Screen Africa Nov/Dec 2013

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

RICA F A A D B ROMAX

www.screenafrica.com

VOL 25 – Nov / Dec 2013 R35.00

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

www.screenafrica.com

VOL 25 – Nov / Dec 2013 R35.00

Local TV sector at war The signing of the contract between satellite pay-TV operator MultiChoice and South African public service broadcaster SABC, which prohibits the broadcast of SABC channels on any digital terrestrial television (DTT) free-to-air (FTA) platform that uses encrypted set-top boxes (STBs), has resulted in a war of words between MultiChoice and FTA commercial broadcaster e.tv.

MuliChoice South Africa group CEO Imtiaz Patel told Screen Africa in mid-October that the ‘sensationalist statements’ in the media declaring that the deal gives MultiChoice control over the SABC are ‘completely devoid of truth’.

“It would be almost comical if it were not for the fact that this is part of a considered campaign by competitors of the SABC who are hell bent on derailing the agreement for their own

competitive advantage,” said Patel.

When asked whether the deal gave MultiChoice control over the SABC, Kaizer Kganyago, SABC spokesperson, responded: “This cannot be true. The SABC remains the only public service broadcaster in the country and is entitled to enter into agreements with any broadcaster, for as long as the agreement is mutually beneficial.

“Contrary to reports in the media that the MultiChoice deal was not sanctioned by the SABC board, all the governance processes were followed by the SABC and the interim board approved the deal.”

Bronwyn Keene-Young, e.tv’s chief operating officer, stated: “DTT STB control with conditional access and / or encryption is government policy – a policy that was determined in a consultative

process lasting five years with input from all stakeholders and which was driven by the SABC and the Department of Communications. The only stakeholder which opposed encryption was MultiChoice.

“Having lost the battle in the government policy, MultiChoice has attempted to get its way – and to subvert the policy – by requiring the SABC to make an undertaking not to encrypt SABC1, SABC2 and SABC3 channels as a condition of MultiChoice funding the SABC’s 24-hour news channel. Encryption on DTT for FTA channels is critical to the future viability of FTA broadcasting as a whole, including the local production sector which is primarily supported by the FTAs.” Screen Africa asked Kganyago why the SABC agreed to not allow – continued on next page

US interest in SA series The pilot episode of new South African television series The Message, written and directed by David Golden, has attracted the attention of US company Wonderland Productions, which has expressed interest in developing the show for HBO International, an American premium cable and satellite television network.

Says Golden: “We have a contact in Los Angeles who works with comic actor Will Ferrell on almost all of his films and I contacted him for an opinion of the script and some of the promo.

“It just so happened that when

the email with the script and links came through he was sitting in an audio session with Ferrell and Adam Mckay during a session for Anchorman 2. He asked whether they would mind watching something a friend had sent from South Africa. After watching it, Ferrell requested to read the script after which he called our contact and said he wanted to help with the project.”

The filmmaker continues: “Ferrell and Mckay own Gary Sanchez Productions and have a massive in with HBO through their cult show Eastbound and Down.

They showed the promo to a

couple of people and then to Josh Schwartz (creator of Chuck and The OC) and he really liked it and subsequently gave it to Wonderland Productions, the producers of Chuck.”

Wonderland Productions is owned by director Joseph McGinty ‘McG’ Nichol (Terminator: Salvation, This Means War, Charlie’s Angels).

According to Golden, he and his team raised $10 000 through a well-supported Indiegogo.com campaign to shoot the pilot episode. “Hollywood is responding to this project due to – continued on next page

A VERY COOL SHOOT: Kyle O’Donoghue in the ice and snow of northern Canada for the documentary New Land. See Page 28

ATFT makes waves at MIPCOM Four members of the recently formed Association for Transformation in Film and Television (ATFT) – Sifiso Khanyile, Shelley Barry, Mayenzeke Baza and Clayton Thom, as well as their mentor Marc Schwinges – comprised the official South African delegation at the recent MIPCOM content market in Cannes, France.

ATFT was instrumental, together with support from the Department of Trade & Industry (the dti), in creating the South African Indies Stand at MIPCOM, which served as a base for the official delegation and the 70 other South Africans who attended the market.

Says Sifiso Khanyile of Happy Brown Babies, who is also the ATFT spokesperson: “Our stand attracted many visitors who were keen to work with South African producers, particularly on local stories with political, historical, wildlife and sport themes. There were also film commissions from Brazil, the UK and Nordic countries who expressed interest in South Africa because of our co-production incentives. Among the other visitors to our stand was a commissioning editor from a large news network who was particularly looking for South African stories.”

He notes that at first MIPCOM seemed overwhelming for the official delegation, especially for the mainly documentary producers.

“However, by day three, the South African Indies Stand was buzzing with meetings and presentations to different groups.

As much as our priority was the exporting of South African – continued on next page

Continued from page 3 Local TV sector at war

ATFT makes waves at MIPCOM

its channels on encrypted DTT FTA STBs. He replied: “It is in the SABC’s interest that any subscription DTT STB is capable of also receiving the SABC FTA channels. In this case any DTT subscriber would not have to purchase an additional FTA STB in order to receive the SABC FTA DTT channels. If the SABC channels were encrypted on DTT by means of a particular encryption system that is different to that of a particular subscription service, this DTT STB would not have the ability to receive the SABC channels, hence the need for a second FTA STB.” Patel has accused e.tv of favouring encrypted STBs as it would allow them to launch pay-TV services, something that Keene-Young has categorically denied on several occasions.

Keene-Young responded: “The real reason that MultiChoice opposes encryption so vociferously is that, without encryption, MultiChoice’s pay-TV M-Net division will be able to grow its tiny base of 50 000 terrestrial households to millions.

Therefore M-Net’s STB (which is of course encrypted) will be the gateway to most South African households for all TV – including the FTA channels.

“Without encryption, the M-Net STBs will be able to simply pick up the SABC and e.tv free-to-air channels without any intervention, so M-Net can ride on the back of the FTA channels which have local content obligations of 35% to 55% and are rolling out additional local channels in preparation for DTT to drive their STBs, when their DTT channels will be simulcasts of channels that they are running on MultiChoice’s DStv platform.

“Therefore M-Net, which will not be investing in any new channels, will use the SABC’s and e.tv’s new FTA channels to grow their own business. Encryption enables FTA channels to control access by pay-TV operators to their channels and enables them to require M-Net to compensate them for using the SABC and e.tv channels on the M-Net STB.” Patel has rubbished these claims stating that for MultiChoice the benefit of carrying SABC channels is a convenience for its subscribers.

“No-one buys M-Net or DStv just to get the SABC channels. So e.tv’s argument that we want a free ride on their channel is nonsense because FTA channels are supposed to be available for free,” he said.

projects, we saw great potential to forge relationships that could lead to co-production deals with projects from other countries that have South African themes,” comments Khanyile.

In his personal capacity Khanyile received expressions of interest from two distributors and a film festival in his documentary, Andrew Mlangeni: The Untold Legacy, about the struggle stalwart and Rivonia FORGING RELATIONSHIPS: South African Indies Stand Triallist. He also received offers from producers of struggle Blade and The Man. Two distributors fought documentaries who wish to license the film over it so I had to choose between them. locally.

There was also interest in my other projects Khanyile’s other MIPCOM project was His – the horror feature Blood Tokoloshe, the Majesty’s Building, a TV feature made for dance film Pop Lock ‘n Roll, and the crime M-Net’s Mzansi Magic channel. series Corruption Busters,” he states.

Shelley Barry of Two Spinning Wheels Baza describes MIPCOM as ‘brilliant’ but Productions wanted to attend MIPCOM stresses that people should prepare for the because of its global stature. market in advance and book meetings.

“I had not previously been to a film market, so this was a rare opportunity for Team effort me and an experience that I believe will impact me for many years,” she continues.

The AFTF delegation was funded under the “My meetings were fruitful and there is dti’s Sector-Specific Assistance Scheme for keen interest in my wok from a video on Emerging Exporters, which included the demand (VOD) company in the US, with participation of an industry mentor for the another potential sale to a company in delegation, producer Marc Schwinges of Spain.”

Underdog.

Barry took four films to MIPCOM: Mr “Our stand, which stretched across 25 Shakes – The Passion to Live (48mins); square metres on the lower level of the Where We Planted Trees (48mins) and two Paleis des Festivals, looked very shorts under 30 minutes, namely New York / professional and every person who came New Brighton (fiction) and Whole – A Trinity for a meeting was impressed,” says of Being (documentary).

Schwinges. “Whether they were part of the “I also used the MIPCOM opportunity to official delegation or not, I think that every talk about my work with students at the South African who participated at MIPCOM University of the Western Cape, who need left saying it was an excellent event. The equipment for our fledgling film unit. So far great thing was that the South Africans all we have secured a professional video worked together as a team and there were camera with a company in the UK. a lot of cross-referrals and introductions to “MIPCOM was an incredible experience, internationals.” daunting to say the least, but I now have a Schwinges notes that the ATFT clearer sense of the global context in which delegation was featured in the MIPCOM I am producing work,” comments Barry.

Daily News on 10 October.

Mayenzeke Baza of Mandela Bay Pictures With financial support from the National regards MIPCOM as the biggest content Film and Video Foundation, the ATFT was market in the world, with over 3 000 buyers able to produce a catalogue of South in attendance.

African projects at MIPCOM, which was “I managed to secure a distributor for my distributed on the stand. feature length documentary, The Boy, The – Joanna Sterkowicz

its unique and relevant spin on domestic terrorism.”

He explains: “Our story centres on a team of elite Special Force operators who don’t exist on paper and have to stop a brotherhood of right-wing extremists threatening the nuclear decimation of more than a million people in urban Johannesburg.

“As the show proceeds we begin to see that the conspiracy runs far deeper than originally anticipated and across ideological, racial and political lines. It is an action thriller set against the backdrop of a 4 | SCREENAFRICA | Nov / Dec 2013

Meanwhile, the STB encryption policy is presently under review by Minister of Communications Yunus Carrim.

Terms of the deal Commenting on the MultiChoice / SABC deal, Patel explained that the two broadcasters entered into a commercial content agreement last year where the SABC was to provide MultiChoice with a 24-hour news channel (which launched on the DStv platform on 1 August 2013) and an entertainment channel. There was no timeframe set for the latter.

Patel said that other ‘spurious claims’ circulating in the media claim that the cost to the SABC of the news channel will exceed the costs paid to the SABC by MultiChoice; that MultiChoice has exclusive access to the entire SABC archive; that MultiChoice can commercially exploit the SABC trademark which is unfair; and that the SABC was slapped with a R1m penalty because it did not launch the entertainment channel by 3 October 2013.

“The SABC is currently sitting on a vast archive of content, an asset which is lying fallow and has not been leveraged for additional income, partly due to the fact the archive is not digitised. Thus, the SABC’s entertainment channel is based on using existing archive content and leveraging that for value. MultiChoice only has exclusivity for a small portion of this archive.

“We do have access to the SABC trademark, so as to reflect the SABC channels on the electronic programme guide and to market the channel. This is a standard clause in our agreements with all the channels on our platform,” concluded Patel. – Joanna Sterkowicz

Picture courtesy Michelle Wastie Photography

US interest in SA series

STATING HIS CASE: Kaizer Kganyago

ON THE RADAR: A scene from The Message country on the brink of imploding.”

Golden remarks that the decision to go

with the mini-series or TV series format was made very early on. “Times have changed

and with it the film industry. Television is in its golden age and in fact I would suggest it’s in its platinum age. Hollywood is moving more and more to, what they term, ‘TV Events’ (mini-series) and we are seeing more A-listers cross over to the small screen.

“The primary delivery device for visual entertainment in South Africa is the television! That’s where the market is and you have a much better chance of it becoming profitable. So we have market-sustainability and an audience eager for content. It just makes sense.”

– Martie Bester

From the editor

C o n t e n ts

Bidding you a fond farewell This October 2013 issue marks my departure from Screen Africa. In the editor position since March 2011, I have been with Screen Africa for 16 years in total. Yes, you read correctly – 16 years! It’s been a truly amazing journey as it afforded me the opportunity to write about an industry that I love. During this time I have been lucky enough to work with a set of wonderful Screen Africa colleagues and to have encountered a plethora of really cool people in the industry. However, it is now time for me to move on.

So, to all the ‘Screen Africans’ out there, I say, best of luck and carry on reading (Screen Africa)! I wish the film and television industry nothing but the best, with loads of growth and success. Screen Africa is left in the capable hands of new editor, Warren Holden, in-house journalist Martie Bester, and publisher Simon Robinson.

There is lots to read in this magazine which covers some contentious topics, such as the SABC / MultiChoice deal and the SABC’s alarming canning of the popular current affairs show, The Big Debate. The former issue has resulted in a sparring match between MultiChoice and e.tv, over whether the digital terrestrial television set-top box should be encrypted or not, while the latter clearly indicates that the SABC is practicing censorship. All of which makes me wonder – what about the viewer? Isn’t that what television is supposed to be about?

A fascinating read is Martie Bester’s interview with renowned South African production designer Johnny Breedt and his superb work on the epic and long-awaited film, Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom, which releases locally in November. Spanning several decades as the film does, covering the life of iconic global icon of peace and reconciliation, Nelson Mandela, Breedt’s work was cut out for him.

With all the hoo-hah surrounding stereoscopic 3D over the past few years and its much-punted foray into the world of television, it’s interesting to read Ian Dormer’s article which suggests that 3D TV may well and truly be dead in the water.

This issue of Screen Africa includes a special feature on PromaxBDA Africa, the funky annual conference and awards event that takes place on 22 November at The Maslow in Sandton, Johannesburg. Screen Africa is once again proud to be a media sponsor of this event, which showcases the creative genius required for on-air marketing and broadcast design.

As always, enjoy the read!

Joanna Sterkowicz

Editor: Joanna Sterkowicz: editor@screenafrica.com Journalist: Martie Bester: news@screenafrica.com Contributors: Andy Stead, Ian Dormer, Anton Crone, Carly Barnes, Sekoetlane Jacob Phamodi, Renato Acquisto, Ryan Martyn

Subscriptions: Tina Tserere: data@sun-circle.co.za Delight Ngwenya: admin@sun-circle.co.za Advertisement Sales: Marianne Schafer: marianne@screenafrica.com Accounts: Natasha Glavovic: accounts@sun-circle.co.za

Sun Circle Publishers (Pty) Ltd Tel: 011 025-3180

Sub-Editor: Tina Heron Design: Trevor Ou Tim: design@sun-circle.co.za Website & Production Updates: Carly Barnes: carly@sun-circle.co.za

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www.screenafrica.com

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Feline stars in new short movie

Shooting from the lip…

21 Designing the Mandela film

30

28 Into the Arctic wilderness: exploring New Land

25

Supplying components is serious business

26

Is 3D TV finally dead?

Three talented directors collaborate on TV series

SPECIAL FEATURE PROMAXBDA AFRICA

FILM

Short tales.......................... 16 / 17 Taking HD to the next level..... 17 Squaring up to promos.............. 18 Making world-class promos...... 19 Monarchy rules............................ 20

NEWS

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

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Local TV sector at war; ATFT makes waves at MIPCOM; US interest in SA series....... 3 / 4 Saying goodbye to Faan; Award-winning student short exposes scars of rape; Twenty years of Japanese film in SA......... 6 Don’t Shoot the Cat triumphs at 48HFP: Johannesburg; A museum in the making............. 8 Feline stars in new short movie; Local short film Armed Response is the ‘Shnit’....... 9 Blackbelt TV celebrates a year on DStv; Realising the value of a centralised storage............. 10

ADCETERA Making moolah from YouTube videos; Looking for a dance teacher in your area?................. 12 Getting to grips with branded content; Shooting from the lip................. 13 The old ways still apply............. 14

Designing Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom.................. 21 Plotting the actor’s technical road map..................... 23 Director Speak – Roberta Durrant......................... 22 SA composer scores big with local animation movies..... 24

TELEVISION

Is 3D TV finally dead?................. 25 Three talented directors collaborate on TV series.26 / 27 The SABC strikes again............. 27

DOCUMENTARY Into the Arctic wilderness: exploring New Land................... 28

CAMERAS Sony’s NEX-FS700 HD camera goes RAW.............. 29

TRACKING TECHNOLOGY Supplying components is serious business...................... 30 Turning day into night on Captain Phillips; Field fibre transport system..... 32 No need to stand in a Q!......... 33 New 4KLCD production monitor; Improving ROI workflows; Real-time IP production technology.................................... 34

A new gem in the field; Transporting the ‘Drone’; Pre-configured multiviewer...... 35

AFRICA

VOD alive and well in Africa.... 36 How do you know when it’s time to go?.................. 37

WEB NEWS SA talk show in line for Emmy; France first European country to release Mandela film; ICASA warns against illegal leasing of ECS and ECNS licences; Freevision launched in the GaMphahlele Municipality; SA film wins at international festivals; SACF ICT Youth Forum launched........................................ 38 Exclusive interview with Crossing Lines’ producers; International series shoots in Cape Town; UK African film fests collaborate.......................... 39

REGULARS Production Updates........... 40 /41 / 42 / 43 Upcoming Events........................ 43 Advertisers’ List.......................... 43 Social.............................................. 44

News

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Saying goodbye to Faan Faan van Tonder (7 April 1940 – 13 October 2013)

‘LIVE YOUR PASSION’: Faan van Tonder in his beloved Cirrus

A client and, in the latter years of his life, a personal friend and mentor, Faan van Tonder sadly passed away on the morning of Sunday 13 October at the Sunninghill Hospital in Johannesburg, after being in a coma for more than 12 weeks following an AVM stroke and procedure.

Faan was an exceptional human being.

This was a man who always told me: ‘Live your passion.’ Faan surely did.

A generous, fair and often almost too trusting man, Faan always gave you the benefit of the doubt. His gentle, humble and generous way was exemplary and a rarity in society today.

Faan imparting ‘grey hair’’ wisdom to me will be a memory embedded in my being for all my days. He was the ‘oupa groetjie’ I never had.

Faan always purchased the latest and

Twenty years of Japanese film in SA The 20th Japanese Film Festival, which screened in October, was co-organised by the Embassy of Japan in South Africa and the Japan Foundation. Five selected movies screened at Cinema Nouveau cinemas in Pretoria, Cape Town, Durban, Johannesburg and Soweto.

“We’ve had very positive feedback from visitors every year,” says Shota Nishijima, cultural attaché at the Embassy of Japan in Pretoria. “Last year, we also screened a Japanese film in Lesotho to 1 000 people and it was received incredibly well.”

Nishijima mentions that the festival’s purpose is to promote an understanding of Japanese culture, traditions and beliefs among South African audiences. He says it encourages communication and interest in 6 | SCREENAFRICA | Nov / Dec 2013

greatest Panasonic camera as he was an avid videographer enthusiast. It was through this that I developed a deep friendship with him.

He loved flying and I had the privilege of sharing this passion of his on the odd occasion. And we often shared a glass of wine and a meal at our haunt, Col Cacchio I wish to echo Jannie van Wyk`s words: “Only farewell for now, but every time I fly I will thank him for his gift and will be a little closer. He came, made a difference, and left.

MANY just come and go…’’ This speaks volumes about the man he was.

To a dear father, grandfather, friend, confidant and business associate – rest in peace. – Renato Acquisto

Japan as viewers are often curious to find out more about the country after experiencing the screenings.

“We try to cover the diversity of Japan’s filmmaking industry at the festival.

Although anime and manga are very well-known and popular animation styles, the country has a lot more to offer in terms of productions.

“Our aim is to showcase positive stories with which audiences can relate while being exposed to a different culture. However, when they leave the cinema, after being

Award-winning student short exposes scars of rape Lesego Lediga, a first-year graduate of the Big Fish School of Digital Filmmaking, recently won the Best Short Film award at the Montreal International Black Film Festival in Canada for her student movie, My Last Swim.

The young filmmaker addresses the shocking realities of rape in South Africa in her movie, as Lediga’s niece, Mathapelo, recounts sexual crimes that had been committed against her as a child.

Eighteen-year-old Mathapelo, who used to love swimming as a child, was raped by her grandfather after returning from swimming practice one day and, many years later, she was raped again by a stranger at gunpoint.

“The film is a personal story about my niece, with whom I happen to be very close.

However, as close as I am to her, I could never bring myself to ask her about her feelings and her emotional state in terms of being raped, because she never wanted to talk about it. So I told this story for her, for her healing process and so that I can understand her better,” says Lediga.

She adds: Our country has the highest incidents of rape in the world. And that on its own is huge. However, what made me think about telling my niece’s story was the gang-rape and murder of 17-year-old Anene Booysen earlier this year.”

Lediga says one of the things that she realised at the Montreal Film Festival was how simple everyday issues can become very powerful stories. “This award means that I can be confident enough to produce more authentic South African films, raise awareness, highlight concerns, and motivate and liberate people through filmmaking without being judged and labelled.”

Of her studies at Big Fish Digital School of Filmmaking, Lediga says, “One of the reasons why I wanted to study at Big Fish was that you get hands-on experience and 70% of the time you are shooting outside, implementing what you have learnt. You are taught about everything and become an all-rounder, it’s just a matter of choosing which field you want to explore.

exposed to the Japanese lifestyle, they are inspired and delighted at what they’ve witnessed,” mentions Nishijima.

EXPOSING CULTURE: A scene from The Floating Castle

SWIMMING IN SUCCESS: Lesego Lediga

“My passion is editing, but I was awarded for directing. I must applaude the way in which Big Fish takes pride in their method of teaching, they bring in the best people in the industry and always strive for perfection.”

One such mentor was Wessel van Huyssteen who Lediga says was very inspirational. “Wessel didn’t want anything less than our all, our best! He is the person who saw the potential of My Last Swim,” she comments.

Lediga wrote, directed and did the online edit for My Last Swim, which is almost eight minutes long and took four days to shoot.

The film was in post-production for three weeks. It was shot on a Sony HVR-Z5 on location at Mathapelo’s home in Soshanguve and the local swimming pool, also in Soshanguve.

