Screen Africa October 2017

Live: 218 Trim: 228 Bleed: 234

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

www.screenafrica.com

VOL 29 – October 2017 R38.00

LIFE, MAGNIFIED. 2 0 17 E M MY A W A R D ®

WINNER

LEAH REMINI: SCIENTOLOGY AND THE AFTERMATH

2017 A+E Networks. Claimed marks are the trademarks of A&E Television Networks, LLC protected in the United States and other countries around the world.

Trim: 275 Bleed: 281

VISIT US : STAND S88 sales.aenetworks.com

The Africa Channel broadcasts in North America and the Caribbean and showcases contemporary Africa through outstanding television series, specials, documentaries, feature ďŹ lms, music and lifestyle programs.

TAC Studios, a division of The Africa Channel, Inc., develops, produces and distributes original and acquired premium multicultural lifestyle content globally.

Demand Africa, a division of The Africa Channel, Inc., streams TV series, movies and entertainment designed for our users online, in-home or on-the-go.

THREE COMPANIES ONE MISSION Celebrating Africa’s Influence on the World Visit us at: MIPCOM 2017 (Cannes): Booth # R7.M2 DISCOP 2017 (Johannesburg): Booth # 141.142.148.149 www.theafricachannel.com

From the editor

The Team Editor

And just like that we’re into the last quarter of the year. With the festive period hovering on the horizon, a certain sluggishness always seems to creep up around this time.

However there is still much to be done before we close off another successful year, so let’s get straight into the issue.

This month we have the annual DISCOP Johannesburg event, taking place from 25 to 27 October at the Sandton Convention Centre in Johannesburg. The DISCOP film and TV markets were created to provide content producers, sellers and buyers with a platform to connect, build relationships, pitch projects and make deals. Since its inception in 2012, DISCOP Johannesburg has grown to become the world’s number one destination to buy, sell and co-produce content ‘Made in Africa’. With this in mind, we’ve treated our readers to a sneak peek of what to expect from this year’s edition. Be sure to get the scoop on pages 34 to 38.

On pages 16 and 17, we have a muchrequested interview with sought-after DOP, Barrett de Kock. Compiled by our contributor David Cornwell, the informative Q&A is a must-read for up and coming DOPs, touching on everything from location and lighting to Barrett’s favourite cameras and gear.

Another noteworthy contribution comes from Bladeworks Post Production’s Warren Bleksley. He presents an eye-opening case study on pages 24 and 25 regarding what it was like working on post-production for the massive production that is Coke Studio Africa.

Finally, on pages 28 to 30, our favourite techy, Ian Dormer, gives us an in-depth post-show report on the recent IBC Show.

Ian covers the conversations and trends that came out of this year’s event as well as his favourite and most notable products.

And with that we close off another issue of Screen Africa. If you’re attending the upcoming DISCOP Johannesburg or the much-anticipated PromaxBDA Africa – taking pace at the Maslow Hotel, Sandton, on 9 November – be sure to come over and meet with us.

Till next time!

– Chanelle Ellaya

SCREENAFRICA Publisher & Managing Editor: Simon Robinson: publisher@screenafrica.com Editor: Chanelle Ellaya: editor@screenafrica.com Journalists: Gezzy S Sibisi: news@screenafrica.com

Design: Trevor Ou Tim: design@suncirclegroup.com Website Updates: Tina Tserere: tina@sun-circle.co.za Subscriptions: Tina Tserere: tina@sun-circle.co.za Delight Ngwenya: admin@sun-circle.co.za Accounts: Helen Loots: accounts@sun-circle.co.za Advertisement Sales: Marianne Schafer: marianne@screenafrica.com Graham Grier: graham@sun-circle.co.za

Chanelle Ellaya is a writer and a journalist. She completed her BA Journalism degree at the University of Johannesburg in 2011. While writing is her passion, she has a keen interest in the media in various capacities. Chanelle is an avid social networker and a firm believer in the power of social and online networking. Between writing and tweeting, she finds time to feed her love for live music.

JOURNALISTS Gezzy S Sibisi is a journalist and photographer with experience in print, broadcast and digital media. Her portfolio of work includes working as a lifestyle reporter as well as contributing business and education articles to The Times, Sowetan and Daily Despatch publications. As a freelancer she has worked on content development for corporate newsletters, community newspapers, blogs and educational websites.

Louise Marsland is an editor, journalist and columnist in the media and marketing communications industry in South Africa, who has been writing about the industry for over two decades as a former editor of publications: AdVantage, Marketing Mix and Bizcommunity. com. She currently writes extensively about industry trends and consumer insight.

Lara Preston is a passionately committed marketer and strategist with a focus in promoting African content and events. Two decades of working across Africa have provided her with insights and experience that she puts to work for the projects she manages. In 2006, Lara founded, and still personally manages, Red Flag Content Relations, a full service below-the-line agency that also focuses on African entertainment and lifestyle brand marketing, strategy, and publicity.

David Cornwell lives in Cape Town, where he writes fiction, films and features for a variety of publications. His debut novel, Like It Matters (Umuzi, 2016), has been long-listed for the 2017 Sunday Times Fiction Award.

Ian Dormer was born in Zimbabwe and has been in the TV business since the 1980s, having served in various positions at the SABC, M-Net and SuperSport. Ian currently works and resides in New Zealand.

Sales Broker Emmanuel Archambeaud: earchambeaud@defcommunication.com Tel. +331 4730 7180 Mobile. +336 1103 9652 Sun Circle Publishers (Pty) Ltd Tel: 011 025 3180 Physical address: First Floor, Process House Epsom Downs Office Park 13 Sloane Street, Bryanston, Johannesburg South Africa

w w w.screenafrica.com

Postal address: PO Box 559, Fourways North, 2086 Editorial Disclaimer The views, opinions, positions or strategies expressed by the authors and those providing comments are theirs alone, and do not necessarily reflect the views, opinions, positions or strategies of Screen Africa or any employee thereof. Sun Circle Publishers makes no representations as to accuracy, completeness, correctness, suitability, or validity of any information and will not be liable for any errors, omissions, or delays in this information or any losses, injuries, or damages arising from its display or use. Sun Circle Publishers reserves the right to delete, edit, or alter in any manner it sees fit comments that it, in its sole discretion, deems to be obscene, offensive, defamatory, threatening, in violation of trademark, copyright or other laws, or is otherwise unacceptable.

All contents of this publication are subject to worldwide copyright protection and reproduction in whole or part, in any form whatsoever, is expressly forbidden without the prior written consent of the Publisher.

| IN THIS ISSUE

24 Coke Studio Africa: The post-production beast

6

16

TAC Studios announces international content licensing deals and first original series sale in the U.S.

An interview with Director of Photography Barrett de Kock

38

28 IBC 2017

The African Animation Network introduces the FupiToons Festival

News

ADCETERA

POST-PRODUCTION

DISCOP Johannesburg 2017

The 2017 Cape Town International Film Market &

Heartlines bids for social

Coke Studio Africa:

VR in the spotlight at

intervention with new campaign............ 11

The post-production beast...................... 24

Festival celebrates world cinema.............. 4 The V&A Waterfront finally

Who #RunTheStreets? PUMA!.............. 12 Data is the ‘oil of

DISCOP Johannesburg 2017................... 34 Germany is the official Guest Country

ADVERTORIAL

at DISCOP Johannesburg 2017.............. 36

gets its own TV series.................................. 5 TAC Studios announces international content licensing deals and first

consumer marketing’................................ 14

Vision View Community

original series sale in the U.S..................... 6 Beautiful stories take

“Trust your gut, it’s rarely wrong”: An interview with Director of

flight on Mango Airlines............................... 8 e.tv unpacks content for 2018 in

Photography Barrett de Kock................. 16 Akpos’ latest adventure

exclusive summer screening ..................... 9

plays out in Sun City................................. 18

TECHNOLOGY NEWS Canon Legria GX10.................................. 10 Artel Video Systems receives IABM

FILM

ANIMATION The African Animation Network

Director Speak: Lebogang Rasethaba.... 19 Perfect that pitch....................................... 20

Television

Design & Innovation Award 2017........... 10

Bedfordview sets the scene for new

Sony UHC-8300......................................... 10

comedy-drama Bedford Wives............... 21

www.screenafrica.com

impact initiatives......................................... 26

facebook.com/screenafrica

IBC 2017 REPORT IBC 2017...................................................... 28

introduces the FupiToons Festival......... 38

REGULARS

ADVERTORIAL

Social

INPUT 2018 – AFDA staff elected as National Coordinators

e.tv Summer Screening............................. 39

for South Africa.......................................... 31

Marketplace................................................. 40

Media Asset Management

Upcoming Events....................................... 40

The ins and outs of media digitisation with Baku Morikuni.............. 32

@screenafrica

za.linkedin.com/in/suncircle

screen_africa

www.screenafrica.com

The new ¸VENICE – Channel playout excellence.

On air. 24/7.

The new ¸VENICE media server pushes limits even further and provides a comprehensive solution for meeting your challenges in live, studio and channel playout applications. ❙ Reliability The Rohde & Schwarz virtual storage access technology enables uninterrupted broadcast operations with no single point of failure. ❙ Sustainability The Rohde & Schwarz video I/O board enables ¸VENICE to support hybrid SDI and IP workflows up to 4K/UHD. ❙ Scalability ¸VENICE can be scaled arbitrarily. No matter how many channels or how much storage capacity or bandwidth you need. ❙ Versatility ¸VENICE can be used for ingest, transform and playout operations throughout the entire production chain. www.rohde-schwarz.com/ad/venice

Reliability Sustainability Scalability

The 2017 Cape Town International Film Market & Festival celebrates world cinema The Cape Town International Film Market & Festival (CTIFM&F) will take place from 12 to 21 October 2017 at the V & A Waterfront with events that focus on both the business and beauty of film.

W

ithin the 10-day celebration of world cinema, there will be a four-day business-tobusiness exhibition and networking event, as well as a full programme of speakers, workshops and discussions, all focused on collaboration and supporting the development of the film industry across Africa.

The market

Versatility

The South African film industry generated in excess of R12 billion in 2016 (according to the NFVF), and with only 20 per cent of this activity taking place in the Western Cape, the time is now for the regional industry to collaborate, cooperate, and network both internally and with regional, national, and pan-African partners.

A unique business focused event, The Cape Town Film Market will take place from 18 to 21 October and will include an exhibition space, panel discussions, targeted workshops and networking opportunities. Government and associated city support agencies will also be part of this event with a focus on informing and educating producers on issues ranging from funding and tax incentives to permits and location opportunities.

All industry stakeholders, and specifically industry support services such as logistics, location support and scouting, crew hire, equipment sales and rental, security, catering, transport, post-production, technology and software, and other related services, are invited to take part in the exhibition.

The festival The Cape Town Film Market will run alongside the Cape Town International Film Festival that will see films from over 50 countries being featured in competition.

Categories of films shown include

Gracie, from South African director Liana Hassim, will screen in the short film category at this year’s festival features, documentaries and short films, many of which are award-winning and critical favourites at several of the world’s major film festivals.

While some of the films to be screened are on the official list for consideration for Best Foreign Language Film for next year’s Oscars, there will also be a variety of African and South African films on display.

According to festival director Leon Van der Merwe, “one of the main objectives of the festival is to provide a window into world cinema and to celebrate the voices of some of South Africa’s most independent film directors – fearless artists, who are creating visionary works against all the odds such as limited funding or narrow corporate interests.”

A strong component of this year’s festival is the short film category which includes fascinating work by young South African directors including Liana Hassim (Gracie), Jesse Brown (Post) and Devon Delmar (Under the Static).

With a total of 641 short-films from 60 countries submitted for entry, the short film competition will include 44 short films that deal with relevant subjects as seen by young filmmakers today. “Short films are a significant and popular way filmmakers can connect with audiences,” Van der Merwe explains further, “The CTIFM&F has always been proud to treat short films with the highest regard and to give a home to new projects for audiences to discover and enjoy.”

The sheer diversity of quality films on the menu will appeal to a range of movie-lovers with themed sections such as, Films from the Nordic and The Panorama 360 (World Cinema focus), that will provide South African audiences with the opportunity to view some international film highlights of the past few years. Additionally, there will be a strong LGBT focus this year including, for the first-time, a special jury for the award for Best LGBT Film at the Festival.

facebook.com/screenafrica

@screenafrica

za.linkedin.com/in/suncircle

| News

screen_africa

Photos by David Swart

The V& A Waterfront finally gets its own TV series Showmax and kykNET have released the first trailer for Waterfront, a star-studded family noir set in the dark underbelly of one of South Africa’s most popular tourist attractions.

Rolanda Marais as Anna in Waterfront

Dawid Minnaar as Ben Mybrugh in Waterfront

B

oat-building patriarch Ben Myburgh (SAFTA nominee Dawid Minnaar) is dead. This brings his three daughters – Julia (Die Byl’s Milan Murray), Anna (Silwerskerm and Fleur du Cap nominee Rolanda Marais) and Kate (Die Boekklub’s Trix Vivier) – back to the family business at the Cape Town harbour. But only one of them will inherit – and not what she expected – in this dark story of secrets, sibling rivalry and gentrification.

Silwerkskerm winners Albert Pretorius and Erica Wessels; Fleur du Cap winners Charlton Lee George, Paul du Toit and Stian Bam; and 2017 South African Film and Television Awards (SAFTA) nominee Neels van Jaarsveld co-star alongside familiar faces like Edwin van der Walt

(Ballade vir ‘n Enkeling), Hannes van Wyk (Kwela, Egoli, danZ!), Joanie Combrink and Marvin Lee Beukes (Die Byl) and Tarryn Wyngaard (Noem My Skollie).

