LYNX DUBAI LION RAPID
FILM CAMERAS 2018
Pushing the Boundaries
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9-12 April 2018 Cannes - France
CREATIVE
AFRICA
A pan-African pavilion International partnerships The best content from Africa The Biggest Week in TV. 4 days / 10,500 participants / 1,632 exhibiting companies / 100 countries / 3,800 acquisition executives.
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CONTENTS / 01
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02. Discovery Channel’s
14 18 22 26
SPECIALISED FILM FLEETS
The unique vehicles kitted out specifically to service local and international production shoots.
Don’t Stop Wondering Award Returns for a Second Year
03. 10 Reasons to be in
the Filmmaker’s Guide to Africa 2018
04. Chris Maroleng Appointed as SABC COO
05. Jannie van Wyk
New ARRI Managing Director
06. Five Fingers for
THE LATEST IN FILM CAMERAS
We speak to manufacturers and find out what new camera tech is on the market in 2018.
Marseilles in Cinemas on 6 April
07. Inxeba Given Adult Rating
08. Producer Will
Nicholson on Branded Content
10. Industry Snapshot 14. Specialised Film
Fleets: Adapting to Industry Needs
FILM-RELATED TOURISM
A lucrative opportunity, or a strategy still on the backburner for African tourism organisations?
17. Red Bull Music
Presents FORMS
18. Film Cameras in 2018 22. Film Tourism: A
Lucrative Opportunity?
25. Opportunities:
Ciclope Africa and APEX Awards
26. The Business Case for Investing in Film
INVESTING IN FILM AND TV
Kim Crowie makes a business case for why private funders should invest in local productions.
30. Cape Film Industry becomes Water Resilient
32. Events to Diarise 34. Associations News 36. Directory of Advertisers
02 / NEWS
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DISCOVERY CHANNEL’S DON’T STOP WONDERING AWARD RETURNS FOR A SECOND YEAR
Following the success of 2017, the ‘Discovery Channel Don’t Stop Wondering Award’ is back for a second consecutive year. After receiving over 200 entries from all over the continent in 2017, Discovery is renewing its partnership with the Jozi Film Festival once again to find its next great African filmmaker.
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ubmissions for the ‘Discovery Channel Don’t Stop Wondering Award’ opened on Monday, 19 February and close on Monday 28 May, calling for 2-5 minute documentaries from filmmakers across Africa which showcase and celebrate unique African stories and capture Discovery Channel’s ethos of sparking curiosity. “Last year’s entries blew us away, with their creative, emotive and thought-provoking portrayals of the diversity of Africa’s culture and people,” said Amanda Turnbull, VP & Country Manager for Discovery Networks Middle East and Africa. “This year, alongside the Jozi Film Festival, we are excited to once again to recognize and reward Africa’s talented filmmakers, and showcase even more creative stories that fulfill Discovery Channel’s ethos of sparking curiosity.” “Partnering with Discovery Channel was a wonderful success and thanks to this award we were able to showcase some amazing African talent. This year we look forward to the entries we will be receiving”, said Lisa Henry, Jozi Film Festival Founder and Organiser. This year’s prize from Discovery Channel will include a Canon XF-405 video camera with Singer Photographic camera accessories worth over $5 800
The Tragedy of Africa direced by Dusty van Niekerk won the 2017 Discovery Don’t Stop Wondering Award.
in order for the winner to use for their next filming project. “We are so pleased to be able to contribute to such an incredible initiative and provide aspiring filmmakers with our equipment which is specifically designed to help them create more of their memorable stories,” said Roger Machin, Canon Product Manager – Professional Imaging Products. “We believe that given the correct tools and production equipment, these innovative and determined individuals will be able to create even more amazing work and ensure that the continent gets to see high-quality story telling”, said Kevin Singer, Singer
Photographic Managing Director. The Top 10 films, as selected by a Discovery and Jozi Film Festival jury, will be broadcast on Discovery Channel in July and August and later at the seventh annual Jozi Film Festival in September. The winning film will be selected by popular vote via the voting tool on Discovery’s website: www.discoverychannelafrica.com and the winner will be flown to Johannesburg to receive their prize at the Jozi Film Festival awards to be held on Sunday, 30 September 2018. Entrants must be 18+ and be an African resident. Submitted films must be in English or
include English subtitles. To enter go to discoveryafrica.com, terms and conditions apply. The closing date is the 28th of May 2018 at 19:00 CAT. In 2017 Discovery Channel launched its partnership with the Jozi Film Festival with its Discovery Channel Don’t Stop Wondering award. After over 200 entries and over 2 000 votes received from across the continent, the inaugural award went to Dusty Van Niekerk’s The Tragedy of Africa, which depicted the sad reality of rhino poaching across Southern Africa, and encouraged viewers to take action to help save our rhinos.
SPOTLIGHT / 03
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FILMMAKER’S GUIDE TO AFRICA 2018 THE
10 reasons to showcase your service or product in the Filmmaker’s Guide to Africa 2018.
1. INTERNATIONAL REACH
Each year, the Filmmaker’s Guide to Africa is launched at the Cannes Film Festival. It is distributed at the South African pavilion, at the Palais, and at partner hotels. The digital version of the publication is available online at all times, and is sent via special e-newsletter to over 6 000 local and international members of the filmmaking community.
2. COMPREHENSIVE DIRECTORY
The publication features profiles of key suppliers and specialist services to the industry, as well as service production companies and leading creatives.
3. LONGEVITY
The first Filmmaker’s Guide to
Africa was published in 2002. It has enjoyed continued success and has been overhauled and refitted to align to the needs of its target audience.
4. PRESTIGE
The Filmmaker’s Guide to Africa is a world-class, glossy publication that is often the tipping point for international producers and filmmakers. It is simply the ultimate business case for bringing film, TV and commercial work to the African continent.
5. RELIABLE RESOURCE
The publication is the goto resource for contacts, information, showcases and much more. Industry stakeholders have been using the Filmmaker’s Guide to Africa for years to highlight what our industry is capable of.
6. EXPERT INPUT
Leading producers, studio heads and suppliers inform the content. This ensures that the overviews of each industry sector are relevant and factually correct.
7. EXEMPLARY VISUALS
The Filmmaker’s Guide to Africa team works with some of the best industry photographers, including Joe Alblas, who provides many of the stunning visuals featured in the publication. These images showcase the high-quality of work that is produced on our shores.
8. LOCAL DISTRIBUTION
The publication is distributed at local industry events, such as Durban FilmMart, Durban Film Festival, the Cape Town International Film Market and Festival, Cape Town International Animation Festival, etc.
9. TRUSTED BY INDUSTRY
Comprising expert insights, essential information, diverse location options, comprehensive sector overviews, and distributed to a targeted readership base, the Filmmaker’s Guide to Africa has grown with the industry.
10. CELEBRATING HOMEGROWN SUCCESS
Africa is drawing some of the highest profile productions to both its established and emerging film hubs. The Filmmaker’s Guide to Africa is where we celebrate those successes with the world, and entice even more work to our continent.
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04 / NEWS
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CHRIS MAROLENG AS
SABC COO
Maroleng has been appointed at the South African Broadcasting Corporation’s new COO, effective 1 February 2018.
I
n a move that has been widely accepted by the industry, Chris Maroleng has been appointed as the SABC’s Chief Operations Officer as of 1 February. The announcement came weeks after the SOS Coalition and Media Monitoring Africa confirmed he was set to take over the position from ousted COO Hlaudi Motsoeneng. Motsoeneng was dismissed in 2017 following a disciplinary hearing for bringing the SABC into disrepute and causing irreparable damage.
Maroleng’s previous posts include Executi ve for Group Corporate Aff airs at the MTN Group, eNCA Africa Editor for six years, and researcher at the Institute for Security Studies. He holds BA Hons and MA degrees from the University of Cape Town, as well as several post-graduate scholarships and awards. According to the SABC, he has “demonstrated considerable management and financial acumen and he is familiar with the cutting-edge fourth industrial revolution issues
that the SABC needs to embrace going forward. He understands South Africa’s legislati ve and regulatory environment, and his knowledge of broadcasting on the continent is invaluable as the SABC develops its coverage of, and in, Africa.” Says Maroleng: “I look forward to playing a role, as part of an executi ve team, in transforming the SABC into a world-class public broadcaster that is responsive to the needs of all South Africans.”
TIMES MEDIA FILMS REBRANDS The 25-year-old distribution company has rebranded to Empire Entertainment.
T
imes Media Films, a leading distributor of film content across South Africa and the continent, has recently rebranded to Empire Entertainment. The business will still be committed to releasing the latest films to local audiences and is the proud custodian for productions from studios such as Warner Bros. Pictures International and 20 th Century Fox, and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM). It also boasts the largest collection of leading independent films acquired from the likes
of Lionsgate, STX, Amblin Entertainment, Studio Canal, Participant Media and more. According to Cameron Hogg, Commercial Executi ve for Empire Entertainment, the name change reflects a new chapter in film distribution in Africa. “Since the company started more than 25 years ago, we have placed great value in premium content and will continue to share this with an even wider audience. We believe that the new name is testament to this vision.” Empire has big plans for the
future, and will be releasing Tomb Raider starring Alicia Vikander, which was shot in SA last year, as well as Gringo starring Charlize Theron and Sharlto Copley alongside David Oyelowo, Amanda Seyfried and Joel Edgerton. The company distributes its independently acquired content into Southern Africa (Zimbabwe, Botswana, Namibia), West Africa (Nigeria and Ghana), East Africa (Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania and Zambia) as well as Seychelles. It is a division of the Tiso Blackstar Group.
THE BUSINESS WILL STILL BE COMMITTED TO RELEASING THE LATEST FILMS TO LOCAL AUDIENCES AND IS THE PROUD CUSTODIAN FOR PRODUCTIONS FROM STUDIOS.
NEWS / 05
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JANNIE VAN WYK NEW ARRI MANAGING DIRECTOR
In January, ARRI Rentals appointed Jannie van Wyk as Managing Director of their UK and Continental Europe operation.
