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| IN THIS ISSUE
34 ARTIFICIALLY INTELLIGENT MEDIA
20 DIFF & DFM 2019
43
40
THE RISE AND RISE OF KENYA’S FILM INDUSTRY
NEWS | REALNESS – An African Screenwriter’s Residency announces 2019 participants...................... 4
THE VOICE PUTS VIEWERS FIRST
Around the world with Timeline’s Remote Production............... 13 Jasco Broadcast Solutions at Mediatech Africa 2019......................... 14
Durban International Film Festival announces documentaries in competition for its 40th edition................ 6
Switch, mix, record and stream: Macro Video highlights live production equipment....................... 16
Skyworth launches AI TV in South Africa................................... 7
Concilium Technologies showcases latest technology offerings at Mediatech Africa 2019......................... 16
DWR Distribution hosts engaging studio lighting workshop............................. 8 Avid announces all-new Media Composer............................ 8
TECHNOLOGY NEWS | Datavideo covers 100th anniversary of Nelson Mandela........................................ 9 Sony Professional Solutions at Mediatech Africa 2019......................... 10 Introducing the DMG Lumière MAXI MIX LED fixture............................ 10 Telemedia at Mediatech Africa 2019..... 12
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ADCETERA | BBC StoryWorks develops uplifting pan-African campaign for Emirates........ 18
ADVERTORIAL
FILM |
AI & MACHINE LEARNING |
South African short film Lace screens at Cannes............................. 24
Artificially intelligent media..................... 34
Social action: Bruce Donnelly’s The Black Mambas...................................... 26 Director Speak: Rehad Desai.................. 28
FESTIVALS & EVENTS | When will Africa arrive on the global stage?................................... 30
Machine Learning or AI?........................... 36
BROADCAST | Survival of the fittest: Inside the new all-South African production of the world’s most successful reality TV show............ 38 The Voice puts viewers first...................... 40
TRADE SHOWS & EXPOS |
INDUSTRY REVIEW |
The evolution and impact of VFX on film: If you can imagine it, you can put it on screen...................... 32
The rise and rise of Kenya’s film industry.................................. 43
REGULARS Marketplace................................................... 40 Upcoming Events......................................... 40
DIFF 2019: A Combined 50 Years in Film celebrated with two iconic South African film events............. 20 Red & Yellow presents the second annual Digital Agency Showcase............. 22
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FROM THE EDITOR
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The months of June and July are always jam-packed for those working in the film, TV and broadcast industries. This month will see the 21st edition of the Encounters South African International Documentary Festival – set to run from 6 to 16 June. We kick off July with the 22nd edition of the Zanzibar International Film Festival (ZIFF), taking place from the 6th to the 14th. ZIFF will be followed by the 40th Durban International Film Festival (DIFF) and the 10th Durban FilmMart (DFM), which, as always, will see filmmakers, scholars and industry leaders from Africa and across the globe flock to sunny Durban to catch up on the latest in African cinema. To top it all off, this July will also see the biennial advanced media and entertainment technology trade show, Mediatech Africa, taking place at the Ticketpro Dome in Johannesburg from 17 to 19 July. On that note, in our Technology News section this month, we have put together a limited preview of what some of our advertisers will be showcasing at Mediatech Africa 2019. Check it out on pages 9 – 16, and stay tuned for the July issue of Screen Africa will hold extensive Mediatech Africa coverage. This issue also carries pre-show coverage on both DIFF and DFM – on pages 20 to 21 readers can find out what to expect from this year’s editions. With it being 10 years of DFM and an impressive 40 successful years of DIFF, if you are a filmmaker or simply a lover of African film, this year’s events are not to be missed. Exciting articles this month include an informative AI & Machine Learning feature by our resident tech guru Ian Dormer titled ‘Artificially Intelligent Media’ – read all about it on pages 34 – 35. We close out the issue with two interesting articles from David Cornwell: ‘Survival of the Fittest’ (38 – 39), which takes readers behind the scenes of the new all-South African production of Survivor SA; and ‘The Voice Puts Viewers First’, which looks at how the show runners on The Voice South Africa have prioritised the audience experience. Until next time! – Chanelle Ellaya
THE TEAM EDITOR
Chanelle Ellaya is a writer and a journalist. She completed her BA Journalism degree at the University of Johannesburg in 2011. While writing is her passion, she has a keen interest in the media in various capacities. Chanelle is an avid social networker and a firm believer in the power of social and online networking. Between writing and tweeting, she finds time to feed her love for live music.
SUB-EDITOR & FEATURES WRITER David Cornwell writes fiction, films and features for a variety of publications. His debut novel, Like It Matters (Umuzi, 2016), was long-listed for the 2017 Sunday Times Fiction Award and the 9mobile Prize for Best African Debut.
JOURNALISTS
Lara Utian-Preston is a passionately committed marketer and strategist with a focus in promoting African content and events. Two decades of working across Africa have provided her with insights and experience that she puts to work for the projects she manages. In 2006, Lara founded, and still personally manages, Red Flag Content Relations, a full service below-the-line agency that also focuses on African entertainment and lifestyle brand marketing, strategy, and publicity.
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EDITOR: Chanelle Ellaya: editor@screenafrica.com JOURNALISTS: Gezzy S Sibisi: news@screenafrica.com DESIGN: Trevor Ou Tim: design@suncirclegroup.com
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ACCOUNTS: Helen Loots: accounts@sun-circle.co.za ADVERTISEMENT SALES: Marianne Schafer: marianne@screenafrica.com Graham Grier: graham@sun-circle.co.za
Louise Marsland is a veteran editor and journalist with over 20 years experience in the advertising, media, marketing and communications industries. Based in Cape Town, South Africa, she worked as the editor of AdVantage magazine, as well as Bizcommunity. com. She is currently publishing editor of TRENDAFRiCA.co.za.
Ian Dormer was born in Zimbabwe and has been in the TV business since the 1980s, having served in various positions at the SABC, M-Net and SuperSport. Ian currently works and resides in New Zealand.
Gezzy S Sibisi is a journalist and photographer with experience in print, broadcast and digital media. Her portfolio of work includes working as a lifestyle reporter as well as contributing business and education articles to The Times, Sowetan and Daily Despatch publications. As a freelancer she has worked on content development for corporate newsletters, community newspapers, blogs and educational websites.
SALES BROKER Emmanuel Archambeaud: earchambeaud@defcommunication.com Tel. +331 4730 7180 Mobile. +336 1103 9652 Sun Circle Publishers (Pty) Ltd Tel: 011 025 3180 Physical address: First Floor, Process House Epsom Downs Office Park 13 Sloane Street, Bryanston, Johannesburg, South Africa
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Postal address: PO Box 559, Fourways North, 2086 Editorial Disclaimer The views, opinions, positions or strategies expressed by the authors and those providing comments are theirs alone, and do not necessarily reflect the views, opinions, positions or strategies of Screen Africa or any employee thereof. Sun Circle Publishers makes no representations as to accuracy, completeness, correctness, suitability, or validity of any information and will not be liable for any errors, omissions, or delays in this information or any losses, injuries, or damages arising from its display or use. Sun Circle Publishers reserves the right to delete, edit, or alter in any manner it sees fit comments that it, in its sole discretion, deems to be obscene, offensive, defamatory, threatening, in violation of trademark, copyright or other laws, or is otherwise unacceptable. All contents of this publication are subject to worldwide copyright protection and reproduction in whole or part, in any form whatsoever, is expressly forbidden without the prior written consent of the Publisher. JUNE 2019
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REALNESS – AN AFRICAN SCREENWRITER’S RESIDENCY ANNOUNCES 2019 PARTICIPANTS
“The 2019 group for Realness crosses Africa from East to West. I can hear new strong voices, loud ones. A couple of directors already did a first feature which travelled across the world and I’m sure their international experience will really benefit the residency. I would like to thank Realness for allowing me to discover new talents, stories and voices.
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– Dominique Welinksi
Now in its fourth edition, the pan-African screenwriter’s residency announced its 2019 participants at the recent Cannes Film Festival.
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ealness is an initiative that aims to uncover the depth of cinematic talent that the African continent has to offer by providing a space for filmmakers to develop their authentic voices within an African context. Thus, creating an environment of diversity, but also finding familiarity in different layers of each writer’s experiences. Previously, the initiative has hosted writer/directors from 13 different countries in Africa, including Senegal (Rama Thiaw), Rwanda (Kantarama Gahigiri), Angola (Mario Fradique Bastos) and Kenya (Ng’endo Mukii). Realness alumni have gone on to be selected to take part in the Sundance Directors and Screenwriters Labs, Biennale College Cinema and La Fabrique in Cannes. Two of the Realness projects have already been produced:
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Realness initiative in session Lemohang Jeremiah Mosese (Lesotho) recently wrapped production on his film This Is Not A Burial, It’s A Resurrection, which will have its world premiere at the Venice International Film Festival this coming September; and Hiwot Admasu’s A Fool God is currently in postproduction. “2019 has affirmed the core values of what Realness seeks to achieve: to unearth the wealth of African stories – real stories from the continent, told with an honest and unapologetic point of view by African talent,” says Bongiwe Selane, a partner at Realness for the last three years.
Selane announced the six residents participating in Realness 2019 on Monday 20th May in Cannes: • Athi-Patra Ruga – The Lunar Songbook – South Africa • Beza Hailu Lemma – The Last Tears of The Deceased – Ethiopia • Fanyana Hlabangane – The Spirit Guest – South Africa • Hajooj Kuka – African Titanics – Sudan • Iman Djionne – Coura+Ouleye – Senegal • Silas Miami – Miles – Kenya
The six projects were chosen by an international panel of 16 world cinema stakeholders including Efuru Flowers (Flourishing Films), agent Anthony Mestriner (Cassarato Ramsay & Associates), Dominique Welinksi from DW and production and development executive for Indigenous Films, Thandeka Zwana. “The 2019 group for Realness crosses Africa from East to West. I can hear new strong voices, loud ones. A couple of directors already did a first feature which travelled across the world and I’m sure their international experience will really benefit the residency. I would like to thank Realness for allowing me to discover new talents, stories and voices,” says Welinski. The fourth edition’s participants will begin their journey at the idyllic Nirox Foundation Residence and Sculpture Park in the Cradle of Humankind on 11 June 2019. Over the course of six weeks, the residents will be furnished with the resources and mentorship that will empower them to create their best work. On 19 May, Elias Ribeiro, founder of Realness, had a big announcement to make at Cannes: a new Creative Producer Indaba initiative. “Indaba has been met with great enthusiasm by our Industry peers. We have big dreams, we are unfolding Realness into an institute inspired by the Sundance Institute within the African context, which not only caters to writers, directors and producers, but in future also nurtures professionals in other disciplines of film, such as curation, production design, sound and cinematography. Moreover, we intend to structure a film fund to help finance the filmmakers and projects we support,” says Ribeiro. Realness is an initiative by Urucu Media in partnership with the Nirox Foundation, Berlinale Talents, Durban FilmMart, The Durban International Film Festival, Durban Talents, Institute Français, The French Institute of South Africa, TorinoFilmLab, EAVE Producer’s Workshop, Locarno Filmmaker’s Academy, CNC (Le Centre National du Cinéma et de L’image Animée), Toronto International Film Festival, TIFF Filmmaker Lab, Robert Bosch Stiftung, Cocoon Productions and Deuxieme Ligne Films.
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DURBAN INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL ANNOUNCES DOCUMENTARIES IN COMPETITION FOR ITS 40TH EDITION
Still from Buddha in Africa
The Durban International Film Festival (DIFF), which takes place from 18 to 28 July 2019 in Durban, South Africa, has announced the documentaries in competition for its 40th anniversary edition.
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en insightful and impactful documentaries have been selected for competition, and will be eligible for Best Documentary and Best South African Documentary prizes. The winner of the best Documentary at the DIFF will automatically qualify for consideration for nomination of an Academy Award. “We are really excited about the calibre of films in our documentary competition this year,” says DIFF manager, Chipo Zhou. “We had over 950 documentary submissions, covering a broad range of themes and topics. This year’s competition selection, interestingly, is mostly focused on individual journeys, mainly around young people having to navigate intensely disrupted and relentlessly painful spaces, as well as the issues that gender, race and culture present in this ever-changing, and often alien, world. We look forward to sharing these films with audiences at DIFF, and providing some stimulating food for
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thought and discussions with filmmakers who will be in attendance.” South Africa director Nicole Schafer’s Buddha in Africa is a delicately-observed documentary about a Malawian teenager in a Chinese Buddhist orphanage in Africa, who finds himself torn between his African roots and Chinese upbringing. Another young boy is the focus of the film Anbessa (Italy/USA), directed by Mo Scarpelli. A coming-of-age story that captures a boy taking on modernisation on his own terms, as he and his mother defy the newly-built housing estate which is springing up, like others all over Ethiopia, as they continue living within the traditional village community. The Australian film by director Maya Newell, In My Blood it Runs, features a 10-year-old Arrernte (Aboriginal) boy from Mparntwe (Alice Springs) in Australia, whose traditional language, hunting and healing skills offer no value within the modern education system. This is an emotional journey through the fight
to mend an educational schism between traditional culture and colonial ideas and to solidify a future for the youth of the country. Fatma Riahi’s A Haunted Past (Qatar) is a personal portrait of a broken TunisianBosnian family, as an ex-prisoner and ex-jihadist is left alone to take care of his three teenage daughters. The impact of displacement on individual and collective lives continues in Hamada (Sweden) by director Eloy Domínguez Serén, a humorous, bittersweet portrait of three uncompromising twenty-somethings cut off from the world in a refugee camp in the Sahara Desert. In Edward Watts and Waad al-Kateab’s For Sama (UK/USA/ Syria), we are given an intimate look at one young woman’s struggles with love, war and motherhood over the span of five years in Syria. Mother I am Suffocating. This Is My Last Film About You, by Lesotho filmmaker Mosese Lemohang Jeremiah, is an extended, poetic letter to the protagonist’s mother and motherland. This brave and powerful film is at once both intimate and alienated, and explores issues of colonialism, shame, whiteness, integration and liminality, while speaking to the Diasporic experience of time and space. The visually striking film from Cape Town-based director Sara de Gouveia,
The Sounds of Masks (SA/Portugal), follows the compelling storyteller and legendary Mozambican “Mapiko” dancer Atanásio Nyusi on his personal journey through the country’s past and present – his dancing skills having given him the opportunity to become a professional dancer and avoid fighting in the civil war that followed independence. The film won the Durban FilmMart 2014 IDFA award for most promising documentary. My Friend, Fela (Brazil), directed by Joel Zito Araujo, explores the life of legendary Nigerian musician Fela Kuti from the perspective of his long-time friend Carlos Moore. From Denmark comes A Girl in Return, directed by Katrine W. Kjaer, an intimate, character-driven global tale about what happens when an adopted teenage girl decides to reclaim her lost identity. Buddha in Africa, Mother I am Suffocating, The Sound of Masks and My Friend, Fela will also be screened at the Encounters South African International Documentary Festival, which is running from 6 to 16 June this year in Johannesburg and Cape Town. The Durban International Film Festival is hosted by the University of KwaZuluNatal’s Centre for Creative Arts in various venues around Durban from 18 to 28 July 2019.
