The Callsheet Issue 2 by Film & Event Media

ISSUE 02 | 2016

WN L E TO TIONA P A A C N ER N INT ATIO M L I N A TIVA FES

+ SA’S SOUND STUDIOS An Industry Audit

+ CAPE TOWN INTERNATIONAL

ANIMATION FESTIVAL

Stick Man, Boy and the World, and more

+ MUSIC VIDEO DIRECTOR SHOWCASE The Vibrant World that is Galvanizing SA

CONTENTS / 01

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02. SA and Netherlands

08 12 22 26

Sign Co-Production Treaty

CONTENT STORAGE IN SA

Imogen Campbell talks to the experts in these fascinating interviews.

04. The Filmmaker’s

Guide to Africa 2016

05. Black Mirror to shoot in SA

06. Star Wars: The

Force Awakens Highest Grossing Film

07. The Sony A7R II 08. Content Storage 11. I’m a Celebrity shooting in the Kruger Park

12. Sound Studios:

SOUND STUDIOS IN SA The Callsheet unpacks this diverse and growing industry.

Creating the Perfect Soundscape

18. Opportunities 19. Movers and Shakers 22. Music Video Director Showcase

26. Cape Town

International Animation Festival 2016

SA’S MUSIC VIDEO DIRECTORS Music fanatic Kim Muller takes us into this captivating world.

28. Mike Buckland on

creating Stick Man for BBC 1

30. Indies and Shorts 31. Award-winning

SA Feature Travels the World

32. The Samsung NX500 33. Series Review 34. Mozambique: Rebuilding a Film Legacy

SPOTLIGHT ON CTIAF

The Callsheet will be there to witness it all. Join us!

36. Events to Diarise 38. Associations News 40. Directory of Advertisers

02 / NEWS

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SA AND NETHERLANDS SIGN CO-PRODUCTION TREATY

The Republic of South Africa and the Kingdom of the Netherlands signed a co-production treaty in late 2015.

S Dutch Minister for Education, Culture and Science Jet Bussemaker and SA Minister of Arts and Culture Nathi Mthethwa signed the treaty. © www.filmfonds.nl

outh Africa and the Netherlands signed a coproduction treaty for the production of audio-visual works between both countries in mid-December last year. The historic agreement will see an injection of skills and equipment flow into SA’s film industry, according to SABC Digital News. The agreement also means projects made under the agreed framework will be able to access regional financing as national shoots. “The treaty between the Netherlands and South Africa

has been eagerly awaited by professionals in both countries in order to create a comprehensive structure for creative bilateral co-operation,” Doreen Boonekamp, CEO of the Netherlands Film Fund said. The agreement will give the country better access to SA resources, while local producers filming in the Netherlands can access a 30% cash rebate. “Filmmakers from both our countries are also going to benefit from the DTI incentive scheme, which is aimed to encourage and

attract big-budget productions and post production. We look forward to co-creating and enhancing the international profile of both the countries through our storytelling,” Zama Mkosi, CEO of the NFVF said of the deal. SA has forged ahead with relationships and co-productions with a number of countries, the latest of which was Kenya where an MoU was signed in Cannes two years ago. SA-Canada coproduction The Book of Negroes was nominated for two Critics’ Choice Awards last year.

CARTOON NETWORK SEARCHES FOR NEW AFRICAN TALENT

n order to continue their search for the next generation of talent, Cartoon Network has announced a brand-new initiative - Cartoon Network Imagination Studios - a speciallycrafted, creative online platform to inspire, motivate and celebrate the wild imagination of children across Africa. Cartoon Network Imagination Studios provides a sneak-peek into the “real” Cartoon Network Studios, giving children insight into the making of their favourite cartoons, encouraging imaginative, unfiltered, creative thinking providing the perfect constructive entertainment to combat boredom. The channel’s own artists and

creators, such as Ben Bocquelet (The Amazing World of Gumball), Rebecca Sugar (Steven Universe) and many more will accompany the children on their journey through the site, with tips and guidance on how to create their own characters, animate and tell stories. The children will then be able to enjoy the wide range of activities featured on the site, including drawing, colouring, storyboarding, music, special effects, voiceovers, movement and animation, thus inspiring and directing the wild trains of thought towards conceptualizing and creating their very own character creations. But the fun doesn’t end when the holidays are over. Cartoon

Network fans can look forward to an amazing Cartoon Network Imagination Studios competition, launching through this website for all of Africa in 2016. Countries across the continent will be offering children, aged six to 12 years, the opportunity to enter their very own original, unique creations - be it a new character drawing, storyboard or animation - to the Cartoon Network Imagination Studios Awards, and in return may win an opportunity to see their creations come to life as each winning project will be aired, live on screen, on televisions across Africa on Cartoon Network, DStv channel 301. “Cartoon Network Imagination

Studios is a place where children can learn, gain inspiration, have fun and, ultimately, be themselves; it promotes the value of being authentic, unique, and different and teaches children how to express themselves by means of creation, through art. The launch of Cartoon Network Imagination Studios marks an important milestone in the network’s commitment to helping children learn and develop their Imaginative, creative skills using the channel’s affinity with young audiences to do so,” says Pierre Branco, Vice President Southern Europe and Africa for Turner Broadcasting System. Courtesy of All Africa

04 / SPOTLIGHT

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Ragga Bomb, Skrillex music video © Hanro Havenga

Black Sails © Super Channel

FILMMAKER’S GUIDE TO AFRICA 2016

The ultimate resource for the South African film industry, and the only marketing resource needed for international producers.

he highly anticipated Filmmaker’s Guide to Africa (FMG) is currently in development, and will be ready to launch at the 2016 Cannes Film Festival. Now in its 14th year, FMG is still the premier marketing publication for the African ﬁlm service, commercial and TV industries. It is delivered into the hands of local and international producers, ad agencies, government commissions and creative elites.

WHAT DOES IT CONTAIN?

The Filmmaker’s Guide to Africa contains ALL the information a producer might need when bringing a production to African shores. For the local industry, FMG provides a one-stop-shop

for all ﬁlming requirements.

THE FILMMAKER’S GUIDE TO AFRICA PROVIDES THE ALL-IMPORTANT TIPPING POINT IN DECISION MAKING.

This information includes: • Up-to-date information on financial incentives and rebates • Details on South Africa’s co-production treaties • A comprehensive directory of fixers in Africa • A selection of the finest film, commercial and TV locations in South Africa • Production company profiles with contact details and essential information • An easy-to-understand breakdown of current crew rates

• An overview of South Africa’s film history and success stories • Contact details for Africa’s film commissions and permit offices • A comprehensive editorial spread featuring relevant overviews of each sector • Profiles of South Africa’s leading creative companies and individuals • Film events to diarise in 2016 and 2017 • Spotlights on emerging film destinations in Africa • A full directory of suppliers, specialist services, equipment rental companies, etc. Don’t miss out on being featured in this prestigious and far-reaching print and digital publication.

Contact Kathy Brower on info@ﬁlmmakersguide.co.za or John Bursey on john@ﬁlmeventmedia.co.za or call 021 674 0646 for advertising options.

Call

NEWS / 05

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BLACK MIRROR

TO SHOOT IN SA

B Sheet Ad 05 Aug* 8/11/15 9:06 AM Page 1 Black Mirror - Season 1 poster

lack Mirror, a British television anthology series produced by Zeppotron for Endemol, will begin shooting in South Africa next month. Having enjoyed two critically acclaimed seasons, Netflix commissioned a third season in September 2015. Each season comprises 12 episodes, characterised by dark yet humorous themes that tackle issues facing the C

CY CMY

advent of new technologies. Brooker noted, “Each episode has a different cast, a different setting, even a different reality. But they’re all about the way we live now – and the way we might be living in 10 minutes’ time if we’re clumsy.” The series has received worldwide praise, and has seen an increase in interest internationally (particularly in the United States) after being added to Netflix.

06 / NEWS

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STAR WARS:

THE FORCE AWAKENS HIGHEST GROSSING FILM Star Wars: The Force Awakens was met with much anticipation – so much so that it has officially become the highest grossing film in US history.

t comes as no surprise that Star Wars: The Force Awakens has taken the world by storm. Not only has the seventh episode in the longstanding movie series brought in more than $1.5-billion in the worldwide box office, but it became the number one film of all time in the US.

It now holds the record for highest-grossing; film, making $119.1-million on opening day, the biggest opening weekend in its domestic box office history at $247.9-million, and the biggest IMAX opening in the US at $30.1-million. “We are proud of these records, but know that they

would not be possible without fans’ enthusiasm and continued support. We feel it here and it drives us every day, and it will continue to in the very bright future of Star Wars. There has indeed been an awakening — and it’s all thanks to you,” the Star Wars team said in a statement on January 6, 2015.

JJ Abrams’ space adventure is only the second film to make over $700-million in the US, and is on course to become the UK’s highest-grossing film. At the time of print, the film was sitting at number four on the all-time worldwide box office chart, having taken $1.55 billion to date.

TRIGGERFISH

TO COLLABORATE ON ROALD DAHL CLASSIC Triggerfish teams up with Magic Light Pictures on the production of Roald Dahl’s Revolting Rhymes Christmas Special.

Revolting Rhymes , written by Roald Dahl and illustrated by Quentin Blake.

riggerfish Animation Studios continues its winning streak in 2016 with an adaptation of Roald Dahl’s children’s classic Revolting Rhymes. They are currently collaborating with Magic Light Pictures, an Oscar nominated and BAFTA and International Emmy winning production company, to create the show for BBC. Triggerfish recently collaborated with Magic Light on Stick Man, an animated version of the much-loved children’s book by Julia Donaldson. The production was aired on Christmas for UK audiences. First published in 1982, Revolting Rhymes retells six

classic fairy tales in verse form, with illustrations by Quentin Blake. All of the ‘revolting rhymes’ end with an unexpected twist – here’s an example of Little Red Riding Hood: The small girl smiles Her eyelid flickers She whips a pistol from her knickers She aims it at the creatures head and BANG! BANG! BANG! she shoots him…dead. Stick Man will have its African premiere at the Cape Town International Animation Festival in February 2016, while Revolting Rhymes will premiere in the UK over Christmas 2016.