But the real star of the show is the V&A Waterfront. “It’s such a wonderful place and has never been used in a drama series like this,” says producer Herman Binge from Lion’s Head Productions.

He admits that having an all-access pass to shoot anywhere owned by the Waterfront came with a downside though: “There’s no way to know which way to look at the shot because you can film anything here and it’s beautiful.”

The series is a reminder that this beauty came at a price: the gentrification that followed the development of the shopping centre in the 80s meant that

not all of the Waterfront’s neighbours could afford to stay on what had become prime property. Even the likes of the Myburghs were put under immense pressure to move.

“When I was a child, the Waterfront was a kind of a ship dock,” remembers cast member Euodia Samson (Die Byl). “It was a fantastic world because there were people and fishermen everywhere. Nowadays, it’s so prim and proper you have to wear heels when you come here.”

Charlton Lee George (Die Boland Moorde) agrees. “It’s changed a lot since the eighties. This used to be a dangerous place, so it’s been very interesting to see it become a tourist mecca.”

Waterfront was originally envisaged as a soap opera – it was shortlisted with The Wild when M-Net was looking for a soapie, and again with Suidooster when kykNET wanted one.

But when Fleur du Cap and KKNKwinning director Jaco Bouwer (Rooiland, Samsa-Masjien) got involved, his references were rather family dramas like Bloodline and Nordic noir like The Killing.

Together with screenwriter Leon Kruger, Bouwer rebooted the show to focus on the complicated human relationships at the heart of the story, shifting the primary locations from the brightly lit shopping mall to the shadowy nooks and crannies of the harbour. “I didn’t want to write a goodie and a baddie,” says Kruger, who as an actor had worked with Bouwer on the popular kykNET crime series Die Boland Moorde.

“I just wanted to write something grey.”

Bouwer believes the show is a new direction for South African television, as complex structurally as it is morally, with up to five storylines running at a time, single scenes split across 13 episodes, and both flashbacks and flashforwards. “I hope and I trust that the local audience is ready for this,” says Bouwer. “I don’t think we’ve seen something like Waterfront on local TV.” Waterfront replaces Die Boekklub on kykNET (DStv Channel 144) on 10 October 2017 at 20h00 SAST, coming to Showmax express the next day.

New episodes will screen weekly.

– Kevin Kriedemann

October 2017

|

SCREENAFRICA

| 5

NewS

| ADVERTORIAL

www.screenafrica.com

TAC Studios announces international content licensing deals and first original series sale in the U.S. TAC Studios, a production arm of The Africa Channel (TAC) cable network, recently announced that it has signed international content licensing deals with Viasat World and Kwesé TV. The production company has also announced its first original series sale in the U.S to the Urban Movie Channel…

V

iasat acquired two seasons of Africa on a Plate, a TAC Studios original series in which up and coming young chefs explore the continent through a culinary journey of food and culture.

Kwesé TV acquired complete seasons of five TAC Studios original series: Africa Everywhere – An illuminating series that highlights the rich influences of African and Caribbean immigrants in metropolitan cities across the globe; My Africa – A series where noted local personalities and artists eagerly provide personal tours of what they love the most about the cities and communities they call home; Emerging – This series goes inside the emerging economies in Africa, from rich agriculture and oil production to growing technology and media industries; and Self Made – A series that features entrepreneurs, artists, entertainers and philanthropists who have decided to march to their own drum beat and make a difference on their own terms.

Lynneise Joseph, director of Content Strategy and Distribution, TAC, said: “We have been overwhelmed by the

6 | SCREENAFRICA | October 2017

reception we have received since officially introducing TAC Studios to the global community last fall. These latest licensing deals with Viasat World and Kwesé TV demonstrate the hunger that audiences across the globe have to see more multi-cultural content that reflects their own lives.”

Brendan Gabriel, TAC Studios’ vice president of Creative & Production had this to say: “TAC Studios and companies like Kwesé and Viasat share a vision for producing and programming high quality HD content with Pan-African appeal.

Our collective passion is to bridge the gap between Africa and the world in format and content development.”

Keeping the momentum going, the production company also recently announced its first original series sale in the U.S., with the Urban Movie Channel (UMC) acquiring SVOD rights for the 13-episode World Wide Nate. Described as “extreme travel tourism,” the series is currently in production at locations across Africa.

“We are particularly pleased to commence our collaboration with Urban Movie Channel by producing content that transcends cultures and

Kwesé TV acquired five TAC Studios original series, including My Africa. is both entertaining and illuminating,” said Narendra Reddy, EVP & general manager for The Africa Channel.

Martin Proctor, director of Production & Field Operations for TAC Studios, added, “We believe this programme will demystify Africa as a third world travel destination. Through host Nathan Fluellen’s style and charm, it is our goal to expand viewers’ perspectives towards travel throughout the continent by revealing extreme adventure, coupled with daring activities, exotic locations and tasty cuisine.”

World Wide Nate follows Nathan Fluellen from Chicago, a thrill seeker with a magnetic personality and penchant for pushing people outside of their comfort zones. The global video blogger (worldwidenate.com) parties all night at trendy music venues, bumps along atop a disgruntled camel, dives among great white sharks, and more.

Series viewers will either pack their

bags to replicate Nate’s exploits or settle back in their chairs to experience Africa and the world vicariously through this charming host’s adventures.

TAC Studios was created to formalise and build on The Africa Channel’s existing production initiatives by developing, producing and distributing premium lifestyle content reflecting Africa’s influence on the world. It collaborates with producers from Africa and around the globe to bring contemporary stories, authentic voices and high quality productions to audiences worldwide. The preliminary focus of TAC Studios has been on lifestyle content including travel, food, health/beauty, music and reality/factual.

In addition to developing and producing shows, TAC Studios also distributes TAC’s existing library of more than 300 hours of premium lifestyle HD content.

TAC Studios made its first original series sale in the U.S., with the Urban Movie Channel acquiring SVOD rights for the travel show World Wide Nate, currently in production at locations across Africa.

Shown with customized Fairlight audio console

The new DaVinci Resolve 14 is now up to 10 times faster with new editing tools, full Fairlight audio post production and new multi user collaboration tools!

DaVinci Resolve 14 is a new revolution in post production! The world’s most advanced editing and color correction software is now up to 10 times faster, includes an entirely new audio post production suite, multi user collaboration tools, and dozens of new filters and effects, including amazing face refinement tools! With DaVinci Resolve 14, it only takes a single click to switch between editing, color and audio. It’s like getting 3 high end applications in one!

Learn More!

www.blackmagicdesign.com/sa

Software DaVinci Resolve 14................... Free Download DaVinci Resolve 14 Studio................... US$299* Hardware DaVinci Resolve Micro Panel...............US$1,019* DaVinci Resolve Mini Panel............... US$3,059* DaVinci Resolve Advanced Panel..... US$30,625*

Free Download now, for Mac OS X, Windows and Linux. *All prices subject to VAT, exchange rate fluctuation and import duties.

NewS

|

www.screenafrica.com

Beautiful stories take flight on Mango Airlines When photojournalist and conservationist, Adrian Steirn decided to partner with Mercedes-Benz South Africa in a bid to recognise the men and women who have dedicated their lives to the betterment of South Africa; 21 Icons was born.

A

fter three successful seasons featuring icons including Nelson Mandela, Ahmed Kathrada and Nadine Gordimer, it became clear that South Africa has many more inspirational, ‘beautiful’ news stores to share, and as a result the Beautiful News venture was formed.

“Beautiful News commenced on 1 November 2016 at 16h14. The project is a daily, reminder of the intrinsic humanity that exists within all of us. It aims to reframe the way that we see the nation by celebrating positive narratives,” shares head of research and ideation at Beautiful News, Talysa Rudah.

The initiative has since published these positive stories daily at 16h14 on the Beautiful News website, which can also be viewed on the News24 platform.

Beautiful News recently partnered with Mango Airlines to provide an in-flight broadcast service to Mango’s local and international flights. From September to December this year, short films from across South Africa will enjoy viewing rights in national airports including Bloemfontein, Cape Town, Durban, George, Johannesburg, Lanseria and Port Elizabeth as well as on international flights to Zanzibar.

The films will range between 60 to 90 seconds and will be viewed by more than 300 000 Mango passengers.

“Due to the nature of the digital era and the rising cost of data, we have limited time to capture the attention of audiences. As a result, we’ve worked to create content that is short and engaging,” informs Rudah.

Mango Airlines, which is known for its competitive flight prices has embarked on several exciting partnership deals with its most recent being the FNB Joburg 10K CITYRUN and the FNB Durban 10K CITYSURFRUN, in which they offer participants discounted rates.

Apart from that, Mango Airlines has offered in-flight entertaining experiences including the 2012 Mango flight between Johannesburg and Cape Town that had local group, Mi Casa performing; Mango has also in 2016 decided to take part in the Running Man Challenge which went viral online. According to

8 | SCREENAFRICA | October 2017

Model Mala Bryan is the founder of Malaville World which creates black dolls and released the first doll with albinism this year

“Beautiful News is a positive reminder that shows us how far we’ve come – sometimes people need that.” – Talysa Rudah the Sunday Times’ Generation Next Survey, Mango Airlines is amongst the coolest low-cost airlines in the country.

Mango Airlines and Beautiful News’ new in-transit entertainment package will highlight a broad range of topics, initiatives and people sharing a common vision of celebrating our nation’s spirit of giving and making a difference within their communities and in the greater society.

“With a vision to reframe the nation, we made representation our priority.

Our vision was to ensure that every voice was heard. We wanted to reflect South Africa as a whole. With that in mind, we source and report stories from all nine South African provinces, and within those provinces we unearth the stories that take place in the main cities and at grassroots level,” Rudah shares.

Since the initiative’s inception, there has been an overwhelming support and appreciation for these stories.

A ‘beautiful’ story that stands out for Rudah is about a former model, Mala Bryan, who was made to feel ashamed of the colour of her skin and the texture of her hair but instead of becoming depressed and conforming as a result of the negative perceptions, she went on to create a doll range that includes different shades of brown.

“This story impacted me because I’ve always been fascinated by the power that content has in shaping the way that we see ourselves and the way we see the world. In some ways content creation can be seen as a window of growth.

It reflects the conversations that each generation is willing to have,” says Rudah.

The spotlight provided by Beautiful

News has also led to more good deeds in the form of service and money to various projects.“The intended impact of the project has been felt. Many of our story subjects have gone on to receive financial backing for their initiatives as well as online crowd-funding donations received through GivenGain, our online crowd-funding partner,” Rudah says.

“Beautiful News is a positive reminder that shows us how far we’ve come – sometimes people need that. We need a sense of hope that will encourage us to work towards a brighter future and inspire generations to come.”

South African citizens are urged to send their stories to info@beautifulnews. co.za, for Rudah and her team to share them with the rest of South Africa.

– Gezzy S Sibisi

facebook.com/screenafrica

@screenafrica

za.linkedin.com/in/suncircle

| News

screen_africa

The 2018 e.tv summer screening was a glitzy red carpet affair held at Monte Casino in Fourways, Johannesburg.

Celebrities, TV and film stars, and industry heavyweights were treated to a sneak peak of what’s to come from the channel for the next year.

T

he stars of the international soapie Days of our Lives – which recently moved from SABC3 to its new home on e.tv – welcomed the audience to the showcase. Actors and actresses of the soapie gave viewers some insight to their characters and expressed their excitement in now being part of the e.tv family.

Viewers were also treated to an exclusive screening of some of the upcoming international action and drama television series to the channel. These include MacGyver, Lethal Weapon as well as the Greenleaf series which will be aired in South Africa for the very first time on the free-to-air channel.

Managing director, Marlon Davids had only positive and encouraging words to say about his e.tv team and their commitment in pushing forward the vision for the brand. Furthermore, he

Photo by Itumeleng Mthethwa

e.tv unpacks content for 2018 in exclusive summer screening

gave a round-up of recent changes which took place on the various channels as well as reflecting upon business ventures and events that were brought to life this year.

Snippets of e.tv’s much-loved local shows were shown in between numerous interviews and discussions that were given by various heads within the channel group.

An update was given on the free-toview satellite TV platform, OpenView HD, which was launched in 2013. Davids shed some light on the brand’s objective to reach more audiences which resulted in OpenView HD introducing four of its channels to the DStv platform.

“We continue to build on what we already established in terms of audiences and we will continue to improve on our current channel offerings,” Davids affirmed.

Davids also pointed out that there have been several changes happening in the market and that it is important to them to react to their viewers’ sentiments and implement change when necessary.

However it was e.tv’s general manager in group content services, Ziyanda Mngomezulu’s interview which gave much insight in terms of the local reach and growth of the channel.

Local trends Mngomezulu shared that in order to be successful e.tv’s local content is guided by both international references as well as local societal issues. “Family is popular”, said Mngomezulu, and a series that looks at conflicts that arise between families that are competing for something are some of the stories viewers can expect to look forward to.

“Restoration of a pride in culture has also made a great comeback”, she added. This has resulted in more money being spent on shows that showcase our national cultures.

“In 2018 our viewers can look forward to exciting local content that’s coming onto our screens. We are mirroring what’s happening in society where people are

having issues around money… as well as the theme of corruption.”

Growth of the industry Mngomezulu also took a moment to talk about the positive contribution that the channel has made in bringing local talent onto the small screen, as well as in building careers in entertainment.

“We have seen young children who have come onto our screens and have started their career with e.tv, and have grown up to be the people that they are today, and now work across channels as well.”

“We have seen production companies that have started on e.tv, where they were given a chance to play their very first production, and they now are the businessmen and businesswomen who are running the industry and creating the best of local TV,” she concluded.

