The Callsheet Issue 7 by Film & Event Media

Issue 07 | 2013

Callsheet Africaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Leading Film Industry Magazine

+ Technology

Changes in Jobs and Roles

+ Cannes Lions Africa Rocks in France

+ Durban International Film Festival 34 Years of Excellence

For Advertising Please Contact Hanlie Mylo 021 674 0646 or hanlie@filmeventmedia.co.za

08 www.filmmakerafrica.co.za Publisher: Lance Gibbons lance@filmeventmedia.co.za Executive Editor: Maya Kulycky maya@filmeventmedia.co.za Business Manager: Taryn Fowler taryn@filmeventmedia.co.za Advertising Sales: Jennifer Dianez jennifer@filmeventmedia.co.za Head of Design: Jess Novotna jess@filmeventmedia.co.za Editorial and Design Co-ordinator: Danielle Illman danielle@filmeventmedia.co.za 57 2nd Avenue, Harfield Village, Claremont 7708, Cape Town, South Africa Telephone: +27 21 674 0646 www.filmeventmedia.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.

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Contents

All Eyes On Durban

Encountering Africa

Cannes Lions Winners

South African Reality TV Series Goes Global

First Feature Shot in Equitorial Guinea

Durban Wild Talk Africa

The NFVF and Animation School at the Annecy Festival

New Association for SA Community TV Stations

MediaTech Africa 2013

Technology Impact Changes in Jobs and Roles

The Art of Water 2013

Mama Dance: 16 Years of Creating music for Media

Country Spotlight: Namibia - Diamond In The Desert

In Production

Industry Moves

Commercial Location Spotlight

Events

Opportunities

Directory

40 www.f i l m m akeraf ri ca.co .za T H E C A L L SH E E T

| 01

NEWS

All Eyes on Durban It’s time for the Durban International Film Festival (DIFF) and the Durban FilmMart (DFM)

his year is the 34th anniversary of DIFF, South Africa’s largest and longest running film festival hosted by the University of KwaZulu-Natal’s Centre for Creative Arts (CCA). The Durban FilmMart, a finance and co-production market which aims to create partnerships and further the development and production of film on the African continent, is in it’s fourth year. DFM is a partnership between the film industry development arm of the city of Durban and DIFF. The collaboration fosters growth, recognition and the opportunity to develop strategic relationships between film financiers and African filmmakers.

Durban International Film Festival This year DIFF kicks off with the film, ‘Of Good Report’ from South African director Jahmil XT Qubeka. In what he describes as “a passionate homage to classic film noir”, Jahmil’s film tells the tale of a small-town high-school teacher with a penchant for young girls. This film, the director’s third feature, is a journey into the soul of a mentally troubled man. Peter Machen, the Manager of the Durban International Film Festival says, “we are extremely happy to be opening DIFF 2013 with Jahmil’s brave

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and remarkable film. ‘Of Good Report’ does so much more than simply telling a South African story – the film redefines the local filmmaking landscape and extends the language of African filmmaking while acknowledging the rich history of global cinema.” DIFF will include 170 theatrical screenings, a full seminar/workshop programme as well as the Wavescape Film Festival and industry initiatives -- the 6th Talent Campus Durban (in cooperation with the Berlin Talent Campus) and the DFM. DIFF is organised by the CCA with support by the National Lottery Distribution Trust Fund, National Film and Video Foundation, KwaZulu-Natal Department of Economic Development and Tourism, City of Durban, German Embassy, Goethe Institut, Industrial Development Corporation, KwaZulu-Natal Department of Arts and Culture, and other partners.

Durban FilmMart Finance Forum, Master Classes and Africa in Focus make up the DFM 2013 programme. Delegates of the DFM will have full access to experts in the Master Classes who will share their expertise in the areas of finance, marketing, distribution, project packaging, co-production, New Media as well as access to Talent Campus.

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Delegates will also have the opportunity to attend Africa in Focus where a range of seminars and panel discussions featuring local and international filmmakers and industry experts with a special focus of African issues and initiatives. Delegates seeking co-production partners will be able to interact during several scheduled networking sessions. Partners and supporters of the Durban FilmMart include International Film Festival Rotterdam’s CineMart, the International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam (IDFA) and the IDFA Bertha Fund, the Berlinale Film Festival as well as Dubai Film Connection. It’s partners include Arte France, COA Group, Hot Docs - Blue Ice Documentary Film Fund, Independent Filmmaker Project, National Film and Video Foundation, Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie, Paris Cinema – Paris Project, Videovision Entertainment, WorldView Film Fund and others. The official selection of Durban FilmMart projects includes 10 feature films and 8 documentaries. The selected projects will participate in one-on-one closed meetings within the Finance Forum. For more information visit: www. durbanfilmfestival.co.za and www. durbanfilmmart.com

NEWS

Encountering Africa

his year’s Encounters South African International Documentary Festival ran from 6-16 June 2013 in Johannesburg and Cape Town. Encounters, Africa’s premier documentary film festival, screened the most-talked about documentaries from around the world, including two 2013 Oscar nominees (‘The Gatekeepers’ and ‘How to Survive a Plague’) and winners from Berlin (‘Marina Abramovitch: The Artist is Present’; ‘In Heaven Underground’), DOK Leipzig (‘Columbianos’), and Sundance (‘Queen of Versailles’; ‘The House I Live In’) and welcomed thousands of attendees. Encounters had new leadership this year as Lesedi Moche assumed the role of Festival Director. The Callsheet asked her what made this 15th anniversary of Encounters special.

Q: What are some of the highlights of Encounters this year?

A: The wonderful films on offer from award-winning directors - international and local - the opportunities for the local industry through the Al Jazeera Pitching Forum and the one-on-one sessions with IDFA Bertha fund manager, the guest filmmakers – the WHOLE festival is a highlight.

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But if I have to be specific and choose I would have to say the offering of African content and the quality of these films both cinematically and in content is a highlight – I love that there are more films being made with global appeal by people on the continent. ‘Camera/Woman’ from Morocco, ‘The Bag on my Back’ from Zimbabwe, ‘No Harm Done’ from Tunisia, ‘Jeppe on a Friday from Johannesburg’ – the depth and styles in these documentaries is fantastic. We also have some big international films that I think are ‘must sees’…there is something for everyone this year - the Industry, the general public and sponsor.

Q: How is this year’s festival different from previous years?

A: In essence the Festival is consistent with its aim – bringing the best documentaries to the South African public and providing a platform for local filmmakers to showcase their work. Each year is unique because of the content of the documentaries out there and what’s topical in any given year. This year along with bringing the best we could get, I wanted to have a focus on women in the director’s chair – to both celebrate and encourage younger women at home to take the lead in story-telling. We’ve also brought the Festival down from 17 days to 10 days.

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Q: What level of participation has the festival received from countries across the African continent?

A: We received films from across the continent and we have films in the programme from Zimbabwe, Morocco, Tunisia, Egypt, Congo, Mozambique, Nigeria, and of course our home grown filmmakers with World/African premieres.

Spotlight: ‘How to Survive a Plague’ David France, Director of the Oscar nominated film ‘How to Survive a Plague’ (which tells the story of AIDS activism in the U.S.) came to South Africa for the Encounters screenings. He told The Callsheet, “the reason I was so excited about bringing the film here is to give it some kind of a launch that would give it some real purposeful life here. I’d love for people to see the film and imagine using it as a tool. Maybe a tool to help build ranks. Maybe a tool to be picked apart for strategy. Maybe an emotional tool to pry open a conversation about AIDS and HIV. Either way I want the piece to be functional and I guess that’s my hope for it in South Africa.”

NEWS

Cannes Lions African Winners A record 35,765 entries from 92 countries were submitted to the Cannes Lions 60th International Festival of Creativity in Cannes, Lions. Since 1954, the Cannes Lions Awards have helped set the benchmark for excellence in creative communications. The following is a list of Grand Prix, Gold, and Silver winners from the African continent in select categories.

