The Callsheet Issue 02 by Film & Event Media

ISSUE 02 | 2018

WN NAL E TO O CAP RNATI E N INT ATIO M L I N A TIVA FES

+ SA’S SOUND STUDIO SHOWCASE A Directory of New and Established Studios

+ AFRICA’S AWESOME ANIMATORS Explore Africa’s Ever-Growing Animation Sector

CONTENTS / 01

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02. Brenda Fassie Story Coming to Film

05 08 16 24

04. Dan Mace Signs with Spy Films

WESGRO JOINS AFCNET Monica Rorvik and Lisa Mini have been certiﬁed as ﬁlm commissioners.

05. Wesgro Joins Africa Film Commissions Network

06. John Trengove

Signs with CAA

BRUCE MACDONALD EXCLUSIVE

Pure Flix, an international production company, enlisted a local director for Samson.

08. Bruce Macdonald on Samson

10. Industry Snapshot 14. NFVF Approved

Projects for Cycle 2: 2017/18

SOUND STUDIOS: DIRECTORY

For all post work, design and production in the realm of sound, South Africa has a studio to match.

16. SA Studios’

Excellent Sound

22. Local and International

Stars of Animation line up for CTIAF 2018

24. Creating A Sustainable Animation Sector

GROWTH IN THE ANIMATION SECTOR

Kim Crowie talks to SA’s leading animation companies, and discovers that collaboration is key to business growth.

32. Events to Diarise 34. Associations News 36. Directory of Advertisers

02 / NEWS

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BRENDA FASSIE STORY COMING TO FILM

SA pop legend Brenda Fassie will have her day on film, with Showbizbee recently announcing that they had acquired rights to the story.

n 10 January 2018, Showbizbee announced that the company had acquired the film rights to tell the story of Queen of Afropop Brenda Fassie. The film will be written and directed by Edward Shaw, with a script based on a story by her son Bongani, set to be released in 2018. Fassie, affectionately called

MaBrrr by fans, has been described as ‘the Black Madonna’ and her bold stage antics earned her a reputation for the outrageous, while her outspoken views and songs about life in the townships aﬀorded her tremendous popularity. “Brenda, a period comedydrama, follows a young Brenda Fassie whose determination to

become a singer follows her journey from Langa, Cape Town, to Soweto, Johannesburg, of which catapults her into stardom, becoming one of South Africa’s most iconic entertainers,” Showbizbee said in a statement. “My mother Brenda has been surrounded by controversy in her life and even after her death,” said son Bongani

“I am particularly eager to participate in the production as (Co-Executi ve Producer) so that the real story of my mom comes alive to the people of South Africa and the world.” Showbizbee has launched the ‘Search for Brenda’, one of the largest open call auditions in SA’s history. For more info, visit www.brendathemovie.net.

LOCALS STAR IN

BLACK PANTHER MOVIE Three South African actors star in one of Marvel’s most anticipated films of the year.

arvel Studios’s superhero action ﬁlm Black Panther, stars SA actors John Kani,

Atandwa Kani and Connie Chiume. The ﬁlm has already made history, smashing prebooking records as the fastest-

selling Marvel flick ever. US film booking and ticket monitoring service Fandango confirmed that Black Panther’s first day of pre-sale tickets was the largest it’s ever seen for a Marvel movie. The record was previously held by Captain America: Civil War. They also claim it is the second most-anticipated film of 2018. Black Panther will be released in the US Box Office on 16 February, as well as in SA and selected African countries – a first for Disney. “We anticipate that the film will do very well locally because

it is something different and there is a very strong African influence in the film,” Nu Metro Playlist Content Manager JeanPierre Grobler told TimesLIVE. John Kani plays the role of King T’Chaka of Wakanda, the Black Panther’s father, while Atandwa plays the younger king in the film. Connie Chiume is a tribe elder. “I have worked on many international films shot in South Africa but this is the first time that I have worked on an international film based in America. It was amazing and a completely different experience,” she said.

04 / NEWS

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BALLROOM UNDER CONSTRUCTION FOR

DANCING WITH THE STARS SA Rapid Blue, who are producing Dancing with the Stars SA for M-Net, are constructing a brand new ballroom for the show.

elebrities will be strutting their stuﬀ on Dancing with the Stars SA from February onwards, with Rapid Blue currently in the throes of building a massive, new ballroom on the rooftop of the Hyde Park Corner shopping centre in Johannesburg. The Dancing dome will be ready for the relaunch and rebranding of Strictly Come Dancing, which for eight seasons

was aired on SABC 2 and 3. Rapid Blue and M-Net decided to revive the BBC Worldwide format to usher in a new TV era of glitz and glamour, with the rooftop dome making up the centrepiece – a ﬁrst for the African continent. “M-Net and Rapid Blue kept an open mind while scouting all over South Africa for a suitable venue,” says Kee-Leen Irvine, Rapid Blue Owner and Dancing

Executive Producer. “Having seen the Sanlam Handmade Contemporary Fair on the Hyde Park Corner rooftop, we had a conversation with Jill Grogor, who handles all the publicity and events for Hyde Park Corner about whether we could erect a dome at the top of the centre. Hyde Park Corner Centre Management loved the idea, but safety and

logistics was a huge consideration for us. After extensive engineering, investigation and assessment, we established that we could go ahead.” The unique ballroom will use about 2 500m2 of ﬂoor space for the production, and will seat approximately 350 people as part of the show’s audience in horseshoe conﬁguration. Chris Jaft ha and Tracey Lange will co-present.

DAN MACE SIGNS WITH SPY FILMS

Egg Films Director Dan Mace, now has Canadian representation in the form of Spy Films.

A Dan Mace

multi award-winning director who is no stranger to the international scene, Dan Mace was signed with Egg Films last year. Despite his age, Mace has directed ﬁlms across continents from Africa to America to Europe, and has worked with brands like CNN, ROXY, FIVE Gum, Al Gore and Red Bull. Now the Capetonian plans to extend his world-wide portfolio by signing with Canadian representation. Spy Films has become one of the world’s leading producers of content, from commercials and music videos to stereoscopic 3D, shorts,

animation and branded content. The company represents 36 directors across the globe. Mace’s ﬁrst commercial with Egg Films, Tusker’s Here’s to Us with Net#work BBDO, was one of the most acclaimed spots of the year in 2017. The ad won Silver in the Young Director Awards, Merits at the One Show for Editing and Sound Design, Bronze in TV & Cinema as well as a Craft Certiﬁcate for Music and Sound at the Loeries, two African Cristals including the Grand Cristal, and a 1.4 Award. Dan Mace will still be available in Africa through Egg Films.

NEWS / 05

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WESGRO

JOINS AFRICA FILM COMMISSIONS NETWORK In a statement released in mid-January, Wesgro announced that it has joined the Africa Film Commissions Network, with two employees certified as film commissioners.

Monica Rorvik and Lisa Mini are certified film commissioners through AFCNet

esgro, Cape Town and the Western Cape’s official tourism, trade and investment promotion agency, announced on 16 January 2018 that it has joined the Africa Film Commissions Network (AFCNet), with two employees in the Film and Media Promotion Unit certified as film commissioners. Monica

Rorvik, Head of Film and Media Promotion, and Lisa Mini, Film and Media Promotion Officer, were officially certified. The team has been incredibly successful in carrying out Wesgro’s mandate to promote the region’s film and media production. They have helped land R1.56-billion in production value in the province in the last financial

year (2015/2016), which will result in 3 271 full time equivalent jobs being created. “This new membership should lead to even greater access for the Wesgro team as we continue to promote Cape Town and the Western Cape as an inspiring place to create,” the statement read. AFCNet grew from Pan-African locations research supported by the South African Department of Arts and Culture. At markets globally, film commissions from around the world have the opportunity to come together to form panels, or even market themselves together to highlight funding offerings, locations and the film work opportunities from their respective continents. The AFCNet initiative provides a voice for Africa in such forums and with Wesgro now part of this initiative, Cape Town and the Western Cape will also be better positioned as a key film and media production destination. “With two film commissioners employed at Wesgro, the agency

has demonstrated its commitment to marketing and growing the film and media industry in Cape Town and the Western Cape,” says Tim Harris, Wesgro CEO. “Film and media is a relationship industry and our filmmakers are often expanding their work into the rest of Africa. For example, Mad Max: Fury Road was shot in various countries including Namibia and had its studio work done at the Cape Town Film Studios. By being able to better link these opportunities through the network, I am confident our new film commissioners will attract even more productions to the Western Cape.” Says Monica Rorvik: “Marketing the continent with other commissioners in international markets will help expand Pan-African awareness, positioning the Cape as a gateway to the rest of Africa. The goal is to help drive projects to our region and helping our own filmmakers in expanding their Pan African network.”

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06 / NEWS

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JOHN TRENGOVE SIGNS WITH CAA

Local filmmaker John Trengove was recently signed to Creative Artists Agency, the world’s leading entertainment and sports agency.

nternational mogul, Creative Artists Agency has signed Filmmaker John Trengove. His debut production, The Wound, which he wrote and directed, has grown to local and international renown since its premiere at the 2017 Sundance Film Festival. It is currently

among the nine titles shortlisted for Best Foreign Language Film at the Oscars in 2018. The Wound has been a firm festival favourite, picking up awards across the world. These include BFI London, Sydney International Film Festival, Durban

International Film Festival and Outfest Film Festival. In addition to CAA representation, Trengove will continue to be repped by the UK’s Independent Talent Group. Other work he is known for is cult theatre his The Epicene Butcher and International Emmy-

nominated miniseries Hopeville. CAA has 12 offices across the United States and internationally, and represents the likes of Seth McFarlane, Sharon Stone, Aaron Sorkin and rapper T.I. The company recently launched a start-up studio with $12-million in funding.

AFRICA WINS BIG AT PALM SPRINGS

Senegalese film Félicité and Inxeba’s Nakhane Touré took home awards at Palm Springs International Film Festival.