Prince Mathebula was the cameraman and offline editor, Amos Jay Mathebula produced the movie and Matshiditso Bagananeng was in charge of sound.

“My goal is to make more films, but not films that only entertain, but ones that create awareness and motivate, educate and encourage my fellow human beings,” concludes Lediga. – Martie Bester * According to StatsSA a woman is raped every 17 seconds in South Africa.

The 2013 screenings included the historical drama The Floating Castle, the drama Hankyu Railway – A 15-minute Miracle, high school drama Swing Girls, the animation The Place Promised in Our Early Days and the family drama Wanko – The Story of Me, My Family and My Dog. Most of the movies have received several international awards and were created by some of Japan’s most esteemed filmmakers.

“We hope to continue this tradition of festivals, which is an imaginative and creative interaction which reinforces an understanding between Japan and South Africa through the uniting medium of film,” concludes Nishijima.

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News

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Don’t Shoot the Cat triumphs at 48HFP: Johannesburg Team Hollyveld has won the Johannesburg edition of this year’s 48 Hour Film Project in which 78 teams enrolled.

Don’t Shoot the Cat was nominated in nine categories and took home eight trophies, including Best Film, Best Use of Genre (Mistaken Identity), Best Performance (Meren Reddy and Kaseran Pillay), Best Screenplay (Meren Reddy) and Best Director (Shane Knock).

The movie is a darkly humorous tale of mistaken identity in which two bungling hit men kidnap a sniper who has ‘shot’ a cat and various high-profile individuals. They intend to execute him, only to discover that he is in fact a photographer. And their error, seemingly mild, leads to a catastrophic end.

“Coming up with a good narrative was the first real challenge. Without a solid story, there’s no chance of making a great film,” says Shane Knock, producer and

HUMOROUS CATASTROPHE!: Meren Reddy and Kaseran Pillay director of the short, who remarks that winning the competition came as a surprise.

“Probably the most challenging aspect though was finishing the shoot at 21h30 on Saturday 7 September and then having to go straight into the edit suite to edit through the night.

“Meren managed the process, while Ryan Norwood-Young and I had the arduous task of synching the recorded on-set audio to the visuals and then cutting the film together, having split up the scenes

between us,” continues Knock.

He says the passion and commitment that everyone displayed when making the film was what led to its success. “We had a great cast who made my life as a director an absolute pleasure, so to them I say a huge thank you!

“Our main intention was just to go out and have fun making a short film that would hopefully turn out to be something half-decent, which as it turns out seemed to be the shared opinion of the competition

judges, to whom we’d like to extend our gratitude.”

Knock remarks that the team members were never concerned about the time constraints around shooting, as all the movies they’d previously worked on individually had been completed to tight deadlines.

Having won best film for the Johannesburg leg of the 48HFP, Don’t Shoot the Cat will be screened in New Orleans in March 2014, alongside all the other worldwide city winners. “Filmmakers from all around the globe will get a chance to see what South Africans have to offer in terms of filmmaking, which we feel very privileged to be a part of.

“We’ll be using the opportunity of international exposure to seek investment to develop the short film into a featurelength movie as well as pitch ideas for additional feature film scripts we have in the pipeline,” concludes Knock.

The team shot on the Canon 5D Mark II at four main locations namely Currylicious Restaurant in Randburg, a house and street location near West Park Cemetery and Set Nightclub in Rosebank.

Hollyveld’s crew comprises Tiny du Preez, Shanna Howorth, Ivan Kinghorn, Tryna Knock and Sean Radford with cast members Meren Reddy, Kaseran Pillay, Thabo Malema, Bruce Little, Damon Berry and Trevor Gumbi. – Martie Bester

A museum in the making The South African film industry is to have a dedicated museum under the curatorship of legendary writer, cinematographer and director Koos Roets (Running Riot; Danger Games; The Angel, the Bicycle and the Chinaman’s Finger).

In this ever changing world of film and television, equipment becomes obsolete almost before it is introduced, and what with the demise of local film processing and printing, yet another era of film is history.

Roets is determined to ensure that our history will be preserved for future generations.

“I have been collecting bits and pieces of equipment since my early days working with Jamie Uys,” he says. “My first job with Jamie was in June 1962 and I had to keep the 35mm magnetic rolls in the mixing studio from ‘flashing’. This was done on a machine built by Judex Viljoen which was in fact three playback units and one recorder (all homemade) connected with bicycle chains to stay in sync! Tapes tended to stick as they unwound, causing static and hence a ‘flash’ and accompanying crackle on the soundtrack. The solution was to have a huge pot of boiling water on top of a primus stove to moisturise the whole contraption. My job was to keep the primus going.”

When this machine was eventually replaced Roets retrieved it from the

8 | SCREENAFRICA | Nov / Dec 2013

scrapheap and donated it to the National Film Archives. Unfortunately nobody knows what has happened to this precious piece of Africana but it prompted Roets’ interest in old film equipment.

“Through the years my collection grew and some of it was displayed at Sonneblom Studios in Johannesburg,” continues Roets.

“When I heard that the Film Lab was closing down I was first in line to beg equipment from Tony Boyers and everything (all 40 bakkie loads!) was donated to me.”

During the filming of Roets’ new feature film, Faan se Trein, the executives from Arriflex visited the set and promised some old cameras, as did Media Film Service.

Tracey Williams from The Refinery also donated two Telecine machines.

“I now have a huge collection of immensely important pieces of equipment that can be examined by film students or whoever is interested in film,” comments Roets.

The museum is to be located at the little town of Klaarstroom, which nestles at the foot of the magnificent Swartberge and is exactly 3kms away from Meiringspoort, the ‘Cathedral of God’, as filmmaker Jans Rautenbach calls it. Klaarstroom is the Hollywood of the Karoo and Roets has already worked on four feature films that have been shot there, the latest being Faan se Trein.

PRESERVING FILM HISTORY: Koos Roets behind the camera Situated on the main road from Johannesburg to Bloemfontein, the passing traffic count during holiday season is more than a thousand vehicles an hour.

The museum will exhibit all equipment associated with film, both still and motion picture, and especially gear that was used in the South African film industry.

“We will also have a 50-seater cinema where all the old South African features will

be regularly screened. The plan is to have at least two local film festivals a year. Being only 50km from Oudtshoorn, we also plan to hook up with the Klein Karoo Kunste Fees,” notes Roets.

If you would like to donate something to the museum please email ebauermeester@gmail.com.

– Andy Stead

| News

Feline stars in new short movie New South African short film Die Lang Kat (The Long Cat) features popular actors Erik Holm and Tessa Denton. However, the third cast member, a cat called Gato*, is not as well-known as his co-stars, but manages to pull off a convincingly chilling performance in his first movie role as a family pet whose days are numbered.

Die Lang Kat, based on a short story written in 1968 by the award-winning Chris Barnard and adapted for the screen by director and writer Jan-Hendrik Burger, tells the story of a paraplegic man who struggles to come to terms with his disability, isolation and the mounting resentment he experiences about his wife’s attention to their cat.

As Gato becomes an even greater menace to the man, trapped physically and psychologically, teetering on the brink of insanity, the cat’s proverbial nine lives are about to come to an abrupt end.

As animals are notoriously difficult to work with on set, how did the team get Gato to cooperate? “Chris Barnard initially told us that cats don’t respond well to the

PURRRRFECT FRAME: Gato, the lead actor directing process and that they are very headstrong,” says Burger, who was also the director of photography and in charge of special effects. “Catnip only helped a little bit.”

Holm, a quadriplegic in real life, remarks

that the most difficult part of filming was crawling behind Gato on the floor. “It took great physical and psychological exertion to keep that critical moment alive, but at the same time it was also a wonderful challenge and my favourite part of the shoot.”

Burger says Gato could not manage to do more than one thing at a time. “We had to carefully break down his various actions to one at a time. For example, if the script read, ‘The cat comes around the corner, jumps on the book shelf and looks at Erik’ the three actions had to be filmed separately and in a specific way.”

According to the Burger, animal handler Julie Bezuidenhout did a great job on set, but in some instances Gato wouldn’t listen to her. “Then we had an entire room full of people who behaved like lunatics to attract the cat’s attention so that he would, for example, look left past the camera.”

The 26-minute movie took six days to film in a flat in Arcadia in Pretoria and was shot on DSLR cameras, while the Red Epic was used for slow-motion shots.

Burger and Berdene du Toit of Meerfout Films produced the movie, while Du Toit was also assistant director and in charge of production design and wardrobe. Sound design was handled by Jozua Loots with Tischke Wubbeling as production manager and Philip van Zyl the camera assistant in charge of lighting.

“The feedback has been overwhelming and it is wonderful that our work has been so well-received,” concludes Burger.

The team plans to enter Die Lang Kat in local and international film festivals. *At the time of going to print, Gato could not be reached for comment.

– Martie Bester

Local short film Armed Response is the ‘Shnit’ In October, the 2013 Shnit International Short Film Festival was held simultaneously in host cities Cape Town, Bern, Cairo, Buenos Aires and San Jose as well as in Kyoto, Bangkok and New York. Two hundred films were screened in eight cities over one global weekend.

In the Made in South Africa category, 21 movies were selected to show in competition, with mockumentary Armed Response chosen as the winner.

“We were surprised and stoked by the win,” say writers Donovan Graham and Greg Parvess. “Our piece was the runt of the Shnit litter in many ways – this silly sitcom pilot posing as a short film.”

The movie is set in a private security company called React that has opened its doors to a camera crew for a month to demonstrate the staff’s commitment to their ‘armed responsibility’, which results in unexpected hilarity.

“Greg and I studied theatre together and have zero film training, which funnily enough helped a heck of a lot. We didn’t get bogged down obsessing over technical stuff. We were determined to make a ‘mocky’ a couple of years ago and it was Greg’s idea to set it in the private security industry.

“The character of Thomas, played by Sipho Mahlatshana – the trainee, a creation we’re exceedingly, unabashedly proud of – came about almost immediately and we pretty much built everything around him.

“We think of him as a South African

ON GUARD: The cast from Armed Response Napoleon Dynamite crossed with Dawn Weiner from Welcome to the Dollhouse.”

Graham and Parvess said that they decided that the film had to be set in Cape Town because crime is, for the most part, slightly less hectic there. They were also determined that all the humour should stem from character and situation.

“The biggest problem was that we didn’t have a VT monitor, due to budget constraints, just my brother’s TV strapped to a bench, so I couldn’t get playback,” says Graham. “It helped that our cameraman,

Alexis Dominguez, was as cool as ice and damn talented.

“We shot Armed Response on a Samsung something or other. Greg and Alexis edited it. We didn’t have any money to grade it or send it to a sound engineer.

Alexis gave it a touch of class. We spent a lot of time editing, to ensure it had a cobbled-together feel but was also snappy and with a clear narrative drive.”

The movie was shot at a real armed response company in the northern suburbs of Cape Town and it took the team less than

two days to film.

Says Graham: “We’ve been getting great buzz since we released it online and extremely positive reviews. It seems to have struck a chord with a lot of people. Armed Response is funny, but also probes what it means to be a modern South African. It’s really in the hands of the broadcasters whether it will go further.

Graham reveals that the budget for Armed Response was about R20 000. And how did they raise the money? “We went to an ATM and withdrew it.” – Martie Bester

Nov / Dec 2013 | SCREENAFRICA | 9

News

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Blackbelt TV celebrates a year on DStv Hollywood producer and founder / CEO of Threshold Entertainment Group, Lawrence Kasanoff (Mortal Kombat; Mortal Kombat: Annihilation; Blue Steel; Strange Days), was in South Africa last month to celebrate Blackbelt TV’s first year on DStv, MultiChoice’s pan African satellite pay-TV platform.

Kasanoff also announced the acquisition of rights to broadcast the Cape Fight League on Blackbelt TV, the 24-hour martial arts channel he created four years ago.

“Wherever we land up in our journey to bring martial arts to the world, we find new content. In this, my first visit to South Africa, we’ve identified the Cape Fight League, an exciting mixed martial arts league. Mixed martial arts is the fastest growing sport in the world and is similar to Brazilian jujitsu,” said Kasanoff.

As to the enduring popularity of martial arts as a spectator sport, Kasanoff explained: “Martial arts has proved so popular in sports, TV, film and video games because it’s a blast to watch. Apart from its visceral appeal, at its core martial arts is about empowerment. It proves that you

CHANNEL WITH PUNCH: Lawrence Kasanoff and friend don’t have to be the biggest guy around to be able to protect yourself.”

When asked if watching lots of martial arts content might lead to an increase in violent behavior Kasanoff maintained the opposite is true. “If you take troubled kids off the streets and introduce them to martial

arts, then it gives them something to focus on and to be disciplined about.

“Martial arts is all about honour, discipline and respect. A true martial artist embraces all of these qualities. At the moment we’re celebrating Shaolin Week on Blackbelt TV. Shaolin monks learnt martial arts to defend

Realising the value of a centralised storage As the film industry has progressed from tape-based workflows into a digital environment, we are presented with the opportunity to extract value from content through better management of our content.

Centralisation of media and archives has traditionally been a luxury available only to broadcasters and those facilities with huge budgets. Today the cost of disk-based RAID storage and LTO tape libraries has dropped to the point where it’s accessible to almost everyone. This means that smaller environments now have the ability to centrally store, administrate and protect their data from loss.

As an example, we look at a small post-production facility. They have probably bought external storage as or when it was required over the past few years. By now, the mountain of external hard drives has become a daunting web of duplicated content. Nobody really knows what’s been stored on the drives yet everyone lives in fear of data loss.

Centralising their storage enables easy search and access to all content for multiple users at the same time. Adding MAM (Media Asset Management) software also gives users the ability to add metadata and even view low res proxy videos of the

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content.

There is a large range of storage on the market for every environment and budget ranging from NAS (Network Attached Storage) to SAN (Storage Attached Network). More advanced appliance storage like the TBOX from Tiger Technology integrates SAN with MAM software and allows multiple users to easily connect manage and edit content from anywhere in the office.

Long term archiving on LTO tapes is becoming increasingly popular because it is more cost effective, frees up space on disk based storage systems and has excellent shelf life. Xendata has a range of network based LTO archive servers which make it easy to save and access LTO archived content over a network.

Centralising storage provides easy access for all users to all content, RAID protection and safeguarding against hardware failure. The on-going cost of consolidated storage is normally lower because content is not duplicated and legacy information can be archived.

There are the intangible benefits like reusing rather than reshooting content, time saved in accessing content or the ability for users to work collaboratively on projects. – Ryan Martyn

CONTENT ON HAND: Ryan Martyn

the weak,” he commented.

Blackbelt TV covers multiple fight disciplines including karate, judo, sumo, boxing, kung fu, kick boxing, etc.

“Our goal with the channel is to show martial arts is a lifestyle,” continued Kasanoff. “Basically we take martial arts and Hollywood it up – we have a huge Hollywood component and lovely girls on the channel. Our motto is ‘Kicks, Flicks and Chicks’.

“Blackbelt TV is now in over 50 countries and by the end of 2014 we hope to be in every continent. Martial arts is very diverse so we cover a lot on the channel – fight leagues, movies and our own original programmes. There is a huge demand for martial arts content and there is great material out there but no one had aggregated it before Blackbelt TV. Our primary selection criteria for content is that the martial arts has to be good.”

Martial arts movies from the 1980s, the 1990s and up to the present day are shown on the channel. Interestingly, Chinese films from the 1980s have proved particularly popular with audiences in Africa. About 70% of Blackbelt TV’s content for its African audience is movies, whereas in other parts of the world it’s a third movies, a third league fights and a third original content.

By 2014 there will be 10 original programmes on Blackbelt TV. One of the original programmes currently airing is A Day in the Dojo.

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ADCETERA

| Report on the South African commercials industry

Compiled by Joanna Sterkowic z

Making moolah from YouTube videos More than a million creators from over 30 countries around the world earn money from their YouTube videos through ads via the YouTube Partner Programme. In fact, thousands of YouTube channels make six figures a year.

Such statistics are not surprising considering that more than 1billion unique users visit YouTube each month and over six billion hours of video are watched each month, a 50% increase from last year.

Thousands of advertisers use YouTube’s TrueView in-stream ad format and 75% of in-stream ads are now skippable. (It’s worth noting that more than a million advertisers use ad platforms belonging to Google, owner of YouTube. The majority of these advertisers are small businesses.*) According to Jon Ratcliffe of Google South Africa, videos of ads do very well on YouTube although typically they don’t request YouTube to place ads alongside the content as it detracts from the message.

“Having said that, some brands like Red Bull do request ads as it’s part of their global agreement and they may have partnership share built into agency agreements.

“The most popular YouTube video to date is Psy’s Gagnam Style music video and Ylvis’ What the fox say is a super-popular trending video now,” he says.

Ratcliffe notes that the most popular South African videos are: Guy charging elephant; Guy going down Kloof Nek on skateboard; Die Antwoord videos; and Nando’s Last Dictator Standing commercial.

Although you can become a YouTube

Guy going down Kloof Nek on skateboard partner at any time Ratcliffe stresses that it only becomes worth your while when you get to 50 000+ views on your video/s. If YouTube identifies a video from a nonpartner that they think could generate a lot of hits, they may contact the person and ask them to become a partner.

To give an example of how advertisers target within the YouTube ad system, Ratcliffe says: “If a car brand chooses to target auto videos they could chose the whole category, or certain videos in that category, or people of a certain age watching auto videos.”

For those with YouTube Partnership Program aspirations, there is a wealth of advice provided by the YouTube Creative Academy on http://www.youtube.com/yt/ creators/creator-benefits.html.

As per the Creative Academy, the first

step is to verify your channel so as to unlock YouTube’s advanced product features. Very importantly, you need to own all the necessary rights to use your video commercially, including music.

Partners are urged to adhere to the Basic YouTube Community Guidelines namely, respect the YouTube community; create ad-friendly content (free of any questionable or offensive material); and report violations by clicking the flag button for review.

Videos must include a description, with tags and thumbnails that are informative and accurate. YouTube stresses that if you click on your own ads or ask your partner to do so in order to increase hits, you’ll lose your partnership and AdSense account.

YouTube looks at watch time rather than the number of views, as a more accurate

gauge of how a video performs.

Views show the number of times a video was accessed but not how much of the video was watched.

Watch times are used to improve the ranking of videos in search and recommendations.

The Creative Academy gives many tips on how to brand your channel and let viewers know what you’re about. On YouTube your branding depends on three things – content, appearance and searchability. Keep your branding simple, chose a clear message and design and avoid images that distract from your video.

And don’t forget the core ingredient – good videos! *Statistics sourced from http://www. youtube.com/yt/press/statistics.html.

dance lessons from a local teacher.

Visser continues: “The agency sent us scripts containing the voiceover for the commercial and a few notes but they allowed me the opportunity to create the various scenes. This was refreshing as I was able to really craft the story and add some comedic touches to the plot.”

Performers in the commercial were sourced from dance and ballet schools as well as from street casting.

Visser shot on an Arri Alexa over three days at various locations in and around Cape Town.

The commercial was edited at Upstairs Post Production with the online done at Searle Street Post Production.

We Love Jam did the final mix.

Velocity was briefed on the campaign towards the end of June and had the first commercial on air by the end of July 2013.

Looking for a dance teacher in your area?

A canny television commercial (TVC) directed by Anton Visser of Velocity offers a unique take on cultural stereotypes, with a comic take on the expression: ‘White boys can’t dance’.

The ad is part of the current Yellow Pages campaign, created by agency 360Eight, which specifically requested that Visser direct the TVCs. Says Visser: “The aim of the commercial is to direct people to the Yellow Pages Online Business Directory to find ‘local, reliable results’ instead of using a search engine which won’t necessarily target options in your area or country for that matter.”

The ad focuses on a fictitious Danish dancer called Nicolai Norgaard, who becomes the youngest principal dancer, at age nine, of the Danish Ballet. Eight years later he simultaneously dances both the male and female leads of The Nutcracker. At

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Yellow Pages Dancer age 26, Nicolai gives up ballet to master every dance style in the world.

As per the narration: “As a teacher of movement Nicolai dominates online search results and continues to define the future of dance from his home in Denmark”. At the end of the commercial comes the punchline – ‘But you’re not in Denmark and neither are your two left feet’ – showing a visual of a chap who’s dancing looks seriously out of beat and un-cool and who clearly needs

| ADCETERA

Getting to grips with branded content Branded content is the new buzz word in marketing and television, according to Apollo Zake, of South African brand experience agency Launch Factory.

“In a nutshell branded content is Launch Factory’s Apollo Zake and Spero Patricios telling stories that your consumers want to hear. Its function is not to sell a product and it’s not a paid for ad, or Zake responds: “The definitions are quite sponsorship, or product placement. similar: an AFP can be described as ‘any Branded content is focused on the means by which an advertiser can have a consumer’s experience. deeper relationship with content beyond “People are tired of in-your-face product traditional media’. It’s where the advertiser’s pushing. What consumers want more and money goes directly into production and more from their favourite brands is amazing leads to a degree of content ownership content and that’s what we do really well at from the brand’s perspective.

Launch Factory – the results speak for “That said AFPs sometimes backfire themselves,” explains Zake. because of blatant product pushing while Ok, but how is branded content different the consumer is trying to enjoy the content. to advertiser funded programming (AFP)?

What’s key to understand about branded

content is that it’s editorial, but not necessarily editorial about a brand.”

He notes that one of the best examples of branded content is from Intel, which launched The Beauty Inside, a social film centered on a main character.

The six-part film launched on Facebook and is also viewed on YouTube.

“In eight and a half weeks, it amassed nearly 70 million views, with 1.8 million mobile engagements,” continues Zake.

“The campaign earned 96 000 Facebook friends, 8 300 Twitter followers and 378 000 brand impressions. Featured brands report a 360% sales lift in the weeks following the campaign.

The Beauty Inside was awarded an Emmy for Outstanding New Approach to a Daytime Series, and it took home three Grand Prix awards at Cannes Lions 2013, in Film, Cyber and Branded Content.”

Closer to home Launch Factory produces Vodafone’s multi-award-winning branded content TV show in Ghana called HealthLine.

