Screen Africa - September 2011

LOERIE AWARDS BROADCAST, FILM, COMMERCIAL, NEW MEDIA & TECHNOLOGY NEWS

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VOL 23 – September 2011 R35.00

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BROADCAST, FILM, COMMERCIAL, NEW MEDIA & TECHNOLOGY NEWS

www.screenafrica.com

VOL 23 – September 2011 R35.00

Bush Radio on the ropes At the time of going to press, Cape Town based community radio station Bush Radio was R200 000 in arrears and facing a possible lock-out from its Salt River premises, as well as the prospect of going off air.

The station has been broadcasting since 1995 and has trained thousands of radio

Hi-tech RWC broadcast By the conclusion of the IRB Rugby World Cup (RWC), which runs in New Zealand until 23 October, South African pay-TV broadcaster SuperSport will have put 185 hours of live games and magazine shows on air.

This is the first time that SuperSport, the exclusive RWC broadcast rights holder for South Africa, is providing 24-hour channels for rugby. SuperSport 1 and SuperSport HD1 (both available on the DStv platform) are solely dedicated to the World Cup for the duration.

Says SuperSport communications manager Clinton van der Berg: “For live match coverage – to page 44

personnel over the years.

Bush Radio MD Brenda Leonard told Screen Africa on 30 August that a last-minute public fundraising appeal conducted via the press had raised only R4 000.

“In the past weeks we have had numerous meetings with several potential funders, including the Media Development & Diversity Agency (MDDA), which has a sustainability fund for community broadcasters.

However, should the MDDA come on board it will still take a few months before we receive their funds. We have also tried on several occasions to meet with the Department of Communications but no-one ever returns our calls.

“On 31 August we will meet with our landlord and propose a payment plan as we have been in

rental arrears since the beginning of the year and currently owe him R200 000.

We aim to put money on the table and have requested advance fees from our advertisers to this end. It’s essential that the Bush Radio board of directors has the time to make sensible decisions around raising the necessary finance,” said Leonard.

She noted that the station has been facing financial difficulties since 2009, with a spiralling loss in advertising due to the recession, as well as a reduction in donor funds. “It costs R2.4m a year to run Bush Radio; 25% of that is spent on rent,” explained Leonard.

Bush Radio’s long term plans include a pledge drive in October, a fundraising concert at the end of November and the creation of a non-profit – to page 44

Entertainment Master Class back in SA The world renowned international Entertainment Master Class (EMC) will hold its second module to be hosted in South Africa from 10 to 14 in Cape Town. Selected local television professionals will, for the first time, have the opportunity to pitch projects in the sitcom / comedy genre to an international panel for consideration and evaluation.

A non-profit executive education programme, the EMC Academy is built around

the experience of leading practitioners who provide a learning experience rooted in best practice. Its creative faculty comprises experienced creators, pioneering entrepreneurs and business leaders from across the global entertainment industry.

According to EMC head of Programme John Gough, experts are selected from the initial requirements of each module’s curriculum – in this instance sitcoms and comedy.

– to page 44

BREATHTAKING SCENE: Sonia and Alexandre Poussin in a scene from the documentary Africa Trek. See page 41

African musical shoots Johannesburg-based Moments Entertainment is in production with its fourth feature film in two years, an African musical starring legendary South African songbird Yvonne Chaka Chaka and award-winning actress Leleti Khumalo (Sarafina! Yesterday).

“Cry of Love is an African film for an international audience, very much in the vein of Fame the Musical. However, the script touches on issues faced by many young Africans today – xenophobia, child soldiers, HIV/ Aids, female genital mutilation and marriage by abduction.

“The film celebrates the African notion of Ubuntu and uses the arts and entertainment to offer an alternative for young

people so that they sow the seeds of love and not hatred. We want this film to resonate with young people everywhere so that they can build healthy, normal lives,” explains executive producer Firdoze Bulbulia.

Director Faith Isiakpere, who worked with Chaka Chaka (known as the ‘Princess of Africa’) on Moments Entertainments’ first feature film, Foreign Demons, created the concept for Cry of Love.

“Faith and I have known Yvonne since the struggle days of the 1980s so we go back a long way,” notes Bulbulia.

“Yvonne is also a UN Ambassador for malaria and involved in UN work globally.

Her character in Cry of Love is inspired by Faith’s relationship with ‘Mama Africa’, the late Miriam Makeba. We are so excited that Yvonee and Leleti Khumalo have agreed to be involved in the film, as well as Victor Masondo, our musical director.”

– to page 44

From the editor

The story that was and then wasn’t The lead story on the front page of this issue was meant to be about a new channel to be launched by a South African broadcaster. Following in-depth interviews with key staffers and several hours of writing, Screen Africa was informed just prior to going to press that the story was not to be published until approved by the broadcaster’s communications department. As to whether the article, a positive one without any contentious content, will ever be approved, who knows as it may get lost in bureaucracy. The reason that no names are mentioned here is to protect the staffers that were interviewed.

Ironically, news of this channel has already received some coverage in the media. However, Screen Africa, which exists to serve the industry, has agreed to respect the request not to publish.

Moving on to stories that are – community radio stations are of enormous value to society, owned, operated and driven as they are by the communities they serve. So it’s distressing to hear that one of South Africa’s oldest community radio stations (and one borne out of the need for a marginalised community to express itself during the dark days of apartheid), Bush Radio, finds itself facing dire financial challenges that seriously threaten its existence. The station has experienced a loss of advertisers and donors – a sure sign of these recession-ridden times. Not only is Bush Radio the voice of its community, it has trained thousands of people in the art of radio broadcasting over the years. Screen Africa hopes the station finds the necessary financial relief to be able to stay on air.

Technology, like time, seems to progress at an uncontrollable pace. A piece of high tech equipment is no sooner purchased than it is out of date. The production of content for television, films and new media platforms is dependent on technology so it’s vital to keep up to date. A special feature in this issue is focused on the state-of-the art technologies that were on display at the recent Mediatech Africa.

Another special feature highlights South Africa’s burgeoning animation industry which has at last made the leap into long form production with the likes of The Lion of Judah, Zambezia and Jock of the Bushveld. Read what top animators have to say about the progress made, and the challenges faced, by the industry.

This issue coincides with the IRB Rugby World Cup, an event where broadcast technology will once again get to show off, as our front page story reveals.

We hope you find this issue informative.

Joanna Sterkowicz

SCREENAFRICA Editor: Joanna Sterkowicz: editor@screenafrica.com

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

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

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

Contributors: Andy Stead, Karen van Schalkwyk, Martin Chemhere, Ian Dormer, Anton Crone, Trevor Ou Tim Sub-Editor: Tina Heron Ratings: Enid Venter enid@ihjohannesburg.co.za Head of Design: Trevor Ou Tim: design@screenafrica.com Website & Production Updates: Anusha Dayal: info@screenafrica.com Subscriptions: Anusha Dayal: info@screenafrica.com

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

Sun Circle Publishers (Pty) Ltd Tel: 011 025-3180 Physical address: Block A, Process House Epsom Downs Office Park 13 Sloane Street, Bryanston, Johannesburg PO Box 559 Fourways North 2086

Contents

6

28

8

20

40

SPECIAL FEATURES MEDIATECH AFRICA REPORT BACK

NEWS

TRACKING TECHNOLOGY

Bush Radio on the ropes; African

Changing production landscapes;

musical shoots; Entertainment

Apple (de)Lights at Macro Video;

Trade exhibition as major launch

Master Class back in SA;

Avmark – an education............. 18

pad; Fibre network and ‘black

Hi-tech RWC broadcast............... 1

Do you know where your

box’; Transcoding and media

All systems go for PromaxBDA

cows are? .................................... 20

servers; 3D gear makes

Africa!; Beauty is only skin deep;

a splash.......................................... 22

Linking the post-production

3D

Big solutions; Suppliers very

chain.................................................. 3

committed; Making a first time

New animation division launched;

stand; Top audio innovations.... 24

Foreign delegation visits CTFS... 4

Mobile studio; Musical tools for film................. 25 A hurricane blew in;

DOCUMENTARY A voyage of hope........................... 6

‘Rolls Royce’ of cameras........... 26

FILM

Morphing 3D characters;

Comedians score quirky

Big commitment to SA;

soccer film....................................... 8

Studio in a box............................ 27

Pouring oil onto troubled

ANIMATION

waters............................................ 10

Local animation grabs

Alternative filmmaking gets

the spotlight....................... 28 / 29

alternative..................................... 16

Flying Coke crates; Polishing

Documentary as art................... 42

Popstars’ new image................ 30

COMMERCIALS

Rebrand for local music channel........................................... 32 Magical effects – Harry Potter style....................... 33 Bringing animation to life.......... 34 Entangled in African animation 3 .5 The Specialists............................. 36

Brand communication gets its day.......................... 14 / 15

Global 3D conversion pipeline; Glee goes 3D................................ 21

FINANCE Crowdfunding – an opportunity for Africa....................................... 38

AFRICA Doccie spurs human rights revolution; Film in a Box now in SA..................................... 40 Experience Africa in a new DVD; Ghanaian movies honoured again............................................... 41

TELEVISION Long and winding road for new series.............................. 43

REGULARS Audience Ratings......................... 45 Vital Stats...................................... 45 Production Updates......... 46 / 47 Close-up........................................ 48

| NEWS

All systems go for PromaxBDA Africa!

Nine new categories have been introduced into this year’s PromaxBDA Africa Awards, which take place at Johannesburg’s Sandton Convention Centre on 28 October. This is the only event of its kind dedicated to on-air promotion and broadcast design.

According to event director Vanessa Sheldrick, the new categories for this sixth edition of PromaxBDA Africa were created to add more relevance to the African market.

They include Best Director; Best Visual FX & Compositing; Best Design Without Footage; and Most Outstanding Marketing Initiative.

For the first time all entries will be uploaded this year,” continues Sheldrick.

“Annually, the global Promax and BDA organisations award excellence around the

globe. The Promax Muse and the BDA Isis are viewed as the ultimate accolades for promotion, marketing and outstanding design contributions in today’s broadcast and electronic media industries.”

All of the judging is done online and the majority of judges come from overseas to keep the Africa event entirely fair.

There are 12 judging groups made up of

10 professionals each. Among these are 10 South African judges who judge Best Funniest Spot; Best Public Service Announcement; The Mama Africa Award; and Best News / Current Affairs Promo.

Running alongside the awards event is the PromaxBDA Africa Conference which is to date the only convention of its kind that brings together South African TV producers, designers, promoters and broadcasters under one roof.

“This one-day convention provides its sponsors a prime ‘real estate’ platform in which to promote its offerings and to form effective and influential alliances with leading marketing, design and TV professionals. Year-on-year, we’ve seen incredible growth, increased creativity and newly formed partnerships.

“It also provides an opportunity for delegates to hear about the latest global trends in the industry. PromaxBDA Europe chair, Liz Dunning, who spoke at PromaxBDA Africa four years ago about IPTV, will return to do a rebranding session. This should be a very popular session since more and more channels

seem to be rebranding or launching channels.

“Marice Tobias of Tobias Entertainment Group, who has the BBC, Discovery Networks and VH1 in her client portfolio, will present a session on how to direct talent to produce deliveries that cut through the clutter. Mateus de Paula Santos will talk about designing in Brazil for Brazil and the rest of the world.”

Creative director of Johannesburg’s Orijin, Bron Dean, will once again present her very popular session, Around the World in 60 Minutes.

Says Dean: “I enjoy presenting this session very much as it is incredibly interesting and inspiring to dig through the work of our peers and colleagues from around the globe, who promote many of the same programmes we do and work within essentially the same limitations and against the same challenges we do, to come up with incredible and diversely different solutions. Our colleagues in India in particular always have the most interesting and unique take on promos.”

For more information visit www.promaxafrica.tv.

Beauty is only skin deep Linking the postproduction chain

Oliver Hermanus and Deon Lotz on the set of Skoonheid The multi-award winning new South African film, Skoonheid (Beauty), is a first in that sex is portrayed in a manner never before seen in theatrically released Afrikaans language films.

One scene in the film contains explicit visuals of a man masturbating in a pornographic film on a TV screen. Just after this scene is established, the camera pans to burly, hairy farmer-like men participating in a lustful homosexual orgy.

In another scene a man is viciously raped.

The writer of the screenplay and director of the film, Oliver Hermanus, says that this scene is a mirror of reality.

He notes that the characters in the scene are in stark contrast to most films with a gay theme which usually contain good looking men.

“I did not want to use the normal media images of gay men,” states Hermanus. “In this instance I wanted to show the feelings of real people in real situations. There are men who would

never acknowledge that they have homosexual feelings. It was my intention to explore this aspect in the main character, Francois, played by Deon Lotz.”

From the outset Hermanus knew that the film would receive a high age restriction (18 SV) from the Film and Publications Board. Low age restrictions mean more bums on seats and therefore better box office income. This was not a concern for Hermanus. “Skoonheid is a film about reality. I want the public to view the film with an open mind and see the real world,” he says.

Most of the dialogue in the film is in Afrikaans (with English subtitles.) “If the dialogue was in English, it might have influenced the box office, but I decided that it must be in Afrikaans as the plot plays itself out in Bloemfontein. I also chose Bloemfontein as the setting because I am familiar with the area and its people,” explains Hermanus.

Johannesburg-based company Freq’ncy Audio has initiated a short training course on the post-production chain of a typical commercial.

Freq’ncy Audio’s Dave Harris explains the rationale behind the course: “The high definition (HD) versus standard definition (SD) post-production process is complex and the difference between full height anamorphic (FHA) and 4/3 aspect ratios confusing. I have found that newcomers are often overwhelmed with the processes involved.

“With the support of several companies I am in the final stages of preparing a workshop where all the processes will be explained and demonstrated. Participants on the course will leave Dave Harris with a better understanding of the chain and a workbook with tips and procedures.”

All the participating companies have a close working relationship with Freq‘ncy Audio and are located in the same building at Bryanston’s Stonewedge Office Park. Freq’ncy Audio will provide the initial brief as well as the workbook handover at the end of the course.

Guillotine Post Production will take participants through the off-line edit process while Pudding Telecine Services will explain the grade. Blade Effects (BFX) will reveal what is involved in 3D titles and show the use of Flame for the on-line edit, and how the commercial is telestreamed to the broadcast station.

Freq’ncy Music will explain the music composition process and Freq’ncy Audio the final mix.

“This entire process should take about two and a half hours,” continues Harris, “with about 20 minutes for each phase. The course will start and end at Freq’ncy Audio and I will walk the newcomers through each stage. Although the initial target will be agency newcomers, we could well expand the course to colleges should there be demand. We may even find that people who are old hands in the industry may be interested as the processes involved in post-production change extremely quickly and keeping up with current technology can be problematic.”

The first course is expected to commence in September. – Andy Stead

The film centres on the middle aged Francois who develops a dangerous obsession with his daughter’s boyfriend, Christian. Francois struggles to suppress his sexual needs and is disgusted with the way Christian has him in his power.

“I’m sure that I might receive a flood of

criticism about the subject matter but I’m not scared of controversy.

My next film, a period work focusing on the disciple Judas, who betrayed Jesus Christ, is going to be even more controversial,” adds Hermanus.

– Jakkie Groenewald September 2011 | SCREENAFRICA | 3

NEWS |

New animation division launches

J

ohannesburg-based facility Aces Up Post Production is riding high following the launch on 1 September of its new animation division and the news that five commercials cut by in-house editors Zama Jolobe and Lucian Barnard made it to the finals of the upcoming Loerie Awards.

The Loerie finalists are Mineseeker done with Ireland / Davenport and Save the Rhino done with Lowe Bull (both edited by Barnard) and The Walking Dead (a series of three promos done with Ireland / Davenport and edited by Jolobe).

Aces Up’s MD Liesl Lategan notes that the decision to open a specialised animation division was a natural progression for the company. “We’d already done several jobs with animation elements and believe that this is a growing

WE HAVE LIFT OFF – David Theron, Gigh Zack, Liesl Lategan, Zama Jolobe, Shaun Broude, Lucian Barnard and Sheilla Kubheka

area in the market. Dave Theron, who recently completed an animation and design course at Gobelins l’Ecole l’Image in France, heads up the division. Dave and the team work with Maya and Adobe After Effects software and are presently busy with jobs for The Core Group, Africa Jones, MTN and Swazi Telecom.”

Situated in the post-production hub of Stonewedge Office Park in Bryanston, Aces Up opened in 2008 and began with a single edit suite, targeted at the commercials industry. Says Lategan: “We now have three in-house editors – Zama, Lucian and Shaun Broude. Shaun is our heavyweight editor and has been in the industry for 13 years. He works a lot with Jason Fialkov of Egg and has just finished

the Hollard campaign.”

Lategan is passionate about discovering and nurturing new talent. Jolobe was her assistant when she was a commercials producer at the then Suburban Films. “I saw the opportunity to groom a black commercials editor as there is a serious shortage in the industry. Zama has proved to be a real find, as his work on The Walking Dead shows.

“Lucian is the winner of last year’s SA’s Next Top Editor competition, which Aces Up initiated together with General Post’s Kirsty Galliard. I contacted Ireland / Davenport to see if their creatives would write a PSA for us. They came up with the concept for Mineseekeer and we asked Lourens van Rensburg’s protégé,

Wednesday, to direct it. There were lots of entries in the competition and Lucian was a clear winner. He moved up here from Cape Town to join us. Lucian is currently busy with jobs for MTN and BMW. “Being a good editor is not just about knowing how the technology works, it’s about being creative, how you interpret the brief and how you handle the client / agency relationship. At Aces Up we always try to get involved in the job as early as possible, even at the pre-production phase,” concludes Lategan.

Latest news is that Aces Up has been awarded The Parlotones’ new music video in associaion with Flaming Frames.

Foreign delegation visits CTFS Western Cape’s Minister of Finance, Economic Development and Tourism, Alan Winde, hosted a visit by the foreign Consular Corp to Cape Town Film Studios (CTFS) on 12 August to showcase the state-of-the-art Hollwood style complex – the first of its kind in Africa.

Consuls from the UK, Germany, Japan and many more were treated to a tour of the facilities.

Minister Winde was clear about his motivation for inviting the foreign delegates. “We are open for business and serious about growing the economy,” he said in his opening remarks.

Extremely positive about the view the world has of Cape Town, particularly after the 2010 FIFA World Cup, Minister Winde went on to emphasise that while much of the world is feeling the pressure of the recession, Cape Town is growing. He cited the examples of the 4 | SCREENAFRICA | September 2011

32-storey Portside development and the recent sale of the V&A Waterfront. He sees CTFS as part and parcel of this growth and as an opportunity to provide jobs in the Western Cape. This is largely dependent on foreign productions taking place in the region.

The Minister made reference to the growing number of South African stories

on the big screen such as Invictus, District 9, and The Bang Bang Club. His pride in South Africa was summed up in the statement: “Film is an amazing medium that lets us tell our story, and we have a great story to tell.”

The foreign delegation was impressed by the scale of the four sound stages spreading over an accumulated area of 18 300m2 and by the support facilities, particularly the 37-seater cinema that also caters for 3D film grading, two large workshops, and two fully furnished luxury star rooms that accompany each stage.

CTFS recently hosted the second instalment of British production, The Borrowers. Nico Dekker, CTFS CEO,

was thrilled when one of the stars, Stephen Fry, gave it a thumbs-up by tweeting: “Deeply impressed with brand new Cape Town Studios. Make Pinewood etc look v shabby” to his three million Twitter followers.

Another British production, Dredd, is the biggest project to have filmed at the studio so far. Based on the graphic novel Judge Dredd, the movie enhanced CTFS’ reputation as it is a live action 3D production.

