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| IN THIS ISSUE
44 CAPE TOWN’S RED BULL FORMULA 1 CIRCUIT: FUELLED FOR SUCCESS
48 HOW TO SHOOT A MOVIE ON YOUR MOBILE PHONE
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36
AN INCREASED NEED TO TEST AND MEASURE
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TOPSHOT.AFRICA 3D FLYING SYSTEM BRINGS VIEWERS CLOSER TO THE ACTION
ANIMATION |
ADVERTORIAL
ADVERTORIAL
TAC Studios co-produces NFVF strengthens its ties with France Warner Chappell Music (WCM) Datavideo complete integrated mobile four new series across Africa........................ 4 to support SA’s animation industry.......... 20 announces first rebrand since 1987......... 31 solutions for live production...................... 45 Digital disruption in a shifting talent agency landscape.................................. 6 DIFF 2019 | GatesAir acquires ONEtastic........................ 8 Durban International Film Festival Announces Festival Programme Newzroom Afrika choose Harambe for for 40th Edition............................................. 22 end-to-end newsroom computer system and IP production system solutions............ 9 Durban FilmMart Launches Programme for Jasco Broadcast Solutions’ partner 10th Anniversary Edition............................. 23 experts at Mediatech Africa 2019............. 10
TELEVISION |
CAMERAS & ACCESSORIES |
Zanele Mthembu comes full Freedom and flexibility: How the circle in her broadcast career.................... 34 Rialto Extension System adds even more performance to the Sony Venice 6K RAW...................... 46 MEDIATECH AFRICA | How to shoot a movie on your mobile Topshot.Africa 3D Flying System brings viewers closer to the action.......... 36 phone: A rundown of the essential kit you’ll need to produce cinematic shots on your device.................................... 48 SATELLITE & TRANSMISSION |
FILM | Movievision to host esteemed international guests at Mediatech 2019... 10 The making of The Sound of Masks........... 24 Internet over satellite CINEMATOGRAPHY | Vision View Productions heads for broadcast links........................................ 38 Forewared is forearmed to Mediatech Africa 2019............................ 12 for movie marketing ................................... 26 A South African horror: Cape Town-based production ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE | Telemedia partners to company, Man Makes a Picture, attend Mediatech 2019................................ 12 TRAINING | What lies beneath: on the making of 8....................................... 52 How data transfer enables AI ................... 40 Wits Film & TV Department at the INDUSTRY REVIEW | forefront of teaching innovation................ 27 TEST MEASURING EQUIPMENT | ADVERTORIAL Hybrid satellite and OTT An increased need to solutions for Africa’s SPONSORED CONTENT SI Media: Your real end-to-end test and measure........................................... 54 evolving broadcast landscape .................... 14 turnkey broadcasting solution!.................. 42 Transforming South Africa’s production landscape: How the IDC and partners We’ve got the ‘eye in the sky’ covered.... 43 REGULARS | ADCETERA | are creating pathways for Marketplace.................................................... 56 emerging black filmmakers.......................... 30 BROADCAST TECHNOLOGY | Breaking the advertising mould brings Upcoming Events.......................................... 56 year of wins for TBWA\Hunt\Lascaris..... 16 Cape Town’s Red Bull Formula 1 Demand for media tech will drive Circuit: Fuelled for Success............................ 44 advertising investment across Africa........ 18
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FROM THE EDITOR
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Every two years, in the lead up to Mediatech Africa, our July issue ends up being a bumper issue – this year totalling 56 pages, jam-packed with important information on the upcoming expo. And with it being festival season on the African continent, a large portion of our July issue is also dedicated to these fast-approaching film festivals: the 2019 Durban International Film Festival (DIFF) and concurrent Durban FilmMart (DFM) 2019, as well as the 2019 Zanzibar International Film Festival. Our Adcetra section this month features two articles from media and marketing guru Louise Marsland. The first (p.16-17) looks at TBWA\Hunt\ Lascaris’ biggest campaign in the past year and one of its most -awarded ever on the international and local advertising stage – its collaboration with the Joburg Ballet company on the Breaking Ballet campaign. The second, titled ‘Demand for media tech will drive advertising investment across Africa’ (p.18-19), gets into the findings of the first Africa Media Index (AMI) report. According to the report summary, “the African media landscape is a whirlwind of change and activity, and its power can be harnessed by knowledgeable investors and advertisers.” In our film section we take you behind the scenes on the making of The Sound of Masks (p.24-25), produced by South African company Lionfish Productions in co-production with Ukbar Filmes from Portugal. Directed and produced by Sara Gouveia, the documentary is an ode to the cultures of Mozambique told primarily through dance and music. Under Satellite & Transmission Technology, Telemedia CTO Andy Louis discusses the benefits of internet over satellite for broadcast links (p.38). In our Cameras & Accessories section, David Cornwell presents a lengthy, informative read over three pages (p.48-50) on the best and most popular equipment for those looking to make a film on their mobile phones. Falling under Cinematography, we close out the issue with an interview with the team at Cape Town-based production company, Man Makes a Picture, on the making of South African horror film, 8. The Q&A (p.52-53) covers everything from why they chose the horror genre to the way they designed the cinematography, sound and post on an indie budget. The Screen Africa team is looking forward to seeing you all at Mediatech Africa and the Durban International Film Festival. Till then! – Chanelle Ellaya
THE TEAM EDITOR
Chanelle Ellaya is a writer and a journalist. She completed her BA Journalism degree at the University of Johannesburg in 2011. While writing is her passion, she has a keen interest in the media in various capacities. Chanelle is an avid social networker and a firm believer in the power of social and online networking. Between writing and tweeting, she finds time to feed her love for live music.
SUB-EDITOR & FEATURES WRITER David Cornwell writes fiction, films and features for a variety of publications. His debut novel, Like It Matters (Umuzi, 2016), was long-listed for the 2017 Sunday Times Fiction Award and the 9mobile Prize for Best African Debut.
JOURNALISTS
Lara Utian-Preston is a passionately committed marketer and strategist with a focus in promoting African content and events. Two decades of working across Africa have provided her with insights and experience that she puts to work for the projects she manages. In 2006, Lara founded, and still personally manages, Red Flag Content Relations, a full service below-the-line agency that also focuses on African entertainment and lifestyle brand marketing, strategy, and publicity.
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SUBSCRIPTIONS: Tina Tserere: tina@sun-circle.co.za Delight Ngwenya: admin@sun-circle.co.za
EDITOR: Chanelle Ellaya: editor@screenafrica.com JOURNALISTS: Gezzy S Sibisi: news@screenafrica.com DESIGN: Trevor Ou Tim: design@suncirclegroup.com
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ACCOUNTS: Helen Loots: accounts@sun-circle.co.za ADVERTISEMENT SALES: Marianne Schafer: marianne@screenafrica.com Graham Grier: graham@sun-circle.co.za
Louise Marsland is a veteran editor and journalist with over 20 years experience in the advertising, media, marketing and communications industries. Based in Cape Town, South Africa, she worked as the editor of AdVantage magazine, as well as Bizcommunity. com. She is currently publishing editor of TRENDAFRiCA.co.za.
Ian Dormer was born in Zimbabwe and has been in the TV business since the 1980s, having served in various positions at the SABC, M-Net and SuperSport. Ian currently works and resides in New Zealand.
Gezzy S Sibisi is a journalist and photographer with experience in print, broadcast and digital media. Her portfolio of work includes working as a lifestyle reporter as well as contributing business and education articles to The Times, Sowetan and Daily Despatch publications. As a freelancer she has worked on content development for corporate newsletters, community newspapers, blogs and educational websites.
SALES BROKER Emmanuel Archambeaud: earchambeaud@defcommunication.com Tel. +331 4730 7180 Mobile. +336 1103 9652 Sun Circle Publishers (Pty) Ltd Tel: 011 025 3180 Physical address: First Floor, Process House Epsom Downs Office Park 13 Sloane Street, Bryanston, Johannesburg, South Africa
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Postal address: PO Box 559, Fourways North, 2086 Editorial Disclaimer The views, opinions, positions or strategies expressed by the authors and those providing comments are theirs alone, and do not necessarily reflect the views, opinions, positions or strategies of Screen Africa or any employee thereof. Sun Circle Publishers makes no representations as to accuracy, completeness, correctness, suitability, or validity of any information and will not be liable for any errors, omissions, or delays in this information or any losses, injuries, or damages arising from its display or use. Sun Circle Publishers reserves the right to delete, edit, or alter in any manner it sees fit comments that it, in its sole discretion, deems to be obscene, offensive, defamatory, threatening, in violation of trademark, copyright or other laws, or is otherwise unacceptable. All contents of this publication are subject to worldwide copyright protection and reproduction in whole or part, in any form whatsoever, is expressly forbidden without the prior written consent of the Publisher. JULY 2019
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TAC STUDIOS CO-PRODUCES FOUR NEW SERIES ACROSS AFRICA TAC Studios, the production arm of US-based The Africa Channel, announced four new series being produced in Africa for the global marketplace. Building on its commitment to investing in talent and fostering quality and excellence in media production on the continent, the company is excited to announce new partnerships and productions from across Africa to add to its alreadyextensive and diverse slate of Africa-influenced content.
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combination of scripted and unscripted projects, these programmes reflect the breadth and depth of talent and storytelling available across Africa. They include May’s Kitchen, a cooking show featuring the talented celebrity chef, May Yocoubi (a partnership with Filmedia in Egypt); Second Husband, a scripted series based on the popular Nigerian film of the same name (a co-production with Biola Alabi Media in Nigeria); The Yard, a drama series set in the world of the hip-hop scene in Nairobi (a co-production with Currency MEDIA in Kenya); and My Design Rules, a competition reality series in the world of real estate design (a partnership with Cardova Productions in South Africa). Narendra Reddy, EVP & GM of The Africa Channel, had the following to say of the new productions: “The current slate of shows that we have greenlit through TAC Studios is a good reflection of our production strategy. We intend to continue to produce scripted and unscripted content that pushes the boundaries of storytelling, is authentic to both regional and pan-African experiences and is imbued with an aesthetic that resonates with global television audiences. Most importantly we wish to collaborate with artists and producers on the continent who desire to bring African content to the global stage.” Brendan Gabriel, Johannesburg-based Head of Creative and Production for TAC Studios, explains further: “TAC Studios, with its on-the-ground understanding
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and commitment to authentic Africanproduced content, is uniquely positioned to take this content to the world. With the recent announcement of streamers such as Netflix and Amazon, who are investing in content from Africa for their global viewership, TAC Studios is well positioned to be a key supplier to these entities.” “After partnering with Ominek Venture Group (OVG) to produce the feature film, A Second Husband, we were very keen on finding a co-creator and co-producer with African roots to partner on the series. We are very excited to join forces with TAC Studios on this fun and fierce project,” said Biola Alabi of Biola Alabi Media. Patience Stevens, Executive Producer at Cardova Productions, commented on the partnership: “We are pleased to work with TAC Studios on our series, My Design Rules, as the first of many future collaborations, building on our prior relationship with its sister company, The Africa Channel, who have successfully introduced our highly-rated daily Expresso Morning Show to audiences in North America and the Caribbean.” These shows are being created with a
global aesthetic for audiences across Africa and for North American and UK pay TV and streaming platforms including The Africa Channel and Demand Africa. They come on the heels of other recent productions from TAC Studios including Africa on a Plate, Minjiba Entertains and World Wide Nate, which have successfully been distributed to platforms in Africa as well as globally.
ABOUT THE SHOWS: • May’s Kitchen Producers: TAC Studios, Los Angeles, USA; Filmedia Productions, Cairo, Egypt Synopsis: The series, filmed entirely in Egypt, stars celebrity chef, May Yacoubi, who tantalises our taste buds with her take on North African and Arab Gulf cuisine. Viewers will explore diverse flavours, from eastern Mediterranean cuisine to North African recipes, as Chef May introduces viewers to authentic dishes and their distinct flavours. • Second Husband Producers: TAC Studios, Los Angeles, USA; Biola Alabi Media, Lagos, Nigeria
Synopsis: The series explores the complexities of monogamy as a scorned wife tests the boundaries of marriage and polygamy. The series follows a successful Nigerian businesswoman who exacts revenge on her cheating husband by seeking a second spouse and turning an age-old marriage law and her household upside down. Our protagonist defies social norms and shocks the people in her world as she brings another man into her life and her bed. • The Yard Producers: TAC Studios, Los Angeles, USA; Currency MEDIA, Nairobi, Kenya Synopsis: This series tells the story of Dash, a struggling hip hop artist trying to make it big in Nairobi’s rap scene. Dash gets caught between his dual lives as a musician and a drug dealer, and his loyalties are tested when the authorities come after him and his father. The series features an all-original score that highlights a range of Kenyan artists with commercial potential. • My Design Rules Producers: TAC Studios, Los Angeles, USA; Cardova Productions, Cape Town, South Africa Synopsis: This reality series is set to inspire and entertain as three interior design duos, made up of the top emerging creative talent from the southern tip of Africa, compete to transform three empty white-box spaces into designer dream homes, one room at a time. – Lara Utian-Preston
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NEWS
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DIGITAL DISRUPTION IN A SHIFTING TALENT AGENCY LANDSCAPE
WeCast’s Dani Zelezniak and Jaryd Hermann
In the race for market dominance we are seeing a doubling-down on production spending by global media giants like Netflix. The South African industry is primed to be a valuable provider, but as market needs shift, the industry players have to stay relevant and competitive, which means embracing new innovations and technologies. We spoke to Jaryd Hermann, co-founder and Head of Product and Experience at WeCast, South Africa’s first digital talent agency, about digital disruption within what has always been a very traditional landscape.
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he idea of disrupting the very traditional talent representation model (historically dominated by talent agencies) by shifting the power into the hands of the users (or talent), is a radical one. But, as Hermann explains, the nature of service delivery across a multitude of industries has shifted rapidly and radically. “So why not the talent industry?” As he explains: “If we don’t embrace these changes and use technology to be more efficient and competitive, the South African film industry is going to be left in the dust. All we need to do is look at the fairly recent changes in how and where we are consuming television and film content. It was not that long ago that your only option was linear TV programming on DStv, SABC and e.tv. More often than not, this was also the case for suppliers who worked behind the scenes to produce the content. This needs to
change if we are going to remain relevant,” he states. Hermann has a point. In less than a decade our viewing choices have exploded and now include a myriad online and streaming options, while on the production front, we are seeing big brands like Netflix, Amazon, Disney (and their November 2019 release, Disney+), Hulu and HBO ramping up their original content spend to keep up with demand. A study conducted last year by MIPTV, MIPCOM and IHS Markit into the future trends of TV production showed that “over the last five years, investment in original programming by Amazon and Netflix combined is up 75 percent.” This means a truck-load of opportunity for content producers. Explains Hermann, “Because of the appeal of Cape Town and other South African cities as production destinations, a valuable chunk of those budgets could
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likely be spent here. But will billion-dollar global disruptors like Netflix be looking for traditional, expensive and limited production processes, or will they be looking for innovators to remodel the production process with suppliers that recognise the need for flexibility, responsiveness and affordability?” The market has become increasingly competitive and the media giants are all fighting for first place in a more global and increasingly online space (the IHS Markit study also identified a shift in original programming to online as a key trend). This has put pressure on the producers to become a lot more efficient, so that media brands can protect their bottom line. “This is where the age-old production dance between effective budget management and creative genius comes in,” says Hermann. “Media houses need to either create content that yields more subscribers (and better ROI), or they need to decrease their input costs on creating the content. As far as possible they will aim to do both, of course.” Was this the thinking behind WeCast? “To some degree,” he says. “In 2014 I was working as a freelancer in production and having to manage multiple workflows and tools to get my job done. It was chaotic. Everyone had a different system
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and not all systems talked to each other. At about the same time, I discovered my passion for technology. Between my experience in production and my new love for tech, it was very clear to me that this was an industry that could be taken to its 2.0. It just needed the revolution of technology driven by someone with a touch experience. “It’s been a long development process with multiple pivots, but we are definitely on the right track now and we are seeing incredible growth and results,” he says. WeCast was co-founded by Hermann and Dani Zelezniak, who is the CRO. As long-time friends, when Hermann came up with the initial seed of the idea, Zelezniak was the person he took it to. The platform has been officially operating since November last year, and in that time they have secured over 14 000 user (talent) profiles on the platform, have booked over 300 days and are seeing an over-90% customer repeat rate. They are also seeing a steady 20-30% increase in usage month on month. “We have also been breaking even for a while now, which is unusual for a disruptive model breaking into a new market,” says Hermann. “Building a startup model that has never been done before can be very intimidating and takes a lot of resilience.
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But Dani and I knew, from day one, that we were on the right track,” he says. A key moment for them was a job they did for Airbnb. “It was the first job for our now biggest client. They were looking for a real-life, same-gender couple for their latest campaign, and because of how WeCast works we managed to connect them with ten real and relatable couples in one day. Not only was Airbnb over the moon at the speed of turnaround, we’d also managed to find two completely undiscovered women who would never have been exposed to this opportunity. It was a defining moment for us.” Not only is WeCast’s process designed for speed and efficiency (because time is money), their model offers producers and casting studios a saving of around 20% of the talent booking budget due to low agency and no booking fees. It also gives the creative teams and casting directors greater access to a diverse talent pool that is not driven by complicated contracts and restrictive, exclusive deals with traditional agents. “In essence we have removed the need for a traditional middle-man and the barrier to entry, making the choice significantly better – for both sides of the table.” So, what is the global marketplace doing in the digital talent agency space and how does WeCast fit in to that arena?
Is there an opportunity for global expansion? Hermann explains that online casting platforms such as Backstage and Casting Networks in the US are playing a valuable role in connecting talent with lower-value jobs. However, without the full representation service they can’t service high-value jobs for top-tier brands, so those are still going to the traditional agents. “A full digital talent agency like WeCast gets access to all tiers of jobs and provides professional on-demand representation per-job for clients. The platform creates a gig economy for talent, passing on the cast-saving benefits of flexibility, diversity, transparency and reduced middleman fees to the client.” WeCast have identified the US market as an opportunity and are heading to New York for a few months later this year. We are surrounded by brilliant technologies that are shifting how we engage with everyday systems – both at work and at home. All manner of service suppliers and professions are successfully changing in response to the identified needs or demands of consumers – so why not the talent representation industry, too? WeCast is proving that it can be done. – Genevieve Cutts
contact
Please join us at the between 17-19 July 2019. Stand G12
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NEWS
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GATESAIR ACQUIRES ONETASTIC GatesAir, a global leader in wireless, over-the-air content delivery solutions for TV and radio broadcasters, and a portfolio company of The Gores Group, recently announced that it has acquired Onetastic S.r.l (ONEtastic) – a leading provider of television and digital radio transmission systems.