Zake says the series continues to enjoy massive viewership as it educates viewers on important health issues. “It has succeeded in bringing smiles and restoring

hope to families of underprivileged Ghanaians by paying for surgeries and medical care for over 25 affected individuals.

“Healthline also unearthed incredible Ghanaian medical expertise in the regional hospitals, health and rehabilitative centres available across the country. We cast and directed teams of specialist surgeons who undertook a number of complicated surgeries to give individual Ghanaians their lives back. It also brought to light the great expertise of some of Ghana’s finest doctors who would otherwise not have been known, if not for the show.”

He believes that what advertisers should remember about branded content is that they are buying into the editorial integrity of the programme and reaching consumers by association with the programme’s values.

“This is not a limitation as some may see it but the key to the success of numerous branded content campaigns around the world. My MD Spero Patricios has a great quote about this ‘If it feels like marketing, it won’t work’.

“Producers retain editorial independence in branded content by remaining true to the story that they are telling. As branded content producers we are able to produce the content for the viewer and retain credibility from the consumer’s perspective by not bombarding them with adverts but by giving great content to watch,” concludes Zake.

Shooting from the lip…

Readers of the past few issues of Screen Africa will have noticed gloriously colourful and wacky illustrated ads featuring big juicy lips attached to different sets of legs, including one pair attired in men’s jocks.

The ads promote ‘The art of storytelling’.

Huh? Well, lips (or talking mouths) tell stories, right, so hence the reference. And the art of storytelling is the central theme of this year’s PromaxBDA Africa Conference & Awards, which takes place on 22 November at The Maslow, Sandton, Johannesburg (as the big-lipped ads proclaim). For those who don’t know (and there are some), Promax is all about TV and radio promos and on-air design.

As Tim Horwood, chairperson of PromaxBDA Africa 2013, says: “Whether you’re a creative, marketer, designer, producer, director, project manager, editor, art director, planner, or a mix of the above, storytelling is still the most powerful tool to help connect, engage, retain and grow your audience.

“When you know your audience and

content, you’ll know what story to tell; when you know your brand you’ll know how to tell it. This year’s PromaxBDA Africa conference will focus on storytelling and how important a part it plays in creating our consumer touch points.”

But back to the lippy ads. They were created to brand PromaxBDA events in Africa, New Zealand, Australia, India and Asia by a Singapore-based agency called Bruce Dunlop & Associates (BDA) Creative.

How did BDA Creative come to be selected for the honour of designing the Promax branding? The company’s ‘creative director extraordinaire’ Matthew Giffen explains: “Promax camped outside our offices and called us throughout the night begging and pleading for us to do the job.

They wined and dined us and lavished us with fine jewellery and expensive cars, which we obviously turned down as no sweetener was needed to work with such a lovely bunch! In reality though we had to pitch for the job… grumble, grumble!”

Of course BDA Creative is no

PromaxBDA Africa 2013 branding

stranger to Promax awards. “But that has nothing to do with the Promax branding job…. nudge-nudge, wink-wink,” continues Giffen. “We have barrels full of the things (Promax awards); we use them as door stops and toilet roll holders and they make for great nose pickers when you’re feeling lazy.”

This was BDA Creative’s first ever job for Promax. “And, as soon as our designers leave rehab we may consider doing more,” quips Giffen.

He explains that Promax gave BDA Creative the art of storytelling theme.

“Then we ‘came across’ a large bag of magic mushrooms and bish bash bosh! One thing led to another and we ended up with talking mouths on legs.

“The best way to approach a brief like this is with irreverence and humour. As the

brief was very open it allowed for quite an exploratory interpretation. We consider ourselves very lucky to work in this industry because we get to make nice images and tell compelling stories. In fact, we are the epitome of the kids who never grew up.

“Promax is a great gathering together of like-minded people to share in our collective knowledge and indulge in the affirmation of our art, craft and passions. And trouser an award or two, drink too much and embarrass yourself in front of the boss.”

Giffen describes the design of the ads as silly, immature, playful and fun.

“So much branding has disappeared up its own derrière so we thought this was a great opportunity to inject some much needed fun and irreverence,” he concludes.

Nov / Dec 2013 | SCREENAFRICA | 13

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|

Opinion

The old ways still apply

Anton Crone looks at the ‘then’ and ‘now’ of commercials.

Cremora commercial

Audi commercial on YouTube

Y

ou have a five-second prelude to grab their attention. What do you do? Back in the day you would slap a logo on the screen and pay a voice to rattle off the slogan. It would read: ‘Tonight’s feature is brought to you by....’ or ‘This news bulletin is brought to you by....’ and the viewer would be grateful to you for bringing them the programme. Even if it was a documentary about war, poverty and pestilence, or a Jean-Claude Van Damme movie, they’d remember you fondly because you were paying for the show – which is the way it should work, isn’t that so SABC? Those 30-second and 60-second ads – they were really just toilet breaks, unless they were really, really good. And a lot of them were, back then. People would knuip until the middle aged-grump in the dressing gown in the Cremora ad uttered the eternal words: “It’s not inside, it’s on... top!” Or the car that was finally parked to

14 | SCREENAFRICA | Nov / Dec 2013

complete the immense VW logo revealed with a helicopter shot.

The internet arrives and it all changes, no? No. Any YouTube clip worth watching has an advertising prelude that is paid for by an advertiser. “We’ll put your ad on the most popular thing on the web,” says YouTube. “Boiyah!” you reply, slapping your existing 30” or 60” television commercial (TVC) into that slot. Arse covered; job retained.

But YouTube knows they’ll bleed viewers if they have to sit through that gumpf so they worked in an escape mechanism giving viewers the option of skipping the ad after five seconds. Now, instead of taking a toilet break, YouTube viewers stand by with their finger poised on the mouse button, itching for that five-second countdown to read: ‘Skip!’ whereupon they depress the button with the speed of lightning to get to the real honey, like Miley Cyrus twerking into some one-hit-wonder’s stripy crotch or

a bacon lovin’ talkin’ dog. You can’t beat that stuff. Or can you?

More and more ads are finding an audience on YouTube, not in the ad prelude, but in the mother load. “Dove practically invented the viral ad,” says Adweek of Dove’s 2006 video clip, dissecting how a model becomes an airbrushed image of unnatural perfection. It has over 17 million views, and still climbing.

Console games, fast overtaking movies in entertainment sales, have the money to film slick, star-studded productions for YouTube. Modern Warfare 3’s live-action trailer for its new game racked 22 million views, starring movie stars Jonah Hill and Sam Worthington as a military odd couple, while Chuck Norris has lured 32 million viewers for World of Warcraft.

Even with reasonable budgets, advertisers pull in the viewers online with ads that originally aired on TV. Volkswagen’s The Force has stunned over

55 million viewers with a kid, a car and a Darth Vader costume. Old Spice’s The Man Your Man Could Smell Like smells like gold at 45 million views, spawning many viral off shoots (sadly Black River FC got it wrong for Nando’s with their weak Old Spice paradoy). It owes its success, not to high production budgets, but to guts for breaking out of the old Old Spice mould; fostering great writing and the understanding that consumers like being entertained. It’s a classic formula, the type that had you knuiping in front of the TV. The sad irony is that many weak ads flight as preludes to these powerful ads. The weak ones are skipped over by viewers hungry for real entertainment, who don’t mind an advertising message if it gives them something in return, like a laugh or a sense of wonder. Marketers would do well to note that the old rule of advertising still applies: engagement is key and in the ‘new’ arena of choice, where a better alternative is just five seconds away, engagement is paramount.

Ogilvy South Africa is the only South African advertiser I know that has exploited the prelude. They realised most people only watch the first five seconds of a YouTube prelude ad before skipping it and they used this time limit to demonstrate how fast the new Audi R8 Coupé can accelerate.

There are other alternatives to working within these constraints, and it might be worth looking to the old ways: You have a five-second prelude to grab their attention, what do you do? Why not slap a logo on and pay a voice to read your slogan? If you can’t entertain them, at least give them a sense that you support good entertainment. *The views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect those of Screen Africa.

PROMAXBDA AFRICA

|

Compiled by Martie Bester

Short tales The highly anticipated PromaxBDA Africa 2013 Conference and Awards event, which is devoted to on-air marketing and broadcast design, takes place on 22 November at the Maslow Hotel in Sandton, Johannesburg. This year’s theme is The Art of Storytelling with inspiring local and international speakers who all have a story to tell…

16 | SCREENAFRICA | Nov / Dec 2013

LOTS TO SAY: Lee Hunt

Olivier Schaack

P

romaxBDA Africa 2013 features some of the most fascinating international speakers working in the creative industry today.

Lee Hunt is the founder of Lee Hunt LLC, a New York-based consultancy focusing on brand strategy, on-air architecture, competitive analysis, and personnel training for television networks and media companies.

Commenting on current trends in broadcast design for channel logos, branding and station idents, Hunt says: “The standard five- or 10-second station ident has lost its usefulness. In the early days of television they were primarily used for regulatory identification. With the influence of MTV in the 1980s they became a way to creatively express your channel’s brand personality and promises.

“But today, secondary events (logos and messages layered over content) have taken over those roles, and those five or 10 seconds of air time have become much too valuable to just be a branding element.

Today, smart channels use that time for programme promotion and make sure their spots do double duty – sell the show and the brand.”

According to Hunt a good promo takes advantage of the unique qualities that separate on-air promos from commercials.

A really well-cut clip spot allows viewers to sample or ‘try on’ the programme and get a good sense of what that show is all about – commercials can’t do that; a promo speaks to a pre-disposed audience and takes advantage of that knowledge.

“A good promo takes advantage of the power of proximity and recency,” continues Hunt. “Commercials want you to get up and go buy something. A promo wants you to stay right where you are and not do anything – particularly not change the channel! And we’re usually promoting an event that’s happening in the next few minutes, hours or days – so we’re a point of purchase sell. Finally, we have the advantage of talking to our audience 24 hours a day, seven days a week.”

He notes that no commercial campaign can do that. “To take advantage of this we make sure all our promo messages speak in a consistent and trusted brand voice. But overall, a good promo entertains, engages

Linda Button

and sells.”

Hunt says that not writing and producing from the audience’s perspective are the common mistakes promo makers make.

“That’s difficult because a promo usually has to target three different audiences: current viewers of the show; people who’ve never seen the show; and viewers who sampled, but didn’t return.

“Creating a spot that engages all three audiences is hard, but often necessary to make the promo effective, since most spots are placed ‘run of schedule’ (meaning they show up everywhere on the channel.)

Bottom line, think ‘what is the one hook that will attract all three audiences?’”

Engaging the viewer As promos have to stand out in the clutter of channels and programming with viewers often engaging in second-screen experiences while watching programmes, making a striking promo is more challenging.

“We’ve always had to compete with outside distractions, the phone ringing, a conversation, a trip to the kitchen. At least with second-screen experiences most viewers are staying in their seats and can still hear the television.

“Twenty percent of the time people watch TV and are not looking at the screen.

This makes sound design all the more important. If you can catch a viewer’s ear with a strong piece of copy, sound bite, music selection or sound effect and get

them to look up at the screen, you have a much better chance of getting them involved in your promo.”

In terms of promoting promos on social networks, Hunt remarks: “According to a survey by the Hollywood Reporter – which talked to social network users between the ages of 13 to 49, television lends itself to social-network multitasking more than any other medium.

“The survey reveals that while watching TV, 83% of viewers surf the web on social networking sites, 79% of social media users always or sometimes visit Facebook, 41% tweet about the show they’re watching, 76% of those who post about TV shows do so while watching programmes live, and 51% post on social networking sites while watching TV to feel connected to other viewers.”

Hunt concludes: “That’s very impressive.

Even more impressive is the number of conversations revolving around social media. And according to Trendrr the amount of conversations have more than quadrupled in the last year.”

Sound is the key Olivier Schaack is creative director of CANAL+ FRANCE and has worked in television promos and design for 20 years.

He has developed the Canal+ Promo and Design Factory, which manages the on-air identity and on-air promotions for 29 pay TV channels broadcast by the group.

Schaack says motion design with big, 3D

| PROMAXBDA AFRICA letters and motion typography are still dominating TV channel design but some channels are trying to get rid of this, such as Channel4 which tries to innovate within its logo an in-perspective view system or CANAL+ with real abstract elements (cf CANAL+ Series).

He believes it is definitely more challenging, and exciting, to make a striking promo even more challenging with viewers often engaging in second-screen experiences.

“Sound is the key. Sound is the only way to capture people whose eyes are not focused on the screen. Hook them with a strong sound and keep their attention with a good story,” he advises.

Memorable branding Linda Button is co-founder of Tooth+Nail, a boutique agency known for its unique approach to brand personality, inspiration, and creativity.

“People are getting their entertainment in such personal ways,” she comments. “My kids, for example, are 12 and 20. The only time we actually turn on the television is for sports. The rest of the time my kids find their favorite shows on Netflix, Hulu, Amazon, YouTube and, since both kids are huge animation fans, on a host of genre

specific sites.

“So idents need to be simpler, more memorable, and tied to the personality of the brand. Other than that, trends are for followers, not leaders.”

She says in the past a promo had to stand out. “Now, advertising and promotion have to reach out. That’s where personality comes in. Finding the right personality unleashes language, imagery, and consistency for your brand. It tells the audience – we’re your kind of place. We understand you.”

Button mentions that the best promos have a simple, single message. “Not one viewer in the history of television has ever recorded a promo to catch all the graphics.

The best we can hope for is to leave viewers with a strong feeling and – if you’ve done your job well – a simple idea.”

Other speakers at PromaxBDA Africa 2013 are David Shing, AOL’s ‘Digital Prophet’, Jihan Zencirli, Master Balloon Artist of Geronimo Balloons and Reemah Sakaan, director of marketing and media planning at ITV Networks in the UK. And then there is The Awesome Battle of Creatives in which three teams will go up against each other, live on stage, to show who can best interpret and execute the impromptu theme, through design / animation / live action!

David Shing

JIhan Zencirli

Taking HD to the next level

HD CAM, HD CAM, SHOOTS JUST LIKE A SPIDER CAM: SuperSport promo

Following Orijin’s internationally lauded SuperSport Transformers and Point-of-View promos, the company came up with a concept inspired by the dreamy, surreal ‘Spider Cam’ footage seen at major sporting events.

“We wanted to combine the feel of this type of cinematography with super-real, high definition (HD) 3D CGI and VFX treatments of sport action moments,” says

Rudy Sennett, executive producer, director and managing director of Orijin.

He continues: “SuperSport loved the concept, and briefed us to create a campaign to showcase their additional HD channel offering across Africa.”

Sennett comments that they made innovative use of various camera techniques. “We used high-speed cameras travelling 180 degrees on a custom-built rig

in less than three seconds. This camera technique came closest to mimicking the feel of the ‘Spider Cam’ footage.

“HD stills were used to recreate super-real 3D characters of selected moments from the high-speed camera footage. Using High Dynamic Range 360-degree panoramic shots, we married our characters to light values from which the shots were isolated,” continues Sennett.

“These techniques allowed us to create ‘impossible camera moves – and to take HD to the next level. We ended up with an emotive 60-second TVC / promo as well as eight 20-second individual idents, taking viewers closer to the action and defining signature moments of sport,” he concludes.

Nov / Dec 2013 | SCREENAFRICA | 17

PROMAXBDA AFRICA

Squaring up to promos C-Squared Productions in Johannesburg is an award-winning agency and production company which has become one of SuperSport’s international leading suppliers of on-air promotional content with more than 20 years of experience working with Africa’s largest sports broadcaster.

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C

hris Dobson, creative and owner of C-Squared Productions, says of the company’s participation at PromaxBDA Africa this year: “Be on the lookout for the Confederations Cup and the Unbelievable promo featuring Bert Le Clos.

“Confederations Cup is the one we’re particularly proud of, as it really did take a bit of a risk on our part to make sure that what we pitched to client came across successfully, to make the campaign really stand out and work.

“For this to happen, the team needed to shoot in three different locations, namely South Africa, Brazil and Nigeria, which in itself was a logistical nightmare. It’s a job that has it all, a great concept, a unique edit, sound design and music score,” continues Dobson.

He adds that the Confederations Cup promo has been nominated as a finalist in two different categories at the Sports Media Marketing Awards in New York on 19 November 2013.

Dobson says the Confed job was in particular a pretty challenging brief, as it had to build interest in the tournament right across Africa, even though Nigeria was the only team participating from the African continent.

“Also with events like these, SuperSport isn’t always the only broadcaster of the tournament, so your positioning of the

IDEA IS KING: Confederations Cup promo

event and sell of the package needs to be one that convinces people that there is only one place to watch the event.”

Cutting through the clutter Dobson emphasises that a good campaign carries with it a good idea. “Idea is king.

And we continually strive to find the creative solution to each and every brief.

Also with the amount of promos currently on air across several channels, the idea needs to cut through the clutter. It needs to immediately grab your attention, entertain you and leave you with a lasting impression that you can’t afford to miss whatever event we are promoting.”

Regarding the speakers at PromaxBDA, Dobson mentions that he is excited to hear what Lee Hunt has to say on the state of the industry, new trends and what others are

doing to change the way agencies and production companies go about TV advertising and promotion.

“And being in the game of sports promotion, I’m also happy to see there is a sports session with Olivier Schaak of Canal+ France. Then of course it’s always nice to see how far the industry and quality of work has come over the last year. Every year the standard of work gets better, and I suspect this year will be no different.”

Concerning delivering business-savvy promos, Dobson concludes: “Make sure that whatever it is you’re trying to sell, comes across in a clear effective way so that people remember it, and make sure you find the right balance between producing the best job possible within the allocated budget and still make it financially viable for the company who produces it. In other words, keep your eye on the budget at all times.”

| PROMAXBDA AFRICA

Making world-class promos At PromaxBDA Africa 2012, South Africa’s public broadcaster, the SABC, won seven Promax Muse and BDA Isis awards and this year, hopes are high for more wins.

O

rapeleng Lebethe, on-air manager for the SABC, is confident about the reception of SABC2’s recent New Media promo, saying: “It is boldly South African in the approach, which makes it relevant to our viewers as it reflects our people.”

He also anticipates recognition for the Women’s Day campaign: “Every year promos for Women’s Day show us how far women have come, especially over the course of the past 20 years.

“This year we wanted to relay that there is still so much more to look forward to and strive towards, to let viewers know that their dreams can take flight. We took a totally fresh look at the message we wanted to deliver to our viewers.”

Promos with soul Lebethe says that by tapping into very specific target market insights, SABC promos appropriately communicate with viewers. “We always strive for promos that resonate with our viewers. We are the authority when it comes to telling South African stories and we focus on promos with soul above everything else.

“Marketing messages alert the public to the popular shows and once they have clicked onto one of our channels, promos need to ensure they don’t leave or at least serve as a reminder to watch an appealing show.”

He adds: “We need to use the greatest and most exciting clips from the shows so that our viewers believe that if they miss the broadcast, they will feel like the ones left out of the loop.”

Lebethe comments that viewers expect high quality from the SABC. “Our execution, both creatively and technically, of our promos needs to be world-class but still contain a South African soul ensuring that we retain our viewers, grow new viewers and ensure the sustainability of the business.”

Fresh effects Lethebe says that a promo’s creative concept determines the specific style that is

BOLDLY SOUTH AFRICAN: Frames taken from SABC promos

applied in execution. “A simple white title on a black screen can be as impactful as a 3D animated title. With some careful layering and great grading, a promo can make a huge impact on the audience and draw them to the show that you are advertising.”

He adds that music and graphics play a very important role in keeping campaigns current. “At the end of the day, a show is a show and people know a lot about the entertainment industry from across the

world. However, when you take those images and add them to a modern day commercial track with some great editing, layering and graphics, a whole new story can be told whenever it has to be told.”

Local creativity On the South African promo making and imaging industry, Lethebe says: “I believe the standard and quality of our work is world class. Where the international promo

producers get the upper hand on us though is their access to the talent.

If you are able to come up with creative ideas for promos that include the stars of the show and are able to incorporate them into the concept then the sky really is the limit.”

He concludes: “Also, budgets play a big part. The bigger the budget, the more possibilities, but nothing beats a creative mind.”

Nov / Dec 2013 | SCREENAFRICA | 19

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Monarchy rules

Delarey Hattingh, coowner of Johannesburgbased multi-disciplinary and award-winning creative agency Monarchy, emphasises that the company has always been very passionate about making promos. Since its inception it has been privileged to receive many local and international awards.

D

elarey Hattingh says of 2013’s PromaxBDA Africa: “This year is going to be awesome; I think it will almost be a re-definition of how people are going to experience PromaxBDA Africa.”

He adds: “I know Vanessa Sheldrick, the wonderful organiser, spent a lot of time with industry leaders to come up with a fresher and novel way of approaching this year’s event. We have a new venue, and the speakers are going to be great as always!

This year, there is also a session with three companies (creative) ‘battling’ it out live on stage.”

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the mouthpiece of clients’ branDS: On the set of a promo shoot

World-class industry “I personally feel that clients have started to take promos for granted and we have a culture in South Africa in which we underestimate the intelligence of the viewers. Most promos, with the exception of some incredible theme pieces and campaigns, have a run-of-the-mill feel,” says Hattingh.

He explains: “We need companies not to only push clients, but clients to expect the most and best that our industry can possibly deliver, and nothing less. We are a world-class industry and very few countries can keep up with us. I would love to see clients breaking the mould of how we do things and how we roll out campaigns for big launches.

“This doesn’t necessarily mean massive budgets, because there aren’t many of those, but it means original thinking and passionate executions that challenge viewers to be part of an emotional experience, which are the things promos and imaging are really selling.”

Hattingh comments: “If promos are used effectively, they can touch people in such a way that we not only build brand equity, but also a living and breathing emotional relationship with our viewers to show how much we care about their leisure time.

“Promos can become the talking points of everyday conversations and the reason viewers return daily for more and better programming.”

Promo advantage Hattingh says promos have an advantage over advertising because they are comfortable and familiar to audiences and give agencies permission and a responsibility to inspire, excite, inform and

touch viewers as no other marketing medium can.

