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VOL 30 – March 2018 R38.00
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| IN THIS ISSUE
24 EQUIPMENT RENTALS: Lights... cameras... action...
12
16
Design Indaba 2018 puts Afrofuturism on the map
22
An African western, Five Fingers for Marseilles, thrills globally
36
Rumba in the Jungle – The Return: A look into SA’s biggest dance competition and its great return
NAB 2018 – as rumour has it
Special FEATURE EQUIPMENT RENTALS: Lights... cameras... action........24
The Pitch SA draws on
ADCETERA
Africa’s storytelling tradition....................... 6 The Cape’s production industry
FORT Review intersects
The important relationship between the rental equipment industry and film production.................... 25 Is it better to rent or buy?....................... 28
takes steps to become water resilient..... 7
innovation and storytelling....................... 10 Design Indaba 2018 puts
TECHNOLOGY NEWS
Afrofuturism on the map.......................... 12 ARRI Alexa captures new
Harmonic announces VOS
Equipment rental survey........................... 30
Software Cluster............................................ 8 Panasonic expands studio
NEWS
camera range................................................... 8 Tilta Nucleus now
ZIFF and DISCOP present the first-ever Zanzibar TV Series Festival........ 3 Nigeria’s film and TV industry targets global growth with
available at Puma Video................................ 9
NITV Summit in Paris................................... 4
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Rumba in the Jungle – The Return: A look into SA’s biggest dance
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VW Polo TVC.............................................. 14
NAB 2018 PREVIEW NAB 2018 – as rumour has it................. 36
FESTIVALS & MARKETS From a moment to a movement ........... 38
FILM An African western, Five Fingers for Marseilles, thrills audiences globally........ 16 Tanzanian film Kiumeni takes on the bongo film industry..................... 18 Director Speak: Lungelo Mdlalose.......... 20 The STARS are shining on Mama Dance.......................................... 21
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competition and its great return........... 22
REGULARS
SOCIAL SAFTAs nominee announcement............ 39 Marketplace.................................................. 40 Upcoming Events........................................ 40
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From the editor
The Team Editor
NAB Show 2018 is around the corner and once again the industry will be buzzing with news of which new technologies and trends are set to dictate the broadcast technology market. As our resident tech guru, Ian Dormer, puts it in his NAB preview piece this year: “NAB is an unrivalled experience where the entire digital ecosystem gathers year after year to leverage new technologies, tools and cross-aisle synergies to propel the content economy forward.” If you’re heading to NAB this year, you won’t want to miss Ian’s contribution on pages 36 and 37, where he gets into what visitors to NAB Show 2018 can look forward to – as rumour has it! With that said, if you’re visiting NAB this year, upon returning, please don’t hesitate to contact us with news, opinions and insights regarding what you may have learnt there. We are always looking for contributions from thought leaders within the industry. In our Adcetra section this month, we get into the making of the new VW Polo TVC on pages 14 to 15, conceptualised by Ogilvy Cape Town and directed by Greg Gray of Romance Films. The comedic spot has earned wide critical acclaim both locally and internationally. Another noteworthy contribution to the section comes from Louise Marsland on page 12, where she gives us the scoop on what took place at Design Indaba 2018. Our Film section this month takes readers behind the scenes on three proudly African productions: the award-winning, African western, Five Fingers for Marseilles; Tanzanian romantic-comedy, Kiumeni; and Rumba in the Jungle – The Return, a documentary on the forgotten and now revived culture of dance as a sport in South Africa. We get into everything from the inspiration for these films, to the casting process and technology used. This brings us to our annual equipment rentals feature. Spread across twelve pages, the section carries what we believe to be informative and interesting views and information for both the equipment rental companies and their customers. On pages 25 to 27, David Cornwell presents an interesting piece on the intrinsic relationship between our local film production industry and the rental industry. We get into whether it’s better to rent or buy equipment on pages 28 and 29. We close off the section with the results of our annual Screen Africa equipment rental survey – and on that note, thank you to all the industry players who participated in our survey this year. Till next month! – Chanelle Ellaya
SCREENAFRICA Publisher & Managing Editor: Simon Robinson: publisher@screenafrica.com Editor: Chanelle Ellaya: editor@screenafrica.com Journalists: Gezzy S Sibisi: news@screenafrica.com
Design: Trevor Ou Tim: design@suncirclegroup.com Website Updates: Tina Tserere: tina@sun-circle.co.za Subscriptions: Tina Tserere: tina@sun-circle.co.za Delight Ngwenya: admin@sun-circle.co.za Accounts: Helen Loots: accounts@sun-circle.co.za Advertisement Sales: Marianne Schafer: marianne@screenafrica.com Graham Grier: graham@sun-circle.co.za
Chanelle Ellaya is a writer and a journalist. She completed her BA Journalism degree at the University of Johannesburg in 2011. While writing is her passion, she has a keen interest in the media in various capacities. Chanelle is an avid social networker and a firm believer in the power of social and online networking. Between writing and tweeting, she finds time to feed her love for live music.
JOURNALISTS Gezzy S Sibisi is a journalist and photographer with experience in print, broadcast and digital media. Her portfolio of work includes working as a lifestyle reporter as well as contributing business and education articles to The Times, Sowetan and Daily Despatch publications. As a freelancer she has worked on content development for corporate newsletters, community newspapers, blogs and educational websites.
Louise Marsland is an editor, journalist and columnist in the media and marketing communications industry in South Africa, who has been writing about the industry for over two decades as a former editor of publications: AdVantage, Marketing Mix and Bizcommunity.com. She currently writes extensively about industry trends and consumer insight.
Lara Preston is a passionately committed marketer and strategist with a focus in promoting African content and events. Two decades of working across Africa have provided her with insights and experience that she puts to work for the projects she manages. In 2006, Lara founded, and still personally manages, Red Flag Content Relations, a full service below-the-line agency that also focuses on African entertainment and lifestyle brand marketing, strategy, and publicity.
David Cornwell lives in Cape Town, where he writes fiction, films and features for a variety of publications. His debut novel, Like It Matters (Umuzi, 2016), has been long-listed for the 2017 Sunday Times Fiction Award.
Ian Dormer was born in Zimbabwe and has been in the TV business since the 1980s, having served in various positions at the SABC, M-Net and SuperSport. Ian currently works and resides in New Zealand.
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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.
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Photo COURTESY Zanzibar International Film Festival (ZIFF)
ZIFF and DISCOP present the first-ever Zanzibar TV Series Festival
The Zanzibar International Film Festival (ZIFF), in collaboration with the inaugural DISCOP Zanzibar, recently announced an exciting new programme and festival category dedicated to the television content industry. The new programme and category will focus on the pertinent television content sector.
T
he way in which we are currently consuming content continues to favour both the television and digital industries, with global audiences increasingly favouring long-format entertainment content as well as ‘binge-worthy’ content. With this in mind, ZIFF in partnership with DISCOP has developed two new award categories for the 2018 edition of ZIFF: Best TV Series and Best Web Series. But that’s not all, in a move that seeks to acknowledge and celebrate the latest movements and trends within the content production environment, ZIFF and DISCOP will be presenting the first ever Zanzibar TV Series Festival, set to run from 11 to 13 July 2018. A statement issued on behalf of both
ZIFF and DISCOP expands: “The event aims to highlight series from all over the world and to give an international voice to this increasingly popular and fiercely creative new art form. Open to the public, the Zanzibar TV Series Festival will celebrate excellence. Striving to create a stage on which the foremost creators in the world of TV series come together, where tomorrow’s talents are showcased and a prestigious international competition for a wide range of genres and for series of all shapes and forms is presented.” “A lot has been written about television replacing film as the vital performing art form of our day. This is not true as we don’t see the future of cinema as being threatened by the rise of television
series,” comments DISCOP Market’s general manager Patrick Zuchowicki. “On the contrary. We now have two different ways to tell stories on a screen, each with its own grammar: the 90 to 120 minute format and the 10-hour format.”
Best African TV Series award At the upcoming Zanzibar International Film Festival – set to run from 7 to 15 July 2018 – the category for Best African TV Series will be open to any African television series produced or coproduced and broadcast within the last two years. Three completed episodes will need to be submitted for consideration. Zuchowicki comments: “With the FANNG’s (Facebook, Apple, Amazon, Netflix, Google) plans to spend up to US$15 billion on film, television and online content in 2018 and with millennials raised on streaming, the time has come to celebrate entertainment content as a whole and bring to the attention of the Zanzibar public the world’s foremost creators to television series, and provide the best ones with a well-deserved award.” “ZIFF’s 20th marked a turning point in the history of our festival. With the big step this year of ZIFF’s partnership of DISCOP Zanzibar, we are ready and
excited to welcome all the players in the business of film, television and content production. ZIFF is amongst one of the first festivals in Africa, if not the world, to recognise the importance and power of both TV and web content. These awards, along with related workshops and discussions, represent ZIFF’s commitment to growing the whole of the East African content industry,” comments ZIFF festival director Fabrizio Colombo.
To submit your series: • All submissions must be done through the ZIFF platform on www. festhome.com (link is can be found on the website of the festival). • Signed and fully completed applications must be submitted by e-mail to filmdept@ziff.or.tz • To be eligible for programming, the ENTIRE application must be completed and signed. • Freight costs of any film will be borne by the producer. • Selection results will be available from 15 May 2018 on the ZIFF website. Deadline for submission is 15 March 2018. – Chanelle Ellaya
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Nigeria’s film and TV industry targets global growth with NITV Summit in Paris Nigeria is home to the largest film and TV production hub on the African continent. are involved in production, distribution, dubbing and post-production, to engage in more business with the Nigerian entertainment industry. “First Nigeria has very strong cultural ties with France, and so this event has the French Embassy as a major partner in order to promote stronger trade and economic relations between the two countries within the TV ecosystem. Secondly, it’s in France because our events are strategically positioned to target industry executives with different business interests in Nigeria and have them come under the same roof for networking and panel discussions on business with Nigeria, thereby creating a business platform for global companies to engage with local businesses from Nigeria,” Onal explains. Registration to attend the event can be done on the NITV website. However, only
Ijeoma Onal, founder of the NITV Summit
eligible businesses who have received a confirmation email to attend the affair will be allowed entrance to the Summit. On the programme, the first day of the Summit will include panel discussions positioned to unpack and tackle Nigeria’s on-going digital switch-over (DSO). Nigeria’s digital migration is said to have already been launched in two states and will reach many more states in the upcoming months. “Government officials from Nigeria’s broadcast regulatory body will be attending NITV to engage the global TV industry on how they too can tap into the massive opportunities
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“In Nigeria, we have a burgeoning film and TV industry and it’s important for us that the global industry understands what is happening locally especially the successes that are home-grown and exponential.” – Ijeoma Onal
inherent in the migration and digital switchover,” informs Onal. The second and final day will include a business workshop on producing. The workshop will cover technical requirements for international production and post-production, as well as advice on dubbing into French for optimised revenue for Nigerian independent television producers. Other highlights and activities include the 5-minute B2B meetings and matchmakings. Aditionally, screenings of Nigeria’s best-loved EbonyLife TV television productions will also be part of the second day’s events. The Summit will be hosting prominent guests within the film and TV industry such as Nigeria’s award-winning female producer, Emem Isong-Misodi, as well as the Electronic and Media Content Owners Association of Nigeria (EMCOAN), which is celebrated as the consortium of Nigeria’s best independent producers. For more information regarding the NITV Summit, visit www.nifsummit.com/ nitv. – Gezzy S Sibisi
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n a bid to better position the country’s booming industry – more specifically the TV industry – for global business opportunities and collaboration, the Nigerian International Television Summit was launched. Ijeoma Onal, founder of both the Nigerian International TV Summit (NITV), as well as the Nigerian International Film Summit (NIFS) comments: “Here in Nigeria, we have a burgeoning film and TV industry, and it’s important to us that the global industry understands what is happening locally especially the successes that are home-grown and exponential. These B2B events project the opportunities and possibilities in the Nigerian film and TV business ecosystem… More importantly, they teach how to navigate film and TV business in Nigeria because a lot of companies do not understand the dynamism of business in Nigeria, and struggle to find the right footing locally because of Nigeria’s business peculiarities. These are B2B events focusing on the business of film and television and designed to drive the right business conversations about Nigeria and provide guidance and insight about our local industry.” The two-day event, which will take place from 13 to 14 April, will be held in Paris, France, under the theme: Local for Global. The main objective for this Summit is to get French companies that
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The Pitch SA draws on Africa’s storytelling tradition The Bible has been a source of inspiration for a plethora of films over the years and in the first South African edition of the UK film competition Enter The Pitch, South African filmmakers were challenged to come up with compelling stories peppered with Christian themes.
