Screen Africa September 2017

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

PRE & POST PRODUCTION

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| IN THIS ISSUE

6 Five Fingers for Marseilles in competition at TIFF

32

25

TECH-POP-OLOGY

Synch that deal: The importance of music in content

30

36

SDR vs HDR

Film production crews travelling into Africa listen up

News

ADCETERA

FILM

BUSINESS

STX Entertainment acquires Lalela production music catalogue....................... 4 Grey Group acquires major stake in Hug Digital...................................... 4 Inxeba filmmakers respond to violent threats.......................................... 5 Five Fingers for Marseilles in competition at TIFF.................................. 6

Tulips and Chimneys prove they’re worth their salt with new Cerebos animation........................... 10 Motion picture’s digital revolution and how it impacts the commercial production industry............ 11 Aquafresh and Mafikizolo collaborate on new music video............ 12 How brands should deal with becoming targets of fake news............... 14 Women in advertising chair a transformation and upliftment affair..... 15 Innovative B-BBEE and skills development initiative brings fresh perspectives to the SA advertising and creative landscape.............................. 17 Women in advertising............................... 17

“Play is the antithesis of the assembly line”: The strange, dissident world of Francois Knoetze’s short films............... 18 A celebration of Zulu culture in contemporary Jozi settings...................... 20 A Hotel Called Memory.......................... 24 Synch that deal: The importance of music in content.... 25 Director Speak: Daniel Zimbler............. 26 No such thing as Easy Money................. 27

Film production crews travelling into Africa listen up................. 36

CONTENT SECURITY

Durban FilmMart – moving film ahead on the continent............................ 41

TECHNOLOGY NEWS Tektronix helps content creators solve critical challenges capturing 4K/UHD, WCG, HDR content.................. 8 Latest Baselight for NUKE ensures perfect colour compliance in VFX............ 8 Dejero and Intelsat partner on a new solution to deliver reliable video transmissions solution....... 8 Ikegami launches UHK-435 camera at IBC 2017..................................... 9 Harmonic and UHD..................................... 9 Richie Ebrahim joins Fujifilm...................... 9

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Premium security will help operators capitalise on market opportunities........ 28

NEW TECHNOLOGY Five ways blockchain is poised to shake up the media............ 37

DIFF 2017 A year of many firsts................................. 39

DFM 2017

REGULARS

Broadcast Technology

Social

The other format war.............................. 30 TECH-POP-OLOGY................................. 32 SDR and HDR–compatible workflows for live production................ 34

Marketplace................................................. 44 Upcoming Events....................................... 44

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The 8th annual Durban FilmMart ......... 43

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From the editor

The Team Editor 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.

Spring has sprung!

JOURNALISTS With a welcomed quiet month of August behind us, we’re feeling refreshed and ready to take on a new season! Bring on the fresh ideas and new inspiration. The upcoming months promise to pack a much-needed creative punch, with the much-anticipated and always inspiring DISCOP Africa set to take place in October and PromaxBDA Africa following suit in November.

The Screen Africa team will be reporting on both these events – be sure to keep an eye out on the next few issues to see what went down.

I’m sure many of you are currently gearing up for the trip to this year’s IBC – taking place from 15 to 19 September at the RAI, Amsterdam. While our editorial team sadly won’t be heading over, Screen Africa’s sales associate Graham Grier will be there and our October issue will hold a comprehensive report back, encompassing new technologies, trends and conversations – not to be missed!

In this issue, our Broadcast Technology section sees Ian Dormer talk all things HDR in an eyeopening piece titled ‘The Other Format War’, be sure to check it out on pages 30 – 31. In the same section, editor Anthony Lee Martin gives his opinion, on pages 32 – 33, on embracing these ‘new’ technologies, including UHD and HDR, from a post-production perspective. Closing off the section is Grass Valley’s senior product manager, Cameras, Klaus Weber, who discusses SDR and HDR compatible workflows for live production.

In our film section we get into the making of the much-anticipated African musical feature She is King, as well as award-winning director, Akin Omotoso’s silent film A Hotel Called Memory.

Until next month!

– Chanelle Ellaya

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.

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

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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.

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OPINION

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Moviez – a new local website for cinema lovers

Ryan Haidarian

Our world is full of glitches that require the right entrepreneur to come along and see great business potential in...

“I

work in an area that has three Ster-Kinekor cinemas, a Nu Metro, a CineCentre, and a @ movies cinema all within a 7km radius. We love movies and go quite often, but every time we wanted to go, we had to open four tabs in a web browser to see all the showtimes at the different cinema chains as well as going to Metacritic to see reviews and metadata on the films we were interested in.”

“Now it’s all right there in one spot on moviez.co.za,” says Ryan Haidarian, cofounder of Forefront Media Group which recently set up a comprehensive film website for avid movie-goers, curbing the time wasted on multiple cinema sites.

The one-stop shop features all the main cinema chains in South Africa including Ster-Kinekor, Nu Metro, casino-based cinemas under @Movies as well as the Cine Centre chain.

On the homepage there are five tab options which include: Now Showing, Opening This Week, Coming Soon, Family Zone and Top Rated. These are also found under the Movie menu

section and are accompanied by a list of movies catered to each category.

So far the list includes international and local commercial movies showing nationwide, however through time and future improvements Haidarian would like to also feature independent cinemas.

“It’s definitely on the list of future features for our site – we’d love to have the Bioscope and The Labia and other independent cinemas have their showtimes displayed on moviez.co.za but right now they don’t have an API or feed to give us that our system can pull the data from automatically,” he comments.

Haidarian confirms that the process undergone to get these feeds from commercial cinemas has also not been an easy task.

“It’s been a long and challenging process as we’ve gone through six development teams. There have been numerous technical challenges with all of the different feeds that we

get from the different cinema chains and consolidating those into one seamless one that our site runs off.”

Clicking on any of the listed films takes the user to the specific movie page which includes the film’s poster, a trailer, synopsis and other metadata.

This page also includes a list of reviews received which can be clicked to access detailed reviews. There is also a rate card regarding the film via a specialised metacritic system.

“We use a rating system from metacritic that ranks all of the top films currently on circuit based on the scores that are given from global reviewers. Each film on our site that has been reviewed internationally has a rating associated with it that users can see in either a green, yellow or red box with a score between 0-100. These scores are also ranked from highest to lowest on the Top Rated page – in this way users can quickly go to that section of the site to see how each film currently on circuit ranks with reviewers, helping them make a decision on which film to watch,” explains Haidarian.

At the bottom of each movie page are the showtimes for the day as well as notification on which cinema is closest to the user at that very moment. The geo-location is also available immediately when you log on to the website. Users can let the site auto-detect their current

location and view a list of cinemas based on their proximity, or enter the location that they will be visiting later.

Another option is that users can just select their preferred mall and see all the showtimes of that specific location, or rather select a film and let the autodetector give you the cinema and latest showtime. Specialised cinema screening formats such as 2D, 3D, 4D and IMAX are also available options on the site.

More details on the functionality of the website can be found on the tutorial section of the website.

Moviez had a soft launch three months ago and has seen its users increase by 50 per cent each month confirms Haidarian. “We’ve been relying on users to spread the site via word of mouth and hope to see the site continue its growth trajectory,” he adds.

Moviez has a subscription newsletter which comes out before the end of each week regarding any updates and special offers at various cinemas for that weekend.

“The subscription list along with our social media platforms on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter are where we let our users know about new releases, special offers, ticket giveaways, etc.,” Haidarian shares.

More improvements and developments are envisioned for the site in the near future. However while the site is still in beta, users are urged to leave their suggestions and comments regarding any problems encountered on the site.

“We hope our next big feature will be the ability to purchase tickets on the site. We believe that users will love the ability to not only see the showtimes but to complete the purchase right there, making the process extremely convenient for audiences,” Haidarian concludes.

– Gezzy S Sibisi

“We hope our next big feature will be the ability to purchase tickets on the site. We believe that users will love the ability to not only see the showtimes but to complete the purchase right there, making the process extremely convenient for audiences.”

– Ryan Haidarian

September 2017

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STX Entertainment acquires Lalela production music catalogue On 9 August, STX Entertainment announced the acquisition of Lalela Music, a preeminent South African production music library for film, TV and other media. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

STX is the pioneering new next generation media company founded by movie mogul, Robert Simonds, producer of more than 30 studio pictures. Some of STX’s first hits include Bad Moms, Free State of Jones and The Edge of Seventeen with many more global releases coming soon.

Founded in 2009, Lalela Music is a production music library featuring top global composing talent, including South African composers like Themba Mkhize, Lungelo Lubelwana, Simon Sibanda, Gemini Major, Tebogo Motlhabi, Murray Anderson, Sean Pages, Mosoeu Ketlele, Godfrey Mgcina, Sole Essential, Rainier Potgieter, Zethu Mashika, Randall Jermaine Jean-Pierre, Nduduzo Makhathini, Joshua Maponga, Buhle Tonyela and many more. Its 28 000 cues have been used on major US networks (CBS, NBC, ABC and BBC), top shows (American Idol, Real Housewives of Beverly Hills and Catfish, among others), as well as premium cable networks HBO, Bravo, E!, MTV and Discovery, and in PlayStation 3 games. It has enjoyed

millions of performances on international TV networks, and has also been used in ads for premium brands such as Coca Cola and McDonalds, among others.

The catalogue is broad-ranging and diverse, featuring 260 albums that include a large collection of intense epic action music suitable for film trailers, as well as music for dramatic, comedy and reality underscore, as well as instrumental rock, pop, hiphop and house. The library also includes a number of unique South African tracks.

The deal is excellent news for the more than 150 composers represented, more than half of them South African, who will enjoy a new global highway for their music. They will benefit through performing rights societies

like SAMRO for many years to come.

In announcing the acquisition, Tom McGrath, chief operating officer of STX Entertainment said, “We are delighted to welcome Alan Lazar and the many top rank composers who constitute the Lalela catalogue to STX. Music is an increasingly important factor in the success of film and television and we believe will be even more so in the new emerging markets for Virtual Reality, non-linear video and social media-based programming. Lalela will be the foundation on which we build our production music library.”

With the acquisition, Alan Lazar, the current head of Lalela Music, will continue in this role and join STX Entertainment as senior director, Catalogue Music,

Grey Group acquires major stake in Hug Digital Grey Group has acquired a majority stake in Hug Digital, an independent regional digital marketing agency, based in the Middle East. Founded in 2009 by Oussama Jamal and Tim Baker, Hug Digital is one of the largest and fastest growing 360° digital agencies in the MENA region.

Hug Digital provides digital campaigns, social media content, influencer and activation marketing, web and mobile app development, media planning and buying as well as digital research, analysis and social listening.

“Grey Group’s acquisition of Hug Digital enhances our leadership position in the MENA creative and digital space,” said Nirvik Singh, chairman and CEO of Grey Group Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa. “It underscores Grey’s commitment to expand our offering and deliver quality, valueadded services to our clients.”

Headquartered in Dubai (UAE), with offices in Egypt and India, Hug employs 4 | SCREENAFRICA | September 2017

Oussama Jamal, Nirvik Singh and Tim Baker around 145 full-time staff. Their bluechip client roster includes more than 70 international, regional and local brands such as Americana (Hardees, TGI Fridays, Krispy Kreme), Al-Futtaim (Al Futtaim automotive group, Toyota,

Honda, Lexus), Majid Al Futtaim (Ski Dubai, Magic Planet, iFly, Little Explorer, LEGO), Commercial Bank of Dubai, Dubai Tourism, HMD Nokia, Shell, Festival City Group, Nestle’s Maggi, Clorox, Sarai

by MNHD and Emaar among others.

reporting to Jason Markey, STX executive vice president and head of Music. Markey added, “I am pleased to announce this acquisition and the newly created music catalogue division within STX Entertainment. The opportunities to collaborate musically with every group at STX hold limitless prospects. I am particularly pleased that my longtime friend Alan, is joining our family and helping us build this business.”

Lazar added, “I am very proud and excited to be working with STX and their music team to take the Lalela catalog to a whole new level. I look forward to continuing the relentless focus on creating excellent music composed by today’s best composers for audiences around the world.”

Lalela’s Cape Town team, led by executive manager Tanya Douman, will also remain in place. Lalela will continue a strong South African presence, where it is the preferred provider for many national clients. The deal will help provide Lalela’s clients with more production music of exceptional calibre.

The Lalela catalogue is available for third party licensing. Visit the website www.lalela.com for further information.

For more information, visit www.stxentertainment.com.

“We’re very excited about our new partnership,” stated Jamal. “We are eager to take our digital expertise and knowledge of the MENA region and scale this with WPP and the Grey Group. This acquisition will enable us to access resources that will expand our capabilities and accelerate our growth.”

As chairman and CEO respectively, Jamal and Baker will continue to head the Hug Digital operations whilst working closely with Singh to set the overall strategic digital growth plan for the region.

“This deal cements seven years of hard collective work from our dedicated team. We are proud to become part of the world’s largest communications group, WPP, partner with Grey and continue our digital journey with the same enthusiasm as the day we started hug Digital,” said Baker.

The acquisition will bring additional benefits to clients of Hug Digital, including access to Grey Group’s offerings in production, GreyWorks; its shopper-marketing agency, Grey DPI; and its highly-regarded creative and design technology company, Vinyl-I. Similarly, Grey Group’s clients from across the globe will benefit from the digital technology and local expertise of Hug Digital.

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Inxeba filmmakers respond to violent threats

A scene from Inxeba (The Wound)

Multi-award-winning South African film Inxeba (The Wound) has come under fire for its subject matter.

D

escribed by Variety magazine as “a milestone in South African cinema”, the film stars musician and novelist Nakhane Touré as Xolani, a lonely factory worker who joins the men of his community in the mountains of the Eastern Cape to initiate a group of teenage boys into manhood.

A small group of individuals have launched online attacks and threats directed at the cast and crew of the film via social media. They have taken exception to the film’s setting against the backdrop of Xhosa initiation rites.

There are also concerns that much of the criticism of the film – levelled by individuals who have not actually seen the film, and who are refusing to do so despite being given the opportunity by the filmmakers – is the result of hatred motivated by homophobia. The South African Constitution not only protects individuals’ rights to freedom of speech, but also outlaws discrimination based on sexual orientation.

“We view these inexcusable threats in a serious light, and we will be taking appropriate action against any individual who threatens violence or commits homophobic hate crimes,” says producer

Cait Pansegrouw, of Urucu Media.

“Inxeba has attracted much interest from the South African public, many of whom are eagerly anticipating its local release. From the feedback we receive daily on the film’s Facebook page, it is clear that the people attempting to shut the film down are speaking on behalf of a minority, and do not represent the ‘entire Xhosa nation’ as they claim.”

“Inxeba was filmed in isiXhosa and is a proudly South African film that has drawn much praise from audiences around the world,” she adds. “It is a story that focuses on the complex relationship between traditional patriarchy and LGBTQ identity, issues which we believe are essential to speak about in contemporary South Africa. While we respect the decision of anyone who chooses not to watch Inxeba, we are fiercely committed to protecting the rights of South Africans who choose to view it, and make up their own minds about the value and integrity of the film.”

The filmmakers have pointed out that the film is certainly not the first to provide a glimpse into initiation rituals.

Former President Nelson Mandela, in his book Long Walk to Freedom, describes

at length and in detail his experience of becoming a Xhosa man. The ritual was also depicted in the feature film biopic, of the same title, distributed worldwide and produced by Anant Singh’s Videovision.

In A Man Who Is Not a Man, written

by Thando Mgqolozana, a co-writer on Inxeba, the controversial topic of botched traditional circumcisions is covered, with the story recounting the personal trauma of a young Xhosa initiate after a rite-ofpassage circumcision has gone wrong.

Co-producer Batana Vundla has added his voice to those questioning the worrying nature of the threats of violence and death against the cast and crew. “There are a number of genuinely concerned Xhosa South Africans who are perturbed at the thought that the secret tradition of Ulwaluko has been cast open for the whole world to see. Rest assured, that has not happened. In fact, nothing could be further from the truth…”

Vundla adds that threats by homophobes and outright hate mongers have assured him that the film is and will be important for many years to come.

Musician and actor Nakhane Touré, who plays the lead in the film, has received several violent threats. “People have jumped to conclusions about a film they haven’t even seen. I speak as a Xhosa man who has been to initiation, and who is proud to have done so, when I say that no secrets are revealed. What

is being revealed instead is a violent homophobia. Those issuing threats are nowhere to be seen when Xhosa initiates are sexually assaulted during initiation...”

Producer Elias Ribeiro adds: “There is a wide misconception that Inxeba is a commercial enterprise and that those involved are getting rich from the exploitation of sacred customs.

This is absolutely untrue. Inxeba is a passion project for all of us. The film was made with a modest budget, and all individuals who participated did so out of a strong personal belief in what the film is saying, rather than being motivated by financial gain.”

The filmmakers have noted that Inxeba was made with the local support of the National Film and Video Foundation, an agency of the Department of Arts and Culture, the Department of Trade and Industry and M-Net, and has received a 16LS approval rating by the Film and Publications Board of South Africa. It will have a limited Foreign Language Academy Award qualifying run from 15 September and a nationwide release in February 2018.

The filmmakers are inviting interested individuals to watch the film and will be engaging with the appropriate stakeholders and representatives over the next few weeks to inform the debate.

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Five Fingers for Marseilles in competition at TIFF

Five Fingers for Marseilles

Five Fingers for Marseilles, a contemporary South African Western set in the rugged badlands of the Eastern Cape, will be in official competition at the 2017 Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), to be held from 7 to 17 September. This will also be the film’s world premiere.

T

IFF is one of the largest publicly attended film festivals in the world, attracting more than 480 000 people annually. The film will feature as part of TIFF’s Discovery programme line-up, which highlights up and comers around the world from 35 countries.

Directed by Michael Matthews and written by Sean Drummond, Five Fingers for Marseilles is a predominantly Sesotho, Western-inspired tale of an outlaw who returns home after years on the run, and finds a chance for redemption.