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eadquartered in Brescia, Italy, ONEtastic provides ingenious and easy-to-use television, digital radio and RF systems to clients in the broadcast, telecom, scientific and government verticals. Founded in 2010, ONEtastic has built a reputation as an innovator of reliable, compact, energy-
efficient transmitters ideally suited for broadcasters, network operators and government applications. ONEtastic’s strength in high-efficiency, low-power TV and DAB radio transmitters complements GatesAir’s broad range of transmission solutions, and will help GatesAir better address the needs of large-scale over-the-air networks worldwide. The acquisition also strengthens GatesAir’s growing presence and visibility in Europe. GatesAir has aggressively expanded its global sales and business development teams worldwide since late-2018, including several new leadership positions created to serve the European market. “The acquisition of ONEtastic underscores our commitment to the broadcast market and accelerates the investments we are making in our transmission portfolio,” said Bruce D. Swail, CEO of GatesAir. “The unique, innovative and award-winning products and technologies from ONEtastic add new capabilities to our portfolio and complement our transmission and transport platforms. The addition of an experienced and highly talented research, development and services team from ONEtastic further expands our
Bruce D. Swail, CEO of GatesAir
world-class engineering and support expertise to create new innovations for the broadcast segment and beyond. Their central European Union location strengthens our international footprint and commitment to global growth.” GatesAir will retain the entire ONEtastic staff and its Brescia facility, which will continue operations as GatesAir S.r.l. Longtime ONEtastic. CEO Luca Saleri will remain in a leadership role as general manager of GatesAir S.r.l. ONEtastic founder Carlo Bombelli will also be a key contributor to the GatesAir team moving forward. A globallyrecognised technical leader, Bombelli
launched ONEtastic following his years as founder of Screen Service Broadcasting Technologies, a former supplier of multi-standard digital broadcasting solutions in Italy. Bombelli has authored several patents through his innovations at ONEtastic, and is the primary force behind the company’s ingenious transmitter designs. “We have worked closely with GatesAir and their talented sales and engineering teams over the years,” said Bombelli. “Our combined strengths will allow the broader company to provide our customers with the industry’s most reliable, state-of-the-art transmission solutions backed by a global service network. We’re very excited about the possibilities that lie ahead.” “GatesAir is strategically positioned to transform the media and entertainment industry through innovations in wireless content delivery and IP networking,” said Saleri. “We are thrilled to join the GatesAir team in empowering customers to wirelessly deliver content and maximise their spectrum with low total cost of ownership. GatesAir values our established global customer relationships, innovative growth platforms, broad product portfolio and experienced team. They are committed to supporting our growth and innovation, and we look forward to our future together.”
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Dante™ stream into analog audio signals. Hence, it is possible to use this tiny box to feed analog audio signals into the Dante™ network while at the same time receiving a mix from another Dante™ source. “The ability to feed and transmit signals at the same time eliminates the need for investment in new devices. Nevertheless, it is possible to take maximum advantage of the technical possibilities”, says Florian Frick, Product Manager at Neutrik AG.
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NEWZROOM AFRIKA CHOOSE HARAMBE FOR END-TOEND NEWSROOM COMPUTER SYSTEM AND IP PRODUCTION SYSTEM SOLUTIONS Newzroom Afrika, the innovative news channel recently launched on DSTV’s Channel 405, chose Harambe Technologies to deliver an end-to-end solution for their new newsroom computer system. Harambe Technologies, along with their manufacturer, Avid Technology, supplied, installed and commissioned an NRCS system for Newzroom Afrika.
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ne of the many reasons why Newzroom chose Harambe and Avid is the fact that Avid provides an end-to-end solution that is used by some of the biggest broadcast companies in the world. Avid does not just deliver one piece of the puzzle, but delivers a complete toolset that enables teams to collaborate – unlike other vendors, who provide a single-point product. The Avid solution lets teams focus on producing the best content they can and then distributing it to multiple platforms. The backbone of the solution is robust and proven, with hundreds of customers worldwide using inews (MediaCentral Newsroom Management) and thousands using Interplay (MediaCentral Production Management) to deliver high-quality content every day.
Newzroom Afrika has a fresh approach to the way they produce content. Therefore, they wanted a system that would allow them to engage the new-age news consumer. Avid’s MediaCentral solution ensures that social media can be used as both an important research tool and a distribution method. News is no longer something which is dictated by an editor in a newsroom: it is an interactive process, with the news agenda more like a conversation than a monologue (as it was in the past). Avid’s use of AI in its search technologies enables the right content to be found quicker, helping teams turn around content faster. Avid’s graphics solution, as part of the overall package, helps editorial teams tell stories in new and engaging ways to drive audience share and target a demographic which has been ‘turned off’ from traditional broadcast news. The backend of the entire Newzroom facility is an end-to-end Evertz IP system also delivered and installed by Harambe Technologies. This is one of the first IP production systems on the continent. Evertz is a worldwide leader in the broadcast industry’s transition to IP. The challenge of delivering more content, in multiple formats and to multiple platforms, is becoming both more significant and more important every day. IP enables media organisations to meet these new challenges in a cost-effective manner. Since the introduction of their Software Defined Video Networking (SDVN) solutions in 2013, Evertz has been successfully deploying solutions to seamlessly transition broadcasters from SDI to IP with hundreds of active installs, from small-scale, single switch (IPX) solutions to geo-diverse, enterprise-level IP systems that span multiple facilities. No matter the broadcast environment, Evertz IP products can provide a solution.
Harambe was able to provide the following system architecture to make sure that the Newzroom Afrika IP production was an incredible success: • 3080IPX48-25G is Evertz’s integrated multicast label switching fabric that provides high bandwidth switching capacity without sacrificing flexibility and the ease of control necessary for video LAN/ WAN transport applications in main and backup configurations. • 570IPG-X19-25G is Evertz’s media gateway, providing SDI encapsulation/de-encapsulation of video, audio, metadata and PTP timing to SMPTE-ST 2110 standards over 25G links. Hitless failover switching and AVM monitoring are also provided. • 570EMR AG-HUB is the audio gateway, which translates external TDM signals into IP in both main and backup configurations. • PKG-AUDRSS-5120-R is the audio routing sub-system, with the capability of mono-mixing to support audio signals. • 5700MSC is an IP network grand master clock and video master clock system. It provides SDI/IP test signal generators over 10GbE in SMPTE RDD 37 and SMPTE 2110 formats. We used two 5700MSC units for the main and backup configurations, and both of them are connected to the automatic changeover 5700-ACO to ensure maximum reliability and minimal disruption in the event of any failure, even power outages. • evMV-25G-2XQSFP is a multiviewer generator with the capability to monitor uncompressed video over 25G links. • 2430RX2-10GE is used to convert
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uncompressed video over IP, including ASPEN, SMPTE 2022-6 and SMPTE ST 2110 streams, to HDMI. It is used in both the main and backup configurations and it accepts up to two uncompressed signals, decodes, processes, colour corrects and converts the output to an HDMI signal. 7800TR is a modular tally router that receives tally inputs from devices like switchers and record systems. It provides this information over Ethernet to MAGNUM-Tally to be processed. The tally information can then be used by MAGNUMTally to provide tally information to cameras, under monitor displays (UMDs), switchers, replay and record systems. The CP-2232E remote control panel features two high-resolution color touchscreen LCD displays alongside an array of function-assignable dynamic LCD buttons that are fully programmable. MAGNUM is the solution’s orchestration and control layer, bridging all the components in the solution under a single point of control. VistaLINK PRO is an advanced end-to-end network management system (NMS) for the entire operational system.
Catch Newzroom Afrika on DSTV’s Channel 405. To get more information regarding Harambe Technologies, please visit www.harambetech.co.za.
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TECHNOLOGY NEWS
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JASCO BROADCAST SOLUTIONS’ PARTNER EXPERTS AT MEDIATECH AFRICA 2019
At Mediatech Africa 2019, Jasco Broadcast Solutions will be showcasing their premium product ranges and brands in collaboration with their OEMs.
“O
ur portfolio of products on display encompasses everything that you need to meet your broadcast requirements, from cameras to editing systems, archiving to complete turnkey studio builds,” said a representative of the company. “Our engineers and technicians, as well as our partner experts, will be present on the stand to guide you through choosing the right solutions to solve your broadcast problems and challenges.” At the forefront of Jasco’s portfolio will be the Avid product range. Encompassing everything from Avid Media Composer Editing systems, to Media Central production asset management and Nexis storage solutions, the Avid brand will be well represented by a comprehensive demo system, plus both Jasco staff and salespeople and technical specialists from Avid. Jasco will also be showcasing the next generation of ClearCom intercom products. These will include the new
IP-based technologies for intercom panels, wireless beltpack systems, and IP interlinking. The stand will include the new IRIS intercom panels with their intelligent colour displays. In addition to Jasco staff, Clearcom will be represented on the stand by their Regional Sales Manager for Africa as well as an Applications Engineer. Miller Camera Support will be on display with a selection of light- to medium-sized camera mounting and support systems. These will include combo kits that will be of interest to those involved in ENG and field production. Miller’s sales staff will also be on hand to answer any questions. As a long-standing Sony reseller, Jasco will have a selection of Sony products on display. The Jasco sales team will be available to discuss the different camera solutions and assist in building combinations with the help of Miller Camera Support. Ateme recently joined the Jasco Broadcast fold and will be at Mediatech
Africa 2019. Ateme’s linear TV, contribution, VOD and OTT software and hardware solutions will be available to view and discuss with Ateme sales staff. Leyard/Planar will also be on the Jasco stand with a selection of LED modular and LCD professional display solutions, together with their related controllers and systems. Visitors to the stand will be able to view and discuss the product ranges with both Leyard and Jasco staff. This year, once again, Oracle will be on the Jasco stand offering their OracleDiva HSM archiving solutions. Diva consultants will be in attendance to discuss workflows and system requirements, as well as to assist attendees in deciding what they really need for their archive environment. As a Jasco partner, Etere will be on the stand with a comprehensive range of software-based automation, master control, media asset management, channel in a box, advert insertion and advert sales systems. For premium solutions in these areas of the media and
broadcast business, visitors can discuss their needs with representatives from Etere. At this year’s Mediatech event, Egripment camera support will be displaying a TD Crane in an area specifically set up for the product. Come and see it in action on the Jasco stand. In attendance will be sales staff from Egripment to answer any questions on this specialist product range of camera support equipment. Soliton supplies a selection of H265-based video streaming solutions using bonded cellular network connectivity. Their products will also be on display on the Jasco stand at Mediatech Africa 2019. Additionally, Jasco Broadcast’s Dubai-based SI partner, INC, will be on the stand to meet with and discuss large-scale projects. Visitors to the show can meet the INC team and see what they have done in the past, as well as what they are capable of offering in the future.
BR SO Visit Jasco Broadcast Solutions at Mediatech Africa 2019, taking place from 17 – 19 July at the Ticketpro Dome, Johannesburg.
MOVIEVISION TO HOST ESTEEMED INTERNATIONAL GUESTS AT MEDIATECH 2019 Movievision will be hosting special international guests Nicolò Oliva, Ron Knell and Till Sadlowski – who will be representing their respective brands at Mediatech Africa 2019.
SPOTLIGHT Nicolò Oliva, partner and managing director of Spotlight, joined the Company in the late-80s right after his graduation in Robotics Engineering in Milan, Italy. At that time, Spotlight, founded in 1969, was about to face the upcoming booming decades of the entertainment industry, where “made in Italy” lighting was to take a primary role in the worldwide market. Spotlight has traditionally focused on R&D and the manufacture of pro fixtures for the opera house, theatre and general stage lighting markets. Since then, a constantly-growing network of distributors has been built nearly all over the world, with Spotlight now represented in over one hundred countries with exclusive
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Nicolò Oliva
Ron Knell
distributors and authorised after-sales centres. In South Africa, Spotlight is proud to have Movievision as a long-term exclusive distributor, not to mention their qualified team of top consultants for project design.
ROSCO Ron Knell joined Rosco in March 2003 as UK sales manager, before handling the development of Rosco for South Africa in 2004. Since then, he has added extra territories such as Eastern Europe and the Balkans to his portfolio. “During my time and many visits to South Africa, I have visited various establishments in Johannesburg, Durban and Cape Town,” says Knell. “In 2012, Movievision was appointed our dealer distributor for textiles, and we then followed with our range of LED lighting fixtures. Starting with Silk, and then
Carpet light introducing DMG Lumiere by Rosco, with the Switch Bi-Colour fixture. They now represent our new six-chip, full-colour MIX range. I’m very proud of our achievements in South Africa, developing a market from scratch to what it is today. I look forward to our continued success here.”
CARPET LIGHT Carpetlight GmbH was founded in 2014 by Goetz Schmidt zur Nedden and Till Sadlowski to realise their idea of the “shining cloth/lighting textile” as a universal tool for new ways of finding
lighting solutions. Till will be representing Carpetlight at Mediatech Africa 2019. Based on their long-term experiences in motion picture and TV lighting, they combined their practical knowledge with new fields of technology, such as smart textiles, LEDs and industrial design, to develop a patent-pending product with ground-breaking characteristics. With great support from Europe’s leading textile research institutes and innovative manufacturers, multiple materials and technologies were evaluated in the developing process. The results led to prototypes successfully being tested under both lab and real-life conditions. It is their aim to combine science and craftsmanship on a high-quality level to give customers the most advanced lighting and design possibilities. Come and see this innovative technology for yourself at Mediatech Africa 2019. Visit Movievision at Mediatech Africa 2019, taking place from 17-19 July at the Ticketpro Dome, Johannesburg.
TECHNOLOGY NEWS
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WWW.SCREENAFRICA.COM
VISION VIEW PRODUCTIONS HEADS TO MEDIATECH AFRICA 2019 Although Vision View Productions makes it seem so easy and seamless, being innovative is no easy feat!
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he company has managed to evolve from a television production company to a broadcast powerhouse. Vision View Productions now has a pre- and post-production department, graphics department, television studios, five outside broadcast vans, as well as an online sports radio station called Vision View Sports Radio. The radio station has been spearheaded by the Vision View Systems Integration team, comprised of Vision View Productions broadcast engineers. It’s therefore no wonder they would showcase the full power of their arsenal at the biggest media and technological trade show in southern Africa – Mediatech Africa. Every two years, Mediatech Africa attracts patrons from across the globe to South Africa, making
it the perfect platform to showcase the versatility of the Vision View Systems Integration team. At the forefront of the showcase is the 4K-ready Outside Broadcast (OB) van, OB5. The van was curated and built from back to front by Vision View’s host of engineers. Various employees had their hand in crafting this flagship broadcast vehicle and everyone on the team is proud of it. This will not be the only OB vehicle on display, however: the organisation is also bringing their smaller OB vehicle to illustrate that outside broadcast is not limited to big broadcast vehicles. Historically, the Vision View Systems Integration team has always kept abreast of technological advancements in the broadcast industry, which is why this is not the first OB vehicle built by them from
the ground up internally. Three out of five of the company’s fleet have been built locally. This pioneering spirit extended to Vision View Sports Radio and the building of their radio outside broadcast facility, to ensure that sports news was not only delivered from the studio in Randburg; the studio can now become a golf course, the boxing arena, basically anywhere sporting events are taking place. Vision View Sports Radio will be showcasing their outside broadcasting facility as well as their talent at Mediatech Africa 2019, with all shows – between 12h00 and 18h00 – broadcast from the
expo. “As an organisation, Vision View Productions is excited to host the visitors of the trade show not only to procure new business ventures and alliances, but to also share and educate youngsters who are curious about broadcasting,” said a representative of the company. Visit Vision View Productions at Mediatech Africa 2019, taking place from 17 – 19 July at the Ticketpro Dome, Johannesburg. – Thandekile Nyembezi
TELEMEDIA PARTNERS TO ATTEND MEDIATECH 2019 Telemedia will be exhibiting at Mediatech Africa 2019. The company’s solutions include the following connectivity services: fibre, satellite, VSAT, terrestrial microwave, 3G bonded devices and internet.
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dditionally, Telemedia offers several products for broadcast applications, such as studios, OB vans, SNG vehicles, playout systems, MAM systems, microwave connectivity, video management and compression for satellite head ends and OTT, IP video routing solutions and much more. Whatever your broadcast needs, Telemedia will help you. At Mediatech Africa 2019, Telemedia will additionally be hosting representatives from Nevion and Hitachi Kokusai.
HITACHI KOKUSAI ELECTRIC Hitachi Kokusai Electric is a leading Japanese manufacturer of broadcast,
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Hitachi’s Mark Capstick industrial and CCTV camera systems – with cameras for all applications. Broadcasters all over the world rely on Hitachi cameras for their content and enjoy the great picture quality and solid reliability that Hitachi cameras provide. Mark Capstick, general manager of Broadcast Solution Sales at Hitachi Kokusai Electric Europe GmbH, will be representing Hitachi at Mediatech Africa 2019. With 30 years’ experience in broadcasting, Capstick started his career as a broadcast transmitter engineer with the UK’s Independent Broadcasting Authority (IBA). He then moved to Thames Television – holder at that time of the ITV Licence for London Weekdays – where he worked in electronic maintenance covering all studio, MCR and presentation equipment at Thames TV’s Euston Studios. He spent a large amount of his time at Thames in
camera, ENG and PSC (Portable Single Camera) maintenance – gaining very valuable and detailed knowledge of studio and portable cameras. In 1992, Capstick moved to a broadcast equipment manufacturer, taking a position as broadcast engineer looking after all technical aspects of their broadcast camera and monitor business. He quickly progressed to chief engineer and then, in 2001, he became general manager of the UK Office. He remained in that position until 2016, when Hitachi Kokusai asked him to become general manager of their Broadcast and Industrial Camera operation for the UK, Western European and Africa.
NEVION As the architects of virtualised media production, Nevion provides media network and broadcast infrastructure solutions to broadcasters, telecommunication service providers, government agencies and other industries. Increasingly based on IP, virtualisation and Cloud technology, Nevion’s solutions enable the management, transport, processing and monitoring of professional-quality video, audio and data – in real-time, reliably and securely.
Nevion’s Ebby John From content production to distribution, Nevion solutions are used to power major sporting and live events across the globe. Some of the world’s largest media groups and telecom service providers use Nevion technology, including Arqiva, AT&T, BBC, BT, CCTV, EBU, France Télévision, Globo Grupo, NASA, NBC Universal, Sinclair Broadcast Group Inc. and Telefonica. Nevion will be at Mediatech Africa 2019 at the booth of its South African partner, Telemedia, where the company’s flagship products will be on show: Virtuoso, the software-defined media node; and VideoIPath, the orchestration and SDN software. Ebby John, sales director for Middle East, Africa and India, is representing Nevion at the show. John has been performing a consultative sales role at Nevion for the past 15 years, ensuring his customers understand the value Nevion can bring to their business. Visit Telemedia (Pty) Ltd at Mediatech Africa 2019, taking place from 17 – 19 July at the Ticketpro Dome, Johannesburg.
Every year the CTICC event team go above and beyond to help us deliver year on year success for our international clients. Chris Hall Group Event Director Africa Oil Week
Nestling in the shadow of the majestic Table Mountain, and overlooking the spectacular Atlantic Ocean, the CTICC is a magical place where the imagined becomes real, visions turn into strategies, consumers become customers, and strangers from across the globe become colleagues, partners and friends. So much more than a multi-purpose event destination, this African icon combines expansive venues, impeccable service, cutting-edge technology and the finest global cuisine, to transform your convention, conference, exhibition, banquet or meeting into an extraordinary experience. For more information, or to book your event at the CTICC, call +27 21 410 5000, email sales@cticc.co.za or visit www.cticc.co.za.
INDUSTRY REVIEW
| THOUGHT LEADERSHIP
Hybrid satellite and OTT solutions for Africa’s evolving broadcast landscape Africa’s fastevolving broadcast entertainment landscape has seen a surge in demand for content and over the top (OTT) solutions, which are widely promoted as the future of broadcast. As audiences demand improved image definition, however, questions have emerged around whether the broadcasting industry can deliver the content in optimum quality at the convenience of the viewers, irrespective of where they are. Combining linear TV via satellite and on-demand services via OTT offers a viable solution to this challenge.
