Screen Africa October 2019 by Sun Circle Publishers

BROADCAST, FILM, TV, COMMERCIALS, NEW MEDIA & TECHNOLOGY NEWS

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VOL 31 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; OCTOBER 2019 R38.00

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| IN THIS ISSUE

16 ERNEST NKOSI SPOTLIGHTS SA’S CAR SPINNING CULTURE IN AN ORDINARY PEOPLE

20 INTIMACY COORDINATION ON SA FILM AND TV SETS

A RECORD IBC 2019

CONNECT AND PLAY WITH THE AFRICAN CYBER GAMING LEAGUE

NEWS |

ADCETERA |

BUSINESS & LEGISLATION |

NEW MEDIA |

The 8th annual Jozi Film Festival............... 3

The SA consumers with R700 billion spending power................... 10

Intimacy coordination on SA film and TV sets................................... 20

Connect and play with the African Cyber Gaming League................ 30

Hiventy Group opens in Africa.................. 4

ARB rules against Toyota advert............. 12

Tuned in to target-driven radio.............. 32

Winners of the Visible Spectrum Awards 2019.................. 6

FILM |

TELEVISION |

CINEMATOGRAPHY |

EditShare Academy offers new authorised training and certification programmes............................ 7

Director Speak: Quentin Krog............... 14

The state of South African drama.......... 24

Ernest Nkosi spotlights SA’s car spinning culture in An Ordinary People.... 16

ADVERTORIAL

Director Mamadou Dia and DoP Sheldon Chau on shooting Nafi’s Father in Senegal.............................. 34

Andrew Human to leave the Loeries....... 4

Sony launches flagship FX9 camcorder............................................. 8 Rosco Laboratories releases MAXI MIX...................................... 8

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In conversation with SundanceTV Shorts Competition winner, Kate D’hotman........................................... 18 Gallo Music Publishers re-launches interactive licensing website......................................... 19

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Silverline Studios in the Spotlight........... 26

Mobile magic – DJI Osmo Mobile 3 review.......................................... 36

VFX | The harsh reality of VFX studios............ 28

IBC 2019 REPORT A record IBC 2019.................................... 38

REGULARS | Marketplace................................................... 40 Upcoming Events......................................... 40

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FROM THE EDITOR

It’s hard to believe we’re already making a dent in the final quarter of the year – it seems like it was just yesterday that I was welcoming you all to our January 2019 issue. The last few months have flown by in a whirlwind of festivals, markets and industry trade shows, and while I’m sure we’re all feeling the near-end-of-year dip in energy, let’s do our best to finish strong. With that, let’s get straight into the issue… Our Adcetra section this month features an insightful read from Louise Marsland titled, ‘The SA consumers with R700 billion spending power’. Recently-released research by the University of Cape Town Marketing Institute, in partnership with advertising agency M&C Saatchi Abel, questions the “upper middle class” and “affluent” segment. The objective of the research was to get to know what drives the massive middle class segment in South Africa, isolating the consumers with the most buying power and understanding their demographics and behaviours. Their findings are invaluable for South African brands and the agencies behind them – find out what drives SA’s “Top Million” on pages 10–11. Selected to open the 8th annual Jozi Film Festival, director Ernest Nkosi’s new documentary, An Ordinary People, takes viewers inside the somewhat controversial world of carspinning. Shot over four years in various parts of South Africa and its neighbouring countries, the documentary is an in-depth look at the sport, from its cultural beginnings to now. Screen Africa spoke to Nkosi about the inspiration and production process behind this new documentary. Read all about it on pages 17–18. We’re all aware of the #MeToo movement; we’ve read the headlines, followed the hashtag on Twitter, maybe even shared stories of our own or those close to us, but what have we really done to make a change in our own environments? With this in mind, Sisters Working in Film and TV (SWIFT) invited Kate Lush, from Intimacy on Set in the UK, to helm a workshop at the Durban International Film Festival (DIFF) in July this year. Intimacy on Set was founded by intimacy coordination pioneer, Ita O’Brien, who – with others – developed a set of guidelines to promote best practice around intimate scenes, simulated sex scenes and/ or nudity. Titled ‘Intimacy coordination on SA film and TV sets’ – on pages 20–21 – the article is a must-read for anyone working in the film and television industry, both behind and in front of the camera. With IBC 2019 behind us, in this issue we cover all you need to know from this year’s record-breaking show. As promised, if you weren’t able to attend IBC 2019, our journalist Ian Dormer has got you covered. Head over to pages 36–37 to learn all about this year’s hot topics, market trends and themes, and as always – the most exciting, cutting-edge new products and technologies. All this and so much more in this issue – we hope you thoroughly enjoy it. Till next time! – 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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WEBSITE ADMINISTRATOR: Michael Lotriet: web@suncirclegroup.com

PUBLISHER & MANAGING EDITOR: Simon Robinson: publisher@screenafrica.com

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

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.