“A major motion picture of this scale, complexity and intent has never before been made in South Africa,” says producer Asger Hussain. “It’s the most complex, daring and ambitious undertaking that the local film industry has seen in a very long time. We are extremely excited to have a film of

6 | SCREENAFRICA | September 2017

this nature in competition at TIFF.” Vuyo Dabula heads an all-star cast that includes Hamilton Dhlamini, Zethu Dlomo, Kenneth Nkosi, Mduduzi Mabaso, Aubrey Poolo, Lizwi Vilakazi, Warren Masemola, Dean Fourie, Anthony Oseyemi, Brendon Daniels and Jerry Mofokeng. Cast by acclaimed casting director Moonyeenn Lee, the film also features people from local Eastern Cape communities in supporting roles, and introduces to the big screen Toka Mtabane, Vuyo Novokoza, Ntsika Tiyo, Sibusiso Bottoman, Abongile Sithole, and Qhawe Soroshi.

It tells the story of how, 20 years ago, the young Five Fingers fought for the rural town of Marseilles, against brutal police oppression. Now, after fleeing in disgrace, Tau returns, seeking peace. Finding the town under new

threat, he must reluctantly fight to free it. Will the Five Fingers stand again?

Writer Sean Drummond says the timing of the film is optimal. “Good Westerns always had socio-political undercurrents running through them,” says Drummond.

“By putting a highly entertaining, contemporary spin on this South African Western, the film explores subjects that resonate right now with many people.”

Five Fingers for Marseilles will be released in South Africa by Indigenous Film Distribution. “The film is a perfect fit for the much-respected festival’s independent spirit,” says Helen Kuun, CEO of Indigenous Film Distribution.

“Five Fingers for Marseilles will screen alongside new works from filmmakers known for taking stylistic and thematic risks with their work.”

Five Fingers for Marseilles was awarded

Best South African Film in Development at the Durban FilmMart’s finance forum in 2013. It was produced by Drummond and Matthews’ Be Phat Motel Film Company and Yaron Schwartzman and Asger Hussain of Game 7 Films, in association with Stage 5 Films and Above the Clouds.

Schwartzman and Hussain’s previous credits include TIFF competition title The Paperboy, starring Zac Efron, Nicole Kidman and Matthew McConaughey, as well as TIFF 2009 Audience Award winner, Precious. Five Fingers for Marseilles was also made possible with the backing of South Africa’s National Film & Video Foundation and the Department of Trade and Industry, and with additional support from Dupa Films.

“Given the scale of the film, we are aiming to carve a new a new path for high-value South African films aimed at both a local and world audience,” says Drummond.

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Latest Baselight for NUKE ensures perfect colour compliance in VFX

Tektronix helps content creators solve critical challenges capturing 4K/UHD, WCG, HDR content New technologies such as 4K, Wide Colour Gamut (WCG) and High Dynamic Range (HDR) allow video content creators to create stunning images and content for delivery to the home, but they also add considerable complexity to workflows. Tektronix, Inc., an innovator of video test and monitoring solutions, recently unveiled a comprehensive set of production tools to help content creators minimise and manage this complexity at its source – the camera.

In live environments, there is often a mix of HDR and SDR (Standard Dynamic Range) cameras used. When using traditional waveform monitors to balance these cameras, the different trace levels for the same luminance levels forces operators to do a lot of guess work as they try to balance the cameras. In studio or episodic production environments, there is a high cost associated with scene setup and luminance levels, therefore, operators and DOP’s (Director of Photography) need quick and consistent ways to set lighting using displays that provide measurements and levels that have a direct correlation to the relative light levels (Stops) rather than percentage scales available in traditional waveform displays. In addition, matching colours and skin tones across different colour spaces (BT2020 and BT709) is challenging when producing content in multiple formats which means operators need familiar displays (such as BT709 Vector display) that enable them to make these checks quickly and accurately across colour spaces.

As a software-based platform, PRISM offers a range of options and fieldinstallable upgrades for monitoring hybrid IP/SDI networks among many other applications. With the addition of the new 4K/WCG/HDR toolset, PRISM now becomes a comprehensive production solution specifically designed to address multi-format and multi-standard challenges. PRISM is the ideal HDR and WCG solution for camera acquisition in OB Vans and production studios.

8 | SCREENAFRICA | September 2017

Colour science and grading specialist, FilmLight is introducing a powerful new version of Baselight for NUKE at IBC2017. The plugin for the leading VFX software from The Foundry has been further enhanced to meet the requirements of creative artists working on collaborative projects.

With Baselight for NUKE, VFX artists quickly see the latest grade within the NUKE environment. The plugin can give access to the full Baselight grading toolkit where necessary, but the real power lies in its ability to recreate precisely the look from a full Baselight suite, so that it appears visually indistinguishable.

This is achieved through the use of Baselight’s BLG metadata format, which is used to transfer real-world complex grades including spatial operations such as shapes, and keyframes for grades that change over time.

The new release of Baselight for NUKE, built on the latest functionality from FilmLight’s Baselight 5.0, makes collaborative workflows even more powerful.

Baselight for NUKE 5.0 can load even more intricate grades delivered from a full Baselight system – including shots with multiple inputs, mixed formats or even numerous EXR channels. The BLG file now contains format mappings alongside the grade metadata and colour space information, so that even if the full Baselight grade uses material from multiple different sources, Baselight for NUKE will combine the elements using exactly the same grades and transforms.

This means that the individual elements of an animation – rotomattes, relighting and repositioning and so on – can be graded independently in Baselight, with the final grade fully replicated for all elements in NUKE; this would allow, for example, the colourist to set colours using an albedo (flat colour) pass, then overlay it with textures for specular highlights to match complex virtual lighting.

Dejero and Intelsat partner on a new solution to deliver reliable video transmissions solution Dejero, an innovator in cloud-managed solutions that provide IP video transport and Internet connectivity while mobile or in remote locations, has announced a partnership with Intelsat (NYSE; I), a world leader in providing integrated satellite communications. The collaboration provides broadcasters with a new blended cellular and Ku-band IP solution for live television coverage from remote locations.

Dejero CellSat leverages Dejero’s patented network blending technology to combine cellular connectivity from multiple mobile network carriers with Ku-band IP connectivity provided by Intelsat. This gives CellSat users the required bandwidth and greater confidence to go live from virtually anywhere. If the bandwidth available from cellular connections dips due to network congestion or other factors, CellSat automatically blends in Ku-band IP satellite connectivity to boost bandwidth to the requested level for the live shot.

The Dejero CellSat solution communicates with the satellite terminal auto-acquire system to simplify the satellite connection process. There is no need to schedule satellite time, saving crews valuable time and removing the constraint of broadcasting within a certain time window. In addition to managing the fluctuating bandwidth of individual cellular connections, CellSat software dynamically allocates satellite bandwidth for optimal performance.

The Dejero CellSat solution includes pre-certified encoding and receiving equipment, network blending software, connectivity services to the CellSat network, cloud management, and 24/7 technical support.

Most satellite vehicles with existing Ka-band or Ku-band satellite equipment can be upgraded for compatibility with Dejero CellSat.

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TECHNOLOGY NEWS

Ikegami launches UHK-435 camera at IBC 2017 Ikegami, the leading manufacturer of specialised cameras, image processing and transmission equipment, recently announced that it has launched the latest addition to its UNICAM XE series the UHK-435. Alongside this Ikegami will exhibit a range of updates to its existing product line at IBC 2017.

The UHK-435 is the world’s first 2/3-inch 3-CMOS sensor 4K/HD studio camera. It captures the extended depth of By 2020 more than 40 million consumers around the world are projected to be watching field required for studio and outdoor production and can be close to 250 linear UHD channels, a figure that doesn’t include VOD or OTT UHD used with B4 bayonet-mount large studio or OB lenses. The services. A complete UHD playout and delivery solution from Harmonic, with support camera delivers wide dynamic range and wide colour gamut, for standardised HDR formats, will help service providers meet that demand. fully supporting HLG (Hybrid Log-Gamma) conforming to HDR Harmonic employs existing, proven technologies to build a flexible framework International Standard (ITU-R BT). UNICAM XE series peripherals for the processing of UHD services. Key to the solution are UHD-ready, realsuch as the CCU-430 camera control unit, VFL 701 D 7-inch full HD time Harmonic systems including the Spectrum™ X advanced media server, LCD viewfinder and 7.4-inch OLED viewfinder are fully compatible Electra™ VS convergent video platform and ProMedia® Origin multiscreen with the UHK-435. The viewfinder can be positioned close to the video server. UHD HEVC contribution is available with our ViBE® CP9000 extended line of the optical axis. Interfaces are available for a wide encoder, and cloud-native UHD media processing via Harmonic’s VOS™ range of signal protocols including Quad 3G-SDI, 12G SDI and IP. Cloud solution and VOS 360 SaaS is coming soon. Offline workflows are With HDR taking centre stage, the latest addition to Ikegami’s Unicam managed with the WFS™ file-based workflow engine and ProMedia HD camera series the HDK-73, which was launched at NAB 2017, will Xpress file-based transcoder. Polaris™ playout automation and the now boast HDR compatibility. The camera, which features F13 (1080i50) Harmonic MediaGrid shared storage system round out the offering. high sensitivity 2/3-inch CMOS sensors with exceptional picture quality in The Harmonic UHD solution integrates all phases of the broadcast either 1080i or 720p, now features a HLG hybrid log gamma for HDR picture chain, including file ingest, collaborative post-production, encoding, origination. This new feature means it is now possible to shoot a scene with high highspeed transcoding and time-shift TV. This integrated approach makes dynamic range without losing gradation in the highlights. it possible to stream UHD VOD content over standard IP networks with hooks to digital rights management (DRM), watermarking and content management systems (CMS), and to quickly and cost-effectively deploy a linear UHD channel over existing DTH, cable and telco networks.

With a Harmonic UHD solution, content providers, broadcasters and pay-TV operators can grow their capabilities at a pace that makes sense for their business. Migrate from file-based VOD downloading to adaptive bitrate (ABR) streaming of UHD assets over the internet, and, when ready, add live broadcast UHD streaming capability, complete with logo and digital program insertion, full automation and channel redundancy.

Harmonic and UHD

Richie Ebrahim joins Fujifilm Richie Ebrahim recently joined Fujifilm, as sales manager of the Optical Device Division, looking after the African market including Sub-Saharan Africa. Whilst his role involves sales of the Fujifilm brand into Africa, he will also be assisting local representatives based in South Africa, as well as adding value to the brand’s after sales support network. “I look forward to assisting you with any information or sales enquiries you may have relating to your broadcast and cine lenses,” says Ebrahim.

Ebrahim joined MediaGuru over three years ago and assisted the company in establishing a strong presence in the African market. “I am glad to say that I have been responsible for many successful projects in both East and West Africa. My time spent working for MediaGuru and WASP3D was an amazing experience and has given me insight into a market where I have established many relationships within the broadcast industry.”

Ritchie Ebrahim

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Tulips and Chimneys prove they’re worth their salt with new Cerebos animation Snow, Tulips and Chimneys’ new animation, is the first television commercial in over 20 years for Cerebos, South Africa’s favourite salt brand.

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hey jumped at the opportunity to add another iconic South African brand to their reel, which includes work for the likes of All Gold, Bakers Biscuits, Clover and M-Net. “We’re just waiting on Ouma Rusks now,” says director Ree Treweek with a laugh.

The FCB Durban spot tells the story of Mpho, a little girl who dreams of snow, despite living in the Karoo. Her grandparents intervene to help her dream come true – with a little help from Cerebos (cue their classic ‘see how it runs’ tagline).

A lot of thought went into the shape of the characters. “Mpho is shaped like an upside-down triangle,” says Treweek. “Her cuteness factor largely comes from her having such a big head in relation to her body and her tiny feet. Her grandma on the other hand is bell-shaped, completely the opposite or rather the reverse of Mpho.

Her shape is an ode to her larger-thanlife personality. She is definitely the matriarch of the family. Gramps on the other hand is a skinny bean of a man.

He takes up very little space in the house and is quiet and unassuming.

However, he observes everything so closely and in the end it’s his patient tinkering and exquisite mind that brings so much joy to Mpho and Grandma.”

To create Snow’s distinct look, Tulips and Chimneys used a combination of stop motion and CG, creating the miniatures in-house and collaborating with BlackGinger on the animation.

“We tried to stay true to the stylised, comical, and carefully-thought-through designs but to source many different materials to bring a feel of realism into them through textures and finishes,” says set designer Cristina Salvoldi.

It took a team of three a month to put together the miniature set, as just building the lounge required 24 different types of material and 31 loose items were created just to dress the kitchen.

Treweek says they particularly enjoyed coming up with the touches for the set that were truly South African, like pumpkins drying out on the red roof of the Karoo farm house; dishwashing liquid in the kitchen reminiscent of

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Cerebos commercial Sunlight; old ginger beer bottles typically found in farmsteads; and a coat hanger being used as the TV aerial.

Executive producer Nina Pfeiffer credits the agency with the wonderful touch of the titles for Mpho’s books, which all play into her obsession with snow, from Snowden to Jack Frost to Feeding Your Penguin.

“It’s these tiny touches that makes the spot so special,” says Pfeiffer. “For example, we took great care in the design and ageing of the 1950’s couch in the lounge. It’s quite obviously been sat on for years and grandma carefully crocheted the doilies to prevent greasy hair staining the couch.”

Treweek says they also had a lot of fun set-decorating the exterior shots.

“The textured ground was a mixture of sand, tiny pebbles and tea! We then added hundreds of tiny sprigs of rosemary that lead up to the larger bushes that were created with moss died different colours. We grouped various elements together and then gently made them bleed into the other elements to create arrangements that appeared true to nature even though our plant designs were stylised.”

“We couldn’t be happier with the result,” says FCB Durban creative director, Brandon Govender. “We wanted something out of the ordinary and decided it simply had to be animated. Tulips and Chimneys are the best in the business, and we’ve truly

enjoyed working with them to bring the characters and story to life. It’s been a real labour of love for all involved.”

Treweek hails from Kokstad, which she literally puts on the map during a weather update in the ad. “I am determined to make that little town where I grew up in the middle of nowhere famous,” she says.

Snow marks another success for Treweek and Pfeiffer, who will be celebrating their 10-year creative partnership this year. Readers will remember their early work when they still traded as Shy the Sun, with such hits as The Curse of the Sad Mummy for League of Legends, which now has over 13m YouTube views.

Tulips and Chimneys is a rare femaleled studio in an animation industry where, according to Cartoon Brew, every major animated film released in 2017 will be directed by a man, and where 91 of out 92 major US animated releases of the decade so far have had at least one male director, with Jennifer Yu’s Kung Fu Panda 2 the only exception directed solely by a woman.

“The team on the set of our miniature shoot was almost entirely female apart from the DOP, Johan Horjus, and his DIT, Ken Mehrtens,” says Pfeiffer. “At one moment, the scene suddenly resembled a zombie apocalypse as all us females started to encircle Ken – the last man standing... In reality though, it was just the fantastic footage on the monitor we wanted to see.”

While the final product is definitely family friendly, Ree says the making of wasn’t always. “In the final audio session with Markus Wormstorm, we had to sit through a series of audio recordings of women ‘gasping’ in pleasure while he tried to source a gasp of surprise for Mpho. It turns out musical libraries are a lot more sexy than we thought.”

Treweek’s hoping it won’t be another 20 years before Cerebos returns to TV screens (or whatever has replaced them by then). “Mpho’s sidekicks are three chickens that ended up stealing the show,” she says. “We absolutely love them and are hoping we have the opportunity to develop their stories further down the line.”

– Kevin Kriedemann

KEY CREW Client: Cerebos Agency: FCB Durban Creative Directors: Brandon Govender, Declan Sharp Art Director: Declan Sharp Directed by: Tulips & Chimneys Animation Studio: BlackGinger Sound Studio: Honeymoon Studios

OPINION

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Motion picture’s digital revolution and how it impacts the commercial production industry Written by Glen Bosman,

Image credit: www.microfilm.net

executive producer, Catapult Commercials

Today, filmmaking has little to do with film. Digital technology has advanced so much that we can shoot quality video on our phones and share it on social media in seconds.

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ameras the size of our hands can capture night scenes with almost eyesight clarity; technology that’s decreased our dependence on analogue processes, but dramatically increased our data usage and necessitated the adoption of complex and often laborious data management systems.

Here we’ll explore how the digital evolution has changed the way production companies manage footage, the procedures they should adopt to keep data secure, and where this new era of data management is taking the industry.

Evolving from film to digital The progression from film to digital has changed, among other things, the way production companies approach, cost, and finish a shoot. Previously, when shooting on film, they’d choose the appropriate stock and send it to the lab for processing. But when shooting digitally, the decision of stock is largely covered by the choice of camera and its settings, like resolution, aspect ratio, bit depth, bit ratio and compression.

Digital technology also changes the workflow. With faster turnaround times, production can save time and

money by delivering part of the postproduction on set, like the offline edit, and even part of the grade. This means that high volumes of data are being loaded directly onto the camera’s SD cards; a process that necessitates stringent data management procedures just to secure the raw footage.

Data management methodology Throughout production, a strict process must be followed to ensure that data is safe and insurable. To encourage industry industry-wide commercial-production protocol in this area, the Commercial Producers Association’s executive committee member, Glen Bosman, compiled a Digital Production Manual on the Association’s behalf, to cover data management workflow in detail.

In the manual, he lists a comprehensive methodology that covers everything from setup and gear testing, to shooting, safety protocols, the return of data to the workstation, and transcoding.

It’s a rich and invaluable guide in this relatively new and complex space.

Despite its scope, Bosman emphasises that the booklet is ‘a guideline and should be used as such’. At the rate that the digital world is changing, the

role of production companies and professionals is changing all the time – into an environment that requires constant skills development and the habit of keeping one’s ear to the ground.

New expertise requirements Processes aren’t the only thing that have changed. Since the onset of the digital revolution, two key professionals have emerged: Data Wranglers (DWs) and Digital Imaging Technicians (DITs). While there may be some overlap in these roles, their responsibilities are quite different.

DWs, for instance, have detailed knowledge of how footage is stored, coded, and processed, and they’re responsible for collecting, duplicating, and managing the data between cameras, SD cards, and hard drives.