“We launched Kona, the first all-Kenyan produced soapie on M-Net AfricaMagic, shot with the Lions rugby team for an epic, slow-motion promo for their weekly programme Lions 4 Life, and did the massive campaign for the Africa Cup of Nations for the wonderful guys at SuperSport, just to name a few,” he comments.

Being a multi-disciplinary, creative agency that enjoys motion design in all shapes and forms, Monarchy specialises in design-driven strategy, branding and live-action. Hattingh mentions: “So it really depends what the project asks for. We won’t do 3D animation just for the sake of doing it. Each and every spot is looked at and we decide what it needs to be the most effective product. Everything from visual effects (VFX), motion graphics, illustration, grading and live action is considered and sometimes all of them are used if the project calls for it.”

The power of emotion Hattingh says Monarchy uses emotion to draw in viewers and keep them engaged.

“If people feel, they listen. It is not about selling a product; it is about selling an experience. If you understand the ‘why’, you are able to know the ‘how’.

“If you look at the scope of different imaging, branding and promos we produce, the collective of that work speaks about the choice our viewers have. But it is our responsibility as a company to sell each and every product (programme) on its own merit, to push audience ratings and then of course revenue for our clients. If we make our viewers happy we make our clients happy, and that is what we always aim to do.”

He comments that Monarchy’s business is to promote and brand channels, programmes and networks so that clients get the best marketing on air. “Whatever the budgets, we pride ourselves to give clients more than they expect.

“Promos aren’t fillers for airtime, they are the mouthpiece of our clients’ brand, personality and value for the public. We have the honour to have our work seen by millions every day and with that comes the responsibility to give viewers something that enthuse their affinity and their loyalty to our clients’ amazing products,” concludes Hattingh.

| Film

Designing the Mandela movie

RECONSTRUCTION: A scene from Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom

Anant Singh, producer of Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom, approached Johnny Breedt, worldrenowned South African production designer, to work his magic on the set of a movie that spans Nelson Mandela’s life from 1918 to 1994.

Breedt reconstructed Robben Island at Cape Town Film Studios and worked on more than 40 locations that required dressing or cosmetic construction.

“I began researching the film 15 years ago when I was first approached to do the film, albeit as the action vehicle co-ordinator at the time.

“During that period, I made it my mission to collect as much research material as I could possibly lay my hands on. Years later, when I was appointed as production designer, I set out to buy every book or video that had been made on the subject matter,” says Johnny Breedt.

He notes that some of the research material was obtained from abroad, as many publications were never released here during the apartheid struggle. “I researched this film for three years full time as production designer. By the time of shooting I had amassed a total of 500 books, 100 videos and countless published articles and internet-based references.”

Working on his own, and occasionally with a location scout, Breedt initially spent most of the time retracing Mandela’s footsteps and went to all of the real locations where actual events took place.

This would be a fact-finding mission, not only to do research on the periods, but also to see whether any of these locations were still authentic enough to use in the film.

Once the rest of the production design team, comprising six art directors, four assistant directors, two set decorators and two props masters, were on board, they

also used the National Archives in Cape Town for research and had numerous historians on board who assisted with important historical information.

“People who were involved in the struggle on both sides gave me a lot of information. Anant Singh made sure that we had access to these people and director Justin Chadwick and I took full advantage of that fact,” says Breedt.

Creating Mandela’s jail “To shoot on the real Robben Island, which is situated to the west of Cape Town, proved to be a logistical nightmare as it is a national museum with thousands of tourists visiting and we would only be permitted to film in certain areas at specific times. I then suggested that we only shoot the areas that were of good screen value, such as wide establishing shots and some of the exteriors,” remarks Breedt.

For the mammoth task of recreating Robben Island, the set construction team consisted of over 25 local freelance film crew, more than 100 local labourers and over 20 contractors.

Breedt and his team then recreated the entire B-section where the Rivonia trials were held. “My reasoning was that once you were inside this area on the island, you could not see the outside world anyway,

CONSTRUCTION & RESULT: Robben Island built from scratch

By Martie Bester

even when standing in the courtyard.”

Building the prison on the mainland meant that the team could base the set at Cape Town Film Studios. “We also cheated a little by making some of the cells bigger as we would never have been able to achieve this on Robben Island.

“I wanted the shooting crew to be able to move from one corridor to the next and to be able to shoot 360 degrees on this set.

They could follow the cast with a Steadicam from when they arrived at B-section, moved through the induction areas, then on to the courtyard, down the corridor and finally into the prisoners’ cells in one continuous shot.

“We recreated the lime stone quarry at a nearby sand quarry as the original location on Robben Island is now a heritage site and it doesn’t look the same as it did decades ago,” adds Breedt.

Orlando Township… and more Some of the sets that the team built from scratch were the entire Orlando Township (this was built on the studio back lot and consisted of 40 brick homes), the entire interior of the Palace of Justice (including the underground underworld of cells and consulting rooms, the stairway leading to the courtroom, court C, with the judges’ podium and gallery), the full interior of Mandela’s house in Orlando, the village in the Transkei, the circumcision hut, Sharpeville and Sophiatown (which did not make it into the final film).

“Obviously Justin and I worked closely together on creating the correct look. We both wanted the sets to be visceral and as authentic as possible so that the actors could simply drop into them and do what they do best,” explains Breedt.

90 years of cars More than 450 cars were used in the film.

They were all pre-selected at locations or suited the period requirements. Breedt and Chadwick were involved in choosing every car that was used.

Says Breedt: “My bother Colin was the action vehicle co-ordinator and he and his team were tasked with finding what the script required and also all of the background vehicles for each period, covering nine decades.

“We worked closely on this and I was able to supply them with a lot of reference material of what the vehicles looked like during the various periods.

“Looking back, when I was approached

by Anant Singh, it took me all of three seconds to agree to do the movie. This film changed my life for good and I almost feel that if I never get to design a film again, at least I did this one.”

Nov / Dec 2013 | SCREENAFRICA | 21

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Renowned Hollywood acting coach Michelle Danner, who has worked with the likes of Gerard Butler, Chris Rock, Penelope Cruz and James Franco, recently presented master classes in Johannesburg and Cape Town. In an exclusive interview with Joanna Sterkowicz, Danner spoke about ‘The Golden Box’ acting technique, as well as her second directorial feature film, Hello Herman.

W

hen Johannesburg-based character casting agent Addi Lang, owner of Caitlin’s Castings, first began communicating with Michelle Danner 18 months ago, she knew she had to bring Danner out to South Africa to see South African talent and conduct master classes.

“As the founder and artistic director of The Edgemar Center for the Arts in Santa Monica, California, Michelle is a hugely sought after acting coach,” said Lang. “She has trained A-list actors such as Christian Slater, Salma Hayek, Zooey Deschanel, Kellan Lutz and Michelle Rodriguez, among many others.

“The level of competition in Los Angeles is so high that most South African actors who move there in the hopes of finding fame and fortune never get anywhere.

Michelle’s school offers a stepping stone – not only does it provide top level training, it also helps students to get visas and offers amazing networking opportunities. Patrons of Michelle’s school include Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks.”

One of Lang’s protégés, Tukise Mogoje, a 25-year-old South African actor, is currently studying with Danner in Hollywood.

Danner told Screen Africa that she’d

22 | SCREENAFRICA | Nov / Dec 2013

Photo by Elize van Herk

Plotting the actor’s technical road map

A CLASS ACT: Sheila Pires, Michelle Danner, Bonnie Lee Bouman and Addi Lang

always wanted to come to South Africa. “It’s my passion to go to countries where there are powerful stories and I know there are many in your country. To work with South African actors is to expand my personal horizons.”

The Michelle Danner Acting Studio at Edgemar encompasses a variety of acting techniques, including Meisner, Strasberg, Adler, Hagen, Chekhov and the Stanislavsky technique.

“I’ve studied each of these methodologies and found that they can all work together,” explained Danner. “You shouldn’t blinker creativity which is why it’s good to utilise different ideologies. A lot of acting teachers can be dogmatic and teach only a single method whereas I think it’s limiting to believe there is only one acting technique.”

Danner often receives requests from A-list actors seeking help with particular roles.

“In such instances I would either go onto set or the actor comes to Edgemar and we work on character analysis together,” she commented. “I’ve trained so many people that these days I can hardly go into a restaurant in Los Angeles without running into someone I’ve worked with. I have the same situation in New York.

“Many people have told me that I’ve changed their lives so it makes me think that the role of an acting teacher is very important.”

‘The Golden Box’ Danner’s five-hour master class, ‘The Golden Box’, introduced South Africans to an unusual philosophy of how to create

vivid, fleshed out and interesting characters.

The audience included casting directors, TV producers, well known and aspiring actors and actresses. As this was Danner’s first visit to South Africa, she was introduced to local talent through performances by 16-year old actor, singer and world champion dancer Kalon Badenhorst.

Another performance was from song and dance ensemble, Amakhono We Sintu.

Danner continued: “In the Johannesburg and Cape Town workshops I did an exercise on biography because ‘The Golden Box’ is all about self-discovery – the key is to find the back story of the character in order to lose yourself in the character. This is vital as audiences want to lose themselves in the characters.

“When I teach I start with a checklist of words and elaborate within each of these words because it’s important for actors to have a technical road map. My technique, which is effective for actors of all different levels, teaches you how to apply the craft of acting.”

Danner stressed that ‘The Golden Box’ shows students how to get out of their own heads so as to live completely in the moment. “By finding your own unique emotional triggers, you learn to access your full range of feelings and emotions at a moment’s notice. I take the emphasis off of the ‘method’ and help actors rediscover their own creativity.”

Cultural centre In addition to her acting school, Danner has built two theatres at Edgemar, as well as an art gallery.

“People don’t think of Los Angeles as a

place with theatre as there is so much focus on the film industry. So I wanted to build theatres to provide a physical environment that nurtures the creative process and encourages collaboration between writers, directors, actors, musicians, dancers and visual artists. We do lots of plays, musicals and kids shows,” said Danner.

Columbine-esque drama Last year Danner directed the feature film Hello Herman, produced by her company All in Films, starring Norman Reedus (The Walking Dead). (Danner’s directorial debut was the 2006 release, How To Go Out on a Date in Queens.)

She describes Hello Herman as a Columbine-esque drama about a school shooting which shows how the desensitisation of youth leads to increased violence.

“I’m a concerned mom myself and it’s disturbing to continually wonder if your child will come to grief at school. In the US there is a big dialogue around bullying and it’s escalated because of cyber bullying on the internet. Once you’ve become the victim of cyber bullying you’re stained for life. I believe that technology has made the world more desensitised – Facebook is meant to connect people but it’s the most disconnected thing ever.

An educational cut of Hello Herman has been distributed to schools in the US and is available across the USA on DVD. Danner is also in discussions to release the film in South Africa.

Compiled by Martie Bester

| Film

Director Speak International recognition for celebrated local filmmaker South African creative producer and director Roberta Durrant’s feel-good family movie Felix has taken the international film circuit by storm. The movie has resonated with worldwide audiences and has won three prominent awards to date.

In July Felix won the Audience Award at Durban International Film Festival (DIFF), Best Film at Lucas International Children’s Film Festival in Germany and the Michel Award for Best Film at The Filmfest Hamburg Michel Children and Youth Film Festival in Germany. Additionally, Felix had sold-out screenings at the BFI London Film Festival with an extra showing at The Vancouver International Film Festival in Canada.

Felix, predominantly created by a female creative team with South Africa Film and Television Award Lifetime Achievement winner Durrant directing, makes this the first film written, directed, shot, edited and line produced by women since South Africa’s democracy.

Durrant has created, directed and produced several long-running, awardwinning drama series for television, such as Home Affairs and Khululeka, which was the SABC’s flagship democracy education programme for 16 years.

She is also known for her work on popular sitcoms ‘Sgudi ‘Snayis (It’s Good It’s Nice), Madam & Eve, SOS and Stokvel and the feature films Inside Out and Skilpoppe.

Roberta Durrant on set

WINNING SMILES: Roberta Durrant with Felix cast members

HOW DID YOU FEEL WHEN FELIX WON AUDIENCE AWARDS AT DIFF AND THE LUCAS INTERNATIONAL CHILDREN’S FILM FE STIVAL IN GERMANY? It was super. Both wins came as a big surprise. In Durban I was aware that audiences really loved the film. I was very surprised about Lucas and we have subsequently also heard that we won the Best Feature in the children and youth segment of the Hamburg Film Festival.

WHAT IS THE MOST BIZARRE THING TO HAVE HAPPENED ON ANY OF YOUR TV OR FILM SETS? An actor miming that he was eating as per the rehearsal when in fact we were rolling…

WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO TAKE ON FELIX AS A FILM PROJECT? I loved the story of hope and empowerment and the jazz element. I realised that it would be a very moving film if it was directed correctly.

WHAT IS YOUR ALL-TIME FAVOURITE SITCOM, BARRING YOUR OWN? The British version of The Office.

WHY DID YOU DECIDE TO STOP ACTING, HAVING STARTED YOUR CAREER IN THAT WAY? I was always keen to direct. I still love acting, but there is no time for that at the moment.

WHAT PROMPTED YOUR DECISION TO MOVE FROM THEATRE TO FILM AND TV? I married a director of photography, but I also interrupted my acting to do a television training course at the very beginnings of the SABC. And while I was acting I had already trained in and done continuity as well as assisted in the edit suite. So I had moved into film from the beginning.

WHAT IS YOUR ULTIMATE CAREER HIGHLIGHT? I have not reached that yet.

WHAT IS THE SECRET INGREDIENT OF A REALLY FUNNY SITCOM? Good identifiable characters and a good funny script.

IS THERE AN ACTOR / ACTRESS, EITHER LOCAL OR INTERNATIONAL, WHO YOU WOULD REALLY LIKE TO WORK WITH? Meryl Streep and Ryan Gosling.

IF YOUR LIFE HAD A SOUNDTRACK, WHAT SONGS WOULD BE ON IT? Any track from Vusi Mahlasela and The Lighthouse Family.

HOW DO YOU CHILL OUT? I watch television series such as The Bridge and The Killing. The Danish make the best television. I also read books, go for walks, sit on the dunes and do nothing.

WHAT ARE YOU WORKING ON NOW? I am working on a lot of projects. They include You Deserve It, which is a game show during which the contestant wins on behalf of an unsuspecting beneficiary who is deserving of the prize money. This programme will screen on e.tv. Treknet is a light comedy based on the popular cartoon strip of the same name for kykNET and then the detective drama series Traffic! which has been made for eKasi and airs in February 2014. Then there are three very exciting co-production features in the pipeline.

Nov / Dec 2013 | SCREENAFRICA | 23

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SA composer scores big with local animation movies Bruce Retief, composer of animated feature films Adventures in Zambezia and Khumba, released by Cape Town-based Triggerfish Animation Studios, produces albums and composes and arranges music for various artists in South Africa.

However, these movies were his big break into composing film scores.

“I

knew about the plans to make Adventures from Zambezia from early on, and I waited for a director, who turned out to be Wayne Thornley, to be attached to the project so I could send my music to pitch to him. Apparently I was one of 12 applicants, and Wayne chose me.

“It was my and Wayne’s first full feature so we walked a road together and discovered what we wanted as we went along. This process took two years! Wayne is the type of director who prefers to have examples shown to him to work from, so I would come up with an idea for a scene, play it for him, and he would give his comments and make suggestions and changes. Most of the time we agreed on the emotion that was required for the various scenes,” says Retief.

He comments that the musical style for Adventures in Zambezia was “more overtly African, with lots of African-style vocals, choirs, and so forth.”

For Khumba, director Anthony Silverston, who also wrote the script and had been developing it for a number of years, had a more definite idea of what he wanted from the word go.”

Retief continues: “Anthony was keen to showcase the indigenous culture and instruments of the Karoo. The trick was to make this work within the confines of a movie score which also had to evoke the desired emotions from a global audience.

“It was fun and very challenging to collaborate with Anthony to make this happen, and we both love the result.”

According to Retief the musical style for Khumba was more subtle and included

24 | SCREENAFRICA | Nov / Dec 2013

EVOKING EMOTION: Bruce Retief

traditional instruments associated with the area, and not as many vocals, although they are there.

“Both movies, however, had similar orchestral music and I worked hard on creating epic, sweeping themes for both films.”

Symphony orchestras “The scores for Zambezia and Khumba were played by a full 64-piece symphony orchestra. For Zambezia we had the privilege of flying to Los Angeles and recording my score with the Hollywood Symphony Orchestra. We were working with the best of the best in Hollywood, and there they were playing my music and they didn’t hate it, it was really humbling.”

After that they took the recordings to Skywalker Sound near San Francisco where the music and the movie sound design were mixed. “That was mind-blowing too.

While we were mixing Zambezia, Mission Impossible 4 was being mixed in the room next door!” says Retief.

Proudly South African Silverston and Retief decided to go Proudly South African for Khumba and recorded and mixed the entire score at Stellenbosch University, using their camerata (a small chamber orchestra or choir).

“I must say the results were spectacular – completely comparable with Hollywood, only much less stress, and far cheaper, so we’ll definitely be using them again for any future work. I was really proud.

“What I’ve found is that working together with other musicians is invaluable to achieving a great result. On both films I worked with singer / composer / producer Zwai Bala, who brought so much to the table, and really helped make the scores what they are,” comments Retief.

Annie Awards In late November 2012 Retief received a message saying that he had been nominated for an Annie Award in the Best Score for an Animated Movie category.

Hollywood’s equivalent of the Oscars for the animation industry, Retief was amazed that he had been nominated alongside some big-name Hollywood composers such as Alexandre Desplat, Henry Jackman and John Powell.

“The movie scores I was up against were from Disney’s Wreck it Ralph, Pixar’s Brave, Dreamworks’ Rise of the Guardians, and Ice Age 4 by 20th Century Fox. Just to be mentioned in the same sentence as these composers was a huge honour and a big surprise.

It was very glamorous to fly to Los Angeles with my wife and attend the award ceremony. I met some amazing people and made important contacts for future opportunities,” he says.

Retief’s favourite score is Disney’s Aladdin by Allan Menkin. “It is extremely rich, masterfully composed and orchestrated, and just beautiful.

Allan Menken is my favourite composer. I also really like Hans Zimmer’s earlier work.”

– Martie Bester

| Television

Is 3D TV finally dead?

A lot of money, in-thefield experimentation and effort was expended by sports network ESPN, and others in the production and manufacturing communities, to make 3D TV attractive to consumers. It took three years and uninspiring 3D-compatible TV set sales, but ESPN – or more accurately, The Walt Disney Company – has finally decided that viewers are not that interested in 3D sports in the home.

D

espite concerns dating back to 3D TV’s official debut in in June 2010 at the FIFA World Cup South Africa, ESPN has given the technology a thorough assessment and has now confirmed it will pull the plug on its 3D channel at the end of the year.

The announcement comes as The Walt Disney Company, parent to ESPN, is reassessing its commitment of extensive resources to support the sports network.

Some 400 layoffs at ESPN were announced a few months ago.

“Due to limited viewer adoption of 3D services to the home, ESPN is discontinuing ESPN 3D,” the network said in a statement.

“We are committing our 3D resources to other products and services that will better serve fans and affiliates. Nobody knows more about sports in 3D than ESPN, and we will be ready to provide the service to fans if or when 3D does take off.”

July’s Wimbledon tennis tournament might have been the last live sporting event broadcast by the BBC in stereoscopic 3D TV, due to a lack of viewers of any real significance.

Kim Shillinglaw, who heads up the UK national broadcaster’s 3D production division, said the BBC would suspend 3D programme development by the end of this

year. In fact, a Doctor Who anniversary special in November and the final episodes of nature documentary series Hidden Kingdom will be among the last shows televised in 3D in the UK by the BBC. This is because, according to Shillinglaw, the technology has ‘not taken off’ with viewers because they find it ‘quite hassly’.

She also said there are no plans to reconsider the technology until 2017 at the earliest (if ever). “I think the BBC will be having ‘a wait and see’. It’s the right time for a good old pause.”

BBC 3D trial The BBC began a two-year 3D trial in 2011, broadcasting several shows and events in a side-by-side 3D method, including the 2012 Olympic Games and the popular Strictly Come Dancing show. Only about half of the UK’s 3D TV sets tuned into the opening ceremonies of last summer’s Olympics.

TWIN VIEW: A 3D camera setup

Interest in other shows was even lower, with Christmas broadcasts of other popular programmes said to have attracted only one in 20 3D-enabled viewers.

Despite the BBC’s decision, BSkyB continues to promote the technology with its Sky 3D channel that it launched in April 2010. Sky 3D recently renewed its partnership with Sir David Attenborough through Colossus Productions (a joint venture for 3D programming between Sky 3D and Atlantic Productions), which is producing David Attenborough’s Natural History Museum Adventure that will air later this year, and the two-part Conquest of the Skies, set for broadcast late in 2014.

Cameron’s perspective Pioneer of the recent ‘new wave’ of 3D in Hollywood, director James Cameron (Avatar 3D) has argued that once 3D TV catches on with viewers, the studios will go

By Ian Dormer

all-3D, just as they had to go all-colour after the TV networks did. But so far, 3D TV isn’t catching on.

Steve Schklair of 3D equipment supplier 3ality admitted feeling doubt after the ESPN announcement. “3D TV in the US, for many reasons, is just not going to happen in the current climate,” he said. “The audience is just not being built.”

Vince Pace, Cameron’s partner in Cameron-Pace Group puts the blame on the 3D TV ‘active-glasses’ that most consumer electronics companies introduced. Too expensive and too difficult to use, he says. Indeed, many in the US with 3D-capable TVs don’t even use the feature, citing a lack of interesting programmes and the expense of extra pairs of glasses for friends. Recent studies involving US viewers found that no more than 120 000 people are watching 3D channels at any one time.

As one TV critic once stated: “There was never a time in human history when 3D didn’t feel like getting your eyes punched by a swarm of hateful invisible pixies.”

When the technology was first being developed for the home market, companies found that one in four viewers experienced everything from eye strain to headaches to an expressed desire to vomit.

