The Callsheet Issue 07

ISSUE 07 | 2018

B A NT D U RM AR FILM

F EW N RESS C ON G

+ FILM EDUCATION IN 2018

South Africa’s Leading Film Institutions

+ FOREVER INNOVATING

Keeping Up with Technological Trends

CONTENTS / 01

www.thecallsheet.co.za

02. Civil Society Saves Encounters

12 16 19 24

04. Morag Steyn: The

FILM CAMERAS

The new, the old, and the perennial favourites that filmmakers can’t get enough of.

Business of Beauty

07. Durban FilmMart Programme

08. Film Industry Engagement: An Overview

UP IN THE AIR

Natasha Skoryk chats to the leaders in aerial cinematography, and comes to grips with new legislation.

12. Film Cameras: New and Improved

14. DIFF Announces Opening and Closing Films

16. Aerial Cinematography

TECH TRENDS: AN UPDATE

In a sector that is constantly innovating, it’s crucial to stay ahead of the trends.

19. Keeping Up with Tech Trends

24. Film Education in 2018

28. Location Spotlight: Kenya

GETTING AN EDUCATION IN FILM

Where should students place their aspirations?

Our comprehensive listing is a helpful guide to higher education.

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

02 / NEWS

www.thecallsheet.co.za

CIVIL SOCIETY

SAVES ENCOUNTERS – THIS TIME

Encounters, the South African International Documentary Festival, has been an essential fixture in the South African film landscape for two decades, but this year it almost didn’t happen. The festival, arguably the continent’s premier showcase for non-fiction film, lost support from its main funder, The National Film and Video Foundation.

I

f the Festival couldn’t raise R700 000 in a fortnight, this year’s event would have had to be cut short and the financing deficit would have crippled Encounters in one devastating blow. But the festival’s importance and impact on audiences, filmmakers, companies and NGOs proved that South Africans don’t want to lose Encounters, and all it stands for.

With the help of civil society there has been a dramatic a turnaround and within two weeks from the start of the financial crisis, supporters

stepped forward to help fund the financing gap. The biggest support came from the Bertha Foundation with further backing from Open Society Foundation, and Spier.

The Documentary Filmmakers Association, HCI Foundation contributed as well as over 100 individuals and companies who donated through the Festival’s crowdfunding campaign, which raised R128 350 towards the rescue fund.

Many filmmakers who have been guests at the festival in the past stepped up including Academy Award nominated

and Peabody Award winning filmmaker David France and Joy Tomchin of Public Square Films, whose film How to Survive the Plague was screened at Encounters in 2013.

While Encounters has made it through this year’s festival, there is reason to celebrate the show of support, but the organisation has no secure funding in place for future editions. This year was a crisis, and Encounters is grateful that people showed their love.

Encounters believes in the power of documentary film to transform, create empathy

and to contribute to mutual understanding and dialogue between cultures. Through its core activities, the Festival has continued to be a vital platform where both established and emerging filmmakers and audiences intersect with documentary cinema from South Africa and abroad.

The success of the fundraising campaign is proof that South Africans and many others don’t want to lose it.

The reality is that Encounters might not happen next year unless the crisis fund becomes something more secure.

GAUTENG FILM COMMISSION / 03

www.thecallsheet.co.za

Lesedi Cultural Village © Creative Commons via pxhere.com

The Nelson Mandela Statue at the Union Buildings © SA Tourism

GAUTENG FILM COMMISSION

SHOWCASING A DIVERSE FILM DESTINATION

T

he Gauteng Film Commission (GFC) develops, promotes and coordinates the film and television production industry in South Africa’s wealthiest province. An agency of the Gauteng Provincial Government, we are tasked with positioning the province as a world-class destination for filmmaking as well as attracting local and international investments in the film and television industry.

Our core business is to facilitate and enhance the contribution of the industry to the economic growth of the province. The GFC markets Gauteng, with its world-class industry infrastructure, recognised expertise and wide range of locations, as a destination of choice. We also act as a centralised industry intelligence

hub and ensure that people across Gauteng can experience the magic of cinema.

We work with industry, government agencies and other key stakeholders, advising on the development and growth of a sustainable audiovisual industry.

We support the transformation of this sector into a world-class industry and our vision is to cultivate an environment that allows it to play a meaningful role in the socioeconomic development of Gauteng.

The Gauteng Film Commission is a member of the Association of Film Commissioners International.

LOCATION SHOOTING IN GAUTENG

Gauteng is South Africa’s smallest province, but has a sophisticated

economy, developed infrastructure, an established film industry – and incredibly diverse filming locations.

These range from the urban and industrial landscapes of Johannesburg, the province’s biggest city and the economic powerhouse of Africa, to gold mines, small towns, nature reserves and botanical gardens, monuments, historical buildings and the majestic Magaliesberg mountain range.

This is where modern and ancient meet as one of the world’s most dense, highrise urban centres gives way to the Cradle of Humankind World Heritage Site, with its pristine cave formations, undulating savannah grassland and scenic mountain vistas.

PUBLIC FILM PERMITS

The GFC does not issue location filming permits, nor does the GFC have a film permit unit.

Permits are issued by the relevant city, provincial or national departments, agencies and authorities. Some government departments and agencies have asked for permit applications to be channelled through the GFC. This allows us to keep better track of what is happening in the Gauteng and help us identify and address bottlenecks.

CONTACT

Tel: +27 (0) 11 833 0409

04 / SPOTLIGHT

www.thecallsheet.co.za

MORAG STEYN THE BUSINESS OF BEAUTY

In town to host an exclusive series of masterclasses, Morag Steyn chats to the Callsheet about her life as one of the local and Bollywood film industries’ most in-demand make-up artists.

A

former model, and a magician with all manner of beauty products, South African-born Morag Steyn is a hot commodity on sets both here and abroad. Rated as one of the top 10 hair and makeup artists on the African continent, Morag gave in to the allure of the Bollywood film and TV behemoth, where she worked on massive productions such as Sollividava.

She has styled household names such as Neha Kakkar and Zareen Khan, but still maintains close relationships with SA celebs such as Roxy Burger (How Do I Look? SA). Recently, Morag created the special effects looks for Christia Visser in Alison, Uga Carlini’s hybrid feature film.

What’s your story?

When I finished studying cosmetology, I did a course in special-effect makeup. However, that area of the industry wasn’t lucrative at the time. I apprenticed at MAC Cosmetics, and then became Manager at MAC in Sandton. I was approached by a makeup school to open a new branch, which I immediately said yes to. I taught makeup and hair there for two years, but I felt like a needed something more fulfilling.

Top Billing approached me and the rest is history! Word of mouth is so powerful – I was soon able to freelance. Soon after that an Indian agency made contact and I packed up and went abroad! I did three Bollywood features and some TV shows in quick succession. And now I’m based in Dubai, and the high-fashion side of the city is

amazing. It really is the New York of the Middle East. I do travel back to SA quite frequently for jobs.

What’s in the pipeline?

We are planning the looks for season two of How Do I Look?

SA, which I’m so excited for. I’ve worked with Roxy Burger (the host) for years, I think I could do her face with my eyes closed!

What are your goals going forward?

I would love to have my own brand one day. It would be simple as I have a degree in cosmetology, but it’s not an immediate priority.

What surprised you about your work abroad?

In Bollywood, makeup artists are invited to meet with the actors or models beforehand, so that we can get a sense of each other.

If there is synergy, the artist is booked for an event. After that, you’ll get a call saying you are hired for the shoot. Unlike in South Africa where an artist is simply booked for a job whether you like the actor or not.

Why do you think you’re such a hot commodity in the industry?

I made it my mission to master African and Indian skin and hair.

I think that’s my USP. I worked in an African hair salon so that I could learn exactly how to master braids and weaves. It’s essential to have a diverse skill set.

For more information, visit: moragsteyn.wixsite. com/makeup-artist

Morag Steyn

ESSENTIALS FOR SET LIFE 1. Primers and Foundation that suit the climate of the country you’re shooting in. (An Indian climate is obviously very different to South Africa) 2. Ample supply of brushes – for everyone’s faces and touch ups – I really don’t believe in using the same brush on multiple faces.

3. Organic Glycerine – to create those fake tears if needed on set.

4. Make sure none of your products are fake – the implications of this can be detrimental – if you don’t have budget for something rather ask for a higher budget to get exactly what you need.

5. Have a good, organised kit – I prefer to use a normal

trolley suitcase (they are easy to travel with) and with the products inside arranged in clear bags. On set, I use a clear sling bag which has the products that I know I will need. For example, there are wet wipes, hand sanitiser, a sewing kit, pain killers, eye drops etc. and of course powders and all the products I need for the set/shoot etc.

6. More than having the essentials, make sure you read the brief and have references of the looks you need to do on the day, and make sure that you have everything to create the looks.

7. Don’t ever go for the “cheaper” option with anything – always get the best and go with it.

Local Excellence Global Appeal

So much more than merely a multi-purpose conference and exhibition destination, the iconic Cape Town International Convention Centre combines flexible venues, impeccable service, cutting-edge technology and the finest global cuisine to transform your event into an extraordinary experience. So, whether your attendees are from around the world, or around the corner, give them world-class experience they deserve with the uniquely African flair they desire, at the CTICC. For more information, or to book your event, exhibition or convention at CTICC, call +27 21 410 5000, email sales@cticc.co.za or visit www.cticc.co.za.

06 / ANNECY

www.thecallsheet.co.za

ANNECY

INTERNATIONAL ANIMATION FILM FESTIVAL 11-16 JUNE 2018 (MIFA 12-15 JUNE) MIFA 2018: GROWTH

The Mifa, which is the biggest international market dedicated to animated films, has just closed with a new record year.

With nearly 3 800 participants (+22% compared to 2017) from 75 countries, this event, which brings together professionals and emerging talents working in the audiovisual and animated films sectors from around the world every year, continues its development and growth that dates back 11 years.

“We feel that this has been a very particular year. In addition to the changes that were successfully implemented last year and continued this year (a 4-day Market, instead of a 3-day Market that was in place until 2016; increasing the surface area of the Market to more than 7 200m2; new VR areas; the second summit with Women in Animation and Les Femmes s’Animent; meetings between talented individuals, students and professionals at the Mifa Campus. New measures were added: Market Screenings, Meet the Composers, Shoot the Book Anim’ and Demo Sessions. Each of these events received a number of people that exceeded what we had supposed and helps us to start imagining a 2019 Mifa that can fulfil expectations in an even better way,” said Mickaël Marin CITIA Managing Director, Head of Economic Development & Mifa.

11 YEARS OF CONTINUOUS GROWTH

3 800 badgeholders, +22% compared to 2017, 1 736 companies in attendance, +20% compared to 2017, 490 buyers,

distributors and investors, +12% compared to 2017, 75 countries represented on a meeting surface that has increased this year to 7 200m2, a delegation of 80 people from Brazil, the animation of which is being honoured, the 1st involvement of Cameroon, Bolivia, Ecuador, Peru, Switzerland, Hungary and Georgia. A “Creative Europe MEDIA” Umbrella for the first time.

EXTREMELY POPULAR RECRUITMENT SESSIONS

More than 920 candidates (900 in 2017) took part in 75 recruitment sessions. 60 of the biggest animation studios in the world (Illumination MacGuff, Pixar, Laïka, ILM, Cube Creative, On Kids and Family, Mikros Animation, Xilam Animation, TeamTO and many more) were able to meet the best young professionals from the sector throughout the world.

New initiatives for helping the industry: • Market Screenings: The Mifa aims to promote the circulation and reputation of films, and it therefore launched the first Market Screenings in 2018. These new events offered the opportunity for producers, distributors and sales representatives to present their latest productions to professionals.

• Meet the Composers: As music is one of the themes honoured during the 2018 Annecy Festival, the Market joined forces with the Sacem to organise B2B Meet the

Composers events. They were one-on-one meetings aiming to encourage discussions between composers and directors.