PRODUCT REVIEW / 07

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SONY A7R II

Bernd Curschmann, Owner of Lemonreel Film Services was pleasantly surprised at the Sony a7R II’s offerings. He provides a detailed analysis on his findings.

he Sony α7R II is a great compact system camera and a logical advance of the video DSLR concept. Sony corrected many issues of other CSCs and DSLRs and created a capable multimedia device showing truly professional results. The image is better than most other 4K S35 hybrids. The camera is not without quirks, but I think most users will learn to live with them. Most of us were expecting problems related to the high pixel count, but were positively surprised. Obviously it depends on the use, but even at ISO6400, noise is present but the image is still usable. For any filming involving rapid motion, I chose the full-frame 4K over the S35 4K mode as there is a slight rolling shutter. When shooting with S-Log2 setting, the lowest sensitivity is ISO800. At this base ISO there seems to be no aliasing or moiré. S-Log2 can be set for internal and external recording along with cine and standard profiles. Generally the new 29 minute recording limit is sufficient and a great improvement – as is recording 4K internally and at the same time output

Sony a7Rii Sample Image © Sony

4K to a display or recorder. The electronic viewfinder (EVF) is clear and sharp, and the new optics give it a broader field of view – and me great confidence when manual focusing. It’s a typical Sony menu – a lot of them – and navigating to find functions can take a while. Main functions can be set to the camera’s custom buttons, even start/stop and EVF, or rear screen selection. The Sony α7R II eats batteries. You need to carry a lot of spare batteries and extra chargers to get them ready for tomorrow’s shoot. One good feature is that you can run the camera via USB power with the supplied adaptor, a

phone battery or a similar supply. I have seen several impressive autofocus demonstration videos online showing Canon EOS lenses working almost as well as native E lenses for stills with the α7R II’s ability to use rapid phase detection auto-focusing. The play memory app has made using the α7R II more fun. Direct view and camera control while on the ground or in that hard-to-reach spot is a definite bonus. It took quite a bit of getting used to, but the more we use it, the less we notice most quirks. A plus is the time lapse function (optional at an extra cost). Using this camera for filming the AF speeds with the Metabones adaptors have no

impact. The EF-E lets us use all the Canon glass accumulated using the 5D and the PL-E adaptor opened the lens boxes that kept the ‘old’ film lenses from accumulating too much dust. And for run and gun work, it’s great to have the sensor stabilisation, five axes system with E-mount lenses and three-axis with manual lenses. It would be nice if Sony came up with a few more lens options so we don’t have to use the adaptors all the time.

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CONTENT STORAGE

Rapid developments in technology present significant challenges for content storage, as well as eventual archiving. Imogen Campbell zooms in on temporary content storage in the film, television and like media industries and how it facilitates workflow.

workflow management system is designed to provide infrastructure for the structure, performance and monitoring of a distinct sequence of tasks, organised as a workflow. We posed some of our questions to industry leaders and pioneers; premier service and product providers across the content storage spectrum that monitor the shifting landscape and who continually strive to deliver optimal solutions for clients and fill any niche. How, in your opinion does an effective content storage solution facilitate workflow?

Martin Bennett, Marketing Director, EditShare: At EditShare our XStream range of shared storage is utilised primarily for production and post-production workflows, where media needs to be intelligently managed and shared. In the current film workflow landscape of increasing high-resolution content and lots of it, there are core fundamentals that a solution such as EditShare storage provides that enable all creative facilities to be effective. • Performance: From working offline with multiple creative suits using proxies, to full on grading /FX with multiple 4K streams, then any storage solution must provide a consistent bandwidth to allow facilities to work on all types of content. • Media management tools: From basic shared access with unlimited creative seats, to integrated media asset management and collaborative

sharing applications, a storage solution needs to provide an intelligent layer of tools that allow media to be accessed and shared to increase productivity, and ultimately creativity. • Security: A production must have complete faith in its online storage solution to not lose media at any stage, even in the toughest production environments. Shaun De Ponte, Director, DigiLogic: It depends on what the client needs the storage for. There are many different vendors of storage, and by understanding what the client requirements are, we can advise on what storage they need for their application, i.e., are they doing multi-cam editing, visual effects, nearline backups, etc? DigiLogic specialises in Tiger Technology, which fulfils many needs. How would you advise clients when choosing a content management system and how would you incorporate functionality for seamless archiving? Ryan Martyn, Sales and Marketing Director, Syntech: I would recommend considering the immediate requirements of the storage along with the expected requirements in 2-3 years. It’s important to think about the number of users, performance requirements and capacity expectations for the storage. The cost of storage per GB is dropping therefore it is advisable to buy enough storage to cater for at least six months but make sure that the solution can scale up

to your future requirements. Direct attached storage can often be redeployed as nearline storage when migrating to a SAN or NAS, LTO Tape is still the most cost effective and reliable archiving solution and any noncurrent content should be moved to LTO in order to free up space on your primary storage. Content management software can be very useful to help manage your storage but it is absolutely essential that everybody uses the system properly and conforms to the same rules. As soon as data is missing or things are not done properly, people lose trust in the system and stop using it. Be sure to spend time and money on effective training (not only the hardware) in order to get the most out of your investment. Lastly, don’t rush, spend time researching and choose the system that best suits your environment. Storage is a relatively big investment that can really empower a business to be a lot more efficient, but it needs to be implemented effectively to have any benefit. Shaun De Ponte, Digilogic: There are a few key areas in terms of advising our clients: 1. Trained technical support on the products that we implement and install 2. Ease of use 3. 24/7 support (remote/onsite) is paramount for today’s high pressure workflows 4. Scalability in mind. The idea is to invest into technology that is scalable with minimal cost in the future 5. Ease of replacement parts and maintenance

6. Connectivity to the storage, san vs lan, fiber channel vs Ethernet 7. The required speed of the system, how many users will connect at one time? 8. What size storage they need 9. Is the client doing 4K workflows, grading, online, offline editing, etc? Adstream, whom Media Host licenses, has made significant headway in Hollywood. Why is this solution suitable for film and media industry consumers in South Africa? Mike Smit, Managing Director, Media Host: Adstream has been primarily involved in short form advertising content, as opposed to feature films. Adstream, do however, provide solutions for long-format content. Warner Bros. are a significant Adstream customer, who utilise our DAM Adbank solution to create efficiencies and ensure speed to market. For each title released, Warner Bros. upload the created

AS SOON AS DATA IS MISSING OR THINGS ARE NOT DONE PROPERLY, PEOPLE LOSE TRUST IN THE SYSTEM AND STOP USING IT.

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G-TECHNOLOGY INTRODUCED AN INNOVATIVE RANGE CALLED THE EVOLUTION SERIES WHICH OFFERS THUNDERBOLT 2 RAID STORAGE WITH TRANSFER SPEEDS UP TO 1350MB/S. content onto the Adbank platform. This enables the assets to be shared with the 65 worldwide Warner Bros. offices that download the files, make local amends and then upload them again for final centralised approval. Their engagement with their regional offices and production partners has improved. And, what is more, they can accurately track which asset is being used by whom and how frequently. This is the perfect solution for the industry in South Africa, however, the adoption process does take time. What are media consumers in the film and related industries’ purchasing? Is the Tiger Box

still a premier solution in South Africa at the moment?

Ryan Martyn, Sales and

Marketing Director, Syntech: We have found that many media consumers are opting for high speed, direct attached storage with RAID protection. The reason for this is that it is still a lot faster and more cost effective than central storage, requires virtually no technical support and is simple to install. Tiger Box is still considered a premier solution in South Africa, but competes with several other solutions, all of which require careful consideration to a company’s data workflow, network

infrastructure and budget. Given the cost involved with central storage and the fact that many environments need to scale storage up for specific projects, many companies still prefer to work with direct attached storage and collaborate by sharing disks or through a network. In line with this workflow G-Technology introduced an innovative range called the Evolution series which offers Thunderbolt 2 RAID storage with transfer speeds up to 1350MB/s. Several of the units also have Hot-swop bays that allow users to plug their G-Tech portable drives directly into the storage for easy, fast transfers. The film industry has indicated that archiving is a major storage issue, how much is archiving prioritised when providing a solution? Mike Smit, Media Host: With digital cameras resolution evolution, additional data is now required. How to manage and archive this data has become a major priority for filmmakers. Fortunately, the cost of storage has reduced significantly,

bandwidth has increased and offsite storage options are now readily available. Are there any local issues affecting storage area networks or arrays that a prospective consumer should to be aware of? Mike Smit, Media Host: Low connectivity has always been an issue, but we have seen and continue to monitor major improvements in this area. These will most certainly help to increase storage capacity utilisation. Please comment on the efficacy of cloud as a solution as well as the Ethernet? Martin Bennett, EditShare: With current technology and infrastructure limitations, in-house storage based on Ethernet or Fiber connectivity are still necessary to achieve the required performance. Cloud solutions have started to become an option and can be cost effective for sharing proxy media or for some ‘cold’ storage needs where the data is not often required. Generally though, in production environments when

10 / FEATURE

customers say they want cloud capabilities, what most of them mean is they want to open up their production workflows and assets to people outside their facility. Customers today can use offsite data centres to store media but the issues for many is the ability to access that data quickly and at a high enough bandwidth to allow it to be practical. At EditShare we have developed an application that is part of our MAM solution that ships with all our storage products called ‘AirFlow’, that allows clients to utilise their current in-house storage to create a ‘private cloud’ platform. With AirFlow, there’s no need to pay for extra cloud services and no need to waste valuable time uploading content to an outside location such as Amazon or Google. Just enable AirFlow on your server, open up a port on your firewall, and instantly the outside world can connect to you. This allows facilities to collaborate with producers and editors all around the globe so they can review/approve and edit content without additional service costs. Ryan Martyn, Syntech: Cloud storage is still relatively expensive as an alternative to local storage in this industry. The major reasons for this are the huge capacities that video content requires along with the high bandwidth needed to transfer to and from the cloud. The one benefit that it does offer is backup and replication which is normally included in the package from the service provider. I am not convinced that it’s the best solution for raw data or

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open projects but does have some beneﬁts for storing completed projects that are ready for distribution. Ethernet has traditionally been a very slow connection to storage and has only been suitable for environments that work with relatively low resolution content. Until recently, the only solutions that could provide faster connections were either FiberChannel SANs or Direct Attached systems with SAS or Thunderbolt Connections. It seems that Ethernet is regaining popularity in shared storage because of the release of 10Gbe. 10Gbe Network Storage Devices are a lot more cost eﬀective than traditional SANs, coupled with clever soft ware to manage users, these solutions are becoming more feasible for small to medium environments. The release of 40Gbe and expected 100Gbe should also make Ethernet a more attractive interface in the future. It is worth noting that sustained throughput via 10Gbe does require high quality NICs and may need to run over Fiber Cable for long distances. ATTO is considered the market leading manufacturer for these cards. Digilogic uses an Open source technology: Why did you choose this option? Shaun De Ponte, Digilogic: Open source technology is great, it’s open soft ware/hardware, meaning, you are free to re-use the source code in your own applications, build on it, and re-distribute it, and has its place

ETHERNET HAS TRADITIONALLY BEEN A VERY SLOW CONNECTION TO STORAGE AND HAS ONLY BEEN SUITABLE FOR ENVIRONMENTS THAT WORK WITH RELATIVELY LOW RESOLUTION CONTENT.