Congratulations to all the winners! TITLE

COMPANY

COUNTRY

AWARD

Ogilvy & Mather Cape Town

South Africa

Gold Lion

Tbwa\Hunt\Lascaris Johannesburg

South Africa

Silver Lion

Ireland Davenport

South Africa

Silver Lion

The Jupiter Drawing Room Cape Town

South Africa

Silver Lion

Machine

South Africa

Silver Lion

Joe Public

South Africa

Silver Lion

Memac Ogilvy Label Tunisia Tunis

Tunisia

Silver Lion

Tbwa\Hunt\Lascaris Johannesburg

South Africa

Silver Lion

Frisbee Volkswagen / Volkswagen Genuine Parts

Ogilvy & Mather Cape Town

South Africa

Silver Lion

Contact Lens Volkswagen / Volkswagen Genuine Parts

Ogilvy & Mather Cape Town

South Africa

Silver Lion

Ball Volkswagen / Volkswagen Genuine Parts

Ogilvy & Mather Cape Town

South Africa

Silver Lion

I’ll Be There In A While Volkswagen / Volkswagen

Ogilvy & Mather Cape Town

South Africa

Silver Lion

See You Now Volkswagen / Volkswagen

Ogilvy & Mather Cape Town

South Africa

Silver Lion

I’m In Traffic Volkswagen / Volkswagen

Ogilvy & Mather Cape Town

South Africa

Silver Lion

Draftfcb Cape Town

South Africa

Silver Lion

Y&R South Africa Cape Town

South Africa

Silver Lion

Y&R South Africa Cape Town

South Africa

Silver Lion

Branded Content & Entertainment Lions Best Use Or Integration Of Digital Or Social Media Send Your Facebook Profile To Cape Town Cape Town Tourism / Cape Town Design Lions Posters The Rhino Stamp Project Stoprhinopoaching.Com / Stop Rhino Poaching Medium Business - Regional Or National Organisations Habitat House Habitat For Humanity / Habitat For Humanity South Africa Annual Report Point Of Sale Point Of Purchase Grille Brandhouse / Windhoek Beer Special Editions & Promotional Packaging Marmite Blogger Drop Marmite / Sandwich Spread Media Lions Best Use Of Outdoor Shed Light On Rape Jhhesa / Brothers For Life Mobile Lions Other Technology For Mobile Mobilizing The 12Th Man C. S. Hammam-Lif / Football Club Outdoor Lions Household Wall Of Shoes Tiger Brands / Doom Super Cars & Automotive Services

Fundraising, Charities, Appeals, Non-Profit Organisations, Public Health & Safety, Public Awareness Messages

Small Scale Special Solutions Engen Fireblanket Engen / Engen Promo & Activation Lions Best Use Of Guerilla Marketing In A Promotional Campaign Hope Soap Safety Lab And Blikkiesdorp 4 Hope / Hope Soap Public Health & Safety, Public Awareness Messages Hope Soap Safety Lab And Blikkiesdorp 4 Hope / Hope Soap

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NEWS

Cannes Lions

South African Party

he Cannes Lions advertising festival once again saw the fantastic South African party end off a crazy and busy week. Hosted and sponsored by 24 South African production companies and industry suppliers, it has become a regular feature on the Cannes calendar, and one of the favourite parties for many. Tickets are highly sought after, they become a form of currency for producers to get invited to other parties, and also to make new clients by offering tickets to them too. Being a part of it allows companies to invite their clients, network and socialise in a relaxed but awesome party environment. The party was at Plage Royale and had over 500 people through the doors. DJs Marc and Ben had the dance floor packed, and with our unlimited drinks, it really was quite festive. “The South African party was a huge success once again! A great opportunity to network and spend time with key industry players in a fun

By Philippa Dresner

filled environment!” said Brin Kushner, Executive Producer, AFS Productions, whose team handed out branded glowsticks which really lit up the dance floor. There was even a guest who bought a crocodile shaped pool inflatable which was also floating around the party. Martin Jacobson from Juice films said, “Once again the SA party was a resounding success. Great music. Great Venue. Great people. And great feedback from our clients. It was a happy happy night. Let’s make it bigger next year!” The party is invaluable to the industry to keep South Africa on the international map, and to show our clients that South Africa has great unified production spirit, with many competitors coming together for the event. The South African party started in 2005 and grows in size each year. The guest list features some of the biggest names from all over the advertising world. It is completely privately funded, so we need all the support

we can get from our local industry. “You can’t begin to measure the value it brings in PR for the South African commercials industry,” says Moonlighting’s Beccy Kellond. “A special thank you to all the suppliers who sponsored we couldn’t have done it without them.” See you all next year on the beach!

NEWS

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| 07

South African Reality TV

Series Goes Global Judges Marthinus Ferreira & Bertus Basson

outh African film production company, Cooked in Africa Films, has concluded an international broadcasting deal with the world’s premier travel television network, the Travel Channel. That deal provides for the first season of local reality TV cooking competition, Ultimate Braai Master, to be screened to over 100 million people in over 280 territories, and translated into 22 languages. The deal represents a first for South African television -- Season One of Ultimate Braai Master is the first local reality advertiser-funded TV property to have a worldwide distribution footprint – which includes a secondary broadcast in South Africa via DSTV’s Travel Channel (Channel 179).

Justin Bonello

Cooked in Africa Film’s Executive Producer, Peter Gird, says, “This deal puts South Africa firmly on the global television map. Seeing a truly South African show made for South Africans by South Africans, featuring naturally-fitting South African brands, and showcasing our beautiful country and its diverse culinary cultures - broadcast to over 100 million viewers worldwide proves that anything is possible in the world of TV, where content is king.” Cooked in Africa Film’s Partner and Creative Director, Justin Bonello believes that audiences have more control now than in the history of television. “With the rise of PVR and television on demand, we now operate in a market where the power

is in the hands of the viewer. Producers the world over need to create entertaining, relevant and inspiring content that viewers actively choose to engage with. Ultimate Braai Master is our first foray into the cooking competition genre, and for it to be taken up via the Travel Channel’s international network, is a tremendous validation of the Series’ production and entertainment values.” Created as a multiple-franchise model, Season Two of Ultimate Braai Master is currently in production for a spring 2013 premiere on SABC 3. The TV Series will be extending into a third season next year that will see competitors travelling through seven African countries.

Spit & Polish advert CIA Films

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Who Dares Wins www. t hec allsheet . c o. z a

NEWS

First Feature Shot in Equatorial Guinea ‘Where the Road Runs Out’

‘

Where the Road Runs Out’ is making history as the first feature film ever shot in Equatorial Guinea. The film features actors Stelio Savante, formerly of Cape Town, South Africa, and French Oscar winner Isaach de Bankolé. In 2007, Stelio became South Africa’s first male SAG nominee. ‘Where the Road Runs Out’ tells the story of George Mensah (Isaach de Bankolé), a respected scientist and lecturer living in Rotterdam who has grown weary of the world of academia. The sudden death of an old friend, who has been running a field research station in Equatorial Guinea, gives George the incentive he needs to turn his back on the academic world and return to his

African roots. With the unexpected arrival of George’s old friend Martin (Stelio Savante), however, George discovers that there are many obstacles on the road to redemption and many more where the road runs out. ‘Where the Road Runs Out’ is directed by South African Rudolf Buitendach and a project of Dutch production company Firenze Film. In addition to Equatorial Guinea, it also shot at several locations in Durban, South Africa and in Holland in 2012. The feature has also partnered with special social partner SOS Children’s Villages Weltweit, the world’s largest charity dedicated to orphaned and abandoned children.

“

In addition to Equatorial Guinea, it also shot at several locations in Durban, South Africa and in Holland in 2012.