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SKYWORTH LAUNCHES AI TV IN SOUTH AFRICA At a prestigious conference held at Emperors Palace on 16 May, tech company Skyworth proved that they aren’t just ready for the future – but, in fact, are the future – as they launched their new range of Artificially Intelligent (AI) TVs to select media, bloggers and clients.
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peaking at the conference, Jaco Joubert, Skyworth key account manager, said: “What we’re offering is the first of its kind in South Africa. Skyworth’s launch of AI TV proves what we as a brand set out to achieve; to always be leaders in innovation. We were the first brand to bring Android TV to South Africa, so it was a natural progression for us to be the first brand to bring AI TV to the country, too.” Skyworth’s new AI TV offerings can be controlled solely by the user’s voice. “The AI TV range supports both Google Assistant and other smart home devices such as Amazon Alexa, turning your TV into your home’s control centre,” explains Joubert. “You can now, literally, converse with your television.” The new range of AI TVs launched at the conference include the S9: OLED TV; Q3C: UHD TV; Q20: UHD TV; and the E20: FHD TV and KTV (Karaoke TV). “Our AI TVs will ‘wake up’ in response to a voice command and respond to commands to adjust the volume or
answer a general question. Whereas Google Assistant can tell you the weather on any given day, now with Amazon Alexa compatibility it’s taken it that one step further. It’s the personalisation of the product that is incomparable to anything else on the market.” Skyworth’s partnerships with Google, Amazon and other technology giants have allowed the brand to establish the intelligent product ecosystem we see today – and the spectacular S9 OLED TV was highlighted as Skyworth’s flagship product at the conference. “The S9 can
only be described as turning imagination into reality,” said Joubert. With a powerful built-in PQ (Performance Qualification) processor, the TV boasts peerless image quality and creates an extraordinary experience for viewers. “OLED technology marks a vast improvement on older, flat panel displays like LEDs or LCDs, which rely heavily on backlights to illuminate their screens. In contrast, OLED TVs don’t require lights behind the pixels, because these are able to light up individually and, in turn, switch off completely when they’re supposed to
appear black.” One of the features of the S9 that really created a buzz amongst the crowd is the inbuilt technology known as Chameleon AI PQ Extreme. Joubert explained it as “a form of picture quality improvement technology based on the PQ chip. It uses AI technology to search, recognise and reconstruct image objects, therefore improving the picture quality precisely.” Chameleon AI PQ Extreme analyses object details based on AI algorithms and adjusts colour performance – particularly red, blue and green – in real time. This means that each pixel can be rendered with utmost accuracy and in its purest colour. Not only would this enable users to side-step disappointments like not being able to see anything during the final season of Game of Thrones – as the TV would make sophisticated, automatic adjustments on their behalf – but it also means that the S9 is easy on the eyes, literally speaking. The blue light emitted from regular TV screens can, over time, cause eye problems such as retinal injury, myopia and cataracts. However, OLED doesn’t need backlight, thereby minimising the harm of blue-light hazard and making it the best choice for your family, especially the little ones. For more information on Skyworth’s cutting-edge products, visit their website at www.skyworth.co.za
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DWR DISTRIBUTION HOSTS ENGAGING STUDIO LIGHTING WORKSHOP On the 28th of July, DWR Distribution hosted an informative studio lighting workshop at the company’s offices in Roodepoort, Johannesburg.
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his well-attended full-day session was run by Peter Rieck of Rieck’s lighting, who provided an overview of both basic lighting principles and advanced lighting techniques. Rieck also answered questions from the participants, illustrating his responses with specific examples from his long and varied career as a lighting director. With the vast majority of the workshop attendees being young professionals working in the industry, the workshop underlined DWR’s commitment to investing in the next generation of South African gaffers and lighting technicians.
“DWR’s slogan is It’s all about the people,” commented Duncan Riley, company director. “But obviously an important aspect of this mission is training and educating the people, so that we can make a positive reinvestment into the local industry. We felt it was very important to launch this kind of brandagnostic workshop, where we really focus on principles and techniques – and not specific items of gear.” According to Peter Rieck, the idea for the workshop emerged from the fact that there simply was no equivalent course available for “beginners and others just starting out in the field, who want to understand their job more deeply.” He explains that “lighting is about five things: exposure, modelling, depth, mood and effect. These are the same principles that were established in the early-1900s and they haven’t changed, even though technology has advanced since then. If you gain a clear understanding of how these different elements operate and interact with each other, you start to learn how to bring a real sense of life to your two-dimensional
medium. And if you have this technical knowhow – and you see issues coming up in your work environment – then you are empowered to fix the problem before it gets to edit.” The workshop also covered helpful hints about the way that lighting rigs and cameras interface, delving into technical tools and concepts like F-Stops, CRI, TLCI, colour temperature, waveform monitors, vector-scopes and makeup; solid general guidance on topics such as hard versus soft lighting and how to light faces for different effects; handy techniques for attendees to try out for themselves, such as using small ‘eye lights’ to “help the audience connect more deeply and quickly with dramatic characters or interviewees”; and an introduction to related topics such as rigging, networking and power supply and distribution. The workshop prompted lively conversations in the room, such as about the difficulties of attaining the perfect camera white balance on set, leading to Rieck sharing the following pearl of wisdom with the group: “Some of the best teachers I’ve ever had were
visual controllers.” In Duncan Riley’s opinion, the “response to this first workshop shows that there is definitely a desire in the market for training and development initiatives like this. We will definitely be following up on the success of Peter’s workshop in the future.” This positivity was reflected by two of the workshop’s attendees: Gillroy Barmann (dB Audio Namibia) and Anthony Mtsweni (802 Media, Edenvale). According to Barmann, “The training covered all the aspects of the job that are most important to learn about,” while – for Mtsweni – “the best part of the workshop was the chance to ask questions and get feedback right away, with the opportunity to actually see examples of the different things we were learning about.” – David Cornwell For more information about leading stage and lighting suppliers DWR, visit www.dwrdistribution. co.za; for more information about Rieck’s Lighting, visit www.rieckslighting.com
AVID ANNOUNCES ALL-NEW MEDIA COMPOSER Avid recently announced that Media Composer, its flagship video editing system, has been redesigned and reimagined for today’s – and tomorrow’s – generation of media makers.
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ith Media Composer 2019, aspiring and professional editors, freelancers and journalists will be inspired to work more creatively by taking advantage of a new user experience, a nextgeneration Avid media engine with distributed processing, finishing and delivering capabilities, a customisable role-based user interface for large teams, and so much more.
MEDIA COMPOSER 2019 With Media Composer 2019, an editor can go from first cut to delivery without ever leaving the application. Whether they are a professional editor, freelancer or someone just starting out, Media Composer 2019 inspires creative storytelling. • New User Experience – makers can work at the speed of creativity with a panelled interface that reduces clutter; reimagined bins to find 8 | SCREENAFRICA | JUNE 2019
media faster; and taskbased workspaces showing only what the user wants and needs to see. • Next Generation Avid Media Engine – puts more power at a user’s fingertips with features, such as native OP1A; support for more video and audio streams; Live Timeline and background rendering; and a distributed processing add-on option to shorten turnaround times and speed up post-production. • New Finishing and Delivery Workflows – now, users can create and deliver higher-quality content with editing, effects, colour, audio, and finishing tools without leaving Media Composer. Whether working in 8K, 16K, or HDR, Media Composer’s new built-in 32-bit full float colour pipeline can handle it. Additionally, Avid has been working
with OTT content providers to help establish future industry standards. • Customisable Toolset – built for large production teams, the new Media Composer | Enterprise provides administrative control to customise the interface for any role in the organisation, whether the user is a craft editor, assistant, logger or journalist. It also offers unparalleled security to lock down content, reducing the chances of unauthorised leaks of sensitive media.
MEDIA COMPOSER | ENTERPRISE 2019 The Media Composer family adds Media Composer | Enterprise for postproduction, broadcast, media education
and other larger production teams. Media Composer | Enterprise is the industry’s first role-specific video editing and finishing solution. Large production teams now have the ability to customise the interface and tailor workspaces for different job roles, providing end-users with access only to the tools and functions they need. This capability gives teams better focus so they can complete jobs faster and with fewer mistakes. Media Composer | Enterprise also integrates with Editorial Management 2019 to deliver collaborative workflow innovation for post-production and enables creative teams to stay in synch.
MEDIA COMPOSER | DISTRIBUTED PROCESSING Avid also announced Media Composer | Distributed Processing, an add-on option that shortens turnaround times and accelerates post production by sharing the media processing load. Tasks that previously took hours can now be done in minutes, strengthening post facilities’ competitive edge while delivering high-quality programming. Media Composer | Distributed Processing also offloads complex processing tasks when working in today’s emerging high resolution and HDR media-rich worlds.
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DATAVIDEO
COVERS 100TH ANNIVERSARY OF NELSON MANDELA Sicelo Maduna is a videographer from Mthatha, located in the Eastern Cape of South Africa. After two years as an exchange student in Germany, he returned to rural South Africa and has grown a part-time video business into an established and well-known local video production company.
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n 17 July 2018, he provided video coverage of the Nelson Mandela Centenary Lecture. This was held at the Walter Sisulu University Auditorium in Mthatha, and was part of global celebrations to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the birth of the anti-apartheid hero, on 18 July 1918. The guest speaker was Kenyan academic Professor Patrick Lumumba. Msuthu (as he is widely known) used a Datavideo SE-2200 six input switcher. This has been built into an integrated solution – comprising screen, comms and tally and recorder – by the South African
Datavideo distributor, Macro Video. Msuthu previously used a 4-channel Datavideo SE-700 – also built into a mobile video solution by Eric Wiese, director of Macro Video – but Msuthu prefers the features of the larger SE-2200. This mixer is, moreover, unique in that it has six inputs and six outputs, allowing it to function as a matrix, as well. Msuthu comments: ‘’The SE-2200 is very versatile as it allows logos and comes with free CG-200 software. I am very happy with my integrated portable solution, as it saves time with setup on location.” Datavideo production station
Kula
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SONY PROFESSIONAL SOLUTIONS AT MEDIATECH AFRICA 2019
At Mediatech Africa 2019, Sony Professional Solutions will be showing the VENICE motion picture camera system and the HDC3500 camera system, among other exciting products and solutions…
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ENICE from Sony is a cinema camera created by and for the cinematographer. It’s equipped with a newly developed full-frame image sensor meeting the needs of the film industry by pushing the boundaries of large-format image capture with exceptional picture quality. With the wide latitude and gamut recorded by the VENICE, freedom of expression is significantly expanded in grading. With a user-friendly design, clear and simple menu navigation, and a highly durable, reliable construction, the VENICE allows you simply to concentrate on filming, and not on the camera. Sony is upgrading its capabilities by introducing High Frame Rate (HFR) shooting, advanced remote-control functionalities and Cooke/i3 and Zeiss extended metadata support as part of its latest firmware update. The new optional High Frame Rate license allows VENICE to shoot at speeds of up to 120fps at 4K 2.39:1, and 60fps at 6K 3:2 as well as up to 110fps at 4K 17:9 and 75fps at 4K 4:3 with anamorphic lenses. The new additional
frame rates are particularly well-suited for drama, movie and commercial productions in 4K and 6K, as well as productions at 50/60p in 6K and large viewing angle VR productions at 6K 3:2 in 60p.
Sony HDC-3500
DID YOU KNOW? James Cameron’s Lightstorm Entertainment will use Sony’s new VENICE motion picture camera system for principal photography on the upcoming Avatar sequels. Meanwhile, the HDC-3500 (three 2/3-inch 4K CMOS sensors) portable system camera offers high modulation of depth for HD and 4K production, as well as wider dynamic range. The system camera supports HD, HDR and 4K, as well as IP capabilities. The HDC-3500 has an exchangeable transmission side panel allowing users the flexibility to choose between triax, fibre or wireless transmission, depending on their operational needs. All can easily be switched using Sony’s unique and simple side panel interface.
Sony VENICE
Visit Sony Professional Solutions at Mediatech Africa 2019, taking place from 17 – 19 July at the Ticketpro Dome, Johannesburg.
INTRODUCING THE
DMG LUMIÈRE
MAXI MIX LED FIXTURE DMG Lumiere and Rosco unveiled the next evolution of their MIX range at this year’s NAB show in Las Vegas
T
he MAXI MIX caused quite a stir at the trade show and was awarded with a Product of the Year award on its debut. The newest light from the company, featuring their award-winning MIX LED technology, features the same proprietary combination of red, green, lime, amber, white and blue emitters as the MINI MIX and SL1 MIX. The MAXI
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MIX will produce the True Rosco Colour tones that filmmakers have come to appreciate. The MAXI MIX also utilises the same easy-to-use interface that enables cinematographers, gaffers and studio lighting professionals to easily modify the intensity, hue and saturation of their light, select their colour temperature and green/magenta shift, or choose their favourite Rosco gel colour – either using the fixture’s on-board controls or via the myMIX app. The 47” x 14” x 3.3” (1200mm x 360mm x 85mm) fixture weighs 8kg and uses 360W of power. It can also be tiled together with other MAXI MIX fixtures to create ‘walls’ of light of different sizes. Movievision is the official distributor for DMG and Rosco in South Africa.
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TELEMEDIA AT MEDIATECH AFRICA 2019
Hitatchi DK-H200
Hitatchi SK-HD1300 Hitatchi SK-HD1800
At Mediatech Africa 2019, Telemedia will be showcasing a number of innovative and industryleading products and solutions from their suppliers. Products and solutions on display will include: HITACHI Hitachi manufactures a wide range of high-quality, professional broadcast cameras – with a camera for every application. Whether you are looking for studio, OB/EFP or remote/POV cameras, Hitachi has a camera to meet every technical requirement and budget. • SK-UHD4000 Hitachi’s top-of-the-range camera – the SK-UHD4000 – is a 4K UHD system camera with 2/3-inch CMOS sensors and a standard B4 lens mount. The fibre CCU can output not only 4K (12G or Quad-3G) but also simultaneously outputs HDTV signals – making it a great future-proof, multi-format, multifunctional camera for studio or OB use. Hitachi also has a range of 1080i/1080P(3G) switchable HD cameras, fitting all price and technical/feature categories: • SK-HD1300 with three 2/3-inch CMOS sensors and remote controlled filter wheel. • SK-HD1800 with three 2/3-inch (Global Shutter) CMOS Sensors and remote controlled filter wheel. • Z-HD5500 with three 2/3-inch (Global Shutter) CMOS Sensors with manual filter wheel. All these cameras can be used with a range of CCUs – offering fibre, triax or wireless connectivity. • SK-HD1300-S3 The SK-HD1300-S3 is a fibre-based 3x Speed Super Slow-Motion HD camera system, providing a high quality, but cost-effective, Slo-Mo companion camera. If 1080i format HD is all that is required, then the Z-HD6000 with three 2/3-inch CMOS Sensors and Z-HD5000 with three 2/3-inch (1 Mpixel) IT CCDs are more budget-friendly alternatives, with lower-cost triax or fibre systems also available.
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There is a range of viewfinders which are compatible with all SK and Z series cameras – including 2”, 7” and 9” LCD and 7.4” OLED viewfinders. For remote pan/tilt systems and POV applications, Hitachi has a range of compact box cameras: • The DK-H200 (1080P – 3G) • DK-H100 (1080i) • DK-Z50 (1080i with 1M Pixel CCD sensor) Broadcasters and production companies all over the world depend on the solid reliability of Hitachi cameras, and enjoy the natural, high-quality pictures that they produce.