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Written by Christoph Limmer,
Senior Vice President, Commercial Development and Strategic Partnership, Eutelsat internet bandwidth are consumed. During peak hours, and for popular content such as sports or TV series, OTT distribution amplifies network overloading, which can cause buffering, delays, poor picture quality and even loss of service. Obviously, this has a major impact on customer satisfaction. So, should broadcasters choose a hybrid satellite/ OTT delivery solution?
THE MARKET
THE SOLUTION
International OTT players have arrived across Africa. The launch of the likes of Amazon Prime and Netflix are posing a challenge for broadcasting operators who are looking to develop revolutionary services that are responsive to the audience’s need for accessible and high-quality content. This has given regional players an opportunity to capitalise on the growing OTT trend. Live coverage of events, particularly sports, has been the key driver for OTT services in the region. Over time, however, telecom operators, media companies, broadcasters and pay-TV operators seem to have actively exploited the potential of the OTT market by launching standalone services as well as services that complement their existing setups. OTT services depend on a shared network, where the bandwidth is used by a number of services. This can lead to quality issues when large amounts of
Satellites are a particularly cost-effective way to reach large numbers of viewers, particularly in regions with widelydispersed populations and challenging environments. Satellite covers all households within the footprint, including those unable to access OTT services due to insufficient internet bitrates. This enables the service provider to supply all customers with a similar instantaneous service across regions. Furthermore, while OTT costs rise with the number of viewers, satellite costs remain fixed, making it a more cost-effective solution for broadcasters. We’re seeing strong growth in satellite TV, with a recent Digital TV study of Sub-Saharan African pay-TV subscribers showing satellite and terrestrial television are the two infrastructures driving digital migration, with 19 million homes receiving via satellite; a number that will increase by another seven million by 2022. There are also changes on the horizon,
however. We are also seeing a move towards hybrid solutions involving both DTH and OTT, with OTT often used in addition to traditional services for viewers seeking on demand content as well as specific live programming. Combining the best of both worlds, a hybrid offering of linear TV via satellite and on-demand services via OTT offers the most viable, future-ready solution to deliver a rich portfolio of video content. By enabling broadcasters to reduce the complexity and cost of their operations in a new digital world, we continue to enhance satellite efficiency, enabling clients to maximise their service potential while minimising the complexity of doing so. Hybrid satellite OTT solutions will deliver an enriched viewer experience through live channel broadcasting, channel numbering, programme information, content security, subscriber and set-top box management. Furthermore, the seamless and integrated multi-screen user experience service that comes with the hybrid satellite-OTT solution has a complementary element that brings together the strengths of the traditional DTH broadcast service simultaneously with OTT streaming. The feature allows the audience to receive content on mobile devices, tablets or laptops with access to multiple programmes that can be recorded and rewound as well provide an array of programme information.
Speaker Built in speaker for monitoring audio.
Control Buttons 7 buttons for transport controls, remote and 3D LUT.
LCD Display Shows video, transport controls, audio meters and menus.
Headphone 1/4" audio jack for monitoring audio with headphones.
Cache Optional media cache for fail safe recording.
In and Out Points Set in and out points for performing “tape to tape” style editing.
Transport controls Touchscreen transport controls for easy playback and record.
Audio meters Monitor up to 4 channels using VU or PPM metering.
Playback and Record Select Select which deck you want as a player or a recorder.
Transport controls Traditional broadcast deck transport controls.
Time Display Monitor deck timecode on clear LED display.
Shuttle/Jog Knob Large knob with electronic clutch for jog, shuttle and scrolling recordings.
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Big Screen with Touch Control
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HyperDeck Extreme 8K HDR features full internal waveform monitoring� The waveform display shows traditional luminance levels of your video� The vectorscope display allows you to see the intensity of color� You also get RGB and YUV parade displays for color correction or illegal levels� Histogram shows highlights or shadows clipping� Plus all scopes are real time, even in 8K or HDR!
The innovative touch LCD user interface provides incredible control� You get dedicated buttons for play, stop and record, plus a mini timeline for scrolling through your recordings� The LCD includes display of timecode, video standard, media status as well as audio meters� You can even display real time scopes and focus and exposure assist tools� Plus you can load and save 3D LUTs!
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ADCETERA
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BREAKING THE ADVERTISING MOULD BRINGS YEAR OF WINS FOR TBWA\HUNT\L ASCARIS TBWA\Hunt\Lascaris’ biggest campaign in the past year and one of its most-awarded ever on the international and local advertising stage, is its collaboration with the Joburg Ballet company in the Breaking Ballet campaign, which challenged the traditional advertising mould.
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hat was so significant and unique about this campaign was that is disrupted traditional advertising by inspiring creative teams to tap into popular culture, and the conversations trending in real-time, to create exquisitely choreographed, visually gorgeous 16 | SCREENAFRICA | JULY 2019
A scene from the Breaking Ballet campaign creative short film pieces that were more performance art than “traditional” advertising – and thus challenging the stereotypes of ballet as “old-fashioned” or out-of-reach for a younger generation. It also marked a strategy shift for South Africa’s best-known homegrown agency, TBWA\Hunt\Lascaris, which has positioned itself as the “cultural engine for 21st-Century business.” This infiltration of culture to create campaigns inspired by the real events of the day that are going viral online is something all brands have to start tapping into to remain relevant to their always-on consumer base – who rapidly consume video content, the one medium that continues to increase in visibility and consumption. The campaign also represented a new
relevance for Joburg Ballet, which wanted to increase ticket sales and appeal to younger audiences, transforming itself from a “stuffy, old Colonial art form” – as some young people interviewed for the case study referred to it on YouTube. This is why they danced out of the theatre and into popular culture. The Breaking Ballet advertising campaign consisted of a series of bite-sized ballets inspired by the conversation of the day, feeding virally into the snackable content demanded by consumers. Themes included the huge hype around the Black Panther movie, to the local #JanuWorry hashtag, the global #MeToo movement and Cape Town’s Day Zero drought crisis. By incorporating these instant ballet motifs into modern urban or futuristic settings in artistic films
that showcased the dancers in settings beyond a traditional ballet stage, the campaign went viral over several months and created huge social media capital for the brand and agency. The campaign stats speak for themselves: 560% ROI in free publicity; 24 million media impressions; 91% engagement rate; 39% increase in the social media following for Joburg Ballet; and an increase in ballet ticket sales. The campaign has won at all the major local and international awards shows, from our own Loerie and Creative Circle awards, to the top international advertising awards such as the Clios, Cannes Lions 2018 and D&AD Awards, with the latest award being a Gold Pencil from the One Show in New York just last month. It’s also picked up a diverse number of awards
| ADCETERA
“The Breaking Ballet advertising campaign consisted of a series of bite-sized ballets inspired by the conversation of the day, feeding virally into the snackable content demanded by consumers.
across categories such as Creative Data, Social Media, Public Relations and the Webby Awards. TBWA\Hunt\Lascaris CEO, Karabo Denalane, said he was extremely grateful that the agency had been recognised, yet again, for “this great piece of work.” He is clear about what made it such a
”
successful, award-winning campaign: “The campaign was fully consumercentric. It centered around listening to consumer passion points and then embedding Joburg Ballet into the conversation in a meaningful, engaging and, dare I say, beautiful way. “What helped us understand what our consumers were interacting with in
real-time was our Disruption Live tool, D\Live, which scans the web for triggers. The most pertinent triggers for our audience were picked up daily, and those triggers then became our brief for each bite-size ballet episode. Our campaign was not intrusive, nor disingenuous, and it spoke directly to people about issues that they cared about. It slotted itself seamlessly into culture, and that’s what we are all about: locating and involving brands into this dynamic and evolving culture. “Joburg Ballet also brought with it some interesting collaborations, something foreign to many agencies. The core team consisted of the agency, client, choreographers, as well as digital and PR people, who stayed on for the entire journey. I’d say a big part of Breaking Ballet’s success was consistent delivery on a well-executed platform.” Denalane said the campaign had been extremely successful for their client, the Joburg Ballet. “We are even looking at creating actual bite-size ballets in the future for people to go and see live. The idea has also grown into spaces we never considered,” he commented, referencing the fact that at the BRICS Executive Leadership Development Programme, Breaking Ballet was performed in front of all the visiting Heads of State. “Recently,
the Joburg Ballet team were asked to perform in Hong Kong for the South African Freedom Day celebrations.” As for the future direction of the agency after recently resigning their long-term client, Standard Bank, and redesigning the agency as “the cultural engine of 21st-Century business”, Denalane said they will continue to break all conventions and disrupt as many categories as they can. “We are also working on projects where we are deploying new bespoke TBWA proprietary tools, which will get us even closer to culture. We are also incorporating many learnings from experimenting on digital transformation, innovation and data practices over the past year into these platforms. All of this and a few pitches on the go are keeping us very busy. “Joburg Ballet showed us that to truly work in culture, we need to re-think our agency model and break all conventions that exist in communications today. This campaign did exactly that, and was an incredible manifestation of our vision, which is to be the cultural engine of 21st-Century businesses and to work at the speed of culture,” added Denalane. – Louise Marsland
FLEXIBILITY, AGILITY & SCALABILITY There is much excitement around the potential of IP connected systems to create more flexible, agile and scalable production environments. Ross is at the forefront as a leader in IP connectivity with in-house core technology development for key popular technology standards including SMPTE ST 2110 and AES67 technology, while continuing to push forward with SDI connected environments at the same time. Hybrid IP/SDI environments will be the norm for the foreseeable future in live production as system engineers leverage the best that each technology has to offer. Whether IP or SDI, agility comes from flexible processing engines and the notion of Software-Defined Production – Ross’ term for agile, multi-function processing hardware that can add functionality through software licenses. The benefits are a flexible and scalable pool of resources that can grow as your needs change.
www.concilium.co.za
info@concilium.co.za
+27 12 678 9200
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DEMAND FOR MEDIA TECH WILL DRIVE ADVERTISING INVESTMENT ACROSS AFRICA The demand for media investment on the continent of Africa is being driven by an empowered media consumer demanding access to communication, social media, entertainment content, streaming services and mobile commerce.
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roup M, in collaboration with In On Africa, released the first Africa Media Index (AMI) report in June to assist global brands and global agencies with investment on the continent, as – despite the abundant opportunities that exist in Africa – it has not yet attracted “significant advertising investments.” Africa is a continent with the youngest and fastest-growing population in the world, as those of us who live here know all about. We’re proud of the fact that seven out of 10 of the fastest-growing economies in the world are in Africa and that the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA), ratified in May, has the potential to create the largest trading block in the world and transform the continent. The Africa Media Index has focused on specific categories to provide information to global clients in: Economy and Business, Media Landscape, Media Consumers, Technology and Governance and Legislation, across 14 key sub-Saharan African countries. This is the first report of its kind, and subsequent reports will cover more of the African continent in time, Group M South Africa reported. The countries included in the report are: South Africa, Ghana, Botswana, Kenya, Namibia, Nigeria, Cote d’Ivoire, Tanzania, Uganda, Ethiopia, Zimbabwe, Angola, Zambia and Mozambique. According to the report summary, “the African media landscape is a whirlwind of change and activity, and its power can be harnessed by knowledgeable investors and advertisers.” The report describes how mobile phone access, which gives communications access to millions of people and a voice to the voiceless through social media, has opened up societies and influenced governance change like never before seen. The impact on the media sector, where television and streaming services – including entertainment, sports, news and music – are flourishing, has been profound and there is growth in every sector, including print: “Enabled by the latest technology, investors can meet consumer needs and advertisers can tap into consumer desires,” the report states.
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KEY INSIGHTS 1.
2.
Economy and Business: Service sectors dominate most countries’ economies, with the media a key contributor. The internet has created an explosion in financial services opportunities, enabling the previously-unbanked to access financial services such as loans via mobile commerce. Media Landscape: Mobile devices are responsible for connecting the continent to the internet, as the massive rollout and uptake of smartphones has opened up digital media and a myriad additional
3.
services and opportunities for the African consumer. The report states that traditional media lost customers to digital media, but also found new opportunities to repackage content. Broadcast media still dominates, as television is the preferred method of entertainment. Radio remains the most popular medium overall, as it is unaffected by data issues or power outages, which affect other channels to varying degrees on a country-to-country basis. Media Consumers: Interestingly, the growth in digital media corresponds with continuing efforts by the countries to increase literacy.
4.
Affordability, however, is what drives consumer media choices, and data prices determine internet usage in the main. But of course, with the growth of Africa’s aspirant middle-class and technologicallysavvy youth, media use is increasing rapidly, particularly as data prices come down or free access is granted in public spaces and malls. Technology: There is a rapid move to have digital TV replace analogue television and satellite TV services are also now widely available in the 14 territories surveyed. 3G penetration is expanding and 4G coverage has been introduced. Poor electricity connectivity and
5.
power outages are constraining media growth, however. Only South African and Ghana have more than three-quarters of their populations connected to electricity. All the countries do, however, have energy plans in place to boost local electricity supply. Governance & Legislation: There are two positive factors which are growth indicators for the media industry across the continent – the fact that information technology is seen as key to economic development and economic prosperity; and that government reform in some media sectors is creating more opportunities for media investors.
A key point from the report states that: “Africa’s middle class is growing in all countries, and with it, more media consumers. As they become more self-empowered online, the consumers are demanding from their governments better economies to obtain, among other things, more media. Access to media devices has prompted Africans to also demand a wider array of services.” The AMI report states that Africa’s mobile phone revolution is leading the
expansion of media technology on the continent: “Television’s technological transformation from analogue to digital broadcasting is ending, and flat screens and satellite TV dishes are now common. Digital radio requires no additional technology than the computers and smartphones used to access all internet. Coupled with new delivery systems – Amazon is scheduled to begin deliveries using drones in South Africa in 2021 – e-commerce services will expand as the African middle class grows. African technology consumers have the same desire as tech buyers everywhere – to have the latest smartphone models, apps and better broadband through 4G.” These are the market opportunities identified in the media technology sector: • 3G data coverage exists in over half of the country in all countries surveyed, from 53% in Zambia to 98% in South Africa • Internet speeds are improving as fibre optic and submarine cable systems expand, with Ghana achieving Africa’s highest speed at 26.82 Mbps • Urban populations, where tech consumers are concentrated, are growing in all surveyed countries, led by South Africa, which is now 63% urban.
• Growing economies are producing more middle-class income earners, who are the primary force behind demand for media technology Of course, there are market challenges to be aware of: • Electricity supplies remain inadequate in all surveyed countries, with power blackouts disturbing even the most advanced nation, South Africa • Only three countries have achieved half-coverage of 4G for its population, namely Botswana, Ghana and South Africa • The number of servers to facilitate internet vary hugely, from 1.49 in Ethiopia per million people to 12,114.29 per million in South Africa • Affordability drives technology sales and, because of the number of low-income buyers, counterfeit technology is a problem in the market One of the most important points that the research identifies is that the media consumer is the new “king” of the African economy, as the demand for digital media has not been from governments, but from ordinary Africans who find their mobile phones invaluable and regard data as a necessity to access satellite TV and social
| ADCETERA services such as Facebook. “Media consumers are powerful additions to the economic performance of countries’ retail and service sectors, and foreign media consumers – in the form of tourists and business people – have ensured good connectivity in places like Tanzania’s game reserves and Zambia’s copper belt. Investors in Africa’s media industries can be assured that African media consumers are the same as media consumers everywhere, perpetually craving better media services. “While the technological trend is definitely towards mobile devices, there remains a preference for traditional technology when the viewing experience is enhanced by the presence of others – movies seen in theatres and sports and entertainments seen on home or bar TVs. Technological advances in home entertainment systems and cinemas will be welcomed,” the AMI report concludes. – Louise Marsland
“…the African media landscape is a whirlwind of change and activity, and its power can be harnessed by knowledgeable investors and advertisers.” – Africa Media Index report
8 SAFTA
“Best Student Film”
AWARDS
MASTER OF FINE ARTS In Motion Picture Medium (2 years part-time)
APPLY NOW
BACHELOR OF ARTS
HONOURS
In Motion Picture Medium In Live Performance (1 year full-time)
FIND OUT MORE AT: www.afda.co.za AFDA is the South African School of Motion Picture Medium and Live Performance, and is registered with the Department of Higher Education and Training as a private higher education institution under the Higher Education Act, 1997. Registration certificate no. 2001/HE07/012.
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NFVF strengthens its ties with France to support SA’s animation industry South Africa’s budding animation talent made their way to the French lakeside town of Annecy to participate in the 43rd edition of the Annecy International Animated Film Festival and Mifa Market from 10 to 15 June 2019.
The NFVF team and South African delegation at Annecy the four students selected to showcase their artwork at Annecy alongside South African animation professionals. The NFVF arranged a jam-packed, five-day programme for the four winners which included attending pitching sessions, masterclasses and film screenings, as well as networking sessions with students from the Gobelins Animation College and industry experts. Lesego Vorster, who is an alumnus from Gobelins, acted as a mentor to the students throughout their Annecy journey. Earlier this year, Vorster worked with Gobelins to provide an internship programme for 20 animation students from the Tshimologong Animation Studio. The programme was dedicated to developing authentic African aesthetics through appropriate referencing and understanding of design and storytelling fundamentals. Speaking about the programme, Vorster said: “The partnership with Gobelins offers interns strong support from one of the best schools in the world, not only in raising the standard and quality of the work to come out of the Tshimologong Animation Studio, but also to broaden the horizons of all interns.”
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he students were part of the NFVF Student Mentorship Programme, held in partnership with Animation South Africa, the Department of Trade and Industry, KwaZulu-Natal Film Commission and the Tshimologong Digital Innovation Precinct. Joy Mawela, head of Industry Development and Promotions at the National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF), said: “The student mentorship programme is one of our training and education strategic plans, and the Annecy initiative was created to give an opportunity to animation students to advance their skills, build competitiveness and exposure and showcase their talent to the international animation industry.”
HEEDING THE CALL The journey to Annecy began when the NFVF announced a nationwide competition, calling for final-year animation students to submit character designs inspired by lead characters from South African films. “The call was released in April, and the submissions received were overwhelming,” says Mawela. “The quality of entries we received was a clear reflection that the South African animation industry is set to soar to greater heights.” A large number of entries were submitted by students from The Animation School, including Claudia E’Silva. “I received numerous emails notifying me of the competition and my lecturer announced it to the entire class. My inspiration to enter was the Annecy Festival itself. Since I learnt about it in first year, it has been my goal to attend. Having been given this opportunity, there was no conceivable way I could give it up.”
NFVF PARTNERS WITH GOBELINS
One of the winning designs from the NFVF Student Mentorship Programme moment of my third-year experience,” enthused E’Silva. The film Spud was a huge inspiration for a number of applicants, including Abraham Mohotsi and Antoinette Malan, who are both completing their Digital Animation diploma at The Animation School. Mohotsi’s design, titled Student Mentorship Programme, is inspired by the male character Troye from Spud, while Malan designed a sporty, female character named Kimberly. “I was constantly thinking about her and what her personality was like and where her interests lie...” says Malan. “I really wanted to do my best and make my family and friends as well as myself proud.”