A DIT on the other hand, is a DW who understands how the data, camera, and footage work together, which is specialised expertise that also supports the camera crew in capturing the most effective shots. On big productions, a DIT may also supervise and be responsible for several DWs. As cameras become more automated, the services needed from these specialists continue to change. The traditional DIT role is evolving away from button pushing and exposure checking to luxury quality control. The responsibilities of DWs on the other hand, are increasing as the demand for storage increases. Who knows what their roles will be five years from now?

The future of data management

between two cameras. But the ability to move this data is limited by existing technologies and their affordability.

Anyone who’s worked in a production space knows how much time is consumed by managing storage devices, transferring data, and rendering footage.

Soon, we’ll be managing volumes higher than this, and the costs and pressures will increase with it. Already we’re seeing, on reality shows and studio productions, how teams of DWs work in 24-hour cycles, swapping out and picking up where others have left off. This mirrors through to commercial sets, where the available technology can’t process the material fast enough.

Manpower, electricity and security are required non-stop, either through mobile data labs, or by securely transporting footage to off-set facilities.

DITs and gear houses managing big data like this supply equipment costing well over US$2000/day; a factor that is spurring new business models, skill requirements, and technological advancements to the industry.

A constantly evolving industry Motion picture production has come a long way in the last decade and it’s not stopping or even slowing down. Roles are changing, technology is developing, and new skills are needed every day.

That’s why, sometimes, it’s important to take a moment to reflect on how far we’ve come… And look with excitement at just how far we’re yet to go.

A single day on set can easily generate four to eight terabytes of footage September 2017

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Scenes from Mafikizolo’s music video for their song Love Potion

Aquafresh and Mafikizolo collaborate

on new music video Unconventional pairing can work when done through a “fresh” approach as seen in this collaboration on Mafikizolo’s latest music video for the song Love Potion, with toothpaste brand Aquafresh.

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quafresh had just launched their new variant of Extreme Clean: Lasting Fresh. We were looking for content that would demonstrate ‘freshness that lasts’ and what could be more fresh than one of South Africa’s most loved bands dropping their latest music video?,” shares Angie Hattingh, creative director from the design and creative digital agency, Havas Boondoggle.

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Mafikizolo which is an afro-pop duo consisting of Theo Kgosinkwe and Nhlanhla Nciza, has been able to sustain themselves in the entertainment industry by constantly evolving their sound and style sense through the years in order to stay relevant. After three years of being out of the game, the band wanted to make a stellar comeback with the title track, Love Potion from their new album.

Aquafresh is an optimistic, vibrant brand says Hattingh, and with the help of

their marketing manager, Refilwe Ralefeta, who has a strong vision for the brand, the creative team at Havas Boondoggle sees more room for collaboration between Mafikizolo and Aquafresh.

“Aquafresh is a well-loved, family brand. Mafikizolo are a rare breed in the music industry in that they have a very strongly positive image that resonates across ages. They, like Aquafresh, are a household brand loved by millions,” affirms Hattingh.

The partnership deal includes an Aquafresh-Mafikizolo website where the Love Potion music video can be viewed exclusively. “We wanted to create a place for Aquafresh fans to experience fresh Mafikizolo content while learning about Aquafresh Extreme Clean Lasting Fresh. Music videos released on exclusive platforms have become quite popular over the past year internationally and

we wanted to experiment with the same thinking,” informs Hattingh.

The site also includes exclusive behind-the-scenes videos, downloadable autographed wallpapers and competitions where viewers can win Aquafresh hampers.

“Mafikizolo had the vision to make the video like a fairy-tale... something like beauty and the beast... just without the beast! Together we wanted to weave Afro-futurist aesthetics and West African dance with baroque interior design,” says director Garth von Glehn.

Mafikizolo also wanted to fuse the idea of a fashion film/music video and looked into von Glehn’s fashion portfolio for inspiration.

The look and feel they wanted to achieve is “regal afro-futurist,” explains von Glehn. “We just mashed

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up a few different eras for this video.

1600’s French/Italian Baroque meets current day Masai and a touch of somewhere in the future.”

In the video Nciza and Kgosinkwe play the Queen and King persona with their loyal servants serving, pampering and entertaining them.

In another scene, Nciza is seen being given an ornate gift box with an Aquafresh toothpaste in it. The rest of the film is a showcase of the beautiful Masai garments worn by guests and servants as they feast and dance the night away.

Wardrobe and styling duties were done by Lufuno Sathekge and her team. Together they made every item

of clothing in the video apart from Nciza’s dresses, informs von Glehn.

“It was kind of outrageous. I went into the wardrobe room at one point and there was a tailor straight up conjuring new pieces on a sewing machine while we shot!,” he exclaims.

Celebrity make-up artist Nthato Mashishi did Nciza’s looks and plays a cameo role in the video as well.

The video was shot on the Alexa mini at 1/50th second. This was the first time that von Glehn has attempted to shoot in this aspect ratio as he is used to shooting in shutter speeds, he shares.

Lighting set-ups were kept simple for the shoot with HMIs and some diffusion frames used to keep the source close and soft, von Glehn explains.

Von Glehn’s production company, Flourish and Multiply handled all post-production duties.

Aquafresh officially launched the Extreme Clean Lasting Fresh toothpaste on 20 July 2017, and Mafikizolo are said to release their album before the end of September this year.

– Gezzy S Sibisi

TECH CHECK EQUIPMENT • Camera: Arri Alexa Mini

KEY CREW Director: Garth von Glehn DP: Karl Schmidt of Green Haus Films Choreographer: @litchi_hov Stylist: Lufuno Sathekge Makeup & Styling: Nthato Mashishi

“Aquafresh is a well-loved, family brand. Mafikizolo are a rare breed in the music industry in that they have a very strongly positive image that resonates across ages.

They, like Aquafresh, are a household brand loved by millions.” – Angie Hattingh September 2017

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How brands should deal with becoming targets of fake news Written by Louise Marsland

One of the major marketing communications trends for 2016/2017 is that consumers expect brands today to take a stand on important issues, be socially responsible and comment on current events. Advertising agencies have social media newsrooms and brands have social media war rooms so that they can position themselves in the conversation. But what if that conversation is fake? What if brands become the target of fake news? How do their marketing teams and ad agencies respond?

Mike Abel

As the founder and CEO of advertising agency, M&C Saatchi, Mike Abel, explains: “People want to believe the worst, people are not discerning enough. Sensationalism sells and fake news has fertile ground to propagate on with social media.”

Abel agrees that as an advertising agency, they need to have far more “deep and meaningful conversations” with their clients about fake news, reputational damage and about having well defined strategies in place if they are caught up in the fake news maelstrom.

It is also the fault of some brands that people want to believe the worst, as Abel points out, citing the example of the “abominable handling” by Ford of the Ford Kuga car fires. “It allows a conversation that may not be factual to follow that conversation and becomes one of many examples of where people can attach their own stories to it.”

Branding in a ‘post-truth’ era

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s a quote most often attributed to Mark Twain, states: “A lie can travel halfway around the world before the truth gets its boots on.”

Fake news cannot be anticipated, controlled and often goes viral with its click bait headlines and inflammatory content. Earlier this year, AdWeek in the US put it bluntly: “Brands should prepare to be the next collateral damage”. They go as far as accusing unscrupulous advertisers of practically inventing fake news: “When consumers begin to question the legitimacy of ads, the result is a depreciating effect for brands.”

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Abel advises brands to be explicit, meaningful and concise in their conversations with customers. “Brands need to be incredibly prepared in terms of their values, who they associate themselves with. This notion of ‘post-truth’ shows us that facts are less important in shaping opinion and personal attitude is driving ‘facts’, rather than actual facts driving facts.”

This is no more apparent than in the rise of social media. Says Abel: “With social media being what it is today, and every consumer in the world literally having a soapbox in their hands in

terms of their mobile phones, how do you manage your own narrative, how do you extricate yourself, and create a platform for robust discussion?”

Nando’s does it very well, Abel says, becoming South Africa’s moral compass through humour and satire, “speaking truth to power”. But where are the other brands, he asks? Where is the conversation about brands spending money with discredited media? Brands also have a responsibility to be authentic and real in everything they do these days.

In the best brand example recently, MiWay insurance was the target of a fake email campaign generated by a disgruntled customer. The email was racist in nature and generated an outcry on Twitter when it surfaced, with many customers of the brand saying they would move their business elsewhere.

The insurance company responded swiftly, denying the email came from them and clarifying that it was fake and generated by an unhappy customer.

“We are tracing the source of this fake content on social media and will take strong and appropriate action against anyone using our brand to disseminate offensive and derogatory comments,” the company said in a statement at the time.

The email, which also named two MiWay employees, had, however, already gone viral under the hashtag #miwayracism and generated massive negative publicity for the brand and for the insurance industry in general. The disgruntled client, who was traced and found to have had his claim rejected, met with and apologised to the insurance company subsequently. MiWay in turn acknowledged that its communication with the client could have been better and they gave the client the option to make the public apology to MiWay and the two employees implicated in the fake email, or face legal action.

In terms of the agreement, the perpetrator also agreed to give talks at MiWay’s CSI initiatives about the dangers of social media, which was a savvy move by the brand after having its name tarnished unfairly.

And they took the moral high ground in not laying charges against him.

Crisis communications strategy Not all brands are fortunate in having damaging fake news so publically resolved and for many, real damage is done to the bottom line and brand loyalty. Brands need to have a strategy in place:

1. A fake news strategy should be part of every crisis communications plan and brand reputation management. And everyone responsible for a brand should understand how fake news arises and how to deal with it when you are targeted.

2. Develop a sense for fake news and urban legends as well as hoaxes circulating on social media and, understand how they emerge, whether around key events or trends or memes.

3. Brands also need to work with platform owners and key influential media owners to verify and debunk fake news across platforms.

4. Nothing on the internet ever dies. Be prepared for fake news to rise from the dead like zombies. Given how politicised social media is becoming and how trolls use it for fun to destroy people and brands, always be prepared to become part of the story, real or fake.

5. Brand newsrooms which drive engagement with quality content and content that is sharable, should be the goal of every brand and their communications partners.

Companies like GE, Reebok and NASA are cited by NewsWhip. com as being great examples of brands doing just that.

6. When something goes wrong, don’t blame a junior employee. No one respects senior managers or CEOs who do not take responsibility for what happens in their organisation. It erodes brand trust internally and externally.

7. A trusted brand can bank that trust in the good times and rely on it to some extent during times of crisis. Always be authentic and sincere in communication, have values that the consumer knows about, it may be enough to generate goodwill if a fake news scandal blows up your brand.

8. Don’t support untrustworthy sites and discredited media sources. Why add fuel to the fake news fire? Marketers are also responsible for creating trusted communication and content.

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Women in advertising chair a transformation and upliftment affair Transformation within the creative industry starts with formulating the proper channels, beginning with the mentorship stage, and working towards creating valuable partnerships that will ultimately cultivate you within your leadership roles, allowing you to uplift others as well.

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imone Bosman has gone full circle, from her days of working as a PA for a Cape Town production house, to partnering with film and ad industry female powerhouses – Melina McDonald and Lorraine Smit – to establish Molo Sana Films.

“Through the years I have been fortunate to have direct mentorship and guidance under my then HOD’s who were Jeni Cole, Nicola Martin, Janet Sender, Cindy Gabriel, Debbie Dannheisser and now my business partners Melina McDonald and Lorraine Smit of Darling Films,” shares Bosman.

Recently Bosman decided to take on and initiate another project, when she, together with other influential industry women – TBWA Hunt Lascaris’ executive creative director Jenny Glover and FCB Africa’s creative director Suhana Gordhan – launched their first Open Chair event.

“The inspiration for the event was largely goaded by the fact that our SA advertising and marketing industry lacked a platform wherein women (young and senior) can come together to share their experiences and help each other. All three of us were fortunate enough to have worked with and been mentored by strong industry women in our careers. However there are large amounts of younger women

Founder of Molo Sana Films and co-founder of Open Chair, Simone Bosman who do not have that access as there are very few women on the top.”

Open Chair was established with the aim of occupying the empty chairs in the industry with more women leaders.

Keynote speaker at the first Open Chair was head of Facebook Africa, Nunu Ntsingila-Njeke, who presented the attending ladies with startling and thought-provoking figures which state that only 3 per cent of females are leading the advertising industry despite the fact that 70 to 80 per cent of the purchasing power lies with women. That is not enough, said Ntshingila-Njeke; we need to ensure that women continue to grow.

“We were honoured to have our first event opened by the mother of advertising, Nunu Ntshingila-Njeke

who shared valuable insights about the role of women in our industry and urged us as women to start advocating for more women to be groomed into senior positions,” comments Bosman.

While mentor, Fran Luckin was celebrated for making history as the first South African woman to serve as a Jury President at Cannes Lions.

Co-founder of Open Chair and ‘Chair Aunty’ of the Loeries, Suhana Gordhan took the time to thank the other mentors for their attendance which included Dani Heyns, Mukondi Ralushayi, Nkagbiseng Motau, Lorraine Smit, Melina McDonald, Kirsten Leeuw, Jana Hamman, Vanessa Maselwa, Neo Segola, Thithi Nteta, Mariana O’Kelly, Masego Motsogi and Gugu Nkabinde.

Speaking on the inclusion of more female figures Bosman expands: “It was imperative to include more senior females from our industry so as to show the scale and magnitude of women doing great things already. The three of us are not the only industry leaders; there are many more women who have paved the way for us to be here today.”

It was also clear that there was a need for such an initiative as the call for young and eager individuals who were either interning or would like to grow into the industry was greatly received. “We received an overwhelming response from the younger women to attend and it was a clear indication that they are yearning for mentorship,” says Bosman.

“Younger women should not back down from their ideas and should never be intimidated by their seniors but rather see their views as a challenge to excel,” she also advised.

The event included a ‘speed dating’ session whereby leaders in the industry sat down as mentors with juniors and aspiring creatives for 9-minutes rotating in an attempt to offer these hopefuls the motivation and encouragement they need to one day reach the hot seat.

“The feedback has been overwhelming and heart-warming. We definitely will host more events in the near future so that we can keep the relationship growing,” says Bosman.

Bosman also shared that she and her co-founders at Open Chair would like to see to it that the initiative becomes an institution for all women across the continent to access and exchange information and opportunities, and that hopefully this drive will cross over to other industries.

“By simply allowing access for younger ladies to engage with senior women gave them the encouraging boost to not be afraid to work towards a bigger goal.

That they too, have the power to be the next CEO. We just need to support each other all the way up,” Bosman concludes.

– Gezzy S Sibisi

“The inspiration for the event was largely goaded by the fact that our SA advertising and marketing industry lacked a platform wherein women (young and senior) can come together to share their experiences and help each other.” – Simone Bosman September 2017

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Innovative B-BBEE and skills fresh perspectives to the SA

It has been said that the human soul weighs 21 grams. By collaboratively harnessing and leveraging its inherent power, the creative impact is immeasurable and far-reaching.

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his is what the dynamic creative ‘incubator’ initiative, Sum of 21 Academy, of creative consultancy Etiket Brand Design, has proven over and over in the academy’s relatively short lifespan of a year.

“Under the guidance and direction of professional Etiket teams, Sum of 21 nurtures and empowers young creative souls through 12-month learnerships and internships to reimagine their futures while bringing fresh ideas and perspectives into the South African advertising and creative landscape. It also allows Etiket to play a meaningful role in the transformation environment as well as in alleviating the serious skills shortage in the creative industry,” CEO Janhendrik Oosthuizen points out.

Unique positioning “The fact that Sum of 21 is not run as a normal internal learnership/ internship programme but rather as a completely separate entity that creates and generates its own business and has its own clients, makes it truly unique,” reckons Oosthuizen.

Even more important (and innovative) is that, instead of tapping into clients’ marketing budget to remunerate Sum of 21, this skills development initiative is serviced through BEE spend from corporate South Africa. “The reality is that, even though marketing budgets are the first to go in tough economic times, B-BBEE budgets cannot be cut. If you do not spend according to B-BBEE targets, you simply don’t reach the required levels, impacting negatively on your company; and corporate South Africa needs new and innovative solutions as a conduit for their B-BBEE budgets.”

“In return for channelling its B-BBEE spend through Sum of 21 in the form of Skills Development (SD), Enterprise and Supplier and Development (ESD) and Socio-Economic Development (SED), Sum of 21 clients receive ‘creative hours’ 16 | SCREENAFRICA | September 2017

Sum of 21 Academy interns and learners

to execute proper marketing briefs and projects. We use these creative hours to produce marketing outputs and collateral required by our clients – without them having to touch their marketing budgets.”

“Besides being a very exciting business model, it is proving to be a formidable differentiating factor. The reality is that, up to now, the progress in terms of B-BBEE spend has been very limited.

While the B-BBEE spirit and codes are laudable, the way in which they are implemented falls short. For companies it has become a ‘grudge spend’, as they feel they cannot track return on investment because they traditionally get very little back on their spend.”

“By investing their B-BBEE spend in our academy, companies not only act socially responsibly and fulfil their B-BBEE obligations, they also get significant marketing outputs in return. Clients clearly like the idea of having an alternative platform for their B-BBEE spend. At the same time, Sum of 21 realises its twofold objective, namely providing real-life jobs for the interns and learners and secondly securing a strong income stream – the lifeline that keeps the whole initiative going,” Oosthuizen stresses.

Mutually beneficial He goes on to explain that through hands-on mentorship and other training programmes by Etiket’s seasoned professionals, the skills of Sum of 21’s

interns and learners, in all the disciplines, are finely honed to seamlessly advance them into career roles. The professionals, on the other hand, are consistently exposed to fresh, invigorating and relevant ideas and insights. “We learn just as much from them as what they learn from us, so the symbiotic relationship is mutually beneficial.”

Sum of 21 does not, however, want to compete with existing learning institutions at all, he stresses. “Our interns and learners already have a tertiary qualification, but not necessarily design thinking capability. This is what we wish to instil in them. We want to teach them to use their theoretical and design skills to become creative problems solvers.”

