The Number (South Africa) Producer: Carolyn Carew Director: Khalo Matabane

The Number is one of two projects selected from Carolyn Carew and Khalo Matabane’s BornFree Media (see Conversations with Mandela in the documentary section). The story is based on Johnny Steinberg’s critically acclaimed book, of the same title, on prison gangs in South Africa. Set against the backdrop of the political changes in South African, the film follows a boy who grows up in the prison system to become a man feared within the Numbers gangs.

The Visit (South Africa) Producer: Imraan Jeeva Director: Nadia Davis

Imraan Jeeva is a financial consultant and producer and holds a Bachelor of Business Science from the University of Cape Town. He has produced the award winning short films Passion Gap and Classified Love. Omar Khan is an actor and producer with two feature films in development. He runs private equity investment firm Ichor Capital along with Jeeva. John Gutierrez graduated from Tisch at New York University and went to work on numerous documentaries, short films, music videos and commercials. Nadia Davis is a writer and director with a PhD in Drama from the University of Cape Town. She currently lectures at Queen Mary, University of London and she is working on her first novel.

The Visit weaves the story of a family across time, place and space reflecting on the defiant resolve of revolutionary action, the alienation and anguish of exile and the sometimes tenuous, often strong bonds of family.

For more information on DFM 2012 contact: Mona Pilane – DFM Project Manager Tel: +27 31 311 4243 Direct: +27 31 311 4095

Fax: +27 31 311 4092 email: durbanfilmmart@durban.gov.za

www.durbanfilmmart.com www.cca.ukzn.ac.za

Alt : durbanfilmmart@gmail.com

The fourth season of the popular Afrikaans-language drama series, Getroud met Rugby, not only boasts a new look and feel but a youthful crew.

Photos by Quentin Krog

Converting a new look for rugby drama

| TELEVISION four while Rolfes, who starred in the first two series, appears as a ghost in this one.

Tough call

BIG JUMP – Jozua Malherbe

T

here has been a two-year hiatus since season three of Getroud met Rugby (Married to Rugby), produced

by Bottom Line Entertainment, aired on South African pay-TV channel kykNET. Season three was followed by a spin-off, stand-alone feature film of the same name.

Says production manager Lloyd Dawson: “The two-year break was a perfect opportunity to introduce a new look and feel to the series. For instance, a new character that was introduced in the feature film is incorporated into season four, together with other new characters written specially for this series.

“The style of shooting on season four is different to previous seasons, in that we film predominantly handheld. Director of photography Adam Bentel is shooting on a Sony F3 mounted on an EasyRig. “Another exciting element to this season is that the average age of the crew, barring about three people, is 30. This includes director Jozua Malherbe who the crew absolutely loves. There is a great,

Shooting a scene from Getroud met Rugby

fun vibe on set, the shoot is going extremely well and we haven’t dropped a scene to date. We’re getting the job done without the high-pressure cauldron dynamics you normally get on set.”

Production commenced in Gauteng on 19 March. This 13-part one-hour series will go out on kykNET on Tuesday nights at 8pm in July.

Getroud met Rugby was conceived and written by Deon Opperman (Hartland) who is the executive producer for the series. Co-writers for this season are Sandra Vaughn and Hanli Rolfes.

Vaughn is also one of the leads in season

At the time of writing the crew was two-thirds of the way through the shoot. All scenes are shot on location at a rate of about 11 pages of script a day, which director Malherbe describes as ‘massive’.

Getroud met Rugby is set behind the scenes of a fictional Gauteng provincial rugby team called Die Stryders (The Warriors).

According to Malherbe the most challenging scenes to shoot are action sequences that unfold in big empty spaces. “Because we have a very limited budget we can only afford a few extras. So the trick is to make a few people fill up a big space.

Similarly, our budget does not allow us to shoot actual rugby matches so we film training sessions at Ellis Park in Johannesburg instead.”

Dawson stresses that there is lots of production value in the series. “The storyline deals with big corporate sponsors so we shoot scenes in upmarket buildings in the city. Having said that, I believe that one of the reasons Getroud met Rugby is so popular because it doesn’t solely revolve around the wealthy and the famous, but also incorporates a poor white element.

These sequences are shot at the Coronation Park Caravan Park in Krugersdorp.”

Visual references Malherbe notes that the main visual reference in the previous seasons of Getroud met Rugby was the American series, Friday Night Lights, about a football team in a small Texas town.

“In previous Getroud met Rugby seasons the director used zoom lenses a lot. This time we’ve gone for a more natural look with no zooming at all. My strongest reference is Danish Dogme Cinema, which decrees that you shoot everything in natural light and don’t employ traditional filmmaking techniques.

“By going handheld the camera is set free and this allows us to go anywhere. So the viewer is like a third person watching the action. We’re shooting on wider lenses with lots of close-ups and walking with characters to show their world from their perspective,” he says.

Unlike this season, the previous season had a two-camera set-up.

“I far prefer using just one camera because you get to choose the shot properly and you can shoot 360 degrees.

There is this strange theory that shooting on two cameras is quicker but I strongly dispute that. Plus a two-camera set-up can create problems in post-production as cutting points frequently don’t match,” states Malherbe.

He is delighted with the Sony F3, saying it beats the Canon 5D ‘hands down’ and compares favourably with the Arri Alexa.

In November 2011 Malherbe directed his debut feature, Wolvedans in die Skemer, shortly after his first ever directing job – on another Deon Opperman series – Hartland.

“I feel very privileged to have been able to make the jump from first assistant director to director,” says Malherbe.

June 2012 | SCREENAFRICA | 25

COMMUNITYBROADCAST |

New community radio station in Parys

By Cliff Graham

A new community radio station has taken to the air in the Free State town of Parys. KSFM broadcasts on the 94.90 MHz waveband.

K

it

oepel Stereo FM (KSFM) completed its 25th day of successful test transmissions, at the time of writing.

KSFM is true community radio, where music is interrupted with announcements about a calf blocking the road from Vredefort to Parys.

Loosely based on Talk Radio 702 the KSFM format has taken on an additional function to promote awareness of the Vredefort Dome, a proposed world heritage site. It is the oldest and largest impact site of an asteroid that crashed to earth about 2 000 million years ago.

KSFM has been the dream of one man, Sakkie van der Schyff, who explains: “Radio has always been my passion. In 1993 a friend from my national service days decided to start a radio station in Koppies (a town near to Parys), where I had a farm.

“So I swapped sheep for an old valve transmitter and began to broadcast, albeit illegally. The main purpose of Radio Koppies was to distribute information. With a mix of music and candid debate proved

very popular with the locals who nicknamed it ‘Rebellion Radio’.”

On 16 December 1993, Van der Schyff handed control over to Braam Viljoen, ex-SABC, who had obtained a licence. Van der Schyff went back to farming.

Koppies Radio was taken over by Overvaal Stereo and now operates from Viljoenskroon.

KSFM is born When Van der Schyff sold his farm in 2010 and moved to Parys, he decided to start a legal radio station.

He found an office and installed his personal equipment – two Apple computers with Pinnacle software, two microphones and a JV audio mixing desk.

African Broadcast Technologies in Cape Town lent him a transmitter.

Van der Schyff applied for a licence from the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (ICASA), which cost R3 000.

His next step was to approach parastatal signal distributor Sentech, which allocated the 94.90MHz frequency to KSFM after conducting tests. The once-off fee for tests and distribution rights was R10 000.

“I managed to get Nashua Mobile to sponsor an ADSL line and cell phones. We started test transmission on 1 February. Our only marketing was an article in local paper The Gazette and word of mouth,” he says.

Format and future KSFM continues to develop its format and avoids mimicking big guns like OFM (Oranje FM) and RSG (Radio Sonder Grense). Van der Schyff is open to suggestions from the community.

The station has a mandate of 30% English to 70% Afrikaans, but this is flexible. Van der Schyff was the only presenter at launch but now there are 20 volunteers doing shows which cover all aspects of community living. On Saturdays Van der Schyff broadcasts in English to promote the Dome and Parys activities to visitors.

KSFM aims to have reporters in the field to provide breaking news.

Another plan is to start streaming the station live over the web.

Opportunities for filmmakers at CTV Cape Town Television (CTV) is one of six community television stations broadcasting regionally in South Africa.

A VIABLE MODEL – CTV’s new studio

B

ased in Observatory, Cape Town, CTV has been on air since September 2008 and broadcasts on UHF from a single transmitter situated on Tygerberg Hill. The channel reaches about 1.5 million viewers.

Says the station’s Karen Thorne: “CTV currently works on around 40% international content and 60% local programming. We hope to increase the local content quota in time but it’s all dependent on money. However, we 26 | SCREENAFRICA | June 2012

believe that we can offer a solution to independent producers.

“As a community TV station we are different from mainstream. The traditional model is that you sell advertising and use that revenue to commission content from independent producers. We don’t do this as we are not generating enough revenue from advertising.

“Instead we have developed a viable model where independent producers who

want to produce a programme for CTV send us a proposal (the guidelines are on our website), telling us what kind of show they want to produce. We give them a letter of intent to broadcast and they must raise money for their programme, produce it for CTV and they get to retain all the intellectual property rights. Once the programme has been aired on CTV the producers are free to sell it to other broadcasters.

“If they are successful at raising sponsorship for their show, they are expected to pay a placement fee to CTV. But we don’t charge as much as other broadcasters. CTV is all about promoting access and growing the industry. While we are not in it for commercial gain, we do need to sustain the channel.”

Thorne notes that many local filmmakers don’t know how to secure finance for their own productions and often shoot themselves in the foot by devising over-inflated budgets.

Committed broadcaster As a community channel CTV is

By Andy Stead

committed to promoting development, human rights and social justice. Thorne continues: “As such we try to encourage partnerships between producers and NGOs because it’s a perfect marriage.

NGOs have the subject matter expertise, community networks and funding contacts, while independent producers have the production expertise.

“Over the past three years we have had about 25 long running series that have gone on CTV using this model, so it is really something for people to think about.

“With more facilities available to us CTV is now also entering into a limited number of co-productions with independent producers, particularly for studio-based productions. The coproducer acts as the editorial partner and we become the technical partner – providing them access to the studio. We record and broadcast their productions.

“CTV may not be commissioning as such but there are several opportunities for producers who are interested in working in different ways to engage with the channel.”

| BROADCAST

Social TV gets more sociable

By Ian Dormer

This year Social Television has been named as one of the 10 most important emerging technologies that could ‘change the world’.

I

remember as a child sitting down in front of a Philips valve monochrome TV set late on a Friday afternoon, to watch an episode of The Big Blue Marble, a syndicated kid’s series with content that included stories about children around the world and a pen-pal club that encouraged inter-cultural communication.

We had to turn the TV on about 20 minutes before the start of the show so that the set could ‘warm up’. I still fondly remember the strange smell the valves emitted as they warmed up, burning off the dust that had settled on the glass tubes.

In those days, TV ran for about five hours a night; there was a classic movie on a Saturday afternoon and the only news bulletin was at eight pm. Television viewing was a family affair and a discussion point among friends at school the next day as in, ‘Did you watch The Waltons last night?’

As early as the 1970s, television was a form of ‘social media’. Today, sitting on the Gautrain, I whip out my iPad and catch up on the latest rugby game using my mobile decoder. The guy next to me cranes his neck to take a peek, commenting on how well the Bulls are doing on tour. We get talking and expertly advise each other on which team

will make it to the final. I SMS my mate who is on a business trip in France, to update him on the latest try by the Bulls.

He replies: “Go Bulls!”

Phenomenon Realistically speaking the term ‘social’ has always been part of the TV viewing experience. Traditionally the social element of watching TV has been about watching your favourite shows together with family and friends and sharing the experience in the same physical location.

The widespread adoption of the Internet and its integration with the TV, PC or with mobile TV streaming devices allows real-time communication with your family and friends while watching TV, even if they are not in the same location. This has expanded the definition of ‘social’ to include an experience that can be shared ‘virtually’ with family and friends. It is indeed a phenomenon.

Part of the new Social TV phenomenon is the advent of Twitter, Facebook and other social networks.

These have expanded the definition of ‘friends’ to people you follow on Twitter or your Facebook friends. This results in ‘second screen’ conversations around TV

shows on these networks before, during and after the shows. It provides users with broader outlets to express their emotions, affinities, likes and dislikes around TV programming. It also provides TV networks with real-time data that gives valuable insight into how their programming is being received.

