Screen Africa Nov / Dec 2014

rica Discop Af IBC Report BROADCAST, FILM, TV, COMMERCIALS, NEW MEDIA & TECHNOLOGY NEWS

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| IN THIS ISSUE

4 TLC celebrates three years of OMG viewing

16

39

Catch a shooting star

‘TV must move ahead at web speed’

19

53 Broadcasting C-band as a cornerstone of African socio-economic growth

Glory Game: a story of redemption

Special Features DISCOP AFRICA 2014

Christie: The art and

Screen Africa Golf Day donates

science of 3D....................................... 47

proceeds to Rhino Orphanage........... 8

Francophone Africa rises................... 25

Imagine offers solution to

Newtek Tricaster Mini....................... 10

Canal+ to launch new channel ....... 27

manage hybrid baseband

TASCAM DR60D MkII onset

and IP systems..................................... 48

audio recording solution for

RTI puts Ivorian film development plan into action.......... 27

DocumentarY Glory Game: a story of redemption...................................... 19

Television

DSLR users........................................... 10

The plight of the SA soap actor...... 20 Beginning life on Mars........................ 22

Restless, Promising, Exciting…......... 29

News

Sony FE PZ 28-135mm F4 G

Dreaming of Africa.............................. 29

SOS and SASFED propose

35mm full frame lens with

20 Years of television in Africa:

changes to ICASA local

power zoom capability...................... 10

What’s next?........................................ 30

content regulations................................ 2

Outside Broadcast Activating

US producer chooses SA

ADCETERA

crews and locations for

New talent blips on SA’s radar........ 12

‘TV must move ahead

upcoming features.................................. 3

Creativity matters............................... 12

at web speed’....................................... 39

A (big) small fish in a big pond…....... 3

Lights, camera, bon appétit!.............. 13

AFPRO Connect markets

Panasonic promises workflow

Cordoba festival highlights

MTN Wafa Wafa

African production services

optimisation at IBC ‘14...................... 40

shortage of African film critics............ 4

commercial sets screens alight........ 13

to the world......................................... 52

Grass Valley presents

TLC celebrates three years

‘’Prioritisation is as much

new product range............................. 42

of OMG viewing..................................... 4

about what you don’t do,

EVS unveils XStore

Kenyan producer arrested

as it is about what you do do’’........ 14

Broadcasting C-band as a

shared storage platforms.................. 42

for LGBTQ movie................................. 6

Red Heart Rum repositions

cornerstone of African

Inala Broadcast secures

Elelwani selected as

with a digital campaign....................... 15

South Africa’s Oscars entry................. 8

socio-economic growth..................... 53

new distribution deals........................ 44 Blackmagic Design introduces

Jacaranda FM and KykNET

Film

new 4K tools for broadcast

Musiek launch Lekker TV..................... 8

Catch a shooting star......................... 16

and live production............................. 44

SA’s next VOD service

Difret, a real Ethiopian story............ 17

arrives in 2015........................................ 8

Director Speak: Hajooj Kuka........... 18

IBC 2014 REPORT BACK

IBC: a worthwhile investment.......... 45

community radio......................50 – 51

AFPRO CONNECT

Satellite

Regulars Box Office............................................. 54 Production Updates................56 – 59

XDCAMs, IP broadcast and media

Events..................................................... 59

optimisation on the Sony stand....... 46

Social...................................................... 60

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From the editor

News

The year that was…

SOS and SASFED propose changes to ICASA local content regulations

This final edition of Screen Africa for 2014 is linked with two industry events. The subjects surrounding these give us a lot to think about as we head into 2015.

First up we have our report back on IBC 2014. If it is possible to reduce the information overload one encounters at this massive trade show to a few salient points, then they would be as follows: innovations being developed to incorporate IP into broadcasting, the challenges involved with monetising VOD, questions around 4K/ UHD and whether or not it will ever be launched as a broadcast standard, and the future of cinema with new developments in 3D and high-frame-rate production. On the whole it appeared that visitors to the conference and exhibition were most concerned with ways in which traditional broadcast can either make way for, or collaborate with internet platforms. While no definitive answers have yet been provided, there certainly was a lot of food for thought. In addition to the various product and brand-specific news we have in our IBC Report, our new UK correspondent Adrian Pennington provides a thorough and revealing overview of the big issues that were raised in Amsterdam this year.

Secondly there is the 2014 edition of DISCOP Africa, taking place in Sandton in November. There is a dual focus for this year’s event. On one hand, there will be conference sessions looking at 20 years of broadcast in Africa, with a view to finding out what comes next, particularly as DTT finally looks set to make its appearance on the scene. The other conference stream focuses on broadcast in Francophone Africa, with Ivory Coast as the content market’s guest country of honour. In this issue we focus primarily on the second subject stream, looking at a part of Africa that benefits from its ties to Paris while simultaneously highlighting the commonalities to be found among all African nations in terms of content preferences.

So another year draws to a close and we hope that it has been a good one for all our readers and supporters. We wish everyone a restful festive season and a prosperous, productive 2015.

– Warren Holden

SCREENAFRICA Publisher & Managing Editor: Simon Robinson: publisher@screenafrica.com Editor: Warren Holden: editor@screenafrica.com Journalists: Carly Barnes: carly@screenafrica.com Chanelle Ellaya: news@screenafrica.com Contributors: Claire Diao, Ian Dormer, Sam Charo, Adrian Pennington, Jakkie Groenewald, Alan James

In mid-2014, the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (ICASA) announced that it would review its local content regulations for the country’s broadcasters. This is to correct problems that people had raised in the past regarding the regulations and to bring them up to date with the increased capacities and possibilities that digital migration and over-the-top (OTT) or internet protocol (IP) content delivery are set to offer to content creators and broadcasters.

The door was opened to the industry to make submissions to ICASA for proposed amendments to the regulations. In September, the South African Screen Federation (SASFED) and the Save our SABC (SOS) Coalition, co-hosted a series of open discussions, inviting as many industry participants as possible, to draw up a list of suggestions for the revised regulations.

In time for the 10 October submission deadline, SOS presented a comprehensive document to ICASA containing a list of possible changes. Drawn from SASFED and SOS’s consultations with industry professionals, the document proposes changes designed to set ICASA’s regulations comfortably in the digital age, further promote the production of local content and address long-standing problems such as the representation of marginalised languages, the positioning of community broadcasting and other issues.

Among the fundamental issues raised in the document is the redefinition of certain key terms. For example, since multi-platform content dissemination is becoming the norm, SOS suggests that TV content now be redefined as ‘audiovisual content’ so as to cover all bases. By the same token ‘radio content’ now becomes ‘audio content’.

The document’s recommendations for television include: • For subscription broadcasters, an increase in local content’s portion of content acquisition budget, from 10 to at least 20% • Commercial free-to-air broadcaster e.tv is currently required to commit 45% of its

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acquisition budget to local content, while other free-to-air broadcasters need only use 35% for that purpose.

SOS suggests that all free-to-air channels face equal quotas and that monitoring of these platforms should be more stringent. SOS proposes that 60% of budget and time allocation be set aside for local content for all FTA broadcasters and that 35% should be in African languages.

• The regulations faced by community broadcasters should not be as onerous as those faced by commercial broadcasters.

• Public broadcasters should have their local content quotas upped from 55% to 70% and 40% of the local content they broadcast should be outsourced to independent producers.

• The repeats measurement system needs to be revised. Each local programme should be issued a unique reference number, which should then be logged on the ICASA database each time that programme is broadcast. One repeat of a programme will counted as 100% of the duration of that programme. All data logged in ICASA’s database against the unique reference numbers must be made available to all collection agents, acting as an objective source from which repeat fees and other monies may be calculated, to obviate disputes between collection agents and broadcasters.

Broadcasters must be legally bound to pay such fees as the data indicates as necessary.

The list of suggestions was submitted to ICASA on 10 October, along with all other submissions from industry role players. It is uncertain when the final revised regulations will be published. – Warren Holden

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US producer chooses SA crews and locations for upcoming features American film producer Milan Selassie wrapped production on his debut feature film, Back to School Mom, in Cape Town a few months ago, and is set to make at least three more films on locations in and around the mother city and Johannesburg over the next few years.

The independent producer, who made his first foray into feature filmmaking with the recently finished dramedy, has a four-film slate lined up, principal photography for all of which will take place in South Africa, although the movies are primarily intended for US distribution.

The line-up includes a romantic comedy – to be shot in Cape Town – as well as a political drama and a film based around hip hop culture, both of which are set to be filmed in Johannesburg. Aside from the director and DOP on these

productions, the entire crew will be made up of South Africans.

TRAVELLING FILMMAKER: Milan Selassie (right) with director An avid traveler, Christopher Erskin on the set of Back to School Mom in Selassie is a believer in Cape Town Mark Twain’s dictum that ‘travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry and narrowSouth Africa as an option. So I looked into mindedness’. He discovered the it and liked what I discovered. There are a production possibilities of South Africa couple of factors that drew me here – purely by coincidence during one of his outstanding crew, labour costs that are many trips. “Every New Year I go to a far lower than in the States and a very different country just to get a new favourable rebate system.” experience,” he explains. “One year, after Selassie’s professional background is everyone telling me I needed to go to mostly in politics and investment banking.

South Africa, I finally did. I was supposed “I managed capital for high-net-worth to stay here for three weeks and I ended individuals and then I worked in up staying for about four months. I would Washington on the International Relations meet people in the industry and they Committee for the US Congress. But would ask me why I’m planning to shoot through all that I always had a strong in the States and that I should consider interest in the cinema. I worked for the

| News William Morris Agency [one of the world’s top talent agencies] for a while. That experience really provided a strong background for me. It gave me an insight into the film business, which has allowed me to make the best decisions in terms of the projects that I choose, and how to go about securing finance and distribution.”

Selassie will be among the delegates at the inaugural AFPRO Connect, to be held in Johannesburg’s Maboneng Precinct from 14 to 15 November. This expo is the first ever to promote South Africa’s production services, locations and incentives. “I think it’s a wonderful opportunity to meet people from a cross-section of the industry, who have so many things to offer to people like myself.

I’m hoping that it will introduce me to a wide network of professionals, make me a better producer and generally make my films much better.”

Back to School Mom, directed by Christopher Erskin and starring Kimberly Elise, Denzel Whitaker and Loretta Devine, is due for US release in 2015. This will be followed by distribution in South Africa and other territories across the continent. – Warren Holden

A (big) small fish in a big pond…

Twenty-year-old Alpha Mthembu, a graduate of the Johannesburg campus of Big Fish School of Digital Filmmaking, jetted off to California last month to screen his recently completed graduation short film, Zulu Lessons, on which he worked in collaboration with fellow students, including director Muchaneta Manyengavana, at the Silicon Valley African Film Festival (SVAFF). The film was in the running for the Best Short Film and ultamately won the Emerging Filmmaker Award.

Mthembu’s story is a testament to the potential of the individual to triumph over heavy odds. Born in the Pretoria township of Soshanguve, he was left without a home or parental care on the death of his mother in 2000. His father was unable to provide for him and he had no other relatives to turn to. He was taken in by Abraham Kriel Childcare and spent his formative years at the charity organisation’s home, Huis Mouton, in the

Johannesburg suburb of Linden.

As Mthembu finished his matric year, he took up an internship at Red Pepper Pictures not far from where he lived. “I volunteered there to see what type of work they did – I was just curious. I soon fell in love with filmmaking and this whole industry,” he says.

Mthembu applied for a bursary at Big Fish, enrolled in 2013 and completed the two-year course in August 2014, specialising in cinematography. For his final project, Mthembu drew upon the peculiarities of his upbringing to create a short documentary highlighting South Africa’s cultural and linguistic complexities. “Although I am a Zulu by birth, surname and cultural background, I grew up being unable to speak any Zulu and without much knowledge of the culture. I was raised in an Afrikaans home so I spoke only English and Afrikaans. I decided to go on a journey to learn the language and discover the culture.” Zulu

Lessons documents this fascinating and emotional rediscovery.

The first step in Mthembu’s career plan is to try and get into shooting for sport production. “I love sport and I also just love the way it’s shot. From there on, I would like to shoot more documentaries and keep brushing up my skills to the point where I can be a DOP.” Summing up his relative newcomer’s perspective of the South African film industry, Mthembu says: “We have great, great potential. There are so many great stories and so much talent but I think we’re going wrong somewhere. We shouldn’t be thinking about trying to compete with Hollywood. We should step back, set the Hollywood approach aside and just focus on developing our own brand of filmmaking.”

In addition to Zulu Lessons, Big Fish will be sending a number of films to festivals around the world. Also screening at SVAFF were Blood Money (directed by

TRIUMPH OVER ODDS Alpha Mthembu Xolani Tulumani), Who Will Stand for Me (directed by Sive Runeli) and Life Framed (directed by Liz Fish).

Screening at the Zimbabwe International Film Festival in early October were Wives of Miya (Pumlani Veto), Teenage Pregnancy (Kebapetse Ngakantsi), Black Wednesday Myolisi Sikupelo), Waterless Flowers (Twiggy Matiwana) and Beauty Beyond Colour (Stanford Gibson). Zolani Ndevu’s To the One I Love will screen at the Poitiers Film Festival after travelling to London for Film Africa 2014. – Warren Holden

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| Cordoba festival highlights shortage of African film critics

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During its 11th edition, the Festival de Cine Africano de Cordoba (FCAT), held in Spain from 15 to 18 October, organised a film critic forum on “African Cinema in the time of Transmedia”. Despite this being a festival of African films, only one member of the African Film Critic Federation (FACC), which is celebrating its tenth anniversary this year, was present.

Founded in 2004 by various film critics from Algeria, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Egypt, Morocco, Senegal, Tunisia and France, the African Film Critic Federation (FACC) was created to promote film criticism on the continent as well as on an international level. It currently includes 324 members from 32 African countries, including those living abroad.

Few film festivals hold film critic forums, instead placing the emphasis on film professionals’ seminars or pitching sessions. The Festival de Cine Africano de Cordoba (FCAT), is a notable exception.

Yet this year, there was a regrettable lack of

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LACKING AFRICAN VOICE: Delegates at the film critic forum held at the Festival de Cine Africano de Cordoba guests from Africa at Cordoba. As Ugandan director Caroline Kamya said: “Where are the African film critics? How can a film forum about Africa take place without any voices from Africa?” While this is partly a result of financial constraints, it also indicates a sad lack of initiative on the part of African critics.

What started as a brilliant initiative to allow for speaking with one common voice, gradually developed into a one-man operation, run by Thierno I. Dia, a Senegalese film critic and scholar based in Bordeaux, France, who took the initiative to keep the FACC going. The facilitator of Africine.org, Dia has published thousands of texts written by the FACC members. He also feeds the Facebook and Twitter accounts of the Federation, manages the Francophone website Images Francophones and moderates the Yahoo Group Forum in French and English. “Dia assumes his duties with a passion,”

TLC celebrates three years of OMG viewing In October 2014 Discovery Network’s TLC Entertainment celebrated its third anniversary in South Africa with the launch of a new packaged programming slot: OMG TLC. The programming block offers viewers a selection of the channel’s shows which have proved most popular – shock docs, taboo lifestyle shows, reality series, celebrity interviews and all things that might make one gasp: “OMG”.

Oprah programming, Cake Boss and Find Me My Man are shows which have proven very popular with South African audiences, some of whom can be seen talking about the channel and reacting to OMG type show clips in TLC’s new promo.

Lee Hobbs, TLC vice president of channels

4 | SCREENAFRICA | November / December 2014

PROGRAMMES TO GASP AT: Screen grab from the OMG TLC promo and emerging business says: “TLC is a channel that has really resonated in the market. People really hold the channel dearly to their hearts and so we wanted to celebrate that and give our viewers the chance to give us some feedback and also appear on the channel that they love so much.”

Though South African audiences have been widely regarded as conservative,

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Cameroonian film critic Telesphore Mba Bizo affirms. “But if he disappears or gives up for personal projects, the world will collapse”.

Dia’s tireless work is only possible with the support of the French association Africultures, founded by the French film critic Olivier Barlet, which employs Dia on a French contract because the FACC still does not have a bank account in Dakar. “I don’t even know why we choose Dakar as headquarters,” says Beninese film critic Espera Donouvossi. “We do not have any physical headquarters, official documents of existence or a bank account. After ten years, the FACC is still an unofficial organisation without any management sense.”

Despite these management problems, the FACC has managed to organise many film critic workshops in Dakar, Ouidah, Yaounde, Lomé, Brussels, Accra and Lagos.

Film Festivals should be an annual platform for the FACC members to produce work and be seen, but an assessment of festivals where African film has any appreciable presence, reveals that the federation is hardly represented, if at all.

During the Carthage Film Festival (Tunisia), the birth place of the FACC, only the International Film Critics Federation (FIPRESCI) awards a prize. During the

Festival panafricain du cinéma et de la télévision de Ouagadougou (FESPACO), held in Burkina Faso, where most of the FACC members meet and compile a daily report distributed to the festival participants (thanks to the support of European funders), the idea of setting up a Film Critic Award in 2013 was acclaimed by everyone. But the choice of jury members, the decision to set up a partnership with a French radio station which did not even invite this jury on air, and the fact that the prize was awarded at the very end of a long ceremony disappointed FACC members.

During the Durban Film Festival, the Talent Press Workshop, launched in partnership with the Berlin Film Festival, might have been conducted by the FACC, but again takes place under the aegis of FIPRESCI. There is no use talking about international film festivals such as Cannes, Venice or Berlin where African film critics only participate at their own expense.

The first African film critic, Senegalese Paulin Soumanou Vieyra, considered in the 1970s that “African criticism must therefore decolonise and judge each African film through its production environment and public”. Forty years later, Western film critics are still the ones writing about African films – when they have an interest – and African voices simply aren’t speaking up enough. – Claire Diao

show popularity and TLC’s 10% rise in viewership over the past year may suggest otherwise. Shows like Sex Sent Me to the ER, My 600lb Life and Age Gap Love have also proved to be hugely successful with local viewers.

“It’s interesting, we’re finding South African viewers really love that OMG type television – television that makes you tweet or tell your friends about it in the office,” comments Hobbs, who believes viewers can relate certain aspects of their own lives or personalities to TLC’s gripping reality entertainment. A viewer might have a crazy family member for instance, like in Here Comes Honey Boo Boo, or an inner diva like the kind seen in Say Yes to the Dress.

“The wonderful thing about TLC is that we never judge, we’re not laughing at these people we’re not judging these people we’re just celebrating all aspects of life. Whether it’s the more unusual side or the everyday, and I think that’s why viewers

love TLC. You feel like you’re watching this amazing window on the world but not judging at the same time,” Hobbs adds.

Ilsa Grabe, business unit head and media manager for Carat Johannesburg comments: “South Africans are conservative in general, we are a diverse nation and very aware of being politically correct and mindful of cultural differences.

I know that when we test adverts we are often surprised at what offends consumers.

I do however think the under 18 generation are less sensitive as they grew up with access to so much information.”

Grabe adds that this ever widening scope of choice, when it comes to content and which platform to receive it from, could be changing the way South African audiences behave. According to Hobbs, it comes down to the shows themselves.

“They are just really good stories and I think they appeal to everyone,” he concludes. – Carly Barnes

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Kenya

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Kenyan producer arrested for LGBTQ movie Stories of Our Lives is a feature about LGBTQ issues in Kenya, directed by an art collective called The NEST. Warmly received at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) in September, the film and crew were banned once back at home.

This is a story inside a story. The black and white feature – a compilation of five short films on LGBTQ daily lives in Kenya – was shot over a period of eight months in 2013, based on testimonials recorded

by The NEST team across the country.

While they were shooting, the crew members didn’t even think about a theatrical release, but meeting TIFF programmer Rasha Salti helped a lot: she introduced them to the South African producer Steven Markovitz. Markovitz had produced the short film Homecoming, by Jim Chuchu, one of the filmmakers behind Stories of Our Lives, as part of the African Metropolis project. He stepped in to help Stories of Our Lives to

BANNED: Producer George Gachara the screen.

When the movie was selected in Toronto in September, the crew decided to remain anonymous, to protect them from Kenyan authorities. Homosexuality is still illegal in Kenya and can lead to a 14-year prison term.

Once in Toronto, Chuchu, George Gachara and Njoki Ngumi discussed their decision with Salti and Markovitz and ultimately decided to make their names public.

“We thought the decision to be anonymous could be a better way to protect our crew and cast, but then we realised that being anonymous was almost being ashamed of making this film,” Jim Chuchu explains. “We decided to reveal our identities as the creators of this film because we believe strongly that the fight for this right to define oneself, this right to be complex and different and

unique, should be fought for proudly and openly.” On 5 September, the filmmakers finally disclosed their identities publicly.

With screenings at TIFF, the press started to get the word out, particularly Canada’s state broadcaster. Kenyan attention was drawn to the film and Kenyans started to watch it online.

On 30 September 2014, the NEST applied to the Kenyan Film Classification Board for a certificate for Stories of Our Lives. Three days later, the board banned the film on the grounds of “obscenity, explicit scenes of sexual activities and (because) it promotes homosexuality, which is contrary to our national norms and values.”

Then, on 10 October 2014, Kenyan police, representatives from the Department of Film Services and officials from the Ministry of Sports, Culture and Arts visited the NEST to arrest the producer George Gachara on the charge of “shooting the Stories of Our Lives film without acquiring a licence to do so from the Department”.

As it stands, the film may not be released in Kenya under any circumstances, even if Kenyans request to watch the movie in the privacy of their own homes.

According to the Kenya Film and Stage Plays Act of 2010: “Every application for a filming licence shall be made to the licensing officer in writing and shall be

accompanied by a full description of the scenes in, and the full text of the spoken parts (if any) of, the entire film which is to be made, notwithstanding that part of the film is made or is to be made outside Kenya.” But the problem remains: how can a movie depicting issues condemned by the government receive the approval of a licensing officer?

Taken to the Kilimani Police Station in Nairobi on 10 October 2014, Gachara was released later on a cash bail of KES10 000 (Kenyan shillings) and scheduled to appear in Kibera Law Courts on 17 October 2014. Finally postponed to March 2015, the trial will expose George Gachara to two alternative punishments: “either a fine not exceeding KES100 000 or imprisonment for a term not exceeding five years.” – Claire Diao

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Elelwani selected as South Africa’s Oscars entry

Screengrab from Elelwani Ntshavheni wa Luruli’s film, Elelwani, was confirmed as South Africa’s official entry into the Best Foreign Language Film category for the Annual Academy Awards. The South African Academy Award Selection Committee and the National Film and Video Foundation made the announcement.

Elelwani first premiered at the Durban International Film Festival (DIFF), thereafter it made the official selection at the 63rd Berlin International Film Festival, the Pan African Film and Television Festival of Ouagadougou and the Luxor International Film Festival in 2013.