JOURNEY TO ANNECY E’Silva’s design is titled XI-1980, and is a futuristic reimagining of the character Xi from the South African cult favourite, The Gods Must Be Crazy. “I worked on my project in and around my third-year film duties for around a week... Finding out I had made it was honestly the happiest
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The shortlisted entries underwent an intense judging process by industry experts Lesego Vorster and Tumelo Selamolela, as well as 2018 Annecy winners Terence Maluleke and Smangaliso Sibaya. Malan, Mohotsi, E’Silva and Jared Dean Mahonri were
At Annecy, the NFVF signed an official partnership agreement with Gobelins and the French Embassy of South Africa. The agreement is aimed at growing South Africa’s animation industry by presenting opportunities for future collaborations – including skills exchange – between African animation productions and institutions and their French counterparts. Furthermore, the NFVF promised to contribute more than EUR16 000 (R268 000) towards scholarships for South Africans to study at Gobelins. The scholarship programme is additionally funded by The Animation School and Campus France. Karien Benz from Cape Town has been selected as the first student to be awarded the scholarship to study for a Master of Arts in Character Animation and Animated Filmmaking. “South African animators have been creating soundwaves across international borders over the last decade, and it’s essential that – as the funding body mandated to ensure the Karien Benz, the winner development and growth of the of the Gobelins Animation film industry in South Africa – we College scholarship have partnered to create a scholarship with Gobelins,” comments Mawela. – Gezzy S Sibisi
“The quality of entries we received was a clear reflection that the South African animation industry is set to soar to greater heights.” – Joy Mawela
Panavision Supports Growing Filmmaking Community Across Africa For many years, stories told in Africa didn’t reach far beyond individual villages but with arrival of streaming services, much of that has changed—bringing filmmaking production to new levels in many regions. “The African film industry is a young, up-and-coming market,” says James Barth, director and general manager of Panavision in South Africa. “Productions are taking advantage of the stunning scenery and magnificent locations that have not yet been shared with the world. Many believe that Africa is the next big location for shoots. To meet the demand, Panavision is working closely with production houses based across Africa with an aim of facilitating equipment, while keeping in mind environmental factors to protect our continent and natural resources.” Barth notes that the company’s reach across Africa includes expanding further into East Africa. “The film industry in East Africa, in particular Kenya, is growing at a very fast rate. From the savanna to Rift Valley, deserts, and beaches along the coast to lakes, Kenya’s rich culture runs across the country with beautiful locations. Mt. Kenya and Mt. Kilimanjaro are also among the wide variety of locations
filmmakers can use to create imaginary worlds and stories.” Out of Africa, Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life, The Constant Gardener, and The White Maasai are just a few features that have been shot in Kenya. While Panavision’s presence across East Africa has always been strong, the company recognized there was a growing need and, along with its lighting subsidiary Panalux, partnered with Kenya Grip & Sparks Lighting (KGSL) in Nairobi to offer a variety of equipment locally.
“Filmmakers are craving first-class film equipment and professional service, which is what Panavision and Kenya Grip & Sparks Lighting offers in the region” —James Barth
“There has been a large push for large format which has become much more heavily used, and somewhat of a staple, with companies like Netflix requiring 4K resolution for their productions,” says Barth. “The most popular camera for large format is Panavision’s DXL2 camera as well as Sony’s Venice. On Super 35 cameras, the Alexa Mini is in high demand.” In addition to tools, Panavision and KGSL are providing workshops and educational opportunities to emerging filmmakers. “We’re reaching out to our producers and establishing our partnership with KGSL to illustrate that there are exciting, professional opportunities available for film-
makers in Kenya,” adds Barth. “Panavision is committed to help with building the future of the film industry by educating young crew coming up in Nairobi on camera, lighting, and grip techniques. “We have carried out training in Kenya and South Africa to help support the need for top-class crew in the region. We have also expanded our focus and trained Ugandan and Tanzanians filmmakers that engage with Kenya Grip & Sparks Lighting within East Africa.” For more information on what Panavision and KGSL offers in the region, contact: hires@gripandsparks.co.ke Or visit: www.grip-sparks.com
“KGSL just increased their inventory with more high-end lighting and grip equipment and they are gearing up for a busy second half of the year. Panavision glass is also very much in demand because of the unique looks it makes possible.” Just as in Hollywood, Barth notes that there is largeformat filmmaking trend in Africa as well.
www.panavision.com
www.panalux.biz
10TH DURBAN FILMMART,
19 – 22 JULY 2019
AT THE DURBAN INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL
Durban International Film Festival Announces Festival Programme for 40th Edition 19 – 28 July 2019 The Durban International Film Festival (DIFF), presented by the Centre for Creative Arts (University of KwaZulu-Natal), has launched the programme for its 40th edition, which takes place from 18 to 28 July 2019 at various venues around Durban, South Africa.
A scene from the DIFF opening film Knuckle City, directed by Jahmil X.T. Qubeka
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he DIFF, together with the 10th Durban FilmMart (DFM) – the industry development programme in partnership with the eThekwini Municipality’s Durban Film Office – bring a combined 50 years of film to film-lovers and its hard-working creative industry. The festival opens this year with acclaimed South African director Jahmil X. T. Qubeka’s Knuckle City, a riveting exploration of the psychology of a fighter from the Mdantsane township of South Africa, produced and edited by award-winning Layla Swart of Yellowbone Entertainment, together with Mzansi Magic. “We are very excited to be opening our 40th edition with this gritty raw film by Jahmil,” says Chipo Zhou, festival manager. “This is a film which we believe will do very well as a cinema release, with boxing as the means to tell the story, and its multi-layered narrative will resonate with audiences globally.” In Qubeka’s words: “It is my intention to capture the essence of life in Mdantsane and the restless pursuit of being a champion within a society that often dictates you are a failure. I am
determined with this film to give audiences a glimpse into a world rarely seen, and a deeper understanding of the multi-faceted individuals inhabiting our land.” A riveting and diverse DIFF programme this year includes 150 films from around the globe, comprising 74 feature films, 25 documentaries and 90 shorts; a community outreach programme; the Wavescapes Surf Film Festival, with 19 films focused on surfing and water culture; the Isiphethu Hub, a free industry programme for entry-level and emerging filmmakers; and the Durban FilmMart. “The range of films this year reflects a changing, fast-paced world, where issues of identity and belonging, land and immigration, love and pain, find a way to surface and hold a mirror to the world – to either gaze at, engage with or react to,” says Zhou. Feature films that are in competition this year include a meta-cinema work by director South African director Roger Young, Love Runs Out; Angus Gibson’s Back of the Moon (South Africa), which is set in Sophiatown in 1958; Cronofobia
DIFF’s closing night film Bhai’s Cafe, directed by Maynard Kraak
(Switzerland), directed by Francesco Rizzi, a psychological drama about suspended identity; a Brazilian drama Divine Love (Divino Amor), which is directed by Gabriel Mascaro and tells the story of an office clerk who uses her position at the births, deaths and marriages department to try to dissuade couples from getting a divorce. Riccardo Salvetti’s Rwanda: The Untold Story (Italy) offers a new take on the Rwandan genocide, through the first-person experience, using live dramatic performance intertwined with filmic reality; Tchaiko Omawale’s Solace (USA) is a moving and artful portrait of a smart, driven and self-destructive teenage orphan struggling to find her place; and Vai (New Zealand), by director Marina Alofagia McCartney, is a portmanteau feature film by nine female Pacific filmmakers. Chinese auteur Zhang Wei’s The Rib is about the strained relationship between a young man wanting a sex change operation and his Christian father; while the Nigerian film Mokalik, directed by Kunle Afolayan, follows an 11-year-old boy from the middle-class suburbs who spends the day as a lowly apprentice at a mechanic’s
workshop in order to view life from the other side of the tracks. Some of the documentaries in competition include South African director Nicole Schafer’s Buddha in Africa, which recently opened the Encounters Film Festival; Anbessa (Italy/ USA), directed by Mo Scarpelli, a coming-of-age story that captures a boy taking on modernisation; and Maya Newell’s In My Blood it Runs (Australia), about an Aboriginal boy whose traditional skills are of no value within the modern education system. Fatma Riahi’s A Haunted Past (Qatar) is a personal portrait of a broken Tunisian-Bosnian family member as ex-prisoner and ex-jihadist. Hamada (Sweden), by director Eloy Domínguez Serén, is a humorous, bittersweet portrait of three uncompromising twenty-somethings cut off from the world in a refugee camp, while Edward Watts and Waad alKateab’s For Sama (UK/USA/Syria) takes an intimate look at one young woman’s struggles with love, war and motherhood. Mother I am Suffocating. This Is My Last Film About You by Lesotho filmmaker Mosese Lemohang Jeremiah is an
The full programme will be available online at www.ccadiff.ukzn.ac.za at the end of June. 22 | SCREENAFRICA | JULY 2019
VISIT US AT : WWW.DURBANFILMMART.CO.ZA
WWW.CCADIFF.UKZN.AC.ZA
10th
Durban FilmMart Launches Programme for 10th Anniversary Edition
19 – 22 July 2019
The Durban FilmMart (DFM) has launched the programme for its 10th edition, which takes place from 19 to 22 July during the 40th Durban International Film Festival (18-28 July).
R extended, poetic letter to the protagonist’s mother and motherland. From Sara de Gouveia, The Sounds of Masks (SA/Portugal) follows a compelling storyteller and legendary Mozambican masked dancer. My Friend, Fela (Brazil), directed by Joel Zito Araujo, explores the life of legendary Nigerian musician Fela Kuti and A Girl in Return (Denmark), directed by Katrine W.Kjaer, is an intimate tale about what happens when an adopted teenage girl decides to reclaim her lost identity. The Durban International Film Festival is hosted by the University of KwaZuluNatal’s Centre for Creative Arts in various venues around Durban from 18 to 28 July, 2019. For more information go to ccadiff. ukzn.ac.za/ or follow DIFF on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter.
eaching a significant milestone of 10 years, the DFM has firmly ensconced itself as one of the most important film industry development and networking events on the continent, with its objective to develop content, skills and expertise, and to pave the way for cross-border collaborations and networks. The four-day film industry event comprises a packed programme of panel discussions, seminars, workshops, master classes, a finance forum and miniconferences and exhibitions curated by film industry stakeholders. The DFM and DIFF are pleased to announce a Canadian Focus this year, which includes the CineFAM South Africa Co-Production Accelerator, a series of workshops aimed at kickstarting original co-productions led by experienced and seasoned female producers, writers and directors from both countries. Experts presenting masterclasses and workshops include Irish screenwriter and producer Gabrielle Kelly, London-based curator, audience development specialist and author Nadia Denton, South African producer and founding manager of the Cape Town chapter of the shnit Worldwide Shortfilmfestival Sean Drummond and prolific Egyptian director Mohamed Siam. There are a number of new programmes providing an exciting mix of opportunities for filmmakers to grow their professional knowledge, networks and skills. Durban Does Docs is a one-day documentary conference consisting of panel discussions, masterclasses and plenary presentations aimed to attract documentary filmmakers and scholars, who will unpack and discuss the state of the documentary in a global context. Looking at film locations from both a geographic and service provision
perspective, the Locations Africa Exhibition and Conference aims to re-ignite efforts to position Africa as a key filming destination. Themba Bhebhe, who has been in charge of Diversity & Inclusion at the last two editions of the European Film Market (Berlinale), will lead the inaugural Engage @DFM, a series of curated conversations on pertinent, challenging and multifaceted questions facing the African film industry, which will be shared with delegates over four days for input and debate. The Sisters Working in Film and Television (SWIFT) Women Led Film Programme includes events, launches and announcements, as well as a workshop and seminar sessions around women in film. The Finance Forum creates the space for twenty pre-selected feature film and documentary projects from Africa to pitch to potential sponsors, funders and partners. This is one of the most important programmes to come out of the DFM, creating opportunities for films to be further developed. The 12th Talents Durban, in partnership with Berlinale Talents (Berlin International Film Festival), sees eighteen pre-selected intermediate African filmmakers attend a five-day event to further develop their professional skills. In partnership with Produire au Suid of Festival des 3 Continents, in Nantes, France, the Jumpstart programme is aimed at introducing ten pre-selected emerging filmmakers to the art of project pitching, guiding them on how to maximise festivals and markets and exposing them to the workings of the local and international industry. Two other important programmes, which are open and free to emerging filmmakers and interested members of
the public, are The Creative Corner and The Isiphethu Hub. The Creative Corner is a four-day programme targeting emerging scriptwriters, actors, set designers and make-up artists with live sessions and panel discussions around the creative elements of film-making such as editing, make-up, sound design and set design. The Isiphethu Hub is a series of workshops, seminars and panel discussions around the development of film. Delegates to the DFM have access to the industry lounge and exhibition, providing opportunities for networking sessions and to create meaningful business relationships across the globe. International partners and guests in attendance include Sundance Film Festival, Hot Docs Blue Ice, Caribbean Tales, Dok Leipzig, Dokfes, Cinemart, BBC Storyville, Doc Society, Aljazeera, Arte TV, Trace TV, Sorfund, European Film Market, Ape & Bjorn, Sudu Films, Rushlake Media, Melia Films, Produire au Sud, Telefilm Canada, Afridocs, Maisha Film Lab and Planet Africa TV. Registration is still open to those who wish to register for the 10th annual DFM. Early bird registration is open until 28 June 2019, with fees of R1300 (ZAR) for the four-day programme, which includes four days’ access to the DFM Industry Programme, access to DFM producers lounge and DFM networking events, 10 tickets to Durban International Film Festival screenings and company information published in the industry manual. After 28 June, fees are R1600 for the full programme, while daily passes are R450 each (the daily pass does not include tickets to DIFF screenings or access into the opening and closing events). All tickets exclude meals..
To register, go to www.durbanfilmmart.co.za
FOLLOW US ON : DURBAN FILM MART SA
DURBAN FILMMART SA
DURBAN FILMMART SA
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The making of The Sound of Masks Mozambique was under Portugal’s control for over four centuries before gaining independence in 1975. Since then, many stories have been told about the country’s past and post-colonial state, but none as visually entrancing as Sara Gouveia’s musical documentary film, The Sound of Masks.
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ouveia spent most of her early years living in Portugal. As a creative and curious young girl, she enjoyed expressing herself through visual and performing arts. However, it was only later in life – while pursuing her studies in visual arts – that her interest in filmmaking surfaced. “When I was 18 I moved to the UK to study visual arts and that’s when I started experimenting with photography and video. I instantly fell in love with both mediums… In 2007 I was invited to study for an MA in Photojournalism and Documentary Photography, so I took that opportunity, which took me to China for a year. In 2008, I moved to South Africa and I worked on a documentary film with Angela Ramirez and Calum MacNaughton called Mama Goema: The Cape Town Beat in Five Movements (2011). I would say it was after we finished that film that I decided I wanted to pursue filmmaking as a career and I haven’t looked back since,” Gouveia shares. In 2013, Gouveia and some of her industry peers decided to open their own film and video production company – Lionfish Productions – in Cape Town. Lionfish has produced a variety of projects over the past six years but the documentary film, The Sound of Masks, has been their biggest undertaking thus far. The idea for the film came about in 2011 after one of Gouveia’s many trips to Mozambique. “I was interested in working on a project that looked at colonial history, since I grew up in Portugal, so there was that historical connection,” she says. “I felt we had been told a narrative in Portugal that didn’t seem to reflect what I had seen in southern Africa or how people in Mozambique perceived the Portuguese, so I started to question that Euro-centric version of history. “When I met Atanásio and his dance group they spoke of that history through their work, so it seemed fitting to make a film with them,” she explains. Atanásio Nyusi is a legendary Mapiko dancer, a
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compelling storyteller, a father and a librarian whom Gouveia was first introduced to when Nyusi’s dance group, Massacre de Mueda, performed at the Out of the Box Festival in Cape Town in 2011. “I was intrigued by their performance, which was a mix of traditional and contemporary dance, music and theatre, and I was particularly captivated by the way Atanásio directly addressed the audience, asking uncomfortable questions, kind of like saying, ‘Let’s not forget’,” expresses Gouveia. In The Sound of Masks, Nyusi performs the enchanting Mapiko dance – the traditional masked dance of the Makonde that originates from the north of Mozambique and Tanzania. “The masks can represent anything the sculptor feels inspired to create, such as men, women or even animals and the lipiko (dancer) represents a spirit,” Gouveia expands. The Mapiko dance has evolved with each generation. Nowadays it is used as a catalyst for social commentary and is also performed during initiation rites of passage, as well as in various celebration ceremonies. In the film, Gouveia delves into Nyusi’s life behind the masks, revealing his beliefs, fears and aspirations as a father and a custodian of the Mapiko tradition. “Atanásio’s journey is emotional. He’s trying to leave a legacy as an artist and his plight in promoting Mapiko in a contemporary context is inspiring, but he
has also realised that he has perhaps failed to pass this knowledge down in his own home. That becomes clear when he says he feels indebtedness towards his son. This is the moment he realises the growing distance between the two of them and all the stories he could have shared with him; sometimes we don’t notice things until it’s too late. These aspects of Atanásio’s life converge to comment on the tension between past and present, tradition and modernity, in a radically shifting country.” Through Nyusi’s journey, the film explores significant events in Mozambican history and what remains today. These stories are told by ex-combatants that Nyusi spends time with in the Zona Militar in Maputo – an old military neighbourhood. “The neighbourhood was initially an area of Portuguese military headquarters and during the war it was occupied by Mozambican combatants. This was a central area of the city with access to hospitals, schools, supermarkets and other facilities that made life easier for soldiers. The group of Makonde combatants in the area made a point of keeping their traditions alive and, these days, one can still find Mapiko being performed under the large mango tree, usually during specific national commemorations or during the initiation rites, when the place comes alive,” Gouveia shares.
“I felt we had been told a narrative in Portugal that didn’t seem to reflect what I had seen in southern Africa or how people in Mozambique perceived the Portuguese, so I started to question that Euro-centric version of history. – Sara Gouveia
”
The area is also where Nyusi and his group hold their dance rehearses. Most of these dancers are descendants of the ex-combatants and use the dance to teach the newer generation to keep their heritage alive.
PRODUCTION In 2013, Gouveia and her small team from South Africa commenced production on the film. She says that she imagined the film having two story-worlds: “the first was the vérité-world, where we see Atanásio in his day-to-day life, and the other was the oral storytelling world, where his art, memories and traditions come together to tell mythological stories that also teach.” However, the team soon realised that the dances on location didn’t translate well on camera and opted for a studio set-up for the dance scenes. “Once that space had been established we could then have the dance
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TECH CHECK EQUIPMENT • Camera: Sony FS7
sequences on location and it was easier for the audience to take meaning from the stories being told. Intercutting archive with the dance sequences allowed us to highlight the meaning behind some of the masks,” says Gouveia. The archival material used in the film was obtained from different sources including INAC (Instituto Nacional de Audio-Visual e Cinema), ZIMMEDIA, Moving into Dance Mophatong, RTP and Notícia, as well as from the personal archive of both Atanásio Cosme Nuysi and Paolo Israel. The film was shot on the Sony FS7 camera with some sequences shot in 4K. “(It) offered us great slow-motion options, which for the dance sequences was a must. You can also record sound into the camera, which is wonderful,” says Gouveia. The studio sequences were filmed in Cape Town at the Höerskool DF Malan. The rest of the film was shot periodically on various trips to different parts of Mozambique. Additional scenes were shot on the Unity Bridge across the Ruvuma River, on the border between Mozambique and Tanzania.