Much more sharing According to Facebook’s Joanna Shields, the social network’s 835 million odd users are sharing twice as much as they did a year ago about their likes and dislikes. So integrating social media and television and harnessing this data to encourage consumers to watch more television seems obvious.

“Facebook represents the biggest opportunity the television industry has ever faced – the potential to tap into a global audience that is waiting to discover, share and amplify your stories.

“For media companies and marketers, it’s the power of social discovery and the authentic conversations it enables that’s key to unlocking a whole new way to produce, promote and advertise on television,” says Shields.

One company that got in early on the act is UK-based Zeebox. Its social television application is a free tool that

integrates social media platforms like Twitter and Facebook with a television viewing platform. The software application gathers information about what you’re watching and what your logged-on friends are watching. If you think your friends might enjoy what you are watching then you can invite them to join you, and you can chat among each other while you watch.

According to founder Anthony Rose, Zeebox’s user research reveals that people love more information around what they’re watching on TV. They also love to buy things they see on TV and love to get more episodes of what they see on TV. Where the social element really helps, says Rose, is in programme choice.

“Giving people a directory of a thousand things is going to be an unhappy experience. Guiding people to something they want to watch is desirable. I think Social TV is going to play a major part in that.”

The bottom line, it seems, is that Social TV represents a period of renaissance for the TV industry. Content is still king, but it’s about the consumer wanting their content whenever, wherever, over whatever network at any time.

According to some industry experts this is the future of television. And you, the viewer, are driving it.

June 2012 | SCREENAFRICA | 27

FIBRECONNECTIVITY | Compiled by Andy Stead

The light pipeline Widely used in communications, optical fibre technology permits transmission over longer distances and at higher bandwidths (data rates) than other forms of communication.

A

n optical fibre is a flexible, transparent fibre made of pure glass (silica) not much thicker than a human hair. It functions as a light pipeline or waveguide, to transmit light between the two ends of the fibre. The field of applied science and engineering concerned with the design and application of optical fibres is known as fibre optics.

While it is well known that fibre optic technology is widely used in South Africa, there is confusion as to its exact application, giving rise to questions such as: ‘When will I be able to have a fibre optic connection with millions of gigabytes in my home?’

Fibre optic networks have been used locally for many years and the applications and development of this form of communication are growing all the time.

All South Africa’s major telephone network service suppliers are big users of fibre optic networks.

Neotel’s executive head of technology Dr Angus Hay claims to be ahead of the field. “Fibre is Neotel’s lifeblood,” he states, “and we are the leading player.

While all the other providers are doing similar things, we are the only provider that is able to offer a full end to end solution. We also offer the most cost effective solution.”

Who else uses fibre other than telecommunications companies? The answer is plenty of companies and usage is growing all the time. Dark Fibre Africa (DFA) was established for the sole purpose of building and managing a nationwide carrier neutral, ‘Open Access’ ducting infrastructure. This infrastructure is then made available to all licensed operators, on an equal basis, 28 | SCREENAFRICA | June 2012

enabling them to implement their own fibre optic transmission infrastructure.

‘Bigger and better’ DFA’s Ivor van Rensburg claims fibre is less expensive, has a higher carrying capacity, suffers from less signal degradation, is non-flammable, lightweight, has little or no black market value and is ‘bigger and better’ than other wireless technologies. Fibre links offer over 1 000 times as much bandwidth over distances over 100 times further.

Other big users of fibre include Telemedia, LaserNet and GlobeCast.

LaserNet’s Ivan Bridgens comments: “LaserNet uses various technologies to transmit data across its network. This includes laser technology for short distances, radio technology for quick deployment of anything from 10mbps up to 300mbps and we use fibre for high availability, low latency, big bandwidth deployments for our real time service. We will also use fibre as a primary connection and radio as a redundant connection if the fibre fails for any reason.”

GlobeCast’s Alan Hird comments: “As a global group we’ve been building and expanding our GlobeCast Backbone Network (GCBN) for years. It’s a DTM network with 92 000kms of fibre

reaching over 30 points of presence, including Nairobi and Johannesburg.

“On top of that, on a South African level, we run a domestic fibre network that is linked into a number of networks including Dark Fibre, Neotel, BCX (ICT network Service Provider) and Vodacom.”

Pay-TV application South African satellite pay-TV platform TopTV uses fibre to feed local channels as well as data and promos to its uplink centre in Germany.

Says TopTV’s Frans Lindeque: “We also get low resolution feeds back from Germany for evaluation here. In addition we use four fibre feeds in Europe mainly from the UK to Germany, as well as one from Norway to Germany. Europe feeds are all video (channel feeds).

“The most recent installation in April 2012 was a feed for a channel called MCA (Movie Channel Africa) also from the UK to Germany. Fibre is reliable and cheaper than satellite. Its access however is somewhat limited when compared with satellite.”

Sasani Studios facilities engineer Kim Smith observes: “Over a number of years

Sasani Studios (formerly ZSE TV) used fibre on site, originally for data and more recently for standard definition (SD) and high definition (HD) video as well as audio signals.

“Our new routing matrix has fibre I/O. The external networks include Telkom, Neotel and Dark Fibre connectivity onto our site which is used for a number of purposes both data and video. We use the video fibre for live transmissions to M-Net, SABC and e.tv.”

Installations

Says Quentin Barkhuizen, national sales manager, Telemedia: “We have built our own fibre network for uncompressed video contributions circuits between the major broadcasters and production houses.

“Telemedia has also added IP data along some of these paths for remote monitoring purposes. Recent installations include Summit TV and e.tv, both of which have now been connected to the network.”

“It’s clear,” says LaserNet’s Bridgens, “that it is not the best interest of the operators to invest in the last mile networks because the return on investment would take many years and would not be a good business decision unless it was strategic.

“The cost to roll out is expensive and deployment of other wireless technologies would be easier and quicker. ICASA legislation is holding up progress in wireless license bands at the moment so roll out to the home is still a stumbling block.”

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B e c a u s e

i t

m a t t e r s .

FIBRECONNECTIVITY |

Fibre backbone grows Long established satellite and microwave service provider Telemedia recently built its own fibre network for uncompressed video contribution circuits between the major South African broadcasters and production houses.

Internet protocol (IP) data has also been added along some of these paths for remote monitoring purposes.

“The high availability of bandwidth over fibre allows us to avoid the cost of the terminal equipment associated with compression equipment,” says Telemedia’s Quentin Barkhuizen. “It also allows better quality of video as there are no compression artefacts that may degrade the quality of compressed circuits.”

A further advantage is that there is no latency, which is often attributed to compression algorithms. The fact that fibre doesn’t conduct electrically makes it much safer to run over long distances without having to deal with lightning arrest. Literally anything can be transmitted down fibre – any form of data, radio frequency and of course analogue signals.

“The concept of fibre and managed networks must not be confused,” explains Barkhuizen. “All the players building terrestrial networks use fibre as the physical layer. Regarding manufacture, all fibre cables and EO/ EO interfaces are brought into South Africa. We are not aware of anyone locally that makes either fibre or interfaces.

“As far as suppliers of fibre are concerned, there are many in South Africa and it’s hard to say which may be the better product. Dark Fibre Africa is more geared towards laying fibre but what is put through the fibre and what interfaces are used is irrelevant to them. This has benefited Telemedia because we have mixed signals from uncompressed high definition (HD) video to IP data and radio frequency (RF) signals.”

According to Barkhuizen, large telecommunications providers appear more focused on building managed

networks that use fibre as a physical medium. “They are all operating in the same space now. But it is the new operators that have made the initial push to offer fibre access easily available to the public.”

Theoretically anybody can go to a licensed service provider and request to have fibre installed in their home.

It’s all boils down to whether it’s worth the cost. For the likes of data centres, Internet service providers (ISPs) and broadcasters, having the fibre versus the high speed data or uncompressed video definitely outweighs the cost. For

home users the cost outweighs the use.

“South Africa is not as developed as other first world countries as the regulator only recently allowed new operators to build networks. This legislation has obviously created a competitive market. Fibre is the obvious physical medium to build any terrestrial network.

“Telemedia’s network is continually growing and expanding and this is highlighted by our recent connections to Summit TV and e.tv, which are now on our network,” concludes Barkhuizen.

Meeting all transmission requirements The equity partnership between South Africa’s first converged telecoms network operator Neotel and the Tata Group of India – through VSNL and Tata Africa Holdings Pty (Ltd) – gives Neotel access to international best practice and the latest technical innovations.

Having recently launched the West African Cable System (WACS), Neotel claims to be the leading fibre player in the South African market. “We are certainly the biggest of the new fibre deployment players,” says Dr Angus Hay, Neotel’s chief technology officer. “We are also the largest of the players that deliver end to end fibre, and our access technology offerings are continually increasing.”

Fibre from a location in Europe was physically delivered to a hotel in Cape Town via the WACS network.

30 | SCREENAFRICA | June 2012

An exciting solution soon to be launched is Neotel Video Connect, a dedicated fully managed global video transmission solution for broadcasters and production houses that will have the ability to cater for all their video transmission requirements. It provides instant connectivity to and from key hubs within the industry globally.

Hay continues: “Our strategy is to chase specific markets where there are particular customers with unique requirements specific to their industry. This is now becoming a worldwide trend – to provide solutions to particular market segments.

“Video Connect is a very specific platform targeted at the broadcasting and associated industries. It’s a workhorse product for connecting full broadcast quality video. We can carry full high definition (HD) broadcast

quality on a global basis to a whole lot of nodes around the world flexibly and on demand.

“We see Video Connect as a product that not only provides a link but allows us to provide an end to end broadcast quality connection, using all of our fibre capabilities and all the layers of our network to deliver as and when required between two end points going exclusively through the nodes of our global network.

“Video connect is a dedicated network which can connect users around the world together without the use of the Internet or satellite uplink assistance. It uses broadcast quality video hardwired together with Layer 1 transmission. In this way Neotel is able to offer reliable video feeds, with low latencies, no packet loss and consistent jitter across a network dedicated to Video Broadcast. There are not many players in the world with

| FIBRECONNECTIVITY

Growing its fibre As an international group and empowered South African company, GobeCast has increasingly been involved with fibre for over a decade.

In 1999 almost 95% of GlobeCast’s broadcast traffic was handled via satellite and only 5% on fibre. These numbers are now close to 50% satellite and 50% fibre.

This does not indicate a decrease in satellite usage, which has in fact doubled over that period, but shows that fibre is now as commonplace as satellite.

GlobeCast has been building and expanding its GlobeCast Backbone Network (GCBN), which is a DTM (dynamic synchronous transfer mode) network, for years with 92 000km of fibre reaching over 30 points of presence (PoP), including Nairobi and Johannesburg.

In addition, on a South African level, GlobeCast has run a domestic fibre network linked into a number of other networks including Dark Fibre, Neotel (the second telecom network provider), BCX (ICT network service provider) and Vodacom (cellular and network providers).

“We are connected to main international hubs such as Neotel and BCX through Teraco Isando,” explains GlobeCast’s Alan Hird. “Our fibre network is geared specifically for broadcasters and we are connected to all major broadcasters and a lot of production houses and agencies which include e.tv, SABC, MultiChoice, SuperSport, TopTV, Global Access, Reuters, BCX, CNBC Africa, Red Pepper, and all the foreign media based in South Africa. We also have the advantage of our DS3 links to Cape Town.”

Hird points out that another major advantage for GlobeCast is its fully redundant links with Europe that run up both coasts of Africa.

“These link in with the GlobeCast international fibre network so we can literally connect our South African clients to more than 25 major cities around the world at the click of a mouse. We also have a fibre link at our Nairobi office that offers connectivity to Europe.”