The representative from the Japanese Consulate, Seigo Nishijima, was most impressed by the studios’ technical aspects. Dekker believes CTFS surpass other studios in this regard. The advantages of lighting gantries and electrical access at every possible vantage point along the soundproof walls and gantries, combined with on-site postproduction facilities and a fibre optic network that allows for affordable transfer of rushes to any part of the world, were pointed out to the delegation.

– Anton Crone

A voyage of hope

I

n 2008 Ryley Grunenwald took time out of the film industry in South Africa to volunteer as a cleaner on the Africa Mercy, a ship docked in Liberia to provide free specialised surgery to people in West Africa.

The Africa Mercy is run by Mercy Ships, a non-profit organisation that takes free medical care to some of the one and a half billion people in developing nations who don’t have access to basic healthcare.

While working on the ship Grunenwald made a short film that inspired the full length documentary The Dawn of a New Day. “I had an amazing experience while I was there, and I was really moved. – Not only by the patients leaving the ship having surgeries performed that they would never have received otherwise, but also by over 450 volunteers from all over the whoworld were actually paying money to volunteer on this ship. It really made me question my own life, what I was doing in South Africa and what my goals were. I decided that I wanted to be part of stories that I really cared about and that were actually having an impact globally,” explains Grunenwald.

She decided to return to the Africa Mercy in 2009, while it was docked in Benin, to film The Dawn of a New Day. The shoot also took her to Cape Town, South Africa and Dublin, Ireland over the course of nine months.

The film follows South African plastic surgeon Dr Tertius Venter who volunteers on the Africa Mercy and the impact of his work on the lives of his patients, but also the personal toll on his family and the relationship with his wife. For two months every year he works in Dublin as a plastic surgeon and uses this income to support his family and his volunteer work for the rest of the year.

6 | SCREENAFRICA | September 2011

Photo by Debra Bell

By Linda Krige

A NEW KICK OF LIFE – Hyacinthe

His story is told alongside those of three of his patients who are treated for a tumour, congenital abnormalities and a burn contracture: Ambroise, a 31-year-old motorcycle taxi driver, 11-year-old Fadila from Niger and a 10 year old boy called Hyacinthe.

“A lot of people who are born with birth abnormalities or develop tumours are ostracised from their communities and often feel worthless and ashamed and just want to hide away. The surgeries not only restore their health, but also restore them socially and emotionally. You can easily see that they’re different people after the surgery,” says Grunenwald.

Funding for the production came from the National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF) and the Gauteng Film Commission (GFC), but because the film was made over an extended period on a tight budget, Grunenwald had to learn how to make the most of limited resources.

One woman crew She worked as producer, director and cinematographer because limited bed space on the ship meant that she couldn’t take any crew with her to Benin.

“I basically had to be a one woman crew, but although I arrived alone I met

some wonderful people among the local Beninese and international volunteers on the ship who became invaluable during the production.”

Grunenwald had to rely heavily on local translators. “It was a massive challenge working in completely foreign languages, and similar to South Africa they don’t just have one language.

Sometimes I needed two translators to translate from the language of the patient, to another language, to English. Some conversations went really slowly, but I couldn’t have done this without the fantastic local translators,” notes Grunenwald.

Due to the sensitive subject matter she had to work carefully to gain the patients’ trust and get access to tell their stories.

She approached patients with a translator and explained what they were doing, and asked them to sign a release form if they were happy to be filmed.

“Some people did say no because they didn’t want to be filmed, and we respected that, whereas other people were really excited to have their story told. I think they saw the bigger picture that it would bring hope to other people who are in a similar situation to them,” says Grunenwald.

She was also given ‘incredible access’ by Mercy Ships, who allowed her to talk to

Dr Tertius Venter treating Hyacinthe Photo by Debra Bell

A personal journey to volunteer on a medical ship off the coast of West Africa is the inspiration for a documentary by South African filmmaker Ryley Grunenwald. The Dawn of a New Day had its world premiere at the 32nd Durban International Film Festival and is one of seven projects selected for the inaugural Good Pitch² in Johannesburg this month.

Photo by Debra Bell

FILM |

Fadila and her mother walking past the ship Africa Mercy

the patients and staff and film during surgery. “I think part of the reason for this is because I had established a relationship with them the previous year by volunteering, so they knew that my heart was in the right place.”

In November 2010 Grunenwald won an award for Best Pitch at the MiradasDoc Market in Tenerife, on the Spanish Canary Islands, and used the prize money to pay for post-production.

Sound was done by FiX Post-Production and editing by Nicholas Costaras at Switchvert.

Diverse audience The film will be distributed internationally by Journeyman Pictures in the UK and Fireworx Media & Distribution in South Africa.

Grunenwald believes that there is a diverse audience for the documentary.

“From a subject point of view it will be of interest to people in the medical field, people who are interested in humanitarian volunteerism, aid in Africa, disability issues and access to healthcare issues.

“But on a more personal level I think anyone who has had to struggle between doing what they want to do and being with the person they love will relate to this story, as well as anyone who has felt that they don’t quite fit in with the people around them. I think it’s a story of hope that you can find acceptance. Even though it’s about medical issues, as it’s such a personal story I think it really does speak to many different types of people,” she notes.

The Dawn of a New Day is shortlisted for various festivals and was also one of seven projects selected for the inaugural Good Pitch² at the People to People International Documentary Conference in Johannesburg in September.

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FILM |

Comedians score quirky soccer film Taka Takata is a street-smart soccer comedy starring Trevor Noah, Kagiso Lediga, Anele Mdoda and Pitch Black Afro, currently in post-production.

By Linda Krige

Kagiso Lediga

Samkelo Ndlovu

Trevor Noah

GETTING A KICK OUT OF laUGHTER – Damir Radonic and actors

A

lthough post-production on Taka Takata is only due to finish this month, the film has already screened at the Durban International Film Festival and the Zanzibar International Film Festival, where it won the People’s Choice Award.

According to director Damir Radonic the film was conceived when a few writers and comedians started discussing ideas about what makes them South African.

Radonic comes from an architecture background and was originally attached as executive producer, but had to take over as director on the second day of production due to irreconcilable creative differences between the producers and director.

The film was produced by Radonic and Angie Mills through their company Out of Motion Film Production on a budget of about R2m.

It was shot in Johannesburg in February 2010, primarily on a Canon EOS 7D. “Basically we used cost-effective, small cameras,” says Radonic. “We also received great support, discounts and help in facilitation from Visual Impact and Digitalfilm.”

story,” explains Mills. “No two takes were the same, so we didn’t have a lot of reverse angles, which meant the edit took almost a year.”

Radonic agrees that it’s a hazard of working with talented comedians: “They never make the same joke twice, which means you have only one angle and one opportunity.”

Taka Takata is a slightly chaotic mind-map of Rasta’s (Kagiso Lediga) life as he tries to save his brother-in-law’s local soccer team, with almost disastrous consequences.

“We were interested in the connections between people, not stereotypical black versus white jokes. It’s a story of quirky characters coming together in a misadventure,” explains Mills. “People seem to relate to the quirkiness and have said that the characters seem ‘real’ and all somehow resemble aspects of someone they know.”

“We also embraced the notion of the detour. The characters are always on these detours, and we loved that as something that held the film together. We also ended up on our own detour,” says Mills, referring to the 10-month edit process.

Detours

Non-traditional audience

While the development and production of the film happened very quickly, editing took longer than planned.

“We gave quite a lot of space to the actors to ad-lib within the context of the

However, Mills believes the film, with a soundtrack featuring a mix of Zulu, Balkan and Kwaito music, will still find an audience because it is something the South African market hasn’t seen before.

8 | SCREENAFRICA | September 2011

“We did very much make the film for people, it wasn’t made for the industry,” she explains. While they hope to find a cross-cultural audience, Mills says they’re finding that their market is in the black community.

“At the moment, films are not reaching the black market properly,” says Radonic, who is sceptical about the possibility of theatrical release and says they are considering a DVD and broadcast release instead. “Distributors aren’t keen to go directly to DVD and broadcast because of the publicity you get from cinema release, but cinema doesn’t always work,” he notes.

Mills agrees: “The traditional distribution routes might work for some films, but not for most. We’ve done a lot of the groundwork and we’re still open to different distribution and marketing strategies. Already in the title of the film, which is meaningless but buzzy and repetitive, there is all this possibility.

People are already using it and attaching their own meaning to it,” explains Mills.

They believe their stars will be the film’s main draw card.

“We have Anele Mdoda (5FM DJ and SA’s Got Talent presenter), hip-hop star Pitch Black Afro and comedians Kagiso Lediga and Trevor Noah, who all have their different followings. Pitch has a very strong following and is particularly appealing. People on the street know him and relate to the kind of hip-hop he does,” explains Mills.

Anele Mdoda

Radonic adds that Trevor Noah has half a million followers on Facebook.

Anti-hero However, audiences have responded to more than the big name stars. Says Mills: “People have described the film as heart-warming, and have said that it makes them feel good and that it’s humane. To me, that’s one of the most interesting elements in comedy. The characters are all together, bound up with each other in this situation.” She believes this illustrates a sense of community.

“The other thing that drives the humaneness of the film is that the main character is a non-hero that’s unlikely to succeed. We like the anti-hero stance of the film and wanted to show that mistakes, frailty and detours are the most wonderful part of life. One doesn’t have to be perfect. There is an organic flow between the way the film tells the story and the story itself. We were interested in the kind of awkwardness and unstructuredness of life,” explains Mills.

Taka Takata is due for release later in 2011.

Out of Motion Film Production is currently developing Down and Dirty, a dark social comedy set in Cape Town for 2012.

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FILM |

Report by Joanna Sterkowicz

After making waves at the Toronto, Berlin and Hong Kong film festivals, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) / French / Belgian co-production Viva Riva! releases in South Africa this month. The film was co-produced

by Cape Town-based Steven Markovitz.

Pouring oil onto troubled waters

C

ongolese filmmaker Djo Tunda Wa Munga’s inspiration for the multiple award winning feature was borne out of his desire to talk about his birth city, Kinshasa.

“I wanted to reflect the atmosphere of the place and look at how desire operates in certain environments. During the DRC’s oil shortage in 2001 by chance I met some oil smugglers in the south west of the country. Their mentality and desire to make money and live the high life fascinated me.”

A film in the noir gangster genre, Viva Riva! follows the adventures of Riva, an oil smuggler who falls for a beautiful woman with connections to the local gangster. When the legitimate owner of the oil arrives in Kinshasa, Riva finds himself targeted for revenge.

Wa Munga first embarked on the script seven years ago and wrote innumerable drafts. “I had the story in my head right from the start but wanted to get a better understanding of the content and

DESIRE FOR THE HIGH LIFE – A scene from Viva Riva!

for each character.”

Because he wanted the script to be fresh Wa Munga re-wrote it just before principal photography commenced. A measure of re-writing also took place during the shoot.

The money game

Djo Tunda Wa Munga

characters. My background in documentaries prompted me to be as close as possible to reality so I did lots of research into oil smuggling. After all, it is real life that provides the real drama.

“My Belgian script editor Dominique Lohle was brutal with my drafts but in the end the film really works. We worked very carefully on the story’s structure and used a blackboard to plot the number of scenes with the main characters. Then I created a background and conflict lines 10 | SCREENAFRICA | September 2011

Wa Munga met South African producer Steven Markovitz at the Cannes Film Festival four years ago.

Says Markovitz: “At the time Djo was looking for a South African co-producer for Viva Riva! We decided to work together in an attempt to break the divide between Francophone and Anglophone Africa and to merge the best of both worlds. Djo and I created a Kinshasabased company called Suka! Productions and made two documentaries, Congo in Four Acts and State of Mind.”

Markovitz found it impossible to raise money in South Africa for a film that was to be shot outside of the country by a Congolese director. “I managed to source a bit of funding in the DRC and the rest came from France and Belgium. We secured sales at the Berlin and Toronto

festivals and have attached an international sales agent. The South African release is handled by Indigenous Film Distribution,” explains Markovitz.

Lack of infrastructure Viva Riva! is the first feature film ever to be shot in the DRC. “As there is no film infrastructure here I tried to film on location as much as possible,” notes Wa Munga. “We shot over 37 days and things went pretty well.

The people of Kinshasa not only accepted the project but were excited about it.

Everyone was very cooperative.”

The film was shot on a Canon 5D sourced from France. Wa Munga describes it as a ‘fantastic accident’ that they got the camera at all as only two other feature films in the world were using the Canon 5D at the time.

“We couldn’t afford film prints so we knew we had to shoot digital. Our only other option was the RED camera which is very expensive and has a complicated workflow that would not work in the DRC. I think the 5D is a miracle – it’s cost effective and produces amazing images,” he comments.

Post-production took place in France with the final mix expedited in Belgium.

A good film in Africa Viva Riva! has been sold to the US, Canada, UK, France, Germany, Belgium, Holland, Australia and New Zealand.

Says Markovitz: “I think the film has been well received internationally because it’s perceived as something fresh from Africa. Viva Riva! is surprising and entertaining with good production values.

“Djo has a rare talent of making entertaining films with deeper meaning.

He is part of a new wave of African directors who want to make films that have integrity and find wide audiences.

Djo draws on references from Asia, Latin America, Europe and Africa.”

Viva Riva! won six African Movie Academy Awards including best director and best film and recently won the MTV Movie Award for Best African Film.

“I’m delighted about the success of the film and I hope this will be an opening for more Africans to work together,” concludes Wa Munga.

The film releases on 16 September in South Africa, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Lesotho, Swaziland, Zambia, Kenya, Uganda, Nigeria, the DRC, Republic of Congo, Mali and Senegal. It premiered at the recent Durban International Film Festival.

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AD cetera

Report on the South African commercials industry by Anton Crone

Photos by Anton Crone

In the trenches with Brouwer

time and property to help Brouwer bring his film to light.

“I think the subject matter also motivated people to get involved. This film definitely has something to say, especially with Heritage Day next month,” says Brouwer. “It’s been a team effort and wouldn’t have been possible without the crew, cast and everyone who volunteered their time and expertise. For one, the Cape Town Heritage Group contributed a great deal by supplying the uniforms and weapons and giving its valuable guidance.”

On set to photograph behind the scenes images, my task is dead easy as the actors are in character, the lighting is set up and the props in place. There’s not much one has to do but click the shutter and – hey, 1941!

But I didn’t know I would be flung into the trenches. I even found myself on Field Marshall Rommel’s turf with a Jerry eye view of the allies storming my position, with bayonets fixed and their blood up after a little pep talk by Sargeant Major Brouwer. Powerful stuff. The attention to detail lends so much authenticity to the moment – frame the shot through a lens and you’re transported 70 years back in time.

But it’s not an action flick. It’s about the bond between people and therefore relies heavily on acting. When choosing the leads Brouwer was looking for an understated performance. “The lead, Michael Everson, said that many casting agents told him he was too restrained. But that’s exactly what I was looking for,” explains Brouwer.

Much of the camera work is focused on the eyes, where the viewer reads emotion.

The painstakingly chosen props, such as a 1940s Chevrolet and a Bren machine gun, really lend support to the performers by transporting them to that era.

Brouwer has kept the film’s growing number of followers up to date every step of the way with regular posts on Facebook and Twitter. He aims to enter The Fallen into Filminute, the International One Minute Film Festival.

somewhere between INTRODUCTION and AGENDA, Greenhouse has taken a different approach and created an entertaining short film that will instill the fine rituals of draught beer with reps and bar staff.

Directed by Ian Chuter of Platypus Productions, the film explains the importance of adhering to the rituals with some heavy handed persuasion by rugby legend, Os Du Randt, who puts bar staff

and waiters in their place by insisting on perfection – or else. I only need mention ‘stunt men’ and you should get the picture.

Chuter and MacKay believe it’s a fresh change to the usual form and has potential not only to inspire SAB staff and bar keeps, but also score a few points with consumers as it is destined to play out in viral media.

The Fallen

Bauke Brouwer has completed his latest short film, The Fallen, commemorating the sacrifice over 12 000 South African soldiers made during World War II. The Heritage Group will use the film to promote its organisation and to let the world know about the contribution South Africa made during the war.

A year in the planning, Brouwer has been meticulous about every aspect of the film to create an authentic and emotive glimpse into this tumultuous time in our history. Seventy years on and very few people are still alive to tell the story, but

Brouwer is determined to remind people how defining this era was to many South Africans.

Remarkably, much of the cast, crew, locations and props have been resourced through the use of social media and a lot of hype has been generated because of this. Requests for actors, stylists, ADs and Georgian houses were put out on Facebook and Twitter and many people have lent their

Scrapping the Power Point Meeting with Darren McKay in his agency, The Greenhouse, means you have to put your game face on as their new boardroom table is in fact a meticulously crafted, championship size ping-pong table. Now you can actually win a few points in your meeting and if there’s anything that epitomises the classic brainstorm session, or the old client / agency to and fro, it’s ping-pong. Genius.

Give this table a Loerie Award – I believe

Behind the scenes of SAB shoot.

12 | SCREENAFRICA | September 2011

there’s a category for it.

Now, in the category of Internal Communications, sub category: Training Programmes, there is probably little to get excited about, but Greenhouse has come up with an approach that should add a little lustre.

Created for SAB to educate sales reps on the rituals and merits of draught beer, instead of firing up the old oxymoronic Power Point only to lose the audience

Os Du Randt

AD cetera Time travelling with Keith Rose The impatience of youth is the theme for Keith Rose’s third and latest commercial for Allan Gray.

In the first half of our lives we spend time wishing time would hurry up – life simply moves too slowly. The second half, however, we wish time would slow down; every second counts. This is the simple insight of the new television advert, which uses a fairy tale to illustrate a wisdom of life, while subtly reinforcing the importance of time in the journey of creating wealth.

Conceptualised by Cape Town agency King James, it focuses on an essential ingredient to the Allan Gray investment philosophy.

Titled Time Flies, the commercial is set over a 35 to 40 year period, roughly from 1960 to 2000. Early on in the advert we see the impatience of youth. Our little girl is told that her birthday is only five days away. Wishing that ‘time would fly’ she discovers a way of travelling through time

to the point in her life at which she wants to be. The girl uses her technique often in her young life to hurry time along. She time travels when she is not tall enough for a fairground ride; when she can’t wait to get married; and when she can’t bear to endure nine long months of pregnancy.

The teams at King James and Velocity spent a lot of time researching different reference actions and filming techniques to allude to passing through time. But they needed to make this particular time-lapse their own, ultimately deciding on a nose squeeze. By blowing her nose the girl creates an energy field which builds up to an enormous crescendo that ‘pops’ her forward in time.

As the investor, you have no control over the speed at which time passes, you can’t jump years like our protagonist, or push them back as she may have wanted to do. But you can decide today to make a long-term decision that will influence your future.

Allan Gray commercial

The three-way connection

O

rijin was briefed by the PromaxBDA Africa Awards & Conference to come up with a theme that encompasses the new world of TV marketing.

“We now have a three-screen environment to cater for in today’s multi-platform marketing world,” says Orijin’s Bron Dean. “Broadcasters realise that marketing through traditional avenues alone is no longer effective in a world where viewers are engaging with brands when and where they want to.

Brands, in turn, need to ensure that they are present when the viewers want to engage with them.

“Orijin came up with the tagline ‘Connect 3.0’ (connect three point O), which speaks to broadcasters connecting with their viewers through three different

screens – TV, online and mobile phone.”

Dean notes that the theme of connecting also extends to the actual PromaxBDA Africa Conference, which runs on 28 October at Johannesburg’s Sandton Convention Centre. “We are a

small industry of broadcasters, marketers, broadcast designers and promo-makers but we don’t really get to chill-out and connect with each other, except at the conference,” she comments.