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annie van Wyk, a longestablished South African figure in the film industry, was named new Managing Director of ARRI Rental UK and Continental Europe. Thomas Loher, ARRI Rental Group Executi ve Director and MD of ARRI Rental Deutschland, has brought his career of over 20 years at ARRI to a close, leaving the company at the end of 2017. Van Wyk has served as CEO of equipment rental companies MCC and Media Film Service from 1993 to 2000 and from 2000 to 2018 respecti vely. MCC was a strong supporter of ARRI sales and rentals in SA, while Media Film Service was a strategic partner of ARRI Rental. Most recently, Jannie was involved in setting up the Atlantic Studio complex in Cape Town. He will now split his time between London, Munich and other ARRI Rental locations in Europe, to ensure the continued growth of the business, as well as
The Alexa, one of ARRI’s most popular cameras.
the cohesion between regional offices under his responsibility. His new role combines the management of ARRI Rental UK and the eight facilities comprising ARRI Rental Germany. The group will also pursue emerging opportunities in the region and globally, with new facilities recently opened in Budapest,
Hungary, among other places. Says van Wyk: “Serving ARRI Rental and the many friends I have made there over the past 25 years will be an honour, and I am fully committed to this challenge. Over the last few years ARRI Rental has followed a focused strategy that will see it stand up to the challenges
of the future. I will do my very best to contribute to the current momentum, building on the strong foundations that have already been laid in order to best serve our clients.” “Jannie has long been a friend of ARRI Rental and we are very pleased to welcome him to our team,” says Martin Cayzer, ARRI Rental Group CEO. “His extensive experience within the rental industry has always involved putting the needs of clients first and creating great teams, which makes him a perfect fit for ARRI Rental.” ARRI is a leading provider of camera, lighting and grip equipment to the film, television, advertising and events markets. Recent productions serviced by the group include Thor: Ragnarok, Blade Runner 2049, Avengers: Infinity War, Bright, The Greatest Showman, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, Ghost in the Shell, and Game of Thrones.
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06 / NEWS
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FIVE FINGERS FOR MARSEILLES
OPENS ON 6 APRIL
SA’s first and much-awaited western, Five Fingers For Marseilles, opens in cinemas on 6 April 2018.
A
western-style film that tells the story of a group of young men who stand up to brutal police oppression in the rugged Badlands of the Eastern Cape, Five Fingers for Marseilles opens at cinemas nationwide on 6 April. It has already received critical acclaim internationally on the festival circuit, and will have its African premiere at Rapid Lion in early March. It is Michael Matt hews’ feature directorial debut, and Sean Drummond’s feature screenwriting debut. Five Fingers is produced by Be Phat Motel Film Company, and Asger Hussain and Yaron Schwartzman of Game 7 Films, with Dylan Voogt of Stage 5 Films as Co-Producer and Paulo Areal and Dumi Gumbi as Executive Producers. “I’ve long loved the idea of bringing the western into a South African space, but not in a way that risked ‘gimmick’ or stuck to the routine or the expected,” says Drummond. “In the world of Five Fingers for Marseilles, I found a story I was burning to tell, a chance to explore a seldom seen part of the country, to capture a vivid way of life, explore little known histories and a chance to write complex, compelling characters, with depth and weight, for the best actors in the country, and
Young Five Fingers ( Five Fingers For Marseilles ), Photo by Graham Bartholomew
a film that would create heroes, anti-heroes and villains that might even become iconic.” The film follows Tau, who kills two policemen and is sentenced to 20 years in prison. When he gets out, he discovers his comrades are now in prominent positions in the town of Marseilles – but there’s also a new threat afoot, so he must bring the Five Fingers group together and take on old allies and new enemies. Five Fingers for Marseilles had its world premiere at Toronto International Film Festival last year, and went on to screen at Fantastic Fest, BFI London, and Palm Springs, and has been
described as part of “wave that will completely redefine the international perception of what African cinema can be”. The production is a Sesotho cowboy tale at heart, and although initially written in English, it was translated by Basotho screenwriter Mamokuena Makhema, who also acted as cultural advisor, consulting on language, culture, nuance, and ensuring the dialogue in Sesotho captured the poetry and depth of the original script. The film was written with the intention of allowing silence, allowing for removing dialogue and letting scenes play with emotional beats as per the script, but not
necessarily the words themselves. Casting began five years before production, with a slew of local talent joining the project – from veteran stars like Jerry Mofokeng, Kenneth Nkosi, Hamilton Dhlamini and Mduduzi Mabaso to relative newcomers Lizwi Vilakazi and Warren Masemola. Vuyo Dabula, star of television’s Generations, steps into a career-defining lead role opposite Zethu Dlomo, fresh from her starring role in US drama series Black Sails. Dean Fourie, Kenneth Fok, Brendon Daniels, Anthony Oseyemi, Garth Breytenbach, Tseko Monaheng, and Mosili Makuta round out a stellar supporting cast.
NEWS / 07
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INXEBA GIVEN X18 RATING In a shocking turn of events, critically-acclaimed film Inxeba’s classification has been raised from 16LS to X18.
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ust weeks after its nationwide release in cinemas on 2 February, Inxeba (The Wound) has received its fair share of strife, with cultural and religious leaders boycotting the film and calling for its removal from cinemas. Now, it seems they have what they want, with the Film and Publication Board (FPB) Appeal Tribunal overturning the Board’s classification of the film on 14 February. “We are obviously disappointed in the outcome, given how the FBP has classified an important work of art that explores themes around masculinity, love and identity as an X-rated film,” says Producer Cait Pansegrouw. Inxeba now has an X18 rating with the classifiable elements of Sex, Language, Nudity, Violence and Prejudice. This classification is typically reserved for adult films of an explicit sexual nature, and means that the film can only be found on designated adult premises – which require a special license
SINCE ITS RELEASE THE FILM HAS RECEIVED A MIXED RESPONSE OF BOTH PUBLIC BACKLASH AND SUPPORT FOR ITS TELLING OF A GAY LOVE STORY AGAINST THE BACKDROP OF UKWALUKA, A TRADITIONAL XHOSA INITIATION RITUAL.
from the FPB to broadcast. “This is one of the most severe ratings a film can receive,” says Helen Kuun, MD of Indigenous Film Distribution. “It means that the film has been pulled from cinemas, making it impossible for people to watch it anywhere other than adult exhibition facilities. We have sought advice from legal representatives, who are studying the decision, and we will advise on our way forward imminently.”
The ruling came as a result of complaints by the Congress of Traditional Leaders of South Africa, who has also called for the banning of Inxeba, along with other cultural and Christian faith communities. The Commission for the Protection and Promotion of Cultural, Religious and Linguistic Communities (CRL) also convened an Indaba in Boksburg in mid-February, which Inxeba producers had hoped to attend. “We were really committed to participating in the Indaba so we could have an open dialogue and find one-another in a structured and constructive process, where all parties invited
were certain of their rights and how they would be protected. Unfortunately, the Commission did not provide us with the relevant details and assurances we requested to enable our participation,” says Pansegrouw. Since its release the film has received a mixed response of both public backlash and support for its telling of a gay love story against the backdrop of ukwaluka, a traditional Xhosa initiation ritual. Members of the cast and production team have also been subject to threats, intimidation and assault on the basis of being offensive to various cultural and faith groups.
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08 / SPOTLIGHT
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BRANDED AND ONLINE CONTENT: FUTURE-PROOF YOUR BUSINESS
The debate around branded content is just beginning to heat up as this becomes a firm local trend in advertising. But where does it intersect with online marketing in SA?
A
much-debated topic in the industry right now is that of branded content, and how to properly reach consumers in more than just a TVC campaign. But how easy is it to reach a South African audience through branded content that’s placed online? Is it truly effective – what with raging data costs and limited connectivity still hampering our industries? We speak to Will Nicholson, Producer at Arcade Content, to find out what their thoughts are on the matter. How are local brands adopting online video as a medium for ad campaigns? Are these now being sought after, or still not as important as, say, TVCs? And how much does internet connectivity factor into this? This is a topic we discuss endlessly at Arcade and our sister company Egg. The jury remains out, as placing a TVC in a prime-time slot (e.g. during Generations or Soweto Derby halftime) is still your single most effective way to reach a massive audience. However, with South Africans increasing their internet usage at a rapid rate (and fighting for cheaper data in the process) it’s not a question of if but when internet will become as far-reaching as traditional media like TV and radio. As it currently stands, there is already a considerable section of affluent South Africans who either don’t watch TV or who fastforward through ad breaks. To target this high-spending market you need an integrated approach – your chances of reaching them
through traditional media alone are rather slim. Now, add to the mix the fact that two months ago Netflix surpassed cable in America in terms of overall viewership. And this is not a trend that will ever reverse – even if Netflix disappears one day, it’s not like broadcast television will ever again surpass internet viewership. If this trend is anything to go by, local advertising campaigns that rely on traditional TV alone are only going to become increasingly incomplete – an integrated approach is required, with a heavy emphasis on mobile. From the very start our philosophy at Arcade has been to create content that people want to watch. This will ultimately remain the most important futureproofing factor for any serious production company, regardless of whether their content is intended primarily for internet or TV. How much would you say budgets differ between creating branded online content and traditional film or TVC campaigns? There is still a significant difference in favour of TV commercials. However we have noticed the commitment of consistently bigger budgets for online-only content year-on-year. It’s an evolution – like the shift from print to digital. It won’t happen overnight, but it is undeniably heading in that direction. A crude but telling example, again from the States, is how even the almighty Superbowl commercial, the holy grail of media slots, is
Lebogang Rasethaba’s new campaign Be the Mentor
now as much (if not more) an internet event as it is a traditional broadcasting phenomenon – the ad plays both on TV and YouTube, and from there the conversation reverberates, but this happens primarily on the internet, not on TV. Where do you see this upswing in branded content headed in 2018 and beyond? How far can we go with this and where will it head as audiences become smarter, more discerning and more interested in finding real meaning rather than simply being sold on a message? The biggest ongoing trend seems to be the need for integration across different media – producing excellent content is half the battle; the other half is deciding how to get the content out there and ensuring that the conversation surrounding it is amplified and favourable to the brand. The agencies that have futureproofed themselves successfully are the ones that take a holistic, 360-degree view on things – they’ve taken the painful but necessary steps to break down
traditional silos and urged their creatives and clients alike to see a campaign as a massive, nuanced conversation, rather than just a single piece of one-way communication. Marketers will increasingly play the role of being curators first and foremost, and communicators only secondly. You must create incredible, unique content, but more than that you must have a very clear idea of how this content will be received and dissected by the public in real time, and how to steer and curate that conversation in a way that best suits your brand. As you say, audiences are getting increasingly clever and, with that, increasingly jaded and impatient with any brand communication that doesn’t encourage their input and participation. It’s also worth emphasising again that the cornerstone of film advertising will increasingly be the social media platform on a cell phone, not the TV channel or the movie theatre – so film content that doesn’t catch your eye on the infinite scroll will die a quiet death. It’s hella competitive out there!
DIGITALFILM SERVICE / 09
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DIGITALFILM SERVICE
PERSONAL…PASSIONATE…PERFORMANCE
Digitalfilm Service provides a variety of cameras, grips and lighting equipment to customers across the film and television industries. We’re committed to serve you with a personal touch, employ staff that are passionate about the industry, and deliver equipment that boosts your performance on set.
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e’re a rental facility that strives to provide a relaxed atmosphere coupled with expertise and professionalism at every gear check; focused on meeting your equipment needs for every shoot – whether big or small. Digitalfilm Service offers a one-stop-equipment-solution with the collaboration of its sister company – Media Film Service – right on its doorstep. Amongst others, equipment open days, crew training and internships for youngsters eager to enter the industry are on the agenda for this year.
