The Callsheet April 2012 by Film & Event Media

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April 2012 www.thecallsheet.co.za

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SOUTH AFRICA’S WEALTH OF STUDIOS STUDIOS

Sasani Studios JhB

The diversity and quality of studios in South Africa is just one more reason international film, commercials and stills production companies are happy to bring their projects here.

he 16 studios we polled, a small cross-section of the vast local studio offering, had a combined size of more than 26 000 square metres. Local studios offer facilities that can compete with their international counterparts at very competitive rates. The many studios we featured have been busy with a number of different projects, encompassing commercials, movies (including high-budget hollywood productions), live broadcasts and stills shoots. Some of the services and facilities offered are: infinity curves, green screen capability, soundproofing, vehicle access, control rooms, lighting grids/gantries, daylight studios, production office spaces and so much more. A variety of established studios across many different sectors is good news for the film industry as a whole. This is because studios create a number of support jobs, including: construction of sets, carpentry and more. There are studios catering to every budget and stripe of production, in addition to an established selection of studios for stills shoots. Cape Town Film Studios, the largest studio complex in South Africa, has four high-spec sound stages in addition to workshops

and a medieval back lot. Cape Town Film Studios has made a favourable impression on everyone who has worked there, including international talent and producers. Dredd writer and producer Alex Garland enthused: “We had an excellent experience working at Cape Town Film Studios. Nico,

Monique and their team were immensely helpful to the production and provided a superb and highly efficient studio environment in which to shoot. In addition, the local South African crew were firstrate. The whole experience was extremely positive and we would readily do it again.”

Jim Dodson, executive producer of Chronicle, the super-hero blockbuster that was released in February 2012, added: “We all felt so grateful to be able to be based at Cape Town Film Studios for our entire prep and shoot. It is truly a world-class state-of-the art facility. I hope to bring another feature

back there real soon.” Cape Town Film Studios has led the way, but there are plans for similar studio complexes in South Africa’s two other film hubs - Durban and Johannesburg. Former Gauteng Film Commission CeO Terry Tselane revealed towards the end of last year that the GFC is looking to develop the Film City project, which will see a dedicated film district in the province - the likely result of this will be investment in larger film studios in the capital. In Durban, Videovision entertainment CeO Anant Singh, has just won a court appeal that sees him one step closer to building a massive studio complex at Natal Command on the Durban beachfront. The sale of Waterfront Studios to Collective Dream has ensured that this facility, situated in a prime location, has continued to thrive. With the on-site postproduction facilities and three stages at Collective Dream, they have been busy with a variety of projects, including the daily show Hectic9Nine. A thriving studio industry speaks to the overall health of the local film and television trade, indicating that there is a diversification of the work being done here. It indicates that South Africa is no longer just a location destination and that the industry is maturing. As the studios grow in numbers and in the services they offer it is a reflection of the general health of the industry. To see more about the studios we profiled, see page four and five.

PAGE 2 PIN-UP: TYRONE KEOGH (LIMITED EDITION)

ACTING The Wild star Tyrone Keogh is one of South Africa’s busiest actors with several international film and television roles under his belt in addition to his role as bad-boy Jack on the local soap opera.

yrone is the son of wellknown local actor Danny Keogh and rocket Films producer Debbie Cornell. Tyrone started out working as crew on film sets, and he has fulfilled a number of roles including: scenic painter, art department assistant, set builder, set dresser, props standby, props master, art director, animal wrangler, assistant director and director. At the end of 2010 he decided to focus

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on his acting, and shortly after landed the role on The Wild. The 29-year-old says he learned more about acting from practical experience rather than studying. He explained: “I started out doing commercials in my late teens and this led to extremely small parts in features. I briefly tried to study acting for camera, but I’ve always been hands on and preferred getting experience on set as opposed to the theory.” He added: “I have far more experience behind the camera, having worked in the art department for over 10 years before pursuing acting full-time in only 2011. I believe that experience has made me a far more conscientious actor. I have better

understanding of the elements that go into the creation of film and television.” After appearing in commercials for Spec Savers UK, Orange Communications Worldwide, Vodafone UK, Nestle Germany, Opel Europe, Pepsi USA, Engen SA, KFC SA and more Tyrone made his feature film debut in Blast. His subsequent film credits include Goodbye Bafana, The Deal, Starship Troopers Marauder and Blood Diamond. Tyrone is also a fan favourite as a result of his good looks - his accolades in that department include winning the CLeo Bachelor of the year award and being named Mr April in Cosmopolitan’s 2012 Sexiest Man calendar. Tyrone says playing Jack van reenen on The Wild, has given him a new-found respect for television work, “I most enjoy doing films and this is the genre that I’m most accustomed to working in, but shooting The Wild has been very interesting, and I have newfound respect for the cast and crews who do television. It’s damn hard work and can be very satisfying.” He added: “Shooting a soap on location where you need to get roughly 18 minutes of footage per day is no small feat. To do that without jeopardising the quality of the work is even more impressive. I’m learning so much from the more experienced guys and the process of acting every day is helping me to improve and grow confidence.” Tyrone can be seen on Mnet from Monday to Thursday at 19:00 as he has signed on until at least the end of season two.

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A STUDIO FOR EVERY SEASON

Media Film Services CT

cials, stills shoots, music videos and small to medium events. the studio, situated in an upmarket security complex in durbanville, is just 20 minutes from Cape town. An additional bonus of shooting there is that all Media Film Service equipment is delivered to and collected from the studio at no charge. Floor Size: 550sqm (with additional 100sqm for set building/catering) Facilities: Infinity curves, Chroma key or other colours painted on request, 6m high lighting grid and rolling access tower, roller door access, production office space, wireless internet, wardrobe/changerooms and hair and make-up.

Photo Hire CT

STUDIOS The Callsheet profiles some of the wide variety of studios from around the country. STUDIO 26 (CAPE TOWN) Studio 26 is a dedicated daylight Studio, situated in durbanville, just 20 minutes drive from Cape town. the studios are open-roofed with an east-west orientation, which means it has daylight all day. the

white painted structure acts as a blank canvas, allowing clients to paint or dress it as they require. Floor Size: 600sqm + Facilities: production office space, vehicle access, kitchen and parking. A STUDIO CALLED WONDER (JOHANNESBURG) thiS boutique studio aims to support commercial and television productions. A Studio Called Wonder has already hosted music video shoots for die Antwood, the Frail, Jesse

Clegg and more. the studio offers musicians all manner of services from shooting their videos to press packs and photo shoots. Floor Size: 120sqm Facilities: Green screen, production offices, sound-proofing, lighting grid/gantry, air-conditioning, vehicle access and wireless internet. MEDIA FILM SERVICE (CAPE TOWN) MediA Film Services Cape town offers clients a studio for commer-

SASANI STUDIOS (JOHANNESBURG) SASAni Studios in Johannesburg is where many of South Africa’s favourite television shows are shot. in addition to their state of the art studio facilities they also offer a range of additional services on site such as video and audio post production (they have 32 edit suites), authoring, transfers and equipment rentals. Most recently Sasani has just acquired six full hd Grass Valley Camera chains and a substantial hd Routing System linked to the digital control rooms. Floor Size: 5252.5sqm across 11 studios. Facilities: Green screen, soundproofing, production offices, green rooms, make-up and wardrobe areas and kitchens. Full airconditioning, vehicle access, three studios with dedicated control rooms, and two further control rooms which are shared across the balance of the studios, wireless internet and shooting stores. PHOTO HIRE (CAPE TOWN) Photo hire has expanded their offering with three studios including a daylight studio. With their rental shop just below the studios a large selection of cameras is readily available to rent. the studios also have an on-site painter so any of the three studios can be painted to clients’ specific needs. All three studios come complete with cyc infinity curves.

Grinder Films

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Floor Size: 980sqm across three studios Facilities: infinity curves, blackout

Media Film Services JHB

facilities, green screen on request, kitchen facilities, three-phase electricity, free Wi-Fi and secure parking. GRINDER FILMS (CAPE TOWN) GRindeR Films is a dedicated tabletop studio in Cape town that caters for all tabletop needs from dry-hire to demos and pack-shots to full commercials. Most recently Grinder Films has created a hydraulic, exploding table for a Baltika Breweries beer spot, directed by Grinder’s Rob Payton. other recent shoots include food and drink spots for products including Cappy (Coca Cola), Sandora (Pepsico), Cornetto & Carte d’or (unilever), as well as hosting local SA companies Lucky Rabbit, Groundglass, Wishbones and Atomik for their shoots. Floor Size: 300sqm Facilities: Green screen, foodstylist designed kitchen, tabletop, glass oven, production office space, lighting grids, air-conditioning, shooting stores, wireless internet and SFX prep areas. MEDIA FILM SERVICE (JOHANNESBURG) SituAted in Sandton, within the Media Film Service complex in Johannesburg is a fully equipped studio facility. the studio has a live-in caretaker who can assist with any last minute shoot requirements, while the proximity to the rental facility means they can service any equipment needs. the studio is well equipped for food pack shots, stills shoots, car shoots and small to medium commercials. Floor Size: 322 sqm Facilities: production offices, make-up room, portable green screen, vehicle access, wireless internet, tabletop and fully equipped kitchen.