“T
he Pitch offers not only investment in production but crucially investment in the filmmakers themselves, offering skills in adaptation, storytelling, character development and pitching. In all this, the Bible offers a tapestry of human stories and conditions. It is available without copyright issues and available in all 11 official South African languages, offering a unique level playing field,” says Mims Turley, project leader of The Pitch SA. This competition gives the winning “pitcher”, a unique opportunity to make a short film with professional production support worth more than R300 000. Thereafter, the filmmaker will fly to London to meet with top UK film professionals who will share their feedback and advice on the film, before it travels the film festival circuit. The Pitch SA journey began last year when filmmakers were asked to create a 2-minute pitch of their chosen theme, story or verse from the Bible. Luke Walton, the founder of The Pitch UK and head judge on The Pitch SA comments: “South Africa has the film industry infrastructure to match the best in the world. It also has talented youth and a wealth of storytelling tradition. We want to see these brought together to offer the unique South African voice to the world.” Filmmakers from all over the country took on the challenge and pitched their story ideas; their clips can now be viewed
Winners of the Pitch SA with founder of The Pitch UK, Luke Walton
Mpumelelo Kheswa and Howard Fyvie, winners of the very first Pitch SA
on The Pitch SA website.“We are delighted with the variety of ideas and breadth of voices that have already enriched The Pitch. Our finalists have already improved in their skills so much from their original concepts,” Turley adds. A longlist selection of filmmakers was made and announced by the judges on 13 November, which then progressed to a shortlist selection that was dependent on public votes. Fast forward to the last week of February 2018, six finalists from all over
South Africa made their way to Rick’s Café in Cape Town for the announcement of the winning pitch. Walton was present to announce the pitch winner, which surprising became two winners, Mpumelelo Kheswa (The Second) and Howard Fyvie (Ramsey). The Second by Mpumelelo Kheswa: The Second is inspired by the events leading up to the birth of Jesus. Kheswa’s modern twist of the events, begins in 1990 when newly-weds Kwandile and Nolwandle prepare to escape the
political instability of rural KZN to a peaceful farm where they can raise their “special” unborn child. The story becomes an action-packed adventure as the parents of the child realise the gifts and prophesies laid upon their son. Ramsey by Howard Fyvie: Ramsey tells the story of a group of guardian angels who follow the daily grind of Jonathan – a rookie guardian angel – as he learns the ropes of the game. In this tale, filmmaker Howard Fyvie takes a comical approach to life’s heartfelt situations as the guardian angels do their bit to save lost and desperate souls. While the two winners take the next step to producing their films, lead speaker of The Pitch SA, Laurie Hutzler will be conducting masterclasses for filmmakers who would like to enter the second annual Pitch SA competition. The masterclasses will take place from 5 to 7 March 2017 at various learning institutions and locations in Pretoria and around Johannesburg. Filmmakers can book their seats online by sending a message to The Pitch SA Facebook page. “Laurie Hutzler is an international expert on story development and has worked on two Oscar-winning foreign language films Tsotsi (SA) and The Counterfeiter (Austria). To listen to Laurie Hutzler on adaptation should be a bonus for any young filmmaker,” Turley concludes. – Gezzy S Sibisi
“South Africa has the film industry infrastructure to match the best in the world. It also has talented youth and a wealth of storytelling tradition. We want to see these brought together to offer the unique South African voice to the world.” – Luke Walton 6 | SCREENAFRICA | March 2018
The Cape’s production industry takes steps to become water resilient
It’s no secret that Cape Town and the Western Cape as a whole are experiencing a severe drought – the worst in 400 years. Level 6b restrictions have been implemented in order to ensure that water consumption is reduced to a level where Day Zero can be avoided.
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he film and media sector remain a significant job creator for the Cape’s economy, and despite the drought – the show must go on! In an attempt to support the production sector in sustaining itself during the drought whilst still conserving water, the Western Cape’s Film and Media Promotion Unit, in collaboration with the City of Cape Town and the Western Cape Government, hosted a “think tank session” where advice on how to save water was shared. Monica Rorvik, head of the Film and Media Promotion Unit said: “Cape Town and the Western Cape are open for business. We are working with the industry to assist them in becoming water resilient during this drought.” Several heads of major Cape Townbased companies within the industry
shared on how their businesses are already taking steps to save water. Genevieve Hofmeyr, co-founder and managing director at Moonlighting Films said: “Film businesses in Cape Town and the Western Cape are adapting to the new normal. Our international cast and crew are living like locals and cutting their water footprint. Where potable water is required for a scene, it is imported from the Cape Overberg and then re-used in our grey water systems, but these scenes are being cut to the minimum.” Byron De Carvalho, director at film catering company Shesha added: “Shesha has a plan to save 145 000 litres of water. We are going to erect water cooler drums, which makes use of water from springs outside of Cape Town. An average shoot uses up to 480 plastic bottles of water a day, so this intervention will drastically save water. We are also installing an air water converter, which will be used to run our kitchen, and will use plastic, bio-degradable plates and cutlery to reduce washing requirements. Our chefs will in addition cut out high water-using dishes from the menu, and grey water will be used to clean floors.” Leading consultant to the film industry, Rudi Riek concluded: “Our Industry has been world leaders on many fronts and our ability as an industry to deal with crisis situations is well known. We are encouraged by the incredible measures our suppliers and production companies are already taking in order to save water. Along with our partners in the City and Wesgro, with the support of our suppliers we will be rolling out new guidelines that all companies must adhere to in our efforts to ensure all productions are water neutral or as close to it as possible.” – Chanelle Ellaya
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TECHNOLOGY NEWS
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Harmonic announces VOS Software Cluster Harmonic recently announced the next evolution of its award-winning VOS offerings, addressing the need for increased agility, adaptability and state-of-the-art technology for OTT and IPTV deployments. VOS SW Cluster is a comprehensive software application that embeds market-leading media processing, including ingest, playout, compression, encryption, packaging and origin, and supports both cloud and bare metal compute environments. Highly adaptive and responsive to user needs, the VOS SW Cluster solution can be used by video content and service providers of any size and on any platform for the origination and delivery of IPTV and OTT services. The VOS SW Cluster solution has already been successfully deployed by a leading telecommunications service provider in the Asia-Pacific region. “Being successful in today’s media environment is highly dependent upon how quickly you can adapt,” said Tim Warren, senior vice president and chief technology officer, video business, at
Harmonic. “The VOS SW Cluster offering expands upon the flexibility and agility of our award-winning VOS Cloud media processing application, enabling operators to be even more nimble in using datacentre resources. With the VOS SW Cluster solution, video content and service providers can handle every step of the media processing chain using datacentres, the cloud, or both to launch
services faster and deliver high-quality IPTV and OTT content on every screen.” As an infrastructure-independent media processing application, the VOS SW Cluster offering makes it easy for operators to switch between bare metal datacentre computing (e.g., off-the-shelf IT), public clouds (e.g., AWS, Microsoft Azure) and private clouds. Having an elastic and always up-to-date media
The camera, as well as the camera control unit have the same format as the UC3000 system, but additionally feature a 4.4K image sensor in UHD, achieving 2000 TV lines and a S/N of 62dB. 2 x 12G SDI and 4 x 3G (two times 4 x 3G is available as option) are standard. All outputs are capable of supporting HDR (HLG) and SDR independently. A Media over IP interface (MoIP), with SMPTE-2022 and SMPTE-2110 for remote
operation configurations, will become available as an option in Autumn 2018. Furthermore, the AK-UC4000 camera system will incorporate switchable 2x, 3x and 4x high speed HD support as standard later this year. “Panasonic’s new studio camera system delivers excellent value for money, over and above its competitors,” says Stefan Hofmann, Panasonic manager Sales Engineering Live Operation.
workflow enables operators to launch services faster, scale seamlessly with operational efficiency, and ensure consistent functionality across all deployment environments. With a simple intent-driven user interface, operators have more time to focus on service innovation and test new service offerings. The VOS SW Cluster application enables operators to keep pace with the latest OTT workflows, including live publishing to social media online platforms, streaming VOD from live and file sources, ground-breaking Ultra-HD OTT with HDR, and low-latency delivery via the CMAF specification. The VOS SW Cluster solution joins Harmonic’s ground-breaking VOS family, which helps video content and service providers succeed in the quickly evolving OTT market by leveraging the latest advancements in software and cloud technology. The VOS family also includes VOS 360 media processing SaaS, which utilises the VOS SW Cluster solution, and VOS Engine, an advanced containerbased software module. The VOS 360 offering is part of a growing line of SaaS offerings hosted, maintained and monitored by Harmonic that deliver the company’s market-leading media processing and delivery technologies as a service.
Panasonic expands studio camera range
Panasonic recently announced the launch of a new studio camera system aimed at the production, rental and live events markets. Expanding its portfolio of studio cameras, the new S35mm MOS sensor AK-UC4000 outputs in both Ultra HD and Full HD. Becoming the company’s flagship studio camera, it is launched alongside a new camera control unit (AK-UCU600). 8 | SCREENAFRICA | March 2018
“What’s really unique is that there are a high number of Panasonic products such as the EVA1, VariCam LT, PTZ cameras and other cameras from the professional camera range, which can be controlled by the same remote control panel, the HRP1000 and HRP1005. In a live events space, this is invaluable.”
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Tilta Nucleus now available at Puma Video The just released Tilta Nucleus is a wireless lens control kit that is available from Puma Video for hire.
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he Tilta Nucleus makes shooting handheld and balancing gimbals easier and has a control distance of up to 300m. The Tilta Nucleus-M is a revolutionary wireless 3 Channel follow focus system particularly ideal for shoulder mounts systems, 3-axis gimbals and drone shoots. With the 3 Channel unit you have the option of full control of focus, iris and zoom on the lens. The kit includes a FIZ hand controller, two lens drive motors with built-in wireless receivers (a third is optional) and two handgrips—with fingertip controls – one to control focus, and the other to control iris and zoom. The FIZ hand unit is capable of controlling three channels – focus, zoom and iris, as well as overriding the hand grips to switch to the hand unit instantly for remote focus pulling. It also has a neck strap. The batteries in the FIZ unit can last up to 10 hours. The handgrips, on the right rig, allow the camera operator to control lens functions without taking their hands off the camera handles. The handgrips feature adapters that enable various mounting options for the controllers, such as onto ARRI/RED-compatible rosettes, onto 25/30mm diameter rods used with gimbals, or onto Wooden Cameras’ handheld monitor rig for complete “freedom from camera” focus-pulling. Fully charged, the batteries in the hand grips can last up to two days. The lens drive motors each feature a cine standard 0.8 MOD drive gear and two 7-pin connectors, which enable you to power the motors direct from the
Tilta Nucleus wireless lens control kit
camera’s battery via D-tap by daisychaining using the 7-pin cables. The motors can calibrate on lenses with or without hard stops, such as a photo lens with follow focus gears. Motors fit standard 15mm and 19mm rods.
Another highlight is the weight of the kit: • • • •
FIZ Hand Unit (with focus disk and batteries): 530g Right Handle Grip (no batteries or adapters): 264g Left Handle Grip (no batteries or adapters): 240g Motor with 15mm rail adapter: 225g
The unit is CNC precision engineered with lightweight aluminium-alloy and stainless steel. All components have OLED displays and the Hand Unit includes hand-carved Brazilian Rosewood detailing.
Highlights: • • • • •
3-channel control of focus, iris and zoom at your fingertips Wireless hand-grips to control motors – focus, iris and zoom. High quality light-weight materials Three torque-settings: high, medium and low Calibrate on lenses without hard stops
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ADCETERA
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FORT Review intersects innovation and storytelling
Written by Mikhaila Hunter,
FORT Marketing and Communications manager
FORT Review
FORT Review, a thought leadership platform that aims to strike a finer balance between timely and timeless ideas by producing cutting edge thought-leadership pieces, takes its next step forward this year with a new video series that launched in February 2018.
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overing a variety of topics from black excellence to erotic capital, FORT launched the content series at a VIP event at Rockets Rooftop on Friday, 16 February. At the event, FORT Review contributors made up three panels, discussing Urban Culture; the Black Perspective in Advertising; and Women in Business, moderated by FORT Review editor Auryn Hiscock. With the sun setting on the Sandton skyline, guests streaming in and DJ Kongisto on the decks, FORT welcomed attendees to an evening that not only launched a thought provoking eight-part video series, but also opened discussions on controversial topics to the audience themselves, putting the contributors in a unique position to expand on and explain their articles and videos. Hiscock began the evening discussing brands within the urban ethnoscape -panellists Vahith Baliram, Mimi Thabethe and Simon Morgan dove into what it means for brands to navigate the nuances of urban culture, be it through collaborations or a critical look at what makes them successful. Hiscock posed the question of using collaborations as a tool for creating and/or maintaining relevance within a fickle market, something Morgan explored as he discussed the idea of authenticity and
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how marketers have created or perpetuated the problem of a fickle market. Thabethe commented on the value of urban culture and made an argument that the processes currently in use need to shift. She advocated for complete transparency and total collaboration by involving urban culture from the very beginning of the process – bringing them and their insights into the boardroom during initial stages of strategy development, as opposed to having them jump on board afterwards. She showed videos exemplifying how she managed to do just this with Major League and Nadia Nakai, both of whom appear in the video alongside Thabethe. With guests still streaming in and the audience getting more comfortable, there was chatter of differing opinions and panellists were regularly drawn into conversation to further delve into topics that weren’t addressed in the panel.
Moving onto the next segment, there was anticipation for much lively debate. Neo Makongoza stepped off the decks, putting his alter-ego DJ Kongisto on pause, to join FORT’s creative director and Starved Magazine creator Annie Raman for the next panel. The screen came alive with powerful images referencing human rights issues in Raman’s ‘On the Contrary, we are Saving Lives’ followed by the opening of Eyethu House and Makongoza walking through Soweto to talk the audience through ‘The Black Voice in Advertising’. A parallel was drawn between celebrating the advertising industry for its ability to create and affect change, and criticism of the industry for its ability to stifle change. Spurred by Hiscock’s probing into the lack of urgency or agenda from many agencies, brands and big corporates, the audience were passionately vocal on the topic of transformation. Raman’s video opened with a powerful comment, “to be born a creative person, you’re born with an innate desire to do something that’s much bigger than yourself”. She goes on to explain that the world today is facing similar socioeconomic and human rights issues to what we have in the past, but today we have the power to affect tangible change using media and our access to digital technology. Makongoza then delved into what it means to give a black South African insight into storytelling, and how the
by-product of apartheid has facilitated the stereotype-reliant advertising that many black creatives themselves are unable to break free of. He went on to explain that racial stereotypes (such as the “dancing mama”) contribute to the lack of transformation in authentic black storytelling. Hiscock posed an interesting question -- perhaps there are some who are complicit in the problem, and if so, can you really blame them? The audience was enticed by the topic and got involved with many questions and open discussion. Power FM’s Andile Khumalo made a key insight during the discussion, agreeing with Makongoza’s points but further posing -- and perhaps answering Hiscock’s question -- that those who have lived a life of adversity and find themselves in a position of influence have a responsibility to create pathways for others to succeed. To end off the evening, Marea Lewis and Romy Townsend were invited to take their seats as Hiscock opened the discussion on women in business and erotic capital. Townsend discussed her journey of personal branding and how it can be used within the professional space. The topic then moved on to the concept of erotic capital, specifically as a tool women can use in their personal and professional lives. Lewis expanded on her thoughts and explained her interpretation of erotic capital, stating, “erotic capital is derogatory if bestowed upon women by a man, sexist if misused, but most importantly, if self-actualized, incredibly powerful.” Again, the audience had differing opinions on the matter, making for healthy discussion on a topic that is prevalent in current-day media. The video series was positively received, with the audience remarking on the distinct style that made each video unique, while retaining a cohesive aesthetic that tied them together – all brought to life beautifully by FORT’s talented and up-and-coming director, Bongani Morgan. FORT Review 2018 delved into a pool of knowledge and collective wisdom from a diverse and influential set of contributors. The evening and video series themselves were rich in content, owing to the unique backgrounds, perspectives and industries of the panellists chosen. The next edition promises to further push the boundaries, both in the topics discussed as well as in the creation of the videos themselves.