Maybe now, if like ESPN, everyone else finally gives up the ghost, we can finally start seeing some more practical advancement in TV technology. There’s 4K, of course but who knows when we’ll get a more realistic TV set price. And there’s also the stuff we just haven’t thought of yet, or haven’t taken seriously enough to try in earnest. The point is, if we put our energy into everything that isn’t 3D, maybe we end up with something more useful, like smell-o-vision … hey, why not?

Nov / Dec 2013 | SCREENAFRICA | 25

Television

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Three talented directors collaborate on TV series

By Martie Bester

South African directors John Trengove, Jozua Malherbe and Denny Y Miller each bring their unique strengths and skills as they collaborate on SABC2’s new television series, Swartwater (Black Water). Predominantly shot in Arniston in the Western Cape with additional filming in Johannesburg, the three filmmakers draw on each other’s expertise to make creative decisions.

EARTHLY TONE: Jana Strydom in a scene from Swartwater

“I

t is the first time the SABC has commissioned a series of this nature,” says producer Bianca Isaac of Quizzical Pictures in Johannesburg. “Swartwater is very different from the other Afrikaans dramas that have been made. The performances are amazing, the cast is fantastic and the locations showcase South Africa.

“During the five-week shoot in Arniston, the team battled rain, hail and gale-force winds, which was ideal for the story, but difficult in which to shoot. However, these obstacles were easy to overcome with a fantastic crew and an experienced director,” adds Isaac.

A snake in Eden In the series, married couple Francois (Louw Venter) and Karen (Jana Strydom) go through the tragic experience of losing their only child and move to Swartwater, a tiny town, to get away from everything. While living there, they both find their place in the community, which leads to revelations about their (and others’) deepest secrets, scandals, loves and further experiences.

Writer Hélène Truter and her husband Percy moved from Johannesburg to a small coastal town a few years ago. “Like the 26 | SCREENAFRICA | Nov / Dec 2013

leading characters in the series we have met quirky, real people. But small towns like Swartwater have secrets and factions: paradise isn’t always what it seems. There is always a snake in Eden,” comments Truter.

She says the characters are ordinary people who are faced with an unbearable situation. “Life is about the choices you make when faced with tragedy. It’s how the characters react to the event, not just the event itself which will keep viewers enthralled.”

Truter remarks: “Even when I’m creating a flawed person or a villain I have empathy for the character. I have come to love all the characters in this series and hopefully the viewers will become as attached to them as I have and have strong feelings towards them – negative or positive. Mediocrity is Shooting a night scene for Swartwater

the bane of my existence and I certainly hope that Swartwater will be more than the average TV series.

“I am a strong believer in cliff hangers and hope that viewers will be taken by surprise every week and return for more.”

Compositional storytelling Director John Trengove (Hopeville), who braved the stormy conditions in Arniston with gusto, says he and the crew steered away from a ‘soapie’ feel, both in the casting as well as the art direction of the series.

“We ended up with a wonderful ensemble of highly skilled actors that has given the show a very unique and integrated identity. For the production, we

referenced a lot of Scandinavian cinema, as well as a fantastic series called The Bridge,” says Trengove.

“The approach was to do away with tricky camera moves and editing, and to strive for stripped-down compositional storytelling, quite similar to the process of stills photography. We shot a lot of scenes in a single master, relying on blocking and timing of the actors to keep the scenes dynamic. It was a very stimulating way to work and it really kept us on our toes,” the director remarks.

Controlling the colour palette In order to give the series a distinct and atmospheric look, Trengove and his team decided to really control the colour palette on set rather than relying too heavily on the grade, which is usually the case.

He remarks: “The colours of Swartwater are the colours of Arniston: blues, greens, greys and earth tones with no primary or bright colours anywhere in shot. It was a challenge for the wardrobe and art department to sustain this strategy through an entire series, but one that we hope will pay off in the end.

Director Jozua Malherbe (Donkerland,

DOP Kabeer Shaik and John Trengove Getroud met Rugby, Wolwedans in die Skemer) is handling part of the shoot in Johannesburg. “We are shooting on the Sony C100 – it is a small and light camera which works for our ‘no fuss’ camera kit.

“In other words we are moving a lot and want to keep it light and simple. The camera also has a smaller chip than say the Canon 5D which helps with focus and we are using the Zeiss Distagon and Zeiss Planar lenses which are small and relatively fast (1.4 & 2).

And we stick to a specific lens range, namely (25 28 35 50 85),” he says.

Natural ambience Comments Malherbe: “So far we have been shooting for three weeks indoors in Johannesburg. Our lighting kit is mostly made up of LED panels and two1.2HMIs. Considering these restrictions we are using natural ambience for a base light design and then sculpting the actors for specific shots.

“This year I completed Donkerland which

4 Camera SD OB Van (Triax)

is an epic in genre. Swartwater is a much more contemporary show not only in theme but also in time and place. The difference for me lies a lot in the tone of the show.

Where Donkerland has big thematic lines Swartwater is more contained, focusing on a beat-by-beat narrative.”

Malherbe mentions that the shooting style is very straightforward. “Sticking to very simple, elegant framing and camera movement has made it simpler to execute in difficult situations. Having said that, to keep this style has been a challenge on its own.

“Being able to collaborate with John Trengove has been a real pleasure. His ideas and choices are very fresh. He has a great way in which he uses the camera to tell the story. I have done my best to use his design to inform my blocking and camera design.”

Malherbe says he enjoys finally working with actor Louw Venter. “We have known each other for years so it has been great to get this opportunity. We are working with a wonderful range of actors and the leads, Louw and Jana Strydom, are both very sensitive actors. They bring an incredibly warm and vulnerable feeling to the characters they play.

“Dirk Stoltz is the villain and with his charisma and big smile he proves that the underground world is not always dingy and predictable,” concludes Malherbe.

Pesto Post Productions in Johannesburg is in charge of the edit.

The two series comprise 26 episodes of 48 minutes each, and the first 13 episodes screen from 21 January 2014. Shooting of the second season wraps on 15 February 2014 with Miller at the helm.

8 Camera HD OB Van (Triax)

HD DSNG Vehicle

Various Multi Cam Mix Kits

4 Camera SD Flyaway Kit

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The SABC strikes again

By Sekoetlane Jacob Phamodi The South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) is making the news instead of showing it, again. This time over the last-minute canning of not only the second season of popular news and current affairs show, The Big Debate, but all rebroadcasts of the first season shortly before its season première. In its official response to the nation’s outcry over the cancellation of the show, which had found itself firmly entrenched in the homes and hearts of south Africans, the SABC was resolute in its justification for the canning: it is against the policies of the SABC to outsource news and current affairs.

Editorial responsibility for all news and current affairs content is vested in the newsroom. The Big Debate, which is a current affairs programme, was incorrectly commissioned by SABC2 and in so doing, the editorial oversight, which is the responsibility of the newsroom, was compromised.

If you have ever watched the show, you will know that it covers some of the most topical issues affecting ordinary South Africans every day. The topics range from state violence and police brutality, following the Marikana massacre last year, to the epidemic rates of violence against women in South Africa. Bringing together government officials, industry representatives, civil society and ordinary South Africans in a robust, town-hall style debate ably facilitated by radio and television personality Siki Mgabadeli, The Big Debate has successfully sparked important dialogue across the country about the realities, opportunities and challenges South Africans face each day.

It bears stating that The Big Debate is precisely the kind of programming a public broadcaster tasked with not only informing, educating and entertaining but also promoting democratic values, including that of active citizenship, should be broadcasting. And yet the show, which came at no cost to the broadcaster, being sponsored by generous human rights foundations, was canned for innocuous and unsubstantiated ‘policy’ reasons. The SABC’s editorial policies, in fact, explicitly provide for the outsourcing of news and current affairs programming provided it complies with the clearly defined requirements expressed in the policies. They read: “All the informational and actuality programming, whether it is produced by SABC News or not, should conform to the News, Current Affairs and Information Programming Policy in Chapter 4.”

This is not the first time the SABC has pulled shows which reveal the failings of government and the ruling party citing policy violations. Last year we saw the last-minute canning of a series of live interviews of national interest which were regarded by the powers that be as potentially compromising the stature of the ruling party. These include: • An interview with then recently expelled and controversial ANCYL former president, Julius Malema; • A discussion involving the political editors of three of the most trusted newspapers on the then upcoming ANC National Elective conference in Mangaung; and • An interview with political cartoonist and satirist Jonathan Shapiro, known to most as Zapiro.

It seems all too convenient that the canning of these interviews, as well as shows like The Big Debate, come at a time when media freedom and access to information has come under attack from the legislative arm of government in the highly contested Secrecy Bill, as well as from President Jacob Zuma himself in his deeply troubling statements on how the press should be doing its job. The SABC seems to have happily taken this posture on board with outrageous calls from its controversial Acting COO, Hlaudi Motsoeneng, through whom all content now seems to be controlled for the SABC’s editorial policies to require 70% of all SABC news to be ‘good news’.

The soul of the SABC, our public broadcaster, the single biggest communication medium with penetration into every household with a television or radio receiver is under threat. It faces the very real risk of total capture and control for the purposes of masters beyond the public it is required to serve. If we are, at all, to have a public broadcaster which lives up to the letter and spirit of the hard-won progressive constitution and legislation which created it, it is our duty, all of us, to fight for it.

Sekoetlane Jacob Phamodi is the campaign organiser for the SOS: Support Public Broadcasting Coalition. Follow them on Twitter @soscoalition and on Facebook.

Visit: www.soscoalition.org.za

Nov / Dec 2013 | SCREENAFRICA | 27

DOCUMENTARY

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Into the Arctic wilderness: exploring New Land Miki Redelinghuys, director and producer at Plexus Films in Cape Town, and filmmaker Kyle O’Donoghue collaborated on their latest documentary New Land, which portrays a 72-day ski expedition on Ellesmere Island in northern Canada.

The South African / Norwegian coproduction, a physically gruelling experience, was entirely filmed

by O’Donoghue in New Land, one of the last remaining true wilderness areas on the planet.

“I

moved to Norway two years ago and reconnected with Tobias Thorleifsson, a friend I had worked with in Antarctica five years before.

He was the historical consultant who made sure we got all our facts right about Otto Sverdrup who was the Norwegian explorer in whose footsteps we followed, celebrating his largely unknown achievements,” says Kyle O’Donoghue.

The documentary filmmaker undertook the journey with Thorleifsson, John Huston from the US, Hugh Dale-Harris from Canada and four Canadian Inuit dogs – Axel, Ellie, Napu and Larry.

O’Donoghue continues: “The expedition centres on our search for a lost cairn (pile of rocks) which Sverdrup built at his northernmost point and which has never been found. That is the narrative thrust which kept us moving forward.

“Then of course there were the daily trials and tribulations, weather threats, and wolves and polar bears circling our camp…”

28 | SCREENAFRICA | Nov / Dec 2013

By Martie Bester

FREEZE FRAME: Kyle O’Donoghue with Tobias Thorleifsson

Pushing boundaries Miki Redelinghuys says the men’s main guide and point of reference was Svedrup’s diary. “They used his maps and diary as a guide, calling it their 111-year-old Lonely Planet guide. The film is geographically located in an area called New Land, but philosophically it also deals with our need to explore ‘new land’, to push our boundaries, leave our comfort zone…”

Continues Redelinhuys: “I have to add that it takes a special kind of filmmaker to be able to tell this story. Kyle has a unique set of skills in that he could do the expedition and film it; but he is also an experienced social documentary storyteller, so he tells the expedition story from a refreshing point of view.”

She remarks that in this world where almost everything is accessible via internet; where every kind of travel has already been plotted by someone else on Trip Advisor; she loved the idea of telling the story of four men heading into the wilderness.

“Apart from the men, there was another critical member of the ice crew: Axel. The Canadian Inuit dog was Kyle’s constant companion, gear-puller and tripod watcher, and was also responsible for regular tumbles into snow with gear as he pulled Axel catching up on some sleep

the filming Kyle over the landscape with his immense strength,” says Redelinghuys.

Extraordinary journey According to her, New Land is a story about following a crazy dream, but also about following it with commitment, focus and a whole lot of training and preparation.

“Toby, John, Hugh and Kyle are ordinary guys with families, who undertake an extraordinary journey, with extraordinary risks.

“They are rewarded by experiencing an arctic wilderness that few of us will ever see; they encounter arctic wolves, polar bears, arctic foxes, the other worldly musk ox – animals most of us have only ever read about or seen on television.

“They form a special bond with their four dogs, who the audience gets to know and love during the course of the story – I think there is plenty of emotional engagement.”

Specialised filming O’Donoghue comments that he used ‘run-and-gun’ style of filming on Panasonic GH3 cameras with a few different lenses, but there are also blue chip landscapes,

wildlife moments and stunning time lapses.

“Additionally we used a lot of POV cameras attached to sleds, skis, etc. in driving winds and in -400 centigrade.

“Batteries died quickly. We would get about five minutes per GoPro battery. We took flexible solar panels to charge batteries. Since we had 24 hours sunlight for 50 days of the trip we could charge overnight,” explains O’Donoghue.

Backup and card storage was also a challenge since power from the solar panels was limited. To overcome this O’Donoghue bought 50 32 gig SD cards which he treated as tapes. He would ski with shot cards in a waterproof pouch on his body in case of falling through the sea ice, or losing a sled through the ice.

“Filming in snow is tricky for exposure especially if you are forced to shoot in auto a lot of the time. To overcome this I used the exposure compensation and over exposed by two stops for most of the time,” he adds.

Behind the scenes New Land was in pre-production for 18 months’ training, writing story outlines and trying to get a broadcaster on board. Filming took place in Norway, Canada, America, South Africa and the Canadian Arctic.

The production took three months to film and post-production will take three months for the initial Norwegian version and a further two months for the English version.

Editing is being done by Redelinhuys, O’Donoghue and Charlene Waite working on both timelines as the film will be broadcast as two 46-minute documentaries.

TV 2 Norway is the team’s Norwegian broadcast and distribution partner. The team is looking for other distributors.

New Land is Redelinghuys and O’Donoghue’s sixth collaboration.

| CAMERAS

Sony’s NEX-FS700 HD camera goes RAW

By Andy Stead

The popular Sony NEXFS700 HD camcorder is available in standard form equipped with a new 4K Exmor Super 35 CMOS sensor (total 11.6 million pixels) capable of cranking at up to 960 frames per second. This high-speed readout chip is optimised for motion picture shooting, producing exceptional image fidelity with high sensitivity, low noise and minimal aliasing.

A

s a relatively low budget device, the NEX-FS700 is a remarkable camera and is used across a broad spectrum of productions from features, commercials to corporate productions. It can in many areas compete with its bigger brother, the PMW-F55 camera, which costs several hundreds of thousands of rands more. The main difference however is its inability to provide a RAW output.

The NEX-FS700 started as a 4K sensor Super 35mm camcorder capable of a vast array of high frame rate and recording options to the superb on-board AVC-HD recording capability. It essentially records in HD. Local Sony accredited technical support company Central Engineering has completed the upgrade of the firmware into two NEX-FS700 camcorders, enabling them to now record linear RAW with 12-bit precision to the HXR-IFR5 RAW interface, plus AXS-R5 memory recorder which is sold separately. Another local company, Visual Impact, is the only other company able to do this firmware update, although all Sony accredited dealers are also able to perform this procedure.

“This update,” says Central Engineering’s Ivor Westpfahl, “enables continuous, full 2K resolution recordings at: 23.98, 25, 30, 50, 60, 100, 120, 200 and 240fps. The upgrade is also capable of continuous full 4K RAW recoding at: 23.98, 25, 30, 50 and 60fps.”

The system can also record 120fps at 4K resolution in four-second ‘bursts’ that result in 20 second at 24fps. An additional hardware interface, the Convergent Design’s Odyssey 7Q records 2K, uncompressed, Cinema DNG up to 240fps and 4K DPX up to 30fps when connected to the FS700U. Other key creative controls are also enhanced, namely increasing the camera’s ISO range; from 320 ~ 20 000 to 320 ~ 64 000. It also adds S Log2 and 800% 709 gamma curves widely enhancing its exposure latitude HD capability. Monitoring is accomplished from a BNC feed from the camera.

Compared to its big brother the DSF-55, which offers RAW as standard, the NEX-FS700 with the RAW update offers truly exceptional value for money and upgrades the camera to include top end feature film usage.

Different formats “There are various different RAW formats,” advises Westpfahl, “so if a facilities

company is going to use the files on say a Baselight or Da Vinci Resolve, it will need to acquire the appropriate software in order to understand the RAW output from the NEX-FX700 camera.

“The camera will obviously also allow you to shoot in its normal HD mode up to 1 000 or 960fps. It shoots at 1 920/1 080 up to 240fps and from there up to 1 000fps it drops it down to 1 080/720.

“When you are using the camera to shoot in RAW format it is not able to shoot up to 1 000fps because the data throughput is too high, so you are shooting 2K RAW at 240fps or 4K RAW up to 60fps. If you consider this camera is to be used in South Africa with a 50i PAL television scenario, then this changes to 50fps for 4K RAW and 200fps for 4K RAW. The software includes the S Log2 option which basically changes the gamma curves.”

A special jig is required to hook up a laptop to actually ‘talk’ to the camera board. The top section of the camera must be removed, which then exposes a connector in the body of the camera. A cable is then plugged in to this connector

and this goes to an interface unit which then feeds into the laptop via a USB connector. The appropriate firmware from Sony is then required for the laptop.

“A NEX-FX700 camera was purchased recently by a film production company and the firmware update was installed,” says Westpfahl. “They wanted an inexpensive RAW camera.

They already owned the recorder which is the expensive part, as well as the interface unit, so they only required the software upgrade.”

The upgrade also enhances other key creative controls: increasing the camera’s ISO range from 320 ~ 20 000 to 320 ~ 64 000, while the S Log2 allows 800% 709 gamma curves, widely enhancing its exposure latitude HD capability. The upgrade also enhances other key creative controls; increasing the camera’s ISO range; from 320 ~ 20 000 to 320 ~ 64 000. It also adds S Log2 and 800% 709 gamma curves widely enhancing its exposure latitude HD capability.

Nov / Dec 2013 | SCREENAFRICA | 29

Tracking Technology

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Supplying components is serious business

By Andy Stead An often forgotten essential service in our film and television industry is the supply of component parts.

A wide variety of items fall under this heading, most of which are essential in the continued full performance of an item of equipment, a facilities company and indeed a broadcaster.

B

arely a day goes by when some or other electrical component is required to replace a faulty part or in the construction of an item of equipment.

Such parts can vary from a microscopic molecular diode to a large camera battery – and everything in between. It would be impossible to calculate how many discreet components are manufactured, but it’s safe to say that innumerable businesses exist to cater specifically for this vast market.

While most of the major equipment manufacturers – Sony is one example – manufacture and supply their own spares, this may not be the case for other smaller suppliers of equipment in South Africa.

Hence the need to source spares from one of the specialised component suppliers.

Specialised batteries for cameras for example are supplied by companies such as Pro-Sales who are agents for the popular SWIT batteries. And by virtue of extensive marketing and regular stock, Pro-Sales claims that SWIT has become the most sold battery in South Africa and other African countries.

Timbre Broadcast Systems sells the Dynacore range of batteries, a good autonomous brand, while Visual Impact imports the VECT ET-130S 130 WH, 14.8V LI-ION V mount camera battery.

Sourcing parts Ivor Westphal of Central Engineering, a Sony Authorised Service Centre, handles major repairs and is a constant customer of component suppliers.

“I buy most of my parts from Sony, after that Mantech is the next stop. They can source almost anything, including the parts on the RS Components website and

30 | SCREENAFRICA | Nov / Dec 2013

sometimes at better prices than advertised on RS. You can make life easier by first going onto the RS or Mantech website, get the correct code you need for the part and place the order by phone or email.

“Mantech delivers so don’t go to the counters because it’s a waste of valuable time while they find the parts. Order and collect or get it delivered. Another supplier, Suntronika, which handles switches and connectors, was sold to Mantech a while ago,” says Westphal.

He notes that supplier AP Electronics burnt down a few weeks ago and it would seem that they are out of business.

Mantech supplies parts and components for special lighting requirements and special effects. They are part of the Mobicon Group, listed on the Hong Kong stock exchange and acquired by Suntronika in December 2012.

“We have close to half a million products on offer,” says CEO Manny Moutinho.

“Typically we supply power supplies, LEDs passive components such as resistors, capacitors, semiconductors (integrated circuits), microcontrollers, control boards (Raspberry Pi, Arduino, Microchip), accessories, tools and consumables including wire, sleeving, terminals, pliers, cutters and instruments such as multimeters, oscilloscopes and signal generators.”

The Mobicon Group has been in business for 30 years, while Mantech and Suntronika were established in the late 1980s. Their head office is in Johannesburg, with fully fledged branches in Braamfontein, Durban and Cape Town.

Mobicon is headquartered in Hong Kong, with branches in Singapore, Malaysia, China and Taiwan and other Asian areas.

Range of suppliers Kim Smith, head of engineering of the Sasani Group is a big user of component parts.

“I use a range of suppliers,” he says, “which include Mantech, Lido, Voltex, Cable Link and First Tech. Having access to spare parts and components is essential and we are generally able to source what we need.”

Lido Electrical Wholesale started way back in 1961 with very humble beginnings by the MacDonald brothers. In 50 years the company has grown into the largest independent electrical wholesaler. The company has distribution agreements with all the major electrical suppliers / manufacturers including Schneider / ClipsalCrabtree, Pratley, HellermannTyton, Legrand, Clipsal, Reeflite, Eveready and many others.

Voltex are best known as the suppliers of energy efficient products and solutions, electric cables, wiring accessories, home

security, lighting supplies, electric tools, test instrumentations and cable management.

Cable Link supplies quality products and services to the IT Industry. They are suppliers of keyboard-video-mouse switches, network products and materials.

They also supply a wide range of connectors, adapters, cable, crimp tools and networking materials.