– Gezzy S Sibisi

Broadcast Services • Video & IP Connectivity • Studios • SNG • Fibre Services • Data Centres WITH THREE DECADES OF EXPERIENCE PROVIDING SOLUTIONS FOR THE RADIO AND TELEVISION BROADCAST INDUSTRY

PO Box 1853, Rivonia, 2128, South Africa | Tel: +27 (0)11 803-3353/4 | Fax: +27 (0)11 803-2534 | E-mail: sales@telemedia.co.za | www.telemedia.co.za

October 2017

|

SCREENAFRICA

| 9

TECHNOLOGY NEWS

|

www.screenafrica.com

Canon Legria GX10 From big adventures to cherished memories, the Canon Legria GX10 is equipped to shoot it all in exceptional quality, offering advanced capabilities and the utmost reliability.

The Legria GX10 captures image quality that will stand the test of time. Equipped with 4K 50p shooting capabilities, it provides four times the resolution of 1080p Full HD, reproducing even the smallest detail. Offering a versatile recording experience, the Legria GX10 supports shooting in MP4 at either 35Mbps for Full HD, or in 150Mbps for 4K 50p – perfect for fast-paced action. Capturing up to 100fps, this new in class camcorder enables you to produce a variety of content from time-lapse to 0.25x slow motion effects.

Artel Video Systems receives IABM Design & Innovation Award 2017 Artel Video Systems received the IABM Design & Innovation Award in the Content and Communication Infrastructure category for the company’s SMART Media Delivery Platform™.

The SMART Media Delivery Platform is a four-channel auto-sense SD-SDI/HD-SDI/3G-over-IP multifunction gateway with an integrated nonblocking Layer 2/3 switch. The SMART Platform has been designed to attach seamlessly to the IP network without the need for external network elements. Functionality of the platform may be added or upgraded via software download. The flexibility in function capabilities, along with greater port density, drastically reduces power consumption, reduces size and cost, and allows for a seamless transition as the end user’s network evolves.

“We are honoured to have been chosen a winner by the IABM’s panel of industry experts,” said Mike Rizzo, president and CEO at Artel. “It is a tremendous achievement and further confirms that our innovation and design behind the SMART platform aligns with industry requirements and will greatly benefit end users as they continue to implement IP-centric workflows.”

Sony UHC-8300 The UHC-8300, is Sony’s first 8K camera system to include 1.25-inch three 8K sensors. It opens up the world of 8K with the flexibility to offer customers new capturing technology for shooting in 4K and more.

The UHC-8300 has been designed to cover all the features necessary for premium productions including live broadcasts, entertainment and factual high end documentaries. Its 8K (7680 x 4320) 120p capturing format delivers well balanced high-resolution footage with an impressive deep depth of field and wide dynamic range, making it suitable for HDR footage for both S-Log3 and Hybrid Log Gamma (HLG) supporting ITU-R BT.2020 colour space.

10 | SCREENAFRICA | October 2017

| ADCETERA

Heartlines bids for social intervention with new campaign

With the objective of fostering links of communication and understanding between people of different races and cultures, Heartlines has embarked on a mass media campaign to channel social cohesion in communities.

“T

wenty-three years post South Africa’s first democratic election, many people are still divided by race ethnicity and to a lesser degree religion,” asserts Dr Garth Japhet, the founder of Heartlines.

Dr Japhet and his team at the non-governmental organisation Heartlines decided to undergo a three-year research process, striving to find ways to bring different groups of people together in a neutral space for engagement to take place.

After struggling to find models of mass approach strategies to attest to, the team developed a simple, yet profound intervention sparked by the intriguing question: What’s your story?

“The basic concept is to inspire people to get to know each other’s stories. Getting to know more about each other’s stories provides a nonthreatening way to begin the process of moving beyond stereotypes to building understanding. Understanding can lead to greater trust, reconciliation and greater social cohesion,” shares Dr Japhet on his findings.

The documentary film, Beyond the River is wholly-owned by Heartlines and is said to be the leading element to this mass campaign. The film is based on the real-life story of how two men (Siseko

Ntondini and Piers Ctuickshanks) from different walks of life came together through sports. The pair competed in one of the toughest canoe marathons in the world and won gold in the 2014 Dusi.

Since the release of the film, the story has received great acclaim in the film festival circuit and will soon be available on TV and VOD. Furthermore and in keeping with Heartlines’ project goal, the film will be used for community viewings and discussion and will also form the basis of the campaign’s resources.

“Critics believe that this is possibly the best film to come out of South Africa in the past 20 years. It has been an event in South Africa and already has unprecedented pre-sales to companies and schools. The debate and discussion that the film catalyses, has created a supportive environment for What’s your story?,” says Dr Japhet.

Heartlines uses scenes from the film

and has also developed other practical tools which enable the implementation of the concept in different settings. So far, the ‘practical packs’ have been adopted in over 400 organisations that include 300 places of faith, 47 workplaces, as well as in high schools and tertiary institutions.

There has also been a What’s your story? activation for leaders of business which commenced with leaders in the advertising industry and involved a two-day residential engagement.

“This is an intervention that uses personal storytelling as a tool to build bridges between key leaders of a system in order to solve their critical issues. A ‘system’ can be any group, institution, industry or community where improved performance would make a positive difference to transform our country’s social and/or economic progress,” Dr Japhet explains.

Besides leaders, ordinary citizens are encouraged to upload their stories to the web portal. “The web portal enables people to upload their own stories, which we then curate. However, not all the stories that are uploaded will be published,” shares Dr Japhet.

In addition, negotiations are underway with News24 to include the What’s your story? site on the News24 stable, similar to the likes of Beautiful News, in order to reach a far greater audience.

Quizzical Pictures, who have been Heartlines’ production partners, are also currently developing a 13-part docureality series for What’s your story? which will air on SABC1 in September next year.

“It takes us up to four years to fully develop a new intervention of which either a feature film or TV series is part of. The issues that we tackle tend to be ones that are of importance to all our people and connect to a positive set of values,” Dr Japhet says.

What’s your story? has since appealed to the Thundafund crowdfunding platform to see to it that 1-million voices result in 1-million stories with the help of supporters. Heartlines has set a 1 million rand dream goal but has only received 31 backers and over R54-thousand in pledges so far.

“I think that it’s been great in terms of awareness. However what we do is not tangible enough for a lot of people, which makes it difficult to fund. People prefer things like funding a building or a product through crowdfunding. However we remain hopeful,” concludes Dr Japhet.

For more information on the campaign contact debbie@ heartlines.org.za – Gezzy S Sibisi

“The basic concept is to inspire people to get to know each other’s stories. Getting to know more about each other’s stories provides a non-threatening way to begin the process of moving beyond stereotypes to building understanding.” – Dr Garth Japhet October 2017

|

SCREENAFRICA

| 11

ADCETERA

|

Who #RunTheStreets?

Puma #RunTheStreets campaign

PUMA’s We #RunTheStreets campaign kicked off six years ago, says Catherine Shanley from international digital agency LOOP. She has been leading the PUMA account team through various activations and campaigns; from working on local digital activations developed around world famous Olympic sprinter Usain Bolt, to working on global PUMA projects such as PUMATRAC, PUMA Football and many more.

“W

e knew that the #RunTheStreets campaign would be absolutely essential in helping define the brand image for PUMA moving forward. For us, it was all about taking this brand message and customising it in a way that made sense and was relatable for South Africans, and makes the brand more relevant to their lifestyle. Through using great local influencers, we collaborated with PUMA South Africa to bring life to #RunTheStreets with Cape Town as a focal point,” informs Shanley.

12 | SCREENAFRICA | October 2017

The local campaign came to life as a collaborative effort between LOOP, an Austria-based agency, and PUMA South Africa’s creative agency, 99c. For production duties, the pair enlisted the assistance of 0307 Films and director Paul Ward.

“99c took the brief and jumped on the opportunity to create something bold, unique and unmistakably South African,” says 99c account director, Hettie Swart.

“The brief itself was relatively straightforward: PUMA SA wants to show South Africa that they #RunTheStreets here – just as much as the guys on the

international scene – how do we do that?”

Swart’s team handpicked artists who they felt are making a name for themselves on the streets of South Africa. “We wanted people who own the streets, who run the streets, and that’s who we got,” Swart enthuses.

The story concept is about seeing these artists in their environments, looking at the streets where they grew up and how that inspired their creativity – the streets that they have become an iconic representation of, and now run.

The first commercial promotes the IGNITE Limitless and IGNITE evoKNIT

sneakers and features local influencers Gigi, Nasty C, and Mashaya as well as PUMA ambassador Rolo Rozay. The voice over in the commercial is by Tumi aka Stogie T, while the music is by Sibot.

PUMA’S more recent campaign decided to bring in a global element, with South African talents working with Middle Eastern artists in a cross-cultural collaboration.

“When it came to working on #RunTheStreets, we wanted to make sure PUMA’s global identity was evident. We tried to bring out a

| ADCETERA

TECH CHECK

PUMA!

EQUIPMENT • Camera: RED Weapon and RED ScarletWeapon cameras

“We wanted rough, raw and authentic style behind the videos, but to ensure the best quality and a feeling of a cinematic documentary, we shot on RED cinema cameras.”

– Catherine Shanley

cross-cultural relevance in all content, to go beyond just creating influencer content. For the Middle East and South Africa, we focused on music as the street culture highlight. We worked with influencers that are relevant in their local music scenes and had them collaborate on a track together,” Shanley shares.

The Middle East influencers were flown to Cape Town and had an insightful journey as they experienced learning about South African street culture and music.

LOOP handled the production and post-production duties on this campaign which included scouting locations for the shoot.

Shanley expands: “We wanted to find different areas in the city, places that were relevant to the influencers, places that were not the normal touristy versions of South Africa that are shown on postcards but real and authentic locations where the influencers wanted to go. We were very spontaneous during shooting, in an almost documentary style approach.”

The campaign was shot over two days

using the RED Weapon and the RED Scarlet-Weapon cameras. “We wanted rough, raw and authentic style behind the videos, but to ensure the best quality and a feeling of a cinematic documentary, we shot on RED cinema cameras,” she says.

There is a clear look and feel that drives all #RunTheStreets content, explains Shanley. While street culture is the emphasis in the campaign, locations have to feel ‘real’ visually.

This commercial marks the third time that the LOOP crew has worked on and facilitated collaborations between different countries. Previous international collaborations include the Moscow and Istanbul joint campaign, as well as the Mumbai, Delhi and Poland collaboration.

“As this was the third advert where we worked on a collaboration between crews from two different cultural backgrounds and cities we had some experience on ensuring that the crews gelled well,” shares Shanley.

“The collaboration started before the shoot between the two crews and we looked for similar interests to decide

upon the music track collaboration. All of our influencers worked really well together, and really wanted to share their culture and inspiration with each other. Nothing was posed, or faked; we wanted to shoot real moments between people from different cultures sharing one common passion.”

Costumes for the artists were provided by PUMA, with styling done

by Waterkant Studios, South Africa.

“In addition to the influencers, the real star of the piece is Cape Town itself.

In a way, we did our best to feature it as an additional character in the story, rather than just a shoot location. It is all about alternative culture and taking inspiration from your environment.

We hope that element will speak to the South African audience in a unique way,” Shanley concludes.

– Gezzy S Sibisi

KEY CREW Directors: Abigail Green and Paul Ward Producer: Catherine Shanley DOPs: Justinas Miliauskas and Philip Eder

October 2017

|

SCREENAFRICA

| 13

ADCETERA

|

Data is the ‘oil of consumer marketing’

Written by Louise Marsland

When a global brand behemoth focuses on an agile marketing strategy to unlock the value in its consumer data for its own insights and that of all its strategic partners, including its advertising agencies, the industry listens.

I

n an engaging presentation at the annual Pan African Market Research Organisation (PAMRO) conference, held in Cape Town in August, Leana Less, vice president: global consumer connections and media at CocaCola, spoke on agile marketing and how Coke has amplified its strategy to reach a consumer increasingly inundated with content and who spends 58 per cent of media time on the internet and mobile devices – more than TV radio and print combined.

Coca-Cola is a company of 21 billion dollar brands. The changing landscape of both consumer expectations and new media channels has driven the brand to embrace agile marketing to unlock value in the business.

It is insane to think that 6 billion people on earth have a mobile phone when only 4.5 billion people have access to a toilet, Less pointed out in a slide showing how technology is reshaping the consumer communications landscape.

This is broken down into increased accessibility via mobile phones, the rise of social, geo targeting through GPS and building knowledge through search.

“Technology and culture are driving rapid change in how we consume media and make purchases, she said, citing the following significant stats: • Google and Facebook bring in one-fifth of global ad revenue.

• There are 2.6 billion gamers worldwide now, versus 100 million in 1995.

• In China, Alibaba’s singles day sales raked in $18 billion – more than Black Friday and Cyber Monday combined.

• Desktop and mobile ad revenue has surpassed TV for the first time.

• The end of typing has been predicted, as the next billion mobile users are expected to relay messages on voice and video.

• Netflix went from near zero to 30 per cent of the US home entertainment market in only 10 years.

• One in every five Facebook videos is a Live broadcast.

• 58 per cent of media time

14 | SCREENAFRICA | October 2017

is spent on the internet and mobile devices – more than TV radio and print combined.

• Younger viewers watch 2.5 times more internet video than TV. • Facebook video already encompasses 100 million hours per day.

Less sums up: “Each of us now leave a digital fingerprint, an infinite stream of phone records, tests, browser histories, GPS data and other information. More data has been created in the past two years than in the entire previous history of the human race. Enterprises can now store 80 per cent of all data, yet only 0.5 per cent of that data is ever analysed.”

Despite this, data is becoming the “oil of consumer marketing”, emphasised Less.