in the market i.e. ftp servers, file sharing servers, and many more. We choose to use open source in certain applications, because of its extensive international support from the open source community, and regular updates and bug fixes make for very stable systems. Where is the film industry headed in terms of content storage when 4K and 6K are becoming the norm in terms of format? How will that affect the industry? Martin Bennett, EditShare: UHD, 4K, 6K, 8K…the proliferation of high-resolution formats and files along with the growing number of skillsets that can collaborate on projects will push storage bandwidth and capacities beyond their limits. With millions of assets available to potentially hundreds of creatives, resource contention across storage and lack of sophisticated media management tools will become a major issue. Efficient, reliable and highavailability media storage with the ability to cost-effectively ‘scale up’ will be required to ensure facilities can meet these increasing demands. The latest EditShare XStream EFS distributed storage solution already provides this technology today, providing smart media management and no single point of failure infrastructure, so large volumes of media can be continually accessed with no downtime. Mike Smit, Media Host: There is clearly a growing demand for large data solutions and there are a number of companies that offer these. We believe that South Africa is a global player, and the SA film industry has proved to be globally competitive. We have the knowledge and our strength is that we have a thorough understand of best practice principles in this area. Shaun De Ponte, Digilogic: Right now, 4K and 6K are the norm, however, there is more

pressure to deliver 4K, and work in a completely 4k workflow. Understanding what exactly 4k is, and where/how the content will be delivered, will determine the type of storage needed. In most cases, you would need fiber connectivity directly attached to say a Tiger Technology Tiger Box that offers a high speed RAID and enough bandwidth that is capable of realtime 4K playback. Misunderstanding and ignorance on the correct connectivity, raid arrays, etc. will cause bottle necks, which can become costly. Are there new products in development that could revolutionise the industry? Mike Smit, Media Host: The Adstream Platform has revolutionised the way short-form content creators manage their distribution and archieving of their content. These new workflows are hugely efficient and more cost effective when compared to traditional processes. Ryan Martyn, Director, Syntech: I expect that there will be an increase in the amount of SSD storage over the next few years, although the technology is more expensive than traditional hard drives. It is a lot faster, much more reliable and becoming more accessibly priced. This technology will make working with 4K content much easier. Shaun De Ponte, Digilogic: Well, Tiger Technology is certainly a revolutionary product. It is the only storage manufacturer, that has a native avid file system, which offers true avid workflows and bin locking and project sharing, just like the avid isis, unlike other storage vendors who claim to do avid workflows, but do not really work as they should. It is also Adobe anywhere certified, has flexible connectivity that can be configured based on client requirements, is cost effective compared and certainly at least three times faster.

CMY

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THE KRUGER WELCOMES

I’M A CELEBRITY

An Australian version of I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out Of Here! is being filmed in South Africa’s Kruger National Park – in the depths of the African ‘jungle’.

lthough Australia’s second season of I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! is still in the midst of being shot in the Kruger National Park, the show has already become embroiled in a media storm of cultural appropriation and whether or not the Kruger is, in fact, a jungle. The internationally successful reality format bills itself as putting ten celebrities in the heart of a jungle with minimal resources to survive. At the end of the series, the winner is crowned King or

Queen of the Jungle. The Aussie show, currently ﬁlming on location, has a camp set up in the Lowveld region, according to Daily Mail. A number of reporters have raised questions about the jargon and imagery used to portray the African ‘jungle’. “The show is ﬁlmed in South Africa’s Kruger National Park, but the trailer caption reads more generically ‘deep in the African jungle’, a phrase that is constantly repeated in its marketing material,” Monica

Tan explains for The Guardian, citing the show’s trailer as an amalgamation of ‘tired western tropes of Africa’, verging ‘on parody’. “…It raises an important issue of where the line is drawn between inspiration and exploitation, or appreciation and appropriation,” she wrote. Daily Mail also reported that retired cricketer Shane Warne would join the cast of the show, although contestants have not yet oﬃcially been announced. IAC’s sister show, I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out

Of Here! NOW! is also being ﬁlmed at the park and will broadcast from 31 January. Visual Impact is connected with ITV Australia’s IAC production, supplying IAC Australia with six Sony PDW 700 cameras as well as ﬁbre, camera, and studio infrastructure for the shoot. In addition, Visual Impact recently announced its appointment as ARRI Distributor for Southern Africa, allowing the company to sell the full range of cameras, lenses, lighting and other accessories.

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CREATING THE PERFECT

SOUNDSCAPE Sound studios are an integral part of the film industry. Delve into the trends, latest happenings, and challenges surrounding this sector with Kim Muller.

recently did an experiment where I overlaid random monologue scenes in TV shows and films with The Cloud Atlas Sextet . This beautiful piece of music changed everything about the atmosphere in those clips. Sometimes it felt as though an awful story was being recounted, while at other moments I was filled with inexplicable hope and joy at… someone sharing a cringeworthy personal story? This simple experiment perfectly illustrates the importance of sound in film. Not only can music evoke emotion, but bad audio tracking can make or break a production. And no

one knows this better than the experts. From sound design to ADR to musical compositions, there are many facets to this sector, many of them extremely niche and technical.

THE YEAR THAT WAS

Audio jobs come in all shapes and sizes, some simple, and some memorable. South Africa has seen a strong few years of growth in the sound scene, with the post quality of local productions increasing dramatically. Part of this growth is a result of the rise in demand for content as digital platforms and 4K become the norm, although most local sound studio owners would agree they’ve faced some

serious budget challenges. “The sound budgets are shrinking and they shouldn’t,” says Tracey Williams, Managing Director of Reﬁnery. “I see how overseas sound budgets are increasing. With more and more TV channels around the world adopting 5.1, there needs to be more attention paid to sound in post. Correct track-lays need to be completed; Foleys need to be added, etc. Sound is an area that requires more time to craft in post. It is one of the biggest downfall areas when our content comes to competing in the international arena,” she explains, before adding that despite these issues, “our quality is improving all the time.”

Janno Müller, Director at OnKey Sound Studios reiterates that the biggest issues the industry faces are budgets and time constraints. “Many of the projects we are working on still have the same budgets as ﬁve years ago, with very little room for negotiations,” he explains. “This is a problem throughout the whole post industry which often leads to a drop in standards. But compromising on quality is not an option, so one needs to plan the work ﬂow and adopt your business model in order to make things work.” Ryk Otto, Managing Director of Popsicle Studios, a full scale recording and post-production studio that opened just over a

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year ago, raises another issue sound studios in particular are facing. “As technology becomes more accessible and more advanced, it is easier for microstudios to exist and produce work of a certain standard, while charging incredibly cheap rates – and the rates keep getting cheaper…However, we are ﬁrm believers in the notion that you get what you pay for. Sometimes clients don’t see it that way, particularly as budgets continue to get tighter and tighter, but there is always a breaking point.” Val Naidoo, Owner and Managing Director of Fine Tune Studios, agrees. “It is really easy and aﬀordable for the average Joe to set up an average studio with entry level equipment, which at times results in sub-par audio quality,” she explains. “It takes a skilled engineer to know how to operate the tools and hardware to get the best quality product for their client…it is for this reason that Fine Tune Studios is constantly evolving in order to

keep up to date with the latest industry trends, equipment, and ensuring our engineers are constantly upskilled…” Otto adds that the South African rand’s poor performance is partly to blame for this budget problem, although on the ﬂip side, this does att ract more foreign entities – which, in the end, is good both for business and for the economy.

AUDIO TRENDS AND INNOVATIONS

Much has taken place in South Africa’s soundscape. Not only are studios such as the SABC’s Radio Broadcast Facilities ramping up to fulﬁl the need for better quality sound, but many are innovating in the sector. One of the biggest trends sweeping the world is the rise of agencies with in-house A/V facilities. This has resulted in more collaboration and integration amongst post houses and sound studios. A great example of this collaboration in action is Reﬁnery partnering

WE ARE THE ‘BIG SCREEN’ POST COMPANY WITH VARIOUS BIG SCREEN PROJECTION SET UPS TO ENSURE OUR CLIENTS WILL BE ABLE TO POST THEIR FILMS IN CORRECTLY CALIBRATED ENVIRONMENTS.

with HumDrum and Fine Tune Studios to share in projects and facilities as productions grow in size and demand. Refinery, in fact, has grown in leaps and bounds. They have moved their Area 5.1 studio, originally based at Sasani, to their properties at Refinery, launching a ‘new’ Area 5.1 studio with a Dolby 5.1 set up for dialogue and SFX track-lay, ADR and sound deliveries. This will be under the expertise of Charlotte Buys – two-time SAFTA award winner with extensive experience in dialogue editing, ADR and mixing, and includes a Dolby 7.1 studio and a second Area 5.1 studio – all focused on theatrical and TV sound. “The exciting thing for Refinery and our clients is to have both picture and sound set-ups for cinema all based in one building. We are the ‘big screen’ post company with various big screen projection set ups to ensure our clients will be able to post their films in correctly calibrated environments,” says Williams. Their big project for 2015 was Shepherds and Butchers where Buys worked with Director Oliver Schmitz, Producer Brian Cox, Editor Megan Gill, Composer Paul Hepper, and Nicky de Beer (SFX) on the final mix. Other local productions included n Man Soos My Pa, n Pawpaw vir my Darling , and Hollywood in My Huis. On the commercial front, Fine Tune Studios has been working with top local and

international brands including DStv, Vodacom, SuperSport, KFC, Suzuki, Sony Xperia, Jeep, and many others. “We did SFX and ADR for the popular South African film n Paw Paw vir my Darling,” Naidoo adds, “And we have mixed many episodes of the church TV series Life by Design.” Popsicle Studios has been working mainly on the music front, recording albums for Alice Phoebe Lou and The Plastics, aside from their stellar in-studio video content. “The thing that seems to stand out is how many people need sound or music work, in the strangest fields,” Otto muses. “We’ve recorded a series of laughter yoga sessions, a drag artist’s political satire cabaret, and done the score for a dental operation. They come in all shapes and sizes – and we don’t see them slowing down. The industry is constantly shifting and changing, and a good business needs to grow with it. That will be one of our many challenges in 2016.” On-Key has been doing great things, especially in the local spectrum. In 2015 the studios worked on feature films such as Necktie Youth and The Jakes Are Missing , as well as a three-part blue chip HD wildlife series for Animal Planet, ARTE France, DRG and Smithsonian Channel called Trees of Life. Their TV series slate includes Masterchef, Umlilo and many others.