In 2017, Gouveia partnered with a Portuguese production company named Ukbar Filmes: “I showed them a very rough cut of the film then and they saw the potential and jumped on board… They managed to find finishing funds in Portugal, which allowed us to wrap the film in November 2018, just ahead of its premiere at IDFA (International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam).” In terms of post-production duties, Khalid Shamis handled the offline edit: “I wanted to work with him for two reasons: firstly because he is a really talented storyteller, and secondly because he is familiar with Mozambique and I thought it would be beneficial to have someone who knows the energy of the place in the edit room,” says Gouveia. Tiago Correia-Paulo, a Mozambican musician and songwriter, created the soundtrack for the film. Online was done in South Africa and Portugal by the respective production companies.
FESTIVALS The Sound of Masks had its world premiere at IDFA and its African premiere at the 2018 Marrakech International Film Festival. In July, the film is headed to the Durban International Film Festival (DIFF), where it will compete and screen – and this after making its first appearance at the Durban FilmMart in July 2014, where it was awarded the Most Promising Documentary Pitch. Most noteworthy of all, The Sound of Masks will make its way to Mozambique for the Maputo Fast Forward Festival happening in October later this year.
“It offered us great slow-motion options, which for the dance sequences was a must. You can also record sound into the camera, which is wonderful.” – Sara Gouveia
KEY CREW Director and DOP: Sara CF de Gouveia Editor: Khalid Shamis Sound: Pedro Góis
“The film really comes down to connecting past, present and future: knowing the past, to understand the present and to imagine the future,” concludes Gouveia. – Gezzy S Sibisi
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Forewared is forearmed for movie marketing Within the African film environment, film producers are often also directors, scriptwriters, accountants and marketing and publicity managers for their projects. Wearing all of these hats can be extremely challenging, and for many producers, this planning seems to end with the final edit – without a proper strategy for the marketing and distribution of the film.
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he marketing and distribution, obviously crucial to the life and success of the project, are often seen as issues to be dealt with after-the-fact. Instead, they need to be built into timings, budgets and planning from the early pre-production stages. Some of the most basic and yet important marketing elements are actually quite simple. Below is a very brief overview of the top marketing tips for producers to incorporate into their early planning.
KNOW YOUR MARKET(S) From the outset, it is essential to understand who the market will be for your film or series. Every element – from the very first word of the script, to the way in which the film is shot – should be based on this understanding. If you are not creating a product for an audience, and are only creating it for yourself, don’t expect a sales agent or distributor to be interested. Whether you are creating a movie for an international audience, or a TV series exclusively for a local market, you need to know before you start production both the size of your market and who will comprise it, as these considerations will directly impact your ability to sell your production. If your market is very niche, it is unlikely you will be able to commercialise the project – and it’s important to understand this in advance.
LANGUAGE Similarly, after evaluating your target markets and their relative size and commercial potential, you must apply these insights to the language of your film or series. If you are creating content for a local market – then, by all means, produce it in the local language. However, if you are looking for global distribution, you must produce in internationally-accessible languages – the 26 | SCREENAFRICA | JULY 2019
most popular still being English but, depending on your markets, this could be French. If your local cast and crew limitations mean that the film has to be produced in a language that is not globally-accessible, make sure to budget for subtitles or dubbing as you will NOT be able to submit to most festivals or to secure international distribution without subtitles or a dubbed version of the film. Similarly, your marketing materials (discussed below) should be presented in the relevant languages for the regions you are trying to reach.
KNOW THE DISTRIBUTION OPTIONS AND TRENDS Massive and ongoing changes are afoot in Africa’s entertainment and media industries. Whether you are creating content for the African market or beyond, it’s essential to understand the landscape and the latest trends. While just about every producer would like to believe that they can sell their series or film to Netflix, the odds are they won’t. There are only a limited number of major streaming platforms across Africa (iflix, Showmax, Netflix), with multiple smaller players with relatively small budgets. Free-to-air TV is still the dominant force on the continent, with Pay TV following behind. It’s clear, then, that producers need to understand how many of these existing platforms target their films’s particular audience, in order to understand the realistic chances of securing distribution or funding. The trends show that: • Africa remains predominantly a free-TV market fueled by advertising revenues that have been stagnant. Despite optimistic predictions at the start of the year, pay-TV operators are retreating and
realigning their strategies with the increased access to mobile and fixed broadband. Streaming remains at a relatively early stage in a world region where broadband penetration is still limited. While digital terrestrial television switchover has progressed in some countries, awareness of low-cost TV services still varies hugely between markets • Only 29 African countries out of 54 are expected to have completed their digital switchover by the end of 2020. There is mounting pressure on key players in the entertainment and media market to diversify their offerings and develop new revenue streams in order to keep subscriber figures and advertising investment buoyant By understanding these trends, it will be easier to decide whether to approach traditional broadcasters, streaming platforms or mobile operators for your project. Additionally, it is critical to understand if your film is first going to go on the festival circuit across the continent and further afield. Submitting to film festivals is a great way to secure critical acclaim, marketing and promotion, build audiences – and possibly find a distribution deal. However, whether you are submitting to festivals or going directly down the commercial route, you still need to have some basics in place – as outlined below.
EPK AND PROMO MATERIALS Over many years of working at film festivals, and working closely with distributers, acquisition specialists and others, I have been amazed at how few productions (especially) from Africa have all of the necessary marketing collateral required to submit to film festivals, or to
effectively impress sales agents or buyers. Many films (or series) have failed to secure the necessary attention because they don’t have the basic elements in place – which, at a minimum, include: high-resolution production stills, bios of main cast and crew, synopsis of the film/series, trailer and movie/series poster artwork. During production it’s important to take high-quality photos of scenes both in front and behind the camera. These production stills will be an essential marketing tool. I have personally seen films get significant publicity at festivals simply due to the value of their production stills. Especially if the media have not seen the films, they will choose to promote the ones with the best images. The same applies for movie/series poster artwork. The poster artwork is the simplest and most direct way to identify the style, genre and market for your production. It’s your logo, your brand – and should be given the same care and attention as the rest of the production. This is even more applicable for your trailer. Do not skimp on the edit of the trailer or view it as an afterthought. It must be the essential synopsis and selling tool of your film or series. The most important thing to remember around the marketing of any finished project seeking distribution or sales – or even a pilot seeking co-producers or funding – is to plan ahead. The marketing of any film or content piece must be part of the pre-production process and considered as important as any other element. By including marketing in the initial planning, every member of the team will be more marketing-focused, ensuring that when the time comes you will have the right materials and strategy in place. – Lara Utian-Preston
Wits Film & TV Department
ADVERTORIAL
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TRAINING
At the forefront of teaching innovation The Wits Film and Television Department is situated in the School of Arts at the University of the Witwatersrand, where it continues to expand its postgraduate studies while also building on its already-established international exchange programs with leading film schools around the world. The postgraduate degrees on offer include Honours, Masters and Doctoral studies.
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hese programmes are at the forefront of artistic research in Africa and combine creative output and theoretical work as part of academic study. This offers exciting opportunities for career professionals looking to expand their knowledge and practice through a range of postgraduate degrees suitable to their needs. Where the artistic research option is pursued by students, it is necessary that they already have some filmmaking experience before
starting their postgraduate studies here. At the beginning of 2019, Nduka Mntambo was appointed head of Wits Film & TV Department. He is also an executive member of CILECT – CARA. CILECT is the largest international body representing the top film and media schools around the world and Wits’ membership ensures that they continue to benchmark themselves alongside these institutions. Executive representation at CARA will continue to support Wits’
collaboration with other film and media educators on the African continent who are affiliated with this regional body. This has already seen successful exchanges with visiting lecturers from Ghana’s Film and Television Institute while Wits Film & TV Department hosted the CARA’s regional conference in Johannesburg last year. Wits has established itself as a destination of choice for students from across the continent who are interested in learning about African narratives and exploring the aesthetics and politics of filmmaking with an African focus. These programmes, according to Mntambo, “build on our commitment to preparing graduates with all round skills as well as a sound academic education”. Wits is also broadening its relationships in Europe through new and existing exchanges with the Valand Academy situated at the University of Gothenburg and the Babelsberg Film School Konrad Wolf. In 2018, Wits academic staff and postgraduate students participated in The Film School Network, a diverse multi-national group of film institutions
and individuals devoted to filmmaking and education, who gathered for the four-day African Storytelling Summer School held in Potsdam, Germany. This year the relation between Wits and Babelsberg Film School will see students from Babelsberg working with Wits film students on various projects. Now in its second year, the Valand Academy exchange, funded by the Linnaeus Palme Award, allows four Wits students in their Honours year to spend a semester studying and learning at this prestigious Swedish film school. Mntambo, who participated in the staff exchange between Wits and Valand last year, sees this as a “fantastic opportunity for film students to practice in a radically different context alongside international filmmakers working in different media and cultures”. Representatives from the Wits Film & Television Department can be contacted at the Durban Film Market in the East Elanga Room (18 – 22nd July). For postgraduate application information please contact: sao.mendes@wits.ac.za
Wits Film & TV is at the forefront of teaching innovation through artistic research and academic excellence.
Palinopsia (2018) by Jurgen Meekel
Asymmetries (2018) by Nduka Mntambo
Degrees offered at the Honours, Masters and Doctoral level.
Find us in the East Elanga Room from 18 – 22 July at the Durban Film Market
www.wits.ac.za/wsoa/film-and-television/postgraduate
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SPONSORED CONTENT
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TRANSFORMING SOUTH AFRICA’S PRODUCTION LANDSCAPE How the IDC and partners are creating pathways for emerging black filmmakers First launched in 2014, the Emerging Black Filmmakers Transformation Fund (EBFTF) is a joint venture between the Industrial Development Corporation (IDC) and the country’s two core funding bodies: the National Film Founders of Burnt Onion Productions and recipients of EBFTF funding, Tshepo, Rethabile and Katleho Ramaphakela and Video Foundation box office, with notable examples being Film and Television Awards (SAFTAs): for included the IDC, NFVF, the dti and (NFVF) and Baby Mamas by Stephina Zwane and Best Writing – TV Comedy in 2015 distributors. Once successful, the normal application processes with the IDC and (Check-Coast) and 2019 (Thuli noThulani). Farewell Ella Bella by Lwazi Mvusi. This the Department of Trade programme is meant to redress the dti had to commence, in order to get Their SABC 3 comedy drama series, the funding in place.” Bedford Wives, is currently available for transformation and gender inequality in and Industry (the dti). Reflecting on their experience of the streaming on Amazon Prime. the industry, while also encouraging job
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he EBFTF is designed to fulfill a crucially important function in the South African production landscape. Specifically established for key creative black filmmakers with limited feature-film experience, the fund aims to develop and increase the number of films produced by emerging black filmmakers, as well as create a sustainable funding model to produce commercially-viable films that yield return on investment. As Maijang Mpherwane, Head of the IDC’s Media & Audio-Visual SBU, explains, the purpose of the EBFTF is to allow black filmmakers “to gain experience, to build a track record, and to establish a brand – thereby levelling the playing field in the South African film industry. The EBFTF will enable more films to be produced by emerging black filmmakers, thereby creating local content for local consumption, telling local stories and retaining local culture. In cases where there is strong potential for international markets, the opportunity will be exploited to expose the black filmmakers for better chances of recoupment.” Meanwhile, Joy Mawela – NFVF Head of Industry Development and Promotions – comments: “The partnership we have with the IDC and the DTI has been an exceptional success. EBFTF-funded films spearheaded by young black female filmmakers have performed well at the
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creation amongst local black filmmakers. We genuinely believe that this one-stopshop financing model will truly open more doors for emerging black filmmakers by ensuring they get the necessary support to create compelling and authentic local content.” Echoing these thoughts, Nelly Molokoane – Director: Film and TV Incentives at the dti – says: “The ambitions of government in seeing black producers becoming the leading force in film productions will be realised, when there is collaboration amongst various stakeholders. Our aim is to see emerging black filmmakers graduate and service big productions as well as contributing towards employment opportunities.”
SERIOUSLY SUPPORTIVE The latest recipients of EBFTF funding are Burnt Onion Productions. This Johannesburg-based film and television production company was founded by three siblings in 2008: Katleho, Rethabile and Tshepo Ramaphakela. The company has produced short- and long-from content for various local and international broadcasters, including the SABC, MultiChoice and Viacom. Their productions include drama series, sitcoms, lifestyle shows and reality shows, with the company being the recipient of two South African
The producers are currently in production of the comedy feature film Seriously Single, which has benefited from the Emerging Black Filmmakers Transformation Fund. Starring Fulu Mugovhani and Tumi Morake, the film follows “serial monogamist” Dineo – a woman “who dates to fall in love and falls in love to get married” – as she negotiates the ups and downs of her latest relationship. Speaking about the funding process, the team at Burnt Onion shares: “We responded to the call-out for the EBFTF which was put on the NFVF website. The application process requires you to be ready to go into production on your feature film, so you need to have a packaged film that has a script, a director and the lead cast. We had completed packaging on Seriously Single and were trying to close the financing, so the timing was perfect for the film. You also need to submit a finance model and it will work in your favour to have a distributor on board. Once we submitted all the relevant documentation as per the application form, we were fortunate enough to get shortlisted, where we pitched our project to a panel that
funding process, the team enthuses that “the IDC has been extremely supportive in ensuring that we get all the funding needed to for our production. There is obviously a lot of paperwork to get through with the various agreements between all the parties, but the IDC has been supportive throughout this process; in making sure the agreements work for all parties; and that all the financing agreement condition precedents are met.”
WILL YOU BE NEXT? The IDC and its partners are pleased to announce that another funding cycle for the Emerging Black Filmmakers Transformation Fund is currently active. Scan the following QR code to visit the official call on the NFVF website. Read the guidelines and the funding criteria carefully, and ensure your application is submitted via the online portal by 15 August 2019.
Business Powered by www.idc.co.za tel: 0860 693 888
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First Rebrand Since 1987
ADVERTORIAL
Gallo Music Publishers are proud to announce that on 13 May 2019, our UK sub-publishing partners Warner Chappell Music (WCM) unveiled a dynamic new logo and brand identity. These changes follow the beginning of a new era for the global publishing powerhouse, which recently introduced its new leadership duo of CoChair & CEO Guy Moot and Co-Chair & COO Carianne Marshall, and moved into a new state-of-the-art U.S. headquarters in downtown Los Angeles’ Arts District. This is the company’s first rebrand since 1987.
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arner Chappell Music’s new logo marries a regal “crown” monogram with the flourish of human handwriting. The design pays homage to a moment of creative inspiration and to the highly individual, personal art of song-writing. It evokes both graffiti and calligraphy, allowing the logo to represent a diversity of songwriters and musical genres. In making the announcement, Moot and Marshall said: “We’re thrilled to be opening this new era with a new look that reflects both our heritage and our future. We love our new logo, which is a tribute to our songwriters and the power, emotion and timelessness of their craft. They’re our constant inspiration, and we’re their devoted partners, collaborators and crusaders.” They added, “We’re also modernising our name by dropping the slash from
Warner/Chappell, which is symbolic of our becoming a more global, connected company. And we’ve put ‘Music’ in the logo. It’s always been part of our name, but we wanted to be clear that it’s our reason for being.” With a history dating back to the founding of Chappell & Co. in London over 200 years ago, the company’s origins helped establish the very concept of music publishing. This is the first rebrand since Warner/Chappell was formed when
Warner Bros. Music acquired Chappell in 1987, and the Warner Bros. logo was adopted for the launch of the newly combined company. Today, Warner Chappell Music is home to an extraordinary catalog that includes timeless standards and contemporary hits with a collection of more than one million copyrights worldwide, including Guns n Roses, Justin Bieber, Katy Perry, Eric Clapton, George Michael, Madonna, Nickelback and Radiohead to name
just a few. The new Warner Chappell Music brand identity and logo were developed in partnership with Emily Oberman and her team at Pentagram, the world’s largest independently-owned design studio. Pentagram has worked with many prestigious companies and events such as DC Entertainment, Wizarding World, Rotten Tomatoes, Saturday Night Live, Rolls Royce, London Fashion Week, Sundance Institute and Sotheby’s, as well as music projects for the likes of Pink Floyd, The Rolling Stones and The National, among many others. “Gallo Music Publishers are proud to continue to be a part of this brand after so many years and to be representing their wealth of Copyrights on the African continent,” says Rob Cowling, General Manager, Gallo Music Group.
“Gallo Music Publishers are proud to continue to be a part of this brand after so many years and to be representing their wealth of copyrights on the African continent.” – Rob Cowling, General Manager, Gallo Music Group
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The National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF) is proud to announce that it will be leading a delegation of South African filmmakers to the 22nd edition of the Zanzibar International Film Festival (ZIFF).
an agency of the Department of Arts and Culture
ZIFF is East Africa’s largest film and arts festival and provides an important platform to profile Africa’s burgeoning film industry. The NFVF has formalised a relationship with ZIFF, through the signing of an MoU which will focus on training and development opportunities for young filmmakers as well as identifying co-production opportunities. As part of the partnership, the NFVF will also be hosting the South African pavilion and for the first time ever, launch the first ever student mentorship programme where six South African students will participate in a short film competition alongside Tanzania and Saudia Arabia. The programme is a skills exchange initiative which is meant to develop scriptwriting and production skills.
Congratulations to the South African Films screening at this years’ Zanzibar International Film Festival. 6 - 14 July 2019
The NFVF will be leading 9 films and 2 animation films to the festival: • Deep End • Someone to Blame – the Ahmed Timol Inquest
“The NFVF-ZIFF partnership will allow us the opportunity to grow our relationship with the festival as we continue on our quest to create more skills exchange and development opportunities for
• Coming Home • Our Albertina • The Moon Falls Unconscious • Whispering Truth to Power • Not in My Neighbourhood • Five Fingers for Marseilles • Burkinabè Bounty: Agroecology in Burkina Faso Animation: • Please Frog, just one sip! • My Country
@nfvfsa
www.nfvf.co.za
South African filmmakers internationally. I particularly look forward to seeing what our students can produce and wish the films in competition the best of luck.”, said Makhosazana Khanyile, CEO of the NFVF.
TELEVISION
| PROFILE
Zanele Mthembu comes full circle in her broadcast career For Zanele Mthembu, being a pivotal part of the broadcasting industry has been a lifelong passion that began with observing her father’s journalism career.
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ow with industry experience spanning more than 20 years, Mthembu embarks on a new journey as executive head of DStv’s recently-launched news channel, Newzroom Afrika. Screen Africa spoke to the media mogul to unpack her journey to success.
MY FATHER, MY HERO Mthembu is the fourth of six daughters born to Theo Mthembu, a journalist, boxing trainer and manager, and Johanna Mthembu – a midwife. After the death of her mother when she was just 12 years old, she grew closer to her father and found herself mesmerised by his career. “I was greatly influenced by my father’s career. As journalists back in the 50s and 60s, they had to take their own photographs when they went out on stories. My father also travelled a lot with his boxing career, the stories and photographs from his travels were fascinating. The combination of photography and travel I found very attractive and intriguing. That is the genesis of my career,” shares Mthembu.
HONING HER CRAFT After high school, Mthembu went on to study Communications at the University of Zululand, where she completed her Honours in Broadcasting. Her first job in the television industry was with Penguin Films: “It was by pure divine intervention that I was interviewed for a programme that was being produced by Penguin Films. I spoke to the director of photography, Uwe Jansch, about my desire to work in television. He later spoke to his wife, who was also his business partner, Roberta Durrant, and that is how I got my first chance to work in television production.” While still working at Penguin Films in 1995, Mthembu was selected as the first Discovery Communications International Fellow, which saw her complete her Masters in Film in Washington DC. “That [experience] opened me to the world of television, particularly the business of broadcasting in a way I could never have planned or imagined,” she comments.