The challenge, Less said, was to explode complexity when it came to all the data out there. Data that has influenced Coke’s decision to go the agile marketing route. The business results of using marketing analytics correctly and with insight, has been astounding according to the various studies out there, as reported by Less.

This is why Coca-Cola redefined its model to unlock the value in those hidden insights in the data being provided by consumers. To do this, they focused on getting in the right tools and technology, harvesting talent and curating the proper techniques.

Their internal challenge was the lack of integration between various silos within the brand giant. They had invested in the right tools, but were slow in making the most of, and understanding, the insights delivered.

“The challenge lay in becoming a data driven team that encompasses more than just building tools and investing in technology,” said Less.

They needed to choose the right data; develop data strategy and build intuitive tools and interfaces; while also adjusting culture and mindsets.

They did this by: 1. Increasing transparency and empowering people to

Leana Less, vice president: global consumer connections and media at Coca-Cola

take better decisions.

2. Improved resource allocation for content and connections.

3. Increased data ownership to more effectively target consumers and shoppers.

Less said they were lucky to also be able to harvest the early learnings of others in the industry as data-driven marketing is being rolled out. Programmatic advertising buying, which delivers double the ROI (return on investment) than media bought in traditional ways, is increasing, but is still only just over half of digital media spend. Less sees this changing in the near future as programmatically purchased ad spend rises.

She also addressed the “content trap”, pointing out that “more content doesn’t always translate into better results”. The right KPI (key performance indicator) for content creation is not the number of pieces produced, but consumer reach, engagement, brand metrics and business impact, she emphasised.

“It’s harder to keep quality high with high volumes being produced. Content production growth is far outpacing media investment growth. Machine learning and content stacks should not just be built to

reach various target audiences or tribes, the brilliant basics remain essential.”

She said brand-generated content volume is up 300 per cent year-over-year, but total engagement by consumers with that content is flat. “Just 5 per cent of branded content garners 90 per cent of total consumer engagement.”

She concluded: “Ultimately our goal is to ensure we can translate connected intelligence into competitive advantage across the entire system to ensure growth.

This includes impression level data across all media, as well as publisher costs; all commercial data; and productivity targets.

“Creating a single source of data, fuelled by the right first, second and third party data (technology); open-sourced to ensure even our strategic partners can leverage the data; and ultimately resulting in improved analytics… providing robust insights and foresight to create value for our business.”

SIZE DOES MATTER

Big.

Spaces

Better.

Options

Best.

Experiences

It’s been said that size doesn’t matter, but when it comes to creating extraordinary experiences for your guests, delegates or attendees, we have to disagree. That’s why we recently expanded the CTICC with the sole aim of giving our clients and guests more…

More space. More flexibility. More award-winning cuisine. More attention to detail. More convenience.

More breathtaking views. More parking. More facilities.

All of which give you more opportunity to transform your meeting, event, conference or show into a truly extraordinary experience.

To discover the massive positive impact our bigger and better convention centre can have on your brand or business, contact the CTICC today on +27 21 410 5000 or email sales@cticc.co.za

FILM

|

“Trust your gut, it’s Photo by Barrett de Kock

An interview with Director of

Barrett de Kock has worked in the film industry for ten years. After graduating from CityVarsity, he gained on-set experience by working as a PA, before moving over to lighting “the first chance he got”. This eventually led to him working behind the camera, and gaining DP experience which he immediately put to use, shooting his own projects at every opportunity.

The Westin, a branded content film

A

s he explains, “Working as a set technician is wildly important because you learn more there than you ever will in film school or by trying to shoot things yourself, and you really get to understand how to use the tools at your disposal.”

On the other hand, though, finding time in between this “proper industry work” to shoot smaller projects – including sports, branded content, music videos and short films – was also invaluable, because “it doesn’t just help to watch and learn things from the bigger jobs, it’s also important to implement them on jobs yourself.”

These days, Barrett is a sought-after DP with a busy schedule of commercial and other work, and he hopes to spend more time doing film and television shoots over the next few years. We caught up with him to find out his views on the relationship between location and lighting, his favourite gear and what makes a ‘good’ director.

16 | SCREENAFRICA | October 2017

Christopher Doyle once said, “To me there are only three people in cinema: the person in front of the camera, the audience member, and the person who is the real passage between them—the cinematographer.” Any thoughts on this comment?

I don’t completely agree with this statement. Cinematographers can’t do what we do alone, and all departments play a part in creating the worlds we capture on film. A good cinematographer is always reliant on the various teams involved in the project, from his own technical departments to the art departments. In that instance, maybe cinematography itself is the passage between the person in front of the camera and the audience member… as long as you have good sound that won’t break the illusion, that is.

What is your view on the relationship between location and lighting?

Which, ultimately, is more important in your eyes?

Location probably wins, but by a very narrow margin. You can have the most amazing location that you can’t light at all (this includes natural lighting), which will give you an inferior image, but – on the other hand – you might find somewhere that you can light but the image just isn’t very interesting to look at. You need to find locations that you can both light and that look great on camera. Of course, the bigger the budget the more solutions you have to light the locations at your disposal – there’s more freedom there. When your budget is smaller you need to try and find locations that you can manipulate with fewer lights.

Do you like working with CGI? In your opinion, is it generally over- or underused?

I’m not a massive fan of CGI from a cinematography point of view, as I like to do things ‘in camera’ as much as possible, but it has opened up more worlds for us to explore as storytellers. I do think CGI is generally a bit overused, though.

In your opinion, what makes a ‘good’ camera?

Any preferences in terms of size, specs, construction?

The cameras I use most of the time are the Alexas and Reds. But, really, a “good” camera is whichever one is right for the job. My go-to is almost always something from the Alexa range, unless 90 per cent of the job is CGI or VFX oriented, in which case I lean towards the Reds.

What’s truly amazing about the ARRIs is the colour space; they have given me the chance to push the camera in incredible ways. I would pick good colour space over resolution any day of the week.

|

rarely wrong”:

Film

Photo by Anton

Sholtz

Photography Barrett de Kock

Barrett de Kock talking to the actors of Hum

Any other gear you really enjoy working with?

This is one of those questions where the answer will change from season to season! At the moment, I’m really enjoying using LiteMats from LiteGear and the ARRI SkyPanel.

About two or three seasons ago, when the Celeb200 came out, that was the first time I was happy enough with the light from an LED source to start using them on set, and since then they have been slowly taking over the jobs of the Kinos for me, though I still use Kinos a lot. The LiteMat I really like for its versatility and the fact that it’s so lightweight. I’ve used Dual-Lock fasteners to stick LiteMats into places I would never have been able to put another fixture with the same quality light. Then there are the SkyPanels! These machines are insanely versatile and user-friendly. The fact that your colour gel choices are just a dial away make them very valuable on any set, because sometimes you just want a splash of colour somewhere and now, with the SkyPanels, it’s just a matter of putting up one light, and then

“What’s truly amazing about the ARRIs is the colour space; they have given me the chance to push the camera in incredible ways. I would pick good colour space over resolution any day of the week.” dialing in the correct shade. It also makes things easier in studio where you are rigging up a lot of top lights but need to change the mood of the colours over your shooting period. In terms of other gear, I love Cooke lenses, they remain my personal favorite, and Steadicams and Movis for the freedom of movement they offer. I do prefer the Steadicam though, their movement still feels more natural to me. There are a lot of toys out there and I do like to mix it up a bit.

From your point of view, what makes a ‘good’ director?

This one might be a simpler answer

than you were hoping for, but someone who knows how to get what they need out of the talent available to them, and knows how to articulate what’s needed on set to make post-production easy.

On this second point, a lot of the time responsibility will fall on the DOP to make sure we’ve shot what’s needed as well, especially if the director is not especially technically-minded, or if they have a ‘looser’ working style.

don’t be too big to take advice from your technical crew. A lot of them have more experience in their specific field than you ever will, and you should always make use of their know-how and skills.

– Compiled by David Cornwell

Finally, what’s been the best thing you’ve learned on set so far in your career?

Trust your gut, it’s rarely wrong and October 2017

|

SCREENAFRICA

| 17

FILM

| “I normally introduce myself as someone who makes people laugh for a living. This is my goal and purpose when I set out to make movies.”

– Ayodeji ‘AY’ Makun Richard Ayodeji ‘AY’ Makun as Akpos in the film 10 Days in Sun City

Akpos’ latest adventure plays out in Sun City

When Nigerian TV personality and comedian, Ayodeji ‘AY’ Makun, set out to create his first feature film, 30 Days in Atlanta, it earned him the Guinness Book of World Records’ title as the highest grossing movie in Nollywood.

H

is second feature, A Trip to Jamaica, broke his first record of 14.5 million naira when it garnered over 180 million naira at the box office.

“I am firstly an entertainer and my background is stand-up comedy. My foray into movies was just my way to further express my style of comedy to a wider audience. When I get on stage, I normally introduce myself as someone who makes people laugh for a living.

This is my goal and purpose when I set out to make movies. I am always doing research on how best to surpass my best and make sure my fans have a mirthful time when they see my movies,” says the comedian and filmmaker.

Makun is a trained theatre arts graduate from Delta State University where he majored in directing. He says that he only dabbled in the production of comedy skits as a tool to further enhance his live comedy concerts. However when his work was surprisingly well received by viewers, it motivated him to create a feature length film exploring one of the major characters that have dominated his comedy skits – Akpos.

Makun’s latest offering is a film titled 10 Days in Sun City, which is a romantic comedy, set in the North Western part of South Africa. The film is being distributed by FilmOne Distribution and has been released at 20 cinemas across South Africa through a partnership with Times Media Films (TMF).

Cameron Hogg, the commercial executive at TMF expands: “Times Media Films sub-distribution partner in West Africa is a company called FilmOne. FilmOne is not only recognised as an independent distributor of entertainment content, but is equally involved in production. Considering the current synergy between the two businesses, the opportunity to distribute Nollywood content was explored, which Times Media Films was extremely excited to

18 | SCREENAFRICA | October 2017

pursue for South African audiences.”

Makun is the executive producer of the film while also playing his muchloved franchise character Akpos, alongside other comedy icons including American actor and comedian Miguel Nunez Jr., South African/UK YouTube sensation Thenjiwe Mosley as well as one of South Africa’s leading female stand-up comedians, Celeste Ntuli.

10 Days in Sun City sees Akpos with his beauty pageant queen girlfriend Bianca, played by Adesua Etomi, at the centre of a hilarious plot involving love, drama and adventure.

In the film we see the loyal Akpos’ investments in Bianca’s career finally come to fruition as she wins the Queen of Nigeria crown and as part of her reigning prize Bianca becomes the face of OTAWI, a conglomerate which is owned by Nigeria’s richest man, Otunba Ayoola Williams, aka ‘The Old Fox’. As Bianca sets away to Sun City for her long-waited opportunity, will Otunba’s wit and charm as the ‘Old Fox’ win over Bianca as he has done time and again in the world of business? And will Akpos fight back for Bianca’s love?

The film also features Nigerian actor Richard Mofe Damijo and South African TV personality Amanda du Pont.

Speaking about the cast of the film, Makun expands: “My movies are a melting pot of cultures that celebrate great talents from across the globe because the geographical divide between nations blurs almost into oblivion in the realm of entertainment.”

Shot in Nigeria and at the Sun City Resort in South Africa, the film has been hailed by South African Tourism as a shining example of how entertainment and tourism can converge in a credible, creative and effective manner.

South African-based Nigerian filmmaker Adze Ugah, whose previous works include the South African rom-com Mrs Right Guy, is the director of the film.

Speaking on directing another rom-com, Ugah had this to say: “People are usually drawn to love and humour, regardless of their age, status, colour, creed or race, so hopefully it will find an audience here.”

Tech talk “The film was shot on the Alexa and primarily steady cam, no dolly or tracks were used,” Ugah shares. CGI was involved in the action scenes to incorporate the signage and muzzle flashes for the guns as well as for impact.

“The film was also meant to showcase Sun City and it being a romantic comedy also meant making it lighthearted and easy to access so bringing this to life meant using a bright, rich colour palate and a shot template that consisted mostly of wide angled steady cam shots,” informs Ugah.

Editing was done by Nicholas, ‘Nic the Greek’ Costaras, while Sound on Sounds handled the sound design.

Since its release in Nigeria in June this year, the film has topped the box office for two weeks, raking in more than R6 million and being the highest-grossing film to hit Nigeria this year, even surpassing international movies such as the Fast and Furious sequel as well as Wonder Woman.

The film also made its premiere in the country on 25 August 2017 at Sun City. The affair was further marked as the official partnership between SA Tourism and the Nigerian film industry. “The premiere was quite an exclusive and glamorous event, hosted by Sun International at Sun City. South African Tourism played a prominent role as partner in the film and showed great support at this event.

The TMF marketing team attended and assisted at the premiere event in conjunction with all the stakeholders,” TMF’s Hogg also highlighted.

10 Days in Sun City is also being

distributed in the United Kingdom, France, America and Canada.

– Gezzy S Sibisi

TECH CHECK EQUIPMENT • Camera: Arri Alexa

“The film was shot on the Alexa and primarily steady cam, no dolly or tracks were used.” – Adze Ugah

KEY CREW Writer: Kehinde Ogunlola Producer: Ayodeji ‘AY’ Makun Director: Adze Ugah DOP: Trevor Brown Steady Cam: Chris Vermark Editor: Nick Cosatars Art Director: Arnold Oldknow Sound: Charles Sijaji 1st AD: Nonny Malete

Director Speak

|

FILM

Photo by Imraan Christian

anga g o b Le ethab R as

Director Lebogang Rasethaba’s work is impressively a regular feature on sites like High Snobiety, i-D, Nowness and Vice. Rasethaba has completed three featurelength documentaries and continues to dominate the advertising world having recently directed three spots for Nike…

How would you describe your career trajectory?