Félicité (Senegal), directed by Alain Gomis

alm Springs International Film Festival, held from 2-15 January 2018, screened 180 films from 77 countries where it saw the best of African cinema awarded. Senegal’s Félicité

won the FIPRESCI (International Federation of Film Critics) prize for Best Foreign Language Film, while South Africa’s talented Nakhane Touré bagged Best Actor in a Foreign Language

Film for Inxeba (The Wound). Inxeba is Touré’s first film and has received a mixed response in South Africa. It is currently in the run for the Oscars in the Foreign Language category. “This film was not always easy to make and it definitely was not easy when it came out,” he says, “If you did a little bit of reading you’d know that it was controversial and that sometimes our lives were at risk but I’m happy that I continued with it because it was a very important story to tell.” Félicité follows the story of a Congolese singer who desperately needs money after

THIS FILM WAS NOT ALWAYS EASY TO MAKE AND IT DEFINITELY WAS NOT EASY WHEN IT CAME OUT. her 14-year-old son Samo suffers a serious accident. It is directed by Alain Gomis and won six Africa Movie Academy Awards in 2017 including Best Film.

THE PREMIER

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2018 Distributed at the biggest ﬁlm festivals and ﬁlm markets in the world.

The Filmmaker’s Guide to Africa 2018.

CONTACT COLEEN TAPSON e. coleen@ﬁlmeventmedia.co.za t. 021 674 0646

Ruth Williams and Seretse Khama are played by Rosamund Pike and David Oyelowo in A United Kingdom © Videovision Entertainment. Image courtesy of UIP South Africa (www.videovision.co.za)

08 / SPOTLIGHT

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Macdonald explains a scene to Jackson Rathbone on set.

BRUCE MACDONALD ON SAMSON

International film producer and distributor Pure Flix brought their latest film, Samson, to South Africa. We speak to director Bruce Macdonald about the experience.

n a monumental move, an international production has used the expertise of locals in a deeper way than ever before. This comes the form of Bruce Macdonald as director in last year’s biblical epic Samson. The film, produced by Pure Flix, was shot at the historical set in Oude Molen with producer Vlokkie Gordon attached. We spoke to Bruce to find out about his experiences, how he landed the job and more.

Firstly, tell us about your work on Samson and how you landed the role of director. The director role was one of pitching and more pitching. There were several American directors and myself who

were all pitching for the film, and five became four, four became three, and eventually I was awarded the film. I think my knowledge of doing treatments from my commercials background came into good effect as I put together a comprehensive pitch that ticked all their boxes. Also my local knowledge won the upper hand in the pitching stage…When I was notified, I didn’t have time to celebrate and got straight into it! Being a period piece, it required major research and due diligence, which was probably one of the more daunting challenges. Audiences are not that forgiving when it comes to representing Biblical

characters whose stories have been told for generations. So the responsibility was great, and knowing that there were so many detractors out there who would slate the movie if it was incorrectly representing the Biblical aspect put much pressure on me in the start-up period. This film used every facet of my career to date to put together. The team was absolutely massive – some 300 carpenters who were building sets was just one of the many departments that relied on my input and vision for the film. Everything starts with what the director sees as the vision for the film, and this vision needs to be shared with each

department head. Once you ignite their passion to perform, so starts a wildfire of creativity that births the ‘magic of film’. What was it like working on set with the local and international cast and crew? We were so lucky on Samson that we had available to us the expertise of key department heads that worked on Of Kings and Prophets and other big period pieces, who were able to bring so much knowledge and experience which aided me tremendously. Without the team, the film would not be what it is today. Our crews are excellent, and their work is absolutely world class. It is impossible to single

SPOTLIGHT / 09

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out one department as on this film, every department exceeded my expectations. However, Vlokkie Gordon was a pillar on the production side, and Warren Gray and Mitchell Crisp (US Production Designer) drove the art department better than one could have thought possible. Lastly, my business partner CJ (Craig Jones) has really excelled as a producer on this film. It was his coming of age… we as a company I am sure will be doing many, many films in the years ahead. What was the local cast and casting process like on Samson? What was the ratio of local to international talent? The key elements to making a film are finding the right location

– whether it be a location, set build or a combination of the two – and then putting the right people in front of the camera. To that end, I have worked for many years with legendry filmmaker James Ryan who is now a leading casting director, and he just offered up complete excellence from a South African cast point of view, which empowered me to put forward the cream of our cast pool to the Pure Flix team, who unanimously agreed with the choices that we put forward. What was very exciting on the cast side was choosing unknown Frances Douglas, whom I think lights up the screen. She plays a

THE KEY ELEMENTS TO MAKING A FILM ARE FINDING THE RIGHT LOCATION – WHETHER IT BE A LOCATION, SET BUILD OR A COMBINATION OF THE TWO – AND THEN PUTTING THE RIGHT PEOPLE IN FRONT OF THE CAMERA.

Bruce Macdonald on set with actor Rutger Hauer.

supporting lead and I think has a great future ahead of her. And then of course I cast screen stalwarts Greg Kriek (Samson’s brother – a major role), Brandon Auret who is just brilliant – he is always in character and is such a dependable actor – Andre Jacobs, Danny Keogh, Matthew Roberts, Califf Ryan and Sven Ruygrok, just to mention a few. Our local cast had screen icon Rutger Hauer (The Hitcher and veteran of over 300 features) to inspire them to connect and learn little tricks. We also were fortunate to have Billy Zane (Titanic) Lindsey Wagner (Bionic Woman) Jackson Rathbone (Twilight), and Taylor James (Mama Mia) as Samson, and Caitlin Leahy as our foreign cast contingent. Working with a great cast is half the battle won, especially if they buy into the vision and support you as a director. What was unique about this particular production? I think what’s incredible about this is the fact that most international films have foreign directors, and this

film has a local director – and that’s rather special, as we need our local creative talent to get exposure working on big-budget films. There are a handful of directors that have achieved this, namely Gavin Hood, Neill Blomkamp and Darryl Roodt, – so I am very grateful for the opportunity and I gave it my best shot. I have to say the film is amazing, it is surely going to do very well at the box office. It releases on 16 February 2018 in around 900 cinemas in the US alone, not to mention international screens… wow! What does 2018 hold for you? Since doing this project I have had several attractive offers, and I’m looking at various projects. The one that I have started is Standing Alone, which is a docu-feature about Chris Bertish, who crossed the Atlantic unsupported on a stand up paddle board. It took 93 days and 93 nights and is a remarkable project. I’ve partnered with local filmmakers The Mason Brothers to make this amazing film. I’d also really like to get into TV series, so am looking for opportunities and scripts that present themselves in this genre of storytelling.

10 / INDUSTRY SNAPSHOT

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INDUSTRY SNAPSHOT COMMERCIAL SERVICE include bureaucratic red tape around visas and location restrictions over the holidays. Clients are less inclined to travel, and are opting for cheaper production centres. 3. A Change In Mindset Production companies need to negotiate more than ever before, with the less experienced cutting corners at the clients’ expense. Talent documentation like the IPA has been rewritten by the CPA in order to facilitate the service industry.

Bobby Amm

CPA’S BOBBY AMM ON SA’S FILM SERVICE SECTOR

The past 12 months have brought changes and disruption across multiple platforms in the SA ﬁlm service industry. In a December write up for MarkLives, Bobby Amm, Chief Executi ve of the Commercial Producers Association, highlights the important topics: 1. Budget Versus Expenses With SA’s trying economic times, there’s a strong push by suppliers to raise fees – but budgets aren’t increasing with them. The CPA is in dialogue with suppliers about why raising rates is counterproducti ve to the sustainability of the service industry. 2. SA, the Film Location? 2016/17 was a challenging ﬁlm season for the service sector, and seemingly ended prematurely. Other frustrations

Terence Neale’s Adidas Originals ad (courtesy of Egg Films).

4. Location Challenges Location availablility and regulations continues to present challenges. Regular meetings between reps and government are held, and one of the biggest issues is shooting during the holiday season. CPA and SAASP have contracted Rudi Riek as a consultant to assist in this regard. 5. The Film Industry Fund CPA and SAASP started the Film Industry Fund to off set negati ve public perceptions of the film industry. The fund gives back to communities in which filming often takes place and has to date funded 13 projects in SA. 6. The Industry Evolution SA’s production evolution is complex and with many companies closing and restructuring, the industry needs to diversify. There are also many newcomers challenging the norm and creating more competi tion, pushing the limit and driving innovation. To read the full article visit Marklives.com.

Absolut One Source Live, Sho Madjozi

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ABSOLUT HAS ALWAYS BEEN A TORCHBEARER FOR AFRICA’S CREATIVE REVOLUTION AND WILL CELEBRATE THE CONTINENT’S CREATIVE PIONEERS BY PORTRAYING THEM AS THE SUPERHEROES THEY ARE… AND INVITING THE AUDIENCE TO JOIN THEM IN REWRITING AFRICA’S STORY.

NATIVE VML LAUNCHES ONE SOURCE LIVE CAMPAIGN

In November, NATIVE VML was named the Entertainment Agency of the Year 2017 by Cannes Lions Global Creati vity Report. The company bagged six Lions for the multiaward winning Absolut One Source campaign. Now, on the back of this win, they’ve launched a new campaign: One Source LIVE. A festi val of African creati vity, set to take place on 24 March 2018, the campaign kicked oﬀ with four-minute launch ﬁlm Africa on Fire, directed by Egg Films’ Sunu Gonera. “Absolut has always been a torchbearer for Africa’s creati ve revolution

and will celebrate the continent’s creati ve pioneers by portraying them as the superheroes they are… and inviting the audience to join them in rewriting Africa’s story,” says Ryan McManus, NATIVE VML’s ECD. One Source LIVE will feature ﬁve artists who challenge the norm and are creati vely changing the way the world sees Africa: Khuli Chana, Sho Madjozi, Trevor Stuurman, Fabrice Monteiro, and Osborne Macharia.

WEATHER FOR FEBRUARY

SA ON THE BIG MAC INDEX

Cape Town Average Temperatures: 23°C (High: 23°C, Low: 16°C) Average Rainfall: 20mm, 5 rainfall days Sun Hours: 10.24 hours/day

The Economist annually updates its Big Mac Index, and the South African Rand is still extremely undervalued. According to the Index, SA has one of the most undervalued currencies in the world, ranking amongst Taiwan, Malaysia and Egypt. In July 2017, it was undervalued by 57.3%.