The South African Academy Award Selection Committee Chairperson, Kimberleigh Stark, said that the judges were unanimous in their choice of the film.

Should the Oscars Academy Award Selection Committee nominate Elelwani as a South African entry, it will join award-winning Tsotsi and previously nominated Yesterday as South African films that have been represented at the Oscars. If approved, the film will represent South Africa as the nominee for the 87th Oscars to be held in 2015.

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Jacaranda FM and KykNET Musiek launch Lekker TV On Saturdays from 10h30 to 19h30, Lekker TV, a collaboration between Jacaranda FM and KykNET Musiek, features on DStv channel 146.

The channel offers music charts, sports, song requests, gossip, entertainment and on-air highlights with programmes being hosted by popular Jacaranda FM presenters Rian van Heerden, Janina Oberholzer, Frankie du Toit, Morne JK, Robbie Kruse, Barney Simon and Martin Bester.

Kevin Fine, Jacaranda FM’s general manager says: “Our ability to create tears, laughter or goose bumps has an

Barney Simon additional outlet and the partnership with Urban Brew Studios and KykNET makes this a powerful offering. We’ll be taking our personalities as well as their guests, artists and magical moments to television which creates a whole new offering that will provide a new platform for our listeners to interact with us and enhance client opportunities. The exciting part is the ability to take the great content that we’re creating and share it with television viewers around South Africa.”

SA’s next VOD service arrives in 2015 On 1 February 2015, mobile the service who already have digital broadcaster MobileTV DStv or Freevision dish is set to launch its VOD installations won’t need a offering, TV4U, in South new dish.

Africa. According to Through international MobileTV founder Mothobi partnerships TV4U’s VOD Mutloatse, the service will be bouquet, Movielicious, will more affordable than its offer users a spread of Mothobi Mutloatse competitors; Altech’s Node Hollywood movies, Pakistani and Times Media’s Vidi. and Bollywood films as well According to ITWeb Mutloatse says, African movies and sports viewing.

“Because ours is a satellite-centric “In addition, TV4U’s developmental concept with content delivered directly to platform will roll out its digital learning the customer’s disk, fast and highly service to bridge the distance learning cost-efficient, it provides the additional divide and present opportunities to edge of multiscreen interactivity.” learners and teachers alike from primary MobileTV will make use of Sentech school to universities and colleges, to Freevision’s IS20 satellite network, which experience simultaneous digital learning means consumers interested in acquiring television,” Mutloatse added.

(Photo credit: Tech Central)

NEWS

Screen Africa Golf Day donates proceeds to Rhino Orphanage

Screen Africa Golf Day organiser Ellen Oosthuizen hands a cheque to Rhino Orphanage founder Arrie van Deventer Proceeds totalling R7 000 from the 2014 Screen Africa Golf Day were recently presented to the Rhino Orphanage in Limpopo Province. R50 from each of the 140 players’ fee was pooled towards this worthy cause.

The Rhino Orphanage was founded in 2012 and is run for the purpose of raising young rhinos orphaned by poaching with the intent to release them back into the wild as soon as possible. Orphanage founder Arrie van Deventer says that the facility is designed to foster natural behaviour in the animals and keep human contact, beyond the needs of feeding and essential veterinary care, to a 8 | SCREENAFRICA | November / December 2014

minimum. It is a Section 21 organisation, with all donations going directly to fund the centre and the care and rehabilitation of the rhinos.

Van Deventer says that the biggest cost the orphanage has is the specially formulated milk fed to the baby rhinos.

The formula, which is imported from New Zealand, is made to mimic rhino milk, which, unlike that of most other species, contains near to no fat. Currently, of the ten rhinos being cared for in the orphanage, four are still milk dependent and each rhino requires between 12 and 25 litres of the expensive, specialised formula every day.

Screen Africa and its Golf Day guests are pleased to have contributed in some small way to the efforts of Van Deventer and his team, who, like all those committed to the care of rhinos, struggle against massive odds and daily heartbreak.

For more information on the Rhino Orphanage, visit www. therhinoorphanage.co.za or email info@ therhinoorphange.co.za.

The Film and TV Production Incentive celebrates 10 years since inception, having supported more than 440 films and distributing R2.4 billion towards the creation of 95 000 projected jobs.

South African Emerging Black Filmmakers Incentive the dti has launched the South African Emerging Black Filmmakers Incentive to support emerging black-owned qualifying productions with a total production budget of R1 million and above. The incentive will capacitate emerging black filmmakers to take on big productions and promote the generation of local content.

The incentive will provide financial assistance to a qualifying applicant in the form of a rebate of up to 50% for the first R6 million of the Qualifying South African Production Expenditure and 25% thereafter. No cap is applicable for this rebate.

Eligible Enterprises •

The incentive is available to South African black-owned qualifying productions with a total production budget of R1 million and above.

•

Special Purpose Corporate Vehicles (SPCV) incorporated in the Republic of South Africa solely for the purpose of the production of the film or television project. The holding/service company(ies) must at least have 65% South African black shareholders and the SPCV at least 75% South African black shareholders, of which the majority must play an active role in the production and be credited in that role.

•

An applicant must be the entity responsible for all activities involved in the making of the production and have access to full financial information for the entire production.

•

Only one film production, television drama or documentary series per entity is eligible for the incentive.

•

An applicant must comply fully with its obligations in terms of the Legal Deposit Act 54 of 1997.

For more information on how to qualify, contact the dti Customer Contact Centre on 0861 843 384 or visit www.thedti.gov.za

towards full-scale industrialisation and inclusive growth

News

|

Technology

Newtek Tricaster Mini The TriCaster Mini is marketed by NewTek as the world’s most compact and complete multimedia studio.

Designed for use by people who do not have experience in broadcast, the Tricaster Mini turns presentations into professionallooking multimedia content. The package is small and easily portable and meant to work with almost any camera. It takes the content it creates and streams it live, publishes it directly to social media, or uploads to a website.

The TriCaster Mini enables the following: • capture and mix multiple live video camera angles with graphics, video clips, audio, titles and special effects • fast setup • professional standard multimedia for amateur or semi-professional content creators a varied software toolkit that includes: • Mixing from different visual source • Overlaying of logos, presentations, charts, titles, media files, animations • Importing branding elements for transitions and animation • Incorporating slideshows and web pages • Replacing solid backgrounds with a simulated environment • Webcasting programmes on a live video stream • Posting clips to YouTube, Facebook and Twitter • Having guest speakers call in from webcams • Recording the programme so people can watch it on demand • Recording all camera footage simultaneously • Make keyboard shortcuts for sophisticated sequences with one touch.

In South Africa, Newtek is distributed by Timbre Broadcast Systems. www.timbre.co.za

www.screenafrica.com

TASCAM DR60D MkII onset audio recording solution for DSLR users The DR-60DmkII is a portable recorder designed from the ground up to be the ideal recorder for DSLR filmmakers.

The design of the DR-60DmkII contains a tripod mounting screw on top and socket hole on the bottom, integrating perfectly with cameras from Canon, Nikon, Sony, and others. The camera output attenuates down to mic level before passing the signal to the camera to prevent distortion. The new version includes an improved microphone preamp for up to 64dB of gain and a smoother sound.

Key features include: • Four-track WAV or BWAV recording up to 96kHz/24-bit • Designed to attach to a DSLR camera with top and bottom tripod mounts • Easy-to-use interface with switches instead of menus • Dual record mode captures a safety track so there’s a backup in case of overload • High-quality microphone preamps, analog/digital converters, and recording format (BWAV) • Improved microphone preamp with up to 64dB of gain • Camera output pads down to mic level so it doesn’t overload the camera • Records to SD card media • Individual headphone and line outputs • Slate function plays a tone for easier synchronisation with camera audio • Two XLR/1/4” combination jacks plus stereo 1/8” mini jack • Powered via AA batteries or USB input.

Sony FE PZ 28-135mm F4 G 35mm full frame lens with power zoom capability Sony’s FE PZ 28-135mm F4 G is the world’s first ever full-frame powered zoom lens for the FE-mount system. It offers both videographers and still photographers the capability to capture immense amounts of flawless detail whether shooting 4K video, full HD or stills. It features the following: • New ‘Smooth Motion Optics’ design for serious movie-makers • Smooth and silent drive with Super Sonic wave Motor (SSM) for zooming and “double linear motor” for focusing • Separate focus, iris and zoom rings for professional operation • Optical SteadyShot in-lens image stabilisation • Compact and portable with dust and moisture resistant design • Equivalent focal length over a 35mm sensor of 42-202.5mm • Maximum magnification ration of 0.15x • Minimum focus distance: 0.4m (W) – 0.95m (T) (AF, MF); 0.95m (Full MF) 10 | SCREENAFRICA | November / December 2014

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2014-06-26 12:15 PM

ADCETERA

| Report on the South African commercials industry

New talent blips on SA’s radar It’s hard to imagine how it feels for a young creative to win a Loerie Award.

Some might say it’s the industry equivalent of hitting the Jackpot or finding a golden ticket to Willy Wonka’s factory. But that would mean that such an accolade, awarded only to outstanding work in the field of brand communications, is based on luck, which it is not.

Hard work, perseverance, keen insight, natural flair and years of harnessing and nurturing one’s creative talent are just some of the basic requirements most people need before they can compete in the same arena. So when 22-year-old multimedia design and illustration student Frané Els took home not one but two of the golden birds at this year’s ceremony, it certainly didn’t go unnoticed.

Her experimental typography animation Ubuzu was originally done as part of a third year multimedia project and won a Gold Loerie and a Gold Craft Loerie in the Student category. Now in her final year at the North West University in Potchefstroom, Els is looking forward to soon pursuing a career in illustration and/or animation.

Frané Else at the Loerie Awards evening “It was an honour to be a finalist, but to receive two awards for one project was a great feeling,” says Els. The brief for the project entailed creating a two-minute animation about typography. “I started drawing a lot in my third year, especially characters, in an attempt to develop some kind of personal style. So when the project came up, I wanted to create a font and do something with the characters that I have

been working on,” recalls Els. Initially Els drew the alphabet out in Futura font and created quirky characters around each letter. She then pen-tooled them in Adobe After Affects and finished with what she refers to as “the fun part” – animating. The final product is playful, perceptive and delightfully peculiar.

Inspired by the passion which South African creatives have for their craft, Els plans to soak up as much knowledge as

she can, in order to establish herself as a respected creative in the industry.

“There are a lot of very talented creatives in South Africa, and I would love to be one of them. The challenge is to stay fresh and interesting, to try and do your own thing and to leave your own mark. And of course, to remind yourself to have fun with what you’re doing and not to get too serious about life,” she concludes. – Carly Barnes

products. One answer to these questions is becoming more and more accepted as common business practice by corporations, and that is: creativity drives commerce.

Speaking at a ‘Learning from the Lions’ event, festival CEO Philip Thomas pointed out that Cannes Lions’ Advertiser of The Year winners experienced their highest share price in the build-up to the event, when they were producing their most creative work. He also made reference to IPA Effectiveness Awards in the UK and explained how those who had won awards for the most effective pieces of work were also awarded for having the most creative ones.

“A client’s argument against creativity driving business is now redundant. But you have to be clear about what creativity is…” said Thomas, before announcing the three words used most often across all of the 2014 speeches: Emotional. Data.

Collaboration. Three concepts that, when cleverly woven into a campaign, produce award-winning work and awesome results.

“Technology and data are tools which allow us to communicate creativity,” said Thomas, who referenced a theatre show which had smile detecting software attached to the back of each seat. The

idea was that if you didn’t laugh, you wouldn’t need to pay for your attendance. But if you did, you’d pay per smile. Clever – right?

The ability to reach out and tug on people’s heartstrings has always been a useful tool in the advertising trade and is shown, or rather felt, exceptionally well in P&G’s Thank You Mom advert for the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games.

The commercial showed how mothers of athletes helped their children in every part of their journey from wobbly childhood beginnings to Olympic excellence.

Another Olympic campaign which was destined for gold was the MegaFaces Pavilion campaign for MegaFon, which earned Russia its first Grand Prix. The installation projected selfies submitted by the public as massive 3D sculptures and was executed by an architecture firm. To implement the campaign effectively the UK company collaborated with an agency in Moscow as well as a number of freelancers and designers in other countries.

It’s brilliant ideas like these and the brave people behind them that have dispelled any doubt that creativity really matters. – Carly Barnes

Creativity matters

Philip Thomas “You are the world’s thermostat!” was a statement made by musician and philanthropist Bono when he addressed a packed out audience at the Cannes Lions 12 | SCREENAFRICA | November / December 2014

Festival of Creativity this year. And he was right – people go to Cannes Lions to gauge what’s cool, what gives people goose-bumps and ultimately, what sells

| ADCETERA

Lights, camera, bon appétit!

You might think the name says it all, but WeShootFood is more than just a company specialising in filming and photographing all things food, fork and knife. As most foodies know, the key to a delicious final plate lies with having quality ingredients which come together in a kind of magical harmony.

In the case of WeShootFood the recipe is simple: One part seasoned director/ DOP (of the food-obsessed variety), and one part passionate producer. This, combined with years of experience and an integrated, hands-on approach, makes the master chefs behind the company, Rob Payton and Pete Sherlock, an irresistible duo.

“Food is a huge part of television – not just in commercials,” says Sherlock, executive producer at Cape Town-based production company Farm Film. “It is part and parcel of modern lifestyle and content reflects this in many facets – from game shows, reality, episodic – there is not a part of TV that is without food as

Rob Payton with Jaimie Oliver content. Retailers and restaurants for the most part have recognised this and are keen to be a part of it.”

Sherlock and Payton can capture and cater to anything food related; from commercials, TV, stills and branded content to emerging mediums of culinary communication like web series and blogs.

According to Payton, who is quite comfortable working with celebrity chefs like Jamie Oliver and massive international brands like Knorr and McDonalds, new technologies and the different requirements of each brand keep his job exciting and fresh. But traditionally he says he’s very particular

with lenses and lighting, which are his first priority in achieving a product’s look and feel.

Having worked within a variety of production genres, Payton is able to bring cohesive expertise to the table on any production and explains: “When you have a production where somebody is shooting the food and someone else is shooting the live action, it just doesn’t intercut or work well together. For me the key is to shoot food in a way that completely integrates with the live action.

It then becomes a piece of storytelling rather than some shots of food sandwiched in the middle of

a commercial.”

Applying this kind of expertise to make a product stand out, sparkle, sizzle or scintillate is increasingly important in today’s market. In 2013 research conducted by Cambridge Journals Online revealed that of 1 512 TV advertisements which aired in South Africa between 3pm and 9pm, 665 (44 %) were related to food.

“When you think about food it’s a really evocative subject. But what we can’t do with TV sets is generate the sense of smell or taste – two really powerful tools that are not available to us in advertising,” concludes Payton. – Carly Barnes

MTN Wafa Wafa commercial sets screens alight

Screengrab from the MTN Wafa Wafa commercial The new MTN Wafa Wafa commercial for the MTN8 Soccer Cup is setting South African television screens alight.

A collaboration between advertising agency Metropolitan Republic and production house Goodcop TV in Johannesburg, the fiery TVC features eight soccer players, in a blackened stadium, playing the beautiful game with a burning soccer ball.

Director of the spot, Daniel Levi, says the brief from the agency was simple yet iconic: “They were looking for a creative and technical solution to their core idea

– eight soccer players playing with a burning ball. I had the freedom to craft a context for the idea – to create a world.

Also, to creatively and technically realise the use of fire and how it melded with soccer playing. But as with all great ads, it’s a collaboration – a creative union between the agency team and production team.”

The most astounding aspect of the commercial is that the burning soccer ball is 100 per cent real. “The special effects were all real, all in camera,” explains Levi.

“When I read the script I said to myself

that this needs to be done for real and that we would never get the rawness of fire with digital effects. Fire is incredibly complex in the way that it transfers from one thing to another thing, the way it throws light against things. It’s alive.

That’s very difficult to capture in CGI and I wanted to see the authentic, unpredictable behaviour of fire on a burning ball – that’s part of the magic.

The trick was figuring out how to customise soccer balls so they could be set on fire and stay on fire for at least 30 to 40 seconds. This took a lot of testing

with the special effects team.”

After much testing with the FX department under Gerhard Van Der Heever, a combination of kerosene, petrol, fire retardants, gas torches and customised footballs were used to produce the desired effect.

The message of the ad is centred around ‘Wafa Wafa’, which roughly translated means ‘Do or die’. “It’s about bravery and competition,” says Levi.

During the casting process, the team were on the lookout for guys who could play brilliant soccer but at the same time weren’t afraid of working with fire. Levi comments: “We selected them because they were strong athletes but also because of their attitude – their bravado.

It was all about finding players who would give it their full energy and had the nerve to play with a ball of fire!”

DOP Jamie Ramsay, shot the spot using the Red Dragon and the Phantom for high frame-rate slow motion. Producer Tess van Zyl, art director Julia Grigoratos, and editor Matthew Swanepoel from Priest Post Production made up the remainder of the key crew who brought this truly outstanding TVC to life.

The commercial was shot over two days in July this year at the Bidvest Soccer Stadium at the University of Witwaterstrand. – Chanelle Ellaya November / December 2014 | SCREENAFRICA | 13

ADCETERA

|

Opinion

‘’Prioritisation is as much about what you don’t do, as it is about what you do do’’ Alan James, – Director, James&Wilkinson Media

Alan James

There’s a quote that we often use at the end of one of our training modules, which although made in the glitzy world of showbusiness is as apt in the world of broadcast marketing.

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hen the American comedian Bill Cosby said: “I don’t know the key to success, but the key to failure is trying to please everybody,” he was probably referring to the demands that he faced being a major star in Hollywood.

For one reason or other Mr Cosby’s insight and advice appears to have been ignored by the majority of TV companies that JWM have worked with over the last

14 | SCREENAFRICA | November / December 2014

few years, requiring us to introduce a degree of business autocracy into their companies where previously democracy had run amok.

We find that when we work with broadcasters anywhere in the world to maximise the effectiveness and efficiency of their own on-air marketing resource (promotional GRPs), for one reason or other, sound business logic is often lost when it comes to their use of promotional airtime; distinctly the opposite of when they seek to communicate outside of their networks through advertising – why is this!?

The big difference is the failing of many to recognise that there is little difference between money and value. While the advertising revenue return is analysed in depth, and high level and often fractious negotiations take place between sales departments, media agencies and advertisers , promotional airtime which reaches the same audiences, has the same relative ‘market value’, and communication levels, is used as if almost worthless. There seems to have been an endemic failure by broadcasters to value their own inventory of promotional airtime; their GRPs, that they have free of

cost on their networks, and which when valued at commercial advertising rates run to a value of tens, hundreds or thousands of millions Dollars, Euros, Pounds or Rand per annum. It seems that when no cash is exchanged little value is attributed.

The above situation has led to my Bill Cosby disquiet. Because of the lack of value attached to it, promotional airtime tends to be used non-optimally within broadcasters, with the basics of effective media planning ignored. Reach, effective frequency and OTS are just a few of the measures utilised in the agency world but which are often disregarded in on-air marketing. My earlier analogy of democracy running amok within TV marketing departments, where every service, product, programme, strand or genre ask for, and get a piece of the on-air marketing pie is an outcome of this.

In essence everything is supported, in reality nothing is, or at least very little at effective communication levels dictated by those same media planning rules I mentioned earlier.

So what should be done? We are of the opinion that broadcasters should act as their advertising clients do; by allocating

resources to fulfil the business needs of the organisation. This needs to be done with a view to both the short, medium and long-term success of the business. A short-term focus where daily viewing levels drive decision making will fail to future proof the business against the demands of demographic change, technical change, and increased international competition, similarly ignoring the present will probably inhibit you in achieving the future that you may aspire to.

Task led prioritisation, effective media communication weights, forward planning and resource allocation is critical to success, whether those tasks are brand health, viewing, demographic or new and changing distribution such as in South Africa and Africa in general. Faced with such tasks the correct balance must be struck. This process will inevitably lead to a scything of supported activity, but it will be the correct route for the business, however difficult it may appear to be in the first instance.

I’m sure Bill Cosby would endorse our view that ‘’Prioritisation is as much about what you don’t do as it is about what you do do’’.

| ADCETERA

Screengrab from the #LiveWithHeart content piece featuring DJ Seano

Red Heart Rum repositions with a digital campaign In a worthy attempt to appeal to the younger consumer, Red Heart Rum launched their ‘60 Days to #LiveWithHeart’ digital campaign.

Launched in August 2014 and running until mid-October, the new campaign – conceptualised and produced by Cape Town based digital marketing agency Hellocomputer – draws on the courage it takes to ‘live with heart’, through real-life gutsy acts played out by consumers.

Every second day a new challenge is presented on the ‘Live With Heart’ website – 30 challenges over 60 days – ranging from ‘Tick something off your bucket list’, to ‘Build something from scratch’, and ‘Dance like no one is watching even though everyone is’.

Participants complete these various tasks and share the documentation online, through photos or videos, standing a chance to win an array of prizes and at the same time becoming an integral part of the campaign.

The message of the campaign is simply that if you #LiveWithHeart, Red Heart Rum salutes you, showing South Africa that it is truly a more fulfilling and rewarding way of living. Mario Pinto, project manager at Hellocomputer says: “Red Heart Rum’s new positioning, #LiveWithHeart, speaks to people who live life to the fullest. Those who give everything a go, never say no, and are always up for a challenge.”

In addition to the brand’s digital and social media platforms, the challenge broadcasts on 5FM, YFM, Algoa FM and Good Hope FM. Hellocomputer

adverts, Hellocomputer kept their production team small and agile – a three-man team to be precise. Grant Campbell and Dillan Fuller shot the piece and Lawrence Jaeger edited it in less

than a day.

“Good social media content is all about being quick, snappy and not wasting a moment,” Pinto concludes.

– Chanelle Ellaya

commissioned the country’s favourite radio DJs to participate in the campaign by shooting content pieces featuring the DJs participating in an assigned challenge. DJ Seano from Good Hope FM was asked to ‘dance like no one’s watching even though everyone is’, and the result is nothing short of hilarious.

“When we launched our digital campaign, 60 Days to #LiveWithHeart, we wanted to choose some very genuine, authentic and fun radio DJs to participate, and show South Africans how to live with heart,” explains Pinto.

“We followed and filmed DJ Seano as he danced, moonwalked and did the sprinkler around Cape Town…Cutting this into a short clip, we released it on social media, for all his fans to enjoy, pushing people to the host of challenges on the website.”

Everyone lives with heart differently, so when Hellocomputer shot the content piece, there were no specifics in place – no brief, no prescribed look and feel – just DJ Seano living with heart captured on two handheld 5D cameras, a GoPro and a lapel mic.

“It had to be bite-sized, slick, ungraded and really make the target market feel like these challenges are achievable. It’s not about the best camera to #LiveWithHeart, it’s about the emotion behind it…We wanted to keep it simple, do-able doccie-like and fast, to catch all the little moments which make great social media content,” says Pinto.