According to Oosthuizen, a further entrepreneurial-based learnership is envisaged to follow after and complements the initial 12-month learnership/internship, specifically aimed at people who consider creating their own businesses in the creative industry.

Carmen Gunkel adds: “Because we are looking for people who are not cut from the same cloth to ensure that we assemble a group with as diverse a range of skills as possible, Sum of 21 is the fruition of a lengthy and rigorous recruitment process.” Formerly a programme manager for the graphic design department of the Design School of Southern African, she was specifically sourced and employed by Etiket as Academic and Business Head to formalise and structure their nurturing

initiative. Ably assisting her is Sum of 21 creative director Karen Steenkamp.

“It’s really about giving young creative/design/marketing graduates the opportunity to get a foot into a creative agency by going through a 12-month grooming process where, at the end of it, they’re simply much more employable than what they were when they joined us. In the same breath, we learn from them,” Gunkel points out.

“We started off with small groups of learners, seven of whom have already completed the programme and who are now formally employed

by Etiket. We are very proud of these appointments,” she adds.

Once a month, the learners also attend classes for 3-4 days, provided by an external service provider, so that, at the end of the 12-month training period, they are equipped with a Level 4 Marketing Communication qualification.

Since the initial small intake, a further 20 interns and unemployed learners (plus one employed learner), with skills and qualifications in multiple disciplines ranging from design, radio, PR, and journalism to strategic communication and business administration, have been recruited for training by Sum of 21 over the past year.

“To create a well-rounded, miniagency or incubator that can service a wide range of clients and projects without having to acquire the services of any additional people, the team is specifically divided into ten interns and ten learners.

OPINION

| ADCETERA

development initiative brings advertising and creative landscape They typically make up the entire team of account executives, business developers, project and production assistants, designers, copywriters, developers and the like,” Gunkel explains.

Sum of 21 has been contracted to the relevant Setas (training governing bodies) which govern the academy’s learnerships and internships in terms of policies, procedures, structures and implementation plans, including budgets, she adds.

“Besides nurturing and growing interns with design/creative qualifications, we also consider young people who don’t have the right qualifications or who fall just short of entering into the creative industry. We take these rough diamonds and nurture and polish them to a point where they really have awesome portfolios. Often they are the

ones who surprise us daily with their creativity and strategic thinking, and both Karen and I are constantly over the moon with their innovative ideas.”

In terms of design skills, the learners’ training covers a phenomenal range: from traditional lay-out, design and illustrative skills in both traditional mediums and digital, to photography, video producing and editing skills. They are well-versed in multimedia, 3D modelling, stand rendering and design, conceptual space design and building and animating characters, according to Steenkamp.

A few of them have also mastered front- and back-end programme development, including HTML, Java, etc.

“Most invigorating is the way the learners and interns pull off amazing projects by effortlessly integrating, sharing and working together,” says

Steenkamp. “No matter what the challenge is or what we throw at them, they never complain or come with excuses why they could not deliver.

They simply put shoulder to the wheel and work with tremendous enthusiasm in order to produce fantastic results.”

Briefs, projects Steenkamp says briefs and projects from clients come directly to Sum of 21, not via Etiket. “Together, the integrated team then delivers the work and builds excellent relationships with the clients.

The clients are often pleasantly surprised when they get far more back than what they had bargained for. The freshness and vigour displayed in the work of the learners and interns have been a recurring theme in clients’ feedback.”

“We believe very strongly in what our learners and interns bring to the table with them: not just a qualification, not just a specific set of skills, but a wellrounded look at life. This we nurture, develop and pour into the job spec so that the creative soul exponentially amplifies its weight and power by the time they leave,” she adds.

Oosthuizen concludes: “We are exceptionally and pleasantly surprised by the skillsets that lie within Sum of 21.

They bring a young and dynamic energy into play. We could tap into their skills and have used concepts that they have produced in a number of pitches to clients. The interns and the learners are in fact giving the Etiket team members a good a run for their money!”

– Wilma de Bruin

Women in advertising In a highly transformative and evolving industry, the South African advertising landscape is not as representative as one would expect from such a progressive and diverse nation. Digital marketing in South Africa is still demonstrating an imbalanced gender dynamic.

I

n an industry where 45 per cent of the workplace is female, a mere 3 per cent of directorship is held by women. Today, only 2.4 per cent of women are CEOs and just 9.2 per cent of women hold chairperson positions.

Women in leadership positions remain a minority within an industry that does not lack female representation: 50 per cent of graduates studying marketing degrees are women.

“Despite there being no shortage of women in the industry, there doesn’t seem to be nearly enough in leadership roles,” says Facebook Africa’s regional director, Nunu Ntshingila.

“We need to see women that are authentic, we need to see women that are empowered, and we need to see women that are progressive

because our girls need to see not only that what is possible, they’ve got to see what they need to become.”

It seems that the advertising industry has no trouble attracting women to the field, it is retaining them that is the problem. Women in creative roles appear to leave the industry in the middle of their careers, a move which is primarily attributed to having children. While many women return to agency, taking a break often hinders the opportunity to progress in their careers. Further to this, women are challenged with work-life balance in ways that their male counterparts are not. One can argue that taking on the dual roles of motherhood and career woman shifts the focus from a dedicated climb up the career ladder.

Written by Keshia Patchiappen, CEO, Condriac

Keshia Patchiappen

While the representation of women in advertising agencies, in general, is a bone of contention, the diversity of women in this field is much to be desired. There is a pervasive lack of black women in creative leadership positions or founding their own agencies in comparison

to the increasing amount of white women and black women in the same position. The focus needs to shift: diversity is not solely about the number of women in leadership roles, but rather consider that a wide array of cultures, races and ethnicities are represented within agencies.

Ultimately, diversity results in creativity, innovation and progressive concepts; agencies will reap the rewards of an exceptional offering from an entirely inclusive workforce. Diversity does not lower the bar. Diversity raises it.

It is essential to have strong female leaders in advertising agencies to inspire and motivate other women.

We must celebrate women of colour who hold positions of prominence in the industry. It is important to understand what the female workforce would need to help them stay in the industry – this could mean childcare assistance, de-stigmatising flexi-time and correcting salary inequalities. At the end of the day, it is about creating an environment that empowers women and allows them the courage and self-confidence to flourish within their roles, as creatives and leaders.

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Cape Mongo – Metal (2014) (Photo by Anton Scholtz)

FILM

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“Play is the antithesis of the assembly line”:

The strange, dissident world of Francois Knoetze’s short films

Francois Knoetze is a performance artist, sculptor and filmmaker currently based in Cape Town.

His style brings together arresting visuals and incisive social commentary: a bold and unique body of work that shines a revealing light on the impact of consumerism on the physical and social landscapes of South Africa.

K

noetze’s style is difficult to put neatly into words. His films, such as Cape Mongo (2015), often consist of many elements, the most striking of which is his use of elaborate costumes constructed from discarded objects and waste materials. These costumes, when worn, conjure to mind “dispossessed zoomorphic trash creatures” (as Layla

18 | SCREENAFRICA | September 2017

Leiman put it), lurching like zombie revenants through the urban spaces where, once, their many constituent parts were used and discarded. These images are juxtaposed, often violently, with found footage, fractured samples from news archives as well as popular culture (such as adverts and cartoons) – creating an effect that, Knoetze

explains, “retraces the life cycles of discarded objects and explores junctures between material and social histories.”

The way narrative combines with documented history in Knoetze’s films recalls Adam Curtis (The Century of the Self, Hypernormalisation), a comparison Knoetze acknowledges, citing the British filmmaker’s ability to “bring different threads together into a narrative that is both cohesive and chaotic” as particularly influential on his own work.

The ‘chaotic’ element of Knoetze’s work, plain to see in the quasi-mythical ‘beasts’ that roam through his films, owes much to opportunism and spontaneity: a sense of play that Knoetze describes as “a way of counteracting the assemblyline psychology that makes machines out of people.” He says that since he often works “with materials that can be difficult

to mould precisely, the outcome is almost always quite different to both the image in my head and any visual references I might’ve found. There is usually a point at which I give in to the material and let it be shaped in a way that looks interesting, rather than trying to impose a predetermined structure onto it.”

He first discovered this approach, which resonates with the rebuke of convention that underpins his work – and which Knoetze says “probably stems from a process of becoming disillusioned with the systems and aspirations that surrounded me during my high school years” – in 2012 while studying Fine Art at Rhodes University.

“I had this idea for a slice of the local Grahamstown garbage dump standing up and walking back into town to try to make sense of its origins and place

Photo by Francois Knoetze

| Film

Photo by Francois Knoetze

The Great Circle – Moon (2016) featuring Mussa Selemani

Throne (2016) featuring John Suleiman

in the world,” he says – describing the concept behind his first short film, Refus.

Cape Mongo, a series of five short films each featuring a different trash creature, saw these ideas play out on a larger scale (‘mongo’ being a slang term for an object that is thrown away and then recovered). It paints a compelling portrait of how trash can function in society as a “lubricant of consumerism”; a mechanism that enables a mentality of carelessness and forgetfulness, a kind of invisible coach for the ‘out of sight, out of mind’ attitude that many middle-class South Africans adopt towards our county’s most pressing social justice and inequality concerns.

As Knoetze puts it, paraphrasing a study done by Victor Munnik called Wasting The Nation, “in Cape Town, more than half of the 895 000 tonnes per year of

domestic waste comes from mostly white minority of high-income households, which all goes to rubbish dumps located in mostly non-white, low-income neighbourhoods on the Cape Flats, where people produce far less waste, much of which is not even collected.” In this context, he suggests, every tonne of trash cannot help but be additionally freighted “with a long and violent history of the dispossession of land by settlers, the structuring of space according to crudely constructed racial categories, and the dubious methods of maintaining a hold on the wealth and privilege accumulated during these processes.”

In 2016, a residency in Tanzania spawned the equally adventurous The Great Circle – a “kind of examination of drone culture” – which also features sculptural costumes

performing in public spaces.

Despite his work being so rooted in a specific sense of place – sensitive to both its history and its relative sense of political standing – Knoetze’s work has been widely and enthusiastically received on the international short film circuit. Cape Mongo alone has shown at the WNDX Festival of Moving Image 2015 (where it won the Jury Prize for Best International Work), the Paris Festival for Different and Experimental Cinema, Artvideo Koeln, the inaugural Addis Video Art Festival, Usurp Zone5 Film Festival in London, the FILMIDEO International Film Festival in Newark, New Jersey and Indonesia’s OK. Video Film Festival.

He is currently working on the Big Hole Counter Narrative Project in collaboration with Carina Truyts, Théogène Niwenshuti and Mkhululi Mabija – an attempt to

“destablise our understanding of grand narratives” surrounding Kimberley and the formation of the diamond industry – and he recently built a robot character for Tertius Kapp’s short film adaptation of Jan Rabie’s story, Ek Het Jou Gemaak.

A rising industry talent, Knoetze is determined to keep exploring his ideas through exhibitions, performance and film projects.

“Working as a visual artist allows me the space to spend time playing and looking for interesting relationships between people, places, stories and things, without necessarily having to produce a commodity in the end.”

– David Cornwell

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FILM

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Zulu culture

A celebration of in contemporary Jozi settings Queen Mkabayi ka Jama is one of South Africa’s most powerful female icons in the history of the Zulu nation; not only was she the paternal aunt to one of the greatest warriors of all time, Shaka Zulu, she also painted and influenced historical records as an adviser and influencer of the leadership ranks in the Zulu culture.

S

he is King brings this powerful historical figure into contemporary settings in a musical film that showcases Johannesburg as the Broadway of Africa.

The title of the film is meant to act as a catalyst for discussion says producers Nicola Rauch and Mpho Ramathuthu; a female duo who are passionately involved in scriptwriting activism and training through their company The Griot.

“First and foremost, we wanted a title that causes discussion and entices people to watch the film.

Why is she King and not Queen?

Why is she royal at all? Who is She?” co-producer Nicola Rauch enthuses.

She is King is based on the journey of Khanyisile Khumalo, a young talented Zulu performer from kwaNongoma in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN), which is also the home of the Zulus and the place where Queen Mkabayi ka Jama’s grave is found.

The film follows young Khumalo as she leaves her home village of KZN and heads to the ‘big city’ in the hopes of pursing her dreams of reaching stardom under Johannesburg’s dazzling lights. She sets her heart on a musical audition in a great production based on the life story of Queen Mkabayi ka

20 | SCREENAFRICA | September 2017

Jama and lands the life-changing role.

“I wanted to do a musical – I have always been a big fan – and the journey of a young person travelling from KZN to Johannesburg to seek their fortune/success is such a classic South African tale that I decided to use that story as the basic premise.”

She is King boasts a female cast made up of popular faces and young emerging talents including actresses Khanyi Mbau, Zoe Mthiyane, Mandisa Nduna, Gugu Zulu and Khabonina Qubeka – who is also the choreographer of the film.

Rauch affirms that the film has strong feminist themes – a young

African woman really fighting to find her place, and her voice in the world.

Therefore, she and her co-producer, Ramathuthu, wanted to explore a variety of characters that are representative of young South African women.

After penning their concept with a play on musical inspirations such as Smash and The Lion King, the pair decided to approach Gersh Kgamedi – a commercial director whom Rauch had worked with in the late 90s while making music and concert videos.

“I approached him after the first couple of drafts and with his deep

love of music and massive knowledge; I knew he was the man for the job.

He has also worked in commercials – among other things – for 20 years and I really wanted a high technical and aesthetic standard so he also checked that box,” explains Rauch.

The two old pals then sought musical guidance and assistance from Vusi Khumalo. This included re-doing some classic 70s and 80s tunes as well as traditional Zulu melodies. “We have songs from Ladymith Black Mambazo, Juluka, Brenda Fassie, Jabu Khanyile and various others that are performed by our cast,” informs Rauch.

The film was shot on an Arri Alexa Classic with four weeks of principle photography taking place in June and July last year as well as three pick-up days in December and March this year.

She is King is Kgamedi’s first feature film although he holds an honours degrees in drama and film. “She is King is a journey of self-discovery of our lead character, Khanyisile Khumalo. In this journey our character has to overcome a number of obstacles and a range of emotions, from elation, dejection, anger and so forth. It was important from the onset to visually establish a look and feel that captures the metamorphosis of our lead character’s journey from the rural plains of KwaZulu-Natal to the glitzy settings of Johannesburg, the city of gold. My overall approach was to treat the narrative in a photographic style that consists of vignettes and relevant montages designed to evoke a sense of pride throughout the characters’ journey,” says Kgamedi.

To best achieve this, he shares that

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he had to decide on which type of aspect ratio to use, “that would have an emotional impact for a viewer watching a musical film about a musical stage production.” He explains: “The adoption of a particular aspect ratio became a thematic device that contributed to the visual storytelling of the film.”

When Khanyisile arrives in Johannesburg she is shy and reserved and is always in the background. “Visually it made sense to create deep staging for the scenes where Khanyi is in the background. Deep staging was also great because of the ensemble cast. For example in some scenes, we had the established cast members and the lead of the stage show in the foreground, with the chorus inhibiting the middle ground and background,” explains Kgamedi.

Lighting also played an important element in the storytelling process and was used to convey and evoke emotions and to present the different character demeanours at play throughout the film.

“To effectively capture our protagonist’s emotional journey, a combination of

high-key and low-key lighting styles was used. The benefit of high-key lighting is that everything looks soft and innocent and the scenes look more magical and glowing. However high-key lighting in She is King does not have blown out whites and highlights. There are some shadow areas in the mid-tones but the shadows are soft. With low-key lighting, the shadows created a more contrasted look,” Kgamedi expands.

As expected with a musical, the film showcases an abundance of upbeat moments and action scenes which were filmed on a Steadicam rig dolly and/or crane. “Movement was a major consideration in making the frame interesting: the movement of the camera, the movement of actors in the frame etc. The camera was loosely, but expertly controlled to find beautiful compositions in quick evolving situations interwoven with a more considered, classical approach when the focus was on our lead characters…The mobile camera made for a designed and sophisticated narrative that looks fantastic

and very cinematic, and fit the genre of storytelling perfectly,” Kgamedi says.

She is King will open in local cinemas on 1 December 2017.

The Gauteng Film Commission has expressed support for the film through funding and in finding locations that best showcase Johannesburg. Other contributions to the film include the Department of Trade and Industry, the P&A campaign and Indigenous Films.

The film has since been sold internationally to Flourishing Films and locally to M-Net for Mzansi Magic. “It will be on the Mzansi Magic in late 2018 and I believe on (DStv) Box Office and Showmax after that,” adds Rauch.

“The South Africans who have seen it are very excited. It is extremely fresh – that is what we strived for.

We made it first and foremost for the local audience. Anything else is a bonus,” Rauch concludes.

– Gezzy S Sibisi

“I wanted to do a musical – I have always been a big fan – and the journey of a young person travelling from KZN to Johannesburg to seek their fortune/ success is such a classic South African tale that I decided to use that story as the basic premise.” – Nicola Rauch BTS on the set of She is King

Film

TECH CHECK EQUIPMENT • Camera: Arri Alexa Classic

She is King was shot on the Arri Alexa Classic using a Steadicam dolly/crane

KEY CREW Director: Gersh Kgamedi Producers: Nicola Rauch and Mpho Ramathuthu DOP: Jonathan Kovel Editor: Tanja Hagen Sound Recordist: Richard Mohlari Music Department: Vusi Khumalo

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ADVERTORIAL

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TRANSFORMING THE THROUGH EXCELLENCE

OUR CREATIVE TEAM

“The epitome of what our forebearers envisioned: meaningful and broad based transformation.”

B

lack entrants into the television industry 15 years ago – within the South African context – experienced much difficulty as transformation of the television industry was very slow.

Two ambitious young men from very different backgrounds, one rural and one from the township, Mafadi Mpuru and Eddie Seane were determined to make their mark in the TV industry. They met at film school and because of their humble backgrounds, they naturally gravitated towards each other.