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| 09

Durban Wild Talk Africa

By Christopher Mason,

Why it’s Africa’s Wildest Film Festival Wild Talk Africa

y now you may have heard that Durban Wild Talk Africa (DWTA) is happening in July this year on Durban’s sunny beachfront. But what is Durban Wild Talk Africa and why should you attend? Durban Wild Talk Africa is an international wildlife and natural history film festival. Natural history is a genre encompassing all subjects pertaining to the natural world. DWTA has four exciting elements: the conference, public film screenings, the “Wildlife Photographer of the Year” exhibition, and the ROSCAR Awards ceremony. The Conference – DWTA is built around a four day programme of workshops, seminars, commissioning panels, networking events and the popular open pitching sessions. The conference is vital to the film industry in Africa, providing a space for networking and dealmaking and providing a valuable platform to come together and debate issues and share knowledge. A few of this year’s international

VIPs include commissioning editors from Discovery Communications, National Geographic , NHK Japan Broadcasting Corp., ORF Austrian Broadcasting Corp., France 5, Telvisiones, and the BBC. Anyone can register for the conference by going to www. wildtalkafrica.com for more information. Film Screenings- As part of an exciting new partnership between DWTA and the Durban International Film Festival (DIFF), nine of the top natural history films from around the world will be screened at cinemas around Durban. These films represent the wide range of themes within natural history programming, including wildlife and animal behavior, environmental documentaries, adventure and expedition stories and short features. The Wildlife Photographer of the Year Exhibition- This year DWTA will include the most prestigious collection of nature images in the world. These breath-taking photos, chosen from over 45 000 entries from 90 countries,

show the natural world in all its wonder. The exhibition will run at uShaka Marine world from the 25 July to 25 September and is sponsored by National Geographic. It’s a must-see for anyone interested in the natural world. The ROSCAR Awards- the ROSCARS, fondly known as the “Rhino Oscars” are widely regarded as the highest achievement for African filmmakers in the genre. This year DWTA received 445 ROSCAR film submissions from countries as far flung as Kenya, Denmark and Iraq. The films then go through two rounds of extensive judging by over 60 international industry leaders. What will emerge are 17 winners across various categories, all of whom represent the best films and filmmakers in natural history in 2013. This illustrious evening event will take place as the festival’s gala event on the 25th July at Sibaya Casino in Durban. For more info on Durban Wild Talk Africa, go to www.wildtalkafrica or phone (+27) 21 422 0023.

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NEWS

The NFVF and Animation School at the Annecy Festival

he National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF) and Cape Townbased specialist animation training institution, The Animation School, represented South Africa at the 2013 annual Annecy Festival in France. One of the school’s top three performing students, Michael Hlatswayo, was selected by the NFVF to attend the event based on his academic performance. Michael is a bursary funded student in his second year at The Animation School. The trip aﬀorded him an opportunity to rub shoulders with the world’s best animation studios and to take part in business-related discussions. Annecy is the world’s biggest animation only festival, hosting 6000 delegates annually. This year’s participation at Annecy follows a fact finding mission that the NFVF undertook at the festival last year. The purpose of the mission was to evaluate the merits of a

stronger South African presence at the festival as well as to explore and assess opportunities that the festival might present for the country’s growing animation industry. “We are proud to be associated with NFVF because of their great contribution to the development of the South African film and video industry,” said Nuno Martins, cofounder and principal of The Animation School. Annecy hosted SA Focus and local animation feature ‘Khumba’ – which was screened at the festival. From the producers of ‘Adventures in Zambezia’, ‘Khumba’ was one of the three local films that formed part of SA’s screenings at 2013 Cannes International Film Festival. “To have Khumba be the first South African feature film to ever screen in competition at Annecy is an incredible honour. I’m proud of what our team has achieved and excited to see how it will be received by

an audience who appreciates the challenge of making an animated feature, and after a decade of running around in my head, it’s time to let the zebra loose out into the world,” says Khumba Director Anthony Silverston. The NFVF also hosted a session at the festival which focused specifically on the local animation industry. The NFVF is also utilizing Annecy to explore animation opportunities that may be possible within the context of the France/SA Season.

‘Khumba’

NEWS

New Association for SA Community TV Stations

outh Africaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s community television sector has a new association to advance the interests of the sector. The Association of Community Television South Africa (Act-SA) will perform various roles for the sector. These include advocacy and lobbying, programme syndication, content exchange, maximising commercial opportunities, training and capacity building. The formation consists of all the existing community television licensees in South Africa, these being Soweto TV, Cape Town TV (CTV), Bay TV, One KZN, Tshwane TV, North West TV and Bara TV with an estimated collective audience of six million viewers. The stations signed a Memorandum of Understanding which commits them to a process of formalising and registering Act-SA as a legal entity. An interim steering committee

was elected that includes Motse Mfuleni (Bay TV) as Chairperson, Karen Thorne (CTV) as Deputy Chairperson, and Colin MacKenzie (Tshwane TV) as General Secretary. Motse says, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Act-SA will make an important contribution to building media diversity and development in South Africa. Now we as the community television sector have a body that provides support and guidance for community TV stations and we are able to address our issues with one voice representing all the stakeholders in the sector.â&#x20AC;? Creating an organisation like Act-SA has been under discussion among the channels since 2011, but organisers say it has now been formed in response to the common challenges faced by community TV stations. One of these is recent policy recommendations by the Department of Communications (DoC), which has

proposed regionalising community television to broadcast at provincial level. The DoC has also pushed for the boards of community television stations to be appointed by government, a move which Act-SA is opposed. One of the first tasks Act-SA has set itself is to formulate a charter to guide the activities of the sector. The charter will cover areas such as the mandate of community TV, licensing categories and framework, governance, ownership and control, programming, revenue streams and distribution platforms. Organisers say the formation of Act- SA will enable the community TV sector to collectively engage with other bodies as a sector rather than individual stations. For more information contact Colin MacKenzie at mackenzie@tshwanetv.org or 076 472 2892.

Mediatech 2011

NEWS

Mediatech Africa 2013 unique spread of technical products and services. With interest expanding globally, Mediatech 2011 attracted 270 foreign visitors from 40 countries. This year local and international visitors are again invited to interact with industry heavy weights, attend live demonstrations, sit in on informative presentations and enjoy some of the engaging workshops that run throughout the 3 days. The biennial trade exhibition will host a wide variety of services including: Broadcast, Film, Production & Post Production Pro Audio, Video, Lighting, Staging and Rigging AV & Broadcast System Integration Animation and New Media Satellite and Signal Musical Instruments & DJ Equipment Studio Technology View.

“

Following the success of 2011 when the expo hosted 6800 visitors and represented over 800 brands, this years’ show aims to attract an even bigger African audience.

“

ediatech Africa, the continent’s advanced technology trade show, continues to gain momentum as Africa’s biggest and most successful trade exhibition. Industry leaders and enthusiasts in the live entertainment, audio visual and broadcasting arenas attend Mediatech to network and view a diverse selection of products and the latest technologies in media and entertainment. The event will be held from 17 – 19 July in Johannesburg, South Africa. Following the success of 2011 when the expo hosted 6800 visitors and represented over 800 brands, this years’ show aims to attract an even bigger African audience. Over 800 brands were represented by 120 exhibitors, giving visitors a dynamic and

Technology Impact Changes in Jobs and Roles

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“

New software allows digital editors to do special effects/ graphics rather than sending off to special effects/graphics departments. It’s definitely cheaper, quicker and less people intensive.

“

he revolution is over and digital has won. The technological advancements in the film industry haven’t led to widespread job losses, but changes in titles and roles? Certainly. The jobs rolling in movie credits are different than they were 10 years ago. “It’s not so much about losing jobs as about jobs changing,” says Melanie Chait of Big Fish School of Digital Filmmaking. “The camera loader’s role has been taken over by the second camera assistant, data wrangler or DIT (digital imaging technician), who essentially do the same job as a clapper loader, but look after data rather than film stock,” says Tony Eddy of Panavision. “The VT (video takeoff) operator is now becoming the wrangler,” says Sean Sims of Media Film Service, “he’s doing the VT and wrangling the data as well, so you need one less crew member.” “On smaller productions, you get one chap who is both the data wrangler and the DIT, but on larger jobs the DIT is separate and carries a lot more responsibility,” says Tony. DITs don’t just manage the transfer of data from the camera to a computer or hard drive; they work in collaboration with the cinematographer to achieve the best image results.