As the #LiveWithHeart campaign is composed of content pieces rather than November / December 2014 | SCREENAFRICA | 15

FILM

|

Catch a shooting star Director Darrell Roodt recently completed his latest Afrikaans film, in which brilliant new young talent features.

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ith a flood of Afrikaans romantic comedies currently hitting the big screen, Roodt was delighted with Stefan Enslin’s screenplay. “I have made quite a few Afrikaans feature films now and what I really liked about Stefan’s script is that it was different. In other words, it wasn’t a romantic comedy. On the contrary, it was a powerful human drama, just the kind of thing I love doing.”

Roodt specifically focused on the theme of a relationship between a father and his son. “That is always a fascinating relationship to explore. It goes to very dark places but ends in a very positive, uplifting way. However, the grand theme of the movie is following your dreams.

The hero in the story is a young boy who is a gifted pianist and despite his dad trying to prevent him from doing this at all costs, he triumphs.”

Learners of Helpmekaar Kollege in Johannesburg feature in the film and it was an easy task for Roodt to pick his lead characters. Deanre Reiners had played the lead in my film Seun – he was absolutely extraordinary and when I read Verskietende Ster I immediately saw him in the role. He is in grade 12 at Helpmekaar so I thought it would be wonderful to shoot at his school and cast the rest of the supporting school kids from there too. It worked out fantastically because these kids knew each other very well and that translated into the movie.”

The old saying in the film industry of “no children, no animals......” did not cause him to waver at all as he set about working with a large group of children.

“It was exactly the opposite – it was an amazing experience to explore the story through these young people’s hearts and minds. It made me feel young again!”

Apart from the extraordinary talent of Deanre, Roodt was impressed with all of the young cast members and he believes they are stars of the future. “All of them!

Seriously I was very impressed with their understanding of the text and their commitment to their roles. The school’s drama department was extremely helpful

16 | SCREENAFRICA | November / December 2014

STAR SMILE: A young new star on the horizon, Deanre Reiners, share a joke with crew members William Collinson (DOP) and Dino Benedetti (focus puller) during the filming of Verskietende Ster.

in making this all come together.”

One of the outstanding moments during filming for Roodt was watching Deanre transform himself into a virtuoso pianist. “It was amazing to behold,” says Roodt. “He can’t play a piano to save his life but he acted as if he could outplay Liberace! Amazing!”

In the local film industry it is known that Roodt rarely hold auditions for the roles in his films, but that actors who would fit the roles are hand-picked. “My producing partner, Christianne Bennetto, has a very definite point of view about casting and I always defer to her! We always aim for the best actors and we get them!”

The same goes for choosing the crew.

“I always like to work with a loyal team, that way you work faster and better and I really believe in Verskietende Ster we have delivered a very slick film.”

Roodt acknowledges that there are more films being made in Afrikaans in South Africa than any other language. He ascribes this to the fact that there is an established audience for entertainment products in this language, unlike any of South Africa’s other languages. He also believes that the films are going to get bigger and better.

He is currently working on a new Afrikaans film, Treurgrond, which he describes as “controversial” and “the big film” of 2015.

And what would he really like to do in the future? “I would love to make a great horror film that would scare the living hell out of an audience.”

Verskietende Ster tells the story of 13-year old Phillip Schuman, a slender and timid boy with an inconceivable

Darrell Roodt directs Myra Jacqueline Harmse on the set of Verskietende Ster.

musical talent, but with the hurt of the real world preventing his light from shining.

Some of the senior actors in the cast include Jana Strydom, Ilse Oppelt, Corine du Toit, Hanli Rolfes and Gys de Villiers while the crew was made up of William Collinson (DOP). Annerie Gericke (production design), Sulet Dreyer (costume design), Gerlia Groenewald (M/U), James Caroll (editor), Alli Heyns (sound) and Geo Hoehn (composer).

The film, produced by Philo Pieterse and Stefan Enslin, will be released in May 2015.

Roodt had barely completed Verskietende Ster when he tackled a more serious film, entitled Treurgrond which focuses on farm murders in South Africa and which is currently being filmed in and around Gauteng.

It is not Roodt’s aim to draw the government’s proactive attention to the critical crime situation in the country. For him it is of the utmost importance that a movie should not be made to deliver an ‘important message’ to change the status quo. “That’s a sure recipe for disaster. So, no, Treurgrond will certainly be hardhitting and food for thought, but one movie can’t make a difference and nor

should it be expected to do so. A movie is just a movie… But never underestimate the power of a movie…”

Treurgrond is the story of a farmer striving to make his farm a success despite the threat of land redistribution and escalating farm attacks. The story consists of multiple parallel narratives.

One of the narrative threads involves a woman police captain investigating the ongoing tragedy of farm attacks and the plot follows her as she tries to maintain law and order in a rural community. Her partner is a forensic photographer who is new to both the job and the rural environment. The viewer explores the terrain and the complexities of modern South Africa through his eyes and lenses.

The other narrative involves the farmer’s brother, a young lawyer, who has a battle of his own to fight – trying to legally protect the farm from being sold.

Meanwhile the spectre of farm attacks hangs over the community.

Treurgrond is a film in the tradition of other films Darrell has made, such as Little One as it explores the men and women at the heart of South Africa, and what they have to endure and overcome, to make sure that the future is bright for all who live here. – Jakkie Groenewald

Ethiopia

Difret, a real Ethiopian story Zeresenay Berhane is an Ethiopian filmmaker who wrote and directed Difret, his debut feature film, based on a true story about the precedent-setting court case that outlawed the practice of abduction for marriage.

Marriage by abduction is a traditional practice followed by almost 80 percent of the residents of Oromiya Region in Ethiopia. Since 2004, the Ethiopian penal code has forbidden girls to get married before the age of 18; it also punishes those who flout the law with up to 20 years imprisonment.

These early marriages have been observed by the Oromo for ages.

Traditionally they represent a way for the daughter to attain financial stability for herself and the family she comes from.

Ex-University of Southern California (USC) student Berhane directed the film and decided to write the screenplay which is from a true story about Hirut, a 14-year-old rural girl who is kidnapped by a gang of men on horseback and forced to marry their leader. But in her agitation to be free she escapes by shooting her captor with a stolen rifle. The story is fairly

CHALLENGING TRADITION: Tizita Hagere as abducted child bride Hirut in Difret

typical and its themes resonate with traditions that run through the veins of African culture.

After Hirut’s arrest, Meaza, a young lawyer and a fierce advocate for women, aids the teenager by taking on her defense case. ”We wanted to make a story about the importance of tradition in crossroads with the law,” Berhane says. ”Ethiopia is a multilayered reservoir of stories and if one can capture this in film and show the world the challenges that young girls are facing then that is really critical in appreciating the very shortcomings of culture.”Unusually, considering the current digital trend, the film was entirely shot on 35mm. Hollywood star Angelina Jolie served as executive producer, which is no surprise given her vocal advocacy of the rights of young women and children

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around the globe.

“I think she was drawn to the story because she has an adopted child from there and that gives her a certain prerogative to prove herself a champion for child’s rights,” says cinematographer Monika Lenczewska. The Polish-born Lenczewska is based in Los Angeles and was recently nominated for an award at the 2014 Sundance Festival. She was engaged in the story from the moment she read the script. ”As a woman my interest was captured from the very beginning, Difret is about the daily challenges that traditional young African women face – and who would not be curious to capture that in film?” she adds.

The film was produced by Haile – Addis Pictures Inc, which was founded by Berhane. It has its headquarters in Washington DC with a branch in Addis Ababa.

Berhane was born in 1977 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia and has been involved in film production for over a decade. He studied at the USC school of Cinematic Arts where he graduated with a bachelor’s degree.

‘I owe my creative knowledge in film to USC; my years there were a great experience,’ he says proudly.

The film was entirely shot in the mountainous Oromo region and Addis Ababa. It was nominated for the Grand

| Film

Jury Prize at Sundance 2014 and won the Audience Award. At the Berlin International Film Festival it won the Panorama Audience Award. ”People usually ask me how I did it, I tell them that I have had this idea for years and finally through my consistent dream and persistence, I ended up knowing someone who got me in touch with Angelina Jolie, and after reading the script she got in touch. The rest is history.”

The principal cast was by Meron Getnet a veteran Ethiopian actress and Tizita Hagere with music scored in studio

by David Schommer and David Eggar both of them Grammy nominated for their musical expertise. The editing was done by another female of Polish origin; Agnieszka Glinska, a graduate of the Polish National Film School and is a member of the Polish Editors Society.

The film is in Amharic with English subtitles.

“If one has to make films about Africa they have to know the basic culture, the life of its people and then only they can portray that through film,” Getnet says.

“We are the greatest continent with uncharted waters, there are thousands of stories that can be told about Africa with precision and if they can be told professionally then anyone in the world will love to be a part of this journey.“ – Sam Charo

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November / December 2014 | SCREENAFRICA | 17

FILM

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Sudan

Director Speak What would be a dream shoot location for you and why?

My dream shoot location is Lagos, Nigeria. I love the high energy urban setting that combines culture and the urban hustle and constant search for the new. Add to that, Lagos has beautiful people and endless stories that are bound to bring entertaining energy to the big screen.

oj Hajo a Kuk

What does the future hold for Hajooj Kuka? Hopes and dreams?

My hopes and aspirations continue to evolve and grow.

My current dream is to complete my next fiction feature film. It is a romantic comedy set in the backdrop of the Sudanese civil war in Nuba Mountains. With a core emphasis on the concept of black is beautiful.

What are your top three favourite films and why?

The Battle of Algiers by Gillo Pontecorvo. This film captures the energy while keeping true to the reality of a single time in history like no other film; in this case it is the Algerian colonial resistance movement. À bout de souffle (Breathless) by Jean-Luc Godard. This film inspires me to create and sets me free as a filmmaker.

Lumumba by Raoul Peck. The best reminder of the ability and power of cinema to teach us about our African heroes.

Sudanese filmmaker Hajooj Kuka recently won the People’s Choice Award at the Toronto International Film Festival for his documentary Beats of the Antonov. He is an accomplished visual artist and activist with a love for great cinema and a storytelling sensibility that combines an international cinema aesthetic with pan-African interests.

GROWN IN DIVERSITY’: Hajooj Kuka

Did you always want to become a filmmaker?

I have always been a visual artist. Moving from drawings, paintings, photography, animation and film. In filmmaking I found a medium to combine my passions and discovered new ones. The deeper I get into film the more my love for it grows.

film in a cinema and felt the energy of the audience as they joined the film’s characters on a journey in Sudan’s war torn areas. It was priceless to feel the genuine connection of a diverse audience in Toronto to the people in the Nuba Mountains and Blue Nile and how they understand both their misery due to their own government bombing them and their happiness that comes from the deep rooted connection to their traditional music and culture. The ability to make people in Toronto connect with Sudanese people was my best success to date and a high in my filmmaking experiences.

How has your upbringing shaped you as a director?

I grew up in a diverse urban setting that always celebrated my Sudanese Nubian African heritage, while living amidst an Arabic Islamic culture. I also grew up under a dictatorship and in an activist household fighting for freedom. All this gave me an understanding that with the power of film comes a social responsibility. That is why most of my work focuses on the Sudanese people’s search for their identity, justice and freedom.

Who are your mentors, if any?

I learned the art of filmmaking and continue to do so mainly through working with peers. But my first mentor, and a close friend, who introduced me to the language of film, is Kwesi (Jean Renaud), a Haitian cinematographer and filmmaker.

What has been the highlight of your career as a director to date?

My brightest moment as a director is winning the People’s Choice Awards at TIFF 2014 for my film Beats of the Antonov. I can’t imagine a better award to win!

Another equal highlight was the first time I screened the

What kind of stories/narratives do you particularly enjoy telling?

I love bizarre and unexpected real life stories especially when they examine identity; who I am and who we are?

Recently, my obsession has become love stories in unfavourable situations.

18 | SCREENAFRICA | November / December 2014

Who are your top three favourite directors? Why? Emir Kusturica (Serbia), for finding humour where others see nothing but tragedy. Creating comical characters that are full of life and energy but are also deep and emotional. Finally his mastery of using music in film.

Abderrahmane Sissako (Mauritania) excites me with visual African storytelling that is close to my heart. Seeing Sissako’s films just makes me want to pick up my camera and create!

Bong Joon-ho (South Korea) for entertaining storytelling that is both unpredictable and engaging. With complex backdrops that, even if unfamiliar to the audience, are intriguing and add a depth that excites the intelligence while we remain truly connected to the main characters.

My list will not be complete without adding Ramin Bahrani (Iran/ USA) for proving beyond a doubt that an independent micro budget can create a great film. A strong story is the essence of film.

What has been your greatest challenge as a director to date?

There are many challenges; East Africa lacks a cinema industry, making filmmaking harder as there are little to no success stories to lean on.

Add to that, our African characters don’t fall inside the mainstream boxes and stereotypes that would make it easier for a wide audience to connect with them. The challenge is to make the character’s humanity shine through while maintaining their true essence. But my greatest challenge as a director has been selling my African multi-character storytelling aesthetic which breaks from the single character driven style of storytelling Hollywood blockbusters have made the norm.

– Compiled by Chanelle Ellaya

| Documentary

Glory Game: a story of redemption

A BIGGER STORY: Still from Glory Game

The documentary Glory Game: The Joost van der Westhuizen Story, which chronicles rugby legend Joost van der Westhuizen’s battle with Motor Neuron Disease, premiered at the Silwerskerm Film Festival in Cape Town on 29 August 2014.

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outh Africans are familiar with the story of former Springbok Joost van der Westhuizen, a story of guts, glory and a fall from grace…But what about redemption?

The back story Van der Westhuizen is most famous for his role as scrum-half for the South African national team – the Springboks. From 1993 to 2003 he had an enviable sports career, playing in three rugby world cups and serving as captain of the Springboks in 1999 and again in 2003. In 2009, a scandal tying van der Westhuizen to drugs and infidelity unraveled publicly.

After making all attempts to deny his involvement in the scandal, he took ownership of his actions in a public apology.

Fast forward three years; it is May 2011 and doctors have discovered that the rugby legend has a form of Motor Neuron Disease. It was later confirmed as Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) and van der Westhuizen was told he had only a 20 percent chance of living longer than five years from diagnosis.

Carte Blanche South African director and producer Odette Schwegler of Bl!nk Pictures has been working with Carte Blanche for over 16 years. In 2012, Shwegler directed and produced a piece about van der Westhuizen for the current affairs television show. The initial response to the promo was largely negative: “People told us ‘not to waste their time’, that we were giving ‘a cheat’ and ‘a liar’ airtime,” Shwegler explains.

“As the programme was being broadcast very different comments starting pouring in – themes of forgiveness and courage and prayer. The response in print media was unprecedented in my experience – the story, and various spin-offs, made headlines for weeks.”

A story about humanity The response to the Carte Blanche episode puzzled Shwegler. What was it about this story? She sensed it was something more than the man: more than him taking responsibility for his wrongdoings, more than the disease. It was then that she realised there was a bigger story to be told here, inspiring her to set about the making of Glory Game.

“The answer for me was that it was a story about humanity,” says Shwegler.

“Who hasn’t made mistakes and tried to

cover their tracks? Who hasn’t wondered when punishment would come – and in what form? And, when faced with devastation, how have we reacted? I realised then that this was a story about every one of us – about fallibility, courage and redemption. That is what inspired me to make this documentary.”

Shwegler plucked up the courage to ask van der Westhuizen if he’d be interested in shooting the documentary, the only question he asked her was: “How much of the next two years do you require?”

“I told him, six months, however we ended up filming with him for well over a year as the story just took us there,” says Shwegler. “His 42nd birthday celebrations were the following week, and that’s when we started filming. That’s how filming continued; as something happened, we were there.”

Intimate and real The Joost van der Westhuizen shown in Glory Game is wheelchair-bound and his struggle to speak makes him almost incoherent at times – a man very different to the sports star the world remembers.

The documentary – directed by Shwegler and co-produced by Michael Yelseth and John Webb – not only documents van der Westhuizen’s battle with ALS, it takes viewers on a worldwide journey in search of better treatment and research, on a journey to redemption.

“We shot from 20 February 2013 until 22 June 2014. We filmed in 13 cities, across six countries on four continents, over 15 months,” says Shwegler.

From the very beginning, the purpose was to shoot the documentary in a manner that felt intimate and real. This meant minimal crew, lights and camera,

while still producing a production of the highest standard and quality.

Shwegler explains: “The most important thing for me was that the film felt (and was) authentic in every way. The intention was simply to capture moments as they happened.”

To achieve the intimate and authentic feel Shwegler desired, co-producer and DOP Michael Yelseth captured the footage using a Canon 5D and Panasonic HDX 900. For the first nine months of shooting, the documentary was self-funded and Yelseth donated his time and equipment until further funding was made available.

Courage In the words of Shwegler, Glory Game is a tale of “fallibility, courage and redemption” – a tale of humanity.

“Joost is an international icon – an icon that fell from grace and then rediscovered his humanity through a death sentence. More than that, I think (and hope) that when people see the documentary, they will resonate with something else. Humanity. I hope that anyone watching this takes a little bit of a look at their own lives. I did. The making of this film has completely changed my life,” Shwegler concludes.

The film was commissioned for broadcast by M-Net Movies and kykNET, initially on Box Office and later on PayTV – kykNET and M-Net movie channels. The production will have selected private cinema screenings in South Africa and will then follow the film festival route.

Glory Game will be available on DStv’s Box Office this November.

– Chanelle Ellaya November / December 2014 | SCREENAFRICA | 19

Television

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The plight of the SA soap actor Over the last few months South Africa has watched the SABC, MMVP Productions and 16 fired Generations cast members play out their own soap opera in the media. Screen Africa’s Carly Barnes dug deeper into the matter to see how South Africa’s soap actors stand alongside their international peers when it comes to pay and working conditions.

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sense that fans, curious onlookers and people in the industry might feel as I do; that we should pick a side. I struggle to say with confidence that either party has me sold and instead find myself wondering if there isn’t a more universal issue at play, one of craft versus commercialism.

Artists by nature are emotional creatures and masters of expression.

They have the ability to captivate people, which is why we fall in love with them and

20 | SCREENAFRICA | November / December 2014

their work. There are very few, however that can balance this immense creative talent with equal amounts of business sense.

Likewise corporations like the SABC and MMVP productions juggle logistics and work under high pressure to meet audience and advertising expectations, and deliver on the bottom line. But at times they seem to lose sight and appreciation of the brand ambassadors who are in many ways the essence of their product. Though the two may seem worlds apart, they are in fact mutually dependent for their success.

If we strip the situation of all emotion, it’s pretty simple: cast members want better rates, three-year contracts and to be paid the rights and residuals owed to them. That seems fair. Or does it? After MMVP Productions’ Friedrich Stark revealed that the average Generations cast member’s salary was R55 000 per month, I wondered if the actors were being unreasonable and as he put it, suffering from ‘delusions of grandeur’.

So I looked at some global standards for soap stars and did a quick comparison.

According to Equity, a UK trade union for professional performers, most soapie artists are remunerated above the minimum weekly wage, which for an actor working on a BBC soap (EastEnders, Casualty) is £588, around R42 390 monthly. The cast of ITV soaps earn a minimum episode fee of £400 and a daily attendance fee of £55. If you look at their show Coronation Street, which aired 21 episodes in September 2014, an actor which featured in 70% of the episodes that month would have earned around R105 749 (excluding their daily fee).

According to the Australian Actors’ Television Programs Agreement, the most experienced cast members working on soaps earn a weekly minimum of $1 026.28, which translates to around R40 439 a month.

All regular/principal actors for the BBC

and ITV are usually engaged in six- to 12-month contracts while in Australia employment engagement normally covers a season or is done on a yearly basis.

When shows are sold to a secondary channel or other countries, both BBC and ITV cast share in a 17% royalty of the sales price, which is divided proportionally between ITV cast according to their original fee and the BBC cast in proportion to their residual basic fee (not less than 80% and not more than 100% of the total engagement fee). If ITV programmes repeat on their main channel the cast receive 100% of their episode fee. Rights and residuals for Australian actors usually amount to 102.5% of the negotiated fee up front (in compensation for a set number of Australian TV runs and prepayment for some overseas TV and ancillary market rights excluding US Network TV which is structured differently).

In light of this, perhaps demanding three year contracts is a bit unreasonable, considering the plots for serial shows are ongoing and cast members’ screen time is largely determined by audience favour.

In comparison to international standards (bearing in mind shows like Coronation Street have been running for 54 years while Generations is only now entering its 20s), R55 000 is not the exorbitant salary it may have initially seemed, but it’s not a pittance either. It seems to be in keeping with the global average.

One thing is clear; Generations actors are not getting the transparency they deserve from their employers. They are not being offered the correctly calculated residual fees, which can be crucial to long term survival in an unpredictable career.

Carlynn de Waal Smit, guild secretary for the South African Guild of Actors says she has asked the SABC to explain the calculation of residual fees and says: “Somebody who has been there for a year is getting X while somebody who

has been there for 10 years is getting Y and it’s not that much more than X. We are still awaiting that explanation and we did question it with the relevant department in April. My conclusion is that there isn’t enough transparency about that issue.”

Rosie Motene is an ex-Generations actress who now runs an agency for prominent African actors – some of whom have starred in the hit soapie Tinsel.

Motene warns not to underestimate the reach of Generations and has been recognised for her role on the show in the US as well as the UK. She says: “When I was working on Generations, I think I had seven contracts – five of those said that for any repeat broadcast I should get royalties and I haven’t gotten one cent. At the time we didn’t have unity like the actors do now so when we tried to go up against SABC and the producers it all fell apart because lawyers cost a lot of money.”

Anyone I’ve spoken to agrees that the Generations stand-off has been a long time coming and that the very public dispute is a necessary talking point – after all, nothing grows without challenge and if South Africa seeks to position itself as a global competitor, these are issues that need to be acknowledged and addressed properly, through the right channels and with as much grace and integrity as possible. Wouldn’t it be refreshing to have the SABC acknowledge its shortcomings and follow through on making things right?

Likewise wouldn’t it be admirable to have performers voice their concerns calmly, with restraint and without having to drudge up the legacy of apartheid?

Most importantly I think if all involved were able to mend this severance through a better appreciation and understanding of the challenges faced by one another, they could set an inspiring example for all South Africans.

– Carly Barnes

TELEVISION

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Photo courtesy: Mars One

Beginning life on Mars

In our last update (May 2013), the Mars One astronaut application process was underway.

Now some 705 candidates chosen from over 200 000 applicants will be tested to the extreme as part of an elite training program run by a panel comprised of pre-eminent scientists, adventurers and astronauts, in one of the most extraordinary and challenging job interviews ever seen. The winners will be the first to make the 482 803 200 km journey to establish permanent human life on the red planet on 14 September 2022.