Roodebloem Studios (CT)

DIS DAYLIGHT STUDIO (CAPE TOWN) DIS Daylight Studio is on the top floor of a building in the centre of Cape Town. The studio, which offers breathtaking views, is a custom built photographic and film studio. DIS offers the option to shoot with natural light, supplement with lights or black out the daylight. The studio is also available to rent for events. Recent shoots include commercials for Cab Films, Wicked Pixels and TVC. Floor Size: 250 sqm Facilities: Two mobile infinity curves that can be painted with Chroma Key, 36 sqm opening skylight, tabletop, wireless internet, motorised hoist and three phase and standard power. ROODEBLOEM STUDIOS (CAPE TOWN) Made up of 12 studios, including four large ones, Roodebloem Studios is situated just five minutes outside of Cape Town’s CBD. The studios, which started in a 100-year-old church, cater for film and stills. They also offer clients an on-site equipment facility, cameras, flash and accessories. The studios are also available for weddings and functions. Floor Size: 1500sqm across 12 studios Facilities: Green screen, production office space, air conditioning, wireless internet, vehicle access, tabletop, daylight and blackout capability, kitchen facilities, outdoor curve, off-street parking and drainage on curve for rain/bath/shower scenes.

LCA STUDIOS (CT)

Pro Rental (CT)

Q STUDIOS (JOHANNESBURG) Q STudioS is comprised of six large studios for television, film and stills shoots. The studios are centrally situated on a 30 000sqm property. In addition to the large studios clients can make use of large production offices, warehouses and Unit 9 - also known as The paint factory - which is used for set building and equipment storage. Floor Size: 2744 sqm+ Facilities: lighting grids, soundproofing in Unit2, dressing rooms, green rooms, productions, ADSL internet, three phase power supply, infinity curves and a control room. PRO RENTAL STUDIO (CAPE TOWN) SiTuaTed in Cape Town, Pro Rental Studio is a dual daylight and blackout studio. The studio comes with equipment for stills including camera, flash and continuous light. The studio is run by professional photographer Anthony Strack. Floor Size: 160 sqm Facilities: Air conditioning, wireless internet, tabletop, cameras and equipment available and daylight facilities. LCA STUDIOS (CAPE TOWN) LCA Studios is comprised of four divisions, hotshots, pakshots, library and studio hire. They aim to offer a total studio service in one location. Their studio is located in Paarden Eiland, just ten minutes outside of Cape Town. in addition to studio space LCA offers photographers for hire, photo editors, post production services and a library of images.

Floor Size: 1000sqm Facilities: lighting grids, air-conditioning, production office space, vehicles access, wireless internet, tabletop and five shooting bays. ATLAS STUDIOS (JOHANNESBURG) ATLAS Studios is situated in the TV production hub of Milpark in Johannesburg. They host a variety of productions including TV productions of sitcoms, soap operas and dramas. They also do commercials, stills shoots, events, live broadcasts, screenings and wrap parties. Previous productions shot at Atlas include: local sitcoms Coconuts and City Ses’la, cooking programme Ready Steady Cook and the emmy nominated local drama series Home Affairs. Floor Size: a total of 2300sqm across 7 studios. Facilities: Vehicle access, chromakey studio, daylight studios, audience holding areas, sound proofing, lighting grid, catering area, hair & make-up, wardrobe, dressing rooms, green room, set storage and production offices.

GLOBAL ACCESS STUDIOS (JOHANNESBURG) GLoBAL Access Studios is a popular location for live television broadcasts. The studios have hosted local and international soaps, game shows, sitcoms, dramas, corporate communication, financial results and events. Global Access has a dedicated television production team; however the studios and equipment are also available for rental. Floor Size: 756sqm across two studios Facilities: Green screen with infinity curve, production offices including crew rooms, make up rooms and dressing rooms, soundproofing and air-conditioning in both studios, vehicle access, lighting grids, control rooms and shooting stores. COLLECTIVE DREAM STUDIOS (CAPE TOWN) CEnTRALLy situated at the Waterfront, Cape Town, Collective Dream Studios boasts three live broadcastenabled sound stages. The facility has been home to international and local productions including Invictus, Safe House and Dark Tide (the new Halle Berry feature film). Studio 3 claims the title of permanent resi-

dence for the popular South African TV-show, Hectic Nine-9 with a livebroadcast scheduled daily. Collective Dream is a production, post-production and studio facility and offers full post-production and sound on both film and digital formats. Floor Size: 2300sqm across three studios Studio facilities: live broadcast-enabled, sound-proof, control rooms, vehicle access, lighting grid/gantry, air-conditioning, production offices, make-up rooms, dressing rooms and kitchen facilities. CAPE TOWN FILM STUDIOS (CAPE TOWN) SiTuaTed just 25 minutes outside of Cape Town, CTFS is a Hollywoodstyle studio complex. The studios has already hosted several international productions (Dredd, Chronicle, Labyrinth) in addition to local music videos several commercials shoots for brands such as netflix, Cell C and SkyTV. In addition to the four massive soundstages, there is a medieval back lot, workshop buildings and a cinema. The studio’s majority shareholders are two of South Africa’s film and television giants, Videovision entertainment and Sabido Investments. Floor Size: a total of 7000sqm across four stages. Facilities: Vehicle access, extensive catwalk and gantry grid network, 55DB sound rating for all sound stages, make up and star rooms, production offices, backlot, workshops, cinema with 5.1 surround sound, digi-green green-screen and fully equipped data centre.

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FRESH EYE FILMS RECREATES STREET FOR PPS constitution Hill ‘before’

COMMERCIALS Director Jonathan Parkinson and producer Martina Schieder of Fresh eye Films helped PPS create a delightful visual advert at the Fort on constiution Hill.

he commercial tells the story of two rival bakeries during an earlier era. One thrives, while the other struggles to attract customers. The commercial saw them transform The Fort on Constitution hill in Johannesburg into an historical village. Part of the challenge of trans-

constitution Hill ‘after’

forming the location included ensuring all traces of the present day were removed from the set. The village required the production team to create shop windows out of solid walls, and a village background out of the distinctive Johannesburg city skyline. This was accomplished with the help of backgrounds, props and of course post-production, which was all done by Orchestra Blue Post Production. The interiors of some rooms were converted into an old-fashioned bakery scene. Producer Martina revealed that the crew dealt well with the chal-

lenges of pulling off such a dynamic shoot, saying: “Logistically it was a huge job from an art department point of view – transforming the street into an authentic eastern european village. As you can see from the commercial our art director, Wayne Smith, really pulled this off successfully under the guidance of the director Jonathan. The set needed to be established & dressed the day prior to the shoot to allow for no delays on the shoot day. “ She added: “The other challenge was to complete what the story demanded within two days with big lighting set-ups, both interior and exterior, animals and a

large cast.” Jonathan Parkinson, the director, said: “This was a fantastic project to work on – with its own interesting set of challenges. Firstly, we had to find a location that could be transformed with this combination of ‘big screen’ art direction, and post-production to complete the illusion of the setting. Then it was all about finding great characters, and recreating a ‘time gone by’ in an authentic way. Our cast was spot on - great looking characters, adding dimension to the setting, and their performances simply added to the overall believability. What I really appreciated about

this process of making the PPS commercial was the close collaboration with the agency and client, and the complete trust the client had in all of us – no nerves no fuss, and that is what makes for a single minded and successful end product. I am very proud of this commercial.” Jonathan Deeb, executive creative director of the euro RSCG Worldwide Group - South Africa, said: “The final product culminated in a story that was clearly communicated and resonated with the audience in a unique tale that both entertains and explains, while keeping the viewer involved and interested.”