An excerpt from the ‘Connect 3.0’

blurb reads: “We are all trying to get one thing right, in marketing, promo making, advertising, all fields where our job is to communicate with and affect a response in a group of people – we want to make a connection… Our audiences are no longer dancing to our tune, in a great reversal; we are, in fact dancing to their’s… The 30-second spot is not dead, it has multiplied!”

When Orijin approached the design of the logo for the conference Dean and her team wanted it to feel contemporary and fresh. “We didn’t want to fall into the obvious trap of making it about technology and using obvious and cliched visual language to communicate the theme. Further elements use various devices to communicate the connectivity that is now common-place in both our society and our industry.”

COMMERCIALS |

Report by Joanna Sterkowicz

Just under 3 000 entries were received for this year’s Loerie Awards, which take place at the Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC) this month. Recognising creativity, innovation and excellence in brand communication, the Loeries are open to South Africa, Africa and the Middle East.

New venue

E

ntries for the 33rd 2011 Loerie Awards are slightly up on last year with the radio category showing particular growth.

“We received 270 entries for radio, which is a significant increase on 2010,” says Loerie Awards CEO Andrew Human. “I suspect that this increase is due to the fact that radio is a very cost effective production medium. The standard of South African radio ads is generally very high, which is evident as we won the Cannes Lions Radio Grand Prix this year. There is also lots of investment in radio advertising locally.

“The number of entries in the digital category also increased this year and South Africa shows a lot of potential in digital advertising production quality. TV entries remain quite stable, with neither a dip nor an increase in number. We have a lot of smaller fringe media categories – such as ‘Internal Marketing Programmes,’ which generate only a handful of entries.”

Human notes that regional entries still only account for a very small portion of entries. “Because South African production values are much higher than many other countries in Africa, the Loeries Committee is considering establishing a separate regional awards event. We do get small pieces of good work from Africa, such as an entry from Mozambique in 2010 which won an award. Some years ago a Dubai entry won a Grand Prix.”

14 | SCREENAFRICA | September 2011

FLYING HIGH at the 2010 Loeries – Andrew Human (right) presents the Marketing Leadership & Innovation award to MultiChoice’s Graham Pfuhl. Loeries chair Boniswa Pezisa in background.

Realignment Earlier this year the Loeries introduced an entire re-working of its categories, which has been well received by the industry. “All the judges commented favourably on the new categories so it’s been a really good realignment,” comments Human. “We modernised the awards in line with how the industry has evolved. When the Loeries were introduced in 1978 they were just for TV advertising. They were later expanded to include above-the-line and below-the-line advertising. Today there is no longer that segmentation in the market.

“For the first time ever we don’t have an advertising award category. Instead categories are structured according to media focus. Any point where a brand

touches a consumer is a brand communication so the Loeries include every single touch-point. We have an alternative media category to accommodate entries that don’t fit into any of the categories.”

The international jury chairmen were reportedly impressed with the overall standard of entries. Says Human: “South African work plays at a high standard globally and people underplay the fact that we’ve won four Cannes Lions Grand Prix awards in six years. That’s hugely significant; no other African country has ever won a Grand Prix at Cannes. The international judges who evaluate the Loeries each year are very aware of South Africa. For instance, our Brazilian judge found lots of commonality between the Brazilian and South African markets.”

The Loerie Awards are split over two evenings — on Saturday 17 September for the Print and Radio categories, and the TV, Design and Digital categories follow on Sunday 18 September.

This year the venue for the award ceremonies has moved from the Good Hope Centre to the CTICC, prompted by industry feedback.

“The Good Hope Centre was a big experiment for us and a challenge in terms of staging. We want the Loeries to be more prestigious and to celebrate the winners on a first class level. Moving to the CTICC and changing the dress code to black tie will raise the bar,” explains Human.

Funk Productions is handling the production and direction of the two award events while Gearhouse SA is responsible for the technical staging.

As the CTICC seats 1 500 people (a thousand less than the Good Hope Centre) there will be a live relay of the awards ceremonies to nearby venue The Fez, where junior creatives can watch the events. After the ceremonies everyone will move to The Fez for a single, all-inclusive after-party.

The Loeries committee has partnered with MTV to bring pan-African musical acts to perform at the parties. There will be no performances during the awards ceremonies but a number of surprise ‘exciting MCs’ will present the awards.

An edited special of the ceremonies will be broadcast on SABC1. In addition the Loeries will receive coverage on

| COMMERCIALS

2010 winners of the Grand Prix for SLOW Lounge – Grid Worldwide Branding

SABC magazine programmes such as Top Billing and Xpresso.

This is the third consecutive year that Cape Town will host the Loerie Awards. A tender has gone out to various cities (including Cape Town) to host the event for the next three years.

Submissions will be evaluated by the Loerie Awards working committee, which is made up of industry representatives.

The Loerie Awards are internationally recognised and are the only awards endorsed by the Association for Communication and Advertising (ACA); the Creative Circle (CC); the Brand Design Council (BDC); the Commercial Producers Association (CPA); the South African Institute of the Interior Design Professions (IID); and the Public Relations Institute of South Africa (PRISA).

September 2011 | SCREENAFRICA | 15

FILM |

Alternative filmmaking gets alternative Two Gauteng-based filmmakers used all their wits and resources to make a debut feature with ‘no budget at all’.

I

t’s always refreshing to meet brand new filmmakers and this is especially true of brother and sister team, Lorreal and Shaldon Ferris. In fact, listening to anecdotes about their debut feature, Eldorado, generates more than a few giggles.

“We needed blood for one scene so we mixed blackcurrant flavoured Kool-Aid with All Gold tomato sauce,” says Lorreal (29).

Shaldon (34) adds: “For another scene we had to show characters handling cocaine so we decided to use flour.

However, my mother-in-law had used all the flour on set to make vetkoek for our lunch. So I had to run to the shops to buy more flour.”

Despite this flippancy the Ferris duo are serious about making films and have had many of their music videos flighted on SABC and DStv. Their first music video was made for a mere R250.

“We started out hungry to do film and bought a 3CCD camera five years ago, went out and followed a ‘just do it’

16 | SCREENAFRICA | September 2011

filming ethos. Our stance is that people follow a certain route in life so we feel blessed to have gone the route. We have no film text book or any film training,” say the duo.

Lorreal notes that Shaldon used to be a business analyst and opted out to run a fish and chips shop.

The Ferris’ started doing music videos in 2005, featuring ‘like-minded people’ in Eldorado Park ‘who’ve done Matric and nothing else’. They hooked up with people who wanted to sing and dance.

Lorreal continues: “Shaldon and I watched African-American films, like Foxy Brown, Shaft and Jungle Fever while growing up and realised that their stories were our stories. However, we didn’t, like Frank Lucas in American Gangster, sell drugs in order to raise money for films – we turned to God instead. So in a way God ‘funded’ our film.”

Eldorado chronicles the journey taken by four friends in the poverty-stricken Gauteng township of Eldorado Park. It was made together with township

IT’S FUN ON THE FERRIS WHEEL – Shaldon and Lorreal Ferris

residents who also star in the film and combines fiction and documentary.

Shaldon wrote the script over three months, whenever inspiration took him.

He would then send his work to codirector Lorreal.

DOP Kurt Orderson, who shot the Ferris’ first music video, came on board to do Eldorado on a pro bono basis and used his own Panasonic DVX. The film was shot over five days.

With casting, Shaldon identified four members of the group Blaq Cream, who featured in his and Lorreal’s music video, to star in the film and do its music track.

The film was punted ‘big time’ on Lorreal’s community radio station, Eldos fm. “This film was a case of makeshift everything,” comments Lorreal.

“Everyone working or acting in the film doubled up or even tripled up on duties.

We borrowed a microphone from Shaldon’s friend Frans Stofberg and I sing on the soundtrack.”

Shaldon stresses that despite the budget-less dynamic of the film, he and Lorreal took pains to ensure decent production standards. “The film was made cheaply but doesn’t look or feel cheap. We didn’t want to make a wack (street slang for low quality) film.”

The duo own their own Final Cut Pro and edited the film whenever they felt inspired.

Lorreal’s parting message: “Use what you have and get what you want. If you don’t have s..t, then use that.”

– Joanna Sterkowicz

| FUNDING

S

outh Africa’s diverse and dynamic arts and culture heritage is one of its richest and most important resources, with the capacity to generate significant economic and social benefits. Equally important, but less understood, is the potential for a dynamic vibrant film and production sector to contribute significantly to the economy of the country and provide sustainable jobs.

Basil Ford, head of Media and Motion Pictures at the Industrial Development Corporation (IDC), says the South African motion picture industry can only become sustainable under conditions where there is a strong local consumption of locally produced stories.

“A collaborative approach to develop South African stories, coupled with the development of distribution channels and audiences, will provide the momentum for a profitable South African motion picture industry. My mantra is: ‘Develop a sustainable South African film industry through local consumption of locally produced feature films’.”

The IDC has invested more than R500m into 45 local motion pictures since 2001, initially adopting a coproduction strategy and achieving success with projects like Tsotsi, Red Dust, Country of My Skull and Hotel Rwanda.

The high profile nature of these projects has triggered increased international market acceptance of South African feature films, a vital factor in getting better prices for local products, increasing local audiences and making films economically viable.

“The overall lack of South African brand films has resulted in a struggle for independent local producers to obtain international distribution,” continues Ford. “At the moment international recognition stems purely from South African films winning accolades at major international festivals, a challenging task.

We need to find and produce projects that will sell well and grow the local and international market for South African films.

“The IDC wants to see low budget

locally developed feature films, made by South Africans, starring South Africans and seen by South Africans, leading the development of the South African film brand. We are currently ‘price takers’, in that sales agents and distributors take our products on their terms, which are often unfavourable to us. Instead we need to become ‘price makers’ by producing good films that do well at the South African box office, thereby establishing the brand.

In this way, we can start to dictate the terms of the international distribution, making it much more favourable to ourselves.”

The IDC has now embarked on its first film studio project with the financing of the Cape Town Film Studio (CTFS), located between Khayelitsha Township and the Blue Downs Township. The project is expected to create 703 permanent jobs. “These studios will handle exciting big budget products, including a project currently underway for over R50m targeting international audiences, as well as more niche movies,”

says Ford. “Films produced here will generate foreign exchange for South Africa and grow the local production industry.”

The IDC is funding one of the first 3D animated feature films produced in Africa, Zambezia, due for release in 2012 and produced by the South African based Triggerfish Animation.

“This project is a major leap forward for the animated movie industry in South Africa, and has created 200 to 250 new jobs for a period of one year,” says Ford.

“It will really put South Africa’s animation film industry on the map and should lead to more animation feature films being produced locally.

“The reality of the South African industry is that no single stakeholder in the industry has the sole capability to ensure the commercial success of feature film projects across the value chain,” says Ford. “A value chain approach with collaboration between key stakeholders is needed to build a successful local industry.”

September 2011 | SCREENAFRICA | 17

TRACKINGTECHNOLOGY |

Changing production landscapes Award winning products like the nanoFlash from Convergent Design, the Gemini 4:4:4 recorder / monitor, Decimator converters and Nexto mobile storage devices are now available from Johannesburg-based supplier Puma Video.

“The landscape of acquiring material for film and television has changed considerably in the past two to three years,” says Puma Video’s Henk Germishuysen. “A few years ago it was either film or betacam that filled the lexicon of origination. Now we have not only HD, but 1080 or 720, bit rates, compression, solid state, not to mention the various sensor formats that have become popular. Now 3D is challenging the landscape of production.

“Most HD channel requirements are no less than 50 mbits/s 4:2:2. That disqualifies almost all the equipment out there except really expensive kit. Even HDCam delivered on tape is only 3:1:1; 1440 x 1080.”

Covergent Designs’ nanoFlash is one of the most successful products, providing many solutions to the above. This unit can be used on anything from the Canon 5D to the Alexa. Combining the nano with any camera with an HDMI or HD-SDI out for SD/HD 720/1080, I-frame / long-gop and from 25 – 220 mb/s recordings. The CF cards at full 1920x1080 4:2:2.

Germishuysen continues: “Combining various technologies on location or at an event today creates its own challenges. Getting HD to work with SD and different aspect ratios adds to the mix. Decimator’s range of mini converters take care of these problems: down converting an HD signal to analogue and to DHMI, video DAss, signal generators and multi view splitters all make life a lot easier when combining different formats on one location.”

He notes that some of the more popular products are: MQ-Quad (3G/HD/ SD-SDI Quad Split, 3G/HD/SD-SDI + HDMI output); Decimator Quad (3G/HD/SD-SDI Quad Split, SD-SDI and composite outputs); 3G2SD (3G/ HD to SD down-converter with ARC and SD pass-through); 3G12DAC (broadcast quality 3G/HD/SD-SDI digital to analog converter); Decimator 2 (3G/HD/SD-SDI to HDMI with de-embedded analogue audio); and MD-RDA (miniature 3G/HD/SD-SDI 1 to 6 relocking distribution amplifier).

Nexto is a small but highly practical piece of equipment that allows the user to download P2 SxS, CF or SD cards on location for safe-keeping until you return to the production office.

“This is very handy when you don’t have a MacBook or laptop on location. A 500gig drive takes care of all your material. Once you have filled a card, simply plug it into the Nexto, transfer the material onto the Nexto and the card is ready to format and to be recorded on again. This is hugely beneficial when in the bush, mountains or filming in town with no place to put a computer,” comments Germishuysen.

Puma Video also sells the SanDisk range of solid state media.

Apple (de)Lights at Macro Video

Eric Wiese and Jack Lin, MD of Datavideo,Taiwan with the TP 200 Teleprompter

Macro Video had intense interest in two new and unique products that the company showed at the recent Mediatech Africa in Johannesburg.

Says Macro Video director Eric Wiese: “The TP 200 Teleprompter for Apple iPad and TP 100 Smart phone Teleprompters proved so popular that we sold all our stock.

“Andy James from CVC Media in Cape Town wanted one so badly, he collected the demo unit from our stand 15 minutes before closing time on the last day of the show!”

Datavideo has developed hardware and software that uses an Apple iPad or an Apple iPhone to generate text for teleprompting. Text that needs to be read can simply be sms-ed or emailed to the device. The software is a free app, downloadable from the Apple iStore.

Software release for Android is imminent.

Wiese notes that Macro Video also sold more than 15 MVLP On Camera LED lights at the show and is following up numerous enquiries for the MVLP-6 and MVLP-12 Studio LED lights. The lighting kit which is designed for a small studio drew a lot of attention.

“What was rather unique about the Macro Video stand is that it was lit using our own products. We did not need to rent or hire in lighting, we supplied all our own lighting.”

Avmark – an education Renato Aquisito and Harmon Cusack at AFDA

Ann-Marie Tully (right) with students at WITS 18 | SCREENAFRICA | September 2011

South African Panasonic agent Avmark reports camera sales to three educational clients – AFDA, Wits University and The Learning Channel.

The AFDA Film School in Johannesburg’s Auckland Park has purchased four AG-HMC 154 AVCHD camcorders. Head of Cinematography at AFDA Harmon Cusack comments: “We have a history of Panasonic cameras at AFDA, dating back to our AG-DVX 100 cameras which shoot at 25p. With the advent of solid state technology we decided to switch to P2 cameras. The AG-HMC 154 is ideal for our application and Avmark’s back up and support has been phenomenal.”

Wits University has purchased two Panasonic AG-AF 101 handheld AVCHD camcorders. Associate lecturer Ann-Marie Tully explains: “I do lighting and video acquisition at the Wits film and television division. The AG-AF 101is attractive because of price and it has a 4/3rd inch. This offers a larger capture format and more depth to play with, plus we can use the camera with other ENG (electronic news gathering) lenses.”

The Learning Channel purchased four Panasonic AG-HPX174 P2 HD PAL camcorders. Says audio-visual manager Sharise Pistorius: “We use the cameras in studio and for field presenting. I have always been a fan of Panasonic.”

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TRACKINGTECHNOLOGY |

Do you know where your are?

By Ian Dormer

‘High-Def Cowboy’) is a self-confessed techno-junkie from

Photos by Trevor Ou Tim

Bryson Jones (aka the

Los Angeles. He fronts country rock bands The Snakehandlers and the Sweethearts of the Rodeo Allstar Band. As a media asset management guru his passion in life is organising chaos in the post-production environment. Jones provided delegates at the recent Screen Africa Production + Technology Conference in Johannesburg valuable insight on how to avoid confusion in managing tapeless workflows.

20 | SCREENAFRICA | September 2011

B

ryson Jones’ life experiences have shown that there really is little difference between wrangling livestock on a ranch and managing data in the tapeless work environment. Just like cattle have numbered ear tags and branding for identification in the field, everything recorded on card based cameras or produced in non-linear edit suites have metadata (data about data), which can be used to manage the media and keep track of it.

“No matter what you’re moving, whether it’s media assets or cows, they’re your power,” said Jones.

Working in Los Angeles on a number of Hollywood reality shows such as Celebrity Rehab and Destination Truth, where hundreds of hours of footage had to be logged and tracked, Jones realises the importance of asset management “When you see a file marked untitled 1 on your hard drive, what is it?”

The importance of using metadata can turn your untitled 1 shot (relabelled Lion Kill) into a usable asset that can be sold because you now know what it is.

Jones emphasised that in traditional tape based workflows the raw material was kept as an archival copy of the footage.

“In the ‘old days’ you had a tape and you knew there was about an hour of material on it and it was pretty manageable; now you can have hundreds of hours of files on a single hard drive. So drives have become the new tape, which is not something they were ever meant to be. Therefore we need something to give us order,” he stated.

Definition Jones calls digital asset management the management of tasks and decisions surrounding the ingestion, annotation, cataloguing, storage, retrieval and distribution of digital assets. “I’ve found that smaller companies are paralysed when it comes to digital asset management,” said Jones.

He emphasised that mid-sized productions need to allocate time in their workflows to allow files to exit gracefully and to know where they go and what’s in them.

“Where does one start the process? The first step is to employ naming conventions – a show code, a date of shooting, a camera ID and a reel number. Basically no more files called ‘untitled 1’ are allowed to sit on your hard drive.

Secondly, create coherent folder structures that are repeatable so that when you can go somewhere you can find things. These are obvious things that people are just not doing.

“Next collect metadata about these files and make sure that your data is exportable and transportable. Start small and have someone in your company take ownership of the process. This is very important as editors and producers claim they have no time to do this,” stressed Jones.

Sufficient storage In doing research for his Screen Africa presentation, one thing that astounded Jones was the attitude of most local production companies in South Africa towards storage. “Don’t skimp on storage

and if you can’t afford shared storage to start with, then at least have enough of the inexpensive storage to see the project through to archiving,” he advised.

Clients today often implement economically driven solutions using flash or hard disk media that require sharing and re-use of the footage. These ‘stitch in time’ solutions unfortunately do not provide efficiency for long term archiving on permanent media.

“In terms of archiving it’s very important to have two copies of everything, preferably in different locations. My first law of digital data is that if data doesn’t exist in two places, it doesn’t exist,” said Jones.

He advocates tape based systems such as LTO 5. This is a format introduced in 2010 with data capacity of 1.5TB per cartridge and data transfer rates up to 140 MB/s. LTO 5 features LTFS (Linear Tape File System). This file system makes accessing stored files look similar to accessing files stored on other forms of storage media such as disk or removable flash drives; therefore it is easy to use because it looks familiar to us. LTO 5 has a shelf life of 35 to 50 years.

Jones’ visit to South Africa was an eye opener not only for himself but for those who had the opportunity to spend time with him.

“Johannesburg is much like Los Angeles in many ways – the landscape, the climate. I really enjoy the people too and it seems like there is so much potential for growth here. It’s an exciting place to be right now,” he concluded.

3D | TRACKINGTECHNOLOGY

P

rime Focus 3D’s head of production Matthew Bristowe and senior stereographer Richard Baker were invited to the recent Durban FilmMart (DFM) to extend links with South Africa and initiate dialogue on 3D conversion.