GlobeCast is also in the process of rolling out services to other African countries including Zimbabwe, Nigeria

GlobeCast South Africa Local, National & International Fibre Network

Future African PoP Harare Zimbabwe

London, Paris, Rome, Madrid, Milan, Betzdorf, Frankfurt, Munich, Moscow, Warsaw, Athens, Tel Aviv, Amman, Dubai, Reunion

Future African PoP Nairobi Kenya

St Pierre/Miquelon, New York, Washington, Miami, Guadeloupe, Martinique, French Guiana, Sau Paulo, Buenos Aires, Los Angeles Sydney, Auckland MultiChoice

Tokyo, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Singapore, Mumbai, Kuala Lumpur

e.tv Hyde Park Red Pepper CNBC Africa

GlobeCast Pari France

GlobeCast London UK

Thomson Reuters

TOP TV

GlobeCast PoP Johannesburg South Africa BCX / CDS

e.tv CPT Lang Kloof

GlobeCast PoP Cape Town South Africa

SABC

Global Access

SDH DS3 Protected Ethernet Protected Sentech

Dark Fibre Protected Proposed Lines

and Zambia, using Nimbra technology which is also used by the top broadcasters. All GlobeCast services are fully redundant and all its rings self-mending.

“Fibre traffic is growing rapidly,” continues Hird, “and new installations include services to Cape Town, London and Spain as well as within Johannesburg. We offer services to our broadcaster clients from London to South Africa and back, however we have both permanent and ad hoc traffic running between all broadcasters and many production houses. We have about 26 full time channels

passing through our network each day.”

New installations include a link from Spain to Johannesburg for a new TV channel, international links for two South African broadcasters from London to Johannesburg and vice versa, and a domestic contribution video and a data link for Global Access.

“South Africa doesn’t have the same sort of roll out as many northern hemisphere regions in terms of volume,” concludes Hird, “but we are growing quickly and we certainly have the technical know-how and ability.”

global transmission networks that can do this. Being a dedicated network it’s hard to beat.”

Corrie Lötter, product specialist: CDN & Video Connect, adds: “We control it from end-to-end, so the same team that supports the end customer was involved in the design, planning and circuit implementation. The team knows how it works, what the issues are, they will debug and we reconfigure, all of this on the fly.

“The big selling point is that it’s an end to end service which avoids finger pointing should problems arise. Other telecoms companies sub-contract which often results in blame to be apportioned. We take full responsibility from end to end.”

June 2012 | SCREENAFRICA | 31

FIBRECONNECTIVITY |

On a cloud of their own

Following the recent establishment of its cloud based contribution network using VidyoCast encoders, decoders and management systems, LaserNet is rolling out fibre from Collective Dream Studios in Cape Town to the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) in Johannesburg.

Says LaserNet’s Ivan Bridgens: “This fibre network will be rolled out to all the broadcasters as well as to our main data centres in Sunninghill, Johannesburg and Cape Town. We have already done live crossings for the production Hectic 9 to Collective Dream Studios.

“LaserNet uses various technologies to transmit data across our network. This includes laser technology for

short distances and radio technology for quick deployment of anything from 10mbps up to 300mbps.

We use fibre for high availability, low latency, big bandwidth deployments for our real time service. Fibre is also used as a primary connection with radio as a redundant connection if the fibre fails for any reason.”

According to Bridgens, the VidyoCast technology improves live television production by delivering and managing broadcast quality feeds over virtually any network. “With unprecedented ease, bureaus, reporters, guests and newsmakers are brought on air with VidyoCast’s new low latency H.264-SVC encoder.

“New production tools bring multiple parties on screen

live, on air and during story production. Reporters get to the heart of issues faster and produce more visually interesting stories. In addition producers see their own multi-views on desktops or laptops.”

Bandwidth and video quality are optimised by VidyoRouter, which also manages point-to-multipoint distribution across many areas of operations.

The primary benefits of the cloud-based approach are cost-savings and more operational flexibility, without sacrificing quality, says Bridgens. “We believes that by using IP networks instead of typical satellite transmission, broadcasters can save up to 90% of their typical costs. VidyoCast is also being positioned as a backup solution, particularly in situations where typical broadcast backup isn’t feasible or is cost prohibitive.

VidyoCast is meant to easily integrate into incumbent broadcast infrastructure.

“VidyoCast is a technology leader in remote production, in software/hardware encoders/decoders using H.264 Scalable Video Coding (SVC), in desktop online production tools, in post-production collaboration and in IP-based remote multi-view monitoring.”

He points out that the roll out of fibre throughout the country is confined to the main cities. “Fibre is expensive to lay and not always affordable. Telkom probably has the most advanced fibre network and offers a real time service which is important for live contribution feeds.

LaserNet has chosen to deploy Telkom fibre for this reason as the SLA offered is important for live feeds.”

LaserNet Introduces VidyoCast for Broadcast Production in the Cloud The primary benefits of the cloud-based approach are cost-savings and more operational flexibility, without sacrificing quality. Vidyo believes that by using IP networks instead of typical satellite transmission, broadcasters can save up to 90% of their typical costs. VidyoCast is also being positioned as a backup solution, particularly in situations where typical broadcast backup isn’t feasible or is cost prohibitive. VidyoCast is meant to easily integrate into incumbent broadcast infrastructure.

VidyoCast™ improves live television production by delivering and managing broadcast-quality feeds over virtually any network. Collective Dream Studios in Cape Town are implementing a complete cloud based live production workflow.

With unprecedented ease, bureaus, reporters, guests and newsmakers are brought on air with a new low latency H.264-SVC encoder.

New production tools bring multiple parties on screen live, on air and during story production. Reporters get to the heart of issues faster and produce more

visually interesting stories. Producers see their own multiviews on desktops or laptops. Master Control Rooms have new tools. Editing review is faster. Bandwidth and video quality are optimized by our VidyoRouter, which also manages point-tomultipoint distribution.

Across many areas of operations, VidyoCast enhances your on air look, and improves your bottom line.

As the graphic below shows, VidyoCast is aiming to be a total solution, including remote contribution from any IP-connected source, central production control and HD distribution to affiliates. VidyoCast is built on Vidyo’s underlying H.264Scalable Video Encoding compliant technology. The new LaserNet offering is another example of how broadband video delivery is changing traditional approaches, driving down costs and enhancing flexibility. Collective Dream Studios now have the ability to receive live content or transmit live content into the LaserNet Broadcast Cloud for distribution to broadcasters or affiliates.

Contact Ivan Bridgens on +27 87 742 2210 or ivan@lasernet.co.za as well as get more information at www.lasernet.co.za.

32 | SCREENAFRICA | June 2012

NEWMEDIA |

IPTV on rapid growth path

By Ian Dormer In 1994 ABC’s World News Now was the first television programme to be broadcast over the Internet.

Today, India and China are the fastest growing markets with IPTV revenues forecast to hit US$38bn in 2013.

Meanwhile, the BBC is using the IPTV model to enhance its traditional broadcast medium.

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nternet Protocol television (IPTV) is a system through which television services are delivered using the Internet protocol suite over a packet-switched network (such as the Internet), instead of being delivered through traditional terrestrial, satellite signal and cable television formats.

IPTV is defined as the secure and reliable delivery to subscribers of entertainment video and related services.

These services may include, for example, live TV, video on demand (VOD) and interactive TV (iTV). It is distinguished from Internet television by its on-going standardisation process and preferential deployment scenarios in subscriber-based telecommunications networks, with high-speed access channels into end-user premises via set-top boxes.

While all major western countries and most developed economies have IPTV deployments, the world’s leading markets for IPTV used to be France, Germany, South Korea, US and Hong Kong, but China and India’s markets are expanding at a rapid rate, offering multiple services 34 | SCREENAFRICA | June 2012

such as customers’ movies on demand, shopping online, video conferencing, media players and e-learning. They are mostly operated by mobile providers.

The number of global IPTV subscribers is expected to grow to 83 million in 2013. China’s subscriber base alone has now passed the 12 million mark.

Sensitive platform IPTV is sensitive to packet loss and delays if the streamed data is unreliable. It has strict minimum speed requirements in order to facilitate the right number of frames per second to deliver moving pictures. This means that the limited connection speed and bandwidth available for a large IPTV customer base can reduce the service quality delivered.

A few countries have very high-speed broadband-enabled populations, such as South Korea with six million homes benefiting from a minimum connection speed of 100Mbit/s. But in other

countries (such as the UK) legacy networks struggle to provide 3–5Mbit/s and so simultaneous provision to the home of TV channels, voice over Internet Protocol (VOIP) and Internet access may not be viable, certainly such is the case here in South Africa.

The IPTV services are delivered across an access agnostic, packet switched network. In contrast to video over the public Internet, with IPTV deployments network security and performance are tightly managed to ensure a superior entertainment experience, resulting in a compelling business environment for content providers, advertisers and customers alike.

Companion experience Interactivity is key to the whole IPTV experience and not necessarily via a single screen. For example, the BBC recently announced the launch of its first online companion experience. The head of IPTV and TV Online Content, BBC

Vision, Victoria Jave released details of an online experience with the new series of Antiques Roadshow coming up in September. The experience will be available across smart phones, PC and tablet devices as well as the BBC Red Button and BBC Online.

Over the past 35 years Antiques Roadshow has had audiences shouting at their TVs, guessing the value of the antique items brought in by members of the public for valuation, and delighting in the stories that lie behind them.

Jave comments: “This year, we’re going to tap into that audience behaviour by offering a companion experience that combines the ‘Guess the value’ play-along (and compare your score), with the ability to go beyond broadcast to find out more about the antiques featured in the programme, with exclusive content and information drawn from across BBC Online and trusted sources from the wider web.

“We’re going to use familiar language and our trusted on-screen talent to welcome audiences into the experience.

Playing alongside the live broadcast or ondemand, and at expert or amateur level, audiences choose from four value ranges for each antique item featured on the show. They make their valuation against the clock before the answer is revealed on the TV. If viewers need help in their valuation, they can see what others playing along are estimating using the ‘Ask the Nation’ function. At the end of each episode, audiences receive their final score, and find out how they ranked compared to the nation.”

The companion experience seems to be where most broadcasters are heading and in the BBC’s case, a shift to move with the technology instead of getting lost without it.

Over the next few months Screen Africa will investigate IPTV offerings and future potential in the South African market.

| TRACKINGTECHNOLOGY

Affordable high-performance switcher Sony has introduced a new model to its switcher line-up – the MCS-8M – a user-friendly, easy to operate multi-format video switcher with a built-in audio mixer.

Inside a compact body, the MCS-8M packs excellent cost efficiency and affordability along with a great range of features.

The switcher includes many preset wipe patterns, a built-in multi-viewer, frame memory with the ability to import still images via USB port, an input frame synchroniser and freeze function for each source, a 3D mode function and a six-channel audio mixer.

Designed to be intuitive, the MCS-8M is an ideal content creation tool for live event programming. It is suitable for small broadcast operations, product promotions, event and live staging, music clip creation and all types of business activity including conferences and seminars.

For the user’s peace of mind this product comes complete with Sony’s PrimeSupport service to ensure fast, hassle-free repairs and a helpline offering expert technical advice.

Touring with the Dave Matthews Band

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Filament Productions is using AJA Ki Pro digital video recorders to capture the Dave Matthews Band (DMB) 2012 summer tour, which kicked off on 18 May in Houston, Texas.

Video director Mike Lane captures the concert in HD Apple ProRes 422 for the camera feeds that project on both house screens and custom LED video walls. DMB shows are shot with five high definition cameras fed into six Ki Pros. Each camera is isolated and a copy of the director’s cut is kept for post-production reference. DMB typically plays a two and a half hour set, accruing up to two terabytes per show.

The cost savings of moving to a tapeless workflow were significant for Filament Productions. Each of these shows are archived on external drives and catalogued back at DMB’s studio in Charlottesville, VA. After the content is captured it is then considered for future uses that include web videos, social media and potential live show releases.

Lane comments: “I love the Ki Pro. It’s a tremendously versatile, high quality machine at a very reasonable price.”

Filament VP Ryan Gall adds: “The Ki Pros give us instant access to the show’s footage and we have the ability to review and edit videos on the spot. With Ki Pro, it’s just as easy to capture, store and archive that same footage without adding significantly to your gear footprint or budget.”

According to Bryan Bieber, GM at Filament, his team has used their Ki Pros for three years, averaging about 60 shows a year. “We don’t have time for gear failure on the road.