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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.

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THE 8TH ANNUAL JOZI FILM FESTIVAL The 8th annual Jozi Film Festival (JFF) kicks off on Thursday, 3 October with a private screening of Ernest Nkosi’s new documentary, An Ordinary People.

n Ordinary People will screen at both Hyde Park’s Nu Metro (at 6pm, by invitation only) and at 8pm at The Bioscope in Maboneng, as a free screening. Tickets will still need to be reserved through The Bioscope’s website. The film is an adrenaline-pumping documentary about the sport of car spinning, where hustlers and dreamers of modest means become heroes. This film is hot out of the edit suite and JFF is offering audiences a first look. Over three days, the JFF will screen local and international films at Hyde Park Corner’s Nu Metro, The Bioscope and, for the first time, at Delta Park’s art deco theatre. The festival culminates with an awards event on the evening of 6 October, where winners in each category will be announced alongside the winner of the JFF and Discovery Network’s Real Time competition.

HYDE PARK HIGHLIGHTS: • Tin Soldiers, 5 October (South Africa), WORLD PREMIERE Tin Soldiers is the deeply personal story of people afflicted with one of the world’s most rare diseases that slowly turns connective tissue into bone. A compelling tale of courage set against a backdrop of medical science, this is the story of real-life Tin Soldiers overcoming human frailty to show that within a ravaged body can exist the spirit of a survivor.

• The Woman Who Loves Giraffes, 6 October (Canada), AFRICA PREMIERE This moving documentary tells the story of Dr. Anne Innis Dagg and re-traces the steps of her groundbreaking 1956 journey to South Africa to study giraffes in the wild. Now, at 85

years old, Anne sees a startling contrast between the world of giraffes she once knew and the one it has become. Weaving through the past and present, her harrowing journey gives us an intimate look into the factors that destroyed her career and the forces that brought her back.

DELTA PARK ENVIRONMENTAL CENTRE HIGHLIGHTS: • Run As One, 5 October, WORLD PREMIERE The inspiring history of how an ultra-marathon, which started with 26 white male runners, now brings more than 25,000 South Africans together each year. The film features the untold stories of some of the race’s legends competing against all odds in South Africa during the 70s and 80s. From Vincent Rakabaele’s nail-biting finish in 1976 to Frith Van Der Merwe’s still unbeaten record-breaking time in 1989, the heroic feats of our former stars will inspire the new generation to even greater heights of achievement.

• The Rhino Cup, 5 October, AFRICA PREMIERE Filmed over the last three years in South Africa and Mozambique, a documentary about rhino poaching and football. Called the The Rhino Cup, it is a film that not only explains the current severity of poaching in Africa but also follows a unique way of tackling the problem. Through football, communities and villagers in Mozambique are being uplifted. The Rhino Cup has been created, giving the younger generation something to engage in, improving community spirit, creating jobs and building new infrastructure.

• Our Oceans: A Journey of Discovery, 5 October, WORLD PREMIERE A team of scientists, divers and photographers set out on a journey of discovery along the South African coastline, one of the longest and richest in the world. Along the way, they unveil three incredible natural events whilst highlighting the impending threats and promoting the protection of our oceans.

Additionally, an extensive selection of short fiction films, features and documentaries will be screened. From the multi-award-winning doccie Golden Fish, African Fish (Senegal) that examines the artisanal fishing industry, to a short fiction film about a zombie who eats his boss in Life’s A Drag (South Africa). Chubb and Easy Equities are the main sponsors of the 2019 JFF.

OCTOBER 2019

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NEWS

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ANDREW HUMAN TO LEAVE THE LOERIES CEO of the Loeries, Andrew Human, will be leaving the organisation after 15 years at the helm, during which time the Loeries was transformed into a globallyrecognised festival and became the highest accolade for the advertising and brand communication industry across Africa and the Middle East.

An engineer by training, Human, who believes that “if you’re afraid to offend anyone you’re taking the well-worn road of mediocrity,” previously worked as a scientist and was a trailblazer of digital media before joining the Loeries. “It’s been a wonderful experience and journey, and the Loeries has grown from a small office and award show in those first days to an association that is now recognised internationally.” Chairman of the Loeries and Executive Creative Director at Ogilvy Cape Town, Tseliso Rangaka, believes that Human’s contribution to the growth and international recognition of the Loeries has been enormous: “Andrew has over the years worked tirelessly to make the Loeries a world-class stage for our creative industry to shine. His firm and fair stewardship of this organisation will be greatly missed. I look forward to working with Andrew in the coming months to find a worthy candidate that will help take the Loeries to even higher acclaim. I wish him well and extend the gratitude of everyone who has had the pleasure of serving with him.”