VISLINK TECHNOLOGIES • Vislink HCAM The Vislink Technologies HCAM wireless camera transmitter is a highly flexible ultra-low latency, HEVC 4K UHDcapable solution that features configurable mounting options and the latest video interfaces – allowing the unit to be mounted to broadcast cameras for time-critical sporting events and entertainment programming. The HCAM 4K Wireless Video Transmitter has recently been updated to offer improved HD operation. Now, with the updated HCAM HD HEVC technology, professionals can operate HD at lower bit rates and realise improved reception and transmission robustness. Picture quality measurements and subjective video testing have recently demonstrated that the latest Vislink HCAM can provide
equivalent quality 1080p HD video compared to the best MPEG-4 1080p HD resolution wireless camera devices, both at a significantly lower bit rate and with an equivalent latency. The HEVC compression gain and bit rate reduction that the Vislink HCAM offers is, in fact, significant enough to allow a reduction in modulation scheme from 16QAM to QPSK. The change to the RF modulation that improved efficiency HEVC compression allows – compared to the best performing MPEG-4 HD transmission systems – provides 6 dBs more robustness to the HD 1080p transmission link budget. Camera operators can utilise this increased link budget gain to ensure greater robustness of their wireless camera transmissions – ensuring less risk of picture drop-outs, reduced rigging of additional reception antenna installations or doubling of line-of-sight transmission range. The HEVC compression gains now available in the Vislink HCAM wireless camera transmitter also benefit productions that are originated in 1080i. Despite the fact that HEVC has fewer enhancements in its toolset for interlaced formats – making compression gains in 1080i a significantly harder proposition for a HEVC codec – Vislink HCAM can now match the compression gain, latency and picture quality of the best MPEG-4 wireless camera solutions in 1080i formats, too. The HEVC compression enhancements now available in the Vislink HCAM wireless camera transmitter allow this high-end device to be used not only in the top tier of UHD and HDR Event production, but now also as an all-round, everyday wireless camera device – providing 1080p HD feeds from twice the range that an MPEG-4 system can achieve, with the ability to match 1080i MPEG-4 systems in all respects and with the addition of encode-decode quality gain that comes from a full 10-bit 4:2:2 compression engine. HCAM offers seamless 4K transmission capabilities for several applications including sports, broadcasting and event coverage. With highly flexible, configurable mounting options, HCAM works well with prosumer, broadcast and ENG cameras. The unit includes Wi-Fi and Bluetooth control, compatible with iOS and Android handheld devices – ensuring that event operators can rollout a wireless camera solution that supports current and future technologies and operate it with ease. Visit Telemedia (Pty) Ltd at Mediatech Africa 2019, taking place from 17 – 19 July at the Ticketpro Dome, Johannesburg.
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AROUND THE WORLD WITH
TIMELINE’S REMOTE PRODUCTION
In the world of outdoor broadcast, what do you do when you have an event in South Africa one day, and – let’s say – in the UK the next? It would be a logistical nightmare, not to mention expensive, to ship an OB van with all its kit and a whole production crew between locations in such a short space of time. We spoke to broadcast services specialist, Timeline TV, about the innovative remote production solution it has designed exactly for this purpose.
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nitially devised for live match coverage of the Women’s Super League (WSL) – the top league for women’s football in the United Kingdom – the system has also been used on international events such as the Landmarks Half Marathon, Vitality Big Half Marathon, Formula 1, Sail GP, World Superbikes and various other news and sporting events. With just the camera operators needing to travel to events, Timeline’s system can be deployed at any venue – or, in the case of the WSL, any football ground in the UK – while delivering all production requirements from one central location. Timeline’s managing director, Dan McDonnell, explains that the team chose Blackmagic URSA Broadcast cameras for the system: “We pride ourselves on delivering
broadcast quality output for our creative partners, and the URSA Broadcast, when paired with our B4 lenses, delivers excellent images both on and off the pitch.” When it comes to controlling the cameras, Timeline’s IP engineering team had to get creative. “Remote camera racking was essential and required a new approach to data transmission whilst keeping the on-site operation as simple as possible,” explains Dan. “There was nothing else on the market that would afford us the flexibility, quality or control unless we deployed a full OB.” Built around the Blackmagic 3G-SDI Arduino Shield, and – using the manufacturer’s SDI camera control protocol – Timeline’s engineers developed a H.265based 4G bonding and IP transmission solution that resides in a backpack. It integrates a transmitter and the
camera control interface systems needed for acquisition, with live transmission back to the company’s Ealing Studios headquarters (in London, England), where coverage is produced. “Essentially, we’ve eliminated the requirement for a full, static router, which normally is in place for a camera control unit to feed through. As well as the high resolution camera signals, an additional low res feed is sent carrying all the necessary camera settings,” Dan explains. “Working over IP channels provides reliable and consistent remote signal feeds from wherever we are around the country, and this, combined with Blackmagic’s open protocol, has given us the flexibility to devise a high-quality remote production solution that meets broadcasters’ strict standards for live sports coverage.” Timeline is continuing to provide all Women’s Super League footage with the remote solution, but its efficiency and technical capabilities have been, and can be, easily transferred to other sporting leagues, tournaments and touring events. “The ability to control an entire multi camera system via IP means that we can produce comprehensive coverage of high-profile events from anywhere in the world, without having to send a huge amount of staff or equipment out to the venues,” Dan concludes. “Once the operators are on site, it’s simply a matter of switching on the receivers and the cameras, and we’re ready to go.”
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JASCO BROADCAST SOLUTIONS AT MEDIATECH AFRICA 2019
At Mediatech Africa 2019, Jasco Broadcast Solutions will showcase the latest technology from its principal suppliers. Products and solutions on display will include: AVID
and CG insertions. Etere is designed to manage dynamic and targeted ad insertion requirements in any fastmoving environment. As a multi-channel and end-to-end software solution, Etere combines video switching, video server, advertisement and logo insertion capabilities for targeted ad insertion. From planning to billings to playout, Etere is able to manage real-time connectivity between different departments.
• Avid NEXIS | Cloudspaces
• Etere Complete IP Solution Beyond just an IP-based alternative to SDI playout, Etere features a bi-directional transmission that enables users to share multiple inputs, and which also outputs signals between devices connected to a network. It enables users to build an IP playout that does not require any SDI hardware and is less expensive than a traditional solution. It includes an IP Multiviewer that manages up to nine display monitors and 30 input sources simultaneously.
EGRIPMENT SUPPORT SYSTEMS • Motorised Slider System Avid’s new SaaS cloud storage solution, Avid NEXIS | Cloudspaces, brings the power of the cloud to Avid NEXIS storage systems. Avid NEXIS | Cloudspaces takes the stress out of media management and storage availability, and gives users instant access to more storage when needed. For small- to medium-size news, sports, and postproduction organisations, Avid NEXIS | Cloudspaces provides a super-simple way to park projects in the cloud, as well as synch on-site Avid NEXIS workspaces for easy off-site backup. Available as an add-on service for all Avid NEXIS systems, Cloudspaces offers greater workflow and cost efficiency in a fully integrated solution that’s easy to set up and manage, reducing costs, risk and administrative errors.
• Etere ETX
Founded in 1987 in Italy, Etere is among the worldwide leaders in media asset management, airsales, newsroom and channel-in-box software solutions for broadcasters and media enterprises. With customers all over the globe, Etere is headquartered in Singapore, with a specialised 24/7 worldwide support centre.
ETX is the most advanced, tightly integrated and cost-efficient video management system on the market, completely based on IT technology. It is a complete channel-in-a-box with full IP (in and out) capabilities, enabling you to drive the most popular HD/SD digital video/audio/graphics platforms without using middleware or proprietary hardware. It supports IP-in and IP-out in multiple frame rates, SDI output and multiple layers of graphics and animation.
• Etere Media Asset Management (MAM) Etere MAM is a highly-effective digital content management solution that is designed to streamline the process of ingest, index, storage and retrieval of digital assets. It is an end-to-end software solution created to fully optimise the value of your assets through centralised management of digital content and associated metadata. Etere simplifies the process of content management by streamlining the digital workflow, bringing media to the market faster and in multiple formats.
• Etere Nunzio Etere Nunzio is a highly-flexible newsroom solution with fully empowered NRCS capabilities to manage the entire tapeless workflow of the newsroom environment, starting from the planning of news stories (virtual assets) to the control of on-air playback. Etere helps managers control overall daily operations, guides journalists to prepare their stories and enables editors to make changes quickly and deliver news stories as efficiently as possible.
ETERE
• Etere Ad Insertion Etere enhances video monetisation opportunities; it effectively manages the end-to-end ad insertion and playout process, including resource management, insertion of filling events on demand, scrolling text, logo
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Egripment Support Systems, manufacturer of high-end camera support systems and remote broadcast solutions for the film and broadcast industries, is introducing its new Motorised Slider System. The Egripment Slider is a travelling dolly designed in such a way that it can be used for many different applications. You can use the Slider Dolly for live applications such as entertainment shows, music concerts, sports events and reality TV. In other situations, the Egripment Slider will be the best remote solution for fully motorised controlled applications, allowing you to control the dolly movements repeatedly and precisely. The Egripment Slider Dolly System consists of a high-quality small dolly base with Egripment smooth track wheels based on a narrow aluminum precision track. The low profile of the dolly accepts any type of Fluid Head (100mm, 150mm or Mitchell) and can also be used with a Dome Camera or with our smaller size 205 or 301 Remote Head. The dolly is driven by one motor, positioned on the trackwheel of the dolly. Track sections are available in aluminum, steel, straight and curved. Besides our standard length of tracks, we also offer custom lengths and diameters of the straight and curved tracks.
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• The Egripment Xtreme T10
Egripment Support Systems will also introduce the new ARC Compensation hardware and software tool on their latest XTREME T10 Telescoping Crane. This new feature gives the operator a tool to automate the arm movement. There are three ways to define an automatic telescope movement, all of which are related to the pan and tilt positions. The ARC Compensation adds functionality for automated moves including vertical straight lines, as well as horizontal plane and pan compensation. This software module gives you the precision to make perfect vertical straight lines and horizontal planes, or define a square, all by the activation of just one button. Rather than first building a crane, then deciding how to make it work for this fast-growing segment of the broadcast and film industry, we engineered the Xtreme T10 directly to be ready for the future. Egripment strives to be at the very forefront of the industry by not only being innovative and using the latest materials, such as carbon fibre, but also by developing new software tools, making it possible to use Egripment products for AR/VR applications and automation. However, because of the ease-of-use designed into every Egripment product, the Xtreme T10 is also completely suitable for conventional telescoping crane use, with the added benefit of its innovative ARC Compensation. Featuring leading innovations that are paramount for live applications as well as virtual and augmented reality (VR/AR) studios, the Xtreme T10 is a multi-faceted system that will greatly benefit a variety of productions.
CLEAR-COM IP SOLUTIONS At Mediatech Africa 2019, Jasco will present a range of Clear-Com’s professional IP-based communication solutions that support a wide range of production workflows. Clear-Com is fully committed to the development of IP for intercom solutions. Having accomplished delivery of its core product offerings in native IP formats, the company’s latest solutions focus on AES67 transport protocols. • Eclipse HX digital matrix system The Eclipse HX digital matrix system is an advanced, scalable system that serves as the backbone of many broadcasters’ communication infrastructures. It can handle thousands of direct (point-to-point) and one-to-many audio and data signal distributions over IP (AES67, Dante and native), redundant fibre, MADI and audio CAT5, without compromising audio quality or performance.
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Clear-Com recently introduced the E-IPA card for the Eclipse HX family, offering high-density audio-and-intercom-over-IP connections. Natively AES67-compliant and SMPTE2110-30-ready, the E-IPA card provides 64 streams of low-latency and high-audio bandwidth connections for linking existing and new IP-based Clear-Com products.
These include the new IPT transceiver for the FreeSpeak II wireless intercom system. The transceiver connects to an AES67compatible IP switch and to Clear-Com’s Eclipse HX digital matrix system via the E-IPA card, enabling FSII wireless beltpacks to be deployed across a user’s LAN. FreeSpeak II has become the de facto standard for wireless intercom operation in theatrical venues and wide-ranging live productions, thanks to its reliability, audio clarity and roaming capabilities.
The E-IPA card also connects the new V-Series Iris (intercom) Panel with the Eclipse HX. The V-Series Iris Panel can monitor and send communications over three concurrent AES67 uncompressed audio-IP streams, enabling systems to deliver high-quality audio from user to user with significantly reduced latency. The Iris Panel also offers fully colour-configurable OLED displays, delivering the user-defined label and port information.
MILLER • CiNX Miller Tripods is delighted to announce the arrival of the CiNX series, a set of three lightweight and durable fluid heads. Packed with features, all are designed to meet the needs of cinematographers at an affordable price. For today’s versatile shooter, the transition from larger to smaller payloads has never been easier. The side-load platform enables rapid deployment of countless sizes of camera rigs, as well as extended camera plate range of movement for balancing front-heavy setups. The Miller-patented CB Plus enables 16 positions of counter balance providing very fine, repeatable balance. • The CiNX 3 is ideal for cinematographers with lighter rigs, requiring 5+0 pan and tilt drag with a payload range from 1kg (2.2lbs) up to 19kg (41.8lbs). • The CiNX 5 is perfect for medium rigs, requiring 7+0 pan and tilt drag with a payload range from
2kg (4.4lbs) up to 21kg (46.2lbs). • The CiNX 7 is the ultimate fluid head for heavier rigs, requiring 7+0 positions of pan and tilt with a payload range from 6kg (13.2lbs) up to 25kg (55.1lbs). • 75 Sprinter II 2 Stage Carbon Fibre Tripod
The 1620 75 Sprinter II 2 Stage Carbon Fibre Tripod brings the stability, torsional strength and reliability of Miller’s well-proven 100mm ball levelling 100 Sprinter II tripod into a new 75mm version. The 75 Sprinter employs Miller’s patented design, which enables the leg stages to be adjusted independently or together via two adjacent leg locks. These locks are conveniently located at waist height to eliminate the need for the user to bend down or stretch up, which is crucial when speed and occupational health concerns count. The 75 Sprinter II 2 Stage Carbon Fibre Tripod is best suited to be used in conjunction with Miller’s CompassX and the company’s range of DS Fluid Heads in ENG and EFP applications and has a payload capacity of 30kg (66lbs). Competitively priced, it has a height range of 440-1530mm (17.3-60.4”), a transport length of 700mm (27.6”) and weighs in at 3.2kg (7.0lbs). With four spreaders to choose from, the 75 Sprinter is capable of meeting various project needs. From its standard Sprinter II ground spreader, which has many years of proven reliability, to its new carbon fibre or alloy construction mid-level spreader, which are fully adjustable, lightweight and provide maximum height range. Miller is also offering a new variant, a competitively-priced alloy construction spreader, which offers less functionality compared to the more expensive options available. Visit Jasco Broadcast Solutions at Mediatech Africa 2019, taking place from 17 – 19 July at the Ticketpro Dome, Johannesburg.