22 | SCREENAFRICA | November / December 2014

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uman settlement on Mars is possible today with existing technologies and Mars One’s mission plan integrates components that are well tested and readily available from industry leaders worldwide. The drawback is that no return trip can be made as yet; we haven’t developed the means to do so. Instead Mars One will send additional crews every two years to further build the pioneering colony and those who go there will ultimately end their lives there.

From the outset the Mars One plan has always been to build the programme around a reality style television production and the cost of achieving this is estimated to be in the region of US$6 billion.

But how can a reality show expect to raise six billion dollars? The short answer is by attempting to create the biggest media event ever. Bas Lansdorp, co-founder and CEO of Mars One says: “To attract sponsors we will create appealing media content around the selection of the astronauts, the training, unmanned missions and other topics.

This should convince sponsors and investors to participate with the promise of an even bigger exposure later: we expect that almost every person on Earth will witness the landing of the first astronauts on Mars. Their departure from Earth, the journey to Mars and the first months on Mars will also attract a very large audience. After that, many people

will tune in a couple of times a week to see how ‘our people on Mars’ are doing – a reality show that never ends.”

Endemol-owned Darlow Smithson Productions (DSP) has been appointed the exclusive worldwide production partner for the Mars One programme, starting with the astronaut selection and training selection, which will see people from all walks of life undergo one of the most extraordinary and challenging assessment processes ever seen. DSP will document the aspiring pioneers’ astonishing journeys every step of the way in the lead up to the mission, which will see the winners become the first to make the one way trip to establish permanent human life on the red planet.

With the astronaut selection process well underway, the first instalments of DSP’s landmark production are expected to begin broadcasting around the world in early 2015.

“Bringing the story of our incredibly brave aspiring Martians to the world now officially begins with what we feel is a perfect partnership. Our team felt all along that we needed a partner whose strength lies in factual storytelling to an international audience. DSP will provide that to Mars One, while allowing our selection committee to maintain control of the astronaut selection process. This really is a perfect fit for both of us!” comments Lansdorp.

Iain Riddick, DSP’s head of Special Projects and Digital Media, comments:

“It is a great privilege for DSP to be chosen to exclusively follow the incredible journeys of those who will make humankind’s first footprint on Mars. This has to be the world’s toughest job interview for what is without question a world-first opportunity and the human stories that emerge will captivate and inspire generations across the globe.”

DSP has a long established reputation for producing world class television programmes and theatrical documentaries for UK, US and international broadcasters. The company has achieved global industry recognition for its ground breaking output and has received more than 40 industry awards, including accolades from BAFTA, The Peabody Awards, The Royal Television Society and the US Academy of Television, Arts and Sciences.

Mars One has now extended a formal invitation to universities, research bodies and companies to contribute to the first payload of the 2018 unmanned Mars Lander. They are looking for the ideal technology that can cope with the harsh Martian climate including a multi camera and switching system which, in combination with a Mars-synchronous communications satellite, will enable Mars One to send a live video feed from Mars to Earth Big Brother style and allow Earthlings to take a ‘real time’ look on life…and ultimately, death on Mars.

– Ian Dormer

DISCOP AFRICA | 5-7 NOVEMBER 2014

Agenda – 20 Years Of Television In Africa: What’s Next? – Discopro Workshops – List of Participants

SHOW GUIDE Agenda – 20 Years Of Television In Africa: What’s Next? – Discopro Workshops – List of Participants

EVENT PARTNERS

EVENT PARTNERS

ORGANIZED BY

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Africa 2014

Francophone Africa rises DISCOP Africa has chosen as its theme for 2014, “Frenchspeaking Africa rises”, with a special focus on Ivory Coast, which is this year’s official guest country at the annual African content market.

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rench-speaking Africa is set to play a key role in the development of television content production and distribution across Africa and thus forms the focus of DISCOP Africa 2014.

Betty Yengo, French Speaking Africa Research Manager at Basic Lead, organisers of DISCOP, says: “We undertook to travel to most West African countries in the last 12 months and the result is an unprecedented attendance from French-speaking countries. We are indeed very proud to welcome close to 300 participants from that part of Africa, with most of the top distributors, networks and key industry stakeholders being represented.

Ivory Coast – Leading the way Ivory Coast has been selected as DISCOP Africa 2014’s guest country. This West African nation has committed to massive investment in the creative industries and will actively seek co-production partners from the across the continent and globe.

In order to announce many of these new investment and development projects, the Ivory Coast exhibition at DISCOP Africa has been organised in partnership with RTI, Ivory Coast’s public broadcaster, ONACI, the country’s leading funding institution for film and TV content, and the Ivorian government, particularly the departments of culture and communications. The Minister of Communications, Mrs Affoussiata Bamba-Lamine will attend personally and will be meeting with her counterparts in the South African government. Ivory Coast sees South Africa as a role model for developing a robust audiovisual industry and will be looking to create partnerships and open channels of communication for future co-productions.

A national pavilion will be set up to ensure maximum visibility for Ivory Coast as an attractive regional and international television content co-production partner.

Parlez-vous français?: Ivory Coast’s minister of communications, Mrs Affoussiata Bamba-Lamine

Canal A+ The French group Canal+ launched its first exclusively African channel, A+ on 24 October just ahead of DISCOP Africa.

The new 100% African channel enriches the offering of CANALSAT Africa and is a reflection of the African continent in its range and diversity. Put together by a Pan-African team, A+ will showcase the many cultures of the continent. It is committed to supporting African productions and developing the creative industries on the continent.

Francophone content revived and digitised In another development for Frenchlanguage content on the continent, Côte Ouest, the leading African distributor, has partnered with L’Organisation de la Francophonie (OIF) in a major project aimed at resuscitating over 3000 African documentaries, films, series and short films. The digitisation of this content will

include classic productions such as Lat Dior (Alioune Badara Beye, 1990), F (Mahama Johnson Traoré, 1992) and A nous la vie (Dani Kouyaté, 1998) among others.

Audiovisual content is a significant part of Africa’s cultural heritage and the project aims to select the finest gems, identify the rights holders and to legally distribute and promote these titles. The project will cover over 20 African countries over three years, starting in 2014.

The digitisation programme is just a part of Côte Ouest’s broader strategy in regard to the new digital TV landscape, as Bernard Azria, the company’s CEO explains: “For too long African aufiovisual landscape has been dominated by very few giant players. This time is over. The new opportunities brought by the switchover to digital will give small but talented producers an opportunity to express themselves. We think that this is and always will be our mission – to help promote independent, emerging African talents.”

DISCOP Africa The ninth edition of DISCOP Africa will feature a conference agenda that includes the third edition of DISCOPRO, a pitching, training and networking forum designed to help independent producers carry their projects to completion; and “20 Years of Television in Africa: What’s Next?”, a two-day summit that will examine the challenges of developing a sustainable, homegrown digital television ecosystem across the continent.

Organised by Basic Lead, a Los Angeles and Johannesburg-based event production agency specialising in the entertainment industry, DISCOP Africa plays host to over 2000 exhibiting and non-exhibiting delegates from 70 countries, representing 1000+ companies. This year’s event welcomes all of the global and regional major players driving television business and digital changes in Africa, including the largest contingent ever of producers and distributors of African content.

November / December 2014 | SCREENAFRICA | 25

COTE D’IVOIRE GUEST

AT

COUNTRY OF HONOR FROM NOVEMBER 5TH TO 7TH

2014 in

Ministère de l’Intégration Africaine et des ivoiriens de l’Extérieur

Johannesburg

Canal+ to launch new channel Canal+ recently launched a new channel dedicated to content made in Africa.

The new channel, called CANAL A+, is the focus of the broadcaster’s strategy at DISCOP 2014. François Deplanck of Canal+ discusses the plans for the new channel within the context of the broadcaster’s overall African strategy.

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and gets more competitive each year. Furthermore, current consumer behaviour impacts TV viewing as a whole: non-linear, piracy free DTT viewing. Of course we’re adapting our products, but development comes from our international ventures like Vietnam and especially Africa.

INTERNATIONAL VENTURES: François Deplanck Recently, Bertrand Meheut, Canal+’s CEO, said that Africa was of even greater strategic importance to the group than its European market, can you elaborate on that?

The pay TV market in France is stagnant

You recently launched a new channel, A+, consisting of content ‘Made in Africa’ and currently aimed at a Frenchspeaking African audience.

Can you describe your content acquisitions strategy?

A+ was launched on 24 October. It is our first channel totally dedicated to African content: live action series, movies and Nollywood, live entertainment shows, reality TV. We acquire ready-made ‘cult’ series, non-French language series from South Africa, Ghana, Kenya, Angola and Senegal for which we handle dubbing in French language. We also invest in the development of new series sometimes from the very beginning throughout the development phase.

Africa 2014 What sort of challenges did you encounter putting A+’s programming grid together?

Once our strategy on the position of the channel was settled, we knew what to look for and where to go. The main challenge is technical. We often receive material which requires a lot of work to meet our standards.

Is A+ going to become a major co-production partner for African producers, the way Canal+ is on the global marketplaces?

Yes, that’s the idea for both A+ and our premium CANAL+ channels. We have met with a lot of talented African producers, directors and authors who need support, not only financial support, and are eager to work with us.

Hopefully over the next years we’ll coproduce or commission content which will travel well in Africa then Europe and North America. In that scope, CANAL+ France might come on board to foster some projects. Very exciting times for us all.

RTI puts Ivorian film development plan into action Among the companies visiting DISCOP Africa 2014 as part of the focus on Ivory Coast is RTI Distribution, the recently formed distribution arm of the Ivorian public broadcaster. RTI’s Sandra Coulibaly outlines the broadcaster’s objectives at the conference.

Could you explain RTI’s long-term strategy to expand its portfolio of content under the recently created distribution arm?

The establishment of RTI Distribution falls under an overall development strategy for the Ivorian fiction films industry, fostered by the General Manager of Radiodiffusion Télévision Ivoirienne (RTI), Ahmadou Bakayoko, towards enhancing national audiovisual production.

We are launching a catalogue mainly made up of Ivorian fiction series including RTI’s internal productions as well as independent producers’ programmes.

The long-term strategy is built on diversifying the catalogue’s formats.

The following are the steps in place to this end:

OBJECTIVES: Sandra Coulibaly • Strategic monitoring for highpotential projects from private producers to identify quality products that can be integrated into our catalog.

• An internal production development scheme through training in specific trades, provision of advanced technical equipment…

• Short films, feature films, documentaries and animated films will form part of 2015’s content offer.

Our aim under RTI Distribution is to be positioned as an export platform for Ivorian productions and our rich and varied cultural heritage. Côte d’Ivoire will proudly emerge as a sub-regional hub and broadcasting benchmark.

What has the editorial focus been in the creation of RTI’s existing catalogue?

Our catalogue is so far solely made up of programmes that are produced and directed in Côte d’Ivoire. We obviously

intend to highlight the various aspects of Ivorian culture displayed by our TV series of all kinds: thriller, comedy, drama, social satire, cartoons. The public service mission vested in RTI allowed a 50-year history of educating our people, primarily youngsters and women, on issues related to politics, culture, economics and religion.

Today, the focus is to build on the good perception of African people in general and the sub-region in particular, for the ‘Made in Côte d’Ivoire’ productions.

Is RTI considering entering co-production agreements in order to add value to its catalogue?

Co-production is actually an essential part of our strategy. The majority of programmes in our catalogue derive from collaboration with local private producers.

In just five months of operation, we have reached four partnership agreements and selected several high-potential projects which will soon be subject to coproduction agreements, pre-purchase and distribution as well.

Furthermore, we are planning on enriching our catalogue in 2015 with programmes able to meet the expectations not only of Ivorian young viewers but also likely to be sold on the international market.

What sort of challenges does a distributor of French-speaking content face in Africa?

This is a large-scope challenge.

We are a French-speaking country expecting to deal with distribution companies representing the largest European, American and Asian entities and stretching across the continent.

Moreover, we must conquer an English-speaking market with an established film industry throughout Africa.

At this junction, what could be considered as a weakness is actually the ground we intend to build on towards conquering the African market. We are offering a bilingual catalogue with programmes that display the daily experiences of Ivorians, reflecting their dreams and hopes, caricaturing their sorrows and sufferings.

Côte d’Ivoire is a cosmopolitan nation, whose culture and language appeals to those beyond African borders. As a result, Ivorian fiction portrays the whole of Africa in a way.

Finally, we will also capitalise on the excellent reputation that Ivorian performers enjoy in Africa.

What are your objectives attending this new edition of DISCOP AFRICA? The key objective of our participation in DISCOP 2014 is the official launch of our catalogue and beyond, introducing our activities to the exhibitors from all over the globe. This is an opportunity to meet with various stakeholders, to share experiences and build our client portfolio based on fruitful discussions.

Our aim is to put the Ivorian culture on the spot in all its aspects, through its national television and programmes.

November / December 2014 | SCREENAFRICA | 27

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A leading distributor of content in Africa, Côte Ouest has been one of the most prominent participants in DISCOP Africa since the market first launched. Bernard Azria, CEO of the international distributor provides some insight on the African content market. being one of the most well established content distributors in Africa, how would you describe in a few words the shortterm future of television

CHOICE TO DECIDE: Côte Ouest CEO Bernard Azria business in Africa?

In three words: Restless, promising, exciting…

DTH, Broadband and DTT will bring to Africa probably its most important revolution of all time. With the multiplication of means of transmission and new business models, Africa will finally have the choice to decide, the choice to handle its own future.

How will the development of the French-speaking African television industry benefit from stronger relations with English-speaking Africa?

We think both regions can benefit from one another. First of all, African countries have much more in common than they think. Some ethnic groups travel from one country to another. You will find the same ethnicities in certain regions of Côte d’Ivoire and in Ghana – two countries where national languages are different.

Dreaming of Africa Attending DISCOP Africa for the first time this year is the French brand intelligence agency Dream ON, which recently created the branding and identity for Canal+’s new Africanfocused channel, Canal A+. Founder and president Fabrice Gueneau talks about the challenges of being a French-based company working with an African audience, and Dream ON’s objectives at the content market.

Please describe in a few words Dream ON’s main activities and international expansion.

Dream On is a brand intelligence agency whose expertise covers the entire field of relation between a brand and its audience. Branding, storytelling and

BRAND INTELLIGENCE: Fabrice Gueneau, founder and president of Dream ON

advertising are at the heart of the agency’s strategic thinking and creative ideas. Supported by its own integrated production facility, a team of over 40 Dreamers ranging from artistic directors, creatives, project managers, digital, print and on-air experts bridge creativity with market intelligence to heighten a brand’s awareness. We create viable campaigns around creativity, diversity and entrepreneurial thoughts.

Though based in Paris, Dream On has helped over 60 channels around the world to create their own identity through branding. While we have a proven track record in France, working internationally has always been in the agency’s DNA. From the beginning, over 17 years ago, our strategy included international expansion, in terms of the clients we were targeting, as well as within our team.

We’ve always hired people with different cultural backgrounds as we feel it is

Africa 2014

Côte Ouest is taking a leading role in bringing to the market independent

content producers from Africa. What is your long-term strategy behind this move?

For too long the African audiovisual landscape has been dominated by very few giant players. That time is over. The new opportunities brought by the switchover to digital will give to small but talented producers an opportunity to express themselves. We proudly think that it is and it will always be our mission to help promote independent, emerging and promising African talents.

You have been an early supporter of DISCOP Africa since Day One. Can you describe what this market has brought to television business in Africa?

DISCOP has brought to Africa something vital, something crucial: the opportunity to be seen and heard. And only visionary people like Patrick Jucaud can manage, from the very beginning, to share with the rest of Africa this vision that some took with a lot of skepticism. DISCOP is already an event considered as a must in Africa. It helps in bringing together the audiovisual African market and now attracts many international players. DISCOP helps by giving the African content its rightful place: because Africa deserves a better place in the international scene, and DISCOP helps in making this happen.

important to feed ourselves with different outlooks and life experiences. We’ve had creatives work for us from all continents and it’s always been an enriching experience.

What were the biggest challenges your company faced when developing the proper identity for a TV Channel centred on homegrown TV series?

Each African country has its own cultural specificities so our biggest challenge here was that it’s a pan-African channel and we needed to appeal to viewers from several different countries. The channel had to reflect Africa and everyone had to recognise itself in it. Despite the fact that each country has its own specificities, we realised along the way that there is a strong African identity, something common to all, on which we could build.

Working with local African production companies was also a great help in keeping us on track with our goals. With the help of Canal+, we kept on challenging our ideas locally.

Africans have access to a lot of TV channels, notably via CanalSat which is widely spread and is very popular.

Therefore, in terms of programming, apart for their strong taste for Telenovelas, locally made series and ‘Nollywood’ productions, Africans watch the same thing as the rest of the world.

They are familiar with international brands from other continents, therefore a strong and modern branding, made for Africans will have automatic credibility to their eyes.

We know that Africans are extremely fond of Smartphones and are conversant with new technologies. They spend a lot of time on their mobiles surfing on the internet and interacting on social media.

We factored in those elements when we created the website for the channel, a contemporary site which takes into account the usage habits of our target audience and the fact that internet connections are still relatively slow.

A+ is part of the CANAL+ group, do you foresee the future of your expansion in Africa attached to the development of the group in Africa, or are you planning to invest time and resources to use A+ as a door opener in Africa’s fast growing digital television ecosystems?

Obviously, we would love to follow Canal+ tracks in its development in Africa.

Working on A+ has been a real opportunity for us to work more in Africa.

It’s been such a rewarding and enlightening experience we hope we will build on our experience for similar projects. We’ve met and worked with wonderful people. Once you’ve taken the time to observe, learn, understand and take into account the economic challenges in Africa you realise that there is so much that could to be done and should be done.

Hopefully, you will see more of us in Africa very soon as we are already speaking with major players in the audiovisual sector.

Or the Hausa ethnic group, which is found both in Nigeria and in Niger. South-South collaboration will certainly become much more important, if not dominant. And intra-Africa trades and exchanges by consequences are an obvious first step.

Unification of forces, meaning sharing resources, best practices and knowledge inside Africa cross-fertilisation will be key.

How is Côte Ouest positioned to play a key role in the development of relations between French-speaking and English-speaking Africa in the television sector?

We probably pioneered this crossfertilisation in bringing content from the south to the north, from the west to the east of Africa and vice versa.

We consider this as the biggest part of our mission (along with exporting African content outside the continent). And we are always ready to share with African regions, the blockbuster and Gems coming from particular regions. We think we are the only company to serve content in French, in English, in Swahili, in Portuguese… and this from Cairo to Nairobi, from Cape Town to Abidjan, from Niamey to Antananarivo.

November / December 2014 | SCREENAFRICA | 29

Africa 2014

|

CONFERENCE PROGRAMME

20 Years of television in Africa: What’s next?

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 5th

9:00 AM

12:00 PM

3:00 PM

Welcome Speech

Panel Discussion / Homegrown Sports Content

Panel Discussion / Mobile Loves TV

Homegrown, televised, sports entertainment is largely under-developed in Africa despite an overwhelming number of sports fans, multiple video and radio content distribution platforms, and a vast pool of stars with global recognition.

This session will examine ways to establish a sustainable, homegrown, televised sports entertainment industry that could inject much-needed revenues into local content production sectors, create new jobs and generate international licensing income.

Africa’s mobile operators are holding talks with a host of large entertainment content companies as they look to diversify their offerings. This panel will look at reasons to encourage partnerships between content producers and mobile operators as popularity for on-demand video services increases.

9:30 AM Opening Keynote / South Africa Goes Digital On the eve of South Africa’s digital switchover this morning session will welcome Mr. Mike Dearham, Managing Director of StarTimes/On Digital Media, who will deliver a 20-min keynote presentation of his plans to contribute to the creation of a homegrown, sustainable, regulated, digital television ecosystem that can serve as a role model for the rest of the Continent.

These presentations will be followed by an exclusive 30-min Q&A session moderated by Warren Holden, Screen Africa’s Editor in Chief.

10:30 AM Panel Discussion / Future Of African Broadcasting: May You Live In Interesting Times Bringing to the table Africa’s established and fast emerging Pay-Tv platforms, this panel discussion will examine and confront opinions on the main content production and distribtuion-related obstacles laying ahead of a full digital switchover process that is meant to be completed by 17 June, 2015. This session will also discuss concerns over expected tectonic shifts in viewing habits that could impact public broadcasters’ mandate towards the public.

Hosted by Russell Southwood, Publisher, Balancing Act With: Mayokun Okunola, CEO, Continental Satellite Limited William Stucke, Councillor, ICASA Abdulai Awudu, Director of Programmes, Multi TV Vusi Sibaya, Producer, TX Africa, Craig Kelly, CEO, Africa XP Bernard Azria, CEO, Côte Ouest Rodney Benn, Regional VP Africa, Eutelsat DSTV Speaker

30 | SCREENAFRICA | November / December 2014

Hosted by Sylvain Beletre, Author of “African TV Sports Market” With: Gary Rathbone, Founder, Sports News Africa David Sidenberg, Partner and Head of Strategic Consulting, BMI Sport Info Olivier Laouchez, Founder, Trace Sports Themba Ndlwana, Co-Author, “African TV Sports Market” Louis Mauran, Head of Distribution, Fighting Spirit Mamadou Gaye, Head of Sports Services, RTI Côte d’ivoire

2:00 PM Panel Discussion / Closing Skill Gaps With Television Two decades of educational programming in South Africa will serve as a backdrop to this session, which will attempt to predict the future role of instructional and pro-social television. This session will also examine how tomorrow’s digital ecosystems will help close skill gaps and maximise the positive effects of television on cognitive development, academic achievements, professional training and community relations.

Hosted by Hannelie Bekker, Programming and Production Consultant, Wananchi Programming With: David Campbell, Director, Mediae Harriet Gavshon, Director, Quizzical Aric Noboa, President and Executive Producer, Discovery Learning Alliance Dylan Busa, Director, Mindset Ryan Grim, Managing Director, Vice Media Andrii Semtchenko, CEO, English Club TV Hiroshi Yamamoto, Producer, NHK

Hosted by Sylvain Belletre, Author of “African TV Sports Market” With: Teju Ajani, Content Partnerships Lead, Sub Saharan Africa, Google Jason Njoku, CEO, iRoko TV Bernard Azria, CEO, Côte Ouest Marie Lora-Mungai, CEO & Founder, Buni.tv Chike Mduegbuna, Director, Afrinolly Sumantra Dutta, Head, Star Middle East Sébastien Crozier, Senior VP Orange – CEO Orange Horizons

4:30 PM Case Study / The Regulatory Consequences Of Digitalisation Presented by Mr. Themba Wakashe, CEO, Film & Publication Board, this session will look at South Africa’s process of developing a regulatory framework that meets the demands of an ever-expanding digital television ecosystem.