Durban Average Temperatures: 25°C (High: 28°C, Low: 22°C) Average Rainfall: 130mm, 15 rainfall days Sun Hours: 7 hours/day Johannesburg Average Temperatures: 20 °C (High: 25°C, Low: 14°C) Average Rainfall: 110mm, 13 rainfall days Sun Hours: 10 hours/day Source: Holidayweather.com

Big Mac Price: $2.26 (R30.00) Raw index: undervalued by 57.3% Actual exchange rate: 13.27 Implied exchange rate*: 5.66 Sources: McDonald’s; Thomson Reuters; IMF; The Economist *Local price divided by dollar price

IDIDTHT CRAFT AWARDS RANKINGS 2017

IDidTht curates some of the best in advertising from month to month. Here’s a look at last year’s Craft Award Winners:

Dan Mace’s Vodacom ad (courtesy of Egg Films)

COMPANY

AWARDS WON

PERSON AWARDED

Egg Films

4 Best of Reel / 5 Special Menti ons

Dan Mace / Jason Fialkov / Lebogang Rasethaba / Sunu / Terence Neale

7Films

2 Best of Reel / 2 Special Menti ons

Dirk van Niekerk / Lourens van Rensburg / SJ Myeza-Mhlambi

Pulse Music

2 Best of Reel

Marc Algranti

0307 Films

1 Best of Reel / 2 Special Menti ons

Kim Geldenhuys / Paul Ward

Arcade Content

1 Best of Reel / 1 Special Menti on

Kyle Lweis / Lebogang Rasethaba

Bomb Commercials

4 Special Menti ons

Teboho / tebza

Groundglass

1 Best of Reel / 1 Special Menti on

Dan Mace / Ari Kruger

Patriot

4 Special Menti ons

Anton Visser

Your Girlfriend

1 Best of Reel / 1 Special Menti on

Ari Kruger / Trevor Clarence

Deliverance Post

1 Best of Reel

Gordon Midgely

Golden Planes

1 Best of Reel

Porteus Xandau

Plank Film Producti ons

1 Best of Reel

Peter Pohorsky

They Shoot Films

1 Best of Reel

Alan Irvin

12 / INDUSTRY SNAPSHOT

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ANIMATION MILLIONS OF VIEWS FOR MARSHMELLO

Animated music video You & Me, for EDM producer Marshmello, reached a whopping one million views in just 12 hours in November last year. The clip, which was created by local company Toon53 Productions, reached 4.5 million views in less than five days. It has since been viewed almost 21 million times on Youtube. Michael Robertson, Studio Director and Animator, was both shocked and ecstatic at the popularity of their animation. “Woke up to our work trending on YouTube’s top 30!” he told us, “Not bad for a group of locals.” The company has since animated a subsequent single by Marshmello, Love U, which was released on 5 January. It was sitting around four million views at the time of publishing. They also produced a video announcement for Marshmello’s January tour.

TRIGGERFISH CONTINUES WINNING STREAK

Triggerfish Animation, whose recently completed animation with Magic Light, Highway Rat, aired on BBC, won Best Animation at the BAFTAs late last year for Revolting

Marshmello’s Love U by Toon 53 Productions

Rhymes. The production beat of stiff competition from The Amazing World of Gumball, Shaun the Sheep and We’re Going On A Bear Hunt. Revolting Rhymes was animated at Magic Light’s Berlin studio and Cape Town’s Triggerfish. Prior to this announcement, Triggerfish signed with CAKE on its first Story Lab success: Mama K’s Super 4. CAKE is a kids’ entertainment specialist, and was Cartoon Forum’s 2016 Investor / Distributor of the Year. Aimed at 6-11 year olds, Mama K’s Super 4 is set in Lusaka, and is created by Zambian writer Malenga Mulendema. It pays comic homage to the superhero genre and draws visual inspiration from retro 90’s RnB and hip hop girl groups. “We’re glad to have found a bold partner who has embraced her vision for a show centred on four innovative African girls,” says Triggerfish Head of Development, Anthony Silverston.

JABU’S JUNGLE STORMS CHINA

Local animated hit Jabu’s Jungle is now headed East with Red Apollo Group. The series,

produced in Masipumelele township outside Cape Town, is broadcast in 40 African countries in three languages and is already in North America and India. The new deal takes three seasons of half-hour episodes to new territories. The show’s producers, Pixcomm, have been represented at international markets with the assistance of the DTI. The Ottawa Animation Festival led to a North America deal, and South America is next on the radar. Jabu’s Jungle is already the top rated show on SABC1 for children 4 – 14 years old for the last two years, and the latest language roll-out in Kiyarwandan for East Africa demonstrates its demand. “African audiences want African content,’ says Producer Nic Buchanan. “As with animated content worldwide, there is an even greater demand for African content in this medium.”

EVENT SNAPSHOT: CTIAF Cape Town International Animation Festival, which takes place from 2-4 March 2018, has an expanded programme after launching a successful rebrand last year. Delegates can enjoy films, workshops, networking sessions and an exhibition. Speakers include a local and international roster such as: Rob Valley, Lorna Withrington, Shuzo John Shiota, Alexandre Heboyan, Matt Kearney, Hilton Treves, Dane Chapman, Ree Treweek, Caroline Vos, Ben Winfield and Lorraine Alvarez Posen. This year’s sponsors include Nickelodeon, Canada, Embassy of Japan, Institut Francais, and Annecy (MIFA). Tickets are available on webtickets.co.za.

WE’RE GLAD TO HAVE FOUND A BOLD PARTNER WHO HAS EMBRACED HER VISION FOR A SHOW CENTRED ON FOUR INNOVATIVE AFRICAN GIRLS.

Revolting Rhymes © Triggerfish

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FILM PRODUCTION SCORPION KING SIZZLES IN SA

The fifth instalment of the Scorpion King franchise, Scorpion King: Book of Souls, had Cape Town a-buzz in the last days of 2017. The film, which began principal photography in Cape Town in November, sees local actress Pearl Thusi at the top of her game with Black Sails star Zac McGowan – both of whom star in the film. The film is scheduled for release in late 2018, with Thusi play the Warrior Princess of Nubia, and McGowan the Scorpion King. Together they search for a legendary relic known as The Book of Souls, which will allow them to put an end to an evil warlord. The film is directed by Don Michael Paul (Tremors 6, Death Race: Beyond Anarchy) and other cast members include Katy Saunders (Law and Order), Nathan Jones (Mad Max: Fury Road), Mayling Ng (Wonder Woman), Peter Mensah (Spartacus) and local actor Brandon Auret (District 9).

AAA STRIKES FILM DEAL WITH CHINA

In October last year, AAA Entertainment landed their biggest sale to date with the Chinese. The Joburg-based sales and distribution company signed an agreement with Huace Group to bring all the South African content they represent to the Chinese market. “We are finalising the deal as the deliverables proved to be a bit tricky,” says Mayenzeke Baza, Head of Sales. “There’s still another process of censorship and authorisation that the Chinese distributor will have to go through, so I suspect that the titles will be available mid-year 2018.” The experiences of Chinese travelling and living

TOP LOCAL FILMS OF 2017

Pop, Lock ‘n Roll, a dance film represented by AAA

Pearl Thusi Stars in the latest Scorpion King instalment.

in the diaspora, and a younger generation consuming online content, has reshaped how they view Africa. AAA is hoping to explore this new market as they negotiate a limited theatrical release of dance film Pop, Lock n Roll. They are also looking beyond the American market and ahead to MIP China in 2018 where they hope to strengthen ties with the host nation.

STANDING ALONE CLOSE TO WRAPPING

A documentary feature on local hero Chris Bertish, who crossed the Atlantic unsupported on a stand-up paddle board, is close to wrapping production. Standing Alone is directed by Bruce MacDonald of Boomtown Films, who worked on Pure Flix’s Samson last year.

The remarkable story of Bertish defying all odds to cross an ocean is truly extraordinary because most of the footage is captured by the subject himself. The feat took 93 days and nights alone at sea to complete, which Bertish did entirely alone. “The project is largely shot, already,” says Bruce, “We are doing all the pickups interviews now, and the edit process is already underway. This film is something special as its real and we see a hero’s journey evolve. It’s a complete wow!” MacDonald is partnering with the Mason brothers on the production. “These are two seriously talented filmmakers,” he explains, “I loved their treatment, their approach, and felt I could mentor them and guide the process which will be a huge honour.”

• Vaya: Directed by Akin Omotoso, Vaya tells the story of three passengers travelling from KZN to Joburg and is based on the Homeless Writers Project. • Inxeba (The Wound): Currently in the 2018 Oscars race, Inxeba is a milestone for local cinema. Directed by John Trengove and starring Nakhane Touré, who won the FIPRESCI Prize for Best Actor in January. • Krotoa: Based on a story from SA’s painful past, Krotoa is the award-winning and controversial film from Director Roberta Durrant. • Keeping Up With The Kandasamys: Garnering over R4-million in its first two weeks of theatrical release, this rom-com is one of the last films by producer Junaid Ahmed. • Five Fingers for Marseilles: The long-awaited spaghetti western by Be Phat Motel, Five Fingers has already seen critical acclaim after its premiere at TIFF late last year.

THIS FILM IS SOMETHING SPECIAL AS ITS REAL AND WE SEE A HERO’S JOURNEY EVOLVE. IT’S A COMPLETE WOW!