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MACRO VIDEO
SWITCH, MIX, RECORD AND STREAM: HIGHLIGHTS LIVE PRODUCTION EQUIPMENT Datavideo has built a mobile studio into an attaché case! Three Hand-Carry Solutions (HS) provide the ultimate integrated product, allowing users to switch, mix, record and stream.
T
he HS-1300 has six inputs; the HS-3200 has 12 inputs; and the HS-1600T has four inputs, which add camera control to three HDBaseT PTZ cameras, as well. The HS-2850 and HS-2200 will switch and mix, and offer integrated communications and tally. The record and stream functions can be added separately. Macro Video, distributors of Datavideo in Southern Africa, produce custom-built HS solutions based on the Datavideo SE-500HD and SE-650 four-input switchers. By mounting components as per client requirement in customdesigned aluminium cases, these modular systems allow almost any combination of equipment – such as Datavideo’s ITC-100/300 communications and tally system, HDR-70 hard drive
recorder, HDR-1 USB recorder, NVS-25 streamer, the new HVS-33 streamer/ recorder, distribution amplifiers and various converters – to be installed in the aluminium case with a full HD 19.5’’ LCD screen mounted in the lid. With the appropriate added components, these hand-carry solutions will also switch, mix, record and stream!
NEW DATAVIDEO EQUIPMENT AT MEDIATECH AFRICA 2019 New at Mediatech Africa will be the Datavideo NVS-33. This is the same record and streaming module found in the HS-3200, HS-1600T and HS-1300. The NVS-33 is an H.264 video streaming encoder and MP4 recorder that is able to configure two different bit rates for recording and streaming simultaneously.
Datavideo HS-1300 and HS-650 Mobile Video studios
It supports SDI and HDMI inputs, has RCA inputs for audio, and is Datavideo NVS-33 Recorder/ streamer extremely well-priced at R11,000 plus VAT. Also new is the digital ITC-300 eight-channel communications and tally system using CAT6 cabling, the HS-1600T Mobile Studio and a new PTZ camera, the Visit Macro Video at Mediatech Africa 2019, PTC-140T: a cost-effective HDBaseT PTZ taking place from 17 – 19 July at the camera featuring PoE, a built-in streaming Ticketpro Dome, Johannesburg. encoder and 20x optical zoom.
CONCILIUM TECHNOLOGIES SHOWCASES LATEST TECHNOLOGY OFFERINGS AT MEDIATECH AFRICA 2019 Concilium Technologies, a trusted technology supplier to the broadcast Industry – providing a full spectrum of solutions and services including sales, training, consultation and installation – will be showing the latest in broadcast technology at Mediatech Africa 2019.
LiveU LU300
DHD.audio Series 52 mixing console LU300 – LiveU’s compact HEVC field unit for on-the-go live streaming – and DHD. audio Mixing Consoles.
COMPACT HEVC FIELD UNIT
C
oncilium Technologies’ solutions encompass the latest technology platforms for a wide range of broadcast infrastructure requirements, such as ingest, editing, live production, playout, streaming, storage, graphics, encoding, transcoding, as well as multiscreen delivery in baseband, IP, cloud or hybrid solutions and more. Exciting products on the Concilium Technologies stand this year include the
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The LU300 is a small-sized, cost-effective and reliable HEVC encoder, enabling broadcasters and other content creators to transmit high-quality video on the go. With LiveU’s professional-grade hardware HEVC technology at its core, the LU300 combines supreme video performance with extreme bandwidth efficiency. Unlike software HEVC solutions, the LU300 can encode in HEVC format at all times, operating in real-time with
extreme low latency. The LU300 also offers longer battery time, with a three-hour internal battery. The LU300 bonds up to six connections: two LTE-Advanced internal modems, two external modems, WiFi and LAN.
FULL CONTROL AT YOUR FINGERTIPS DHD.audio’s mixing consoles are the front-end control devices of the Series 52 products. They provide full control over your desired workflow in every situation. Products on show from DHD.audio will include:
• RX2 – Versatile Mixer A Versatile Mixing Console for radio studios and TV broadcast. Developed for the highest demands in the radio and TV broadcast environments, the RX2 is perfect for modern workflows in on-air studios, main control rooms and OB vans. • SX2 – Compact Mixer A Compact Mixer that is preconfigured and ready to use. The SX2 is a modular mixing console for radio and other broadcast applications. The price-optimised mixer is ideal for on-air studios, audio workstations and smaller OB vans. Visit Concilium Technologies (Pty) Ltd at Mediatech Africa 2019, taking place from 17 – 19 July at the Ticketpro Dome, Johannesburg.
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ADCETERA
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Model, Shanelle Nyasiase
BBC STORY WORKS DEVELOPS UPLIFTING PAN-AFRICAN CAMPAIGN FOR EMIRATES Dubai-based airline Emirates has long been in the business of connecting Africans with the rest of the world.
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n its latest campaign, the airline called on its existing partnership with BBC Global News, which saw the account handed over to BBC StoryWorks. “BBC StoryWorks is the commercial content team within the advertising sales division of BBC Global News,” says Richard Pattinson from BBC StoryWorks. “So if there’s a campaign beyond a media buy that involves the creation of branded content, or sponsorship of one of our great BBC editorial series, then we get involved.” Pattinson and his team were provided with a campaign brief which asked them to increase awareness of Emirates across Africa. “To do this, we worked closely with Emirates’ creative agency, Leo Burnett, to develop a creative campaign consisting entirely of authentic African stories that would resonate with local audiences.” The creative team selected fashion, art,
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literature and music as the central themes to drive their African stories. Three creatives from across the African continent were chosen to be featured as cultural ambassadors and pioneers who celebrate and embody the spirit of Africa. “At the heart of it, we wanted to produce a snapshot of modern, urban Africa that would resonate with a young and vibrant African audience. This meant it was really important for us to stay true to the stories presented in the films, and to avoid any clichés or worn-out narratives. By focusing the campaign on the inspirational talent from across the continent, it allowed African stories to shine through and it takes Emirates closer to the heart of their audience in a way that is authentic,” shares Pattinson. With the aim to showcase Africa as a vibrant, revitalised continent where talent and creativity thrive, the campaign unfolds as a series of commercials or
short films that present the inspirational stories behind each creative.
AFRICA DREAMS WITH SHANELLE Shanelle Nyasiase is a 21-year-old South Sudanese model who was born in Ethiopia and raised in Kenya. Her short film, titled Africa Dreams with Shanelle, shows how being an internationallyrecognised supermodel may take Shanelle to different corners of the world, but it is her home, Nairobi, that gave her the wings to fly. The ad is shot at a vibrant street market, dense with colourful African fabrics and garments. Through the ad, Nyasiase recounts how she had dreams of travelling the world as part of a cabin crew from a young age. However, her experience has turned out better than she ever imagined.
AFRICA SOARS WITH ABIOLA Africa Soars with Abiola features Abiola Oke, who left New York and a budding career on Wall Street to return to his hometown in Lagos, Nigeria, where he started his own media company, OkayAfrica. Oke shares how creative talents in Africa are reclaiming the narrative of the region and how his company, OkayAfrica, has grown to be the leading digital media platform that connects a global audience to African music, film, culture and entertainment.
AFRICA MOVES WITH BLINKY BILL Kenyan musician, producer and DJ Blinky Bill Sellanga’s musical identity stems from Africa but translates to the rest of the globe. The performer collaborates with artists from Africa, Europe and other parts of the world. In Africa Moves with Blinky Bill, the
| ADCETERA
Musician, Blinky Bill
“We knew we wanted to focus on young, creative and internationallyminded Africans, whose stories resonate with Emirates’ brand positioning as a global enabler of Media entrepreneur, Abiola Oke
artist explains how his Nairobian roots have inspired his creative talents. Emirates also worked with Sellanga to create the anthem for the pan-African campaign that includes a music video with snippets from all parts of the series. The music video and song is meant to act as a hero piece for the campaign, while the profile films let viewers delve deeper into each creative’s story. Speaking more about Sellanga’s involvement in the project, Pattinson said: “We worked with Kenyan musician, Blinky Bill, who was also profiled in one of the
films, to create the music for the campaign. He’s a real talent and was able to translate the original brief into an incredible piece of work. It was always going to be a challenge to create a piece of music that is truly ‘pan-African’, given the sheer number of different musical styles, influences and languages across the continent, but we hope we managed to produce a piece of music that makes people feel good and want to get up and dance!” The campaign roll-out began in February, with the short films airing on
the BBC World News television channel. The digital launch took place a few weeks later on BBC Reel – the curated global home of the broadcaster’s rich video archive. “We’ve had a really positive reception so far to the campaign. We share the same view as Emirates, in that it’s impossible to ignore the energy and talent coming out of Africa today – in music, fashion, sport and art – and we wanted them to join the conversation and celebrate amazing, inspiring stories of people constantly pushing boundaries
travel.
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– Richard Pattinson
and challenging African stereotypes,” Pattinson says. “Hopefully we’ve managed to produce something that makes Africans feel a sense of pride, and also something that continues to drive forward the modern positive narrative around the continent and the supreme wealth of incredible talent coming to the fore at the moment,” Pattinson concludes. – Gezzy S Sibisi
JUNE 2019
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10TH DURBAN FILMMART,
19 – 22
JULY Chad
2019
AT THE DURBAN INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL
t p y g E o r o m Co
A Combined 50 Years in Film Celebratednwith two iconic South o i o t r u e o m b African Film Events Ca Dji bwe undi Bur
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2019 marks the 40th anniversary of the iconic Durban International Film Festival (DIFF), South Africa’s longest-running film fest, and the 10th Durban FilmMart (DFM), its partner programme with the Durban Film Office, undoubtedly one of the most important film industry development events on the continent. Together, they bring a half a century of film to Africa.
l a r t n e C rican f A a c i l b Namibi u p Re
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IFF celebrates top world-class cinema, with over 150 new feature, documentary and short films from around the globe, with a special focus on South African and African film. The DFM is the film-industryfocused event that aims to support, facilitate and develop the growth of African film content and create viable opportunities for the film economy to flourish. Registered delegates can attend workshops and seminars, and network with influential experts, broadcasters and financiers in the film industry. Over 1000 DFM delegates are expected, along with a host of creative talent, including directors, producers, actors, and film-lovers, to celebrate these two important milestones in film. If you are in film – then this is the place to be in July!
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REASONS TO VISIT DFM THIS YEAR:
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DURBAN FILMMART PROVIDES IDEAL MARKETING AND NETWORKING OPPORTUNITIES FOR FILM-MAKERS The DFM provides fantastic marketing opportunities for filmmakers as they share knowledge and contacts, and benchmark themselves against their peers. Delegates are encouraged to register by 28 June 2019, as this enables them to have their details published in the industry manual which is used as contact manual by filmmakers across the globe for other markets, and industry related business.
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There are four new DFM programmes this year providing an exciting mix of opportunities for film-makers to grow their professional knowledge, networks and skills: • Durban Does Docs: is a one-day documentary conference consisting of panel discussions, masterclasses and plenary presentations aimed to attract documentary filmmakers and scholars, who will unpack and discuss the state of the documentary in a global context. • Engage @DFM: a series of curated conversations on pertinent, challenging and multi-faceted questions facing the African film industry which will be shared with delegates over four days for input and debate. • Creative Corner: is a robust space for emerging scriptwriters, actors, set designers and make-up artists which will run over four days with script to live sessions and panel discussions around the creative elements of film-making such as editing, make-up, sound design and set design • Locations Africa Exhibition and Conference is a private sector initiative that focuses on film locations in an effort to re-ignite efforts to position Africa as a key filming destination which has all the necessary elements for inbound productions and local film projects.
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Themba Bhebhe leads a series of think-tanks and in-depth discussions concerning diversity and decolonial approaches and models to filmmaking at DFM.
Key to this is economic transformation within the film sector.
PLUS…
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WHO WILL BE THERE?
Film industry professionals, intermediate and emerging filmmakers and associated industries including directors, producers, script-writers, financiers, investors, broadcasters, agents, distributors, film commissions, film institutions, government representatives, students and interested public.
Early bird registration closes 28 June 2019. Early bird fees are R1300 (ZAR) for the four-day programme, (includes four day’s access to Industry Programme, producers lounge and networking events, 10 tickets to DIFF screenings and company information published in the industry manual). Thereafter the fee is R1600, and daily passes are R450 each (the daily pass does not include tickets to DIFF screenings or access into the opening and closing events). All tickets exclude meals.
To register go to www.durbanfilmmart.co.za tic a r c o m De f o c i l VISIT US AT : b u p e ia R n e a WWW.DURBANFILMMART.CO.ZA WWW.CCADIFF.UKZN.AC.ZA u t q i i o r b Mau Cong Mozam mbia 20 | SCREENAFRICA | JUNE 2019
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Refpu o s e l l e e h h c t y e S a i p o i Eth
• SWIFT – Women Led Film Programme: Sisters Working in Film and Television (SWIFT), will host a women-led film programme that includes some events, launches and announcements, as well as a workshop and seminar sessions.
s u i t i r Mau
• Masterclasses and Panel Discussions: A series of panel discussions, café-style engagements and the high-level masterclasses by experts in their field will focuson relevant topics that reflect on and forecast African cinema. • Networking: Delegates have access to the industry lounge and exhibition, providing opportunities for networking sessions and to create meaningful business relationships across the globe. • Finance Forum: Twenty preselected feature film and documentary projects from Africa will pitch to potential sponsors, funders and partners. (See opposite page for confirmed selected projects). • 12th Talents Durban: Eighteen pre-selected intermediate African filmmakers attend a 5-day event to further develop their professional skills • The Isiphethu Hub: A free programme for entry-level and emerging filmmakers.
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SPEAKERS AND EXPERTS AT DFM Speakers this year include Irish screenwriter and producer Gabrielle Kelly, London-based curator, audience development specialist and author Nadia Denton, South African producer and founding manager of the Cape Town chapter of the shnit Worldwide Shortfilmfestival Sean Drummond and prolific Egyptian director Mohamed Siam.
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Gabrielle Kelly, who has had an extensive filmmaking career in the USA, is a screenwriter and producer of diverse content for the global marketplace and also teaches in international labs and film programmes. She will lead a masterclass entitled Towards Gender Equity in Film and Television. As the world begins to recognise the excellence of people of colour in the film industry, the world has begun to turn its eyes to Africa. Producer Nadia Denton, leads the masterclass: A New Black Cinema: Pan-African, Global and Bankable. Nadia is a co-producer of the BBC World Service Radio documentary, Shooting it Like a Woman, looking at the fortunes of women behind the camera in the Nigerian film industry. She has written a book The Nigerian Filmmaker’s Guide to Success: Beyond Nollywood. Producer and screenwriter, Sean Drummond whose debut
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feature film Five Fingers for Marseilles has received critical acclaim, enjoyed numerous cinematic and festival releases will present a masterclass The Working Writer. Mohamed Siam, filmmaker, jury member of Karlovy Vary, Göteborg Film Festivals and IDFA Bertha and Hot Docs Funds, as well as a fellow scholar and filmmaker resident in the American University in Paris will present Documenting the Unique Perspective. Complementing this list of speakers, Themba Bhebhe, leads a series of think-tanks and in-depth discussions concerning diversity and decolonial approaches and models to filmmaking in Engage @DFM. After working for almost a decade in international film sales, Themba Bhebhe has been in charge of Diversity & Inclusion at the last two editions of the European Film Market (EFM at the (Berlinale International Film Festival).