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BROWN PANTHER After returning to South Africa in 2004, Mthembu joined e.tv in 2005, which resulted in a 10-year stay at the channel. “I joined e.tv as Executive Producer in Local Programming. Within a year of my time with e.tv, I was promoted to Head of Local Programming,” she says. Mthembu eventually left eMedia in 2015. At the time she was Group Head of Content, responsible for the business strategy of both the Natural History Unit (NHU) and Sabido Productions. She later started her own company, Brown Panther, to honour her father and work on uplifting young TV and film professionals. “Brown Panther was my father’s boxing name. I chose that name to honour him and what he has done for us as his girls. He truly is my inspiration in more ways than one.”
NEWZROOM AFRIKA Launched in May 2019, ahead of election week, DStv’s Newzroom Afrika is a new black-owned 24-hour news channel. Appointed Executive Head of the channel, Mthembu says that she feels as though all her past experiences have prepared her well for her new role, and she has now finally come full circle in her broadcast journey. “My job is to focus on the business of the channel. To ensure we have the right human capital in place, to ensure that we have the right quality content to drive viewership, to ensure we maintain and grow that viewership in order to attract advertising revenue, which is ultimately what we need to ensure the channel
“My goal now is to impart my skills and experience to young people. I want to be able to open doors and mentor our youth to also have successful careers in the industry, just like was done for me.
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– Zanele Mthembu
The Brown Panther Media Incubator is the company’s training arm, which hosts TV and film graduates. Mthembu says that this year’s internship programme is currently on hold while they restructure; however, the incubator has secured funding from the Department of Arts and Culture, and is currently in negotiations with broadcasters, to help the next set of interns secure a portfolio of work that will have already been broadcast when the internship comes to an end. Under Brown Panther’s film offerings, Mthembu is working on a feature documentary that chronicles the journey of boxing champion Jacob “Baby Jake” Matlala and Mthembu’s father, Theo Mthembu, who managed Matlala from the 1970s. “It is a human-interest story of their journey beyond the ring and the glare of the media,” she shares.
continues to operate and thrive.” The new channel is quickly making its mark in the local and international news market, and Mthembu is confident that it has what it takes to capture the young market, with its special focus being the digital-savvy viewer. “The channel is targeting young people who are traditionally not news consumers but we have seen how, since the launch, being digital first gave Newzroom Afrika the edge. The other edge is that Newzroom Afrika does not talk at the viewer but the viewer is very much a part of telling the news from their point of view. It is about Your News, Your Views, as our channel pay-off line states. And we will see this unfold in an even more meaningful way in the coming months,” she comments.
UPLIFTING THE NEXT GENERATION With broadcast being such a highly competitive industry, it is important not only to have the relevant creative skills, but also to equip yourself with the right business skills in order to succeed, says Mthembu. “My goal now is to impart my skills and experience to young people. I want to be able to open doors and mentor our youth to also have successful careers in the industry, just like was done for me. Ultimately my individual success is just that – individual, unless I help equip others for success. The objective is to be able to enable individuals that will have viable businesses where many more lives can be changed,” she concludes.
LESSONS LEARNT After getting her break in the broadcast industry by a chance encounter, Mthembu has now mastered the art of persuasion when it comes to seizing opportunities and securing deals. She shared some tips for success: 1: Take on any opportunity presented to you; those are sometimes few and far between. Even if it’s not what you want to do at the time, use it to the fullest to learn and grow your craft and gain more experience in the industry. 2: Don’t be afraid to ask – be bold. If you don’t ask, you will never know or get the opportunity you desire. And if the answer is “No”, keep it moving. 3: Network. It is very true that opportunity favours the prepared. But while you prepare, don’t hide away, join an industry organisation, go to screenings, volunteer on productions – because that’s where you meet the right people who can provide opportunities to you. 4: Read, read, read – not only about the industry you are in. Information is power indeed. 5: In the words of my father, ‘winning is about preparing for every moment of a fight.’ You have to be prepared to fight for what you want. – Gezzy S Sibisi
MEDIATECH AFRICA
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To get the perfect shot, film directors demand more – and they make it their business to push the cinematic medium beyond what was previously possible. The compulsion to achieve these creative visions has been a driving force behind the rigorous development of new technology, and no one can argue that technology has fundamentally altered how movies are made today.
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ilmmaking is not for the shallow of pocket, and movies, particularly those for the big screen, have astronomical budgets. These bigger budgets have a direct correlation on how much tech can be deployed; yet another reason for the explosion of new technology in the world of entertainment. Recognising this trend and spotting a gap in the South African market, Film Riggers directors Graham Terrell and Alard Hufner developed TopShot.Africa – a 3D flying camera system which provides dynamic, shake-free, premiumquality footage that brings viewers closer to the action. According to Terrell, although this type of technology has been around and used internationally for roughly 15 years, in South Africa it’s been out of reach till now. “Local production houses would have to buy or hire in global counterparts like Spidercam, but the costs are prohibitive and so no one does,” says Terrell. “With
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TOPSHOT.AFRICA 3D FLYING SYSTEM BRINGS VIEWERS CLOSER TO THE ACTION TopShot there’s now an opportunity for the local industry to access a more cost effective solution. “Today’s producers and directors want angles and shots that would otherwise be impossible to achieve, but using TopShot it’s now possible to place cameras in close proximity to people for more intense, intimate close-ups. In such cases the audience tends to feel more present and in the moment because the lens they see through feels authentic. Filmmakers also spend less time re-shooting the same scene to get the right angle.” From a film or TV set to sport events, conferences, live events, concerts and big church meetings, this tech solution is equally effective in each setting, delivering more dynamic shots. “It has unlimited perspective and possibilities – and you can do so much more with your shots.” The system, which has no local competitors, enables film and TV cameras to move vertically and horizontally in a co-ordinated and synchronised manner along four motorised winches – typically positioned at the four corners of a venue. Explaining in more detail how the technology works, Terrell says that an ultra-high-strength artificial fibre rope runs from each winch up to an anchored pulley in the roof structure where it’s deviated downwards to the centre of the venue. “Here all four ropes meet and
connect to the camera platform. The winches reel rope on and off the winch drum to achieve movement of the camera platform in three planes; left and right, up and down, forward and backwards.” The fibre optic strands that are woven into the locally-made rope relay picture, lens, camera and gimbal control data from the camera platform to the control station. A high performance, compact and versatile gyro-stabilised gimbal connects the camera to the camera platform. It’s this combination that provides shake-free, premium-quality footage for highly dynamic broadcast, film and TV production. “We use high-quality fibre optics from Sweden. This is the only imported component of our locally-manufactured ropes. When it comes to broadcast, WiFi is not reliable in a stadium and fibre optics is the only option. Data transfer is too high for wireless links, so the best and only viable solution is to weave a fibre optic strand into the rope,” says Terrell. “The safety of the 3D cable system trumps drones, which cannot be flown above people in a stadium. Our current ropes have a one-ton break strain and can comfortably support a car. Other benefits include that the system is less obtrusive; it’s suspended from the roof and takes up less floor space, and has greater, more dynamic reach. As if that were not enough, there are more capabilities on
Mediatech – the tech trade show shaping the way creativity: Inspires. Innovates. Delivers.
the horizon, most notably the use of AR with TopShot.” When weighing up the challenges this new technology is facing, Terrell says that despite the vastly cheaper price point compared to global alternatives, local budgets are still an issue. Adding to this, he says that although we have some of the best cameramen in the world, the technology is complicated to work with, and often used under highly stressful (live) conditions, so the relationship between pilot and cameraman must be tight. Lack of exposure means many directors don’t actually know how to work with this system, either. Mediatech Africa show director Simon Robinson says the addition of this bird’s-eye view technology to the expo is a first for Mediatech and a real coup. “Perhaps one of the brightest stars in the future-tech galaxy, visitors will have the opportunity to operate the state-of-theart system – guiding it around a fully-rigged ‘stadium’ set-up. Footage from the pan, tilt and camera zooms will be broadcast onto big screens, simulating an exciting in-field experience with TopShot.” Robinson says that it’s truly remarkable to see how technology keeps evolving and as film directors continue to push the envelope and raise the bar within their craft, so technology will have to keep step. “It’s intriguing to see what’s next! So be at Mediatech for a fast-forward glimpse into the future of all things media and entertainment – and be inspired by the boundless opportunities made possible with technology.” According to the show’s organisers, the visitor count achieved two years ago exceeded 7 500 delegates and there’s no reason to believe this year will be any different. The event will once again take place at the Ticketpro Dome in Johannesburg and will run from 17-19 July.
SATELLITE & TRANSMISSION
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Modulator and Encoder SDI Remote SNG
Modulator
Receiver
VSAT hub: Internet gateway Receiver TV Station/News Studio
Internet over Satellite for Broadcast Links TV and radio broadcasters and production companies are continually pushing technical boundaries to allow for their creative needs. However, often outside broadcast productions find themselves well outside any fixed internet or mobile network coverage areas. In these cases, a satellite link is the only option for their contribution needs.
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NG is the most reliable mechanism for quick and temporary content delivery from anywhere to anywhere. Especially on big events, outside broadcast productions are, increasingly, demanding more facilities at their disposal. A typical OB requires bi-directional communications and a contribution circuit back to the broadcaster. With the rise of social media, however, outside broadcast productions are now requiring internet and VoIP services at the remote location to supplement the production. This connectivity is normally provided using fixed-line operators or cellular (mobile phone) networks for audio comms and data services. In some locations these services are not easy to deliver or are not reliable, and often have a hefty price tag for a temporary service as once-off installation costs need to be paid for what would probably not take place at that location ever again or with any regularity. Having access to a reliable internet connection for emails, internet
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browsing and file transfers used to be a ‘nice to have’, but is now essential for OB operations. It is with this thought that Telemedia is now adding VSAT capability to our standard SNG fleet. Not only can satellite be used to supplement data services at a remote production, it can also be used to provide the main contribution, without the use of a full SNG truck, by providing internet to the remote location. Simple data services could be utilised by radio and internet streaming contributions at affordable rates on an occasional-use basis. It can also be used to provide internet for the new and increasingly popular use of cellphone-bonded codec systems, such as LiveU. These units make use of a combination of mobile networks, Wi-Fi networks and fixed-line Ethernet, which can now be provided by the VSAT connection. When the mobile or Wi-Fi network is no longer able to provide sufficient data throughput, the satellite internet connection takes over. The blending (or
Source: http://www.aksesku.com/produk-dan-layanan/index.php?id=5
Written by Andy Louis, CTO, Telemedia (Pty) Ltd.
bonding) together of different connectivity methods is seamless and dynamic, as the system senses which is the best route for the data to travel over. Most VSAT networks use a hub-spoke topology, whereby the remote terminal is received by a single ‘hub’ system, which in turn transmits to all of the remote terminals (the ‘spokes’) individually. The bulk of the infrastructure cost is at the central hub site, where most of the radio frequency (RF) and network processing takes place. The cost of a remote terminal comes in at a fraction of the cost of an SNG, making it more affordable for internet streaming and radio services. For many productions, the use of satellite and SNG trucks is expensive. The advantage of VSAT is that it can be easily relocated and the same service can be provided at the new location, thereby providing the same service at any location. Depending on the demands of the production’s data requirements, the same service can even be shared amongst multiple venues. At the end of the day, this ability to re-use the same service on an occasionaluse basis will make satellite affordable and more reliable for the broadcaster. In the past, a very high premium was paid for a guaranteed connection, with service-level agreement (SLA) and/or quality of service (QoS) issues to be brokered. For mission-critical broadcasts to OTT platforms, the production company cannot afford a ‘best effort’ connection. Critical productions would not accept any downtime or sub-standard performance due to third-party providers
that are unable to provide fault reports or real-time analysis of the OB links. Uptime and guaranteed QoS is therefore crucial for broadcast links. It was for these reasons that Telemedia took the decision at the beginning of 2019 to invest in our own VSAT Hub to offer VSAT services to the broadcast industry. Based at our Rivonia Teleport, we have the fibre infrastructure to offer internet or dedicated network connections to customers. Telemedia chose the Newtec Dialog Platform, based on their product offerings and pricing options and international track record. As a telecommunications and broadcast industry service provider, Telemedia has the flexibility to tailor any customer requirements into an affordable solution that is guaranteed to work. Satellites will be around for the foreseeable future, until fixed-line telco operators can offer guaranteed connectivity solutions. While this is taking place, a client’s occasional-use needs are served by satellite links, particularly covering every region of rural Africa. Telemedia’s market research has indicated that the broadcast industry is looking for a satellite-based internet connection that is reliable, easy-to-use and affordable, and operated by an experienced broadcast industry service provider that understands their needs. Telemedia’s new product offering will enable existing customers to explore new production opportunities and offer new customers, especially radio and streaming providers, an opportunity to go live anywhere, any time.
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
| THOUGHT LEADERSHIP
What lies beneath: how data transfer enables AI Artificial Intelligence (AI) is impacting business, technology and everyday life at a dizzying pace. Data is the fuel of AI.
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n enormous amount of data must be captured, stored and analysed before it’s turned into actionable insights that inform decision-making and drive a wide range of technical applications. At the same time, collection, analysis and storage capabilities have improved dramatically in recent years. So has the means to transport data, an essential AI enabler in the media and entertainment space. Files and data must be transferred and manipulated to make AI applications possible. Yet standard TCP (transmission control protocol)-based transport applications, traditionally used to transfer data over IP networks, lack the speed and throughput reliability to securely transfer large volumes of data in practical time-frames. Advances in transfer technology have opened the door for new and innovative media applications. A best-in-class high-speed data transfer service can enable near-real time AI workflows by delivering content and associated metadata across global distances at maximum speed. This makes it possible to access structured information from video files, speech transcriptions and speech-synthesis for MAM system categorisation, clips creation, content personalisation and more.
TRANSPORT PROTOCOL FOR A NEW AGE The inferior performance of legacy transfer applications such as FTP (file transfer protocol) and HTTP (hypertext transfer protocol) are a direct result of TCP’s inherent limitations. A better approach exists; one that solves big data and media transport issues by eliminating TCP’s underlying bottleneck altogether. Aspera FASP is a bulk data transport
Written by Richard Heitmann,
VP & General Manager, Aspera – an IBM company control. It can also scale up as needed, limited only by the resources of the end-point computers. Bandwidth management provides transfer prioritisation and automatic protection of other IP traffic. Predictable throughput is independent of network delay and resilient to extreme packet loss regardless of network conditions, delivering content and files across distance at maximum speed and enabling near-real time AI workflows.
META MAGIC: UNLOCKING METADATA This high-speed data transfer enables a range of AI engines, like IBM Watson Media — an artificial intelligence platform that understands, reasons and learns. Integration with Aspera Orchestrator, a web-based application and SDK for
“AI has already significantly changed the media landscape — both in the manner in which audiences discover and engage with content and in the way that content is created and distributed. The combination of high-speed data transport and AI is sure to further impact creative and
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production workflows in exciting new ways. technology implemented at the application layer, that provides secure high-speed transfer while remaining compatible with existing networks and infrastructure. Leveraging existing WAN (wide area network) infrastructure and commodity hardware, the technology fully utilises available network bandwidth, transferring data at high speeds regardless of network conditions and transfer distance. The protocol can achieve speeds up to hundreds of times faster than FTP and HTTP, with end-to-end security, guaranteed reliability and bandwidth
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workflow automation, enables the ultra-high-speed ingest and high-volume processing needed for AI workflows. These capabilities, along with base technologies built on machine learning principles, drive video enhancement, allowing Watson to engage without additional investment in satellite uplinks, dedicated fibre, onsite equipment or manpower. AI-driven capabilities like speech-to-text, natural language understanding, sentiment and tone analysis and semantic scene detection create searchable metadata, bringing powerful new capabilities to video. Users
— from broadcasters to content owners and rights holders — can automate tasks and deliver more customised content and engaging viewer experiences. With a deeper understanding of their content, media organisations are improving search capabilities, pulling more specific clips from their content libraries and making more granular and targeted content recommendations. The ability to deliver the right content to the right viewer at the right time is an increasingly invaluable marketplace skill.
AUTOMATION AND BEYOND In addition to greater search, automation and targeting capabilities, there’s sure to be more integration across media experiences and broader use of digital assistance to aid content discovery. All of this begs the question, When is a human needed to intervene, to check and monitor and to craft content? The biggest value of AI is its ability to help scale human effort. As a supplementary technology, AI solutions empower content creators and editors to work more efficiently and make more informed business decisions. But, at the end of the day, humans have the ultimate power and sign-off control. AI has already significantly changed the media landscape — both in the manner in which audiences discover and engage with content and in the way that content is created and distributed. The combination of high-speed data transport and AI is sure to further impact creative and production workflows in exciting new ways. Currently, algorithms not only influence what audiences see on different platforms, but also the content that is being created, fundamentally changing audience behaviour and the creative process. AI and high-speed data transport may well be rewriting the rules for creating and acquiring content.
ADVERTORIAL
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SI MEDIA: YOUR REAL END-TO-END TURNKEY BROADCASTING SOLUTION! This year’s Mediatech comes with a great announcement from SI Media. In the past weeks, SI Media have signed an agreement with a major private television group in Nigeria, Daar Communication PLC, to provide playout automation systems, broadcast management systems and studio automation playout systems for their six channels – including AIT (African Independent Television), the largest privately-operated terrestrial television network with stations in 24 out of 36 states in Nigeria, transmitting via satellite to UK and North America as well.
SI Media training at KTN (Nairobi)
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nother fundamental milestone is the growth of SI Media’s presence on the African continent, which has, in the last three to four years, surely become one of the company’s key strategic markets. Being one of the few software houses able to provide a real end-to-end turnkey broadcasting solutions (playout and studio automation, media asset management, newsroom computer system, broadcast management system, character generator), and having extensive experience of the field, SI Media has become a top choice for several public and private national broadcasters around the world. Focusing on Africa, SI Media is now handling the workflow of some of the major media groups on the continent. Standard Media Group – responsible for the Kenya Television Network (KTN) – is running its full operations in Nairobi using SI Media applications. This includes four channels on air, enterprise media asset management, NRCS with 50+ concurrent journalists and integration with SAP for accounting and ADV management, with all server applications virtualized and running in a private cloud environment set up by the customer. In addition to Standard Media Group, SI Media’s other African customers include MediaMax (K24-Nairobi), TBC (Tanzanian Broadcasting Corporation), 42 | SCREENAFRICA | JULY 2019
SI Media MAM integration with AI AACGMMA (Ethiopian public national television), Kwesé Sports Kenya, Utalii TV (a thematic channel launched in December 2018 by the Tanzanian Minister of Tourism) and Zuku Satellite TV in Nairobi, with 12 channels on air with SI Media.