ANANT SINGH ONE STEP CLOSER TO STUDIO © Chris Bloom

anant Singh

INDUSTRY NEWS Durban-based filmmaker Anant Singh’s plans to build a massive studio complex were strengthened following a court victory on thursday 29 March 2012.

he South African film industry mogul was handed a favourable judgement at the Supreme Court of Appeal in Bloemfontein. Anant signed a deal with the city eight years ago to allow him to build a massive studio complex on the Natal Command site on Durban’s beachfront. his plans were stalled when local businessman Sunny Gayadin went to court to prevent the R 15 million sale

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from going through. The city sold the property, said to be valued at R71 million, for R15 million in 2003 by means of by private treaty based on his proposal to build a R700 million film studio. Following the SCA’s ruling, a delighted Singh said: “It is a victory, not just for us, but also for the people of Durban, who will be able to reap the benefits of our intended development. “We always maintained that we followed due process and we feel vindicated by the judgement.” According to IOL, The original judgement in Sunny’s case against Anant, handed down by Pietermaritzburg high Court Judge Jerome Mnguni, claimed the sale

process had been contaminated and ordered the city and the MeC for local government, who approved the deal, to reverse the sale. It appears that the controversial former casino boss may have scuppered the high-profile producer’s plans altogether based on comments from Durban deputy mayor Logie Naidoo. Logie said: “So much has happened since this started… Cape Town has built up its own film industry. “I am not sure what the thinking is now in the executive committee or the administration. We need to sit down and look at what is in the agreement and see if we are still committed to it.” The appeal ruled in Anant’s fa-

vour on the basis that Sunny, who owns the concert organising company Giant Concerts, had resorted to litigation as a result of his own interests rather than in the “interests of the borough”. In order to object to the sale, the Pietermaritzburg businessman would have to be a ratepayer in Durban. Following the judgement and news that Sunny may take his case to the Constitutional Court, Singh told The Mercury: “We feel good that the appeal court has endorsed our position and our rights. We respect the rule of law and the courts and whatever needs to happen must happen. “We are absolutely committed to this project. That is the reason we have fought for it, and we now look forward to working with the city and provincial authorities to map a way forward with respect to the plans for

the property and the special zoning required.” Sunny, who claims to own properties in Durban, says he would be willing to pay the city R250 million for the 21 sqkm site. he vowed to continue fighting the sale, saying: “This issue, that I had to be a ratepayer, was never raised by the other side (Anant), or by the municipality, so I think the judges have erred. “I cannot let this matter lie. I have been approached by many people who want to join in, and I believe that ratepayer associations and even opposition parties will join me in this appeal. “The ratepayers are being kicked in the teeth. Judge Mnguni gave eight valid reasons why the sale was bad and the appeal court did not deal with any of them. “I want the Constitutional Court to look at the entire issue.”

The Callsheet | 07

F.I.L.M. GRADUATES ENRICH INDUSTRY F.I.L.M. The Film Industry Learner Mentorship with its easy acronym, F.I.L.M. was the brainchild of David Wicht and Quentin Fredericks.

n 2005 they saw the need for a certified learning programme that gave trainees real world, hands-on experience on long form productions under mentorship and started the process of setting up F.I.L.M. Linzi Thomas provided some of the first trainees from MyLife, who worked on Charlie Jade. Today F.I.L.M. is run by Seton Bailey, who has brought it solidly into its seventh year. F.I.L.M. has had its share of inspiring stories – the stuff that movies are made of. Patrick Vrieselaar’s e.g. is a zero-to-hero story of a former inmate turned promising gaffer. While serving time at Pollsmoor Prison, he worked on String Caesar with Alice Krige where his management and herding skills did not go unnoticed by production staff. When Patrick was released early for exemplary behaviour, Seton, Line Producer Alan Shearer and Lighting HOD, John McKay took him under their wings and placed him on productions. Today Patrick is a F.I.L.M. graduate and works as a professional crew member. Hajra Cassim became another feather in F.I.L.M.’s cap when she stepped onto the international stage in October 2011. Hajra’s pitch for content generation for mobile phones (mobi-sodes) won the NotFor-Profit Digital Innovation Award at the ITU Telecom 2011 Conference in Geneva. With the prize money of around R75 000 F.I.L.M. was able to purchase film gear and an edit suite. Hajra’s achievement was not only noticed by those in film and television production – she and F.I.L.M. received a letter from Parliament acknowledging their success. Hajra and 39 others are trainees on the SAllywood Project, which is F.I.L.M.’s pilot unit standard aligned skills development programme. Through the SAllywood Project, trainees have the chance to work on professional productions and produce their own content. The programme is ten months long and sees successful participants graduating in May 2012. For their final project the trainees are working together alongside top mentors - many of whom are industry icons – on one production. Production on the final project begins in late April. Trainees pitched their own projects and one was chosen by a panel of professionals. The winning project was Doug van der Walt’s Shack Attack, which Seton says was the most realised and offbeat South African story that could be produced in webisodes within their budget.

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Doug, the writer-director of Shack Attack, the three part web series, spoke to The Callsheet during pre-production. He admitted that the process has been a steep learning curve where he has learnt to get rid of anything extraneous. Shack Attack started with thirty pages, but he has cut it down to ten. Even though he understands that everything needs to contribute to the point he wants to make, he confesses that, “Every time I cut a page, a little piece of me dies.” Quinton Fredericks (not the same one mentioned in the first paragraph), who will be the DOP on Shack Attack has, through F.I.L.M., worked with renowned Colombian Director of Photography, Federico Alonso. Quinton appreciates the opportunities he has had and says Federico is a great mentor, who took time out during lunch to talk to him about film and recommend books. He says Federico stays in touch with him. While he was working on Death Race: Inferno, Quinton shone on set and director Roel Reiné asked him to build a crash rig for one of the scenes. Quinton says he was able to learn a lot by observing the others at work and he is also fortunate that he learns quickly where technical interfaces are concerned. Although he clearly shows the potential to become a great South African DOP, Quinton is not pigeonholing himself and continues to study both great directors and cinematographers. The rest of the Shack Attack team is made up of mentors and fellow trainees. Mentors include Tom Hannam, Mark Rabe, Eric Lolo and Rob Carlisle as well as Roy Zetisky of Jet Black Entertainment. Testament to F.I.L.M.’s success, apart from the glowing reports they get from crew, is the fact that not all forty trainees will be around for Shack Attack. A number of them have already been placed on Young Leonardo II, Mad Dogs Season 3, Strike Back III and Long Walk to Freedom. While production companies may have found the idea of contributing financially to the skills development of aspiring historically disadvantaged filmmakers hard to stomach in the beginning, they are now reaping the rewards of their investments. As Seton says F.I.L.M. aims to provide highly competent, dynamic trainees who, “... turn a grudge purchase into a value proposition.” Visit the F.I.L.M. website on www. filmsa.co.za or facebook: Just-callus-F.I.L.M. Shack Attack will be distributed on youtube.com and via bozza. mobi.

Tina-Louise Smith

Okhule Media attends MiPtV 2012 Grant Flynn and Mandla Habisa

TECHNOLOGY MIPTV Is the definitive broadcast media conference. It’s held in the south of France in the run up to the world renowned Cannes Film Festival and at first glance may appear to be like any other broadcast media conference such as AfricaCast, but it really isn’t.

his year’s event was held from 1-4 April 2012 in a 21000sqm exhibition space that was inhabited by many of the world’s leading distribution and broadcast heavyweights the likes of Warner Bros, National Geographic, sky, Fox international and many more. Delegates from around the world attended in order to find out what the next phase in content generation, distribution and consumption looks like.

Local production house Okuhle Media sent Grant Flynn, and a handful of other employees, to the event. When asked about this year’s highlights Grant noted that, “content remains king and today that means the viewer also has more control over what content they consume and when. There was a strong focus on multiple screen viewing and it was interesting to note that statistics show an increase in TV viewing globally. Ogilvy’s marketing presentation was also incredibly insightful and revealed their Branded Content measuring tool that we plan to integrate back home for out branded content TV show catalogue.” The event gives industry leaders a chance to share their advancements and showcase the next wave of entertainment we can expect on the small screen. Among those who delivered

keynote presentations were AMC’s Josh sapan who touched on “how to create entertainment brands in an increasingly competitive world”, and Jonathan Mildenhall (Vice President Global Advertising strategy) who delved further into “The Branded Entertainment Community”. Branded Entertainment played an important role at MiPTV 2012 with awards dedicated to those brands that continue to develop and produced branded entertainment programming. The exhibition floor teamed with global market leaders eager to share their latest developments. some of the major developments continue to be in 3DTV and the ever-expanding world it offers to viewers looking for fact and fiction driven content. Sony Corporation, the Korean Communications Commission and the Fraunhofer heinrich hertz institute were among the industry partners leading the way in terms of 3DTV content. There truly is little that isn’t on offer at an event of this scale, stretching from distribu-