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d n a e m o T o Sa ipe P18ri–n28c JULY DIFF REVEALS SOME OF THE FILMS SELECTED FOR THIS YEAR’S 40TH EDITION
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With a total of 150 films in the festival this year, this year’s 40th edition promises a solid selection of films from around the globe. Here is a taste of what’s to come….
DOCUMENTARIES INCLUDE AMONGST OTHERS: • Anbessa (Italy/USA) directed by Mo Scarpelli • Buddha in Africa (SA) directed by Nicole Schafer • In My Blood it Runs (Australia) directed Maya Newell
Sean Drummond
n o b a G
Nadia Denton
a s s i B Guinea
Mohamed Siam
Direct link is: www.durbanfilmmart.co.za/DelegateRegistration/Welcome.aspx
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A Girl in Return
Back of the Moon
• A Haunted Past (Qatar) directed by Fatma Riahi • Hamada (Sweden) directed by Eloy Domínguez Serén • For Sama (UK/USA/Syria) directed by Edward Watts and Waad al-Kateab • Mother I am Suffocating. This Is My Last Film About You directed by Mosese Lemohang Jeremiah • The Sounds of Masks (SA/Portugal) directed by Sara de Gouveia • My Friend, Fela (Brazil) directed by Joel Zito Araujo • A Girl in Return directed by Katrine W.Kjaer
Rwanda
FEATURES INCLUDE AMONGST OTHERS: • Knuckle City directed by Jahmil X Qubeka • Cronofobia (Switzerland) directed by Francesco Rizzi • Bhai’s Café (SA) directed by Maynard Kraak • Love Runs Out (SA)directed by Roger Young • Back of the Moon (SA) directed by Angus Gibson • Divine Love (Brazil) directed by Gabriel Mascaro
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Gabrielle Kelly
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To register go to: www.durbanfilmmart.co.za
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• Rwanda (Italy) directed by Riccardo Salvetti • Solace (USA) directed by Tchaiko Omawale • Vai (Pacific Islands) directed by Nicole Whippy,‘Ofa-Ki-Levuka GuttenbeilLikiliki, Matasila Freshwater, Amberley Jo Aumua, Miria George, Marina Alofagia McCartney, Dianna Fuemana, Becs Arahanga • The Rib China) directed by Zhang Wei • Mokalik (Nigeria) directed by Kunle Afolayan
ia r o t a Equ Guinea
The full programme will be available online at www.ccadiff.ukzn.ac.za at the end of June.
DURBAN FILM MART SA
DURBAN FILMMART SA
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JUNE 2019
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ADCETERA
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RED & YELLOW PRESENTS THE SECOND ANNUAL DIGITAL AGENCY SHOWCASE
What drives South Africa’s leading agencies to make successful campaigns? How do they come up with their award-winning concepts? And what can they teach us about improving our digital skills for increased marketing success?
T
he second Digital Agency Showcase, presented by Red & Yellow Creative School of Business, unpacked these questions, providing attendees with key tools needed to improve their marketing skills for the digital world. Held on 16 May 2019, the event saw the Red & Yellow Creative School of Business, in partnership with the Interactive Advertising Bureau of South Africa (IAB SA), bring six of South Africa’s leading agencies, as well as marketing and advertising students, under one roof at their Cape Town campus in Salt River. Heléne Lindsay, Head of Customer at Red & Yellow School, comments: “For 25 years, Red & Yellow has always been driven by the purpose to provide education that is highly industry-relevant and future-focused…We launched the Digital Agency Showcase in 2018 as a means to bring six of SA’s top digital agencies together, in one room, for one day – to share their learnings, insights and revelations – basically, the components
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Digital Agency Showcase 2019
that contribute to their amazing success.” The event commenced with a speech by Paula Hulley, CEO of IAB SA, who expressed the IAB’s dedication to the media and marketing industry by ensuring its continuous partnership with Red & Yellow to bring the annual showcase to life. Hulley shared: “The IAB empowers the media and marketing industry to thrive in a digital economy. We do this through our connected culture and access to experts and expertise to drive our industry forward. Today’s Digital Agency Showcase and continuous partnership with The Red & Yellow School is exactly this – an energised, accessible, industrydriven event, where leaders and future leaders gather under one roof to share learnings and smart, actionable and motivating insights to make better digital decisions. “The agencies today are part of the IAB family and top performers at the IAB Bookmark Awards. We look forward to hearing their insights on what it takes to thrive in the digital economy today,” Hulley added. Agencies taking part in this year’s showcase included King James Group, VML, Ogilvy, TBWA Hunt Lascaris, Publicis Machine and Hellocomputer. Each agency presented for 45 minutes, with a Q&A session following the presentation. Presentations included some of the agency’s recent awardwinning works, as well as key insights into each campaign’s success.
CULTURE IS WHERE OUR BRANDS LIVE Digital Creative Director of TBWA Hunt Lascaris, Johann Schwella, presented a session on how brands should adapt to the world we live in. In his presentation, Schwella portrayed how culture plays a huge role in the brands they work with and that conforming to what is happening
in culture is what makes TBWA brands stand out. Schwella referenced the agency’s work on the Breaking Ballet ad campaign for Joburg Ballet. Instead of focusing on the obvious choice, Swan Lake, which has been redone numerous times on the world stage, TBWA briefed the dancers to identify current news stories and create #BiteSizedBallet dance pieces on them.
ad in which the fast-food chain mocked Brazilian football star Neymar’s famous rolling by creating their own version of a footballer rolling all the way to KFC to grab a meal. Other noteworthy spots presented by the agency included the #ShaveToRemember campaign, which celebrated 100 years of Nelson Mandela, and the #NoExcuse movement by beer brand Black Label, which took a stand
“We launched the Digital Agency Showcase in 2018 as a means to bring six of SA’s top digital agencies together, in one room, for one day – to share their learnings.
”
Schwella shared how brands need to play within a cultural context to stay relevant and presented a clip of the ballet dancers interpreting the immensely popular boxing match between Floyd Mayweather and Conor McGregor. Schwella also stressed the importance of having a “reactive budget” in order to react to what is trending at the moment. “Content needs to speak to a community and react to culture,” Schwella enthused.
RELEVANCE + TALKABILITY Ogilvy’s Evan Milton, who is Head of Digital Strategy at the agency, as well as Data and Analytics, highlighted how the agency made brands matter. The focus on relevance and talkability was emphasised throughout this presentation. Milton advised the importance of picking the right content to go to the right channels so that it resonates with the audience in the right manner. An example he used was how KFC went viral after an
– Heléne Lindsay
against women abuse. Co-speaker and Creative Director at Ogilvy, Melissa Attree, shared how agencies can get it right by using what she calls “the key channels to navigate modern marketing.” These include using email and personalisation. “Agencies need to do less, but better,” she said, and this can be done by planning effectively. Attree said creatives should ask themselves the questions: “What is the point of it all?” and “What does success look like for the client and for me?” She concluded by saying, “The key objective is to achieve creativity and effectiveness all at once.” Attendees were also treated to exciting prizes throughout the day, including course vouchers worth R5 000, R10 000 and R20 000 respectively. IAB SA also gave two lucky audience members tickets to the IAB Summit19 valued at over R4 000. – Gezzy S Sibisi
FILM
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South African short film Lace screens at Cannes
The cast and crew of Lace
The Viva Pictures team
The short film Lace follows Garvey, a man hopelessly in love and planning to pop the question to his girlfriend Vida. However, on the night that he is to propose, tragedy strikes and his world is turned upside down.
U
nable to move on, Garvey uses technology to replay his last moments with Vida over and over again. The film stars Enhle Mbali Maphumulo as Vida and Richard Lukunku as Garvey. Lesang Tshoke and Adam Lindberg also feature in the short film. The result of a 48 Hour Film Project (48 HFP) challenge, Lace is the debut film from Johannesburg-based production company, VIVA Pictures. Producer Neo Ntlatleng comments: “When we formed VIVA Pictures, we were looking to produce narrative projects, and director Kgosi Choene told me that he would like to enter the 48 Hour Film Project. We felt that making a film in 48 hours would be a great way to get our first film – as a company – under our belt. The success of the film is attributed to the talented cast and crew that offered their weekend and time to make Lace.” VIVA Pictures was among sixty teams participating in the Johannesburg edition of the contest last year. The challenge was to write, shoot and edit a movie in just two days – over the weekend of 22 to 23 September, 2018. The annual competition takes place in various cities across the world. Participating teams are assigned a genre, a character, a prop and a line of dialogue, and are to use all four elements to create a film in just 48 hours. “Just before kick-off time for the 48 Hour Film Project, each crew was given two genres to choose from. We were given sci-fi and film noir, and we decided to go with sci-fi,” shares Ntlatleng. “With Lace, we wanted to showcase the breadth and depth of African cinema. Through the growth of film styles like sci-fi and horror, African cinema is becoming more
collective skills as filmmakers were put to the test. The most rewarding aspect was being able to produce a story from scratch in such a short space of time,” says Choene. The film was shot on the RED One camera by DOP Diego Ollivier. “We used the RED One camera for a smooth, clean, marketable and bankable from an futuristic aesthetic and we shot with a international perspective,” he added. steady cam rig to give a handheld vibe to Aiming to stay true to their genre and make the story more visceral and achieve maximum emotional impact, the intimate,” Choene explains. VIVA Pictures team managed to produce Lace is an intimate film that shows a relatable sci-fi film. Their unique viewers the deep connection and playful approach paid off when the short film relationship shared by Garvey and his won several awards at the contest, partner. However, everything takes a including Best Writing, Best Directing, surreal turn when the viewer later realises Best Special Effects and Best Actor. that the story is not projecting real-time The film went on to represent South events, but is instead a replay of the Africa at the 2019 Filmapalooza protagonist’s thoughts. International Film Festival in March this Choene expands: “Our greatest year, which sees the winners of the Best achievement aesthetically was managing Film award from each city around the to get the audience to feel as though all world compete on a global stage. of what was happening was in real time At Filmapalooza, Lace scooped the and all through the perspective of the Best Actress award for Enhle Mbali protagonist. So, we shot it all in one take and added glitches in post-production to give the desired effect.” Visual effects were done by Tshwanelo Modise. Editing was handled by Kudakwashe Mpambawashe and sound design was – Neo Ntlatleng carried out by Leroy Zokufa, with the film Maphumulo’s performance as Vida, Best score composed by Zethu Mashika. Writing for Kgosi Choene and the writing “Because we were working with a team, while the film came in second science fiction story, we wanted it to overall in the Best Film category. seem as though the environment in which “Lace was received exceptionally well the characters are in seemed as ordinary at Filmapalooza. Out of the 5000 short as possible until we find out that it’s a films that were produced globally for the different time in the future. We drew 48 Hour Film Project in 2018, 130 ‘Best inspiration from Black Mirror, which Film’ city winners competed in this year’s demonstrates the dangers technology festival,” shares Ntlatleng. can have on normal individuals,” Prior to the 48 HFP, director Kgosi shares Choene. Choene had worked with VIVA Pictures Lace has been celebrated for bringing on a TV show which won them a SAFTA a new wave of African storytelling to the award. So when he was approached to be fore. The film is currently travelling on the part of their team for the two-day project, international festival circuit having he gladly accepted the challenge. “It was recently played at the Cannes Film an enthralling experience as all of our Festival. Lace will also be released online
“With Lace, we wanted to showcase the
breadth and depth of African cinema. Through the growth of film styles like sci-fi and horror, African cinema is becoming more marketable and bankable from an international perspective.
24 | SCREENAFRICA | JUNE 2019
”
later this year. “I believe the film will be accepted well, not only due to its take on the sci-fi genre, but also because it has universal themes that include love and loss. South Africa has proven time and again that it can produce quality films that are of international standard and this was just a showcase of that,” Ntlatleng concludes. – Gezzy S Sibisi
TECH CHECK EQUIPMENT • Camera: RED One
“We used the RED One camera for a smooth, clean, futuristic aesthetic.” – Kgosi Choene
KEY CREW Writers: Kgosi Choene, Richard Lukunku, Neo Ntlatleng, Kudakwashe Mpambawashe Directors: Kgosi Choene and Linda Radebe Producers: Sekgametsi Mokoena and Neo Ntlatleng DOP: Diego Ollivier Editor: Kudakwashe Mpambawashe Music composer: Zethu Mashika
Every year the CTICC event team go above and beyond to help us deliver year on year success for our international clients. Chris Hall Group Event Director Africa Oil Week
Nestling in the shadow of the majestic Table Mountain, and overlooking the spectacular Atlantic Ocean, the CTICC is a magical place where the imagined becomes real, visions turn into strategies, consumers become customers, and strangers from across the globe become colleagues, partners and friends. So much more than a multi-purpose event destination, this African icon combines expansive venues, impeccable service, cutting-edge technology and the finest global cuisine, to transform your convention, conference, exhibition, banquet or meeting into an extraordinary experience. For more information, or to book your event at the CTICC, call +27 21 410 5000, email sales@cticc.co.za or visit www.cticc.co.za.
PHOTOS BY RAFAEL DIAS
FILM
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SOCIAL ACTION A scene from The Black Mambas
The Black Mambas are an all-female antipoaching unit first founded in 2013 by Transfrontier Africa NPC. Originally formed to protect the Olifants West Region of Balule Nature Reserve, the group’s operations were quickly expanded and they now police 52,000 hectares of the Greater Kruger National Park, striving to make their area of influence “the most undesirable, most difficult and least profitable place to poach any species.”
Behind the scenes on The Black Mambas
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n a new film entitled The Black Mambas, director Bruce Donnelly and his team shine a light on the efforts of these women, whose impact extends far beyond nature conservancy and into many forms of community upliftment. Screen Africa chatted to Donnelly about how the film project came about, the production process and the enthusiastic reception it has received so far.
“THE PERFECT PROJECT” Donnelly hails from Durban and studied film and media at the University of Cape Town, before spending a year at the New York Film Academy, which he describes as a “very practical, hands-on one-year programme” that “complemented my studies in South Africa very well.” After opening a production company, DKR films, during his first year in New York, Donnelly explains that “over the years, I’ve been looking for a way to reconnect with South Africa, and connect the storytelling and the documentary work that I do to bridge the gap for myself. I kept thinking, What are the kinds of stories I want to share? What are the stories that I don’t see being told? Generally
speaking, people’s understanding of Africa often tends to be limited, or else it sways negative – and so that became my motivation for wanting to tell stories from South Africa.” In terms of his own career path, Donnelly says that he “stumbled into documentary filmmaking” but found soon found that he “loved the process. It was very freeing, after working for so long trying to put a scripted feature together – and what I loved from a filmmaker’s point of view is the unique way that you can get audiences to connect to subjects. You can get them to connect as people they can relate to – and, in that moment, politics and prejudice can fall away.” As Donnelly puts it, this project came up at the perfect time: “While I was looking into the idea of telling underrepresented stories from Africa, I learned about the Black Mambas. It’s a positive, proactive story that represents a new generation, a different way of thinking – not just looking at the problem, but taking steps to solve and address it.”