Upon completing their Film & TV studies, they managed to break into the TV industry. Eddie was a clapper loader and Mafadi was a focus puller on various soapies. They worked hard over the years to hone their craft and grow their skill sets. Even though they had managed to make it through film school with very little resources, the desire to start their own production company was ever present. The pair envisioned a space where young, aspirant African filmmakers would get the opportunity that they were often denied.

They decided to apply for camera internships with SuperSport, which in their eyes would yield long term results. The internships proved to be very lucrative as it gave them the opportunity to travel in-

22 | SCREENAFRICA | September 2017

ternationally for work, while saving their travel money. The money saved, allowed them to buy one camera. This was the birth of Vision View Productions.

This camera, allowed the duo to relentlessly pitch shows to various broadcasters. Their ambition and desire to make a difference was the driving force. They got their lucky break with the Jomo Cosmos show Ezenkosi. Using the car as an office and leveraging on contacts they had made in the industry, Eddie and Mafadi were able to produce the magazine show. The ability to deliver something fresh consistently, landed them a new magazine show, Love PSL, as well as the opportunity to supply inserts for studio shows. Their ability to deliver resulted in them being given more responsibility and that catapulted their growth – Vision View now had employees.

these enormous milestones as an organisation only galvanised us to strive for more.

Outside Broadcast (OBs) is a com-

ponent of the television industry that opened our eyes to the world, through working on different international productions, and this always had a special place in our hearts. The dream of owning our own fleet of vans was something never too far away. Our thirst for knowledge creation and thought leadership, coupled with the desire to own our own fleet of OB vans, paved the way for us to build our first OB van by revamping a mini OB in 2010. The success of building

Vision View Productions spent many years originating, shooting and compiling content for magazine shows for various sporting codes; cricket, rugby, football, and Olympic sports to name but a few. This led us to consolidate all our facilities into one place, this was the initial step for us in becoming a one-stop shop in television production.

Our innovative nature made us one of the first companies to be able to supply fully HD material to SuperSport International. We seamlessly achieved this during the 2008 Commonwealth Games, 2009 & 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup as well as the 2010 & 2014 FIFA World Cup. We have participated in other various major world sporting events including the Laureas Awards, Olympic & Paralympic Games, and IAAF World Championships to name a few. Reaching

THE FOUNDERS

BROADCAST INDUSTRY AND INNOVATION

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ADVERTORIAL

OUR TECHNICAL TEAM this van meant that we could broaden our horizons beyond originating content and become a reliable service provider in the outside broadcast space.

Our fleet has grown to four and this growth has resulted in us developing a systems integration division. During this process we have developed and nurtured many relationships both locally and abroad, and that makes us trailblazers on the continent.

“We have managed to grow in these 12 years from an organisation of two people to employing over 70 people of which 49 per cent are female!”

It was this knowledge that sparked us to build and complete our studios and control room in Cosmo City. The original intention was to house our OB fleet however, we thought we could maximise the space by building two 300 square metre studios. Our industry experience played a huge role in designing studios that we knew would adequately respond to the needs of the market. The studios are twelve metres high which allows for a variety of sets and cameras, they are soundproof so audio quality is of the highest standard. We also have office space, a green room, make-up room and have access to very crucial industry people; lighting, catering, toilet hire etc. We are confident that our world class studios will exceed any clients’ expectations.

Vision View Productions has pioneered a successful internship programme where we brought in aspirant youngsters to provide them with much needed skills training and experience, all self-funded before we were eligible to claim from the MICT SETA. Most of the interns trained are currently employed with us on a full-time basis.

Vision View Productions has grown into an organisation that we would like to think, makes our country proud. The fact that we have managed to grow in these 12 years from an organisation of two people to employing over 70 people, of which 49 per cent is female, is an incredible achievement in a male dominated industry. We also provide employment for over 300 freelancers per annum therefore the exponential amount of lives that have been changed is exceptional.

That alone is not our only achievement; we have assisted over 10 learners from

meagre backgrounds to have access to tertiary education in various disciplines.

Our pride and joy is the career days which we host, where we take our human resources, equipment and OB vans to disadvantaged communities and partner with schools in order to host students and give them hands on insight into careers within the TV industry. Vision View Productions has seen steady progress over the years and we owe a great deal of gratitude and inspiration to South Africans doing great things from all walks of life.

Vision View Productions is indeed built on the shoulders of giants, we will always be grateful to MultiChoice Enterprise Development Trust as our benefactor, as well as all our past and present clients.

Our values, resilience and ambition to be the best keeps us at the cutting edge of the broadcasting industry.

We are Vision View Productions!

OUR STUDIOS & OB OFFICE September 2017

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FILM

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A pan-African silent tale in

A Hotel Called Memory In the Silent Era the art of storytelling and cinematography lay in the visual interpretation of the narrative; while a new age and sound have come to replace some of the old filmic elements, the “tone poem” still has a place in modern storytelling, by giving new life to deep-rooted cinematic aesthetics of evoking the senses with poetic imagery.

“I

have always liked films with no dialogue, or long passages where you as an audience member are truly enjoying the visual aspects and following the story and filling in the blanks. I always loved those and always wanted to make one.”

“Alain Gomis’ Tey is a good example.

Although there is some dialogue in that film there are long passages that are silent and it’s just beautiful,” says Akin Omotoso, director of the first pan-African silent film titled, A Hotel Called Memory.

While media reports have referred to the film as an “experimental project”, Omotoso affirms that it is a tone poem. ”It’s about the mood and the experience.

I really wanted the audience to have a lyrical and visual experience,” he says.

The story is based on a divorcee named Lola played by Nigerian actress, Nse Ikpe-Etim. The film takes us on her journey from Lagos, where she separates from her husband, and as she seeks solace through her travels to Zanzibar.

Nigerian actress Kemi Lala Akindoju plays Lola’s friend Tokunbo, while South African actresses, Mmabatho Montsho and Nomzamo Mbatha play Ayanda and Tina respectively. Although Lola never meets Ayanda and Tina, her story is somehow affected by them.

“This all comes back to the story written by Branwen Okpako. She

placed the characters in those environments: Zanzibar, Lagos and Cape Town. And we thought it would be exciting to explore these spaces.”

Nigerian veteran actress and film producer, Ego Boyo had previously worked with Omotoso on a six-year project which never materialised. This however did not deter the filmmakers from wanting to collaborate again in the future. Consequently, A Hotel Called Memory soon became the ideal project and story for them to take on together.

“She trusted the team. Not too many producers would allow a crew of five people and a thirteen page outline to go off and shoot in three different countries,” shares Omotoso.

In 2015 the film crew started shooting and went to Zanzibar for a week. They then took a few months off before heading to Cape Town for two weeks.

“We wanted it to be very organic and natural. With the DP, Rob Wilson, we used natural light so we could get in and out of spaces quickly. People panic when they see big light trucks; we didn’t want that so the production was very mobile. We would put the actors in real environments and we would film, just observing and reacting as they reacted to what was happening around them,” Omotoso explains.

After the Cape Town shoot, Omotoso

“I have always liked films with no dialogue, or long passages where you as an audience member are truly enjoying the visual aspects and following the story, and filling in the blanks.” – Akin Omotoso 24 | SCREENAFRICA | September 2017

asked for a few months off to complete his film Vaya, before they could go on and do their final shoot in Lagos.

The film was shot using a Sony A7S camera on a 45mm swing shift with tilt lenses. “To achieve what we wanted Rob used the Sony A7S because of how it reacts to natural light and also it’s excellent in low light conditions,” remarks Omotoso.

Post-production was done by Ladies and Gentlemen Film with Marc Baleiza as post-production supervisor and Kimberly Hobbs as the colourist.

“The film is 60 minutes long. The sound design took a while because we had to find the right tone for the film, so it’s a combination of reality – the sounds of the different countries – and great expressionist sounds and lots of silence,” says Omotoso.

A Hotel Called Memory has since had its international premiere at the 6th Annual Blackstar Film Festival, which only Boyo attended. After the film was showcased at the festival, there was a discussion session whereby the audience could ask Omotoso questions via Skype.

“The response was positive. People remarked how beautiful the film looked, the feeling of experiencing the story, lots of questions about the process. How the actors were directed, how the story came to be shot in the different countries,” shares Omotoso.

The film also won an Audience Award at the festival for Favourite Experimental Film which Omotoso views as a great affirmation for the film.

A Hotel Called Memory will have its African premiere at the 7th Lights, Camera, Africa Film Festival which runs from 29 September to 1 October 2017 at the Federal Palace Hotel in Victoria Island, Lagos.

– Gezzy S Sibisi

TECH CHECK EQUIPMENT • Camera: Sony AS7

“To achieve what we wanted Rob used the Sony A7S because of how it reacts to natural light and also it’s excellent in low light conditions.”

– Akin Omotoso

KEY CREW

Akin Omotoso Director: Akin Omotoso Producer: Ego Boyo Writer and editor: Branwen Okpako Director of photography: Rob Wilson Sound design: Guy Steer Music: Joel Assaizky

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Film

Synch that deal:

The importance of music in content One of the fastest areas of expansion in the content industry is that of music licensing and synch deals. This growing focus on the music of content provides additional opportunities for creatives from the music industry to join the ever-growing video, TV, digital, film, and advertising economy.

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he importance of music within content also means content producers need to move with global trends that require precleared music tracks for international ready distribution. This conflation of the music and filmed content industries is happening at a rapid pace as storytelling recipes change to adapt to the commercial imperatives of an increasing global market for diversified content.

For African music and content producers this means that cooperation is essential in order to tap into an increased appetite for African creativity – both in terms of video and audio content.

This increased appetite for African sounds is demonstrated by the numerous collaborations hitting the airwaves, from the likes of British Ed Sheeran and Ghanaians Fuse ODG, KillBeatz on

‘Bibia Be Ye Ye’ a single on his much awaited third studio album Divide, the collaboration between the highly acclaimed Canadian Hip-Hop sensation Drake and Nigerian Wizkid on ‘One Dance’, that was one of the top selling songs globally of 2016, and the hit single ‘Marry You’ by American R&B star Ne-Yo and Tanzanian artist Diamond Platinumz.

According to the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry 2017 Report, the global music market has grown by 5.9 per cent in 2016, with streaming as the clear driver of this growth, with 60.4 per cent growth in streaming revenue, and interestingly, a 334.4 per cent increase in streaming here in Africa, driven by increased smartphone penetration in the continent and forward-thinking partnerships between tech companies and music corporates.

Streaming of content has now surpassed both physical and digital download of content, and will continue to rise with more and more major players such as Apple, Amazon, Disney, and HBO. According to CNN Money 80 per cent of (US-based) Millennials have access to streaming subscriptions, and with rapidly increasing digital penetration into Africa, this trend is being mirrored across the continent.

Subsequently, according to the IFPI 2017 report, the global music synchronisation market grew by 7 per cent in 2015, and by another 2.8 since. Midem 2016 featured a panel exclusively dedicated to African music titled ‘Tapping into Africa: An Emerging Music Sector’ that echoed the sentiment that there is a growing global demand for African music and its licensing.

New content streaming entries into the African market such as iflix, Netflix, and Showmax are constantly coming up with new offers to entice consumers, including the recent offer from Showmax and VAST Networks who have agreed

to provide Showmax customers with unlimited Wi-Fi access to stream and download shows and movies at 83 VAST Wi-Fi hotspots across South Africa. All of these additional platforms will need content, and this content will need music.

However, in order for these streaming networks and VOD providers to license or distribute content, the producers must have already cleared and finalised their music licensing, making the synch deal ever more important.

African artists are also starting to understand this, with Kenyan singer STL tasting synch success in the last year, with three of her songs featured on Hollywood projects namely: The Rough Night movie, and TV shows Being Mary Jane and Rosewood.

This is not the first time Hollywood has tapped into the tastes of Africa to license music, as in 2006, Nigerian 2Face Idibia’s ‘African Queen’ was featured on Hollywood movie Phat Girlz.

African producers of film and TV content are notorious however for overlooking the importance of music. At a recent workshop at the Zanzibar International Film Festival (ZIFF) that focused on the importance of music within film, award-winning and internationally recognised score composer Rashid Lanie stressed to attendees just how crucial music is to the final film product.

As he explained, many times African filmmakers spend years and all of their savings to produce the highest-possible quality film, and yet, when the time comes to select music, they are happy to go with the cheapest available library options, often drastically reducing the quality of the final product.

All aspects of music in filmed content need to be addressed and understood by African creatives. The commercial and creative imperatives that require quality and appropriate

music for successful content are equally important as the business and legal frameworks that govern licensing, royalties and synch deals.

Whilst all of these elements may seem overwhelming or intimidating for creatives, it is becoming essential knowledge for anyone hoping to create content that will travel internationally.

To address this need, more and more festivals and events are stepping up and focusing on the importance of the synch deal. As mentioned previously, ZIFF hosted a three-day workshop specifically on this topic, the recent Durban FilmMart also hosted a workshop on the importance of scoring for film, however, to date, none of these events have looked comprehensively at all aspects of music for content; from the creative and commercial sides to the legal and business necessities.

Fortunately, this is about to change with the recent announcement from DISCOP Markets and Kenya’s ONGEA! Africa market (produced by Nairobi based What’s Phat). These companies have teamed up to present DISCORE, billed as a stand-alone programme focused on the synch/licensing side of the content business that will run concurrently with all of the African DISCOP markets from 2018.

The event will be launched at DISCOP Johannesburg, taking place from 25 to 27 October with an international panel of experts, and will then expand into a full three-day programme starting at DISCOP Abidjan in May 2018, followed

by DISCOP Zanzibar in July 2018.

These events will be an important contributor to the growth of knowledge amongst both music and content producers and will hopefully add to an increase in international revenue and distribution for African creatives across the board.

– Lara Preston

September 2017

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SCREENAFRICA

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FILM

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Director Speak

Writer/director Daniel Zimbler talks inspiration, career challenges and highlights, his favourite directors and more…

DESCRIBE THE MOMENT, IF THERE IS ONE, WHEN YOU KNEW YOU WANTED TO BECOME A DIRECTOR? I don’t know if there was one moment. I was always interested in characters, in play acting. Maybe all children are. My house, as a kid, backed onto a wilderness (a wooded koppie) that became our stage.

We recreated the beach landings at Normandy, did a lot of leopard crawling, conducted some early experiments in DC-Marvel mash up battles (Batman vs. The Hulk for example – technically impossible, but we were only kids). So ya, childhood: it was a time of imagination, books, comics, dressup and a lot of bad American soap operas.

As a pre-teen we played Dungeons and Dragons, and got hooked on fantasy novels. In my early-mid teens when I moved to Cape Town, friends and I goofed around with video cameras, recreated scenes from Lord of the Rings and Radiohead music-videos, among other videoed misadventures. With my buddy Ari Kruger, I created a tragicomic character named Andre, who became the basis for my first short Andre that Ari and I co-directed and I acted in in 2005.

That might have been the moment when the idea first landed: that one could do this highly challenging but pleasurable thing as a career. It took me another five years – with forays into archaeology and anthropology (my undergraduate in the UK) and human rights research (at a think-tank in Cape Town) – to take that great leap. By then, I knew I wanted to work in film and theatre for real.

WHERE DO YOU FIND INSPIRATION? On public transport, in museums, in books, and in quieter moments. I loved Greek mythology as a kid. I like to think those stories and their archetypes took root.

I currently work as head writer on the Mzansi Magic telenovela IsiThembiso, and I find those archetypes and themes in constant circulation in the work we’re making.

They’re the core stuff of human drama and as a writers’ room we get to spin these human dramas on a daily basis at high volume. It’s exciting and challenging work.

I love film and longer-form fiction, and find a great deal of inspiration there. I just re-watched all of Twin Peaks for a third time and I’m tuning into the new season with ritual intensity.

DO YOU HAVE ANY LOCAL MENTORS? I had the great privilege of spending much of 2016 directing a feature documentary about photographer David Goldblatt (the film is called Goldblatt). While I cannot claim him as a personal mentor, I spent many hours and days with the images and with the man himself and I feel more strongly than ever an urge to tell South African stories. I would credit this, in part, to Goldblatt. His unwavering, introspective eye has taught me a new way of looking and seeing and has had a part in rekindling my love for Joburg.

TOP THREE FAVOURITE DIRECTORS? WHY? I’m going to own the film school cliché here and reel off some of the greats who’ve been important to me at various moments of inspiration and desolation: Kubrick, Hitchcock, the Coens, Kurosawa, Coppolas (father and, at times, daughter), Lynch, Sergio Leone, Fellini, Haneke, Polanski, Terrence Malick, Woody 26 26 || SCREENAFRICA SCREENAFRICA || September September 2017 2017

Daniel Zimbler (centre) with Tali’s Wedding Diary creators Julia Anatasopoulos and Ari Kruger Allen, (early) Ridley Scott, Miyazaki, Richard Linklater, Inarritu, Tarantino, Wes Anderson, Werner Herzog, Bennet Miller, Jim Jarmusche, Wim Wenders, Ben Wheatley… and I love most David O. Russell, to name a few. But for the sake of narrowing the field, three directors I relate to more immediately at this point: • Paul Thomas Anderson: I do think he’s the great genius of our age. There Will Be Blood, Boogie Nights, The Master, Magnolia, Inherent Vice.

• Robert Altman: The master of the roving eye, the intimate view; a fearless, independent, wildly prolific maker, and a director who really got the balance of drama and comedy.

• Rob Reiner: Whose work spans the fantastical, the thrilling, the comedic – his collaboration with Christopher Guest on This Is Spinal Tap is one of my all-time favourites.

WHICH PROJECTS ARE YOU CURRENTLY INVOLVED IN? I just finished writing on a comedy series that I’m massively excited about – Tali’s Wedding Diary, for Showmax. It’s their first original series.

As I mentioned, I head write the Mzansi Magic telenovela, IsiThembiso (The Promise), about the pitfalls, vices and temptations two young students face when they come to study in Joburg.

I have just completed my first feature documentary on South African photographer David Goldblatt and I am developing two SA fiction features, and a UK drama series.

WHAT KIND OF CONTENT DO YOU ENJOY CREATING? I’ve worked the past few years in TV, directing and writing (and also made some commercials). Like most people, I’m watching more TV shows now than ever and feeling excited about the possibilities of long-form storytelling.