The presence of DITs on set has taken away some of the work from editor’s assistants in post production. “Nowadays the onset D.I.T. can do a lot of data management before it arrives at the edit house,” says Cal Kingwill of Priest. “In the past, editors often each had an assistant, whereas in the new digital age we are able

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By Kevin Kreidemann

to manage with one assistant for as many as three editors.” This reduction in post-production workload isn’t just about DITs though. “In the old days, handling, transferring and managing the negative plus rushes and tapes needed a lot of focus,” says Cal. “It was sensitive, just as hard drives are, but in a different way. There were often neg scratches or camera issues, all of which took up quite a lot of time if trouble-shooting was needed. Lots of cans of negs had to be transported and stored. Of course the telecines have all but disappeared along with neg processing laboratories.” “The biggest job losses have been in post,” says Melanie, also pointing to neg cutting and film processing in particular. “New software allows digital editors to do special effects/graphics rather than sending off to special effects/graphics departments. It’s definitely cheaper, quicker and less people intensive.” Kenny Smith of Panalux adds that another casualty of digitalization is the clapper loader, who no longer has film stock to load into camera magazines. Clapper loaders almost don’t exist anymore. “Every so often, we get a call to ask who we recommend who loads film,” says Sean,

On set © Fly On The Wall

FEATURE

“

The workflows on HD have been fairly complicated and have varied from camera to camera, so for production companies to feel comfortable they have kept working with the people and the systems they are used to, which has required the same size of crews.

“

“but trying to find a clapper loader to load film is quite difficult now.” Tony Eddy of Panavision says he’s been surprised there hasn’t been more hyphenating of titles and downscaling in crew sizes. “Funnily enough there hasn’t been much change over the last two years,” he says. “The workflows on HD have been fairly complicated and have varied from camera to camera, so for production companies to feel comfortable they have kept working with the people and the systems they are used to, which has required the same size of crews.” It’s important to view the digital transition in terms of change management. As ‘Side by Side’, a documentary on the science, art, and impact of digital cinematography illuminates, many of the barriers to digital’s take-over weren’t about picture quality, but about habits and egos. The resistance was about the way cinematographers could now be secondguessed by directors looking over their shoulder at a picture. About how actors couldn’t hang out in their trailers on frequent and lengthy gaps between takes.

Digital overcame the resistance by pretending to be film: ‘Side by Side’ argues that one of the breakthroughs was Panavision’s Genesis camera in 2005. In ‘Side By Side’, Bob Harvey, SVP Worldwide Sales at Panavision, calls The Genesis “a film camera that takes tape.” It was more like a film camera than a digital one, with a recorder that looked like a film magazine and attached like one. It even had film cameras’ weaknesses: it weighed 35 pounds and didn’t allow HD playback. As Bob said, “We were very careful to design it for film crews, so that the transition, if there was going to be one, would be easy for the people who make movies.” In many ways, the Genesis feels like a metaphor for the industry at the moment: the industry has shifted to digital but is still acting like its working on film, to lessen the shock of change. This may start to change now that some of the fear has lessened. “The crew became very, very afraid at the start of the transition to digital,” says Sean. “But we now all use the same digital workflows. ProRes has become a standard across the board, which has made it easier for crew.”

FEATURE

Digital Trends: Top Tips 1. IT skills are more important than ever “We geared ourselves through the years with a staﬀ component very proficient on preparing film cameras,” says Tony. “With the growth in HD, it’s so much more computer-oriented than ever before. Coupled with some fairly ferocious inhouse training, we’ve had to introduce new people into the company who can handle the electronic side of it.”

2. Research new cameras carefully Sean warns that, while most of the digital cameras now deliver really good quality, new models are often beta-tested in the field. “With the drive to get them out, cameras are being put into the industry before they’re ready. There’s always a sixmonth to a year incubation period.”

On set © 2Productions

FEATURE Sean warns that they’ve found that the camera companies don’t always hold to their promises, “Whatever they say initially, it’s probably going to be 15-20% more and six-months later,” he says.

have aberrations, are dirty, don’t hold focus on the periphery and flare, but they take that clean digital image and give it something else, something the cinematographer’s not in control of, so the image doesn’t feel so flat.”

3. Faster is not always better

5. Managed gear lists

“Things happen much faster in the digital world,” says Sean. “There are often no rehearsals these days, whereas before you’d check what the wind machine was doing or when you were going to roll. Now we just shoot the crap out of everything and it’s go-go-go. There’s a lot more damage happening to our gear and we’ve seen a lot more insurance claims, because everything is rushed and we’ve lost the discipline of film, where nothing was taken for granted.”

“Production teams are managing what’s on their gear list,” says Sean, “They don’t carry a full truck of gear anymore; they’ll only order the zoom for the day they know they’ll use it.”

4. Invest in glass, not cameras

6. Green lighting “Everyone’s going green,” says Kenny. “Everything’s moving towards LEDs, using less power and being more eﬃcient.” For example, he points to the Panalux TekTile 60 and the Panalux LD range. “The Tektile 60 is a super-eﬃcient slimline softlight

“With a film camera, you could get 10 years of life,” says Sean. “Now, owning digital, you have to work on an 18-month redundancy.” For rental companies, it’s been hard, with many of the flagship cameras acting as drawcards, rather than money-makers. In comparison, Sean says glass is a much better investment and has zero redundancy. “The digital image is so clean and getting cleaner,” he says. “We’re seeing a move to shoot with older glass to soften up the image. For instance, the Super-Speed Cooke lenses

On set © AFS Productions

On set © 2Productions

first used on ‘Prometheus’,” he says. “With total control of illumination levels, no alteration in colour temperature plus a range of mounting options, the TekTile 60 is a versatile, eﬀective low energy fixture, which oﬀers high performance when used both as a stand-alone item or when combined with other TekTiles to create huge softlight installations. The Panalux LD range of fixtures are high-performance Daylight and Tungsten balanced Fresnel heads that combine the look feel of traditional fittings with a uniquely modern approach to light output and control. Originally created for TV studio use during the London 2012 Olympics, they continue to find favour with lighting designers seeking out contemporary alternatives to more traditional light sources.”

The Art Of Water 2013 South Africa by Jason Martin

he ultimate treatment for any water based feature or TVC is to be shot for real. With the use of CGI and the multiple levels of expertise available, nothing sells your story/spot like “doing it for real”. Enter the Frog Squad, a team of marine professionals who have the expertise and equipment to run your set and get your shots. Be it a 65m submarine with 215 extras or 40 cameras underwater for an underwater time slice, the Frog Squad has done it all before. Nine years old now, the Frog Squad has a brand new service on offer!

FROG SQUAD UNDERWATER CAMERAS The Frog Squad now offers camera equipment, camera operators and support gear that are water friendly and action ready! Our resume includes, ‘Fear Factor’ stunts and documentary wildlife and feature stunt scenes.

Frog Squad Cameras Include: • • •

CANNON 5D MK2 IN WATERSHOT HOUSINGS SONY EX1 IN GATES HOUSING RED EPIC X IN GATES HOUSING

Jason Martin 082 349 6688 Jimmy Fraser 082 340 0991 www.frogsquad.co.za

22 | T HE C AL LSHEET

www. filmmakerafric a. c o. z a

Mama Dance 16 years of Creating Music for Media

t’s been another busy year at Mama Dance! The Mama Dance! Music Library grew to 63 albums with compositions from over 50 of South Africa’s most talented composers. Their composer’s agency, Composers for Africa, worked on various TV ads for territories throughout Africa and Europe and they did eight months of intense music supervision for the much anticipated ‘Long Walk to Freedom’ and HBO movie ‘Mary and Martha’ starring Hilary Swank. “Mama Dance has been a big player in the SA music industry for almost 20 years and we’ve re-invented ourselves a few times as the sector has evolved. I was flogging kwaito in London in the early 90s, ran an edgy studio in Obs from 1997 that spawned Mama Dance Records and the launch of chart topping acts like Jerusha

by Craig McGahey

and KB. As album sales dropped in the traditional music industry, we quickly shifted our focus to advertising, film and TV and have never looked back!” says owner Craig Mcgahey. The company offers a unique one stop shop for all TV, film and ad agency music requirements. “Our success is partly due to our friendly service, a thorough knowlege of the music business and an ability to work with all music budgets. We offer music searches that can lead to licensing negotiations for big hits that cost more than a city apartment, through to reasonably priced exclusive original compositions. We also offer over 25,000 high quality, yet very cost effective, production music tracks specially composed for media usage. Clients often want a combo of licensed commercial

music, composed score and a wide variety of production music. Not many companies offer packages like this.” The Mama Dance! Music Library in particular has shown phenominal growth, being used in hundreds of TV shows, films and ads in more than 56 countries over the past 16 years. “We’re very proud to be providing our composers with a valuable, additional income stream and at the same time exposing clients worldwide to traditional and contemporary African music -- unique genres such as Boeremusiek, Goema and Langarm as well as highly emotional cinematic albums, right through to Dub Step, Electro and Kwaito.” The Mama Dance and six other fresh libraries can be searched and downloaded at: www.mamadance.com