TWO-FOLD PRODUCTION PROCESS The film was co-produced by DKR Films and Brazilian company Adorni Films – a relationship that goes back to Donnelly’s time at the New York Film Academy. Donnelly explains that he undertook the initial research with a South African friend
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of his, and the shooting of the documentary took place over two production sessions. “For the first sessions, we brought in all the crew and did a lot of glamorous shots – drones flying over the bush, and things like that. “However, at the end of that particular shoot, I realised I wanted to come back and strip down the production the second time around. This was because, as much as the women were comfortable with and we all got along well, as a filmmaker I don’t like big productions – especially, in the context of the documentary genre, when it comes creating a sense of intimacy and trust. So my idea was to go back and – having established a good relationship with everyone there – I just wanted to go out on my own and shadow the group for as long as I could.” Donnelly delves into why this approach paid off for the project: “Those two production sessions complemented each other really well. The second time around I felt like I could disappear – at least, as much as possible. The scenes where I’m walking along the fence with the group, for example, that’s really just me and a couple of the Mambas.” Although Donnelly estimates that “about 70 to 80 percent of the film” was shot on Sony a7 II cameras, with DJI drone footage providing sweeping aerial shots of the vast game reserve, for these intimate moments he used “a DJI Osmo – I just strapped myself up and used that. It was the most practical item I could get my hands on at the time. It operates on a three-axis gimbal, shoots in 4K and you operate it via an app on your phone. If the lighting is good, you can get beautiful material – I trusted it with what we were doing and it allowed me to be a one-man band.” Donnelly is also quick to point out the off-screen benefits of his second, solo production session: “It also gave me such a different experience and appreciation of the work that the Mambas do. That particular day [walking by the fence], we trekked for seven hours, and it was the most exhausting thing I’ve ever done. And it gave me such a deep appreciation – this sense that these women do this every day, in extreme conditions, and they are on the inside of the fence, meaning they’re exposed to all wildlife of that area of the Kruger National Park. “Not only does this experience show in the film, but it’s something I can carry with me and talk about – because I know the work that they do really has value, and they put so much into it.”
FILM
WIDE-REACHING IMPACT The Black Mambas premiered at the American Documentary Film Festival in California – where it won the Best International Short Film award – before following this up with several more high-profile screenings around the world and two more prizes (at the Jozi Film Festival and the Wellington Independent Film Festival in New Zealand). With South African company Hi-Tec coming on board as a “very supportive outreach sponsor”, Donnelly says: “The reception has been amazing. We started our festival run at the American Documentary Film Festival – which was a wonderful, auspicious start for us – and from there, it just picked up. It’s been translated into German, Japanese, French, Portuguese, Spanish – which shows the film is finding an audience everywhere.” Asked to reflect on why this story has made such an impact, Donnelly says: “Though it’s a short film, it touches on education – through the Bush Babies programme, which features in the film – community engagement, upliftment, women and empowerment; there are so many things for people to connect to in the story. “Most people are aware of the issue of rhino poaching,” he continues, “but they tend to hear it from one side. They get the same terrible news all the time. Our purpose with this film is not to gloss over anything, but to show the resilient, problem-solving side of things. If you want to put your energy into something, put it here – believe in these women – and this is a message that is carrying around the world.” Donnelly explains that he is excited that film has started to make inroads at environmental film festivals, and he outlines his ultimate vision for the impact of the film: “I obviously have a good relationship with the Black Mambas and Transfrontier Africa now – and my simple objective is, How can this film can be of continued service to you? How can it be a tool for you? How do we actively engage audiences through conferences, events and screenings? Distribution has changed – the model is different now – we want to take the film on tour, take it into schools and universities and actually have some of the Mambas travel with it to engage directly with audiences. “Ideally, we want to create a programme around the film and the work of this amazing group. I want to take the film to China – there is an organisation there called Wild Aid that shows films that deal with issues concerning conversation. As poaching has become synonymous with the Chinese market, it feels important to show our film there. Then we will have our story right in the heart of where it needs to be,” he concludes. – David Cornwell
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DIRECTOR SPEAK
REHAD DESAI
FILM
This month we spoke to award-winning director and producer Rehad Desai…
TELL US A BIT ABOUT YOUR BACKGROUND AND HOW IT HAS SHAPED YOU AS A FILMMAKER… I grew up in the UK with lots of good-quality TV. My father loved cinema; he was at one time a circuit manager for Avalon Group. As a kid, I was fortunate enough to go to Saturday morning pictures and then, in my early teens, to be at the cinema almost weekly. By the late-1970s, we saw the new wave revolution in cinema come to the fore. The form and content was fresh, urgent and often radical. Films like Bertolucci’s 1900 blew me away, while weekly documentary programmes like World in Action and Panorama helped shape my value system, while showing me how powerful TV and film could be. YOU’VE WORN MANY PROFESSIONAL HATS IN YOUR LIFE, INCLUDING CURRENT AFFAIRS JOURNALIST – WHAT INFORMED YOUR DECISION TO BECOME A FILMMAKER? The few years I spent in the late-1990s producing and directing TV inserts for current affairs programming provided invaluable experience, allowing me to rack up the TV hours on my CV. This gave me the confidence to tackle short TV docs, mainly for Special Assignment. I then decided to bite the bullet and try my hand, first at a TV hour, and then expand into feature-length documentaries over time. It was a hard transition both professionally and financially, but I was ambitious and deeply interested in the endless possibility and freedom that documentary film provided. Watching Raoul Peck and Werner Herzog’s body of work was instrumental in this decision. I have stayed the course because I remain more convinced than ever about the immense power of emotional truth. YOU ARE WELL-KNOWN FOR DIRECTING AND PRODUCING HARD-HITTING SOCIOPOLITICAL DOCUMENTARIES. WHY DO YOU CHOOSE TO PRODUCE PROJECTS OF THIS NATURE? I have largely chosen to produce and direct stories that I personally find riveting because they prompt compelling questions and can make significant social impact. Uhuru Productions has found a niche in this sort of work, but the company has made lots of different types of work over the years, including award-winning local drama and quality advocacy docs. Uhuru continues to make TV docs on an array of subjects. This has kept me open to both directing and producing a diverse array of work, including fiction and even film ideas that are not generated internally. PRODUCING FILMS LIKE MINERS SHOT DOWN AND EVERYTHING MUST FALL REQUIRES YOU TO GAIN ACCESS TO THOSE AT THE CENTRE OF THESE STRUGGLES. HOW DO YOU GO ABOUT THIS? You have to build trust with people and often this takes time, as people need to feel comfortable with who you are. So finding characters is a two-way thing, and you need the right chemistry. Sometimes people cannot get over their own mistrust of you, and vice-versa, so moving in is what is required. Patience and persistence are two qualities that all documentarians must have. WHAT HAS BEEN THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE YOU’VE FACED AS A DOCUMENTARY FILMMAKER? I have had a number of challenges. Surviving financially was and, at times, continues to be a challenge, as someone who works primarily as a green fields documentary film producer. But material obstacles can always be overcome if you are diligent. The biggest challenge is spiritual, in the sense that you have to continually believe that you have something worthwhile to say to the world about the world. WHAT HAS BEEN THE HIGHLIGHT OF YOUR CAREER AS A FILMMAKER THUS FAR? The privilege of making the film about the Marikana massacre in 2012, perhaps the most important event in our post-apartheid history. The Miners Shot Down experience was humbling and also tremendously energising, showing me the raw power of storytelling and vividly illustrating how film can play a significant part in creating social change. The film garnered 28 local and international awards, perhaps one of the most celebrated South African films to date. WITH EVERYTHING MUST FALL CURRENTLY SCREENING ON SHOWMAX – IN YOUR OPINION, WHAT VALUE DO STREAMING SERVICES HOLD FOR AFRICAN FILMMAKERS? Streaming is the future of TV and at presents provide another platform where the film can be seen at the viewer’s leisure. The revenues for streaming and VOD are still small but they are rising as the number of services are multiplying and creating more international exposure for films from Africa.
“Patience and persistence are two qualities that all documentarians must have.
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CAN YOU TELL US WHAT YOU’RE CURRENTLY WORKING ON? The title of the film is How to Steal a Country. It’s a documentary film that primarily tells the story of the Guptas and, by doing so, of the emergence of the shadow elites and the shadow state that is haunting large parts of the world. The film is set for release at the beginning of 2020. HOW DO YOU HOPE TO BE REMEMBERED IN THE INDUSTRY? An approachable and humble person who makes riveting films that inform, entertain and inspire, and which leave us feeling a little more intelligent about the how, who and why of the world. – Compiled by Chanelle Ellaya
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FESTIVALS & EVENTS
| OPINION
WHEN WILL AFRICA ON THE GLOBAL ST I recently attended the NEXTV CEO Africa conference, which saw a gathering of a host of top-level industry execs from some of the major international players in the ever-converging world of digital, social media, TV and content platforms such as Facebook, YouTube, Kwese iflix, Startimes, Econet, Deutsche Welle, The Africa Channel and others.
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fter listening to many of the discussions and moderating two sessions at the event, I continue to wonder when the African TV/ film/content space will hit the critical mass necessary to truly transform the industry. While the presence of so many high-profile individuals at the event, and others like it, is symbolic of the commitment that these companies are supposedly making to Africa, the question remains, are they putting their money where their mouths are? And in answer to this, I would say, not so much. There are stacks of statistics and data that show the massive potential market that Africa represents, with a population (estimated at 77%) considered “youth” – and with smart mobile phone and broadband data penetration increasing exponentially – Africa’s potential is self-evident. But the conundrum appears to be that the African market is in a semi-permanent state of “emerging” and yet never quite arriving. Apart from a few home grown players such as the dominant MultiChoice (Showmax) and less dominant Azam
Media in East Arica, as well as Econet and the North American-based The Africa Channel – which screens purely African/ diasporic content – the other major international platforms are still basically dabbling in the African market, while making a lot of noise about rather small commitments. Netflix has announced three coproduced original South African series (Queen Sono, Shadow, Blood & Water), along with the animated series Mama K’s Team 4, and has also acquired the Nigerian film Lionheart. For this, they have received massive attention from media and professionals across Africa; however, in the grand scheme of their global productions, these are not massive announcements, especially when compared to what Netflix Originals is doing in other parts of the world. Netflix Originals India announced in April that ten new original movies are in production, following on from the five previous original movies and the eight to ten original series set to go into production within the Indian market this year.
OPINION
A ARRIVE TAGE? NETFLIX ORIGINAL SERIES BY REGION (Q4, 2018)
In Asia, Netflix has already produced 100 originals in eight countries and already has 17 announced for 2019 that will be produced in Japan, Taiwan, Thailand, India and South Korea. Netflix announced 24 new titles for Europe in the fourth quarter of 2018 – that’s equivalent to the total for the region in 2017 and represents 22% of the upcoming catalogue. It will increase the number of European titles it produces by another third during 2019, having delivered 141 projects (including recommissions) in 2018. Netflix is also still the only of the top international streaming platform to even show an interest in African content, with others such as Amazon, Hulu, HBO and AppleTV hardly even casting a glance in Africa’s general direction. And yet, many people inside the industry are jumping with joy and excitement in anticipation of Africa and African content being “the next big thing.” I am still to see the evidence of this, however. While there are more and more successful and well-attended events such as the NEXTV CEO Africa event, along with the various DISCOP Markets, and many other similar events that have sprung up, when you speak to the producers they all tell the same story. While there may be a perceived increase in interest in African content, and there are a few high-profile deals being made, there simply is not enough money being spent on African content to drive a transformation within the industry. Compounding the problem, the deals
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FESTIVALS & EVENTS
still fall squarely within the so-called ‘African triangle’: Nigeria, South Africa and (to a lesser extent) Kenya. While French broadcasters like Cote Oust and Canal Plus will continue to support Francophone African content in a more or less consistent manner, there is still simply not enough being spent on African produced content in general to drive a global viewing trend or to drive substantial, sustainable growth within the industry. African content is yet to see anything like the excitement around K-Dramas – South Korea’s soap operas that have taken the world by storm – or the long-lived popularity of Spanish telenovelas. Despite the success of Nollywood content across the continent and into the diaspora, these shows still have not captured a global imagination in the same way or in the same numbers. For content made in Africa to really achieve next-level success, all industry players need to find a way to move from the excitement and the talking at events and conferences into high gear on production and distribution with key partners across the continent and beyond. I definitely don’t have the answers as to how Africa reaches its critical mass, but the more industry events I attend – and the more I hear about Africa’s potential as opposed to its actuality – the more I worry we are just not getting there quite fast enough. – Lara Utian-Preston
NEXTV CEO Africa conference in session
NORTH AMERICA
ASIA/PACIFIC
AFRICA EUROPE
CENTRAL & SOUTH AMERICA JUNE 2019
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TRADE SHOWS & EXPOS
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THE EVOLUTION AND IMPACT OF VFX ON FILM
IF YOU CAN IMAGINE IT, YOU CAN PUT IT ON SCREEN
WHAT’S NEXT FOR VFX?
Special and visual effects have been part and parcel of movie making since the dawn of cinema. From the days of Alfred Clark, to King Kong (1933), Jaws (1975) and Jungle Book (2018), today’s Hollywood blockbusters are jam-packed with explosions, CG imagery, mystical makebelieve and intrigue, fantasy locations and convincing characters created from software programmes.
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t’s hard to imagine a cinematic world where humans don’t teleport through wormholes while battling fiery dragons and interplanetary demons. Or oversized blue people, who are bigger, stronger and more advanced than humans. Anything a screenwriter can come up with is now possible to put on screen in a way that’s authentic and convincing and, not surprisingly, today nearly every major release comes with a hefty VFX budget. According to Mediatech Africa exhibition director Simon Robinson, as with all technology-centric industries, VFX has evolved dramatically over time and particularly over the past 10 years. “VFX has a bright future and we are currently in the golden age of visual effects. There have been incredible and revolutionary breakthroughs in the way technologies have been used in a range of Oscar-winning movies of late and progressively more on TV, too. Growth is evident in the quality and complexity of visual effects, as well as constant innovation in photorealism. What’s more – all of these techniques continue to be rapidly improved upon as technology leapfrogs forward,” he adds. Today’s market is buoyant and in any given year, about eight of the top 10 grossing movies are likely to be visual effects-oriented or computer-animated films; not only this, but many of the most popular current streaming shows are also VFX heavy. The fact that studios spend tens of millions of dollars on visual effects has essentially turned VFX into a commodity. There’s absolutely no doubt about it – the business of VFX is booming.
VFX DOESN’T COME CHEAP “It’s true that VFX has elevated film making to new heights, but it comes with a price tag. If you want evidence of this, HBO’s hit drama Game of Thrones’ eighth season is reported to be the most expensive one yet, with episodes estimated to cost $15 million each,” says Robinson. “Despite the digital revolution and off-the-shelf software, it still takes hours of labour-intensive work by creative technicians and artists working behind the scenes.”
INFLUENCE OF VFX Visual effects now support so much of storytelling that its influence is creeping into other departments – camera, lighting, costumes, sets, makeup, hair, production design and stunts – so there is more VFX work to do than ever before. Companies are also leveraging new technologies such as VR and LED walls. Light-field capture, previs, cloud rendering and game engines for real-time production are other trends evident in the industry. The Jungle Book ushered in the use of game engines for virtual production, which has been picking up greater adoption in the VFX community. Advances in lighting that have helped visual effects include smaller LED lights, which put out more light and are remote-controlled, and are therefore responsible for improving the speed of set ups. Being able to programme lights makes interactive lighting more accurate.