In terms of genre, I’m drawn to comedy, to drama, and to the intersection of these two, normally with a darker strain. I also love a psychological horror/thriller, a good Western, a bourbon-soaked, punch-drunk noir — and would like, at some point, to make all of the above.

WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR BIGGEST CAREER CHALLENGE TO DATE? Two particular challenges come to mind: 1. Making my first ever solo short film (buried deep, deep in my archive). In many ways, it was the scariest step to take in the direction of my dream but it helped open the way.

2. Shooting in excess of 20 pages a day for a single-camera comedy series I directed

for the SABC. Tough, but I learnt a ton and got to work with a great ensemble.

WHAT HAS BEEN THE HIGHLIGHT OF YOUR CAREER THUS FAR? I’ve had a few. To begin with, I was just insanely excited to be able to work with actors I loved as a kid. While at film school in NY (I got my MFA from Columbia), I made a short film called EXIT with British stage legend Julian Glover, who played incredible baddies in Bond, original Star Wars, and Indiana Jones. Today, most people know him as Grand Meister Pycell on Game of Thrones. Legend of note and I was basically quaking directing him on set.

I also wrote and directed a mockumentary web-series called Understudies, during which I got to work with an incredible ensemble including Richard Kind (Spin City, Curb Your Enthusiasm, A Reasonable Man) and David Rasche, who starred in the twisted 80s cop comedy, Sledge Hammer. So those were the early kicks: being able to reach these people and work with them.

Nowadays, I’m more excited by the work itself, and by great collaborations behind the camera as well as in front. Most recently, the writing collaboration with Ari Kruger and Julia Anastasopoulos on Tali’s Wedding Diary; there’s nothing like working with (massively talented) friends.

IF YOU COULD PRODUCE AN AFRICAN VERSION OF A HOLLYWOOD CLASSIC, WHAT WOULD IT BE? It would have to be a western and maybe not a Hollywood classic as much as an Italian one posing as a Hollywood one. I’m thinking a Sergio Leone Spaghetti Western; say The Good, The Bad and The Ugly or Once Upon A Time in The West set in SA… though some brilliant South African filmmakers have done just that!

WHAT IS YOUR DREAM SHOOT LOCATION? The abandoned set of Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining; Tolkien’s Rivendell, but if it really existed; that insane palace in Last Year In Marienbad.

WHO WOULD PLAY YOU IN A BIOPIC? Get me Paul Dano.

IF YOU WEREN’T A FILMMAKER, YOU WOULD BE…?

An archaeologist (it’s what I studied as an undergraduate and has a great combination of adventure, imagination, intellect and mud plus…Indiana Jones) or an architect (assuming I could work on the scale of a Rem Koolhaas). www.danielzimbler.com

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No such thing as With the high cost of living and countless expenses, most South Africans are drowning in debt and are therefore quick to jump at any opportunity to relieve themselves of their financial woes, even if it means dragging other people into false dreams of quick riches to double their rewards – this is how pyramid schemes are formed.

E

asy Money is a television drama series inspired by real-life stories of now-infamous pyramid schemes, seeking to answer the question: Why do we fall for pyramid schemes?

On 6 September 2016, the South African Reserve Bank launched a national campaign in a bid to raise awareness regarding illegal deposit-taking schemes; emphasising to South African citizens the old adage that if it seems too good to be true, then it probably is – even if it comes from a trusted neighbour, friend or family member.

“Easy Money tells the story of, Khosi Seane, a school teacher who enjoys a good standing in the community and takes great pride in her charitable deeds. She reluctantly moves from her Mondeor home at the insistence of her middle management car-dealer husband Justice into the southern Johannesburg suburb of Bassonia,” shares producer Viva Liles-Wilkin.

“The move puts financial strain on the family, and when Justice has a car accident, they find themselves in a crisis situation. Their apparently affluent neighbour Dipuo and her charming business associate Leano offer a solution, inviting Khosi to join their investment club and make quick cash by buying into Pharaoh Investments. The cunning pyramid scheme structure lures Khosi deeper and deeper in with the attraction of easy money and the promise of solving all her financial struggles but the reality is she has helped steal the savings of people in her community.”

Easy Money

Television

The cast of Easy Money The series is narrated by Khosi Seane’s (Xoli Zondi) twelve year old son, Moagi (Paballo Khoza), depicting not only the actions of the culprits and victims of these scams but also reflecting on how the victim’s families are affected.

The 12-part series also takes us through the highs and lows of partaking in such schemes as we witness Seane, a once dignified and outstanding citizen in her community, lose her way.

“The series is a universal story of how the allure of money can make individuals do atrocious things, lose their moral compass and compromise their integrity when faced with the promise of easy money,” Liles-Wilkin says.

While pyramids schemes nowadays have evolved and take place in many forms including travelling vouchers, health products and cosmetic merchandise; Easy Money chose to study the cash-based model which requests payment upfront to become a member, and recruiting your friends to move up the various levels.

“The problem is that pay-outs can only happen as long as each member is recruiting new members. Very quickly the market becomes saturated, new investors become impossible to find, and the bottom falls out. A few people at the top get very rich, and a lot of people below them lose everything,” says Liles-Wilkin.

“Of course if you get in at the beginning, this can be extremely lucrative. But it’s only a matter of time before there are no more Peters left to pay Paul and the whole thing comes crashing down, as pyramid schemes implode,” she adds.

In 2016 the National Consumer Commission (NCC) investigated nine companies that had raised suspicions of being possible pyramid schemes after a tip-off by the Reserve Bank. One of these schemes turned out to be the Sergey

Mavrodi MMM scam which collapsed in April last year, leaving many citizens losing their investments, with some losing more than R150 000 in savings.

In the Easy Money series, one such mastermind is Mister Eddy. He presents himself as a legal attorney overseeing Pharaoh Investments. David Denis plays this sly character that is seemingly soft-spoken at first but later reveals his ruthless side when confronted and will remove any threat to his business without a second thought.

“Easy Money departs from a straight drama as we wanted to shift the tone of the show from serious drama to something with a lighter touch, more sassy, slightly tongue in cheek, irreverent, playful. The subject matter of pyramid schemes and lost values is heavy subject matter but we wanted to lean to a darkly comedic style while still keeping it personal and dramatic.

A bit morally ambiguous and fun to watch implode,” says Liles-Wilkin.

In the research stage of the series, Liles-Wilkin and her team got to speak to members of such schemes as well as attorneys involved in the prosecution of those who commit financial crimes.

“What we found eye opening about our research was just how many people have been involved in or affected by the promises of get-rich quick schemes.

Mothers, aunts, uncles, daughters, so many people had a story to tell of either themselves or someone close to them being involved in schemes or MLM companies. Also resonant was the feeling of failure and betrayal among those that had lost savings and security due to their investment gambles,” shares Liles-Wilkin.

Easy Money was shot on the Canon C100 camera at various locations in and around Johannesburg including Bassonia, Soweto, Braamfontein and Mondeor.

The series will air on e.tv from 12 September 2017 at 21h30.

A second season will follow in January 2018 with 14 episodes.

“We hope that audiences will watch the series as a cautionary tale. We want them to be entertained and enjoy the ride but also find a lesson in the story about working towards your aspirations and goals without losing your way in the greed of material possessions,” Liles-Wilkin advises.

– Gezzy S Sibisi

TECH CHECK EQUIPMENT • Camera: Canon C100

KEY CREW Production company: Quizzical Pictures Producer: Viva Liles-Wilkin Directors: Zolani Phakade and Andre Odendaal DOP: Trevor Brown

September 2017

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CONTENT SECURITY

| OPINION

Premium security will help operators capitalise on market opportunities The TV market in sub-Saharan Africa is one of the fastest growing in the world, with increased connectivity driving demand for content.

A

ccording to a recent report from IDATE, more than 80 per cent of households in North Africa/ the Middle East (MENA) receive TV via satellite, compared with about 40 per cent in sub-Saharan Africa. In addition to the high proportion of satellite viewers in the region, a separate report from Digital TV Research predicts that OTT revenues in sub-Saharan Africa will reach US$640 million by 2022, up from $52 million in 2016.

Alongside this regional growth, there’s no doubt that the global media industry has been undergoing unprecedented change. This is largely driven by technological innovation, giants such as Apple, Amazon and Netflix entering this space, and ecosystem fragmentation.

While the on-going evolution in the pay-media industry is certain, the exact future is much harder to predict. However, as demand for OTT continues to grow rapidly in Africa, there are consumer demands and trends that will continue to emerge which cannot be ignored by operators. These can be identified as: • Consumers want OTT services on devices of their choosing • Consumers will continually expect more value for their money • Consumers want customised experiences For operators in Africa, where in many areas there is a heavy reliance on satellite or broadcast operations, the move to OTT can be challenging. The most crucial part of any OTT service, is also the biggest challenge, namely securely delivering content to both managed and unmanaged devices without multiplying your efforts and cost. This is also a challenge faced by operators across the globe and, to make the transition even harder, Hollywood studios and sports rights holders have raised security requirements for premium content, such as 4K UHD. Defining a solid hybrid strategy that meets both security requirements and your business needs is therefore critical to make the transition as painless and risk-free as possible.

Evolving security in tandem with OTT growth As demand for OTT grows, there are three key objectives that operators must put at the forefront of their hybrid strategy:

• Support for the widest range of unmanaged devices to reach consumers: In most countries, this means operators must support multiple DRMs to cover the popular web browsers and consumer devices.

This creates tremendous operational and expertise challenges, especially when different packaging and encryption technologies are required for the devices.

• Access to premium content to offer the most desired content in each market: To get premium content such as 4K UHD sports and early release box office movies, operators must be able to meet the increasingly stringent security requirements.

MovieLabs’ Enhanced Content Protection (ECP) specification sets the new bar for what operators must do to get premium content. It ranges from ensuring renewability in CA and DRM, to locking down consumer devices, to end-to-end breach response and watermarking. Meeting these requirements can take a long time and cost a lot of money if operators don’t have experienced security partners on their side.

Written by Steeve Huin,

vice president of Strategic Partnerships, Irdeto OTT devices to compete. To enable this capability, operators must look for an integrated head-end system that allows them easily set subscriber entitlement rules, without worrying about what device, CA or DRM is in use.

Premium security to help drive growth The revenue opportunity is clear for operators in the African market, as significant growth in the SVOD subscriber base is also predicted by the report from Digital TV Research. The report estimates that there will be 10.12 million SVOD subscribers by 2022 in Sub Saharan Africa, with South Africa leading the market with 2.7 million SVOD subscribers. However, the secure delivery of high quality content will be crucial for operators in the region to capitalise on the SVOD and OTT opportunity.

Not only this, but with the rapidly increasing smartphone penetration in the region, operators must be able to deliver their OTT services to consumers on any device and offer a great user

• Flexible policy management across broadcast and OTT services: OTT services are still evolving.

Market leaders are constantly changing their policies and pricing options to explore the optimal business models in each market.

Operators need to ensure their hybrid offer is equally flexible and consistent on both broadcast and

The most crucial part of any OTT service, is also the biggest challenge, namely securely delivering content to both managed and unmanaged devices without multiplying your efforts and cost.

28 | SCREENAFRICA | September 2017

Steeve Huin

experience. Security should be robust, but also act as an enabler for great OTT service delivery. Software-based security will allow this, while providing an easily renewable solution to stay ahead of piracy without hardware dependencies. Premium security today means 360-degree protection trusted by content owners, from protecting broadcast and OTT services, to end-toend piracy control and watermarking.

It is this premium security that will allow operators in Africa and across the globe to capitalise on the OTT opportunity and subsequently grow their business.

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Image credit: NVIDIA

Broadcast Technology

The other format war The human eye is an incredible organ – in normal circumstances it has the ability to capture 10 – 14 stops of latitude (from dark to light), but because we have two of them and the eye reacts so quickly, our dynamic range in a single panorama can be as high as 20 – 24 stops.

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his wide dynamic range is the reason why nothing can match the visual splendour of an early morning sunrise or moody sunset.

Cameras have, for a long time, been able to capture these kinds of dynamic range, the problem is that it hasn’t been possible to display the true captured results – until now that is, thanks to the implementation of HDR (high dynamic range) displays.

Three years ago, 4K resolution video was being touted as the next big advancement in picture quality.

All the major TV set manufacturers released new lines of 4K sets and in the following months, Over-The-Top (OTT) services like Netflix began offering 4K titles, sports networks began capturing and producing events in 4K, and pioneering pay-TV service providers began offering 4K selections in their Video-On-Demand (VOD) catalogues.

But 4K resolution is just one piece of a larger, more complex, next generation video standard called Ultra High Definition (UHD). The UHD Alliance is

30 | SCREENAFRICA | September 2017

an industry body comprised of software developers, hardware manufacturers, content producers and pay-TV providers, that have defined a set of parameters for UHD that include but ultimately go beyond 4K resolution. Those parameters include high frame rate, wider colour gamut, deeper colour depth, and high dynamic range (HDR). In fact, HDR is the new, next major advancement in picture quality. While the TV set makers jumped in on offering higher resolution sets, content creators are now embracing the benefits of HDR as delivering a truly next generation video experience that in the right conditions is mind blowing.

The introduction of HDR displays (HDR) is as big an advance, for the filmmaking and television industry, as the switch from black and white to colour! For the technically minded, a modern camera can capture about 12 stops.

On a standard monitor that many stops look flat or clipped. An HDR display at 1 000 nits (nit = a unit of visible-light) intensity has about 14 stops with good

contrast and no clipping. A 4 000 nit monitor can show about 20 stops.

Standards As usual in the broadcast industry, there is a bit of a tussle going on about HDR production standard adoption. The Society of Motion Picture & Television Engineers (SMPTE) published their Perceptual Quantizer (PQ or SMPTE ST2084) standard in 2016. Prior to that the Consumer Technology Association issued the open standard HDR10 Media Profile which was very quickly adopted by a wide variety of companies, which include monitor and TV manufacturers such as Dell, LG, Samsung, Sharp, Sony, as well as Microsoft and Sony Interactive Entertainment, which support HDR10 on their PlayStation 4 and Xbox One S video game console platforms. HDR10 is also being supported by the UHD Alliance for UHD Premium, which apart from the TV and monitor manufacturers, is made up of partners such as DIRECTV, Netflix,

Panasonic Corporation, Walt Disney Studios, 20th Century Fox and Warner Bros. Entertainment Premium and is currently leading the race as being the most widely accepted way of mastering, distributing and viewing HDR content.

Earlier this year Samsung and Amazon Video announced the release of HDR10 Plus, an open and royalty free standard that Amazon Video have adopted, offering more accurate frame by frame dynamic range adjustments. BBC and NHK jointly developed Hybrid LogGamma (HLG) which was very quickly adopted by YouTube and Freeview Play and is 100 per cent compatible with Standard Dynamic Range (SDR – normal HD and 4k). Technicolor and Philips jointly developed SL-HDR1, a clever algorithm set that allows for HDR rendering on HDR devices, and SDR rendering on SDR devices using a single layer video stream and finally, Dolby Laboratories developed an HDR format called Dolby Vision. Out of the many HDR systems currently available, Dolby

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Broadcast TECHNOLOGY

The introduction of HDR displays (HDR) is as big an advance, for the filmmaking and television industry, as the switch from black and white to colour.

SDR vs. HDR

have HDR cameras well nested in the market – including Arri’s Alexa and Amira family, the range of Sony CineAlta’s (F5, F55 and F65) as well as their FS range like the FS5, 7 and FS700. Of course, RED’s Epic and Dragon are well into it as is Blackmagic Design with their URSA and Cinema cameras. The sensors in these cameras all claim up to 15 stops of dynamic range which is getting closer to the dynamic range the eye can see.

Dedicated HDR post-production tools have emerged with the likes of Adobe Premier Pro and Avid Media Composer leading the field in consumer post-production. The latest version of Adobe’s Premiere Pro CC has greater support for HDR video, as well as the Rec. 2020 colour space. There are extra Lumetri Color control panels for handling HDR footage and the application offers a HDR specular colour wheel. Adobe has said that with a supported external HD monitoring system, RAW camera formats alongside the Dolby Vision codec, can be edited and graded with much greater dynamic range than conventional video, by using the HDR controls.

SGO’s Mistika colour grading and post-production system, deployed on films like The Hobbit trilogy, also supports Dolby Vision. DaVinci Resolve from URSA manufacturer Blackmagic Design is another option. Due to its wide native camera file support, users can edit and grade directly from the

wide dynamic range camera originals.

FilmLight’s range of solutions all deliver HDR content. These include the FLIP image processor for on set checking of HDR camera capture, the Daylight system for dailies and transcoding, the Baselight colour grading system and Baselight Editions, which bring the Baselight toolset directly into the Avid Media Composer, Avid Symphony and Nuke pipelines.

Delivering UHD Premium HDR content to the home is still quite far away. Beyond the infrastructure upgrades needed in filming, mastering, and delivering a UHD HDR video, there’s the problem of legacy HD and UHD TV sets that don’t support HDR. But it is refreshing to find that HDR is one of those technologies and innovations that won’t need any heavy marketing for it to be accepted by the end user. Once you glance at a HDR TV screen you won’t need any convincing that images look much better, fresh and exciting. 3D was an amazing technological but short-lived fad, 4K and 8K definitely make things look crisper with more detail, but HDR images with higher latitude, larger colour gamut and higher contrast create more lifelike images, or put simply, makes things look WOW! The only question is, how long will it take before UHD Premium HDR becomes the norm?

– Ian Dormer

Image credit: LG

HDR advantage Vision is probably the most well-known and perhaps more future proof, but it may not be the HDR standard with the most content. Like all the HDR formats Dolby Vision is a proprietary format and it requires you to have a HDR set that has a built-in Dolby Vision decoder. Dolby Vision supports a 12-bit colour depth (68 billion colours) and its compatible HDR TVs are four times brighter than most other current HDR sets and, is heading up the Ultra HD Blu-ray disc market and many streaming video services.