19 - 22 JULY 2013 About the Durban FilmMart www.durbanfilmmart.com

The Durban FilmMart 2013 programme is presented in three strands – Finance Forum, Master Classes and Africa in Focus. The Durban FilmMart(DFM) is a finance and co-production market which aims to create partnerships and further the development and production of film on the African continent. It’s a co-production between the film industry development arm of the city of Durban and the Durban International Film Festival (DIFF), South Africa’s largest and longest-running film festival and a flagship project of the Centre for Creative Arts (University of KwaZulu-Natal). This collaboration brings to

Key Experts at Durban FilmMart 2013 CLARE DOWNS Film expert, Clare Downs, will be a guest speaker at this year’s Durban FilmMart and will deliver a scriptwriting masterclass titled Strategies for Development: the Agony and the Ecstasy. She is a founder member of the script analysis team of EAVE. She served as the joint head of studies of the Scottish/Irish EAVE Regional programme and the EAVE Greek regional programme. She also served as a script analyst for the EAVE International Programme, Ties that Bind and for International Jerusalem Film Lab. EAVE aims to provide training opportunities and bring producers of different regions together to facilitate co-production relationships. She’s versatile as a script consultant, trainer and writer who started her career in 1978 as executive co-director of the Association of Independent Producers. In 2008 she wrote Taken Twilight, an adaptation of a true story set in Burma, for Dorm Film in Austria. Two years later, in 2010, this film fundi wrote Underbelly for VR Productions in Norway. Internationally Clare has delivered numerous scriptwriting workshops and master classes in screenwriting. She works as a consultant, writing reports and working on individual projects with both film funds and filmmakers throughout the world. For 12 years she was the director of Council of Europe’s First Film Europe. Clare served as director of International Creative Affairs for the Ladd Company/ Warner Bros from 1981 to 1983. JON REISS Jon Reiss is a media strategist who helps filmmakers and companies navigate the new distribution and marketing landscape. He has worked with and consulted for Paramount Pictures, the Sundance Institute, Screen Australia, Film Independent, Creative Scotland, The South Australian Film Corporation and numerous film schools and festivals to devise

Africa, growth, recognition and the opportunity to develop strategic relationships between film financiers and African filmmakers. The Durban FilmMart continues to raise the visibility of African cinema, stimulate production, and facilitate project collaboration between African filmmakers. Finance Forum, Master Classes and Africa in Focus make up the Durban FilmMart 2013 programme. Delegates of the Durban FilmMart will have full access to the leading experts in the Master Classes who will share their expertise in the areas of finance, marketing, distribution, project packaging, co-production, New Media as well as access to Talent Campus. Delegates will also have the opportunity to attend Africa in Focus where a range of seminars and panel discussions featuring local and international filmmakers and industry experts with a special focus of African issues and initiatives will be discussed. Delegates seeking co-production partners can interact during several scheduled networking sessions. The selected projects will participate in one-on-one closed meetings within the Finance Forum. Filmmakers who are not in the official selection still have an opportunity to register and attend Durban FilmMart as delegates.

ways to educate and help independent filmmakers in the new economic landscape. He has conducted his TOTBO Master Classes over four continents, is the year-round distribution and marketing lab leader at the IFP Filmmaker Labs. Named one of “10 Digital Directors to Watch” by Daily Variety, Jon Reiss is also critically acclaimed filmmaker whose experience releasing his feature Bomb It with a hybrid strategy was the inspiration for writing Think Outside the Box Office: The Ultimate Guide to Film Distribution and Marketing in the Digital Era (TOTBO), the first step-by step guide for filmmakers to distribute and market their films. He also co-wrote Selling Your Film without Selling Your Soul. He is currently producing The Cure, a feature documentary and global transmedia project about breast cancer as well as releasing Bomb It 2 this coming June. His upcoming books concern new models of artistic entrepreneurship and the Producer of Marketing and Distribution. He teaches at the Film Directing Program at Cal Arts. Reis will present a pioneering masterclass on digital marketing and distribution at the DFM. CHRISTOPH THOKE Christoph Thoke, attending DFM this year will present a co-production masterclass titled The Art of Working Together – Co-producing Strategies for an Open World. With an extensive array of work produced, Christoph Thoke’s films have been selected for 600 festival selections. He has racked up a whopping 120 awards in the process. Having started as a studio executive at German major Bavaria Film, Christoph, throughout his career has worked with highly acclaimed directors such as Rachid Bouchareb, Jean-Pierre, Luc Dardenne and Apichatpong Weerasethakul. In 2007 he launched Mogador Film in Berlin, Frankfurt from where he is currently producing and financing for both local and international markets. The German film producer and president of Mogador Film made a name for himself having served on the main jury of the 5th Dubai International Film Festival and on the international jury of the 31st Durban International Film Festival. Christoph is voting member of the European Film Academy and of the German Film Academy. His films were officially selected for main competition at the prestigious Cannes Film Festival. Here, Lorna’s Silence and Tropical

Malady won top awards with the latter being named Best Film of the Year 2004 by film magazine’s Cahiers du Cinéma. He works regularly as moderator at the Cannes Film Festival for The Producers Network, organised by the Cannes Market. Christoph also shares his expertise at education training programmes that include the Film Business School in Spain, the Young Asian Film Market in Nepal and Beyond Borders in Tunisia. ÁLVARO VEGA Álvaro Vega is a film promotion expert who graduated in marketing, advertising and PR. For the past five years he has managed the marketing and publicity of one of Spain’s main film distributors, Vértigo Films. Álvaro is behind the marketing of more than 70 films that include blockbusters like Stieg Larsson’s Millennium Trilogy. He is the CEO and founder of DobleSentido (based in Madrid Spain), a marketing and communication agency that develops activity into the film industry. Although still in its infancy (formed in 2013), DobleSentido has influence in the areas of films, festivals and events promotion, as well as consultancy and training programs. Already its clients include distributors and production companies such as Avalon, versus and Oliete Films, Ridley Scott Associates, Almería Western Film Festival and Phenomena Experience. EAVE, the international professional training program is also a DobleSentido client. His lecture at the Durban FilmMart is entitled, Marketing & Publicity for Cinema – The Mentality to Promote. HOWARD THOMAS Renowned South African film and television pitching coach, Howard Thomas of Busvannah Communications will deliver four one-hour primers on proposal writing and pitching, covering the areas of research, target audience, writing and budgeting. These primers are aimed at beginner and intermediate producers active in content producing and will form part of the Durban FilmMart and Talent Campus Durban programme, with limited seats available to the public.

COUNTRY

SPOTLIGHT

Namibia

Diamond in the Desert

26 | T HE C ALLSHEET

w ww. filmmakerafric a. c o. z a

ust north of South Africa on the Atlantic coast lies a country known as the “diamond hidden in the desert” – Namibia. Vast, beautiful landscapes attract productions to Namibia. It oﬀers a vast array of landscapes including sand dunes, savannah and grass plains in pristine national parks, the Kalahari and Namib deserts, and the magnificent Fish River Canyon. Namibia also boasts German colonial architecture that is still prominent in many towns across the country and dates back the early nineteenth century. From Kolmanskop, the ghost town near Lüderitz on the eastern coast, to the coastal town Swakopmund, available settings fit a variety of film genres. Because of the arid Namib Desert, it is one of the least densely populated countries in the world. The Etosha National Park is the largest and oldest game park on the continent and it has the largest population of cheetah and black rhinos in Africa.