Another supplier to the film and television industry is Wild and Marr, which includes in its client base broadcasters such as SuperSport and SABC, and production facilities Urban Brew, Sasani Studios and Dimension TV to name a few. Wild and Marr is a long established supplier having been in business for some 69 years.

While equipment suppliers continue to provide better, more reliable and more sophisticated products there will always be a need for components. Be it for a quick repair, or the building of a sophisticated television control room, that extra length of cable, a connector or a burnt-out integrated circuit, this will remain the domain of the component supplier.

Tracking Technology

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Turning day into night on Captain Phillips Four years after it made headlines, the harrowing ordeal of commercial shipping captain Richard Phillips gets the big screen treatment, care of docudrama specialist Paul Greengrass, in Captain Phillips.

HOSTAGE ORDEAL: Pirates in a scene from Captain Philips

Monster job

Tom Hanks

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arry Akroyd was the cinematographer on this intense, high stakes drama telling the true-life story of an American shipping captain swept up in a hostage ordeal after Somali pirates hijacked his ship. The film’s main protagonists are the ship Maersk Alabama’s commanding officer, Captain Richard Phillips (Tom Hanks), and his Somali counterpart, Muse (Barkhad Abdi).

Digital intermediate (DI) on Captain Phillips was carried out by Company 3’s senior colourist Rob Pizzey, who reflects on his latest opportunity to work with Akroyd and director Paul Greengrass and the challenge of grading a big ‘day for night’ (making footage shot during the day look like night time) climax.

“It was great to team up again with Paul and Barry after working on Greenzone with Paul and having done the DI on Barry’s last two features,” says Pizzey. “Barry has a

naturalistic style of shooting and Captain Phillips was no different. Everything is filmed handheld so there are never any locked off shots during the film. Because the camera is always moving, Barry is right on top of the action. You almost feel like a part of the film.

“His background in documentary filmmaking means he prefers a more natural feel with lots of great looking pictures. And that is exactly what you get with Captain Phillips.”

During the grade Pizzey had to differentiate between the film’s start, where the audience first meets Captain Phillips in his house and traveling on his way to the airport, and the scenes in Somalia where the pirates are first seen.

The film starts with a cooler looking colour palette and then it cuts to Somalia, shot on super 16, which is really warm.

Pizzey continues: “The biggest challenge on Captain Phillips was the film’s climax, which takes place at night. Most of the climax was actually shot in the day with just a few shots filmed at night, which created a big challenge in the grade, making the day shots filmed on various formats match the night shots.

“You have footage filmed at night and then you’ve got bright day footage shot in a water tank at Pinewood Studios and then you have other material filmed at sea during the day, literally cut next to each other.

Barry and I discussed this pre-shoot and decided we could make it work, although it would be a monster of a job.”

A month before the DI, Akroyd and Pizzey had the chance to work on the conformed ‘day for night’ scenes, allowing them to start setting the look.

“We worked through the scenes making sure we could achieve what we wanted and flagged areas where we could do with some help from VFX,” says Pizzey. “DaVinci Resolve’s unlimited nodes and auto tracking capabilities were a big help during the grade of the film’s big day for night scenes.

“The camera is moving around all over the place because you’re at sea, so the tracking tool was perfect because I could

hand draw shapes and then grade within that area. Then the auto tracking would map to the movement of the camera so we could get on with grading the day shots to match the night footage. It was also really useful for lining up faces and pulling out eyes. With the auto tracking, you get the shape on there and it maps it all the way through. It really did save me a lot of time.”

That session took a week, followed by the rendering of the DPX files with the grade baked on. This was sent to the visual effects house that was able to help in areas where Pizzey had darkened bits down, by adding in lights onto the boats or removing clouds in the sky to help sell the look.

When those shots came back into the timeline for the main DI they were 90% final.

The main DI took three and a half weeks and was attended by Akroyd for the first seven days. During that time the he and Pizzey set the look and mood for all the scenes and graded the climax of the film in full.

“When Barry left to shoot his next project I was left to carry on matching everything up. Once finished, Paul and Barry came back to have a final pass of the film where we carried out very minor tweaks on a couple of shots, then we wrapped,” he adds.

transition effects between them.

The system utilises industry-proven codecs: DVCPro 50 / DVCPro HD. Simple R features a new, specially redesigned multiviewer interface displaying three input channels and three windows for recorded video for immediate review and search.

In addition to standard for all slomo.tv systems PlayOut-PGM, the preview window has been added. Preview uses industry-

standard interface, displaying the next clip during playlist playout or active channel during the search.

For the first time in multichannel recording practice, Simple R storage is based on SSD drives. This allows it to operate in extremely harsh conditions, including at a high level of vibration.

Storage capacity permits recording of 33 hours in full HD or 65 hours of broadcast quality SD video.

Field fibre transport system Available from Zimele Broadcast Services, theBullDog is a field fibre transport system that combines all the functionality of the Silverback 4K with up to 8 HDSDI in any direction. theBullDog can be powered over a SMPTE cable, battery or AC line cord.

Additional signals include audio, comms, tally and RCP control, to name a few.

Also available from Zimele is Simple R –

32 | SCREENAFRICA | Nov / Dec 2013

the world’s most compact solution for SD / HD multi-channel recording and instant replays with slow motion. Its size and weight (4.8kg) is suitable for airplane carry-on luggage.

In industry terms Simple R is an 8-channel system. It simultaneously provides: three recording video channels, high-speed full-frame search on all three recorded channels and playback of two channels with

| Tracking Technology

No need to stand in a Q! When mentioning the word Quantel most people will immediately think of high-end finishing and post-production. Interestingly, that sector typically accounts for less than half of their business, the majority is broadcast live news and sports.

Quantel is a dynamic, forward thinking company that not only develops game changing content creation solutions for the broadcast market, but evolves with the market resulting in creative, productive and profitable workflows that give post houses and broadcasters the edge they need to thrive and grow in today’s highly competitive global media market.

The company has been around for 40 years and is a truly international company, with systems installed at broadcast facilities and post houses worldwide. Quantel news and sports production systems are relied on by more than 150 broadcasters around the world. Many hundreds of postproduction facilities leverage the creative power of Quantel workstations to produce

countless TV dramas, commercials, documentaries and every other kind of programming.

Quantel visited South Africa recently to engage with existing customers such as the SABC and a number of post-production facilities, as well as following up leads from the Mediatech Africa and IBC 2013 exhibitions to develop new business opportunities.

Worldwide marketing manager (Broadcast) for Quantel, Trevor Francis stated that Quantel does not sell technology, it sells workflows. “We sell solutions that allow the broadcasters to add intelligence easily and quickly, to get news and sport to the viewers faster and more efficiently.”

Francis demonstrated elements of their QTube technology workflow, part of the development of Quantel’s revolutionQ. QTube InterSite allows content on remote

Enterprise sQ systems to be available to local editors. This basically means that content based on a server in Johannesburg, for example, can be accessed by regional sites such as Cape Town and Bloemfontein for editorial purposes via the internet or fixed network.

Quantel’s next-generation field editor, the new Marco, was launched at IBC 2013.

Marco enables journalists and editors to take the fast and easy to use Quantel editing toolset out of the office and with them on assignment. The thousands of journalists and editors who already use Quantel editors will find the new Marco instantly familiar: the GUI and toolset are exactly the same.

For those new to the Quantel interface, it is simple and quick to learn, easy to use and includes all the editing and effects tools they will need. A Marco user can plug their PC into the local area network and use the

new ‘Deliver to sQ’ feature to place a ready-to-play clip directly into the Enterprise sQ system. It can then be viewed, played immediately under the control of a newsroom computer system.

QTube does for collaborative production what the mobile phone has done for human communications. Location is irrelevant and we can now do everything from wherever we are.

The development of Quantel’s revolutionQ has changed the way broadcasters now work. The new software architecture embraces web technology to deliver a flexible, distributed, fastturnaround content creation system, allowing users to utilise off the shelf products for processing and storage. revolutionQ is a genuine revolution for content creators.

Quantel products are distributed and supported in South Africa by Questek.

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Nov / Dec 2013 | SCREENAFRICA | 33

Tracking Technology

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New 4KLCD production monitor Panasonic Professional Camera Solutions has announced new details about the BT-4LH310, a 31-inch 4096 x 2160 resolution LCD monitor for unrivalled 4K/2K monitoring in a studio or in the field.

The 4LH310’s 4K 10-bit IPS panel affords native 4K resolution, a wide viewing angle, and faithful reproduction of up to 1.07 billion colours. A high quality LCD monitor features multiple professional inputs (including HD-SDI, 3G-SDI and HDMI); true colour processing with a 3D look-up table (LUT); HD/SD closed captioning; and an eco-friendly panel with mercury-free LED backlight.

The new native 4K LCD production monitor serves excellently in the field, in video villages for live viewing of 4K cameras and devices with I/Os, as well as for the viewing of rushes. For this, the monitor has been equipped with a production-tough aluminium frame, can operate on 28V DC besides AC, has worldwide 59.94/50Hz compatibility and VESA screws for mounting and comes with a supplied stand.

Thanks to the great size-to-price value of

the 4K monitor, post-production facilities can accept more 4K assignments, including editing, screenings and dailies.

In addition to 4K, the 4LH310 can portray up to four screens in 2K and HD resolutions, meaning it can be used for all types of cinema production and post-production, as well as top-end implementations in corporate, educational and laboratory settings. The 4LH310’s high resolution and quality also allow it to be used in computer graphics and simulation applications.

Improving ROI workflows AJA Video System’s new TruZoom™ software delivers high-quality region-ofinterest (ROI) workflows from 4K and UltraHD signals.

Powered by AJA’s Corvid Ultra hardware, TruZoom is ideal for sports broadcast, live event production, professional AV, and film.

ROI scaling allows for HD extraction from 4K and UltraHD sources.

Features include support for High Frame Rate (HFR) and 4:4:4 workflows; able to work with realtime signals, or recorded

34 | SCREENAFRICA | Nov / Dec 2013

uncompressed files; instant realtime playback and interaction at the highest quality; all parameters are keyframeable; intuitive interface with on-screen indicators; includes external joystick and keypad controller; optional realtime RAW Debayer firmware for Canon C500; and compatible with the latest HP workstations running Windows.

Real-time IP production technology Sony has developed real-time IP production technology to deliver better efficiency and lower system costs in live productions, particularly for sports broadcasts. This new technology is the result of Sony’s on-going efforts to develop comprehensive professional solutions using IP video technology.

Real-time IP production technology integrates IP network technology and HD-SDI, the standard for HD video transmission. It enables video, audio, reference signals and control data to be transmitted between devices using a single network cable. Multiple high-resolution video and audio, including HD and 4K, can be synchronously transmitted to multiple points and the source video can be switched smoothly with no switching noise, resulting in a dramatic improvement in the efficiency of video transmission between the field and the broadcast station.

Conventionally, numerous cables are

required to transmit HD video from video locations such as live production sites. In addition, the volume of information transferred by 4K high-resolution video production is four times that of HD, meaning that four times as many cables are necessary. When both the input and output directions are taken into account, eight times as much cabling is required in comparison to HD production.

Sony’s real-time IP production technology will enable even 4K video to be transmitted using a single network cable. This will greatly simplify 4K live production systems, with one-eighth or less cabling required, significantly reducing installation costs, space and cable mass.

This technology can even simultaneously transmit different video formats using a single network cable. It is also possible to easily extend connection devices by adding IP switches.

A new gem in the field

Every now and then somebody in the broadcast industry develops a product that just says WOW! Most DSLR and high-end camcorders now provide live SDI or HDMI outputs when shooting video. The purpose of these connectors was originally to allow the cinematographer and crew to monitor what was being shot. Bypassing the compression circuitry of the camera, the connectors push out a very high bandwidth uncompressed signal consisting of video and audio as high as 5gbs per second. Compared to a typical 50 – 100mgbs per second of recording bandwidth, that’s an awful lot of bits floating about that could be used to full advantage.

Enter the Atomos Samurai Blade! Atomos is an Australian company which has developed four field recorders that incorporate monitoring and playback. The new Samurai Blade offers 10-BIT 4:2:2 recording quality on either 2.5” Hard Drives (HDD) or Solid State Drives (SSD). In normal video shooting environments the 2.5” HDD is your new tape – extremely low running costs, long record times (up to 30 hours) and limitless supply.

For those vibration sensitive shoots, around the racetrack or in the helicopter, Atomos supports modern SSDs as well.

Editing codecs include Apple ProRes or Avid DNxHD – giving users universal non-linear editing support. All audio, even analogue audio, is locked frame accurately to every video frame. With up to 12 channels of digital and two of analogue audio always available to view and monitor on headphone jacks or line out.

Packed into the camera-mountable

Samurai Blade are all the essential tools needed to set up on-site accurate colours and exposure including full waveform monitor functions – Vectorscope, RGB and LUMA parades. Each provides an intuitive transparent interface offering full screen, lower third or bottom right corner positioning to give you a range of options when setting up, recording and playing back your shot.

The new Samurai Blade offers a stunning 1280 x 720 SuperAtom IPS touchscreen, at 325ppi 179-degree viewing, 400nit brightness and multi-frequency (48/50/60Hz) operation, depending on video input, giving super smooth monitoring and playback.

And just when you though there could be no more…Atomos has introduced a world first, the Spyder Colour Calibrator.

Developed in partnership with Datacolor, the Atomos Spyder gives the Samurai Blade one button colour calibration normally only found on high end monitors. With Spyder, the Samurai Blade gains the ability to accurately calibrate to the SMPTE Rec 709 color space with a D65 white point with 100% gamut. What you see on the monitor is as accurate a representation of what you are shooting you will ever get!

There are a number of high quality field recorders out there but to me the Samurai Blade is currently the world’s most advanced smart production recorder, monitor and playback deck available. Every part of its physical and operational design has been carefully crafted to deliver the ultimate in simple operation and mission critical reliability in true Aussie style! Good on ya mates! – Ian Dormer

| Tracking Technology

Transporting the ‘Drone’ Pro-Sales has announced that the HPRC2700PHA / HPRC2700WPHA has been specifically designed for the transport of the DJI Phantom Drone.

Expanded polietilene foam, produced with water cutting technology guarantees an optimum protection and maximum security during the transport of gear.

The new HPRC model combines high protection and security that all HPRC range provides during the transport. Furthermore, the customised interior has been specifically designed for the DJI Phantom Drone.

Pre-configured multiviewer Pre-configured for simple and easy installation, the Kaleido-MX multiviewer from Miranda Technologies is available in a wide choice of configurations for high-end TV production requirements in studios and outside broadcast trucks.

Kaleido-MX offers reduced power consumption and a lightweight, compact design that’s ultra-quiet and runs cool. With its advanced scaling technology, Kaleido-MX offers best video image quality as well as full layout flexibility to assign ‘any source, anywhere’ with no bandwidth limitations. It provides hot swappable modules and power supplies for robust performance in the harshest environments.

Key features and benefits include: unmatched image quality; unmatched multiviewer picture quality and superior on-screen graphics for the most critical monitoring applications and high-end TV production requirements; simultaneous HDMI and SDI outputs at full 1080p 50/60 Hz resolution on up to four multiviewer displays; input signal processing up to 3Gbps signal formats; robust and

serviceable design; unique auto-recovery feature provides fast automated recovery after a cold” spare is inserted into the frame; hot swappable modules and power supplies; 1RU and 3RU frame models with quiet cooling; and multi-room, multi-user oriented.

A single Kaleido-MX multiviewer can be used to share sources across multiple rooms or operator positions, with fully independent displays, audio monitoring and control panels dedicated to each operator.

Nov / Dec 2013 | SCREENAFRICA | 35

Africa

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KENYA

VOD alive and well in Africa Buni is the Swahili word for innovation and serves as the inspiration for a Kenya-based multimedia company that incorporates a production and online distribution arm.

U

sers of Buni TV, the independent African video-on-demand (VOD) streaming service that launched in April 2012, have watched 200 000 hours of content to date.

Buni TV is operational on the web (www.buni.tv) as well as on iPhones, Android and Blackberry smart phones across the globe.

A division of Buni Media, Buni TV differs from most African VOD platforms in that it is highly curated. Content emanates from Africa, Latin America, the Middle East and Asia.

Says company co-founder and CEO, Marie Lora-Mungai: “Our team of editors is constantly looking for new content of high technical quality. This means that videos should be produced professionally, with proper lighting and sound. We are open to all stories and genres, but we tend to prefer content that feels modern, is exciting and reflects contemporary themes and ideas.”

She notes that it is quite challenging to source content. “Africa is not organised through a studio system like the US or Europe, which means that we have to deal with hundreds of independent producers.

The VOD space is only just emerging on the continent, so we have to educate content providers on market potential, which takes quite a bit of time and effort. But generally filmmakers respond in a very enthusiastic way and appreciate Buni TV’s commitment to develop the African film industry.”

The Buni TV catalogue is positioned to speak to the modern African experience, as well as the diaspora, and includes films that touch on topics that are likely to connect with the audience. Producers are welcome

CORRECTION The article entitled Integrating systems on a global tight budget published in the August 2013 issue of Screen Africa incorrectly stated that the TV Zimbo project in Angola was aborted because it ran out of money. TV Zimbo is in fact up and running and currently implementing a major technology upgrade.

36 | SCREENAFRICA | Nov / Dec 2013

SATIRICAL PUPPETS: A puppet being made for The XYZ Show

Marie Lora-Mungai

to submit their work to content@buni.tv.

Lora-Mungai continues: “Ultimately we’d love to give our users access to international films like Beasts of the Southern Wild or The Intouchables.

“Through our content partnership with the Senegal-based AfricaFilms.tv, we have a combined catalogue of over 1 000 titles.

But what you’ll find on Buni TV is a curated portion of that catalogue.”

Controversial content Buni TV does not shy away from content that may be deemed controversial and recently added Jean-Pierre Bekolo’s The President to its offering. Banned in Cameroon, the film clearly refers to the country’s real-life leader, Paul Biya, and questions what the failing health of Africa’s few remaining dictators-for-life mean for their countries.

Also available on www.buni.tv is other controversial fare such as Fuelling Poverty, a Nigerian documentary about a fuel subsidy scam that was banned in Nigeria.

“The XYZ Show, produced by Buni Media, is one of the continent’s top political satire shows with an audience of 10 million on television and radio in Kenya. You can find all episodes of the show on Buni TV minutes after they’ve aired on television,” comments Lora-Mungai.

‘Freemium’

Provocative puppets

Buni TV is based on a ‘freemium’ subscription model, with its premium service set to launch in the next couple of months. Currently viewers can enjoy a range of free videos on the platform, and soon full-length feature films and TV shows will be available for a monthly subscription fee.

Advertising is envisaged as a possible revenue stream in the future, although digital advertising in Africa is still new.

About 50% of the Buni TV’s traffic originates from Kenya while 40% of the total traffic comes from North America and Europe. Forty-three percent of Buni TV’s African audience accesses the site from a mobile device.

The Buni TV site was designed by Barbara Muriungi and built by Asilia.

Buni Media’s The XYZ Show was inspired by Guignols de l’Info, which is the French equivalent of the UK’s legendary and long-running series, Spitting Image.

“Several countries around the world have produced similar satirical puppet shows, and they are typically crowd-pleasers,” comments Lora-Mungai. “My partner, the cartoonist who goes by the pen name of ‘Gado’, and I launched Africa’s first take on the Spitting Image concept in early 2009 in Kenya.”

Each year Buni Media produces two seasons of 13 x 24-minute episodes. As The XYZ Show is a current affairs show and needs to reflect the latest news, it is written and shot the week before it airs.

“When we started the show we had to build a puppet workshop, including a cold room and custom kiln and train puppet makers from scratch in Nairobi. Our puppets are made of foam latex, which involves mixing various chemicals at a precise temperature. Manipulating them is also quite challenging and requires two puppeteers per puppet. And let’s not forget the voice talents who provide much of the humour in the show. About 60 people work directly on The XYZ Show,” says Lora-Mungai.

The writing team comprises Lily Wanjiku, Edward Khaemba, Titus Maina, Julian Macharia and Loi Odhiambo.

Several politicians parodied on the show have complained personally to broadcaster NTV, but it has never gone further than that.

Lora-Mungai notes that now that the show is protected by its popularity, politicians prefer to visit the studios and shake hands with their puppets, rather than fight the production team.

The XYZ Show recently celebrated its 100th episode. – Joanna Sterkowicz

CAMEROON

| AFrica

How do you know when it’s time to go?

By Joanna Sterkowicz In The President, awardwinning Cameroonian writer-director JeanPierre Bekolo presents an intriguing allegory about ‘the end of the men who run Africa’.

W

hen asked if he would describe himself as an auteur filmmaker, Jean-Pierre Bekolo (Les Saignantes; Aristotle’s Plot, Quartier Mozart) responds: “Yes, I make films about what I think. Besides telling a story that is always secondary, there is inevitably an idea about the world that I am interested in.”

The idea in Bekolo’s latest film, The President (Le Président), focuses on an African political taboo – what does the failing health of the continent’s few remaining dictators-for-life mean for their countries?

In The President, the plot revolves around the disappearance, just a few days before the elections, of the film’s fictional, long-running president.

Bekolo was inspired to make the film when he returned to Cameroon after living in France and the US for many years.

“I realised that the figure of ‘the president’ is bigger than that of Jesus in the Cameroonian mentality. This situation is creating a mental problem for the society.

It’s like you go to bed at night knowing that the sun will rise tomorrow but you are not allowed to say it or even think about it. The president is 80 years old, he has been in power for 30 years and yet it’s forbidden to say that one day he will go. How is this situation affecting people’s daily behaviour?

“I believe that cinema has a role to play in society beyond entertainment. Cinema could help Cameroonians prepare for the inevitable change that is coming,” he explains.

When conceiving the film Bekolo kept asking himself the same question – how is it all going to end?

“The question I pose in The President is – how do you know when it’s time to go?

That’s a question that is addressed to all of us and we need to start answering it in different places. It’s like when you pay a visit to a friend but you don’t wait for them to tell you when it’s time to leave because you know when the time is right.