Industrial Light & Magic (ILM) is reportedly working on using AI to de-noise the images produced by ray tracing, which is expected to cut down on both CPU usage and render time. They are also investigating techniques to recognise and replace human faces in a semi-automated way, which is potentially a huge leap forward. Of course, the arrival of 5G – the fifth generation wireless system – will change everything, and the industry eagerly anticipates this advancement. It’s expected to take down latency to below human perception and you will be able to move data in seemingly real-time. “This will have a huge impact on production timelines and budgets,” says Robinson. “Ten years ago it would not have been possible to create The Jungle Book remake, which was almost entirely created on computers and collected a healthy $103 million at the box office on its opening weekend,” says Robinson. “This Hollywood hit used extensive new and innovative technologies, including cloud rendering to handle the hundreds of thousands of processing hours needed to render an entire rain forest in photographic detail and so much more.” Those in the industry expect AR will play an ever-increasing role in the filmmaking process, and there are also big opportunities around AI technology and improved visual effects processes. Cloud computing is expected to have a massive impact on the industry, with the achievement of photorealism in greatly reduced timeframes. “VFX has been responsible for ionic movie moments that have forever changed the industry, and the next 10 years are likely to be even more innovative as technology continues to evolve in ways that help create movies that push VFX to new levels and improve the viewer experience. You can take that to the bank,” concludes Robinson. Mediatech Africa 2019 is on from 17 to 19 July. The show is the largest and only one of its kind on the continent attracting an extensive audience that covers six verticals including: Pro Audio (lighting and staging); Audio Visual Integration; Broadcast (TV & Radio); Studio (Recording – DJ); Digital Media (VOD – OTT); Film & Video (Production). Register before the 12 July closing date to avoid paying the R100 entrance fee and be exposed to the latest in VFX technology being used in local productions and so much more.
AI & MACHINE LEARNING
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Artificially inte Caption
Blackmagic Design Da Vinci Resolve
There is no doubt that artificial intelligence (AI) will touch every aspect of business across all industries in the years ahead. In broadcasting and media, it is already having a profound effect. The technology is widely being used to analyse and understand video content, speeding up processes like searching and logging, for example. AI is now developing into an intelligent video creation tool, being able to film and edit complete productions thanks to machine learning algorithms.
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edia, in general, holds large amounts of unstructured data, which requires humans to understand it. Tasks like content management, processing, interpretation, quality checking, all take a lot of time and effort. However, current AI and machine learning (ML) algorithms have reached a level of accuracy close to human capabilities. This means many labourintensive processes are now taken over by AI instead. All major cloud providers are offering varying forms of AI to assist with post-production. From shot logging and
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speech-to-text, to scene and object identification, AI augments human logging, providing richer metadata for each scene and shot. Some postproduction software integrates directly with cloud AI for a seamless in-application experience. Over the past few months, most major post-production edit software has included some form of AI into their platforms. Blackmagic Design Resolve, for example, introduced DaVinci Neural Engine which uses deep neural networks, machine learning and artificial intelligence to power new features like speed warp
SOLOSHOT3 motion estimation for retiming, super scale for up-scaling footage, auto colour and colour matching, as well as repetitive time-consuming problems like sorting clips into bins based on who is in the shot, for example. Avid’s new AI tools are available through Avid | AI, which is also part of the Avid | On Demand cloud services. Avid | AI is a set of cloud services (a combination of Avid-developed tools and tools from Microsoft Cognitive Services) that utilise machine learning, including facial and scene recognition and text and audio analysis. Also released recently was Avid | Transformation, a new suite of automated services including auto-transcoding, watermarking and content repackaging for delivery to any device, anywhere. Adobe has also updated its video editing applications with useful new features for both After Effects and Premiere Pro users, and some really cool Adobe Sensei AI integration specifically for Premiere Pro. First and foremost, the new Colour Match feature leverages the Adobe Sensei AI to automatically apply the colour grade of one shot to another. This feature comes complete with Face Detection, so Premiere can match skin tones where necessary, and a new split-view allows you to see the results of your colour grade as you go – either as an interactive slider, or as a side-by-side comparison. In addition to Colour Match and Split
View, Adobe has used its Sensei AI to make some audio improvements as well. Autoducking will automatically turn down your music when dialog or sound effects are present, generating key frames right on the audio track so you can easily override the automatic ducking, or else simply adjust individual key frames as needed. Adobe After Effects, meanwhile, rolled out a new feature that can automatically remove objects from a video. While Adobe Photoshop has long offered a tool that can conceal areas of a still image with a camouflage fill, the software giant said the ability to do so across multiple frames was made possible by improvements to its machine learning platform, Adobe Sensei. The feature is the latest example of how artificial intelligence is transforming the video production process, making professional content quicker and easier to produce at scale. The new tool is able to track a discrete object across a given clip, remove it and fill the space it occupied with pixels that blend with the surrounding imagery. Adobe suggests that it can be used for anything from removing anachronistic giveaways within a period piece to erasing a stray boom mic. AI has suddenly become one of the most important technologies and the most in-demand tool for the video creation market owing to its ability to sense, reason, act and adapt. The general
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AI & MACHINE LEARNING
elligent media Avid Media Composer
Adobe AI colour match popularity of automation (in various business practices) is another contributing factor. But do we think that AI will ever replace human input? There are many applications that are starting to hint that it is possible. An early example has to be GoPro’s QuickStories, a quirky piece of software that copies the latest footage from your camera to your phone and – using advanced algorithms – automatically edits it into an awesome
video. Another intriguing piece of kit is SOLOSHOT3. Described as ‘your robot cameraman’, SOLOSHOT3 is a 4K camera on a tripod that automatically tracks a subject wearing a tag, keeping them perfectly in frame and in focus whilst recording the action. SOLOSHOT3 can quickly produce an edited and shareable video of highlights using its automated editing tools and post the video online – with no human intervention required.
The BBC’s Research and Development arm has been experimenting with how machine learning and AI could be used both to automate live production and search the broadcaster’s rather large archives. Their experimenting resulted in a documentary, screened late last year, made entirely by algorithms – and while it wasn’t the best bit of television ever made, it was a pioneering achievement from a machine learning perspective.
In Tel Aviv, Israel, a company called Minute have developed a deep learning AI video optimisation tool that automatically generates highlights from full-length videos. Minute’s AI-powered deep learning technology analyses video content to identify peak moments, allowing the system to automatically generate teasers from any video content with simple, seamless integration. Whilst pessimists claim this kind of application could one day replace humans altogether, the developers at Minute believe that their technology complements, rather than replaces, content creators and storytellers. Most organisations today are exploring how they can best leverage and embrace these new technologies. This technology is also proving to be a boon for video editors and production teams. It enables professionals to focus more on artistic aspects rather than editing, which is considered a rather boring and mechanical task by many. Learning how AI technologies can help the entire production chain by improving quality and efficiency should benefit everyone. New things shouldn’t frighten us, they should excite. Two decades ago, we were all worried about non-linear editing – and look what happened to that concern! – Ian Dormer
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AI & MACHINE LEARNING
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THOUGHT LEADERSHIP
Machine Learning o
SMARTLIVE Auto-logging
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n the parlance of computer science, machine learning uses statistical techniques to give computer systems the ability to progressively improve the performance of handling a specific task by collecting and analysing data, which always creates improvement without explicit programming. Machine learning is closely related to computational statistics: the basis of prediction through the use of computers. It is sometimes conflated with data mining, where systems are designed to focus on data analysis, and is sometimes referred to as ‘unsupervised learning.’
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE On the other hand, artificial intelligence (AI) is intelligence demonstrated by machines, in contrast to the natural intelligence displayed by humans and other animals. AI research is the study of “intelligent agents” or any device that
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perceives its environment and takes actions that maximise its chance of successfully achieving its goals. Colloquially, the term artificial intelligence is applied when a machine mimics cognitive functions that humans associate with other human minds, such as problem-solving. What can be considered AI is changing all the time: as computers become increasingly capable, tasks thought of as requiring intelligence are now often removed from the definition. For example, optical character recognition is today not considered artificial intelligence because it has become routine technology. In the twenty-first century, AI techniques have experienced a resurgence following concurrent advances in computer power, vast amounts of collected data and better theoretical models. The techniques of AI
have become an essential part of the technology industry, helping to solve many challenging problems in computer science, software engineering and operations research. While we can consider AI to be a blanket term that encompasses many media applications, the reality of our industry is that most of these software applications are not currently truly intelligent and must be taught to carry out their particular function. In a real sense, we are applying machine learning tools to process or manage mundane, repetitive chores that have no intelligence other than the data that we, as trainers, supply. A clear example is often discussed in our industry: the review and metadata annotation of all the assets stored in a deep archive through years of programming. A software tool assigned this task must “learn” to identify the
or AI?
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AI & MACHINE LEARNING
Written by Jerôme Wauthoz, VP Products, Tedial
The industry is buzzing with both talk about, and deployments of, AI and machine learning technologies, which are making strides in production environments. But have you thought about the difference between the two?
SMARTLIVE
What can be considered AI is changing all the time: as computers become increasingly capable, tasks thought of as requiring intelligence are now often removed from the definition. images, recognising the important from the inconsequential, and must have a clear set of objects to note. Cloud-sourced systems that leverage crowd input can be useful to our modern media applications, such as recognising a location or a celebrity. However, a unique library of historical media may have no external reference or crowd-sourced knowledge, and therefore must be personally taught to recognise the criteria for evaluation and annotation before it can be a useful tool. As media executives and broadcasters, we must recognise that regardless of what we call this service, it is really machine learning we are implementing, and there’s effort needed to train a computer to be a useful tool in our applications.
WHAT’S HAPPENING NOW? Although many companies are investigating applications and requesting proof of concept demonstrations, not many end-users have taken the plunge into the deep waters of machine learning, because the applications and return on investment are still unknown. What we are all looking for is the “killer app”: the clever application that increases efficiencies, reduces labour or creates new opportunities for monetising an existing library. As AI systems evolve, more of these specific applications are becoming apparent, and at Tedial we like to think of them as “clever AI.” Screenshot of SMARTLIVE logging roughcut
CLEVER AI Let’s take a look at some examples of clever AI. Software tools have been used for years to convert speech to text, and systems have been applying this technology to annotate frame-accurate proxies within text-for-media searches. A clever application is to enable the underlying data model to recognise and trigger automated orchestration workflows based on the occurrence of specific key words, typically a specific action in a sporting event, where it automatically creates an edited clip of the action or automatically distributes the media to appropriate locations or downstream services. Many cloud-sourced AI services can be leveraged in clever ways to augment or annotate video and audio, recognising celebrities, locations, music beds and the like. These tools can make searches faster and more relevant, as well as reduce risk by recognising and alerting management to license infringement problems and/or managing the details of image release documentation. However, these applications don’t provide a clever AI result. The ability to evaluate media and judge its “sentiment” is currently an important machine learning exercise under investigation by many media outlets; the clever AI application is taking that recognised sentiment and using it to replace human-generated recognition and action steps. The clever AI application would be to train a system to recognise players, athletes or fans in the crowd to bring more editorial value to a feed. For example, in live sports, a system could be trained to recognise colourful pictures of fans cheering or an athlete celebrating and automatically add the scene into the event highlights at the right position. At Tedial, as we build more functionality into our SMARTLIVE live sports event system, and we are working to enhance our AI integrations to provide measurable clever AI solutions.
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PHOTO BY MARIUS VAN STRAATEN
BROADCAST
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Survival of the fittest
Inside the new all-South African production of the world’s most successful reality TV show Survivor SA is back for a seventh season, as the castaways brave inclement Samoan weather and pit their wits against each other at Tribal Council. Screen Africa chatted to the producers of the show at Afrokaans, as well as the technical services providers at Visual Impact, about what has gone into making this season the “best-ever” instalment to grace South African screens.
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“TIME TO REVIVE THE GREATEST SHOW ON EARTH” Handrie Basson, owner of Afrokaans Film and Television, explains the process of how his production company became involved in the show. “Essentially, Afrokaans acquired the rights to execute the format of Survivor in South Africa in late-2016. But a lot of our current employees have worked on Survivor before in their individual capacities as freelancers, or worked for the previous production company, Endemol SA. We are true fans of the show, and when it came to light that there was an opportunity for us to purchase the
format rights, we went for it. It was a long process, but [we were granted them] and then we pitched the show back to M-Net. We told them we thought it was time to revive the greatest show on earth.” Basson explains that the first reboot of the show – season six, which was shot in the Philippines – “went very well, and we believe it’s because we’re in a situation where fans are producing the show for other fans. We were very favourably compared with the big international versions of the show – and I think South African audiences really sat up and took notice. From a storytelling point of view, from a visual spectacle perspective, the
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Contestants in the thick of it: Survivor SA Season 7
production values and scale – it was on the back of this success and this momentum that we announced the seventh season. It’s been a journey of passion, and it all stems from the fact that we really love the show.”
TECHNICAL FEAT Of course, a show with the scope and format of Survivor South Africa provides more than its fair share of technical challenges – and, as Basson explains, due to scheduling concerns, this edition of the show proved particularly demanding. “You work backwards from the premiere date the broadcaster gives you, asking yourself: When is the window of opportunity for us to shoot? We didn’t have a lot of turnaround time so we needed to find a destination with local expertise. If the country understands Survivor and knows what the show brings to the nation, it is a much faster process. And, with our specific intention to make the show visually different from season six – Samoa fit the bill, but it meant we had to film during a period when the weather in the South Pacific can be very unpredictable.” Visual Impact’s Stefan Nell, who acted as head of technical and lighting on Survivor Season 7, explains the company’s extensive role in the production: “We supplied all the camera, engineering, control room, lighting, data and post equipment on this year’s Survivor series in Samoa. The only technical departments we did not supply was sound, as that was done by Rian Engelen of Core Media from the USA. We shipped a total of seventeen tons of equipment to Samoa, and – thanks to our shipping supplier, Pioneer Freight – everything arrived and was returned on schedule and in good working condition.” He provides a comprehensive rundown of the scale of the production: “We used 16 Sony PMW 400 cameras, as well as a variety of other cameras and extras including Go Pros, Sony FS7s, underwater
housings, drones and a VR Rig. This was accompanied by a huge selection of Canon HJ series lenses, from HJ11s to HJ40s, and various lenses for the FS7. This year we also had two sets of flyaway kits for vision and engineering control. As we did last season, we used CCU control during all challenges and at Tribal Council, but the main difference this year was that we had a MCR permanently built at tribal council and then a mobile kit for daily challenges. Both systems ran over fibre, enabling us to not only cover large distances but also to provide complete services from camera control to comms. This year, we were also the lighting supplier to Survivor and we made use of our fibre infrastructure to run all lights on DMX with a control desk in the MCR, giving us unprecedented visual control not only on camera but also in terms of lighting – thereby completing the circle for me.” For Marius van Straaten, who acted as liaison between Afrokaans and Visual Impact during the production, “The most exciting technical aspect of Survivor this year was that we decided to use LED lighting running with DMX control over fibre. The lights we used are the latest and best in lighting technology and the results are evident. We had a mix of ARRI Sky Panels – in all sizes from S120s, S60s and S30s – Digital Sputnik DS6s and DS1s, and then a selection of The Light Velvet LED panels, including 4x1, 2x1 and 1x1 panels that are waterproof.” Nell shares this enthusiasm over the lighting over the show, saying: “This decision to use what are essentially ‘film LED lights’ saved us on power requirements, as they run way more efficiently than HMI or tungsten equivalents, and also the fact that these lights are RGBW gave us complete colour and white control. One of my favourite comments from our clients was that it did not look like other Survivors, it looked more like a movie, which I took as a huge compliment and justification for using this
quality of lighting on a TV show.” Nell confirms that the biggest challenges on set related to the at times ferocious weather on the ‘Island of Secrets’, sharing the following story from set: “My most intense memory was one night, right after a Tribal Council, a storm hit. It was 1am on my birthday and I was up a cherry picker, wrapping the lights in tarps so that we did not have any more damages. Then the wind picked up and the rain came down so heavily, the picker arm was swaying in the wind and I just managed to get the last tarp on when the safety officer called it unsafe and told me to come down. It’s the start of a birthday I will never forget!”