COUNTRY

‘Flight of the Phoenix’

Namibia oﬀers a break from the norm and convenient proximity to the more established production hub of South Africa. Foreign production companies can benefit from tax benefits and the Namibia Film Commission (NFC) is actively building the national industry. Namibia Film Commission is working to establish Namibia as a filming location with global appeal. The NFC was established in 2000 under Namibia’s Ministry of Information and Communication Technology to develop the local film industry and has through its film and video development fund financed two feature films, 10 short films and a documentary film.

What’s Happening Now Training Locals to Support the Film Industry Three workshops for aspiring and professional make-up artists will be held in the John Muafangejo Art Centre in Windhoek between 30 July and 7 August. The workshops coincide with the European Union National Institutes for Culture Film Festival from 3-9 August. The results of the workshop will be showcased at the closing ceremony of the Film Festival on 9 August at the Diogo Cão Portuguese Language and Community Centre. For more information on how to apply visit: www.filmbizafrica.com.

Key Venues Fish River Canyon The Fish River Canyon is the second largest natural gorge in the world and the largest in Africa. Set in a harsh, stony plain, dotted with drought resistant succulents, such as the distinctive Quiver Tree, the canyon is a spectacular natural phenomenon. It features a massive ravine nearly 160 km long, up to 27 km wide, and nearly 550 metres deep. Formed over 500 million years ago, the canyon was created by water erosion and movements in the

‘Mad Max: Fury Road’

“

The NFC was established in 2000 under Namibia’s Ministry of Information and Communication Technology to develop the local film industry and has through its film and video development fund financed two feature films, 10 short films and a documentary film.

“

Filming in Namibia

SPOTLIGHT

earth’s crust which caused the valley bottom to collapse. The canyon is the second most visited tourist attraction in Namibia. Swakopmund Swakopmund resembles a small German town and manages to create a feeling of timelessness with its palm-lined streets, seaside promenades, restaurants, cafes, art galleries and museums. Outside of the city limits filmmakers will find a desert setting.

Getting to Namibia by Air Namibia has one international airport, Hosea Kutako International Airport (HKIA). HKIA is situated 45 kilometres east of Windhoek and handles over 640 000 passengers and 14 000 aircraft annually. HKIA connects weekly non-stop flights to Frankfurt, Munich and London-

Gatwick, and daily connections to regional hubs such as Johannesburg and Cape Town. HKIA also services routes to Luanda (Angola), Maun (Botswana) and Victoria Falls (Zimbabwe).

Population 2,182,852 in July 2013 according to the CIA World Factbook.

Climate With opposite seasons to the Northern hemisphere, Namibia’s climate of low average rainfall, with long daylight hours and an average of 300 days of sunlight per year, makes this country an ideal filming location. The climate is characterised by hot days and cool nights, typical of semi-desert terrain. The weather at the coast of Namibia, however, is generally cool and the days are often foggy.

Did You Know? Some of the productions filmed in Namibia include: ‘Blue Frontier’, ‘The Cell’, ‘Beyond Borders’, ‘The Bone Snatcher’, ‘Flight of the Phoenix’, ‘Mad Max: Fury Road’ and ‘Young Black Stallion’.

www.f i l m m akeraf ri ca.co .za T H E C A L L SH EE T

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ADVERTORIAL

Namib Film

Exceptional Experience and Quality Service

amib Film, Namibia’s premier service production company, was founded in 2000 by its CEO, Guy Nockels who has 38 years of experience in the international film industry. Namib Film had humble beginnings – it started with scouting locations for visiting producers and providing location logistics for various productions. From there Namib Film has moved from strength to strength with more than 200 productions through its doors. It is also the only Namibian-based company that has facilitated Hollywood studio films, and has also proved to be the facilitator of choice for major Bollywood

productions that pass through Namibia. Namib Film is dedicated to bridging the gap between Namibia and the International Filmmaker by providing exceptional experience and infrastructure and offering a quality service to productions of any size and magnitude. Namib Film works on a three-tier basis: 1. Commercial Division: deals with all feature films, commercials, music videos and stills; 2. Documentary & Television Division: deals with natural history, wildlife, and human interest documentaries, reality television shows and live television broadcasting; 3. Local Production Division: deals with all Namibian productions of all

genres. This means Namib Film offers a production team that will be dedicated to your production and provide knowledge and support according to your needs and the scale of the production. Another defining strength that Namib Film possesses is its high standard of local knowledge, together with service delivery standards and experience that match and rival international companies. Namib Film provides the whole package - from visually spectacular locations to professional and experienced production service & support. As their slogan states: “Never underestimate the advantage of local knowledge”.

Film-Friendly Namibia

amibia offers a break from the topographical norm with convenient proximity to the more established production hub of South Africa. Foreign crews can benefit from tax benefits and the Namibia Film Commission (NFC) is actively building the national industry. The Namibia Film Commission is rapidly establishing Namibia as a filming location with global appeal. The country recently hosted George Miller’s postapocalyptic follow-up ‘Mad Max: Fury Road’ and further international interest comes from the likes of the U.S., China and Japan, as well as from countries across Europe. Namibia is film-friendly. Although not yet established on a level playing field compared to our competition, the country is young with a dynamic democracy. The NFC was established in 2000 under Namibia’s Ministry of Information

and Communication Technology to develop a sustainable local film industry. The Namibian government requires that all foreign productions entering the country should apply for a filming permit from the NFC. An administrative fee is payable to the NFC before a permit is issued. Location fees might be applicable on the genre and scale of the production, but there is a reduced location fee when working through a locally established service production company. A permit is strictly required when filming in national parks, and an additional entrance fee might also be required that is issued by Ministry of Environment and Tourism. The NFC assists foreign production companies with obtaining temporary work visa, facilitates permissions to film at nationals parks, heritage sites, filming of minorities as well as assisting with information on service providers,

be it local crew, technical services, location scouting, aviation services, catering, transport, accommodation or telecommunications. The NFC has through its film and video development fund so far financed one feature, nine short films and one documentary from local producers. For more information visit: www.nfc.com.na/nfc.html

www.th ecal l sh eet.co .za T H E C A L L SH EE T

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IN PRODUCTION

Lucius Malfoy

Dolph Lundgren

Sharlto Copley in Elysium

July 2013

hanks to ever-present confidentiality clauses, no one is ever allowed to oﬃcially talk about what’s in production in Africa, so this monthly section is an unoﬃcial overview of the industry’s worstkept secrets.

Here’s what’s been happening. In June Press TV announced that multiaward-winning Iranian director Majid

Majidi (‘The Children of Heaven’, ‘The Colour of Paradise’, ‘Baran’) wrapped his “religious blockbuster” ‘Prophet Muhammad’ in Limpopo. Juice Films provided production services. Volksblad reported that ‘Stuur Groete Aan Mannetjies Roux’ also wrapped in June. Directed by Paul Eilers (‘Roepman,’ ‘Verraiers’), the adaptation of the popular musical stars Anna-Mart van der Merwe (‘Die Ongelooflike Avontuure van Hanna Hoekom’) and Ian Roberts (‘Tsotsi,’ ‘Red Dust’). Also in June, Johnny Barbuzano’s

‘Shotgun Garfunkel’ became the fastest film ever made, after being written, shot and edited in just 10 days and 12 hours. The film stars Jena Dover and Meren Reddy, among others. In July, the major new production is ‘Rescue 3,’ in pre-production with Kalahari Pictures. The Cape Film Commission says the series is by the producers of ‘Baywatch’, while IMDB says action legend Dolph Lundgren (‘Expendables’) leads the cast. It’s being produced by Trifecta, which says, “’Rescue 3’ is Southern California’s elite multi-agency

IN PRODUCTION

“

In July, the major new production is ‘Rescue 3,’ in pre-production with Kalahari Pictures.