The AJA Ki Pro has been very consistent for us.”

technologies making content valuable

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Supplying for news… …becoming the news

TRACKINGTECHNOLOGY |

Wireless intercom At the recent NAB2012 Show in Las Vegas, Clear-Com announced the Tempest2400 MasterBelt digital wireless intercom. Ideal for mobile productions, the Tempest2400 MasterBelt offers all the advanced features, reliability and robustness of the Tempest2400 rack-mount BaseStation, including the new version 3.0 features, in a compact, portable and easy-to-deploy package that can be conveniently worn on the hip.

The Tempest2400 MasterBelt provides mobile broadcasters the ability to coordinate and communicate hands-free within the form of a Tempest2400 BeltStation. It can be paired with any standard Tempest2400 CP-222 two-channel BeltStation to create a full-featured two-channel system in the 2.4 GHz band. The MasterBelt itself also functions as a BeltStation allowing up to six full-duplex wireless users to be in communications.

Designed to be comfortable, rugged and robust, the MasterBelt Station and all Tempest BeltStations can operate in harsh weather conditions and are protected by a durable, weather-resistant ABS co-polymer blend with a high performance polyurethane overmold. The MasterBelt is provided with a rechargeable Li-Polymer battery capable of up to eight hours of operation or can be powered by three Standard AA Alkaline batteries as backup, providing four hours of operations.

“The Tempest2400 system has proven itself as the ‘go-to’ communications solution for remote productions operating interference-free even when other wireless devices are in the same vicinity,” says Craig Frederickson, Clear-Com wireless product manager. “The MasterBelt is the latest development in the Tempest2400 line, giving broadcasters an even more flexible alternative for mobile productions where a stationary BaseStation is not desirable, feasible or optimal.”

Clear-Com is represented in South Africa by Jasco Broadcast Solutions.

Express capture and playback

Pro-Sales is proud to be a preferred supplier for CNBC Africa

www.pro-sales.co.za OFFICE. (0027) 11 462 0000 FACSIMILE (0027) 11 462 0005 EMAIL. INFO@PRO-SALES.CO.ZA ADDRESS. 34 ELGIN ROAD, BRYANSTON, SOUTH AFRICA, 2023

With so many of its products now including Thunderbolt technology, BlackMagic Design wanted to create a compact and portable capture and playback product that’s powered from the Thunderbolt connector and has the flexibility to bridge between consumer and professional connectors.

Says Blackmagic Design’s Grant Petty: “We have achieved this with the new UltraStudio Express and being Thunderbolt-powered it’s more portable as it powers from the user’s computer’s battery.

“UltraStudio Express also includes two breakout cables – one has RCA connectors to allow capture and playback with consumer equipment, while the professional breakout cable includes BNC and XLR connectors plus genlock and deck control for connection to professional equipment.”

He notes that the UltraStudio Express is fully compatible with all popular software including Final Cut Pro X; Final Cut Pro 7; Adobe Premiere Pro CS6; Avid Media Composer 6; Adobe After Effects CS6; Adobe Photoshop CS6 and more, plus it includes BlackMagic Design’s Media Express software.

UltraStudio Express includes all the latest technology including 3 Gb/s SDI, HDMI and analogue video in and out.

Blackmagic Design also recently announced a ProRes Software Update for HyperDeck Studio that adds Apple ProRes codec support for recording and playback.

The software can be downloaded and the user can select between 10 bit uncompressed, Avid DNxHD and Apple ProRes. HyperDeck Studio records in the format of the user’s NLE software no matter what software is preferred.

This software is free of charge and can be downloaded from http://www.blackmagic-design.com/support/

| TRACKINGTECHNOLOGY

Ultra-light weight camera Panasonic unveiled the AG-HPX600, a new P2 HD camera recorder with 10-bit, 4:2:2 AVC-Intra recording and the lowest weight of a shouldermount unit, at the recent NAB2012 Show in Las Vegas.

Weighing less than 3.2 kg and using low power, the HPX600 combines a newlydeveloped 2/3 type MOS sensor to produce high-quality HD and SD images. The HPX600 will achieve the high sensitivity of F12 (at 59.94 Hz) and a signal-to-noise ratio of 59dB. It supports AVC-Intra100/50, DVCPRO HD, DVCPRO50, DVCPRO, and DV as standard. In addition it is 50 Hz and 59.94 Hz switchable for worldwide use.

The HPX600 will allow the user to upgrade his camera as new functionality becomes available. This future-proof camera will provide inventive functionality and improved workflows, with options such as wireless metadata input, proxy recording, and variable frame rates (available this Fall), and AVC-ULTRA recording.

When available within 2013, AVC-ULTRA will offer master-quality and/or low-bit-rate 10-bit, 4:2:2 recording in full HD to meet a variety of user needs from mastering to transmission (AG-HPX600 will not support all AVC-ULTRA formats.).

The HPX600 also features wireless and wired connection ability with Wi-Fi, USB and Gigabit Ethernet.

Ideal for news, sports or live events, the interchangeable lens camera recorder will be equipped with Chromatic Aberration Compensation (CAC) to maximise lens performance. A Dynamic Range Stretch (DRS) function helps compensate for wide variations in lighting, while highly accurate flash band detection and compensation software eliminates this effect.

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SeaChange International’s Broadcast group announced that WPBT2, South Florida Public Media, has recently integrated its VMware IT environment with its existing SeaChange Universal MediaLibrary nearline storage utilising the system’s Windows iSCSI client software. This enables the station to share its storage with its broadcast server, further maximising its 2011 investment in a SeaChange media architecture.

The Universal MediaLibrary is the only storage system in the media-rich market that can simultaneously connect via NAS (CIFS, NFS, FTP) and SAN (Fibre Channel, iSCSI) without reconfigurations or gateways. This unique functionality enables WPBT2 SAN iSCSI access for IT VMware as well as NAS-based FTP transfers for moving files to and from the play-to-air server.

Graham Simmons, senior vice president for Engineering and Operations, WPBT2, said, “The new VMware configuration expands the usage of our Universal MediaLibrary storage beyond the broadcast nearline application to include traditional IT clients for their media storage needs while maximising our return-on-investment in SeaChange technology.”

Bang Chang, vice president of SeaChange Broadcast, said, “Our UML deployment at WPBT2 demonstrates the versatility of our media-centric, IT-based technology. The UML is equally adept at supporting both real time media applications and multi-user IT environment. We are glad to see that WPBT2 not only leverages our simultaneous NAS and SAN access for both media and IT workflows, but also relies on our distributed SAN file system to achieve high availability and load balancing for its VMWare DNS infrastructure.”

SeaChange Broadcast is becoming XOR Media, an independent technology company focused on supporting existing SeaChange Broadcast customers and delivering transformative media storage and codecs solutions to the market.

XOR Media is distributed in South Africa by Jasco Broadcast Solutions

technologies making content valuable

TRACKINGTECHNOLOGY |

Business as usual for Harris Broadcast Senior VP Global Sales and Service at Harris Broadcast Communications Richard Scott and regional director (UKISA) Sally Wallington recently visited South Africa following the announcement that parent company, Harris Corporation, is to divest the Broadcast Communications division.

“We’re here to meet with our distributor, Concilium Technologies, as well as the local broadcasters to reaffirm our commitment to South Africa,” said Scott. “The divesture is a backroom process that will not affect the day-to-day operations of our division.”

Scott stressed that Broadcast Communications has grown into a substantial business in the last five years and can easily become a standalone company. “None of our staff, operations or R&D is embedded within Harris Corporation.”

The first announcement of the divesture was included in a public report of Harris Corporation’s Fiscal 2012 Third Quarter Results released on 1 May. According to Scott, when former Harris Corporation CEO Howard Lance came to the end of his 10-year term in November last year and was replaced by Bill Brown, the board requested a strategic review of its entire operations.

“Following the review, the board took the decision to focus on the core Harris Corporation businesses – RF antennas and government / military technologies – and to continue to be an innovator in those fields. That leaves the Broadcast Communications division free to focus on our core activities.

“It was under Howard Lance’s tenure that the Broadcast Communications division grew. Howard really was the father of Harris’ bigger broadcast picture and made a number of strategic acquisitions to grow the division. With the exception of cameras, displays and production switchers we offer the full range of broadcast equipment.

Wallington added that the division’s performance over the last year has gone through a number of challenges.

“However, we have grown and improved our profit year on year and had an extremely strong presence at the recent NAB2012 Show in Las Vegas. We won awards for several products including the new Magellan NMS networked management system and were honoured with the Best Stand award.

“Our participation at the IBC trade show in Amsterdam in September will be as per usual. We expect to introduce several new products as well as those

REAFFIRMING COMmITMENT – Sally Wallington and Richard Scott

launched at NAB.” The immediate plan for the division is to find a new owner for the entire Broadcast Communications concern.

Scott continued: “There is no intention to break up the division as we see great value in integrating our product line. In fact, we’ve worked very hard over the past five years to effect this.

“The advantage is that Harris Broadcast Communications is already recognised as a separate entity. Everyone at Broadcast Communications is positive about the latest developments as we believe they will allow us a bigger focus.

In the meantime we’ve been working hard to assure our customers all over the world

that our operations and roadmaps remain the same and that all contractual obligations will continue to be met,” commented Scott.

He revealed that he and Wallington are in discussions pertaining to several sales in South Africa of the Selenio media convergence platform, which was launched at NAB last year.

“The Selenio installed base continues to grow at an exceptional pace. Installations span the globe, covering all geographic regions, while addressing a variety of market segments and applications. To date, Selenio has been deployed in over 35 countries,” concluded Wallington.

New high speed camera on market

IN TEST MODE – Stefan Nell testing the Olympus iSpeed 3 camera

Stefan Nell of Visual Impact in Cape Town recently tested the performance of the new Olympus iSpeed 3 camera against the 32G Phantom Gold high speed camera.

“The testing was done while we were pre-lighting a Fine Wines shoot and testing a rig for a commercial for the new Magnum whiskey liqueur. Tests were done on the standard swirling liquid shot that one sees in every liquid commercial, as well as floating letters in a liquid tank.

38 | SCREENAFRICA | June 2012

The Phantom filmed in 2K at 1 000fps,” explains Nell.

He notes that the iSpeed 3 can be regarded as a cost effective high speed option if shooting in an 8bit colour space such as 5D. “However, the Olympus is not an alternative to the Phantom as a stand-alone product in its current form.

Having said this, the iSpeed3, which shoots 5 000fps at 1280 x 720P, performs surprisingly well when considering the sampling rate as compared to

the Phantom.

“There is however work to be done in order to remove the Bayer patterning associated with CMOS sensors and high speed acquisition. We ended up using algorithms normally applied to Phantom files to clean up the images.

“All things considered we are satisfied with the results of the Olympus and believe that this camera has a very definite place in the lower end high speed market,” comments Nell.

Ideal applications for the Olympus are lower budget productions that require high speed imaging, such as music videos, low end retail commercials, corporate videos and military and industrial applications.

The camera will be available for rental from Visual Impact and sales can be arranged if required.

Nell is currently on the development team for a 12bit version of the camera to be released next year.

New age company

| FACILITIES

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he SoundScapes sound studio, part of the Keystone group of companies, recently did music production, recording, mixing and created a music video for South African band the Tim Hendricks Project.

According to Keystone’s Jonathan le Roux, the Tim Hendricks Project used almost all the elements within Keystone – studio facilities as well as audio, lighting, staging and video production services.

“We partnered up with Woodlands Avenue Studios for a music video for the song Release Me,” says Le Roux. “However, the music and video editing and postproduction work was done by The SoundScapes.

Spacelight (also part of Keystone) photographed the whole process, we used Keystone Studios photographic studio to shoot in, plus all the sound, stage and lighting came from Keystone Gear.”

Le Roux notes that this makes Keystone Productions unique. “We’re a new age company. The industries have

IN THE RIGHT KEY – The Tim Hendricks Project recording at The SoundScapes sound studio

changed, and companies like us offer a broad range of services in one place that change the way things are done. Before, when you wanted to record sound, you could only do that. Now you can record sound, do a photo shoot for the CD or

DVD cover in the photographic studio, record behind the scenes video in the video studio and use lights and sound equipment from Keystone Gear for staging. We can facilitate the whole production here, as we did with the Tim Hendricks Project.”

The SoundScapes specialises in audio post-production and is managed by Telmo dos Reis. “We do final mix (TV), radio adverts, sound design and voice-

over recordings,” explains Le Roux. “Dos Reis recently created the intro sequence music for the new SABC2 Morning Live show. The sequence music will go on air when Morning Live launches their new look and feel. This includes all the bumpers music too,” he notes.