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Design Indaba 2018 puts Afrofuturism on the map Afrofuturism. It’s a word you will be hearing about a lot in connection with the economic rise of the continent of Africa, Africa’s increasing cultural impact on the world, and the new generation of political leaders that are bringing hope to the continent of lasting peace and economic prosperity.
Written by Louise Marsland
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t Design Indaba this year, speakers from the African continent and South Africa spoke about the hope that Afrofuturism is bringing to countries across Africa, as well as the Diaspora – the millions of Africans living outside of Africa, either as economic or political refugees. Design Indaba, now at Artscape in Cape Town, has created a very successful platform over more than two decades, to harness creativity for meaningful social change across the world. Speakers from all disciplines: architecture, design, film, fashion, graphic design, advertising and branding, grace the stage, showcasing their body of work and projects that have literally changed the world. Technology has also been playing a strong role as an activator for change, in recent years.
Smashing stereotypes Key factors contributing to the rise of Afrofuturism, are brands and films, which are having a massive impact on the way Africans and people outside of Africa, view the continent. The movie Black Panther was cited several times by speakers for its empowering message and strong characters. The #BeAbsolut brand campaign featuring Khuli Chana, which won big at Cannes last year, also featured as an example of how to smash stereotypes and imagine another future for Africa. Zimbabwean filmmaker and 12 | SCREENAFRICA | March 2018
Design Indaba 2018
commercials director, Sunu Gonera, who directed the Absolut campaigns, gave an emotional speech about his journey to success, with all its highs and lows, from being feted in Hollywood, to losing everything and ending up back in South Africa, living in one room with his family, before rebuilding his career in film. His talk was on Afrofuturism and he described it as Africa’s moment to shine, to change perceptions about Africa, to tell African stories: “Embrace Africa with all its brokenness and you can be creative out of that. Africa is not a jungle. It is a continent of intelligent, progressive, smart, but also innovative people. Africans are innovative, because we use what we find. Our voice matters. We love hard because of our proximity to death in Africa.” “For me I think carpe diem, this is our moment. Tell your story, exactly the way you want to do it. Don’t be afraid to show where you come from, a shack or a mansion. Show it without apology.”
Telling African stories
Most beautiful object
Gonera said movies like Black Panther “normalised” Africa, showing imagery and telling stories that were radically different from the ‘poverty porn’ usually peddled out there in the news media in relation to Africa. Human centred designer Mark Kamau, who is bringing free Wi-Fi to rural areas in Kenya and Rwanda, as well as rolling out digital classrooms in rural schools in Africa and in other parts of the globe, sees Afrofuturism as a chance for Africa to solve global problems with its unique approach to solving problems by coming up with solutions. With his company BRCK, he freely admits he is disrupting the internet in Africa, building technology which provides free Wi-fi and school materials in rural areas, as well as creating servers in villages. “It is amazing to see African built technology making such a difference. It is time for Africa to claim thought leadership in this space. That is Afrofuturism in my opinion. The Africa of the future does not sit back.”
Another beautiful work from Africa, is Thabiso Mjo’s tutu 2.0 light, voted as the winner of the Design Indaba’s annual Most Beautiful Object in South Africa (MBOISA) award. Mjo’s functional lamp is a reimagining of the ballerina tutu, says the designer, who drew inspiration from both Western and African fashion styles to make this unique chandelier. The light, more of an art work, is “an evolution of the iconic ballet outfit mingled with hallmarks of an African counterpart, the Xibelani skirt”, according to Mjo. The Xibelani skirt is worn by Tsonga women and is known for its structural, tiered layers and colourful vertical pleats. “My primary target market is always those whose cultures are represented in my designs. It’s always so incredible when someone recognises themselves in one of my objects,” she said. This is Afrofuturism at work.
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ARRI Alexa captures new VW
Volkswagen Polo commercial Red Flashy Thingy
The new Volkswagen Polo is considered one of the larger cars in its division, packed with class and comfort, it’s no wonder it comes with a friendly warning: beware the confidence.
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itled Red Flashy Thingy, the spot for the new Polo was conceptualised by Ogilvy Cape Town and directed by Greg Gray from Romance Films. “We were approached by Ogilvy Cape Town to treat on the project, and luckily everyone was on board with our creative approach,” shares Gray. Narrated by Bob Dunsworth, the ad is
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built on exaggerated scenarios of an intern’s first day in the office, which spirals out of control as a result of mistaken identity when he confidently parks his new VW Polo in a reserved parking space. Sne Dladla plays the lead role of a confident, confused saviour to wailing CEOs, hopeless scientists, and a doomed space programme with one big ‘red
flashy thingy’. Casting for the commercial took place in both Cape Town and Johannesburg. Cheryl Battersby from Cape Town-based The Batt House cast Dladla as the leading man. “Casting for a commercial of this scale with so many comedic roles is a process we don’t like to rush. All in all, it takes about four weeks which also
allowed me to meet all the talent and complete callbacks to narrow down the options. It also gave me the opportunity to ascertain how well the actors take direction as well as an indication of their range and what they can bring to the role,” shares Gray. Director of Photography, Rory O’Grady shot the spot using the Arri Alexa camera.
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Polo TVC
TECH CHECK EQUIPMENT • Camera: Arri Alexa
Gray says that the visual, physical nature of the comedy demanded a considered approach: “…we felt the story would benefit from a carefully crafted, coherent visual identity that clearly defined the world the story takes place in. The way something can be funny or humorous by just looking at it, purely because of composition or juxtaposition. We wanted the camera language to help establish the desired tone and accentuate the characters and performances.” Shot over five days in Cape Town, the complete shoot consisted of interior and exterior shots at an office park; while the indoor scenes were done on schedule and as planned, the outdoor scenes had to be extended and shot over a weekend to avoid disrupting the busy parking lot during office hours. The final day of shooting took place at a studio for the rocket and space station interior scenes. Ricky Boyd of Deliverance Post Production took care of editing and other post-production duties, while CGI and Online were handled by Bladeworks and Chocolate Tribe: “There was a large CGI component, that included the creation of
the rocket and space station interior,” explains Gray, “set built shells were created as a construct for the physical performance to take place in, but all the interior detail was created from scratch in CGI.” In South Africa, the Volkswagen brand has earned the respect of many car lovers, with the 2010 VW Polo hatch being the second best-selling car in the country thus far. The new VW Polo spot launches the sixth-generation of Polo’s that are longer, wider and lower, ranging from R235 900 to R302 200 in price. The new Polo comes in three models – the Trendline, Comfortline and Highline, and will be followed by the GTI performance version during the course of the year. Since the ad’s launch early this year, the TV commercial has garnered great
interest and reviews including being the only non-Super Bowl spot to earn a place on Best Ads on TV’s top six for the week, in early February. The spot has also been selected as the Editor’s Pick in Ad Age’s Creativity Online section, with editor Alexandra Jardine noting how VW takes a leaf out of the DirecTV book of comic advertising. Gray comments: “We really wanted to do this strong, hilarious idea justice by creating something that was impressive and impactful on every level. We were always mindful that at the heart of this commercial lay a clever insight that builds on the unique reputation the VW Polo brand has garnered over the years, as a car that punches above its weight.” – Gezzy S Sibisi
The 2018 VW Polo spot was shot on the Arri Alexa
KEY CREW Producer: Helena Woodfine Director: Greg Gray DOP: Rory O’Grady Editor: Ricky Boyd Sound: Louise Enslin
“We were always mindful that at the heart of this commercial lay a clever insight that builds on the unique reputation the VW Polo brand has garnered over the years.” – Greg Gray
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An African western,
Five Fingers for Marseilles, thrills audiences globally
The film Five Fingers for Marseilles – set in a town in the rocky badlands of the Eastern Cape – is an African western that tells the story of a group of young men (the Five Fingers) who stand up to brutal police oppression in Marseilles.
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aving already travelled the global festival circuit, earning widespread praise and excellent reviews, the film is set for theatrical release in South Africa on 6 April 2018. The western tells the story of freedomfighter-turned-‘outlaw’ Tau, who kills two policemen, and is sentenced to 20 years in prison. When he gets out, the embittered ‘Lion of Marseilles’ discovers his comrades are now in prominent positions in the town he left behind. But there’s also a vicious new threat afoot, and so Tau must hesitantly reform the Five Fingers and take on old allies and new enemies. “Five Fingers for Marseilles fuses western influences, from classic to spaghetti and revisionist eras, into a contemporary South African drama played in local tongue by four generations of acclaimed South African stars, led by television icon Vuyo Dabula,” shares director Michael Matthews and screenwriter Sean Drummond. “The great westerns have always contained socio-political threads, and Five Fingers’ loose allegory on today’s South Africa is edge-of-the-seat, and starkly human.”
Inspiration Matthews and Drummond say that the idea for the film struck them while travelling through remote regions of the Free State and Eastern Cape where they were inspired by the landscapes, history and towns they passed through – former colonial towns with European names reborn as new South African spaces: “… many of them former townships now towns in their own right, going through the birth pains of being new frontiers, which is another grand western theme. And dealing with the legacy of the country’s past,” they explain. 16 | SCREENAFRICA | March 2018
“Most often westerns are about the conquest and the taking of land, but we wanted to turn that back on itself and look at who is left behind and the legacy of that conquest.” The men travelled 8000 kilometres visiting small towns, meeting people, hearing stories, looking at history and developing their narrative.
Financing a Sesotho western Written in English, the film was always intended to play in a local language and Basotho screenwriter Mamokuena Makhema came on board as a translator and cultural advisor, consulting on language, culture and nuance, and ensuring the dialogue in Sesotho stayed true to the original script. The choice to make a predominantly Sesotho language western wasn’t a choice in essence, as both Matthews and Drummond had already agreed to tell the story in an authentic way that would be true to the area and the culture. “Sesotho and isiXhosa are the predominant languages in the area, we ultimately chose to film in almost completely Sesotho with some English, Afrikaans, Xhosa and other sprinklings of language. It’s a poetic, powerful language,” they share. A directorial debut for Matthews and screenwriting debut for Drummond, the pair spent six years trying to finance the film. “There were a few times we were very close to a ‘go’, but then something would fall away,” they say. Ultimately keeping the film predominantly in Sesotho with only South African actors made it difficult to reach the budget level they were aiming for. “However we knew that we needed to take our budget a step further than the majority of local films to do the project justice and take a step in a new direction for South African film,”
A scene from Five Fingers for Marseilles
explain Matthews and Drummond. “Over this financing time we continued to develop the script, and the time definitely helped us with creative perspective and making the script as rich as possible.” Five Fingers for Marseilles received the full backing of the National Film and Video Foundation as well as the full DTI rebate for a local film. Most of the private equity was sourced through the film’s partners Game 7 Films, as well as a backer in Dupa Films locally.
Casting In addition to lead actor Vuyo Dabula who stars in long-running SABC1 soapie Generations, Five Fingers for Marseilles features an array of established and emerging local talent, including Hamilton Dlamini, Zethu Dlomo, Kenneth Nkosi, Mduduzi Mabaso, Aubrey Poolo, Lizwi Vilakazi, Warren Masemola, Dean Fourie,
Anthony Oseyemi, Brendon Daniels and Jerry Mofokeng. Both Matthews and Drummond praise legendary casting director Moonyeenn Lee as being instrumental in the casting process adding that she was a big believer in the project right at the beginning – eight years ago. With Lee, the film was cast over six years. “A lot of the main cast was already chosen three years before shooting. We have been really blessed with the level of great cast we have in the film. They are artists and complete professionals. We also cast a number of supporting roles and all the child actors in the film are from the town of Lady Grey itself. There’s amazing talent there.”
Production Five Fingers for Marseilles was shot over five weeks in Lady Grey, Eastern Cape.
“We’re offering something simply gripping, thrilling, cool and iconic for a South African and a world audience. As well as a film that has some deeper conversations and themes.”
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TECH CHECK EQUIPMENT • Camera: Arri Alexa Classic • Lenses: Zeiss Ultra Prime LDS lenses Angenieux zoom
“…we took mostly a classic approach (to filming), favouring solid, composed framing and simple tracking shots, rather than an immediate handheld style. Although handheld was used in higher energy moments.” – Michael Matthews With Johannesburg being the closest main city and a seven hour drive away, production scheduling and co-ordination proved to be quite complicated. “It was also the middle of winter with snow, rain and hail, making the shooting process even more challenging,” say Matthews and Drummond. Shot on the Arri Alexa Classic with Zeiss Ultra Prime LDS lenses and an Angenieux zoom, Matthews says that the overall key to the feel and tone was to make sure the film had a ‘weight’ to it, “a confidence and a deeper tension constantly boiling under the surface of the characters and the town”. “With the cinematographer, Shaun Harley Lee, we took mostly a classic approach, favouring solid, composed framing and simple tracking shots, rather than an immediate handheld style. Although handheld was used in higher energy moments. We shot for 2:39/1 anamorphic framing and always aimed to keep the lighting looking natural and practical, rather than too staged.” Special Effects were carried out by Paradigm Shift, who Matthews praises for their work on the film: “They really went above and beyond the resources we had. They did a lot of mist and smoke, squibs and dust bullet hits.” In addition, there were about 120 VFX shots: lightning and thunder, a train, set extensions, stunt wire clean-ups and numerous action embellishments. “One of the more
complicated and hopefully unnoticed VFX shots was to add facial hair to a character for continuity,” he adds.