• Shoot the Book Anim’: This year, the Mifa teamed up with the SCELF (Société civile des éditeurs de langue française), Auvergne-RhôneAlpes Cinéma and l’Institut français to organise Shoot the Book Anim’, and to promote books that are likely to be adapted into animated films.

Editors were able to pitch their work to an audience of animation professionals.

• Demo Sessions: The Mifa has been putting more of an emphasis on the latest animation technology in Demo Sessions. These showcases provide the opportunity for companies specialising in the development of digital technology to promote their tech tools and solutions.

• At the time of reforms to state-owned media, it was at the Mifa where stakeholders in the profession and organisations representing them expressed their concerns.

MIFA ANIMATION INDUSTRY AWARD TO WOMEN IN ANIMATION

The Festival decided in 2015 to put women at the top of the billing, with an entirely female jury, the design of the official poster entrusted to a well-known female artist, and a programme of films by female directors. In 2016, Michèle Lemieux created the poster, and 7 of the 12 jury members were women.

In 2017, the Mifa hosted the first Women in Animation World Summits, and, eager to strengthen its commitment to women in animation, the Mifa decided to award the Mifa Animation Industry Award for the 1st time to a symbolic organisation, Women in Animation, because the world of animation is inextricably linked with women!

See you at Annecy between 11th and 14th June 2019 for the next Mifa (and 10-15 June for the Festival) For more info: www.annecy.org +33 (0)4 50 10 09 00 Social networks: @annecyfestival

2018 DURBAN FILMMART INDUSTRY PROGRAMME 20 - 23 July 2018

at the Durban Internationa

l Film Festival 2018

Friday, 20 July

RegistRation: 08h30 - 17h30 daily 09h00 - 10h00 Celebrating Transformation in the Industry: Panel Discussion led by South African Women in Film & Television Suite 5 10h00 - 12h00 10h00 - 12h00 Are there any Sacred Cows in Co-Production Treaties - Treat Filmmaking? Led by SASFED or Trifle? Panel Discussion Suite 5 Suite 3

09h00 - 10h00 Copyright vs Copyleft: The Future of Copyright: Panel Discussion Suite 5 10h00 - 12h00 A Bird’s Eyeview of Global Industry Trends with Stephen Follows Suite 5 12h00 - 13h00 National Film and Video Foundation: Industry Engagement Feedback Suite 3

12h00 - 13h00 National Film and Video Foundation: Marketing and Branding Your Film Suite 3 14h00 - 15h00 National Film and Video Foundation talks Filming In South Africa 14h00 - 16h00 Suite 3 Talents Durban Master Class 15h00 - 16h00 Suite 4 Whats the Deal with Financing Films in Africa: Panel Discussion Suite 5

14h00 - 15h00 Aesthetics of African Cinema: Panel Discussion Suite 5

16h00 -17h00 Festivals and Funds: Round Tables Suite 4

15h00 - 17h00 Africa Through the Lense with Dayo Ogunyemi Suite 5

16h00 - 17h00 Women Led Film: Round Tables Suite 4

12h00 - 13h00 12h00 - 13h00 National Film and Video Foundation Talks Taking Local Stories Copyright Amendment Bill and Launches Global: Documentary Panel a Gender Matters Study Discussion Suite 3 Suite 5 14h00 - 15h00 14h00 - 15h00 Distribution: Debunking the Myths National Film and Video Understanding the Exploitation Value Foundation Spark Chain: Panel Discussion Master Class Suite 5 Suite 3 15h00 - 17h00 Talents Durban Story Junction Pitch Suite 4 16h00 - 17h00 Documentary Round Tables with Industry Professionals Suite 5

Workshops 20-21 July 21 July 20-22 July 20-24 July 22-23 July 23-26 July

09h00-17h00 09h00-17h00 09h00-17h00 09h00-17h00 09h00-17h00 09h00-17h00

Monday, 23 July

09h00-17h00 DFM Official Projects Finance Forum Meetings Suite 2

Sunday, 22 July

RegistRation: 08h30 - 17h30 daily 09h00 - 10h00 Department of Trade and Industry Film Incentives Guidelines Launch (Foreign and Co-Production) Suite 5 10h00 - 12h00 Secrets of TV Serial Stories & How Filmmakers Can Evolve into TV Storytellers with Peter Russell Suite 5

16h00 - 17h00 Breaking through into Business of the Business: Panel Discussion Suite 5

RegistRation: 08h30 - 17h30 daily 09h00 - 10h00 South African Emerging Black Filmmakers Fund Guideline Launch Isiphethu Hub 10h30 - 12h30 BRICS SA Forum: BRICS Film Fund Suite 3

10h30 - 12h00 Is There an Audience for Documentaries in Africa?

Panel Discussion Suite 5

12h00 -13h00 BRICS SA Forum: Distribution Strategies Suite 3

12h00 -13h00 The Medium is the Message: Panel Discussion Suite 3

14h00 - 15h00 BRICS SA Forum: BRICS Audio-Visual Co-Production Treaty Suite 3

14h00 - 16h00 KZN Film Commission: Designing a Creative Festival & Distribution Strategy with the Film Festival Doctor: Rebekah Louisa Smith Suite 5

Jumpstart Writers Workshop with Produire au sud The Africa Pitch for Official DFM Projects Caribbean Tales TV Series Accelerator Workshop Talents Durban Programme for Official Talents Projects Finance Forum Meetings for Official DFM Projects Isiphethu FilmMakers Hub

16h00 - 17h00 BRICS SA Forum: Animation Matters Suite 3

pLEAsE NoTE: All networking events are by invitation only.

09h00-17h00 DFM Official Projects Finance Forum Meetings Suite 2

15h00 - 16h00 Sexual Harassment & Race in the Industry: Panel Discussion led by South African Women in Film & Television Suite 4

09h00-17h00 DFM Official Project Pitching Forum Suite 2

Saturday, 21 July

RegistRation: 08h30 - 17h30 daily

08 / SPOTLIGHT

www.thecallsheet.co.za

A WAY FORWARD FOR THE WESTERN CAPE

Constructive ways forward for the industry were outlined at the Film Industry Engagement workshop.

D

istressingly, over the last few years, there has been a dramatic drop-off in commercial production in the Western Cape.

Evidence points to a 40% drop in revenue since the 2017 season, and up to 50% from 2016. A number of reasons account for this. Firstly, the drought and subsequent water crisis scared off many production teams.

Secondly, there is a widespread perception that Cape Town’s studios are fully booked, and so attempts to access them aren’t made. Thirdly, continued

uncertainty over the future of the film incentive programme makes production teams wary of committing to the area. And finally rising costs, a stronger Rand and competing international markets such as Eastern Europe, Portugal and Thailand, have all swayed producers away from the Western Cape.

To combat these challenges, the Film Industry Engagement workshop was held at the Cape Town Stadium on the 12 th of June to chart a way forward.

The illustrious panel of speakers featured: JP Smith (Mayoral

Committee Member: Safety & Security and Social Services); Leonora de Sousa-Zilwa (Events Manager); Lisa Mini (Film and Media Promotion Officer at Wesgro); Bev Wynne (from the Commercial Producers Association); Rudi Riek (from the South African Association of Stills Producers); Belinda Johnson (from the Independent Producers Association); Julia Finnis-Bedford (from the National Association of Location Agents); Nico Dekker (CEO of the Cape Town Film Studios); Anil Rinquest (Unit Manager); and

Jehad Kasu (Marketing Director of the Cape Town International Film Market and Festival).

Despite some of the challenges facing the industry being well known, workshop participants raised a number of additional concerns and challenges facing the industry.

The first of these was the lack of a Film Commission, since its closure in 2016. Another commonly voiced concern was around bureaucratic red tape; despite the economic importance of film in the Western Cape, acquiring permits to film is not

Cape Town, South Africa. Photo by ©Dan Grinwis via Unsplash

SPOTLIGHT / 09

www.thecallsheet.co.za

Supping on the canals of V&A Waterfront Marina © City of Cape Town

THE CITY OF CAPE TOWN ANNOUNCED PLANS TO SIGNIFICANTLY INCREASE THE AWARENESS OF CAPE TOWN AS A PREFERRED FILM AND MEDIA DESTINATION. an easy process. Unfortunately, the city is only available for major lock-offs from Saturday afternoon until Monday morning. Limited access to key city locations, such as the SANParks, were also cited as problems, and the moratorium on filming on beaches and roads over key shooting periods poses a challenge.

Complex intellectual property laws and foreign filmmakers’ perceived visa struggles also hampered the industry. In terms of the latter, it was acknowledged that visa laws have been relaxed in recent years, but many internationals still see this as a barrier to entry. Finally, the lack of skills development and transformation in the industry were cited as reasons for the stagnation of the sector.

The panel therefore suggested that a multi-prong approach was necessary to revitalise the Western

Cape’s film industry. All in all, this would take the form of a tactical communication intervention, which would aim to achieve a number of goals.

Initiatives will include signing the “Film Friendly Cape Town” pledge, creating a PR campaign to the residents of Cape Town about the importance of the film and simultaneously creating a PR campaign aimed at overseas client base to explain how the positive economic impact is greater than the negative water impact of shooting in the Western Cape.

The intervention would need to create a strong global positioning for Cape Town as a film and media city that is open for business. To achieve this, it would need to unite the various film stakeholders behind the campaign and develop excitement in local communities for film. Hopefully, this would result in an uptake in film sector for the 2019

and 2020 film seasons.

The City of Cape Town announced plans to significantly increase the awareness of Cape Town as a preferred film and media destination. They intend to highlight it as a strong value for money proposition, whilst investing in the development of local talent and skills and providing the necessary infrastructure to enhance the value proposition along the value chain. Furthermore, the City intends to release a new film policy and strategy, resolve the continued Film Commission question, and work with other government agencies and the industry to promote and develop the film sector.

An argument for increased collaboration between the film and eventing industries was made. This could involve creating more resources to be shared between the eventing and film production industries (for example, using eventing

Production Music for Professionals representing over 60 international labels and African Planit, a South African Music Library.

Service is our first Priority.

traffic control for film shoots), as well as general co-operation between stakeholders in the two sectors.

Mini spoke about additional opportunities for collaboration that could help to boost the sector.

These included film festivals, networking and knowledge sharing, film associations, inbound and outbound missions and an increased focus on air access support.

In all, the event showed positive attitudes from key stakeholders, and revealed the deep-rooted commitment to resolving the many challenges plaguing the sector and revitalising the Western Cape film industry. If the leaders and members of the sector continue demonstrating this collaborative attitude and hands-on approach, one can only imagine a bigger and better Western Cape film industry.

VISIT US: www.synchromusic.co.za

10 / NEWF 2018

www.thecallsheet.co.za

NEWF 2018

NATURE, ENVIRONMENT & WILDLIFE FILMMAKERS CONGRESS Creating a Path to Conservation Through Film.

T

he second edition of the Nature, Environment and Wildlife Filmmakers Congress (NEWF) takes place at the Durban Botanic Gardens from July 16th – 18th 2018. NEWF is Africa’s premier destination for the convergence of nature, environment, wildlife and adventure conservation filmmakers, scientists, conservationists and broadcast media.

The world consumes so much of Africa’s wildlife and natural history yet there is no permanent platform in Africa for filmmakers, conservationists and scientists to explore, stimulate discussions and ideas and move towards a shared vision of protecting the earths’ natural assets for future generations.

Importantly there is also a critical need for Africa to expose the world to the wealth of Africa’s stories, wonders and natural history in addition to its wildlife, told this time around from unique African perspectives by Africans.

“NEWF was born out of the need to create a permanent niche platform in Africa for passionate filmmakers around the world to forge new relationships, build on those already formed, innovate and move towards further development in natural history and conservation content creation”, explains Noel Kok, Founder and Programmes Director of NEWF. For three days, NEWF creates a path to conservation

through film by providing a platform for delegates to engage, network, connect and contribute to the industry.

NEWF 2018 offers topics to inspire story and spark lively and robust debate, informative panel sessions, case studies and interactive demonstrations.

An array of keynote speakers, industry leaders, decision makers and special guests are attending.