7.1 & 5.1 Surround Sound Cinema mixing: 5.1 Sound TV mix . Dialogue & SFX editing . ADR recording . 2 x 5.1 track-lay studios . Mastering . Deliveries info@refinery.co.za | www.refinery.co.za | +27 11 799 7800

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Janno Müller © On Key Sound Studios

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MAJOR SOUND STUDIOS IN SOUTH AFRICA STUDIO

LOCATION

SPECIALITIES

WEBSITE / CONTACTS

African Dope Publishing

Western Cape

Large, Cape music catalogue and music licensing expertise

www.africandope.co.za

Arcadia Sound

KwaZulu-Natal

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

www.arcadiasound.com

Big Leap

Cape Town, Western Cape

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

www.bigleap.co.za

Cape Audio College

Cape Town, Western Cape

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

www.capeaudiocollege.co.za

Cape Town Sound

Cape Town, Western Cape

Music production, engineering, composition

www.capetownsound.com

Create Sonic Life

Durban, KZN

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

www.ryanhall.co.za

Cut & Paste Generation

Bryanston, Gauteng

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

www.cutpastestudios.com

Dreamspace (Cape Town Recording Studios / Cape Town Audio Post)

Cape Town, Western Cape

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

www.dreamspacerecording.com

Fine Tune Studios

Bryanston, Gauteng

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

www.finetunestudios.com

Freq'ncy Audio and Music

Cape Town, Western Cape

High end post production, sound design, music composition

www.freqncy.co.za

HeyPapaLegend Sound Studios

Cape Town, Western Cape

Sound design, music composition, TVC final mix, radio and voice production

www.heypapalegend.com

Kwazi Mojo

South Africa

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

www.kwazimojo.com

Lalela

Cape Town, Western Cape

SA/USA production music library, licensing, compositions

www.lalela.com

Mama Dance!

Cape Town, Western Cape

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

www.mamadance.com

Mastermax Productions

Midrand and Western Cape

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

www.mastermax.co.za

Milestone Studios

Cape Town, Western Cape

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

www.milestones.co.za

Mtommbo Audio Solutions

Randburg, Gauteng

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

www.mtommbo.com

On-Key Sound Studios

Linden and Randburg, Gauteng

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

www.onkeysound.com

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STUDIO

LOCATION

SPECIALITIES

WEBSITE / CONTACTS

Phonographic

Cape Town, Western Cape

Music production, sound design, voice over, final mix

www.phonographic.co.za

Popsicle Studios

Cape Town, Western Cape

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

www.popsiclestudios.co.za

Postmasters

Johannesburg, Gauteng

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

www.postmasters.co.za

Pressure Cooker Studios

Cape Town, Western Cape

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

www.pressurecookerstudios.co.za

Digital music technology, recording, production and multimedia content production

www.redbullstudios. com/capetown

Red Bull

Cape Town, Western Cape

Refinery Post Production

Johannesburg

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

www.refinery.co.za

SABC Radio Broadcast Facilities (RBF)

South Africa

Largest broadcast and production house in Africa, music studios, outside broadcast, media libraries, sound restoration, radio archives, record library

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

Sonovision Studios

Rivonia, Gauteng

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

www.sonovision.co.za

Sound & Motion Studios

Cape Town, Johannesburg, Dar es Salaam and Lagos

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

www.soundandmotion.co.za

Sound Surfers

Bryanston, Gauteng

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

www.soundsurfers.net

Stratosphere Sound

Western Cape

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

www.stratosphere.co.za

The Crayon Room

Paradise Beach, Eastern Cape

Digital production including photographic, editing and sound studios

www.thecrayonroom.com

The Work Room

Cape Town, Western Cape

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

www.theworkroom.co.za

Universal Music Group (South Africa)

Johannesburg, Gauteng

Global music leader in recorded music, music publishing and licensing

www.universalmusic.com

Waterfront Studios

Cape Town, Western Cape

Largest sound stages in Africa, edit and audio suites for film and TV

www.ninedesign.co.za/ wfs/wfs_site

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SOUND EQUIPMENT SALES AND RENTALS STUDIO

LOCATION

SPECIALITIES

WEBSITE / CONTACTS

Above and Beyond Productions

Port Elizabeth, Eastern Cape

Sound, lighting and audio visual services

www.above.co.za

Audiosure First Technology

Midrand

Importer and distributor of professional audio and lighting equipment

www.audiosure.co.za

BA Sound Studio Work Shop

Durban, KZN

PAs, installed sound, recording and broadcasting audio equipment sales

www.basound.co.za

Kleens Music

Durban, KZN

Retailer of musical instruments, PA systems, pro audio, recording and production equipment

www.kleensmusic.co.za

Matrix Corporate & Theatre Sound

Randburg, Gauteng

Design, sales and rental of professional sound equipment

www.matrixsound.co.za

MidiMusic (Toms Sound & Music)

Midrand

ProSound

Weltevreden Park and Durban

Sales, supply, design, installation and hire of professional sound equipment

www.prosound.co.za

Scotronics

Port Elizabeth, Eastern Cape

Importers and distributors of electronic and audio components

www.scotronics.co.za

Sennheiser Electronic SA

Auckland Park

Microphones and headphones

www.sennheiser.co.za

Stage Audio Works

Randburg, Gauteng

Lighting and sound products for sale and hire

www.stageaudioworks.co.za

Stage Gear SA

Cape Town, Western Cape

Supply of all musical instruments

www.musiciansmedia.co.za

The Sound Corporation

Randburg, Gauteng

Audio, lighting, AV and staging equipment

www.sound.co.za

Tuerk Music Technologies

Randburg, Gauteng

Largest selection of studio equipment in SA

www.tuerkmusic.co.za

www.midimusic.co.za

Disclaimer: Unfortunately due to space constrictions in the Callsheet , we are unable to include every single sound studio operating in South Africa, and have instead included all the major ones involved with sound in motion pictures.

FINE TUNE STUDIOS / 17

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DELIVERING

WORLD CLASS AUDIO S

ince opening its flagship facility in Johannesburg in 2005, followed by Studio 2 and 3 shortly thereafter, Fine Tune Studios has earned its reputation as a leader in the audio postproduction market. The magic formula for this success is the ability to deliver a full range of superlative creative services to the advertising, broadcast, and film industries, featuring full Pro tools HD suites and an extensive sound effects and music library. With an all-star roster of award-winning mixers, sound designers, and composers; Fine Tune Studios prides itself on delivering top-notch creative audio in a relaxed and efficient clientcentric atmosphere.

Capabilities include: mixing for all formats, complete sound solutions for television commercials, radio production, custom music, sound design, 5.1 mixing, ISDN recordings and audio for the gaming world. Fine Tune Studios engineers are all awardwinning engineers with over 37 years combined experience in the industry. In August of 2014, Fine Tune Studios saw a change in ownership and management, which has bolstered the already successful business with additional strategic and creative skill sets. Fine Tune Studios is proudly a Level 1 BEE contributor under the new leadership and is committed to providing only the highest-quality experience to our clients.

OUR SERVICES INCLUDE:

• Voice casting • Voice recording & editing • Voice record ISDN and Source Connect • Radio commercial production & mix • TV commercial sound design & mix stereo • Theatrical spot design & mix 5.1 surround • ADR (automatic dialogue replacement) • Track laying & audio cleaning • Sound design • Feature sound packages • Jingle/music production • Audio for multimedia and presentations • Audio stripes to all formats • Language service and script writing in all 11 official languages • Translations • Management of voice talent • Material delivery world wide

Fine Tune Studios offers a seamless blend of worldclass technology and talented engineers that can produce exceptional post production A/V quality that is multidimensional and rich; a perfect fit for any platform. With access to a database of voiceover artists and a library of music; expectations are not met - they are consistently exceeded. At Fine Tune Studios, we look forward to an amazing year with our clients. For more information and contact details go to www.finetunestudios.com

18 / OPPORTUNITIES

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OPPORTUNITIES: FEBRUARY

Screening at DIFF 2015 ÂŠ Durban International Film Festival

DIFF 2016 CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS Durban International Film Festival (DIFF) invites filmmakers from across the world to submit their their Short-, Documentaryor Feature Fiction films to screen in the festival from the 16 to 26 June 2016. The 37th edition of the festival is organized with key partnerships with the Durban Film Office, eThekwini Municipality, KwaZulu-Natal Film Commission, National Film and Video Foundation and other valued funders and partners. DIFF is the premiere platform for the launch of African films and a key gateway to the African film industry. The festival also includes an annual local and international awards component. Only films completed in 2014, 2015 and 2016 will be considered, and there is no charge for entry.

Submissions will be accepted via an online screener. All submissions must be entered via the DIFF Visitor Page online at vp.eventival.eu/cca/diff2016. In order to submit a film, an account needs to be created if this has not already been done in previous years. The deadline for all entries (short films, documentaries and feature fiction films), including delivery of screeners, is 29 February 2016. This yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s festival will feature a focus on the important issue of HIV and Aids within film; DIFF invites filmmakers with films on this subject to submit for consideration in this category. The programme is made up of the 9th Talents Durban (17 to 21 June 2016), presented in cooperation with Berlinale Talents, and the 7th Durban FilmMart (17 to 20 June 2016), presented

in partnership with the Durban Film Office, as well as various other streams of programming. For more information visit www.durbanfilmfest.co.za, or email diff@ukzn.ac.za.

2016 INTERNATIONAL EMMY AWARDS CALL FOR ENTRIES The International Emmy Awards Competition opened on December 10, 2015, with the deadline for submissions set for February 18 in 2016. The competition is designed to recognise television produced outside of the United States, and presents International Emmy Awards in nineteen categories. Miners Shot Down won an Emmy this year in the Documentary category, while local productions Puppet Nation Z A and MasterChef SA were among the nominees at the event. Any non-US organisation

or individual may submit a programme, and co-productions with the US are eligible if aired initially outside of the States, or if the broadcast dates were within a few days of each other. Extensions for the deadline may be granted upon request; however a US$50 late fee per submission will be added automatically. All eligible submissions are entered into the competition and then judged by television professionals from around the world. The fee is US$400 per submission and all dialogue including English dialogue must be subtitled in English and embedded into the video rather than submitted as a separate file. For more information or if you have any queries, please contact the awardsdept@iemmys.tv for assistance. To view all the terms and conditions, visit www.iemmys.tv.

MOVERS AND SHAKERS / 19

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MOVERS AND SHAKERS LISA MINI JOINS WESGRO FILM AND MEDIA UNIT

Wesgro’s Film and Media division is pleased to announce the appointment of Lisa Mini as the dedicated Film and Media Officer. As the Western Cape’s official Tourism, Trade and Investment Promotion agency, Wesgro’s film division plays a key role in promoting the city and province’s creative industries including media, new media, entertainment, and film and television. Wesgro CEO, Tim Harris believes Lisa’s appointment to the agency will help to drive growth within this growing industry.