14 / SPOTLIGHT

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NFVF FUNDING An Overview of Approved Projects: Cycle 2 2017/18

NON-FICTION PROJECTS DEVELOPMENT - DOCUMENTARIES PROJECT NAME

APPLICANT’S NAME

PRODUCTION COMPANY

APPROVED AMOUNT

A Land for All

Isa- Lee Jacobson

Flying Films

R128 625.00

Biko Lives!: The Most Potent Weapon

Keith Kenneth

Capturevate Productions

R150 000.00

Breathes of the Blues

Berenice Linderoth

African Aces

R150 000.00

Global Bass

Christopher Sinclair Kets

Black Major (Pty) Ltd

R141 140.00

State of Emergency

Luhanyo Calata

Arusha Films

R150 000.00

The Football Age

Lucia Nameko

Xolani Nameko Productions

R124 260.00

PRODUCTION - DOCUMENTARIES PROJECT NAME

APPLICANT’S NAME

PRODUCTION COMPANY

APPROVED AMOUNT

Everything Must Fall

Rehad Desai

Uhuru Productions

R300 000.00

Bra Wam

Abel Semege

SenaKihm Entertainment

R238 171.00

Crossing Solo

Chris Mason

Mason Brothers Films

R350 000.00

PRODUCTION - SHORT DOCUMENTARIES PROJECT NAME

APPLICANT’S NAME

PRODUCTION COMPANY

APPROVED AMOUNT

Waves Of Courage

Pule Molebatsi

Rurban Concepts

R200 000.00

PROJECT NAME

APPLICANT’S NAME

PRODUCTION COMPANY

APPROVED AMOUNT

Mama K’s Super 4

Anthony Silverston

Triggerfish Animation

R200 000.00

Pulane’s Adventures

Nompi Vilakazi

Buthano Pictures

R200 000.00

FICTION PROJECTS DEVELOPMENT - TV FORMAT

PRODUCTION - FEATURE LENGTH PROJECT NAME

APPLICANT’S NAME

PRODUCTION COMPANY

APPROVED AMOUNT

Toorbos

Andre Scholtz

Toorbos Die Rolpent

R1 200 000.00

Bhai’s Café

Razia Rawoot

Razia Bawa Productions

R1 300 000.00

Wild is the Wind

Fabian Medea

MYD88 Films

R1 300 000.00

PRODUCTION - SHORT FILM PROJECT NAME

APPLICANT’S NAME

PRODUCTION COMPANY

APPROVED AMOUNT

How to Hook a Fisherman

Collin Mfayela

Melanin Films

R200 000.00

Letters of Hope

Vusi Sindane

Trial By Media Films

R200 000.00

Lone Wolf

Raoul Dyssell

Roll the Dice Pictures

R200 000.00

Prey

Zamo Mkhwanazi

Kude Media

R200 000.00

PRODUCTION - WEB SERIES PROJECT NAME

APPLICANT’S NAME

PRODUCTION COMPANY

APPROVED AMOUNT

Corner Freedom Street

Mlingane Dube

Artistry Media

R200 000.00

The Single Diaries of a Jozi Girl

Tshego Monaisa

MonaLisa Productions

R200 000.00

SPOTLIGHT / 15

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DEVELOPMENT - ANIMATION PROJECT NAME

APPLICANT’S NAME

PRODUCTION COMPANY

APPROVED AMOUNT

Junk Pliers

Isaac Mogojane

Diprente Productions

R250 000.00

DEVELOPMENT - FEATURE LENGTH PROJECT NAME

APPLICANT’S NAME

PRODUCTION COMPANY

APPROVED AMOUNT

Hotel Nowhere

Roberta Durrant

Penguin Films

R200 000.00

The Shaper

Bruce Macdonald

The Fabulous Boomtown Boys

R200 000.00

Low Tide

Rorisang Motuba

R200 000.00

Till Money Do Us Part

Clive Madiya

PCM Films

R200 000.00

White War Black Hero

Gersh Kgamedi

Petroglyphs

R200 000.00

DEVELOPMENT - SHORT FILM PROJECT NAME

APPLICANT’S NAME

PRODUCTION COMPANY

APPROVED AMOUNT

Life on Earth

Chuanne Blofield

Whitman Independent

R100 000.00

Get Away

Darren Parker

The Ergo Company

R150 000.00

Honourable Chair

Kelly- Eve Koopman

Backyard Pitch

R95 000.00

Last Rounds

Zack Mthombeni

The Third Law

R100 000.00

Love in the Hell

David Boyes

R100 000.00

Stairway to Heaven

Puleng Modupe

The Eye Northern Cape

R150 000.00

Talking Reeds

Pearl Mthembu

R150 000.00

Tuesday in the B Flat

Khanyo Mjamba

Gaba Media

R90 000.00

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SA STUDIOS’ EXCELLENT SOUND Where would we be without the carefully crafted sound design, Foley, ADR and audio post-production that local sound studios are able to offer? Kim Crowie explores.

he sound and music are 50% of the entertainment in a movie. This astute quote by George Lucas rings true for every facet of motion picture production – not just films and TV. And, although fraught with challenges, the South African sound sector continues to push boundaries to produce highquality sound projects, from award-winning commercials to internationally-acclaimed films. A great example of this is Inxeba (The Wound) which is currently in the 2018 Oscar running. Rhapsody Recording, who did the sound design,

dialogue edit, Foley, surround ambience recording and pre-mix of the film, are now waiting “with bated breath” to find out if it will win this coveted nomination and award. They also worked on the sound design and final mix of Waterfront for kykNET and Showmax, as well as location sound for five local films and a variety of commercials last year. In the commercial realm, companies like Produce Sound continue to rake in the wins, as demonstrated once again last year. In addition to winning 13 Loeries on campaigns including a Grand Prix for KFC’s Sad Man Meal and Gold for Flight Centre’s

The US President, the company has also added an additional studio. “It was a good year. Lots of change; I think the industry is constantly evolving – like anything – but last year felt like the foot has been out on the gas pedal,” says Louis Enslin, Owner of Producer Sound. Durban-based Ryan Hall has also done well for himself, despite being in a much smaller industry than that of Cape Town and Johannesburg. One of his most notable projects was Castle Lager’s #Homegrown campaign. “As fun and challenging as the sound design was, it was the hunt for music from Marcus

Wormstorm’s Biblo library that proved to be a South African treat for the ears,” Hall says.

MOVEMENTS IN SOUND

The local film industry continues to grow and show signs of improvement. Along with this growth comes that of the sound sector, however budgets remain tight and as a result often undercut sound production. Accessibility to lower costing location sound and visual editing software that incorporates sound mixing is also seen as adequate enough for many productions, says Hall. This, in turn, has meant

FEATURE / 17

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TREND WATCH: THE RISE OF AMBISONICS

Adi Goldstein (via Unsplash)

sound studios work on bigger budget productions rather than smaller productions such as online content and shorts. “Although that is a positive, it also pulls away from maintaining an overall standard of our general productions, as well as slows down a onceestablished revenue stream.” Job-wise, the sound industry is tough, according to Greg Albert and Matt James of Rhapsody Recording. “Education in sound prepares many for unemployment; the select few who decide to do this as a career and have the drive to get there are set,” they say, adding that the film industry is lacking

in great location sound engineers. “The art of putting a microphone in the right place to tell the story properly is a woeful memory.” Having said that, they still have a positive outlook on local film: “We hope the country as a whole gets behind the local film industry and we can see new and beautiful stories told.” They believe that with more investment from the public and private sector, there will be a better platform for creativity. According to Enslin, there is no real ‘healthy environment’ to speak of, and he says it’s particularly tough in the commercial realm with the influx of in-house production

solutions that agencies are doing. “Independent guys like us are going to suffer or will have to come up with something amazing to counter it,” he says simply. “Our biggest clients have now become our biggest competitors. Having said that, I believe that there will be provision, and we just need to keep on keeping on.

As virtual and augmented reality content becomes the norm, so will ambisonics. This arises from the increasing need to mix audio for 360 videos or VR projects. A large part of this format is full immersion, which includes sound, and engineers will most likely begin using this method of recording, mixing and playback of audio. The basic approach of ambisonics is treating an audio scene as a 360 degree sphere of sound from all directions around a centre point. This is where the microphone is placed, or where the listener’s ‘sweet spot’ is located. In contrast to surround sound, ambisonics does not send audio signal to any particular number of speakers but is ‘speakeragnostic’, that is, it can be decoded to any speaker array and represents a full, uninterrupted sphere of sound without restrictions.

WE HOPE THE COUNTRY AS A WHOLE GETS BEHIND THE LOCAL FILM INDUSTRY AND WE CAN SEE NEW AND BEAUTIFUL STORIES TOLD.

Production Music for Professionals representing over 60 international labels and African Planit, a South African Music Library. Service is our ﬁrst Priority.

VISIT US: www.synchromusic.co.za

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Nakhane Toure stars in The Wound (Inxeba) Â© Urucu Media

Austin Neill (via Unsplash)

Steven Wang (via Unsplash)

SOUND STUDIOS OPERATING IN SOUTH AFRICA STUDIO

LOCATION

SPECIALITIES

WEBSITE / CONTACTS

Arcadia Sound

KwaZulu-Natal

Film and TV audio post production, sound design, editing, music production and field recording

www.arcadiasound.com

Big Leap

Cape Town, Western Cape

Music production and post, original soundtracks for radio and TV, commercials, multimedia, film and video

www.bigleap.co.za

Cape Audio College

Cape Town, Western Cape

53 studios and digital audio workstations, recording, producing, engineering, mixing, mastering and programming for music, film, TV and commercials

www.capeaudiocollege.co.za

FEATURE / 19

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Trix Vivier in Waterfront ÂŠ Photo by David Swart

Kelly Sikkema (via Unsplash)

STUDIO

LOCATION

SPECIALITIES

WEBSITE / CONTACTS

Cape Town Sound

Cape Town, Western Cape

Music production, engineering, composition

www.capetownsound.com

Cut & Paste Generation

Bryanston, Gauteng

Music composition, sound design, final mix studios, Dolby E encoding, Dolby Digital EX surround licensed studio

www.cutandpastegeneration.tv

Cape Town Audio Post

Cape Town, Western Cape

Award-winning studios with 7 Protools HD recording suites, Source-Connect certified, final mix, full audio production for advertising, film and music industries

www.capetownaudiopost.com

Final Mix

Durban, KZN

Sound solutions for games, animations and pictures. Specialising in sound design, compositions, editing and mixes.