AFRICAN POLITICAL TABOO: A scene from The President

“This is applicable to these men who run Africa. Some people say it’s part of African culture for those in power never to leave. If that’s the case, then why stick to the notion of a republic? Kingdoms are more appropriate for this African practice. I believe duplicity is a serious issue in African behaviour today.”

Banned Once the film was completed, the Cameroonian government quickly picked up on the reference to the country’s real-life leader Paul Biya and promptly banned the film.

When Bekolo heard the film had been banned he thought it was a joke. “There is generally such a cacophony in the local media (like the character of Joe Wood’ou in my film) that you wouldn’t think all that noise, or so-called freedom of speech, is actually controlled. Auto-censorship is very present in Cameroon.”

To counteract the banning, Bekolo turned to African video-on-demand streaming platform Buni TV to distribute the film. It was available on www.buni.tv as from 12 October.

In addition The President has screened at several festivals, most notably at the Festival Cine Droit Libre in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.

Bekolo continues: “This is a festival where people who have been banned can express themselves for a week. My film screened at the opening and was followed by a discussion with a real leader of the opposition, in a country where the president has been in power for around 28 years. The debates were just incredible!”

Genesis Jean-Pierre Bekolo

Once Bekolo had conceived the idea for the film he shot two scenes and showed

them to scriptwriter Simon Njami, with who he collaborated on Aristotle’s Plot.

“Simon got very excited about the scenes and started writing the full script. I guess he was very inspired having been the official biographer of former, long-running Senegalese president, Léopold Sédar Senghor. Obviously I had to add many other scenes to the script, with Simon’s approval. For a filmmaker like me it’s a pleasure to work with such a brain as good brains are lacking in cinema today.”

Bekolo admits that the film had a ‘kind-of-fund-as-you-go-along’ strategy, which stretched over one year. The initial funding was from Njami and Bekolo himself, while most of the money came in for post-production from Welt Film Kristina Konrad in Berlin.

“Some parties still haven’t paid what they committed to as they are now nervous about the film,” he says. “It’s a kind of financial censorship. The classic funders of Francophone African Cinema ran away, afraid of Paul Biya’s anger I guess. Additionally, the French Ambassador in Cameroon asked The French Institute of Yaoundé not to show the film and The German Ambassador did the same with the Goethe Institut. The Francophonie refuse to finance the film, the European Union (EU) through the African Caribbean Pacific (ACP) Programme rejected it. And I thought these countries were free, but apparently not when it comes to an African president.”

Nov / Dec 2013 | SCREENAFRICA | 37

WEB NEWS

|

www.screenafrica.com

SA talk show in line for Emmy

Freevision launched in the GaMphahlele Municipality

Satirical South African talk show, Late Night News with Loyiso Gola, has been nominated in the comedy category of the 41st International Emmy Awards which takes place on 25 November in New York.

The series, presented by comedian Loyiso Gola, is broadcast on eNews Channel Africa (eNCA) and features humorous commentary, sketch inserts and guests interviews on current affairs.

Patrick Conroy, eNCA News group head, believes the TV show has become part of South Africa’s national conversation, allowing viewers the opportunity to

On 14 October South Africa’s Minister of Communications Yunus Carrim launched the Freevision satellite service to the GaMphahlele in Lepelle Nkumpi Municipality in Limpopo, an area that has an intermittent broadcasting signal.

“As the government, we are determined to ensure that we bring services to all South Africans, especially the poor and those in rural areas. It is wrong that some communities are excluded from accessing services for whatever reason,” said Minister Carrim.

He said the Department of Communications is working with provincial governments and municipalities across the country to ensure that the number of South Africans without access to a television signal

Late Night News with Loyiso Gola experience political and social issues in a humorous light. “I see Late Night News as an extension of our news service at eNCA and value the hard work and dedication from Loyiso Gola, Kagiso Lediga, Tamsin Andersson and the rest of the team,” he says.

France first European country to release Mandela film

Naomie Harris as Winnie Mandela South African producer Anant Singh announced today that France will be the first European country to release Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom on 18 December 2013. This announcement coincided with the arrival of French President François Hollande in South Africa on 14 October.

French media giant Pathé will release the film across France on more than 350

screens, and it will be the first release of this magnitude for a South African film. Pathé believes that Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom will have wide appeal among the French public as Madiba is one of the most loved international statesmen in France.

Singh commented: “It is very exciting that President Hollande is visiting South Africa to enhance business and industrial ties with our country. It is equally exciting that France will be releasing Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom first in Europe.”

Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom releases nationally in South Africa on 28 November 2013 through United International Pictures.

ICASA warns against illegal leasing of ECS and ECNS licences The Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (ICASA) has issued the following statement regarding what it terms ‘the widespread practice’ among Electronic Communications Services (ECS) and Electronic Communications Network Services (ECNS) licencees to lease or sub-lease certain licences to third parties without ICASA’s prior written authority and consent.

The statement reads: ICASA wishes to give notice to all ECS and ECNS licensees who may be involved in such a practice to 38 | SCREENAFRICA | Nov / Dec 2013

Minister Yunus Carrim is, over time, significantly reduced from the current five million people.

SA film wins at international festivals The Forgotten Kingdom by South African producers ZenHQ Films and Binary Film Works has won two international awards in the past week.

The first feature film produced in and about Lesotho received the Golden Punt Audience Award for Best Film at the 33rd Cambridge Film Festival in the UK, competing against 55 other films making their UK premiere.

On Sunday 6 October the movie

scooped the awards for Best Film, Best Cinematography and Best Editor at the Woodstock Film Festival in New York.

Written and directed by Andrew Mudge, the movie opens in the gritty streets of Johannesburg before moving to the stunning scenery of Lesotho, and tells the story of a young man’s pilgrimage home to re-discover his roots.

The film releases in South Africa in April 2014 through Indigenous Films.

A scene from The Forgotten Kingdom

SACF ICT Youth Forum launched refrain with immediate effect because it is prohibited in terms of the law.

Further, the Authority considers the leasing or sub-leasing of licences or any other licences issued in terms of the Electronic Communications Act as a gross contravention and in particular, of section 5 (12). The Act states clearly that ‘a licence confers on the holder the privileges and subjects him or her to the obligations provided for in the Act and specified in the Act’.

On 15 October the South African Communications Forum (SACF) launched the SACF ICT Youth Forum, which seeks to identify, develop and mentor the next wave of ICT industry leaders. This launch, which took place at Vodaworld in Johannesburg, serves as the first step towards developing the youth in the ICT Development Framework and implementation programmes.

The ICT Youth Forum will discuss and

chart a way forward for the meaningful participation of youth in the information and communication technology industry.

Said SACF CEO Loren Kabosha: “The launch of the ICT Youth Forum comes during a time of great change across the ICT industry, which can only benefit from this youth leadership initiative.

Youth are the now and the future of the ICT industry.”

| WEB NEWS Exclusive interview with Crossing Lines’ producers

UK African film fests collaborate

SCREEN AFRICA EXCLUSIVE: Ed Bernero and Rola Bauer, co-creators and executive producers of new series Crossing Lines, spoke to Screen Africa about their involvement with the show, which airs only on Sony Entertainment Television on DStv Channel 127 from 22 October at 8h55pm.

Before becoming a television writer, producer and director Ed Bernero used to be a police officer. As Crossing Lines taps into the charter of the International Criminal

Court (ICC) to mandate a special crime unit, he says he put in a lot of his own experiences to create the characters’ back stories.

“In a sense, they are all me at a different stage in my career, like when I was a rookie, in the middle of my career, and towards the end. Our characters are all different, so I put parts of what I thought about when I was that age in the story,” says Bernero.

This year for the first time, the UK’s four biggest African film festivals – Africa in Motion (AiM) in Edinburgh/Glasgow, Afrika Eye in Bristol, the Cambridge African Film Festival and Film Africa, London – are uniting to share films and filmmakers in a drive to bring a greater variety of contemporary African cinema to a broader UK audience.

The festivals have joined forces to tour a quartet of highly-rated new feature films from Africa and to enable UK cinema-goers to talk to three of the filmmakers makers about their work. The shared programme includes: Judy Kibinge, a rising star on the

Kenyan cinema scene, presenting Something Necessary, her riveting drama about political violence in Kenya, followed by a Q&A at AiM, Afrika Eye and Film Africa (with a screening at the Cambridge African Film Festival); and South African Jahmil XT Qubeka presenting and discussing Of Good Report, his controversial, Lolitainspired, film noir, at AiM and Film Africa.

International series shoots in Cape Town Productions (2 Guns, End of Watch).

The series is being shot on location in Cape Town with Kalahari Pictures (Dredd, District 9).

Said Kalahari Pictures’ Michael Murphey: “Greg and his team looked all over the world, including America, New Zealand and Australia, but chose Cape Town for its production value, labour force and gorgeous scenery.”

JR Martinez

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SAF3 (pronounced ‘Safe’), a new series about an elite division of the Malibu Fire Department that includes specialists in sea, air and fire rescue operations, is currently shooting in Cape Town.

Baywatch creator Gregory J Bonann conceptualised the 20-episode series with Baywatch writer Tai Collins. Bonann’s Tower 18 Productions is producing with Randall Emmett and George Furla’s Emmett/Furla

For stability to your production and pocket WWW.PRO-SALES.CO.ZA TEL: +27 (0)11 462 0000 FAX: +27 (0)11 706 7140 E-MAIL: INFO@PRO-SALES.CO.ZA ADDRESS: 1 ORMONDE STREET, BRYANSTON, SOUTH AFRICA, 2023

Nov / Dec 2013 | SCREENAFRICA | 39

PR ODU CT IO N

UPDATES FOR FURTHER DETAILS VISIT www.screenafrica.com

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

IN DEVELOPMENT

general post the finest freelance post-production & creative crew editors * researchers * animators * visual effects artists storyboard artists * directors * sound engineers * writers post-production producers & supervisors

ALSO offering flexible, cost-effective post-production solutions for the commercials industry tel: 0860 111 553 fax: +27 11 706 7949 bookings@generalpost.co.za www.generalpost.co.za after hours emergency number: 076 225 9173

80 MINUTES Periphery Films Dir: Simon Taylor / Julia Taal Feature Drama AFRICAN NIGHTS Two Oceans Production Prod: Giselher Venzke / Bertha Spieker A LION IN THE BEDROOM Two Oceans Production Prod: Giselher Venzke / Bertha Spieker Feature AMABHUBESI Inkwasi Television Prod: Bell Curle TV Magazine 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 Suite People TVP Prod: Bell Curle Documentary DAISY Bamboo Media (PTY) LTD Dir: Marguelette Louw Feature Film

do good design south africa Concept Interaction Prod: Karl Fedderke Educational DYINGCRACY Sabstance Productions Prod: Edmund Mhlongo Documentary ECONOMIC TRANSFORMATION Gaonakgang Film Productions and Publications Writ: George Phuthiyagae Documentary 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 Prods: 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 Prods: Giselher Venzke / Bertha Spieker Feature HISTORICAL KIMBERLEY Spike Productions Prod: Steve Mueller Bsc. Documentary Hhola Hhola Vuleka Productions Prod: Julie Frederikse/Madoda Ncayiyana Feature Film HOTEL SONGOLOLO The Media Workshop Dir: Benito Carelsen Comedy Series IIQ Sukuma Media Dir: Bonginhlanhla Ncube Feature IK1 – TOURISTS IN DANGER Two Oceans Production Prods: Giselher Venzke / Bertha Spieker Feature Indla lifa P.I.M.P Dir / Prod: Daniel P Nxumalo Drama series Insila yenkosi P.I.M.P Dir / Prod: Daniel P Nxumalo Feature (Zulu) Inventing Africa Imageworks Prod: Anthony Irving Documentary IYEZA THEATRE & TV LIGHTING (PTY) LTD Iyeza Theatre & TV Lighting (Pty) Ltd Prod / Dir: Cal Morris Corporate JAN SMUTS: AN INTERNATIONAL ICON AHEAD OF HIS TIME Tekweni TV production Prod / Dir: Sandra Herrington / Neville Herrington Documentary KADU’S JOURNEY DO Productions Prods: Marlow de Mardt / Brigid Olën Feature

OUR OB FLEET

Unit 3, Harbour Place, 1061 Schooner Road, Laser Park, Honeydew You can reach us at: Tel: +27 (0) 11 431 3053 Fax: +27 (0) 86 689 9233 Cell: +27 (0) 83 426 6634 Email: mojapelepe@gmail.com www.mojapeleproductions.co.za

40 | SCREENAFRICA | Nov / Dec 2013

LEADERS of AFRICA The expeditionary force Dirs: nicholas schofield / alexis schofield Documentary LION GIRL DO Productions Prod: Marlow de Mardt / Brigid Olën TV Feature Lonely Planet Two Oceans Production Prod: Giselher Venzke / Bertha Spieker Feature MANCHE, THE AFRICAN SAINT Get the Picture Prod / Dir: Jacky Lourens / Karin Slater Documentary MHLONGO Inhlakanipho Films Dir / Writer: Dumisani Vusi Nnhlapo Feature Money in the bag P.I.M.P Dir / Prod: Daniel P Nxumalo Reality TV show MUTI DOT MOBI Vuleka Productions.

Prod / Dir: Julie Frederikse / Madoda Ncayiyana .

Feature Film NEW BEGINNINGZ Sukuma Media Dir: Bonginhanhla Ncube Documentary Nongoloza Current Affairs Prod: Jane Thandi Lipman Feature Palace of the Faithless White Heron Pictures Dir: Themba Sibeko Feature PASSARES (BIRDISH) White Heron Pictures / Casa De Criacao Cinema Prod: Themba Sibeko Feature PIETER CILLIERS PRODUCTIONS Pieter Cilliers Productions Prod / Dir: Pieter Cilliers TV Magazine RAF INDUCTION VIDEO Panache Video Productions Prod: Liesel Eiselen Corporate ROAD ACCIDENT FUND INDUCTION Panache Video Productions Dir: Liesel Eiselen Corporate Sarah Graham: Bitten 2 Production Company: Okuhle Media Director: Chris Lotz Genre: Lifestyle/cooking series 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 Sirens P.I.M.P Dir / Prod: Daniel P Nxumalo Drama series SUPERMAMA GoogelPlex Productions Dir: Karen van Schalkwyk Feature SWANK! International Radio Pictures Prod: D Gillard Musical The 7P’s to propel change Panache video productions Prod / Dir: Liesel Eiselen Script: Dr Caren Scheepers 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 the book shop P.I.M.P Dir / Prod: Daniel P Nxumalo Drama series THE CONSEQUENCE DO Productions Prod: Marlow de Mardt / Brigid Olën Feature The Dreaded Evil Eye from Past to Present and Across Cultures It’s a Wrap Productions Dir: Eugene Botha Documentary THE EDGE International Radio Pictures Kit Reynolds TV Series THE FILM MAKER Elle Bolt Productions Prod: Elle Bolt Reality Series The Flawed Genius of Jan Smuts Tekweni TV Productions Prod / Dir: Sandra Herrington/Neville Herrington Dir Of Photo: Anton Herrington Documentary The Scores Are In Current Affairs Films Prod: Jane Thandi Lipman Game Show / Entertainment Series VULTURE KILLING FIELDS Suite People TVP Bell Curle Documentary WAY TO ROLL Blue Ice Productions Dir: Freddie Strauss Feature Weer Debra Khaki Productions Prod / Dir: Christelle Parrott , Wynand Dreyer Actuality Series – kykNET

PRODUCTION Welcome To The Club Two Oceans Production Prods: Giselher Venzke / Bertha Spieker Feature WHIPLASH Get the Picture Prod / Dir: Jacky Lourens / Meg Rickards Other Crew: Tracey Farren, Jenny Hicks Feature Film ZERO DIET Two Oceans Production Prod: Giselher Venzke / Bertha Spieker Feature ZEBRAS DO Productions Dir: Bruce Beresford Feature ZEN FILM CREW MANAGEMENT ZEN Film Crew Management Prod / Dir: Laura Tarling Commercial

PRE-PRODUCTION Abland Property Developers FC Hamman Films Director: FC Hamman Marketing Video Chabela Day Spa Grey Cloud Production Dir: Jacques Brand Information Video Die Verhaal van Racheltjie de Beer Brett Michael Innes Films Prod: Brett Michael Innes Historical feature film El Eljon Projects FC Hamman Films Director: FC Hamman Marketing Video Elegy: forsaken in South Africa Market Street Productions Prod: Paul Van Zyl Short film espAFRIKA presents the Cape Town International Jazz Festival 2013 Espafrika Prods / Dirs: Rashid Lombard / Yana Lombard / John Bright Documentary Generation Free Okuhle Media Dir: Jemima Spring Documentary Series Holidays for Madmen Imageworks Prod: Anthony Irving TV Series JUB JUB DOCUMENTARY (working title) Baxopath Media Dir: Nolitha Tshinavha Documentary LET HEAVEN WAIT Revolution real entertainment Prod / Dir: Deon Potgieter Sitcom Mandela Synergy Films Drama / Documentary MISTIFY Gleam studios / Wilddogs productions Prod / Dir: Sonja Ter Horst / Johnny Swanepoel Short film NATIONAL LIBRARY OF SOUTH AFRICA Panache Video Productions Prod / Dir: Liesel Eiselen Corporate video PSALTED Engage Entertainment Exec Prod: Vusi Zion (previously Twala) Variety RATE MY PLATE International Radio Pictures Exec Prod: Kit Reynolds Community Project SAFE IN THE CITY Imani Media.

Comedy SAINT & FREEDOM FIGHTER It’s a Wrap Productions Dir: Eugene Botha Documentary Si-solutions International Radio Pictures Exec Prod: Kit Reynolds Community Project

Seatbelt Medic FC Hamman Films Director: FC Hamman TV Commercial SHAKESPEARE IN MZANSI: A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM Fireworx Media Prod: Bridget Pickering Mini Series SLENDER WONDER INFORMATION VIDEO Grey Cloud Productions Dir: Jacques Brand Information Video TALK OF THE TOWN Suite People TV Productions Bell Curle TV Series The Black Out Dithakeng Projects and Flms Exec Prods: Thabang Nkunyane Short Film THE LOST ANGEL Inhlakanipho Films Dir: Vusi Dumisani Nhlapo Feature Film TO CARE FOR YOU ALWAYS Noble Pictures Prod: Claudia Noble Short Film THE MESSENGER Spirit Word Ministries/Footprint Media Academy Exec Prod: Annalise Van Rensburg Series WAY TO FREEDOM Two Oceans Production Prods: Giselher Venzke / Bertha Spieker Feature Film Workerslife Network Marketing FC Hamman Films Director: FC Hamman Marketing Video XJ-1 Eternal Film Productions Producer: Marius Swanepoel, Dana Pretorius Genre: Sci-fi Feature Film

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 ANGLO GOLD ASHANTI SAFETY SERIES SummerTime Productions Prod / Dir: Sean Gardiner Corporate Video 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 TV Magazine Agape Gabaza Productions Prod: Sarah Ngubeni Magazine Alex: A history from below Uhuru Productions Dir: Rehad Desai Documentary

U PDAT ES

ALL ACCESS Homebrew Films Prod: Paul Venter/ Hannes van Wyk / Tammy Anne Fortuin Magazine Show Awesome Africa Steplite Films Dir: Jacqui Logie TV Series barbour and thorne: 60 years strong Our Time Productions Dir: Juan de Meilon Corporate Video BBC PLANET EARTH LIVE Wild Images Dir: James Smith, Tim Scoones, Roger Webb Documentary BIG BROTHER THE CHASE Endemol South Africa Reality TV Binneland Stark Films Prod / Dir: Friedrich / Elsje Stark Daily Soap / Tv Series Bonisanani Kagiso TV Talk Show BOPSY BUNNY Firefly Animation Studio Exec Prod: Antony Steel Short Films BORDER MARAUDERS NHU Africa Exec Prod: Vyv Simson / Donfrey Meyer Wildlife Documentary Carte Blanche (inserts) Modern Times Prods: Sofia Phirippides / Jon Pienaar Documentary Child Geniuses Talent Attack TV / Fuel Media Productions Prod: Paul Llewellyn Documentary Series Coca-Cola Rockcorps Tia Productions Producer / Director: Tarryn Crossman Viral Documentary Codesign – commercial spot for furniture designers Switch Dir: James Tayler Commercial Cool Cats Red Pepper Exec Prod: Cecil Berry Children’s Show Cnr. Frost avenue & owl CORTEX MINING FC Hamman Films Prod Man: Odette van Jaarsveld t +27 [11] 482 7111 Corporate Video Come Dine with Me South Africa Rapid Blue Prod: Kee-Leen Irvine Reality Cutting Edge SABC News Current Affairs DADDY’S MESS Dzunde Productions Prod: Thandiwe Mashiyane TV Sitcom DIE VIERDE KABINET Jan Scholtz Productions Prod: Jan Scholtz Series DINNER DIVAS 2 Blonds and a Redhead Filming Exec Prod: Anne Myers Cookery Series DIY Met Riaan Prod: Riaan Venter-Garforth Magazine EM PETROCHEMICALS TOP END Betta Beta Communications Prod / Dir:Tommy Doig Training Program EXPRESSO 2 Cordover Trading Prod: Paul van Deventer Lifestyle EASTERN MOSAIC Red Carpet Productions Magazine Programme FORMIDABELE VROUE: ANNEKIE THERON Khaki Productions Prod / Dir: Christelle Parrott, Wynand Dreyer Documentary – kykNET FORMIDABELE VROUE: CISSY GOOL Khaki Productions Prod / Dir: Christelle Parrott, Wynand Dreyer Documentary – kykNET FOX NEWS CHANNEL Betta Beta Communications Prod / Dir: Tommy Doig News Current Affairs Freeway Frog Firefly Animation Prod: Ant Steel Animation Short FRENZY Red Pepper Pictures Prod: Palesa Mopeli Variety GENERATIONS Morula Pictures Exec Prod: Mfundi Vundla Soapie GOOD MORNING AFRICA Planet Image Productions SA Prod / Dir: Wale Akinlabi TV Magazine Gospel GOLD Engage Entertainment Exec Prod: Vusi Zion (previously Twala) Music Show GROEN Homebrew Films Prod: Jaco Loubser Wildlife Hope HEADLINE 5 Triosphere Bitch Films Executive Producer – Vyv Simson / Donfrey Meyer TV Magazine WildlifeAfrica Documentary 730 Tempest Screen Print Ad v2 FA.indd 1 HEAVEN – Africa HOUSE CALL Two Oceans Production Izwe Multimedia / Urban Brew Prods: Giselher Venzke / Bertha Spieker Series Prod: Annalie Potgieter Feature Live Medical Talk Show Hectic 99 Imizwilili Okuhle Media Ukhamba Communications Prod: Wilna van Schalkwyk Music Magazine Show Inkaba HITACHI POWER AFRICA MEDUPI & KUSILE Urban Brew Studios Betta Beta Communications Prod: John Kani Prod / Dir: Tommy Doig Telenovela Documentary

street | Milpark | Jo’burg

www.atlasstudios.co.za

When I was four

I used to look for the actors behind the TV…

INSIDE STORY Curious Pictures / Discovery Channel Dir: Rolie Nikiwe Feature 2013/10/16 12:26 PM ISEDALE Golden Effects Pictures Dir: Kunle Afolayan Documentary Series ISIDINGO Endemol South Africa Dirs: Raymond Sargent / Johnny Barbazano Daily TV Drama IT’S MY BIZ Urban Brew Studios Reality business makeover series

Nov / Dec 2013 | SCREENAFRICA | 41

PR ODU CT IO N JAM SANDWICH Meerkat Media Prod / Dir: Pauli van Dyk / Deon Maas TV Series / Reality Music show JAM SANDWICH IV Meerkat Media Prod / Dir: Pauli van Dyk / Deon Maas TV series Jim Iyke: Unscripted!