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10 / INDUSTRY SNAPSHOT
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INDUSTRY SNAPSHOT We dig into the hot topics in the local film production, commercial service and animation industries.
COMMERCIAL SERVICE GREENING THE COMMERCIAL SECTOR
As the drought in the Cape continues, Bobby Amm of the CPA has called for the commercial industry to change its ways and adopt a greener approach to production. “Many of South Africa’s commercials depend on the beauty and function of our environment — so if our lives as we know it aren’t enough to make a change, the sustainability of our industry should be,” she said. Amm offered several easy steps via MarkLives for productions to combat waste on their shoots: • Reduce your printing and go digital or use the cloud • Ditch polystyrene and correx in favour of reusable and compostable alternatives • Reduce water bottles in favour of tabletop water coolers • Rehome your leftovers and costumes through charities such as Food Forward SA or Hospice • Recycle and compost through
The Klein Karoo is a growing film location © Wild Card
a service provider like WastePlan or ECOmonkey
CAPE LOCATION UPDATE
Rudi Riek has been working in the film industry for 23 years in various roles and is well known for his expertise in locations related matters. He shares the latest updates with the Callsheet. 1. Regulations If you plan on filming in the Western Cape I would encourage you to make use of this resource: www.locationmanual.com. This website contains information obtained from the annual film workshops held in Cape Town and is also downloadable via Wesgro. The website has taken that information and placed it in an easy to navigate, mobilefriendly resource. I encourage you to help build on this resource. 2. Private Location Rates There is currently a narrative circulating that private location rates have suddenly shot through
the roof. I encourage you to provide concrete information relating to this in order to see how this challenge can be resolved. There has been some engagement with location agents on this matter but much more needs to be done to ensure that Cape Town specifically does not price itself out of the market. 3. SANParks Constructive engagement took place between industry representatives and SANParks in January thanks to Wesgro and Minister Alan Winde. This initial meeting was followed up by a working group meeting in February. We hope we are able to find each other on the many challenges we face when working with SANParks and that this incredible portfolio of locations will become more accessible to responsible filmmakers. 4. City Of Cape Town’s Public Spaces Company Gardens, an iconic Cape Town location, recently had park management changes. This resulted in a period of slight confusion as to how to bill the industry for the space used. Constructive engagement between the Film Office and the Parks Department has now resolved this situation and going forward the published tariff for filming in a public open space will be used for Company Gardens – but also for all other public open spaces. Thanks to the efforts of
industry fortunately these rates are very competitive and charged per hour so it would not impact that negatively on your budget. 5. Lourensford Estate Unfortunately the management at Lourensford is still occasionally experiencing challenges with companies and individual crew members not sticking to all the rules. Please do be respectful of all our locations and ensure your crew knows all the rules before entering the property – this includes any suppliers such as caterers who you bring onto the property. This naturally applies to all locations. 6. Filming in the Southern Cape and Klein Karoo The people here are doing incredible work in attracting film business to their region. Their film-friendly approach and the diverse and beautiful locations are really worth considering. In addition, they also now have a dedicated film studio. I encourage you to look at their website and consider if you are able to present this area when it is viable for your production to do so: www.grkk-filmoffice.co.za | www. knysnafilmandevents.co.za Other regions in the Western Cape such as Saldanha Bay are also growing in film friendliness and don’t forget the Stellenbosch region who did cut their rates back by 50% after industry lobbied that they had priced themselves too high.
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ANIMATION overseas engineers and animators, learning from them and now applying it to their workflow. “We have a great relationship and we’re certainly talking about doing more work in the future. At the moment we’re creating Zog, a new Christmas special for BBC for Christmas 2018 based on a Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler bestseller.” Forrest believes a combination of several factors is the reason for Revolting Rhyme’s success. These include Roald Dahl’s “mischievous writing” and the German directors Jakob Schuh and Jan Lachauer crafting it into a single narrative. “Magic Light’s producers in London were extremely generous at supporting the directors’ vision, and finally the crew worked unbelievably hard at achieving excellence in every frame.”
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Revolting Rhymes © Magic Light Pictures Limited 2016
REVOLTING RHYMES – A LABOUR OF LOVE
Revolting Rhymes, an adaptation of Roald Dahl and Quentin Blake’s classic book, was nominated for an Oscar in February. The film, which was animated by Triggerfish Studios in Cape Town and Magic Light Pictures in Berlin, is one of five animated short films nominated. This is a momentous occasion for SA, as its first Academy nomination since Tsotsi over a decade ago. “Naturally we were thrilled to hear that Revolting Rhymes was nominated,” says Triggerfish CEO Stuart Forrest.
“The Oscars are the height of professional achievement for the film industry, so the fact that a project we worked on has been considered by the Academy as among the top five short films in the world this year is no small accomplishment. For the last five years we’ve been focused strategically on developing our international credibility by being extremely selective about the projects we work on, and that strategy has paid off enormously well for us with this nomination.” 95 people in total worked on the project at its peak, with Triggerfish working alongside
South Africa may be on the international animation map, but the rest of the continent is clamouring to join them, with FX Lda Animation Studios in Mozambique starting up recently. It is ramping up to become the biggest animation studio in the country, and recently worked on a short 3D film called Brats (Os Pestinhas). “Late in 2010, my team and I
Brats ( Os Pestinhas ) © FX Lda Animation Studios
started with the idea of creating our own characters with the intent to produce educational material but without the element of ‘boredom’ if you will, that normally comes with institutional videos about AIDS for example,” says Founder Nildo Essá. “We produced our first short movie in 2011 called O tio Xixiteiro. It’s hard to translate in English, but it was basically about a bad habit that the local people have to urinate on trees in public. It was a success, people and especially kids loved it. In mid-2013, we finished our very first ‘long’ short of about 12 minutes, The Brats And The Toy Thief, again with zero budget.” In 2014 the short was nominated for an African Movie Academy Award. Nildo and his team are currently looking for a South Africa co-production partner on a R10-million film. The project has been in development for a while and all sets, main and secondary characters are rigged, textured and prepared for final animation. He anticipates that it will take 18 months to complete. They plan to create the film in English and Portuguese, and eventually French. To see the teaser, visit www.vimeo. com/248320061, and for more info, contact nildo@fxlda.com.
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FILM PRODUCTION SIBS SHONGWE-LA MER FILM READY TO SHOOT
In November last year, Sibs Shongwe-La Mer announced that his sophomore production, The Sound of Animals Fighting will star Emile Hirsch (Milk, Into the Wild) and Alice Braga (City of God, Elysium). He recently confirmed that principal photography is set for July in São Paulo, Brazil and Johannesburg, South Africa. He attended Berlinale in mid-February to bring the production to the European Film Market, and was also on a panel at this year’s festival. “The lead roles of Sound Of Animals are officially cast! So much endless gratitude to our incredible Casting Director Chelsea Bloch for really putting in the work to ensure the best talent for the project were sourced,” Sibs said in early February on social media. “A year ago when I finished this script I could never have dreamed of working with the incredible artists that have come on board and given me use of their gifts as well as faith.” Other production in the pipeline are Meridian: The Curious Case of the Woman in the Window, produced by Hollywood titan
Sibs Shongwe-La Mer © Fireworx Media
Emile Hirsch of Into the Wild
CREW LEAVING SA South Africa’s long been renowned for its trusted crew – now crew are reportedly leaving the country in search of better opportunities internationally. This, according to trusted professional industry sources, is as a result of a number of reasons including increasing economic instability where the Rand to Dollar exchange is no longer as reliable, unfair treatment in some cases,
and the fact that the industry has been quieter this season than in previous years. Some of the places crew are moving to include Canada, Dubai, the Eastern European Bloc, and Mauritius, the latter of which has a generous rebate of up to 40% for the film industry. A recent international production shot in Mauritius was Serenity starring Matthew McConaughey. The Callsheet will be digging deeper into this story to find out more, so stay tuned.
WEATHER FOR MARCH Cape Town Average Temperatures: 21°C (High: 25°C, Low: 14°C) Average Rainfall: 30mm, 6 rainfall days Sun Hours: 9.05hours/day Durban Average Temperatures: 25°C (High: 28°C, Low: 21°C) Average Rainfall: 130mm, 15 rainfall days Sun Hours: 8 hours/day Johannesburg Average Temperatures: 19°C (High: 24°C, Low: 13°C) Average Rainfall: 100mm, 12 rainfall days Sun Hours: 9 hours/day Source: Holiday-weather.com
Cassian Elwes (Dallas Buyers Club, Blue Valentine), and Latitudes, a series for Macro that will be shot as a feature but broken down episodically for VOD platforms. This they plan on shooting in Paris, New York, London, Tokyo, and three other destinations.
THE LEAD ROLES OF SOUND OF ANIMALS ARE OFFICIALLY CAST! SO MUCH ENDLESS GRATITUDE TO OUR INCREDIBLE CASTING DIRECTOR CHELSEA BLOCH FOR REALLY PUTTING IN THE WORK TO ENSURE THE BEST TALENT FOR THE PROJECT WERE SOURCED. A YEAR AGO WHEN I FINISHED THIS SCRIPT I COULD NEVER HAVE DREAMED OF WORKING WITH THE INCREDIBLE ARTISTS THAT HAVE COME ON BOARD AND GIVEN ME USE OF THEIR GIFTS AS WELL AS FAITH.
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FILM FESTIVALS SWIFT AT BERLINALE
Sisters Working in Film and Television (SWIFT) headed up the first ever female delegation to a film festival and market. Twenty women were selected to attend Berlinale (the European Film Market) from 15 – 25 February. The festival is attended by about 20 000 professionals from 130 countries worldwide. The delegation showcased 22 feature films, 4 short films, 7 documentaries, three TV series, and one scripted series at the market. This is a first for South Africa and a significant move for the local film industry, and is supported by the Department of Trade and Industry (dti). Not only is it a pioneering way in which the country is advocating for women, but the move also promotes inclusion, equality, and diversity in the film industry. Says Producer Kate D’Hotman, who brought the Cooked scripted series and Losing My Religion feature film to Berlinale: “It’s about drawing in stakeholders and investors to South Africa and helping to transform a traditionally male-dominated industry. And of course, we’d like to see SWIFT grow and become a beacon of hope for female filmmakers across South Africa.”
ELLEN PAKKIES FILM AT IFFR
Daryne Joshua, Director of Noem My Skollie, is the creative mind behind Ellen, Die Storie Van Ellen Pakkies, a feature film that was part of the official selection at the Rotterdam International Film Festival.
EVENT SNAPSHOT
Jill Levenberg in Ellen, Die Storie Van Ellen Pakkies . Photographer: Lindsey Appolis
“Initially my thoughts were ‘who’s going to come watch this little South African film’? But then we managed to sell out our public screenings in a couple of days,” Joshua says of the experience. “That’s when we realised there seemed to be a real interest in the film from a foreign audience. After the screenings, the reception was fantastic. A few audience members came to talk to us with tears in their eyes, genuinely and deeply moved by Ellen Pakkies’ story. I remember thinking in that moment – this is why we made the film.” Told across two timelines, it tells the story of Ellen’s stormy relationship with her twenty-year old drug-addict son, Abie Pakkies. The film is produced by kykNET, the dti and The Moving Billboard Picture Company, and will release nationwide on 7 September.