www.finalmix.co.za

Fine Tune Studios

Johannesburg, Gauteng

Final mix for TV/radio, audio stripes, voice recording, jingles, sound design, tracking and audio for presentations, games and multimedia

www.finetunestudios.com

Freq'ncy Audio and Music

Cape Town and Johannesburg, South Africa

High end post production, sound design, music composition

www.freqncy.co.za

Hey Papa Legend Sound Studios

Cape Town, Western Cape

Award-winning sound design, music composition, TVC final mix, radio and voice production

www.heypapalegend.com

Kwazi Mojo Studios

Johannesburg, Gauteng

Dolby E 5.1 certified, full service audio post production, sound design, final mix

www.kwazimojo.com

Mama Dance! Music Solutions

Cape Town, Western Cape

Music solutions, libraries, searches, licensing and clearances, composition and sound design

www.mamadance.com

Mastermax Productions

Midrand and Western Cape

5.1 mixing studios, mastering facilities, location recording, live sound and lighting hire, soundproofing, overdubs

www.mastermax.co.za

FINAL MIX

POST-PRODUCTION SOUND Audio Final Mix Sound Editing

Sound Design

Sound Repair / Restoration

Voice Recording / ADR

ďŹ nalmix.co.za

Music Selection

Location Sound Recording

we re all about sound

20 / FEATURE

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STUDIO

LOCATION

SPECIALITIES

WEBSITE / CONTACTS

Milestone Studios

Cape Town, Western Cape

Music recording studios, audio post production for film & TV, ADR, ISDN, Source-Connect, language translation, analogue and digital equipment, Protools HD, Logic Pro, Ableton Live, film scoring

www.milestones.co.za

Mtommbo Audio Solutions

Randburg, Gauteng

6 Protools, 2 Nuendo final mix suites, composition, score to picture, TV, radio, jingles and sound design

www.mtommbo.co.za

On-Key Sound Studios

Linden and Randburg, Gauteng

A studio with three 5.1 surround studios, and digital audio workstations which run the latest versions of Steinberg Nuendo 7. Post production services include ADR, Foleys, Sound Design, Final Mix and Dolby E encoding.

www.onkeysound.com

Phonographic

Cape Town, Western Cape

Music production, sound design, voice over, final mix

www.phonographic.co.za

Popsicle Studios

Cape Town, Western Cape

Recording and production studio for live and electronic music, sound design, composition and multimedia content production

www.popsiclestudios.co.za

Postmasters

Johannesburg, Gauteng

Voice Recordings, audio mix, sound design, 5.1 surround mix, Dolby E Conversion

www.postmasters.co.za

Pressure Cooker Studios

Cape Town, Western Cape

Music and sound design house with extensive commercial experience. Services focus on creative and technical aspects including recording, SFX, Foley, VO, mixing, ADR, orchestration, production and mastering.

www.pressurecookerstudios. co.za

Produce Sound

Johannesburg, South Africa

Award-winning studio with four ProTools HDX and HD Native final mix studios, manned by top industry talent.

www.producesound.co.za

Rhapsody Recording

Cape Town

Pre-production and development (conceptual sound design, musical treatment), location sound recording, atmospheric recording, sound effects, music recording, and post production including ADR, sound design, mixing, Foley and mastering.

www.rhapsodyrecording.com

Red Bull

Cape Town, Western Cape

Digital music technology, recording, production and multimedia content production

www.redbullstudios.com/ capetown

Refinery Post Production

Johannesburg and Cape Town

Turnkey post-production studios with all sound editing, ADR, mixing, design, Foley and other audio solutions. New 5.1 studios and Dolby 7.1 studios.

www.refinery.co.za

Adi Goldstein (via Unsplash)

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Edwin van der Walt in Waterfront ÂŠ Photo by David Swart

Jonathan Velasquez (via Unsplash)

STUDIO

LOCATION

SPECIALITIES

WEBSITE / CONTACTS

SABC Radio Broadcast Facilities (RBF)

South Africa

Largest broadcast and production house in Africa, music studios, outside broadcast, media libraries, sound restoration, radio archives, record library. Currently upgrading facilities in Cape Town

www.sabc.co.za/wps/portal/ rbf/home

Shaw Music Studios

Johannesburg, Gauteng

Recording studio offering recording, music production, postproduction, scoring and song writing. A division of Ibilion Music.

www.shawmusicstudios.co.za

Sonovision Studios

Rivonia, Gauteng

5 HD audio suites, ISDN and source connect links, composition, translations and SFX libraries

www.sonovisionstudios.com

Soundcast Studios

Cape Town

7 studios for photography, rehearsals and recording, including control and live rooms

www.soundcast.co.za

Sound & Motion Studios

Cape Town, Johannesburg, Dar es Salaam and Lagos

Award-winning music, TV and film sound production studios offering services to Africa

www.soundandmotion.co.za

Sound Surfers

Bryanston, Gauteng

Award-winning studios with full design of big screen audio for film and TV; stereo and 5.1 mixing, Protools editing, Foley and ADR stage

www.soundsurfers.net

Sound Surgeon Studios

Cape Town, Western Cape

Award-winning recording and audio post facility servicing the video production and gaming industry for over 10 years

www.soundsurgeon.co.za

Sound-Trax

South Africa

A company offering solutions to on-set synchronisation, streaming, and workflow systems for filmmakers

www.soundttrx@icon.co.za

Stratosphere Sound

Western Cape

Over 18 yearsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; experience in location sound mixing and recording; sales and rental of sound equipment

www.stratosphere.co.za

The Crayon Room

Paradise Beach, Eastern Cape

Digital production including photographic, editing and sound studios

www.thecrayonroom.com

The Work Room

Cape Town, Western Cape

Award-winning studios for audio post production including sound editing, ADR, Foley, mixing and Dolby encoding

www.theworkroom.co.za

Wired Sound Studios

Johannesburg, Gauteng

Recording studio, record label and Multimedia House. Services all the audio needs of the Jozi music, multimedia and film community

www.wiredsoundstudios.co.za

Disclaimer: Due to space constrictions, we are unable to include every sound studio operating in South Africa, but have instead included the major studios involved with sound in motion pictures.

22 / CAPE TOWN INTERNATIONAL ANIMATION FESTIVAL

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LOCAL AND INTERNATIONAL STARS OF ANIMATION LINE UP FOR

CTIAF 2018

Proudly presented by Animation SA, the seventh Cape Town International Animation Festival (CTIAF) takes place from 2 to 4 March 2018 at the River Club in Observatory.

ith something for all ages, the Festival presents the best of local and international films by award-winning animators, as well as providing a unique platform to engage with global industry leaders in a series of insightful workshops, talks and panel discussions. “We have a stellar line up of speakers, featuring some of the best creative and business minds in animation, screenings of the world’s top animated films and a range of free events that are fun for the whole family,” says Festival Director Dianne Makings. Big Bad Fox, directed by Academy Award nominated French Director Benjamin Renner, will have its local premiere at the CTIAF. From

the creators of BAFTA awardwinning Revolting Rhymes comes The Highway Rat, a delightful animation of the popular children’s story by Julia Donaldson and illustrator Axel Scheffler. Produced by Magic Light Pictures and animated at Magic Light’s Berlin studio and Cape Town based Triggerfish Animation Studios, The Highway Rat tells the tale of a ravenous rat who craves buns, biscuits and all sweet things. As part of their centenary celebrations in South Africa, the Japanese Embassy and Consulate in Cape Town have partnered with the CTIAF for a second year. President and CEO of Polygon Pictures John Shuzo Shiota returns to join the speaker line up and there will be screenings of Japanese

animated film Mary and the Witches Flower directed by Academy Award nominated animator Yonebayashi Hiromasa. There will also be a workshop with animation artists including South African Manga group Umlando Wezithombe who won the Bronze medal at the 11th Japan International Manga Award. The handing over ceremony of the award will take place at the CTIAF 2018. The 2018 CTIAF programme will also include a selection of screenings of work by international artists curated by the Annecy International Animated Film Festival. Pear Cider and Cigarettes was nominated for a 2017 Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film. It will be screened at the CTIAF and its creator, Canadian animator and visual graphic artist Robert Valley, joins the speaker line-up. Director Alexandre Heyboyan will also take part at CTIAF. He has animated characters on Kungfu-Panda (2008) and Monsters vs Aliens (2009), worked at Dreamworks and he directed the CG movie Mune, the Moon Guardian. A special highlight for trade visitors, Lorna Withrington, Director of Creative Affairs at Entertainment One will be sharing her insights, expertise and experience about the industry. Following the overwhelming

response last year to the CTIAF Outreach Programme, it will again take place at the Isivivana centre in Khayelitsha. For the incredible third year, Nickelodeon is sponsoring the phenomenal opportunity for one student to do an internship at Nickelodeon in the USA as part of the CTIAF student awards competition. “There are a number of free events to be enjoyed including drawing and stop-motion workshops for children aged 7-12 years and free screenings and drawing workshops at the Isivivana centre,” says Makings. “The fourth industrial revolution creates significant opportunities for economic growth and job creation in the Western Cape, and we believe that the growing Animation sector in the province is an obvious case in point. The value chain of animation is wide, with one single production resulting in several years of work by large teams of artists and computer scientists.” says Tim Harris, Wesgro CEO. Visit www.ctiaf.com for the full programme details. Bookings can be made at Webtickets www.webtickets.co.za

24 / FEATURE

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Mumue, image courtesy of Zeropoint Studios and Copernicus Studios

CREATING A SUSTAINABLE

ANIMATION SECTOR

Animation has never been an easy industry to break into, but today, the future looks brighter and more exciting than ever. Kim Crowie speaks to the experts.

outh African animators have consistently pulled rabbits out of hats proverbially speaking – growing their abilities and their output with each new production. 2018 has been no different, and if anything, sees more promise for industry growth than ever before. One need only look at the likes of Triggerfish’s many award wins with their collaboration with Magic Light Pictures on Revolting Rhymes – winning a BAFTA and getting an Oscar nomination – for their successful broadcast of The Highway Rat on BBC1 this Christmas. International distributors are also showing interest in South Africa, with both Sunrise and Pixcomm reporting success in distributing their television content internationally. Triggerfish have also found international distributors for two TV series, one of which was borne out of their Story Lab initiative: Mama K’s Super 4. Students, too, have done well, with The Animation School

reporting many award wins throughout the year. They also welcomed their first exchange teacher, Rémi Farjaud, who delivered master class sessions in concept art for UbiSoft’s game franchise Assassins Creed. On the commercial front things look good, with one of last year’s most successful animated campaigns being Tulips and Chimney’s short Snow for Cerebos salt, which they worked on with BlackGinger. “The production process was flawless. Building sets whose bases were sand, herbs and tea was rather meditative. The storyline was so sweet and endearing and the reaction of our audience has been overwhelming,” Producers Ree Treweek and Nina Pfeiffer explain.