“I

have decided it’s time to move on to a new challenge and I will be leaving the Loeries at the end of March 2020,” says Human. “Until then, I will be closely involved in the process of leading the Loeries into the new season.”

Andrew Human As part of the transition, the Loeries Board has promoted Suzie Bowling to the position of Chief Operating Officer. “Suzie has been with the Loeries for many years and I’m very confident in her ability to continue the journey of this amazing bird,” says Human. During Human’s tenure, he was voted 2007 Advertising Industry Person of the Year by The Annual and 2008 AdReview Advertising Person of the Year in South Africa. He has judged the Epica Awards in Paris, the Gecko Advertising Awards in

Namibia, the Footprint Marketing Awards, the AdReview awards and chaired the Business and Arts South Africa panel for several years. He was also the editor of Migrate magazine. Under his leadership, the Loeries now administers the Pendoring Awards, Creative Circle South Africa, Bookmarks Awards, AMASA Awards and the Kenyan national advertising awards. In 2008, Human introduced the CreativeFuture Scholarship to encourage and enable creativity at grassroots levels, by assisting talented learners from disadvantaged backgrounds. “This is an incredible opportunity for youngsters and it covers just about everything a learner requires: fees, study materials, accommodation and living expenses. Plus, it offers mentorship, internship and, ultimately, employment,” says Human. “Without a doubt, this is the part of the Loeries that I’m most proud of, and I feel like all these students who have passed through our programme are part of our family.” “I cannot emphasise enough how important the input, experience and guidance of the Loeries Board and Committee have been. We have also enjoyed the incredible support of the industry, wonderful partners and an amazing Loeries team. Without them it would have been impossible to reach the goals we did over this 15-year period. I am grateful to each one of them.”

The audiovisual and postproduction service group Hiventy has set up an operational base in Nairobi, Kenya, to support the fast development of audiovisual industry across the African continent.

he new facility supports dubbing, subtitling and audio description services for a large number of African languages and content delivery for digital platforms. Hiventy Africa provides its customers with (but not limited to): • A team of multilingual project managers • 16 studios dedicated to recording and mixing for dubbing services • 10 subtitling stations • 2 quality control studios • 1 media processing studio • An ultra-secure work environment, assets management and storage

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PHOTO CREDIT: HIVENTY.COM

HIVENTY GROUP OPENS IN AFRICA

• A network of more than 400 translators and proofreaders, all selected for their language skills and their ability to work in accordance with international standards All these facilities are backed by a competitive technical infrastructure and are offered with optimal safety conditions to comply with the needs of the different international customers. The fast development of the audiovisual market in Africa has increased content acquisition and distribution

throughout the continent. Thanks to its international expertise, the Hiventy group can now support all rights holders and broadcasters for content delivery and content localisation towards the African audience. The choice of Nairobi was made quickly due to its central location near many linguistic basins, its technical infrastructure and the skilled people. Thanks to linguistic resources selected on the basis of strict criteria, Hiventy Africa offers linguistic works in a huge variety of African languages (Yoruba, Swahili, Luganda, Lingala, Mozambican

Portuguese, Hausa, Amharic, African French, African English, Juba English, Juba Arabic, Nuer, Dinka, Somali, Chichewa, Igbo, Pidgin, Kikuyu, Luhya, Kamba, Kalenjin, Luo, Kisii, Wolof, Zulu, Afrikaans, Twi, Kinyarwanda, Kirundi). Enjoying a partnership with studios that are integrated into their ecosystem in Lagos, Nigeria, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia and Maputo, Mozambique, Hiventy Africa has access to a wide range of talents covering all African languages. Under the supervision of Juliette Vivier, Caroline Mbindyo and Pascal Mwita are in charge of the day-to-day operations and monitoring of the whole infrastructure. Together, they offer over 50 years of experience in audiovisual services across Africa. Thierry Schindelé, CEO of Hiventy Group, said that: “We are delighted to be able to support the rapid development of the African audiovisual industry and bring our expertise to the continent’s producers, distributors and broadcasters. All our studios and teams are now operational and are already servicing several requests from clients; this is testament to the strength of the market and the distribution opportunities available throughout Africa.”

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NEWS

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WINNERS OF THE VISIBLE SPECTRUM AWARDS 2019 The South African Society of Cinematography (SASC) celebrated the industry’s top achievers at the 2019 edition of its annual Visible Spectrum Awards (VSA) – held on 14 September at Stark Studios in Johannesburg.