WHAT ARE THE REASONS FOR SUCH UNDENIABLE SUCCESS? SI Media believes that there are some key points that make them a winning choice. First of all, having a unique vendor responsible for the complete workflow optimises the support offering (with one single number to call) and minimises training processes on the operative workflows, which shortens the learning experience curve for the operators (who get familiar with a single GUI philosophy for all processes). Another major aspect is that the
complete SI Media suite has been developed, maintained and improved internally, without a single application outsourced. This enables SI Media to easily customise their software, designing a tailored workflow for any of their customers. The solution is not only flexible but scalable, since the applications have been developed to be modular, although integrated in a seamless workflow. “We can proudly say that many of our clients expand their system throughout the years, growing in dimension and adopting new features that we are constantly developing to keep overcoming limits,” said a representative of SI Media. Some of the company’s latest achievements include having widely expanded the integration of its Media Asset Management system with Artificial Intelligence, in order to process and
catalogue all contents (generating and automatically associating any kind of metadata), performing speech to text (converting spoken video recordings into readable text) and language translation, as well as providing visual analysis (e.g. recognising explicit content and nudity). Another major investment by the company has been toward the cloud. SI Media can install its complete platform (including ingest, automation and channel branding) in both the private and public cloud, providing end-to-end IP workflows as well. Last but not least, SI Media is about to release the brand new multi-platform (Windows, Linux, Mac) and multidatabase (Microsoft SQL and MySQL) suite, YESWEB, to be presented at IBC 2019.
Multichannel Monitoring forms an integral part of the Broadcast Industry. At African Union Communications (Pty) Ltd, we are committed to provide our customers with the most cost-effective and efficient systems available with the required local support of these systems. We work closely with our main partners to design, supply, integrate, install and commission the system as per the customer specifications.
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ADVERTORIAL
We’ve got the ‘eye in the sky’ covered
Stream Labs equipment is used by more than 5500 TVchannels around the world. We evolve together with our customers. Participating in key exhibitions and trade shows worldwide, we are aware of the issues and tasks faced by customers. We try to anticipate these needs and requirements, continuously improving the quality of our products in order to provide affordable high-quality professional broadcast solutions. VRec: synchronized multichannel ingest and With over forty years of software development for the
At MediaTech 2019 African Union Communications • (Pty) will showcase a Network Operations Center encoding into DNxHD, ProRes, H.264 and H.265. broadcast industry, SI Media are one of the leading (NOC), including: • Oplan: production process automation system. providers of Traffic, MCR Playout and Studio Automation • Baseband Monitoring • Other products: HD/SD-SDI and Composite to IP Character Generator, Broadcast Management Last year SiMedia were celebrating their 40th anniversary.with 40 Live years of experience on the field, 40 years • Head End Hardware Control Monitoring TS encoders, multichannel capture cards. System, Media Asset Management and Newsroom of successful stories all over the world. Today SI Media is one of the few software able to provide • Multiplexer Output Monitoring Computer System solutions houses for TV Broadcasters. a real Stream end-to-end workflow from ingest • Transmitter Site Monitoring Labs equipment is used by more than to 5500delivery of the contents, with a multiplatform and TV-channels around the world. evolve together SI Media provides modular, scalable and multidatabase suite, entirely webWe based and cloudwith oriented. Our solutions include contribution and distribution our customers. Participating in key exhibitions and trade customisable solutions that: networks over IP, Internet, Satellite and Microwave, Cable shows worldwide, wesoftware are aware development of the issues andfor tasks • Improve operational efficiencies With over forty years of the broadcast industry, SI Media are one of the leading distribution Networks, Broadcast DTT Networks (T and faced by customers. We try to anticipate these needs • Lower running costs providers of Traffic, MCR Playout and Studio Automation with Live Character Generator, Broadcast T2), Direct to Home Satellite (DTH) platforms, and and requirements, continuously improving the quality of • Increase functional capabilities Management System, Media Asset Management and Newsroom Computer Over-the-Top platforms (OTT). Each solution is designed our products in order to provide affordable high-quality • Increase revenues System solutions for TV Broadcasters. exclusively to customer requirements and implemented professional broadcast solutions. • Minimise the risk of On-Air down-time to meet the high-standards and exacting specifications SI Media modular, scalable and solutions that; as set by our team of engineers. Lastprovides year SiMedia were celebrating their customizable 40th SI Media is deeply interconnected with Social Media. anniversary. 40 years of experience on the field, 40 years Both source and destination content is managed via our • Improve operational efficiencies Stream Labs is an international company providing of successful stories all over the world. Today SI Media is workflows, our media asset management is fully • Lower running costs professional solutions for Terrestrial, Satellite and Cable one of the few software houses able to provide a real integrated with Artificial Intelligence to process and • Increase functional capabilities television stations, IPTV and OTT operators in 175 end-to-end workflow from ingest to delivery of the catalogue all content, generating and automatically countries since 1991. Successfully working with its South contents, with a multiplatform and multidatabase suite, associating metadata, performing speech to text and • Increase revenues African partner African Union Communications (PTY) for entirely web-based and cloud-oriented. language translation and providing visual analysis to • Minimize the risk of On-Air down-time the last several years. recognise explicit content. Hardware and software manufactured and SI Media is deeply interconnected with Social Media both source and destination content is managed via supplied by Stream Labs perform the following tasks: broadcast quality monitoring, our workflows, our media asset African Union Communications (Pty) Ltd Partners multichannel compliance recording, play out management is fully integrated with automation, etc.
African Union Communications (Pty) Ltd Partners
Stream Labs key products: • MultiScreen: TV and Radio channels broadcast quality monitoring and analyzing, mosaic screen, rotator feature, screen of states, penalty screen, instrumental and visual monitoring. • MultiRec: compliance recording with Advertisement scanning/detection, pattern detection, fingerprinting technology, mosaic MPTS viewer, demultiplexing feature. • MultiProbe: solution for distributed monitoring of large broadcast networks. • VPlay: multichannel play out automation with CG for channel branding, Ad insertion and NewTek NDI®, IP TS UDP, RTSP, RTMP, HLS outputs.
Artificial Intelligence, to process and catalogue all content ,generating and automatically associating metadata, performing speech to text and language translation, and provides visual analysis to recognize explicit content.
Visit us us at at Stand B8 Visit Contactus uson onsales@aucom.co.za sales@aucom.co.zaororCall: Call:+27 +2712 12001 0018670 8670 Contact Website:www.aucom.co.za www.aucom.co.zaororwww.aucomsa.co.za www.aucomsa.co.za Website: JULY 2019
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BROADCAST TECHNOLOGY
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“Big screen coverage is so important for spectators in any sport, but I think more so when you have such a fast moving subject. With the speeds that an F1 car can reach – blink and it’s gone. And that is why trust and confidence in the technologies you employ is paramount when delivering live productions of this nature.
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– Jason Sproat
Fuelled for Success You’ve more than likely watched a Grand Prix on television, but there really is nothing like witnessing in real life, the roaring power of a Formula 1 car.
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ore than 46,000 fans did just that, when they gathered at the Grand Parade in Cape Town to watch in awe as F1 legend, David Coulthard, visited in a world championship-winning Aston Martin. Red Bull Racing wanted to say thank you to its fans, and spread the love of the sport by demonstrating the power of the Aston Martin car and the thrill of Formula 1 through the streets of Cape Town. A temporary short track was set up especially for this event. The day wasn’t all about Coulthard’s laps though, which were interspersed with smoky drifting and spinning. Also on show was motorbike stunt rider, Aras Gibieza, performing tricks on the course, while five-time South African aerobatics champion, Patrick Davidson, performed incredible manoeuvres in the sky. Driving the event’s big screen video coverage for spectators was the facilities of Africa Broadcast, which included a raft of Blackmagic equipment, such as Ursa Broadcast cameras and the new ATEM Constellation 8K switcher.
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WINGS FOR LIFE The Africa Broadcast team was brought on board by Silver Bullet Films, a production company that works across many of Red Bull’s events in South Africa, but this wasn’t the first collaboration for the two companies. Jason Sproat, owner and technical engineer at Africa Broadcast, says, “With the desire to move away from a traditional OB van approach in favor of a modular system, Silver Bullet Films invited us to trial our ATEM PPU and Ursa Broadcast on the South African leg of Red Bull’s Wings for Life World Run.” According to Jason, the Silver Bullet Films team were blown away by the setup’s versatility, ease of use and quality of output. In fact, based on that success, the two joined forces again a month later for Red Bull’s Formula 1 motorsport spectacle.
LIVE PRODUCTION “There were four large LED screens positioned around the circuit and in hospitality areas,” explains Jason. “Our primary job was to distribute a live SDI signal to those screens; however, the
video was also used by Silver Bullet Films to produce a post-event promo for Red Bull’s website.” Working from inside a container, alongside a separate sound crew from Stratosphere, space was certainly not in abundance, and the teams needed to think small without losing the flexibility required. “Control hardware from Blackmagic has always formed the backbone of our PPUs,” Jason adds. “But this event was our first outing with the ATEM Constellation, and it streamlined our I/O requirements even further.” He continues: “One of the key things is the MADI out, where we could de-embed two channels of audio from each Ursa Broadcast – a total of 12 mics – out in the field. Something which, Jason says, wouldn’t have been possible previously. “Unless you had a wheelbarrow full of mini converters,” he laughs. Adding: “The Constellation meant we didn’t have all these boxes hanging off the back of the unit, and the 24 12G aux outputs also enabled us to reduce our routing requirements.” Joining the switcher in the team’s setup, Jason used an ATEM 1 M/E Advanced Panel for vision mixing and an ATEM Camera Control Panel for shading. Signal management was done via a Smart Videohub 12G 40 x 40, and there were four HyperDeck Minis for ISO recording, plus a further two HyperDeck Studio Pro broadcast decks for recording the clean and dirty feeds. A NewTek 3Play was used for slow mo replays.
ACQUISITION The production relied on six Ursa Broadcast camera chains – either shoulder mounted or on tripods – and a Micro Studio Camera 4K positioned at the highest point, about 5 metres, giving a great long view of the finishing straight. “To me the quality of these cameras is unrivalled at that price point,” says Jason. “We were working in 1080p50 ProRes, which passed international QC requirements straight off the bat.” Three cameras were paired up with Canon HJ21x8.5 b4 lenses, one was paired with a Canon HJ11x4.7, and another with a Fujinon HA13x4.5 BERD. The sixth used a Fujinon HA42x9.7 BERD for tracking the Aston Martin at its top speed coming down the 700-metre long straight on Darling Street. With the production container being quite far from some of the Ursa positions, the team had to run Single MODE LC fibre cables – relying on Blackmagic’s optical fibre 12G mini converters – back to the Constellation switcher. An ATEM Talkback 4K was used for fibre interface and intercom with the operators. “Big screen coverage is so important for spectators in any sport, but I think more so when you have such a fast moving subject,” says Jason. “With the speeds that an F1 car can reach – blink and it’s gone. And that is why trust and confidence in the technologies you employ is paramount when delivering live productions of this nature.”
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Datavideo complete integrated mobile solutions for live production
FILM
Datavideo is known as the manufacturer that has simplified workflows in AV, broadcast and live production in the last 32 years. Their latest innovation adds a streaming encoder and memory card recorder to their mobile production studios, the newest of which houses a complete 12 input switcher and multiviewer display in a briefcase , protecting it during transport. Datavideo has revolutionised mobile production like the coffee pod revolutionized and simplified brewing a cup of coffee.
Datavideo internationally Datavideo is a leading manufacturer of innovative professional broadcast and AV products for live video production. Datavideo currently has more than 300 products in its line up including: switchers; monitors; converters; cameras; recorders; streaming encoders/ decoders; teleprompters; and intercom systems. All Datavideo products have an industry-leading three-year extended warranty, via online registration on the Datavideo Website. Datavideo has offices around the globe with its headquarters located in Taipei, Taiwan, and has distribution partners in virtually every country worldwide.
Datavideo in South Africa Macro Video (Pty) Ltd is the official distributor in southern Africa, and after more than 20 years has excellent knowledge of the product family. Macro Video’s stand at the MediaTech Africa show is always popular and well-supported. Representation from Datavideo’s European Head Office is on hand at the show as well as local dealers from the Western Cape, KZN, and Gauteng to meet clients and demonstrate new equipment.
Switch, mix, record and stream equipment Miniaturising a complete studio into a hand carry-able, mobile video studio attaché case is no mean feat. Datavideo has done just that, and currently has five highly portable mobile video (Mobile Cast) studios that are hand-carry solutions. * HS-3200 features 12 inputs (8x SDI + 4x HDMI) and 9 outputs (6x SDI + 3x HDMI). It is full 1080P/ 1080i, featuring 4x upstream keyers, supporting Chroma- and Luma-key, 8x PIP, 2x DSK, delivering streaming and memory card recording. * HS-1600T is a 3 input HD BaseT switcher with RJ-45 connectors running camera control, video and audio signal as well as power, via easily obtainable and inexpensive CAT6A cable. It streams and records as well. * HS-1300 features 6 inputs, (4x SDI + 2x HDMI) and 5 outputs (2x SDI + 3x HDMI). Extremely good value for money and based on the SE-1200 , it boasts dual chroma-key, and PIP, streaming as well as recording. * HS-2850 and HS-2200 will switch and mix, and offer integrated intercom. The record and stream functions can be added externally.
Mobile video studios by Macro Video Tailor made solutions are also available for customers that require something specific. Macro Video produces its own mobile solutions by mounting components as per client requirements in custom-designed aluminium cases. These systems are custom-built, based on the Datavideo SE-500HD and SE-650 4 input switchers. This modular system allows almost any combination of equipment (such as Datavideo’s ITC-100 intercom system, HDR-70 hard drive recorder, HDR-1 USB recorder, new NVS-33 streaming encoder, distribution amplifiers, and various converters) to be installed in the aluminium case with a full HD 19.5’’ LCD screen mounted in the lid. With the appropriate component(s), these hand-carry solutions will also SWITCH, MIX, RECORD and STREAM!
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CAMERAS & ACCESSORIES
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FREEDOM AND FLEXIBILITY How the Rialto Extension System adds even more performance to the Sony Venice 6K RAW In the May issue of Screen Africa we spoke to director of photography Willie Nel about the starring role that the Sony Venice 6K RAW camera played on the set of upcoming feature Die Verhaal van Racheltjie de Beer.
HOW DOES THE RIALTO WORK?
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y the end of a shoot,” he told us, “you know what a camera can or can’t do. With the Venice, there wasn’t an issue in sight. Honestly, it’s like the Swiss army knife of cameras to me, and definitely has set the new standard.” With the launch of a brand-new, high-end accessory for the camera – known as the Venice Rialto Extension System – we checked in with Nel to learn more about how this latest piece of gear adds even more flexibility and performance to the Venice 6K RAW.
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HIGH-PROFILE ADMIRERS The Venice 6K RAW has won its share of fans – both locally and internationally – and it was, in fact, during “detailed discussions and further collaboration with James Cameron’s Lightstorm Entertainment” that a prototype of the Extension System was first engineered to meet the production company’s exacting needs (including 3D rigging) as they began shooting the sequels to Avatar, the highest-grossing feature film in history. First demonstrated at Cine Gear 2018, though refined since then, the Rialto Extension System essentially allows the Venice to be broken into two pieces – so that the image block and lens may be placed in tighter spaces, or else simply
positioned further away from the body of the camera. For Nel, being able to ‘build’ the camera in this manner changes both “the shots you can achieve and the shots you are willing to achieve”; he explains that the system allows you to think differently about camera placement. He describes set-ups where he has been able to put the image block “on the dashboard of a car and still look at the driver” and enthuses about the freedom of movement the Rialto Extension System allows, commenting that he is able to operate the system with the agility of a hand-held camera while still being assured of the ultra-high-quality images that the Venice is known for.
The Rialto Extension System consists of a front panel cover, an image sensor block case, a 9-foot cable and a 9-foot extension cable. The addition of the Extension System, furthermore, adds an HD-SDI output and a 12V or 24V output for powering accessories such as lens servo motors and monitors. The Rialto system boasts great compatibility, with operators being able to customise the camera for specific scenarios in under three minutes using a single 3mm Allen wrench. The image sensor block weighs just 1.8kg (with PL mount) and 1.4kg (using the native E-mount), and the cable system can extend up to 18 feet (5.49m), offering a highly-configurable, flexible and portable method of operation. Crucially, the Rialto Extension System enables the Venice to be suitable for many different mounting configurations
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CAMERAS & ACCESSORIES
and filming scenarios, including use with gimbals and handheld stabilisers, underwater and helicopter housings and 3D/VR rigs. Nel points out that this easy compatibility has a significant time-saving benefit on set, as the Rialto Extension System balances quickly and easily with gimbal set-ups, avoiding lengthy breaks and disruptions to the momentum of the shoot.
FIRMWARE UPDATES ADD FUNCTIONALITY Also recently available from Sony is the free Venice Version 3.0 firmware upgrade. This further enhances the camera’s capabilities, with the manufacturers incorporating feedback from filmmakers and taking the decision to “protect the customer’s investment by allowing the camera to grow with the user.” Version 3.0 firmware will add a recording profile within the X-OCN (eXtended tonal range Original Camera Negative) codec. This new profile, called X-OCN XT, captures the highest-quality imagery with the AXS-R7 portable memory recorder. Moreover, for demanding visual effects work and productions requiring the utmost in image quality, the new X-OCN XT profile maintains exceptionally economical file sizes (comparable to Sony’s F55RAW file size), making the workflow affordable and efficient.
Nel in action with the Rialto Extension System
Other firmware highlights include new imager modes – including 6K 2.39:1 and 5.7K 16:9 – for greater shooting flexibility, and additional de-squeezed ratios for various anamorphic lenses (x1.25, x1.3, x1.5, x1.8), as specifically requested by filmmakers such as Nel, who enthuse about the “dramatic anamorphic drop-off” the Venice 6K RW naturally provides. The new firmware update also provides for a 6G/12G-SDI switchable output enabling 4K SDI output and wireless remote control via CBK-WA02,
for controlling and changing key functions and menu settings with increased flexibility. For filmmakers, the Rialto extension to the Venice 6K RAW promises the perfect marriage between agility and performance, with the smaller footprint of the camera not compromising its exceptional image quality, nor its range of iconic in-built features like its Dual Base ISO (500/2500) and eight-step mechanical ND filter system. For Nel, the “amazing sensor” of the
Venice 6K RAW is the closest approximation of “what the human eye sees” he has discovered so far – and cinematographers can now combine this peerless performance with a highly adaptable set up that removes constraints and enables greater freedom and creativity on set. “The Rialto Extension is a revolutionary innovation,” concludes Nel. “It has turned the Venice into a brand-new camera for me.” – David Cornwell
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CAMERAS & ACCESSORIES
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HOW TO SHOOT A MOVIE ON YOUR MOBILE PHONE A rundown of the essential kit you’ll need to produce cinematic shots on your device What do Steven Soderbergh’s Unsane, Sean Baker’s Tangerine, Park ChanWook’s Night Fishing and Matthew A. Cherry’s 9 Rides have in common? All of these films were shot on mobile phone cameras.
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DJI Osmo Mobile 2 with accessories
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CAMERAS & ACCESSORIES
“Although, for many, the decision to make a movie using a mobile phone will be financially motivated – the ultimate example of ‘using what you have at your disposal’ – progressive advancements in mobile camera technology now mean that this does not necessarily have to compromise the quality of the film.
art, that marks a sharp contrast with his own prior work and with Hollywood’s conventional action dramas.” With this in mind, here is a brief rundown of the key pieces of equipment you’ll need to shoot your next masterpiece on your mobile phone. *Please note that prices are accurate at time of writing; where it is necessary to import equipment, prices given in $US.