5:00 PM Panel Discussion / French Speaking Africa Rising French-Speaking Africa is on course to play a key-role in the development of television content production and distribution business across Africa. In a context where coproduction is the keyword, this session will invite Frenchspeaking Africa’s key players to express their views on a growing number of coproduction opportunities arising from predominantly French-speaking African countries.

Hosted by Leticia N’cho Traore, General Manager West Africa, Côte Ouest With: Amadou Bakayoko, CEO, Radiodiffusion Television Ivoirienne (RTI) Alain Modot, Vice President, DIFFA François Thiellet, CEO, Thema TV Cyrille Masso, Association of Independent Producers from Cameroon François Deplanck, SVP Channels and Content, Canal+ Overseas Christoph Limmer, Broadcast & Video Development Director, Eutelsat Takis Candilis, CEO, Lagardere Entertainment Sébastien Crozier, Sr. VP Orange/CEO Orange Horizons

Africa 2014

|

CONFERENCE PROGRAMME

20 Years of television in Africa: What’s next?

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 6th

9:00 AM

2:00 PM

5:30 PM

Conversations / What U.S. Majors Think

Panel Discussion / Finding The Right Kind Of Money

Closing Keynote / South Africa Goes Digital

With a growing number of global entertainment companies citing numerous advantages for investing in Africa’s fast developing television marketplace, moderator Rick Feldman will conduct 4 back to back sessions with key executives who see Africa as a great bet for their future. Each session is scheduled for approximately 30 minutes with a 5-10 minute break in between.

Hosted by Rick Feldman, President, US-based Non-Fiction Producers Association (NPA) With: Peter Iacono, Director of International, Lionsgate Bernar Azria, CEO, Côte Ouest Lyle Stewart, Senior VP for CEE and MENA, Sony Entertainment Television Alex Okosi, Senior VP and Managing Director, Viacom International Media Networks Africa Ava Hall, International Programming & Brand Advancement, BET

11:30 AM Panel Discussion / Close Up On Nigeria Nigeria is getting ready for the 2015 digital migration deadline set by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and is faced with monumental challenges for a smooth transition. This presentation will draw a clear picture of where Africa’s most populated country stands and what lessons can be learned from a process that involves manufacturing and importing set-up boxes; increasing public awareness; legislation and regulation changes; and streamlining issues.

Moderated by Mike Okwoche, Senior News anchor and TV Presenter, TVC News With: Mayokun Okunola, CEO, Consat Badimele Adetunji, CEO & Founder, Montage Emeka Mba, Director General, National Broadcasting Commission Gafar Williams, CEO, Dobox Kunle Afolayan, Independent Director Uzo Udemba, CEO, The Udemba Group Mo Abudu, CEO & Founder, EbonyLife TV Addy Awofisayo, Acquisitions Executive, Consat

The digital transition will be a costly process and its unclear where the financial resources needed to make the transition will come from. There are costs for content acquisition and commissioning, for digital production and transition equipment and for set-top boxes and digitally enabled TVs. This session will look at the Continent’s immediate and long-term “switchover” funding needs, as well as at the potential returns Africa’s digital migration may offer to investment bankers and private investors.

Hosted by Russell Southwood, Publisher, Balancing Act With: Omar Essack, CEO, Kagiso Broadcasting Steven Markovitz, CEO, Big World Cinema Eddie Mbalo, Interim CEO, On Digital Media/ StartSat Tendeka Matatu, CEO, Restless Management/10 Films Colin Mackenzie, Executive Director, Tshwane TV Nothemba Madumo, MD, Notmad Media

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3:30 PM From YouTube To The Big Screen Hosted by Maciej Sojka, Head of YouTube Partnerships (CEE, Middle East, Africa) This session will pay a tribute to the creators behind highly acclaimed TV shows that got their start on YouTube. The first part will welcome Nicole Amarteifio, the creator of An African City, a fun and trendy web series set in Ghana and focusing on five glamorous young women who’ve returned to Accra after living abroad for years. Fans describe the series as the African version of Sex and the City. Following record-breaking online success, the show has been picked up by Canal+ who will soon turn the web series into an episodic television show.

INSTITUTIONAL PARTNERS

4:30 PM Panel Discussion / What Advertisers Want Few would deny that multi-screen television has given a renewed relevance to brands and merchandising mania, especially in world regions where the millennial demographics are becoming powerful consumer groups.

This session will question advertisers and brand representatives on their growing influence in the fast moving-arena of multi-screen content production and distribution – and expectations.

Hosted by Rick Feldman, President, US-based Non-Fiction producers Association (NPA) With: Erica Gunning, Director, Mec & Nota Bene South Africa Jim Faulds, Director, JWT South Africa Rebecca Fuller-Campbell, MD, Hive Content Pierre-Paul Vander Sande, Advertising Manager, Thema TV Fabrice Gueneau, CEO, Dream On

32 | SCREENAFRICA | November / December 2014

On the eve of South Africa’s digital switchover this session will welcome a key MultiChoice executive who will deliver a 20-min keynote presentation of his plans to contribute to the creation of a homegrown, sustainable, regulated, digital television ecosystem that can serve as a role model to the rest of the continent. These presentations will be followed by an exclusive 30-minute Q&A session moderated by Warren Holden, Screen Africa’s Editor in Chief.

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2014

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Workshop PROGRAMME

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 5th

10:00 AM

2:00 PM

3:30 PM

#1 BUILDING BLOCKS FOR ENTRY LEVEL

#5 ENGAGING AFRICA’S SPORTS FANS / FINDING THE CONTENT

By Sports News Africa

#8 CONTENT AND CLASSIFICATION By the Film & Publication Board

FILMMAKERS

By Afda Film School Mentored by: Gina Bonmariage, Head of Postgraduate Program, AFDA Equipping and empowering entrants into the media industry with the new and evolving creative professional skills, confidence and flexibility to be gainfully employed in the rapidly changing digital media landscape.

Education and training industry professionals share their expertise, experience and debate their views.

10:00 AM #2 ADVERTISER FUNDED PRODUCTION MODELS

By Cooked In Africa Films Mentored by: Peter Gird, Executive Producer, Cooked in Africa Films Critical success factors in creating financially viable and successful commercial TV properties. Executive Producer, Peter Gird will provide valuable and relevant insight into what makes a successful commercial TV brand (using local and global case studies/examples), looking specifically at the pros and cons of various funding models. As an independent production entity, CIA Films has a particularly successful track record in terms of funding and producing original and premium entertainment for local and global audiences.

11:30 AM #3 & #4 FILM COPYRIGHT AND CONTRACTS IN THE INTERNET AGE

By Wipo and Diffa Mentored by: Carole Croella, Senior Counselor, World Intellectual Property Organization, Sandra Oyewole, Partner, Olajide Oyewole, Raphael Benoist, Senior Legal Adviser, Zodiak Rights, and Alain Modot, VP, Diffa.

The session will address the legal and business related issues needed to participate in the new global marketplace for production and distribution of audiovisual content. It will describe how to establish and control a secure chain of titles and solid audiovisual contracts to ensure a legal and profitable exploitation of the audiovisual content. The session will also provide an overview of international norms with an emphasis on rights transactions as well as practical principles and standards currently practiced in the film industry showcasing concrete examples from European and African markets. The session will provide an exchange of experiences and best practices in relation to the negotiation and implementation of production and distribution agreements and highlight current joint activities to support the development of the African audiovisual industry.

Mentored by: Gary Rathbone, Founder & Damien Naughton, Chief Executive Officer, Sports News Africa In any discussion on broadcast content and viewers, two things are beyond dispute. First, that a vast majority of people across our continent have an abiding passion for sports and second, that sports continues to be a major factor in driving audience and subscriber numbers around the world – Africa is no exception. However, very few broadcasters in Africa are fully exploiting the possibilities available to them in terms of sports content.

With the rights to practically all of the major international sports events financially out of reach to most African broadcasters, many tend to give up rather than take the time to look around and explore the many remaining possibilities available to them. There are a number of opportunities that can and should be considered that would enable broadcasters to engage their viewers with sports content that would help differentiate them in an increasingly competitive media landscape. This workshop will set out to explore three aspects we believe are key to making sports a critical and valuable part of any broadcasting schedule: finding content, creating content for broadcast and marketing that content to advertisers and viewers alike.

2:00 PM #6 REALITY FORMATS

By Rapid Blue & Okuhle Media Mentored by: Duncan Irvine, Chief Executive Officer, Rapid Blue & Louise Mcclelland, Chief Creative Office & Grant Flynn, Senior Development Producer, Okuhle Media This workshop will take the audience through the key steps in creating scripted and unscripted shows for local and international markets. From identifying gaps in the market and selecting talent all the way through to securing international distribution deals while still being able to satisfy the local broadcaster, Louise and Grant reveal the secret recipes for great cooking shows. Calling on successful cooking show talents, Louise and Grant chat to the stars of successful local and internationally cooking shows. The presenters will give the audience insight to their impact on the development of their shows and the pressures of creating globally appealing content.

Independent producers will walk away from this workshop with an in depth understanding of how to go about approaching the creation of content for successful reality TV, formats and un/scripted shows.

3:30 PM #7 THE ART OF PITCHING By the Format People Mentored by: Michel Rodrigue, Co-Founder, The Format People & Justin Scroggie, Co-Founder, The Format People UK ‘Every great TV show began with a pitch’. In just a few minutes, the seller must find the passion, confidence and clarity to get their idea across, engage the buyer, and close the deal. In this unique workshop, Justin Scroggie will show you how to prepare for your pitch. Michel Rodrigue will reveal the psychological techniques you need in the room, and participants will put theory into practice in live ‘elevator pitches’ with the facilitators.

34 | SCREENAFRICA | November / December 2014

Mentored by: Themba Wakashe, CEO, Film & Publication Board Content production is a largely creative process. Can and should creative audiovisual products be classified? What are the pros and cons of classification? Is classification regulation and will this hamper the creative process?

What are the classification guidelines and criteria? There are many questions that arise from the legal requirement for classification. This workshop will give delegates and participants a chance to get clarity on matters pertaining to classification whilst also sharing with the FPB the creative challenges brought about by classification.

5:00 PM #9 SHOW ME THE MONEY / FINANCE YOUR PRODUCTION

By Côte Ouest Mentored by: Bernard Azria, Chief Executive Officer, Côte Ouest As a young producer you have talent, creativity, and a project. You have to find the people to help you transform this project into a production. The only question that remains is “How to get the money?” To be commissioned is a solution but is it viable? And is it sustainable? Is it something that will help you build your future? But without commission, how does one get funding? How does one thrive in a challenging environment? Bank credit, soft money, pre-sales, product placement, advance on revenue, coproduction, etc., all these solutions that allow you to finance your production.

5:00 PM #10 WHAT CHILDREN WANT Mentored by Children & Broadcasting Foundation For Africa (CBFA) Presented by: Firdoze Bulbulia, Producer, Moments Entertainment An interactive presentation on Children’s Programming by content creators & producers as well as buyers and broadcasters as they share their personal experiences and knowhow on making children’s content, king! Think local – act global.

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 6th

10:00 AM #11 THE POWER OF COMEDY

By Viacom International Media Networks Africa Mentored by: Evert Van Der Veer, Head Of Programming, Comedy Central Comedy has the power to heal, and the power to make us look at the world through comedy glasses. To put things in perspective, it has the power to make people think about issues they prefer not to think about.

Facilitator Evert Van Der Veer will use Comedy Central Africa as an example of how that power can also be monetised. The workshop will also highlight how Comedy Central empowers young, up-and-coming comedians, as well as gives an international platform to the more established comedians. Comedy Central does so by local productions, talent searches and arranging performances at international festivals.

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© 2013 Lionsgate

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TALENTS D’AFRIQUE

13/10/2014 12:41

2014

|

Workshop PROGRAMME

10:00 AM

2:00 PM

#12 CONTENT IS NOTHING, MARKETING IS EVERYTHING

By Côte Ouest

#16 TRANSMEDIA STORYTELLING

By Transmedia Africa & Fireworx Media

Mentored by: Bernard Azria, Chief Executive Officer, Côte Ouest In this challenging time of increasing competition coming from everywhere there is a need, more than ever, to develop a marketing approach of the production of audiovisual content. What is your market? How do you identify your clients? Your viewers? What are they expecting from your productions? How to communicate with them? These are questions that this workshop will help you answer. This 90-minute provocative, yet crucial workshop, will give you simple but smart tools (from a checklist for developing promotional materials to key events you must attend as a producer) to efficiently market your production inside and outside Africa.

Bernard Azria is a marketing specialist with more than 30 years of experience in marketing and the audiovisual industry.

11:30 AM #13 FINANCING OF FILM / MEET THE FUNDERS

By Gauteng Film Commission

Mentored by: Marc Schwinges, CEO, Transmedia Africa & Bridget Pickering, Executive Producer, Fireworx Media With the rapid growth of mobile smartphones and other forms of connectivity in Africa, along with DTT and the DTH roll-out in the region, storytelling is going through an evolution. With an audience that has more control over its media, this is challenging everything from revenue models to the way content is produced. This workshop will explore the taut relationships between the producer and writer/s during the development process.

The session will unpack how a producer should negotiate the balance between the creative process and the reality of the production budget. The producer’s job is to keep the end goal in mind and to nurture the writing process through these often stormy waters.

3:30 PM #17 DESIGNING A SALES STRATEGY

By DIFFA / Media Consulting Group

Mentored by: A Gauteng Film Commission Representative The funding of development for audiovisual content is critical to the continued growth and development of homegrown content. This is even more so true in the case of emerging economies. It is important that producers of content are acutely aware of funding opportunities, as well as the criteria and processes for securing said funding. Funders of the audiovisual sector will share with producers and filmmakers their specific criteria and processes that will empower them with information and knowledge on all possible funding avenues. The session will also provide filmmakers and producers with the opportunity to engage directly with funders.

Mentored by: Alain Modot, Co-Founder And President, Diffa / Media Consulting Group In the fast developing African and international audiovisual market, on which each broadcaster faces increasingly fierce competition, the traditional economic model of independent producer is weakened. In these conditions, the potential resources of the international market are becoming more important to the economic stability of a production company and the mutually beneficial relationship between producer and sales agent is a possible solution to this issue. But how does one ensure a reasonable return on investment in this jungle that’s in perpetual motion? This workshop will address all issues that producers face in the international market and provide hands-on ways of approaching markets. It will also make a comparison between self-preparatory efforts and using a sales agent as well as explore the pros and cons of both.

11:30 AM

3:30 PM

#14 ALTERNATIVE NEWS REPORTING

By Vice Media

#18 HOW TO DO BUSINESS IN THE USA AND IN AFRICA

By BTR Mediaworks

Mentored by: Ryan Grim, Managing Editor / Africa Desk, Vice Media “Alternative News” is becoming how people want their news. VICE is an international media company created by and for a connected generation. This workshop will discuss how bringing audiences an unvarnished look at the important events of our time and shining a light on underreported stories around the globe has brought VICE untold accolades and buzz. Through VICE on HBO, the VICE YouTube channel, VICE.com, VICE News, and their many other verticals, the Brooklyn-based company is changing what people expect from news media.

2:00 PM #15 ACTORS & PRODUCERS VS. BROADCASTERS By the National Film & Video Foundation Mentored by: National & Film Video Foundation Representative This workshop will be a platform for dialogue about the necessary relationship between actors, producers and broadcasters. This 3-way relationship is sometimes fraught with challenges, as shown through the example of the popular South African TV soap Generations, which had to be stopped because of unresolved issues between actors, producers and the broadcaster.

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Mentored by: Bob Reid, Executive Producer, BRT Mediaworks The United States is the biggest and richest television market in the world. With more than 500 cable and broadcast networks, there’s a potential buyer for virtually any and every kind of production. Penetrating the U.S. market is virtually impossible for most independent producers, but it can be done if you have the right kind of show and the know-how to tackle the market. This workshop will provide a primer on understanding the U.S. market and a step-by-step approach to getting your show made in Africa and sold in America. The workshop will be led by Bob Reid, President of BTR Media Works, Inc. Reid has green lit dozens of projects as general manager of two U.S. cable networks. As a production executive, Reid has overseen the development of hundreds of hours of content created by producers around the world for distribution on U.S. networks

5:00 PM

ratings and the knowledge of what is trending or not.

Without audience development and the knowledge of who your target market is, it’s virtually impossible to produce or acquire the correct content. Before content development can begin, accurate audience research needs to be completed to be better able to cater to audience tastes. Once you know your audience, your content development strategy is aligned with that.

5:00 PM #20 FIGHTING PIRACY

By Côte Ouest Mentored by: Bernard Azria, Chief Executive Officer, Côte Ouest Each year the audiovisual industry loses millions of dollars to piracy. From South Africa to Côte d’Ivoire, piracy affects all African countries and goes beyond our continent. Producers are the first to feel its impact. As like-minded experts, we have to search and find new solutions to protect our industry. This 90-minute workshop will draw a portrait of this phenomenon and propose to producers new solutions to protect their productions and fight this plague.

P LATINIUM P ARTNERS

INDUSTRY PARTNERS

INSTITUTIONAL PARTNERS

MEDIA PARTNERS

#19 AUDIENCE AND CONTENT DEVELOPMENT

By Sani Films Mentored by: Mandy Roger, Executive Director, Sani Films Audience and content development is at the absolute heart of production, media marketing, communication, content distribution, acquisitions, audience engagement,

ORGANISED BY

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‘TV must move ahead at web speed’

STREAMS OF PEOPLE AND STREAMS OF PRODUCTS: Delegates explore new offerings and innovations in Hall 1

An urgency for change galvanised IBC 2014 as more delegates than ever – a record 55 092 – showed up to learn how the industry is adapting to a revolution in consumption.

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roadcasting remains the heart of business, and broadcast technology at the core of IBC itself, but there was way more thinking beyond that.

While there continues to be heated debate about Ultra HD and how much of the broadcasting spectrum should be hived off to mobile operators, new advertising models, VOD platforms, personalisation and data also moved into the mainstream.

IBC’s headline act underscored the new dynamics at play. Google Europe president Matt Brittin said the search giant wanted to make the web work on TV. “It’s very easy to take an app and scale it with Android, or use it to improve the user experience while moving at the development pace of mobile,” he said in a keynote. “[With Google’s help] the industry can take the clunky TV experience of 2006 to the world of 2015 in one single leap.”

Pete Thompson, SVP Mediaroom Business Group at Ericsson, said that

broadcasting’s future is all about making TV move at ‘web speed’. This will particularly appeal to the millennial generation who expect to interact with video in a different way because of YouTube and social media.

“Pay TV companies have to innovate or they are going to die and disruptors like Netflix and Google are going to figure out the business models,” he warned.

Charlie Vogt, vocal CEO of Imagine Communications, kept up the theme, urging fellow equipment developers to migrate from SDI to IP: “It’s termed disruptive but actually it is a positive because IP permits the industry to adapt to change at the pace of the web.”

Asked what he had learned from IBC, Lieven Vermaele, former EBU director of technology, said: “I am trying to be controversial but IBC could become a software only show, a sort of huge App Store, by 2020.”

Cloud and IP everywhere There can’t be a single vendor not scrabbling to re-engineer its systems toward a future broadcasting infrastructure based on IP. Even so IBC devoted a new section, dubbed Content Everywhere, to companies geared for video over IP with plans to export the event to the potent Middle East market in January.

The hardest piece to crack in the move to IP is live, but Sony demonstrated a live 4K signal conducted over internet protocol, and Gearhouse Broadcast, kit supplier for large scale live events, announced it will equip itself with live IP production technology from EVS

subsidiary DYVI. To give broadcasters the same agility to launch new services as completely IP-based players like Amazon, Cisco talked about how the cloud can simplify almost every aspect of bringing content from multiple sources to multiple devices.

“Take something as simple as the set-top box,” said Yvette Kanouff, SVP of Cisco’s service provider group.

“Manufacturers keep having great ideas, which need more STB software and drive a need for more powerful hardware – but they can’t keep upgrading the box. But supposing the functionality of that box was in the cloud, and could be managed remotely. Imagine what that would mean in terms of simplifying operations.”

Even though BSkyB has a next-gen STB which is reportedly partly operational in the network, its director of information technology Colin McQuade was skeptical: “What is phenomenal about the broadcast industry is that it has built up a heritage of super availability and super quality, and what I would like to see is that quality and that super availability applied at scale to some of these Cloud platforms.”

Monetising VOD In the absence of a standard means of measuring audience behaviour across TV and digital platforms a number of new technologies are vying for broadcaster and media agency attention. Start-ups like StreamHub and TVbeat aim to analyse big data across platforms and incorporate social media feeds, others take a more niche approach. With US ratings body Nielsen, Simulmedia is

trying to link TV consumption to actual purchase behaviour; CrowdEmotion, tracks facial movement from a webcam and analyses the emotional response to programming.

UK gold ratings standard Barb is attempting a hybrid approach to blend time-shifted viewing with panel metrics but admits the solution is two years away.

“The reality is that nobody has ever delivered a data fusion of this scale and ambition anywhere in the world,” said CEO Justin Sampson. “We are talking about a new fusion every single night.”

UHDTV launch timings questioned If broadcasters had a choice none of them would be planning a 4K UHD service any time soon. Few have amortised their investment in HD (most of the world has yet to upgrade from SD) and there are doubts about the business model for another leap based on resolution alone.

Much of the debate centres on the merits of services delivering a phase 1 UHDTV, by general consensus less of a killer app than the more full fat phase 2 version.

While phase 1 was approved by the DVB in July, the latter, which provides for greater latitude for colour and light (High Dynamic Range) as well as higher frame rates, won’t have trawled through the standards bodies until 2017.

“An HDR version of HD 1080p would deliver more bang for the buck [than phase 1 UHD] and is a more realistic technical target,” said Jim Helman, CTO, Movielabs, which represents the interests November / December 2014 | SCREENAFRICA | 39

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of the major studios. “But the marketing and product side would argue that there is already lot of value in the 4K brand.”

In other words the UHD genie is out of the bottle, let loose by consumer electronics manufacturers struggling to survive (as IBC ended Sony revealed a staggering U$2.15 billion yearly loss). As displays flood the market, pay TV broadcasters feel they have to act. At IBC, BT Sport’s director of TV Alex Green stated BT’s intent to launch during the 2015/16 football season.

“Technically we could launch UHD

Future of cinema exhibition

The new ‘Content Everywhere’ section was dedicated to companies dealing in video over IP today but we also don’t want to jeopardise the market with a substandard service given the consumer experience with 3D,” added Stephan Heimbecher, head of innovation at Sky Deutschland.

Making the virtual a reality

Google Europe president Matt Brittin discussed the need for synergies between the web and television

Virtual Reality is another potentially disruptive technology given impetus by the pending commercial release of headgear from Facebook, Sony and Samsung. For less than the cost of a smartphone consumers could soon be strapping this hardware to their faces for

what is promised to be the ultimate in immersive entertainment.