HDR Production Creating HDR content relies heavily in the way scenes are lit, with increased contrast, broad range of colour and more importantly the ability to have both details in the depths of the shadows and specular spectral highlights. Capturing the full range of these means you need a camera that has the ability to shoot in a Log format, and record UHD. Many of the top brand camera manufactures September 2017

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Broadcast Technology

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TECH-POP-

OPINION

Written by Anthony Lee Martin,

film editor, Deliverance Post Production

Anthony Lee Martin

When we were young our parents were told that if they put new technology on their kitchen counters their lives would be so much easier! They did, and it was.

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icrowaves completely changed the way homes operated. Our parents were willing to potentially sacrifice quality in exchange for the time it saved them. We call this process convenience and as a culture we’re addicted to it. So when someone comes knocking on our doors offering us more of anything for a little bit of extra money, it’s a no brainer! We’re keen!

Technology like this is called technology, until it’s called a microwave.

We don’t walk into people’s homes today and exclaim, “Wow! I love your technology, do you guys enjoy using it? How does it work?” The truth is we don’t say anything at all.

After all, it’s just a microwave.

Personally, I’m not the greatest fan of microwaves but I am a great fan of

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one of its conveniences, microwave popcorn. The thing with popcorn though, is that as long as it’s still popping you don’t want to take it out.

It’s all about timing. I find technology to be like this. It is often offered to us while it is still being perfected.

Right now, there are a couple of technologies going round and round in the microwave in front of us. Among them are the abilities carrying 4K, UHD and HDR all the way through to broadcast. At first glance they do look nice and are beginning to seem mighty enticing! But what are they really offering us and are these technologies ready to be consumed?

Without going into too much detail (or any at all). 4K is what it sounds like, about four times the resolution of HD.

Unfortunately though the difference to the human eye is close to imperceivable.

The improvement is mostly in the reproduction and broadcasting of these images, resulting in the final image appearing vastly better than HD. In and of itself 4K is not a massive selling point as much as it is the next logical step in screen resolution technology.

Secondly, we have Ultra High Definition, or UHD which offers us the ability to more closely broadcast what the human eye is capable of seeing. In layman’s terms this allows us access to around forty per cent more colour, along with greater highlight and shadow information, than we were previously able to reproduce.

The last of the three is High Dynamic Range, or HDR. This is not necessarily new technology in and of itself, but the recent ability to successfully broadcast it seems to be enough of a pop to bring it back into the spotlight. The simple idea of HDR is that identical images are captured at varying exposures and then combined to access greater detail in the final image.

To speak of technology as an advancement to many may seem

obvious, however not everyone feels that way. Some people speak of the good old days and the magic of cinema with a glint in their eyes. As humans we are nostalgic beings and our relationship to motion pictures is no exception.

When HD was first introduced we did all we could to emulate what we had previously been used to seeing on screen. We even went so far as to actively degrade the footage just to try soften the edges! Although HD was a more detailed image, it removed a lot of what we had come to recognise as beautiful and cinematic. What was once designed to capture our imagination now captured our attention and distracted us!

Nevertheless, over the last couple of years not only have our viewing expectations moulded, but the post processing and broadcasting of these formats has become infinitely better and more refined. This has created in audiences a new understanding of what constitutes the beautiful and cinematic and, along with it a new set of expectations.

So I guess the question is potentially not if, but how long will it take for

-OLOGY us to adopt these new technologies as our expected cinematic norm?

The one thing companies promoting these technologies don’t like to draw attention to, for obvious reasons, is that it will cost more to stream 4K media than HD currently costs. Although a lot is being done in the world of compression technology to help this along the math is simple, if you want to consume media at a higher quality it’s going to cost you more.

That said, internet speeds may be a greater restriction to this technology than one would have hoped. On the odd occasion when a streaming video

automatically upgrades to a higher resolution we are pleasantly surprised.

However, the last thing we’re going to do is increase the resolution if it’s struggling to stream, which all too often is unfortunately the case. Unless it’s something I’m super excited to watch, I’ll settle on the fastest streaming resolution available to me at the time and I guess that’s the key. If you’re asking people to watch your latest film in the latest technology it better be worth watching as it’ll cost them a lot more time and money to watch.

For years the marketers have been telling us as filmmakers that our

OPINION

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workstations can now handle advanced technologies and higher resolutions, but the first thing anyone wanting to accomplish anything in post-production does is create HD files to work from.

This is simply because, for the most part, it’s currently impractical to work in any higher resolution. Even if you are finishing in 4K you’d be crazy to edit in 4K, unless you have a hidden agenda to take more coffee breaks in your work day while you wait for your renders.

Time is money and anything that slows down one’s ability to watch what they want to see makes no sense, regardless of the quality. Simply offering these new technologies is not enough. They need to be offered at the same, if not better, operational speeds as previous technologies. We want more but not if it slows us down. In today’s fast paced world, speed is more highly valued than quality.

What excites me the most about these technologies (and popcorn) is when the end users get their hands on them.

To speak of technology as an advancement to many may seem obvious, however not everyone feels that way. Some people speak of the good old days and the magic of cinema with a glint in their eyes. As humans we are nostalgic beings and our relationship to motion pictures is no exception. – Anthony Lee Martin White

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Broadcast TECHNOLOGY Currently we are being invited to take the journey from the popcorn counter to the salt table and to taste the popcorn as it was prepared for us along the way. But, we all know that once we get to the salt table the whole game changes. Popcorn comes alive when we’ve added our own flavour to it, and the same can be said of technology!

Once the marketers let go of their creations and let us discover for ourselves how we want to use it, I doubt we’ll know the full potential and beauty of these new technologies. After all, that’s where the true magic happens!

If you are looking to adopt any one, or all of these new technologies into your world, keep an eye on the product developments, listen to the rumblings and time the pops to know when the best time to reach in is. You don’t want to dive in too early and realise your itchy fingers have left you many kernels shy of the full bag of popcorn.

ANTHONY LEE MARTIN is a husband, father, son, brother, friend and film editor at Deliverance Post Production.

He has a Bachelor of Arts in Film and Media from the University of Cape Town which he completed at the University of California, Santa Barbara. For over a decade he has tucked himself away in grey rooms around the country editing locally and internationally awarded commercials, short films and branded content. www.anthonyleemartin.com

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Broadcast Technology

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OPINION

SDR and HDR–compatible workflows for live production

Customer feedback on 4K UHD tells us that more pixels alone will not satisfy market expectations for a nextgeneration broadcasting format. Having better pixels with a higher dynamic range is therefore a hot topic of discussion.

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hile standard dynamic range (SDR) and high dynamic range (HDR) production workflows in the film and post-production industries are relatively well known, simultaneous SDR/HDR processes for live production are still to be established. This is due to specific challenges with live production, such as the current limitation to signals with 10-bit depth and the related requirement of having native HDR optimally defined transfer functions (OETF) at the source, rather than converting between different OETFs, to avoid banding errors.

4K UHD expectations and reality With the introduction of 4K UHD, image resolution has reached a level that exceeds human viewing capabilities in many practical viewing conditions.

Additionally, in many typical broadcast applications, like sports productions, the motion blur caused by the relatively long exposure time of each frame is the main limitation of the perceived image sharpness. And since motion blur is format independent, a larger pixel count does not improve resolution or the sharpness impression if the exposure time cannot be reduced.

This is why high frame rate (HFR) acquisition is included in UHD recommendations but where 4K acquisition requires 8x the bandwidth of today’s HD acquisition with the same frame rate, 4K HFR with 100 or 120fps would require 16x the bandwidth of the HD formats used today. Beside these extremely large bandwidth requirements, the shorter exposure time in combination with the smaller pixels strongly reduces the sensitivity of the camera to a level where – in some cases – the camera is no longer usable. These challenges will not permit implementing 4K with HFR in the near future but will make it an option for future implementation.

Written by Klaus Weber,

senior product marketing manager, Cameras, Grass Valley allows more dependable results under difficult shooting conditions found at many outside broadcast productions.

For field productions, this feature is possibly the most important improvement delivered from any of the new 4K UHD features and a primary advantage of HDR is that it is fully format independent, and does not need any specific viewing condition to show its advantages.

With HDR a larger contrast range is captured, processed and transmitted to the display, and it’s important to note that squeezing a larger contrast range into a given signal range will bring the signal closer to its limits.

The quantisation of the signal inside the imagers and the processing inside the camera is done with a bit depth far above the 10-bits used for production, and the latest CMOS broadcast cameras provide signal processing inside the camera head with up to 34-bit accuracy. This helps to avoid any unnecessary banding artefacts from the camera side but once the signal is converted and then output into a certain OETF, it is limited to the maximum 10-bit depth as supported by current broadcast interface standards.

Which OETF to be used With SMPTE 2084 or PQ and HLG there are two different transfer functions, standardised and used, for all live HDR applications worldwide (see Figure 1). It’s not likely that only one of the two OETFs will be used for all applications and in every place around the world. This means that both transfer functions need to be supported in live production and the generation of a native OETF coming directly from the camera system helps to provide enough headroom for unavoidable conversions.

HDR and its advantages to image quality Since the high pixel count of the 4K UHD image alone in many cases is not delivering the improvements to the image quality as expected by the users, HDR becomes an important topic to next-generation acquisition and distribution formats. HDR allows image reproduction that is much closer to reality due to its contrast ratio, which is much closer to the conditions found in real life. HDR also 34 | SCREENAFRICA | September 2017

Fig 1: OETF Comparison HLG and SMPTE 2084

How to produce simultaneous HDR and SDR When comparing different HDR and SDR compatible workflows it is important to understand that in most cases, the SDR signal is still the main signal used and it will be so for quite some time, therefore a limitation in its quality is unacceptable. This means that any workflows for simultaneous SDR/ HDR operations need to take this into account.

Adopted film style production workflow Film style productions have supported HDR operation for quite some time already. In digital film productions cameras capture images in RAW or LOG formats with a larger bit depth as required for the final output signals.

This allows using post-production to generate multiple different versions of the same material in the best quality possible, e.g. for SDR and HDR, for DVD or TV release, or for digital cinemas and analogue cinemas.

At first glance, an adoption of these film style workflows seems to offer a usable solution to live applications too. But there are two fundamental limitations to note in live applications; the limited bit depth and the time available for any post-production in typical workflows. If the production is done in a RAW or LOG format with the same 10 bit depth as required for the HDR output, the conversion between these two formats will be a none lossless process and any modification to the curve, such as applying a certain look or style to the image, will not be possible without the potential risk of visible artefacts. In addition, in a live application the images are transmitted a few milliseconds after they have been captured by the camera’s imagers, this means that there is no time for post-production.

Nevertheless an adopted film style workflow (see Figure 2) is a potential workflow for less demanding live applications, which might become more interesting once a higher bit depth can be supported by the production workflow.

OPINION

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Broadcast TECHNOLOGY

A HDR/SDR workflow using conversion An alternative to the parallel HDR/SDR workflow is to use only native HDR signals from the camera and then perform an HDR-to-SDR conversion somewhere during the production (see Figure 4). This simplifies the workflow and reduces the amount of resources required.

In contrast to the parallel HDR/SDR workflow there is no separate control for the SDR and HDR outputs, and the SDR gain cannot be independently controlled from the HDR signal. The question remains then how good is an HDR-to-SDR conversion under all types of conditions.

Fundamentally there are two kinds of HDR-to-SDR conversions: static conversions with a fixed LUT or a selectable LUT, and dynamic converters analysing the picture content and applying content-based settings.

At first glance, the dynamic content-based conversion seems to offer a larger capability of processing inside the production chain, although automatically adopting the look of the image might not be acceptable for all users or in all cases. The question here is what kind of controls are required for the HDR-to-SDR conversion and is a system – depending on the shooting conditions – that allows choosing between certain predefined LUTs not delivering a better compromise? Early versions of both types of converters are available and a first field test in real live environments delivered very promising results already.

It is to be expected that multiple different solutions will become commercially available in the very near future covering a wider range of typical live applications.

Fig 2: Film Style Production using a RAW or LOG Format

A full parallel HDR and SDR workflow A full parallel HDR and SDR workflow is currently the easiest and best way to produce HDR and SDR at the same time, from a single camera system and throughout the full production chain. “Full parallel” means that the camera delivers two simultaneous signals (see Figure 3), one using an HDR EOTF and one using standard SDR BT.1886 gamma-based video processing.

In this simultaneous HDR and SDR production workflow, the lens iris is set to HDR output and the SDR gain is used to control the SDR output to the required level. As long as the scene lighting does not change significantly, the lens iris will not need to be changed and a moderate variation of the lighting condition will be well inside the headroom of the HDR output. In comparison, for SDR, which does not offer this additional headroom, a much more precise adaptation of the sensitivity will be required. Besides the simultaneous shading of HDR and SDR signals, challenges include the requirements to handling both signals separately through the full production chain. This translates into a more complex and expensive workflow which might be accepted for certain applications and/or for an intermediate period of time, but might not be acceptable in the long term and a more efficient workflow will need to be developed.

Fig 4: Native HDR Workflow with SDR Derived by Conversion

Summary HDR is a major topic in the broadcast industry and for good reason. With HDR, a much improved viewer experience can be achieved fully independent from the screen size or other specific viewing conditions. In addition, HDR offers all this without an excessive amount of additional bandwidth or an increased data rate.

Initially, an adopted film style workflow might be acceptable for applications with lower requirements to the image performance. Alternatively, a simultaneous HDR/SDR workflow can be used for more demanding applications. But for cost and efficiency reasons, a more simplified HDR and SDR workflow delivering the best performance of both signals is required, and a native HDR workflow where SDR is derived by conversion has the potential to offer such a solution.

Fig 3: Parallel HDR and SDR Production Workflow

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BUSINESS

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OPINION

Film production crews travelling into Africa listen up

Written by Natalia Rosa, director, Big Ambitious

Goat ‘location fees’, an audience of belligerent baboons, unseasonal rain in the desert. When they say filming in Africa’s not for sissies, they would be 100 per cent correct.

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n addition to the unpredictability of the environment, facilities are often very basic which means you have to plan carefully before you leave to ensure you’re taking whatever you need along.

“A key challenge when planning for a shoot in Africa is A commercial shoot on location in Nairobi, Kenya that you have to be very specific about what you are going to take possible in certain destinations like along because there’s often very little Tanzania and Kenya, for example. equipment at your final destination.

“Currently, destinations like Tanzania, Places like Kenya and Nigeria have good Kenya, Ghana and Uganda are very infrastructure, but in remote places popular film locations. They are quite there’s no chance of renting equipment easy to film in, offer good resources for that you’ve left behind,” explains Margie crews and are multi-faceted. Of course, McMahon, a South African-based line it also depends on what the content is as producer aka ‘fixer’ who specialises in the shoot may have location requirements filming across Africa, from Angola to that entail filming at a specific landmark Morocco, Ethiopia to Madagascar. within a destination,” explains McMahon.

Despite intricate planning and With each destination comes varied managing client expectations, there will filming requirements, says Stage and still be those who are unprepared for Screen’s Jennifer Smith, who specialises the harsh realities of filming in Africa. in entertainment travel. “You should allow Says Brin Kushner, executive producer at for enough time to arrange your carnet, AFS Productions: “We have had some visas, filming permits and even be aware very challenging shoots where clients, of the time it may take for your overseas no matter how much you warn them, shipments to clear customs. We have key are not prepared for how rudimentary fixers and agents in targeted countries certain areas of Africa can be.” to ensure our clients are well prepared.”

For international producers, the That preparation includes organising reality that Africa is a very diverse travel to far-flung locations where airlift is place also has to sink in, and, that to infrequent and unreliable, says Smith. film ‘Africa’ for Africa – including the “Travel networks across Africa can many elements that audiences perceive be erratic – ports are closed, flights to be idiosyncratic to Africa – is only are delayed and cancelled at not

The Foster Brothers shooting a documentary in the Okavango Delta, Botswana

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On location for the film Triangle in Ethiopia

even a moment’s notice and without regular schedules that means a crew, or your equipment, could be stranded sometimes for several days on end.”

There is only so much proactive forward preparation one can do in these cases, but it helps when you have someone with experience in African travel on the ground to remove the stress from rescheduling onward travel, tracking lost luggage, expediting excess baggage check-ins and sorting out immediate travel requirements so that the crew’s needs are catered for completely, your equipment is delivered timeously and there’s peace of mind.

McMahon tells of a situation where a crew arrived in Nairobi in transit only to find that their gear had been left behind. With few onward flights to their final destination, they were delayed by a day and had to make alternate plans.

“You have to try to make provision for things that are out of your control, like checking at each leg that your luggage is actually on the flight.”

For crews, luggage is a key consideration when travelling across

Africa, says Smith.

Not just in terms of its safety, but also the ability to transport large quantities and weights. “Airlines have different rules when it comes to how much luggage (even excess) can be carried and it is also important for crews to understand that specific countries have customs requirements when it comes to film equipment. That is why it’s essential to rely on an agency that specialises in the specific requirements of the TV and film industry when you’re travelling into Africa. You need to be able to calculate how much excess baggage you have, and if it’s more than an aircraft can carry you need to allocate more time for the next half of the load to go on the next flight.”

Like with most things in Africa, it pays to be connected and have the global partnerships to help navigate the red tape and unpredictable environment.

“Having an on-the-ground understanding of each country’s peculiarities requires a strong network of partners within each destination,” confirms Smith.

With a lot of prep, some good contacts and reliable help on board, you’ll encounter a little less ‘The Gods Must Be Crazy’ and a little more ‘Out of Africa’ when you embark on your African travels.

Five ways B

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NEW TECHNOLOGY

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is poised to shake up the media Blockchain technology has the potential to disrupt existing business models and enable new ones, and the media industry will be the first to feel the effects, a new report from Deloitte reveals.

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he report – titled Blockchain @ Media: A new Game Changer for the Media Industry? – explores five potential use cases with the aim of triggering thinking on how powerful the blockchain concept can be in and for media.

According to Mark Casey, Global Media & Entertainment and TMT Africa leader at Deloitte, blockchain – the same technology behind Bitcoin and other crypto-currencies – permits the bypassing of content aggregators, platform providers, and royalty collection associations to a large

extent, signalling a shift in market power to the copyright owners.