“With the release of Avatar the world entered a new era of stereoscopic 3D story telling,” Bristowe told Screen Africa. “3D brought people back into the cinemas and it is definitely here to stay. Directors such as Martin Scorsese (The Departed), Michael Bay (Transformers) and Wim Wenders (Wings of Desire) have all embraced 3D.” During DFM the Prime Focus delegation, which was sponsored by Durban’s COA Group and Microsoft, made a 3D presentation at Sun Coast Nu Metro.

Prime Focus’ studios in North America, Europe and India are connected by a proprietary global digital pipeline which allows its artists across the world to collaborate on projects. The company recently provided 3D conversion services for the final installment of the Harry Potter franchise, as well as on Transformers: Dark of the Moon, Green Lantern and The Chronicles of Narnia:

Voyage of the Dawn Treader. It has also just delivered Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace and has four big studio films, as well as a Bollywood production, booked for this year.

Bristowe talked about the advantages of 3D conversion. “Originating films in 3D is a complicated and costly exercise as it requires twin cameras and lenses that have to be perfectly aligned for every single shot and camera movement. 3D conversion cuts the 3D budget by about 30% as 2D footage is converted to 3D during the post-production phase, though we also advocate a hybrid approach, using our conversion techniques to complement and supplement natively captured footage.”

Baker explained that the Prime Focus’ 3D conversion process involves taking mono images shot on 2D and creating ‘a second eye’ through depth sculpting (the elements of a shot are separated into layers) and the use of the company’s unique proprietary software, View-D™.

Prime Focus’ 3D journey began when the facility was asked by director James Cameron to work on some of the 3D elements in Avatar, and the company now has multi-title deals in place with studios including Warner Bros.

Glee goes 3D

O

in the best way possible and the Grass ne of television’s most Valley Kayenne gave us that for Glee,” said popular shows, Glee, got the Vince Pace, Co-Chairman and CEO of 3D treatment recently.

Cameron | Pace Group.

Cameron | Pace Group “Using the Grass Valley Kayenne (CPG) utilised Grass Valley switcher during the recording of the movie was technology to create a live line cut (first simple and easy,” said Bruno Brunelle, 3D pre-edit) of the live action filled production of Glee Live! In Concert! for Twentieth Century Fox Television and Twentieth Century Fox Film’s coproduction of the Glee: The 3D Concert Movie. It released in US theatres in August.

CPG used a Grass Valley Kayenne Video Production Center switcher during the recording of the concert movie.

Grass Valley also supported CPG with on-site technical NEW DIMENSION – The cast from Glee training and full event support to assure that the production crew was fully up to speed on Engineer of Cameron | Pace Group. the Kayenne, newly introduced into the “Kayenne gave us the tools needed to state-of-the-art, fully integrated CPG record the energy and flow of the live mobile workflow unit, FUSION 3D performance and bring to the ‘Gleeks’ Mobile Unit One. Also included in the (Glee fans’) the rich 3D experience they CPG mobile unit is a Grass Valley K2 have come to expect from the US.” Dyno Replay System for multichannel 3D Kevin Tancharoen (Fame, Mortal playback.

Kombat: Legacy series) directed “We strive for the highest 3D quality in the film. every production in order to tell the story Picture Courtesy 20th Century Fox

Global 3D conversion pipeline

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19/08/2011 17:57

September 2011 | SCREENAFRICA | 21

MEDIATECHAFRICA | REPORT BACK |

by Andy Stead, Trevor Ou Tim and Linda Krige

The recent Mediatech Africa Advanced Technology Trade Fair held at Johannesburg’s Coca-Cola Dome drew record crowds.

Here Screen Africa highlights some of the state-of-the-art broadcast, film and audio equipment that was on show.

Trade exhibition as major launch pad

Jasco Broadcast Solutions – Avid’s John Aslett and Paul Shonfeld Mediatech Africa was the ideal platform for Jasco Broadcast Solutions, formerly Spescom Media IT, to launch its new brand. Jasco Broadcast Solutions displayed products from Avid, ViewCast, ClearCom and Sony.

John Aslett, regional director, emerging markets, for Avid comments: “Africa is a good market for us and we have had a long association with Spescom Media IT, now Jasco Broadcast Solutions.

“We had the Avid Newsroom on the stand and demonstrated the new Avid Media Composer, which attracted a great deal of interest at the show. This year Mediatech Africa has been really good.

More people seem ready to purchase and are looking at the latest technology.”

ViewCast, represented by Paul

Shonfeld – EMEA and India sales director, also demonstrated a range of its products. These included the Osprey Video Capture cards, a range of related software, the ViewCast Media Platform (VMP) and the Niagara streaming media appliances and encoders.

“ViewCast continues to set the standard for innovative, reliable streaming media solutions. Some of the world’s largest and most respected broadcasters, network solutions providers and content delivery networks rely on ViewCast solutions every day to deliver high quality audio and video streams to millions of viewers around the world.

“We see South Africa as an important market and I am very satisfied with the interest shown in our product,” said Shonfeld.

22 | SCREENAFRICA | September 2011

Two divisions of Telemedia were represented at Mediatech Africa. The Services division incorporates the rental of studios / playout centres, professional micro-wave links, satellite connectivity and a new fibre network which is being installed in the Johannesburg area.

“It’s still work in progress,” said Telemedia’s Quentin Barkhuizen, “but the idea is to install a redundant ring around all the broadcast companies in Johannesburg. We are currently doing the Big Brother Africa show on this fibre network.”

Telemedia’s Sales division promoted its ‘black box’ sales at Mediatech Africa, including studio, satellite and microwave equipment.

Barkhuizen continued: “Among the interesting products on the stand this year is the Wohler Presto 1 X 16 switcher.

Each button has a miniature LCD screen built into it showing you what you are switching to.

“Our Ericsson encoders are here and they are getting smaller, more powerful with more features. The top of the line encoder on show will do MPEG2 and MPEG4, 4.2.2 and 4.2.0 and it’s pretty much any video encoder’s dream uplink.

It will do everything.

Telemedia – Quentin Barkhuizen “We also have our fibre module which is able to send uncompressed HD signals along the fibre, and this is what we use for Big Brother and MultiChoice. A single fibre can accommodate video as well as IP traffic.”

An OB van from EFX was at Mediatech Africa as well as Telemedia’s latest and greatest HD uplink vehicle.

“This was made by us and kitted out with latest encoders, monitoring equipment and any features requested by the customer. We also have our flyaway kits.

Our satellite dishes are becoming more mobile all the time – ease of erection and pack away being of paramount importance.”

3D gear makes a splash

Transcoding and media servers The Inala Technologies (Pty) Ltd stand at Mediatech Africa provided an excellent platform for several of its principals including Harmonic Inc. and Miranda.

Lawrence Kaplan was on the stand demonstrating Harmonic transcoding equipment and Omneon media servers.

As founder of Omneon Kaplan he has a long relationship with Inala. “Our association stretches back to 1988,” he observed, “and we view South Africa as an important market.

“Harmonic Inc. is a long established distributor, service and supporter of equipment and solutions from leading manufacturers and suppliers in the telecommunications, broadcast and audio visual domain.

“Mediatech Africa has been really great, vibrant and with more visitors coming through than I ever imagined.”

Also displayed on the stand were products from Miranda technologies

Fibre network and ‘black box’

Inala Technologies – Harmonic Inc’s Lawrence Kaplan represented by Iain Wood and Nicholas Ashley. Miranda offers a growing range of products for stereoscopic 3D television playout, including multi-viewers, channel branding and signal processing. These products can be used alongside existing 1.5Gbps/3Gbps playout equipment for a highly cost effective transition to 3D stereoscopic television.

“Miranda recently acquired Omnibus which has a long standing association with South Africa,” said Wood. “They offer automation products and file based transmission solutions.

“Kaleido-XQUAD brings even greater simplicity to the Kaleido family. It’s an ultra-compact, super-silent processor which is ready to go straight out of the box, without the hassle of assembling modules or configuring options.”

The Visual Impact stand at Mediatech Africa showcased a wide variety of its rental equipment which included the latest in 3D cameras and rigs.

Visual Impact’s head of digital imaging, Stefan Nell, was enthusiastic about the impact of 3D on the local market.

“As well as the Sony F3 we also showed the Sony FS100 which is ideal for 3D. Because of its size you can align two of them very close together. The Visual Impact – Stefan Nell with clients FS100 has its own acquisition. “We will have two Alexa interchangeable lens system. cameras available for rental and also “We also have a mini 3D palmcorder demonstrated the Phantom HD Camera. with 3D screen which is great for This is the ultimate high end digital checking shots when shooting in 3D. Our camera.

Pro Ultra rig, made by Russel Bowden, is “Our approach at Mediatech Africa is used for 3D shoots and has attracted great to offer a single solution – from interest. We carry two of these rigs and I acquisition to final delivery. We offer believe are the only one to offer this solutions that even companies in Los variety of 3D equipment.”

Angeles are not able to do.”

Other new products on the stand Visual Impact also displayed a wide included the Arri Alexa which, according variety of lenses, matt boxes, lighting to Nell, is fast becoming the camera of equipment and editing equipment. choice for commercial and feature film

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MEDIATECHAFRICA | REPORT BACK |

Reducing size and cost

Offering big solutions

AJA Video – Kevin King AJA Video, a leading manufacturer of high-quality and cost-effective digital video interface, conversion, acquisition and desktop solutions supporting the professional broadcast and postproduction markets, had several new products on display at the Touchvision stand at Mediatech Africa.

Among the products on display on the acquisition front were the Ki Pro and Ki Pro Mini, which cover a growing list of workflow requests. On the editing front were Apple Final Cut Pro running on a KONA LH and for 3D stereographic workflow, the KONA 3G with the Adobe Production Premium Creative Suite impressed visitors to the stand. Also on display was Avid Media Composer running on Macbook Pro with the IO

express card version.

An expanded range of mini converters including (fibre optic) FiDO converters, offer more connectivity options for a larger range of geographies and workflow needs.

The Kumo compact SDI router was exhibited on the stand, controlled through a web browser, while the FS1, the most versatile and powerful frame sync and converter ever offered by AJA stood out in a league of its own. Shipping now is the FS2, which has the fibre connectivity and Dolby audio encoding and decoding options. Included in this display was the Hi5-3D with new anaglyph support for simpler 3D workflows where necessary. Hi5-Fiber allows long cable runs for sports and facility HDMI monitoring .

“Bestsellers were the AJA Ki Pro Mini and Ki Pro,” said AJA Video’s Kevin King. “All of our show stock was sold to high profile companies such as Aquavision, Burn TV, Ocean Sense and Red Pepper Productions for video assist on set. SuperSport purchased a number of converters for its studios.”

CONCILIUM TECHNOLOGIES – Brian Murray from Ross

Concilium Technologies Pty Ltd demonstrated a wide variety of products on its Mediatech Africa stand including Active Storage, AJA, Apple, DHD, Glensound Electronics, Harris, JVC Professional and Ross.

Products from Ross included the CrossOver Solo switcher, which is described as a powerful, all-in-one production switcher that fits small spaces and budgets.

Ross sales manager Brian Murray was enthusiastic: “The Solo has the same features and specifications as the CrossOver 12, however the main electronics and signal input / output are combined within the panel as a single unit, therefore this reduces cost and size.”

Other Ross products on show were the XPression high quality 3D character generator and broadcast production graphics platform; new digital audio consoles from Harris and DHD; radio automation from Xenon Media; commentator units and an interviewer’s high voice quality GSM phone from Glensound Electronics; and a compact handheld audio loudness test unit from DK Technologies.

“We had a very good commitment from suppliers at Mediatech Africa,” commented Concilium Technologies MD Steve Alves. “The show was better than the previous one in 2009 with more quality and more visitors.

All in all I’m very happy.”

Top audio innovations

Making a first time stand Technology Innovated Distribution (TID) – Barix Extreamer 500 audio voice-over IP device

Cam-A-Lot – Glen Theron Glen Theron, owner of equipment rentals company Cam-A-Lot, exhibited for the very first time at this year’s Mediatech Africa.

“We approached the show from a slightly different angle,” said Theron. “In order to increase our database through our stand we held a competition for cameramen. The contestants listened to a 30-second voiceover and did a single take 30-second shoot to match the voiceover.

The winning shot won the cameraman R3 500 worth of equipment rentals from Cam-A-Lot. We had about 90 entries 24 | SCREENAFRICA | September 2011

and Nick Lowe won for his superb camera movement.”

When asked what he thought of Mediatech Africa, Theron responded: “It’s been quite an eye-opener as to how big the industry is. There is also a sea of high end gear, which is out of reach for the average guy in Africa but it’s a positive for us as we try to fill that gap and provide more affordable rentals but with the same excellent service expected by our loyal customers. The expo was better than initially expected, with a large footprint through our stand.”

Technology Innovated Distribution (TID), a specialist audio product distribution company, used Mediatech Africa 2011 to showcase seven premium audio brands.

On display at the TID stand were the latest products from Barix, beyerdynamic, Bose, Bittner, Biamp, Cloud and Atterotech.

One of the products highlighted by TID’s Tiaan Hoogstad was the Barix Extreamer 500, an audio-over-IP device used for high quality audio streaming over IP networks. Primarily developed for radio station STL applications, the product can also be used in Internet-based IP music distribution systems, in-store audio applications and paging systems.

“The balanced audio inputs and outputs make it especially suited to radio stations and broadcasting,” said Hoogstad.

The Extreamer 500 can operate as either an audio encoder or a decoder and has USB and contact closure interfaces.

“It’s a cost-effective solution for linking radio studios to transmitter sites,” he

explained, “and the Barix ‘Reflector’ service makes configuration a breeze, even when connecting to transmitter sites many miles away.”

The TID stand also featured professional headphones and headsets from beyerdynamic. According to Hoogstad, the DT770 Pro is an industry standard headphone for broadcast, studio and live monitoring applications.

“The product is handmade in Germany and is legendary in the industry,” noted Hoogstad.

The headphone offers bass reflex technology for improved bass response and a rugged, adjustable, soft padded headband construction, designed for a more comfortable fit. It is also robust with easy serviceable construction as all parts are replaceable.

TID received a Mediatech Africa Gold stand award for the combination of their main stand, their MI showcase and the outside demo area where their products were showcased.

Mobile studio

| MEDIATECHAFRICA | REPORT BACK

Musical tools for film

Macro Video – Eric Wiese (Director – Macro Video Pty Ltd), Rob Op De Beek (MD – Datavideo Europe), Jack Lin (President – Datavideo Technologies, Taiwan) with the Datavideo HS-600 Present on the Macro Video Stand was Jack Lin, president of Datavideo Technologies Co. Ltd, an ISO-9001 company and manufacturer of video editing and multimedia production equipment based in Taiwan.

Macro Video, the official distributors of Datavideo, showed their revolutionary new HS-600 mobile hand-carry studio.

“It’s a low cost eight-input SD switcher with two PIP functions,” explained Lin. “It has six composite video and two DVID inputs combined with a built in talkback system and a 17,3inch TFT LED monitor. It’s extremely lightweight and compact and has all the features required for location work.”

Macro Video’s Eric Wiese added: “The Datavideo HS-600 had its world premiere at Mediatech Africa. It is the right product for Africa and it is

appropriate that it was launched at this show.”

The HS-600 is able to offer a twopicture-in-picture function, up to two logos displayed on the same screen, a one-frame still store memory, a luma key function and various special key functions. It is RS232 and has an auxiliary output and a GPI trigger out with adjustable delay.

Wiese noted that the HS-600 has a two-year guarantee. “This shows the confidence that we have in our product. It is high end technology packaged in an uncluttered useable form.

“We are also showing a range of LED lighting which has a very low power requirement. In fact our entire stand is lit by our own LED products and there has been a lot of interest in the LED lighting.”

A first time exhibitor at Mediatech Africa was Donovan Rasch, director of Tradelius Music Group.

“I didn’t expect the show to be as good as it was. The response has been really good. We did actual business at our stand and now have a lot of leads to follow up from. It was brilliant for networking and showing our goods which are mainly musical instruments.

“Tradelius is a distributor for 40 brands.

Three of our main brands are Pearl Drums, Phonic Pro Audio and Kurzweil.

We do exclusive distribution, so we supply dealers and have five retail stores,” explained Rasch.

One of the products on show was the Ultrasone studio headphone. “It is a German headphone brand and is suitable

in any application, especially studio use, but it is special in that it is designed to actually protect the hearing of the user,” continued Rasch. “The speakers are off-set to direct sound into the inner and outer ear, which reduces acoustic pressure.

It also produces a natural surround sound which prevents hearing fatigue. There are different versions with varying isolation types like open back systems, which allow for more room acoustics.”

Tradelius had a Kurzweil PC3K8 keyboard on display. Rasch pointed out that a lot of movie and theatre production scores are done on Kurzweil Keyboards, including The Phantom of the Opera. “It is also special in that it has the closest reproduction of a Hammond organ sound.”

Tradelius – Eston Naicker, Siya Tenene, Selven Govender, Donovan Rasch and Sebastian Pilla

September 2011 | SCREENAFRICA | 25

MEDIATECHAFRICA | REPORT BACK |

A hurricane blew in CEO of Pro-Sales, Arne Pro-Sales – Arne Sack (above) and Jason Sproat with the Sack spoke to Screen Africa at Genus Hurricane (below) Mediatech Africa and was very upbeat about the exhibition.

“Our stand is much bigger than it has ever been before,” said Sack. “This has allowed us to exhibit a much larger variety of products, which in turn attracted the desired customers. One gets the feeling though that there is less money available, so the not camera specific, so it covers a very products that attract more flexible budget range.” attention are suited to budget minded Another product showcased on the productions. stand was the Newtek TriCaster. Sack “3D is a definite trend at this year’s described the product as: “An eightshow but 3D is very expensive and I think camera OB truck in one box. It’s a virtual it will still be a while before it takes off studio – the most affordable system of its properly. However, Pro-Sales is prepared kind – which consists of a green screen, and has brought in 3D products.” built in CG, and virtual sets with a preset One such product is the Genus of sets. It utilises hard drive recording and Hurricane 3D rig. Sack explained: “This is SD and HD switchable. rig is aimed at the guys who want to start “The terms ‘systems integration’, doing 3D productions but who can’t ‘solutions provider’ and many others have afford products in the five digit price become clichés that everybody likes to use range. The rig takes two cameras and is

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26 | SCREENAFRICA | September 2011

‘Rolls Royce’ of cameras The Harambe Technologies stand at Mediatech Africa showcased products including the GFCAM from Ikegami.

According to Harambe Technologies’ Adriaan Shipalana, the GFCAM from Ikegami is the ‘highest specced ENG camcorder on the market’. “You’ve got everything in terms of functionality. This is the Rolls Royce of cameras,” said Shipalana.

The hybrid, tapeless, broadcast-grade camera features a 58 DB signal-to-noise ratio and in certain applications it can be adapted for use as a studio camera.

“The camera itself has no moving parts, so it does not need a service level agreement, which makes it quite unique,” he explained. “Ikegami waited a long time to gather feedback from the industry to make it as user friendly as possible.”

The camera uses flash memory through a GFPAK designed by Toshiba, which offers a range of benefits.

“Software is updated through the USB and you can also put the metadata on your cell phone and Bluetooth it to the camera.

If you save your settings on USB, the camera will recognise it and you can also these days. Because of the way our business is configured, we are able to do all of these things. We are not bound by the limitations of a few products – we will give the customer what truly works for him, even though the product sold might

Harambe Technologies – Ikegami GFCAM use the settings on other GFCAMs,” noted Shipalana.