Some of the International guests include Peter Hamilton (Documentary Television), Ludo Dufour, Managing Director of Sales and Distribution (Off The Fence), Bettina Dalton, Executive Producer (WildBear Entertainment Australia), Lisa Samford, Executive Director (Jackson Hole Wildlife Film Festival), Dr. Paula Kahumbu, CEO (Wildllife Direct, Kenya) and Luwi Nguluka (Wildlife Crime Prevention - Zambia).

South African guests include, Thando Shozi-Malanga, Head of Factual (SABC), Graeme Duane, Creative Director (Earth Touch), Peter Lamberti, CEO (Lion Mountain Media) and Dr.

Andrew Venter, CEO of leading conservation organisation WILDTRUST. Other South African independent filmmakers participating in panels include Janet Solomon, James Suter, Oli Caldow, Candice Odgers, Karin Slater, Bonginhlanhla Ncube (Mr. B). Sessions will be facilitated by award-wining female factual content creators Takalani Mulaudzi, Yolanda Mogatusi and Jolynn Minnaar.

One of the key areas of focus of NEWF is the NEWF Development Fund — a programme designed to kickstart the next generation of nature, environment, wildlife and adventure conservation filmmakers and will host the N.E.W Pitch Documentary Short Pitching Competition during the congress. The N.E.W Pitch competition is aimed at discovering the next generation of nature, environment, and wildlife filmmakers.

“Do you have an engaging, innovative or inspirational natural history, environmental, conservation or adventure story?”

asks Pragna Parsotam-Kok, Founder and Congress Director of NEWF. Eight finalists have been selected to pitch at the N.E.W Pitch competition during NEWF 2018 and four winners will be selected to win R 50 000 to develop and produce their documentary short. The 2017 N.E.W Pitch winners will premiere their films at a public screening on the beach, on July 17th.

Registration is open for NEWF 2018. Registration costs R500 for a three day pass and provides delegates access to all programmes and events including, daily lunch, opening night and closing night. To register and for highlights visit www.newf.co.za.

The Nature, Environment and Wildlife Filmmakers Congress is funded by the National Film and Video Foundation, The KwaZuluNatal Department of Economic Development, Tourism and Environmental affairs, eThekwini Municipality, Parks and Recreation Unit and The KwaZulu-Natal Film Commission and is made possible through various other sponsorships and partnerships.

CONTACT DETAILS:

Cell: +27 64 294 0669 WhatsApp: +27 64 294 0669 Email: info@newf.co.za Website: www.newf.co.za

12 / FEATURE

www.thecallsheet.co.za

THE WORLD OF

FILM CAMERAS

What are the latest developments in the world of film cameras? Natasha Skoryk speaks to Stacey Keppler, of camera rental company Zootee Studios, to find out.

Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 4K

A

“

lot of people have been saying that we’ve reached peak technology,” Stacy Keppler says, considering the role of the new film cameras on the scene. Most of the cameras currently available on the market offer multiple lenses, dynamic range and phenomenal resolution – which looks to improve with the rise of 8K. As such, even the so-called “basic” models offer filmmakers far greater range than past iterations used to. “We’ve reached an amazing dynamic range within all our cameras,” Keppler adds, “And then we’ve reached a resolution

which is just amazing already – never mind going to 8K – but most [cameras] are over 4K. That’s amazing! All these cameras are producing beautiful images.”

This can make it far more challenging to pick a ‘favourite’ camera than it used to be in days gone by, and it is also harder to get excited by new arrivals on the scene – at times it might even seem as though the greatest developments have already taken place. “Obviously, in terms of higher-end cameras, the Sony VENICE does look great,” Keppler says, “I went to a workshop with that and it really

did look great.” James Cameron has announced he will use to film the Avatar sequels. Cameron will reportedly be customising his cameras, in order for the specific requirements on the Avatar set to be met, but even the ‘standard’ model looks phenomenal. The full frame 36×24 mm sensor boasts 6K resolution, and the VENICE comes with a number of additional features, such as dual base ISO, select FPS and LAN remote control. This doesn’t mean it will be widely available locally. “It’s trying to compete with our ALEXA and people are so entrenched in

that market, so it is still a risk for the rental market to then go and buy one when you know for sure the ALEXA is going to go out,” explains Keppler.

Innovation has also been rife in the world of handheld cameras, with the Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 4K (currently retailing for $1,295/±R17 460) being one welcome addition. 4/3 HDR sensor, dual native ISO with up to 25600 ISO for incredible low light performance as well as 13 stops of dynamic range. This cutting-edge camera eliminates expensive external recorders,

FEATURE / 13

www.thecallsheet.co.za

features a unique new USB-C Expansion Port and allows customers to record using the internal SD/UHS-II and CFast recorders or directly to the same external disks they will use for editing and colour correction.

There are now more ‘budget’ options available on the market than ever before, which means that Keppler finds more productions are choosing to purchase their own cameras rather than rent, as was standard practice in the past.

In fact, it is possible to consider a world beyond traditional film cameras.

Smartphone filming has been on the rise; Steven Soderbergh’s latest release, Unsane, was shot on an iPhone 7 Plus using FiLMiC Pro. The film, which stars Claire Foy, Juno Temple and Matt Damon, has not been particularly well-received, with the New York Times’s Monhla Dargis writing the “quick-anddirty approach works here better as a conceptual gambit

IT WILL BE INTERESTING TO MONITOR WHAT HAPPENS IN THE FUTURE – AND WHETHER SOUTH AFRICA’S FILMMAKERS START TO INNOVATE WITH THE HOT NEW ARRIVALS COMING ONTO THE MARKET.

Sony Venice

than as an entertainment” and going so far as to call it “grindingly unpleasant.”

However, these complaints might be more to do with Unsane than with the medium. Tangerine (2015) was filmed on an iPhone 5S and proved an awards darling, and Academy Award-winning Searching for Sugar Man (2012) was completed on an iPhone once the late Malik Bendjelloul faced funding challenges.

However, iPhones and budget film cameras aren’t quite putting gear rental companies out of business. “For us, Sony PXWFS7 are still doing very well, and then our second most popular camera is our Sony A7S. They do particularly well,” Keppler says.

“Even though we have a RED Dragon, which we rent out fairly cheaply, our Sony FS7s because of the ease of use and the ease to deal with the post-production flow, they just go out the most,” she adds. Zootee Studios has

focused primarily on Sony, and Keppler finds this is because local filmmakers tend to flock towards the brand, over and above rival brands. “I don’t know what it is with these trends,” says Keppler, “Sony did so well in South Africa…

Panasonic… I would be hesitant to get the AU-EVA1 even though I know it’s probably a great camera.” This, despite the fact that the Panasonic AU-EVA1 has dual ISO, which South Africa’s hot favourite the FS7 doesn’t. The resolution on the AU-EVA1 is actually better than on the Sony too.

“People only rent what they know,” Keppler sighs, “And people just love Sony here.”

It will be interesting to monitor what happens in the future – and whether South Africa’s filmmakers start to innovate with the hot new arrivals coming onto the market.

14 / SPOTLIGHT

www.thecallsheet.co.za

DURBAN INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL ANNOUNCES OPENING AND CLOSING FILMS

A dark, horror film and a touching LGBTI love-story have been selected respectively as the opening and closing films of the 39th Durban International Film Festival (DIFF), which takes place from 19 to 29 July 2018.

The Tokoloshe - Petronella Tshuma

I

n a bold move to shift perceptions of how African stories can be told cinematically across genres, DIFF has selected a South African debut thriller/horror feature The Tokoloshe, directed by Jerome Pikwane, for opening night and Kenyan director, Wanuri Kahiu’s tender story of lesbian love, Rafiki, as its closing film. Both films shine a light on gender-based violence, and strike a timely, feminist chord.

“With the current global focus on giving womxn a voice in a world dominated by masculinity and systemic misogyny, we wanted to book-end the festival with films that tell stories about womxn, their strength and their survival. We also want to showcase, from a cinematic point of view, that there are many ways to tell these stories,” says Manager of DIFF, Chipo Zhou.

The Tokoloshe is directed by Jerome Pikwane, co-written with

novelist Richard Kunzmann and produced by Dumi Gumbi and Cati Weinek of The Ergo Company.

In The Tokoloshe, which stars Petronella Tshuma, Dawid Minnaar, Kwande Nkosi, Harriet Manamela and Yule Masiteng, a young womxn, crippled by suppressed emotions, must find the courage to face an insatiable demon, wrought in her own childhood, when she tries to save the life of a girl-child abandoned in a rundown Johannesburg hospital.

“Using the horror genre I wanted to investigate how we suppress trauma, and what happens when the trauma comes to the surface. In effect, the tokoloshe in South African mythology has become a foil for abuse that is ingrained in our society,” says director Jerome Pikwane. “And the characters, their journey, their relationships are the focus and not the beautiful shots nor the CGI,

although we have that too.”

“The film is not quite what one expects from its title, so I dare audiences to see beneath the surface,” says Zhou. “It is a horror film, crafted so intricately, unveiling the menace that is our everyday burden as womxn in this country.

But the film depicts the story of a survivor, not a victim. It is a chilling story, one that needs to be told now and is particularly relevant as it gives voice to the voiceless.”

Closing film Rafiki, directed by Wanuri Kahiu, produced by Steven Markovitz and starring Samantha Mugatsia and Sheila Munyiva, is a touching tale of two very different girls living in Nairobi, who fall in love. Co-written with Jenna Bass, the film was the first Kenyan feature film to be invited to Cannes Film Festival 2018 as part of the Official Un Certain Regard selection, and was a project in the 2012 Durban FilmMart.

“Over the years of developing this film, we have seen worrying developments in the anti-LGBTI climate in East Africa,” says director Wanuri Kahiu. “Local films and international TV shows have been banned because of LGBTI content. This has muffled conversations about LGBTI rights and narrowed the parameters of freedom of speech. My hope is that the film is viewed as an ode

to love, whose course is never smooth, and as a message of love and support to the ones among us who are asked to choose between love and safety. May this film shout where voices have been silenced.”

“We are delighted to be able to screen Rafiki at DIFF,” says Zhou.

“The film speaks to the issues of patriarchy that has led the film to be banned in its own country, and closes a festival with a programme packed with films dealing with a host of current challenges that those marginalised in our society, and especially womxn, are “loudly” grappling with.”

“At this time alongside the #MeToo and, closer to home, the #ItsNotOk campaigns, that seek to expose the perpetrators of violence against womxn, these films bookend a conscious and carefully curated selection of cinematic themes that also run as threads through the Durban FilmMart and through our new Isiphethu industry programme for emerging and micro-budget filmmakers.”

DIFF opens at The Playhouse on July 19 and runs until July 29. The closing film will be screened on July 28.

For more information, visit www.durbanfilmfest.co.za or any one of DIFF’s social media pages.

at the Durban Internat

ional Film Festival 20

20-23 JULY Visit www.durbanfilmmart.com to register

18

16 / FEATURE

www.thecallsheet.co.za

Image courtesy of FC Hamman

UP IN THE AIR Natasha Skoryk looks up at the sky and finds out more about the state of the aerial cinematography industry in South Africa.

O

nce upon a time, getting the perfect aerial shot required a fully-trained pilot to go up in a plane or helicopter and film from above. Drones are changing this landscape dramatically – you simply no longer need a pilot, helicopter or plane to shoot above ground, but it is not easy to become a certified drone operator. “If you want to be a legal operator, you need to acquire a ROC (RPAS Operating Certificate),” says FC Hamman, a leader in the field and owner of FC Hamman Films. “This consists of five different licenses and nowadays it will take about two years to jump through all the hoops,” he explains.