THE INDUSTRY’S CURRENT STATUS

Although the animation sector continues to see positive development, the industry at large still faces major skills shortages, particularly in the way of workers with 5+ years’ experience.

According to Stuart Forrest, CEO of Triggerﬁsh Studios, they often feel the sting of this shortage and they are limited by the amount of people available to do the work. “We try and always work on the best projects so that people will want to work for us. Once they’ve done a project with us, they can work anywhere in the world,” he explains. This experience, however, presents the issue of staﬀ retention. “For the most part we try to be the best working environment we can be. Apart from that, the people who leave tend to be young and have opportunities to live overseas for a few months or years and earn Euros or Dollars – and we can’t really compete with that.” Isabelle Rorke of Enlightened Poppy Network recently joined Animation SA’s board in the newly formed portfolio of Industry Transformation. She echoes Forrest’s sentiments and adds: “I am glad to hear of international companies poaching our top skills because this means we will have people with incredible skills

when they return. However we need to create an industry that is attractive enough for them to want to return.” This she says is done through service work, which plays a critical role in an industry’s development. “India used this strategy to their advantage and was able to grow at a phenomenal rate, which in-turn helped them create their own IP. Their growth though was mainly due to the fact that they created lots of training initiatives and internships to run parallel to their productions.” The skills shortage in animation is not just endemic to SA, however. In 2015 it was estimated that there are 30 000 animation jobs available globally, and this number rises by 9% each year. In order to create more interest in animation as a career, Triggerﬁsh has a long-term outlook. Their foundation’s initiative, Animate Africa – of which their writers’ incubation programme Story Lab forms a part – is raising awareness of animation on the continent and raising development funds in Silicon Valley at the moment.

FEATURE / 25

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Rorke has a host of ideas for developing the industry, many of which hinge on education and training. She has mentored and developed 140 interns to date and wants to design an innovative funding strategy for internships. “I believe professional workshops are key to helping animators improve their skills,” she says, “I’d like to invite top skills from abroad for

workshops in SA. I’d like to look at educating school kids, parents and teachers about animation.”

CREATING A SUSTAINABLE SECTOR

In addition to fostering training and education in the local animation sector, both Nuno Martins of The Animation School, and Nick Cloete of Animation

HAVING UNIVERSAL THEMES IN LOCAL IP DON’T TAKE AWAY FROM A STORY’S ORIGINALITY, BUT RATHER MAKE IT MORE LUCRATIVE INTERNATIONALLY. IT’S EASIER TO WRITE ABOUT WHAT YOU KNOW AND NOT TO CARE ABOUT THE AUDIENCE. BUT IT’S REALLY HARD TO WRITE ABOUT WHAT YOU KNOW AND CARE ABOUT WHETHER THE AUDIENCE UNDERSTANDS IT.

SA agree that there needs to be a more strategic approach to investment from all sides. “Until we have more coordinated interdepartmental and public/ private cooperation, more skilled artists, more lead time, more predictability (and commitment), less identity politics and more strategic eﬀorts, we will forever remain overly reliant on foreignowned IP,” says Cloete, adding that service work isn’t merely a matter of survival. “At the right volumes, it can be lucrative and the value of the resultant skills transfer is immeasurable.” According to Martins, more private investment will help build the industry and create a market that provides animation services to global studios whist employing hundreds of local digital artists and animators. He says this investment along with government support and diversity in characters outside of the Western norm will assist in industry growth. Stuart Forrest is a big believer in content-driven growth. He says that having universal themes in local IP don’t take away from a story’s originality, but rather make it more lucrative internationally. “It’s easier to write about what you know and not to care about the audience. But it’s really hard to write about what you know and care about whether the audience understands it. And it’s not a template per se, because family, for instance, is a theme everyone in the world understands.” He goes on to say that once you understand these

BRIDGING THE GAP BETWEEN ANIMATION AND VFX Motif Studios, a boutique animation and VFX studio, have worked on some of the biggest international productions to shoot in SA, from Mad Max: Fury Road, to Black Sails. They also worked on local films like Five Fingers for Marseilles and The Recce. “We’re finding that bridging the gap with animation and visual effects into live-action filmmaking is becoming more and more tangible,” says Craig Parker, Director at Motif. “With the advent of VR and motion capture, there are more and more techniques developing to show virtual sets in realtime when filming,” he adds.

dynamics, you can then add the locality to make the story fresh and unique. “It always comes down to story and whether that story is accessible. The audience needs to feel that they are invested in the protagonist.” Most industry experts cite collaboration playing a key role in the next year and beyond for the industry. Wendy Spinks of Zeropoint Studios perhaps says it best: “I believe it will take deep, unwavering commitment to the following to truly establish and root the animation industry in South Africa for a prosperous

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future: collaboration, co-operation, co-production, teamwork, open sharing, transformation, transparency, government and private / corporate investment into productions ready and commercially viable in the marketplace, and uniting as people, industry and country to tackle the challenges ahead to build a sustainable industry.” “The era of competitive businesses is over,” says Rorke, “we are simply too small in a massive global village to compete with each other locally. We all succeed by working together, sharing and uplifting each other, instead of competing and fighting for a small piece of the pie.”

CO-PRODUCTIONS AND PARTNERSHIPS

Partnerships across festivals and events, industry bodies, and in the private sector often prove to be lucrative in creating original content in animation. Many animation studios work together and collaborate in various ways, such as the case of My Child TV, Punch Monkey Studios, Mind’s Eye Creative and Audio Militia partnered with Turner/Cartoon Network. From it came four 100% African-produced shorts for Cartoon Network Imagination Studios’ Pan-African campaign. “This represents the first time that Turner/Cartoon Network, a global leading animation broadcaster, has worked with African producers, “ says Nick Wilson of My Child TV. The four shorts were broadcast across Africa in December 2017. My Child TV and Mind’s Eye Creative also partnered to produce an animated short for Trevor Noah’s upcoming SA comedy tour. Mind’s Eye Creative recently completed pre-production on Mike Scott’s 8-bit creation, Moosebox for Nickelodeon. Another success in partnerships is Sarika The Storykeeper, a preschool series created by Steve Rock, and Mumue, a short film written by Zeropoint Studios. In addition to being selected for the Animation du Monde MIFA Pitching competition in June

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2018, they also signed a coproduction deal with Canadian company Copernicus Studios and have since had investment interest from a gaming studio in Glasgow. They have also secured broadcast interest locally, with funding awarded from the NFVF.

THE BENEFITS OF ANIMATION FESTIVALS

Both Animation SA and the African Animation Network have worked tirelessly in the last year to grow strategic partnerships with international animation events. These include DISCOP Johannesburg, the Ottawa International Animation Festival, and Annecy, with the latter partnering with the upcoming Cape Town International Film Festival. African Animation Network (AAN) also partnered with Ster-Kinekor and Cartoon Network, to create the firstever animated short film festival ‘Made in Africa for Kids’ called FupiToons Festival. “The African Animation Network has created a plethora of open/generative network platforms which will allow a wide diversity of African animation professionals and organisations to participate in its events and initiatives, and create and distribute content,” explains Nick Wilson, who heads up the organisation. Festivals are not just a place to meet industry professionals, see the latest animations, or make that all-important deal, but they are a great catalyst for magic, and a place for creative communities to learn and grow. Dianne Makings, who heads up CTIAF, explains: “We’re here for the creatives, the producers; we’re here to share global knowledge from industry leaders, and we’re here to talk about actual animation problems – not just the business.”

THE FUTURE OF ANIMATION

Most animation studios report a movement towards VR and gaming, although still in the early stages of development. “It’s exhilarating to see how evolving technology allows people to be

fully immersed in an experience,” Treweek and Pfeiffer comment. “In South Africa there seems to be a steady increase in individuals developing their own stories and content, so we’re going to be seeing some amazing films coming out over the next few years.” In the coming year, Animation SA will be working more than ever to grow the sector, according to Nick Cloete. “We know the dti is working on an incentive for animation in consultation with ASA, so we hope this will take form and come into effect in a way which serves the interests of industry,” he explains. “Education and training will continue to be the primary contributor for the subsector; ASA intends to work with MICT SETA to utilise our industry’s SDL contribution for coordinated gap learning programmes.” He sees the industry servicing more short-form animated series and feature productions. Nuno Martins believes the future is bright for local animators. “We are doing well in many sectors of the industry but where I believe it’s excelling is in its credibility to deliver international productions in both television animation and film visual effects.”

SA ANIMATION IN NUMBERS The 2017 Animation Survey results are out – here’s a quick look at the industry based on the survey’s 125 respondents. Sex 37.6% female 62.4% male Top Studios worked at in 2018 Triggerfish (27 respondents) Sunrise (6 respondents) Province based in 67.2% Western Cape 28% Gauteng Formats/genres worked on 23.2% shorts 15.2% corporates (incl. explainers and music videos) 14.4% series (incl. webisodes) 11.2% commercials 10.4% games 9.6% features Field of animation 64% 3D 20% digital 2D 7.2% gaming/VR/AR

WE ARE SIMPLY TOO SMALL IN A MASSIVE GLOBAL VILLAGE TO COMPETE WITH EACH OTHER LOCALLY. WE ALL SUCCEED BY WORKING TOGETHER, SHARING AND UPLIFTING EACH OTHER, INSTEAD OF COMPETING AND FIGHTING FOR A SMALL PIECE OF THE PIE.