tion, content generation to advancements in technology and communications. “There are no local conferences that compare to MiPTV”, says Grant who mentions his interactions with hBO, sevenOne international and the BBC being of invaluable importance. “in surrounding ourselves with these expertise, Okuhle Media constantly strives to grow from strength to strength.” This is evident in their consecutive content development we see showcased on local television everyday. One would expect an event of this scale to be somewhat overwhelming and almost intimidating however, Okhule found it to be inspiring and even brought along a showcase of their content in hopes of growing co-production opportunities. “We received great feedback!” says Grant who finds the event spurs on the Okuhle ideology of “Think, Dream, Create.” Co-production opportunities proved of great importance at MiPTV 2012 with a focused two day programme dedicated to just that. Commissioners, producers,

deal brokers and other attendees enjoyed a closed-door production summit that showcased case studies of successful international co-productions and interviews with major commissioners on programming strategies. it is these developments that could see a rapid expansion in television co-productions in south Africa, something our film and commercials industry are already benefiting from. But does MiPTV remind us of our inferior broadcast standards and how far we still have to go in terms of better quality drama and reality based shows? Okuhle thinks not, “This raises very little concern for us at all. We see this as an opportunity to learn from global experts, bring our learning’s home and apply them all into the way we do business, from our marketing, branded content development and television productions. Attending these conferences also affords us the opportunity to develop our own international television properties.” A profoundly positive outlook that will surely see Okuhle continue to be a leader in local content generation for TV broadcast. it also proves that events of this nature are essential in the continued development of our local industry and the importance of forging new relationships with international market leaders. AfricaCast may offer a similar agenda but in order for sA broadcasting to expand in to the next frontier we need to understand the benchmarks established by the global leaders on a global scale, something MiPTV offers in abundance.

Jasyn Howes

The Callsheet | 09

MOVIEMART TO BE BASED AT CTFS

PROFILE The Callsheet met with Philip Cooper to find out about the exciting launch of the MovieMart shop. MovieMart will have a consumables store and a showroom for high-end cameras and lighting equipment at Cape Town Film Studios.

ovieMarT’s objective is to fulfill the equipment and consumable needs of the industry in Southern Africa. Philip says “MovieMart is a top quality consumable and professional sales business, supplying anything from gaffer tape to Arri Alexa Digital Cameras and other top quality film equipment. For ex-

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ample we will be showing the first Alexa Studio camera in the country at our open days in May.” MovieMart moved to Cape Town Film Studios and is going to be open for business at the end of April. The company has been in operation for a few years but has only ventured into its retail operation under the guidance of Philip Cooper. Philip worked for Arri in the UK for 24 years and has been visiting South Africa for the past15 years as a part of the Arri group. He moved to South Africa in 2011 to direct the course and growth of MovieMart. Philip has extensive contacts worldwide, which allows him to deal directly with many of the leading suppliers and manufacturers. Philip is well placed to head up

the company. The consumables shop he set up for Arri in the UK became the headquarters for consumables for the Arri group worldwide. He is looking to do the same in South Africa using the contacts he has to deal directly with the manufacturers. He is currently at the NAB film equipment show in Las Vegas sourcing the latest and greatest items that the world film industry has to offer. MovieMart will be the first company to have a retail shop and showroom at the Cape Town Film Studios. The shop will sell consumables to productions - whether or not they are shooting at the studios. Customers are able to enter the studio premises to visit and browse at the shop as well as the showroom which will be dedicated to the more professional camera and lighting sales. The Cape Town Film Studios store will be run by two experienced salesmen, Sulaiman Samodien and Jared Haviga. Sulaiman has years of experience from running stores and his own consumables shop and he will be taking care of consumables side of the business. Jared has also been in the industry for many years and is focused on the technical side of things and will be handling sales of professional equipment such as cameras and lighting. Philip is enthusiastic about what MovieMart offers customers, “There’s an awful lot we’re doing, it’s very diverse. You will be able to walk in and buy gaffer tape, merchandise or even just have a cup of coffee while browsing around the latest innovations on offer. We are celebrating the new shop

opening with great specials all month.” MovieMart will be having open days on 3, 4 and 5 May at the new shop and showroom. As MovieMart’s professional sales division will be the resellers for many of the major manufacturers - they will be running workshops during May. There will also be camera and lighting orientated workshops throughout the year, aimed at both technicians and students. Philip said: “In the UK I work very closely with the Universities and the film schools and that’s something I want to encourage here, because they are the emerging filmmakers.” MovieMart will courier stock all over the region and is on call for any technical or professional sales assistance. There is already a small MovieMart outlet set up in Johannesburg, run by Petros Motha. Philip said: “The idea is that we want to be as competitive as possible in order to support the film industry in Southern Africa. The way we’re doing that is by dealing directly with the suppliers and manufacturers. By sea-freighting much of the stock, we are able to keep the costs down. We have exclusive products coming through and bringing the latest technology at competitive prices is our aim.” MovieMart is looking into manufacturing their own products, such as camera bags, camera pouches and other production specific merchandise. Philip explained: “We really want to reinforce the local market and support them in as much as we can. There are a large number of international productions that come to our shores and we intend to give them what they expect to

find in the likes of UK, Europe and United States. MovieMart believes Cape Town Film Studios is great location for their shop and showroom. Philip points to all the work coming out of the studios, he feels productions taking place at the studios will find it convenient to find everything they need on location. “I’ve been coming over to SA for 15 years. I’ve seen a great opportunity here - the infrastructure has come into place, you’ve got great technicians, amazing locations and now the studios. I think there are great opportunities in South Africa. When people see what we’ve done at the studio they’ll take MovieMart seriously and they’ll see we can be competitive.” MovieMart is set to provide cutting edge equipment to support our industry in order to compete on the world stage.

ONLINE NEWS HIGHLIGHTS

Contipartner commercial

GENERAL NEWS GENERAL news from the South African film and commercials industry. You can load your own stories to our website at www.thecallsheet. co.za Jaco du Plooy Joins August JaCo, who joined august in april, has over 10-years of experience in production, with a solid background in motion and stills. Most recently he was in charge of Nomad film productions, where he helped launch young director Wim Steytler. Jaco has done projects as diverse as music videos in Ibiza and car commercials on the French riveria. His most recent

work was a brand video for wine estate Waterkloof. august was formed in 2011 as a production company focused on creating online video content for brands., it was founded by David Cope and Francois Botha. Jaco is excited about joining august and the “online revolution.” Merging both the creative and production side of projects and using the latest in digital film capabilities, August produces quality and effective content at lower cost to clients. The company produces commercials, brand and product videos and is currently working with interactive video installations using the latest 3D camera technology and human-mapping software. Based on Cape Town, clients to

date include Sa Rugby, Woolworths, Medecins Sans Frontieres, DGB and Union Swiss. Masters & Savant Worldwide goes on another wild ride with ContiPartner MaSTeRS & Savant Worldwide, together with agency ebony & Ivory, recently joined forces again for the sequel to last year’s commercial for ContiPartner, Continental Tyre South Africa’s official distribution network. The commercial again features a race between an athlete and a car with Continental tyres, but this time, the ambitious advert has an athlete base-jumping from the top of a mountain, while the car speeds down it. “our biggest challenge was

telling a longer story in the same amount of time, while staying true to the first commercial,” said Masters & Savant Worldwide’s Johannesburg creative director, Chris Lockhart. Chris, who also directed the live action elements of the commercial as well as the post-production says getting the right combination of the CGI and live action elements was key to its success. “a production like this always has tight time and budgetary constraints, so it was up to us to ensure that we got it right without comprising the vision of the agency or what the client wanted. We were very fortunate, however, that they trusted us.” This element of trust and respect was something that Creative Director for ebony & Ivory, emil Padia said made it a “no-brainer” when deciding on who should create the commercial. “Masters & Savant Worldwide had already proved to us what an excellent choice we made with them last year. Besides, the ad was a sequel to last year’s one and we just knew we could trust the process based on the style they had already created.” emil also commended Chris and his team for “a very smooth process.” “It makes a huge difference working with a team that are not just technically proficient, but are artists too. I always say it takes an artist’s eye to create fine detail that we normally take for granted when viewing an ad with a high level of CGI, the smallest detail matters. But with Masters & Savant Worldwide, those details were always taken care of.” Masters & Savant Worldwide is a multi-award-winning, next generation production company who create ad-campaigns across all electronic and printed media. Masters & Savant Worldwide has won over 70 awards globally, nine of those Loeries, including a Grand Prix and over 30 Promax awards. Searle Street Post launches long form department SeaRLe Street Post has opened a state-of-the-art long form department upstairs at its offices in Woodstock, Cape Town. The new division is headed by Jacques McDonald, who worked on District 9 and Chronicle, South Africa’s first blockbusters shot on the ReD and arri alexa RaW respectively. after starting in IT and software development, Jacques has been working in post-production for the last six years, since helping set up Cape Town’s first exclusively digital post production hub as its technical director. Searle Street’s long form division is already on its third Digital Intermediate (DI), having handled Dutch feature De Heineken Ontvoering, with Rutger Hauer; Triggerfish’s 3D animated feature Zambezia; and now Wonderwerke, the first film in over a decade by Paljas director Katinka Heyns. They also supplied 35mm dailies and offline editorial services to British TV series Strike Back and digital dailies to the American action film Death Race Inferno, which was shot on the ReD epic. Searle Street’s post production facilities were designed with stereoscopic, HD and traditional film workflows in mind. They have the latest technology on the market, including the fastest scanner in the country; a Truelight-accredited Baselight; and front-end film and digital delivery solutions, Flexxity and Clipster, that can handle anything from arri RaW and the Red Epic to 35mm film. SSPP creative director Heino Henning said: “Having our long form department on the second