“ Adam Sandler The Wedding Singer

task force dedicated to saving human life. The team consists of the cream-of-the-crop of Los Angeles’ lifeguard, firefighter and coast guard agencies; heroes who form a highly-specialised rescue unit to answer the most challenging calls in the most dangerous elements on earth – air, fire and water.” The Cape Film Commission’s newsletter reported that, “The show has been commissioned for two seasons and will be broadcast 52 weeks per year. Presales are staggering, reaching over 100m TV screens towards the end of the year.” Moonlighting Films will continue production at Sun City on ‘Blended,’ a romantic comedy that reunites ‘50 First Dates’ and ‘The Wedding Singer’ stars Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore. Deadline says Frank Coraci (‘Here Comes the Boom’, ‘The Waterboy’, ‘The Wedding

Singer’) will direct, and that Disney Channel star Bella Thorne (‘Shake It Up’) also features.

There are also a number of projects circling production. ‘District 9’ and ‘Elysium’ director Neill Blomkamp is prepping ‘Chappie’, a robot science fiction comedy which is expected to shoot in Johannesburg. Sharlto Copley stars alongside Die Antwoord’s Ninja and Yolandi Vi$$er. It’s rumoured that Uncle Morris will provide production services. Chris Roland and ZenHQ Films are prepping ‘The King’, a new comedy about a down-and-out African American (Tracy Morgan) who inherits an African kingdom,

which a ruthless Texas businessman (John Cusack) wants to exploit. Spier Films and Shekinah Tribe are prepping ‘Riding with Sugar,’ to be directed by Sunu Gonera (‘Pride’). The film follows a Zimbabwean refugee in Cape Town on a quest for BMX glory. John Boyega (‘Half of a Yellow Sun’, ‘Attack The Block’), Clare Bowen (‘Nashville’, ‘Dead Man’s Burden’) and Jason Isaacs (Lucius Malfoy in ‘Harry Potter’) are attached. Robbie Thorpe and Akin Omotoso’s Rifiki Pictures is prepping ‘Vatmaar,’ an adaptation of the AHM Scholtz. Their website says, “’Vatmaar’ is a love story set against the very complex racial politics of South Africa circa the 1930’s. Set in the harsh semi dessert of the Karoo, Vatmaar is a little town filled with large characters.” The website says they will start shooting in August 2013.

INDUSTRY MOVES

‘Fanie Fourie’s Lobola’ Wins

at Seattle International Film Festival

he 39th Seattle International Film Festival (SIFF), the largest and most highly attended festival in the United States, announced the winners of the SIFF 2013 Competition and Golden Space Needle Audience Awards. The Audience prize went to South-Africa’s ‘Fanie Fourie’s Lobola’ directed by Henk Pretorius. The 25-day festival featured over 447 films representing 85

countries and over 700 screenings. “Our most successful festival in the history of SIFF is ending on a high note and setting an exciting precedent for the future with ‘Fanie Fourie’s Lobola’ from our inaugural African Pictures programming taking home the top audience prize for best film with a Golden Space Needle Award,” said SIFF Artistic and Co-Director Carl Spence.

“‘Fanie Fourie’s Lobola’ is proving to be a favourite with cinemagoers and had previously won audience awards at the Sedona International Film Festival in Arizona, and the Jozi Film Festival,” said producers Lance Samuels and Kweku Mandela from Out of Africa Entertainment. “We are very excited that it won this award at the Seattle International Film Festival, which is a high-profile, big event “It is wonderful to see how our film has transcended cultural boundaries. We are so proud and honoured.” added co-writer and producer Janine Eser. ‘Fanie Fourie’s Lobola’ opened in South Africa on 1 March to much critical acclaim. It tells the tale of what happens when an Afrikaans guy and a Zulu girl fall in love and have to navigate their way through the complicated process of lobola.

MetropolitanRepublic Wins

World Design Capital Pitch

ewcomer to the Western Cape, MetropolitanRepublic, has been named the agency of record for the World Design Capital. “MetropolitanRepublic’s lucidity and sheer energy will be key assets as WDC 2014 gains momentum. We look forward to working with them, and with Quirk, to create a landmark year”, says Alayne Reesberg, CEO of Cape Town Design, the implementation agency of

World Design Capital Cape Town 2014. Paul Warner, Chief Creative Strategist and Founder of the group, comments, “We have a proven track-record in Johannesburg and the rest of Africa for solving business problems with highly creative thinking for the kinds of brands that get listed on the JSE, and that approach paid off in spades during the pitch process for our Cape Town agency. We’re incredibly proud of the team for adding to our

pitch winning streak”. After landing the Sanlam business, one of the biggest advertising accounts in the Western Cape, the World Design Capital account is a feather to add to MetropolitanRepublic’s cap. Cape Town MD, Josie Fisher shares this sentiment, “We’re thrilled, there’s no better way to land in Cape Town than to land the iconic World Design Capital Cape Town 2014”.

INDUSTRY MOVES

Durban FilmMart

Project Selected for Prestigious Paris Project

‘

Flatland’, a 2012 selected Durban FilmMart (DFM) Project, produced by David Horler of Proper Film, and directed by Jenna Cato Bass, has been chosen to take part in Paris Project, the coproduction and financing forum of the Paris Cinema International Film Festival. ‘Flatland’ was the recipient of a number of awards at last year’s DFM where it received a €5000 grant for development as WorldView’s Most Promising Feature, was selected for Rotterdam Lab in February, and won the EAVE prize enabling the producer to attend the European Producers Workshop in March this year.

The DFM, is a joint programme of the Durban Film Office (DFO) and the Durban International Film Festival (DIFF), and has as one of its core objectives to act as a valuable feeder platform to bring African projects to other recognized international co-production markets. The DFM has recently entered into a strategic partnership with Paris Project, which looks at co-production potential for carefully selected worldwide feature projects destined for French and European coproduction. This year a 2012 DFM project was selected, and going forward a project will be selected from the 2013 DFM to go to Paris Project in 2014.

“Flatland is a really strong well-positioned film project which really shone at last year’s DFM, and we are delighted that Paris Project has selected it to further develop its potential.” says Toni Monty of the DFO. “David has really grasped at all the opportunities given and we believe that this experience will be a valuable stepping stone in the project’s journey.” Both the director and the producer of Flatland have been awarded a complimentary return air ticket and four nights’ accommodation to participate in the market, which takes place from 30 June to 3 July, to enable them to increase their networks and meet international partners.

SAMA & Tokyo Short Film Awards

for Sound & Motion Studios

ound & Motion has won awards for Best Alternative Album at the 19th Annual SAMA Awards and Rising Star at the Short Shorts Tokyo Film Festival. On the Film Front, ‘Loot’ by Greg Rom (Gentlemen Films) received the 2013 Rising Star at the “Short Shorts” Film Festival in Tokyo in June. This short film has already won a New York Short Film Festival Audience Choice Award, Best Narrative at the One Screen Film Festival, Special Mention at the 23° Edizione Festival Cinema Africano, and a SAFTA Nomination for Best Short Film. It is still to officially premier in South Africa. All the audio from the orchestral score through to the cinema surround final mix and sound design was done between the Cape Town and Johannesburg branches of Sound & Motion, under the watchful custodianship of Richard West, James

Olivier and Simon Ratcliffe. Greg Rom said, “…I really need to thank every one of the talented humans at Sound & Motion Studios for their unwavering commitment to the film. Besides for bringing talent, hard work and creative input to the post process, their perseverance really added that extra bit the film needed to be just right. For this, I am truly grateful.” At the SAMA Awards in May, Iscream and The Chocolate Stix won the Best Alternative Album for The Paradox, which

featured the mixing and mastering skills of Simon “Fuzzy” Ratcliffe with additional engineering by Matthew James. The album was produced by Daniel Caleb Matthee (Pressure Cooker Studios), who along with Sound & Motion and his partner James Matthes also won the SAFTA for sound last year (‘Retribution’). This is the studio’s 5th SAMA nomination and 2nd win (having won the 2007 Best Alternative Album award for Lark’s ‘Razbliuto’) and comes on the back of a 2013 MK AWARD, for Haezer Feat.