Tammy Green, from Big Bird Films operating under UAV Industries, expands on the bureaucracy: “The South African Civil Aviation Authority (SACAA)

have set laws for all drones flying in South Africa’s airspace. In order to fly commercially, the company is required to have a few different licenses in place, which include the following: The Air Service License (ASL), Remote Operators Certificate (ROC), Certificate of Registration (CofR), Remote’s Pilot’s License (RPL) and the Release to Service (RLA). In addition to having these licenses in hand in order to operate legally, drone operators are also required to follow additional by-laws, which includes having approval in place from the necessary authorities. Depending on the film location, this could range from having written land owner permission, films permits, Disaster Risk Management approval etc. When operating the drone on the day, we are required to analyse the risks within our immediate operating environment

and mitigate them, prior to flying. These are some of the laws, regulations and protocols that we are required to abide by as legal drone operators.”

Clearly, although the industry is shifting towards drones, this move does not mean that aerial cinematography has suddenly become “easy”. There are still plenty of hoops to jump through, and expertise in the field remains highly valued. “Some industries allow for amateur drone operators to enter relatively easily, however, from a filmperspective, it can be a bit more complicated as this particular role is usually in a high-pressure environment that demands technical flying, and therefore requires experience,” says Green.

Furthermore, the industry is very competitive and starting out requires massive investments.

“You must be very passionate

about your business because it is a very difficult market to penetrate. You need to invest millions into the latest equipment, especially at the top end in the film industry,” Hamman says.

In terms of specifics, Hamman explains that the exact costs can and will depend on the particular situation: “The cost will vary between operators, in our case it was in excess of R400 000.

It is far too expensive and does not stimulate work opportunity for young people in South Africa like it could have and should have. Cost per pilot is between R30 000 and R35 000 if you take all expenses into account.

However, the biggest cost will be for the development of your Operations Manual because you will probably need to hire an aviation expert to help you write it. It is a very time-consuming process.”

Aerial Filming

Full Systems Available In

Cape Town & Johannesburg www.savannah-aerials.co.za

+27 (0) 44 876 0069

18 / FEATURE

www.thecallsheet.co.za

Images courtesy of Big Bird Films

Both Green and Hamman believe that, despite the growth in the drone industry, there will always be space for helicopter pilots and traditional aerial cinematography. Hamman believes the two fulfil different needs in the industry: “I think drones are affecting the helicopter industry but I also believe that they are different tools that overlap to an extent, however helicopters are still relevant. Drones can fly lower and in tighter spaces but may only fly as high as 120 metres.

You can safely operate drones in close proximity to people, structures and vehicles without blowing up a dust storm and the noise levels are much lower than with helicopters.”

Green agrees with this assessment, and believes it all depends on the kind of shot producers are seeking.

“Helicopters will always have a place when it comes to filming - for example, a big wide shot over a city, is more easily achievable with a full size helicopter compared to a drone,” she says. “Having said that, drones are being used in multiple ways, and not necessarily to replace helicopters as some may imagine. For example, the request for the drone camera to be extremely low and close to a hero vehicle on a closed film set is becoming more of the norm, compared to being high and wide.

Each scenario is different, and therefore both helicopters and drones have their place when it comes to aerial cinematography.”

Marvel’s Black Panther made use of Timeslice, a local company, to shoot the landscape of Wakanda.

“We have had a few enquiries from local producers requesting

that the international crew bring their own drones and crew to shoot. Unfortunately, the laws in South Africa don’t support this. In order for it to be legal, all of the above mentioned licensing needs to be in place for commercial operations,” explains Green – thus it is wholly unsurprising that companies like Marvel

use local cinematographers.

Hamman reiterates that these international teams do not lose out: “I believe our local drone crews are as good as anybody else in the world.

Our work ethic is impeccable and from an equipment point of view we always stay in touch with the latest cuttingedge developments.”

DRONES CAN FLY LOWER AND IN TIGHTER SPACES BUT MAY ONLY FLY AS HIGH AS 120 METRES. YOU CAN SAFELY OPERATE DRONES IN CLOSE PROXIMITY TO PEOPLE, STRUCTURES AND VEHICLES WITHOUT BLOWING UP A DUST STORM AND THE NOISE LEVELS ARE MUCH LOWER THAN WITH HELICOPTERS.

FEATURE / 19

www.thecallsheet.co.za

KEEPING UP WITH

THE JONESES What are the unstoppable tech trends rocking the South African filmmaking world?

Natasha Skoryk discovers a few.

T

he world of film technology is forever innovating, and keeping up with the latest trends and developments can be a full-time job. On the one hand, it might seem that we’ve reached our technological peak – with even smartphones now able to shoot in 4K+ resolution – but in many other ways, technology continues to develop and change.

Dramatic improvements in workflow software, for instance, are reshaping the relationships between colleagues and collaborators. Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) are encouraging filmmakers to think beyond the standard formats.

Moreover, improved processing speeds make 3-D tech more possible than ever before.

Another shift in filmmaking has been the continued rise of new platforms that have allowed for self-dissemination of quality content. Influencers – on Instagram and, yes, still on YouTube – are creating fantastic

Experiencing VR first-hand

films and establishing large fan-bases for themselves.

BUDGET BENEFITS

Historically, one of the challenges for South African filmmakers and those working in post-production has been the cost of keeping up with international standards.

The move towards budget gear, therefore, is coming at a welcome time for the industry. Terence Makapan, a young, emerging documentary filmmaker who recently premiered Sorry I’m Late at Encounters had a lot to say on the matter. “I’m very much a fan of the low budget life! I think the

genre of documentary-making kind of lends itself towards that, it makes it more real, I guess,” he explains. While his own documentaries received funding from the American Embassy, Makapan believes the future of documentary filmmaking – at least – certainly links to more affordable tech options.

“I like the fact that we’re using cell-phones now,” Makapan says. That is not to say he expects smartphones to replace the likes of RED, Arri or Sony – but the quality produced on them is excellent, and so it has become possible to tell complex narratives on the compact devices. In fact, Makapan believes the shakiness of phone footage can even add to the story – particularly in the field of documentary. iPhones have been used to film full features, music videos and everything in between. “Now, iPhone X technically isn’t a low budget thing, I mean, it’s quite expensive.

BODYGUARD SERVICES SERVICES PROVIDED NATIONALLY

Tel: 011 824 0334 | Cell: 082 820 5363 | 082 415 7048 | Email: saint@intrigue.co.za | Website: www.bodyguardservices.co.za

Table Mountain © Jess Novotna

Security Drivers VIP Protection Film Shoot Security Personal Protection Security Transfers

20 / FEATURE

However, they’ve been making phones with 4K for a few years now. I think majority of the smartphones nowadays will be able to shoot in 4K,” says Makapan.

INFLUENCER CULTURE

In terms of creating video advertising, many brands are choosing ‘influencers’ over more traditional content – and this has a lot to do with technology. “I definitely think that social media such as YouTube and Instagram is the way to go for advertising, versus TV commercials. Whether it’s through producing your own content, sponsored posts, or even using influencers and social media content creators to advertise your brand versus just producing a TVC,” says Melissa Brown (@melissabrown94). Brown is a major presence in the local travel and nature blogging scene.

Her Klear profile indicates she is in the top 7% of Instagram influencers in South Africa.

Brown embodies a new era of videographers. “I didn’t study film, I studied business,” she says. “I do feel that I’m technically skilled, and how I got to this point, is in my matric year I got an entry level DSLR camera and I watched YouTube tutorials and Googled whatever I needed to learn, and I messed around on Photoshop,” she adds. There are so many resources on the internet, that traditional film programmes are no longer as necessary as they were before. Moreover, Brown’s background in stills photography and slow transition into film helped her feel comfortable with the medium. “You can have all the knowledge you need theory wise, but if you don’t go out and just do it, then you’re never going to progress,” says Brown. This ties into what many traditional crews say too – in film, the best way to lean is through trial and error.

Despite the rise in iPhone videography, Brown still places emphasis on the quality of her cameras. She has been filming on a Canon 6D Mark i for the past few years, but is planning to

www.thecallsheet.co.za

upgrade. “As I’ve progressed, I am not as happy anymore – I’d like to get something more advanced,” she explains. Brown intends to upgrade to a Sony A7iii in the immediate future.

Even in the world of influencers and the self-taught, technology still has a major part to play.

“More and more people are creating video content,” says Brown. To her, this includes cinemagraphs and ‘Boomerangs’.

All of these facilitate more interesting storytelling, and show the development of social media content; it is no longer about a simple picture or two, social media can tell complex narratives in technically proficient ways. “Young people don’t necessarily want to be caught in the 9 to 5 life,” Brown adds, accounting for the rise in these trends. Instead, they can now follow their true passions – and that is mostly thanks to social media.

GO WITH THE WORKFLOW

At the multi-award winning Triggerfish Animation, developments in workflow software have allowed remote artists to contribute to the work produced. Vanessa Sinden, a producer at the studio, explains that Triggerfish uses a number of particular programmes designed to facilitate longdistance collaboration. These include: management tool Shotgun, which allows producers to track and manage the asset and shot pipelines by having artists log in and immediately see their to-do lists, priorities and how these fit into the overall picture; Trello, a tool that allows teams to see what work is being outputted and share research and inspiration with one another; and Slack, which is a communication tool.

The latter helps to build studio culture in an online space.

This is incredibly important, because while it is undoubtedly true that artists can work remotely now, there are definite benefits to sharing

MOVING TOWARDS AN ONLINE SPACE MEANS COMMUNICATION IS OFTEN MORE FORMAL AND STILTED, WHILE ORGANIC, CASUAL DISCUSSIONS BECOME NON-EXISTENT.

a studio space. “We find a lot of solutions come about when the team are working together, having casual chats in a break,” says Sinden. “Having people in different locations means they miss out on organic relationships being formed and being a part of studio culture,” she adds. Moving towards an online space means communication is often more formal and stilted, while organic, casual discussions become nonexistent. This proves an even bigger challenge when working with artists from other cultures, or collaborating with people whose first language isn’t English.

Aside from the practical challenges, Triggerfish has ethical quandaries with fully remote work. “Triggerfish is an independent studio, making African content for international audiences and wanting to grow and transform the local industry.

Therefore, skills transfer is very important to our studio and the culture we nurture is that of a collaborative one between artists,” says Sinden. “We find that creating an animated film or

TV series is a highly collaborative process and can’t actually imagine that a completely remote team would produce the quality of projects that we do at Triggerfish.”

Therefore, while she does believe the industry will have more individual artists working remotely, whole teams are likely to stay in studio. “I personally don’t think [remote is] the most optimal way of working for the type of work we produce at Triggerfish. It is far more ideal to have artists in a studio working together with their creative leads,” explains Sinden.

At the end of the day, it comes down to artistic integrity and producing cutting-edge work.

“Remote working is certainly an option for big servicing studios who are churning out TV series for international broadcasters,” adds Sinden. “Numerous South Africans work remotely for big studios and it is certainly great to have the South African lifestyle, while earning Euros.

But I think the passion that fuels most creatives and artists in animation will see them desiring

FEATURE / 21

www.thecallsheet.co.za

to be on a home-grown project at international quality and these are all studio-based gigs.”

VIRTUALLY REAL LIFE

VR, AR and 3-D tech have been on the rise internationally, and in South Africa as well. The first South African VR-focused company – simply called the Virtual Reality Company – was actually founded in 1998, so while the proliferation of the technology is new, the prototype systems have been in place for a while. The big change, according the Virtual Reality Company’s owner and founder, Gerald Ferreira, came when Google, Samsung and Facebook (through the latter’s acquisition of Oculus) joined the VR party.

Now, major corporates are scrambling to get access to VR for marketing, activations, training and education solutions.

What does the future of this technology look like?

“The way we interact with our

computers at the moment is basically a 2-D environment,” Ferreira explains. “The moment we can run computer software inside Virtual Reality, you are going to have a 23-inch screen that you can basically make as big as you want.” This is going to dramatically impact how we interact with content; including, of course the type of advertising content discussed by Brown.

Ferreira believes another exciting development in the future of VR is the impending integration between smartphones and the virtual world. The moment it becomes possible to answer phone calls or send text messages while remaining inside a simulation, people will be ever more invested in the technology.

Finally, Ferreira is excited by the development of multi-sensory VR technology, particularly through the Teslasuit. “One of the shortcomings of VR is the lack of haptic feedback,” says Ferreira.