“Free software allows you to view files and do simple editing on a laptop when you’re in the field. Because the camera is software based you can also configure different buttons to do different things,” said Shipalana.

Through the USB the camera can also connect directly to a computer and work with software like Adobe, Avid and Final Cut. The stand also featured the Evertz OvertureRT LIVE channel playout, which was described by Evertz’s Robert Peter as a master control playout channel and one rack unit with built-in server, live input, switching, branding and digital video effects. not be in our ‘official’ portfolio. What we cannot get from local suppliers we import directly and this more often than not gives us an edge in terms of product, service and fluency in supply over other operations,” concluded Sack.

Morphing 3D characters Among the products promoted by Orad at the Harambe Technologies stall at Mediatech Africa was the Morpho, a 3D character generator offering ‘uncompromised creation and playout capabilities’ and a single user interface.

According to Luis Pinievsky, VP Sales, Orad Hi Tech Systems Ltd, the system was developed to allow broadcasters to improve their graphic capabilities without having to use sophisticated graphic designers. “Up to now to achieve good quality you had to spend a lot of money on expensive systems and operators,” said Pinievsky.

He explained that the Morpho simplifies the process, reduces time to air and allows the user to generate real-time 3D graphics without any previous knowledge, using built in interactive tutorials. The Morpho is also capable of easily importing graphic formats such as Photoshop and Collada and offers two live video inputs in HD and SD. “It’s a progressive platform that can be used for news, sports, studio CG, elections and branding. It works seamlessly with all the popular automation systems and can be linked to newsroom systems such as Dalet and Octopus based on MOS protocol,” explained Pinievsky.

Another product on display was the Orad PlayMaker, an eight channel slow-motion and super slow motion video server aimed at live sport productions.

“It’s been on the market for only two years but has already gained popularity on five continents and on important international events such as Wimbledon, the NBA finals and the 2010 Super Bowl,” said Pinievsky.

According to Pinievsky the fast market penetration is due to a number of factors, including the quality, simplicity of operation, robustness, small size and the number of channels.

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Big commitment to SA After launching at this year’s NAB in Las Vegas, the Selenio Media Convergence Platform from Harris was introduced to the South African market at the recent Mediatech Africa exhibition in Johannesburg.

Selenio supports content from multiple sources for delivery over multiple platforms by combining traditional baseband video and audio processing, video and audio compression and IP networking technology.

Harris Broadcast Communications’ commitment to South Africa was evidenced by the high level team, led by Richard Scott, senior vice president Global Sales and Services, on the stand of regional distributor Concilium Technologies.

“There has been a lot of interest in Selenio at the show and we are in discussions with several local broadcasters regarding a number of projects and Harris – Richard Scott tenders,” noted Scott. “Selenio is very significant in the industry globally as we are no longer in a single channel environment. Broadcasters have to repurpose content and deliver it over multiple platforms and there is a big move to IT-based files. So the difficulty up to now has been to convert all these formats into a single standard.

“Selenio allows you to plug in modules so that all formats can be converted within a single box, whereas previously you needed several boxes. This cuts down significantly on time, power and complexity. Selenio also allows the broadcaster to fix any issues pertaining to loudness.”

Its compact size makes it suitable for outside broadcast applications. According to Scott there has been a huge take-up of Selenio globally, including a big contract with Oman Telco.

Scott pointed out, with reference to South Africa’s launch next year of digital terrestrial television on the DVB-T2 platform, that Harris had designed the encoding and multiplexing technology for DVB-T2 together with the BBC. “We make a whole range of transmitters and in fact rebuilt a big portion of Rwanda’s DVB-T and FM Radio network together with the DVB Group last year. This was a government led project and a huge success.

“There is lots of other Harris equipment in Africa, some of which has been running for 30 years, which proves that our products are very reliable,” commented Scott.

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ANIMATION |

Local animation grabs the spotlight

By Linda Krige

As South African animation hit cinemas in 2011, Screen Africa reflects on the state of the industry on and off the big screen.

S Triggerfish Animation – Zambezia

outh Africa’s fledgling long form animation industry reached important milestones over the past year. 3D animated feature Zambezia

by Triggerfish Animation previewed at the Cannes International Film Festival in May, where it received good reviews and sold to 26 territories.

The Lion of Judah from Sunrise Productions and Character Matters became the first 3D animated feature film from South Africa to be released internationally when it opened at 100 US cinemas in June, and Duncan MacNeillie’s Jock of the Bushveld hit South African cinemas in July with earnings of R9.8m at the local box office, as at 28 August.

Long form

Jock Animation – Jock of the Bushveld

Sunrise Productions / Character Matters – The Lion of Judah

28 | SCREENAFRICA | September 2011

According to the Cape Town chair of Animation South Africa (ASA), Canda Kincses, long form animation is on the rise in South Africa. “We’re starting to build capacity and critical mass to support a long form industry,” says Kincses, “but we have to work with financiers and we’re looking at outlines for co-production.

We’re also trying to bring the visual effects industry into the fold in terms of co-production to turn South Africa into a destination for international visual effects and post-production, as well as animation.”

The head of production at Refinery, Ancilla Berry, says Jock and the forthcoming Zambezia have created a lot of excitement and interest in local animation. “The opportunity is to ride the wave and create more animation projects to attract investors. They’ve proved that it is possible, so it’s created a lot of optimism for both the industry and investors.”

However, according to Hilton Treves from BlackGinger, the South African industry has seen a serious lack of work since the 2010 FIFA World Cup. “We need an international showcase of what can be done in South Africa,” says Treves, “then perhaps we can start talking about opportunities.”

He does not believe Jock of the Bushveld is testament to the capabilities of what can

be produced in South Africa, and believes that inviting people to compare Jock to work by Pixar or Dreamworks will harm the credibility of the local industry.

“However, on a positive note, from what I’ve seen of Zambezia, it’s looking pretty good. The guys at Triggerfish appear to be doing animation the right way and have brought in international talent to set standards, so I’m hoping that Triggerfish will make us proud,” says Treves.

Stuart Forrest of Triggerfish Animation says long form animation is definitely taking off for them, with Zambezia in post-production and work on their second film, Khumba, already in full swing.

“However, generally speaking, we’re still not quite cracking the real lift off.

The local industry remains relatively isolated and hasn’t got a mass workforce mobilised yet.

“The trend within the animation industry is towards many studios making independent features. This means that everybody with the means to raise a little money is using a lowered barrier of entry to create an animated feature film, but the vast majority of indie animated films out there completely miss the mark and have low production value. If you get the production value up there, and have a good story with compelling characters, you can rise to the top very easily,” explains Forrest.

Competing internationally According to Peter Furstenberg of Shine Interactive the market for animation is slow at the moment. “With the recent recession, budgets are cut and splash out on items like animation is the first to go.”

However, he believes there is light at the end of the tunnel. “I think more and more investment is being made here, but we’re still a long way off from competing in the international industry, when you compare the quality of animation coming out of South Africa to the likes of Pixar and other major players. Many lessons still need to be learnt. It’s getting better, but we’re not quite there yet.”

The creative director of Orijin, Leon

| ANIMATION Schoeman, says South Africa has always had some good animation companies who have produced a level of animation and VFX equal to the best in the world.

“Unfortunately the moment they start making a serious impact internationally, the animation superstars in this industry get snapped up by international animation powerhouses,” says Schoeman.

“The long form local animation industry is clearly still years behind the international trendsetters and leaders such as Pixar – this is very obvious when looking at the character, movement, mapping and general scene quality of the local animation films. But as lacking in animation perfection as some of these locally produced animated films might be, it is still a very positive move forward for the long form animation industry that was really non-existent in South Africa until recently.”

Pieter de Wet of Spaghetti Media sees a bright future for long form animation in South Africa: “as long as the quality of the work is kept at a high standard, such as on Zambezia.”

“Everyone wants to make an animated movie. However, the integration of live action and 3D animation is becoming an essential deliverable for clients,” says De Wet.

Stereoscopic 3D Another clear trend in the industry is

towards projects in stereoscopic 3D (S3D).

According to Kincses cinemas are pushing for 3D content to pay off their expensive 3D projectors. However, many filmmakers use 3D only as a gimmick to sell films and do it in a cheap and easy ‘cheat’ way that can cause headaches and discomfort for cinema audiences.

“I think audiences will become more discerning and hopefully the amount of filmmakers jumping on the 3D bandwagon will tail off when they realise there is no market for bad 3D,” says Kincses.

She also sees a lot of potential for 3D in the gaming animation industry.

Treves has been involved in S3D for 25 years. “I’ve seen it pop its head up many times. I’m not sure if it’s here to stay, though. The big question at the moment is: is it worth the extra ticket price, and does it add to the story? However, this time round there is a huge investment behind it, so I guess we’ll just have to wait and see where it’s going over the next couple of years.”

Forrest believes it’s inevitable that the premium for 3D will come down. “Then it will be a personal choice about whether to see a movie in 2D or 3D at almost the same price. When it gets to this point, most people will choose 3D for animation. However, the jury is still out on live action.”

Schoeman agrees that 3D is not just a

passing fad. “Three of the major international television networks now have 3D channels on their bouquets, and this requires the production of content in a 3D format. I think there is a permanent place and use for 3D as part of our entertainment experience, especially in applications such as motion picture, just as there is a place for 5.1 surround sound.”

According to De Wet S3D is an integral part of the future of the moving picture. “It makes the impossible possible,” he enthuses.

Challenges Kincses believes one of the major challenges facing the local animation industry is the cost of broadband in the country, which pushes up production costs and discourages international work from coming into the country. Another challenge is the lack of support from the public broadcaster.

“In a country like Canada the national broadcaster is required to broadcast local animation and pay premium prices for it.

This has boosted their industry to be the best in the world. It’s a challenge for ASA to educate the government on the huge employment potential of the animation industry.”

She says an animated feature film can employ about 100 people for up to three years.

“If we work closely with government

and they’re supportive of what we do, the only way is up,” concludes Kincses.

Treves thinks the biggest challenge is getting more work to grow the local industry.

“At the moment the market is a shrinking resource. The local market can’t sustain the number of animation shops in the country, and I don’t think there are any decent studios here that aren’t looking off shore for work. With the recession overseas, shops there have dropped their prices dramatically just to stay afloat. So our exchange rate advantage is no longer a selling point.”

According to Berry the industry needs more cohesion and support.

“Budgets are cut and investors are few,” she notes.

Forrest says the industry still faces a shortage of skills and the country can’t really sustain more than one feature in production at any one time. “The key is to continue to improve the quality of training, which is expensive, and to make the most of our diversity as a country through transformation within the industry.”

Schoeman adds that, while budget is the key challenge facing the animation industry, South Africa is a country ‘filled with pioneering people with explosive and creative ingenuity’. “I’m keenly waiting for South Africa’s next Neill Blomkamp (District 9) in the animation industry to stand up,” concludes Schoeman.

ANIMATION |

Flying Coke

Crates

C

oca-Cola is a dream brand to work on so getting a brief through Draftfcb to produce and direct not one but two Coke commercials was really exciting, according to Craig Wessels of Wicked Pixels.

“The concept revolved around Coke crates flying around and joining up to form words or objects in real life scenarios,” explains Magda Roets. “Our plan was to shoot the live action stories ourselves and then build and animate the crates in 3D. Everything was handled in-house except for the editing of one spot to save time, and grading was outsourced.”

Wessels directed the shoots and unbelievably both commercials were shot in one day, with locations in Johannesburg’s CBD and Soweto.

The animation process began after

editing was completed. With Wicked Pixel’s Johannesburg studio now up to full speed and headed by ‘local hotshot’ Carl Jeppe, the workload was split between the company’s Cape Town and Rosebank studios.

Says Jeppe: “Some pretty serious camera tracking was necessary, as all the shots were very dynamic with a handheld feel to the camera. Animation,

compositing and post FX took the team two weeks.”

Roets adds: “The agency and CocaCola were ecstatic with the final result and are looking forward to their next project with us.”

Other new work from Wicked Pixels includes the relaunch of Play energy drink, and 45 Axe spots for web and Facebook release. It’s interesting to note that this commission comes from the world’s largest digital agency, Razorfish, via their New York office.

As usual there are exciting times ahead for Wicked Pixels, a multifaceted production company at the forefront of digital content creation.

Polishing POPSTARS’ new image

A

nimation, motion graphics and web development company Shine Interactive was involved in re-branding local music reality show POPSTARS, which aired on free-to-air channel e-tv from September to November 2010.

Johannesburg-based Shine Interactive re-created the show’s corporate identity (CI), graphics and opening title boards, as well as the website and registration software.

According to Shine Interactive’s Peter Furstenberg, the project was wider than just animation and encompassed all creative aspects of the multimedia field.

“We also created the

30 | SCREENAFRICA | September 2011

backend management software and a database enabling all members of the team to collaborate on contestants in real-time and on a single networked platform. The director, musical director and judges, for instance, could all see notes about interesting people making their way to the front of the audition room, logged in the registration process even before they reached the front of the line for their auditions,” explains Furstenberg.

“Shine also sponsored and created the corporate identity, album artwork and a website for the winning group, Nne-vida,” he adds.

According to Furstenberg the show’s graphic interpretation was conceived by director Brett Lindsay, who briefed him on a basic look and feel that he had in mind. “We then elaborated on the basic concepts and translated them into a complete corporate identity package for the show. From this core all the various elements emerged, including set designs, logo graphics, opening sequence and the website.”

He explains that a wide variety of software was used, including Maya, After Effects, Illustrator and Photoshop and Internet technologies such as PHP and mySQL.

“The challenges were to find a way to bring the look of the show into a new era and set it apart from earlier seasons. The new corporate identity was a much brighter and lighter, airier version of the grungy look the original shows showcased,” he notes.

The 2010 season of South Africa’s POPSTARS was produced by Tartan Sound & Video in association with Mzanzi Crew and directed by Brett Lindsay.

Executive producer and Africa licence holder of POPSTARS, Keith Lindsay says that Shine Interactive did more than they imagined possible.

“It was a well thought through development that I really want to apply to every series we do in the future,” says Lindsay.

ANIMATION |

Rebrand for local music channel

O

rijin, one of South Africa’s leading broadcast design groups, recently rebranded the on-air imaging of South African music channel and part of the DStv pay-TV bouquet, MK. According to Leon Schoeman, creative director at Orijin, the company has worked with MK since its inception. “In fact, Orijin originally created the name, logo and first on-air look and feel of the channel, together with the MK team,” says Schoeman.

The latest rebrand was about two months ago and involved creating around 40 animated ‘idents’ to communicate the visual ‘vibe’ of the channel.

“This was created using the latest software and capabilities of 3D particle animation. The aim was to create a distinctive design style for the channel which speaks of its individuality and fearless spirit,” says Schoeman.

MK

32 | SCREENAFRICA | September 2011

Sony Ericsson

He notes that they had to break some broadcast design rules to achieve this.

“We decided to design and create certain 3D objects and render them out in different 3D software packages and interestingly, we ‘guided’ the software to recognise the objects in a unique and different way. We then brought these strange interpretations back into 3D Studio Max and After Effects for final completion. The results were fascinating — these 3D objects almost became works of art,” says Schoeman.

The channel design won three World Gold awards at the recent PROMAX international broadcast design awards held in New York.

Orijin also partnered with PenQuin International recently to create the second locally produced TVC and the first locally produced, fully animated TVC for Sony Ericsson.

According to Bron Dean, creative director and producer at Orijin’s Johannesburg branch, many agencies have taken their high-end post and animation work overseas, which puts immense strain on their budgets and ability to deliver on deadline.

“They have recently realised that there are a few companies right here in South Africa that can deliver to the same, and sometimes better, levels that they have grown accustomed to abroad. Working with these local companies allows smoother workflow and tighter control on delivery, within more reasonable budgets and time-frames. I hope we see more animated commercials and longer form material originating from South African studios as the more we do, the better the industry will get,” notes Dean.

| ANIMATION

Magical effects — Harry Potter style

L

ibra Vision, a Cape Town-based high-end digital post-production company, was recently asked to produce a video for estate agents Pam Golding Properties to depict the history of the company.

The graphics department at Libra Vision is headed by Autodesk Flame artist Steven Versfeld and all projects are seen through from beginning to end by him and fellow senior special effects artist Peter Höhsl.

“The Libra Vision graphics department works on many projects simultaneously, and our approach to project work is to use in-house skills to simplify and streamline the work process,” notes Versfeld.

The Pam Golding project offered some challenges to the team. “When we looked at the story board it was clear that this would be no ordinary video as there were references to Harry Potter-style visual effects, like paintings coming to life and a grandfather clock with a life of its own,”

Pam Golding Properties says Versfeld.

A RED One camera was used in conjunction with Flame and 3D graphics and the VFX shots were directed by Versfeld and Höhsl.

Versfeld continues: “We took the footage into Flame where 3D tracking data was generated for the 3D work.

There were a lot of layers! We did final comps and colour in Smoke Premium and we had two compositors working in After Effects and Flame for four days.”

He adds that they had to spend a lot of time to make sure the colour of each scene was matched: “The house we worked in was all wooden and had various textures as well as large chandeliers and varying light situations.”

Animation, Visual Effects & Motion Graphics

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According to Versfeld, the most challenging part of the job was marrying the 2D and 3D elements together ‘to make the various scenes come to life’.

“The end result was a nostalgic journey through the history of Pam Golding,” he says.

“South Africa has some really qualified and creative animation artists who have proven that they can deliver high calibre work year after year. Cheaper software allows more creative people into the mix, and makes it more competitive. One has to work harder for less and directors are shooting less to do more VFX work, so creativity and collaboration is the key,” concludes Versfeld.

ANIMATION |

Bringing animation to life

Castle

A

ccording to Greg Meek from animation and design production company Flic, they are currently working on an ad for Ogilvy and its client, Castle.

“It involves realistic looking bottles in the roles of rugby and soccer players on the field. We worked with Ogilvy’s Kush Chetty to achieve the look and feel and then had a great time bringing the animation to life,” says Meek.

He explains that the only real challenge they faced during the project was an

34 | SCREENAFRICA | September 2011

FNB

‘incredibly tight deadline’.

“Luckily our talented team of animators and newly installed render farm saw us safely through the woods,” he explains.

Meek notes that Flic has been involved with various advertising agencies on many different projects.

“Flic recently developed the animation style for the FNB television campaign, working with both DDB and Metropolitan Republic. We also recently shot and animated the Vodacom Color

television commercials with a pyrotechnics team and the Phantom for DrafFCB.” He notes that Flic prefers to collaborate with advertising agencies early on in the development of their concepts.

“This allows us to offer the agencies a variety of treatments and show them techniques that they may not have realised were available. Flic operates like a production company in that we bring specialists into our team for a specific project. This allows us to customise the

team according to the requirements of a production,” he explains.

“I think that animation and visual effects are the most exciting fields of production. The ability to bring abstract concepts to life and do the impossible really pushes the boundaries of creativity to the limit. With the level of photorealistic 3D becoming ever increasingly affordable to agencies, the future of creative content is very bright. I see content being created not only for television, but all emerging media spaces.

“I believe that agencies need to collaborate with specialist companies like Flic to embrace the technology available to them and create award winning works.

We love what we do, and it shows in our work,” concludes Meek.

Entangled in African animation

J

ohannesburg-based Spaghetti Media recently completed a commercial for Tanzanian Breweries (a subsidiary of SAB Miller) to advertise Kilimanjaro Premium Lager Brand.

According to Pieter de Wet from Spaghetti Media the project involved all aspects of their business and workflow.

“Along with working with the client in Tanzania via the web, this made a very technical project possible,” explains De Wet. “Integrating RealFlow and Softimage was a challenge in terms of creating a realistic water splash animation. As far as the two programmes go, Softimage actually handled a huge polygon count.