www.f i l m m akeraf ri ca.co .za T H E C A L L SH EE T

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COMMERCIAL LOCATION SPOTLIGHT

Behind the Scenes of an Intel Ad Image Courtesy of Amazing Spaces

t is hard to imagine a continent that has more diverse locations to offer than Africa. South Africa, in particular, has a portfolio of locations to fulfil any brief. Italian villa? No problem. Urban landscape? Yes. Farmhouse? Of course. Suburban home? Easy. The long-standing industry dedicated to marketing locations to the film and still industries offers a varied collection of architectural styles and features and skilled, award-winning staff. This month the spotlight is on a location offered by Amazing Spaces called “Toasted Almond” where Gatehouse Commercials recently shot an ad for Intel. Here’s an insider’s look at the location and the shoot. Find out more about Amazing Spaces at: www.amazingspaces.co.za +27 21 447 1902 Find out more about Gatehouse at: www.gatehouse.co.za +27 21 434 6088

Image Courtesy of Gatehouse

AD OF THE MONTH

Flight Centre Student Flights - Weird Accents: ‘American’

Flight Centre Student Flights - Weird Accents: ‘Austalian’

Print Winners – April

Film Winners - April

1st Place

Flight Centre Student Flights - Weird Accents: ‘Irish’ ‘Australian’ ‘American’ Tbwa Hunt Lascaris Jhb Exec Creative Director | Matthew Brink / Adam Livesey Creative Director | Vincent Osmond / Jade Manning Art Director | Jade Manning Writer | Vincent Osmond Production Company | E-Graphics Photographer | Des Ellis Typographer | Byron Fraser / Jade Manning

2nd Place DSTV HD PVR ‘Interrogation Room’ Ogilvy Jhb Creative Director | Carl Willoughby / Mike Martin Art Director | Michelle De Luliis Writer | Justin Oswold Photographer | Carl Willoughby

3rd Place Flight Centre Student Flights - Weird Accents: ‘Irish’

DSTV HD PVR ‘Interrogation Room’

Toyota Landcruiser ‘Oﬀ The Road’

Palmolive Stasoft ‘Hulk’

Johnnie Walker ‘Strider’ www.f i l m m akeraf ri ca.co .za T H E C A L L SH E E T

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EVENTS

July MEDIATECH AFRICA 2013 17-19 Jul Johannesburg, South Africa

DURBAN INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL 18-28 Jul Durban, South Africa

DURBAN FILMMART 22-23 July Durban, South Africa

WILD TALK AFRICA 23-26 July Durban, South Africa

August 4th ANNUAL CLOUD & VIRTUALISATION SUMMIT AFRICA 1-2 Aug Cape Town, South Africa

THE LOERIES 16-22 Sep Cape Town, South Africa

NIGERIA COM 17-18 Sep Lagos, Nigeria

36 | T HE C ALLSHEET

www. filmmakerafric a. c o. z a

EVENTS

www.f i l m m akeraf ri ca.co .za T H E C A L L SH EE T

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OPPORTUNITIES

Call for Proposals for NFVF Female Filmmaker Project 2013/14: 20 Years of Democracy Background The concept for the Female Only Filmmaker Project is to provide ten recent female entrants into the industry, particularly those from historically disadvantaged backgrounds, with an opportunity to make a film in collaboration with other women. Successful writer/director teams will be guided in the development of their stories into 24 minute scripts over a period of 5 months. Of the 10 films, five will be fiction stories and five will be documentaries. The scripts will be work shopped for camera in preparation for the production of the films over a five week period with the aim of the films being completed

by March 2014. During this process each director will be provided with the necessary tools to break down scripts for camera as well as detailed strategies for extracting the best performances from the actors. The successful projects and teams will then be provided with a professional production crew to shoot their film. A postproduction supervisor will be appointed to assist them in the editing and final delivery of the film. Finally, a special premiere of three of the best completed films as chosen by their peers will be held at a suitable venue to be confirmed with the cast, crew and creative personnel as well as NFVF council and staff.

Theme As South Africa prepares to celebrate 20 years of Democracy, the NFVF has chosen this as the theme for the films to be produced with the aim of screening the top three films on the 27th of April 2014. The remaining films will be packaged and screened for television audiences during the year of celebration. Female applicants are asked to submit concepts or scripts pertaining to the 20 years of democracy that have passed. The stories could be a reflection on the last 20 years, hopes for the next 20 years, changes that have been observed from a female point of view, changes in gender policies in the last 20 years or any interesting or exciting concepts that address this theme. For more information visit: www.nfvf.co.za

African Students Film Festival Call for Entry

The call for entries for participating in the African Students Film Festival (ASFF) is now open until the 19 July. The Festival will take place in Lagos, Nigeria from the 8-12 October. A theme for this year’s festival is “Expresse Afrique”. ASFF is meant to promote and protect cultural values. ASFF is an annual PanAfrican festival targeted at discovering, encouraging and rewarding African young filmmakers. It also helps them get funds

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www. filmmakerafric a. c o. z a

and grants. With five days intensive training and workshops on various filmmaking techniques, participants learn valuable skills from professionals. The ASFF provides students with opportunity of getting their film projects funded through pitching which will also include collaboration between producers and filmmakers. For more information visit: www.africanstudentfilmfestival.com

OPPORTUNITIES

The Pixel Market Entries Open Attracting over 400 professionals from the worlds of film, TV, games, mobile, publishing, online, interactive and live events, The Pixel Market takes place over two days: • 16 October – The Pixel Pitch competition (open to the public) • 17 October – The Pixel Market meetings (by selection/invitation)

16 October – The Pixel Pitch competition

eight teams chosen to battle it out at The Pixel Pitch competition. Pitching to an illustrious jury of professionals working at the forefront of cross-media finance and distribution, plus a 400 strong audience, one of the eight will win the 6,000€ ARTE International Prize for The Pixel Pitch, the crème de la crème of prizes.

Additional prizes this year include: •

30 of the best cutting-edge crossmedia projects from around the world are selected for The Pixel Market, with

•

beActive Pixel Market prize for Best Scripted Content - £2,500 cash prize Cinekid Pixel Market prize for Best Children’s Project (aimed at 4-14 year

Applicat Deadlin ion e: Friday 26 July, 18:00 BST

olds) - automatic selection to Cinekid for Professionals co-production market in October, plus return travel and two nights accommodation in Amsterdam

17 October – The Pixel Market meetings All selected teams take part in a series of one-to-one meetings with the world’s leading financiers, decision-makers and co-producers at The Pixel Market meetings before attending the closing night awards ceremony. For more information visit: www.powertothepixel.com

Online Music Contest Seeks Entries

Connect, Share and Compete with Fame Music and SAE

Fame Music in conjunction with the SAE Institute presents the largest online contest of its kind: The Online Music Search - South Africa. The competition commenced the 12 June and entries close 8 July. All solo artists, vocalists, bands and other producers of music are invited to compete and showcase their material by entering their original audio track online.

First prize is R3000 cash, a Business Music Short Course at SAE South Africa, a professionally recorded track and packaged artist/band profile. National finalists may also have the opportunity for their winning track(s) to be escalated into the Fame Music ‘global competition’. With over 8 million plays, 2 million downloads and 60 music genres, Fame Music™ is a unique online platform that provides unsigned and professional artists the opportunity to seek out global exposure for their music, products & services to a wide spread audience. Fame Music™ also simultaneously allows artists to connect and showcase to music lovers, major labels, sponsors, event organizers, talent scouts and managers within and outside of the music industry from a single location. Fame Music™ was founded in 2002 by Romy Hawatt renowned entrepreneur and C.E.O. of SAE Group. SAE is the world’s largest creative media educator with over

55 campuses in 27 countries and providing first class education and training in Audio engineering, 3D Animation, Multimedia, Game Design, Digital Filmmaking, and Music Production), and is postured to become the essential music industry platform bringing together artists, fans and the industry alike. For more details on the Online Music Search – South Africa contest visit: http://www.famemusic. com/?t=compdetails&sid=481

www.f i l m m akeraf ri ca.co .za T H E C A L L SHE E T

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