With technology like Teslasuit, it

will become possible to physically interact with the VR environment, producing richer stories and more interesting experiences.

For filmmakers, VR provides a whole new, dynamic world to explore – and it is impacting their current creative decisions. Jean Mortlock, of Lung Animation, has been experimenting with Vive and Oculus already. Adds Ree Treweek, of Tulips and Chimneys: “VR and AR are of course opening up great platforms to experiment and develop. We are very excited about this field and hopefully will have some exciting projects to share in the near future.”

In terms of working towards better 3D (and so VR environments), Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) rendering is helping studios produce quality work faster and so better. GPU rendering works on parallel processes at the same time. While traditional Central Processing Units (CPUs) can process up to 24 blocks of data, a GPU can

handle 3000. “We are very excited to test GPU rendering at [Triggerfish] and to see if tools like RedShift could work in our feature film pipeline,” Sinden says. “It’s basically for fast 3D rendering and is the world’s first fully GPU-accelerated biased renderer. Sweet! This should help reduce render times significantly, allowing us to make faster creative decisions, allowing us to be far more efficient without blowing the production budgets.”

THE BOTTOM LINE

At the end of the day, while new tech is always exciting, all of the creatives above agree that it’s not the main reason they chose to work in film. Hugo Meyer, a sound engineer at Blended Audio in Cape Town, sums it up best: “I’m more excited about working on different content than I am about gear. In the end, what I enjoy about this most is working with the artists and working on cool content.”

A top-class production calls for top-class insurance.

Film and Entertainment Insurance Packages Tailored to Your Needs

Congratulations on being included in the Durban International Film Festival 2018! Have you thought about your next production? Don’t let anything unforeseen prevent you from taking your production to greater heights: We are specialists in Film and Entertainment Insurance and will ensure your production is completed hassle-free.

We at CC&A Insurance Brokers have more than 30 years’ experience in the film and commercial producers insurance market. With access to both local and international markets we are able to offer tailored insurance packages for some of the largest film and commercial productions shot in Southern Africa.

KZN | info@ccainsurance.co.za | 031 716 6000 | 1 Old Main Road, Kloof, Durban 3610 Gauteng | info@ccainsurance.co.za | 011 463 0085 | First Floor 59 Thembi Place Calderwood Road, Lonehill 2619 CC&A INSURANCE BROCKERS IS AN AUTHORISED FINANCIAL SERVICES PROVIDER Company Registration Number 1971/000253/07 | FSP Number: 13960

22 / CANNES LIONS

www.thecallsheet.co.za

REWARDING STORIES THAT

ENGAGE AND PROVOKE

Diane McArter, Founder & President, Furlined talks about her role as jury President of the Film Craft Jury at this year’s Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity.

T

he purpose of all great art is to uplift and expand the way we see ourselves, others and the world around us. As this year’s President of Film Craft at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, I’ve invited the jury to consider the art in the craft, its expressive implications and the skill that goes into it.

The Film Craft Lions, the global award that celebrates onscreen artistry and work that demonstrates exceptional filmmaking, honours work in which technical skill and prowess in production elevates an idea or dramatically enhances its execution. The award is designed to ensure that world-class craft remains at the heart of the industry. Cannes Lions is the leading global stage for our industry. It is a huge honour to have one’s work awarded there and it is a privilege be appointed President of the Film Craft jury.

Alongside my jury, I’ll be looking for artfully rendered ideas and stories that engage us in an experience; provoke a powerful emotion - be it heartfelt or humorous; shift perceptions and possibly behaviors; well told ideas and stories that ignite our imaginations. I hope to see more inclusiveness - more diverse and varied voices in the ideas, stories and the perspectives from which they are told.

From the direction to cinematography to the music, editing and art direction, each element of film craft must coalesce and speak in a unified voice. The

CANNES LIONS IS THE LEADING GLOBAL STAGE FOR OUR INDUSTRY. IT IS A HUGE HONOUR TO HAVE ONE’S WORK AWARDED THERE AND IT IS A PRIVILEGE BE APPOINTED PRESIDENT OF THE FILM CRAFT JURY. best work is much greater than the sum of its parts. It’s alchemy. It is a work that transcends its maker.

A reflection of the imagination.

It lives in the mysteries. It’s a place of feeling and emotion.

We tend to think of craft primarily as skillfulness, knowhow and technical ability. The knowledge to make something that has a value. And yet, there’s an added dimension to that value, which we arrive at when we ask the question, “How does it make us feel?”

We can think of craft as having three layers. The pragmatic. The heuristic. The mysteries. The most

beautifully woven basket, thrown pottery and piece of film live in the mysteries, because they transcend the mundane and elevate into the magical and mysterious. They form an empathetic connection with the beholder. The work no longer belongs to the artisan. The original intent of the maker falls away.

It is the individual that imbues the product of the craft with emotion, deepening the meaning.

Somewhere along the way, the best craftspeople transform from apprentice to master. The invisible hand appears and, with deft strokes, captivates a part of your soul. Ours is an industry

that is built upon aesthetic merit.

But “aesthetics” doesn’t just refer to the visual appearance of things or beauty alone. It also implies a search for Truth.

Everyone in our industry is looking for “authenticity” and “emotional resonance” these days, but let’s shift that discussion and call these attributes what they really are – a search for real meaning, beauty and empathetic connection. Truth. Let’s find a new language, symbols and meaning. Advertising needs to engage in Truth, not only because it’s in such short supply these days, but also because that’s what really moves people.

When we think of craft, we must think of more than just the thing that has been created.

Craft has a deeper dimension.

Human relationships are also built through craftsmanship.

And advertising has to be about making relationships, creating connections with the audience and cultivating a deep connection with them. Now more than ever, that’s where our focus must lie.

CONTACT DETAILS T: +44 203 033 4012 E: marianb@lionsfestivals.com W: www.canneslions.com

24 / FEATURE

www.thecallsheet.co.za

FILM EDUCATION IN 2018 The Callsheet spoke to David Stein, Film Department Manager at CityVarsity to gain a deeper understanding of the film-education landscape in South Africa.

level. This most certainly keeps us on our toes, and challenges us to deliver on what they need.

CityVarsity © Tamara MacLaclan

How has CityVarsity improved its film-related course offerings to align with new technologies and student needs?

One of our biggest objectives has been a continuing differentiation between our Film Degree (BA) and Film Diploma. While the Degree and Diploma make use of the same facilities and equipment, our Diploma has increasingly evolved to become a qualification that produces “industry-ready” graduates. As a result, our Diploma particularly has undergone enhancements to meet the needs of industry. For example, we identified that continuity is a special skill in great demand within the industry. Once we became aware of this, we began offering a continuity course within our Diploma to train our students to meet this need. Our engagement with industry has also helped us to identify pieces of equipment being used on real-world film sets. While we continue to train our students on the fundamentals in terms of equipment, we are profoundly aware that keeping them abreast of technological advancements will increase their employability.

Where it is challenging to purchase

and maintain specialised pieces of equipment, we ensure that students have access to it on some other way. For example, we recently hosted a master class on jibs and cranes, which gave students hands-on experience with these large pieces of gear.

We also leverage our partnerships with organisations such as Panavision. A recent field trip to their facility was met with great enthusiasm. In terms of student needs, our engagement begins at the level of Open Days and Winter Workshops, before potential students have even enrolled for our courses. At this early stage we already begin to assess their expectations and needs as film students and future industry professionals. As a campus, CityVarsity engages in regular student evaluation and feedback processes across all departments.

In the Film Department we also host weekly sessions with students to discuss their general feedback and needs. In this way, we aim to keep our finger on the pulse of student experience and expectations. Each year we are astounded at our incoming students’ level of tech-savviness and drive to compete at industry

What is the ratio between practical and theoretical aspects of the filmrelated courses, and how are these decided?

In our Film Degree (BA), students are required to complete the theoretical modules of Film Appreciation, History of Art, Media Communications and Visual Literacy. Because our Film Diploma is a more practical course, students are only required to complete Visual Literacy and Film Appreciation.

Degree students therefore spend more time on theoretical subjects and their accompanying assessments (essays, class presentations, reflective journals etc.) to develop the more “academic” research focus of their qualification. In the Film Diploma, students produce more practical projects in the form of film and video shoots.

And because our Diploma has a strong practical focus with an emphasis upon preparing students for industry, the nature of their practical projects are informed by “real-world” industry briefs. That’s why they are required to produce projects like music videos, advertisements, and corporate videos for actual clients. In both the Degree and the Diploma, we make a point of linking the theoretical with the practical, so students understand the importance of their theoretical subjects and how they inform their practical work.

How is CityVarsity working to address the lack of transformation in the film sector?

In our Film Department we are strong believers in “preparation meets opportunity”. On the preparation front, we train our students not only on a theoretical and practical level, but also in what we refer to as “setiquette”.

This important focus inculcates within our students a sense of teamwork, professionalism, cultural awareness and mutual respect. The opportunity component comes into play where we send our students into the working world with the trust that the industry will offer a range of opportunities for students from diverse backgrounds and in diverse roles. Thus we see this as a collaborative process with industry, and we reinforce this partnership aspect by placing our students as interns in industry before they even graduate. In this sense we look to industry to meet us halfway in the provision of opportunity for skilled, passionate young professionals from diverse backgrounds. At the same time, we feel it’s not enough to equip students for industry and then wait for jobs to come to them. We have a strong belief in entrepreneurship and proactivity in terms of creating one’s own opportunities. We encourage our students to develop and produce their own projects while completing their programmes with us. In this way, they are building their showreels and creating “calling cards” with which they can launch careers once they graduate.

FEATURE / 25

www.thecallsheet.co.za

INSTITUTIONS OFFERING FILM AND RELATED COURSES 2018 AAA SCHOOL OF ADVERTISING

About: Founded in 1986, AAA is an award-winning institution offering a world class curriculum in the advertising professions, with an integrated approach to teaching, incorporating new technologies and new media.

Programmes: Higher Certificates in Marketing Communication and Visual Communication, Diplomas in Copywriting and Marketing Communication, Bachelor of Arts Degrees in Creative Brand Communication and Marketing Communication, Strategic Marketing and Advertising Programme, part-time BA Marketing Communication Degree, and short courses in Marketing and Creative Campuses: Randburg (Johannesburg), Cape Town Website: www.aaaschool.co.za

ACADEMY OF TELEVISION & SCREEN ARTS, ACADEMY OF SOUND ENGINEERING About: Founded in 1997, ATV and their sister institution ASE, offer unique, cutting-edge programmes in television, film and new evolving forms of screen media. The school has 24-hour access to professional facilities located in the SABC in Johannesburg.

Programmes: Higher Certificate in Television and Screen Media, Diploma in Television and Screen Media, Bachelor of Science in Sound Engineering Technology, Diploma in Audio Technology, Higher Certificate in Audio Technology, Fundamental Audio Technology Skills Programme, Fundamental Video Technology Skills Programme, Music Business Masterclass Skills Programme, Electronic Music Masterclass Skills Programme, Short Courses, and Pro Tools Courses Campuses: Auckland Park (Johannesburg), Cape Town (Zonnebloem) Website: www.ase.co.za | www.screenarts.tv

CityVarsity © Tamara MacLaclan

ACT CAPE TOWN

About: ACT Cape Town was born in 2005 to facilitate the need for actors to grow and be inspired.

The school is a private higher education institution, with a vision to become a leading acting for film school in Africa. Includes private coaching, corporate training, kids and teens, and studio hire.

Programmes: Two-Year Acting For Film Programme (Higher Certificate & Advanced Certificate – NQF 5-6), Third Year Professional Programme; Part-Time Courses: Acting for Film, Voice and Speech Training; Express Courses: One-Day Accent Training (American, English), OneDay Auditioning for Camera.

Campus: Cape Town Website: www.actcapetown.co.za

AFDA: THE SOUTH AFRICAN SCHOOL OF MOTION PICTURE MEDIUM AND LIVE PERFORMANCE

About: Founded in 1994, AFDA currently has around 2000 students, a permanent staff of over 150, and five fully equipped campuses offering post- and undergraduate courses in film, television, performance, business and computer technology.