BEST SASO: SA Society of Operators – Sponsored by Stark Films: Duane Rogers (SASC) hands the Certificate to FW Stark of Stark Studios (accepted on behalf of Adi Visser)

BEST DOCUMENTARY SHORTFORM – Sponsored by The Camera Platform: Warren Smart and Tink Minster of The Camera Platform

BEST DOCUMENTARY WILDLIFE – Sponsored by Puma Video: Duane Rogers (SASC), Suping Motsoaleni of Puma Video and Ms Africa – winner was Boris von Schoenebeck

BEST CORPORATE COMMERCIAL – Sponsored by PANALUX: Daphne Jefferies of Exposure Crew, Tebatso Modungoa of PANALUX and Ms Africa – (winner was Willie Nel SASC)

BEST FEATURE FILM – Sponsored by PANAVISION: Tom Marais SASC for Hunter Killer and Tony Eddy of PANAVISION

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHER – Sponsored by Sony Professional Solutions MEA: Gerhard Snyman (Sony Professional Solutions MEA) and winner, Tom Marais (SASC)

THE WINNER OF THE STEWART FARNELL AWARD – Lifetime Achievement Award: Fanie van der Merwe (SASC) with Louise van der Merwe

BEST TV DRAMA/SHORT-FILM – Sponsored by Visual Impact: Duane Rogers (SASC) presents VSA to Tom Marais (SASC) and Gordon de Beer (Visual Impact), who accept on behalf of Jamie D Ramsa

he South African Society of Cinematographers was established primarily to advance the art and science of cinematography, as well as to encourage, foster excellence, artistic perfection and scientific knowledge in all matters pertaining to cinematography. The SASC launched its prestigious Visible Spectrum Awards to celebrate the outstanding work produced by the best of the best of South African cinematographers. The 2019 event showcased and celebrated the craft, innovation and style of the country’s top cinematographers, both established and emerging. Award sponsors this year included Sony Professional Solutions, Puma Video, Panavision, Southern Lighting Solutions, Visual Impact and more.

THE WINNERS OF THE 2019 VISIBLE SPECTRUM AWARDS ARE: BEST STUDENT – sponsored by DU Films • Louise Kathleen van der Merwe awarded a Gold Certificate for Simply Ben ALTERNATIVE – sponsored by Postmasters • Rick Joaquim SASC awarded Gold for Makeup is Art • Charl Fraser SASC awarded Gold for Unrivalled Launch • Tiyane Nyembe SASC awarded Gold for Ford Thabang MUSIC VIDEO – sponsored by Southern Lighting Solutions • Justus de Jager SASC awarded a VSA for Blick Bassy – “NGWA” music video • Motheo Moeng SASC awarded Gold for Blick Bassy – “Woñi” music video • Deon van Zyl awarded Gold for Petite Noir – “La Maison Noir” music video

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DOCUMENTARY/ SHORT FORM – sponsored by The Camera Platform • Warren Smart awarded a VSA for Mafia Fisheries • Warren Smart awarded Silver for Coming Home • Warren Smart awarded Silver for Prelude to Perfection TV DRAMA/ SHORT FILM – sponsored by Visual Impact • Jamie D Ramsay SASC awarded a VSA for Beast • Giulio Biccari SASC awarded Gold for Origin • Rick Joaquim SASC awarded Silver for Haatklop BEST CINEMATOGRAPHER – sponsored by Sony Professional Solutions MEA • Tom Marais SASC awarded a VSA

WILDLIFE – sponsored by Puma Video • Boris von Shoenebeck awarded a VSA for Madagascar – Africa’s Galapagos

SOUTH AFRICAN SOCIETY OF OPERATORS AWARD – sponsored by Stark Films • Adi Visser awarded Gold for Strike Back

COMMERCIAL (CORPORATE) – sponsored by Panalux • Willie Nel SASC awarded a VSA for Outsurance – Linda • Eugenio Galli SASC awarded Gold for Visa – Africa Soccer • Eugenio Galli SASC awarded Gold for Tata Steel – We also make Tomorrow

FEATURE FILM – sponsored by Panavision • Tom Marais SASC awarded a VSA for Hunter Killer • Jonathan Kovel SASC awarded Gold for Sew the Winter to my Skin • Justus de Jager SASC awarded Gold for The Lullaby

COMMERCIAL (PRODUCT) – sponsored by Panalux • Eugenio Galli SASC awarded a VSA for Chicken Licken – Bootless Bandit • Jamie D Ramsay SASC awarded Gold for Chicken Licken – Robot • Willie Nel SASC awarded Gold for Continental – Spiderman

STEWART FARNELL AWARD – sponsored by ARRI Camera Systems • Fanie van der Merwe SASC awarded the Farnell Trophy

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| TECHNOLOGY NEWS

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EDITSHARE ACADEMY OFFERS NEW AUTHORISED TRAINING AND CERTIFICATION PROGRAMMES