$250 000. Additionally, there was mention of mentorship and story development, working with US-based industry professional scriptwriters and producers, as well as worldwide film distribution for my film. Nothing has happened since being announced the winner in July 2017.” The Callsheet regrets printing the interview with Dexter Davis in a 2017 edition, who, at the time the Editor met with him, put forward a believable plan for developing the film industry. We apologise for publishing any misleading information.
• RapidLion: 3 – 10 March | A festival celebrating SA talent, RapidLion brings filmmakers from Africa, the diaspora and BRICS countries together. • SXSW: 9 – 17 March | Celebrating raw innovation, emerging talent and diversity. SA film Number 37 directed by Nosipho Dumisa will screen here. • Luxor African Film Festival: 16 – 22 March | As the largest open-air museum in the world, Luxor offers a unique artistic backdrop for filmmakers. • MIPTV: 9 – 12 April | A go-to market for TV and digital content, MIPTV is a must-attend for those wishing to sell their projects on a global scale. • Hot Docs: 26 April – 6 May | Ideal for connecting with doccie-makers worldwide, Hot Docs offers pitching opportunities, film funds and networks to join.
DEXTER DAVIS AND D STREET MEDIA IN HOT WATER
A Pitch Winner at ZIFF 2017 says that she has found it extremely difficult to reach selfproclaimed film producer Dexter Davis, whose company D Street was meant to sponsor her prize. “My prize as the pitch winner was to get funding for my first feature film, to the tune of up to
Ellen, Die Storie Van Ellen Pakkies: Jarrid Geduld, Photographer: Lindsey Appolis
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Value Logistics serviced Sew the Winter to My Skin is a South African-German co-production written and directed by Jahmil X.T. Qubeka © Yellowbone Entertainment
SPECIALISED FILM FLEETS:
ADAPTING TO INDUSTRY NEEDS All productions require some form of transportation, but many also have specialised vehicle needs. Kim Crowie explores.
S
outh Africa is renowned worldwide for its film crew and suppliers, and both transport and specialised vehicles play an important role for local and international productions. From carrying delicate and heavy equipment, to catering, rigging, camera tracking
and assisting with cast and crew needs on location, vehicle companies cover a whole gamut of services for film shoots. By all reports, the 2017/2018 season has been quieter than previous years. This has been attributed to the drought in the Western Cape, as well as the
country’s current economic state. Many production companies are also waiting for feedback from government regarding changes to the dti film rebates, says Susan Vermeulen, who heads up Imperial Truck Rental Cape Films division. That said, transportation companies have
remained busy, with Imperial reportedly working on the likes of The Maze Runner, The Dark Tower, Warrior, The Scorpion King, and Red Sea Diving Resort to name a few. Their Johannesburg division has worked on the likes of Shaft 6 and Love on Safari, which used 17 and 15 vehicles respectively.
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They also supplied a 23-seater to the new season of Idols. Value Logistics, too, have been involved in a number of local and international productions such as Liberty, The Wound, Boogie Mountain, The Crown, Dark Branches and Tomb Raider. Margie Welch, Head of Value’s Film Fleet says the local industry is growing at a rapid pace. “Value has built some high quality 8-tonne vehicles for Make-up, Wardrobe, and Production Offices,” she adds. “The layouts were designed by a Value staff member in conjunction with the department specialists such as Maria Hoffmeyer.” She says the way in which a company like this succeeds in the film industry is through being trustworthy, responsive, and keeping your ear to the ground – constantly looking for ways to improve services. To this end, they have now added unit gear and generators to their bouquet of
DELIVERING TO TOMB RAIDER SPECS
Imperial Logistics supplied a 23-seater (without seats) for the new season of Idols.
offerings. Their film fleet has 12 specialised units and a national fleet of 4 500 mainstream vehicles like 8-tonners, 4-tonners, crafters, panels vans, bakkies, and double cabs. Imperial has also been updating their offerings, and according to Vermeulen, popular vehicle categories are 1-tonne LDVs (light delivery vehicles), 1-tonne panel
vans, as well as 4- and 8-tonners. “We continue to offer the film industry rails for wardrobe, shelving for lighting and camera gear, and LDVs with tow bars. We find, however, that fully customised rigged vehicles with permanent structures specifically designed and modified, cannot be utilised by other clients when underutilised out of season.”
A fascinating project Value worked on was building a specialised 15 metre gym trailer for the Tomb Raider shoot last year. This is a great example of how they deliver to unique vehicle specifications in order to facilitate film, television and commercial shoots in more than just moving from point A to point B. Margie Welch explains: “The gym trailer was used for the female lead star [Alicia Vikander] to work out in on a daily basis for the entire shoot. It was fully equipped with gym apparatus, air conditioning, a sound system, TV, special flooring, etc.”
We act to ensure your film succeeds Our experience includes Liberty, Outlander, Warrior, Jim Button, Queen of Katwe and Indian Detective.
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Both images: Value Logistics - Production Trucks
Both images: Sew the Winter to My Skin and Value Logistics trucks © Yellowbone Entertainment
A PRODUCER’S TAKE ON FILM FLEETS
Sew the Winter to My Skin is a South African-German co-production written and directed by Jahmil X.T. Qubeka. The film is produced by SA’s Yellowbone Entertainment, Germany’s Die Gesellschaft DGS, and China’s Shangzhou Media. We speak to Producer Layla Swart of Yellowbone to find out how the principal photography process went. Tell us briefly about your production. What was your overall experience was in shooting the film in SA? Our production, Sew the Winter to My Skin, is an epic action/ adventure film set in 1950s South Africa. Shot on location in a small town in the Eastern Cape, the film was a gruelling five weeks of battling with the elements. The overall experience was challenging but rewarding.
Shooting in small towns means many resources are unavailable or difficult to access, but the scope and beauty of the landscape is worth all the effort. What were your specialised vehicle needs and how did Value assist to ensure the shoot ran smoothly? Being a film shot on location in a small town, many of our shoot days taking place on the top of a mountain, we needed constant support from Value and specialized 4x4 vehicles on a tight budget! I cannot count how many late night and early morning calls were made to Value, how many times we needed last-minute vehicles to be available in our closest city (Port Elizabeth – two hours away from our small town) and how many times we needed someone to fix breakdowns. Overall, Value was incredibly supportive and always made a plan to assist
us despite the last minute pressurised nature of everything. They were the perfect partner on this production. What were the challenges of this shoot, particularly from a vehicle/transportation perspective? We had multiple challenges, first and foremost the terrain. Rainy weather meant a treacherous ride up mountain paths every day, and the transportation of cast and crew up and down this mountain was a particularly big challenge. The next biggest challenge was the remoteness of the location. Being two hours away from a city and needing to facilitate airport collections and drop offs, vehicle pickups, couriers, etc., meant each driving crew member needed a vehicle to suit their specific needs – and the task was mammoth. How important is it to have a reliable vehicle company
on your side, and how do you maintain a good relationship as a producer/ production company with your vehicle company and other service providers? It is crucial! This particular film was completely an exercise in transportation. Logistics were everything and much of the time we did not have the experience or prep time to make a fool-proof plan beforehand. Therefore having a service provider like Value on your side, helping you along is essential to the success of the production. We could not have executed the film without them, and their team understand the urgency of film, the environment and the nature of the business. Any last words? All in all, it was an adventure – but one thing that everyone had at all times was a vehicle to transport them!
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Untimitive Dance Company © Photo credit: Tyrone Bradley, Cinematography: Zenn van Zyl
RED BULL MUSIC PRESENTS FORMS
Combining three art forms, Red Bull Music brings an explosive audiovisual performance to life.
R
ed Bull’s latest production, FORMS, brings music, dance and film together, making a stellar case for collaboration. It sees hip hop artist Rouge, choreographer Rudi Smit, and director Alex Fynn work together on a dance music video that’s fun, edgy and incredibly entertaining. Set in a dystopian future, circa 2034, a small group of individuals under the leadership of Rouge unite against the overarching control of the city. “The aim of the mob is to make some
sort of powerful but peaceful statement that challenges the security. That they don’t have the power to stop these rebels from being united for change,” Alex Fynn explains. Both Fynn and Smit drew inspiration for the narrative and choreography from Rouge’s track, of which the chorus is a war cry. The narrative also played a role in determining the style of choreography Rudi went with. “Usually dance is seen as a secondary element, here we really highlight dance,” he
says. A long-standing tradition in dance is to remix tracks specifically for dancers, and for FORMS, Smit did the same. “I pitched the idea of adding a dance break to the song to make the choreography more dynamic; Rouge and Alex liked the idea and we went with it.” Smit adds that being inspired by the music was key for him. “The whole project is about unity and how we are all one and we all stand together. So I think it was very important for me to create strong aesthetic and something that looks clean and unified and sharp.”
“It was a state of me doing literally what I wanted,” Rouge says. “That’s the reason why when they asked me for a song I wanted to use this one, because this is one of those songs where people didn’t expect me to do much with it.” According to Alex Fynn, the concept was a highlight for him. “I really like that futuristic atmosphere, and dance has always been something that I’ve loved. That’s really my favourite part. That dance is celebrated 100% in this video.”
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FILM CAMERAS IN 2018
We speak to experts and manufacturers to find out the latest film camera specifications and trends in the sector this year.
PANAVISION
Panavision is renowned worldwide for its camera capabilities, and is a firm favourite amongst filmmakers. Some of the recent productions Panavision tech has been used on include Fifty Shades Freed, The Cloverfield Paradox, Winchester, and most recently in South Africa, Maze Runner: The Death Cure. We speak to Tony Eddy, Managing Director: Camera & Lighting at Panavision Cape Town to find out about their latest releases and how industry trends are informing camera development. What new Panavision cameras have been released? Panavision has just launched our latest camera to the world market – namely the Panavision Millennium DXL2 – a largeformat camera that is the heart of the complete Panavision imaging ecosystem around large-format capture, and designed to work exclusively and in perfect visual harmony with our ranges of unmatched large-format optics such as the Primo 70’S and others. The camera is true 8K, capturing on a RED Monstro 8K sensor and using Light Iron Color 2 colour-science, and offering in excess of 16 stops of dynamic range with a native ISO setting of 1 600. The 8K pipeline is smooth and efficient and offers convenient highquality RAW images direct to edit without delays. The camera also offers an integrated PX-Pro colour-spectrum filter custommade for the DXL2, allowing a significant increase in the colour
The Panavision Millenium DXL2 in action
separation and dramatically increased colour precision. On the hardware, the built-in Preston MDR allows wireless full lens control. This camera is a game-changer in all respects! What does 8K and other large formats mean for camera technology and the way in which films and television of the future will be shot? As is plainly evident by our huge strides into 8K capture and our recent launch of the 8K DXL2 – we are very confident of increased growth and renewed interest in large-format digital acquisition as the camera systems and colour science has now reached a point of being so streamlined that this workflow will become a normal option. What are local filmmakers looking for in your cameras? What’s in demand and most popular in SA? Apart from the DXL2 above, the original DXL remains a
popular choice. The ARRI range of the Alexa Mini and XL remain the workhorses of our commercial and TV series fleet, as well as some specific work requiring the Panasonic Varicams and Sony F-65 and F-55 cameras having been supplied over the past year.
house and external equipment developments on an ongoing basis and apply any new updated technology or products to our local inventory in our efforts to always afford South African filmmakers the most current, world-class equipment.