floor helps keep it completely separate from our commercials service downstairs. We’re now able to offer a complete, full-service post production solution for long form, tailor-made for every production, from daily deliveries through to the editorial process, DI and deliveries.” Jacques has a gift for explaining technical intricacies simply for nontechnical people and recommends involving Searle Street as early in the process as possible. “We now supply approved DITs with kits, so we offer a full service from data processing workflows and front-end dailies to final DI and deliveries. It’s best if we get involved from the start to ensure a smooth process, but we’re available for as much or as little as you need. ” Call for Filmmakers to register with the NFVF for the 65th Cannes Film Festival THe National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF) will once again host a South african Pavilion at Cannes International Film Festival. The festival, which takes place from 16 May 2012 to 27 May 2012 in France (Cannes) has been recognised as the most prestigious film festival on the global calendar and the participation in it through exhibition or competition is considered a “must”. The NFVF on a yearly basis leads the Sa delegation and facilitates the country’s presence at the festival. Therefore all filmmakers and delegates attending Cannes are requested to register with the NFVF in order to be included in all South african activities, marketing and promotions of SA films. To register your festival attendance with the NFVF please email your full details (full names, email address and mobile number) to Naomi Mokhele on naomim@nfvf. co.za or Carla Dias on carlad@ nfvf.co.za. Visual Impact launches new digital Imaging department VISUaL Impact recently launched a new digital Imaging department, DIGILaBS, which incorporates the services of HD HUB, which crosses the entire digital delivery spectrum from features to inserts. Their Digital Laboratory Services include: online and offline transcoding from any file format, encoding and decoding, tape playouts and ingestion into any format, and DCP (digital cinema deliveries). They also offer full data services such as archiving to LTo, storage, data management and data redundancy. Digilabs uses a wide spectrum of systems to suit any delivery format. They use assimilate Scratch for all our transcoding services. The system is mobile and thus offers full Lab services in house or on site no matter what the location. Digilabs supports all existing Digital camera formats as well as some new formats which will be on the market soon such as Sony’s F65 SRLog format. Digilabs also caters for more uncommon formats such as SI2K and Sony MXF and MT2S. Stefan Nell, who has over 18 years of experience as a DIT and is a qualified phantom operator, heads the team. He has worked on international features and commercials and is also one of the leading stereographers in South africa. Shaun de Ponte runs the Johannesburg Digilab, Jeanne Prinsloo is their facilities co-coordinator, Mugamad Ismail runs the CaR facilities in Cape town and Jac Kotze is head of the rental department and does on-set data wrangling for Cape Town.

The Callsheet | 11

LONG-FORM ON THE RISE Machine Gun Preacher

LONG-FORM When Cape Town Film Studios was ranked as one of the top 10 studios in the world in 2011 by The Hollywood Reporter, South Africa’s position as one of the most desirable service destinations in the world was cemented.

oCaL production companies have been busy working on all manner of long-form projects, including international films, television series, mini-series

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and documentaries. Two movies shot in South africa were box office hits this year, they were Safe House and Chronicle. In Chronicle Cape Town doubled up as Seattle, while in Safe House Cape Town had a starring role alongside Denzel Washington and Ryan Reynolds. as of 25 March 2012, Chronicle, which cost only 12 million USD to make had grossed 63 million USD. as of the same date, Safe House had grossed over 122 million USD. Dredd producer andrew Macdonald told Time that filming in

South africa allowed him to make a graphic novel adaptation “that will look like $100 million” for less than half that figure. He added: “There are only a few places in the world that can handle this kind of movie. South africa is comparable to any of them.” american producer Peter Safran similarly told Variety that Paul Walker’s upcoming Johannesburg-set thriller Vehicle 19 “would have been twice as expensive to shoot in the US.” Cape Town Film Studios, the Hollywood-style studio complex just 20 minutes from Cape Town,

has played host to several top productions. one of these, Labyrinth (based on the bestselling novel by Kate Mosse) prompted the construction of a permanent backlot. The backlot, which is now a permanent addition to the studios, was constructed to double as a medieval Carcassonne. another reason South african has proven such a hit for long-form is the The Department of Trade & Industry (dti) decision to remove the R20 million ($2.5 million) cap on its incentives, late last year. Three of the biggest and busiest local long-form production companies are Moonlighting Film Production Services, Film afrika and out of africa Entertainment. These companies are excellent facilitators for international co productions as well as beautifully shot local films. Film afrika Worldwide, a Cape Town based production company, were kept busy coproducing some massive projects including: History of the World with the BBC; Mankind and Great British Story with Nutopia; Labyrinth with Tandem Communications and Scott Free Productions and the Sci-Fi thriller Chronicle for US-based Davis Entertainment and Twentieth Century Fox. Moonlighting had an impressive array of clients in 2011 with their work on international productions. Some of the projects they worked on included: Flight of the Storks (with Luc Besson’s Europacorp Television); The Borrowers (with Working Title) and the Denzel Washington blockbuster Safe House (produced by Scott Stuber and distributed by Universal Pictures). Safe House was a particular coup for South africa, as instead

of doubling as another international location, the movie was set in Cape Town. Johannesburg based production company out of africa Entertainment secured a deal which will see them producing the Madiba mini-series with Left Bank Pictures (UK) and Blue Ice Films (Canada). Kalahari Pictures worked with DNa Films, IM Global and Reliance Big Entertainment on Dredd. Traditionally Sa’s service work comes from Europe and the US, but in 2011 work came from some non-traditional areas, including the BRIC countries Brazil, Russia, China and India. argentina, which has become a popular international service destination, makes for interesting comparison to South africa. The overall production costs are relatively comparable (taking Europe as a starting point - it’s obviously cheaper for US productions in terms of travel). one factor that makes South africa a more desirable filming destination is language – crews and creatives are fluent in English. Another is film infrastructure and availability of equipment. South africa’s successes as a long-form destination, the country’s ever-improving facilities, the hardworking crew and the government support are just some of the reasons why international productions choose to shoot here. The local film industry’s hard work and desire to make this a preferred long-form destination are only beginning to pay dividends, and you don’t have to be Nostradamus to predict that this country’s film industry is set to become a dominant force in the international film and TV industry.

SA REMAINS STILLS DESTINATION OF CHOICE

The most recent figures for the South African stills industry showed that this sector does more than 11 000 shoot days a year. This equates to roughly a R650 million contribution to the South African economy from the stills industry alone.

HE sector has a great champion in the South African Association of Stills Producers (SAASP) - an organisation that

promotes South Africa as a stills destination and regulates the member production companies. Stunning locations are just one of a myriad of reasons why South Africa is such an attractive stills shooting destination. Another is the variety of talent on offer, as a result of our diverse population. The fact that everyone from talent to service providers speaks English is yet another pull factor. In our summer (mid-winter in the Northern Hemisphere) we can have up to 14 hours of sunshine a day.

STILLS

The South African stills production sector is known internationally for offering clients excellent quality work at prices that are great value. The infrastructure, talented photographers and experienced production companies never fail to impress first-time visitors. The sector is made up of ingenious, creative and hard-working individuals - one of the many reasons big-brand clients keep coming back. On behalf of SAASP, Gavin Levy of Cape Town Productions said: “The South African Association of Stills Producers has finished another relatively successful season. As with the industry in general, the members had to deal with a strong Rand, and continual price hikes from its suppliers, while still maintaining the level of service for which its members have become synonymous. The members’ unanimous decision to deal directly with the City with regards to its permitting process and its embarkation, along with the CPA on its location recovery programme has paved the way for a truly dynamic season in 2012/2013.” South Africa is also rich in photographers across a wide variety of sub-sectors. There are stills photographers, fashion photographers, wildlife photographers, photojournalists and the fine-art photographers. The last three in particular have won much acclaim for South Africa, including Jodi Bieber’s World Press Photo of the Year award and several Veolia Environment Wildlife Photographer of the Year awards. The industry is comprised of and supported by creative companies which make it possible for breathtaking work to be made in South Africa.