Programmes: Master of Fine Arts, Postgraduate Bachelor of Arts Honours, Undergraduate Bachelor of Arts, Undergraduate Bachelor of Commerce, Bachelor Computer

Technology, Higher Certificates, AFDA PRO Short Courses in Broadcast Design, Virtual Reality, Transmedia and Screenwriting.

Campuses: Johannesburg, Cape Town, Durban, Port Elizabeth, Botswana Website: www.afda.co.za

BIG FISH SCHOOL OF DIGITAL FILMMAKING About: Big Fish School of Digital Filmmaking is an awardwinning institution supported by entertainment and media industry giants as well as big business and government. Some 80% of graduates find work in the industry and 20% work on different projects through Big Fish’s Little Pond Trust.

Programmes: Full-time Courses: National Certificate in Film and TV Production, FET Certificate: Film, Television and Video Production Operations (NQF4), FET Certificate: Film and Television Production (NQF5), Diploma: Non-Fiction Filmmaking; Short Courses: Production, Technical, Scripting, Short Format, Business Campuses: Auckland Park (Johannesburg); Cape Town (Green Point) Website: www.bigfish.org.za

CAPE PENINSULA UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY (CPUT)

About: The Cape Peninsula

University of Technology is an internationally acclaimed institution with a range of accredited undergraduate and postgraduate courses.

Programmes: BTech Multimedia (this is a short-term offer before the BTech degree is replaced by the Advanced Diploma in 2018); BTech and National Diploma in Photography; National Diploma in Film Production; BTech Industrial Design; MTech in Design. National Certificate and National Diploma Courses in Multimedia Technology were discontinued in 2016.

Campus: Cape Town CBD, Bellville (Cape Town) Website: www.cput.ac.za

CENTRE FOR FINE ART, ANIMATION AND DESIGN (CFAD)

About: CFAD was founded

by Nanda Soobben in 1994.

The school offers one course integrating the study of Fine Art, Animation and Graphic Design.

The Cape Town campus offers a course with a deeper focus on animation and cinematics.

Programmes: Drawing, Painting, Animation and Cartooning, Computers, ToonBoon, Design, Digital Design, Multimedia, History of Art, History of Graphic Design, Communication, Broadcast Graphics, Video Editing, Experiential Learning (Internship), Visual Literacy, Cinematography, Storytelling, 3D Modelling, Directing for Animation, Programming, Professional Practice.

Campuses: Durban Website: www.cfad.co.za

CITYVARSITY

About: CityVarsity School of Media and Creative Arts has both Cape Town and Johannesburg campuses, with its flagship school in Cape Town featuring state-ofthe-art sound, film, acting and photography studios, an infinity wall, dark room, casting rooms and fully equipped labs for animation, multimedia and journalism.

26 / FEATURE

Programmes: Bachelor of Arts in Professional Acting for Camera, Diploma in Animation/Advanced Diploma in Animation and New Media, Bachelor of Arts: Film and Television, Diploma/Advanced Diploma in Professional Acting for Camera, Film and Television Production Techniques, Higher Certificate in Motion Picture Make-up, Diploma/Advanced Diploma in Multimedia Design and Production, Higher Certificate in New Media Development, Diploma in Professional Photography, Diploma in Professional Photography: Art Direction, Diploma/Advanced Diploma in Sound Engineering, Short Courses, Online Courses.

Campuses: Cape Town, Johannesburg Website: www.cityvarsity.co.za

DURBAN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY (DUT)

About: DUT offers a range of film-related courses through the Department of Art and Design, with a number of post- and undergraduate programmes available to students. The school places a focus on technology and innovation. Their facilities include studios, editing suites and outside broadcasting.

Programmes: National Diploma and/or Bachelor of Technology in Drama and Production; Fashion and Textiles; Fine Art and Jewellery Design; Media, Language and Communication; Video Technology; Visual Communication; and Short Courses.

Campus: Durban Website: www.dut.ac.za

SA FILM ACADEMY

About: The SA FILM Academy is an accredited, non-profit, human capital development facilitator and training provider. The SA FILM Academy offers a coordinated skills & entrepreneurial development industry platform as a vital bridge between education and employment.

Interns are trained and exposed to real work environments via remunerated, in-service training

www.thecallsheet.co.za

All images, CityVarsity © Tamara MacLaclan

and `learning-by-doing’ on local and international productions and in production companies.

Programmes: Unit StandardAligned Skills Programmes (NQF 4-5), Internships, InService Experience Programme, Workshops and Masterclasses Campus: Cape Town Website: www.safilmacademy.org

FOOTPRINT MEDIA ACADEMY About: Footprint Media Academy is an innovative, revolutionary, forward-thinking training provider with a clear vision of the future of training and development. We believe that every client is unique in their approach and therefore requires their own unique training solution. We design, develop and implement training programmes to suit our clients’s requirements.

Programmes: FET Certificate: Film and TV Production; National Certificate: Film and TV Production; National Certificate: Journalism Campuses: Johannesburg; Polokwane Website: www.fmtva.co.za

OAKFIELDS COLLEGE

About: Oakfields College offers full-time and part-time courses and diplomas as well as the choice to articulate to the internationally acclaimed Solent University in the UK. Its registered qualifications and practical experience prepare graduates for the working world.

It features fully-equipped sound studios, photo studios and editing facilities. Oakfields offers skills-

based qualifications that fall into the Occupational Qualification Framework registered with MICT SETA and CATHSSETA. It is provisionally registered with the Department of Higher Education and Training until 31 December 2018 as a private higher education institution.

Programmes: Courses and diplomas on offer include photography; film, television and video production; sound engineering; 3D animation and visual effects; graphic design; drama; fashion design; make-up and special effects; musical theatre and dance; public relations and event management; and marketing.

Campuses: Johannesburg (East Rand), Pretoria (Lynnwood Ridge), Cape Town (Somerset West) Website: www.oakfieldscollege.co.za

JINTEK TECHNICAL COLLEGE About: Jintek Technical College aims at becoming a desired alternative to University education by offering students courses and qualifications that guarantees them employment opportunities in and around South Africa. We offer quality affordable private further education and training.

Programmes: Full-Time Diplomas in: Film and Television Production, Radio and Broadcasting, Journalism, System Support, End User Computing, System Development, Technical Support, Script Writing,

Music Production, Directing, Producing, Camera Work, Editing, Lighting, Marketing and Distribution; and Short Courses.

Campus: Pretoria Website: www.jintektechnicalcollege.co.za

OPEN WINDOW INSTITUTE FOR ARTS AND DIGITAL SCIENCES

About: The Open Window Institute is a private tertiary education institution with practice-led tuition offering degrees, certificates and short courses in the fields of visual communication, film, animation and interactive design.

Programmes: Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Arts Honours Degrees in Visual Communication, Interaction Design, and Film Arts; Certificate, FET Certificate and National Certificate in: Design Techniques (NQF 5), Film and Television Production (NQF 5), 3D Animation and Visual Effects (NQF 5), Photography (NQF 4), New Venture Creation, (NQF4); Short Courses; and Holiday Workshops.

Campus: Pretoria Website: www.openwindow.co.za

RED & YELLOW SCHOOL

About: Red & Yellow School offers full-time and online learning options as well as bespoke training in the advertising, marketing and design world. The school offers a range of full-time degrees and diplomas, parttime courses and workshops, as well as corporate training and

FEATURE / 27

www.thecallsheet.co.za

learnership opportunities.

Programmes: Bachelor of Art in Visual Communication; Advanced Diploma in Marketing & Advertising Communications; Advanced Diploma in User Centered Design; Certificates in Graphic Design and Creating Digital Content; a range of online courses.

Campuses: Cape Town, Johannesburg Website: www.redandyellow.co.za

REEL EDGE FILM ACADEMY (REFA)

About: Established in 2009, REFA is a boutique film academy designed to offer students cutting-edge, comprehensive and practical knowledge of filmmaking, with a focus on ensuring students are careerready upon course completion.

Programmes: Three-year Certificate in Filmmaking and Business, Two-year Certificate in Filmmaking, One-year Certificate in Filmmaking Basics, Six-month Certificate in Entry Level Film Fundamentals, Sixmonth Certificate in Advanced Film Production, Three-month Certificate in Introduction to the World of Filmmaking.

Campus: Johannesburg Website: www.reeledge.co.za

SAE INSTITUTE SOUTH AFRICA

About: SAE Institute South Africa offers a range of audio, film and animation courses, with state-of-the-art facilities and editing suites for students.

The school also offers a number of digital film masterclasses and workshops, and has four scholarships available for qualifying applicants.

Programmes: Bachelor of Arts and Higher Certificates in: Motion Design and Animation, Sound Production, Film Production; Short Courses in: Electronic Music Production, Live Sound Production, Pro Performance DJ, Radio production, Music Business, Guerrilla Video Production, Live Streaming, Motion Design,

Photography and Lightroom Foundations; Digital Film Masterclasses; Re-Shape: Video and Editing for Teachers.

Campus: Cape Town Website: www.capetown.sae.edu

THE ANIMATION SCHOOL

About: The Animation School offers a three-year course in animation and since its launch in 2000 has established itself as the leading specialist animation training institution in South Africa, with students consistently winning accolades and awards.

Programmes: Three Year, Full-Time Animation Diploma; Saturday, Part-Time Course in Introduction to Autodesk Maya for beginners.

Campuses: Cape Town and Johannesburg Website: www.theanimationschool.co.za

TSHWANE UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY (TUT)

About: Established in 2004 with the merging of two Technikons, the institution now enrols approximately 60 000 students, with campuses located in four of SA’s provinces – Gauteng, Mpumalanga, Limpopo and the North West.

Programmes: National Diploma, Baccalaureus Technologiae, Magister Technologiae, and Doctor Technologiae in Drama, Film Production, Performing Arts Technology, Performing Arts and Visual Communication.

Campus: Pretoria Website: www.tut.ac.za

UNIVERSITY OF CAPE TOWN: CENTRE FOR FILM AND MEDIA STUDIES (CFMS)

About: Established in 2004, the Centre for Film and Media Studies offers a range of courses equipping graduates with theoretical knowledge and practical skills for careers in the film and media industries. The University of Cape Town also offers courses in Drama and Performance Arts separate to CFMS. Programmes: Bachelor of Arts in: Film and Television, Media and Writing, Film and

Media Production with a focus on: Screenwriting, Screen Production, Interactive Media, Digital Media and Informatics Stream, Broadcast Journalism, Print Journalism. Postgraduate Degrees: Honours, Masters and PhD courses available.

Campus: Rondebosch, Cape Town Website: www.cfms.uct.ac.za

UNIVERSITY OF JOHANNESBURG

About: The University of Johannesburg’s Faculty of Arts, Design and Architecture (FADA) offers programmes in eight different disciplines including multimedia and fine art, while the Faculty of Humanities School of Communication offers courses in journalism, film and television.

Programmes: Bachelor of Arts Degrees in: Design in Digital Media, Visual Art (Fine Art), Audiovisual Communication, Journalism. Postgraduate degrees also available in these and other disciplines.

Campuses: Johannesburg Website: www.uj.ac.za

UNIVERSITY OF KWAZULU-NATAL

About: The University of KZN’s School of Arts offers a range of courses, training workshops and seminars including Media Studies, Performance and Digital Art, with the Centre for Creative Arts providing a creative platform for students, festivals and other areas of cultural and creative development.

Programmes: Diplomas, undergraduate and postgraduate qualifications in: Digital Art, Drama, Fine Art, Media Studies, Drama and Performance Studies, Music, and others.

Campuses: Pietermaritzburg, Durban Website: www.cca.ukzn.ac.za | www.soa.ukzn.ac.za

UNIVERSITY OF THE WITWATERSRAND: WITS SCHOOL OF ARTS

About: The Wits School of Arts combines critical inquiry with artistic practice with

a comprehensive range of undergraduate and postgraduate degree courses. The school runs regular events and workshops, giving students the chance to experience their chosen career paths in a practical manner.