The number of rigs carrying multiple GoPros for capturing video in 360-degrees, and the software to stitch the images together into panorama, is mushrooming.

“Everything is about to change with VR,” declared Anthony Geffen, executive producer, Atlantic Productions, in a session exploring the future of natural history filmmaking. “There are massive breakthroughs in camera technology and headsets almost daily. My worry is that it can’t be like 3D. You’ve got to have really good content or VR will make people feel nauseous.”

VFX legend and Hollywood outsider Douglas Trumbull flew in to give an exhilarating presentation of his latest attempt to disrupt cinema exhibition from its 24 frames a second inertia. If his high frame rate Showscan technology never took off in the 1980s, this updated version boasting stereo 3D, 4K and 120fps, projected using Christie’s new laser system and complete with a Dolby Atmos soundtrack could catch the eye of James Cameron as the director finalises scripts for the Avatar sequels.

“The technical standards of cinema are almost identical to the technology standard of TV,” argued Trumbull. “But if we can make an immersive motion picture spectacle of such power you cannot experience it on TV or a tablet, it becomes a destination attraction.”

Plans by Netflix to premier first look feature films on its site look to through the economics of cinema exhibition into crisis. Giant screen high impact technology could provide a way out.

“There is no one silver bullet – not HDR or HFR or sound,” said Trumbull. “It’s all those things together in a symphony of quality.” – Adrian Pennington

Panasonic promises workflow optimisation at IBC ‘14 Panasonic took the opportunity at IBC to do the European launch the two variants of its new Varicam. This camera is at the heart of a number of solutions presented

by Panasonic to optimise workflow in film and television production.

The Varicam was launched earlier this year at NAB and, while the new variants – the super35mm 4K Varicam 35 and the 2/3 type, high-speed HD Varicam HS – contain a number of key modifications, they also maintain the modular design and salient features of the original. The V-Log gamma, which allows for an impressive 14 stops of dynamic range, is still in place, along with the ability to record in two different formats simultaneously. The latter feature enables shooters to record in both 4K and HD at the same time, allowing for onset colour grading and offline editing.

The new Varicam 35 and Varicam HS start shipping in October 2014.

Among Panasonic’s other workflow improvements was its focus on the challenges of electronic news gathering.

The company introduced the world’s lightest shoulder 2/3 type camerarecorder equipped with 3MOS image sensors.

Set for release in October, the AJ-PX800 weighs just 2.8kg, captures both SD and HD, and comes with a 40 | SCREENAFRICA | November / December 2014

AT THE HEART OF SOLUTIONS: Panasonic’s Varicam 35 comprehensive range of codecs including AVC-Intra and the AVC-Long G (50/25/12Mbps) codec set.

Testing of the news gathering network workflow began last month with Independent Television News (ITN), a major UK broadcaster, and will continue

to be carried out on a rolling basis with the company’s broadcast partners in countries around the world.

The AJ-PX800 will be released alongside the new AJ-PG50 portable recorder which enables dual-codec recording and comes with two micro P2

and a single P2 card slot.

A collaboration with LiveU will see future releases of Panasonic broadcasting camera recorders support a direct connection with LiveU Central, the unified management system which allows broadcasters to acquire both live and recorded content from the field, preview it centrally or remotely, broadcast it live or in scheduled programming and distribute it to any location.

“By collaborating with LiveU we can realise live transmission and file transfer on to a world renowned site, making our customer’s workflow more efficient.” said Kunihiko Miyagi, Director of Professional AV Business Unit.

Elsewhere, Panasonic have also partnered with VidiGo to showcase a Tap Camera System, set to launch in March 2015, which enables quick and easy remote camera control, allowing the user to simply tap a tablet screen on the spot where they want the camera to point.

Also on show at IBC was Panasonic’s new compact broadcast switcher, aimed at studio sub-control rooms and outside broadcasts. The AV‑HS6000 is the first 2ME model in Panasonic’s HS series, it employs a newly designed, easy-to-use GUI Control Panel to support accurate switching.

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Grass Valley presents new product range

Edius non-linear editing software

NEWLY RECONFIGURED COMPANY: LDX 4K camera At the first major international trade show since Belden, the parent company of both Miranda and Grass Valley, decided to merge the brands after its acquisition of the latter earlier in 2014, the newly formed company presented its new and updated product range. This included former Miranda products which, while adorned in the familiar purple, now bear Grass Valley branding.

No product offering at IBC 2014 would have been complete without a number of new options for 4K/ UHD workflows. In this regard Grass Valley marketed what it called the most comprehensive end-toend production workflow for 4K. This included the LDX 4K/UHD system camera and a new fibre-based transmission

solution intended to maintain the quality of live content in the transit from capture to broadcast. The LDX is the first 4K camera developed specifically with sport and other live productions in mind. It is also the first 4K camera to come standard with a B4 lens mount. Other 4K-ready solutions included K2 Dyno Replay with 4K pan/zoom directly controlled from the K2 Dyno touchscreen application; Kayenne and Karrera Video Production Center switchers, NVISION 8500 series routers to deliver frame-accurate 4K routing – future-proofed to allow for the additional bandwidth that 4K production will require.

The latest update to the EDIUS 7.4 multiformat nonlinear editing software,

which was marketed with numerous selling points, is also capable of handling 4K. Among the other additions made to the software are: the capacity for more new formats (Sony XAVC long-GOP support, XAVC I-frame only export with smart rendering and VariCam 4K), timeline output from AJA’s KONA 3G hardware platform, QuickTime HQ/HQX exporter supporting timecode and multi-channel audio, FCP XML project import into Red Giant’s PluralEyes and support for genarts’ Sapphire lens flare.

As important as 4K in the various product offerings at IBC was IP. Grass Valley demonstrated a new, software defined networks (SDN) solution for managing IP networks. One of the cornerstones of the system is the fact that it is non-proprietary, which, according to Grass Valley’s VP for monitoring and control, Boromy Ung, is essential for future-proofing a technology that is still very much at entry level in the broadcast

industry. “If you go for a proprietary system, you may find that you are boxed in. The system is not scalable, it’s not future proof. We took a completely different approach: we thought, instead of developing our own switcher for IP, why don’t we just leverage off products that are already in the market?” Ung explains. The result is the Pegasus SDN system, which was only at proof-of-concept stage during IBC. The system is intended to adapt existing Cisco and Arista IP switches to a broadcast environment.

In the local industry, there was much speculation, in the wake of the Miranda merger, as to who would be Grass Valley’s reseller in sub-Saharan Africa. It was recently confirmed that Protea Electronics had secured the contract. The Johannesburg-based company can be contacted on 011 719 5700, or visit www.protea.co.za.

EVS unveils XStore shared storage platforms

X-CELLENT NEWS STORAGE: EVS’s XStore 42 | SCREENAFRICA | November / December 2014

Data and storage are ongoing concerns for content owners and managers in the industry, so it is no surprise that every second exhibitor at IBC was touting their latest solution for this persistent and endlessly scalable challenge. Among these was EVS’s XStore, which took its place alongside such industry mainstays as the XT3 server.

EVS divides its solutions into four categories: news, sport, entertainment and media. The XStore is designed to be integrated with all and any of these and is intended to tackle the challenges of managing and storing video content across a range of applications. The XStore comes in three variants – Production, Archive and HE, all of which have a capacity of up to 2PB and can perform anywhere in the 5Gbps and 30Gbps range.

EVS product manager Sebastien Maindiaux said: “The broadcasters and production companies we work with were clear in their demands: they needed seamless integration with very high performance shared storage, so they can

serve multiple outputs and multiple platforms quickly and cost effectively.

XStore is the direct result of those requirements.”

XStore Production formed part of the end-to-end news workflow that EVS provided to IBC TV News. Daily news from the exhibition and conference was delivered online via streaming to both visitors and those who couldn’t make the show and wanted to keep abreast of developments. EVS facilitated this with a solution that included live feed ingest, ENG file import, content management and news editing for the onsite broadcaster.

Other EVS products used in the onsite news broadcast system were the IPDirector for live production asset management; Xedio CleanEdit for rought cut editing and news assembly; Xsquare, an orchestration and transcoding tool; and IPLink for Adobe, a plugin giving all editors access to the material stored on XStore for through Adobe Premiere Pro CC.

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Inala Broadcast secures new distribution deals

VIDEO-OVER-IP SOLUTION: Lawo mc236 production console Amid the chaotic comings and goings of the record 55 000 plus visitors at IBC, Inala Broadcast secured two new distribution agreements with major international broadcast gear suppliers – Lawo and SDNsquare.

Prior to the trade show, it was announced that Inala had signed a deal with Lawo to distribute the German video and audio technology developer’s television products in South Africa. This

range includes the mc2 series of production consoles and the V Link all-in-one, video-over-IP solution.

Launched at IBC, the newest in the mc2 series is the mc236, Lawo’s first ever all-in-one audio production console. The compact unit is designed for permanent installation where space is too limited to accommodate one of its larger brothers – the 90, 66 or 56 – and, thanks to its scaled down dimensions, can also be

Blackmagic Design introduces new 4K tools for broadcast and live production While the merits of 4K as a broadcast standard was a matter of considerable debate at IBC, the resolution is firmly established on the production side of the value chain. Every gear vendor exhibiting at the show had at least one new 4K product or, at the very least, an existing product updated for 4K. Blackmagic Design was no exception.

With its cost-effective solutions, Blackmagic is making lengthy inroads into the production and broadcast technology fields. This year it introduced two new additions to its 4K workflow, the 40 x40 SmartVideohub video router and the SmartView 4K monitor.

The Videohub family of routers allows for mixed format routing and comes with five-inch (12.7cm) high-resolution monitors built in. The 40x40, the largest of the family, includes 6G-SDI technology so that producers can simultaneously connect and route any combination of 44 | SCREENAFRICA | November / December 2014

SD, HD and Ultra HD video. The unit is designed to route any number of inputs up to 40 to any combination of outputs simultaneously.

The five-inch LCD screen, the spin knob and button controls are designed to make routing as easy as possible.

Whatever input or output is selected is displayed on the screen, enabling operators to see clearly and immediately what is being routed. This certainly also makes the router visually attractive and allows it to stand out from the many others on offer. But the real appeal of the 40x40 Videohub is its adaptability for all resolutions. It offers stable and reliable SDI video connections in any format.

Even producers not working in UltraHD can make use of the 40x40 for SD and HD output, knowing that the system is 4K enabled should they need it.

The Smart Videohub became available on the market in October 2014 at a

moved around with relative ease. Mobile production units and rental companies will find the mc236 most attractive. The console, DSP core and I/O can all be packed away in a single flight case.

The onboard I/O accommodates 32 mic/ line inputs, 32 line inputs, eight digital AES3 inputs and outputs and eight GPIO. In addition to these, one MADI tie-line connection and three RAVENNA/ AES 67 audio-over-IP ports, enable up to

384 external inputs and outputs. Lawo markets the console as a multipurpose solution that can be used on both broadcast and live productions.

In the ever changing world of broadcasting to an IP-centric infrastructure Inala Broadcast is establishing a platform to become a strategic enabler to the South Africa broadcast market in the IP infrastructure by signing a distribution agreement with SDNsquare.

SDNsquare offers performance, reliability and scalability for network, storage and data centres. Its solutions are designed to ensure that broadcasters’ mission critical environment is always performing – despite the increasingly large files, bulk data transfers and rapidly growing traffic networks that content creators and distributors have to deal with. Its products and solutions, such as the WARP storage and computing platform and the GRID network solution, cater for high-end post-production, unified media production, content ingest, network PVR and SDI over IP. For more on Lawo and SDNsquare products, as well as brands such as Harmonic, TSL, TVLogic, Riedel, Pebble Beach and DYVI, among others, contact Inala Broadcast on 011 206 8340 or visit www.inala.co.za.

Blackmagic SmartView 4K

A SMART 4K SOLUTION: Blackmagic 40x40 Smart Videohub 4K US$2995 price point.

SmartView 4K is a versatile new broadcast monitor with a native resolution of 3840 x 2160. It features multi rate 12G-SDI inputs that automatically switch between resolutions. The monitor also supports Ultra HD at high frame rates, which is becoming an important aspect of production workflow. When monitoring SD, 720 HD or 1080 HD SDI sources, the built in Teranex processor uses advanced patented and proprietary

PixelMotion™ algorithms to automatically de-interlace and scale video to the native Ultra HD resolution of the LCD. According to Blackmagic, the SmartView includes a number of useful features that disappeared from monitors with the advent of SDI in the mid-1990s, such as the H/V delay, which allows engineers to view data and signals in horizontal and vertical blanking.

SmartView 4K will be available in December 2014 for US$1,995.

2014

IBC: a worthwhile investment Johannesburg-based systems integrator Harambe Technologies sent four representatives to Amsterdam to attend IBC this year with their usual annual objectives of meeting with clients and suppliers, gauging the latest trends and filling any gaps in their product portfolio.

“We knew this would be one of the biggest IBCs in terms of representation, especially with regard to the number of South African delegates,” says Adriaan Shipalana of Harambe.

Shipalana’s experience at IBC this year is a reflection of the trends under discussion among the majority of delegates at the trade show. “Among the major trends I picked up were those around 4K and 8K from a production perspective,” he says. “3D seems to have fallen away and people are now talking UHD. Trends around content contribution and distribution have moved more towards IP. IP delivery is a fast growing trend among all the major players. We

STREAMLINE ABILITY: Evertz’s Magnum control system forms part of the manufacturer’s SDVN solution saw solid case studies where some broadcasters moved their entire infrastructure across to an IP platform and this is being done with the confidence that networks that need to handle broadcast video are also far more advanced than a few years ago. Evertz, for example, already gave a Canadianbased broadcaster the ability to streamline their expenditure at the previous Olympic Games. The broadcaster sent camera crews to London and then backhauled all the feeds via dark fibre to Canada, where the broadcaster was able to do a live broadcast remotely on a different continent.

“IP contribution is a focal point as suppliers like Worldcast launch their new version of Surestream, which is a software-based tool that allows better

Science of the Beautiful

contribution efficiency over an IP uplink.

The move to file-based platforms is growing, as well as the growing requirement for broadcasters to digitise, store, manage and turn around their media assets and capitalise on what they have.”

These trends offer many opportunities for Harambe, as several of their suppliers are at the forefront of the developments.

In addition to Worldcast’s launch of its updated Surestream and network management systems, there was also Evertz’s efforts in the sphere of software defined video networks (SDVN). “In my mind, SDVN is the future of how we will be handling video contribution and distribution. Evertz appears to be leaps ahead in this arena when it comes to giving broadcasters end-to-end, value-added solutions in terms of

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contribution, distribution, IP-based routing, IP-based multiviewers, OTT, media asset management, infrastructure and playout, among other,” Shipalana says.

Another of Harambe’s suppliers, Orad, continued to make strides in its marketleading virtual set technology. “Orad has become more than a company specialising in graphics solutions for news, sport, weather, virtual sets, elections, channel branding and so on.

Orad has the answer for channel-in-a-box applications, virtual set in a box, storage solutions, social media integrations and augmented reality. Their move to buy IBIS Media Asset Management was one of the best decisions, as now many of their turnkey solutions have IBIS integration on a media asset management level.”

Shipalana observed several other exciting developments among suppliers such as Ikegami, Elti, Volicon and Telemetrics.

“All in all, I can state that this was one of the better IBC shows we have had as a company. IBC is always an investment in every way you look at it. There is never enough time and trying to meet the requirements of everyone’s schedule is a tough ask but we seem to have managed and represented ourselves and our manufacturers in the best way possible,” Shipalana concludes.

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XDCAMs, IP broadcast and media optimisation on the Sony stand As usual, Sony occupied one of IBC’s larger free stands, taking up most of Hall 10. This ‘superbooth’ encapsulated the information overload of the exhibition as a whole.

There was so much on offer – from the Media Life Cycle storage and media management system, the CBK-55BK add-on kit for one-person documentary shoots on the F55 and F5 cameras, to a new range of action cameras, to the Sony-Hawkeye solution for small scale sport production, to the IP Live AV-overIP interface system, and on and on – that one scarcely knew where to start. Among all this, however, a number of items stood out for us:

PXW-FS7 4K XDCAM This highly portable camera is the first 4K XDCAM ever to feature a Super35 CMOS sensor. It is capable of shooting in 4K Quad Full HD and super slow-motion Full HD. Lightweight and extremely easy to handle, the FS7 has been designed with makers of documentaries, music videos, online content and corporate videos in mind.

The camera includes the super

sensitive, 11.6 million-pixel Super 35 ‘Exmor’ CMOS sensor, which offers shallow depth of field, a high signal-to-noise ratio and impressive low light performance.

The FS7 supports most of the major recording formats, including XAVC Intra, Long GOP, MPEG HD422 and Apple ProRes 422.

As far as lenses are concerned, the FS7 is fitted with the A-Mount system, which features Silent Focus technology and Electrical Iris Control. The FS7K variant comes with an E-mount FE PZ 28-135mm F4 G OSS. The two biggest selling points of the camera are the ‘Exmor’ CMOS, which captures gorgeous images, and the unit’s ergonomic design, which makes it perfect for run-and-gun shooting. Testing it out on the booth floor, one is tempted to borrow a phrase one would normally see in a motoring review – the FS7 really does ‘handle like a dream’.

Media Lifecycle Service This end-to-end media management solution offers media asset owners digitisation, archiving, distribution and

HIGHLY PORTABLE 4K: Sony PXW-FS7 monetisation all under one roof. The solution is divided into three service areas, which can either be used in conjunction, or in combination with other hardware and software. They are: • Digitisation, which includes Sony’s optical disc archive technology, offers the ability to preserve and restore assets, as well as advanced indexing and metadata.

• Managed storage and secure cloud-based archive management.

• Distribution and monetisation creates e-commerce opportunities, new revenue streams and audience engagement opportunities.

Says Adam Fry, Head of AV Media Solutions, Sony Professional Solutions Europe: “Each stage of the service supported by MLS is complex and a significant undertaking in its own right; having a partner who understands the challenges and can guide them through the entire value chain to monetisation, will provide peace of mind and a competitive edge.”

Sony has collaborated with ten of the world’s leading broadcasters to create a new interface for the delivery of content over IP. The Networked Media Interface packetises video, audio and metadata, enabling real-time transmission between video-production products via standard network infrastructures. This technology will further enhance Sony’s IP Live Production system by increasing efficiency and reducing cost for the broadcasting of live studio and sports production.

Anticipating clients’ needs for the delivery of 4K content, which may become a major requirement at some point in the near future, Sony announced its work in progress – Low Latency Video Codec (LLVC) technology, which supports video compression for 4K 60p transmission over 10 Gbps Ethernet.

Sony walked away from IBC 2014 with a number of prizes. Its giant stand won IBC’s award for Best Larger Free Stand Design, while News Shooter named the FS7 its Best DSLR Camera. Audio Media decided that the UWP-D and SMAD-3 wireless microphones that Sony were exhibiting were the best of the entire show. Fifa TV, the online platform for the broadcasting of the football World Cup action earlier in 2014 – with which Sony collaborated extensively – won IBC’s Judges’ Prize for 2014 Brazil World Cup and the International Honour of Excellence award.

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Ask your questions. We provide the answers. Call Zimele Broadcasting Services on Tel: (011) 770-9760 Fax: 086 514 9949 email: sales01@zimele.com

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Christie: The art and science of 3D Although IBC is predominantly a forum for the promotion and testing of broadcast technology, the 2014 edition of the giant trade show also featured a major development in the world of cinema.

For the first time in the Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) sphere, audiences got to experience two films, Life of Pi and Dawn of the Planet of the Apes in 14 foot-Lambert (fL – the unit of luminance) 3D, using Christie’s 6P laser projector system.

A 3D, 14-fL version of 20th Century Fox’s Dawn of the Planet of the Apes was screened at IBC’s Big Screen Auditorium using the 6P system

HIGH LUMINANCE FOR 3D: Christie’s 6P laser projection system

H

igh-end projection and display technology company Christie is marketing its 6P laser projector as a solution to most of the major shortcomings of the 3D format.

But, according to Richard Nye, Christie’s cinema sales director in EMEA, the main problem with current 3D projection – using xenon lamp illumination – boils down to the question of brightness. “Projectors that use xenon lamps are specified for 2D brightness only,” he says. “There is a Digital Cinema Initiative (DCI) standard that states that you must have 14 fL of light onscreen for 2D, but there is no published standard for 3D projection, which means, when it comes to using those projectors for 3D, you take whatever you get. The net effect of that is a pretty poor experience for the viewer.”

The low luminance associated with 3D projection means that important details are simply not visible to the audience.

Most 3D systems in use are of the passive type. These systems use a silver screen, rather than a white one, as well as a polariser in front of the projector lens.

The result is a ‘muddy’ image and the occurrence of ‘hotspots’ on the screen.

Wherever an audience member is sitting in a cinema using a passive 3D projection system, they will see a bright spot in the image directly in front of them and the rest of the screen is relatively dim. The undesirable effects of 3D are also often physical in nature, with people complaining of headaches and nausea.

The 6P system, which throws out the old xenon lamp entirely and replaces it with lasers, delivers up to 48 000 lumens (lm – the unit of luminous flux, the measure of visible light emitted by a light source) to the cinema screen. The xenon lamp system can deliver only a maximum

of around 28 000lm. But the innovations of the 6P system involve more than just adding muscle to the light source.

“With current systems, the 3D effect is achieved by what’s known as triple flashing,” Nye explains. “You have one image for the left eye and one for the right and they flash alternately. Your brain then puts the two together to form the 3D image. That’s the only way we can achieve 3D with a single projector but that’s not we how see naturally. The 6P system uses two projectors, putting out two offset images simultaneously – one for each eye. So aside from the increased brightness, you get a more natural viewing experience.”

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes proved an interesting choice to showcase the 6P system. Together with the 14fL visuals, the film also came with an impressive Dolby Atmos sound mix, which added to the immersive experience. The use of 3D for the film is unobtrusive and tasteful, which meant that it made a strong case, not only for the projector system but for the creative possibilities of the 3D format.

Although it is your classic Hollywood blockbuster – hackneyed adjectives such as ‘spectacular’ and ‘action-packed’ wouldn’t be out of place – the director has resisted the urge to use 3D for gimmicks or shock effect. Although the immersive experience of the medium is still achieved, there is a subtle difference here. The traditional description of a 3D movie is that it seems to ‘come out’ towards the viewer. In this case, the viewer’s feeling is rather one of being ‘pulled into’ the moving the image. The format has the capacity to enhance the cinematographer’s art, adding another dimension to the possibilities of image composition.