It’s been an interesting ride. After my masters in China and the success of Future Sound of Mzansi, I came in with a lot of hype but soon realised there is no time for that in this game. I under-delivered at the beginning of my career and that was important for me to realise I can’t build a career on hype. I had to push myself to compete and deliver at a level because the game is intense. It’s very competitive; you always have to keep people interested in you and your point of view, which means you need to keep developing. I have just entered a new level, which is scary but exciting.

Describe the moment, if there is one, when you realised you had gone up a level?

When I started pitching against people I considered very senior to me, I was like: “shit just got real.”

I’ve pitched against Teboho Mahlatsi, Bruno Bossi and Tristan Holmes; those are some serious cats. It made me feel like, damn, maybe I am a

Top three favourite directors?

Kyle Lewis is such an innately creative being that I damn near freak out thinking how we’re all gonna work for him one day.

Zwelethu Radebe has such a deep love and understanding of cinema that sometimes I feel like a fraud when I’m around him.

Zandi Tisani is so smart and so switched on I feel like a dumbass at the end of every conversation I have with her.

Which projects are you currently involved in?

I am making a documentary about patriarchy for MTV; you can thank us later for saving your grandkids.

Me and Spoek (Mathambo) are editing a documentary called Mutant, about an eccentric rapper from the Cape Flats who is known as the god of Afrikaans rap. He sees himself as the voice of coloured people, an entire race that gets marginalised in very polarised racial dialogue.

There are also a lot of brand films and commercials in the matrix, you know, because that’s actually what I do.

Where do you find inspiration?

The internet, books, conversations. Observing this insane world we live in and the people who occupy it

What has been your biggest career challenge to date?

The hardest thing about being a director is finding your voice and getting people interested. After that, the real challenge is getting people to stay interested in your voice. You need to constantly finetune your vantage point and re-evaluate your sense of right and wrong, left and right, up and down.

Do you have any local mentors?

Yeah, but for different reasons. My mom is my mentor and unofficial life coach. Siphiwe Mpye is my spirit guide in the lifelong journey of undoing patriarchy within myself. All my filmmaking friends and colleagues, like Zwelethu Radebe, Zandi Tisani, Sifiso and Tshego Khanyile, Thabang Moleya, Tebogo Malope and the rest of my peoples in my directors guild. The amazing DOPs I work with, like Adam Bentel, Rory O’Grady and Motheo Moeng.

What has been the highlight of your career thus far?

I was complaining to Spoek that I was having a bad year but he said that no one sinking three-pointers at a Nike basketball event with Pearl Thusi on his cheer squad is allowed to complain about having a bad year. I won ad of the year. I had work screening at TED Global. I mean those aren’t career highlights, but things aren’t so bad for a youngster growing up... But my career highlight is still making my mom proud.

serious cat too? I mean I lost to all those people but getting in the ring with them was amazing.

Next time I just gotta knock them out.

October 2017

|

SCREENAFRICA

| 19

FILM

|

Perfect that pitch

Pitching programmes are all the rage these days, with almost every festival event hosting some version of the concept. Whether the opportunity is in the form of a short ‘elevator pitch’ or a more developed visual pitch, producers are having to hone their presentation skills in order to really benefit from these events.

J

ust within the months of September and October there are a host of pitching opportunities; DISCOP Johannesburg and Mahala.tv are running a pitching marathon for short content, The Cape Town International Film Market and Festival is hosting its own pitching session, a new platform has also just launched in South Africa that will provide a unique opportunity for one winner to make a short film with professional production support worth in excess of R300 000.

The Woman Expo in Johannesburg is also offering up to R30 000 for a winning woman in film or photography, there is even a pitching competition in Somalia, for short film innovation and this past month saw the Nigerian 20 | SCREENAFRICA | October 2017

Lights Camera Africa Festival hosting its own pitching competition.

Even though these events may seem like a long-shot for many producers, the chance to practice pitching in front of various judges and in various formats is always valuable. Having a short pitch perfected and ready to go means that no opportunity will be missed – like the next time you find yourself in an elevator with that studio exec!

With these opportunities in mind, here are some of the best tips from around the web on how to perfect your pitch: • Writing your pitch is like writing a script. You have to put that much thought and care into

it in order for it to work.

• As soon as you see them check their phone or their watch—or even if they doodle for two seconds—it’s over.

• Your pitch must be as short, concise and (more importantly) as interesting as possible.

• Keep the interest on the relationship you are building with them and not on the facts, focus on pitching yourself.

• Take the time to fully understand your concept. Know the world you intend to create as well as the characters you plan to have inhabit that world.

• Where you’re pitching is just as important as what you’re pitching.

Know the past projects of the places you’re pitching to. If the company you’re meeting with is known for its horror movies, chances are they’re not going to be all that receptive to your idea for a romantic comedy.

• Hit your target points: concept, characters, story. Anything more than that and you’re likely overselling your idea and boring your audience.

• Practice your pitch. Run it by a few friends, co-workers, relatives, the family pet, whomever.

It’s essential that you have a

structured speech that will allow you to get out everything about your idea that you need to in a reasonable amount of time.

• Never try to tell your whole story.

This is by far the biggest mistake any writer or filmmaker can make.

You’ve got 60-90 seconds to pitch your story. If you try to include every important detail of your screenplay you’ll run out of time before your prospective buyer has a clear picture of the potential of your project.

• Begin by revealing how you came up with the idea. Don’t lead with your title or log line. Titles are close to meaningless, and usually confusing, when a buyer knows nothing about the story at all.

• The main reason that some pitches don’t result in requests is not because the pitch was no good; it’s because the buyer just isn’t looking for that type of movie project.

– Lara Preston

|

Bedfordview sets the scene for new comedy-drama Bedford Wives Bedford Wives explores the drama behind the double doors as it takes viewers on a journey of opulence and greed, power wars and lavish lifestyles as a result of crime and murder…

TECH CHECK EQUIPMENT • Camera: Red Epic Dragon

“The series required a high-end, picture perfect look to capture the world of our characters and the Red Epic was the perfect choice to achieve this.” – Bruce Townsend

“T

he show is set in Bedfordview, a suburb famous in South Africa for its mansions, private schools and many famous underworld residents – think Lolly Jackson, Radovan Krejcir and bulletproof cars. An affluent suburb where foreign gangsters, local gangsters and rich, upper middle-class families live together. There was no better place to set a story about a wife who takes over her husband’s criminal business,” remarks co-producer of the show, Rethabile Ramaphakela.

One of the most followed, headlinegrabbing stories to have recently come out of the suburb of Bedfordview is that of former resident Radovan Krejcir.

The notorious, Czech-born Krejcir is currently serving 25 years in prison for drug-dealing and 35 years for kidnapping. More charges have been brought against him since 2013, with the most recent being the murder of Bedfordview businessman and drug trafficker, Sam Issa.

Investigative journalist Angelique Serrao has since published an exposé on this criminal mastermind titled Krejcir Business As Usual. The book’s publishing company, Jonathan Ball Publishers, has made reference to the manuscript as being “the first comprehensive exposé of the worst mafia boss this country has ever seen.”

Taking inspiration from such dramatic plots and twists of real-life crime events as well as from popular comedydrama television series Desperate Housewives, Bedford Wives focuses on the women in these communities, at the centre of these crimes.

“Desperate Housewives was a major reference for the show as was Weeds and more recently Big Little Lies. I think at the heart of all of these shows is actually a show about women and what it means to be a woman. All of the shows

Television

KEY CREW The cast of Bedford Wives we referenced played in dramatic and comedic spaces and that’s what we drew inspiration from,” says Ramaphakela.

The show introduces us to four women, Despina ‘Dee’ Giannopoulos, Gigi Giannopoulos, Paulina Salemane and Yvette De Villiers, as they navigate their complex lives. Their personal journeys and stories are played out in and set against the backdrop of the scandalous world that we know to be Bedfordview.

The plot is centred on Despina ‘Dee’ Giannopoulos and her mishaps.

“The show is about a loyal Bedfordview trophy wife who suddenly has to take over the criminal business she was completely unaware of when her wealthy restauranteur husband is murdered, all while attending PTA meetings, ensuring that the kids’ homework is done and never missing yoga class.” However the former beauty queen has to put down her crown and toughen up if she wants to make it in the crime business, especially with her husband’s killer still at large. To add to her troubles, Dee’s late husband’s ex-wife, Gigi Giannopoulos, is out to ruin her and take over the family business.

“We always hear news stories coming out of Bedfordview about mobsters who live lavish lives and they are reportedly ‘good’ family men so we wanted to tell a

story about the wives of these men but with a comedic twist,” tells Ramaphakela.

The series was shot at various locations in Johannesburg, with drones being used to capture establishing shots of the Bedfordview community. “We wanted a very glossy and high-end look to the series. Everything needed to look picturesque like the façade that these women keep up but soon we learn that nothing is as it seems,” explains the show’s line producer, Bruce Townsend.

Bedford Wives was shot on the Red Epic Dragon camera with 20 to 100MM Cooke lenses and a set of Nikon Primes. “The series required a high-end, picture perfect look to capture the world of our characters and the Red Epic was the perfect choice to achieve this,” Townsend says.

He says that additional technicians and assistants were enlisted to carry out special effects and CGI on the series: “We have explosions, gun shots and fight sequences, which all contribute to the high entertainment value of the series. We therefore needed an armorer, SFX Supervisor and fight coordinator to ensure the correct and most importantly, safe execution of these elements.”

Burnt Onion Productions handled all post-production duties in-house, while

Producers: Rethabile Ramaphakela, Katleho Ramaphakela and Tshepo Ramaphakela Directors: Krijay Govender and Catharine Cooke DOP: Justus De Jager Editors: Sandra Viera and Arti Gopal Sound: Richard Mohlari Music: Samukelo Mahlalela Final Mix: On Key Sound

the final mix was done by On Key Sound.

“It’s the first of its kind in South Africa where we have an hour-long comedy drama. It has all the dramatic elements to keep you hooked whilst also making you laugh. Something that we can all sink our teeth into after a long day at work,” Townsend enthuses.

Bedford Wives commenced on 24 August 2017 with a 13-episode season. Catch the series every Thursday night at 19h30.

“We hope that the audience will appreciate the fact that the show is a comedy-drama. We are often used to only watching dark dramas and sitcoms in South Africa so with this show, we are hoping to switch things up by offering something different,” Ramaphakela concludes.

– Gezzy S Sibisi October 2017

|

SCREENAFRICA

| 21

2017 A+E Networks. Claimed marks are the trademarks of A&E Television Networks, LLC protected in the United States and other countries around the world.

: STAND VVISIT I S I T U SUS : STAND P3 . C -S88 1

sales.aenetworks.com

The closer they are to the Grail, the further they are from God.

POST-PRODUCTION

| CASE STUDY

Coke Studio Africa: Written by Warren Bleksley, Bladeworks Post Production

This reality music show is a brief that you take on with much consideration. Coke Studio Africa is Africa’s biggest music collaboration project to date and it has seen a wonderful mix of African nationalities coming together to create a truly African collaboration between recording artists and producers. However behind the scenes there has also been great synergy between the Kenyan and the South African television crews.

O

ver the course of three months, the producers from Blue Moon, Mashoba Media and Good Noise (the three companies tasked with the production by Coca-Cola), as well as the Kenyan Production partner Nusu Nusu, assembled in Nairobi, over sixty-five artists from seventeen countries, speaking ten different languages between them, into three recording studios and one television studio. There, the artists were split into pairs and asked to collaborate over the course of a week: each pair conceptualising, creating, composing and, in collaboration with an assigned producer, performing and recording four to five songs.

Over one hundred songs were written and performed over the three months.

The shoot captured this collaborative process, as well as the live in-studio performance of each song with a young studio audience and live band.

“The exciting thing about this project, beyond its awesome scale, is the incredible diversity of talent involved.

The African music and entertainment space is still very disparate, and although

24 | SCREENAFRICA | October 2017

we are sharing and learning more about each other every day, individual countries still have unique tastes and approaches to music and content creation. One of the objectives of this project was to address that divide,’’ comments Tim Horwood, executive creative director of Mashoba Media.

The material is then wrangled on set and a safety copy is made before being sent on drives to Bladeworks in Johannesburg. Once the material arrives at Blade, the data team ingests the copy onto an Isis. From there the team of editors, on 14 Avid edit suites, cut content for ten regions, over thirty countries and forty broadcasters.

Blade producer Anika Dohne comments: “The extreme scale of the productions is a big challenge in itself. There are so many elements that need to come together in order to make the show work – often from a variety of third parties. From editing, music track mastering, dubbing, graphics, packaging, final mix and delivery. If there are any delays everything comes to a standstill.”

While the production has a matrix system, where each episode is made up of elements of other episodes, the fact that each country has a different language and therefore different titles makes almost every episode unique.

Amharic, Portuguese, Swahili, French and English are all dubbed and titled for their particular broadcasters.

Blade head of Data, Andries De Jager, has this to say around the broadcast delivery: “We have automated the workflow as much as we can up to the point where manual checks are necessary to ensure correct deliveries.

Some countries require NTSC content which causes a bit of a set back as all content is created in PAL. We have set up FTP portals with our ISP for all able broadcasters as a method of delivery, but some countries don’t have the necessary bandwidth to get their high-quality formats soon enough.

Keeping track of the variables that this project demands, is quite something.”

Final mix was always in the starting position on a hot standby waiting for the barrage of episodes to come online

from dubbing and offline approval.