Programmes: Diplomas, undergraduate and postgraduate qualifications in: Digital Arts, Theatre and Performance, Drama for Life, Film and Television, Fine Arts, Cultural Management, History of Art, Music, and others.

Campus: Johannesburg Website: www.wits.ac.za/wsoa

VEGA SCHOOL

About: Established in 1998, Vega Design, Brand and Business School offers fully accredited Certificates, Baccalaureates, Honours and Master programmes in brand building and creative communication. The School also offers a number of short courses, workshops, and internship opportunities.

Programmes: BA Degrees in: Digital Design, Graphic Design, Strategic Brand Communications, Creative Brand Communications; BComm Degrees in: Strategic Brand Management; BCIS in Game Design and Development; and BBA in Brand Building and Management; a range of other post- and undergraduate degrees, Advanced Diplomas, Higher Certificates; Short Courses; Workshops; Corporate Training.

Campuses: Johannesburg, Durban, Cape Town and Pretoria Website: www.vegaschool.com

WATERFRONT THEATRE SCHOOL

About: Waterfront International College for Performing Arts was established in 1978 in Johannesburg as Dance Workshop, and since 1992 has been based in Cape Town under its current name.

Programmes: Full-time courses in Dance, Drama and Musical Theatre, part-time courses and children’s classes also available.

Campus: Cape Town Website: www.waterfronttheatre school.co.za

28 / LOCATION SPOTLIGHT

www.thecallsheet.co.za

KENYA

Kenya has been a popular location destination since the 1930s – and the country continues to draw in film crews well into the 21st Century.

H

ollywood’s obsession with scenic Kenya goes back a long way; at least to 1937’s King Solomon’s Mines, which was shot on location in the country. Mogambo (1953), starring Clark Gable, Ava Gardner, and Grace Kelly, was also filmed there, as was 1952’s The Snows of Kilimanjaro. In more recent decades, hit films like Out of Africa (1982), Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life (2003), The Constant Gardener (2005), The Good Lie (2014) and Netflix’s stunning series Sense8, were all filmed at least in part on location in Kenya.

The incomparable, unique landscapes of Kenya are the main draw-card to filming here.

Expect to find vistas from unspoiled white sandy beaches, spectacular mountains, volcanic lakes, volcanoes, matchless rock formations to the wide, dry grassland planes of the

Sutirta Budiman

Amboseli and savannahs. Wildlife is in abundance, and is easily accessible. This makes Kenya the perfect destination to shoot truly – or perhaps stereotypically – “African” scenes. The capital city of Nairobi has a modern business district, a number of colonialstyle houses, industrial areas and heart-rending slums. In short, almost any vision can be executed with aplomb. The wide range of nationalities, races and ethnic groups who call Kenya home further ensure that any of Kenya’s locales can be populated with an international range of actors and extras, and so dressed up to be anywhere else on the globe.

Tourism is a major sector of the Kenyan economy. Earlier in 2018, Kenyan tourism minister Najib Balala announced that the sector had contributed $1.2-billion to the economy in the previous year. This clearly

shows that the country is primed to receive international and regional visitors. Both Nairobi, the capital of Kenya, and Mombasa, its second-largest city, have incredibly developed infrastructure. Aside from the frequently maintained highways running through the country, the two major cities are connected via a recently completed railway line, which means you can travel between the two in a four-hour period. Internet facilities and mobile connectivity are high.

There are plenty of luxury hotels to stay at (both in the cities and out in the popular scenic locations). Furthermore, the abundance of safari options and other outdoor adventures ensure it is easily possible to sneak an unforgettable incentive trip onto one’s filming schedule.

Kenya has a large number of skilled crew and film

Lake Naivasha, Rift Valley, Kenya © Gopal Vijayaraghavan

professionals, in large part due to its local film industry. There are several well-equipped film studios. The largest of these is Film Studios Kenya, which has excellent technical equipment and a demonstrable commitment to service. A database of skilled crew and other talent can be accessed through the Kenya Film Commission. This prolific organisation was established in 2005, and has been instrumental in developing Kenya’s film profile.

They assist in facilitating many of the logistics of shoots – from visas to permits. Additionally, there are a number of local film service production houses (including Blue Sky Africa and Dreamcatcher), which deliver a high standard of service.

Moreover, South African-based stalwart Moonlighting also services East Africa, and has their own existing networks there.

LOCATION SPOTLIGHT / 29

www.thecallsheet.co.za

Foreign film professionals are required to apply online, prior to arrival in Kenya, for a special visa and pass. This special visa costs Kshs 15 000 (±$148). Unlike other African countries – such as South Africa and Namibia – Kenya has not implemented any tax break or incentive policies for the film industry.

However, since 2010 the Kenyan government has been making changes to attract filmmakers.

These have included: the removal of import duty and VAT on TV cameras, digital cameras and VCRs; zero-rating VAT taxable goods and services to film

producers; and 100% investment reduction on expenditure incurred by producers on the purchase of equipment. Aside from this, the exchange rate maintains Kenya as an extremely affordable destination for international filmmakers.

Those travelling to Kenya need to be aware of the terrorism in the region (specifically from the organisation Al-Shabab). It is advisable to be in touch with the Kenya Film Commission and local fixer companies well in advance of any shoot times to ensure plans have had precautions taken into account.

THE KENYAN GOVERNMENT HAS BEEN MAKING CHANGES TO ATTRACT FILMMAKERS. THESE HAVE INCLUDED: THE REMOVAL OF IMPORT DUTY AND VAT ON TV CAMERAS, DIGITAL CAMERAS AND VCRS; ZERO-RATING VAT TAXABLE GOODS AND SERVICES TO FILM PRODUCERS; AND 100% INVESTMENT REDUCTION ON EXPENDITURE INCURRED BY PRODUCERS ON THE PURCHASE OF EQUIPMENT.

CLIMATE The climate in Kenya varies greatly depending on location. Coastal areas tend to be hot and humid, the West and South-West are temperate and the North and East are hot and dry. The warmest time of year tends to be between February and March. There are two so-called “rainy seasons”: March to May and October to December.

ACCESS Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi is the major international airport in the country. It services destinations across 50 different countries, and is the seventh busiest airport in Africa. The following airlines operate through Jomo Kenyatta: • African Express Airways • Air Arabia • Air France • Air Mauritius • British Airways • China Southern Airlines • Daallo Airlines • EgyptAir • Emirates • Ethiopian Airlines

• • • • • • • •

Etihad Airways Fly540 Fly-SAX Jambojet Jubba Airways Kenya Airways KLM LAM Mozambique Airlines • Lufthansa • Malawian Airlines

• • • • • • •

Oman Air Precision Air Qatar Airways RwandAir Royal Air Maroc Saudia South African Airways • Swiss International Air Lines • Turkish Airlines

POPULATION Kenya is a very populous country: with 50,872,289 inhabitants (according to www.worldometers.info).

EXCHANGE RATE Kenyan Shilling (KES)

South African Rands (ZAR)

Us Dollar (USD)

Euro (EUR)

Chinese Yuan (CNY)

50

6.49

0.50

0.42

3.17

CONTACTS Kenya Film Commission Address: P.O. Box 76417-00508 Jumuia Place, Lenana Road, Nairobi, Kenya.

Telephone: +254 020 2714073 / +254 729 407497 / +254 733 650068 Fax: +254 020 2714075 Email: info@filmingkenya.com | Web: www.kenyafilmcommission.com Blue Sky Africa Address: Jamhuri Park Showground, Nairobi, Kenya Telephone: +254 722 33 68 40 Email: mario@blueskyafrica.com | Web: www.blueskyafrica.com Dreamcatcher Address: Room 202, Marsabit Plaza, Ngong Road, Nairobi, Kenya Telephone: +254 20 208 7082 Email: info@dreamcatcher.co.ke | Web: www.dreamcatcher.co.ke Tsavo East National Park, Tsavo, Kenya © Murad Swaleh

30 / SERVICES AND SUPPLIERS

www.thecallsheet.co.za

DJ’S MODELS SOUTH AFRICA

FILM FINANCES

HOT SOURCE

DJ’s est. 1989 - specialising in character models, performers and presenters for television commercials.

Film Finances SA forms part of the global company Film Finances Inc., the world-wide leader in the provision of completion guarantees. FF provides assurance to investors and assistance to producers to ensure their projects are delivered on time and on budget. FFSA carries out thorough due diligence and monitoring services as well as assisting with all aspects of the completion guarantee application process.

Sourcing, supply and delivery of hard drives, other digital media and technical consumables to the film, stills and TV industry.

We work in Durban, Johannesburg and Cape Town. Please see our website www.djssa.com or give us a buzz on +27 21 554 4396 / +27 82 446 8132 or email: dom@djssa.com.

T: +27 21 554 4396 M: +27 82 446 8132 E: dom@djssa.com W: www.djssa.com

Genevieve le Cordeur T: +27 21 447 8857 M: +27 82 335 3973 F: +27 86 697 1082 E: gen@hotsource.tv W: www.hotsource.tv

T: +27 11 513 3563 M: +27 82 411 4088 E: jane@filmfinances.co.za W: www.filmfinances.com

REFINERY

SOUND AND MOTION STUDIOS

STEADIPRO

Refinery Post production delivers fully integrated 4K workflows and mastering.

Our services include sound design, seamless visual effects and colour grading by top industry creatives.

All wrapped in exceptional service.

Multi-award winning post audio studios servicing the South African, African and global audio community since 2002. Final Mix cinema stages in Cape Town and Joburg facilitating Film, TV, dedicated Foley, Sound Design, Score Recording and Sound Editorial. Theatrical, Broadcast and Surround Sound.

Chris Vermaak SASC is a world-class camera and steadicam operator based in Cape Town, South Africa. His wealth of camera knowledge, operating skills, framing and lighting techniques make him a reliable choice for discerning filmmakers and content producers, both locally and abroad, who require a creative and easy-going operator that always makes the day.

Cape Town T: +27 21 469 2820 Johannesburg T: +27 11 799 7800 1 Port Road, Cape Town W: refinery.co.za

Cape Town | Johannesburg | Lagos | Dar Es Salaam T: +27 21 461 9862 / +27 11 492 1201 E: info@soundandmotion.co.za W: www.soundandmotion.co.za

M: +27 83 259 6288 E: steadipro@mweb.co.za W. www.chrisvermaak.com

Mobile: 083 259 6288 | Email: steadipro@mweb.co.za www.chrisvermaak.com

LOERIES CREATIVE WEEK 16 -19 AUGUST

18

D U R BA N, S O U T H A F R I CA

Book your tickets for the biggest creative gathering in Africa and the Middle East.