The 6P delivered as promised; the

increased brightness is noticeable, allowing the visuals to come through sharp and clear. The viewing experience throughout the two-plus hour running time of the film was as comfortable as one would have with a 2D film through a high-quality projector. Of course, there are still the glasses, which remain an annoyance to some viewers, but even these (Christie makes use of Dolby’s relatively ergonomic product) are lightweight and comfortable, and not an impedance to the enjoyment of the film.

Christie is taking orders for the 6P system but since it is a major investment and many exhibitors are still uncertain of the future of 3D, take-up is likely to be slow. Nye says that some orders have already been placed by cinemas in the Middle East and there is currently one in commercial operation in the United States.

Africa’s cinema owners are likely to think carefully before making the leap however. The price point is quite fluid since the system is scalable and modular and the price you pay will depend on the needs that arise from the size of your theatre and screen. Nye places the average price at about US$10 for every lumen. So if one opts for the maximum number of lasers, which delivers 48 000 lumens, that’s nearly half a million US dollars. Compare that with the xenon lamp projectors that most cinemas currently use, which cost around US$2 per lumen.

So the 6P will offer an extremely high-end, premium entertainment experience – but then this is exactly the way that cinema will have to go in the future to ensure its survival.

– Warren Holden November / December 2014 | SCREENAFRICA | 47

2014

|

REPORT back

Imagine offers solution to manage hybrid baseband and IP systems As IP makes further inroads into the broadcast industry, inevitably broadcasters will find themselves in a position where they are working with elements of both IP and traditional baseband broadcast are therefore needed to manage and control these ‘hybrid’ broadcast systems.

At IBC Imagine Communications, formerly Harris Broadcast, introduced the Magellan™ SDN Orchestrator, a software control system for managing hybrid baseband and IP facilities. An anchor component of Imagine Communications’ Software-Defined Networking (SDN) portfolio, the Magellan SDN Orchestrator enables seamless integration of

baseband and IP networks, protecting customers’ existing technology investments while providing a clear path to an open, interoperable and IP-based future.

“The decision to build a baseband or all-IP facility is no longer a difficult one since the Magellan SDN Orchestrator enables operational transparency between legacy and IP networks. This is the assurance that media companies need to move forward with their IP investment strategies, continuing to operate with today’s staff and workflow processes – yet migrating to IP at their own pace without disruption,” said Charlie Vogt, CEO of Imagine Communications.

The Magellan SDN Orchestrator is one more example of Imagine Communications’ focus on cutting edge innovation, taking full advantage of the

15 – 17 JULY 2015 THE DOME @ NORTHGATE

JOHANNESBURG SOUTH AFRICA

flexibility, scalability and efficiency that next-generation IP-based architectures can offer while dramatically improving the way video is managed through broadcast facilities. It utilises dynamic signal-flow connections, managing signal mappings, addressing, and translations between legacy protocols and IP. Due to this tight alignment across protocols and signals, the Magellan SDN Orchestrator understands the available resources, whether legacy or IP, and turns the ‘sea of equipment’ into a set of defined, managed workflows that support the concurrent coexistence of IP streams, files, and baseband signals.

Media companies can now maximise their investments in high-quality video processing done in baseband/SDI/ASI technologies using familiar controls, while also managing on-ramps and off-ramps for baseband over IP via the software

control layer. The Magellan SDN Orchestrator instantiates pre-defined workflows through commercial off-theshelf (COTS) IP switches, providing professional broadcast performance for all connections. By leveraging the continued evolution of data center-grade COTS switching technology, the Magellan SDN Orchestrator enables media companies to use the latest generations of IP switches to ride the ever-improving cost/performance curve of the IT industry.

“Our unique, hybrid approach to SDN allows the entire bit flow to be softwaredefined, which significantly improves the way video is managed throughout broadcast facilities,” said Steve Copeland, Director of Product Management for Imagine Communications. “Regardless of what equipment is underneath, the Magellan SDN Orchestrator provides an overarching management layer that makes everything look like a ‘simple router.’ It integrates the elements into one system with commonly used controls, and provides the necessary transparency and visibility required for our customers who need to support hybrid operations.”

To find out more about the Magellan SDN Orchestrator, visit www.imaginecommunications.com.

Imagine Communications’ products and solutions are sold and supported in South Africa by Concilium Technologies – www.concilium.co.za; 012 678 9200.

VISIT WWW.MEDIATECH.CO.ZA FOR MORE INFO

10AM – 6PM I WEDNESDAY TO FRIDAY

Proudly brought to you by Thebe Reed Exhibitions and Sun Circle Publishers

48 | SCREENAFRICA | November / December 2014

Publishers & Projects

Outside Broadcast

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Activating community radio A number of years ago, Brand Connection, the Johannesburg-based brand activation and promotions company, decided to add more value to their ongoing association with 140 community radio stations around the country. Realising that the cash-strapped community stations had no access to outside broadcast facilities and that filling this gap in the market would also offer opportunities for brand activations for their clients, the company decided to invest in building an OB van.

FILLING THE GAP: Exterior of Brand Connection’s‘ Elephant’ OB van

T

hey turned to James Garden at Telemedia to help design and construct the facility. The result was the first in Brand Connection’s expanding fleet of OB vans, christened with the Big Five-themed name, Rhino.

Initially when Garden and Brand Connection sales executive Gary Laidler started talking about remote radio broadcast they started by using the Comrex Access audio codec system.

“This is one of the most powerful tools around for remote broadcast and is used by many broadcasters across the world,” Garden says. “Brand Connection had a unique requirement for their broadcast applications as they needed to receive the audio at a number of stations. We put together a managed network for their broadcast as a multicast to a number of different Comrex units.”

The vehicle proved a success and, according to Laidler, goes out to various jobs once or twice a week.

Last year, it was decided to build on the success of the Rhino, with a larger OB

50 | SCREENAFRICA | November / December 2014

Interior of the OB van during construction and the final result

vehicle. According to Garden, drawings and ideas were thrown back and forth in order to come up with the unique design that Brand Connection was after. Space efficiency and the best possible equipment was the key focus. “We wanted to make something a little different,” Laidler says. “We didn’t go with the usual system where the back part of the vehicle is closed off. We made a complete open-plan coach that places the presenter in a better position and gives the guests much more space. You can comfortably fit about five people in the front of the van for interviews. The focus was really on creating a comfortable space for the participants, something to

make presenters, clients, guests and community members feel special on the day.”

Telemedia kitted the van out with a full Axia radio control system complete with two consoles – one at the presenter’s position and another at the back of the van, just behind the presenter, where an engineer can take the reins if preferred.

Despite being a radio unit, the van is equipped with six 32-inch monitors, which are mostly utilised for branding – that of the client or radio station of the moment. Telemedia has a receive station for Brand Connection that moves the audio to Sentech on its dark fibre circuit for the uplink onto the Sentech bouquet.

A neat coach build, finished off with carpeting and the latest LED lighting, completes the ensemble.

“Our technical spec of the OB vehicle was a lot of fun,” says Garden. “I really enjoyed doing a project that was out of the ordinary and after many late nights in the factory and plenty of cables being pulled and changes being done, a very user-friendly and aesthetically pleasing OB van was built. Gary and I were very proud of what we managed to do in the time provided. It was huge fun being part of the Brand Connections builds and at some point I felt like an employee there as I spent almost a full month at their office.

| Outside broadcast

Although the van has mostly been used for community radio broadcasts, it is a commercial grade OB vehicle that can just as effectively be used by bigger stations. It has been put to use on numerous brand activations, former President Nelson Mandela’s funeral in December 2013, political rallies and government events. It has travelled the length and breadth of Gauteng and also made excursions to KwaZulu-Natal and North West.

At the core of Brand Connection’s investment in outside broadcast is the company’s belief in the importance of community radio. “Community radio can be a lot more powerful than commercial radio sometimes. You’re reaching a small, concentrated audience and everything they hear on that station is relevant to them. The presenters are like community idols. So you know that when you use the community radio platform, you’re going to reach a captive audience. That’s where we see community radio fitting in and we decided to build them these platforms to give them the ability to reach their audiences more effectively and personally,” Laidler concludes.

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November / December 2014 | SCREENAFRICA | 51 18/06/14 17:25

AFPRO CONNECT

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ADVERTORIAL

AFPRO Connect markets African production services to the world Almost a year in the planning and motivated by the zeal of its founders and the faith of a few early adopters, the firstever AFPRO Connect Expo will take place on 25 & 26 November in Johannesburg’s vibrant Maboneng Precinct.

Communications Director Ryan Fortune explains why you shouldn’t miss it.

EVENT SCOPE: Trade Show

Arts on Main,264 Fox Street Maboneng Precinct Over 50 SA production services companies will be exhibiting their products and services here. Look out for companies that specialise in set-building for sit-coms, specialist vehicle hire, lighting and gear hire, production management & music video production.

Panel Discussions,Case Studies & ‘SpeedDating’ Sessions

OPEN Collaborative Workspaces, 4th Floor, Main Change, 20 Kruger Street, Maboneng Precinct We have programmed a number of high-profile panel discussions, including ‘Branding in Africa’, ‘Corporate Social Responsibility & the Power of Video Communication,’ ‘Surveying the Wealth of SA Production Services,’ & ‘The Rise & Rise of Branded Entertainment. Our ‘Branding in Africa’ panelists are Thebe Ikalafeng of Brand Leadership, Terry Behan of brand experience agency VWV & Doug de Villiers of Interbrand. Ryan van

52 | SCREENAFRICA | November / December 2014

L

et’s face it: the South African film and television industry remains as fragmented as ever.

Right now some lobby groups are fund-raising to take the Department of Home Affairs to court over new visa rules, others are still fighting the SABC for intellectual property rights over content, locations are beginning to vie vociferously with each other for local and international productions, and competitive grudges between big companies have a tendency to simmer for ages. Bold initiatives have tried to unite the industry across its diverse sectors and interest groups, most notably SASFED, to get everyone singing from the same songbook, but these have yielded mixed results.

On the trade side, the Durban Film Mart is gaining momentum for stimulating new productions, and DISCOP Africa is certainly booming as a market for finished content, although the barriers to entry for SMME companies remain quite high.

Enter AFPRO Connect, a new initiative that aims to build a collaborative platform for trade in production services, in-depth discussion about industry-relevant topics, and a system of year-round lead generation for its clients. While pirating and lack of effective distribution channels ensures that nearly all South African

Jaarsveld of 7 Different Kinds of Smoke will discuss his company’s previous & upcoming work in the field of branded entertainment, Anne-Marie Hanna of Cape Town-based Commpost Media will share her experiences of producing CSR videos in remote parts of the world for multi-national corporates, and Naashon Zalk will reveal how he’s landed the world’s biggest NGOs as clients. NGO’s and Corporate Heads of Marketing will be able to have short meetings (‘speeddating’) with established and emerging production companies pre-selected for the quality and relevance of their work.

Education showcase Arts on Main,264 Fox Street Maboneng Precinct AFDA, the Big Fish School of Digital Filmmaking, the Animation School, Academy of Sound Engineering, Open Window and LEARN 3D will all be exhibiting their courses to visiting Grade 11 learners. This area will also feature Shop Talk, where industry professionals will reveal to youngsters how they got into the industry, what they love and hate about their jobs, and what their future ambitions are.

feature films not starring Leon Schuster struggle to recoup their money, the much-bandied NFVF-commissioned Deloitte’s Report says the film industry contributes R3,5-billion to SA’s annual GDP. Given this figure, it’s obvious that the sweet spot in South African filmmaking – financially speaking – is in production services, from catering to transport to crew hire, special effects, set-building, gear hire, post-production and everything that happens way before any piece of film or video gets viewed by its intended audience. This is real money being spent on film, television, commercials, animation

Short film exhibition Bioscope Indepedent Cinema, Fox Street, Maboneng Precinct AFPRO Connect has partnered with the organisers of the Independent Mzansi Short Film Festival (IMSFF) in order to show a selection of the best SA short films of the past few years. These will screen for two hours each day, and several of the producers and directors will be on hand to answer questions after each film. The Bioscope has only 62 seats so be sure to reserve your place early.

Short films to be screened at Bioscope Independent Cinema during AFPRO Connect 2014 Screening times: 3 – 6pm

and corporate video productions in dozens of locations around South Africa every day. An industry working hard to entertain, educate and enlighten its audiences, whether they be couch potatoes lamenting the loss of Generations, insurance salespeople being trained in how best to strike the fear of sudden death into citizens, or distance learners being taught via video link by remote lecturers.

Add South Africa’s excellent production and post-production incentives to this already booming, bustling workaday industry, and you have a potent cocktail of possibility. Possibility that requires a platform to shine and show off, that needs to come out of the shadows and celebrate itself, to stretch out its leathery hands to greet the lawyers, accountants, government officials, corporate marketing and NGO executives who hold the chequebooks.

Guided by principles of fairness, collaboration and Pan-Africanism, AFPRO Connect is designed to be the place for such greetings and meetings to happen.

Its organisers hope that everyone in the SA film industry seizes this opportunity to establish business relationships with new clients and partners, and to connect with like-minded film folk from across the continent.

Freelancers’ lounge

Ground Floor, Museum of African Design, 281 Commissioner Street, Maboneng Precinct Freelancers attending the AFPRO Connect Expo are invited to relax on the comfortable sofas in this networking area.

A wall will hold listings of upcoming projects in development or pre-production.

Attendance and participation options Visitors Pass: R1000 p.p.

Holders can access the Main Expo at MOAD, the panel discussions and case studies at OPEN (but not ‘speed-dating’), the Music Video and Short Film Showcases at Zen and Bioscope respectively.

Meeting Delegate Pass: R3 500 p.p.

Music video showcase Zen Lounge, Maboneng Precinct SA’s best music videos will be screened on 10 high definition screens. Directors will be on hand to discuss how these award- winning videos were conceived and produced.

Holders can access all of the above, and will also be placed in the AFPRO Connect Meeting Organisation System, which will allow them to request meetings with other attendees who might be relevant to their business. Meeting Delegates also get preferential access to evening social networking events.

Tickets can be purchased at http://www.webtickets.co.za

| SATELLITE

Broadcasting C-band as a cornerstone of African socio-economic growth

BEAMING TO AFRICA: Intelsat 905 provides critical C-band capacity to Africa, enabling broadcast distribution services to the continent

Recently, the 2014 FIFA World Cup was beamed to homes, hostelries and even business offices across the continent, entertaining and uniting millions of people. C-band was the vital link delivering it. Millions of households and businesses across Africa depend directly or indirectly on C-band to deliver their television programming.

I

t is widely recognised that communities in Africa rely on C-band communications to support business communications, telemedicine, e-learning, disaster recovery – and, of course, getting broadcast content to the region’s radio and TV service providers too.

Resistance to atmospheric interference such as rain – known as ‘rain fade’ – and availability of wide beams make it unequalled in terms of highly efficient coverage and reliability, as well as demonstrating why it is so suited to overcome the climatic and geographic challenges of the region.

In the broadcast sector specifically, C-band ‘feeds’ directly support the television industries of a number of African countries. It has the ability to provide highly reliable, cross-border and continental broadband connectivity that delivers information, education and entertainment to millions of radio listeners and TV viewers. It provides broadcasters with a competitive edge, not to mention the social and economic benefits that it also provides to the nations and citizens they serve.

More than a development tool According to Euroconsult’s ‘Assessment of C-band usage in African countries,’ the number of TV channels distributed in C-band in sub-Saharan Africa reached around 370 in 2013, compared to around

150 in 2005. This corresponds to a 12% compound annual growth rate (CAGR) over the eight-year period. However, if we take the last three years into account, the number of C-band channels increased by an annual average rate of 34%.

The economic growth in Africa has enabled the emergence of more broadcast consumers demanding access to regular and reliably delivered entertainment and information content.

Coupling this with the progressive liberalisation of the broadcasting sector in various African countries, the opportunity for C-band to support lifestyle imperatives as well as development ones, is infinite.

In Nigeria, the C-band spectrum is pivotal to the continuation of Nigeria’s lucrative television industry. TV reception for the majority of citizens is terrestrial with satellite assisting in providing capacity for earth stations. According to PWC, it is expected that Nigeria’s entertainment and media industry will continue to grow with revenues estimated to reach approximately US$ 8.5 billion by 2018.

‘C’-ing the future Future C-band availability is expected to have a significant impact on the TV and general broadcast market in Africa – especially on the terrestrial distribution of channels. At the moment, almost the entire television industry and its viewership depend on C-band for the

delivery of services. In fact, Euroconsult estimates that if C-band usage for broadcast was terminated, more than 35 million households (or about 140 million individuals) in Africa would be directly impacted in the short-term, and a larger number of viewers when we consider that the usual access to TV is two to three times higher than the number of TV owners.

The International Mobile Telecommunications (IMT) community is currently requesting a re-allocation of C-band spectrum – the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) must closely consider the negative impact on emerging economies so dependent on this spectrum. Without C-band to deliver information into homes via broadcast, there is a continent’s citizenship that may well be left in the dark again. The ramifications for distance learning via television and educational upliftment are also severe.

It is vital that all players in the sector partner to educate customers, partners, regulators and government officials about the potential impact losing C-band will have. Intelsat, the world’s leading provider of satellite services, has created a resource centre with tools that allow the media sector and other C-band users to be heard.

For more information on the actions needed to preserve C-band, visit http://www.intelsat.com/toolsresources/c-band/.

November / December 2014 | SCREENAFRICA | 53

Box Office

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Cinematic adaptations bring classic tales to life This October, cinematic adaptations conquer the local box office…

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

Dracula Untold Rounding up the local top five, is Gary Shore’s Dracula Untold. The film, which explores the origins of Dracula, is shedding new light on the age-old story of the infamous vampire. The United International Pictures release was screened locally on 72 screens in its third week, down by three from the previous weekends 75. Dracula Untold has earned R5 194 079 nationally thus far.

Despite being described as “dreadful” by The Telegraph and receiving largely negative reviews on a global scale, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles remake, secured the top spot in its opening weekend at South African cinemas with earnings of R4 623 445. Produced by Michael Bay, the flick which stars Will Arnett and Megan Fox, has grossed US$189 588 745 internationally thus far, surpassing its production budget of US$125 000 000.

The Equalizer Director Antoine Fuqua has struck box office gold with the action packed blockbuster The Equalizer. The film, which is up two spots to number four at the local box office, has raked in R6 839 719 in earnings in four weeks since its release. Initially described as “more stylishly violent than meaningful” by international critics, The Equalizer continues to defy these labels with cumulative global box office earnings sitting at US$89 101 287 in four weeks since its release.

Gone Girl

Dolphin Tale 2

Produced by Leslie Dixon and Reese Witherspoon, Gone Girl is an adaptation of Gillian Flynn’s best-seller of the same name. The Times Media Films release is down one position to the number two spot in its second week running on the local circuit. Starring Ben Affleck, the David Fincher thriller has earned R3 382 098 nationally with 61 prints, a 38% drop in earnings on opening weekend.

Morgan Freeman and Ashley Judd star in part 2 of the real-life tales of rescued dolphin Winter. Receiving positive reviews both locally as well as globally, the heartwarming drama has garnered R4 885 007 in earnings at the South African box office in its third week running.

This Is Where I Leave You Tina Fey, Jane Fonda and Jason Bateman star in this comedic family drama adapted by screenwriter Jonathan Tropper from his own novel. The film finds a dysfunctional brood reunited for seven days in the wake of their father’s death, with Fonda delivering her own feisty brand of humour. Despite receiving fairly positive reviews, This Is Where I Leave You earned an uninspiring R495 174 at the local box office.

– Compiled by Chanelle Ellaya

54 | SCREENAFRICA | November / December 2014

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56 | SCREENAFRICA | November / December 2014

69 BODIES/SHARPEVILLE Tamol Media Prod: Thabang Molibeli Feature 80 MINUTES Periphery Films Dir: Simon Taylor / Julia Taal Feature A Bank in Krugersdorp (working title) Panda Broadcast Prod: Sam Groenewald Feature Film A LION IN THE BEDROOM Two Oceans Production Prod: Giselher Venzke / Bertha Spieker Feature AFTER MARIKANA – PART 2 OF A TRILOGY Uhuru Productions Prod/Dir: Rehad Desai Documentary ANTHOLOGY Journey, Home & Treasure Prod/Dir: Feizel Mamdoo Feature Are Aganeng/Asakhaneni Michics Global Communications Exec Prod: Mishack Motshweni Talk Show AT THE CREEK WITHOUT A PADDLE Zen Crew Prod: Laura Tarling Documentary BREAD AND WATER Periphery Films Dir: Simon Taylor / Julia Taal Feature Documentary BIG FRIEND LITTLE FRIEND Two Oceans Production Prods: Giselher Venzke / Bertha Spieker TV movie Camping Two Oceans Productions Prod: Giselher Venzke/Bertha Spieker Feature CAPE OF GOOD HOPE Two Oceans Production Prod: Giselher Venzke / Bertha Spieker Feature CHILDREN OF FAMOUS ACTIVISTS Current Affairs Films Prod: Jane Thandi Lipman Feature CINDERELLA Two Oceans Productions Prod: Giselher Venzke / Bertha Spieker Feature Cybervisions Writer:Tawanda Murimirwa Completed Sci-Fi Screenplay DE BRAZZAVILLE A JOHANNESBURG Site et Sons Media Productions Feature Film DIE VERHAAL VAN RACHELTJIE DE BEER Nostalgia Productions Prod: Brett Michael Innes Feature

Die Vervoerder Grey Cloud Productions Dir: Jacques Brand Prod: Jarrod de Jong Feature ENTREPRENEURS Footprint Media TV Prod: Cheryl Delport Magazine ESCAPE Current Affairs Films Prod: Jane Thandi Lipman / Beata Lipman Feature EX PATS Current Affrairs Films / French Connection Prod: Jane Thandi Lipman Series FISTS OF FURY P.I.M.P Dir/Prod: Daniel P Nxumalo Feature Future Legends Phoenix Entertainment and Productions Prod: Koketso Sefanyetso TV Magazine Izinyembezi Zami Inhlakanipho Films Dir: Vusi Nhlapo Feature Film HEAVEN – AFRICA 2 Two Oceans Production Prods: Giselher Venzke / Bertha Spieker Feature HHOLA HHOLA Vuleka Productions Prod: Julie Frederikse Feature High School Modeling Michics Global Communications Exec Prod: Mishack Motshweni Feature HOEHLENMENSCH Two Oceans Production Prods: Giselher Venzke / Bertha Spieker TV movie HOTEL SONGOLOLO The Media Workshop Dir: Benito Carelsen Series IN SILENCE & IN TEARS Alternative Cinema Prod: Ikechukwu Omenaihe Feature ISIHLOBO ESIHLE Dogg Bite Entertainment Dir/Prod: Siphiwe Dominic Mpanza Documentary IZINJA ZAMI P.I.M.P Dir/Prod: Daniel P Nxumalo Feature JIVA Tamol Media Prod: Thabang Molibeli Feature KING SEKHUKHUNE / EVERYONE’S LAND Sukuma Media Prod: Leonard Sekhukhune / Bonginhlanhla Ncube Feature Film LEKKERKAMPPLEKKE Grey Cloud Productions Dir: Jacques Brand Prod: Jarrod de Jong Variety MANCHE, THE AFRICAN SAINT Get the Picture Prod/Dir: Jacky Lourens / Fiona Summers Documentary M/A/N/D/E/L/A P.I.M.P Dir/Prod: Daniel P Nxumalo Feature