“Wesgro is in an ideal position to market the Cape as a film destination, and the agency will benefit greatly from Lisa’s extensive experience,” says Harris. The division is headed by film industry veteran Monica Rorvik who promotes Cape Town and the Western Cape as film and media destinations. Her team assists local and foreign film and media companies to make the most of South Africa’s incentive packages such as the Foreign Film and Television Production and Post-Production incentive, and the South Africa Film and Television Production and Co-

Production incentive. Lisa’s background includes a stint at the Big Fish School of Digital Filmmaking where she was the Project Manager of the Cape Town Campus and assisted with the managing and marketing of the branch. Additionally, Mini has freelanced within the local film industry for more than seven years and has gained extensive experience working on commercials, feature film productions and film festivals. Mini looks forward to her new role; “I want to use my passion for the film industry to grow the reputation of the Cape as a

I WANT TO USE MY PASSION FOR THE FILM INDUSTRY TO GROW THE REPUTATION OF THE CAPE AS A PREFERRED FILM DESTINATION. Lisa Mini, Film and Media Officer of Wesgro

preferred film destination and in so doing forge channels through which to introduce local film talent to a widening international market.” Mini holds a qualification in Marketing and will continue her studies this year at UCT’s Graduate School of Business. She intends using all her knowledge, contacts and skills to assist and promote film in the Cape.

NEW BOARD MEMBERS AT OGILVY & MATHER SOUTH AFRICA

Ogilvy & Mather South Africa’s board of directors announced the addition of four new executive directors. These are Angela Madlala (director of talent), Alistair Mokoena (MD, O&M Johannesburg), Joanna Oosthuizen (MD, Ogilvy Public Relations SA) and Luca Gallarelli (MD, O&M Cape Town). The company’s holding board is responsible for the strategic development and governance oversight of the agency. “We are very pleased to have them join our board,” stated Moss Mashishi, chairman of Ogilvy & Mather South Africa. “Each of them has already played a significant role in our company’s success and we trust that they will provide invaluable guidance in helping our organisation become an agency of the future.”

22 / FEATURE

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MUSIC VIDEO

DIRECTOR SHOWCASE

The vibrant, exciting world of music videos has captivated youth since MTV pioneered the format. Now Kim Muller brings you the directors shaping SA’s social landscape.

Riky Rick Music Video © Kyle Lewis

ur impressions of a musician or band are strongly tied to their visual image. Even more so in our Instagram age. Music videos help create, define and challenge our perception of the world, and of the artists we adore. But more often than not, we don’t consciously recognise this – or the people behind the artists striving to create fantastical, eye-catching, poignant themes. Enter the music video director. Many have their start in music videos or short films, often to add to their portfolio and to practice their craft. From there some move on, while others become anchored in the art form.

THE PROBLEM WITH MUSIC VIDEOS

Although South Africa has proven itself as the go-to place on the continent for the coolest of the cool music videos, it’s not a

particularly lucrative business yet. “Because most musicians still do not understand the importance of having an original and artistic music video, they tend to go for the cheaper generic versions,” Joanne Corrigall, visual creator of Diana Bada’s Open Up Ur Eyes, explains. “However, I am confident that this will change as they come to realize how essential it is to generate proper branding for themselves and how important it is to have a really unique music video...”

CREATIVE CONCEPT EQUALS EYEBALLS

In this day and age branding – and the authenticity of your brand – is of utmost importance. Not only do music videos open up opportunities for sponsorships and branded content, but

they create social dialogue, and address issues by making it a topic of conversation. There are many opportunities in this sector, says Tlhonepho Thobejane, director of Fantasma’s enchanting Cat and Mouse video. “In fact, I think there are more opportunities in music videos for upcoming filmmakers than ever before… We have so many dope artists and such a beautiful country to shoot in that the projects will never stop coming in.”

KYLE LEWIS (DIRTY SOUL PRODUCTIONS | ARCADE CONTENT) A young man on his way to the top, Kyle Lewis has been associated with some of the biggest names in South Africa’s pop charts, from Khuli Chana and Toya DeLazy to The Parlotones and Riky Rick.

MUSIC VIDEOS HELP CREATE, DEFINE AND CHALLENGE OUR PERCEPTION OF THE WORLD. On how music video visuals have evolved: “In South Africa, the hip hop music videos especially are very orientated towards European or American ideas which tend to frustrate me quite a lot. We have such incredibly strong visuals in our country that I’m trying to explore. It’s important to me that we can grow our industry to a certain point with foresight.”

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On the responsibility of making music videos: “As your audiences grow and as you get more and more views and get taken more seriously, there’s a responsibility to not just make froufrou things... We need to make things that get people to think a little more. People are offended and don’t like my stuff sometimes, but I like that because people are at least talking about it. They’re bringing up the point that I’m trying to get across that might not have been perceived how I want it to be – but at least it’s a talking point.” On his latest work: “I just did a video for Da L.E.S; it’s only getting released next year. We did this thing on the revelation of what beauty is and how European influences have affected us so greatly. We did a ‘burn your bra’ type thing – burn your weave where they revealed their natural hair, which is beautiful and what we should be celebrating. …With Riky Rick after we did the first the FUSEG video, he’s now come back to me to do a kind of short form, ending off of his album. We’re doing three songs in it – it’s going to be very political, but we touch on religion, we touch on social norms. It will be a big wrap up of everything that’s gone on last year…As a filmmaker, especially as a white male filmmaker, it’s important to not have a fear of offending because it’s going to happen irrespective of what you do – but also being sensitive to it.”

JOANNE CORRIGALL (DR MOJO FILMS)

A woman with a carefree spirit and creativity to match it, Joanne Corrigall is Dr Mojo. Not only is she well-versed in the art of music videos, but she’s immersed herself in the culture of music, too. On the importance of music videos: “Musicians need to understand that their music video represents their music and is also a major marketing tool, so the same amount of artistry and professionalism that went into their music needs to go into their video if they wish to grow and maintain a fanbase.” On shooting Diana Bada’s Open Up Ur Eyes: “The music video I made for Diana Bada’s song Open Up Ur Eyes was easily one of the best experiences in my life. I had gone to Lagos with the hopes of making a music video for a Nigerian artist, but I had no real contacts there, so it was a rather high-risk move. One night, I went to see some live music and met Diana’s assistant by pure chance... I listened to her music and was blown away…this was someone I wanted to work with. I interpreted the song as being about becoming really conscious of the realities that we face as human beings; …the post-colonial scenarios of skin-lightening and emulation of an American lifestyle, the loss of humanity in border controls, and the pressure to conform to particular identities, both as women and as Africans… Given the short time I had left in Lagos, we decided to film shots

Diana Bada’s Open Up Ur Eyes ©Joanne Corrigall / Dr Mojo Films

of Diana as various archetypal characters that represented these issues, and combine this with more abstract footage shot in Cape Town. We pulled in every favour we could think of and raced around Lagos for three days... This was an amazing journey dealing with onlookers and police who tried to extort money from us, shooting at high tide in one of the roughest oceans I have ever experienced… shooting until every last ray of light was available. After it was done, I sent Diana a link to the video and she called me in tears of joy saying that she wanted to come to South Africa for the video launch. She flew out here for a week and we launched the video at the Breathe Sunshine African Music Conference… It was always one of my dreams to connect African musicians across the continent, so this was really a dream come true for me.”

Joanne’s MV Filmography Brand New Day | MK the Prince ft. Yogi-P Charlie Phillips music video The Rudimentals of Succeeding in Music | Short film on The Rudimentals From Dream to Reality | Short film on SAMA award-winning composer James Stewart Be inspired by a Pop Legend with Soul | Short film on SAMA award-winning artist Chad Saaiman Blayze on Hip-hop | Short film on rap artist Blayze Tumi’s Take on Art and Freedom | Short film on Tumi Molekane of Tumi and the Volume Mandoza on the Power of Music | Short film on multi awardwinning kwaito artist Mandoza Open Up Ur Eyes | Diana Bada Aegean Blue | Short film on Jazz composer Marc Roffey

IT WAS ALWAYS ONE OF MY DREAMS TO CONNECT AFRICAN MUSICIANS ACROSS THE CONTINENT. Director Kyle Lewis

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JENNA CATO BASS

Fantasma’s Cat and Mouse © Tlhonepho Thobejane / Thobejane Collective

THLONEPHO THOBEJANE (THOBEJANE COLLECTIVE)

A supremely talented woman with an eye for the story behind the story, Thlonepho Thobejane is on the rise – and is ecstatic about her chosen medium. On what excites her about creating music videos: “Music videos are just fun. Combining the energy of a musical artist and applying visuals to their track is the ultimate form of creative freedom… One of the funnest things about making videos for me is profiling our young artists and documenting youth culture. From the super cool kids hustling on the Jozi streets to the kids perfecting their ballet in the township, our culture is rich no matter which way you look at it, and pointing a lens in that direction is always incredibly fulfilling. Everyone is moved by music in some way, making it the glue that combines different kinds of creative expression.” On being a girl director in a man’s world: “It’s a little hard in the beginning to break in to the more mainstream videos, as with any industry there are stereotypes. There are not that many girls in the game, so I think because of that we have to work ten times harder to gain trust from the artists and their management that we can pull it off, but once that trust is established, the door is open and they refer you to other artists.” On industry recognition in music videos: “I think it’s the crews that need the recognition and not just the

director. Everyone comes together to make these things happen, often between crazy artist performance schedules and high expectations from management and sponsors. In South Africa there could definitely be more recognition for directors. In Nigeria and Kenya, directors are well known and have their own followings.” On Fantasma’s Cat and Mouse: “What I really enjoyed about Cat and Mouse is working with the kids and contrasting the usually sad narrative of the township with an expressive one that celebrates young people’s hustle. The kids we used in the video were all super talented dancers between 12 and 15… The crew worked on the project for free and donated the funds to the kids to go on a well-earned ballet exchange to Europe. That was special for us because it was the whole reason why we were making the videos, to tell youth stories in a positive light, to grow our culture and stay inspired.”

A lady of excessive creativity, Jenna Bass is best known for her feature Love the One You Love. But her career began with music videos – and she’s still involved in some zany work. On what intrigues her about the medium of music videos: “Essentially, I love combining music with moving pictures – there’s nothing more pleasing than when sound and video dance together: and in a music video you can focus on just that. I also like the simplicity – my film projects are usually really complex, but with music videos I try to focus on a single concept or aesthetic experiment and push that as far as I can. It’s a purely aesthetic narrative which makes a really nice change for me.” On music videos’ influence on her: “MVs were a big part of my education – I used to get friends with MTV to tape them for me on VHS. After graduating film school, music videos were the one way in which I could build a showreel and develop myself as a director. I basically said ‘yes’ to every video I could get, and when budgets didn’t allow for a crew, I learnt a lot of skills which proved very useful later on.” On DOODVENOOTSKAP’s Protein Shake: “I was hanging out with DOODVENOOTSKAP, and Hoppie, one of the crew’s MCs, just riffed this amazing rhyming-skit-thing which he hadn’t even named yet. I made them promise that I could do the video – even though I wasn’t

intending on doing any videos at the time – and then I asked my friend Sebastian Borckenhagen… if he’d like to collaborate on it. It was one of the most fun filmmaking experiences I’ve had.”

Vampire Radio | The Wild Eyes ©Jenna Cato Bass

EVERYONE COMES TOGETHER TO MAKE THESE THINGS HAPPEN, OFTEN BETWEEN CRAZY ARTIST PERFORMANCE SCHEDULES AND HIGH EXPECTATIONS FROM MANAGEMENT AND SPONSORS.