Camera tech tends to develop quite rapidly. How do you stay ahead of the curve as a company? Panavision is primarily a technology company with significant research and development going into development of new products, including the now recentlylaunched Millennium DXL2 as well as brand new ranges of optics such as the Artiste, Primo 70’s, T-Series Anamorphics to name but a few – not to mention numerous camera accessories designed to support these ranges. Specifically as far as South Africa is concerned, we monitor all in-
BLACKMAGIC DESIGN
URSA Broadcast 4K As one of the most affordable and flexible professional broadcast cameras for HD and Ultra HD, URSA Broadcast offers two cameras in one – a field camera for ENG and programming work, as well as a professional studio camera. It uses lenses and batteries you probably already own, and it records onto regular SD cards, using common file formats found on broadcast management systems and most NLE software. It is also ideal for web broadcast because it works with older and inexpensive lenses.
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day corporate shoot” explains Aydin Tolan, Business Head for Broadcast in ME region, Sony Professional Solutions MEA. “Our new palm camcorders do exactly that. By minimising the efforts required to focus on a subject in-frame and streamlining the post-production workflow, we’re helping users concentrate on what they do best: storytelling.”
BlackMagic URSA Broadcast 4K can be used as a field camera.
URSA BROADCAST 4K TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS Effective Sensor Size
2/3 inch sensor size when using 4K B4 mount (Actual sensor size 13.056mm x 7.344mm)
Lens Mount
B4 2/3 inch
Lens Control
Electronic control via 12-pin broadcast connector. Control also possible via EF mount pins when using optional URSA Mini Pro EF Mount.
Dynamic Range
12 Stops+
Shooting Resolutions
3840 x 2160, 1920 x 1080
Frame Rates
Project frame rates of 23.98, 24, 25, 29.97, 30, 50, 59.94 and 60 fps supported. Offspeed frame rates up to 60p.
Built in ND Filters
Four position ND filter wheel with clear, 2-stop, 4-stop and 6-stop ND filters.
Controls
Touchscreen menus on 4 inch screen. Push buttons for other controls. 2 assignable shortcut keys.
SONY
Sony has recently made their 4K Palm Camcorders available to the Middle East and African markets. These two new models come equipped with a revolutionary 273-point phase detection autofocus sensor and 4K HDR recording as part of its ground-breaking Fast Hybrid
AF system. The Fast Hybrid AF system ensures highlyaccurate focusing and tracking during shooting, delivered by 273 phase-detection AF points that cover approximately 84% of the shooting area, highdensity placement of autofocus points and a newly developed AF algorithm. This reduces the
burden of focusing especially when highly accurate focusing is required for shooting 4K films. “We strongly believe in empowering customers to tell amazing stories, whether it’s a journalist out in the field covering a breaking news event, or a freelancer working under the tight deadline pressures of a one-
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XDCAM PXW-Z90 The PXW-Z90 incorporates an advanced Fast Hybrid AF system, alongside face detection and lock-on auto focus technology, making it easy to focus and track a subject while filming. It’s the first palm-sized camcorder to deliver stunning 4K High Dynamic Range, and offers super slow motion up to 960fps (NTSC) and 120 frames per second (fps) in Full HD XAVC 10bit 4:2:2. It also offers versatile connections for broadcast workflows. NXCAM HXR-NX80 The HXR-NX80 also incorporates an advanced Fast Hybrid AF system for easy to focus and tracking, and also offers 4K HDR content with Hybrid Log-Gamma (HLG) file-based workflows. It is ideal for a variety of professional work and features a Multi-Interface (MI) Shoe, HDMI and Remote interface to connect with and control remotely a wide variety of compatible Sony accessories. This camera also has high frame rate abilities and delivers 120fps in Full HD XAVC S 10bit 4:2:0.
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ARRI
ALEXA LF + ARRI Signature Prime Lenses + LPL Lens Mount These three together comprise an entirely new system, offering an immersive, engaging look. It features a sensor slightly larger than full frame, ALEXA LF records native 4K with ARRI’s best overall image quality. This allows filmmakers to explore an immersive large-format aesthetic while retaining the sensor’s natural colorimetry, pleasing skin tones and stunning capability for HDR and WCG workflows. Versatile recording formats, including efficient ProRes and uncompressed, unencrypted ARRIRAW up to 150 fps, encompass all onset workflow requirements. What cinematographers are saying: “The ALEXA LF camera and Signature Prime lenses are an elegant combination. I love the lenses; they strike a wonderful balance between modernity and character.” – Matias Boucard “We were trying to tell a story about wideness and freedom; the ALEXA LF worked really well. The depth of field is so small, creating its own world. It’s fantastic. With the 25mm lens, you feel like you are there in the scene with the actors. The lenses are lightweight and are not too sharp, but with a certain softness and very specific.” – Dan Laustsen ASC, DFF
The Sony XDCAM PXW-Z90 in action
WE WERE TRYING TO TELL A STORY ABOUT WIDENESS AND FREEDOM; THE ALEXA LF WORKED REALLY WELL. THE DEPTH OF FIELD IS SO SMALL, CREATING ITS OWN WORLD. IT’S FANTASTIC.
Cinematographer Wang Yu using the Alexa LF. Photo © Zihao Chen
ALEXA LF + ARRI SIGNATURE PRIME LENSES + LPL LENS MOUNT TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS Camera Type
Large Format (LF) digital camera with electronic viewfinder EVF-1 and built-in radios for ARRI Wireless Remote System, ARRI Wireless Video System and WiFi
Compatibility
All current ARRI ALEXA accessories, LPL lenses and PL lenses with PL-to-LPL adapter
Shutter
Electronic rolling shutter, 5.0º - 358.0º
Exposure Latitude / Index
14+ stops / EI 800
Operating Temperature
-20° C to +45° C (-4° F to +113° F)
Lens Mount
62 mm LPL mount (LDS-1, LDS-2 & /i)
Recording Codecs
ARRIRAW (.ari) QuickTime/ProRes (422, 422 HQ, 4444 & 4444 XQ)
Recording Resolutions
4.5K (sensor modes LF Open Gate and LF 2.39:1) UHD (sensor mode LF 16:9) 2K (in-camera downscale in sensor mode LF 16:9) HD (in-camera downscale in sensor mode LF 16:9)
Playback
ARRIRAW or ProRes
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“I intentionally shot mundane subjects I wouldn’t normally cover, and the results got me really excited. The camera and lens captured every tonal nuance with unmatched detail, gradation and color. I love how the outof-focus areas are rendered, contributing to a rich and vivid overall look.” – Wang Yu “To me, the system embodies typical ARRI quality, but there is a new level of emotion to the images—a smoothness to the way the camera and lenses work together.” – Tom Fährmann BVK
RED TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS Sensor Type / Effective Pixels
Monstro 35.4 Megapixel CMOS / 8192 × 4320
Dynamic Range
17+ stops
Max Data Rates
Up to 300 MB/s using RED MINI-MAG (480GB & 960GB) Up to 225 MB/s using RED MINI-MAG (120GB & 240GB)
Max Frame Rate
60 fps at 8K Full Format (8192 × 4320), 75 fps at 8K 2.4:1 (8192 × 3456)
Construction
Carbon Fibre, Magnesium, and Aluminium Alloy
Operating Temperature
0°C to 40°C (32°F to 104°F)
Video Editing Software Compatibility
Adobe Premiere Pro, AVID Media Composer, DaVinci Resolve, Edius Pro, Final Cut Pro, Vegas Pro
RED
RED Weapon Brain + Monstro 8K VV The Weapon Brain is the latest from RED, offering three sensor options: Monstro 8K VV, Helium 8K S35, and Dragon 6K S35, of which the Monstro is the newest. A Weapon Brain is capable of data write speeds of 300MB/s, and can simultaneously record in REDCODE RAW and Apple ProRes or Avid DNxHR/HD. Weapon combines advanced colour science with incredible dynamic range, showcasing the depths of shadows as well as highlight roll-off to capture otherwise imperceptible details. It includes features like cablefree peripherals, integrated media bay, and wireless control, with tack-on interchangeable OLPFs and lens mounts. “RED’s internal sensor program continues to push
Teradek
RED’s Monstro 8K VV
the boundaries of pixel design and MONSTRO is the materialization of our relentless pursuit to make the absolute best image sensors on the planet,” says Jarred Land, President of RED Digital Cinema. “The Full Frame 8K VV MONSTRO provides
+
unprecedented dynamic range and breath-taking colour accuracy with full support for our IPP2 pipeline.” In addition, RED will now also offer a comprehensive service for Weapon carbon fibre camera owners called RED Armor-W. This offers
Wooden Camera cage
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enhanced and extended protection beyond the norm, and also includes one sensor swap each year. RED’s IPP2 (enhanced image processing pipeline) is now also available for all cameras with Helium and Monstro sensors through their v7.0 firmware update.
a. wireless monitoring onset. b. focus pulling completely independent from camera. c. wireless zoom & focus on drones, gimbals, cranes and steadicam.
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FILM TOURISM: A LUCRATIVE OPPORTUNITY?
Tourism has long been a steady and growing business in Africa, but now, with more films shooting on location, a new business strategy is in order. Kim Crowie speaks to the agencies in charge.
The Physician starring Ben Kingsley was shot at Atlas Studios in Ouarzazate, Morocco © Stephan Rabold
A
s international travel takes off and destinations market themselves with more tenacity in an attempt to bring visitors to their shores, film tourism presents a unique opportunity for those countries fortunate enough to have established production industries. Certain places have become synonymous with tourist visits: Hollywood’s world-renowned Walk of Fame for example, Notting Hill, a host of locations where Harry Potter was shot in London, and even the mountain ranges of New
Zealand thanks to the Lord of the Rings trilogy. According to a recent research report by Simon Hudson and JR Brent Ritchie, placing a destination in a film is “the ultimate in tourism product placement.”