World premiere The film made its world premiere at the 2017 Toronto International Film Festival and went on to screen at Fantastic Fest, BFI London Film Festival, and the Palm Springs International Film Festival among others, receiving rave reviews throughout. “We have been surprised by responses from all the festival audiences and critics so far. They have really connected with the themes and ideas that feel relevant to South Africa, but that have also resonated internationally,” comments Matthews and Drummond. “We thought they might see it as a bit of gimmick idea, ‘An African Western’, but they have really dug deep into the western research we did, as well as the strength of the films cinematic language.” Five Fingers for Marseilles is produced by Asger Hussain and Yaron Schwartzman of Game 7 Films, and Sean Drummond and Michael Matthews of Be Phat Motel Film Company. Dylan Voogt of Stage 5 Films is co-producer, and Paulo Areal and Dumi Gumbi serve as executive producers. On 7 March, the film will have its African premiere at Rapid Lion, the upcoming South African International
Film Festival, and it will open at cinemas nationwide on 6 April. Additionally, the film has been sold to a handful of countries, with many sales to be carried out throughout the year. Matthews and Drummond share that each country has its own distribution dates and plans with the USA theatrical release set for September this year. The film deals with the repercussions of violence and its reoccurring effects as well as the cycle of damage from our colonial past. “We don’t want audiences to feel like there is a strong message that we are preaching to them. Hopefully the film resonates with South Africans and sparks conversations about where we are and where we’re heading,” says Matthews and Drummond. “We hope that after all these years of hard work, we have made something different and new for the South African audience. We’re offering something simply gripping, thrilling, cool and iconic for a South African and a world audience. As well as a film that has some deeper conversations and themes. We are making the kinds of films we’d like to see.” Five Fingers for Marseilles is distributed in South Africa by Indigenous Film Distribution. – Chanelle Ellaya
KEY CREW Director: Michael Matthews Screenwriter: Sean Drummond Producers: Asger Hussain, Yaron Schwartzman, Sean Drummond, Michael Matthews Executive producers: Jeff Hoffman, Paulo Areal, Dumi Gumbi, Josh Green Co-producer: Dylan Voogt Cinematographer: Shaun Harley Lee Production Design: Franz Lewis Editor: Daniel Mitchell Sound Design: Morné Marais, Richard West
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Tanzanian film Kiumeni takes on the
Bongo movies play a significant role in the development of the Tanzanian film industry. Characterised by limited resources and significant skills shortages, it takes sheer determination and willpower to produce a film, let alone an awardwinning film, in the country. Kiumeni is a bongo film with a difference.
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i u meni won the Best Screenplay and Best Directing awards at the 2017 Zanzibar International Film Festival, and is still going strong. The cast recently attended their Los Angeles premiere, which took place at the Pan African Film Festival. “The best highlights have been watching the film with a worldwide audience and enjoying the experience of their laughter and gasps while watching the film,” remarks film producer and lead actor, Ernest Napoleon. The film is a Swahili love story that brings two distinct worlds together; when an affluent guy goes to visit his less priviledged girlfriend at her home in the ghetto. Their young love is suddenly overcome with challenges, near-death
experiences and hilarious comebacks that put their union to the test. The film features a vibrant cast and some fresh talent that have never before worked on a production, but were trained and guided by Napoleon. “The majority of the main cast such as the female lead, the antagonist and other main characters had never done a film before. So they were pretty much fresh faces who were open to working hard and to new ideas. I had to take two weeks to train them, go through the script and through their specific characters. Many people who watched the film found it hard to believe that this was their first film because of how well they fit and played the roles,” he says. Kiumeni is Napoleon’s second offering
The Kiumeni cast and attendees at the film’s Los Angeles premiere at the Pan African Film Festival
after the success of his first indie film, Going Bongo (2015), a tale about how an American doctor “mistakenly” volunteers to work in a public hospital in Tanzania for one month. Napoleon – a seasoned actor and scriptwriter – wanted his second film to break the common stereotypes of bongo movies, which are usually done with a very low budget and display poor quality pictures that are often not watchable for most people. “Kiumeni was a proof of concept that if done right, a Swahili low budget film ($15 000) can be done in a rush (shot in 10 days) and still be watchable not just by Swahili speakers but worldwide,” he says. Kiumeni was produced by Napoleon’s production company Busy Bees,
bongo film industry alongside D-Magic which belongs to his co-writer and co-producer Danny Manege. The film is set in Dar es Salaam and shot at various locations in and around the city including Mikocheni, Kinondoni, Sinza, Mbezi, Mwananyamala and Mburahati. The high-speed actioncomedy was shot on a small Canon C300 camera. “We wanted it to feel raw and for people to feel as if they were going through what the main character was going through in the ghetto. We were also short on budget but we wanted to make our chase scenes realistic so there was a lot of handheld stuff where our director of photography, Takura, really shined,” shares Napoleon. While the couple, Gue and Faith, are the main characters of the story, the real drama is brought about by the exes and extended families. Set in the affluent suburbs is Gue’s old flame, Irene. She is still in love with Gue, which makes her Faith’s sworn enemy. Futhermore, Gue and Irene’s fathers are business partners and part of the high-class society in Dar that thrives on relationships between the wealthy and successful; which puts Gue in an awkward position with his family. As Gue sets off to the ghetto to be with the love of his life, Faith, he is haunted by Faith’s past lover, Gasper. Gasper is a ”Bad Boy” who has just come back from jail. He arrives back home and is shocked to discover that Faith has moved on with another man. The respected and feared druglord does not take kindly to the news, and lets the couple feel the power of his wrath. Additionally, there are other minor characters who are just as important as the main ones such as Masto, Faith’s older brother, with a speech impediment, who
“The film definitely has a universal appeal. It’s a small budget film done in a local language but the comedy of it is so on point that it didn’t really matter to the audience.” – Ernest Napoleon
tries and fails spectacularly to help Gue; Deo, Faith’s younger brother and a die-hard football fan who gives Gue a very hard time throughout the film; and Afande Ngoma, a no-nonsense cop who persistently hits on women. Kiumeni is still on it’s festival circuit journey, with the Belgium-Africa Film Festival and the Durban International Film Festival being its next stops. “The film definitely has a universal appeal. It’s a small budget film done in a local language but the comedy of it is so on point that it didn’t really matter to the audience. It has been well received in America by people that have seen it,” Napoleon expresses. The film has also been sought out by a couple of online distributors, but Napoleon and his team have not yet commited to any deals: “We are still keeping the cards to our chest and will choose a right platform for the film. There is no rush unless a big enough distribution deal comes along,” he concludes. – Gezzy S Sibisi
TECH CHECK EQUIPMENT • Camera: Canon C300
“Kiumeni was shot on the Canon C300 camera.”
KEY CREW Director, Editor: Nicholas Marwa Writer, Producer, Lead (Gue): Ernest Napoleon Writer, Producer: Danny Manege Director of Photography: Takura Maurayi Post-production Sound: Dan L Brock
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Director Speak
elo Lungalose Mdl
Born in Tanzania to two freedom fighter parents, Lungelo Mdlalose, rising director of award-winning web-series Thesha, chats to Screen Africa… What is your background and how has it shaped you as a director? How I like to put it is that “I was born in the deepest, darkest part of Africa” because it just sounds like a dope opening to a dope superhero movie but the factual story is that I was born in Tanzania to two freedom fighter parents, just that history has shaped my attitude as a director. An attitude of independence and self-reliance. Describe the moment, if there is one, when you knew you wanted to become a director? To tell you the truth I didn’t know I could be a director until I saw Tebogo Mahlatsi on TV directing Yizo Yizo 1 but I do remember the day I was moved emotionally by a film, and I kinda understood the power of filmmaking. We had just come back from exile with my mother and we were living with my grandmother, and she (grandmother) had a TV and VCR, which was my first time interacting with either of those machines. My uncles had this one tape that I loved; it had two films on it. The first half was Mbongeni Ngema’s Asinamali stage show and the other was an old film called Escape from Sobibor. That’s the first film that brought me to tears and showed me the power of moving images. How we could not only relate to people who don’t look like us but sympathise with them on a deep emotional level. Where do you go for inspiration? As an artist, I don’t really rely on inspiration to create work, because to me art is more of a sport where I get to represent my family, country and continent. Which means there are no off- days and every time we get to create (compete) we give it our best shot. Keeping with the sports metaphor, what I can say is that whenever I’m not competing, I’m training and my training consists of a lot of studying and researching. Who do you look up to within the film industry and who are your mentors? Let’s say, people I would pick to be on my fantasy team 20 | SCREENAFRICA | March 2018
Lungelo Mdlalose of filmmakers and I would like to see more work from. I would most definitely pick The Monarchy Group (Thina Sobali) and Tribal Media House (Hangman) purely because they are young, organised and creating thought-provoking work. Then it would be Kagiso Lediga and Akin Omotoso, every time I look up these two, they are not only making films but making them at a competitive level. Then when it comes to new media content creators, I would pick Ofentse Mwase Films, a YouTube content creator, for their consistency in putting out work. Who are your top three favourite directors and why them? My all-time-favourite director would have to be Tebogo Mahlatsi (Yizo Yizo), I personally think his one of the few well-rounded directors working today. I just wish he would do more narrative-based work. Whether it be a drama or feature film, I will watch whatever he makes. Next would be Hype Williams (Belly) the original hip hop director. I love the language he developed through his music videos and movies. He came at a time when most black directors were stuck in Hollywood rules and aesthetics, and gave us young black filmmakers a completely new set of rules towards making movies and their aesthetics. Lastly, I would say Sam Greenlee (Spook Who Sat by the Door). Technically, he is not a director but to me, he’s one of the most influential filmmakers in what he and his team were able to achieve with limited resources, making a film that no Hollywood studio would fund, but a film that would become one of the most iconic black films to date. I would then give an honourable mention to Haile Gerima (Sankofa). Which projects are you currently involved in? I’m currently on pre-production for my next film which is a revenge story and writing a new web-series – thriller about a serial killer living in a small town. What kind of content do you enjoy creating? I enjoy working on long-form content whether it’s episodical drama series or stand-alone feature films. I think my ability to focus on a single task for long durations gives me a competitive edge in these two areas of content creation.
What has been your biggest career challenge to date? Well outside of the money that makes shooting less gruesome, I would have to say finding my voice and lane in such a competitive industry has been the biggest challenge. For me becoming a filmmaker was always about making films. I didn’t want to be the guy who works in the film industry. I just wanted to make films that my community and I would appreciate and grow from, which is still my biggest challenge to date. What has been some of the highlights of your career thus far? That’s easy because there’s been so few so far but the one I put up there has to be Thesha. What Thesha started out as to where it is today, makes me believe in the power of community. Thesha has breathed new life not only to me and my career but my whole community. Young kids in my community who were unemployed at the time went from casual labour to specialised skills work, and that’s the power film has, it allows you to dream of endless possibilities. Top three favourite films of all time? First, it would have to be the Spook Who Sat by the Door. Now, this film was made about 15 years before Spike Lee’s breakout film Do The Right Thing, at the time of blaxploitation and it dared to show us a black man of a different kind. A black man who was not at war with himself or his community. Then I would say Belly, the original hip-hop gangster movie. This movie is so beautiful you can use snapshots from it as post-modern art. Lastly, I have to say Mad Max Fury Road let me just say George Miller is a genius. What is your dream shoot location? Anywhere in Africa but on the top of the list would be Mali, the Dogon country and once again the mysticism is too much. Who would play you in a biopic? Chadwick Boseman. If you weren’t a filmmaker, what career would you have chosen? A boxer, purely because I love competition and conflict.
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niche as an African production music library, which covers genres from Boeremusiek to Kwaito to Bongo Flava and Maskandi. Its focus is both on traditional sounds as well as the latest urban and EDM flavours from Gqom to Hip Hop, Trap and House. With a reputation for releasing high quality albums, the library has attracted renowned composers such as Dizu Plaatjies, long-time Johnny Clegg collaborators Andy Innes and Barry Van Zyl, Freshly Ground’s Josh Hawks, Bright Blue’s Tom Fox, Themba Mkhize and Steve Newman. Here is what Andy Innes and Josh Hawks had to say about the industry and Mama Dance: What made you decide to compose for production music libraries? Andy: Production music is a last bastion in many respects. The composer has more freedom to create than they do in other
spaces in the industry. Production music is also a space that is still profitable in the long term if you can find enough avenues to keep pushing out product, providing the quality of your output is top notch. Josh: The decision to compose for libraries is a natural progression of a composer’s life. We’re content providers and the libraries are becoming more and more prevalent and relevant. If you are a composer and have a catalogue of ideas knocking around it’s a great avenue to pursue! How has your experience been working with Mama Dance? Andy: Mama Dance is a professional and hard-working outfit who look after their writers. I’m really glad we’ve managed to build a good relationship. Josh: Experience with Mama Dance was easy going and collaborative. We’d throw some ideas their way and with their experience and knowledge of the
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landscape, they would advise as to what was working and how to shape the material. Everything took shape quite quickly; a painless collaboration. These great artist’s music can be easily auditioned and downloaded at www. mamadance.com using simple music search functions. And if clients prefer searches to be done for them, this is where the friendly Mama Dance team is on top of their game – they know and love music! Their free, personalised music searches are fast and on point. After receiving a music brief, the team will send the client a playlist of track selections within an hour. This type of service, together with compelling music from big name composers, keeps clients coming back for more and ensures that Mama Dance remains South Africa’s favourite music library. The simplified 2018 music rate card can be downloaded from their website and new clients will be pleasantly surprised at how little it costs to license fresh and innovative music produced by big stars! Mama Dance is a CAPASSO affiliated library and can be used under the blanket license agreements with SABC, ETV and many MultiChoice (DSTV) channels. Please contact Craig, Dale or Jeff to learn more about the Mama Dance Music Library. 021 424 0314 info@mamadance.com www.mamadance.com
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Rumba in the Jungle – A look into SA’s biggest dance competition and
Scenes from the film, Rumba in the Jungle – The Return
In South Africa in the 90’s, dance as a sport was as popular and competitive as soccer and rugby are today. This was largely thanks to a prestigious annual dance competition, which brought international and African performers together on one stage at South Africa’s Sun City Resort in the North West province.