The 2018 programme has been adjusted to help delegates make the most of their time. With MasterClasses on Thursday, the DStv Seminar on Friday, and awards on Friday and Saturday, everyone can experience the best the Festival has to offer.

loeries.com

32 / EVENTS TO DIARISE

www.thecallsheet.co.za

JULY ZANZIBAR INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL 7 – 15 Zanzibar City, Tanzania

AUGUST

MADRID INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL 21 – 28 Madrid, Spain PLETT FOOD FILM FESTIVAL 9 – 11 Plettenberg Bay, South Africa DURBAN INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL 13 – 23 Durban, South Africa DURBAN FILMMART 20 – 23 Durban, South Africa

SAN ANTONIO FILM FESTIVAL 1–5 San Antonio, USA SAN FRANCISCO FROZEN FILM FESTIVAL 19 – 22 San Francisco, USA PERIPHERY OF EMPIRE SHORT FILM FESTIVAL 23 – 29 Sessa Aurunca, Italy

ODESA INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL 13 – 21 Odessa, Ukraine

GUANAJUATO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL 25 – 29 Guanajuato, Mexico

MAINE INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL 13 – 22 Maine, USA

TRAVERSE CITY FILM FESTIVAL 31 – 5 August Traverse City, USA

LOCARNO FILM FESTIVAL 1 – 11 Locarno, Switzerland MELBOURNE INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL 2 – 19 Melbourne, Australia MZANSI WOMEN’S FILM FESTIVAL 6–8 Johannesburg, South Africa RHODE ISLAND INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL 7 – 12 Rhode Island, USA

FINGAL FILM FESTIVAL 10 – 12 Fingal, Ireland THE ADVENTURE TRAVEL FILM FESTIVAL LONDON 10 – 12 London, United Kingdom POPCORN FRIGHTS FILM FESTIVAL 10 – 16 South Florida, USA SARAJEVO FILM FESTIVAL 10 – 17 Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina LOERIES CREATIVE WEEK 13 – 19 Durban, South Africa

EVENTS TO DIARISE / 33

www.thecallsheet.co.za

SEPTEMBER CALIFORNIA INDEPENDENT FILM FESTIVAL 6 – 13 California, USA OTTAWA INTERNATIONAL ANIMATION FESTIVAL 26 – 30 Ott awa, Canada

ATLANTA DOCUFEST 13 – 15 Atlanta, USA

JOZI FILM FESTIVAL 27 – 30 Johannesburg, South Africa

ODENSE INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL 27 – 2 September Odense, Denmark

CAMDEN INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL 13 – 16 Camden, USA

MANHATTAN SHORT FILM FESTIVAL 27 – 7 October New York, USA

VENICE INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL 29 – 8 September Venice, Italy

COMIC CON AFRICA 14 – 16 Johannesburg, South Africa

ZURICH FILM FESTIVAL 27 – 7 October Zurich, Switzerland

GLOBAL PEACE FILM FESTIVAL 18 – 23 Orlando, USA

REYKJAVIK INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL 27 – 7 October Reykjavik, Iceland

ATLANTA UNDERGROUND FILM FESTIVAL 19 – 21 Atlanta, USA SILWERSKERMFEES 22 – 25 Cape Town, South Africa SOUND ON SCREEN FILM FESTIVAL 24 – 26 Cape Town, South Africa MONTREAL WORLD FILM FESTIVAL 24 – 4 September Montreal, Canada

TELLURIDE FILM FESTIVAL 31 – 3 September Telluride, USA

Photo by Vladislav Todorov on Unsplash

TORONTO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL 6 – 16 Toronto, Canada

34 / ASSOCIATIONS NEWS

THE SOUTH AFRICAN ANIMATION INDUSTRY WELL REPRESENTED AT ANNECY The Annecy festival MIFA took place between the 11th and 16th of June 2018. The festival is the leading animation festival in the world with 115 000 submissions, 10 000 accredited delegates, 230 films selected and over 500 film screenings from 89 countries.

Along with the NFVF, the South African animation industry was represented by Animation South Africa, the dti, KZN Film Commission, Wesgro and the Department of Arts and Culture (DAC).

The NFVF, through the markets and festival travel grant, funded fourteen filmmakers to be part of the delegation. These filmmakers participated in the official festival programme either by pitching their projects, screening or participating in the South African Territory Focus.

A noteworthy achievement for NFVF funded film, Belly Flop, directed by Kelly Dillon, was its inclusion in the closing night ceremony screenings.

“The South African animation industry is growing steadily, the importance of the format internationally necessitates a dedicated focus on it locally. The NFVF is committed to reducing the barriers to entry in this specialised industry, to ensure that is accessible and transformed. I hope the trip to Annecy is fruitful for all the delegates”, said Acting NFVF CEO, Mr. Shadrack Bokaba For more info visit www.nfvf.co.za

AUDIENCES BACK LOCAL STORIES AT ENCOUNTERS Local audiences got behind local stories at this year’s Encounters South African International Documentary Festival with the winning films voted by festivalgoers for the Backsberg Audience Award applauded for their take on South African politics, human rights and culture.

Backsberg Audience Award for a South African/ African film joint winners: The Fun’s Not Over: The James Phillips Story – The rollicking yet intimate portrait of poetic rocker James Phillips by Michael Cross.

Not in my Neighbourhood – Award-winning Cape Town filmmaker Kurt Orderson’s compelling exploration of the parallels of the current urban environments in three seemingly disparate cities: São Paulo, Cape Town and New York.

Backsberg Audience Award for Best International Film winner: Life is Wonderful: Mandela’s Unsung Heroes – Former

www.thecallsheet.co.za

UK High Court Judge Nick Stadlen unearthed rare archival material to construct an intimate portrait of many of the lesser known participants at the Rivonia Treason Trial.

Guest festival director Reggie Khanzi noted that this year’s 20th anniversary edition has been a unique one, saying, “On behalf the board of Encounters and staff I would like to express my sincere gratitude and appreciation to all the filmmakers that participated in this most significant edition. Twenty years we celebrated, and what a special ten-day occasion it was – despite the major challenge of funding. I would like to congratulate all the winners in the South African/ African and International categories, and thank all those that cast their ballots.”

For more info visit www.ipo.org.za

www.thecallsheet.co.za

ASSOCIATIONS NEWS / 35

A major amendment of the Performing Animals Protection Act (Act24/1935) was passed in January 2017, and implemented in July 2017. Previously, licences were issued by the district magistrates, under the Department of Justice. It is now the state veterinarians, who, as delegated PAPA licencing officers, are responsible for the issuing of licences under the auspices of the Department of Agriculture, Forestry & Fisheries (DAFF). A document called the Veterinary Procedural Notice (VPN) 48/17-07 was developed as a guideline for inspections to assist the licencing officer and applicant with the amended PAPA application process. The VPN lays out requirements which facilitators or individuals must comply with before a licence can be issued.

For example, the facility veterinarian must approve each primary training facility and ensure that it complies with acceptable standards for each species, such as enclosure design, dietary plans, enrichment activities and equipment used for training.

The full document is available at www.cpasa.tv

ACA AGM A SUCCESS On Thursday 25 May 2018, the Association for Communication and Advertising (ACA) held its 71st Annual General Meeting at the AAA School of Advertising campus in Johannesburg. At the meeting, outgoing Chair of the ACA Board, Boniswa Pezisa reported on the ACA’s activities during the preceding fiscal year.

In her report, she noted that the era of “Business Unusual” continues unabated, the climate of change, adapt or die continues to propel us forward. The socio-political situation continues to be dynamic she added, noting that the profession has a choice of either joining the ‘Doom Sayers’ or opt for ‘Evolution and Reinvention’.

Pezisa went on to note that every crazy adventure requires rejuvenation, smart navigation tools and fearless leadership.

The sale of the AAA School of Advertising was top of the agenda. Pezisa announced that the ACA was in the process of selling its prized asset, one that the Association had owned for 30 years. The decision to sell was taken in order allow professional educators to take over the baton and build a demonstrablybetter institution of higher education, one accessible to the broader nation; a place where diversity can thrive.

For more info visit www.acasa.co.za

Photo by Irina Kostenich on Unsplash

PERFORMING ANIMALS PROTECTION ACT: ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW

36 / DIRECTORY

www.thecallsheet.co.za

DIRECTORY OF ADVERTISERS COMPANY

TELEPHONE

EMAIL

WEBSITE

PAGE

Annecy

+33 04 50 10 09 00

info@citia.org

www.annecy.org

06

Cannes Lions

+44 203 033 4012

marianb@lionsfestivals.com

www.canneslions.com

22

CC&A Insurance Brokers

+27 31 716 6162

gillianl@ccinsurance.co.za

www.ccinsurance.co.za

21

CityVarsity

+27 21 466 6800

info@cityvarsity.co.za

www.cityvarsity.co.za

Outside Back Cover

CTICC

+27 21 410 5000

info@cticc.co.za

www.cticc.co.za

05

DIFF

+27 31 260 2506

diff@ukzn.ac.za

www.durbanfilmfest.co.za

Inside Front Cover

DJ’s Models South Africa

+ 27 21 554 4396

dom@djssa.com

www.djssa.com

30

Durban FilmMart

+27 31 311 4243

sharon.ngcobo@durban.gov.za

www.durbanfilmmart.co.za

07, 15

FC Hamman Films

+27 11 465 2210

fchamman@mac.com

www.fchammanfilms.co.za

Inside Back Cover

Film Finances

+27 11 513 3563

jane@filmfinances.co.za

www.filmfinances.com

30

Gauteng Film Commission

+27 11 833 0409

mbathas@gautengfilm.org.za

www.gautengfilm.org.za

03

Global Bodyguard Solutions

+27 11 824 0334

saint@intrigue.co.za

www.bodyguardservices.co.za

19

Hot Source

+27 21 447 8857

gen@hotsource.tv

www.hotsource.tv

30

IDC

+27 860 693 888

callcentre@idc.co.za

www.idc.co.za

11

KwaZulu-Natal Film Commission

+27 31 325 0200

lungiled@kwazulunatalfilm.co.za

www.kwazulunatalfilm.co.za

23

Loeries

+27 11 772 1220

info@loeries.com

www.loeries.com

31

NEWF

+27 64 294 0669

info@newf.co.za

www.newf.co.za

10

Refinery

+27 21 469 2820

lauren@refinery.co.za

www.refinery.co.za

30

Savannah Helicopters

+27 44 876 0069

info@savannahhelicopters.co.za

www.savannahhelicopters.co.za

17

Sound & Motion Studios

+27 21 461 9862

info@soundandmotion.co.za

www.soundandmotion.co.za

30

Steadipro

+27 83 259 6288

steadipro@mweb.co.za

www.chrisvermaak.com

30

Synchro Music Management

+27 11 462 8094

louise@synchromusic.biz

www.synchromusic.co.za

09

CONTACT US Cover Image: Photo by Š Yoal Desurmont via Unsplash

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

Business Development Manager: Karen Barnes karen@filmeventmedia.co.za

Publisher: Lance Gibbons lance@filmeventmedia.co.za

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

Production Manager: Katlego Molele katlego@filmeventmedia.co.za

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

Writer: Natasha Skoryk tash.skoryk@gmail.com

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

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

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

Business Development Manager: Jennifer Dianez | jennifer@filmeventmedia.co.za

Traffic Manager: Tamlyn Peters tamlyn@filmeventmedia.co.za Regent Square, Ground Floor, Block A, Doncaster Road, Kenilworth, 7745 Tel: +27 21 674 0646

www.callsheet.co.za

JOIN US DISCLAIMER: Opinions expressed in The Callsheet do not necessarily represent the official viewpoint of the editor or the publisher, while inclusion of adverts/advertising features does not imply endorsement of any business, product or service. Copyright of this material is reserved. While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information contained in this publication, The Callsheet and/or its employees may not be held liable or responsible for any act or ommission committed by any person, including a juristic person, referred to in this publication. It and they furthermore accept(s) no responsibility for any liability arising out of any reliance that a reader of this publication places on the contents of this publication.

CHOOSE A DRONE CREW THAT WILL DELIVER We are based in CAPE TOWN & JOHANNESBURG

HAMMAN

DRONES SOUTH AFRICAN SOCIETY OF CINEMATOGRAPHERS Winner of Visible Spectrum Award for Best Drone Cinematography

fchammanfilms.co.za

FC Hamman Films Drone Crew Specialist

WE CAN FLY ANY SIZE CAMERA YOU MAY REQUIRE, SUPPLY THE LATEST CUTTING EDGE EQUIPMENT, WITH WORLD-CLASS OPERATORS AND PILOTS

For all your drone cinematography needs, get in touch!

Johannesburg: 27(11) 456 2210, www.fchammanfilms.co.za Cape Town: 083 653 5400, info@fchammanfilms.co.za, 2018 Commercials: Budweiser, Lexus, Porsche, BMW, Isuzu, VW, Toyota, Nissan, Nike, Nivea, ABSA, KFC, Alcon, Visa, OutSurance, Vodacom, MTN, Amstel, Metropolitan, Santam, Multi Choice, Coca-Cola, Neotel, Three Ships, Econet, Strongbow, SA Tourism, LONG FORM PROD: Tremors (Universal). Scorpion King (Moonlighting). Origin (Moonlighting). Leon Schuster (Disney) and many more

we are fully licensed