AFRICA’S FILM TOURISM POTENTIAL
An increasing number of film and television productions have been shot on the African continent in recent years. This points towards an ever-growing pocket of potential in tourism and destination marketing –
particularly in places that have established film industries, especially South Africa and Morocco. For the most part, it has remained untapped from an official, strategic standpoint thanks to more important film industry and tourism issues being addressed. A great example of this is Morocco, which is currently focused on growing its tourism and business-events market share, however still does not deem film a viable option for marketing the destination – there are so many other attractive
aspects to the country that still bring visitors in their hoards. That said, local companies like Atlas Studios in Ouarzazate have noticed this opportunity. The studios offer regular tours throughout their sets where films like The Physician, The Way Back, Pope Joan, Ben Hur, and many other films were shot. Kenya is another country with growing film tourism potential, with a long history in the film industry dating back to the 50s. Productions like Out of Africa, The Constant Gardener, King Solomon’s Mines and many
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others were shot here. There have already been successes in tourism reported as a result of film production in Africa. Despite hosting few film productions, Tunisia has already been benefitting. Visitors can stay at the hotel used as the location in Luke Skywalker’s childhood home in Star Wars. And after the release of Gorillas in the Mist, Rwanda saw a 20% increase in visitors. South Africa by far has the largest count of international film productions under its belt,
yet very little in place to further film tourism. Cape Town in particular has hosted a range of television and feature films such as Outlander, Black Sails, and Homeland, and most recently the latest installments of Maze Runner and Scorpion King. Wesgro has acknowledged that these shoots on location have been proven as a way in which to grow tourism. “The strategy Wesgro Film and Media Promotion unit is following is more aligned to promotion of the region to global industry and growing our region’s
AN INCREASING NUMBER OF FILM AND TELEVISION PRODUCTIONS HAVE BEEN SHOT ON THE AFRICAN CONTINENT IN RECENT YEARS. THIS POINTS TOWARDS AN EVER-GROWING POCKET OF POTENTIAL IN TOURISM AND DESTINATION MARKETING– PARTICULARLY IN PLACES THAT HAVE ESTABLISHED FILM INDUSTRIES, ESPECIALLY SOUTH AFRICA AND MOROCCO. producers,” explains Monica Rorvik. “However our Tourism and Destination Marketing team do a lot of work in this area.” One such project launched in January was where Wesgro partnered with renowned local actor John Kani to tell Madiba’s story and launch a new heritage route in the region. This is of particular interest for Cape Town as Long Walk to Freedom was shot here. In 2015, KwaZulu-Natal Film Commission recognised the potential of film tourism in the region and launched their strategy to use this as a marketing tool. According to Ngqabutho Bhebhe, Manager of Strategy and Planning at KZNFC, key strategic objectives for both KZNFC and KZN Tourism have been developed, but the
implementation thereof is still ongoing. “KZNFC has compiled a history of the film industry in the last 100 years. This information is to be used to develop a ‘film route’ that tourists can use to tour the province. The film route is to be a form of a map that tourist can use to visit locations at which these films were shot.” Implementation of a film route has been slow, says Bhebhe, because the focus of both KZNFC and KZN Tourism has not been solely on this particular strategy. The South Coast in KZN is another region of potential in this sector. It has received several local and international productions to date including The Jungle Book and Blood Diamond.
Outlander Season 2 was shot in the Western Cape © Starz
FILM TOURISM IMPACTS FILM OR SERIES
LOCATION
IMPACT
Braveheart
Wallace Monument, Scotland
Deliverance
Rayburn County, Georgia
Close Encounters of the Third Kind
Devils Tower, Wyoming
The Lord of the Rings
New Zealand
Harry Potter
Various locations in the UK
Mission Impossible 2
National parks in Sydney
Troy
Canakkale, Turkey
300% increase in visitors year after release 20 000 film tourists a year, gross revenues of $2-3-million 75% increase in 1975, 20% visitors now annually 10% increase annually from 19982003 from UK 50% or more increase in visitors to all locations 200% increase in visitors in 2000 73% increase in tourism
Source: Promoting Destinations via Film Tourism: An Empirical Identification
Out of Africa was shot in Kenya © Universal Pictures
of Supporting Marketing Initiatives, via ResearchGate
24 / FEATURE According to South Coast Tourism CEO Justin Mackrory, planning for a film studio and training facility in Shelly Beach is currently underway. “Our organisation is in the process of completing an operational and business plan for a dedicated district film office, which has already had approval in principle from all the local authorities. We see this initiative as a means of taking our film tourism prospects to a new level and assist the KZN Film Commission in getting KZN up there as one of Africa’s major film destinations,” he says, adding that he recently heard of interest from Paramount
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Pictures for a shoot in SA, with the South Coast identified as a good prospect for locations. “We brand our area as ‘Paradise of the Zulu Kingdom’ – in terms of film, it is becoming known as the ‘Production Paradise’.”
THE BOTTOM LINE
Ultimately, research indicates that tourism centred on film is definitely a lucrative opportunity for destination marketers. However there are many factors that play a role in the success of said destination. Tourism bodies must be proactive in forging relationships with the film industry, and can often assist in marketing a film and
its location. Examples of this include the Australian Tourism Commission collaborating with Disney on Finding Nemo – the first to try promotion through an animation. Another example is the state of Georgia in the US, which, following the success of the adaptation of Deliverance, continues to attract big-budget films and television to the region. Destination marketers can also be proactive in promoting their locations to film producers, targeting filmmakers particularly at the pre-production stage. The ability to recognise opportunity, and act in anticipation of demand is crucial in maximising film tourism potential.
LOCATIONS OF INTEREST IN SA • Umtamvuna Valley in KZN was where the live action version of The Jungle Book was shot. • KZN’s South Coast region hosted Leonardo Di Caprio when shooting Blood Diamond. • Popular 2016 German film Der Geiste Tag (The Most Beautiful Day) was shot in Uvongo at a stunning location with waterfall flowing into the sea. • Some 6-8 productions are shot on the Aliwal Shoal and Protea Banks each year, which are worldfamous for the sardine run and their dive sites. • Project Khulisa is a job creation initiative, part of which is new heritage tourism route taking in all the sites linked to President Mandela’s life in the Western Cape. Wesgro has partnered with actor John Kani to market it. • Long Walk to Freedom was shot in Cape Town. • Maboneng Precinct, a hip and happening suburb in Joburg, is beautifully showcased as a go-to destination in Tell Me Sweet Something.
The backdrops for the live action version of The Jungle Book were shot in KZN South Coast.
THE ABILITY TO RECOGNISE OPPORTUNITY, AND ACT IN ANTICIPATION OF DEMAND IS CRUCIAL IN MAXIMISING FILM TOURISM POTENTIAL. Mandela Long Walk to Freedom was shot at Cape Town Film Studios © Keith Bernstein
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APEX AND CICLOPE CALL FOR ENTRIES
APEX 2018 opens entries to their annual show, and Ciclope brings international awards to the continent.
Ciclope Festival © Lovis Ostenrik
CICLOPE TO HOST FIRST AWARDS IN AFRICA
Taking place on 10 April 2018 at the prestigious Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa (Zeitz MOCAA), the first edition of Ciclope Africa honours work made by African professionals, as well as work by foreign professionals broadcast exclusively in the region. This leading international festival recognises and rewards exceptional craft in moving image, and any production, post-production, digital, music or editorial companies, as well as independent professionals and advertising agencies are welcome to submit their work. “We recently hosted the annual flagship festival in Berlin, which saw a number of African entrants take home the metal; a testament to the calibre of work
emerging from the continent. This bolstered our decision to host a regional leg of the show in Africa,” says Francisco Condorelli, Director of Ciclope. The jury panel includes local and international talent such as Alistair King (King James), Amy Allais (Ola! Films), Ralph Laucella (O Positive, US), Trish Russell (AMV BBDO, UK), Debra Stubbs (Groundglass), Kim Geldenhuys (0307), Yash Deb (Isobar, Kenya) and Antoine Bagot (Ogilvy Paris, France), and many others. The awards have 10 branded content categories and six special categories to submit work under. Ciclope Africa’s entry deadline is Friday, 23 March 2018, and pieces must have been broadcast for the first time between 1 January 2016 and 31 March 2018. For more information
on how to submit your work, visit africa.ciclopefestival.com
APEX 2018 CALLS FOR ENTRIES
The Association for Communication and Advertising (ACA) recently announced the 2018 APEX Awards are open for entries. The awards are open to all South African agencies and their respective clients, and recognise and award effectiveness in advertising and communications campaigns. In an era where budgetary cuts are prevalent and result in agencies being placed under extreme pressure, the APEX Awards is a tool through which to review success, allowing marketers to justify increased budget allocation by highlighting the value they add to client business objectives and
ultimately, their bottom line. Entrants are required to submit case studies detailing their campaigns, ensuring that the isolation of the effects of the marketing communications is clearly detailed. The three APEX categories into which campaigns can be enteres are: 1. Launch – for brands or services that are less than 12 months old with no significant history of advertising. 2. Change – for new campaigns from previously advertised brands that resulted in significant short-term effects (no more than 18 months) on sales and/or behaviour. 3. Sustain – for campaigns that benefited a business by maintaining or strengthening a brand over a long period, i.e. 36 months. “We encourage all agencies and their clients to enter their most effective work into the 2018 APEX Awards” says Odette van der Haar, ACA CEO. “Entry is open to all agencies, whether an ACA member or not. We are looking forward to another year of showcasing the value our industry adds to commercial brand success.” Briefing sessions were held on AAA campuses in Johannesburg and Cape Town on 6 and 8 February. For more information on the awards, how to enter, and key dates to diarise, visit www.acasa.co.za/apex.aspx, email apex@acasa.co.za or call the ACA on +27 (0)11 781 2772/3.
26 / FEATURE
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THE BUSINESS CASE FOR
INVESTING IN FILM We know the government offers rebates and the NFVF provides funding to productions. But why should private investors put their money behind local filmmakers? Kim Crowie reports.
F
ilmmaking is a multi-million dollar business, and as such, presents a unique opportunity for investment. That said, it’s not an easy task persuading people to part with their finances, particularly if they are not guarantors, renowned film producers, or government or film bodies that offer various types of funding to productions annually. Often it takes years for a film to secure the funding they need in order to forge ahead with production and post-production phases – and often it’s in the marketing stages that one needs to be particularly savvy in putting bums in seats. One such example is The Blair Witch Project, which was marketed mainly through the internet. This was one of the first films to use the net in such a way, ramping up the element of creepy uncertainty to blur the line between real life and fiction. The film had a budget
of $60 000 and brought in revenue of $248-million.