PROGRAMME TRACKS INCLUDE: • The EditShare Associate Programme: providing channel partners and customers with foundational knowledge of EditShare products, workflows and solutions • The EditShare Engineer Programme: upon completion of this track, channel partners and customers will command expert technical and operational knowledge of EditShare products and solutions • The EditShare Sales Professional Programme: designed for channel partners who actively support customers through the sales process and manage ongoing customer success

EditShare, a technology leader that specialises in collaboration, security, and intelligent storage solutions for media creation and management, recently announced the launch of EditShare Academy.

mix of instructor-led and e-learning courses designed to take students from beginner to expert in EditShare tools and workflows, the EditShare Academy offers sales and video professionals a structured curriculum that culminates in industry certification in one of three areas: EditShare Associate, EditShare Engineer and EditShare Sales Professional. With EditShare the solution of choice to manage the exponential growth in video production, EditShare Academy gives sales engineers, IT managers and video professionals the confidence that systems are running at optimal performance and the knowledge to maximise the return on investment. “As the media landscape shifts beyond the traditional production and post-

production practices and demand for video professionals expands into new markets, our customers and sales channel partners require training and certification programs that can equip them to navigate the new technical waters and distinguish themselves from the pack,” comments Stuart McGeechan, vice president of customer success, EditShare. “EditShare Academy is an important foundation for customer and partner enablement and success, which are top priority at EditShare. It is a tremendous learning platform that the community can leverage to gain new professional skills and enhance their talent across media workflow design, installation and operational maintenance. Courses

combined with certification will help advance careers in creative and or sales tracks, and – for business owners – help their company thrive whether they are a post facility, corporation with a media department or a sales partner providing the wider community guidance and support.” EditShare Academy training and certification curriculum covers technical operations and workflow for EditShare’s EFS high-performance shared storage solutions, flow media asset management (MAM), QScan automated quality control (AQC) and Helmut.

EditShare Academy training and certification is developed in conjunction with CSMD Group, a global leader in building training and certification programs with exceptional end-user experiences for both emerging and Fortune 500 customers. To learn more about EditShare Academy, including training dates and contacts, please visit editshare.com/ academy.

FILM AND TV STUDIOS IN CAPE TOWN

Email: info@silverline.tv Visit: www.sasanistudios.tv

OCTOBER 2019

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TECHNOLOGY NEWS

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SONY LAUNCHES FLAGSHIP FX9 CAMCORDER Sony recently unveiled the PXW-FX9, its first XDCAM camcorder featuring an advanced 6K full-frame sensor and Fast Hybrid Auto Focus (AF) system. The new flagship camcorder offers content creators greater creative capabilities to capture striking images that truly resonate with audiences.

uilding on the success of the PXW-FS7 and PXW-FS7M2, the FX9 uniquely combines high mobility with an advanced AF system, impressive bokeh and slow-motion capabilities thanks to its newly-developed sensor. The FX9 also

inherits its colour science and Dual Base ISO 800/4000 from the VENICE digital motion picture camera and represents the ultimate tool of choice for documentaries, music videos, drama productions and all-round event shooting. The FX9 was designed in close

collaboration with the creative community and is another example of Sony continuously evolving its proposition to innovate with the customer and market needs. The camcorder benefits from the versatility, portability and performance expected of an FS7 series “run and gun” style camcorder, while also offering High Dynamic Range and full frame shooting features.

POWERFUL FEATURES FOR CREATIVE CONTENT CREATORS The newly-developed 6K full-frame sensor offers wide dynamic range with high sensitivity, low noise and over 15 stops of latitude that can be recorded internally in 4K 4:2:2 10bit. Oversampling by the full-frame 6K sensor allows professionals to create high-quality 4K footage with impressive bokeh effects through shallow depth of field, while wide-angle shooting opens new possibilities for content creators to express their creativity. This means that every scene captured looks true-to-life whether it’s shot in broad day light or in the middle of the night. The camcorder can also capture content up to five times the slow-motion speed with FHD 120fps shooting. With the same colour science and Dual Base ISO 800/4000 as the VENICE camera, the new sensor can also create softer and more alluring facial tones. The enhanced Fast Hybrid AF system with customisable AF transition speeds and sensitivity settings also combines phase detection AF for fast, accurate subject-tracking with contrast AF for exceptional focus accuracy. The dedicated 561-point phase-detection AF sensor covers approximately 94% in width and 96% in height of imaging area,

allowing consistently accurate, responsive AF tracking, even with fast-moving subjects while maintaining shallow depth of field.