This made the renders more manageable in terms of getting the simulation into an ‘animatable’ environment,” notes De Wet. They also created a working animatic of the agency’s storyboard in 3D as a pre-visualisation to plan an extremely technical shoot.

“This allowed us to time each shot, design the framing, plan the transitions and plan the integration of 3D and live action. This gave our client confidence in the process, taking them on the progression of the production from start to finish. The director and

Kilimanjaro Premium Lager

| ANIMATION

cinematographer were involved in the pre-production – so the pre-visualisation also helped to make lens choices and lighting more productive and predictable,” explains De Wet. He says the project developed out of a treatment for a pitch for The Works in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. “We needed to do the packshot in 3D, because the branding was already designed, and we had to control it to achieve a similar look.

It was also a challenge to execute it in 3D as opposed to doing a Phantom studio shoot,” he says.

According to De Wet they shot on DSLR with minimal grips and lights.

“We purchased a Kessler Crane Shuttle Pod system – a motorised mini-track device – to control consistent tracking across various shots and environments.

Softimage, Boujou, PF-track, RealFlow and After Effects were used for CG and post-production. On set we used Final Cut Pro for the timing of shots.”

Among the challenges was to animate an aerial shot of an imagined soccer stadium in Rio de Janeiro. “This was a massive set in 3D, which was quite a process to build, light and render,” says De Wet. The 3D was created primarily by Ryan Crocker and Justin Wingate.

September 2011 | SCREENAFRICA | 35

ANIMATION |

The specialists

By Anton Crone

Dirol

I

like snooping around Black Ginger because there’s always something fascinating going on in their animated, VFX’y world. Models of Gargoyles and dragons festoon animator’s desks and all the motion sensor outfits lying around make it feel like Andy Serkis’ wardrobe.

Besides the work they do on feature films, the latest being some earth shaking VFX for Chinese film Tanshen – or After Shock – which picked up the Chinese equivalent of the Oscar, Black Ginger is

well known for its work on commercials, the most remarkable being the recent animated Bakers Biscuits ad produced by Shy the Sun of Cape Town through Ogilvy, Joburg, and M-Net’s stereo 3D commercials, being shown in theatres.

The plaudits garnered from Bakers have won Black Ginger a new animated campaign for Unilever’s Ciff household cleaner working again with Shy the Sun through London agency, Lowe.

The campaign takes a spin on fairy

tales, so put a kitchen in the castle, add fiery dragons, clumsy knights, houseproud princesses, fairies and queens, then stir in a lot of Black Ginger and you’ve got it.

I saw a Dirol chewing gum campaign for Moscow that Black Ginger’s sister company, BFX in Joburg, is completing.

Then I was treated to a tasty view of a work in progress on a local commercial that VFX supervisor, Hilton Treves, promises me will be on an animation scale we’ve never seen in South Africa, and I don’t think the man’s bluffing.

Black Ginger is keeping their focus on providing specialised expertise in

animation and VFX with the best technology South Africa can offer. This bucks the trend to some degree as commercial production houses offer more and more services under one roof. Treves is concerned that this lowers the standard of animation in South Africa and believes that quality is key when it comes to attracting international clients, especially when the western standard of animation is so advanced.

Animation knows no bounds, it feeds our imagination like no other medium.

That’s important in a communication world that many feel is becoming increasingly conservative.

FINANCE |

Crowdfunding – an opportunity for Africa

By Linda Krige The fast-emerging trend in film financing known as crowdfunding is part of what US distribution expert Peter Broderick calls a distribution revolution.

C

rowdfunding can be defined as a form of financing where supporters of a project, like a film, contribute small amounts of money through film websites or Internet platforms like Kickstarter and IndieGoGo. The contributions are pooled together to fund production, postproduction or distribution, and in return supporters get benefits such as movie merchandise or end credits.

“When I first did a presentation on crowdfunding in June 2010, few people had done it. Now everyone has either done it, is doing it or is seriously thinking

about it. The speed at which it is growing is significant,” said Peter Broderick at the recent Durban FilmMart PUT THE ‘FUN’ Producer’s INTO FUNDING – Forum.

Peter Broderick Broderick is president of Paradigm Consulting, a company that helps filmmakers design and implement distribution strategy.

“Crowdfunding is a way of creating awareness for your film early on in the process, building a strong support base and getting some money,” he explained.

Patrons, not consumers However, to do this, filmmakers have to start thinking about audiences in a different way, and change from ‘old world’ to ‘new world’ mind-sets.

In the ‘old world’, the audience is

anonymous and unreachable, categorised according to quadrants and demographics and filmmakers use advertising and formulaic campaigns to communicate with them. ‘New world’ filmmakers have direct access to their audience, and that audience is identifiable and reachable through customised strategies that use websites, organisations and social media.

“These two worlds co-exist,” explained Broderick. “The old world is the big Hollywood tent pole movies; the new world is full of potential for independent movies.”

When the audience is placed first, said Broderick, they change from passive consumers to active supporters and patrons of the filmmaker as an artist.

“From my experience people who have contributed to a crowdfunding project and saw it made found it really satisfying and meaningful, and will be more likely to contribute to future projects,” he noted.

According to Broderick most US crowdfunding ventures were raising between $10 000 and $15 000 a year ago.

Now more films are collecting much larger amounts more often. For example, supporters of the Steve Taylor film Blue Like Jazz started the ‘Save Blue Like Jazz’ campaign in September 2010 that aimed to collect $125 000 (R897 500), which was needed to go into production. The campaign collected more than $300 000 (R2.154m) in 30 days.

Hard work The filmmakers of India’s first crowdfunded film, I Am, were in the Durban FilmMart audience. They raised $250 000 (R1.795m) in about three months to get their film made. “Our crowdfunding was born out of the desire not to deal with big studios,” explained producer Sanjay Suri.

However, Broderick warned that not every filmmaker will see that kind of success: “Crowdfunding is a lot of work. If you’re not ready to put in the work, don’t attempt it because you won’t reach your goal.”

Suri agreed that in their experience you have to put in a lot of hours to reach your goal, and be very transparent. “My wife became a computer widow,” said Suri.

Broderick also gave examples of filmmakers who successfully used ‘crowdsourcing’, where people are invited to contribute to a project creatively rather than financially. One such example is Star Wreck, a Star Trek parody made by five Finnish nerds with no filmmaking experience who sourced the help of over 300 extras, assistants and supporters.

“The best way to really get people involved in a project is for them to contribute creatively,” said Broderick.

“It’s early days for crowdsourcing, but I think more and more people will use it in some form.”

38 | SCREENAFRICA | September 2011

However, in some cases contributions aren’t financial or creative. The UK documentary / drama / animation hybrid The Age of Stupid raised $1.6m through donations. In addition, some supporters lent the filmmaker smart clothes for an important interview with the CEO of BP, while someone else made a cottage in the countryside available to use as a writer’s retreat.

Web strategy An important requirement for crowdfunding success is to reach the potential supporters of the project who might be scattered across the world.

According to Broderick filmmakers need to put a lot of time and effort into an effective web strategy.

“If your film website is no more than an online press kit, why would anyone go back to it? The website has to be fun for you, not simply number 26 on your to-do list. That way it will be fun for everyone who visits it,” said Broderick.

He advised filmmakers to create dynamic content that changes over time.

“Your goal is to have a website that takes on a life of its own, and then it’s always going to create awareness for your film.

Harness user content and find out ways that supporters can contribute.

“Websites are personal. I want the users to get a sense of who you are so that they can get a sense of the passion you have for the film. Write in first person and have a vision for the website that’s bigger than the film,” advised Broderick.

The two most effective crowdfunding platforms at the moment are www.

IndieGoGo.com and www.Kickstarter. com, which is the bigger site.

Broderick noted that on Kickstarter you don’t get any money unless you reach your goal. “The psychology of not getting anything until you reach your goal is really powerful, but at the moment Kickstarter is only available to filmmakers with a US bank account,” he explained.

He calculated that most filmmakers end up with about 85% of the contributions made through crowdfunding, after the platform has taken its cut and admin and processing fees have been subtracted.

“I don’t think you should rely on crowdfunding for your whole budget,” he warned, also noting that unique films that appeal to niche audiences and specific communities or interest groups have a better chance at succeeding than films that are formulaic.

He believes that crowdfunding offers a significant opportunity for African filmmakers. “It’s a way to create awareness for your film globally. I’m not saying it’s easy or uncomplicated, but I think right now the opportunities are better than they’ve ever been,” he concluded.

AFRICA |

Reports by Martin Chemhere

Doccie spurs human rights revolution A new documentary captures Senegalese communities embracing human rights education and transforming their lives.

K

enyan born US-based director Kenny Mann of Rafiki Productions describes Walking With Life: The Birth of a Human Rights Movement as a glimpse into the profound positive social changes that can come about when people anywhere in the world learn about their fundamental human rights.

Narrated by Senegalese human rights advocate Issa Saka, the 39-minute documentary shows how some communities in Senegal chose to abandon customs like female genital cutting (FGC) and forced early marriage.

The film is based on the work of the Dakar-based human rights education NGO known as Tostan and is told in a variety of languages including Wolof, Mandinka, Jola and French, with English narration and Kenny Mann subtitles. It was filmed between 2006 and 2010.

When a small group of women from the Malikunde village learnt about their right to good health they triggered a revolution. With the help of their Imam, Dembe Diawara, they proved that FGC is not actually a requirement of Islam, but predates Islam. Therefore they can abandon the custom without being

Film in a Box now in SA A film training programme comes to South Africa and encourages Africans to tell their own stories.

40 | SCREENAFRICA | September 2011

THE COLOUR OF FREEDOM – Senegalese women in Walking With Life: The Birth of a Human Rights Movement

regarded as ‘bad Muslims’.

Tostan’s human rights learning programme has no particular agenda other than to make people aware of their human rights and to teach topics like democracy, problem solving, and literacy. It is what people do with this new knowledge that fascinates Mann.

“The entire movement to abandon FGC was a surprising offshoot of the programme,” she explains. “It was never planned and has subsequently spread across several countries. Tostan supports the movement but did not initiate it.”

After her first trip to Senegal in January 2006 Mann thought she had shot enough footage for the film. “But when I began editing I realised that I hadn’t even touched the surface of the subject.”

F

ifteen students recently graduated from the first South African edition of the Film in a Box training programme.

Film in a Box was conceptualised four years ago in Nigeria as a flagship brand of the African Film Academy stable, which also includes the Africa Movie Academy Awards (AMAA). The programme comprises 21 days of intensive filmmaking training with an emphasis on team work.

Peace Anyiam Osigwe, originator of Film in a Box and AMAA president, is happy about its progress so far: “Since inception about 1 000 students from Nigeria and Ghana have done the course.

We are now in South Africa and intend to go to Gambia and Kenya this year.”

The course will also be introduced in Swaziland and Zimbabwe. “These two countries fit well into the Film in a Box

She adds that the Tostan programme evolved while she was filming, which meant some of her early material was no longer relevant in 2009.

“I conferred a great deal with the director of Tostan, who lives in Dakar, to ensure that I was interpreting the programme correctly. Translating all the languages into English proved a real obstacle until I found Senegalese people in New York who were able to do it.”

During the shoot extreme dust caused problems for some of Mann’s equipment. As she often likes to shoot out of the window of a travelling car she had to wrap her camera in many layers of thin cloth to protect it. Mann shoots her films by herself and for this film used a Mini DV Sony DCR VX 2100.

Walking With Life is regarded by Tostan as an essential tool in human rights

teaching, especially regarding women’s rights in Africa. Tostan also trains people to make their own films and tell their own stories in their own words. Mobile screening units travel around the country to show these films.

Distribution of Walking With Life in the US is handled by Goliath Promotions, Ostrow & Company, and Tomcat Films.

The film has won two awards – the Award of Merit, La Jolla Independent Film Festival, California (2010), and Best Documentary at the Hamptons International Black Film Festival (2010), New York.

Mann’s two other related films – Building Partnerships Through Human Rights Education and Human Rights Cities: Paths to Peace, have not been screened but are sold as a package on the same DVD as accessories to Walking With Life.

policy of going where there is a film training vacuum,” Osigwe emphasises.

She anticipates that the programme’s presence in South Africa will help to balance existing film schools with an alternative programme, while promoting Africa Film Academy’s vision of more African filmmakers telling their own stories in their own words.

The Film in a Box curriculum takes students through core modules of screenwriting, directing, cinematography, editing, acting and sound and production management. It is a hands-on approach to filmmaking that combines theory and practice.

Osigwe believes that Film in a Box bridges the gap between expensive film schools and aspirant filmmakers who don’t have the resources to attend mainstream tertiary institutions.

“There is huge demand for this type of

training in Africa. Many people really want to know the basic rudiments of filmmaking but can’t afford to pay for training courses.”

During the second part of the course students produce a feature film, from pre-production to shoot to edit. They also work on the marketing and distribution of the film which is intended for theatrical release. There is also a master class and professional supervision to ensure the artistic and professional quality of their films.

Osigwe adds that classes are aimed at addressing the specific needs of film.

“During the course participants feel the pulse of the real feature film industry.

They also cultivate a spirit of team work and feel a sense of achievement when they leave us.”

For more information visit: www.africafilmacademy.org.

| AFRICA

Experience Africa in a new DVD When the adventure bug bit French husband and wife team Alexandre and Sonia Poussin in 2001, they spent the next three years shooting across Africa. Climbing mountains and rivers, soaking up the heat and Africa’s vibrant array of languages, dialects and landscapes.

Martin Chemhere tells the story of their long expedition.

available in French. The episodes were edited by Pascal Cardeilhac and Florence Tran who followed the travellers’ directions and script, but also kept their creative freedom. Richard Wolfe of the Travel Channel translated from French to English.

“I thought the treatment Africa receives in the news was unfair, and that there was much more than wars, famine, epidemics, corruption and poverty to report on about Africa,” explains Poussin. He is adamant that Africa is: “wonderful, hospitable, welcoming place with generous, resilient, courageous, happy, funny and joyful people. We took on these lessons every day. More importantly, we had the courage to carry on the work and to have our story told on television, in media interviews and in our book.”

Poussin adds that in telling this story they encountered “so many challenges that it’s a miracle to show their accomplishments today”.

Brand ambassadors Shooting the earlier stages of Africa Trek was without any sponsors, but as the couple walked with Hi-Tec shoes they invented the concept of ‘post-sponsoring’. They told the shoe manufacturers what they had done with their product and started a relationship.

“We are now brand ambassadors for outdoor products,” he says.

The expedition and shoot began on 1 January 2001 in the Cape of Good Hope in a long walk up to the Sea of Galilee that lasted three years and three

Sonia and Alexandre Poussin with tribe members in a desert

T

he self taught and budding documentary filmmaking couple were determined to repackage a triple DVD titled Africa Trek, the story of upbeat Africa set against negative African news sometimes portrayed by the international media.

The DVD features a series (12 episodes x 26 minutes), a movie (98 minutes) and some extras. It is also available in a coffee table book format — currently only

Ghanaian movies honoured again

T

he second Ghana Movie Awards (GMA) takes place on 25 December 2011 at the Accra International Conference Centre and preparations for this year’s event are underway.

The event was first launched on 30 September 2010 and the awards ceremony was also held on Christmas Day. This year’s call for entries opened on 3 August.

The objective of the awards is to recognise excellence by rewarding deserving actors, directors, writers

Here to STAY – Fred Nuamah

and other key personalities in Ghana’s film industry.

Fred Nuamah, founder and CEO of Gollywood Productions which organises the awards in association with the Multimedia Group, says that the formation of the GMA was inspired by the tremendous performances by the Ghanaian movie industry this year and the need to encourage key personalities.

Nuamah elaborates that the local film

AFRICA IN A POSITIVE LIGHT – Alexandre Poussin walking accross the African desert in Africa Trek

French company MK2 is handling distribution of the triple DVD including the series and the long feature movie for that territory while in the US Inkwaterpress has published a triple DVD of the series (four episodes per DVD).

The French market has already absorbed more than 20 000 units of the triple format DVD while the book has sold over 300 000 copies. In the US the series has aired 20 000 times on PBS throughout the country. Says Poussin: “It means that we have been on air for 361 days, it’s absolutely dreamlike!”

Breaking into the US market initially proved intricate as Poussin states that both National Geographic and Discovery rejected his proposal. He says this is

because they were the first to record a documentary series by themselves without back-up team and crew, for such a long period of time. “The market was not ready for authentic adventure with very little budget.”

Poussin reveals that there is a lot of footage left, which they haven’t had time to review yet. “It’s painful, it’s like sticking a knife in the wound each time,” he says.

“We had to make smart editing choices, excruciating sometimes, because we had too many stories. Why select this one instead of this other one?”

Yet to be edited footage includes interviews with HW van der Merwe, the peacemaker who brought the apartheid government and ANC together to talk and who managed the education of some of Mandela’s children in the US; an exclusive interview with Morgan Tsvangirai, Zimbabwe’s Prime Minister and opposition MDC leader when he was in custody in 2001; an interview with famous paleoanthropologist Louise Leakey in Kenya; some awesome footage with Maasai and Turkana people; daily life of a fisherman’s village in Malawi; a cholera outbreak in Mozambique; and so much more.

Poussin previous film, La Marche dans le Ciel, (1996; 52 minutes) is about an expedition in the Himalayan Range and traces their 5 000km journey from Bhutan to Tajikistan. Although it was never released it was broadcast on French public television.

industry is excited about the event as previously Ghana didn’t have its own industry awards. Ghana lagged behind film award trends in other countries such as Nigeria (African Movie Academy Awards; AMAA) and South Africa (South Africa Film and Television Awards (SAFTAS).

“Nominations for the Ghana Movie Awards for 2011 sees movie releases screened by a locally selected committee which looks for good acting, directing, pictures, sound quality and so on.

Submitted films are short listed, then shown at a nominee release party,” states Nuamah.

He emphasises that the categories adhere to international standards such as the lead role, supporting role and best directed movie, among other categories.

Nuamah is upbeat that this year’s awards will be keenly contested as more nominations are expected. There will be the same 27 categories as last year and

four additional categories have been introduced. These include cameo role awards for best actor and actress, best picture and best television series.

Since launching the GMAs have influenced the local movie industry, says Nuamah, as filmmakers strive for quality and impressive work has been produced in terms of acting, directing, editing and other areas.

The second GMAs include improvements such as additional prizes (two cars) for the founder’s merit awards plus prizes such as cloths, cellphones plus other consolation prizes. The gold plated statuette weighs 2.5kg and will be awarded to each category winner.

The awards ceremony will be televised by the national operator Ghana Television (GTV) and private broadcaster Multi TV for about three hours. “The GMA has come to stay. We are looking at celebrating our golden jubilee in the future,” says Nuamah.

months without interruption in between.

Shooting was done through Africa using a Sony PD 100 plus, a XLR plug and a Sennheiser microphone. This took over 1 200 days, 342 tapes of 42 minutes each, culminating in 240 hours of material.

Poussin believes that the DVD is a top quality product: “It’s quite chronological with a documentary feel and the feature movie was edited differently. We didn’t want the whole thing to be long and boring! The final product preserves the relaxed spirit and the courageous atmosphere of the walk.”

Distribution

September 2011 | SCREENAFRICA | 41

FILM |

Documentary as art Characterised by striking cinematography and unusual framing, Forerunners takes a spiritual look at South Africa’s black middle class while making the point that everyone experiences change in their lives.

W

hen Cape Town-based UK filmmaker Simon Wood set out to make Forerunners over two years ago, the prevailing issue in his mind was Europe’s perception of Africa as a continent filled with conflict, corruption, HIV / Aids and poverty.