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umba in the Jungle, launched the careers of many of our current dance professionals and choreographers, before it came to a halt after 1999, due to a split in sanctions. However, after 18-years of no-show, the historic dance competition made its remarkable comeback in 2017. The news of its return was a momentous occasion for the dance fraternity, and a fitting documentary to capture the essence of what the dance competition is about was inspired. Dominique Jossie, a dancer and film producer, together with film director and dancer Yolanda Mogatusi pitched the idea for the documentary to the South African Dance Foundation, which agreed to fund the project. “This story is a piece of national dance history… It is a nostalgic look into the past but also allows audiences into the world of dancing as a sport. Personally I used to watch the original competition on television when I was only eight years
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old. I used to dream of being one of those dancers, and even though I got to compete as a Latin and ballroom dancer for seven years, it was never as glamorous and grand as Rumba in the Jungle,” shares Jossie. The documentary is titled Rumba in the Jungle – The Return and takes a look at dance as a sport in South Africa, then and now. South African dance legends, Tebogo Kgobokoe and Michael Wentink, are part of the film and were once part of the dance competition as teenagers. The two, now regarded as champions in the world of dance, are also judges on the Strictly Come Dancing television show. “Rumba in the Jungle was the competition that launched their careers, and now they are grooming
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The Return : its great return two young couples who are to compete in the legendary competition. The story unfolds over five days as they practice, prepare and finally compete,” Jossie explains. Apart from that the pair also takes us on their painful and gracious journeys in the world of dance as a sport. In one scene, Kgobokoe details her issues with an eating disorder as a result of pressures and bad remarks about her weight in her teenage dance career. In another scene, Wentink shares his challenges and perseverance in making it on the global stage, when opportunities were rare for a brown-skinned child from South Africa. “I wasn’t really expecting the project to morph into what it has become – it keeps growing and getting better with every stage. Upon listening to the dance champs talk about their personal journeys and intimately getting involved in the dance competition and just seeing the amount of work, passion and deliberate effort afforded to everything and of course the long journey of just putting it all together, it then slowly does become deeply personal. You feel like the Tebogo Kgobokoe’s, and Michael Wentink’s of this world have been through too much for the world not to see this film,” adds Mogatusi. As Kgobokoe and Wentink make their way to the event in Sun City, we get to meet other dancers and get a glimpse of what really takes place for the participants and their families during the 4-day event. Later in the documentary, we are introduced to one of the most celebrated dance couples in the world, Karina Smirnoff and Slavic Kryklyvyy. The pair hosted dance workshops at Sun City and gave a grand performance to inspire the young and upcoming dancers. In the film, they expand on their history of dancing together and mastering their dance craft. Rumba in the Jungle – The Return was filmed over seven days from 30 July until 6 August 2017. The film was shot in dance studios and locations including,
Ennerdale, Bedfordview, Hartbeespoort and the grand events at Sun City. “Dance is all about storytelling through movement, and even though we needed to get to the crux of our heroes’ stories, I did want to always keep in mind that we are celebrating the glory of movement… We used quite a bit of slowed movement for added effect as these dancers move fast! But whatever we did, we always wanted to keep the visual moving. Kinetic energy was the word during post,” shares Mogatusi. Apart from that, the film crew had to dig up archive footage from the Rumba in the Jungle 90’s reign courtesy of Plum Productions, the National Heritage Project and the Dali Tambo Foundation. Two Sony A7 cameras, a DJI Osmo mobile camera and a slider were used to capture the dance action. “The Osmo was great for quick action and getting between the dancers during rehearsals and such without intruding too much,” shares Mogatusi. The film crew also had access to the broadcast recordings which happened during the Sun City events. The film is Mogatusi’s first documentary film, with her recent film being a short film called, Hair That Moves. She is also working on her first animation film, which is still in its development phase. “I have a new-found respect for documentary film compiling. What I thought would take perhaps a couple of weeks has taken us several months, a test screening and a couple of re-edits. And don’t get me started on trying to find archive footage. You could spend days looking through hundreds of tapes and still not find a second of what you need. And then there’s the rookie mistake of choosing the wrong software in places... We should have made a behind the scenes drama of the eventful postproduction process of this film – starring a certain software we will call X as the main Antagonist,” laughs Mogatusi.
Film
TECH CHECK EQUIPMENT • Camera: DJI Osmo mobile camera
Editing was done by Tsholo Monare and Dalla Mojalefa, while Dreamcast Media did the final polish and online. “I think there is something in this film about national pride and African excellence not only in the international competition and how it ran then and how it will run now, but there is an excellence in our lead champion dancers, Tebogo Kgobokoe and Michael Wentink. They are both world-renowned, champion dancers and only a small community of people might be aware of this. We would love for all of SA or at least every South African who watches this film to be aware of this. They and many others are the Wayde Van Niekerk’s and Chad Le Clos’ of the dance sport world, and they have competed and succeeded at a very high level. They were also South African heroes at a time when South Africa and even more South Africans of colour were not celebrated much,” concludes Mogatusi. This year’s Rumba in the Jungle event will be taking place from 19 to 21 October at the iconic Sun City venue. – Gezzy S Sibisi
“This story is a piece of national dance history… It is a nostalgic look into the past but also allows audiences into the world of dancing as a sport” – Dominique Jossie
“The Osmo was great for quick action and getting between the dancers during rehearsals and such without intruding too much.” – Yolanda Mogatusi
KEY CREW Producer: Dominique Jossie Director: Yolanda Keabetswe Mogatusi Associate Producer: Yolanda Keabetswe Mogatusi Cinematographer: Mduduzi Ndlovu Second Camera & Sound: Zaheer Banderker Editors: Tsholo Monare and Dalla Mojalefa
SA dance champions, Michael Wentink and Tebogo Kgobokoe March 2018
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EQUIPMENT RENTALS Lights... cameras... action... 24 | SCREENAFRICA | March 2018
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EQUIPMENT RENTALS
The important relationship between the rental equipment industry and film production Rental equipment companies contribute more to the film production industry than you may think. Not only do they provide the necessary tools to get the job done, but they are instrumental in ensuring our talent has affordable access to the world’s latest gear and technologies. In this sense, they also share a responsibility for the production values on display in South African film and television.
W
e spoke to some leading rental equipment professionals to find out more about the industry and its relationship to film production.
Why rent? There are many good reasons why filmmakers and production houses choose to rent equipment rather than purchasing their own gear. Vinay Kalychurn, manager of Foto Rental (a division of Cameratek), says that, “the majority of filmmakers rent
Teradek
equipment rather than buying it because of the ever-changing technology being implemented in cameras these days. Buyers will invest hundreds of thousands of rands into certain equipment, only to find that six months later there is new technology that they would love to use – but can’t, because they have already invested.” Bernard van Rensburg, facilities coordinator at the Magic Light Box, underscores this point: “Cameras, and even lighting, have a very high turnover rate because of technological advancements, and the standard
production company simply does not have the capital to keep changing their cameras and lighting equipment all the time.” There is also the question of versatility: when you have spent a lot to purchase your own gear, the instinct is naturally to want to use it for every shoot and every occasion. However, as Kalychurn says, “different shoots require different equipment. Some will require Sony products, some will require Canon or even RED cameras. It’s really expensive for a production company to own such a wide range of equipment.”
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Wooden Camera cage
NEW Tilta Nucleus/ RT Motion
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James Barth, regional director of Panavision in Johannesburg, also hones in on this question of using the right equipment for the specific needs of the production. “Our goal is to help make their production successful, so that they have catered service and many options to shoot with to meet the requirements of the story.” Meanwhile, Glen Theron – CEO of Cam-A-Lot – draws attention to another very important issue: the maintenance of gear to ensure its smooth operation and maximum longevity. “In many instances the advantages of renting equipment outweigh the purchasing of gear, especially in the case where a production company does not have dedicated personnel managing and caring for the gear. Unfortunately, when there is no dedicated person caring for the company’s gear we have noticed the abuse the gear goes through; it gets put into a corner and never repaired.”
a. wireless monitoring onset. b. focus pulling completely independent from camera. c. wireless zoom & focus on drones, gimbals, cranes and steadicam.
Camera & Production Equipment Rental Contact us for more information: Tel: 27 (0) 11 886 1122/3/4 Fax: 27 (0) 86 681 8623 Email: bookings@pumavideo.co.za info@pumavideo.co.za Web: www.pumavideo.co.za
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Risk and reward There are several other perhaps more ‘hidden’ benefits to the rental equipment industry. Theron points out that renters can effectively ‘save twice’ by hiring, rather than buying, their equipment. “Instead of a company having to do huge capital outlays to regularly keep up with the latest gear, they can rent the latest – and then, obviously, the rental cost is a full company expense, and there is a great tax deduction.” Furthermore, as Craig Marais – who heads up Jozi Sunshine Co – reminds us, “the insurance costs relating to film and camera equipment can be heavy. The gear is expensive and delicate, so you absolutely need to insure each and every item.” The risk related to owning equipment is, therefore, absorbed by the rental company, and there is both transparency and flexibility in terms of how this impacts renters. Theron explains that “the rental percentage relative to the cost of the gear is calculated on a number of variables: the cost price, the life span of the gear in question and the robustness of the gear – which is a question of how many rentals can the gear survive before it needs to be replaced. If the gear is gimmicky and fragile it would more than likely attract a slightly higher rental price, so as to be able to recoup the cost and still turn a profit in its short life span. However, if the gear is in the rentals market already, your pricing has to be in line with what the going rate is.” This final point, which speaks to the competitiveness of the rental market being beneficial to filmmakers and production houses, is also echoed by Van Rensburg. He says that pricing is “simple supply and demand, really, with a bit of added magic. We always keep tight production budgets in mind, and work
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out tailored packages based on individual production requirements. One of the main reasons our clients keep coming back is the personal attention, the Digital Tailoring that we offer. It is tremendously helpful for consumers to have the added benefit of highly skilled people available on our side of the deal, to sift through complicated production briefs and requirements.”
Managing the market These factors combine to place rental equipment companies in a curious position: they are ‘market makers’ in the sense that they, largely, control access to the equipment that production companies require, but – at the same time – they must be highly responsive and adaptive to the needs of the market to ensure that they stay competitive
and relevant. “In a sense, it’s simple,” says Craig Marais. “Top talent wants to shoot with the best equipment. It’s our job to make sure we always have the gear they want to use.” But there is a further complication when one considers that a lot of the newer technologies rental companies are making available to consumers – the latest generation of LED lights, for
“Instead of a company having to do huge capital outlays to regularly keep up with the latest gear, they can rent the latest – and then, obviously, the rental cost is a full company expense, and there is a great tax deduction.” – Glen Theron
| example – actually empower them to use less gear overall. As Van Rensburg explains, “We have seen a tremendous shift over the past three years, where more and more productions are being undertaken by ‘one-man-band’ style production companies – as opposed to mega-production companies, with multi-part crews. This also means that production budgets have shrunk quite significantly. We always have to find creative ways to help our clients break new boundaries at an affordable cost.” James Barth agrees that one of the more significant challenges facing the industry is the paucity of “budgets on local commercials and features. Customers may expect the most current equipment for a much lower price, but we work with each production to match the best camera and lenses to the budget of the project.” However – like the other respondents – Theron emphasises that the rapid advancements in technology and production standards mean that rental companies will continue to fulfil a vital function in the film industry. “The world we live in is changing at a scarily fast pace, especially in the arena of technonology, where web broadcasting is growing in huge popularity and most definitely seems to be the way forward. In
this niche, gear requirements currently do not seem to be of the highest standard, due to bandwidth restrictions – but that, too, is changing fast.”
Products and production values So, if rental companies are at the forefront of handling the equipment that is used throughout our industry, what specific pieces of gear have they noticed influencing the work of our filmmakers? According to James Barth, “There have been some amazing advances, but I think one of the most important and impactful revolutions in South African production is the switch from film to digital. There was resistance to digital when it was first introduced, but it has brought new opportunities to filmmakers here in South Africa. The digital technology and high resolution has created more innovation in the different sectors and made it both easier and quicker to shoot commercials or features. At the end of the day, the efficiency and immediate results of digital has certainly changed the way people approach productions here.” Theron agrees. “In recent years the impact of the DSLR camera by all three big players – Canon, Sony and Panasonic – has been astounding,” he says. “This
EQUIPMENT RENTALS
has allowed many newcomers to enter the film market with these relatively cheap cameras that still produce outstanding pictures. The DSLR has also removed the intimidation factor for youngsters wanting to enter the video industry, creating a great platform to grow and to develop from.” For Van Rensburg, the answer is “definitely LED lighting. The new lighting available is stunning! LED lighting means that a lone filmmaker can carry and set up their own lighting by themselves, and run the whole rig off batteries. That’s beside the fact that some new lights have built-in gels, and others give you more than five hours of continuous use on a single battery.” He also picks up on a sight that has become increasingly familiar to South African audiences, from the sweeping shots of the Cape mountains in Krotoa to the rugged landscapes of Five Fingers for Marseilles: “A close second would be three-axis stabilised gimbals and drones. A sequence that would have cost tens of thousands of rands a few years ago can now be achieved with a gimbal that costs less than R650 a day.” – David Cornwell
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| OPINION
Is it better to rent or buy? Written by Gill Midgley and Deirdre Bartlett
To buy or not to buy is not a new question for the South African film and television industry when it comes to equipment.
For R
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n either/or question is just that, because of the absence of a hard and fast constant that determines choice. However, before we go into all the variables that give weight to either side of this debate, we have to concede that underlying this discussion is the principle rule of business which underscores all variables. And that is, cost effectiveness. No business can survive without it and therefore all arguments or preferences supporting either the owning or renting camps will have that as their premise. The dichotomy of whether to rent or own equipment has, however, expanded to include a further consideration. If clients favour the purchasing option but do not have the necessary funds to do so, finance options have become available from certain banks. This is a fairly recent breakthrough according to Marius van Straaten, director of Visual Impact, and frequently investigated by clients who are interested in purchasing equipment. The third consideration aside, the main contestants in the debate remain ‘to buy or not to buy’, a quandary further exacerbated by the rapid acceleration of technology. “It is better to rent, as technology advances so quickly” says Di Rosen, director and producer of Di Rosen Productions. “Having said that, if you have secured a long-term contract, it may be beneficial to buy, but choose wisely.” In addition to the workload projection, the general genre of a production house’s work largely determines which option to favour. In this regard, the only definite that we could ascertain from all those we spoke to, is that when it comes to commercials, renting is the only way to go. As Van Straaten says, “Commercials need the sharp edge of technology… they (commercial-producing clients) want the latest and the greatest.” The ‘latest
and greatest’ status, however, is short-lived as technology continually evolves leaving renting as the only viable option for top-end gear. And with the handsome budgets allocated to high-end commercials, the rental of very specialised and therefore very expensive equipment falls within their reach. Historically, even standard film and
video equipment was extremely expensive but as the domestic market has grown and technology has advanced, owning equipment has become far more accessible. The purchase of standard kits, in other words not specialist gear, has become an option for those who produce long form projects such as broadcast series or feature films.