LIMITLESS CREATIVITY AND FLEXIBILITY Inspired by the high mobility “run and gun” style approach from the FS7 series of camcorders, the FX9 offers content creators even greater flexibility thanks to Electronic Variable ND Filter. This allows more creative effects for content creators and instant exposure level changes depending on the filming environment – even when it’s moving from an inside space to outdoors or while filming in natural light conditions. By recording image stabilisation information and using it on the Catalyst Browse/Prepare option, content creators can capture incredibly stable visuals even in handheld mode. Sony is also working to encourage other third party none-linear editing tools to adopt this functionality. The FX9 comes with a range of customisations and expansion features. These include compatibility with the new UWP-D series of wireless microphones via Multi Interface Shoe (MI Shoe) with digital audio interface, the XDCA-FX9 extension kit enabling 10bit S35 4K 120fps and 16bit RAW output, compatibility with Sony BP-GL and BP-FL series batteries, D-Tap, RJ-45 interface and stable “Dual Link” streaming by using two carrier lines, as well as DWX slot-in type digital wireless receiver commonly used in broadcasting settings. The FX9 will also be compatible with the newly launched E-mount lens FE C 16-35mm T3.1 G, which uniquely balances full manual operability for movie shooting and auto-control functions.

ROSCO LABORATORIES RELEASES MAXI MIX After receiving a positive response to its reveal at NAB 2019, Rosco Laboratories has announced the official release of MAXI MIX from DMG Lumière by Rosco.

MAXI MIX features include: • Full spectrum white light from 1700K-10,000K • A proprietary combination of 6 LEDs (phosphor-coated Red, Green, Blue, White, phosphor-coated Amber, Lime) for a wide colour gamut and True Rosco Colour gel matches • Measures 120 x 36 x 8,5cm (47 x 14 x 3.3‘’) – at only 8kg (17.6lb) • 7550 Lux (@1M @5500K) MAXI MIX is the third fixture to be released with award-winning MIX technology, joining the MINI and SL1 models and is the largest of the family.

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Several new accessories are available for MAXI MIX, including the innovative MAXI MIX LINK. This rigging solution connects to the light with strong, ¼ turn fasteners, enabling filmmakers to connect multiple MAXI MIX fixtures together to create a punchy key light, a large continuous strip light for car commercials, or an entire wall of coloured light. Additional diffusion and mounting accessories are also being introduced for MAXI MIX, including a double yoke that enables users to stack two MAXI MIX fixtures together to create a powerful, 720W soft light. A kit option is available as well, which includes a power supply, cables and single yoke in addition to the fixture.

MAXI MIX will begin shipping in October and all fixtures will be equipped with the new MIX 2.0 firmware, which includes: • 50 new True Rosco Colours in gel mode (for a total of 137) • New XY Mode that includes CIE 1931, REC 709 and REC 2020 colour spaces

• Brighter colours – doubled output in Colour Mode for many of the saturated colours • Improved low-level dimming, DMX profiles and wireless connection via CRMX and Bluetooth • CCT base in Colour Mode now includes full colour temperature range of MIX (1700k to 10000k)

ADCETERA

THE SA CONSUMERS WITH R700 BILLION SPENDING POWER

There is a segment of South African consumers who have proved themselves to be fairly recessionproof and have enough influence to make or break your brand. They are uncompromising on family values, but not ostentatious with their newly-acquired wealth, understanding our country’s unique social stratification very well.

n ground-breaking research released last month by the University of Cape Town Marketing Institute, in partnership with advertising agency M&C Saatchi Abel, the “upper middle class” and “affluent” segment, dubbed the Top Million, were interrogated for the first time. Never before has South Africa’s so-called middle class segment been demarcated like this. South Africa has 57 million people, which equals 19 million households. A Top Million household is one which

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collectively earns more than R40,000 per month net, although the average monthly income per household is actually R70,000 net. The Top Million consists of 2.3 million adults and 600,000 children. So, they make up only 5% of the SA population, but are responsible for 36% of consumer spend – a staggering combined spending power of over R700 billion. What is most astounding is that many of those finding themselves in the Top Million are new entrants. They have come from the vast “poor and struggling” category of South African consumer into the “upper middle class.” They are not third or even second-generation middle class. This has major implications for brands in how they market to these newly-affluent consumers, particularly in a recession, when these consumers fear one financial shock could send them back into the “poor and struggling” category. But, despite the economic downturn which has seen these high-earners also downtrade certain services and needs, they are still spending; they have massive buying power, are trendsetters, endorse brands – or not – and exert choice. They can make or break your brand. The objective of the research was to drill down into the massive middle class segment in South Africa, isolating the consumers with the most buying power (this ‘Top Million’) and understand their demographics, attitudes and behaviours. They are South Africa’s most valuable consumer segment and the one all brands and services want to reach now – because, despite this recession, they are still spending, albeit more judiciously than in the past.