According to Carol Jenkins, postproduction producer, Coke Studio, ten hours of final, off-lined content had to be translated from Portuguese, French, Malagasy, Shona, Kinyarwanda, Zulu, Amharic and Swahili and then dubbed back into five different languages for broadcast. A process that took just over three months. Individual offline segments were sent to Ear Candy in Randburg to transcribe and dub as per the schedules.

However, all the Ethiopian content was sent to Zeleman TV in Addis Ababa for translations and dubbing and then sent to Bladeworks for final mix and delivery.

“Making sense of all of it was a challenge. Deadlines were tight and the studio audio did present a few technical challenges. However, the primary focus was undeniably the amazing music. We found ourselves thoroughly enjoying the showcase of talent and the final products these amazing artist and producers developed. Despite the challenges and tight deadlines; the support from the hard-working edit team and outstanding infrastructure, efficiency

CASE STUDY

|

POST-PRODUCTION

The post-production beast

and professionalism from the technical teams really helped streamline the Avid and ISIS workflow,” says Anthony Croft, final mix resonance, The Art of Sound.

The Coke Studio Africa team were fortunate to recruit seasoned reality editors under the watch of Andrew Dixon. Dieter Strydom and Neil Gow did the online for all 136 episodes using the Avid Symphony.

Arti Gopal, Bruce Nkomo and Kuti Rasikhuthuma were the Avid editors assigned to cutting the reality segments of the show. Masi Mtshali cut the multicam music performances to duration.

Cameras were switched to a line cut as a reference to how series director, Eugene Naidoo, interpreted the cut. All cameras were recorded separately. All the separate music tracks were recorded on a multi-track and sent to Thatch Music to be mixed. The mix was then sent back to Andrew Dixon, the head editor, who made sure that what was being heard in the mixed track was in fact being seen in the edit. Andrew also polished the reality segments to make sure that the story carried through into the performance.

Tim Horwood and Eugene Naidoo in the OB van

Another team of editors that included Portia Khumalo, Siraaj Cassiem, Fanuel Khuphe and Dan Modiseng were hired as packaging editors. They were each tasked to package different African regions’ episodes to 45-minute durations and in the correct dubbed language for the broadcasters in their region.

Charles Dladla edited all television promos for all regions while assistant editors, Eunice Mbongo and Nomsa Ntlemeza, had the mammoth task of administering the 40 terabytes of data on the Isis.

In Kenya, two editors worked off the backup servers to deliver on the web content around the series. “Working between Nairobi and South Africa for

the past two years with such a massive team of people having to be moved in one direction, towards one goal has made this project both the most challenging and the most rewarding that I have worked on in my twenty years at Blue Moon. A project like this is only made possible by having an amazingly talented team of individuals and a committed group of suppliers who are always ready to go above and beyond their dedication to produce excellence,” comments Deana Heslop-Mthembu.

“This year Coke Studio merged Coke Studio South Africa with Coke Studio Africa, automatically bringing together more professionals drawn from South Africa, Kenya and other countries in the

field of production on the project. We are happy to showcase to Africa what our dedicated team of professionals has achieved – it’s hectic but they have excelled! In addition, the show is also packaged into a radio format

by Radio Express, exposing lovers of radio to emerging African sounds, with a focus on diversity and providing exposure to new and upcoming artists,” says Monali Shah, head of Content Excellence, Coca Cola Africa Ltd. All in All, Coke Studio Africa is a truly epic yet rewarding production that will hopefully continue to grow year on year.

– Warren Bleksley

October 2017

|

SCREENAFRICA

| 25

ADVERTORIAL

|

VISIONVIEW

COMMUNITY IMPACT INITIATIVES The idea behind Vision View Production’s CSI strategy comes from our social responsibility to always have a meaningful impact in the community. We pride ourselves as the engine of development in the areas we operate in and we do so, out of good corporate citizenship principles to make South Africa harmonious. So, inevitably, we implement programs by ranking the art of aligning any CSI activity with our supreme purpose as a business. That is, our CSI initiatives are socially and economically relevant in how they seek to address the country’s key priorities.

The strategies of our CSI initiatives include;

• • •

FLAGSHIP PROGRAMMES DIRECTOR’S FUND EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT

For the 2017/2018 financial year our priority has been encouraging access to Basic Education, ensuring and supporting Further Education, and finally, enhancing Sports.

EDUCATION

I

t’s no secret that our education system is lagging in many aspects such as a shortage of teachers, underqualified teachers and poor teacher performance, to mention a few. Because of this, there is poor learner standards and results and a lack of classroom discipline. To top it all off, the hurdle of insufficient resources and inadequate infrastructure is rife.

“Approximately 97% of our staff members come from the same system of education and this is exactly where we connect the dots as a company and ask ourselves this question; who else would be a perfect fit to improve the standard of basic education if we don’t take up this challenge?”

To answer the question, we’ve worked together with the department of education and schools to adopt schools – even poor performing ones.

This sees us supporting teacher and learner development, sponsoring academic camps, offering motivational sessions/ career exhibitions and providing 26 | SCREENAFRICA | October 2017

university bursaries to learners who have performed well but lack the means to access higher education.

#FEESMUSTFALL

T

he combination of economic trials and rising tuition fees in the higher education sector has been a great cause of legitimate struggle to financially disadvantaged students.

Considering this, our directors Mafadi Mpuru and Eddie Seane have intentionally created an organisation which is based on ‘Ubuntu’. Both are passionate about educating the next generation of South Africans and are fearlessly leading in terms of the company’s role and capacity to address access to tertiary education. We believe that lack of funds is not enough reason to exclude anyone from university.

SPORTS GRASSROOTS DEVELOPMENT

W

e’ve made a sizeable investment to sports development and so far, we’ve focused on Football development and Boxing development. We understand that sports play a crucial role in instilling responsible ideals in the lives of young people in our country. So, by having our youth participating in sports minimizes the scourge of drug abuse, crime and other related social ills.

In the pursuit of our objectives, our CSI department has identified key Strategic Partners, who are catalysts for positive social action. Our partners are important to us as implementing agents of our vision and continue to realise our goals.

In the education space, Vision View Productions, works closely with Kagiso Senior Secondary School, Morris Isaacson High, based in Kagiso and Soweto respectively.

Outside Gauteng, we have partnered with Sehlaku Technical High School based in Driekop, Burgersfort. On the sporting front, we have partnered with a community boxing promoter Dida Dipheko’s Team Dida Boxing Promotions and co-sponsored the 4th Maandashoek Annual Soccer Tournament – 4th MAST in Gauteng and Limpopo.

|

ADVERTORIAL

FLAGSHIP PROGRAMMES Our flagship programmes include an adopt a school programme, a university bursary scheme, broadcast career exhibitions and media internship programmes.

ADOPT A SCHOOL PROGRAMME – CASE STUDY Vision View Productions enjoys a special partnership with principal Vuyo Zali and his Kagiso Senior Secondary School which started in 2012. The school has approximately 1 200 kids and when we intervened, the matric performance was almost at a 42% pass rate.

To this day, we sponsor an eleven-week matric camp with (three meals a day for +120 matriculants every year). We have also availed tutors, who are industry professionals, as extra teaching resources in the following subjects and use the school as a base, this happens every Saturday at the school for Grade 10 & 11, focusing on Mathematics, Accounting, Science and Chemistry, English and EMS. As a result, in 2014 Kagiso Senior Secondary School received an award for the MEC’s Most Improved School in Gauteng Province.

• •

In 2015 the school achieved their Highest Pass Rate of 98.5%.

In 2016 the school achieved a pass rate of 89.7%.

The school, which was once characterised by a national newspaper article as a den of drugs and evil, has become a beacon of Hope. This goodwill has earned the school new state of the art sports facilities, Dining Hall, School Hall and smart classrooms. Vision View provides full University bursaries for the Top 2 Achievers at the school.

Work is under way to roll out a similar solution at Sehlaku Technical High School, Limpopo Province (1 800 Learners)

BROADCAST CAREER EXHIBITIONS The objective of VVP Career Exhibitions, is to expose learners to professional, technical and support careers within the broadcasting industry. The following schools are beneficiaries of the initiative:

A)) B) C)

KAGISO SENIOR SECONDARY SCHOOL - GAUTENG SEHLAKU TECHNICAL HIGH SCHOOL - LIMPOPO MORRIS ISAACSON HIGH SCHOOL - GAUTENG

VISION VIEW BURSARY/SCHOLARSHIP In the 2016 Academic Year, Vision View started a bursary scheme and has invested significantly in the lives of black youth who come from impoverished backgrounds and would otherwise not be able to afford University Fees. We have supported a total of 14 students at different Universities across the country and currently we have 10 who are completing their studies.

SOCIO ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT SPORTS Vision View has partnered with grassroots emerging black boxing promotion company, Dida Boxing Promotions, this partnership has seen five amateur boxers turn professional and tons of young people turn to the sports and become fitness ambassadors.

We sponsor four boxing tournaments per year and put together a world class production

October 2017

|

SCREENAFRICA

| 27

IBC 2017

|

IBC 2017

REPORT

It’s very apt that in its 50th anniversary year, IBC recorded record-breaking attendance figures of 57 699 visitors. It wasn’t only attendees breaking records; this year saw more exhibitors cramming into the 15 bustling halls than in previous years and the exciting new launches of the Future Reality Theatre and the innovative Launch Pad drew huge audience attendance. IBC is the essential global meeting place for everyone engaged in creating, managing and delivering the future of electronic media and entertainment and, as always, 2017 did not disappoint… apart from the inclement weather!

I

ndoors and out of the cold rain, IP was arguably the hot topic which dominated most conversations at this year’s event, with the IP Showcase acting as the focal point for discussions about interoperability and adoption. The IP Showcase extended beyond what was shown at NAB in April and it just goes to show how quickly the industry can move when there is commitment towards standardisation. The interoperability of SMPTE ST 2110, AES67 and IS04 between 52 different vendors was showcased in real-world environments proving the point.

Discussion of the role of IP and software at the conference sessions inevitably led to discussion of the role of the cloud. In previous years, the theory of the cloud was the conversation point, but this year,

28 | SCREENAFRICA | October 2017

the practical necessity of the cloud was the talking point as cloud based systems increasingly become compelling alternatives to on-site systems. The number of cloud vendors had increased at the show, signifying perhaps the wider role they play in media these days. But IBC wasn’t all about IP; the relative roles of broadcast, Over the Top (OTT) and Video On Demand (VOD) and whether the three would remain as separate entities, whether we would see some kind of merger, or even whether, ultimately, OTT would simply prevail, was a hotly contested discussion point.

Virtual Reality (VR) defiantly lost a bit of traction this year with far fewer demos running on the show floor, Augmented Reality (AR) however, was on the up and there seemed to be a lot more optimism about

its future prospects. The newcomer with the biggest impact at the show, at least in discussion terms, was Artificial Intelligence (AI). A number of panel sessions cited AI as key strategic technology for the future and many product vendors have included their support in their future roadmaps. AI in broadcasting is being used in some cases to describe new incarnations of existing terms such as automation, data analytics, and content recommendation, but it also represents genuinely transformative improvements in areas such as machine learning, computer vision and automated speech recognition. Already being prominent in smartphones and other devices, with Amazon’s Alexa, Google’s Assistant, and IBM’s Watson, voice and AI for TV services is becoming a big part of how we are

REPORT

Panasonic EVA1: For cinema-style acquisition, Panasonic realised there was a space between the GH5 and the VariCam LT hence the introduction of the compact and lightweight, AU-EVA1. With its new 5.7K sensor, the EVA1 fills that gap for a variety of filmmaking applications. It’s a great ‘run and gun’ type camera and should be available from the end of October.

Fujinon UA24 baby lens: Fujinon highlighted what they call the world’s smallest and lightest 4K broadcast lens for 2/3” cameras. The UA24x7.8 has a length of approximately 8.7”. It is a 24x zoom lens with a focal-length range of 7.8 to 187mm.

Convergent Design recorders: Convergent Design presented not one but three multi-camera recorders at IBC, The Element 1, Element 2, and Element 3.

The Element 1 is a multi-camera (4 input) recorder for HD. The Element 2 supports four HD camera inputs (HDMI), and has all the features of The Element 1, but adds switcher capability and a luma keyer for lower thirds/logo overlays. The Element 3 Supports four camera inputs and incorporates four 12-G SDI inputs, two 4K HDMI inputs, two 12-G SDI and two 4K HDMI outputs. Slightly larger than The Element 1 and 2, it accepts two SSD drives instead of one, and features all the functionality of The Element 2, but adds an extra Mix/Effects engine and 4K/UHD60p support. all going to watch TV in the near future. Going beyond simple voice controls, AI understands natural speech patterns, letting viewers interact with their TV service, instead of using remote commands. Voice and AI will also make it easier to navigate through linear TV broadcasts, letting viewers simply name the channel instead of channel surfing and trying to remember all the channel numbers. What’s really exciting is that these AI systems are also learning systems, continuously getting better and more accurate as time goes on.

As always, IBC is often a launch pad for new products and this year was no different. There have been a large number of exciting new developments of late, far too many to mention so I have picked a few that I think caught most people’s attention:

Sony: To little surprise and much fanfare, Sony lifted the veil from its full-frame Venice Cinema camera.

This 6K-capable camera is purpose-built for cinema production complete with its industry-standard

|

IBC 2017

PL mount situated on top of an E-mount, so nearly any kind of lens can be used. With the separately available R7 recorder and AXSM media, the Venice will be able to record 16-bit linear raw files for smooth gradients and impressive colour depth. It’s a beautiful camera to look at and delivers the most beautiful images that you would expect from a big camera.