We’re famous for our mountain, and our oceans, and our desert, and our forests, and our city, and our rivers, and our salt pans, and our winelands, and our farms, and our beaches, and our parklands, and our game reserves, and our studios, and any other location you need. Cape Town and the Western Cape has as many locations as you have ideas. Together with state-of-the-art facilities and a budget-loving exchange rate, the journey from script to screen will be seamless. That’s why movies and series such as Resident Evil: The Last Chapter, Mad Max: Fury Road, The Brothers Grimsby, Eye in the Sky, Momentum, District 9, Shepherds and Butchers, Noem My Skollie, Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom, Invictus, Safe House, Dredd, Strike Backs S3, Blood Drive, Homeland S4 and Black Sails S1-4 have been filmed here. Other benefits of shooting here are the moderate climate, highly competitive rates, a skilled and established commercial and stills industry, as well as world-class animation, VFX, and post production facilities. Wesgro is mandated by the City of Cape Town and the Western Cape government to promote the region’s film and media industry. This means we’re a favour waiting to happen. Find out how Wesgro can support you by visiting www.wesgro.co.za and download our new e-book to see some of the inspiring locations we have waiting for you. Cape Town and the Western Cape. An inspiring place to create.

For more information contact: Monica Rorvik, Head: Film and Media Promotion +27 (0) 21 487 8600 | film@wesgro.co.za | www.wesgro.co.za

28 / WESGRO

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WESGRO GROWING FILM AND MEDIA

IN CAPE TOWN AND THE WESTERN CAPE

here are a multitude of advantages to working within South Africa’s film and media ecosystem. There is national support from the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) with its host of incentives, and the Department of Arts and Culture’s agency, the National Film and Video Foundation, with its development, production and distribution support. Both agencies also support export trade missions, mostly to

international festivals that have adjoined markets for business. There are co-production treaties thus far with countries who have similar support mechanisms for their producers. That means our producers can find partners in nine countries: Australia (2010), Canada (1997), France (2010), Germany (2004, Ireland (2012), Italy (2003), New Zealand (2011), the Netherlands (2015) and the United Kingdom (2007). Love Jacked was one of the most recent South Africa –

Canada co-productions and will go on international release in the USA after opening the prestigious Pan African Film Festival in LA. Although there is money in the other countries in Africa, especially in the MENA region, without the surety of a treaty, and film incentives, the work is more difficult - thus South Africa gets a good share of global incentive work such as the bigger studio films and tv series, as well as independent productions that reach the co-

production budget levels. This more expensive work helps drives the ecosystem of year-round activity, as local films are shot in what was once the off season. Film is not such a seasonal industry. Another aspect driving seasonality are the many studios built in South Africa, including the flagship Hollywood style Cape Town Film Studios (CTFS) that is presently housing Cinemax’s Warrior TV series as well as other productions. The research commissioned

WESGRO / 29

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Monica Rorvik networking with Jana Wolf, European Film Market - African Film Hub, Berlinale, and Mikey Dube, SA filmmaker.

by the City of Cape Town and Wesgro has led to many positive indications on the size of the value chain and the amount of employment. There are also many recommendations and findings which when implemented should help drive even more growth. This work, including its findings, will be fully published in the next few months but the hard data is in the recent Cape Epic. The value chain of this industry can impact transport, hotels, food services to production companies, and of course studios from post production and special effects to animation and gaming as well as the Hollywood-type stages. There are also a number of live TV studios that have appeared in the City of Cape Town and the Western Cape region and more are in the pipeline. The part of the value chain that is most of interest in this Callsheet edition is the animation sector and for good reason. Most long form animated TV series and feature films can mean studio work for a few years if not longer. Animation, augmented and virtual reality, serious gaming and apps are all part of the value chain which has the potential for exponential growth. Part of growing the industry is through festivals and their markets and

industry events. The Cape Town International Animation festival and its professional association Animation South Africa has shown the strength of working together nationally and internationally to build a solid event. It’s partners include the market at Annecy, the largest animation festival in the world. The market is called MIFA and the dti supported missions to Annecy in France have garnered great success for projects being pitched and the films screened there. Other partners have come in from the United Kingdom, Canada, Japan

and recently Italy, as well as a staunch cadre of support from America and some other countries. It is a place to meet and do business as well as grow expertise and pitch projects. Animation SA, member Triggerfish (whose recent service work, Revolting Rhymes, is nominated for an Oscar and has already won a slew of awards) is also driving expansion of the industry into Africa with the development project called Animate Africa. Working with just a pen or a pencil to discover talent as an artist or a storyteller is a low barrier to entry to a career, and driving growth in capacity is an important aspect of the fourth industry revolution preparedness. Sisters Working in Film

and Television (SWIFT) is the industry’s most recent professional association and there will be 20 companies in Berlin thanks to the dti Sector Specific Assistance Scheme. South Africa has been very successful in Berlin with the Cape Town based production company Ucuru Media’s The Wound/Inxeba having opened the Berlinale Panorama section last year to great acclaim. It premiered in competition at Sundance and has gone on to win prizes all over the world including at the BFI London (best first feature). In Berlin 2018 The Wound was again highlighted in the press because all three principals were Talents from Berlin, and that it was short listed for the Oscar, in the foreign film category.

WORKING WITH JUST A PEN OR A PENCIL TO DISCOVER TALENT AS AN ARTIST OR A STORYTELLER IS A LOW BARRIER TO ENTRY TO A CAREER, AND DRIVING A GROWTH IN CAPACITY IS AN IMPORTANT ASPECT OF THE FOURTH INDUSTRY REVOLUTION PREPAREDNESS.

Faith Kolala, Lisa Mini, Nico Dekker, Beverly Schaffer, Kendra Stoffberg and location agents, 7 th Anniversary tour of Cape Town Film Studios.

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DUBAI LYNX 2018 The Middle East and North Africa’s biggest celebration of creative communications takes place from 11 - 14 March.

DON’T MISS

ubai Lynx is all about showing oﬀ the MENA region’s incredible creati ve output. It’s a four-day event that brings together top creati ves, the world’s best brands, ﬂedgling start-ups, and everyone in between to learn, network and celebrate creati ve excellence in communications.

AWARDS CATEGORIES

• Branded Content and Entertainment • Creati ve Eﬀecti veness • Design • Direction • Film • Film Craft • Healthcare • Innovation • Integrated • Interacti ve • Media • Mobile • Outdoor • PR • Print and Outdoor Craft • Print and Publishing

• Promo and Acti vation • Radio and Audio

THE WORK ON SHOW

See the best of MENA’s creati vity on show at Dubai Lynx at the shortlist exhibitions and screenings. The shortlists are revealed throughout the festi valand they are all put on show around the venue. There’s nowhere better to soak up inspiration and discover what creati vity in the region looks like right now.

THE INSPIRATION STAGE

Packed with global creati ve minds and visionary thinkers who share the biggest and boldest ideas that will inspire new creati ve approaches.

THE ARABIC CREATIVITY STAGE

Delving into the new concepts and bold ideas born out of the Middle East by the region’s most talented minds.

DATA X INNOVATION X TECH STAGE

Designed to bring to life the cutting-edge technology and innovation that is enhancing creati ve communications.

STARTUP STAGE

The Startup Programme at Dubai Lynx is designed to unite start-ups, brand partners and agencies.

NETWORKING STAGE

Meet and learn from leading creati ves and brand marketers in an informal and relaxed setting.

NETWORKING AT DUBAI LYNX

There’s no better place than Dubai Lynx to make new contacts and forge useful connections. Meet and mingle with everyone from start-up founders to brand leaders through a blend of organised and informal meet ups.

Jason Xenopoulos, co-founder, CEO and Chief Creative Officer, Native VML, is speaking at Dubai Lynx. Jason Xenopoulos heads up Africa’s premiere digital agency, and is the Chief Executive Officer of Y&R South Africa. Jason is a creative entrepreneur whose ventures span all areas of media, from film and television, to marketing, music, and the internet. He’s been a pioneer of the African communications industry, making his mark as an agency founder, chief executive officer, chief creative officer, and awardwinning film director. Over the past 6 years, under Jason’s leadership, VML South Africa has won a host of local and international awards including Gold, Silver, and Bronze Lions at Cannes. Speaking at the Inspiration Stage: The Culture-Creators: A New Era in Marketing and Entertainment Tuesday 13 March 11:45 – 12:15

32 / EVENTS TO DIARISE

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FEBRUARY SANTA BARBARA INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL 1 – 10 Santa Barbara, USA CLERMONT-FERRAND INTERNATIONAL SHORT FILM FESTIVAL 2 – 10 Clermont-Ferrand, France OXFORD FILM FESTIVAL 7 – 11 Mississippi, USA PAN AFRICAN FILM AND ARTS FESTIVAL 8 – 19 Los Angeles, USA ANIMA – BRUSSELS ANIMATION FILM FESTIVAL 9 – 18 Brussels, Belgium PORTLAND INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL 9 – 27 Portland, USA

BERLINALE INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL 15 – 25 Berlin, Germany EE BRITISH ACADEMY FILM AWARDS (BAFTAS) 18 London, United Kingdom CHENNAI INTERNATIONAL SHORT FILM FESTIVAL 18 – 24 Chennai, India BEAUFORT INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL 21 – 25 Beaufort, USA

MARCH BOULDER INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL 22 – 25 Boulder, USA BENGALURU INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL 22 – 1 Mar Bengaluru, India DUBLIN INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL 22 – 4 Mar Dublin, Ireland

CAPE TOWN INTERNATIONAL ANIMATION FESTIVAL 2–4 Cape Town, South Africa RAPIDLION: THE SOUTH AFRICAN INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL 3 – 10 Johannesburg, South Africa ANNUAL ACADEMY AWARDS (OSCARS) 4 Los Angeles, USA

GLASGOW FILM FESTIVAL 21 – 4 Mar Glasgow, Scotland

SEDONA INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL 24 – 4 Mar Arizona, USA

MIAMI FILM FESTIVAL 9 – 18 Miami, USA

ATHENA FILM FESTIVAL 22 – 25 New York City, USA

ZAGREBDOX 25 – 4 Mar Zagreb, Croatia

TAMPERE FILM FESTIVAL 7 – 11 Tampere, Finland

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APRIL RIO CONTENT MARKET 3–8 Rio de Janeiro, Brazil SAN FRANCISCO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL 4 – 17 San Francisco, USA

SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST FILM FESTIVAL 9 – 17 Austin, USA LUXOR AFRICAN FILM FESTIVAL 16 – 22 Luxor, Egypt ANN ARBOR FILM FESTIVAL 20 – 25 Michigan, USA SA ECO FILM FESTIVAL 22 – 30 Cape Town, South Africa

DAKOTA DIGITAL FILM FESTIVAL 6 Bismarck, USA FLORIDA FILM FESTIVAL 6 – 15 Winter Park and Maitland, USA MIPTV 9 – 12 Cannes, France GO SHORT – INTERNATIONAL SHORT FILM FESTIVAL NIJMEGEN 11 – 15 Nijmegen, Netherlands

BOSTON INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL 12 – 16 Boston, USA ATLANTA FILM FESTIVAL & CREATIVE CONFERENCE 13 – 22 Atlanta, USA SARASOTA FILM FESTIVAL 13 – 22 Sarasota, USA

HONG KONG INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL 19 – 5 Apr Hong Kong, China RIVERRUN INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL 19 – 29 Winston-Salem, USA

INTERNATIONAL WILDLIFE FILM FESTIVAL 14 – 22 Missoula, USA

TCM CLASSIC FILM FESTIVAL 26 – 29 Los Angeles, USA

STOCKHOLM FILM FESTIVAL JUNIOR 16 – 21 Stockholm, Sweden

SETTING SUN SHORT FILM FESTIVAL 26 – 30 Melbourne, Australia

TRIBECA FILM FESTIVAL 18 – 29 New York, USA

HOT DOCS 26 – 6 May Toronto, Canada

Photo by Hybrid on Unsplash

SOFIA INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL 8 – 18 Soﬁa, Bulgaria

AFRICAN FILM FESTIVAL NEW ZEALAND 5 – 15 Auckland, New Zealand

IMAGINE FILM FESTIVAL 11 – 21 Amsterdam, Netherlands

34 / ASSOCIATIONS NEWS

www.thecallsheet.co.za

SACIA HOSTS MARCH WORKSHOPS

ACA ANNOUNCES 2017/18 BOARD OF DIRECTORS

ASA ON ELIGIBILITY FOR MARKETS

The Southern African Communications Industries Association recently announced a three-day course on the Essentials of Audio and Video Technology. The event will take place from 7-9 March 2018 at Blandford Manor, Johannesburg, and provides in-depth explanations of the science and technology for basic audio, visual and audiovisual systems integration. It is relevant to AV staff working in broadcast, ﬁxed installations, staging and live events. The course builds understanding of the fundamentals used daily in the audio-visual industry. It is also great preparation for those wanting to earn the SACIA CertAV Practitioner designation. The course costs R10 000 plus VAT (less 15% for members of SACIA and afﬁliate bodies). For more information, contact SACIA Executive Director Kevan Jones on +27 (0) 11 083 6418 or email kevan@sacia.org.za.

The Association for Communication and Advertising announced in January that Boniswa Pezisa has been elected to the position of Chair of the ACA Board. Gareth Leck, Group Chief Executive Ofﬁcer and Co-Founder of Joe Public United, Thabang Skwambane, Managing Director of FCB Joburg, and Paul Middleton, MD of agency Ebony+Ivory, were elected as Vice Chairs of the Board. Pezisa is Group CEO at BBDO South Africa and held the position of Vice Chair on the ACA Board in the preceding period. A committed industry player, she has served on the ACA Board for many years and sits on various boards within the communication industry, Corporates, NGO’s and is a Past Chair-Person of the Loeries Board. “As an industry body we are committed to ensure that are members always act and deliver with integrity at all times,” Pezisa said. “As a voluntary body, it is important that we hold each other accountable for our actions…ensuring that we guide the industry to evolve in line with both market and the country’s needs.”

In their ﬁnal quarter roundup, Animation SA conﬁrmed who exactly is eligible for delegations to markets. Although rules from government sponsors have changed over the last few years, currently, anyone can apply if they: • A sole proprietor or have a CIPC-registered company • Have been on fewer than four DTI-sponsored group delegations • Have never successfully applied for DTI Individual Exporter funding • A paid-up ASA member One does not have to be ‘invited’ to apply for a group delegation. If a company or individual is on ASA’s radar, they will email ahead of a delegation, but if they do not, they can get in touch and apply should they meet the required criteria. For more information visit www. animationsa.org or contact marketing@animationsa.org.

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ASSOCIATIONS NEWS / 35

The Independent Producers Organisation recently shared their 2017 highlights. This included the IPO Terms of Trade and Copyright Workshop at the end of November. It was attended by a small group of passionate producers, some from large production companies and some who work independently. All were concerned about both the SABC Terms of Trade document, and the changes that are being contemplated in the Copyright Act. The two subjects were kept separate and an hour devoted to each. Another highlight was that of IPO Co-Chairs Rehad Desai and Dr Lwazi Manzi signing the Code of Conduct MOU, promoting safe workspaces for women in the local ﬁlm industry. Finally, last year Atlas Studios hosted an IPO-driven presentation by Dimakatso Kgomo from the Department of Trade and industry’s Film and TV Incentive Unit, and Rudi van As from Film Afrika. For more information on IPO, visit www.ipo.org.za.

SAGE AWARDS EDITORS ACRONYM Use of the SAGE (South African Guild of Editors) acronym indicates peer recognition of excellence in a field. It is the highest honour that SAGE can bestow on an editor, and in 2012 the acronym application process was revised to align itself with the international standards set by the American Cinema Editors (ACE) and Australian Screen Editors (ASE) associations. Only members who have gained significant expertise in a certain genre, and who have been SAGE members for at least five years, are eligible to apply. The SAGE Acronym was awarded to the following editors in 2017: • C.A. van Aswegen • Edgar Sibaya • Ula Oelsen For more information about the acronym or SAGE, visit www.editorsguildsa.org/about

Photo by Aleksandr Eremin on Unsplash

IPO HIGHLIGHTS FOR 2017

36 / DIRECTORY

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DIRECTORY OF ADVERTISERS COMPANY

TELEPHONE

WEBSITE

PAGE

Cape Town International Animation Festival

+27 83 244 9172

director@ctiaf.com

www.ctiaf.com

Dubai Lynx

+44 20 3033 4012

marianb@canneslions.com

www.dubailynx.com

30 - 31

Final Mix

+27 84 763 8840

sound@ryanhall.co.za

www.ﬁnalmix.co.za

Global Bodyguard Solutions

+27 11 824 0334

saint@intrigue.co.za

www.bodyguardservices.co.za

Media Film Service

+27 21 511 3300

info@mediaﬁlmservice.com

www.mediaﬁlmservice.com

Motif Studios

+27 61 266 9062

info@motifstudios.co.za

www.motifstudios.co.za

Mountain Star

+27 87 813 1348

info@mountainstar.co.za

www.mountainstar.co.za

Post City

+27 10 003 1544

info@postcity.co.za

www.postcity.co.za

Outside Back Cover

Rhapsody Recording Cape Town

+27 83 476 6761

greg@rhapsodyrecording.com

www.rhapsodyrecording.com

Inside Back Cover

Synchro Music Management

+27 83 538 3894

louise@synchromusic.biz

www.synchromusic.co.za

The Animation School

+27 21 439 6010

nuno@uca.co.za

www.theanimationschool.co.za

Inside Front Cover

The Ritz Hotel

+27 21 439 6010

marketing@theritzcapetown.co.za

www.theritz.co.za

Wesgro

+27 21 487 4844

monica@wesgro.co.za

www.wesgro.co.za/ﬁlm

27 - 29

Wizardz

+27 21 461 9334

andrew@wizardz.co.za

www.wizardz.co.za

Special Projects Designer/Illustrator: Lauren Smith lauren@ﬁlmeventmedia.co.za

Publisher: Lance Gibbons lance@ﬁlmeventmedia.co.za

Junior Designer: Caitlin Perrett caitlin@ﬁlmeventmedia.co.za

Editor in Chief: Katie Reynolds-Da Silva katie@ﬁlmeventmedia.co.za

Business Manager: Coleen Tapson coleen@ﬁlmeventmedia.co.za

Assistant Editor: Kim Crowie kim@ﬁlmeventmedia.co.za

Account Executive: Jennifer Dianez jennifer@ﬁlmeventmedia.co.za

Head of Design: Sheree Steenkamp sheree@ﬁlmeventmedia.co.za

Account Executive: Karen Barnes karen@ﬁlmeventmedia.co.za

Production Manager: Aayesha Parker aayesha@filmeventmedia.co.za Production Assistant: Tamlyn Peters tamlyn@filmeventmedia.co.za Data Capturer: Ricky Ortell info@filmeventmedia.co.za Regent Square, Ground Floor, Block A, Doncaster Road, Kenilworth, 7745 Tel: +27 21 674 0646 www.thecallsheet.co.za

JOIN US 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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MUSIC & SCORING

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EDIT, GRADING, DCP

SOUND DESIGN & MIX

VFX, ANIMATION, CGI

SOUND LIBRARY

FOLEY

RE-RECORDING MIXING

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POST|CITY FILM & TELEVISION FACILITIES NETWORK Post|City is a growing content creation facilities and service network with a global footprint - offering its members a creative and professional base to engage, create and deliver to the ever growing film and television industry while offering commissioning clients and investors the stability of a large scale production facility. Post|City, with its head office in Cape Town, South Africa, is uniquely dedicated to being an enabler and innovator within the worldwide content creation industry by connecting content creators to service providers, facilities and highly skilled operators, giving access to services and facilities that used to only be available to the top studios and high budget productions. The Post|City network provides state-of-the-art infrastructure, top-tier operators, workflow management and back-office support with a service list including, production office space • onset services • equipment rental • sound stages, locations • Edit, Animation, VFX & CGI suites • ADR, Sound Design, Foley, Music for Film, Immersive Sound Dub stages & studios • Grading and Viewing Cinemas and more.... For more info, to join the network or to engage as a client and access the facilities and services offered visit WWW.POSTCITY.TV or send us an email to INFO@POSTCITY.TV