Tarryn Crossman, owner of Tia Productions, very rarely rents any equipment. In the field of documentary films, both independent and commissioned, she finds owning equipment more cost effective. “If we use something more than three or four times, we’ll purchase it. We do a lot of work and pay off a camera in six months.”
OPINION An important point to remember, however, when buying equipment is that a piece of gear seldom stands alone. A camera body, for example, has essential accessories such as batteries, lenses, rigs etc. which can total costs that exceed that of the camera. Crossman tends to replace a camera body every two years, but considers lenses to be longer lasting investments if they have good glass. And while we focus on the expenses of owning, we need to include the insurance costs as well as those incurred by regular maintenance – both vital considerations for owning such gear. Although technological progress tends to reflect in the physical downsizing of equipment, there are exceptions where function necessitates greater dimensions such as with dollies and jibs. Therefore enough space is a further requirement for the storage of this kit – space that is approved by insurance security conditions. Storage space is just one of the factors that dissuade Shireen Hattingh, head of Production for Moonlighting Films, from owning equipment. “We could never house that amount of equipment. For us, owning gear is just not viable. It becomes obsolete quite quickly; cameras upgrade all the time and are very expensive items.” Although JP Potgieter, head of Productions for Quizzical Pictures,
believes that most production companies own a small amount of equipment to enable them to do small, low budget jobs, he too believes that renting makes so much sense. “For most jobs you want to have the freedom and flexibility to use equipment that is suitable for that specific job. Renting gives you the opportunity to work with the latest equipment that’s just come out, without having to make a massive investment in it.” Renting also enables familiarisation with equipment and a better gauge of individual suitability, which is an important consideration for those starting out in the industry and especially if purchasing is a possible future option. Rental companies can advise and put packages together that would best suit a project’s objectives and budget. “There’s no one-size-fits-all solution in the modern way of doing film and television,” says Eddie Seane, managing director of Vision View Productions, “… the perspective is governed by what a company’s objectives might be albeit long term or short term.” Shelli Miller, supervising line producer for The Bomb Shelter, buys for longrunning shows. “When I say long-running, we shoot for a year – 260 episodes – and we go from one season into the next season. We bought new cameras at the beginning of last year because we had a new show starting. And then we bill for
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EQUIPMENT RENTALS
“While we focus on the expenses of owning, we need to include the insurance costs as well as those incurred by regular maintenance – both vital considerations for owning such gear.”
those cameras…But at the same time, we then have to take care of the repairs. We have to maintain those cameras. It works out much better.” However, she does not consider it worth buying cameras for the average 13-part drama series; the rental cost will be in the budget although the mark-up is not quite as high as that for commercials. Until recently, lighting technology did not advance at the same rate as camera gear and therefore ‘out-of-date’ was not an issue. According to Van Straaten, the introduction of LED changed that. Although their running costs are highly attractive, they do not have the longevity of Tungsten. Their high-tech capabilities and in turn cost, place them in the renting camp. Sound is the one department where the general consensus is that the
equipment is owner-operated and therefore renting or owning is not up to a production company. Soundmen like to work with their own gear and their fee will include the use of their equipment. The rent or own discussion offers pros and cons for both options. The predecision time would be influenced by: • thorough number-crunching in line with the cost-effectiveness premise, • working out the period it would take to recoup money spent, • basing it on workload projection, • frequency of use for that particular piece of equipment • and budget. Van Straaten neatly sums up a business rationale behind owning or renting as: “owning the equipment that works a lot, but not owning the equipment that changes from season to season.”
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| EQUIPMENT RENTALs SURVEY
Equipment rentals survey
Screen Africa conducted a survey among some of South Africa’s leading equipment rental companies to find out what the current trends and fads are within the industry. Here’s what we learnt…
1. ENTRY-LEVEL CAMERAS (R5000 – R60 000 retail cost) MOST CHOSEN BRAND: 1st: CANON 2nd: SONY 3rd: NIKON MOST CHOSEN PRODUCT:
1st: Sony A7S II
2nd: Canon EOS 5D Mark IV
3rd: Canon EOS 5D Mark III
Strengths:
Strengths:
Strengths:
• • • •
• • •
• • • • •
Great in low light Beautiful 4K footage Great hand feel Image stabilisation/handheld
High bitrate Beautiful image Ergonomics
Weaknesses:
Weaknesses:
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No focus tracking Image stabilisation needs to be turned off on dolly and slider shots
Weaknesses:
Large file sizes Only HD output via its HDMI
• •
“The Canon 5D Mark IV is a solid follow-up to the much lauded 5D Mark III. Though the new camera is capable of 4K video recording, the 1.74x crop factor is a bit of a disappointment. Overall though, the 5D Mark IV produced a great-looking image.” – Chris Monlux, Videomaker
“The Sony a7s II has been a game-changer for filmmakers and creatives across the world. Cinematographers and photographers have been creating amazing images with this mirrorless camera that can rival some of the best.” – Brent Barbano, co-founder of camera rental community ShareGrid
Manual audio gain control Headphone jack Superb low-light performance 30-minute maximum record time Improved rolling shutter
No uncompressed video out Sluggish autofocus in live-view mode
“Superb imaging and fleshed out audio control makes the 5D Mark III a worthy successor to the camera that forever changed the landscape of video production.” – Mike Wilhelm, Videomaker
2.
These cameras are available from: Cam-A-Lot | Digitalfilm Service | The Magic Lightbox Company | Puma Video
MID-RANGE CAMERAS (R60 000 – R120 000 retail cost) MOST CHOSEN BRAND: 1st: SONY 2nd: CANON MOST CHOSEN PRODUCT:
1st: Sony PXW-FS7
2nd: Sony PXW-FS5
3rd: Canon EOS C300 Mark II
Strengths:
Strengths:
Strengths:
• • • • •
• •
•
Internal 4K recording with a super 35mm sensor 14 stops dynamic range in S-Log3 Superb ergonomics Fully operational out of the box Records from 1 to 180 frames per second
Weaknesses: • •
Very Poor menu design and functionality The LCD monitor is mounted with cheap plastic
Grip has great function Portable size
•
Weaknesses: •
Super 35 sensor not full frame
“It’s easy to love this camera. The picture quality is superb and the form factor is easy to use – but those things don’t come cheap.” – Chris Monlux, Videomaker
“The Sony PXW-FS7 – XDCAM is the best camera on the market for your money. Not only is it loaded with tons of high end features, great ergonomics and internal 4K, but this is a camera that is very easy to fall in love with.” – Jason Miller, Videomaker These cameras are available from: Cam-A-Lot | Digitalfilm Service | The Magic Lightbox Company | Puma Video 30 | SCREENAFRICA | March 2018
• • •
Beautiful colours with many gamma, gammut and matrix settings Many focus assist options like Focus Guide, Boosted Manual Focus and Face Tracking Small footprint, versatile modularity Exchangeable EF-mount and PL-mount (via Canon service centre) Nearly perfect image quality in HD (EBU Tier 1 quality level)
Weaknesses: • • •
Grain in shadows when using C-Log2 at ISO 800 Soft image at 100/120fps and 2:1 sensor crop 1/4” allen screws for top handle instead of quick release knob
“The Canon C300 Mark II shines in image quality with endless combination image style settings.” – PJZ, GadgetFlux
EQUIPMENT RENTALS SURVEY
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EQUIPMENT RENTALS
3. HIGH-END CAMERAS (R120 000 – < retail cost) MOST CHOSEN BRAND: 1st: SONY 2nd: RED 3rd: ARRI MOST CHOSEN PRODUCT:
1st: Sony PMW-F55
2nd: Sony PMW-300
3rd: RED EPIC DRAGON
Strengths:
Strengths:
Strengths:
• • • • •
•
Weaknesses:
• • • • • • •
• •
Weaknesses:
Weaknesses:
• • •
•
Best in class image quality Wider colour gamut compared to film SxS Pro+ media cards One-touch interface Long battery life (Olivine Lithium Iron Phosphate)
Premium price tag Slight learning curve
“Even for the premium price, you will get what you pay for with the F55. Currently, you will be hard pressed to get better 4K footage out of any other 4K digital production camera available.” – Rex, 4K Camera
F1.9 Constant aperture fujinon lens Complete all in one package High bitrate footage at 4:2:2 50 mbps Superb build quality and ergonomics Viewfinder transforms into LCD monitor Viewfinder/monitor has essential tactile buttons Adjustable fore-grip angle
Heavy body Hardly any bokeh effect No slow motion at 1080p
• • • •
•
“The picture quality is once again best in class and rivals much more expensive and larger cameras. It’s going to be a good all round camera that will find a home on corporate shoots, news and documentary shoots as well as in low budget studios.” – XDCAM-USER.COM
Can shoot in anything between HD and 4K all in the same camera High-speed capabilities Shooting RAW– a major advantage over most camera manufactures Compact size Sensor upgradeability
Some users find the battery life to be short with the camera being power-hungry An expensive external recorder is needed for HD recording
“Given the Epic Dragon’s price tag, this camera isn’t for everyone, but it will appeal to those that demand the most nuanced colour and with widest possible dynamic range.” – Camera News at Cameraegg
These cameras are available from: Cam-A-Lot | Digitalfilm Service | The Magic Lightbox Company | Puma Video
4. CAMERA LENSES MOST CHOSEN BRAND: 1st: CANON 2nd: SIGMA | ZEISS 3rd: ROKINON MOST CHOSEN PRODUCT:
1st: Canon 24-70mm 2.8 MKII L-Series
2nd: Sigma 85mm f/1.4 DG HSM Art Lens for Canon EF
2nd: Zeiss SLR 50mm Prime Full frame
Strengths:
Strengths:
Strengths:
•
• • •
•
•
• •
Effective in most everyday shooting situations, including dim lighting When used on a full-frame DSLR like the Canon EOS 6D or 5D Mark III, the focal range gets you wide, normal, and short telephoto shots without having to change lenses. Well-built from durable materials and weather sealed Incredible sharpness and surprisingly few optical compromises for a zoom lens
Weaknesses: • •
Price and lack of image stabilisation Large and heavy
•
Tack sharp imagery Build quality Price – outstanding value for performance Great low-light performance
• • •
Vibrant, natural colour with realistic contrast Great low-light performance Smooth, painterly bokeh effects Virtually no vignetting of images
3rd: Rokinon Xeen 35mm T1.5 Cine Prime Lens Strengths: • • • • •
Weaknesses: •
Weaknesses:
Weaknesses:
• •
•
Big and heavy No image stabilisation
“The Sigma 85mm 1.4 Art ushers in a new era of quality and performance for this popular fast prime focal length. A 9 blade rounded diaphragm creates beautiful background bokeh to isolate and accentuate the subject.” – Michaels for Photography
Image can be seen as too soft when shot wide open – typical of most 50mm lenses. Sharpness in this lens is best when used at f/4.5 and stopped down from there
“It’s definitely a dream lens for videographers because of the long focus throw and the softness that the aperture is capable of providing.” – Adorama
Alloy body, yet light Great cost vs performace Colour matched coatings Full frame coverage Available in a wide variety of mounts
•
A subtle colour shift as the lens transitions from wide-open to T4 / T5.6 The range doesn’t have uniform physical lengths
“One of the things I really liked about these lenses, especially because they are full frame, is the feeling of shallow depth of field with cinematic focus fall off, while shooting at a T4 or higher.” – Steven Gladstone, Explora News Tips and Reviews
“Sharp, fast, compact, and durable – this lens is a pro’s best friend” These lenses are available from: Cam-A-Lot | Digitalfilm Service | The Magic Lightbox Company | Puma Video – TJ Donegan, Reviewed
March 2018
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EQUIPMENT RENTALS
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5. CAMERA MOUNTS & ADAPTERS MOST CHOSEN BRAND: 1st: METABONES
2nd: MTF
3rd: CANON | FUJINON | NIKON | PANAVISION | RIG WHEELS | SIGMA
MOST CHOSEN PRODUCT:
1st: Metabones EF to E-mount
2nd: MTF E-mount
Strengths: • • • • •
• • •
A built-in lens, giving an extra stop of light Build quality All the markings are engraved in the metal as opposed to being printed Optical performance unmatched by the competition Partially Removes a crop factor from the camera body when used with Canon lenses made for full frame DSLR. Adds one F-Stop to the lens brightness No external power source required. Image stabilisation Smooth iris support with select Canon (2009 and later), Tamron (SP series 2013 and later), and Sigma (2016 and later) lenses
Weaknesses: • •
•
Expensive, but you get what you pay for There are other options for more affordable Canon EF to E mount adapters Noticeable reduction of image’s sharpness on good Canon glass. (you may not notice this on average glass).