DIGITAL TERRESTRIAL TV PLANS ON TRACK

Dina Pule

DIGITAL TELEVISION The process of South Africa’s switching over to Digital Terrestrial Televi-

sion (DTT) has reached a new stage, as last month the government released the design/prototype of the set-top box to the public.

outh Africa’s Minister of Communications, Dina Pule revealed that R2.45 billion has been set aside to subsidise the switchover for poor households. The first step in a campaign to raise public awareness was also taken last month. This was in the form of a print advert, where the minister insisted that high definition (HD) TV will now be available for all South Africans rather than just the wealthy few who subscribe to DSTV. The switchover is of massive importance to the local film and television production industries because the many new channels that will come with the switch to digital will require content. The set-top box (STB) will be required by those with analogue televisions, in order to decode the digital signal when the government switches over – an event that has been set for 2015. Critics of the government’s handling of the DTT switchover have pointed out that at a projected R700 per box, most ordinary South Africans will not be able to afford the box, and will therefore be unable to support a home television when the analogue signal is switched off. However, the government will subsidise 70 percent of the R700 for each set top box, an estimated R2.45 billion. This point of contention is all the more frustrating for critics because if the government had not chosen to use local manufacturers for the STBs, users would have been able to purchase them for almost half the price. In mid-April, minister Pule announced that switch on the digital signal in September 2012 are on track. She revealed that Sentech, the organisation responsible for rolling out the digital broadcasting network around the country, has now rolled out the digital network

to 61% of the population. The minister said: “The group’s achievement represents a significant milestone in the digital migration process. Without a digital network of transmitters, we will never be able to take the country into the exciting future of digital broadcasting. The efforts of stakeholders such as this are important to the realisation of this project.” Critics of the plan have also pointed out that existing pay-tv channels are set to benefit the most from the switchover. They will be able to get the most out of the digital signal while the roll-out of STBs takes pace, as larger number of pay-tv subscribers have digital televisions and therefore already access digital signal. Far worse though is the fact that the government has reserved digital bandwidth for these operators and frozen out potential new operators. This will have a knock on effect for local content creation, as new operators, who might make use of a variety of production companies will be overlooked as the established companies (DSTV and TOP TV) make use of established service-providers and talent. According to Business Day, Avusa and Kagiso Media have both signalled their intentions to apply for new terrestrial TV licences. This move has been hampered by existing players arguing that new broadcasters (Multichoice, SABC, ETV) would threaten their viability. At the Independent Communications Authority of SA (ICASA) hearings on draft DTT regulations in March, the SABC and ETV asked that the government only issue new licences after 2015 when the digital signal is switched on, however Avusa and Kagiso argued that this would negatively affect

potential new entrants and shut them out of the new digital landscape. Avusa’s Stan Joseph told Business Day: “What would be the criteria for being considered successful? It’s about lack of clarity about what rules will govern the new entrants. If it’s not clarified in the new regulations it becomes an issue of competition. If migration comes and there is a lockout period for new entrants, (what) follows is an entrenchment of existing players.” Kagiso chief executive Murphy Morobe added: “Making space for new competitors on DTT will ultimately result in a wider range of services, more innovation, increased investment in local content and a better take-up of set-top boxes.” Following the hearings, ICASA is aiming to have the new regulations finalised within the next three months. The Department of Trade and Industry sees the need for STBs as an opportunity for the manufacturing industry, saying in their Industrial Policy Action Plan 2012/13 - 2014/15: “The approval by Cabinet of the DVBT-2 standard as the applicable standard for South Africa, in line with most SADC countries, creates and opportunity for industry to gear itself for participation in this sector. A new road map with updated deadlines is being developed and consulted with the stakeholders by the DOC, and a new ‘switch-off date of December 2013 creates a level of certainty for the Digital Migration process.”

Kate Hodges The Callsheet | 13

ONLINE NEWS HIGHLIGHTS Nissan Juke TVc

GENERAL NEWS GENERAL news from the South African film and commercials industry. You can load your own stories to our website at www.thecallsheet.co.za Dredd helps South Africans train with Steadicam inventor Garrett Brown Three South Africans - Georgia Court, Naguib Fredericks and Siyabonga Jim – recently spent a week in America hosted by Garrett Brown, the Oscar and emmy-winning inventor of the Steadicam. Their trip was organised by Kalahari Pictures and sponsored by Dredd, an upcoming graphic novel blockbuster adaptation, which shot in Cape Town and Johannesburg with Kalahari at the end of 2010.

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Dredd will be released worldwide on 21 September 2012. DNA Films’ Andrew Macdonald, who produced Dredd, said, “We had a great time shooting in South Africa, so we were looking for something to give back.” Siyabonga had started corresponding with Garrett after struggling to find Steadicam training opportunities in South Africa or affordable courses overseas. Garrett offered scholarships to Siyabonga and two other South Africans for a week-long intensive he was running for upcoming DOP Ben richardson, who had just won Best Cinematography at Sundance for Beasts of the Southern Wild, which also won the Grand Jury Prize. Chris Fawcett, an Irish Steadicam operator living in Amsterdam, volunteered as an additional instruc-

tor for the week. Garrett was the Steadicam operator on nearly 100 films, including Rocky, The Shining and Star Wars: Return of the Jedi. he calls being a Steadicam operator “one of the best jobs in the business” and now runs workshops across five continents, with an impressive list of past pupils that includes Oscar winners like Anthony Dod Mantle, who shot Dredd. expat South Africans like Chris haarhoff (Fight Club, Bridesmaids) and Andrew rowlands (Gangs of New York, The Fighter) are among the best Steadicam operators in America, but there’s a shortage locally. “The handful we have are all white and male,” said Michael, “so it’s great we could send three talented and deserving South Africans. It should change their role in the South

African film industry and change the South African film industry.” Before the trip, Georgia, Naguib and Siyabonga were given copies of The Steadicam Operator’s handbook, written by Jerry holway, but the actual training at Garrett’s farm outside Philadelphia was hands-on rather than just theoretical. “It was almost 24/7,” said Garrett. “They expended an awful lot of energy here.” For Siyabonga, the biggest inspiration was just meeting Garrett. “This was the best workshop of all,” he said. “I ended up liking them all a lot. They’re all deadly serious about their craft, quite adventurous and physically skilful, with strong ideas about movies. Learning to play this instrument is a lifelong task – I’m still learning – but these guys got very close even in one week. They’re off to a great start.” Dredd, Kalahari Pictures and Garrett have worked together to make a Steadicam rig available to the three students now they’re back in South Africa. JuicE Film completes technical Nissan Juke TVc JuICe Film recently completed a highly technical seven-day shoot which required rigs in Bantry Bay, swimming in Bellville Pool and giants ramps in the Swartland. The board called for a man to jump from a plane strapped to a chair and

have the car built around him, only for the journey to travel to a motocross circuit and end up with the car finishing construction under water and emerging from a tunnel to drive away into the night. The commercial was produced by Carmen Amos, and Juice Film is still receiving positive feedback from the client, the agency and all those who were involved with the production. Martin Jacobson, executive producer at Juice Film, said: “When everyone first saw the board their immediate reaction was silence and long drawn breath, but these are the kind of challenges that Carmen, Juice and the Cape Town film industry thrive on. We knuckled down and our work was visible far and wide across the peninsula, witness the rig from the second and third day which stopped traffic in Bantry Bay.” Martin added: “What is more amazing is that when talking with the eP of henry de Czar, Jean Ozannat, he told us that the only locations that they considered for the job were LA and Cape Town. Other service destinations were not considered due to the technical nature of the shoot and LA was just too expensive. This was a clear example of how Cape Town is still a fantastic value shooting destination. It’s also testament to our crews, special effects and equipment houses that we are on a par with the global film production hub.” Carmen Amos joined Juice Film as an executive producer at the beginning of season (August 2011) following 13 years as head of service at Velocity Films. She has already worked on shoots for hallmark, rice Krispies and IBC Solar in her time at Juice.