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TASHINGA MUTAKWA (GREEN BACK MEDIA GROUP)

A determined go-getter, Tashinga Gerald Mutakwa is originally from Zimbabwe – but he’s made a home in Cape Town now. With a passion for the music industry, Tashinga believes in giving meaning to songs through his interpretations.

ad.pdf 1 2015/08/05 Director Tashinga Mutakwa 03:40:23 PM

On his entry into music videos: “My entry into the music video industry was due to the fact that I had studied film directing and needed income. Then I fell in love with music videos. Unfortunately, in Cape Town, you rarely get artists who are willing to part with a good budget for a music video. Hence concepts are often compromised. The first music video I ever did was on a budget of R600.” On inspiration and visual concepts: “The amount of freedom allowed in conceptualization differs every time. Some artists already have a clear idea of what they want in a video while others trust me to come up with my own interpretation of their song. I enjoy working on my own concepts to be honest. Like I did with the Silas Miami video. My inspiration comes from my short film

Uno July’s Skelem © Tashinga Mutakwa

background. Even if I am not telling a narrative story in a music video, I always try and invoke some emotion. The real story behind the lyrics of Give a Little Love is totally different from what the music video portrays. In the video, we are taken through the metaphorical journey of a relationship where one entity seems to want it more than the other. And because of that there are a lot of ups and downs.” Words of wisdom for up-and-comers: “Respect the process. Shortcuts are short-lived victories.”

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CAPE TOWN

INTERNATIONAL ANIMATION FESTIVAL 2016

Boy and the World has been nominated for academy award in 2016

he CTIAF is made possible thanks to generous support from sponsors the National Film and Video Foundation, Wesgro, Animation SA, and the French Institute of South Africa. The 2016 programme includes the African premiere of Stick Man which is produced by Magic Light Pictures and animated by Triggerfish Studios. Stick Man is adapted from the book by writer Julia Donaldson and illustrator Axel Scheffler, of The Gruffalo and The Gruffalo’s Child fame, the animated films of which Magic Light Pictures were nominated for an Oscar and a BAFTA. There will also be screenings

of Cartoon Saloon’s Song of the Sea, directed by two-time Oscar nominee Tomm Moore, and The Boy and the World, directed by Alê Abreu. The Boy and the World won the Cristal is a 2016 Oscar nominee for best animated feature film of the year, has won the Cristal Award for Best Feature Film at the Annecy International Animated Film Festival and the Grand Prix for feature film at the 2015 Animafest Zagreb Stick Man lives in the family tree with his Stick Lady Love and their Stick Children three. But it’s dangerous being a Stick Man. A dog wants to play with him, a swan builds her nest with him.

He even ends up on a fire! Will he ever get back to the family tree? Don’t miss this African premiere. Nominated for an Oscar in 2015 the Best Animated Feature Film of the Year category, Song of the Sea tells the story of Ben and his little sister Saoirse – the last Seal-child – who embark on a fantastic journey across a fading world of ancient legend and magic in an attempt to return to their home by the sea. The film takes inspiration from the mythological Selkies of Irish folklore, who live as seals in the sea but become humans on land. It is directed by Tomm Moore, whose film The Secret of Kells

was also nominated for an Oscar. Boy and the World, tells the story of Cuca, who lives a life of quiet wonder, exploring all that the countryside has to offer, until his cosy life is shattered when his father leaves for the city, prompting him to embark on a quest to reunite his family. Festival Director Dianne Makings says, “The Festival’s programme is designed to inspire and build both the local industry and audiences, by exposing them to world class talent and content through screenings, talks, workshops and masterclasses. “We are delighted to have confirmed the African premiere

Stick Man has its African premiere at the Cape Town International Animation Festival © Orange Eyes Limited 2015

of Stick Man by Magic Light Pictures and South Africa’s very own Triggerfish Studios, as well as Oscar nominated films Song of the Sea and The Boy and the World. “We also have an incredible line up of workshops, catering for a range of interests,” adds Makings. A highlight is the workshop with world-famous Laika’s producer, Mark Shapiro, who has worked on films such as Coraline, Paranorman and The Corpse Bride. Christine Ponzavera will discuss different strategies to pitch to European studios, and also how co-productions work. “It’s a coup to have secured

Nedy Acet, who is a 3D animator at Dreamworks studio, producers of hits such as Kung Fu Panda and How To Train Your Dragon. He will present an artistic workshop about character design. We are grateful to the French Institute of South Africa, who have enabled Nedy and Christine to be with us.” We are also very excited to welcome Eric Lessard to the programme. He appears courtesy of our partners at Sunrise Studios and will be sharing his top tips, tricks and tools that he has learnt from a celebrated 20 year career at Dreamworks.

“We will also be partnering with Friends of Design to offer a series of Gaming Workshops, and once again with the innovative team from Pop the Culture, who will run various seminars.” To ensure that festival goers don’t miss what’s happening at the office while they are attending the Festival, Media Cloud will be providing internet access for all attendees. This will also allow Q&A sessions with overseas directors such as Tomm Moore and Adam Elliot to be remotely accessible. Oscar-winning Elliot will be presenting his latest short film Ernie Biscuit. In addition, the Festival will host a student awards initiative, with incredible prizes; a children’s programme; a competition for the Festival trailer; outreach programmes and B2B sessions. “We understand the value, and the potential value, that the animated film industry has to be a key driver in positive economic

SOUTH AFRICA HAS A WEALTH OF TALENT AND SKILLS IN THIS SECTOR, AND WESGRO STRIVES TO HELP THEM BECOME EXPORT-READY AND MAXIMIZE THE BENEFITS TO THEM. Boy and the World

return,” says Monica Rorvik, Head of Film and Production at Wesgro, the official Tourism, Trade and Investment Promotion agency for Cape Town and the Western Cape. “South Africa has a wealth of talent and skills in this sector, and Wesgro strives to help them become exportready and maximize the benefits to them.” Representatives from Adobe , AJA Video Systems Chaos Group, The Foundry, Toon Boom and Cel Action will be at the festival to take meetings with delegates, and in some cases host technical workshops. The Cape Town International Animation Festival takes place from 18 to 21 February 2016. All workshops take place at the River Club in Observatory, Cape Town. Screenings take place at the Labia Theatre and the River Club. For further information visit www.ctiaf.com or join them on Facebook www.facebook.com/ CTInternationalAnimationFest

MIKE BUCKLAND

PRODUCER AT TRIGGERFISH ANIMATION STUDIOS, ON CREATING STICK MAN FOR BBC 1 character animation, while Andrew Wilkins managed the lighting and rendering. The compositing team was run by Chris Cunnington. The Production team was ably run by Kelly Dillon while Technical and Creative supervision was supplied by James Bihl and Kane Croudace, to name but a few of the many talented South African artists on the project. Magic Light managed the script development, voice recording, postproduction, music and sound mix. Stick Man © Triggerfish

What was Triggerfish’s involvement in the project? And which Triggerfish team members worked on it? Magic Light Pictures in the UK was commissioned by BBC 1 to produce Stick Man, and they brought the project to Triggerfish. Magic Light provided the Director, Jeroen Jaspaert while Triggerfish put forward South African Daniel Snaddon as our Co-Director. Triggerfish producer Mike Buckland was responsible for delivering the project which involved a large team of up to 60 South African animators and artists working on various aspects of the animation process: Dan Snaddon oversaw storyboarding, Sam King handled all the production design and oversaw the asset creation, and Daniel Clarke Art Directed. Quentin Vogel supervised the

One wouldn’t normally equate warm and fuzzy feelings with sticks. What was the process like, trying to humanise Stick Man and his family? We were lucky in that Julia Donaldson’s story of Stick Man is so well told and so beautifully illustrated by Axel Scheffler that despite the brevity of the text, we had a lot to draw inspiration from. Much of Stick Man’s humanity came from the intensive script writing and storyboarding processes during which time the writers and directors took great care to present Stick Man as a character that we could really identify with in his journey and struggles to return home to his family. It was also a challenge to settle on the final design of Stick Man. We had to adapt Axel’s drawings into a three dimensional character while staying true to both his original style and the

stop-motion look established by the previous films ( The Gruffalo, The Gruffalo’s Child and Room on the Broom). We also had to make sure that we could achieve the range of expressions and motion that would create a convincing and endearing performance but without losing his essential stick-ness. Martin Freeman’s delivery of Stick Man’s voice was a fantastic way for the animators to get into his character and they made great use of the reference videos we shot of Martin as he recorded his lines in the studio. Will Triggerfish be involved in further Stick Man projects? Well, hopefully if Julia Donaldson writes a sequel to the Stick Man book! We are currently working on another two projects with Magic Light based on Roald Dahl’s Revolting Rhymes which we are very excited about. They will be due out end of this year, so look out for them! How long did the project take to complete? Stick Man was about an 18 month production. Storyboarding began in May 2014 for six months, and at the same time the team was designing and building the characters and various sets in which the story takes place. Character animation began in early 2015 followed by Lighting, Rendering and Compositing, and the project was finally delivered in October 2015.

What were your favourite moments/aspects of the film to work on? My favourite part of filmmaking is the actual process of making it. Animation is always very stressful, frustrating and painfully slow-going, but I love the opportunity to be working with a team of extremely talented artists who are brave enough to stretch themselves beyond their expectations. It’s very rewarding to make it through to completion and see how all the effort and strain has accumulated and transformed into this beautiful and charming short film. What was the reaction to the initial screening? Over 9.3 million people watched the premiere screening on Christmas Day on BBC 1, with Stick Man trending on Twitter that day and we’ve since had enthusiastic feedback from fans of both the books and the previous films, as well as Julia and Axel themselves. Our clients, Magic Light, are extremely pleased with the film and the response it has gained so far, so we are very proud of what we’ve managed to achieve. Stick Man will now be screening at animation festivals around the world including here at the Cape Town International Animation Festival at the end of February, so we’re hoping for some awards in the near future!

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30 / INDIES AND SHORTS REVIEW

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INDIES AND SHORTS

Each month we explore the short formats that tickle our fancy. This time, Kim Muller keeps to the Callsheet’s focus on sound to bring you a rundown of SA’s hottest animated music videos.

One Million Views © Goldfish

xploring and experimenting with music videos is something we’ve all done at some point in our lives. Some of us have never grown out of it, and some of us are constantly innovating in this space. Here are some of the animated music videos that have caught my eye while browsing the interwebs.

LA VIDA BY MI CASA

Released in 2012, Mi Casa and Soul Candi Records teamed up to produce La Vida’s fascinating video. The initial concept was fleshed out by Mi Casa and TripleSky, with Pura Imagem handling production. The 3D-animated video has a distinct Lego-esque feel to it,

La Vida © Mi Casa & Soul Candi

with unique angles and nuanced movements giving it an air of reality. Moments that stood out for me were the bobbing of little Lego heads to the beat, the sunset take-off into candyfloss skies, and the way their cars screech to a halt and almost double over.