SURVIVOR’S SECRET SAUCE Despite these trying conditions, the Visual Impact team displayed the “mental strength and professionalism” required to capture the action on the island – and, as Basson puts it, from the viewer’s perspective, “the weather really becomes a character in this season. From a narrative point of view, I really loved the texture that the weather brought into play.” Indeed, it is precisely this ‘realness’ – the show’s unscripted, uncontrived and spontaneous nature – that both Basson and series producer Darren Lindsay identify as its true enduring quality: the reason people stay enthusiastic about the show year in and year out. “With Survivor, what is fantastic about the format is that it is about social relationships,” Lindsay says. “Though the game has its pillars, which provide elements of cause and effect, the rest is completely unprompted. We don’t know how these people are going to react – and because we film them almost 24/7, the experience is exhausting and there is nowhere to hide. Everything you see emerges from the interplay of the social dynamics on the island.” They give us some insights into the behind-the-scenes steps they take to
BROADCAST
ensure that what we witness on the island is as authentic as possible. “Casting is paramount,” according to Basson. “It is the foundation of the success of the format – you have to find the alchemy of different kinds of people and personalities to make the show come alive. Casting is one of our nonnegotiables, and we invest lots of effort and resources into the process.” The result is an interesting combination of hard science – including thorough professional psychological evaluations – and, as Lindsay elaborates, a viewercentric model with a strong on-camera element to the casting process. “The entire process went through eight steps. Everything was digital at first, but we did this for the fans – to make sure people really wanted to be on the show. After the entries had been whittled down, the creative and content team would actually do home visits with those people all over the country, to see how relatable and natural they were in conversation. This went hand in hand with a thorough examination to ensure the would-be contestants were both mentally and medically fit. The show puts people in extreme, demanding circumstances. As producers, we have that duty of care to make sure people can withstand it, while still making spontaneous, compelling television.” Basson and Lindsay go on to describe various tasks the team undertakes in the name of authenticity – such as the “intricate dance of chaperones and travel coordinators to ensure the contestants really do only see each other for the first time on the boats as they approach the island” – and explain that, as fans of the show first and foremost, they feel a “duty” to keep innovating, while staying true to the spirit of the format. Basson concludes: “In terms of the local production landscape, Survivor is a really expensive TV show. But, comparatively speaking – if you look at the international versions of the show – we don’t have nearly the same budget. And yet our challenge is to be even better than what they have to offer. Our position is firmly that budget isn’t an excuse, and that compels us to be innovative, be passionate and work that much harder to keep raising the bar.” – David Cornwell
KEY CREW Head of Technical and Lighting: Stefan Nell Head Engineer: Roedolph Louw Engineer: Thomas van Greuning VR and Junior Engineer: Gift Moloantoa DIT: James Macintosh DIT: Riaan van der Merwe DIT: Mo Ismael
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BROADCAST TECHNOLOGY
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The Voice puts viewers first Season 3 of M-Net’s The Voice South Africa is in full swing, lighting up the channel’s Sunday evening programming and setting social media abuzz with its compelling group of Talents and illustrious guest artists – including performances by Grammy Award-winning US musician Ben Harper and the on-air release of a new track from Mi Casa.
F
rom a brand-new audio experience inside the Mosaiek Teatro venue, to innovative ways of increasing viewer engagement, in this feature we take a look behind the scenes at how the show runners have prioritised the audience experience.
IMMERSIVE AUDIO, IMMERSIVE EXPERIENCE On the technical front, undoubtedly one of this season’s biggest advancements is the deployment of a revolutionary new audio rig from L-Acoustics, the L-ISA Immersive Hyperreal Sound system. In simple terms, L-ISA goes beyond stereo mixing – being able to accommodate not just two, but up to 96 channels of audio and play them out in a custom, multiple speaker set up. As Chris De Lancey of Multi-Media explains, this patented technology allows for sound elements “to be individually placed within a 3D environment.” De Lancey elaborates: “L-ISA is a pretty huge deal and this technology has never been used on The Voice anywhere outside of South Africa. In fact, it’s only been deployed once before in the entire Southern Hemisphere. Earlier in the
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week, our production team got to modulate between L-ISA and regular stereo and, to quote them, turning L-ISA off is like ‘putting your head into a vacuum.’ Much like black and white isn’t quite the same after experiencing vivid colours, we think [audiences] will walk away from our shows thrilled and transformed by this unique auditory experience.”
IT’S ALL ABOUT THE SHOW 2019 Talent Anslin Gysman says: “Being a Talent on the show, [the L-ISA system] presents an amazing opportunity. The immersive sound set up not only gives us the chance to showcase our vocal abilities better, but it will make the show more exciting and emotional for the audience, and a deeper personal experience – because [3D audio] doesn’t just affect the ears, it really speaks to the soul.” These thoughts are echoed by the show’s director, Darren Hayward. He is adamant about what underpins the success of The Voice: “We create a live show and we shoot that live show. We don’t create a TV show that we manufacture an audience and an experience into.
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BROADCAST TECHNOLOGY
Talents on The Voice South Africa Season 3
Coaches: Francois van Coke, Lira, Riana Nel and Riky Rik
“Even if some of the live elements don’t effect the broadcast at all, we believe it all goes into the success of the show. It’s vital that the audience in the theatre is having the best possible time, and that the Talents are given the most spectacular platform on which to perform. When that’s all there, it gets communicated in the broadcast.” While The Voice South Africa has always been visually spectacular, this year’s lighting rig – designed by Joshua Cutts, who recently engineered the 2019 Eurovision Song Contest in Tel Aviv, Israel – is a real thing of beauty. Operated by what Hayward calls “one of the most exceptional teams in the business”, the visual elements of the show are punchy and slick, with the video screens adding tasteful emotional content to augment the vocal performances.
“BRINGING THE AUDIENCE INTO THE EXPERIENCE OF THE SHOW” According to Lani Lombard, head of publicity at M-Net, “[In the months leading up to the show], our M-Net social media accounts were inundated with direct messages from performers and fans with a burning desire to take part in The Voice South Africa.” However, not content to rest on their laurels, Hayward also outlines a number of key innovations of Season 3, all of which were aimed at enhancing the experience of the show from a viewer’s perspective. For one thing, the Red Room has been built into a platform within the audience area and re-launched as a Radio Takeover space – where, every week, different local radio DJs come in to chat to the Talents – a world-first on The Voice, and a
deliberate tactic, according to Hayward, “to also include the audience in this aspect of the show, which in turn benefits from the engagement with the crowd.” Another “really exciting innovation this year was the voting during our Battle stage. We really wanted to see how connected the audience was with the show, and so for each knockout round, we got the audience to decide who they would like to save of the Talents who were not taken through by their Coaches. We used analytics to set up a Battle between the two favourites and then left it up to the viewer to decide.” Not only was this decision vital in building momentum and getting the show off to a “flying start”, but it has positively impacted the level of engagement during the audience voting rounds. And – coupled with an expertly-
executed social media campaign (#TheVoiceSA) – it has resulted in a wave of enthusiasm among South African viewers. Lombard concludes by saying: “This year’s talent is absolutely phenomenal and the competition is stiff, so the coaches – and the audiences – are in for some great surprises right till the very end.” – David Cornwell Follow the conversation using the hashtag #TheVoiceSA on your favourite social media platforms.
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INDUSTRY REVIEW
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“Perhaps the most interesting developments within the film and TV industries, however, are due to new media and technology. New digital technologies and platforms are opening up spaces and opportunities for diverse kinds of content and for direct distribution and sharing.
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E S I R THE S ’ A Y KEN B
Without a doubt, Kenya’s film industry is experiencing vast improvements. The country’s amateur and professional filmmakers are committed to telling great stories, as evidenced by the slew of globally-recognised, award-winning films and documentaries released in the last decade.
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ox office numbers notwithstanding, Kenya can boast a fairly robust cinema culture thanks to films like The Last Fight, Nairobi Half Life, Subira, 18 Hours, Stories of our Lives, Supa Modo and Thank you for the Rain, among others. There’s also an uptick in smaller, equally ambitious films populating free-to-air channels and video sharing and streaming sites. In 2016, a report by Kenya’s Treasury valued the industry at $2.2 billion in the previous year, with an expected 12.9% growth through 2019. In that same period, 409 films were examined and classified for domestic exhibition, despite there being little in the way of publiclyaccessible technical training and grant facilities, plus heavy government regulations on the sector. In fact, the real money is in telling stories to push products – the advertising sector. According to a Reelforge Media Monitoring report, four years ago companies were spending as much as Kes 85.8 billion (nearly $850 million) on adverts, with TV stations raking in Kes 41.8 billion in revenue. So how, then, is the film and TV industry still thriving? It is thanks to the
tenacity of local players coupled with strategic co-production partnerships that are based on an understanding of the local landscape. Country Queen director Vincent Mbaya is the embodiment of this resilience and collaborative approach. A partnership between German company Good Karma Fiction and local production company Tililiz Pictures has made possible the pilot of the highquality dramatic TV series, Country Queen, with Mbaya in the driving seat. Prior to directing Country Queen, Mbaya co-directed Kalamu na Ndeng’a, a gripping crime drama that was entirely self-funded. Now at the helm of what’s shaping up to a promising high-quality TV series, he revels in the chance to tell a touching story with such high production value. “When the producers told me exactly what Country Queen was about and how much of a cinematic process the execution would be, I said yes!” explains Mbaya. Indeed, the financial muscle and increased expertise made possible through international collaborations makes a world of difference. It is what has made films like Rafiki, Kati Kati and Watu Wote possible. Country Queen is the first
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F O E S I R D AN Y R T S U D N I FILM attempt at a similarly-styled, big-budget Kenyan television series. International funding paired with Kenyan creativity is also on display at The Shorts, Shorts and Shots Festival, supported by Kenya’s DocuBox, a documentary-funding organisation, and by British Council Nairobi, who are pushing the creative boundaries and ensuring support for Kenyan films and filmmakers. The festival invites patrons to wear shorts to the screenings and enjoy either alcoholic or non-alcoholic shots at the cinema. This cool gimmick has been paying off, explains April Wambui, the Festival Screening Manager: “Our numbers have been growing with every edition. We have managed to pull together an exciting diverse audience of both filmmakers and film enthusiasts of about 1,300 people in a total of nine editions.” In that time, the festival has also screened 29 Kenyan films alongside pan-African and international selections. The festival (now a quarterly happening) also offers workshops and grants to aid short filmmakers. “We are aiming at empowering local filmmakers to
make new, exciting and unique stories for the world to see. Through funding, we are encouraging more and more filmmakers to produce films that will transform the film industry. We have been receiving overwhelming responses from the applications meaning that filmmakers are eager to share their stories through film,” says Wambui. According to HEVA Fund researcher George “Mars” Aloo, “it’s about time.” He co-authored a recent business report on Kenya’s film and digital industry with comparative references to both Nigeria and South Africa. “We cannot ignore the impact that foreign film crews have had on the ecosystem [in South Africa], especially the transference that has led to the vibrancy in the film and TV industry. Locally we are hoping for the same,” he says. Encouragingly, Aloo is already seeing a positive change within the industry at policy level. For instance, the Kenya Film Classification Board was transferred from the Ministry of Sports and Heritage to the Ministry of Information and Communications Technology. “There’s more funding there,” he explains. Already there’s been a 60% slash on the cost of
distributing digital signals. For the past two years, broadcasters have paid Kes 37,311 – down from Kes. 93,202. As a result, there’s been an upsurge in vernacular TV stations meaning more content in local languages. Perhaps the most interesting developments within the film and TV industries, however, are due to new media and technology. New digital technologies and platforms are opening up spaces and opportunities for diverse kinds of content and for direct distribution and sharing. Competitions such as the annual Smartphone Film Competition and Machawood, both in their third editions, are also riding the new media wave. The Smartphone Film Competition inspires young people to create films using the technology that is literally in their hands – their phones – while Machawood has ambitions to create a vibrant TV movie industry within Kenya by leveraging new tech that makes low-budget production possible. Local filmmakers are also exploring the direct-to-market approach that eliminates gatekeeping by mainstream media.
Having worked on Tuko Macho, a web series first screened on Facebook, Aloo understands the true value of this. “It entirely debunks the myth that Kenyans don’t want to watch local content,” he says. Their show debuted in 2016 and garnered over three million views. This February, Kenyan-Nigerian rom-com, Plan B, which first aired on terrestrial TV, hit one million views on YouTube in a single week. The future potential of Kenya’s film and TV industries is inspiring. However, it will take the continued support of both local players, including government and the private sector, as well as the support of like-minded international partners. The confidence coming from within the local sector is also encouraging and hopefully will lead to an industry that is more and more driven from within, ensuring productions that reflect Kenya’s diversity and talent on the global stage. – Wanjeri Gakuru
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M A R KET PL AC E
UPCOMING EVENTS JUNE 29 MAY – 13 SAN FRANCISCO DOCUMENTARY FESTIVAL
San Francisco
6 – 16
ENCOUNTERS SOUTH AFRICAN INTERNATIONAL DOCUMENTARY FESTIVAL
Cape Town
10 – 15
ANNECY INTERNATIONAL ANIMATION FILM FESTIVAL
Annecy, France
6 – 14
ZANZIBAR INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL
Stone Town
17 – 19
MEDIATECH AFRICA
JULY
Johannesburg
18 – 28
DURBAN INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL
Durban
19 – 22
DURBAN FILMMART
Durban
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Golf Day 2019 will take place on
Thursday, 22 August 2019 at Eagle Canyon Golf Estate 3 Blueberry St, Eagle Canyon Golf Estate, Honeydew, Johannesburg, 2040
A cocktail party and prize-giving will be held at the Eagle Canyon Clubhouse Pub following the competition, which provides great networking opportunities. Reconfirm your sponsorship and 4-ball by Friday, 26 July 2019.
Thursday, 22 August 2019
Date: Sponsorship:
Hole 1 & Hole 10 – (SOLD) All other holes – R5 750.00 (ex vat) A few holes available for sponsors.
Halfway House:
For your own account
Green Fees:
Green fees will be R500 per player which includes dinner
Start:
Shotgun Start @ 11:30am
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