LENSES Steven Soderbergh using a mobile camera setup during the filming of Unsane
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lthough, for many, the decision to make a movie using a mobile phone will be financially motivated – the ultimate example of ‘using what you have at your disposal’ – progressive advancements in mobile camera technology now mean that this does not necessarily have to compromise the quality of the film. Reviewing Soderbergh’s Unsane, Richard Brody argued in The New York Times that, in fact, the use of the iPhone 7 as principal camera made the project a better film that it might otherwise have been: “Free of cumbersome equipment, Soderbergh wields his camera with the agility of a pencil flying along a sketch pad… he tries out a technique and finds that it gives rise to a new, spontaneous style that reinvigorates and revitalises his
Without a doubt, the biggest difference you can make to your mobile camera game is fitting your device with a lens attachment. These fit over your cellphone’s existing camera lens, adapting its performance to recreate wide shots, telephoto zooms, fish-eyes and other effects. Note that lens attachments do not replace the lens of your mobile device, but rather adapt its performance – meaning, firstly, that different phones will perform differently even when fitted with the same lens attachment, and also that using a lens attachment will affect the amount of light reaching your camera sensor (as it now has ‘two lenses’ to pass through). Lens attachments come in all shapes and sizes, and it might be worth buying a cheap ‘universal set’ to test out the different effects you can achieve. However, the most suited for filmmaking are lens attachments that allow you to recreate that anamorphic, ‘widescreen cinema’ look on your cellphone. Leading
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the pack at the moment are 1.33X anamorphic options from US companies Moment ($149) and Moondog ($150) – both of which can produce the amazing depth of field and evocative bokeh synonymous with top-performing cameras like the ARRI Alexa. One last thing to bear in mind about lenses for your mobile phone: not only are they quite pricey, but they come with several additional expenses. Moment Lenses, for example, must be screwed into specially-designed Moment Cases (which provide blackout on the other, non-primary lenses of your phone) – and most lens attachments will require you to purchase (or build) an extra counterweight for your gimbal (see Section 5) in order to make it balance properly.
SOFTWARE If you want to get serious about your mobile camera set-up – and particularly if you are going to add an anamorphic lens attachment – you will require more sophisticated software to operate your phone’s camera than the native app. Not only does the industry-leading Filmic Pro (R210) allow you to truly take control of your device by manually adjusting settings like frame rate, shutter speed, exposure levels and white balance, but it has a built-in function to allow you to ‘de-squeeze’ the frame from anamorphic footage and ‘stretch out’ the oval bokeh to represent what you
Moment anamorphic lens
Moondog anamorphic lens traditionally see on screen. With the Filmic Pro expansion pack – known as the Cinematographer’s Kit ($15) – the developers have managed to fit in some astounding features for such a compact and easy-to-use application, such as the ability to shoot in a true LOG gamma curve and a live analytics suite including zebra stripes, clipping, false colour and focus peaking.
LIGHTS With the incredible advancements in LED technology over the last 10 years – as lights continue to get brighter, smaller and cheaper – there is a huge range of options available to the budding mobile filmmaker. If something like the DMG Lumiere MINI MIX is still too much of an outlay, the Manfrotto Lumimuse 8 LED (R1,750) is a high-performing, compact and versatile option, though the Lume Cube Bluetooth LED (R1,200) is not only more costeffective, but produces 1,500 lumens, can
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CAMERAS & ACCESSORIES
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Claire Foy in a scene from Unsane
Freefly Movi
be operated remotely and is also fully waterproof to a depth of 30 metres. Another interesting option is the Ulanzi Ultra Bright (starting at $20), which features three cold shoe mounts, meaning you can interlock fixtures for added flexibility. If you intend on being a ‘one-manband’ and are going to need to operate your camera with an attached lighting source, you might also want to consider a grip or shoulder rig of some kind. The Joby GorillaPod Mobile Rig (R1,500) and the ultra-compact Ztylus Smartphone Rig (R800) are decent options that won’t break the bank.
SOUND All cineastes know that the sound of a film is usually the aspect that most quickly distinguishes truly professional productions from ones that ‘wear their budgets on their sleeves’ – and, as such, this is the one area of production you should really never skimp on. However, for informed and skilled DIYers, there are some great compact solutions out there on the market. Go for a directional shotgun-style microphone, as these will provide the best clarity with reduced background noise. It’s hard to go wrong with the 50 | SCREENAFRICA | JULY 2019
RØDE VideoMic Pro (R1,800), though others swear by the shotgun attachment on the Zoom H6 (R7,500 for both microphone and recording unit), which will also allow you to run your sound recording separately from your camera operation. If you are filming a documentary, or perhaps a feature that is particularly dialogue-heavy, it might be a good idea to augment this capture with a lavaliere microphone set. The Sennheiser ME-2 (R2,400) is a fantastic omni-directional system that is renowned for its extremely clear vocal pick-up.
STABILISATION Set up on a tripod and fitted with a great lens attachment, most top-end mobile phones can produce beautiful, vivid images in 4K resolution with no discernible reduction in quality compared to cinema cameras – and particularly those of slightly older stock, as is often the case with independent filmmakers pulling together a project on a budget. However, it is when you need to move the camera through space that cracks in production quality can quickly start to appear. Without a proper SteadiCam rig, how can mobile filmmakers go from jerky,
handheld footage to smooth, buttery action shots? There are two main options here. Both the GoPro Hero 7 (R4,000) and the brand-new DJI Osmo Action (R7,000) make use of inbuilt digital stabilisation technology to produce ultra-smooth 4K footage. However, these are designed more for true ‘action photography’ – such as extreme sports or rugged handheld applications – as the picture they produce has an ‘infinity focus’ quality, where everything in shot is, more or less, equally as vivid and clear as everything else. Of course, this can be manipulated via settings both on the devices themselves and in post – but if you’re looking to capture truly cinematic mobile motion footage, then the better option is to find an appropriate gimbal for the make and model of your phone. The Rolls Royce in this department is the Freefly Movi (R6,200/$299). This portable ‘cinema robot’ may be significantly more expensive than its competitors, but the quality – if not the range – of its features truly sets it apart. With time-lapse and ‘echo’ modes (where you train the camera to move between two predetermined points) – as well as the ultra-cool ‘orbit’ function, for 360-degree shots – this is the kind of
product that gives credence to the phrase “the quality is remembered long after the price is forgotten.” For those looking for more costeffective options, the good news is that there are two very dependable back-ups on the market: the DJI Osmo Mobile 2 (R2,200) and the Zhiyun Smooth-4 (R2,000). Both of these motorised three-axis stabilisers have a very similar set of functions - object tracking, pan, follow, time-lapse – but differ in terms of how they are operated, with the Osmo 2 employing a joystick and the Smooth 4 a focus/zoom wheel (which is surprisingly handy, as you don’t need to touch the actual phone’s screen to adjust the focus field). Be sure to research both of these options in terms of the phone you will be using for photography, as users report different functionality between brands and operating systems. Remember that if you are using a lens attachment, you will probably also need an extra counterweight to balance the gimbal and allow for smooth operation. – David Cornwell
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CINEMATOGRAPHY
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A South African Horror Cape Town-based production company, Man Makes a Picture, on the making of
Despite having only just completed their second feature, the team at Man Makes a Picture is already quickly rising to stardom. Their first film, The Recce, won best foreign feature at the Idyllwild Film Festival in California in March and a Silver Remi at the Worldfest in Houston in April. Now their second film, 8, has been taken to market at Cannes after being signed by LA-based sales agent, Rock Salt Releasing.
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laying on African folklore and mythology, 8 has been described as horrific on a primordial level: it portrays what happens when an old man, fated to collect souls for eternity, seeks atonement after trading his daughter’s soul. The film stars awardwinning actor Tsamano Sebe (Of Good Report), Igne Beckmann (Escape Room), Garth Breytenbach (Troy: Fall of a City) and upcoming star, Keita Luna. To find out more, we caught up with the team behind the film about everything from why they chose the horror genre to the way they designed the cinematography, sound and post on an indie budget.
WHAT MADE THIS PROJECT – 8 – IMPORTANT TO THE TEAM AT MAN MAKES A PICTURE? JAC WILLIAMS, PRODUCER: The director, Harold Hölscher, and I have been developing this project for the last two years. It’s a proper South African horror story – a period piece that takes place in the late-70s. We liked the script and the whole Man Makes a Picture team was very excited to jump on this project. The horror genre seemed like a good route as we were looking for a project that would be quicker to distribute internationally than The Recce – an Afrikaans film that is much more difficult sell abroad. I think we made the right choice seeing that we recently signed a world-wide sales deal with a company in Los Angles and attended The Cannes film market with them in May. 52 | SCREENAFRICA | JULY 2019
WHAT CAMERAS DID YOU USE ON THE FILM? JACQUES VAN TONDER, TECHNICAL PRODUCER: We worked with BMD URSA Mini 4.6Ks on The Recce and, as far I was concerned, they were battle-tested in terms of reliability. We were very pleased with their performance then, and our opinion was validated with a nomination at the Cameraimage Film festival in Poland in the best Cinematography in a Debut Feature Category. Budget is always a concern on independent projects, and with the BMD being really cost-efficient, we were able to have two camera bodies shooting multicam scenes, as well as have a gimbal pre-rigged at times or have a splinter unit to go out and pick up shots. The 4.6K resolution also gave our VFX team good resolution to work with. Considering it is a totally independently-funded film, we had to keep all options on the table for possible distribution and the camera being on the Netflix-approved list was a big selling-point. Through our experience we knew that shooting RAW would give us a lot of flexibility in the grade. These cameras really provide excellent value for money. DAVE PIENAAR, DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: In the end, the Blackmagic cameras made sense. Two cameras gave security as the shoot was far away from any backup rental house. It was handy to have a second body available for gimbal and second-angle setups. I’m not really a fan of shooting two cameras on character-driven scenes,
as I feel the lighting and composition suffer, but on more technical scenes it definitely helped. I felt they handled the shoot well and was quite pleased with the cinematic quality they lent to the picture. WHAT LENSES AND RIGS DID YOU USE ON THE CAMERAS? WHAT EFFECT DID THIS BRING TO THE FINAL CINEMATOGRAPHY? PIENAAR: We used the new Sigma Cine range of lenses, which actually complemented the Blackmagic cameras really well. I was worried about the combination of a digital camera and super-sharp lenses. But they somehow seemed nice and organic on the Blackmagic. The lenses have a great range of focal lengths and are nice and fast, which helped with the night scenes. I was able to shoot them pretty close to wide open, and they still kept it together. I quite like to fog the lens a little, as I feel it takes the edge off the super-clean modern lens and adds an emotive, organic quality to the picture. I also used a long ARRI Alura Zoom which was a lot of fun. Originally I thought it was going to be more of a technical lens instead of a storytelling lens, but I loved using its slow, creeping zooms to build tension. COULD YOU DESCRIBE THE SHOOTING STYLE THAT YOU OPTED FOR? PIENAAR: We went with a more classic operating style on this film. Tripod and slider most of the shoot. I felt the ‘grounded’ feel of the camera with long, eerie shots added to the suspense. A
gimbal was used on some shots to move the camera without it looking too handheld. I really loved shooting the more intimate character-driven scenes with just one or two characters, as opposed to the larger, more technical scenes with many characters. TELL US MORE ABOUT HOW THE CAMERAS WERE RATED, AND WHETHER A LUT WAS USED DURING FILMING? PIENAAR: We acquired in RAW in the lowest compression to get the best out of the cameras. But, I was terrified of underexposing the dark contrasting night stuff. I rated the cameras 800 ISO on the day scenes and quite often rated them to 200 ISO on the night shots. I felt that as long as I didn’t overexpose the highlights, which is a real danger when shooting at 200 ISO, there would be more information on the rushes as I would effectively be overexposing by two stops. VAN TONDER: The cameras in combination with Resolve software make it really easy to create and load LUTs for custom looks straight out of camera. We ended up with a generic shooting LUT that worked for both day and night scenes. On a tight schedule and with a small crew, it was great to be able to customise the look without additional crew or equipment apart from our DIT setup. WHAT WAS THE APPROACH TO LIGHTING AND AUDIO? PIENAAR: I had a lot of fun on this film. I almost exclusively shoot commercials and
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so quite often feel restricted by client and agency on a commercial job. It was liberating to be able to light it the way I wanted to. Toby Smuts, the gaffer, was great at coming up with suggestions and had an amazing wireless LED DMX system which was a treat on a budget-restricted shoot like this. I loved shooting the Shed Night Interior scenes. Adriaan Drotsch, sound recordist and audio post supervisor: It was an absolute honour to work on my very first horror film, as sound plays such an important role in this genre. We recorded on a Zaxcom Nomad 10 and used a Zaxcom ZMT3 wireless kit with Sanken cos11-D microphones. The Zaxcom kit comes with a never-clip function, which literally means you can’t overdrive the input. Never-clip helped us to get around tricky scenes where a performer is whispering and then,
all of a sudden, goes into a frantic scream. For the on-boom microphone we went with a more vintage feel – a Sennheiser Mkh416, a Sennheiser Mkh816 and, for all the inside scenes, the trusty Sennheiser Mkh50. The biggest challenge on the production was to minimise post-ADR recording and trying to get as much on location as possible while the whole of the crew spent 24 hours a day on location. The real fun started in post: we played around with awesome ideas to see which one will give the biggest fright, while still keeping you interested for more. The director was very involved and had specific ideas about what the caricatures needed to sound like. The awesome team from Sound and Motion Studios really intensified the film through sound and did a brilliant job creating it.
HOW DID YOU APPROACH THE POST PRODUCTION FOR 8? VAN TONDER: We started our post process with a DaVinci Resolve-based lab for dailies and offline processing. We had daily rushes viewing in the lab. It is a great combination, working with the URSA Minis and Resolve. With our setup, we could view rushes in the native RAW format with LUT applied and retain full image quality while working on looks. Our editor could then begin assembly and QC within a few hours of the scene being shot. JACQUES LE ROUX, EDITOR & HAROLD HÖLSCHER, DIRECTOR: Editing was done in Premiere Pro with the camera originals being transcoded to ProRes proxy at HD resolution. We spent a lot of time shaping the performances so that the characters were believable, and ensured we always
CINEMATOGRAPHY
got the pacing and suspense just right. Next, we removed redundant scenes or parts of scenes: sometimes what works great in the script is not necessarily reflected on screen. We wanted to keep the suspense and horror elements as real as possible, so we did most of the effects techniques in-camera, with minimal SFX in mind. We had to focus more on classical cutting to convey emotion and fear. The style of the film is very romantic and old school, so the editing and post production had to keep that style intact.
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TEST MEASURING EQUIPMENT
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An increased need to
test and measure
In the good old days of analogue, broadcast test equipment was traditionally an elementary electronic device, such as a waveform monitor, vectorscope or audio level meter (in post-production) and spectrum analysers and field-strength meters (in broadcast transmission).
T
raditionally, it was a task for broadcast engineers to ensure that our workflow signals were within spec and met all standards. In today’s post-production and broadcast environment, we now work with multiple digital signals. The ever-evolving complexity of production workflows such as streaming video, UHD, 4K and high frame rates, makes test and measurement even more important in the broadcast workplace. As a result, the equipment has changed from a hardware-centric environment to software-based systems, with more and more intelligence incorporated into the product. The engineer sitting at a bench in the workshop has been largely replaced with software tools like automated quality control (QC) to meet the needs and workload of multi-platform delivery. The original use of test and
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measurement equipment like the waveform monitor (WFM) and vectorscope was to line up video-tape based equipment and check a few basic parameters of the recorded video, which included checking black level, peak white,
colour phase, noise, colour gamut and timing. Videotape technology could suffer from alignment issues, head clogs and other problems which impacted the video quality. Although tape was very reliable, each record operation still needed at least a start, a middle and an end check. QC was easy, then, and the general process was to spot-check a process or watch a screen – glancing momentarily at the waveform monitor and back to the CRT monitor with an eagle-eye watching for ill-timed videotape dropouts. The move to file-based workflows eliminated a number of the parameters and, with them, the need to test for
analogue-based faults. However, due to the complexities of digital workflows, the number of test and measurements that need to be performed to ensure that the content delivered to the consumer is at a suitable quality level has increased. The sheer scale of the number of measurements that must be performed has naturally led to software-based digital test equipment and automated quality control systems. It was the EBU (European Broadcasting Union) who recognised quality control (QC) in file-based broadcast workflows back in 2010. They commented that “broadcasters moving to file-based production facilities have to consider how
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to implement and use automated quality control (QC) systems. Manual quality control is simply not adequate anymore.” In most countries or regions where content will be shown there are regulatory requirements for several aspects of produced content: audio loudness levels should comply with the CALM act in the USA, or EBU R128 in Europe, for example. Closed captions or subtitles must be present, sometimes in multiple languages and formats, while in the UK and Japan you must test content to ensure the absence of flashing patterns which may trigger PSE (photosensitive epilepsy) in susceptible viewers. A human carrying out a QC test can verify audio quality and language, check for visual video artefacts and make the call whether to fail or pass the content. What humans can’t see, though, is the mass of ancillary data (in digital form) that makes the digital media file valid. Automated QC uses computers and software to check technical parameters that can’t readily (or at all) be examined by a human, and can augment the work of expert QC viewers by alerting them to
issues that should then be examined by such an expert. Automated QC systems are now the only practical way to validate that a file is correctly constructed according to the requirements of the target platform, including resolution, format, bitrates and file syntax — a task that is beyond the ability of most technical experts. The multi-platform, multi-screen media world of today offers content owners and content distributers a host of opportunities to develop substantial new revenue streams. With the large and varied amount of data being produced, automated QC systems need functionality to achieve what may seem impossible. Most systems have been developed to have wide file format support to include everything used in broadcast and post-production, as well as support for streaming and network sources, while some even offer RAW file support. Systems will primarily do a container check to ‘recognise’ the file format, evaluate how many video and audio streams there are, what the bitrate is, start
TEST MEASURING EQUIPMENT
timecode and duration. After that, it checks the video codec, frame size and frame rate, as well as frame aspect and pixel aspect ratios. The system checks that all video and audio levels conform to the standards asked for and the more intelligent systems will automatically correct chroma, black and RGB gamut levels if they are outside the limits (and will even correct PSE flashing errors). Audio problems such as clipping are easily observable in the decoded stream and QC systems can determine whether loudness limits, peak limits, instantaneous peaks and true peak value limits have been exceeded, as well as long-term loudness over the span of the content. Other types of checkable baseband audio flaws include silence due to audio dropouts. Automated QC systems are not fool proof, however, and human intervention is required from time to time. A correctly setup and administered system running automation will get over 90 percent of file-based work done. The balance of the process will rely on human input because there are creative interpretations in both
audio and video that an automated system may fail to identify through misinterpretation. I have had content ‘failed’ because a close-up shot of a zebra was misinterpreted by a machine as being an excessive moiré pattern. A 5.1 surround soundscape mix in a scene shot in the height of cicada breeding season was rejected because the audio track contained continuous DC electrical buzz. My submissions required human intervention and, once passed, I was assured that the system had now learned what a close-up of a zebra looked like and what a cicada sounded like! The media industry has been revolutionised by the adoption of digital file-based workflows – and having an understanding of the functions that make up file-based workflows, and what needs to be tested, is essential for knowing how to effectively implement quality control. Broadcasting success relies on quality and, most importantly, consistency in the processes that produce quality. It’s what broadcasting has been about since day one, and – thanks to some automation, artificial intelligence and whole lot of human chutzpah – will always be. – Ian Dormer
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M A R KET PL AC E
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