ONE MILLION VIEWS BY GOLDFISH

Actually, just about anything Mike Scott does for Goldfish tends to be fabulous! But, given it’s a one-per-customer kinda world we live in, I thought I’d pull out the latest animation he’s done. Firstly, I should point out that although I’m not a huge Goldfish fan, I can relate to this clip! It’s fun, it had me glued from start

to finish, and it’s filled with intricate details and tongue-incheek visual dialogue…and it perfectly portrays current music culture. I actually burst out laughing when at about 1:49 the plug to the DJ equipment is out and DJ Dog is playing solitaire on his laptop (while ‘performing’ to a packed house). This is the perfect mixture of visual entertainment and pumping dance music that will keep you hopped up on happiness.

MUIZENBERG BY JOHN WIZARDS

Looking for striking graphics with a simple yet stimulating concept? Sebastian Borckenhagen’s treatment of John Wizards’

La Vida © Mi Casa & Soul Candi

Muizenberg is what you need. Not only is the song laid back and uplifting, but it’s super engaging, too. Animated drawings morph into each other, creating afro and preschool patterns set against bold colours. I find myself watching it over and over. Sebastian made waves (excuse the Muizenberg pun) with this clip’s release, and went on to see more internet fame with a music video he and filmmaker Jenna Bass collaborated on for Cape Flats rap crew DOODVENOOTSKAP in 2015. If you missed Protein Shake, I highly recommend you go and look it up right now. Both brilliant and WTF athe same time!

SPOTLIGHT / 31

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AWARD-WINNING SA FEATURE

TRAVELS THE WORLD “

ightly drawn, very provocative and brimming with unbridled raw storytelling energy, While You Weren’t Looking opens doors of perception into a world we haven’t explored before.” - Palm Springs International Film Festival January 2016 While You Weren’t Looking , the multiple-award winning début feature film directed by SAFTA winner Catherine Stewart, has been selected for the Pan African Film Festival (4-15 February in Los Angeles), the most prestigious African Diaspora festival in the United States. It has also been selected for the

New York African Film Festival which plays at the Lincoln Center in May of this year. This follows its selection at the Palm Springs International Film Festival where is was described as “A striking departure from anything we have seen in South African cinema.” While You Weren’t Looking has already picked up four international awards - among them two European Audience Awards (Pink Apple, Zurich and queerfilm festival Bremen), and two American jury awards (Best Narrative Feature Film, Tampa Bay International G&LFF), and a deserved Best

Director (Long Beach Qfilm festival) for Catherine Stewart. The film stars exceptional awardwinning local talent - actors and musicians. Fezile Mpela, Sandi Schultz, Petronella Tshuma, Camilla Waldman, Thishiwe Ziqubu and Lionel Newton give stellar performances, supported by music tracks from Toya Delazy, Batsumi, Tumi and The Volume, Melanie Scholtz, Falling Mirror, Mr Sakitumi, Zaki Ibrahim, Manouche and Umlilo. Added to this is Amelia Henning’s stunning cinematography and exceptional Cape Town locations. The National Lotteries Commission was the principal

funder, with additional finance from the Department of Trade and Industry, and a grant from The Other Foundation. While You Weren’t Looking was produced by Out In Africa. After a successful national run at Ster Kinekor, The Labia and sold out performances at The Bioscope last year, While You Weren’t Looking had a second run at The Bioscope in Johannesburg and is one of three features selected for the African Film Programme at That Art Fair organised by Art Africa magazine in the last week of February 2016 in Woodstock, Cape Town.

32 / PRODUCT REVIEW

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THE SAMSUNG NX500

Kim Muller spent some time getting acquainted with Samsung’s NX500 and the results are in.

SPECIFICATIONS

t first glance adorable, the Samsung NX500 is a great, all-purpose Compact System Camera (CSC). It offers heaps of useful features and is a wonderful choice for those searching for a family-friendly, portable device. The 28MP CSC comes complete with a 16-50mm Power Zoom Lens and a compact little detachable flash. Samsung has built up a great collection of NX-mount lenses, and in addition to standard kit lenses (18-55mm, 20-50mm), there is also a selection of inexpensive zooms (50-200mm, 18-200mm) and prime ones ranging from 16mm to 85mm. Not to mention a fab 10mm fish eye lens I had loads of fun with! Sporting an old-school style, it is reminiscent of Kodak’s vintage beauties with a modern twist. Most noticeable is the lack of a viewfinder. Samsung makes up for this with its flexible 3-inch screen, which can be tilted to 90 degrees and flipped up. It also has a full VGA AMOLED display, meaning you’ll always see the shot clearly, no matter how bright the sunlight. Added to this is the NX500’s ability to record in true 4K video. It captures extreme details using

half the storage space typically used for HD recording, and has an NX Autofocus System III – ideal for capturing those oncein-a-lifetime action shots. Both the photo and video quality surpass its smaller-sensor competitors, with most of the NX1’s high-end components crammed into the NX500’s body: the sensor, the DRIMe V image processor, and similar 4K recording capabilities. This baby has excellent rendering of colours, with many of my images coming out wonderfully bright and vibrant. I must say, however, despite having some issues with sharpness at middle ISO sensitivities, I was impressed overall by its convenience and multiple handy functions. Finally, in this digital age, what are gadgets without internet connectivity? Added to its ergonomic design, 9fps continuous shooting, and 1/6000s shutter speed is the NX500’s Wi-Fi and Bluetooth capabilities. It supports the advanced Wi-Fi 802.11n for remote control and instant transfer of high resolution images. Together with Bluetooth and NFC, the result is fast connectivity and easy sharing.

Image sensor

Effective Pixel: 28.2MP

Total Pixel: 30.7MP

Image Sensor Type: BSI CMOS

Lens

Type: Samsung NX lens

Mount: Samsung NX mount

Shutter Speed

Modes: Auto: 1/6000 – 1/4sec Manual: 1/600030sec Bulb

Shooting

Drive Modes: Single, Continuous, SelfTimer, Bracket 9fps – Maximum shooting speed is 9ps, but will slow down after approx. JPEG 40 shots, RAW 5 shots.

Modes: Auto, Program, Aperture Priority, Shutter Priority, Manual, Samsung Auto Shot, Smart, Custom

RAW Format Shooting: 28M (6480x4320)

Display

Field of View: 100

Main LCD Screen: 3” Super AMOLED w/Touch Screen

Resolution: 1036k dots

Video

Edit: Still Image Capture, Time Trimming

Recording: 4096x2160 (24fps), 3840x2160 (30fps), 1920x1080, 1280x720, 640x480. When recording 4K or UHD video the angle of view becomes narrower.

Movie Clip: Audio On/Off

Storage

File Format: RAW, JPEG, MPO (3D)

Image Size: JPEG: (3:2) 28M, 13.9M, 7.1M, 3M; (16:9) 23.6M, 11.9M, 6.2M, 2.4M; (1:1) 18.7M, 9.5M, 4.7M, 2M. RAW: 28M Burst: 7M

External Memory (Optional): SD, SDHC, SDXC (UHS-1 Support)

Wireless Connectivity

Wi-Fi: Yes

Bluetooth: Yes

Dimensions

4.7” x 2.5” x 1.7”

Weight

1.63 lb.

Power

DC Power Input: DC 5.OV, 1A via Micro USB port

Battery: Rechargeable Battery BP1130

System Requirements

Windows: Windows 7 / 8 / 8.1 Intel 3rd Gen. i5 3.4GHz or higher (equivalent AMD processor) recommended

Macintosh: Mac OS 10.7 or higher recommended

Software

Included in Box: iLauncher, Power Media Player, Samsung Movie Converter, Samsung Raw Converter, Samsung DNG converter

SERIES REVIEW / 33

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MASTER OF NONE IS BREAKING THE TV - FOR GOOD

Let’s real talk. Master of None deserves to win every award it has and will be nominated for. Kim Muller explores the perfect TV dramedy.

lthough it’s a given that I’m some sort of Aziz Ansari fan – I watched Parks and Recreation religiously, have enjoyed Human Giant and some of his stand-up shows, and love his character Darryl in Bob’s Burgers – I expected Master of None to be everything except what it actually was. And in the end, that was a really, really good thing. The show is incredibly progressive, it’s hilarious in an unfunny, realistic, this-is-life kind of way, and to top it all off, the nuances in human behaviour and the topics they raise are on point. It’s like watching Ansari’s stand-up comedy unfolding in real life. Not to mention the quality of the production...but that’s Netflix. Kudos to them for breaking the TV mould with this and other great, original series. Created by Aziz Ansari and Alan Yang, Master of None’s first season consists of ten episodes that follow Dev Shah (Aziz Ansari), a commercial actor trying to

break into the feature-film arena. Each episode deals with different aspects of everyday life, with a focus on finding love in the 21st century. For instance, in Parents, we meet Ansari’s actual parents who play Dev’s folks. In Hot Ticket, Dev discovers how cutthroat the modern dating world can be, while in Plan B he finds out being married with kids isn’t all that great either. What stood out for me from the start were the themes and the delicate issues they brought up in subtle ways. In one episode they deal with feminism and the disparity between how men and women are treated in society, while Indians on TV deals with racism and sexism in the movie industry. One of my favourite, far-out scenes (and one with the biggest Ansari stamp on it so far) is when Dev and his African American lesbian friend Denise (Lena Waithe) encounter a public masturbator on the subway. Dev: So we internet shame him?

I mean, in theory it works, but it’s kind of a long-term play. And, who knows if the clip will go viral? Maybe blogs will pick it up, maybe someone makes a meme… Denise: You’re right. Internet’s too fickle. Dev: Ohh, I got it. What if we make a citizen’s arrest? Denise: What?! Dev: You’ve heard that before, right? “I’m making a citizen’s arrest.” If you’re a citizen, you can arrest people. Denise: Man, that sh*t ain’t real! Dev: How do we both know the phrase?! Denise: Good point. But then what? What are we going to do? Ask the conductor to call the police? Dev: The conductor? There’s no conductor. It’s a G-Train, not f***ing Shining Time Station! Denise: Fine, we’ll call the cops after. But we’re gonna need evidence, though. Dev: Okay, I’ll act like I’m looking at a photo. [Takes out

phone and records] That’s enough footage right? Denise: Let’s arrest this fool! Dev: So on three, we’ll both go, “Stop what you’re doing, this is a citizen’s arrest!” Dev & Denise: One, two, three [jumping and shouting together] STOP WHAT YOU’RE DOING! THIS IS A CITIZEN’S ARREST! Of course, hilarity ensues. Plus we get to hear the masturbator’s side of the story, too, which left me surprisingly empathetic towards him. Added to the on-fleek issues the series deals with and the nasty (and often funny) side of the industry it portrays, Master of None has a great cast, too. Noël Wells is Rachel, Dev’s prime romantic (and terribly complicated) love interest, while Eric Wareheim is Arnold Baumheiser, Dev’s ‘token white friend’. Kelvin Yu plays Brian Cheng, Dev’s friend who is the son of Taiwanese immigrants, Lena Waithe is Denise. Brian represents the onscreen version of co-creator Alan Yang according to an interview with Vulture, while Waithe’s character wasn’t originally intended to be African American or gay, but because Ansari wanted Denise’s personality to reflect her own, they rewrote her part. Finally, H. Jon Benjamin plays the character of Benjamin, Dev’s acting colleague with some ROFL monologues, especially when you realise he’s actually the voice of Bob in animated series Bob’s Burgers. Suffice to say I’m hooked for however long this show will be produced.