MAKING A FILM IS HARD WORK
According to Uga Carlini, Head of Towerkop Creations and Producer/Director of hybrid documentary Alison, making a film is no easy task and securing financing is often the hardest of all. Her film is the first of its kind to come out of SA, and she says it was an uphill battle in finding finance and reliable partners throughout. “The NFVF saw the bigger picture, and gave me development money. After almost three years of no’s – internationally – I got the yes that changed everything and I could make a promo so people could see my vision. I then took a chance and sent it to kykNET, and they said ‘how much do you need?’” Too often filmmakers don’t realise that even though there is
Kariba was a Kickstarter success © Blue Forest Collective
a creative element to production, it is first and foremost a business. Once the business of film is a focus, it becomes slightly easier to bring investors into the fold because they can entrust producers with the management of large sums. “Money doesn’t release easily,” Carlini adds, “corporates have payment cycles, people go on holiday, boards only sit at certain times. Filmmakers often forget you don’t just draw cash from your account. People need to sign off, there are paper
FILMMAKERS DON’T REALISE THAT EVEN THOUGH THERE IS A CREATIVE ELEMENT TO PRODUCTION, IT IS FIRST AND FOREMOST A BUSINESS. ONCE THE BUSINESS OF FILM IS A FOCUS, IT BECOMES SLIGHTLY EASIER TO BRING INVESTORS INTO THE FOLD BECAUSE THEY CAN ENTRUST PRODUCERS WITH THE MANAGEMENT OF LARGE SUMS. Kariba © Blue Forest Collective
trails and contracts and bond guarantees to consider.” According to the NFVF’s economic impact study of the local industry, securing private funding remains a challenge, and receiving loans from banks is difficult thanks to productions being risky investments. “Private sector funding has increased over the years but private and foreign industries also need to get directly involved in providing funding support,” says Zama Mkosi, CEO of the National Film
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and Video Foundation (NFVF).
MONEY TALKS
A number of companies now offer up some sort of finance deal for projects. Local broadcasters in particular are investing in more productions, particularly kykNET and M-Net, who often offer finance or equity deals. Noem My Skollie, for instance, had a licence deal and equity investment with M-Net for their film. VOD companies are also financing content – one example is Showmax, who launched their first original South African show, Tali’s Wedding Diaries, in December last year. Crowdfunding, too, has a place in the filmmaking arena; however producers need to know their audience when jumping into this environment. A successful example of this was Kariba. The project’s Kickstarter campaign reached 75% of its finance goal within 24 hours, allowing the artists to create and publish a graphic novel, which in turn will assist in building towards a 2D animated film.
Qualifying local productions can receive a rebate on their films and series from dti, as well as assistance from the IDC. The NFVF often assist with production, post-production and development funds. Their total expenditure during the 2016/17 financial year on content was over R49-million. “Co-production treaties with countries are one way of encouraging collaborations between South African and international filmmakers,” adds Mkosi, who says this can attract international investors to fund local stories.
INCENTIVES FOR INVESTORS
Film and television productions remain dicey investments, often deterring private funders. A recent example of this is the highly-anticipated live action adaptation of Ghost in the Shell, which had a reported budget of $110-million and box office returns of a meagre $40.5-million. But the rewards still outweigh the risk, and brave local investors will find plenty of incentive long into the future. Perhaps the
Alison - DOP Georgia Court on set with actress Christia Visser
biggest incentive is the tax break they receive on their investment. Found in Section 120 of the Income Tax Act, it eliminates all income tax on film profits for a ten-year period from the time the production becomes marketable. It applies to both local productions and co-productions with overseas companies that have been approved by the NFVF, allowing filmmakers time to recoup on losses and find new avenues to generate ROI. In addition, film and television also offer brands product placement opportunities, says Mkosi. This is an investment option that has yet to be fully capitalised on. Uga believes that despite the many difficulties and red tape, the local industry still has huge potential for growth within and beyond its current support base. “There is so much scope in this country. We are so talented and have so much going for us. And we have so many challenges as South Africans to begin with. This gives me so much more respect for the filmmakers who get their films done.”
MOST PROFITABLE BLOCKBUSTERS When it comes to box office dollars, a successful film with a small budget can make a huge return on investment. Here are some unlikely films that have mastered the moneymaking recipe in the US Box Office. • Paranormal Activity Budget: $450 000 | Profit: $89.3million | 19 749% ROI • It’s A Wonderful Life Budget: $3-million | Profit: $60.5million | 1 804% ROI • Reservoir Dogs Budget: $1.2-million | Profit: $22.4million | 1 771% ROI • The King’s Speech Budget: $15-million | Profit: $196.3million | 1 209% ROI • The Purge Budget: $3million | Profit: $40million | 1 097% ROI • Black Swan Budget: $13million | Profit: $148million | 1 039% ROI • Unfriended Budget: $1-million | Profit: $11million | 1 011% ROI
28 / RAPIDLION
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RAPIDLION 2018
Once again, RapidLion will take place at The Market Theatre in downtown Johannesburg. This year’s event will run from the 3 rd to the 10th of March.
A
lso known as The South African International Film Festival, RapidLion 2018 will open with the romantic comedy Catching Feelings by South African writer, director, producer and comedian Kagiso Lediga. Starring Pearl Thusi, Akin Omotoso and Andrew Buckland, the film also features Kagiso Lediga in the leading role. A funny yet thought-provoking film, Catching Feelings is a fitting RapidLion 2018 opener, given that RapidLion positions itself as a marketing tool for local films to local filmgoers, and that the film has a clearly defined business direction. Dubbed a romantic film at its comic best, Catching Feelings will be a prelude to yet another BRICS-focused RapidLion event that will feature films from Brazil, China, India, South Africa and Russia. Look out for Five Fingers of Marseille at RapidLion 2018. The film will be having its local premiere at the festival on Wednesday 7th March. A ground-breaking “western” shot on location in the mountains of Lesotho, it is a gripping, original tale of poverty, violence and heroic deeds. Story of an Egg is a hilarious film from India that will leave you in stitches. The heart-wrenching story of sexual slavery by L.A. based South African filmmaker Rudolf Buitendach, Selling Isobel, will also be screened at RapidLion 2018, as will the fantasy film from China, The Thousand Faces of Dunjia. With this film, be ready to say “Wow!” because nobody does fantasy like the Chinese.
Catching Feelings is a fitting RapidLion 2018 opener,
DUBBED A ROMANTIC FILM AT ITS COMIC BEST, CATCHING FEELINGS WILL BE A PRELUDE TO YET ANOTHER BRICS-FOCUSED RAPIDLION EVENT THAT WILL FEATURE FILMS FROM BRAZIL, CHINA, INDIA, SOUTH AFRICA AND RUSSIA. RapidLion 2018 will also showcase some of the top international documentaries. Be sure to come and see Flying Revolution, probably the best documentary on breakdancing ever made, All the Wild Horses, a film on the longest and toughest horse race in the world, which features South African horse trainer, Monde Kanyana, who came in amongst the top at the end of the race, and Late Blossom Blues, a brilliant documentary on one of the oldest surviving Blues singers from the American South. RapidLion 2018 will also feature some of the best short films from around the world, grouped by genre to create feature-film length screenings
for festival attendees’ viewing pleasure. South African filmmaker Sihle Hlophe’s Nomfudo will feature amongst these, as will Nigerian director Paul Gaius’ Bad Market and German moviemaker Steffen Hildebrandt’s brilliant Nona, among many more wonderful short films at the festival. These come truly from every corner of the globe. Throughout the week, RapidLion will have various events, from premieres, cocktail functions, and workshops,
to Q&A’s with visiting film directors. RapidLion is also in talks with BRICS embassies to host certain nights during the festival, as this year marks South Africa’s ascension to the BRICS chairmanship. Brand SA has again teamed up with RapidLion. This time around, the body will present a film strategy workshop. Being the custodian of South Africa as a brand, Brand SA recognises the power of using film to promote a country, its greatest policies, physical beauty and desirability as a tourist destination, and is looking to engage local and international filmmakers at RapidLion 2018 on what the best strategy would be to grow the local film industry with a view to having more films shown worldwide to promote the country. RapidLion 2018 is made possible by its partnership with the National Film and Video Foundation, Brand SA, the Gauteng Film Commission, the Department of Arts & Culture and Nedtex 286 CC. Other festival partners include The Nelson Mandela Foundation, The Ngakane family, The Market Theatre Foundation, Eagles Academy, Trace TV, the Callsheet and BRICS embassies. You can purchase your RapidLion 2018 tickets at www.webtickets.co.za or at the door at The Market Theatre for a feast of RapidLion 2018 films.
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DUBAI LYNX LAUNCHES
SEE IT BE IT DUBAI Dubai Lynx has launched a See It Be It Dubai programme at the 2018 festival. The initiative, powered by Neutrogena, is an acceleration programme for women on the cusp of career progression in the communications industry in the MENA region.
S
ee It Be It is a Cannes Lions initiative that addresses the issue of gender inequality in the creative communications industry by developing high-potential women and bringing them to the attention of the industry. The See It Be It Dubai programme is open to women based in the MENA region working in the branded communications industry, including advertising, marketing, film-making, innovation, editorial, design, PR or for those who have an interest in a career in these disciplines. During the festival, the women will take part in a curated series of main stage seminars, behindthe-scenes jury room access, specially-designed workshops, one-to-one mentoring from a raft of the most respected, inspiring industry leaders and exclusive networking opportunities. “We’re truly delighted to be bringing this initiative to Dubai Lynx. There is a huge amount of female talent here in the region and this is a wonderful opportunity for us to create a network of women that are empowered to achieve their full potential and pass on their learning to help others,” said Thea Skelton, Festival Director, Dubai Lynx. The programme is an experience that raises profiles, expands contacts, builds confidence and accelerates participants down the path to leadership, with Andy Roberts,
WE’RE TRULY DELIGHTED TO BE BRINGING THIS INITIATIVE TO DUBAI LYNX. THERE IS A HUGE AMOUNT OF FEMALE TALENT HERE IN THE REGION AND THIS IS A WONDERFUL OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO CREATE A NETWORK OF WOMEN THAT ARE EMPOWERED TO ACHIEVE THEIR FULL POTENTIAL AND PASS ON THEIR LEARNING TO HELP OTHERS.
Senior Marketing Director, Neutrogena AMET saying, “Our job is to help each and every woman put her best face forward so that every time she looks in the mirror, she believes anything is possible. See It Be It is a programme that encourages women to strive for change not just for themselves but for their peers and colleagues. We’re excited to be part of something that brings together women who have such potential, courage and creativity and provide them with access and opportunity to go forward and see what’s possible in their careers and the industry at large.” For a number of years, Dubai Lynx has demonstrated its commitment to the development of talent across the MENA region with dedicated competitions and training for young professionals and students. See It Be It Dubai is the first programme solely focussed on the issue of gender disparity in the industry and comes at a time of great change in the MENA region and globally. In celebrating and elevating women, the initiative aims to drive and facilitate change from those working and facing the challenges within the industry. Further information can be found on www.dubailynx.com/see-it-be-it
30 / SPOTLIGHT
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FILM INDUSTRY BECOMES
WATER RESILIENT The Cape’s film and media industry are taking some innovative steps to become water resilient.