M-NET/CARTE BLANCHE CURRENT AFFAIRS FILMS Current Affairs Films Dir/Prod: Jane Thandi Lipman Current Affairs MONDAY MAN Tincup.tv Dir/Prod: Matt Torode Mini Series NIXEN ALARM Two Oceans Production Prods: Giselher Venzke / Bertha Spieker TV movie NONGOLOZA/ THE BLOOD KING AND THE RED DRAGON Current Affairs Films Prod: Jane Thandi Lipman / Mtutuzeli Matshoba Feature Ntomb’khona Sibongokuhle Media and Entertainment Prod/Dir: Sakhile Lushaba Corporate On the spot Karabo Shaun Productions Dir: Gugu Mbatha Film Oscar Pistorius Synergy Prod: Jane Thandi Lipman Documentary PALACE OF THE FAITHLESS White Heron Pictures Dir: Themba Sibeko Feature PARADISE Two Oceans Production Prods: Giselher Venzke / Bertha Spieker TV movie PASSARES (BIRDISH) White Heron Pictures / Casa De Criacao Cinema Prod: Themba Sibeko Feature Pippie se Towerkombuis Grey Cloud Productions Dir: Jacques Brand Prod: Jarrod de Jong Variety Ponte Nostalgia Productions/ Black Irish Productions Prod: Jamie Ramsay/Brett Michael Innes Feature PROTECTION ORDER P.I.M.P Dir/Prod: Daniel P Nxumalo Feature Rachel Weeping Nostalgia Productions Prod: Johan Kruger/ Brett Michael Innes Feature Rockville Season 3 Ferguson Films Prod: Bobby Heaney TV Series SARAH GRAHAM: BITTEN 2 Okuhle Media Dir: Chris Lotz Series Sea Monster Triggerfish Animation Studios Dir: Anthony Silverston Animated Feature SEBOKENG MPA (Motswako) Dir: Charls Khuele / Zuko Nodada Feature Sin Bin Diamond Hill / Engage Entertainment / Coco TV Prod: Sisanda Henna / Stephen Lorenzo Documentary

PRODUCTION SIXOLELE BABA Ndlondlo Productions Dir: Hamilton Dhlamini Feature SOWETO SINDERELLA P.I.M.P Dir/Prod: Daniel P Nxumalo Feature The Dandelion ShootAway Production Prod: Patrick Walton Drama THE DREADED EVIL EYE FROM PAST TO PRESENT AND ACROSS CULTURES Blue Marble Entertainment Dir: Eugene Botha Documentary The Exchange Engage Entertainment PROD: Stephen Lorenzo Feature THE GIFT Ferguson Films Prod: Shona and Connie Ferguson, Bobby Heaney TV Feature Film THE GREAT KAROO Current Affairs Films/ White Pine Pictures Prod: Jane Lipman Series THE HITCHERS: A GHOST STORY Blue Marble Entertainment Dir: Eugene Botha Short Film The Mountain of the Night Nostalgia Productions Prod: Herman Mabizela/Brett Michael Innes Feature The Norwegian Brothers (working title) Panda Broadcast Prod: Sam Groenewald Feature Film The Reggies Rush Nostalgia Productions Prod: Brett Michael Innes Feature The Sales Lab Time Frame TV Prod: Vanessa Yelseth, Jasmyn Asvat Series TIENERWERELD Grey Cloud Productions Dir: Jacques Brand Prod: Jarrod de Jong Variety UMASHONISA P.I.M.P Dir/Prod: Daniel P Nxumalo Feature WAY TWO ROLL Way To Roll Pictures Dir: Freddie Strauss Feature Welcome To Art Michics Global Communications Exec Prod: Mishack Motshweni TV Series Westgate Shopping Mall attack (working title) Media Village Productions Prod: Diane Vermooten Documentary Zakouma Two Oceans Productions Prod: Giselher Venzke/ Bertha Spieker Feature ZEN FILM CREW MANAGEMENT ZEN Film Crew Management Prod / Dir: Laura Tarling Commercial

IN PRE-PRODUCTION ABLAND PROPERTY DEVELOPERS FC Hamman Films Dir: FC Hamman Marketing Video Alex on 7th Xcut Studios Dir: Engelbert Phiri Documentary

ATTACHMENT PARENTING Blue Marble Entertainment Dir: Eugene Botha Insert BIG BROTHER ANGOLA Endemol South Africa Prod: Terja Beney, Llonka Geudes Reality CASE Tamol Media Thabang Molibeli Short Film De Brazzaville a Johannesburg Site et sons media productions Dir: Elvis Nkosi Feature Film Die Laaste Ure: Inconnu French Film Festival Grey Cloud Productions Dir: Jacques Brand Producer: Jarrod de Jong Short film Domestic Bliss 2 Blonds and a Redhead Filming Prod: Anne Myers Advertising Funder Project EL ELJON PROJECTS FC Hamman Films Director: FC Hamman Marketing Video ESPAFRIKA PRESENTS THE CAPE TOWN INTERNATIONAL JAZZ FESTIVAL 2014 ESPafrika Prod/Dir: Rashid Lombard / Yana Lombard / John Bright Documentary GAUTENG PROVINCE LEGISLATOR Global Access Creative Agency Dir: Guy Sclanders Documentary GENERATION FREE Okuhle Media Dir: Jemima Spring Series GENiAS Khinc Studios Dir: Khalid EL – Jelailati Feature Film GRIZMEK Two Oceans Production Prods: Giselher Venzke / Bertha Spieker TV Movie HIDDEN HOLOCAUST IN THE DUNES: GENOCIDE IN NAMIBIA Blue Marble Entertainment Dir: Eugene Botha Series LOVE MORE: POLYAMORY IN SOUTH AFRICA Blue Marble Entertainment Dir: Eugene Botha Series MARRY ME IN MZANZI Blue Marble Entertainment Dir: Eugene Botha Series PHOENIX RISING...THE BUSINESS OF STYLE SEASON 2 Phoenix Entertainment and Production Prod/Dir: Koketso Sefanyetso Reality SEATBELT MEDIC FC Hamman Films Dir: FC Hamman Commercial SLENDER WONDER INFORMATION VIDEO Grey Cloud Productions Dir: Jacques Brand Information Video SNAP JEI Co Ltd Mauritius/Jujuma Productions SA Prod/Dir: Neil Hetherington Feature SOCIAL WORKER Tamol Media Thabang Molibeli Short film STICKS+STONES (working title) Fireworx Media/ Tunc Prodcutions Prod: Bridget Pickering Telenovela

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THE MESSENGER Footprint Media TV Prod: Annalise Van Rensburg Series Unashamedly Ethical Media Village Productions Prod: Diane Vermooten Awards and Gala Evening WHILE YOU WEREN’T LOOKING Out in Africa Dir: Catherine Stewart Feature WHIPLASH Get the Picture Prod/Dir: Jacky Lourens / Meg Rickards Feature WORKERSLIFE NETWORK MARKETING FC Hamman Films Director: FC Hamman Marketing Video

IN PRODUCTION 3 TALK Urban Brew Talk Show 20 and Free X CON Films Dir: Munier Parker Documentary 50/50 Clive Morris Productions Current Affairs 53 EXTRA M-Net Inhouse Productions Dir: Navan Chetty Magazine A CALENDAR OF EVENTS – MEDUPI & KUSILE Betta Beta Communications Prod: Tommy Doig Documentary A MAN OF HIS OWN PRINCIPALS Sekgopha Productions Prod: Buhle Mofulatsi / Thapelo Hlagala TV movie AFRICA 360 eNews News Head: Patrick Conroy Current affairs AFRO CAFÉ SEASON 7 Bonngoe Productions Prod: Pepsi Pokane Music ArtsCulturex Talent 1000 Championships Michics Global Communications Exec Prod: Mishack Motshweni Series Auditor General Global Access Creative Agency Dir: Brad Montgomery/Natalie Varoy Corporate BACKBONE PROJECT Global Access Creative Agency Prod: GA Creative Agency Documentary BIG BROTHER MZANSI Endemol South Africa Prod: Terja Beney, Liza Kleitman Reality BINNELAND Stark Films Prod/Dir: Friedrich / Elsje Stark Series BODA BODA THIEVES Switch Films Prod: James Tayler Feature BRAVO! Homebrew Films Prod: Jaco Loubser Magazine BONISANANI Grounded Media Talk Show Bugatti Together Lucky Fish Productions Dir: Raphaël Crombez Commercial CARTE BLANCHE (INSERTS) Modern Times Prod: Sophia Phirippides News

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Carte Blanche shorts TIA productions Prod / Dir: Tarryn Lee Crossman News CLAASENS DESIGNS MARKETING VIDEOS Panache Video Productions Prod/Dir: Liesel Eiselen Marketing videos CLASH OF THE CHOIRS Endemol South Africa Prod: Josh Feldman Talent / Reality COOL CATS Red Pepper Pictures Prod: Cecil Berry Children’s Show CORTEX MINING FC Hamman Films Prod Man: Odette van Jaarsveld Corporate Video

COME DINE WITH ME SOUTH AFRICA Rapid Blue Prod: Kee-Leen Irvine Reality CUTTING EDGE SABC News Current Affairs Debra Deel Khaki Productions Prod/Dir: Christelle Parrott, Wynand Dreyer Series DIMENSION DATA Global Access Creative Agency Dir: Natalie Varoy Corporate DINNER DIVAS 2 Blonds and a Redhead Filming Prod: Anne Myers Series

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DISHONEST Inhlakanipho Films Dir: Vusi Nhlapo Feature Film Ditokelo tsa Medupi LMOL Production Dir: Lizzy Moloto Feature DIY MET RIAAN Prod: Riaan Venter-Garforth Magazine EARTH BEAT Tekweni TV Productions Prod: Sandra Herrington Series EASTERN MOSAIC Red Carpet Productions Prod: Saira Essa / Mark Corlett Magazine END GAME Fireworx Media/ Tunc Productions Prod: Bridget Pickering Dir: Akin Omotoso/ Thandie Brewer/ Thabang Moleya Feature EXPRESSO (Season 2) Cardova Prod: Paul van Deventer Series FACE OF GEMINI Footprint Media TV Prod: Cheryl Delport Series Facility Management Lectures (A4FM) Panache Video Productions Dir/ Prod: Liesel Eiselen Educational Faith Today Impact Christian Media Prod: Carl Schultz TV Series FOX NEWS CHANNEL Betta Beta Communications Prod/Dir: Tommy Doig News Free State Toursim Indaba Our Time Productions Dir: Jaun de Meillon Corporate FRENZY Red Pepper Pictures Prod: Morena Sefatsa Variety GENERATIONS Morula Pictures Prod: Mfundi Vundla Series GOOD MORNING AFRICA Planet Image Productions SA Prod/Dir: Wale Akinlabi Magazine GOSPEL GOLD Engage Entertainment Prod: Sthembile Mhlongu Music Got It Global Access Creative Agency Dir: Guy Sclanders Corporate GROEN Homebrew Films Prod: Jaco Loubser Wildlife Had Better Days Uniquely Novel Productions Prod/Dir: Deon VD Merwe Feature Film HECTIC 99 Okuhle Media Prod: Wilna van Schalkwyk Magazine HITACHI POWER AFRICA MEDUPI AND KUSILE Betta Beta Communications Prod/Dir: Tommy Doig Documentary HOUSE CALL Izwe Multimedia / Urban Brew Prod: Annalie Potgieter Talk Show IGNITE Footprint Media TV Prod: Cheryl Delport Reality IHAWU LE SISWE Provoke Entertainment Dir: Sechaba Morojele TV Series

iParent training clips Global Access Creative Agency Dir: Guy Sclanders Corporate IMIZWILILI Ukhamba Productions Prod: Alfred Mpofu Music INKABA Urban Brew Studios Prod: John Kani Telenovela In search of our own Open Window school of film arts Prod: Adriaan De la Rey Documentary ISIDINGO Endemol South Africa Prod: Pumla Hoppa, Leo Phiri Soap JOU SHOW Homebrew Films Prod: Jaco Loubser Talkshow comedy KOKKEDOOR 2 Homebrew films Prod: Jaco Loubser and Paul Venter Cooking reality series KOLLIG Homebrew Films Prod: Jaco Loubser Magazine KONA The Directors Team (Pty) Ltd Prod/Dir: Laurence Lurie / Cathy Sykes Series KOOLCON CORPORATE VIDEO FiX Post Production/ Marketing AV Marketing Video KWELA Pieter Cilliers Productions Prod/Dir: Pieter Cilliers Magazine LATE NITE NEWS ON E.TV Diprente Productions Prod: Tamsin Andersson Series Light Girls South African Unit White Heron Pictures Prod: Themba Sibeko Documentary LIVE Urban Brew Music LIVE LOTTO SHOW Urban Brew Game Show Mandela’s Gun DV8 films Dir: John Irvin Feature Marang Estate: Mixed Used Development Nov/ Dec Our Time Productions Dir: Jaun de Meillon Documentary MASHELENG1 LMOL Production Dir: Lizzy Moloto Feature MASHELENG 2 LMOL Production Dir: Jonny Muteba Feature MASSMART CSI REPORT SummerTime Productions Prod/Dir: Roxanne Rolando / Sean Gardiner Corporate Video MassTalk Global Access Creative Agency Prod: Brad Montgomery Corporate MATRICS UPLOADED Educational Improvement and Study Help (EISH) Prod: Lisa Blakeway Educational MILLIONAIRES Two Oceans Production Prod: Giselher Venzke/Bertha Spieker Feature MOTSWAKO Carol Bouwer Productions Prod: Grant Paul Roy Talk Show

MCA Training Global Access Creative Agency Dir: Guy Sclanders Corporate MUVHANGO Word of Mouth Prod: Pieter Grobbelaar Feature MY GENERATION Current Affairs Films Dir: Jane Lipman TV Series My name is Funeka Sabido Productions Dir/Prod: Catherine Rice Documentary MZANSI INSIDER Bonngoe Productions Prod: Pepsi Pokane Magazine NET1 – SASSA Betta Beta Communications Prod: Tommy Doig Corporate NEWS NIGHT eNews Prod: Nikiwe Bikitsha Current Affairs Oscar Pistorius Documentary Inserts TIA Productions Dir/ Prod: Tarryn Crossman Documentary PASELLA Tswelopele Productions Dir: Liani Maasdorp / Werner Hefer Magazine PAWN STARS SOUTH AFRICA Rapid Blue Prod: Kee-Leen Irvine, Ed Worster, Johan Naude and Kat Weatherall Reality M-NET SHORT FILMS Current Affairs Films Prod/ Dir: Jane Thandi Lipman Film POWER COMBAT ZONE Mixed Motion Entertainment Dir: Dieter Gottert Sport PROJECT MV Zen Crew Prod: Laura Tarling Music Rands with Sense 2 Blonds and a Redhead Filming Prod: Anne Myersin Education RHYTHM CITY Quizzical Pictures Prod: Yula Quinn Soapie RHYTHM CITY INTERACTIVE Quizzical Pictures / e.tv Prod: Viva Liles-Wilkin Interactive Platform Media RIVONINGO Asi-B Films Prod: Asivhanzi ‘Asi’ Mathaba Children’s Show ROCKING FUTURE SummerTime Productions Prod: Sean Gardiner / Tanya Vandenberg Educational Video ROLLING WITH KELLY KHUMALO Red Pepper Prod: Cecil Barry Reality ROOTS Ukhamba Communications Prod: Alfred Mpofu Music SAINT AND FREEDOM FIGHTER Blue Marble Entertainment Dir: Eugene Botha Documentary SA Top Model for a Day Michics Global Communications Exec Prod: Mishack Motshweni TV Series SAKEGESPREK MET THEO VORSTER SEASON 5 Dirk Mostert Camera Production Prod/ Dir: Dirk Mostert Series

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

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

IN POST-PRODUCTION A BUSHMAN ODYSSEY Onetime Films Prod: Richard Wicksteed Documentary A DIFFERENT COUNTRY Sabido Productions Dir: Lisa Henry Documentary series A Love Letter to Luxor Shadow Films Prod/Dir: David Forbes Short Film AFROX CO2 PLANT FC Hamman Films Prod: Odette van Jaarsveld Corporate Video AFROX FINANCIAL RESULTS FC Hamman Films Prod: Odette van Jaarsveld Corporate Video AFROX RAU INSIGHT FC Hamman Films Prod: Odette van Jaarsveld Corporate Video AFROX SHEQ INDUCTION FC Hamman Films Prod: Odette van Jaarsveld Commercial Challenge SOS 2 Blonds and a Redhead Filming Prod: Anne Myers Reality Collide Media Village Productions Prod: Ardeen Munnik TV Series DEBRA DEEL Khaki Productions Prod: Christelle Parrott TV Series FORMIDABELE VROUE: CISSY GOOL Khaki Productions Prod/Dir: Christelle Parrott/ Wynand Dreyer Documentary

HOPE NHU Africa Prod: Vyv Simson / Donfrey Meyer Documentary HOUSE OF ENCOURAGEMENT Panache Video Productions Dir/Prod: Liesel Eiselen Corporate IQILI Impucuzeko Prod: Sharon Kakora Feature Joyous 18 RM Recording Prod: Lindelani Mkhize Other JULIUS HAS A DREAM Creative South Africa, Nkanyethi Productions,Jam TV Prod: Bathelemy Ngwessam Documentary KADARA Media Navigation Prod: Dan Akinlolu/ Biola Karonwi TV Drama Kerels wat Kook Penguin Films Prod: Roberta Durrant Reality TV Series KNYSNA West Five Films Prod/ Dir: Maynard Kraak; Andre Velts Feature Film NEW LAND Plexus Films/ Four Corners Media Dir: Kyle O’ Donoghue TV Series NORTHMEN Two Oceans Productions Prod: Giselher Venzke/Bertha Spieker Feature Nyaope Gangsters LMOL Production Dir: Lizzy Moloto Feature PERFECT SHISHEBO Quizzical Pictures Prod: Nthabiseng Mokoena Series PLAY MORE GOLF FC Hamman Films Prod: Odette van Jaarsveld Commercials Pushi- Passion LMOL Production Dir: Lizzy Moloto Series SAFE BET Sukuma Media Producer: Nokuthula Sakhile Mguni / Bonginhlanhla Ncube Feature Film SLENDER WONDER FC Hamman Films Prod: Odette van Jaarsveld Corporate Video SLENDER WONDER MJ LABS FC Hamman Films Prod: Odette van Jaarsveld Corporate Video Solo Flight Two Oceans Production Prod: Giselher Venzke/ Bertha Spieker Feature SWARTWATER Quizzical Pictures Prod: Bianca Isaac Dir: John Trengove/ Jozua Malherbe/ Denny Y Miller Series SURVIVOR Endemol South Africa Prod: Anton Burggraaf, Josh Feldman Reality TELKOM: BUSINESS INSIGHTS WEBSERIES UZI Films Prod/Dir: Steven Hall Corporate The calling LMOL Production Dir: Lizzy Moloto Feature

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UPCOMING EVENTS

|

NOVEMBER 5 – 7 DISCOP Africa 2014

Johannesburg

www. discopafrica.com

8 – 12 Dr Ruth S Mompati Film Festival

Vryburg

9 – 16 Africa International Film Festival

Nigeria www.africafilmfest.org 9 – 18

Cairo International Film Festival

Egypt www.ciff.org.eg/ 11 – 13 AfricaCom

Cape Town www. africacast-event.com

14 – 15 AFPRO Connect

Johannesburg

www. afproconnect.com 21 PromaxBDA Africa Conference

Johannesburg www.promaxafrica.tv

25 – 27 Digital Migration and Spectrum

Management Conference

Johannesburg www.bspmediagroup.com

DECEMBER 10 – 17 Dubai International Film Festival

Dubai www.dubaifilmfest.com

JANUARY 2015 20 – 22

Content Everywhere MENA

Dubai www.ibcce.org

THE CODE BREAKER NHU Africa Prod: Vyv Simson / Donfrey Meyer Documentary THE FAMILY PUZZLE Site et Sons media productions Prod/Dir : Zamo Missie Feature THE FLAWED GENIUS OF JAN SMUTS Tekweni TV production Prod/Dir: Sandra Herrington / Neville Herrington Documentary THE LAST GREAT TUSKERS NHU Africa Prod: Vyv Simson / Donfrey Meyer Documentary The Lighthouse Run SummerTime Productions Dir: Tanya Vandenberg Documentary The Message Reel Edge Studios Dir: David Golden TV Drama Series THE STORY OF LITTLE FOOT Paul Myburgh Film Prod: Paul Myburgh Documentary THE TRANSPORTERS Sukuma Media/ Reality Motion Pictures Dir: Bonginhlanhla Ncube Documentary Traffic Penguin Films Prod: Roberta Durrant TV Series

TRAILER-MADE JaC Productions & Innovation Films Dir: Jacobus Kriel Feature UNDER THE MOUNTAIN Plexus Films Prod: Miki Redelinghuys,/ Lauren Groenewald Short film Unfriend Two Oceans Production Prod: Giselher Venzke/Bertha Spieker Feature VKB LANDBOU BEPERK FC Hamman Films Prod: Odette van Jaarsveld Corporate Video When I Was Water Shadow Films Dir: David Forbes Documentary XJ-1 Eternal Film Productions Prod: Marius Swanepoel/ Dana Pretorius Feature You Deserve It Penguin Films Prod: Roberta Durrant TV Game Show

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

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

November / December 2014 | SCREENAFRICA | 59

Social

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Banff Film Festival launch

Scott Bateman and Melanie Van Zyl from Getaway

Lisa de Speville (Feat) and Jenny Patterson (MCSA)

Pierre Pienaar, Annie Le Roux and Johan Wilkon from Cape Union Mart

Penny Parker (Cape Union Mart) and Dino Lloyd (Tread MTB)

David Habgood, Mandla Mdakawe and Stanley Lesu from Cape Union Mart

‘Learning from the Lions’ event

Aidan Johnson, Mackenzie Cotlow and Ian Pate

Howard Lonstein with Neil Pauw of The Parlotones

Claire van Staden, Ranjini Naidoo, Eric Blignaut, Reecia Govender and Bridget St Claire

60 | SCREENAFRICA | November / December 2014

Vanessa Katanga and Marchel van Wyk

Vanessa Katanga, Samishni Pillai, Launelle Nienaber and Kylie Henry

www.kwazulunatalfilm.co.za.

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