The Callsheet | 15

DIARISE

UPCOMING RELEASES

APRIL A Million Colours 26 April cinemas

MAY Lucky 4 May cinemas Otelo Burning 11 May cinemas Cannes International Film Festival 16 - 27 May 2012 Cannes, France The TV Show Africa 24-24 May 2012 Johannesburg, South Africa Sci-Fi London Film Festival 1-7 May, 2012 London, UK Broadband IP&TV Asia 8-9 May 2012 Kuala Lumpar, Malaysia LA Harbor International Film Festival 3-6 May, 2012 San Pedro US Input International Television Conference 7-11 May, 2012 Sydney, Australia RealScreen West 30-31 May, 2012 Santa Monica, US

A Million Colours

JOBS & OPPORTUNITIES 2012 Sir Peter Ustinov Television Scriptwriting Award ENTRIES have opened for The Sir Peter Ustinov Television Scriptwriting Award. The competition is designed to motivate novice writers under the age of 30 outside of the United States and offer them the recognition and encouragement that might lead to a successful career in television scriptwriting.The winning scriptwriter will be ﬂown to New York City and presented with a $2,500USD prize at the International Emmy® World Television Festival on November 17-18, 2012. The winning script will be read by actors in front of an audience at the Festival, and the winner will be invited to take part in the red carpet festivities at the 40th International Emmy® Awards on Monday, November 19. The deadline for submissions is July

1, 2012. Additional information can be found on their website at: www.iemmys.tv/foundation.aspx Call for Entries for the Africa in the Picture Film Festival AITP wants to contribute to the development of African and African Diaspora Cinema by promoting and spreading ﬁlms (in the Netherlands, in the rest of Europe and at the African continent) and by offering an international platform for cinematographic professionals. By showing a modern Africa from the perspective of African ﬁlmmakers, AITP strives to inspire people in the Netherlands in developing a more complete and realistic world view. Films must be submitted by post or courier service, include a preview DVD, printed and signed entry form and a press kit including at least two

different film stills for the catalogue (300 dpi print quality). The film must have been produced after the 1st of January 2011, except films selected for special programs Deadline for entries is 1 June 2012. For more information or to submit entries online visit www.africainthepicture.nl/ nl/flash_taalkeuze Aluta Film Festival Call for Entries THE Aluta Film Festival is South Africa’s premier African and diaspora cinema event. Submissions must be from filmmakers who have produced films that embrace black experiences worldwide and/or experiences of marginalised communities from across the globe. The emphasis of submissions must be on world cinema - films that explore history, social issues and highlight marginalised communities within the

developing world. The festival accepts features, documentaries and short ﬁlms in the genres/sub-genres of drama, action, thriller, comedy, animation and factual. Filmmakers must also guarantee that, should their ﬁlm/video be selected, that permission from the rights holder is secured for a minimum of four screenings at the festival. The deadline for entries is Friday 31 August 2012. The ninth edition of the festival takes place from 24 - 27 October 2012 in Kimberley, South Africa. For additional information contact the festival director at motheoseleke@yahoo.com or at motheoseleke@gmail.com. NHU Africa Calls For Content from producers AS the Natural History genre widens its scope and becomes increas-

MAY ISSUE 2012

Booking deadline: 02 May 2012 Material deadline: 04 May 2012 Print deadline: 11 May 2012 • PUBLISHER: Film & Event Media • PHYSICAL ADDRESS: 57 2nd Ave, Harfield Village, Claremont, Cape Town • PHONE: +27 21 674 0646 • PRINTER: CTP • PUBLISHER: Lance Gibbons (lance@filmeventmedia.co.za) • ADVERTISING EXECUTIVE: Makkie Slamong (makkie@thecallsheet.co.za) • EDITOR: Kate Hodges (kate@thecallsheet.co.za) • COPY EDITOR: Sally Fink (sally@filmeventmedia.co.za) • HEAD OF DESIGN: Jess Novotná (jess@filmeventmedia.co.za) • HEAD OF PRODUCTION: Nadia Samsodien (nadia@filmeventmedia.co.za) • ONLINE CO-ORDINATOR: Fin Manjoo (manjoo@filmeventmedia.co.za) WWW.THECALLSHEET.CO.ZA DISCLAIMER: Opinions expressed in The Callsheet do not necessarily represent the official viewpoint of the editor or the publisher, while inclusion of adverts/advertising features does not imply endorsement of any business, product or service. Copyright of this material is reserved. While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information contained in this publication, The Callsheet and/or its employees may not be held liable or responsible for any act or ommission committed by any person, including a juristic person, referred to in this publication. It and they furthermore accept(s) no responsibility for any liability arising out of any reliance that a reader of this publication places on the contents of this publication.

www.thecallsheet.co.za 1 6 | The Cal l sh eet

DIARISE JUNE Mad Buddies 22 June cinemas Encounters South African International Documentary Film Festival 7 - 24 June 2012 Cape Town and Johannesburg, South Africa Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity 17 - 23 June 2012 Cannes, France Behind SAFTAs the red Scenes: carpet Lucky

ingly focused on entertainmentled programming, NHU Africa is calling South Africa producers to submit ideas for compelling stories. Whether it’s an idea for an epic adventure and exploration story, or a unique and interesting look at a human and animal interaction, we would like to receive your proposals. For more information regarding the submission process please refer to our commissioning brief: www. nhuafrica.com/commissioningbrief AiM 2012 Call for Entries AFRICA in Motion (AiM), one of the UK’s largest African ﬁlm festivals, in its seventh year of existence, is currently accepting ﬁlm submissions features, documentaries and shorts - for its 2012 festival edition, which will take place from 25 October - 2 November 2012, at Filmhouse

Behind the Scenes: Lucky

Cinema in Edinburgh, under the theme Modern Africa. AiM is focusing its programme for 2012 on films and events that represent Africa as part and parcel of the modern, globalised world; and will be seeking to discover and explore - through film and other popular culture manifestations - how modernity manifests in African cultures. AiM accepts animation, documentary and fiction films as well as experimental work and all other forms and genres of films. Films have to be 31 minutes or longer (if you are interested in submitting a short film of under 30 minutes to the festival, please consider entering the film into our short film competition).The completed entry forms and viewing copies should reach us not later than 31 May 2012. There is no entry fee. To find out more visit:

www.africa-in-motion.org.uk/callfor-entries/ Call for submissions for the Aesthetica Short Film Festival 2012 (ASFF) ASFF is a unique film event, showing international short film in 15 iconic locations across the historic city of York from 8-11 November 2012. The winner will receive £500 among other prizes and screenings at a number of other UK festivals and the runner-up will receive £250. Films must have a running time of up to 25 minutes, it must be in English, dubbed in to English or with English subtitles. Entries to be submitted on DVD with no regional coding. The deadline for submissions is 31 May 2012. To find out more, visit: www.asff.co.uk

Shefﬁeld Doc/Fest 13-17 June, 2012 Shefﬁeld, UK

15th Ismailia International Film Festival for Documentary and Short Films Call for Submissions ISMAILIA International Film Festival for documentary and short films takes place every year in Ismailia (Egypt ) to promote an intercultural dialogue for a deeper understanding of others. The competitions include a long documentary Film competition (longer than 60 minutes); Short Documentary Film Competition (maximum 60 minues); Short Feature Films competition (maximum 60 minutes); and an Animation Films competition. Deadline for entries is 1 May 2012 and films must be submitted on 35mm,Beta SP,Didital or DVD. For further information visit: www.egyptianfilmcenter.org.eg

Mediahub Market 29-30 May, 2012 Bangkok, Thailand CFC Worldwide Short Film Festival 5-10 June, 2012 Toronto, Canada Annecy International Animated Film Festival 4-9 June 2012 Annecy, France BANFF World Media Festival 10-13 June, 2012 Alberta, Canada

For more, visit www.thecallsheet.co.za/diarise Compiled by Kate Hodges

The Callsheet | 17

MARCH WRAP PARTY AT RADISSON BLU WATERFRONT INDUSTRY EVENTS FILM industry networkers braved a stormy forecast to help make the Film & Event Media networking function at Radisson Blu Waterfront a roaring success on 29 March 2012.

Rochelle and Marius Boaden

ESPITE the weather, the Radisson Blu Waterfront event, turned out to be one of the warmest and most welcoming in recent memory. Film & Event Media launched the 2012 Filmmakers Guide to South Africa and guests were thrilled to receive a complimentary copy of this year’s book. Guests were also treated to complimentary Lindt chocolates and a welcome drink in the form of mojitos. DJ Didier played chilled beats for the appreciative crowd while they networked. We would like to thank the generous sponsors for helping make this such a memorable event: Radisson Blu Hotel for hosting us, our headline sponsors MovieMart, sponsors V&A Waterfront and Visual Impact for ﬁlming the event. Lucky guests won prizes throughout the evening, including: a Radisson Super Breakfast voucher for two, an overnight voucher in a business class Sea Facing room for two people (valued at R5000), Quantum Spa Voucher - Aqua Journey Treatment for two people, and a one and half hour Tangent Charters Cruise for two people. MovieMart sponsored a Lacy Hard Drive and Led laser torch. Film and Event Media’s next monthly wrap party will take place at Lagoon Beach Hotel in Milnerton on Wednesday 25 April 2012. To see the full gallery of photos from this event visit our Facebook fan page .