Dos Reis and The SoundScapes also wrote a song, intro sequence music and bumpers for the SABC’s Africa Day celebrations in 2011.

June 2012 | SCREENAFRICA | 39

AFRICA |

Reports by Martin Chemhere

POTENTIAL BUSINESS FOR GROWTH – One of the attendees interviewing Shemu Joyah after the public lecture

Zooming in on Malawi Fledgling film industries in Africa need all the help they can get – from corporate sector support, to a national emphasis on the development of arts and culture, to buy-in from the public.

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he Malawian film industry can only grow if filmmaking is seen as a potential business, according to local filmmaker Shemu Joyah (Seasons of Life), who recently delivered a public lecture to this effect in Blantyre.

Fellow Malawian Mike Phoya, author, filmmaker and founder of nongovernmental organisation Kupeza Chambo, organised the lecture, which revealed that only a handful of Malawian films have been made in the past 40 years.

There are no professionally trained technicians and actors in the country.

Joyah’s presentation included references to the film industries in the US, India, European countries and Nigeria. The latter’s indigenous film industry, dubbed Nollywood, continues to demonstrate that filmmaking can be a major business enterprise.

Said Joyah: “The past 15 years have seen Nigeria rank among the three largest film producing countries – after the US and India – with estimated earnings of over US$200m per year.

“Malawi should try and emulate Nigeria’s success if our film industry is to make any substantial strides. The corporate sector needs to take a leading role in this endeavour by investing in the local industry.”

Telling stories He stressed the importance of good storytelling in local films and said Malawians should express their different 40 | SCREENAFRICA | June 2012

tales in interesting styles.

“The script is the foundation of any good film. Our industry will be off to a bad start if we do not invest in creating good scriptwriters. I must stress that a scriptwriter is not an ordinary storyteller; he or she has to have the ability to tell the story in images because cinema is primarily about images,” added Joyah.

Calling on locals to rally behind their own stories, he said companies have a social responsibility to promote arts and culture.

“They have to give back something to society instead of just taking away profits. Everyone needs some form of entertainment. In Malawi the major forms of entertainment are sports – mainly football – and music.

“Apart from music the consumption of the arts in Malawi is on the lowest rungs of the entertainment ladder. Yet the mental and psychological development of a nation is measured by the quality of its arts and culture.

“While wining the African Cup of Nations or the World Cup in football might send the whole nation into an ecstatic frenzy, a Malawian writer winning the Nobel Prize for Literature will give us more respect as a cultured country,” commented Joyah.

He added that nations that have shaped history have largely been those with a strong artistic culture such as the Greeks, the Romans and the British.

Perfect vehicle

Joyah urged Malawians to start looking at how they can develop, not just industrially but artistically as well.

“Art offers a nation great insight into its culture and enables us to better understand ourselves since it provides a mirror of our lives. Of all the art forms film comes closest to reflecting the world as we know it. Film has the ability to take us on an emotional journey like no other art form. This makes it a perfect vehicle to depict our society, our culture and our country,” he said.

Suggesting Malawians needed to understand themselves first before going forward, Joyah stated they must also actively contribute to history. He believes the best way to do this is to promote and consume local arts.

“Malawians must tell their stories, sing their songs and recite their poems. This will help us to improve as a nation and to understand our culture,” he continued.

The lecture also touched on the tourism industry; Malawi has a potential tourist industry that has not been fully exploited. Joyah attributed this to the fact that its tourist destinations have not been well publicised and marketed internationally. He suggested that a well-shot, internationally distributed feature film shot in Malawi could help to expose the country’s beauty.

Joyah noted that when the Oscarwinning film, Out of Africa, was shot in Kenya in 1984, it dramatically boosted

the country’s tourism. Also the television series Baywatch contributed so much to tourism in the locations where it was shot that Hawaii and Australia pitched to have the series filmed on their shores.

Breakthrough

Filmmaker Joyah is looking forward to the day when a Malawian film will breakthrough internationally and bring throngs of tourists to the shores of Lake Malawi and the country’s spectacular game reserves.

“But I have to say that the arts, like a new born baby, cannot sustain themselves. They need the impetus, the guiding hand and the financial muscle of the corporate sector before they can stand on their own.

“The US film industry has become a major foreign currency earner at a time when its motor vehicle industry, for example, is facing stiff competition from other manufacturing countries like Japan, South Korea and India.

“While investing in the film industry might look like an outlandish idea, given the determination of Malawian filmmakers, you never know where our industry will be in 10 years’ time.”

His sincere hope is that one day, not in the too distant future; a Malawian film will lift the Stallion of Yennenga at FESPACO or even get a nomination in the best foreign language film category at the Oscars.

| AFRICA

Not passing the ‘buck’ RADIO IN AFRICA – A studio installation

Through his Cape Townbased company Matt Buck designs, constructs and equips radio and television stations across Africa with state-of-the-art facilities.

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mplementing sustainable broadcast solutions in Africa continues to present many challenges according to Matt Buck of Buck Broadcast. However, with these challenges come many rewards, especially in the community media and development sectors.

“The goalposts keep shifting so one can never become complacent. You can’t treat the continent as a generic territory as each country has different operational conditions. Comprehensive logistical and technical preparation is vital to success,” stresses Buck.

He notes that designs for rurally located projects differ to urban systems due to the harsher environments and lack of grid power. User skills can also vary, so rural systems may be specified with less sophisticated user friendly equipment, while urban designs may feature the latest in AoIP technology.

Over the years certain brands have proved their worth in the African environment and Buck offers what he believes to be the best range of products for clients’ needs. He provides the BSE range of FM transmitters which are made in and designed for Africa and have proven reliability, as has the Italian RVR range.

Buck notes that the OutBack inverters are preferred to some of the other competing brands. The company has also had reliable results with the Axel Technology range of studio equipment.

Telos hybrid equipment has always performed well and the many Rode broadcaster microphones they have supplied have never failed.

Regulatory challenges

Licensing requirements sometimes present a huge challenge to independent and community radio stations though this varies greatly between countries. Buck gives the example of Malawi which ‘enjoys a relatively relaxed licensing environment whereas stations in Namibia have struggled to obtain the necessary permission’.

He states that regulations, criteria and standards also vary widely, with some countries utilising very high standards of technology, while some regulators will license basic, non-professional solutions.

Environmental conditions in Africa can be extreme. “For example,” continues Buck, “the transmission sites in Namibia can experience extreme heat and cold, while Sudan can have dry and wet seasons in rapid succession. This means that technical designs should accommodate all the worst case environmental scenarios to ensure sustained operation.

“As specific examples in desert climes, we have had good results with OutBack power equipment. In humid climates we like to avoid condenser microphones and have favoured the sturdy Shure SM7 dynamic microphone.”

Community broadcasters About 90% of Buck Broadcast’s work is within the community radio sector, which often acts as the unofficial training ground for the independent commercial sectors.

In 2011 Buck Broadcast was contracted

by Zambia’s Breeze FM, a communitybased, commercial radio station, to supply and install the station.

Upon licence approval from regulator ZICTA, national telecommunications company Zamtel was engaged as a strategic partner to host transmission equipment at their developed sites and accommodate antenna systems on their existing towers and masts, setting a new precedent in Zambia.

The final approved plan saw new

equipment installed at four Zamtel sites, while existing equipment at the Kanjala Hill primary transmission site was also upgraded. Good coverage in the west is ensured by the 1KW rebroadcast systems at Katete and Petauke, while a solar powered translator link delivers a signal for rebroadcast in the northern town of Lundazi.

country’s first Protools HD studio facility at the Apolitecnica University in downtown Maputo. The centre’s HD system is based around an AVID C24 control surface and 16x16 AVID HD i/o running the latest ProTools software and plug ins.

High power FM rebroadcast and translator systems being tested prior to installation

ProTools HD installation completed in Maputo

On-line UPS systems were installed at all sites alongside superior DEHN VENTIL surge arresting systems. To ensure a consistent and professional output, the crew installed an Omnia One FM processor in the studio and optimised the microwave link to ensure a superior stereo signal was delivered to the transmitter network.

Installations Since 1993 Buck has personally overseen the installation of more than 150 radio stations in Africa. Some of these contracts have been larger in scale than others and very often the client relationship is expected to continue through the expansion and development of services and stations. Buck cites the work done for Internews Sudan, where his company continues to provide equipment and installation services to its growing FM network.

Buck also worked with UNESCO Mozambique to commission seven community radio stations throughout the country. More recently he expanded the FM transmission network of Breeze FM. In Mozambique Buck Broadcast expedited the complete installation of the

To minimise interference, the Mac Pro host computer is installed into its own machine room. The system was supplied with a full set of quality instrumentation that includes Fender / PRS guitars, Yamaha acoustic drum kit and MIDI controlling keyboard. Floor / wall carpeting, LED downlighting, signal / power skirting, painting and airconditioning were also installed.

For a new radio station in South Sudan, (Magwi County), Buck Broadcast developed a viable and reliable technical design that included acoustic treatment, studio equipment, high capacity battery / inverter system and 250 Watt FM transmission system with full redundancy.

The next big thing “Many overseas suppliers see Africa as the next big market as they are already actively promoting their products to the various sectors. There is no denying the potential of the African broadcast sector and trade shows like Mediatech Africa and CABSAT Dubai have reflected this.

“The next decade will see great activity as African broadcasters embrace digital migration and in many cases jump to the top of the curve as new users,” predicts Buck.

June 2012 | SCREENAFRICA | 41

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

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

IN DEVELOPMENT 80 MINUTES

Periphery Films Dir: Simon Taylor / Julia Taal Feature Drama A LION IN THE BEDROOM

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

Inkwasi Television Prod: Bell Curle TV Magazine AMKA CORPORATE

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

Zen Crew Exec prod: Laura Tarling Documentary BAD MEDICINE

Tin Rage TV Production Dir: Enver Samuel Documentary Bagged

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

Sirius Films Prod: Ian Manly Documentary

BODA BODA THIEVES

Yes That’s Us Prod: James Tayler Feature

BREAD AND WATER

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

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

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

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

International Radio Pictures, Inc Kit Reynolds TV series COILED

DO Productions Prod: Marlow de Mardt / Brigid Olën Feature CONSERVATION & BEYOND

SuitePeople TVP Prod: Bell Curle Documentary

do good design south africa

Concept Interaction Producer: Karl Fedderke Educational

ECONOMIC TRANSFORMATION

Gaonakgang Film Productions and Publications Writ: George Phuthiyagae Documentary

42 | SCREENAFRICA | June 2012

ESCAPE

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

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

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

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

Inhlakanipo Films Dir: Dumisani Vusi Nhlapo Short Film GOUE STERRE

Suite People TVP Prod: Bell Curle TV Series GRIZMEK

Two Oceans Production Prod: Giselher Venzke / Bertha Spieker Feature

Road Accident Fund Induction

Panache Video Productions Dir: Liesel Eiselen Corporate SEBOKENG

MPA (Motswako) Dir: Charls Khuele / Zuko Nodada Feature SHORT BUSINESS FEATURE WITH BBC / ABC

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

GoogelPlex Productions Dir: Karen van Schalkwyk Feature SWANK!