THESE ARE SOME OF THE MOST PERTINENT STATS: • 80% identify as middle class – including 66% earning over R1 million per year • 30% say they feel guilty about how much they have. • 85% say they have medical aid, although some say they have downgraded their medical aid to a cheaper option • Their kids attend private or former Model C schools, although some say they have taken their kids out of private schools due to the expense and put them in former Model C schools • The vast majority of Top Million households travel by car – over 70% have not used public transport in the last year • They live in a social bubble, seeking out those of the same status as them; and leisure time requires resources like cycling, weekends away, restaurants and markets

• The average Top Million home is 20 times larger than two thirds of South African households • The Top Million pay nearly half of all of personal income tax • 73% have a tertiary qualification • Nearly 80% work in high skilled professions • Main language spoken at home: 35% English; 32% Afrikaans; 8% Setswana; 8% isiZulu • They live in: 44% Gauteng; 16% Western Cape; 14% KwaZulu Natal; 10% Mpumalanga; 7% Eastern Cape; 5% Limpopo; 2% Free State; 2% North West Province; 1% Northern Cape • Race breakdown: 54% white; 32% Black African (up from 25% in 2008); 8% mixed race; 5% Asian • 72% of new entrants into this Top Million class are black • 22% are female – but this will change say researchers and more women will enter the Top Million

| ADCETERA This demographic is also highly motivated and have a plan for their success, working at it day and night. They trade in social capital and believe in being part of the right networks to refer them for work. They also believe in following their passions: 70% say their work makes them happy.

WHAT ARE THEY SPENDING ON? They also prize experiences and time spent with family and want to help society with their business skills in order to contribute meaningfully. Their aspirations are also “lifestyle sensitive” and they want more time for their hobbies and for themselves. But they are also more circumspect about their spending, choosing brands like cars one step down from all-out luxury – as they have become more conscious of not displaying their privileged income status ostentatiously, given that the majority of South Africans live in poverty. Passion-killers for them include: time – they start their own businesses to be in charge of their own time; complexity – the more they have, the more complex life becomes; our “always-on” culture means they are “always stressed”; despite their obvious affluence, 46% of the Top Million households say they have less than three months savings in case of redundancy and are living with high levels of financial stress, which is what is causing tradedowns in case of certain services, like satellite television, medical aids and private schooling. Yet, 51% still say they are better off today than two years ago. Some are also “living like I’m in a recession”, because they have large extended families to take care of, and are thinking twice about going out and spending on luxuries. Cutbacks have been made on shoes and clothing (49%); food and groceries (42%); eating out (35%); holiday and travel (31%); hair and beauty (33%); cellphone and data costs (28%); medical aid (7%); and armed response (4%).

DESPITE CUTBACKS AND MORE INTEREST IN LOYALTY AND REWARDS SCHEMES, THESE ARE THE NON-NEGOTIABLES THAT THEY WILL NOT CANCEL, EVEN IF THEY GO FOR A CHEAPER BRAND:

• Model C or private schools • Cars • Medical aid • Security • Data, communications • Gifts

They also don’t like debt, and only 5% say they are struggling to manage their debt. They are also investment savvy, with over 90% owning their own property and 26% owning more than one property. Own transport means these consumers can travel to shop and 95% have visited both large and small shopping centres in the past three months. Shopping habits include: looking for discounts and specials (87%); buying in bulk (70%); using cheaper supermarkets (49%); and changing to cheaper brands (40%). They want a seamless shopping experience and quality and efficiency is important to them. They love Woolworths, which has high brand recognition and appreciation, but the bulk still do their shopping at Pick n Pay (23%), followed by Woolworths (18%), Spar (15%) and Checkers (15%. Digital has changed the shopping experience and many research prices online and then purchase instore, but online shopping is growing: 71% have purchased something online in the last three months, and 70% have not visited a bank branch in the last three months – a contributing factor to a statement by Standard Bank earlier this year that it will be closing more than 100 branches nationwide.

THIS CONSUMER IS ALSO SPENDING ON HEALTH, SEEING IT AS AN INVESTMENT IN THEIR FUTURE:

• 63% have visited a gym in the past three months • 50% have participated in a sporting event, i.e., a park run or bike race • 33% are on a specific diet and they are conscious eaters • 60% would like to lose some weight • They will buy more expensive, quality and healthy foods for their kids • They enjoy cooking and will spend on quality leisure experiences – 75% say they eat at a restaurant at least once a month

TOP THREE DOWNTIME PASTIMES ARE:

1. Music – live experiences are prized 2. Travel – they are travelling more in SA due to the weak Rand making international travel expensive 3. Movies – 63% say they have been to a cinema in the past three months; 24% watch Netflix; 49% watch YouTube at least once a week 4. Social media use: 74% Facebook; 47% Instagram; 45% LinkedIn; 44% Twitter; and 26% Pinterest