Strengths:
Weaknesses:
• •
•
•
Well built It accommodates a lot of cameras, from the Sony NEX5 up to the CineAlta F3 and F5, as well as the Canon EOS 7D up to the Cinema EOS C100 and 300s Excels at allowing consistent zooms at any speed that also can hold focus throughout the zoom range
Expensive
“MTF’s adapter really excels at allowing consistent zooms at any speed that also can hold focus throughout the zoom range. This is where the adapter really shows it’s value.” – Craig Chartier, DVINFO.NET
“The Metabones Canon EF Lens to Sony E Camera Adapter IV (i.e. non Speed Booster version) offers the full-frame coverage, making it the go-to Canon adapter for use with the a7 / a7R / a7S.” – Nomadic Shutter These products are available from: Cam-A-Lot | Digitalfilm Service | The Magic Lightbox Company | Puma Video
6. GRIPS MOST CHOSEN BRAND: 1st: KESSLER
2nd: KUPO | OCONNOR
3rd: PANTHER | SACHTLER
MOST CHOSEN PRODUCT:
1st: Kessler CineSlider (5FT) Strengths: • • • • • • •
Extremely light and portable Heavy Duty ability – with an 80 lb weight capacity Adjustable Drag Control Removable Crank Handle – provides option for manual operation Can be upgraded to be motorised Motion Control Ready The Kessler Parallax®, provides automatic panning and fixed-point shooting capabilities to the Kessler line of sliders
2nd: Kupo Double Gag Grip Head 2 1/2” grip head
2nd: OConnor 25/75 Fluid Head
3rd: Panther Flexi Grip Kit
Strengths:
Strengths:
•
•
•
• •
•
Mounting jaws to accept any accessory with a 5/8”, 1/2”, 3/8” and 1/4” mounting stud or tubing Solid Steel Central Bolt for toughness and duarability Maxiumum torque provided by oversized “T” Handle and dedicated Roller Bearings Durable with non-slip aluminium friction disc
•
•
A step-less, ultra-smooth pan & tilt fluid drag specifically designed to allow superior control, precision, and stability The platform release lever has a one touch finger actuated safety release catch. This allows for one “finger” or hand action to undo the safety catch and open the lever All current 25/75C accessories are interchangeable with the 25/75D
Strengths:
•
A totally flexible system that can be: – Table Dolly – LowBoy / HiHat – Bazooka Base – Camera Base – Rigging System – Slider – Tracking Dolly – Doorway Dolly Lightweight and small, so very portable.
Weaknesses: Weaknesses: •
It’s portable, but just too large to fly with as hand luggage
“This slider is SERIOUSLY smooth, I call it a ‘one take slider’, you only need to do the shot again if you cock up – not the gear sticking on you!” – Phillip Bloom, world-renowned filmmaker
•
none
“The Double Gag Grip Head from Kupo allows you to easily mount two light control frames into a single grip head.” – Kupo
Weaknesses:
Weaknesses:
•
•
none
“OConnor also makes a 2060 and a 1030, which are for lighter cameras, but the 2575 is the most flexible of those designs and I’ve even used it for smaller DSLR cameras very effectively.” – Graham Futerfas, cinematographer
None
“It is a universal tool for multi-purpose use and can be extended according to your needs.” – Mick Jones, Litup Digital
These grips are available from: Cam-A-Lot | Digitalfilm Service | The Magic Lightbox Company | Puma Video | Southern Lighting Solutions 32 | SCREENAFRICA | March 2018
EQUIPMENT RENTALS SURVEY
7. CAMERA GIMBALS
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EQUIPMENT RENTALS
MOST CHOSEN BRAND: 1st: DJI 2nd: ZHIYUN-TECH 3rd: FEIYUTECH | PILOTFLY MOST CHOSEN PRODUCT:
1st: DJI Ronin-M Strengths: • •
• • • • • •
Flexible system – the Ronin-M can replace dollies, sliders, and jibs in many situations It can be controlled by single operator or an included 2.4 GHz radio controller for dual-operator acquisition Feels natural in the hands and very forgiving Cost effective Able to use a RC controller or thumb controller unit. Long battery life Quick set up Light
2nd: DJI Ronin MX
3rd: Zhiyun-Tech Crane 2
Strengths:
Strengths:
•
• • • •
•
• • •
Flexible system – an included universal mounting adapter allows it to be adapted for use with jibs, car mounts, and various other types of camera support equipment. There is also a handlebar for handheld use Built to perform – designed to resist high G-forces using powerful motors and IMUs, the Ronin-MX is engineered to maintain stability and hold horizon when mounted to an aircraft or a vehicle 360° Freedom of movement Wireless control and transmission App Control
Weaknesses: •
• •
• • • • •
Long battery life Quick, direct camera control via handgrip buttons OLED screen making settings easy to read Manfrotto-standard quick release plate, to move the camera between the stabiliser and tripod without the need to re-balance the gimbal “Slow-fall” feature protects your camera from a sudden drop when the Crane 2 is powered down Can power select Sony cameras WIth a maximum payload of seven pounds, heavy DSLR cameras can be mounted Third-party accessories that add wireless focus to the mounted camera are available Fast response time producing smooth footage
Weaknesses:
The roll axis has a tendency to drift, which is exacerbated by being off balance even a little. This can be fixed by just restarting the unit, which takes about 15 seconds total Like all gimbals, has a bit of a learning curve to balance, but easy to use once you get going Bars tend to loosen
•
•
“The Ronin-M can handle basically any DSLR as well as small cinema camera such as the Canon C series or even the Alexa Mini with a lighter lens.” – Jason Miller, Videomaker
For longer cameras like the Sony F5 and FS700, extension arm solutions, available from third party manufacturers, are needed When used handheld, the operator’s arms still need to be extended in front of the body – tiring if you’re holding the gimbal for any length of time
“The MX is probably the DJI gimbal most users with lightweight lenses and mid-sized cameras will now opt for, unless you need to carry larger payloads, in which case you will still need to use the original Ronin.” – Dan Chung, Newsshooter
Weaknesses: • •
The extra weight and heavier payload capability could lead to fatigue during long operating sessions Limited camera compatibility list – the follow focus only supports compatible Canon cameras, like the EOS 5D Mark IV
“The convenient OLED screen, strong performance, and higher max payload definitely make the Crane 2 a suitable option for both amateur and professional videographers.” – Philip Chung, Digital Trends
These gimbals are available from: Cam-A-Lot | Digitalfilm Service | The Magic Lightbox Company | Puma Video
8. WIRELESS ZOOM & FOCUS CONTROLS MOST CHOSEN BRAND: 1st: REDROCK
2nd: RTMOTION
3rd: APUTURE | ARRI | CHROSZIEL | PRESTON | TILTA | TERADEK
MOST CHOSEN PRODUCT: 1st: Redrock microRemote Wireless Focus 2nd: RTMotion’s MK3.1 kit (Focus, Zoom & Iris)
Strengths: • • •
• • •
•
Automatic lens calibration (with manual calibration option) Left or right-handed operation Powerful Redrock Torque motor works with both cinema and still lenses Handwheel with adjustable hard stops Handheld can be used in tethered or wireless modes Lightweight rig that can be moved quickly and operated for long period of time Fully digital system with 16 wireless channels which allows the user to move to a different channel if there is interference on the channel being used.
Strengths: • •
•
Weaknesses: •
The large thumb screw almost touches the lens when adjusting
“If you have any gimbal or Steadicam stabiliser and use it with your own equipment on a regular basis. It provides a lot of bang for the buck and for me it’s the first remote focusing unit which is versatile enough for a lot of shooting needs, and cheap enough that you can buy it rather than rent it.” – Nino Leitner, Cinema 5D
These products are available from: Digitalfilm Service
• •
• •
•
Small and lighteight Very good price for a single channel system that expands to two and three channels Tiny receiver supports up to three channels and record/stop features Responsive and precise Controller’s LCD screen makes it easy-ish for newcomers to figure things out on their own. The MK3.1’s controller feels great in your hand It’s powered by a small Canon LP-E6 battery which lasts somewhere in the range of 30-36 hours of average use two year warranty
Weaknesses: • •
Expensive To add iris or zoom to your system, additional motors are needed to be purchased
“My own experience with the MK has been rock solid, and I’m not aware of any other system that gives you not only a great single channel option, but also an easy and relatively affordable path to upgrading to iris and zoom control as well. “ – Helmut Kobler, Los Angeles-based DP and cameraman
March 2018
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EQUIPMENT RENTALS
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9. LOCATION LIGHTS MOST CHOSEN BRAND: 1st: ARRI 2nd: KINO FLO 3rd: LITEPANELS | LED PANEL MOST CHOSEN PRODUCT:
1st: Litepanels Astra 1x1 Bicolour LED panel Strengths: • • •
True colour quality Good intensity Great price vs performance
Weaknesses: • •
Dials aren’t capable of precise control A little heavier than most LED panels, but easily manageable
2nd: ARRI M8 HMI 800w
3rd: Kino Flo 4ft 4Bank Kit
Strengths:
Strengths:
• •
•
• • • • •
Weather protection class IP23 Uses lens-less MAX technology to combine the characteristics of a Fresnel and PAR source Lensless MAX Technology also makes it lighter weight and easy to use Emits light comparable to a 1200W fixture Focusable between 15° and 62° Cross cooling allows safe operation even at 90° tilt Very consistent with its colour temperature
Weaknesses: “It has great colour quality, has good intensity and costs less than other lights we tested in its category. We really enjoyed having a light with a very true colour, allowing for better capture in camera.” – Chris Monlux, Videomaker
•
• • • • • •
Emits the equivalent of a 1000W softlight with low electrical draw High colour rendering (CRI 95) with optional True Match lamps in 3200K and 5500K Colour temperature consistent Flexible power supplies for worldwide use Same fixture takes daylight and tungsten lamps, plus visual effects colour lamps Mounts to stand, light enough to be hand-held or taped to a wall Instant power-up and dead quiet
Expensive
Weaknesses: “These lights are easily controlled with a knob, so you can spot or flood your lights to the exact amount you like with absolute ease. You can use these to create a nice backlight or bounce these babies into ultra bounces to illuminate your talent. You can also get a bit more light out of them and they are very consistent with their colour temperature.” – Shane Hurlbut, ASC
•
Expensive
“Kino Flo is far and away the most common brand of fluorescent lighting used in the film and TV industry today, so apologies if this reads a little like an advert for them. They’re not paying me, honestly!” – Neil Oseman, cinematographer, UK
These lights are available from: Cam-A-Lot | Digitalfilm Service | The Magic Lightbox Company | Puma Video | Southern Lighting Solutions
10. FILM LIGHTS MOST CHOSEN BRAND: 1st: ARRI 2nd: KINO FLO 3rd: FILMGEAR MOST CHOSEN PRODUCT: 1st: ARRI SkyPanel S-60
2nd: Lightstar Gorgeous Parlight
3rd: Filmgear Panel 100w
Strengths:
Strengths:
Strengths:
•
•
•
• •
• • •
High output equivalent of a 2000W tungsten soft light, drawing only 450W Fully colour “tuneable” USB-A port for downloading firmware upgrades from a thumb drive, PC or Mac Flexible power supplies for use worldwide, and can use 23-36 VDC batteries Natural shadow rendition and true soft light beam quality Resilient materials and assembled by hand
• •
Energy efficient – HMIs can output four times the amount of brightness per watt of electricity Accurate daylight temperature is pleasing to the eye Great price vs performance
Weaknesses: • •
Not having a swing away door for quick lamp changes The ballast fan can be considered noisy by some
Weaknesses: •
Expensive
“The skin tones it produces are second to none, and its ability to execute fine green/magenta adjustments makes it possible to quickly adjust for complexion. Thanks to its large aperture, the shadows produced by the S60-C are subtle and natural, which is not always the case with LED lighting.” – Alex Schwindt, Film Team director at Hope Community Church in Raleigh
•
• • •
“We put these HMIs through some rigorous testing on long shoots, and they hold up just as well as Arri HMIs. During a week long photo shoot we did for LAT catalogue, these lights were working continuously for 12 or more hours each day.” – Brandon Peterson, ECG Productions
The colour temperature is adjustable in range 2700K – 5600K LED fixture produces a directed flow of soft light with a wide angle of beam. Also it creates homogeneous and clean shadows, even and smooth light field Due to using LED technology, fixture’s lifespan is longer – approximately 30 000 hours. Comfortable and functional design and made of durable materials Supports DMX options and easy to use
Weaknesses: •
none
“The LED panel fixture produces a directed flow of soft light with a wide angle of beam. Also it creates homogeneous and clean shadows, as well as an even and smooth light field.” – MLK LCC
These lights are available from: Cam-A-Lot | Digitalfilm Service | The Magic Lightbox Company | Puma Video | Southern Lighting Solutions 34 | SCREENAFRICA | March 2018
EQUIPMENT RENTALS SURVEY
11. STUDIO LIGHTS
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EQUIPMENT RENTALS
MOST CHOSEN BRAND: 1st: ARRI 2nd: KINO FLO 3rd: BRONCOLOR | LED PANEL MOST CHOSEN PRODUCT: 1st: ARRI SkyPanel S-60
2nd: Kino Flo 4ft
Strengths:
•
•
• • • • •
3rd: Broncolour HMI FT1600 1600w with Para 177
Strengths:
High output equivalent of a 2000W tungsten soft light, drawing only 450W Fully colour “tuneable” USB-A port for downloading firmware upgrades from a thumb drive, PC or Mac Flexible power supplies for use worldwide, and can use 23-36 VDC batteries Natural shadow rendition and true soft light beam quality Constructed from resilient materials and assembled by hand
• • • • • •
Emits the equivalent of a 1000W softlight with low electrical draw High colour rendering (CRI 95) with optional True Match lamps in 3200K and 5500K Colour temperature consistent Flexible power supplies for worldwide use Same fixture takes daylight and tungsten lamps, plus visual effects colour lamps Mounts to stand, light enough to be hand-held or taped to a wall Instant power-up and dead quiet
• •
•
•
Portable 1600W lamp head, a lamp module with a daylightbalanced bulb and counter reflector The HMI FT1600 permits 100-50% dimming control with consistent colour, so is easy to mix with flash and daylight Flicker-free performance to suit video and high-speed shooting applications, and has a CRI of 95+
Weakness: Weaknesses:
Weaknesses: •
Strengths:
•
•
Expensive “Kino Flo is far and away the most common brand of fluorescent lighting used in the film and TV industry today, so apologies if this reads a little like an advert for them. They’re not paying me, honestly!” – Neil Oseman, cinematographer, UK
“The skin tones it produces are second to none, and its ability to execute fine green/magenta adjustments makes it possible to quickly adjust for complexion. Thanks to its large aperture, the shadows produced by the S60-C are subtle and natural, which is not always the case with LED lighting.” – Alex Schwindt, Film Team director at Hope Community Church in Raleigh
Expensive
Expensive “In plain and simple words, this light shaper could be comparable to a fresnel spot on steroids. You don’t have to worry about breaking the glass of a fresnel, it only weighs around 12 pounds and is super portable, it’s even more versatile” – Quentin Decaillet, Fstoppers
These lights are available from: Cam-A-Lot | Digitalfilm Service | The Magic Lightbox Company Puma Video | Southern Lighting Solutions
12. MONITORS MOST CHOSEN BRAND: 1st: SMALLHD
2nd: ATOMOS | FLANDERS SCIENTIFIC | SONY | TV LOGIC
3rd: BON | EIZO | LILLIPUT
MOST CHOSEN PRODUCT:
2nd: Atomos Shogun 7” 1st: SmallHD DP7 7”
Strengths:
Strengths:
• • •
• • • • • • • •
Brigtht OLED screen Customisable 3D LUTS can be uploaded through an SD Card Smart Keys and Touch Screen Controls – very easy to access User can define the custom functions Focus Assist built-in Portable Very power efficient Light enough to use as handheld on-board monitor.