At the opposite end of the scale Sony’s RX0 is small enough to mount almost anywhere, making it possible to capture a scene or event from multiple viewpoints. Thanks to its 1” Image Sensor, ability to output uncompressed 4K video, waterproof and shockproof build, and ability to record and sync timecode metadata wirelessly between multiple cameras, the RX0 has to be one of my picks for one of the best product of the show and finally a viable competitor in the action camera market.

Avid Artist DNxIV: Following on from the launch of the 2RU, rack mountable Avid Artist | DNxIQ at NAB earlier in the year, Avid launched the Artist | DNxIV at IBC. It offers much of the same connectivity, but in a smaller, more portable form factor. Both Avid Artist I/O interfaces offer high-speed Thunderbolt 3 connectivity, providing up to 40 Gb/s of bandwidth. Both interfaces offer a wide range of analogue and digital I/O to plug into today’s diverse media productions, including SDI, HDMI, XLR, RS-422 and timecode. While you can purchase Avid Media Composer (or indeed use Media Composer | First – the free starter version) to work with either interface, you can also use other creative applications such Adobe Premiere Pro which is fully supported. Well done to Avid for thinking out of the box on this one.

Adobe VR-production tools for Premier Pro: Adobe previewed several new features and upgrades to its Premier Pro NLE platform, including new Virtual Reality (VR) video-creation tools. Premier Pro will soon feature an immersive VR viewing environment that allows editors to review their timeline and use keyboard-driven editing for trimming and markers while wearing the same VR head-mounts as their audience. In addition, audio will be determined by orientation or position and exported as ambisonics audio for VR-enabled platforms, such as YouTube and Facebook. VR effects and transitions are now native and accelerated via the Mercury playback engine. Many of these features are powered by Adobe Sensei, the company’s artificial intelligence and machine learning framework. Watch this space – Sensei is changing the face of Adobe’s platform – more announcements later in the year.

October 2017

|

SCREENAFRICA

| 29

IBC 2017

|

REPORT

Light and Motion – Stella LED lights: Every now and then you stumble across a gem at exhibitions and US based Light and Motion (who started off developing lighting for bicycles) is one of those. They introduced their Stella Pro range of COB LED lights at IBC and these little beauties are ideal for broadcast professionals wanting to work fast and efficiently in ANY location regardless of weather and access to power. Lightweight, compact and remarkably powerful, the Stella lights can operate untethered up to 11 hours on its integrated battery and can operate off D-Tap and Mains power too. Never before could professional content creators travel the world carrying a complete professional studio lighting kit in a small case or backpack!

Stella lights are fully waterproof to 100 metres and there are awesome options available for drone lighting!

HP Z8 G4 workstation: Last but not least – a computer that truly rivals any Mac on the planet – HP showcased their impressive 56 Core, Intel® Xeon® processor buffed up super computer, the HP Z8 G4 workstation, which promises the ability to edit 8K in realtime when coupled with its massive 3TB DDR4-2666 ECC SDRAM (there are 24 memory slots in this beast). It’s a true engineering wonder and a beautiful piece of design work, combine this with

the Z38c Curved Display a 4K display with a 38-inch diagonal curve, and you have a seriously grunty machine and very competitive price wise when compared to any high-end Mac.

Till next year So, IBC was undoubtedly an emphatic win for all those who visited. It is very encouraging to see an entire industry come together to debate and share their experiences and stories for a common goal.

And, congratulations to Dolby Laboratories who were presented with the International Honor for Excellence, which is IBC’s highest accolade, for their contributions to the world of broadcast, television, film and the media in general. Cheers Amsterdam zie je volgend jaar!!

White

Backpack The Bond Backpack is an all in one HEVC live streaming solution packed with 4 Teradek high performance Node LTE modems and your choice of V- or Gold-mount battery plate. Go live in HD from nearly any location and keep your gear protected from the elements.

Black

Distributed By Master Dealer Africa (Pty) Ltd

bondpack 1/2H.indd 1

30 | SCREENAFRICA | October 2017

Works with

bondpack.teradek.com

9/29/17 9:58 AM

|

ADVERTORIAL

INPUT 2018 – AFDA staff elected as National Coordinators for South Africa At the beginning of September, Henriette De Villiers, dean AFDA Johannesburg and Francois Smit, head of Postgraduate Studies and executive committee member of the South African Communications Association (SACOMM), were appointed as National Coordinators for the International Public Television Conference – INPUT. the conference to prepare the discussion.

The attendance of an INPUT conference is open to all media professionals. The main feature of the conference is the professional discussion, which follows each screening of a production.

For the South African Pre-Selection, please send three English subtitled DVDs to National Coordinators no later than Monday, 20 November 2017:

The Brooklyn 2018 Conference will focus on:

Francois Smit and Henrietta De Villiers

N

ot only has De Villiers presented programmes herself at INPUT, in 2017, she was also a moderator who hosted several sessions. Smit was the International Selection Coordinator for INPUT from 2006 to 2013 in Berlin.

The National Coordinators are all respected TV professionals, who are appointed by the INPUT International Board. Their task is to keep feeding innovative and ground-breaking programmes to INPUT and to send those programmes to an International Selection where, in turn, the most fitting for the upcoming conference is selected.

National Coordinators represent INPUT to their regional constituencies.

INPUT is hosted annually in a different country and showcases television programmes made in the interest of the audience from around the world. Global trends, challenges and solutions are discussed and programme ideas are shared.

INPUT is open to all Public Service Broadcasters around the world, as

well as production companies or individuals producing programmes for broadcast on public service channels.

After a national Pre-Selection, the National Coordinators submit productions to the International Selection which will be held at the beginning of 2018.

Call for Submissions South African TV makers are invited to consider submitting their productions by no later than Monday, 20 November 2017 for the South African Pre-Selection.

INPUT is looking for recent public service television and online productions that are provocative, courageous or break new grounds in four categories.

Submitted productions may not have been broadcast before 1 November 2016. Programmes that were made for television but have not yet been broadcast are also eligible.

In 2018, the conference will be held in New York.

• “Fifty is the new Thirty“ • Programmes that are especially attractive for the audience aged 30 to 50.

• Submissions can be factual, fiction or entertainment programmes.

• Web programmes for young people • Political Comedy • Tailor-Made for INPUT Edgy and surprising programmes that don’t fall into any of the three categories but promise to stir lively debates.

Should your production be submitted to the International Selection and selected for screening at the conference, your production will be presented to the Delegates who have registered for INPUT 2018 Brooklyn.

Presentations will happen in sessions, always followed by discussions.

For this reason, all productions screened at INPUT have to be accompanied by a key person involved with the programme like the director, author, commissioning editor or producer.

Submitters will receive a code to register this person without having to pay the conference fee of 170 euro. The submitter is responsible to bear all travel and accommodation costs for this person who will be contacted by INPUT prior to

Henriette De Villiers & François Smit AFDA 41 Frost Avenue Auckland Park Gauteng, 2092 Please include contact details of the person submitting the production and as much information as possible to contextualise your submission (Audience/Broadcast Times/ Channels/Cultural Relevance etc.).

Only once your production has been pre-selected for the International Selection will you be contacted to submit official submission forms.

AFDA sees this opportunity to engage with the South African TV industry not only on a content level, but also a chance to be the independent and inclusive representation the SA TV Industry needs internationally.

“We look forward to be able to see the content South Africa is putting on air and how it is relevant in a global context,” says Smit.

De Villiers adds that “the value of INPUT, not only for the local industry is immeasurable – being a part of this professional community will not only have a carry home value for them – our students too, the future of the industry, will be able to engage with the themes and topics and productions that are screened and discussed at INPUT. We look forward to engaging with your productions!”

More information: www.input-tv.org

October 2017

|

SCREENAFRICA

| 31

Media Asset Management

|

The ins and outs of media digitisation with

Baku Morikuni Baku Morikuni, co-CEO, Memnon Archiving Services S.A. (a Sony company), unpacks all you need to know about media digitisation.

What is media digitisation and why are companies opting for it?

Media digitisation is, in its simplest form, the process of converting data into a digital format. If we delve deeper into it, digitisation does not only serve the purpose of transferring physical data but it is also about faithful reproduction of the analogue original into a digital asset that is ready for distribution on other platforms. It fuels growth for many industries, helping enterprises expand their market reach and accelerate their integration with business applications and governments to preserve, in many cases, the only existing audio and visual historic evidences of cultural and national importance, and often used also in education and research.

Organisations are exploring the world of media digitisation and the ways in which it reduces costs, facilitates access to data and provides the opportunity to reuse existing resources to materialise things that could not have been born otherwise.

Does a company require a high budget for digitisation or is this process catered to all?

We are experiencing a digital revolution, and all companies are bound to make the transition. This process is, in its essence, a requirement for all companies sooner or later. Whether your project budget is 10 000 USD or 10 million USD, we have done them all. Our proprietary workflow and industrial process engineering makes it possible to manage, control and process large numbers of content at consistent high quality.

32 | SCREENAFRICA | October 2017

to preserve content assets for future generations, re-using in new media channels to help public organisations showcase visual evidence of history, for instance. Additionally, digitising content saves time and allows for better access of archives as this process makes files only a mouse click away. It also reduces costs by saving space, as the need to keep physical archives at data centre conditions is not necessary anymore. Digitised content also generates good revenues and increased user engagement since the archival content has been rediscovered as a high quality and low-cost content platform, and to approach and reconnect to an interesting age group between 30 and 70. These are some of the key benefits but of course, there are plenty more benefits which are catered to different types of businesses and would fit very particular needs and objectives.

Baku Morikuni

Are most companies realising this urgency to digitise?

Looking at things retrospectively, we realise that over the last 30 years media firms would have collected many hours of material – something between the range of 50 000 and 500 000 hours or even more. Many businesses have already realised the importance of digitising their content as every media faces different forms of aging issues, from shrinkage on film to delayering and sticky shed syndromes on magnetic tapes, resulting in loss of important data.

What are the key benefits of digitising content?

There are many key benefits to digitising content. First, digitising content is a way

For many businesses, the fear of security breach from digital data is still a controversy and a valid concern. How safe is digital archiving and how confident should businesses feel switching to it?

Like any other transition, the shift to digital archiving is a major step that has plenty of opportunities, but unfortunately, many companies lack the knowledge and the guidance required to take the steps of change with confidence. When it comes to concerns on security of content, digital archiving is as secure as your digital environment and requires management of its lifecycle as does your IT infrastructure.

However, there are many options in the digital world, one of the options being the Cloud service. Many archival organisations follow a multi-tier strategy

in terms of long-term preservation of file formats and storage medium.

As an organisation how are you contributing in this industry?

Memnon Archiving Services is a company that has been active in the field of digitisation and digital archive preservation. The Sony Group acquired Memnon in July 2015 driving greater access to knowledge, tools, research & development and equipment.

The power of collaboration has also led to new market opportunities for advanced media asset management and digitisation solutions for media companies, broadcasters and institutions around the world.

Memnon has the global expertise of over 15 years across four continents, as well as organisational knowledge due to the massive volumes (millions of hours) it has processed. Furthermore, Memnon has supported companies with recovering extremely valuable recordings, even in situations where materials have not been in a good condition.

Within this year, we will add a new range of services to offer a cloud based platform and new metadata and indexation services.

What is your client portfolio?

Memnon’s client portfolio represents many public broadcasters and media firms in Europe and across the world, from national libraries, national archive and cultural organisations, like the British Library or French National Library, to universities, research organisations, sports federations and even parliaments.

Johannesburg

VR in the spotlight at DISCOP Johannesburg 2017 DISCOP Johannesburg will once again be partnering with DigiLab Africa (DLA) and other companies including Germany’s INVR.SPACE to shine a spotlight on Virtual Reality (VR) as it explodes onto the African content scene.

A

fter a hugely successful DLA at DISCOP Abidjan 2017, an even further expanded programme will take place at DISCOP Johannesburg 2017, running from 25 to 27 October at the Sandton Convention Centre, Johannesburg. The five DLA 2016 winners will be showcased at the upcoming Johannesburg edition, which will also mark the launch of DLA#2 and the next DLA call for projects.

In addition, this year DISCOP Johannesburg is partnering with German company INVR.SPACE. INVR. SPACE will be hosting the VR Cinema that will be located within the Germany Pavilion and will showcase African, German and other global VR projects ranging from documentaries, features films, animations and more. Within this VR Cinema the New Dimensions projects will also be showcased in partnership with the Goethe-Institut Johannesburg and Electric South.

Industry experts from across Africa

34 | SCREENAFRICA | October 2017

will discuss the latest trends and provide need-to-know information for content producers or buyers looking to participate in the VR space.

Speakers: • Steven Markovitz has been leading the discussion around VR for a number of years now, telling CNN in 2015, “VR is a new format in its infancy, and it’s an opportunity for Africa to get involved at a very early stage and be part of the global conversation. All the work I do is to challenge the dominant narrative and show Africa as a dynamic, nuanced continent.”

• Ulrico Grech-Cumbo, founder of Deep VR, is considered one of Africa’s experts in producing awardwinning VR content. Grech-Cumbo understands more than anyone the myriad applications for VR content including educational, tourism,

environmental and entrepreneurial.

• Julia Leeb is a German journalist, photographer and filmmaker who specialises in the production of VR (Virtual Reality).

• Morgan Bouchet is the director of Digital Content and head of VR at global network operator Orange.

Since December 2016, Bouchet has overseen Orange’s ‘Orange VR Experience’ – a virtual reality test program in partnership with Wevr.

• Sönke Kirchhof, CEO and executive producer at the Germany-based, VR, full service studio INVR.SPACE GmbH, has been working in the fields of VR, stereoscopic filmmaking, VFX and CGI post-production, as well as Research and Development for more than 15 years.