International Radio Pictures Prod: D Gillard Musical The Black Blonde

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

Current Affairs Prod: Jane Thandi Lipman / Mtutuzeli Matshoba Feature

IMATU UNION VIDEO

AFROX AFRICA INSIGHT EPS 4

LET HEAVEN WAIT

AFROX YEAREND RESULT

FC Hamman Films Prod Man: Odette van Jaarsveld Corporate Video Prod: Deon Potgiete Sitcom Mandela

Synergy Films Drama / Documentary MASTERS OF DREAMS

Current Affairs Films / Hambrook Prod: Jane Thandi Lipman Documentary One Last Look

Fireworx Media Pruducer: Dan Jawitz / Philip Roberts Feature PSALTED

Engage Entertainment Exec Prod: Vusi Zion (previously Twala) Variety RATE MY PLATE

International Radio Pictures Exec Prod: Kit Reynolds Community Project Si-solutions

International Radio Pictures Exec Prod: Kit Reynolds Community Project SLENDER WONDER INFORMATION VIDEO

Grey Cloud Productions Dir: Jacques Brand Information Video

SUZUKI “ Braveheart”

FC Hamman Films Prod Man: Odette van Jaarsveld Corporate Video FC Hamman Films Prod Man: Odette van Jaarsveld Corporate Video Agape

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

Uhuru Productions Dir: Rehad Desai Documentary ALL ACCESS

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

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

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

Steplite Films Dir: Jacqui Logie Tv Series

THE BAR-ONE MANHUNT 2

Seven20 Entertainment Prod: Francois Van Wyk Reality

THE CONSEQUENCE

Bragge Film & TV Dir: Guy Bragge Commercial

THE EDGE

SuitePeople TV Productions Bell Curle TV Series

Two Oceans Production Prods: Giselher Venzke / Bertha Spieker Feature

THE FILM MAKER

Dithakeng Projects and Flms Exec Prods: Thabang Nkunyane Short Film

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

TO CARE FOR YOU ALWAYS

Big Brother StarGame

Inventing Africa

The Scores Are In

Noble Pictures Prod: Claudia Noble Short Film TRUE DREAM

Stark Films Dir: Danie Joubert TV Drama

HISTORICAL KIMBERLEY

Spike Productions Prod: Steve Mueller Bsc. Documentary IIQ

Sukuma Media Dir: Bonginhlanhla Ncube Feature IK1 – TOURISTS IN DANGER

Imageworks Prod: Anthony Irving Documentary

KADU’S JOURNEY

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

Sabstance Productions Producer: Edmund Mhlongo Documentary LEARNER TEACHERS

Curious Pictures SABC Comedy Series LION GIRL

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

Two Oceans Production Prods: Giselher Venzke / Bertha Spieker Feature NEW BEGINNINGZ

Sukuma Media Dir: Bonginhanhla Ncube Documentary Nongoloza

Current Affairs Prod: Jane Thandi Lipman Feature

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

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

SuitePeople TVP Bell Curle Documentary

WAY TO ROLL

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

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

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

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

DO Productions Dir: Bruce Beresford Feature

PRE-PRODUCTION

Palace of the Faithless

Production Company: White Heron Pictures Dir: Themba Sibeko Feature PASSARES (BIRDISH)

CAPE TOWN INTERNATIONAL JAZZ FESTIVAL 2011

Esp Afrika (Pty) Ltd Prod: Yana Lombard Documentary

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

Chabela Day Spa

RACHELTJIE DE BEER

Elegy: forsaken in South Africa

Brett Michael Innes Films Producer: Brett Michael Innes Feature Film RAF INDUCTION VIDEO

Panache Video Productions Prod: Liesel Eiselen Corporate

Grey Cloud Production Dir: Jacques Brand Information Video Market Street Productions Prod: Paul Van Zyl Short film

Holidays for Madmen

Imageworks Prod: Anthony Irving TV Series

TALK OF THE TOWN

The Black Out

South African Great Movies Production Dir: John Wani Feature VKB LANDBOU BEPERK

FC Hamman Films PM: Odette van Jaarsveld Corporate Video

IN PRODUCTION 3 Talk

Urban Brew Talk Show 3RD DEGREE

e.tv Investigative TV series 50 50

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

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

ABC AMERICA NEWS SPECIAL ON MANDELA

Current Affairs Films Prod: Jane Thandi Lipman Feature News Special

Africa Facts Season 3

Lebapi Productions Dir: Daniel Moleabatsi TV Magazine AFRICA 360

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

Bonngoe Productions Exec Prod: Pepsi Pokane Music Show

AFRO SHOWBIZ NEWS

SABC News International Exec Prod: Jody-Layne Surtie TVMagazine

barbour and thorne: 60 years strong

Our Time Productions Dir: Juan de Meilon Corprate Video

BBC PLANET EARTH LIVE

Endemol South Africa Reality show BINNELAND

Bopsy Bunny

Firefly Animation Prod: Ant Steel Animation Short Bonisanani

Kagiso TV Talk Show

BOPSY BUNNY

Firefly Animation Studio Exec Prod: Antony Steel Short Films Carte Blanche (inserts)

Modern Times Prods: S Phirippides / J Pienaar Documentary Child Geniuses

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

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

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

Codesign – commercial spot for furniture designers

SWiTCH Dir – James Tayler Commercial

Cooking With Siba

Prod: Siba Mtongana Variety Cool Cats

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

FC Hamman Films PM: Odette van Jaarsveld Corporate Video

P R O D U C T I O N U P D A T E S Come Dine with Me South Africa

JOU SHOW MET EMO en Wickus

Cutting Edge

Jam Alley

Rapid Blue Prod: Kee-Leen Irvine Reality SABC News Current Affairs

DADDY’S MESS

Homebrew Films Prod: Jaco Loubser Variety Show

Red Pepper Prod: Melody Xaba Game Show

Project MV

Zen Crew Prod: Laura Tarling Music Video Red Bull Beat Battle

Fly on the Wall Prods: Filipa Domingues Corporate REDI ON MZANSI

Dzunde Productions Prod: Thandiwe Mashiyane TV Sitcom

Judge For You Self

eNews Current Affairs

Imani Media Prod: Bruce Townsend TV Series

DIY Met Riaan

Laugh out Loud

Religion and the ANC

Prods: Riaan Venter-Garforth Magazine EASTERN MOSAIC

Red Carpet Productions Magazine Programme FORMIDABELE VROUE: Martie Meiring

Khaki Productions Dir: Wynand Dreyer Documentary

FORMIDABELE VROUE: Rosa Nepgen

Khaki Productions Dir: Wynand Dreyer Documentary

FORMIDABELE VROUE: Rykie van Reenen

Exec Prod: Rapulana Seiphemo Comedy Khumbul’ekhaya

Urban Brew Prod: Enel Viljoen Reality Live

Urban Brew Music Show Live Lotto Show

Urban Brew Game Show

Mad Buddies

Keynote Films Exec Prod: Helena Spring Feature Maggs on Media

Eugene Botha Productions / It’s a Wrap Productions Prod: Eugene Botha Documentary Curious Pictures Prod: Yula Quinn Soapie

RHYTHM CITY INTERACTIVE

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

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

Million Dollar Race

Two Oceans Production Prods: Giselher Venzke / Bertha Spieker Feature

ROER

Kevin Harris Productions Dir: Nadiva Schraibman Documentary Freeway Frog

MK Campus

Firefly Animation Prod: Ant Steel Animation Short

Homebrew Films Prods: Jaco Loubser / Ben Heyns Student Show

Ukhamba Communications Music Show

FRENZY

Montana 2

Red Pepper Pictures Prod: Palesa Mopeli Variety

Penguin Films Exec Prods: Roberta Durrant Drama Series

GENERATIONS

MOTSWAKO

Morula Pictures Exec Prod: Mfundi Vundla Soapie

Carol Bouwer Productions Prod: Vesko Mrdjen Talk Show

GETROUD MET RUGBY SEASON 4

MUVHANGO

FC Hamman Films Prod: FC Hamman Corporate Video Gospel GOLD

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

Homebrew Films Prod: Jaco Loubser Wildlife HEAVEN – Africa

MZANSI INSIDER

Bonngoe Productions Exec Prod: Pepsi Pokane TV Magazine Music Moves Me

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

eNews Prods: Nikiwe Bikitsha Current Affairs Nigcomsat – television commercial series

Two Oceans Production Prods: Giselher Venzke / Bertha Spieker Feature

SWiTCH Prod: Sarah Wanjiku Muhoho Commercial

Hectic 99

Tom Pictures / Authentic Images Comedy

Okuhle Media Prod: Wilna van Schalkwyk Magazine Show Hello Doctor

Prods: Michael Mol Magazine HOUSE CALL

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

Ukhamba Communications Music Inkaba

Urban Brew Studios Prod: John Kani Telenovela INSIDE STORY

Curious Pictures / Discovery Channel Dir: Rolie Nikiwe Feature ISIDINGO

Endemol South Africa Dirs: Raymond Sargent / Johnny Barbazano Daily TV Drama

Nomzamo

ONS MENSE

Homebrew Films Prod: Jaco Loubser Current Affairs OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS

Plexus Films Prod: Miki Redelinghuys Corporate Film PASELLA

Roots

SCANDAL

Ochre Moving Pictures Series Prod: Romano Gorlei Daily TV Soap SELIMATUNZI

Sikhoyana Productions Prod: Baby Joe Correira variety series Sakegesprek Met Theo Vorster

Dirk Mostert Camera Production Dir: Dirk Mostert Talk Show Ses’khona

Tswelopele Productions Prod: Phuthi Ngwenya Magazine SHIZ NIZ

Red Pepper Pictures Prod: Allen Makhubele Variety Urban Brew Talk show SISTERHOOD

Red Pepper Pictures Prod: Vuyo Sokupa Variety Siyakholwa – We Believe

X CON Films Dir: Munier Parker Edutainment Soccer 411

Engage Entertainment Exec Prod: Vusi Zion (previously Twala) Magazine Soccer zone

SABCSports Head: Sizwe Nzimande Magazine Sony Presents Mgongo

Sony Variety

PEACE PARKS

STRANDED

FC Hamman Films Prod Man: Odette van Jaarsveld Corporate Event POWER COMBAT ZONE

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

Unit C5 RobeRtville Mini FaCtoRies 255 nadine stReet RobeRtville RoodepooRt 1709

Shift

Spirit Sundae

POPCRU 7TH CONGRESS

tel: 0860 111 553 fax: +27 11 706 7949 bookings@generalpost.co.za www.generalpost.co.za after hours emergency number: 076 225 9173

Homebrew Films Prod: Jaco Loubser Cooking Show

Tswelopele Productions Insert Dirs: Liani Maasdorp / Werner Hefer TV Magazine Programme NHU Africa Exec Prods: Vyv Simson/ Sophie Vartan Wildlife Documentary Series

ALSO offering flexible, cost-effective post-production solutions for the commercials industry

Summertime Productions Prods: Sean Gardiner / Tanya Vandenberg Educational Video

Freedom Park installations

GNLD AFRICA CONVENTION

editors * researchers * animators * visual effects artists storyboard artists * directors * sound engineers * writers post-production producers & supervisors

ROCKING FUTURE

eNews Prod: Jeremy Maggs Current Affairs

Bottom Line Productions Dir: Jozua Malherbe Series

the finest freelance post-production & creative crew

RHYTHM CITY

Khaki Productions Dir: Wynand Dreyer Documentary

Word of Mouth Prod: Pieter Grobbelaar Feature

general post

New Wave Productions Prod: Mishkah Roman-Cassiem Spiritual

SCREENAFRICA Follow us on

NHU Africa Exec Prods: Vyv Simson / Sophie Vartan Wildlife Documentary STUDIO 53

M-Net Inhouse Productions Insert Dir: Navan Chetty Mag Programme TASOL “Old Geezer”

Bragge Film & TV Dir: Guy Bragge Commercial

June 2012 | SCREENAFRICA | 43

P R O D U C T I O N U P D A T E S The B-Ball Show

SABC Commissioning Ed: Dinah Mahlabegoane Variety The Chat Room

Eclipse Prod: Thokozani Nkosi Talk Show The Cypher

Spoon Fed Generation Lerato Letebele Talk show The Justice Factor

eNews Exec Prod: Debbie Meyer Current Affairs THE RUDIMENTALS

Periphery Films Prod: Simon Taylor Feature Documentary

THE STORY OF LITTLE FOOT

Paul Myburgh Film Prod: Paul Myburgh Documentary

The Tech Report

Greenwall Productions Exec Prod: Nicky Greenwall Magazine THE WILD

Magic Factory Dirs: Alex Yazbek, Johnny Barbuzano Soapy TRANSFORMATION STORIES

real IT

real HD

real flexibility

Official Worldwide Olympic Partner

Media Village Productions Dir: Diane Vermooten Documentary

THE TRANSPORTERS

Sukuma Media/ Reality Motion Pictures Dir: Bonginhlanhla Ncube Documentary THERE ARE NO HEROES

AFDA Cape Town Dir: Kyle Stevenson Science Fiction TOP BILLING

Tswelopele Productions Prod: Patience Stevens TV Magazine C A M E R A S • M O N I T O R S • P L A S M A D I G I TA L M I X E R S • 3 D • P R O J E C T O R S