34 / LOCATION SPOTLIGHT

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MOZAMBIQUE

REBUILDING A FILM LEGACY Steeped in history and culture, Mozambique offers a diverse selection of idyllic locations for filmmakers. Imogen Campbell reports.

ozambique is an exotic, yet unspoilt, wildlife and beach destination situated on the east coast of Southern Africa. It is bordered by Tanzania to the north, Zambia and Malawi to the northwest, Zimbabwe to the west, and South Africa and Swaziland to the southwest. The capital is Maputo. The Portuguese legacy is evident in the architecture, language and cuisine and the city’s architectural treasures are

worth exploring. Maputo Central Railway Station was built by an associate of the brain behind the Eiffel Tower, Alexandre Gustav Eiffel. The Casa do Ferro is a building constructed entirely of iron plates, known as the “Iron House”. Mozambique gained its independence from Portugal in 1975. The struggle for independence – alongside other Lusophone countries significantly influenced work produced in the industry. The first independent film,

Catembe by Manuel Faria Almeida was made in 1965. Robert F. Van Lierop made A Luta Continua (The Struggle Continues) released in 1972. Former freedom fighter and president, Samora Machel, had established the INC (Institution of National Cinema) after independence. It was a film production unit producing newsreels and documentaries designed, it seemed, to urge the people to free themselves of the shackles of imperialism. Mozambique’s radical cinema

attracted many big names from abroad. First Ruy Guerra came, then Jean Rouch and lastly, Jean Luc Godard (1978). Ruy made Mozambique’s first feature film, Mueda, Memoria e Massacre in 1979. A fire in 1991 at the INC headquarters devastated the building that upended the Mozambican film history, now largely forgotten. During the 1970s heyday, according to, “The Africa Report”, the Cine Teatro Nina on Mozambique Island was a flourishing

LOCATION SPOTLIGHT / 35

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cinema venue, now it is a warehouse for drying fish. In 2007 Licinio Azevedo made a documentary about the Grande Hotel, a disused colonial hotel in the city of Beira in Night Lodgers. It has been in ruins for decades. These are largely an allegory of the Mozambique film industry - ripe for rebuilding. Today, less than a handful of cinemas exist in the whole country. It lacks infrastructure and studios and does not have defined film district. At present there are no tax incentives or rebate system. Teresa Prata (2007) directed Sleepwalking Land said to be the most commercially successful Mozambique film to date. Licinio Azevedo made award-winning Devil’s Harvest in 1988 produced with the aid of Britain’s Channel 4 films The 2007 I Love You short film made there directed by Rogério Manjate won the 2008 Durban International Film

Festival award for Best Short Film and short film prizes at the Africa in Motion (AiM). International movies to be shot there include Ali, featuring Will Smith (2001). In 2002 the Portuguese shot Preto e Branco, a film on the colonial war. Blood Diamond (2006) starring Leonardo di Caprio was partially shot there. Film festivals in the region include Dockanema; the first documentary film festival was held in 2006, and the Afrika Film Festival scheduled for 11 – 26 March, as well as the Maputo African Film Week holding its third edition this year. Peter Gudo of Nigma Pictures Entertainment confirmed that they work mostly on television projects and one to four feature films annually. Current trends are to use beach locations especially in the north of Mozambique. Clients have used the colonial buildings in shoots and lately he has seen a spike in the use of the railway station.

CURRENT TRENDS ARE TO USE BEACH LOCATIONS ESPECIALLY IN THE NORTH OF MOZAMBIQUE.

CLIMATE Mozambique has a tropical climate. The weather along its coastline is sunny and warm. Summer is from October to April and very hot, humid with accompanying rain. June to October is drier and cooler.

Average Min and Max Temperatures in Mozambique 30°C 15°C 0°C

Jan

Feb

Mar Apr May Jun

Max temp

Jul

Aug Sep

Oct Nov Dec

Average monthly precipitation with rain, snow, hail etc. 200mm 100mm 0mm

Jan

Feb

Mar Apr May Jun

Jul

Aug Sep

Oct Nov Dec

GETTING THERE BY AIR The main international airport and hub of LAM Mozambique Airlines is Mavalane International Airport, which handles most of Mozambique’s international flights. Major Airlines include: • Qatar Airways • Airlink • TAP Portugal • South African Airways • Ethopian Airlines

POPULATION 25,303,113 (World Fact Book)

FIXER Nigma Pictures Entertainment Tel: +258 82 408 8562 Website: nigmapictures.info / www.nigmamz.info Email: info@nigmamz.info

CONTACT Mozambique Tourism Phone: +27 (0) 82 394 5885 Fax: +27 (0) 86 245 4768 Email: travel@mozambiquetourism.co.za

36 / EVENTS TO DIARISE

FEBRUARY SANTA BARBARA INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL 3 - 13 Santa Barbara, USA PAN AFRICAN FILM FESTIVAL 4 - 15 Los Angeles, USA CLERMONT-FERRAND INTERNATIONAL SHORT FILM FESTIVAL 5 - 13 Clermont-Ferrand, France ANIMA – BRUSSELS CARTOON AND ANIMATION FILM FESTIVAL 5 - 14 Brussels, Belgium

ANIMAC – INTERNATIONAL ANIMATION FILM FESTIVAL 18 - 21 Lleida, Spain CAPE TOWN INTERNATIONAL ANIMATION FESTIVAL (CTIAF) 18 - 21 Cape Town, South Africa

10th ANNUAL BEAUFORT INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL 10 - 14 Beaufort, USA

DUBLIN INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL 18 - 28 Dublin, Ireland

BERLINALE INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL 11 - 21 Berlin, Germany

BELOIT INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL 19 - 28 Beloit, USA

PORTLAND INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL 11 - 27 Portland, USA

22nd ANNUAL SEDONA INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL 20 - 28 Arizona, USA NEW YORK INTERNATIONAL CHILDREN’S FILM FESTIVAL 26 - 20 March New York, USA

3rd CHENNAI INTERNATIONAL SHORT FILM FESTIVAL 2016 15 - 21 Chennai, India

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EVENTS TO DIARISE / 37

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MARCH

MIAMI INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL 4 - 13 Miami, USA

THE 5TH LUXOR AFRICAN FILM FESTIVAL (LAFF) 17 - 23 Luxor, Egypt

HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL 9 - 18 London, UK

SOUTH AFRICA FILM AND TELEVISION AWARDS (SAFTA’S) 18 - 19 Johannesburg, South Africa

SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST FILM FESTIVAL 11 - 19 Austin, USA

HONG KONG INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL 21 - 4 April Hong Kong, China

RAPIDLION: THE SOUTH AFRICAN INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL 12 - 19 Johannesburg, South Africa

THE SOUTH AFRICAN ECO FILM FESTIVAL 31 March - 3 April Cape Town, South Africa

UJ ARTS & CULTURE CONFERENCE 16 - 17 Johannesburg, South Africa

HUMAN RIGHTS FILM FESTIVAL 30 - 7 April Toronto, Canada

BERMUDA INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL 4 - 11 Hamilton, Bermuda

38 / ASSOCIATIONS

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SAGA’S FEBRUARY WORKSHOPS AND EVENTS

SAGE RELEASES YEAR-END REPORT

The South African Guild of Actors has announced several workshops for 2016. Following their second annual conference in 2015, the Guild has been more focused on providing the industry with the necessary resources needed to equip them as professionals.

The South African Guild of Editors recently released their annual report for 2015. Highlights included six industry events, as well as a discussion with Producer Steven Markovitz and editor Khalid Shamis about the making and editing of Beats of the Antonov, at Encounters in June. At DIFF 2015, the Guild also presented Keep Your Editor Close with producer Sara Blecher, editor Nic Costaras and sound designer Jim Petrak. In addition, the body was involved with and created dialogue between many SASFED member organisations, and ran the

The following dates have been announced: • 13 February: Workshop on Self-Defense, with Daniel Janks as provisional speaker • 27 February: The Actor as a Business, with Webdy Venter as provisional speaker • 12 March: Auditioning for Musical Theatre, with Carly Graeme as provisional speaker • 9 April: Entertainment Performer Contracts, with Jurgie Wagener as provisional speaker. Venues and times are yet to be announced however interested parties can RSVP to admin@ saguildofactors.co.za. For more information on the workshops or on joining SAGA, visit www.saguildofactors.org.za.

second annual South African Post-Production Survey. SAGE also adjusted their rate card, compiled information on employee versus independent contractors, and grew their membership to 146. To download the full report or to see the results of the survey, visit www.editorsguildsa.org.

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FPB DENOUNCES RACISM ON SOCIAL MEDIA

The following people were elected as the CPA’s Executive Committee at the Association’s AGM in Cape Town late last year:

The advent of 2016 has seen a proliferation of unwarranted and distasteful posts on social media, sparked by comments made by Penny Sparrow on Facebook, as well as others. As regulator of the creation and distribution of content on public platforms, including social media, the Film and Publication Board has noted it and condemned the actions of the individuals. “The advocacy of hatred based on any identifiable group characteristics, propaganda for war and incitement to cause harm is unconstitutional, prohibited and punishable in terms of the Films and Publications Act, 65 of 1996, as amended. In this regard section 24A of the Act prescribes a fine or a term of imprisonment for a period not exceeding five years or to both a fine and such imprisonment.” The FPB started a number of programmes designed for emphasis on responsible cyberspace use since 2010. The Draft Online Regulation

• Linda Bogle - Your Girlfriend • Glen Bosman - Catapult Commercials • Charles Gallacher - Cab Films • Gavin Gillespie - Fresh Eye Film Productions • Monareng Makwetla - Velocity Afrika • Skip Margetts - The Farm • Scott Njumbuxa Picture Tree • Claire Richards - The Shooting Gallery • Clare van Zyl - Monkey Films

Policy which was widely publicised in 2015 also accented responsible social media use. Public consultation on the policy is closed but South Africans will be able to contribute at the forthcoming public consultation process on the Films and Publication Amendment Bill. These racism-related cases on social media platforms is being dealt with by the South African Human Rights Commission; the FPB notes and supports the process and has endeavoured to monitor the developments and if it deems more appropriate action is necessary, will do so.

CPA’S EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

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