Sönke Kirchhofm, Steven Markovitz, Ulrico Grech-Cumbo, Julia Leeb, ‎and Morgan Bouchet are amongst the experts involved in the VR-focused master-classes to take place within The Next Gen Programme at the 2018 edition of DISCOP Johannesburg.

In conjunction with these partners and experts, DISCOP Johannesburg will also present two master-classes focused specifically on the topic: Virtual Reality: Tech, Africa and Future | VR content production and distribution will take centre stage in the programme. The master-class will:

• Discuss how evolution in technology enables producers to experiment with VR; • Focus on Africa’s creative solutions; • Present different VR headsets and cameras, including price points, with a focus on innovative initiatives to combat costs; • Unpack what Africa can bring to VR content production, where African VR is currently and where it is going in the next few years.

Get ready for the Virtual Reality Revolution | Not all VR content is made the same and experiences vary greatly.

This session will discuss obstacles and benefits in creating relevant VR content by answering the following questions: • What kind of VR content are broadcasters looking for?

• What are their VR content development and coproduction strategies?

• What are the funding opportunities available to VR producers and what business and distribution models should they follow?

Feel music WE’RE HERE TO MAKE SURE THAT MUSIC MAKES ALL THE DIFFERENCE. With over 70 years of production music heritage, we’ve learned to better understand your music needs and what makes your audience click.

Music is at the forefront of everything we do. We’ll help you tell your story with passion to set the mood, capture a moment and spark imagination.

Visit our new website today

universalproductionmusic.com

Johannesburg

Germany is the official Guest Country at DISCOP Johannesburg 2017

Philipp Hoffmann, founder and managing director Rushlake Media

Herbert Behrendt, head of the Cultural Department German Embassy Pretoria

Lien Heidenreich-Seleme, head of Cultural Programmes – Sub-Saharan Africa Goethe-Institut South Africa

Earlier this year, DISCOP Johannesburg announced that its 2017 official Guest Country would be Germany. This partnership will bring a host of exciting opportunities for those attending this year’s event, taking place from 25 to 27 October at the Sandton Convention Centre in Johannesburg.

T

he partnership will enable German film and television sectors to build stronger connections with relevant executives driving Africa’s multi-platform, entertainment, content production and distribution industries.

This timely choice will also lead to exciting opportunities for growth and collaboration between film and television content producers from South Africa and Germany, as both countries have signed a treaty for the joint production of film and television works.

Germany’s marked presence at DISCOP Johannesburg has been made possible with the support of important partners including the German

36 | SCREENAFRICA | October 2017

Embassy in Pretoria, and with the support of a host of German businesses that will be attending the event.

Ines POHL, editor-in-chief of Deutsche Welle, will also be part of DISCOP Johannesburg’s key-note opening session, welcoming Africa’s next generation of creators, producers and dealmakers to three days of dealmaking, networking, and sharing.

The Germany Pavilion within the main exhibition space will feature individual ‘meeting tables’ and a special workshop track curated by experts. This informative track will also encourage partnerships between producing, writing and directing talent from both countries.

INVR.SPACE is DISCOP Johannesburg’s technical partner for the VR Cinema which will be found under the pavilion and will showcase African, German and other global VR projects ranging from documentaries, features films, animations and more. Within this VR Cinema the New Dimensions projects will also be showcased in partnership with the Goethe-Institut Johannesburg and Electric South.

The Next Gen agenda will feature a German focused panel discussion on 25 October and a master-class on 26 October. The panel discussion, German Cultural Co-operations in Africa will bring together top German companies and institutions that not only believe in the future of Africa, but also invest in the continent’s innovative talent.

Panel members include: Herbert Behrendt, head of the Cultural Department, German Embassy Pretoria; Lien Heidenreich-Seleme, head of Cultural Programmes – Sub-Saharan Africa, Goethe-Institut Johannesburg; Jana Wolff, Marketing and Advertising, European Film Market / Berlinale Africa Hub; and Philipp Hoffmann, founder and managing director, Rushlake Media.

The master-class, Germany/South

Jana Wolff, marketing and advertising, European Film Market – Berlinale Africa Hub

Africa TV and Film Co-production Treaty will take place the following day. A Film and TV co-production treaty between South Africa and Germany was signed in 2004 and the partnership has facilitated the funding of numerous projects since then, stimulating exchanges between independent producers in both countries. The master-class will be moderated by Terrence Khumalo, film certification manager at the National Film and Video Foundation of South Africa (NFVF), and will examine eligibility terms and conditions and look at recent film and television projects that have benefited from the treaty.

German companies attending DISCOP Johannesburg include: • German Embassy Pretoria • Deutsche Welle • Red Arrow International • Rushlike Media GMBH • TPV Media Solutions • ZDF Enterprises • Da Vinci Media • INVR.SPACE • Beta Film GMBH • European Film Market / Berlinale

KZNFC Locations Advert.pdf

1

2017/09/18

4:32 PM

Docu-Series Durban Beach Rescue Shot on Durban Beachfront

C

M

Y

CM

MY

CY

CMY

K

Music Video Anatti ft Omarion Shot at Phezulu Safari Park

Television Series Ukhakhayi Shot at KwaNgcolosi

ANIMATION

|

The African Animation Network introduces the FupiToons Festival The African Animation Network (AAN), which made a successful debut at DISCOP Africa 2016, will this year present the very first FupiToons Festival, which will run parallel to the upcoming DISCOP Johannesburg event, scheduled to take place from 26 to 29 October 2017.

“I

t is the first ‘Made in Africa for Kids’ animation-only-focused festival, dedicated to screening shorts selected from all of Africa,” shares AAN head of content and festival director, Wendy Spinks.

According to Spinks, FupiToons arose from a probe regarding how much completed animation content there was in Africa; furthermore the team analysed what were the challenges, limitations and trends around the content being created.

“It is clear that Africa is still experiencing challenges in getting original IP out to the international market and for many reasons, and our goal is to co-operatively create a bridge to help each other over the barriers we collectively face,” shares Spinks.

“The FupiToons Festival will be launched in Johannesburg, but the intention is for it to roam the continent and screen the content at other conferences throughout Africa,” she adds.

AAN project manager, Nick Wilson expands: “African animation needs access to audience; it is a fundamental requirement to build a sustainable industry. Furthermore, animation is an expensive content medium, thus,

38 | SCREENAFRICA | October 2017

the majority of African animated content is short form. This format of animated content has never really had a focused platform in Africa previously and thus, FupiToons Festival is both necessary and relevant.”

A call was made by FupiToons for submissions of the best African animated content targeted at audiences aged 2 to 12 years old.

“We decided to make the FupiToons Festival aimed and suitable for the age demographic of 2 to 12 years for many reasons, one of the main ones being that worldwide there are over 3000 broadcast platforms with dedicated children’s blocks buying content, and only a handful of broadcast platforms for anything considered not children’s, which is above 12 years of age,” explains Spinks.

Entries have since come from far and wide within the African continent, with South Africa and Ghana recorded to have pitched in the highest submissions so far.

“I have been quite pleasantly bowled over by the unique, quality and fresh styles and stories; a clear indication of the talent that lies within Africa,” Spinks enthuses.

According to global studies conducted

by Women in Animation (WIA), the female

population accounts for just about 65 per cent of the student body in animation schools, however only 23 per cent of those women are being placed in creative leadership roles within the industry.

“We have no firm statistics from Africa, but believe it to be significantly lower,” remarks Spinks.

However, ever since WIA rolled out its initiative of a 50/50 equal split of jobs for both genders by 2025 in 2015, AAN aspires to align itself with this vision.

This alignment has been set in motion with FupiToons’ all-female crew enthusiastically hoping to wave the flag for women in animation in Africa and thereby inspiring more females to participate in the animation space.

The chosen “shorts” will form part of the two-hour screenings which will be hosted as part of AAN’s partnership with Ster-Kinekor, and will be showcased at the cinema chain’s Rosebank facilities from 26 and 29 October 2017.

“I had approached Ster-Kinekor in 2016 as a potential partner of The Animation Lounge pilot project and precursor to the African Animation Network.

Unfortunately their schedule didn’t allow for their involvement at the time but, we

continued the discussions in 2017 and eventually found a common ground for us to work together,” Wilson shares.

“In the long term, we’re hoping that the first edition of the festival is a success and can be scaled-up into the rest of Ster-Kinekor’s SubSaharan footprint,” he adds.

During DISCOP Johannesburg’s animation activities and events Wilson will also be fostering efforts and participation towards this new addition to AAN’s animation offerings. A panel discussion titled ‘African Animation debut FupiToons Festival,’ will offer insight into the longterm strategy of what the FupiToons festival intends to project as the first animated short film festival in Africa.

“We would also like to provide a platform for African animation to engage and test audience. Running the festival in parallel to DISCOP Johannesburg also means that there are a significant number of decision makers in African content in Johannesburg and it is our intention to invite them to the Industry Premiere on 26 October,” Wilson concludes.

– Gezzy S Sibisi

“It is clear that Africa is still experiencing challenges in getting original IP out to the international market and for many reasons, and our goal is to co-operatively create a bridge to help each other over the barriers we collectively face.” – Wendy Spinks

| SOCIAL

e.tv Summer Screening On 14 September, e.tv held it’s much anticipated annual Summer Screening – a VIP affair which took place at the Monte Casino Cinema IL Grande in Johannesburg. The theme was ‘A Night with the Stars’ and guests didn’t disappoint, showing up in their evening best. Seen there were…

Austin Shadu

Enhle Mbali Maphumulo

Kgomotso Christopher

Mandla Gaduka

Meshack Mavuso-Magubane

Khanyisile Zwane

Sive Mabuya

Mapaseka Koetle-Nyokong

Nambitha Ben-Mazwi

Paballo Khoza

October 2017 | SCREENAFRICA |

39

M a r k e t pl a c e UPCOMING EVENTS OCTOBER 4 – 15

BFI London Film Festival

London www.bfi.org.uk

25 – 27

1464 Vragboot Street Cnr Vooraadskip Streets Laserpark, Honeydew

DISCOP Johannesburg

Johannesburg www.discop.com/johannesburg

25 – 3 NOV Tokyo International

Film Festival

Tokyo www.tiff.jp.net

NOVEMBER 9

PromaxBDA Africa

Johannesburg www.promaxafrica.tv

SUPPLIED We work throughout SA – Jhb – Cape and Natal –

Television, Movie and Magazine work

With over 25 years experience in the film & television industry, DJ’s is one of South Africa’s premiere talent agencies, we supply character models for television commercials, stills and promotion guys and gals for functions to brand activations, why not try us .. we will make your day on set or function – just a little easier - we pay performers via eft on shoot date – which makes them happier – which makes us all happier – don’t you just love the film industry we do….always have.. always will…

Social

Digital Media Delivery

Industry Directory

SATELLITE & TRANSMISSION

Services

Organisers

POST-PRODUCTION

Commercials

RADIO

Events

Expos Directory Contacts Production Companies Audience Ratings Guide to Filming in South Africa Organisations Corporate & Events

TV & VIDEO PRODUCTION

NEWS Editorial

Editor’s Comment

TRAINING

FESTIVALS Adcetera

Awards

Profile

PRESS RELEASES

LIGHTING

AUDIO

Special Focus

DISPLAYS & MONITORING

LATEST NEWS

COMPUTERS

CAMERAS & Accessories

Vital Statistics

DVD

Technology

Facilities & Rentals

Magazine • Website • Directory • Newsletter Jobs ANIMATION & GRAPHICS

COMPANY NEWS

News AFRICA

Golf Day

Tracking Technology

Facebook

TwitterWebsite International Expos

BUSINESS

Production Updates

Mediatech

TELEVISION

Video Streaming MOBILE TV

Equipment Suppliers

Broadcast

Studios

Forum

Corporate Video

Film Festivals

FILM EQUIPMENT BREAKING NEWS OB & ENG

Documentaries

Film

Follow us on Facebook for daily updates DJ’s Model Agency Address 1 Westbeach Village, 1 Drummond Close, Westbeach 7441 Tel 021 554 4396 Cell 083 260 2071 Cell 081 730 6483 Email dom@djssa.com Skype domwilkinson2 Web www.djssa.com

New Media 3D TECHNOLOGY

AUTOMATION SYSTEMS

w w w. s c r e e n a f r i c a . c o m E m a i l : p u b l i s h e r @ s c r e e n a f r i c a . c o m Te l e p h o n e : + 2 7 ( 0 ) 1 1 0 2 5 3 1 8 0

facebook screenafrica 40 | SCREENAFRICA | October 2017

twitter screenafrica

linkedin screenafrica

AU-EVA1 COMPACT 5.7K SUPER 35MM CINEMA CAMERA

COMING SOON!

COMPACT 5.7K SUPER 35MM CINEMA CAMERA

AU-EVA1 SPECIFICATIONS SENSOR ■ Super 35 ■ 5.7K ■ Dual Native ISO 800/2500 ■ Beautiful Colorimetry ■ 14 Stop Dynamic Range LENS / IMAGE PATH ■ EF Mount ■ Electronic Image Stabilisation (EIS) ■ IR Cut In/Out ■ ND Filter Wheel (2/4/6 stops)

PROCESSING ■ 4K 60p / 2K up to 240p ■ 4:2:2 10 bit ■ SD Card Recording ■ Up to 400 Mbps Recording ■ V-log & V-gamut ■ 5.7K Raw Output (future update) OTHER ■ XLR Audio Inputs ■ HDMI & SDI 4K Video Outputs

www.pansolutions.co.za Contact: Sean Loeve Cell: 083 677 4917 Tel: 011 313 1622

Screen Africa Print Ad_OCT_PROMAXBDA Africa 2017.indd 1

2017/09/06 5:29:53 PM