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

Av m Pa

nas

ark Systems

d mite Unli sts

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

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Authorised Distributor

www.avmarksystems.co.za

TOP SHAYELA

Curious Pictures / Vuzu Prod: Khobi Ledwaba Reality Magazine Series Top 10 at 10

Don’t Look Down Radio/TV Simulcast TOUCHING THE DRAGON

Xihlovo

Grace Bible Church Religion Yilengelo Lakho

Prod: Nndanganeni Mudau Current Affairs Zone 14

The Bomb Shelter Prod: Angus Gibson Drama

POST-PRODUCTION 4LIFE NETWORK

Bragge Film& TV Dir: Guy Bragge Infomercials

A BUSHMAN ODYSSEY

Onetime Films Prod: Richard Wicksteed Documentary AFRICA CALLING

Two Oceans Production Prods: Giselher Venzke / Bertha Spieker Feature AFROX CO2 PLANT

FC Hamman Films Prod Man: Odette van Jaarsveld Corporate Video AFROX SHEQ INDUCTION

FC Hamman Films Prod Man: Odette van Jaarsveld Commercial ALL’S FAIR

PianoJ Productions Prod: Pia van Rensburg Short Film AMBASSADOR II

Two Oceans Production Prods: Giselher Venzke / Bertha Spieker Feature Animal Doctor (Working Title)

Animal Doctor cc Prods: Greg Simpson, Jonty Acton TV Series

Bally Cullen Guesthouse Ad

Panache Video Productions Prod: Liesel Eiselen Corporate Bitter Root

Turn It Out

BLITZ PATROLLIE

Verraaiers (Traitors)

BUA NNETE

White Heron Pictures/Film Factory / Bos Bok Ses Films / Spier Films Dir: Paul Eihlers Drama VKB BRANDING LAUNCH

FC Hamman Films Prod: FC Hamman Corporate Video

Imageworks Dir: Kerry Negara Documentary Diprente Films Prod: Kagiso Lediga Feature

Owami Entertainment Dir: Charles Khuele Short Film Calafornia: Valley Christian School Transformation

Media Village Prod: Diane Vermooten Documentary

Israel Inside (Working Title)

Imagination Productions / Wayne Kopping Films Dir: Wayne Kopping Documentary Kemang?

lmol Production Dir: Lizzy Moloto Feature Film JULIUS HAS A DREAM

Creative South Africa, Nkanyethi Productions,Jam TV Prod: Bathelemy Ngwessam Documentary Launch of the Academy of Young SA Scientists

Panache Video Productions Prod: Liesel Eiselen Documentary

LIFE UNDER THE FLAG

Lifeundertheflag.Com Prod: Prince Angelo Doyle Documentary LION’S TRACK

Two Oceans Production Prods: Giselher Venzke / Bertha Spieker Feature MARRY – ANN

Shadow Films Dir: David Forbes Documentary Melodi Jazz Festival 2011

L. Dukashe Productions Dir: Lumko Dukashe Live Concert DvD

National Heritage Council Educational Outreach Programme

Panache Video Productions Exec Prod: Amos Mlaudzi Corporate PERFECT SHISHEBO

Curious Pictures Prod: Nthabiseng Mokoena AFP – Cooking Show PURPLE TOWN

Sukuma Media Dir: Bonginhlanhla Ncube Documentary RESTYLE MY STYLE

Curious Pictures Prod: Anita van Hemert Children’s Programming River of Stones

Prod: Wiseman Mabusela Documentary SA JUNIOR MASTERS

Our Time Productions Dir: Jaun de Meillon Series on SuperSport SCAREDYKAT

Dirty Soul Productions Dir: Kyle Lewis Horror Feature Film SCHOOL E-WASTE INITIATIVE/ DESCO/ INCREDIBLE CONNECTION

Philip Schedler Productions Prod: Philip Schedler Corporate SLENDER WONDER

FC Hamman Films Prod Man: Odette van Jaarsveld Corporate Video

Spectro Productions Dirs: Luhann Jansen / Andries van der Merwe/ Leroux Botha/ Isabel Smit TV Drama

DEAR SISTER

South african Field Band Foundation Championships

WEEKEND LIVE

DRAGON’S FEAST 3D

STETSON HATS

HARTLAND

Stolen Time

VILLA ROSA

SABC News Current Affairs

us on

Cape Town Television Prod: Sharon McKinnon TV Series

NHU Africa Exec Prods: Vyv Simson / Sophie Vartan Wildlife Documentary Fuel Media Productions Dir: Ben Brewster Dance Reality show

SCREENAFRICA

Workers World Series

When The World Was Here

Fuel Media Productions Dir: Mzilikazi Kumalo Documentary Series

Why are We so Angry?

Fuel Media Productions Dir: Scott Smith, Shaft Moropane Documentary Series Why Poverty?

STEPS International Exec Prod: Don Edkins Documentary Series Wicket to Wicket

SABC3 Lefa Afrika Magazine

Media Village Prod: Debbie Matthee Short Film NHU Africa Exec Prods: Vyv Simson / Sophie Vartan Wildlife Documentary Bottomline Entertainment / Fix Post Production Michael Modena TV Drama Hong Kong

Media Village Prod: Diane Vermooten Documentary IQILI

Impucuzeko Prod: Sharon Kakora Feature

Panache Video Productions Prod: Liesel Eiselen Documentary

Fourth Dimension Films / Creative Photo Services Dir: Neil Hermann Corporate Prod: Eric Myeni Feature

Tanzanian Investment Opportunities

Benchmark Productions Dir: Dermod Judge Corporate TASTE OF RAIN

Luna Films / On Land Productions Prods: Bridget Pickering / Richard Pakleppa Feature Technology Innovation Agency CEO Address

Panache Video Productions Prod: Liesel Eiselen Corporate

44 | SCREENAFRICA | June 2012

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

Talent Attack TV / Fuel Media Productions Dir: Maxine Nel Technology Magazine Show The Animal Communicator

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

Tandem Communications Exec Prod: Jonas Bauer / Rola Bauer Feature Triple O

Monarchy Prod: Mosibudi Pheeha Feature True Dream (Revised Version)

South African Great Movies Production Dir: John Wani Feature Film Vallejo Transformation

Media Village Prod: Diane Vermooten Corporate Vehicle 19

Forefront Media Group / Pictue Tree / The Safran Company Exec Prod: Paul Walker Feature VERITAS

Media Village Prod: Debbie Matthee Documentary

CHAMELEON

NHU Africa Exec Prod: Sophie Vartan Wildlife Documentary CHEETAH DIARIES 3

NHU Africa Exec Prod: Vyv Simson / Sophie Vartan Wildlife Documentary Child On-Line Protection Week

Imageworks Dir: Anthony Irving TV ad

DANGEROUS TRAILS – ELEPHANTS IN THE MINEFIELDS

NHU Africa Exec Prod: Sophie Vartan Wildlife Documentary

Dept of Social Development Congress

FC Hamman Films Prod Man: Odette van Jaarsveld Three-day corporate event DUMISANI FILM TOUR

Creative Pictures / Genius Productions Dir: Vusi Dumisani Nhlapo Documentary ENDANGERED

NHU Africa Exec Prod: Sophie Vartan Wildlife Documentary Series Evocative Africa-Ventures of Discovery

Clifton Publications Gerald Cubitt Photographic book publication

Lepelle Water Safety Induction

SummerTime Productions Exec prod: Elaine Tribe Corporate

MATRIX, KLAS VAN 2011

Laurie Botha Entertainment Dir: Laurie Botha Reality

Events | JUNE

MENTALIST MARTIAL ARTS

7 – 24

Mutshenzhe

8

Panache Video Productions Dir: Ryan Blumenthal Training Dzivha Production Exec Prod: Walter Gumbu Feature Film My Perfect family

Bunt Onion Productions Prod: Rethabile Ramaphakela Comedy NATIONAL HERITAGE COUNCIL EDUCATIONAL OUTREACH PROGRAMME

Pananche Video Productions Documentary

PASEKA EASTER ELEPHANT

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

Periphery Films Dir: Simon Taylor Feature Documentary ROCKING FUTURE

Encounters South African International Documentary Film Festival

Cape Town / Johannesburg www.encounters.co.za/ An Evening with AMAA

Cape Town www.ama-awards.com/cape-town 14 – 24

Los Angeles Film Festival

Los Angeles www.lafilmfest.com 17 – 23

Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity

Cannes, France www.canneslions.com 20 – 23

American Black Film Festival

New York http://abff.com/festival/ 28 – 8 Jul

National Arts Festival

Grahamstown www.nationalartsfestival.co.za/

JULY

Summertime Productions Prod: Sean Gardiner / Tanya Vandenberg Educational Video

7 – 15

SAVING RHINO PHILA

10 – 11

Zanzibar International Film Festival (ZIFF)

WALKING IN VICTOR’S SHOES

FIRESTONE

WELLBODI BIZNES

Food with Friends

Studio Republic Prod: Darren Kerr Talk Show

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

WOLWEDANS IN DIE SKEMER

Free State Balloon Fiesta

Shoprite Showcase

ZAMA ZAMA

GLAMOUR – THE REALITY BEHIND DREAMS

Sweet Serinity

Our Time Productions Dir: Juan de Meillon Corprate

Durban www.durbanfilmmart.com

GULUVA

TERMINATRYX – “Midnight” (The Awakening Remix)

Durban www.cca.ukzn.ac.za

Current Affairs Films SA Prod: Jane Thandi Lipman Feature Documentary

Plexus Films / Four Corners Media Prod: Miki Redelinghuys Documentary The Film Factory Dir: Jozua Malherbe Movie

Kokamoya Productions Prod: Bertus van der Walt Feature ZION

Letcosmart Prod: Zibusiso Nkomo Feature

COMPLETE 4PLAY: SEX TIPS FOR GIRLS III

Curious Pictures Prod: Stephane Coetzee Drama 90 PLEIN STREET III

Born Free Media Exec Prod: Carolyn Carew TV Series AFRICA CALLING

Two Oceans Production Prods: Giselher Venzke / Bertha Spieker Feature AFRI-INFRA OVERVIEW 2010

Panache Video Productions Dir: Adele de Klerk Corporate

AFROX AFRICA INSIGHT EPS 3

FC Hamman Films PM: Odette van Jaarsveld Corporate Video

All the president’s ELEPHANTS

NHU Africa Exec Prods: Vyv Simson / Sophie Vartan Wildlife Documentary Angels Of The Sky

Street Smart Creative DOP: Peter Palmer Commercial

Imageworks Prod: Anthony Irving Corporate ZG Films Prod: Javed Jafferji Feature BIP Films Dir: BI Phakathi Feature Film

I Am Woman – Leap of Faith

Plexus Films and Lisa Chait Prod: L Groenewald, M Redelinghuys, L Chait Television Series IMATU 3 DAY CONGRESS

FC Hamman Films Prod Man: Odette van Jaarsveld Three-day Corporate Event Israel Inside: How a Small Nation Makes a Big Difference

Jerusalemonlineu Prod: Raphael Shore Documentary

JOURNEY TO STATE HOUSE

ZG Films Prod: Javed Jafferji Documentary

JOURNEY INTO WILDERNESS

Tekweni TV Productions Prod: Sandra Herrington Documentary KAN EK SO LEEF

Liquid Gate Creative Studios Prod: Kobus Swart Music Video Ke mo fumane

StreTalk Productions Bobby Mokhema TV drama

CDS-Films Exec Prods: Chris Dos Santos, Andrew MacDonald Feature Film

KING NAKI

AYESAN – FIGHT TO LOSE

Lepelle Northern Water

SMS Multimedia Inc Dir: Seyi Specialborn Akanbi Feature

Plexus Films Prod: Miki Redelinghuys Documentary SummerTime Productions Prod: Sean Gardiner Corporate

SummerTime Productions Exec prod: Janine Truter Corporate

Flamedrop Productions Prods: Paul André Blom, Sonja Ruppersberg Music Video TIMELAPSE

Team GR8 (for 48 HFP) Writers: Carl Roddam / Deon van der Merwe Short Film THE BETRAYAL

Shakarny Inovations Prod: James Kingston Feature THE MEDUPI WAY

Panache Video Productions Exec Prod: Adele De Klerk Corporate TOUCHING LIVES SEASON 2 GHANA