“While some applications of blockchain technology may still seem far-fetched, payment-focused use cases have already been proved to work. Parts of the media value chain are, therefore, already endangered by new blockchainbased payment and contract options.

These can fundamentally reset pricing, advertising, revenue sharing, and royalty payment processes,” says Casey.

In Use Case 1, ‘New pricing options for paid content’, the Deloitte report details how consumers are increasingly demanding an individual, customised content experience, as evidenced by the success of music

and video streaming services.

While transaction costs have made it difficult to market low-priced content items or small bundles competitively and profitably, blockchainenabled micro-payments can help publishers to monetise this flexibilityseeking group of customers.

“With the help of a blockchain, individual articles or other pieces of content could be sold for centprices without disproportionate transaction costs,” Casey says.

Use Case 2, ‘Content bypassing aggregators’, predicts that while ad-based distribution models will remain important in the next decade, the intermediaries between the September 2017

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content creator and the potential advertiser will increasingly find themselves cut out of the equation.

“Based on the blockchain, everyone from leading media houses to small bloggers can easily generate advertising revenues,” explains Neville Hounsom, director: Strategy & Operations, Deloitte SA, who adds that as blockchains permit an exact tracking of content usage, they also enable a direct allocation of advertising budgets.

“Together with new, blockchainenabled micro-payments, content creators are able to establish direct relationships with their customers. Artists can market their songs independently of big platform providers wherever they want, since a blockchain permits easy tracking of usage and deduction of the associated payments,” Hounsom says.

Use Case 3, ‘Distribution of royalty payments’, explores another source of income for content producers and explains how the blockchain can enable a far more equitable distribution of royalty payments.

Today, the distribution of royalty payments builds on multiple contracts between artists, producers, and music publishing houses.

“With the help of a blockchain, the distribution of royalties could become more efficient and transparent. This would include a music directory with the original digital music file – associated with all relevant identities of people involved in the content creation. It is also possible to store instructions in the form of smart contracts that specify how the artists are to be compensated and how sales proceeds are to be divided among all eligible parties,” says Casey.

Use Case 4, ‘Secure and transparent C2C sales’, unpacks how blockchain has the potential for content rights owners to enable additional revenue streams by leveraging consumer-to- consumer sales.

While illegal file sharing remains a major problem for media companies, the blockchain has the potential to solve that problem, giving content owners full control and visibility of the

consumption and number of uses of individual songs and /or movies.

This could create new business models such as consumer-to-consumer marketing of content. “For example, now a subscriber can access their blockchain content and share it with a friend. The subscription holder will then be charged directly with the fee for the specific content they shared. This permits easy and legal sharing of paid content among users, and forms an additional source of revenue for aggregators and copyright holders,” Casey says.

Use Case 5, ‘Consumption of paid content without boundaries’, tackles a common consumer complaint: The inability to access the contents they subscribed to when they are in another country or region on business or on holiday.

The report points out that the blockchain has the potential to make digital rights management (DRM) systems obsolete, or at least to reduce their complexity, because every transaction or act of consumption is tracked in the blockchain and directly linked to a user. The payment will be automatically initiated according to the underlying smart contract terms for the content.

In light of these use cases and other potential scenarios, Hounsom advises that media players start considering blockchain-based applications and their potential impact on the whole industry.

These include micropayment-based pricing options for paid content, a shift of market power caused by content bypassing aggregators, and an improved distribution of royalty payments.

“To ensure timely and appropriate measures, we recommend an immediate review of the individual consequences for the existing business. In addition, companies should lose no time in identifying applicable blockchain based opportunities as a fundamental component of their future business strategy,” Hounsom concludes.

Mark Casey, leader, Deloitte Global Media & Entertainment and TMT Africa

“Together with new, blockchain-enabled micro-payments, content creators are able to establish direct relationships with their customers. Artists can market their songs independently of big platform providers wherever they want, since a blockchain permits easy tracking of usage and deduction of the associated payments.” – Neville Hounsom

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DIFF 2017

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ADVERTORIAL

| WRAP UP

A year of many firsts

A red carpet affair: DIFF 2017 opening night

Film Meets Fashion

Having successfully launched at an exclusive A-list event in partnership with the IDC in Johannesburg, the 38th annual Durban International Film Festival (DIFF) not only assured to sizzle but delivered on this promise.

The aptly themed Film Meets Fashion red carpet Opening Night event, hosted by M-Net, saw celebrities and industry practitioners don their tuxedos and ball gowns to party the night away.

The opening film Serpent, by female director Amanda Evans, was well received and went on to win the African Film Critic Award at the festival.

for DIFF, like the popular screenings at Max’s Lifestyle in Umlazi where audiences could chill, enjoy the shisanyama and watch good films. Akin Omotoso’s awardwinning Vaya opened the screenings at this venue and was a firm crowd favourite.

Another first saw a screening of short packages at the Westville Prison.

Wavescapes, for the surf lover’s, was moved to Ushaka Marine World – a free outdoor venue next to the ocean – and it was an instant hit with audiences, who, despite the sometimes chilly and slightly wet weather made their way to the big screen every evening.

Some new additions, that will be permanent features in future editions, included the Women-led Film focus which saw the launch of SWIFT at the Durban FilmMart (DFM), and the micro-budget film programme, which seeks to redress the past inequalities. The objective of the latter is to expose micro-budget filmmakers to the broader platform that was previously inaccessible to them. The day-to-day screenings of micro-budget films attracted large audiences which left the filmmakers excited about the road ahead for them and their projects. Six of the chosen films, including student films, were exhibited over a period of six long days at the Old Court Museum. Microbudget filmmakers had an opportunity to interact with the experts within the film schools programme. The idea of an enabling environment to allow dialogue between industry practitioners and aspirant filmmakers was alive and realised.

Talents Durban celebrated ten years of existence and as part of the anniversary festivities, alumni sent through projects for a Talents Durban Alumni screening oppor­tunity which took place on the Opening Night of the programme.

After sifting through more than 30

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his year, the festival’s social events calendar was packed, and accredited guests had a range of events to choose from.

Opening and Awards events were over-subscribed, a testament to the accomplishment of the edition. The festival closing was held at Gateway Theatre of Shopping and the closing night film – Dr Mbongeni Ngema’s Asinamali – had audiences thoroughly engaged. The film makes its commercial South African run this September.

The German focus had a gala screening for the film Goodbye Berlin

by Fatih Akin. The young leads, Tristan Gobel and Anand Batbileg attended the festival from Germany and said that they enjoyed their South African experience, which included a trip to Max’s Lifestyle in Umlazi to watch

the critically acclaimed film Vaya.

Canada was celebrating 150 years of independence and 20 years of co-production with South Africa. To aptly celebrate this, the Canadian delegation at the festival held a big party as well as screenings of selected films spread across five days.

Potato Patahto, by Shirley FrimpongManso, a Ghanaian film selected as part of the Women-led Film focus was a big hit, attracting a full house to its screenings. The award-winning documentary Liyana by Amanda and Aaron Kopp, featuring Gcina Mhlope and produced by Thandi Newton, was also a major success with jurors and audiences alike.

The 2017 outreach programme was by far the biggest yet in the history of the festival. Highlights include several firsts

submissions, the panel selected Sink by 2011 alumni, Anel Alexander. Sink has since been awarded the Golden Horn Award for Best Feature Film at the 2017 South African Film and Television Awards. 2011 alumni Tiny Mungwe’s project, Womxn: Working was selected as one of this year’s DFM projects. The Hangman, which won the Best South African Short award at this year’s DIFF is a Talents Durban alumni project directed

by Zwelethu Radebe (2013 alumni).

Skulls Of My People, co- produced by Lodi Matsetela (2009 alumni), was one of the documentary films in com­petition at DIFF this year. Cut Loose, part of the short film package, is directed and written by Shanelle Jewnarain (2012 alumni). The success of Talents Durban alumni speaks to the relevance of the programme in the industry and we look forward to its continued growth.

Festival manager Chipo Zhou had this to say about her first DIFF: “To come in with three months left to the festival meant a lot of sleepless nights and they paid off. I’m quite happy with the edition but looking forward to a calmer 2018.

The Centre for Creative Arts (CCA) team worked tirelessly, each and every one of them was amazing and the festival could not have taken place without their efforts.

Our funders and stakeholders were very involved in the planning of the festival as well as its implementation on the ground, showing how invested they are in the industry and its growth. This also took quite a load off the team and we are very grateful. We had a few controversial films, some of which won awards, which was great. I love that audiences were engaged and interrogated the narratives, it showed that the stories struck a chord emotionally, which in my opinion are the markings of distinguished artists.”

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WRAP UP

| ADVERTORIAL

DIFF award winners 2017 Best Feature Film

Best actress

A Father’s Will Directed by Bakyt Mukul & Dastan Zhapar uulu

Beauty and the Dogs Mariam Al Ferjani

Best South African Feature Film

Best Screenplay

Best Cinematography

La Soledad Directed by Jorge Thielen Armand.

A Father’s Will Akjol Bekbolotov

Best Editing

Artistic Bravery

La Soledad

by Jorge Thielen Armand

Liyana Amanda Kopp and Aaron Kopp.

Best International Short

The Amnesty International Durban Human Rights Award

Vaya Directed by Akin Omotoso

Best Director for a South African Film Inxeba (The Wound) Directed by John Trengrove

Best South African Documentary Strike a Rock Directed by Aliki Saragas

Best International Documentary Dusk Chorus Directed by Nika Šaravanja & Alessandro D’Emilia.

Witnesses Directed by David Koch.

Best Direction (in the international competition) A Father’s Will Directed by Bakyt Mukul & Dastan Zhapar Uulu

Strike a Rock and Mama Colonel.

Best African Short

The African Critic Award

All of Us Directed by Tobias Rosen.

Serpent Directed by Amanda Evans

Best Actor

Best South African Short.

Inxeba (The Wound) Nakhane Touré

The Hangman Directed by Zwelethu Radebe

DIFF 2018 will run from 19 to 29 July next year and online submissions for the 39th edition will open on 2 October 2017.

The Centre for Creative Arts (CCA) within the College Of Humanities of the University of KwaZulu-Natal, together with the eThekwini Municipality, the KwaZulu-Natal Film Commission, the National Film and Video Foundation, the German Embassy and the Goethe Institute among others, made the 38th Durban International Film Festival possible.

The festival is the longest running of its kind in Africa, bringing together filmmakers and industry experts from around the world and providing opportunities for emerging talent to join the mainstream media through the Durban FilmMart and Durban Talent Campus.

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Durban FilmMart – moving film ahead on the continent The Durban FilmMart (DFM) is one of the most important film finance platforms and industry events on the African continent, and this year’s eighth edition was certainly the biggest since it began eight years ago in the coastal city of Durban, South Africa.

“I

t was a very busy few days at this year’s Durban FilmMart with an estimated 900 meetings taking place between projects and potential investors, and the results have been very positive,” enthuses Toni Monty, head of the Durban Film Office, the eThekwini Municipality’s film industry unit that partners with the Durban International Film Festival to present the DFM which took place from 14 to 17 July this year.

“Our eighth edition was amazing and we are very pleased with how the market has grown from strength to strength in fulfilling its vision to develop African content and network African filmmakers.

We had over 600 delegates from over 30 countries participating, including 17 African countries, and we have received very positive feedback from them about how our pan-African profile has grown.”

Central to the Durban FilmMart were the networking sessions and meetings held over four days between delegates comprising filmmakers, producers, distributors, agents, broadcasters, film funders and government agencies.

The DFM, hosted a co-production finance forum with ten documentaries and 12 fiction feature films being pitched by producers and directors to broadcasters, financiers, investors, distributors and sales agents.

“We received really wonderful feedback about the projects that were pitched during these co-production sessions,” says Monty. “What is really exciting is that African filmmakers attending the market are presenting at a much higher level in comparison to when Durban FilmMart first opened its doors eight years ago – and the competition is tough. We had 22 official DFM projects in the forum supported

by Cinemart, Rotterdam, and IDFA, Netherlands, as well as an additional 20 projects associated with

Filmmakers in discussion during this year’s DFM

partner programmes Hotdocs, Realness, Berlin Talents programme, Caribbean Tales and Produire au Sud, plus others with a record number of 70 projects presenting at this year’s finance forum.”

Another welcome addition, was the support from the Industrial Development Corporation for an insightful ‘Film Finance: State of the Industry’ session – a useful session to help filmmakers understand the business of film.

“Of particular interest from this year’s DFM was the introduction of CineFAM-Africa Incubator Accelerator Programme – in which six serialised television projects by women of colour were rigorously mentored by Nicole Brookes and Lisa Wickam of Caribbean Tales, Canada,” says Monty. “We have received the most astonishing feedback from these participants, who found the tough process a springboard to launch their projects into the pitching process.”

Nicole Brookes vice-president of Caribbean Tales at a media briefing for Women-led Film at DFM supported by M-Net

Participant Mary-Ann Mandishona from Zimbabwe received an invitation to participate in the CineFam Caribbean Tales Incubator Programme with her project Mamba Kazi – African Warrior Queens, specifically for ‘marginalised’ women of colour which is held during the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF).

“I thought the programme was educational, challenging, entertaining and inspiring,” says Mandishona. “I learnt how to concisely communicate my pitch with confidence and I gained much insight from my fellow participants of remarkable, talented women.”

“Nicole was brilliant and forceful and pushed us to represent our ‘truth’ as Africans or ‘women of colour’ within the story spectrum ‘unapologetically.’

Lisa provided us with an advantageous balance, by providing insightful business-oriented aspects of the film industry. This ‘tug of war’ that happens in our creative minds is always tricky to navigate, so the ‘yin-yang balance’ of the mentors was helpful. Both nurtured and listened to each CineFam participant with genuine interest and passion. For me personally this has been the most soul-rejuvenating ‘film’ workshop I’ve participated in to date. There was such a positive energy of creative excellence being shared amongst us, our diverse group of super talented ‘women of colour’ shall be forever connected.

Nicole stimulated that creative energy with her enthusiastic approach to teaching and sharing.”

“I feel renewed and empowered to continue the hard work ahead with ‘clenched teeth determination’ and look forward to pitching at the TIFF,” she says.

“With this kind of feedback from all the participants, we hope to continue developing the relationship

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Five Fingers for Marseilles with Caribbean Tales, in a concerted effort to grow this forum for the DFM,” affirms Monty.

This year a Women-led Film Focus together with the DIFF, was enabled through the support of main sponsor M-Net and the National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF), and many workshops, seminars and discussion focused on industry transformation.

Feeding into this narrative, a new edition to the DFM was the presence of Tilane Jones, executive director of ARRAY, the film distribution collaborative founded by Oscar-winner Ava DuVernay which is focused on women filmmakers and filmmakers of colour. Jones presented a session entitled Womenled Film, which was also the thematic approach to this year’s DIFF and DFM. She was also able to take numerous meetings at the DFM, and was very encouraged to see the level of passion and interest there is in Africa to drive women into significant positions within the industry.

Alongside the Women-led Film theme, SWIFT (Sisters Working in Film and Television) held a hard-hitting workshop around the role of women in the film industry, looking at practical and tangible ways in which the industry could be transformed into a more inclusive one for women.

“The industry lounge was also abuzz with formal and informal meetings, and we were pleased to have VR technology showcased there by Ingrid Kopp’s Electric South, together with the GoetheInstitut screening four VR shorts from Africa.”

“On a country-to-country engagement level, together with partner, NFVF, KZN Film Commission, and he Department of Trade and Industry, we hosted three co-production delegations from Canada, Germany and Kenya, and we extend grateful thanks to the Canadian High Commission, the German Embassy and Kenya Film Commission for supporting these programmes with vision and enthusiasm.”

“The journey of growing the Durban FilmMart over the past eight years has been remarkable. What started as an idea to create a business networking

42 | SCREENAFRICA | September 2017

The Wound poster hub for African filmmakers all those years ago, has grown into a well-established platform for African projects in development, and the progress is palpable. Through Durban FilmMart we have seen filmmakers who were previously fairly unknown to the global filmmaking community, develop strong global networks and partnerships, multi-tasking a number of projects. We have witnessed the development of Durban FilmMart alumni: the writing is stronger and the collaborations well thought out, with filmmakers

Khalo Matabane’s The Number

who in earlier years were unsure of which direction to take, now governing their own paths. Many alumni have catapulted themselves into the hearts and minds of global audiences and filmmaking communities.

This is what we intended all those years ago. We just had no idea it would evolve so quickly.”

Some of the projects that have recently hit the news, to come out of the DFM include Inxeba (The Wound) (DFM 2014) by John Trengove, produced

by Urucu Media, which premiered at DIFF this year and will have its theatrical release in 2018, and is the SA hopeful for an Oscar nomination. And two DFM alumni projects have recently been selected for this year’s Toronto International Film Festival: the South African western Five Fingers for Marseilles (DFM 2013) by Michael Matthews, produced by Sean Drummond, and Khalo Matabane’s The Number (DFM 2012) which was filmed in KZN last year.

“These are but three of many many projects that were incubated at the DFM, and went on to develop into fully fledge films” says Monty. “It is really encouraging to see this model working for the industry. The City of Durban has indeed become an important platform for African filmmakers to connect with the global market place.”

“The Durban FilmMart was made possible by our principal funder, the eThekwini Municipality, and we are privileged to have the on-going support of a city government that recognises, supports and promotes the value of our industry, and understands the importance of providing African filmmakers a platform to connect with the world, and, importantly, to connect with African filmmakers throughout the continent.”

Social | SOCIAL

The 8th annual Durban FilmMart As usual, the Durban FilmMart was a hub of learning and networking for both emerging and established filmmakers, as well as key industry players and organisations. Seen there were..

Alice Thandi Mdluli

Nokuzola Ngcobo & Smanga Dlamini

Malibongwe Ntuli & Dipak Chiba

Kgothatso Chuene & Sanele Manikivana

Clare Louis

Lindokuhle Langa & Fanele Ntuli

Lebo Masike & Zanele Gumede

Benjamin Keuffel & Petra Epperlein

Marcel Giubilei, Deborah Raposo & Fernando Mamari

September 2017

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