“Although the four characters in Forerunners are drawn from the black middle class the sub-text of the film is about transition in time and space. There has been a lot of change in South Africa in a short space of time. Some black families that were poverty-stricken during apartheid are now part of the middle class. The characters in Forerunners have to balance contemporary issues with heritage and tradition and work out what to pass on to the next generation.

“When making the film I concentrated on the aesthetic. Before each shot I would chose the frame and then wait for the

42 | SCREENAFRICA | September 2011

action to happen within that frame. It’s almost as if the space around the characters is as important as they are. The camera itself hardly ever moves.

“I think that the soulful style of the film gives audiences the time to reflect where they’ve come from – what has been lost and what has been gained. All of us experience change in our lives, no matter who we are or where we come from,” explains Wood.

The 52-minute Forerunners won the Special Jury Award at this year’s Pan African Film Festival in Cannes. “I believe it was successful in France because they tapped into the film’s aesthetic,” notes Wood. “However, I suspect that Forerunners shocked them as it challenged their perceptions of Africa.”

Constant contact To find his four characters – Martin,

UNUSUAL POINT OF VIEW – Martin driving in a scene from Forerunners Karabo, Miranda and Mpumi – Wood interviewed about 300 people and videoed 30 of them. “I asked all my contacts in Johannesburg for names of successful black people in Johannesburg and heard stories about them growing up in rural areas,” he notes.

Once Wood identified his characters he kept in constant conversation with them. “I would ring them up and ask what was happening in their lives – I didn’t want to force anything in the film.”

Cape Town photographer Shane Cooper shot the film on a Canon 5D to create a cinematic look. Wood amassed about 200 hours of footage over 18 months of filming. He did a transcript of all the footage and put together a rough

cut before handing it over to editor Khalid Shamis.

“I shot Forerunners as a feature film and told Khalid to think of the film as a poem,” continues Wood. “We showed cuts of the film to local filmmakers and received positive feedback. Internationally the response has been amazing – people have written to me from around the world asking about the film.”

Forerunners screened at the Durban International Film Festival in July. At the time of writing the film had been selected for the San Francisco and Montreal film festivals.

Wood’s latest project is an ‘experimental documentary’ about South African poet and former Springbok rugby player, Ian McCallum.

| TELEVISION d n a w g n ind Lo for new seriesing road

By Karen van Schalkwyk

New 13-part SABC1 drama series, The Fallen, has a very complex history – commissioned by one channel, abandoned and then picked up by another channel.

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The Fallen was produced by husband and wife team Margaret and Peter Goldsmid, who have won accolades for their drama series Justice for All, the sitcom Gabriel and the mini-series Riemvasmaak.

Margaret Goldsmid explains that The Fallen came about when SABC3 issued a commissioning brief five years ago.

“The brief stipulated that the series must deal with powerful family conflicts.

Although the original successful pitch was written by Paul Venter, what SABC1 viewers will see is very different. It was Paul’s idea to set the story in the sugar cane fields of KwaZulu-Natal (KZN). The story changed quite considerably during the development process for SABC3 and the final incarnation for SABC1 is even more removed from the original idea.”

It has been a long and challenging process to get the series onto the small screen.

Goldsmid continues: “Following the initial development with SABC3 and the first set of scripts and approved budget in 2008, the series was abandoned in the turbulence of the SABC’s financial crisis. A short-lived flirtation with M-Net followed a year and a half later, but our approach to buy back the copyright for the scripts brought the project to the attention of SABC1. Management liked the natural way in which the story reflected the complex demographics of South Africa as well as its dramatic potential.

This ultimately led to a commitment to produce following a rewrite and adaptation to meet the needs of SABC1 audiences.”

Time to update with

Story review To meet the new requirements the Goldsmids made their characters younger and developed news character arcs for them. They were forced to take a step back from the story, review it critically and develop new step outlines. This strengthened the story dramatically. Peter Goldsmid wrote the scripts and Margaret was script editor.

She elaborates: “The story is triggered by the hero finding out about a 20-year-old crime. From there the police story elements come into play but the series is predominantly a melodrama. It is about one man’s fight against a powerful sugar company and about the price good men have to pay to see justice done. The Fallen is multi-layered and examines the way a crime can poison the lives for generations of not only those who commit it, but also their families,” The biggest challenge was to produce a complex story set mainly in KZN on a tight budget. “We had to produce a high quality product on R3 000 per minute, which is less than was allocated in 2008. Also we had to air the first programme just five weeks after we started shooting. This forced us to make two trips to Durban to shoot key exteriors, instead of one, as we envisaged.

“Under such circumstances there is simply no room for error and post-production is significantly more pressured. We are lucky that Richard Green is line producing for us.

His vast experience and knowledge are invaluable. We shoot up to 14 minutes a day which often included a location move.”

The Fallen is directed by Peter Goldsmid and Zuko Nodada and shot on a Panasonic AF101 high definition camera. Peter Goldsmid comments: “This gives the series a filmic look as it is a 4/3 chip camera that allows the use of lenses with relatively shallow depth of field.”

Margaret Goldsmid concludes: “Seeing our baby come to life after five years of uncertain gestation is very satisfying. Even more gratifying is to see scenes in which our lead actors deepen and enrich the writing and give it complex and subtle life.”

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www.pro-sales.co.za LENGTHY JOURNEY – Peter Goldsmid directing a scene from The Fallen

OFFICE. (0027) 11 462 0000 FACSIMILE (0027) 11 462 0005 EMAIL. INFO@PRO-SALES.CO.ZA ADDRESS. 34 ELGIN ROAD, BRYANSTON, SOUTH2011 AFRICA, 2023 September | SCREENAFRICA

| 43

Continued from page 1 |

Bush Radio on the ropes

African musical shoots

organisation called Friends of Bush Radio.

The station’s footprint is the Cape Flats and surrounds. According to the South African Advertising Research Foundation’s Radio Audience Measurement Survey (RAMS), Bush Radio has 85 000 listeners.

Said Leonard: “As a community station our programming is largely educational and looks at issues within the Cape Flats, including gender and human rights. We also produce public service announcements that are of use to our listeners, such as what to do if your child goes missing or how to prevent cervical cancer. We have even produced our own radio dramas based on short stories by black writers. Two of these dramas have been purchased by the BBC. However, dramas are very expensive to produce.

“Bush Radio is committed to South African music but also has programmes for specific genres such as hip hop, blues, reggae and world music. We always try and educate our listeners around the lyrics and the artists.”

There are four permanent staff members and 12 trainees at Bush Radio at any one time, supported by ‘about 100 volunteers’.

Bush Radio’s premises cover 700 square metres and include four studios – a 24-hour on-air studio, a news production studio, a production studio and a drama studio.

The idea of Bush Radio was initiated in the 1980s when community activists and alternative media producers came together to explore ways in which grassroots media could be used for social upliftment and as an alternative voice to the media available under apartheid.

The film is shooting in Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal on the RED camera at 4K resolution.

Also shot on this format was Moments Entertainments’ The Algiers Murders, which recently premiered at the Durban International Film Festival.

“This was quite an innovation as South Africa does not have 4K projectors,” comments Bulbulia.

“We are excited to announce that the RED company will host a UK training course at Pinewood Studios where a 4K Projector will be used for the first time. RED has requested that we send a copy of The Algiers Murders to be part of the workshop.”

Budgets for Moments Entertainments films range

Hi-tech RWC broadcast SuperSport is utilising the high definition (HD) world feed produced

by RWC Host Broadcaster, Sky New Zealand, which is stationed at the International Broadcast Centre (IBC) in Auckland. We have our own commentators at many of the matches including all the South African games.

“Three SuperSport electronic news gathering (ENG) teams have been deployed in New Zealand, each comprising producer, cameraman and reporter. Their footage is streamed back to SuperSport’s headquarters in Randburg, Johannesburg via a content delivery network (CDN).

“We have purchased a brand new on-screen graphics system from Vizrt to enhance our RWC coverage.”

Sky New Zealand is using wirecam technology for key matches, 5.1 surround sound and the use of changing room cameras for the very first time at a RWC. In terms of new media the world feed is available in South Africa on the mobile TV platform, DStv Mobile and on the Drifta decoder, which allows subscribers to access the broadcast on devices such as iPads and laptops.

A live streaming service has been included on the dedicated RWC section on www.supersport.com. The website also includes live scoring, full match reports, quotes and statistics.

“Our Randburg studio has been transformed for the RWC broadcast and is now a new outdoor garden studio with braai area,” notes Van der Berg.

SuperSport has sub-licensed some of its RWC broadcast rights to public broadcaster SABC for certain matches.

Screen Africa readers will recall that 25 matches of last year’s FIFA World Cup were produced in 3D. Sadly, no RWC matches will follow suit. According to Rugby World Cup Limited plans to produce 3D coverage of key RWC matches from the tournament, including the final, were reluctantly cancelled after it was confirmed that production company 3D Live was no longer able to meet its production commitments.

44 | SCREENAFRICA | September 2011

between R4m and R10m.

Bulbulia notes that the Department of Trade and Industry rebate has ‘helped tremendously’ in funding Foreign Demons, A Small Town Called Descent and The Algiers Murders.

“It’s up to us to raise the budget for production and we leverage partnerships with l ocal and provincial governments and service providers,” she continues.

“On The Algiers Murders we entered into a partnership with the Sedibeng Municipality. In addition we created a mentorship opportunity for students at the Vaal University of Technology’s Art Department.”

Foreign Demons, which was

produced in the Nollywood genre, releases in September through Silverbird Cinemas in Nigeria, Kenya and Uganda.

Zimbabwean-South African distributor Afriwood is releasing the film in Zimbabwe, Namibia, Botswana, Zambia, Malawi, Kenya and Tanzania.

A Small Town Called Descent, directed by Jahmil XT Qubeka, will be distributed globally through Videovision Entertainment, and has screened at more than 10 international film festivals The Algiers Murders has secured African distribution with Afriwood and Silverbird Cinemas and is awaiting participation at international festivals.

Entertainment Master Class back in SA Leading industry players with significant current or past experience of the topic are then chosen.

Among the international speakers at the Cape Town module is Humphrey Barclay, the UK’s most innovative and productive writer and producer of comedy and sitcoms over the past 40 years. He is joined by Christian Munder, director of Comedy for Sony Pictures FFP GmbH in Germany, Caroline Torrance, head of BBC’s Worldwide’s Content Acquisition team, and EMC director of Studies and MD Christoph Fey. South African producer Roberta Durrant of Penguin Films (Sgudi Snaysi, Madame & Eve, Going Up), a participant at last year’s EMC module (also held in Cape Town), will present a session this year.

Gough continues: “I have known Roberta and her work for a number of years. She is a past winner at the Rose d’Or Festival in Switzerland and at one point purchased the UK hit comedy format, The Rag Trade, for South Africa. Roberta has long been a good ambassador for the South African television industry.”

EMC participants undergo a strict vetting process by the EMC selection committee.

“This is to ensure that applicants have the right level of professional qualifications and

standards to ensure that they can fully benefit from the programme in terms of both content and contacts.

“The EMC module is a fantastic opportunity for any entertainment based individual or company that could benefit from insider knowledge and industry contacts. Furthermore, the value of becoming part of the EMC is greater than the attendance at one module – its value lies in being able to stay in contact and to develop business opportunities globally.

“In fact, two co-production projects (a collaboration between Durrant and SevenOne International and an animation project, Digit, from Markus Davies in negotiation with a German company) were sparked as a result of last year’s module in Cape Town,” notes Gough.

Because the EMC is built around a business to business culture, the EMC keeps in touch with its participants and is aware of career developments through its Alumni Network, Mentorship Programme, EMC Newsletter and bi-annual Market Dinners in Cannes.

Last year the EMC module on reality formats was brought to Cape Town in October as a result of an agreement between the Services Seta (Sector Education Training Authority)

and the EMC. Waterfront Studios’ Liezel Vermeulen, the local coordinator for this year’s module, explains that the Services Seta / EMC partnership is presently on hold due to Minister of Higher Education & Training Blade Nzimande’s recent shifting of the Seta landscape.

Says Vermeulen: “Waterfront Studios offered to co-ordinate the 2011 Cape Town EMC and approached the newly formed Media Advertising Information Communication Technologies (MICT) Seta and the National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF) for support for 2012.

“Our involvement with the EMC stems from the participation at last year’s EMC of one of our producers, Markus Davies, who was very impressed with the event.”

There will be about 30 participants at the EMC with 11 speakers including veteran US literary agent Norman Kurland who represented the creators of Cheers, Frasier, Magnum PI and Will and Grace; Keri Lewis Brown, MD of K7Media which tracks the hottest TV formats and offers global insights; and Lee Walters, lead writer of children’s and teen comedy – both live action and animation for clients like BBC, Millimages, Canal + and France 2.

July 2011

The cream of the local productions

This monthly feature selects prominent local productions and ranks them in terms of audience ratings (ARs). Selected foreign programmes are shown only for comparison.

ARs are weighted over the period of transmission and the number of transmissions during the calendar month. Data is supplied by the South African Advertising Research Foundation and processed by Interactive Market Systems (South Africa) (Pty) Ltd.

Key: Day/s refers to the day or days of the week the programme is transmitted. Frequency refers to how often it is transmitted – D=Daily, W=Weekly, S (followed by a number) indicates a series of that number of episodes. Television Universe estimated at 5.232 million households. One ratings point of all viewers

Channel

June 2011 AR

May 2011 AR

Genre Soap Soap News Soap News

AR 23.8 17.2 15.8 15.4 15.1

1.7

1.6

W

e

5.5

7.3

18:30 M-F S5

2

8.3

8.0

Maga 19:00 Sun

W M

1.0

1.0

Fokus

Actu 18:30 Sun

W

2

4.9

4.8

SABC2 Rank Programme 1 Muvhango 2 Ga Re Dumele 3 7de Laan 4 Powerball 5 Dragonball Z

Generations

Soap

20:00 M-F S5

1

21.6

21.3

Date 27/06/2011 26/06/2011 28/06/2011 21/06/2011 23/06/2011

Genre Soap Sitc Soap Vari Y-Ent

AR 13.2 11.3 9.7 9.3 8.5

Gospel Gold

Musi

Vari

W

2

4.9

5.4

Isidingo:The Need

Soap

18:30 M-F S5

3

4.4

3.5

Jam Alley

Vari

18:30 Fri

W

1

6.5

6.2

Live Lotto Draw

Quiz 21.30 W/S S2

2

5.5

5.7

Morning Live

Maga 06:00 M-F S5

2

2.2

2.4

SABC3 Rank Programme 1 Ratatouille 2 Isidingo:The Need 3 The Oprah Winfrey Show 4 Isidingo – Rß 5 Cribs

Date 18/06/2011 21/06/2011 16/06/2011 16/06/2011 17/06/2011

Genre Movi Soap Maga Soap Maga

AR 5.7 5.4 5.3 5.2 5.0

Muvhango

Dram 21:00 M-T S4

2

10.9

9.2

News at Seven

News 19:00 Daily D

e

6.5

7.2

News at Seven on 3

News 19:00 Daily D

3

3.2

3.0

Pasella

Maga 19:30 W

W

2

4.7

4.5

Rhythm City

Soap

18:30 M-F S5

e

9.7

10.5

Scandal

Dram 19:30 M-T S4

e

8.3

8.7

M-Net Rank Programme 1 Carte Blanche 2 Idols SA 3 The Back-Up Plan 4 Robin Hood (Movie) 5 The Mentalist

Date 05/06/2011 26/06/2011 19/06/2011 05/06/2011 22/06/2011

Genre Maga Real Movi Movi Soap

AR 1.1 1.1 1.1 1.0 0.9

Selimathunzi

Vari

18:30 Wed W

1

5.3

5.3

Special Assignment

Actu 21:30 Wed W

3

2.1

1.7

Top Billing

Maga 19:30 Tue

W

2

3.4

3.0

Yo-TV

Y-Ent Vari

D

e

1.7

1.9

e.tv Rank Programme Date Genre 1 Anacondas:The Hunt For the Blood Orchid 19/06/2011 Movi 2 Rhythm City 07/06/2011 Soap 3 Taxi 04/06/2011 Movi 4 Lotto Draw Live 04/06/2011 Quiz 5 Scandal 06/06/2011 Soap

AR 11.9 11.6 11.4 10.2 9.8

3 Talk

Talk

3rd Degree

Actu 21:30 Tue

7de Laan

Soap

Carte Blanche

brought to you by

The Cape Town Lab reports that they have no feature work going through the lab at the moment. International commercials are 55% lower than the same period last year, however local commercials are on a par with last year. Student work has been completed on both 16 and 35mm, and one documentary has been processed.

The Johannesburg Lab has commenced processing of a feature film however the commercial work is still extremely low. Again bulk printing shows growth with 60 features, 525 trailers and a huge 3,658 commercials having been printed in July.

The commercials submitted by Media Host have shown a slight decrease from the previous month.

We would like to thank the laboratories and Media Host for the information they have supplied to us.

We make no attempt to identify the title of the production, or the production house or any other information as this is often confidential information – we supply simply the numbers.

Sun

Vari

Top foreign shows Days of Our Lives

Soap

17:10 M-F S5

1

3.8

3.8

WWE Wrestling Smackdown

Spor

20:30 W

W

e

5.2

5.5

The Bold and the Beautiful

Soap

18:00 M-F S5

1

9.7

9.3

The above represents a selection of programmes only, and is calculated on the total calendar month’s weighted average of the total audience over all age groups. If you want a particular programme included please contact Enid Venter on +27 (0)11 025-3180. The purpose of the schedule is to show the types of programmes South African audiences view, and to what extent.

We feature the top five shows viewed for each of the channels.

VitalStats

Day/s

3

Name

Date 15/06/2011 06/06/2011 23/06/2011 21/06/2011 15/06/2011

Start Time

15:30 M-F S5

Genre

Frequency

represents about 145 590 viewers.Key to genres: Actu: Actuality, Docu: Documentary, Dram: Drama, Educ: Education, Maga: Magazine, Musi: Music, News: News, Quiz: Game Show, Real: Real life, Reli: Religion, Sitc: Sitcom, Soap: Soap, Spor: Sport, Vari: Variety, Y.Ent: Youth Entertainment,

The top five programmes

SABC1 Rank Programme 1 Generations 2 Zone 14 3 Xhosa News 4 Intsika 5 Zulu News

| Audience Ratings

Statistics for July 2011 Through the labs: Johannesburg Features 1 Cape Town Features 0

Shorts 0

Commercials 3

Doccies 0

16mm 1

35mm 3

Shorts 1

Commercials 3

Doccies 0

16mm 2

35mm 2

Commercials submitted to broadcasters via Media Host July 2011:

1 860 compared with 1 915 last month

We rely on the co-operation of broadcasters, suppliers of commercial material to broadcasters and local film laboratories for information however at the moment local broadcasters are not forthcoming in providing these vital statistics.

Efforts will continue to be made to build on this statistical data base in order to improve the accuracy, and should readers have comments or other ideas in terms of statistic gathering, please send an e-mail to web@screenafrica.com. Your comments would be appreciated.