Launch Factory Dir: Spero Patricios TV Series

Supreme Launch Video (Joe Public)

Fuel Media Productions Dir: Paul Llewellyn Corporate VISCOUNT DOWN

19 – 29

20 – 23

20 – 24

29

Screen Africa relies on accuracy of information received and cannot be held responsible for any errors or omissions which may occur. E-mail production updates to: online@screenafrica.com

5th Talent Campus Durban

The African Audio-Visual Awards (TAVA) 2012 Awards

SEPTEMBER 6 – 11

International Broadcasting Convention (IBC)

Amsterdam www.ibc.org/ 9 – 12

Plasa 2012

London www.plasashow.com/ 21 – 23

The 34th Annual Loerie Awards

Cape Town www.theloerieawards.co.za/default.aspx?link=site_home

OCTOBER 13 – 21

FCAT Córdoba African Film Festival

Córdoba, Spain www.fcat.es/FCAT

31 – 2 Nov

Our Time Productions Dir: Juan de Meillon Corprate

3rd Durban FilmMart

Lagos www.tava-awards.com/

WEC PROJECTS CORPORATE VIDEO

YOUR LOVE NEVER FAILS: FRED DE MEILLON

33rd Durban International Film Festival

Durban www.cca.ukzn.ac.za

30 – 31

PSP Productions Dir: Philip Schedler Corporate

Broadcast, Film and Music Africa (BFMA) conference

Nairobi http://aitecafrica.com/event/view/79

Msasa Enterprises Dir: Harmon Cusack Feature

AWOYE – RETRIBUTION

Sms Multimedia Line Prod: Temitope Akanbi Feature

Zanzibar www.ziff.or.tz/\

IP&TV ME and North Africa 2012

Dubai http://iptv-mea.com/ DISCOP AFRICA

Johannesburg www.biztradeshows.com/trade-events/discop-africa.html

NOVEMBER 14 – 15

AfricaCast

Cape Town www.biztradeshows.com/trade-events/africa-cast-expo.html 27 – 28

MY CONTENT

Dubai www.mycontent.ae/

June 2012 | SCREENAFRICA | 45

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

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

Audience Ratings

AR 14.0 9.2 8.8 8.4 7.5

SABC3 Rank Programme 1 Days of Our Lives 2 Isidingo: The Need 3 Isidingo – R 4 MacGyver 5 7de Laan – R

Date Genre 29/03/2012 Soap 30/03/2012 Soap 29/03/2012 Soap 26/03/2012 Dram 29/03/2012 Soap

AR 6.5 5.9 5.6 5.0 5.0

M-Net Rank Programme 1 Just Go With It 2 Due Date 3 Carte Blanche 4 Red 5 Big Mommas: Like Father Like Son

Date Genre 25/03/2012 Movi 18/03/2012 Movi 25/03/2012 Actu 04/03/2012 Movi 11/03/2012 Movi

AR 1.3 1.2 1.2 1.1 1.1

e.tv Rank Programme 1 Lotto Draw Live 2 Little Man 3 White Chicks 4 Rhythm City 5 Spiderman III

Date 24/03/2012 24/03/2012 17/03/2012 29/03/2012 18/03/2012

Genre Comp Movi Movi Dram Movi

AR 13.5 12.9 12.2 11.7 11.7

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

Feb 2012 AR

Date Genre 06/03/2012 Dram 25/03/2012 Sitc 06/03/2012 Vari 12/03/2012 Soap 29/03/2012 Dram

Mar 2012 AR

SABC2 Rank Programme 1 Muvhango 2 Stokvel 3 Powerball 4 7de Laan 5 Muvhango – R

3 Talk

Talk

15: 30 M-F

S5

3

2.7

2.4

3rd Degree

Actu

21: 30 Tue

W

e

7.2

4.1

7de Laan

Soap

18: 30 M-F

S5

2

7.2

6.6

Carte Blanche

Maga 19: 00 Sun

W M

1.0

1.0

Fokus

Actu

18: 30 Sun

W

2

4.5

4.3

Generations

Soap

20: 00 M-F

S5

1

21.1 20.0

Gospel Gold

Musi

Vari

Sun

W

2

4.1

3.8

Isidingo: The Need

Soap

18: 30 M-F

S5

3

5.1

5.1

Jam Alley

Vari

18: 30 Fri

W

1

5.0

4.9

Live Lotto Draw

Quiz

21.30

W/S S2

2

8.5

6.0

Morning Live

Maga 06: 00 M-F

S5

2

2.1

2.3

Muvhango

Dram 21: 00 M-T

S4

2

9.6

10.0

News at Seven

News 19: 00 Daily D

e

7.4

6.9

News at Seven on 3

News 19: 00 Daily D

3

2.8

2.6

Pasella

Maga 19: 30 W

W

2

4.2

4.4

Rhythm City

Soap

18: 30 M-F

S5

e

9.8

9.2

Scandal

Dram 19: 30 M-T

S4

e

8.8

7.4

Selimathunzi

Vari

18: 30 Wed W

1

6.6

4.4

Special Assignment

Actu

21: 30 Thu

W

3

1.7

1.4

Top Billing

Maga 20: 00 Tue

W

2

3.1

3.2

Yo-TV

Y-Ent Vari Vari D e 1.5 1.3

Top foreign shows Days of Our Lives

Soap

17: 10 M-F

S5

1

4.7

4.3

WWE Wrestling Smackdown

Spor

20: 30 W

W

e

5.4

6.1

The Bold and the Beautiful

Soap

18: 00 M-F

S5

1

4.1

3.4

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

Key to genres: Actu: Actuality, Docu: Documentary, Dram: Drama, Educ: Education, Maga: Magazine, Musi: Music, News: News, Quiz: Game Show, Real: Real life, Reli: Religion, Sitc: Sitcom, Soap: Soap, Spor: Sport, Vari: Variety, Y.Ent: Youth Entertainment, • Television Universe estimated at 5.232 million households. • One ratings point of all viewers represents about 145 590 viewers

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

The Johannesburg Lab has picked up a feature, but it’s still a case of minimal commercials at this stage. Bulk printing reveals that 24 features have been printed as well as 322 trailers and 1 457 commercials. This is a decrease on the previous month with features and trailers way down.

Media Move reports that it did 920 transfers of commercials in March, which is slightly down on last month, while Adstream reports 685 transfers which is also less than reported in the previous month.

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

Screen Africa makes no attempt to identify the title of the production, or the production house or any other information as this is often confidential

46 | SCREENAFRICA | June 2012

Day/s

15.1 14.4

Start Time

20/03/2012 Sport 28/03/2012 News

Genre

AR 24.5 17.8 16.5

Name

Date Genre 27/03/2012 Soap 13/03/2012 Dram 05/03/2012 Dram

Channel

The cream of the local productions Frequency

The top five programmes

SABC1 Rank Programme 1 Generations 2 Montana 3 Zone 14 4 ABSA Premiership:

Mamelodi Sundowns vs Orlando Pirates 5 Zulu News

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

Statistics for April 2012 Through the labs: Johannesburg Features 1

Shorts Commercials 0 2

Doccies 16mm 35mm 2 2 3

Commercials submitted to broadcasters via: Media Move: 920

Adstream: 685

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 statistics gathering, please send an e-mail to andy@screenafrica.com. Your comments would be appreciated.

| ENTERTAINMENT & MEDIA INSIGHTS

Consumer insights: Filmed entertainment

How often do you go to the movies?

Consumers generally visited the movies 2-3 times a month or once a month. Avid moviegoers who go once a week or more only account for 10% of consumers

How often do you go to the movies?

35% 30%

Movie goers generally frequent the movies over the weekend (Friday – Sunday)

25% 20% 15% 10% 5% 0%

Once a week or more often

2-3 times a month

Once a month

Once every two months

:

88% 20%

Less often than every two months

on weekends

during the week

Favourite movie genre

3D movies 36% 94% 85%

Action and comedy were consumers favourite movie genres

said they have watched a 3D movie said they thought it was better than a 2D movie

Action: 32% Comedy: 25% Romance: 16%

thought it was worth paying more to see a 3D movie

Do you go to the movies?

69% of consumers go to the movies

About this research This publication aims to provide readers with useful information and to bring this to life by including reallife consumer insights. To this end, we commissioned GlobalEdge Marketing Consultants to perform consumer lifestyle research relating to the media and entertainment industry.

White consumers were also more likely (85%) to attend, while only 58% of black consumers said they went to movies.

Persons between the ages of 15 and 50;

•

A mix of racial groups;

•

Males and females;

•

Residing in Gauteng, the Western Cape and KwaZulu-Natal; and

•

LSM 5-7 and LSM 8-10.

31%

69%

Students and full-time workers were also more likely to go to movies.

This research comprised face-to-face interviews with a sample of consumers that included a mix of the following demographic groups: •

Do you go to the movies?

Going to the movies was higher amongst 1518 year olds (73%) and 26-34 year olds (78%) , and less likely particularly amongst 35-50 year olds (59%) .

No Yes South African entertainment and media outlook: 2010-2014 65

* Information courtesy of PricewaterhouseCoopers’ Entertainment and Media industry group.

Reference: South African entertainment and media outlook: 2010-2014 – First South African edition © 2010 Published in South Africa by PricewaterhouseCoopers. All rights reserved. www.pwc.com/za/outlook June 2012 | SCREENAFRICA | 47

Social | 8th Africa Movie Academy Awards, Lagos, Nigeria

The Wild 1st Birthday celebration Photos by Simba Nyamukachi

Airtel Nigeria’s Bayo Adewusi and Dokun Oye with Best Actress winner Rita Dominic and Deepak Srivastava (Airtel Nigeria COO)

Mr B and Viva Riva! actor Hoji Fortuna Henriette de Villiers and Pathu Makwarela

Zakeeya Patel, Michelle Bradshaw, Bobby Heaney, Minnie Dhlamini and Hayley Owen

Photos by Mr B

Dr Oba Otudeko (Airtel Nigeria chair) and actress Kate Henshaw

Actors Jafta Mammabolo (Otelo Burning) and Neo Ntlatleng (State of Violence)

Hollywood actors Maya Gilbert and Rockmond Dumbar

Producer Kevin Fleischer and e.tv’s Zanele Mthembu

AMAA CEO Peace Anyiam-Osigwe

Actress Terry Pheto and director Charlie Vundla (How to Steal 2 Million)

Actor Neo Ntlatleng (State of Violence), Jim Patrice and Terry Pheto

Charlie Vundla

Shona and Connie Ferguson with Rohan Dickson

Lerato Mothibi and Onalerona Thelasho

Keenan Arrison and Carmel Fischer

Mpeo Makape

Burgert Muller and Bafana Mahlangu

Big Brother Stargame launch

Robert Mukondiwa, Natasha Uys, Mellisa Mpofu, Daisy Jeremani, Munyaradzi Vomo and Lame Malefho

Jo Clinton and Carmen Bok

Photos by Simba Nyamukachi

Neo Phele, Candice Petersen and Mgqibelo Gasela

Collins Amlalo, Danny Adotey and Kweky Obeng Adje

Chris Okomoyoh and Dr Armstrong Idachaba

Nollywood Movie Awards Nominees Party, Lagos, Nigeria John B Wale

Natalie Bleksley, Helga Palmer, Nazeema Khan, Charles Povey, Brendan Gabriel and Tracey-Ann van Rooyen

Advertisers List | Charles Okafor and Charles Novia

DJ Abass

48 | SCREENAFRICA | June 2012

Dipo Winsala and Monalisa Chind

Emem Isong and Kunle Afolayan

Dipo Winsala and Omoni Oboli

Covenant Child, Ini Edo and Alfred Sorol

AJA Video Systems.......................29

LaserNet...........................FC

BlackGinger....................................15

M-Net TAG Awards......................17

Blackmagic Design.........IFC

NDS.......................................... 35, 37

Blade bfx...........................................3

Obeco..............................................39

Durban FilmMart................21 – 24

Panasonic..........................................9

General Post .................................43

Pro-Sales.........................................36

GlobeCast.................... FDPS

Screen Africa....................................49

IDC..................................................13

Sony............................... OBC

Inala..................................................33

Telemedia..........................................7

Jasco.................................................11

Vision Cases .................................43

Jaycor...............................................39

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