Marie and Piet van Wyk

Sjaana Veltman, Alexa Cunningham and Sandy Kennedy

Simon Springthorpe and Coralie McDonald

Shani van Straaten and Christopher Mason

Bryge Wachipa

DJ Ddier

Annemie Liebenberg and Alida Visser

Jared Haviga, Philip Cooper and Sulaiman Samodien

Michael Rathgeb and Renee Gowar

Nico, Cathy Mahieu and Lana Goodallr

Paul Nel, Richard Rubenstein and Conrad Callow

Anja Saipeter, Zunain Karriem and Nana Lomingo Nasson

Cindy Wilson and Samantha Kilian

Radisson Blu

1 8 | The Cal l sh eet

DIRECTORY LISTINGS STUDIOS COMPANY

REGION

TELEPHONE

WEBSITE

A Studio Called Wonder

Johannesburg

+27 11 678 2597

alex@astudiocalledwonder.com

www.astudiocalledwonder.com

Buchanan Studios

Cape Town

+27 21 462 1983

Andrew@buchananstudios.co.za

www.buchananstudios.co.za

Broadcast Lighting

Durban

+27 31 8135582

sales@broadcastlighting.co.za

www.broadcastlighting.co.za

Cape Island Studios

Cape Town

+27 21 529 4200

info@panalux.co.za

www.islandstudios.net

Cape Town Film Studios

Cape Town

086 028 3456

info@capetownfilmstudios.co.za

www.capetownfilmstudios.co.za

Cinegate Africa

Cape Town

+27 21 556 64 74

info@cinegateco.za

www.cinegate.co.za

Clive Morris Productions

Johannesburg

+27 11 886 9366

info@cmproductions.co.za

www.cmproductions.co.za

Collective Dream

Cape Town

+27 21 409 2000

info@waterfrontstudios.co.za

www.waterfrontstudios.co.za

Foghound Studios

Johannesburg

+27 11 541 0000

sonja@foghound.co.za

www.foghound.co.za

Global Access

Johannesburg

+27 11 350 2258

amelia@globalaccess.co.za

www.globalaccess.co.za

Gold Island Studios

Johannesburg

+27 11 314 5700

peter.duplessis@panalux.co.za

www.islandstudios.net

Great Lakes Film Production

Uganda

+256 41 426 7544

info@greatlakesfilm.com

www.greatlakesfilm.com

Grinder Films

Cape Town

+27 21 486 8610

david@grinderfilms.com

www.grinderfilms.com

Jelly Bean Studio

Johannesburg

+27 83 225 7862

info@jellybeanstudio.co.za

www.jellybeanstudio.co.za

The Loft Photographic Studio

Cape Town

+27 21 422 5596

info@theloft.co.za

www.theloft.co.za

LCA Studios

Cape Town

+27 21 511 2916

info@lcastudios.co.za

www.lcastudios.co.za

Namib Films

Namibia

+264 64 463 371

info@namibfilms.com

www.namibfilms.com

Nyerai Films

Zimbabwe

+263 4 862 355

olaf@nyeraifilms.com

www.nyeraifilms.com

Phoenix Studios

Johannesburg

+27 11 781 2200

info@phoenixstudios.co.za

www.phoenixstudios.co.za

Pro Rental Studio

Cape Town

+27 21 461 3003

louis@prorentalcapetown.com

www.prorentalcapetown.com

Q-Studios

Johannesburg

+27 11 882 4311

johndifford@q-studios.co.za

www.q-studios.co.za

Realtime Pictures

Johannesburg

+27 11 912 7777

facilities@realtimepictures.com

www.realtimepictures.com

SABC RBF Kwa-Zulu Natal

Durban

+27 31 362 5009

ismaeli@sabc.co.za

www.rbfstudios.co.za

SABC RBF Johannesburg

Johannesburg

+27 11 714 4974

maditsea@sabc.co.za

www.rbfstudios.co.za

SABC RBF Eastern Cape

Port Elizabeth

+27 41 364 1937

bronwenrapp@live.co.za

www.rbfstudios.co.za

Senepe Studios

Johannesburg

+27 12 804 7852

info@senepestudios.co.za

www.senepestudios.com

Shine Studios

Johannesburg

+27 11 242 3300

studio@shinegroup.com

www.shinegroup.com

UCT Television Studio

Cape Town

+ 27 21 650 3985

alan.johannes@uct.ac.za

www.uctstudio.co.za

Visual Impact

Cape Town

+27 21 468 6000

marius@visuals.tv

www.visuals.tv

Wembley Studios

Cape Town

+27 21 461 1300

manager@wembleystudio.co.za

www.wembleystudio.co.za

COMPANY

REGION

TELEPHONE

WEBSITE

Cape Town TV

Cape Town

+27 21 448 0448

info@capetowntv.org

www.capetowntv.org

CRTV – Cameroon Radio Television

Yaounde

+237 22 21 4088

infos@crtv.com

www.crtv.cm

ETV

Nationwide

083 1222

info@etv.co.za

www.etv.co.za

ITV – Independent Television Limited

Tanzania

+255 22 277 5914

info@itv.co.tz

www.itv.co.tz

BROADCAST

Kenya Broadcasting Corporation

Nairobi

+254 20 334 567

kbc@swiftkenya.com

www.kbc.co.ke

MNET DSTV

Nationwide

+27 11 289 2222

enquiries@multichoice.co.za

www.mnet.dstv.com

Namibian Broadcasting Corporation

Windhoek

+264 61 291 3111

tnandjaa@nbc.com.na

SABC

Nationwide

+27 11 714 9111

Soweto TV

Johannesburg

+27 11 939 1120

info@sowetotv.co.za

www.sowetotv.co.za

TopTV

Johannesburg

08600 86788

info@toptv.co.za

www.toptv.co.za

Zambia National Broadcasting Corporation

Lusaka

+260 21 125 0843

kenband@yahoo.com

www.znbc.co.zm

www.nbc.com.na www.sabc.co.za

DIRECTORY LISTINGS - ADVERTISERS COMPANY

REGION

TELEPHONE

WEBSITE

Aon

Gauteng

+27 11 944 7290

dani.Ettridge@aon.co.za

www.aon.co.za

Aquila Private Game

Western Cape

+27 21 430 87260

pa@aquilasafari.co.za

www.aquilasafari.com

Atlas Studios

Gauteng

+27 11 482 7111

info@atlasstudios.co.za

www.atlasstudios.co.za

AVIS

South Africa

+27 21 4241661

avisfilm@avis.co.za

www.avis.co.za

CTICC

Western Cape

+27 21 410 5000

info@cticc.co.za

www.cticc.co.za

Durban Film Mart

KwaZulu-Natal

+27 31 311 4234

durbanfilmmart@durban.gov.za

www.durbanfilmmart.com

Durban Film Office

KwaZulu-Natal

+27 31 311 4243

filmdurban@durban.gov.za

www.durbanfilmoffice.com

Digital Images Solution

Western Cape

+27 21 423 8024

tracey@get.co.za

www.breestreetstreetstudios.co.za

Essex Consulting

Cape Town

+27 6392095

sxconsulting@gmail.com

Kathy English Brower Consulting

Cape Town

+27 82 453 6055

kathyenglishb@gmail.com

Media Film Service

Nationwide

+27 21 511 3300

info@mediafilmservice.com

www.mediafilmservice.co.za

MovieMart

Nationwide

+27 79 982 7162

philip@moviemart.co.za

www.moviemart.co.za

Photohire

Cape Town

+27 21 462 6933

pieter@photohire.co.za

www.photohire.co.za

Roodebloem Studios

Cape Town

+27 21 447 6326

info@roodebloemstudios.co.za

www.roodebloemstudios.co.za

Sandfields and Forests

Johannesburg

+27 82 5772312

sfrank@glynmarais.co.za

Sasani Studios

Gauteng

+27 11 719 4250

eileen@sasani.co.za

www.sasani.co.za

Scarab Industries

Western Cape

+27 21 671 3618

katherine@scarabindustries.co.za

www.scarabindustries.co.za

Sitewise

Cape Town

+27 21 447 3151

action@sitewise.co.za

www.sitewise.co.za

Studio26

Western Cape

+27 829343840

awkraft@gmail.com

www.studio26.co.za

Take2Films

Cape Town

+27 21 410 1540

leighann@take2films.co.za

www.take2films.co.za

The Sunshine Company

Cape Town

+27 21 461 0595

info@sunshinecompany.co.za

www.sunshinecompany.co.za

UVS

Cape Town

+27 21 686 2404

margeaux@uvsrent.co.za

www.uvsrent.co.za

Wizardz

Cape Town

+27 21 4619334

copy@wizardz.co.za

www.wizardz.co.za

List your company here and on www.thecallsheet.co.za at R350 excl. VAT

The Callsheet | 19