September 2011 | SCREENAFRICA | 45

P R O D U C T I O N U P D A T E S You could be here phone (011) 025-3180

Order of Information

1. Title 2. Production Company 3. Director 4. Genre

IN DEVELOPMENT 80 MINUTES Periphery Films Dir: Simon Taylor / Julia Taal Feature Drama A LION IN THE BEDROOM Two Oceans Production Prod: Giselher Venzke / Bertha Spieker Feature AMABHUBESI Inkwasi Television Prod: Bell Curle TV Magazine AMKA CORPORATE Panache Video Productions Exec Prod: Haroon Kalla Corporate BAD MEDICINE Tin Rage TV Production Dir: Enver Samuel Documentary Bagged Izithulu Productions Exec Prod: Donovan Mulligan / Mike Westcott Short Film

Those productions in red are newly listed this month

BLAST FROM THE PAST Sirius Films Prod: Ian Manly Documentary BREAD AND WATER Periphery Films Dir: Simon Taylor / Julia Taal Feature Documentary BREAKDOWN Bollysamo Pictures / Apeiro Productions Prod Man: Carolyn Gregorowski Feature Child Geniuses Talent Attack TV / Fuel Media Productions Prod: Paul Llewellyn Documentary Series CHILDREN OF FAMOUS ACTIVISTS Current Affairs Films Prod: Jane Thandi Lipman Feature Film CHILLI CHICKS International Radio Pictures, Inc Kit Reynolds TV series COILED DO Productions Prod: Marlow de Mardt /Brigid Olën Feature CONSERVATION & BEYOND SuitePeople TVP Prod: Bell Curle Documentary

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

46 | SCREENAFRICA | September 2011

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ECONOMIC TRANSFORMATION Gaonakgang Film Productions and Publications Writ: George Phuthiyagae Documentary ESCAPE Current Affairs Films Prod: Jane Thandi Lipman/Beata Lipman Feature Film Ex Pats Current Affrairs Films / French Connection Prod: Jane Thandi Lipman Drama series FORSAKEN DO Productions Prod: Marlow de Mardt /Brigid Olën Feature GOUE STERRE Suite People TVP Prod: Bell Curle TV Series GRIZMEK Two Oceans Production Prod: Giselher Venzke / Bertha Spieker Feature HEAVEN ABOVE EARTH Two Oceans Production Prods: Giselher Venzke / Bertha Spieker Feature IIQ Sukuma Media Dir: Bonginhlanhla Ncube Feature IK1 – TOURISTS IN DANGER Two Oceans Production Prods: Giselher Venzke / Bertha Spieker Feature Inventing Africa Imageworks Prod: Anthony Irving Documentary KADU’S JOURNEY DO Productions Prods: Marlow de Mardt /Brigid Olën Feature LEARNER TEACHERS Curious Pictures SABC Comedy Series LION GIRL DO Productions Prod: Marlow de Mardt /Brigid Olën TV Feature NEW BEGINNINGZ Sukuma Media Dir: Bonginhanhla Ncube Documentary Nongoloza Current Affairs Prod: Jane Thandi Lipman Feature RATE MY PLATE International Radio Pictures Exec Prod: Kit Reynolds Community Project SEBOKENG MPA (Motswako) Dir: Charls Khuele / Zuko Nodada Feature SHARON AND MUGABE’S ELEPHANTS NHU Africa Exec Prods: Vyv Simson / Sophie Vartan Wildlife Documentary SHORT BUSINESS FEATURE WITH BBC / ABC Current Affairs Films Prod: Jane Thandi Lipman Short Business Features SUPERMAMA GoogelPlex Productions Dir: Karen van Schalkwyk Feature SWANK! International Radio Pictures Prod: D Gillard Theatre Production

tHE blood kng and the red dragon Current Affairs Prod: Jane Thandi Lipman / Mtutuzeli Matshoba Feature THE CONSEQUENCE DO Productions Prod: Marlow de Mardt /Brigid Olën Feature THE EDGE International Radio Pictures Kit Reynolds TV Series THE FILM MAKER Elle Bolt Productions Prod: Elle Bolt Reality Series The Scores Are In Current Affairs Films Prod: Jane Thandi Lipman Game Show / Entertainment Series VULTURE KILLING FIELDS SuitePeople TVP Bell Curle Documentary WARD 22 AKA SPECIAL OPS DO Productions Prod: Marlow de Mardt /Brigid Olën Documentary ZERO DIET Two Oceans Production Prod: Giselher Venzke / Bertha Spieker Feature ZEBRAS DO Productions Dir: Bruce Beresford Feature

PRE-PRODUCTION AMBASSADOR 2 Two Oceans Production Prods: Giselher Venzke / Bertha Spieker Feature Holidays for Madmen Imageworks Prod: Anthony Irving TV Series IMATU UNION VIDEO FC Hamman Films Prod Man: Odette van Jaarsveld Corporate Video LION’S TRACK Two Oceans Production Prods: Giselher Venzke / Bertha Spieker Feature Mandela Synergy Films Drama / Documentary MASTERS OF DREAMS Current Affairs Films / Up Front Entertainment / French Connection Prod: Jane Thandi Lipman Documentary SCAREDYKAT Dirty Soul Productions Dir: Kyle Lewis Horror Feature Film TALK OF THE TOWN SuitePeople TV Productions Bell Curle TV Series The Black Out Dithakeng Projects and Flms Executive producers- Thabang Nkunyane Short Film TO CARE FOR YOU ALWAYS Noble Pictures Prod: Claudia Noble Short Film TRUE DREAM South African Great Movies Production Dir: John Wani Feature VKB LANDBOU BEPERK FC Hamman Films PM: Odette van Jaarsveld Corporate Video

IN PRODUCTION 90 PLEIN STREET 111 Born Free Media Exec Prod: Carolyn Carew TV Series A 400 year old bestsellerThe King James Version of the Bible Eugene Botha Productions / It’s a Wrap Productions Prod: Eugene Botha Documentary ABC AMERICA NEWS SPECIAL ON MANDELA Current Affairs Films Prod: Jane Thandi Lipman Feature News Special AFROX YEAREND RESULT FC Hamman Films Prod Man: Odette van Jaarsveld Corporate Video AFROX AFRICA INSIGHT EPS 4 FC Hamman Films Prod Man: Odette van Jaarsveld Corporate Video AFRICA CALLING Two Oceans Production Prods: Giselher Venzke / Bertha Spieker Feature ALL ACCESS Homebrew Films Prod: Paul Venter/ Hannes van Wyk / Tammy Anne Fortuin Magazine Show ANIMAL COMMUNICATION NHU Africa Exec Prods: Vyv Simson / Sophie Vartan Wildlife Documentary ANGUS BUCHAN’S ORDINARY PEOPLE FC Hamman Films Dir: FC Hamman Feature BOPSY BUNNY Firefly Animation Studio Exec Prod: Antony Steel Short Films CHEETAH DIARIES 3 NHU Africa Exec Prod: Vyv Simson / Sophie Vartan Wildlife Documentary CORTEX MINING FC Hamman Films PM: Odette van Jaarsveld Corporate Video DADDY’S MESS Dzunde Productions Prod: Thandiwe Mashiyane TV Sitcom DRAGON’S FEAST 3D NHU Africa Exec Prod: Vyv Simson / Sophie Vartan Wildlife Documentary EASTERN MOSAIC Red Carpet Productions Magazine Programme FIRESTONE Street Smart Creative DOP: Peter Palmer Commercial GNLD AFRICA CONVENTION FC Hamman Films Prod: FC Hamman Corporate Video GROEN Homebrew Films Prod: Jaco Loubser Wildlife HOUSE CALL Izwe Multimedia/ Urbanbrew Series Prod:Annalie Potgieter Live Medical Talk Show INSIDE STORY Curious Pictures / Discovery Channel Dir: Rolie Nikiwe Feature JOU SHOW MET EMO en Wickus Homebrew Films Prod: Jaco Loubser Variety Show POPCRU 7TH CONGRESS FC Hamman Films PM: Odette van Jaarsveld Corporate Event TOP SHAYELA Curious Pictures / Vuzu Prod: Khobi Ledwaba Reality Magazine Series MASTERS OF RHYTHM Fuel Media Productions Dir: Marvin Raftopaulos Dance Reality Contest MK Campus Homebrew Films Prods: Jaco Loubser / Ben Heyns Student Show MONTANA Penguin Films Prod: Roberta Durrant TV Series

MAKE A MZANSI INSIDER Bonngoe Productions Exec Prod: Pepsi Pokane TV Magazine O SESSIONS Fuel Media Productions Dir: Paul Llewellyn Music Show ONS MENSE Homebrew Films Prod: Jaco Loubser Current Affairs OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS Plexus Films Prod: Miki Redelinghuys Corporate Film PASEKA EASTER ELEPHANT NHU Africa Exec Prods: Vyv Simson / Sophie Vartan Wildlife Documentary PASELLA Tswelopele Productions Insert Dirs: Liani Maasdorp / Werner Hefer TV Magazine Programme PEACE PARKS NHU Africa Exec Prod: Vyv Simson/ Sophie Vartan Wildlife Documentary Series REDI ON MZANSI Imani Media Prod: Bruce Townsend TV Series Religion and the ANC Eugene Botha Productions / It’s a Wrap Productions Producer- Eugene Botha Documentary ROCKING FUTURE Summertime Productions Prods: Sean Gardiner / Tanya Vandenberg Educational Video ROER Homebrew Films Prod: Jaco Loubser Cooking Show SAVING RHINO PHILA NHU Africa Exec Prods: Vyv Simson / Sophie Vartan Wildlife Documentary SLENDER WONDER FC Hamman Films DOP/ Dir: FC Hamman Commercial SOLENTA AVIATION FC Hamman Films OM: Odette van Jaarsveld Corporate Video STRANDED NHU Africa Exec Prods: Vyv Simson / Sophie Vartan Wildlife Documentary STUDIO 53 M-Net Inhouse Productions Insert Dir: Navan Chetty Mag Programme Technorati Talent Attack TV / Fuel Media Productions Dir: Maxine Nel Technology Magazine Show THE RUDIMENTALS Periphery Films Prod: Simon Taylor Feature Documentary THE STORY OF LITTLE FOOT Paul Myburgh Film Prod: Paul Myburgh Documentary THE TRIP OUT A Roddam van der Merwe Production Prod: Bonginhanhla Ncube Feature THE TRANSPORTERS Sukuma Media/ Reality Motion Pictures Dir: Bonginhlanhla Ncube Documentary TOP BILLING Tswelopele Productions Prod: Patience Stevens TV Magazine TOUCHING THE DRAGON NHU Africa Exec Prods: Vyv Simson / Sophie Vartan Wildlife Documentary Turn It Out Fuel Media Productions Dir: Ben Brewster Dance Reality show VKB BRANDING LAUNCH FC Hamman Films Prod: FC Hamman Corporate Video When The World Was Here Fuel Media Productions Dir: Mzilikazi Kumalo Documentary Series Why are We so Angry?

Fuel Media Productions Dir: Scott Smith, Shaft Moropane Documentary Series

POST-PRODUCTION AFRICA CALLING Two Oceans Production Prod: Giselher Venzke / Bertha Spieker Feature AFROX CO2 PLANT FC Hamman Films PM: Odette van Jaarsveld Corporate Video

AFROX SHEQ INDUCTION FC Hamman Films PM: Odette van Jaarsveld Commercial ALL’S FAIR PianoJ Productions Prod: Pia van Rensburg Short Film Angels Of The Sky CDS-Films Exec Prods: Chris Dos Santos, Andrew MacDonald Feature Film Bally Cullen Guesthouse Ad Panache Video Productions Prod: Liesel Eiselen Corporate Bitter Root Imageworks Dir: Kerry Negara Documentary BUA NNETE Owami Entertainment Dir: Charles Khuele Short Film CAPE TOWN INTERNATIONAL JAZZ FESTIVAL 2011 Esp Afrika (Pty) Ltd Prod: Yana Lombard Documentary CHAMELEON NHU Africa Exec Prod: Sophie Vartan Wildlife Documentary CHEETAH DIARIES 2 NHU Africa Exec Prods: Vyv Simson / Sophie Vartan Wildlife Documentary DANGEROUS TRAILS – ELEPHANTS IN THE MINEFIELDS NHU Africa Exec Prod: Sophie Vartan Wildlife Documentary DEAR SISTER Media Village Prod: Debbie Matthee Short Film DOOMSDAY Rogue Pictures Dir: Neil Marshall Feature ENDANGERED NHU Africa Exec Prod: Sophie Vartan Wildlife Documentary Series HARTLAND Bottomline Entertainment / Fix Post Production Michael Modena TV Drama HOOFMEISIE The Film Factory / Fix Post Production Dir: Morne Du Toit Family Comedy IQILI Impucuzeko Prod: Sharon Kakora Feature MARRY – ANN Shadow Films Dir: David Forbes Documentary Masters of Rhythm Fuel Media Productions Director- Marvin Raftopoulos Dance Reality Contest MISSION CRANE Two Oceans Production Prods: Giselher Venzke / Bertha Spieker Feature PERFECT SHISHEBO Curious Pictures Prod: Nthabiseng Mokoena AFP – Cooking Show PURPLE TOWN Sukuma Media Dir: Bonginhlanhla Ncube Documentary RATI EN MAATS Khaki Productions Dir: Wynand Dreyer Children Series – Edutainment RESTYLE MY STYLE Curious Pictures Prod:Anita van Hemert Children’s Programming SA JUNIOR MASTERS Our Time Productions Dir: Jaun de Meillon Series on SuperSport SAFE HOUSE Moonlighting Prod: Genevieve Hofmeyer Feature SCHOOL EWASTE INITIATIVE/ DESCO/ INCREDIBLE CONNECTION Philip Schedler Productions Prod: Philip Schedler Corporate SLENDER WONDER FC Hamman Films Prod Man: Odette van Jaarsveld Corporate Video

SOKHULU AND PARTNERS 2 Paw Paw Films Prod: Roberta Durrant TV Drama STETSON HATS Fourth Dimension Films / Creative Photo Services Dir: Neil Hermann Corporate TASTE OF RAIN Luna Films / On Land Productions Prod: Bridget Pickering / Richard Pakleppa Feature TREASURE GUARDS Tandem Communications Exec Prod: Jonas Bauer / Rola Bauer Feature VINE COLLEGED (PTY) LTD Sukuma Media Dir: Bonginhlanhla Ncube Corporate WALKING IN VICTOR’S SHOES Current Affairs Films South African Prod: Jane Thandi Lipman Feature Documentary WELLBODI BIZNES Plexus Films / Four Corners Media Prod: Miki Redelinghuys Documentary ZAMA ZAMA Kokamoya Productions Prod: Bertus van der Walt Feature ZION Letcosmart Prod: Zibusiso Nkomo Feature

COMPLETE AFROX AFRICA INSIGHT EPS 3 FC Hamman Films PM: Odette van Jaarsveld Corporate Video Child On-Line Protection Week Imageworks Director: Anthony Irving TV ad Dept of Social Development Congress FC Hamman Films Prod Man: Odette van Jaarsveld Three-day corporate event Free State Balloon Fiesta Imageworks Prod: Anthony Irving Corporate GLAMOUR – THE REALITY BEHIND DREAMS ZG Films Prod: Javed Jafferji Feature INHLIZIYO YAMI Sukuma Media Exec Prod/ Dir: Bonginhlanhla Ncube Music Video IMATU 3 DAY CONGRESS FC Hamman Films Prod Man: Odette van Jaarsveld Three-day Corporate Event JOURNEY TO STATE HOUSE ZG Films Prod: Javed Jafferji Documentary JOURNEY INTO WILDERNESS Tekweni TV Productions Prod: Sandra Herrington Documentary KAN EK SO LEEF Liquid Gate Creative Studios Prod: Kobus Swart Music Video Ke mo fumane StreTalk Productions Bobby Mokhema TV drama LACONIA Two Oceans Production Prods: Giselher Venzke / Bertha Spieker Feature PROGRESS Periphery Films Dir: Simon Taylor Feature Documentary RED SUN OF AFRICA DO Productions Prod: Marlow de Mardt /Brigid Olën TV Feature ROCKING FUTURE Summertime Productions Prod: Sean Gardiner & Tanya Vandenberg Educational Video SHORE – THING Homebrew Films Prod: Jaco Loubser Reversioning TIMELAPSE Team GR8 (for 48 HFP) Writers: Carl Roddam / Deon van der Merwe Short Film

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

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

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September 2011 | SCREENAFRICA | 47

Close up |

Events |

SABC Rugby World Cup campaign Launch Photos by Trevor Ou Tim

SEPTEMBER

Joy Chauke, Zola Yeye, Gladys Gayley, Dijem Malaka, Winny Kubheka and Kaizer Kganyago

Kaizer Kganyago and Leanne Manas

Eben Jansen

Alfred “the magistrate” Baloyi – the inventor of the Makarapa

Zizo Beda

Oskido, Khanyi Mbao and Pierre van Pletzen

How to Steal 2 Million première

Valentia Fisher (Big Fish Student ) and Steven Markowitz (Encounters)

8 – 13

IBC2011Conference

Amsterdam RAI, Netherlands www.ibc.org

9-13

IBC 2011 Exhibition

Amsterdam RAI, Netherlands www.ibc.org

16 – 18

Loerie Awards Festival Weeked

Cape Town International Convention Centre, Cape Town www.theloerieawards.co.za

9 – 25

Tri Continental Film Festival

Johannesburg, Pretoria, Durban, Cape Town www.3continentsfestival.co.za

10 – 12

People to People International Documentary Conference

Atlas Studios, Johannesburg www.people2people.co.za

23 – 25

Fordsburg Film Festival

Majestic Cinema, Fordsburg, Johannesburg www.thebioscope.co.za www.thefietsfestival.com

OCTOBER

27 Oct – 6 Nov Africa in Motion (AiM)

Edinburgh African Film Festival

Charlie Vundla, Terry Pheto, Hlubi Mboya and Rapulana Seiphemo

28 October

Big Fish Cape Town launch

Dr Melanie Chait (CEO – Big Fish) with Emmy Winner Clifford Bestall

Edinburgh, Scotland www.africa-in-motion.org.uk/ 6th Annual PromaxBDA Africa

Sandton Convention Centre, Johannesburg www.promaxafrica.tv

DECEMBER

Miki Redlinghuys (Plexus Films) and Lauren Groenewald (Chairperson Of DFA)

Jacky Lourens (Get The Picture), Lauren Kotze (Cape Film Commission) and Elizabeth Waters (Cape Government)

Port Harcourt, Nigeria http://www.africafilmfest.com

Advertisers List |

Jeff Moloi, Sharon Naidoo, Philip Key and Ruth Wessie

48 | SCREENAFRICA | September 2011

Africa International. Film Festival

Ojang Okepne (advanced student at Big Fish Cape Town) with director Liz Fish (recent Banff winner)

Retribution première

Joe Mafela, Jeff Moloi, Shoki Mokgapa

Date TBC

Ruth Wessie, Jeremy Crutchley and wife and Sharon Naidoo

Jeremy Crutchley and Halima Lagerdien

Shoki Mokgapa, Jeff Moloi and Seshnee Naidoo

ABT.................................. IBC Aces Up..........................................15 Aja Video Systems.........IFC Aon Insurance...............................42 Atlas Studios ................................47 Avmark Systems............................46 Black Ginger...................................13 Black Magic Design.......................11 Blade bfx...........................................1 Cam-A-Lot Rentals......................25 Case Connection, The ................46 Creative Broadcast Solutions (CBS)...............................................42 Digital Direct.................................38 FLiC..................................................33 Gauteng Film Commission.........45 General Post ................................47 Glasshouse.....................................17 Grass Valley......................................9 Helimedia..................... OBC IDC..................................................37

Jasco...................................FC Libravision.......................................35 Macro Video...................................27 M-Net TAG Awards........................5 NDS.................................................21 Orijin...............................................31 Panasonic........................................19 Pink Room Productions..............34 PromaxBDA Africa.......................39 Pro-Sales.........................................43 Shine Interactive............................34 Sony...................................................7 Spaghetti TV...................................36 Sphere Animation.........................32 Stock Options ..............................46 TID...................................................23 Tradelius Music Group................26 Upstairs Post Production............16 Vision Cases .................................47 Visual Impact..................................26 Wicked Pixels................................29

AS THE WORLD MOVES FROM ANALOGUE TO DIGITAL BROADCASTING, OUR DECODERS KEEP YOU TUNED IN

we mean digital www.abtstb.co.za | info@abtstb.co.za

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