Weaknesses: •
Some may find the menu system difficult to master at first due to the complexity of the menu
“The SmallHD DP7-PRO OLED field monitor provides accurate colour, rich blacks and an OSD/Scope system delivered through touch screen that will knock your socks off!” – Jeff Foster, Provideo Coalition
•
Not expensive Great colour and contrast. The interface is very clean and intuitive and does not suffer from an extensive and cluttered menu HDMI and SDI inputs
Weaknesses: • • •
Highly reflective screen, a hood is needed Made of plastic, so not that durable and not weather proof Short battery life
“Short of some minor issues, such as a highly reflective glossy screen and horrid battery life and indication, the Shogun is a real pleasure to use especially with the Sony a7S. This is a highly recommended addition to anyones a7S or FS700 kit.” – Jason Miller, Videomaker
3rd: Sony OLED PVM-2541 25”
3rd: Flanders Scientific 17”
Strengths:
•
• • •
•
•
OLED full-HD RGB 10-bit driver picture quality Light and compact Flexible mount options make it ideal for desktop editing, office viewing, studio monitor walls and OB vans Superb black performance, wide colour gamut and quick response with virtually no motion blur Easy-to-use control panel
Strengths:
•
• • • •
Weaknesses: • • •
Expensive Limited viewing axis. As with LCDs, when you get too far off center Audio sync is an issue with interlaced material depending upon the I/P mode you use
“The depth of black was fantastic and the white purity was incredibly even – the OLEDs stood head and shoulders above the rest in terms of their image quality.” – Mark Horrobin, senior colourist at Smoke & Mirrors
These monitors are available from: Cam-A-Lot | Digitalfilm Service | Puma Video | Southern Lighting Solutions
•
Gives user every pixel the HD camera records Displays 10-bit colour depth as opposed to the more common 8-bit Lighweight Only draws 28 watts of power, so longer battery life Connects to cameras wirelessly using a Paralinx Arrow receiver It can show two camera angles on screen at once (and even the second angle comes in wirelessly via a second Paralink receiver) The monitor has built-in LUTs
Weaknesses: • •
Expensive Has two HD-SDI inputs (and outputs) but no HDMI input
“Being able to run dual camera angles completely wirelessly all day long on just one or two batteries makes this rig one of my favourite pieces of gear.” – Helmut Kobler, Provideo Coalition – Compiled by Trevor Ou Tim March 2018
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2018
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PREVIEW
NAB 2018 – as
The annual National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) convention in Las Vegas brings cinema and media professionals from around the world under one roof to get hands on with the latest cameras, lenses and other technology from industry leaders.
O
ver the years, the NAB Show has proven to be the place for manufacturers to announce new technology. Along with announcements however, come the inevitable rumours and leaks and whilst some prove to be true, others turn out to just be wishful thinking or clever marketing campaigns. Regardless, the show, which runs 7 to 12 April 2018, is always a great place to catch up with old acquaintances and make new connections with fellow media, cinema and broadcast professionals. Rumour has it (no actually, it’s really true) that this year Nikon has booked a
36 | SCREENAFRICA | March 2018
rather large booth for the 2018 NAB show right in the middle of the Central Hall and it’s almost as big as other video-heavyhitters like Arri, Fuji and JVC. So what you ask? Well the fact that Nikon has not been a part of NAB for a number of years maybe just cause for the rumour mill to churn over. Their massive stand has triggered some online speculation that a new Nikon mirrorless camera could well be the reason, along with a range of mirrorless lenses? Traditionally, Canon takes the lead in online forums and the camera community as far as rumoured new camera releases go. With mirrorless cameras becoming
more and more popular, many people are expecting Canon to announce a mirrorless camera to compete head-tohead with the Sony A7R III. Websites are reporting that there will be a new camera announcement outside of the Cinema EOS line, so this may very well be a mirrorless full frame camera with an EF mount that filmmakers have been waiting for. In the Cinema EOS line-up, there are reports of a possible 6K full frame camera to compete with the new Sony Venice. The camera was original thought to be announced as the C900, but now looks to be marketed as a 6K Canon C500 MKII. It’s no secret by now that Canon has filed an optical formula patent for an anamorphic zoom lens, and the Cinema EOS 37.5-100mm f/3.3 anamorphic lens just might make an appearance at NAB 2018. With most popular anamorphic lenses out of production and only available second hand, Canon looks to be making an entry in this very popular market. With most high-end cinema cameras now offering 4:3 recording formats, anamorphic shooting is gaining momentum once again. ARRI will likely be showcasing their new
ALEXA LF (large format) camera, along with their newly announced fleet of ARRI Signature Prime lenses and new LPL lens mount. The 16-lens collection will cover full frame sensors and feature focal lengths from 12mm to 280mm. Another recently leaked story is that Fuji appears to be setting their sights on Panasonic and Sony with the X-H1. The Fuji X-H1 appears to be targeting the ever growing “hybrid shooters” market, which has been dominated by the Sony A7SII and the Panasonic GH5. The camera will feature 5-stops of in-camera image stabilisation and internal F-log recording onto SD cards in 4K. At $1,899 (body only), the new mirrorless camera from Fuji will be priced well below the GH5 and A7SII ($2,499). RED really has set the precedent for releasing new technology whenever they want, and have skipped NAB in the past (last year the most recent) and are currently not on the exhibitor’s list for the 2018 show (although that could change), but you’ll surely find a plethora of 8K WEAPON cameras with S35 sensors in various booths around the show. Maybe RED will even have a few HYDROGEN
PREVIEW
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2018
rumour has it
holographic Android phones floating around on the NAB show floor? Rumours aside, the NAB Show’s identity is deeply rooted in convergence and collaboration. It’s the home for media, entertainment and technology professionals looking to further their careers, connect with industry leaders, gain knowledge or cutting-edge training, enhance their business or craft, get hands-on with the latest technology, or simply be awe-inspired. It’s an unrivalled experience where the entire digital ecosystem gathers year after year to leverage new technologies, tools and cross-aisle synergies to propel the content economy forward. NAB paves the way for innovative and creative interaction for all who attend and a must this year would be a visit to the Immersive Storytelling Pavilion, the Post Production Campus and the Futures Park. The Immersive Storytelling Pavilion will highlight the latest equipment and techniques in the virtual, mixed and augmented reality sectors of the industry whilst the Post Production Campus offers a number of great discussions including Real-time content creation, mobile
streaming and sessions on drone piloting. The Futures Park is always a popular venue showcasing advanced projects from high-tech media developers from around the world. In the conference sessions, one to look out for will be “The business of sports entertainment”. It is geared to top-level executives representing media networks, distributors, promoters, agencies as well as leagues, teams, federations and colleges. This forum will bring together the industry’s leading business executives who will examine the best opportunities for engaging and monetising sports fans in today’s marketplace. Sessions will focus on live content, sponsorships, technology and what’s next for sports revenues. The Global UHD conference is also one not to miss – This event brings together the world’s experts on Ultra HD television for a deep dive on the latest in this critical, evolving tech sector. There will be updates on the ATSC 3.0 rollout underway in the Republic of Korea, and a retrospective on UHD production and presentation experience gained at the XXIII Olympic Winter Games in PyeongChang.
The NAB Show is where groundbreaking technology is unveiled, innovative solutions are displayed and game-changing trends are exposed. Prepare to explore aisle after aisle of awesome tech, cool gear, smart software, capable cloud solutions and limitless ideas and inspiration and roll-up your sleeves and be hands-on with the products, services and people driving the future of content. The world’s most inspiring and celebrated thought leaders assemble to share their stories, solutions, techniques and personal journeys. You’ll get big picture insights and critical details on the latest trends impacting content from creation to consumption. Whether your focus is on the art, the science or the business of content creation or consumption, this is where you refine your skills, get inspired, and make powerful connections that could fundamentally change your business forever, and that’s the truth – no rumours here! – Ian Dormer
NAB is an unrivalled experience where the entire digital ecosystem gathers year after year to leverage new technologies, tools and cross-aisle synergies to propel the content economy forward.
March 2018
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Festivals & Markets
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From a moment to a movement 2018 is going to be the start of a new era for women in the film and related industries. Fortunately, the rallying cries of #MeToo and #TimesUp appear to be morphing into more positive movements that see women standing up, supporting each other, and telling our stories.
A
number of organisations, some that have been around for a while and some new, are promising, not just to fight for the most basic of workplace justice, but also to support women in the industry and put their stories centre stage in 2018. Although it is clearly the responsibility of everyone, especially men, in these industries to stamp out any form of sexual and gender based assault, harassment and intimidation, there is also the need for women in the industry to support each other and share valuable skills and resources. Skills and resource sharing from those who have, with those who have not, will be an integral tool in developing women throughout these industries. This kind of
38 | SCREENAFRICA | March 2018
training, support and development will transform this #MeToo moment from a reaction to abuse, to a movement for change. So in the spirit of full disclosure and accountability, I intend to be part of this solution, and to that end, along with some colleagues, have embarked on a project, The Ladima Foundation, that aims to join the ranks of similar organisations across Africa working to promote women in the film, TV, and related production industries. The Ladima Foundation aims to support women in a variety of roles within filmmaking, video production and related content development through a range of projects and interventions. The Foundation’s flagship project is the
Ladima Award for African Women Documentary Filmmakers presented annually at the Zanzibar International Film Festival. The Award carries with it a cash prize and the winner will also see her filmed screened at the Africa in Motion (AIM) Festival in Glasgow and Edinburgh. Justine Atkinson and Lizelle Bischoff from AIM will be in attendance at ZIFF and Lizelle, along with researcher and fellow academic, Stefanie van de Peer will also present a talk based on their up-coming monograph entitled, “Women in African Cinema.” AIM and Ladima will also screen Mossane (Safi Faye, Senegal, 1996), and Fatma 75 (Selma Baccar, Tunisia, 1976). These films have hardly been seen or screened publicly before we created English subtitles, restored and digitised them as part of The Lost African Classics project at AIM. Additionally, Ladima will develop training, networking and related opportunities for women filmmakers who
demonstrate their seriousness and commitment to their craft. Already the foundation has partnered with DISCOP Zanzibar and will be sponsoring five women to attend and presenting a key note panel discussion on women in the world of production. The Ladima Foundation enters into a space where other organisations are also making waves and promoting the role of women in the industry. Recently, at the Berlinale in Germany, the South African based Sisters Working in Film and Television (SWIFT) announced a campaign to fight gender inequality in the industry. Their campaign #ThatsNotOK will also develope an industry-wide code of conduct that has already garnered the support of government institutions, trade groups and broadcasters, as well as a series of PSAs. Other organisations and events, such as Women Filmmakers of Zimbabwe, the recently staged Women Film Africa Festival in Dakar, Senegal, the Mzansi Women’s Film Festival in South Africa, and The Centre for the Research of African Women in Cinema, all need to start collaborating on pan-African initiatives that promote the rights of women in the industry and work to redress the rampant inequality within it. To find out more about The Ladima Foundation visit www.ladima.africa. – Lara Preston
| SOCIAL
SAFTAs nominee announcement The 12th annual SAFTAs nominee announcement took place at the Inanda Club in Sandton, Johannesburg. Seen there were...
Kim Cloete
Ariye Mahdeb and Alastair Orr
Tebogo Keebine and Keason Pennells
Simon Makwela and Zweli Radebe
Didie Makobane and Lehasa Molloyi
Basetsana Kumalo and Zama Mkosi
Bertus Kirsten, Luke Rous, Tumelo M, Kholofelo M and Brett MacDonald
Nambitha Mpumlwana and Katie Mohamed
Zareef Minty, Lihle Nkosi, Candice Modiselle and Daluxolo Jalmeni
Candice Modiselle
Miranda Ntshangase and Simphiwe Mathebula
March 2018
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39
Marketplace
UPCOMING EVENTS
MARCH 2 – 4 Cape Town International
Animation Festival
Cape Town
9 – 17
SXSW Film Festival
Texas
1464 Vragboot Street Cnr Vooraadskip Streets Laserpark, Honeydew
16 – 22 Luxor African
Film Festival
Egypt 23 – 25
Vancouver South African
Film Festival
Broadcast Brands To Africa
Canada
APRIL 7 – 12 NAB Show
Las Vegas
9 – 12 MIPTV Cannes
Master Dealer Africa Tel: +27 (0) 762569255 info@mdafrica.com
www.masterdealerafrica.com
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UNIT C5, ROBERTVILLE MINI FACTORIES, 255 NADINE STREET ROBERTVILLE. ROODEPOORT 1709 WORKBOX 1, HEWETTS BUSINESS PARK, 19 HEWETT AVENUE, EPPING INDUSTRIAL 1, CAPETOWN 7475
Andrew Moyo Cell: 083 382 3605 info@visioncases.co.za
www.visioncases.co.za 40 | SCREENAFRICA | March 2018
Golf Day 2018 will take place on
Thursday 19 April 2018 at Eagle Canyon Golf Estate 3 Blueberry St, Eagle Canyon Golf Estate, Honeydew, Johannesburg, 2040
A cocktail party and prize-giving is held at the Eagle Canyon Clubhouse Pub following the competition, which provides great networking opportunities. Secure your sponsorship and 4-ball by Tuesday 3 April 2018.
Date:
Thursday 19 April 2018
Sponsorship:
Hole 1 & Hole 10 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; R7 500.00 (ex vat)
Halfway House:
All other holes â&#x20AC;&#x201C; R5 750.00 (ex vat) For your own account
Green Fees:
Green fees will be R500 per player which includes dinner Burger Bar
Start:
Shotgun Start @ 10:30am
Contact: Ellen Oosthuizen Cell: +27 (0)83 268 6868 Fax: +27 (0)86 670 6809 e-mail: ellen.oosthuizen@pixie.co.za
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