W
esgro, Cape Town and the Western Cape’s Film and Media Promotion Unit, extended their gratitude to the companies in the industry in February for taking steps towards saving water during the drought in the region. The city and the Western Cape government also hosted a think tank session where best practices were shared with businesses. Cape Town is not the first major film destination to experience severe drought, with several parts of California recently going through a similar experience. The city is, however, “determined to become stronger from this challenging period” by positioning themselves as a water-resilient and sustainable sector. Some of the ways in which they are adapting to the ‘new normal’ is by encouraging international cast and crew to live like locals to cut their water footprint. According to Genevieve Hofmeyr, cofounder and Managing Director at Moonlighting Films, “Where potable water is required for
a scene, it is imported from the Cape Overberg and then re-used in our grey water systems, but these scenes are being cut to the minimum.” Byron De Carvalho, Director at Shesha, a film catering company, says they have a plan to save 140 000 litres of water in a range of ways. “We are going to erect water cooler drums, which makes use of water from springs outside of Cape Town. An average shoot uses up to 480 plastic bottles of water a day, so this intervention will drastically save water,” he explains. “We are also installing an air water converter, which will be used to run our kitchen, and will use plastic, bio-degradable plates and cutlery to reduce washing requirements. Our chefs will, in addition, cut out high water — using dishes from the menu, and grey water will be used to clean floors. We know that by taking these steps, we will not only save money, but also ensure that we are sustainable now and into the future. And this will mean even more TV and advert shoots in Cape Town,” he adds. Franschhoek, Cape Town © SA Tourism
WE ARE GOING TO ERECT WATER COOLER DRUMS, WHICH MAKES USE OF WATER FROM SPRINGS OUTSIDE OF CAPE TOWN. AN AVERAGE SHOOT USES UP TO 480 PLASTIC BOTTLES OF WATER A DAY, SO THIS INTERVENTION WILL DRASTICALLY SAVE WATER.
The Commercial Producer’s Association has also called for more sustainable practices in the industry, suggesting a number of ways in which to ‘green’ a production. Bobby Amm, Chief Executive of the CPA, has encouraged the sector
to hire table-top water coolers on location to assist in saving. Monica Rorvik, the Head of the Film and Media Promotion Unit at Wesgro, and certified African film commissioner, has reiterated that despite these climate-related setbacks,
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WE ARE ENCOURAGED BY THE INCREDIBLE MEASURES OUR SUPPLIERS AND PRODUCTION COMPANIES ARE ALREADY TAKING IN ORDER TO SAVE WATER. ALONG WITH OUR PARTNERS IN THE CITY AND WESGRO WITH THE SUPPORT OF OUR SUPPLIERS WE WILL BE ROLLING OUT NEW GUIDELINES THAT ALL COMPANIES MUST ADHERE TO IN OUR EFFORTS TO ENSURE ALL PRODUCTIONS ARE WATER NEUTRAL OR AS CLOSE TO IT AS POSSIBLE. OUR MESSAGE IS CLEAR: CAPE TOWN IS OPEN FOR BUSINESS AND WE CANNOT WAIT TO WELCOME YOU.
the region is still open for business. “We are working with the industry to assist them in becoming water resilient during this drought. We are so thankful for the many companies already taking steps to make this happen. If we all work
together, and do our bit, we will emerge from this period stronger and more resilient. This gives me confidence and hope.” In the coming months, the Wesgro team will be engaging with international film and media at key festivals and trade shows
like Berlinale and the European Film Market. They will also use their colleagues on tourism, trade and investment missions to get the word out that they are ready and willing to continue making motion pictures. Alan Winde, Western
Cape Minister of Economic Opportunites, has also weighed into the discussion, welcoming the forward-thinking efforts of the industry to reduce their footprint and save water. “It is these types of innovative steps that are set to catapult our economy into a stronger and more resilient future. In the short term, the commitments being made by businesses across the province are helping us to get through this critical time, with the result that many jobs will be preserved,” he says. “Our industry has been world leaders on many fronts and our ability as an industry to deal with crisis situations is well known,” adds Rudi Riek, a leading film industry consultant. “We are encouraged by the incredible measures our suppliers and production companies are already taking in order to save water. Along with our partners in the City and Wesgro with the support of our suppliers we will be rolling out new guidelines that all companies must adhere to in our efforts to ensure all productions are water neutral or as close to it as possible. Fortunately for film we generally only bring in less than 10% of the participants on the project from overseas – the remaining 90% are locals, who are already saving water at home. Our message is clear: Cape Town is open for business and we cannot wait to welcome you.”
32 / EVENTS TO DIARISE
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MARCH 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 TAMPERE FILM FESTIVAL 7 – 11 Tampere, Finland SOFIA INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL 8 – 18 Sofia, Bulgaria SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST FILM FESTIVAL 9 – 17 Austin, USA MIAMI FILM FESTIVAL 9 – 18 Miami, USA
APRIL RIO CONTENT MARKET 3–8 Rio de Janeiro, Brazil SAN FRANCISCO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL 4 – 17 San Francisco, USA AFRICAN FILM FESTIVAL NEW ZEALAND 5 – 15 Auckland, New Zealand DAKOTA DIGITAL FILM FESTIVAL 6 Bismarck, USA FLORIDA FILM FESTIVAL 6 – 15 Winter Park and Maitland, USA
ATLANTA FILM FESTIVAL & CREATIVE CONFERENCE 13 – 22 Atlanta, USA SARASOTA FILM FESTIVAL 13 – 22 Sarasota, USA
HONG KONG INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL 19 – 5 April 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
ANN ARBOR FILM FESTIVAL 20 – 25 Michigan, USA
GO SHORT – INTERNATIONAL SHORT FILM FESTIVAL NIJMEGEN 11 – 15 Nijmegen, Netherlands
STOCKHOLM FILM FESTIVAL JUNIOR 16 – 21 Stockholm, Sweden
SETTING SUN SHORT FILM FESTIVAL 26 – 30 Melbourne, Australia
SA ECO FILM FESTIVAL 22 – 30 Cape Town, South Africa
IMAGINE FILM FESTIVAL 11 – 21 Amsterdam, Netherlands
TRIBECA FILM FESTIVAL 18 – 29 New York, USA
HOT DOCS 26 – 6 May Toronto, Canada
LUXOR AFRICAN FILM FESTIVAL 16 – 22 Luxor, Egypt
MIPTV 9 – 12 Cannes, France
BOSTON INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL 12 – 16 Boston, USA
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MARYLAND FILM FESTIVAL 2–6 Maryland, USA
OXFORD INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL 11 – 13 Oxford, United Kingdom
BRAND FILM FESTIVAL 3 New York, USA
SEATTLE INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL 17 – 10 June Seatt le, USA
NICE INTERNATIONAL FILM MAKER FESTIVAL 5 – 12 Nice, France
MAMMOTH LAKES FILM FESTIVAL 23 – 27 California, USA
DISCOP AFRICA ABIDJAN 29 – 31 Abidjan, Ivory Coast
FESTIVAL DE CANNES 8 – 19 Cannes, France
MOUNTAINFILMFESTIVAL 25 – 28 Telluride, USA
ILLUMINATE FILM FESTIVAL 30 – 3 June Sedona, Arizona
KRAKOW FILM FESTIVAL 27 – 3 June Krakow, Poland
NEW YORK SHORTS INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL 31 – 3 June New York, USA
Palmyra Cove Nature Park, Palmyra, United States: a bright red male Northern Cardinal sits perched on a branch in the falling snow. Photo by Ray Hennessy on Unsplash
MAY
34 / ASSOCIATIONS NEWS
SOS AND MMA WELCOME SABC APPOINTMENT The SOS Coalition and Media Monitoring Africa has welcomed the news of the appointment of the new SABC COO Chris Maroleng, subject to final security vetting processes. “We stand behind the board in making critical appointments provided they adhere to the principle of finding the best people for the job, with suitable experience and capabilities,” the organisations said in a statement. “One of the most important tasks for the SABC Board is to stabilise the SABC and ensure quality people are appointed who can do their job, as well as to ensure a world-class public broadcaster.” They also noted with concern the Minister’s recent statements alleging that the SABC CEO, COO and CFO appointments would be made by government through cabinet processes.
“We would like to remind the Minister of the 17 October 2017 High Court Judgement by Judge J Matojane, confirming the SABC Board’s right to make the three executive appointments independently, in consultation with the Minister but without Ministerial veto.” They also mentioned December’s interim order, to which all parties agreed to abide by an independent appointments process. “We wish Mr Maroleng all the best as he takes on the task of leading the turning around and rebuilding of South Africa’s public broadcaster,” the statement concluded.
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CPA ON GREENER COMMERCIAL PRODUCTION Many of SA’s commercials depend on the beauty and function of the environment, so creating a sustainable industry is important, says Bobby Amm, Executive Officer of the Commercial Producers Association. Adgreen, a leader in green production in the UK notes, “If we want cheaper low-energy lighting, enough people have to start using it. If we want our studios to provide recycling facilities, or real plates from our caterers, we have to ask for them and make it clear why we want these things.” She offers some simple steps to implementing a greener process in the production sector:
1. Reduce your printing – use cloud-based services like Dropbox, annotation apps and digital tools for invoices or callsheets, and print one set of storyboards, etc. on display rather than numerous copies for all. 2. Ditch polystyrene and correx – use noticeboards for displaying documentations, ask caterers and DPs to use recyclable or compostable alternatives, use ram board instead of correx floor protection. 3. Reduce water bottles – hire table-top water coolers, ask people to bring their own water bottles or provide reusable ones, supply glasses or compostable cups. 4. Rehome your leftovers – donate leftover food, props and costumes to various charities who can use them. 5. Recycle and compost – ensure you use a waste management provider such as WastePlan (Cape Town), or a recycling collection service such as ECOmonkey (Johannesburg). More information can be found at www.cpasa.tv and the country’s needs.”
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The Independent Producers’ Oganisation paid tribute to Libby Lloyd, who passed on 18 January 2018. Libby Lloyd was a committed activist, journalist and researcher on freedom of expression and media policy. She helped establish the Assocation for Democratic Journalists in the 1980s and early 1990s, was the first CEO of the Media Development and Diversity Agency (MDDA) in 2003, and was a member of one of the interim Boards of the SABC.
“Libby was a passionate advocate for a true public broadcaster and made a sterling contribution to the broadcast industry, including especially in pioneering the progressive local content and commissioning regulations at the dawn of democracy,” says Producer Feizel Mamdoo. Her insight into the sector allowed her to work on projects including media and development issues and policy, focusing on gender and communications.
She developed the SABC language policy and conducted research into a host of broadcast and journalismrelated issues in South Africa and farther afield. She was named Vodacom Media Woman of the Year in 2005 Libby passed away in Johannesburg after a two-year battle with cancer. “We shall miss your depth of knowledge, your insight, your willingness to help, your bravery,” the IPO said in a statement. “Hamba kahle Libby.”
©Ian dooley via Unsplash
IPO PAYS TRIBUTE TO LIBBY LLOYD
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