Ifactory Live, Greyology Inc. & Oh Africa Exec prod: Michael Djaba Reality tv series (AfricaMagic) JOU SHOW MET EMO en Wickus Homebrew Films Prod: Jaco Loubser Variety Show Judge For You Self eNews Current Affairs Kalahari Meerkats 3D Wildearth TV Executive Producer – Vyv Simson / Donfrey Meyer Wildlife Documentary Khumbul’ekhaya Urban Brew Prod: Enel Viljoen Reality KONA The Directors Team (Pty) Ltd Prod / Dir: Laurence Lurie / Cathy Sykes TV Series – M-Net East Africa KWELA Pieter Cilliers Productions Prod / Dir: Pieter Cilliers TV Magazine

LATE NITE NEWS ON E.TV Diprente Productions Prod: Tamsin Andersson Satire Live Urban Brew Music Show Live Lotto Show Urban Brew Game Show Maggs on Media eNews Prod: Jeremy Maggs Current Affairs MASSMART CSI REPORT SummerTime Productions Prod / Dir: Roxanne Rolando / Sean Gardiner Corporate Video MATRICS UPLOADED Educational Improvement and Study Help Exec Prod: Lisa Blakeway Educational MGONGO BY SONY Sony Prod / Dir: James Lennox Lifestyle & Entertainment Million Dollar Race Two Oceans Production Prods: Giselher Venzke / Bertha Spieker Feature MK Campus Homebrew Films Prods: Jaco Loubser / Ben Heyns Student Show

UPDATES MOFEREFERE LENYALONG Moja Movie Factory Sitcom Montana 2 Penguin Films Exec Prods: Roberta Durrant Drama Series MOTSWAKO Carol Bouwer Productions Prod: Vesko Mrdjen Talk Show MUVHANGO Word of Mouth Prod: Pieter Grobbelaar Feature 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 SWiTCH Prod: Sarah Wanjiku Muhoho Commercial Nomzamo Tom Pictures / Authentic Images Comedy ONS MENSE Homebrew Films Prod: Jaco Loubser Current Affairs OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS Plexus Films Prod: Miki Redelinghuys Corporate Video PASELLA Tswelopele Productions Insert Dirs: Liani Maasdorp / Werner Hefer TV Magazine Programme Phoenix Rising...The Business of Style Phoenix Entertainment and Production Prod / Dir: Koketso Sefanyetso Reality Docutainment POWER COMBAT ZONE Mixed Motion Entertainment Dir: Dieter Gottert Sport Programme Project MV Zen Crew Prod: Laura Tarling Music Video Religion and the ANC Eugene Botha Productions / It’s a Wrap Productions Prod: Eugene Botha Documentary RETROBOUCHON Tunnelvizion Productions Prod / Dir: Ruan Lotter/Hein Ungerer Short Film ROLLING WITH KELLY KHUMALO Red Pepper Prod: Cecil Barry Reality Series RHYTHM CITY 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 ROCKING FUTURE SummerTime Productions Prod: Sean Gardiner / Tanya Vandenberg Educational Video ROER Homebrew Films Prod: Jaco Loubser Cooking Show Roots Ukhamba Communications Music Show SAKEGESPREK MET THEO VORSTER SEASON 4 Dirk Mostert Camera Production Prod / Dir / Ed: Dirk Mostert / Rudi Ahlstrom TV Magazine

SANPARKS YOUTH & PARKS Francois Odendaal Productions Prod / Dir: Francois Odendaal Natural History TV Series SA’S GOT TALENT Rapid Blue Prod / Dir: Kee-Leen Irvine Reality SCANDAL Ochre Moving Pictures Series Prod: Romano Gorlei Soapie SCHOEMAN BOERDERY – MOOSRIVIER Khaki Productions Prod / Dir: Christelle Parrott / Wynand Dreyer Documentary SELIMATUNZI Sikhoyana Productions Prod: Baby Joe Correira Variety Series Ses’khona Tswelopele Productions Prod: Phuthi Ngwenya Magazine SHIZ NIZ Red Pepper Pictures Prod: Allen Makhubele Variety Shift Urban Brew Talk show SHORELINE 2 Homebrew films Documentary series S.I.E.S (SOCIAL IMPACT AND EMPOWERMENT STRATEGY) Penguin Films Dirs: Roberta Durrant / James Ngcobo Sitcom SKWIZAS 2 Lillian Dube Productions Prod: Lillian Dube Sitcom 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 SABC Sports Head: Sizwe Nzimande Magazine Spirit Sundae New Wave Productions Prod: Mishkah Roman-Cassiem Spiritual STUDIO 53 M-Net Inhouse Productions Insert Dir: Navan Chetty Mag Programme STUDY MATE Educational Improvement and Study Help Exec Prod: Lisa Blakeway Educational TASOL “Old Geezer” Bragge Film & TV Dir: Guy Bragge Commercial The B-Ball Show SABC Commissioning Ed: Dinah Mahlabegoane Variety The Chat Room Eclipse Prod: Thokozani Nkosi Talk Show The Code Breaker Goddunit Productions Executive Producer – Vyv Simson / Donfrey Meyer Wildlife Documentary The Communist Republic of South Africa Jam TV, Creative South Africa, Nkhanyeti Production Prod: Barthelemy Ngwessam Documentary The Cypher Spoon Fed Generation Lerato Letebele Talk show

The Justice Factor eNews Exec Prod: Debbie Meyer Current Affairs The Lighthouse Run – 42 Marathons, 42 Days SummerTime Productions Dir: Tanya Vandenberg Documentary THE REAL GOBOZA 7 Urban Brew Entertainment 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 TRANSFORMATION STORIES Media Village Productions Dir: Diane Vermooten Documentary THE TRANSPORTERS Sukuma Media/ Reality Motion Pictures Dir: Bonginhlanhla Ncube Documentary THERE ARE NO HEROES AFDA Cape Town Dir: Kyle Stevenson Science Fiction TOP BILLING Tswelopele Productions Prod: Patience Stevens TV Magazine Top 10 at 10 Don’t Look Down Radio / TV Simulcast TSHIPE BORWA MANGANESE MINE Betta Beta Communications Prod / Dir: Tommy Doig Documentary Turn It Out 2 Fuel Media Productions Dir: Marvin Raftopoulos Dance Reality show VILLA ROSA Spectro Productions Dirs: Luhann Jansen / Andries van der Merwe/ Leroux Botha/ Isabel Smit TV Drama WARD 22 Tia Productions Producer / Director: Tarryn Crossman Documentary WEEKEND LIVE SABC News Current Affairs Western Cape Government FiX Post Production Producers: Ernst & Young Health Video 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 Workers World Series Cape Town Television Prod: Sharon McKinnon TV Series WORLDSOUTH Leago Afrikan Arts Foundation Dir: Sakhile Gumbi Documentary Xihlovo Grace Bible Church Religion Yilengelo Lakho Prod: Nndanganeni Mudau Current Affairs

POST-PRODUCTION

Unit C5 RobeRtville Mini FaCtoRies 255 nadine stReet RobeRtville RoodepooRt 1709

42 | SCREENAFRICA | Nov / Dec 2013

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 FINANCIAL RESULTS FC Hamman Films Prod Man: Odette van Jaarsveld Script: Hulette Pretorius Corporate Video AFROX RAU INSIGHT 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 AURECON STAFF INSERTS Panache Video Productions Dir: Liesel Eiselen Marketing

PRODUCTION Bally Cullen Guesthouse Ad Koolcon CORPORATE VIDEO Panache Video Productions Producers: FiX Post Production Prod: Liesel Eiselen Marketing Video Launch of the Academy of Young SA Corporate Bitter Root Scientists Imageworks Panache Video Productions Dir: Kerry Negara Prod: Liesel Eiselen Documentary Documentary BLITZ PATROLLIE LIFE UNDER THE FLAG Diprente Films Lifeundertheflag.Com Prod: Kagiso Lediga Prod: Prince Angelo Doyle Feature Documentary BUA NNETE LION’S TRACK Owami Entertainment Two Oceans Production Dir: Charles Khuele Prods: Giselher Venzke / Bertha Spieker Short Film Feature Calafornia: Valley Christian School LOVE ABOVE ALL Firstfruits media Transformation Media Village Dir: Nthabiseng Gamede Prod: Diane Vermooten Feature Film MARRY – ANN Documentary DEAR SISTER Shadow Films Media Village Dir: David Forbes Prod: Debbie Matthee Documentary MICROSOFT 365 Short Film DONKERLAND Bragge film & TV Donkerland Drama TV Reeks Dir: Guy Bragge Producer / Director: Deon Opperman/ Joz Corporate Video National Heritage Council Malherbe Educational Outreach Programme TV Drama ERFSONDES Panache Video Productions Imani Media Dir: Liesel Eiselen Dir: Peter Heaney Corporate Video Pad na jou hart TV Drama Fatherland The Film Factory TIA productions Prod: Danie Bester, Ivan Botha, Donna Lee Roberts Producer / Director: Tarryn Lee Crossman Director: Jaco Smit Documentary Genre: Romance Feature Film FORMIDABELE VROUE: UNA VAN DER SPUY PERFECT SHISHEBO Khaki Productions Curious Pictures Prod / Dir: Christelle Parrott, Wynand Dreyer Prod: Nthabiseng Mokoena Documentary – kykNET Cooking Show FORMIDABELE VROUE: INA DE VILLIERS PLAY MORE GOLF Khaki Productions FC Hamman Films Prod / Dir: Christelle Parrott, Wynand Dreyer Prod Man: Odette van Jaarsveld Documentary – kykNET Script: Hulette Pretorius Freedom Park Installations Commercials Kevin Harris productions / Fix Post production PURPLE TOWN Sukuma Media Prod / Dir: Nadiva Schraibman Documentary Dir: Bonginhlanhla Ncube FROM GUN TO TAPE Documentary Content House/Shadow Films RESTYLE MY STYLE Curious Pictures Prod / Dir: Jackie Lebo / David Forbes Prod: Anita van Hemert Documentary GETROUD MET RUGBY SEASON 4 Children’s Programming Bottom Line Productions River of Stones Prod: Wiseman Mabusela Dir: Jozua Malherbe Documentary Series HALF OF A YELLOW SUN Ruut Extra British Film Institute Tia Productions Dir: Biyi Bandele Producer / Director: Tarryn Crossman Feature Film Commercial/Documentary HOME OF THE LEGENDS SA JUNIOR MASTERS L. Dukashe Productions Our Time Productions Prod / Dir: Lumko Dukashe / Lulu Dukashe Dir: Jaun de Meillon Documentary Sport Programme Hong Kong SCAREDYKAT Media Village Dirty Soul Productions Prod: Diane Vermooten Dir: Kyle Lewis Documentary Horror Feature Film INTEL HISTORY SCHOOL E-WASTE INITIATIVE/ DESCO/ Bragge Film & TV INCREDIBLE CONNECTION Philip Schedler Productions Dir: Guy Bragge Prod: Philip Schedler Corporate IQILI Corporate Impucuzeko Shark Stories Talking Pictures Prod: Sharon Kakora Prod / Dir: Garth Lucas/ Ann Strimling Feature Israel Inside (Working Title) Documentary Imagination Productions / Wayne Kopping Films SLENDER WONDER FC Hamman Films Dir: Wayne Kopping Prod Man: Odette van Jaarsveld Documentary JACK UP YOUR SHACK Corporate Video Let It Rain Films SLENDER WONDER MJ LABS FC Hamman Films Prod / Dir: Lee Doig Prod Man: Odette van Jaarsveld TV Series JAM SANDWICH Script: Hulette Pretorius Meerkat Media Corporate Video South african Field Band Foundation Dir: MQ Ngubane Championships Music Reality TV series JULIUS HAS A DREAM Panache Video Productions Creative South Africa, Nkanyethi Productions,Jam Prod: Liesel Eiselen TV Documentary Stuur groete aan Mannetjies Roux Prod: Bathelemy Ngwessam Production Company: Bosbok Ses Films Documentary Kemang?

Produced by: Piet de Jager lmol Production Directed by: Paul Eilers howard music SACA ADVERT_bold.pdf 1 Film 9/13/11 11:18 AM Dir: Lizzy Moloto Genre: Feature Feature Film

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

STETSON HATS Fourth Dimension Films / Creative Photo Services Dir: Neil Hermann Corporate Video Stolen Time Prod: Eric Myeni Feature Tanzanian Investment Opportunities Benchmark Productions Dir: Dermod Judge Corporate Video Technology Innovation Agency CEO Address Panache Video Productions Prod: Liesel Eiselen Corporate Video Technorati Talent Attack TV / Fuel Media Productions Dir: Maxine Nel Technology Magazine Show THE AFRIKANER BROEDERBOND It’s a Wrap Productions Dir: Eugene Botha Documentary THE CHEETAH DIARIES SERIES 3 NHU Africa Exec Prods: Vyv Simson/ Sophie Vartan Wildlife Documentary Series THOSE WHO CAN’T Quizzical Pictures SABC Comedy Series TO THE POWER OF ANNE FX Productions Prod / Dir: Robert Haynes TV Series TOUCHING LIVES SEASON 3 GHANA Launch Factory Dir: Spero Patricios TV Series 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 Vallejo Transformation Media Village Prod: Diane Vermooten Corporate Vehicle 19 Forefront Media Group / Picture Tree / The Safran Company Exec Prod: Paul Walker Feature VERITAS Media Village Prod: Debbie Matthee Documentary VKB LANDBOU BEPERK FC Hamman Films Prod Man: Odette van Jaarsveld Script: Anton Dekker Corporate Video VROU SOEK BOER West Five Films Dir/ Prods: Maynard Kraak / Johan Kruger Feature Film WALKING IN VICTOR’S SHOES Current Affairs Films SA Prod: Jane Thandi Lipman Feature Documentary WELLBODI BIZNES Plexus Films / Four Corners Media Prod: Miki Redelinghuys Documentary ZION Letcosmart Prod: Zibusiso Nkomo Feature

COMPLETE Africa – Astronomy Frontier, the SKA Khaki Productions Prod / Dir: Christelle Parrott , Wynand Dreyer Documentary – CNBC Africa AFROX LPG RESTAURANT TRAINING FC Hamman Films Director: FC Hamman Training Video ALLES WAT MAL IS Production Company: The Karoo Film Company Directed by: Darrell Roodt Written by: Deon Mayer Genre: Romantic Comedy Feature Film BAKGAT! 3 The Film Factory Producers: Danie Bester, Pierre Boezaart Director: Stefan Nieuwoudt Feature Film DIE BALLADE VAN ROBBIE DE WEE Production Company: Welela Studios Director: Darrell Roodt Genre: Drama Feature Film Die Beleefnis Khaki Productions Prod / Dir: Christelle Parrott , Wynand Dreyer Short Film, Silwerskermfees kykNET GNLD FC Hamman Films Director: FC Hamman Opening Video Hermanus Social Upliftment Video FC Hamman Films Director: Fc Hamman Marketing Video IPCC CHURCH CHOIR FC Hamman Films Director: Pierre Smith Music Video MUSIEK VIR DIE AGTERGROND Production Company: Bosbok Ses Films Directed by: Salmon de Jager Produced by: Danie Bester Genre: Drama Feature Film Nothing for Mahala Production Companies: Heartlines; Quizzical Pictures Director: Roli Nikiwe Genre: Feature Film NUPRO VOERE FC Hamman Films Director: FC Hamman Marketing Video

U PDAT ES |

UPCOMING EVENTS NOVEMBER 1 – 10 Nov

Cape Town & Winelands International Film Festival

Cape Town www.films-for-africa.co.za

7 – 17 Starz Denver Film Festival (SDFF)

Denver www.denverfilm.org

6 – 8 Nov

DISCOP AFRICA

12 – 14

AFRICACAST

22

PromaxBDA Africa 2013

23 – 24

AFDA Annual Film Festival

26 – 05 Dec

Cairo International Film Festival

Sandton Convention Center, Johannesburg www.discop.com

Cape Town www.africacast-event.com The Maslow, Johannesburg www.promaxafrica.tv South Africa www.afda.co.za Cairo, Egypt www.ciff.org.eg

27 – 16 Dec Wavescape Film Festival

Cape Town www.wavescapefilmfestival.co.za

29 – 07 Dec

Marrakech International Film Festival

Marrakech, Morocco en.festivalmarrakech.info

DECEMBER 17 – 21

Performing Arts Management Today

Austria www.iugte.com/projects/performingartsmanagement

January 16 – 26 Jan Sundance Film Festival

Park City, Utah www.sundance.org/festival

FEBRUARY 05 – 09

Colours of the Nile International Film Festival

10 – 12

Digital Broadcasting Switchover Forum

16 – 17

Pan African Film Festival

21 – 23

Jozi Film Festival

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia www.coloursofthenile.net Tanzania www.cto.int/events/upcoming-events Los angeles, usa www.paff.org Johannesburg www.jozifilmfestival.co.za

ADVERTISERS LIST

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AJA Video Systems.......................33

Inala Broadcast..............................31

Atlas Studios ...............................41

Mojapele Productions..................40

Blackmagic Design..........................7

Obeco..............................................27

Blade bfx...........................................3

Orijin ..............................................42

Cam-A-Lot........................40, 41, 42

Panasonic........................................11

Case Connection, The.................40

PromaxBDA Africa.......................15

C Squared.......................................18

Pro-Sales – Cam Gear.................39

e.tv................................. OBC

Puma Video......................FC

fotolia...............................................35

SABC............................. FDPS

Gallo Music

Sony..................................IFC

Publishers....................... IBC

Syntech............................................34

General Post .................................40

Tempest Car Hire .......................41

Howard Music...............................43

Vision Cases .................................42

PGC FC Hamman Films Director: FC Hamman Marketing Video Prinses Life In A Bulb/ FiX Post Production Director: Morne Du Toit Short Film (Silwerskerm Fees) PREDATORS’ PLAYGROUND NHU Africa Exec Prods: Vyv Simson / Sophie Vartan Wildlife Documentary Series RISKCON SECURITY FC Hamman Films Producer: Neels Smit Corporate Video Thailand, Kitchen of the World Khaki Productions Prod / Dir: Christelle Parrott , Wynand Dreyer Documentary – CNBC Africa THE TRAPPER NHU Africa Exec Prod: Vyv Simson / Donfrey Meyer Wildlife Documentary Transnet FiX Post Production Producers: Ernst & Young HRS Video

TWK AGRI FC Hamman Films Prod: Odette van Jaarsveld Corporate Video UASA CONGRESS FC Hamman Films Prod: Odette van Jaarsveld Corporate Video UASA GOLF DAY FC Hamman Films Producer: Odette van Jaarsveld Corporate Video WORKERSLIFE FUNERAL PLAN FC Hamman Films Director: FC Hamman Marketing Video WORKERSLIFE INSURANCE FC Hamman Films Prod: Odette van Jaarsveld Marketing Video

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

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

Nov / Dec 2013 | SCREENAFRICA | 43

Social

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Khumba première

Anthony Silverston

Antony Silverston, Kirstin Barwise and Stuart Forrest of Trggerfish Animation Studios

Hannes Brummer

Rika Sennett

Rina Nienaber

South African Indies Stand at MIPCOM

Seen at the Banff Mountain Film Festival

Cape Town-based slackliners entertain the crowd

Guests at Banff

Mike Finch, editor of Runner’s World (far right) with guests

Simon Chapstick-Dale from Go2Africa and Tim Brink (right) from Ride Magazine with their partners

DTV Zwakala Awards

On the stage at the DTV Zwakala Awards

Mozambigue group and their teachers

N e w A ppoi n tm e n ts

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M-Net

MultiChoice Marietjie Human has been appointed as head of Independent Films for the Group Content Services department at M-Net.

44 | SCREENAFRICA | Nov / Dec 2013

Miss Deaf SA Lefa Manamela, Nhlanhla Hlongwane, DTV commissioning editor, Mrs SA 2012 Fikile Mekgoe and Ashanti Mbanga, Miss Earth SA

Calvo Mawela has been appointed to the position of Stakeholder and Regulatory Affairs: Multichoice South Africa Group.

Group from Namibia

Mark Rayner has been appointed chief operating officer at MultiChoice South Africa, reporting to group CEO Imtiaz Patel.

John Kotsaftis has been appointed chief executive officer of DStv Mobile and DStv Online.