The takeaway for marketers is that this is a highly conscientised consumer, who knows when they are being marketed to, appreciates loyalty and rewards and great brand experiences; but also sees themselves as a brand because they are very brand loyal. They hate being tracked and feel most advertising is an insult to an intelligent person. “I hate all the marketing hype around branding that is just to make you buy stuff you don’t need,” said one respondent. They are more of a hybrid consumer: they do like to spoil themselves with luxury brands, but also appreciate a good deal. These two specific quotes from the research were very telling: “Marketers are pushing brands in a glitzy way. They have lost the plot with the African market. They make a huge mistake by assuming everyone wants a flashy Rolex… People evolve”; and, “The tough economic climate has made me a bit more careful when spending. It has also made me feel guilty.” Basically, the conclusion is that this group don’t want to be marketed at any more or sold something; rather, “they want to be part of something.” They want to buy into a community or a lifestyle. According to the research, “successful brands are realising that by advocating for social and cultural values their customers care about, they can grow their business organically while also remaining authentic to their inner essence.” Be authentic in how you tell the stories of your brand. – Louise Marsland

46% of the Top Million households say they have less than three months savings in case of redundancy and are living with high levels of financial stress, which is what is causing tradedowns in case of certain services, like satellite television, medical aids and private schooling. Yet, 51% still say they are better off today than two years ago. OCTOBER 2019

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ADCETERA

ARB RULES AGAINST TOYOTA ADVERT Regarded as the wittiest car ad of 2019, the Toyota Hilux GR-Sport commercial – featuring three endearing meerkats – was created by creative agency, FCB Joburg.

he much-loved ad has been a hot topic of debate after two complaints were laid against Toyota South Africa with the Advertising Standard Authority (ASA). The first complainant, David Lazarus, argued that the commercial encourages illegal driving on sand dunes, while Louise McIntosh claimed that Toyota promoted off-road driving that is harmful to nature. The Advertising Regulation Board (ARB) ruled in favour of the two complainants and claimed that Toyota South Africa has indeed breached Clause 3.3 of Section II that clearly states that advertisements should not contain

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anything which might lead to or encourage criminal or illegal activities. The ARB therefore requested Toyota to withdraw the ad from television. Alderman Marian Nieuwoudt, who is a member of the Cape Town City’s mayoral committee for Spatial Planning and Environment, comments: “South Africa has a set of regulations known as the Control of the Use of Vehicles in the Coastal Zone which forms part of the Integrated Coastal Management Act, South Africa’s principle coastal legislation.

In terms of these regulations, it is illegal to drive a vehicle on the beach without obtaining a permit. The regulations stem in part from the fact that the beach is a sensitive environment and that driving on the beach can and has in the past led to significant negative impacts on the coastal environment.” Nieuwoudt adds: “Within the Control of the Use of Vehicle regulations there is a clause that states no advertising may take place if such advertising portrays recreational driving taking place in the

coastal zone in South Africa. The intention of this clause is to prevent communicating a message to the layperson that is in conflict with the legislation.” Since the removal of the ad from television, Toyota South Africa and Toyota Global has disputed claims that the commercial infringes upon any environmental laws. Tasneem Lorgat, senior manager of Advertising and Digital Marketing at Toyota South Africa, says: “Both Toyota South Africa and Toyota Global are committed to the environment and a positive future for all living things, which is why we take great care when selecting locations for our shoots, as well as what we shoot.” According to Toyota, the Hilux GR-Sport commercial was not shot in an environmentally-sensitive area but in an industrial area at the Philippi Sand Mine, which is adjacent to Mitchells Plain near Cape Town. “The shoot was on private property on the Philippi Sand Mine – permission was obtained, and a fee was paid,” adds Lorgat, who goes on to say that when viewing the ad, there is nothing in the footage that creates the perception that there is a beach or ocean nearby. The Hilux GR-Sport commercial is, in fact, part of a campaign to promote the special edition Gazoo Racing version of the Hilux, which is a Dakar-racing inspired range. With this in mind, both the agency and automaker assumed that the location that was chosen fitted the Dakar-action feel of the film concept. Lorgat highlighted that most Toyota ads are shot on commonly-used and approved areas, saying: “We do not wish to depict or condone ecologicallyirresponsible driving regardless of where we are shooting, and to that end, you will see that the Hilux GR-Sport is mostly

| ADCETERA

driving on existing paths and, in the few instances where you see it travelling over untracked sand, you will notice that we do not drive over any flora or fauna – just sand.” • Wheels24 digital readers also shared their views on the matter: • “The law disallows beach/coastal dune driving already, so hardly anyone will be able to drive like this. The ad shows what the

vehicle is capable of. Rather go to any one of the other 100s of countries where no restrictions exist and moan/protest there!” – John Read

“There’s not even one thing that portrays the beach there, the only thing we see is desert. Toyota bakkies have been the bestsellers for so long; I believe the competitors are behind this.” – Thabo Ndwandwe

Gail Schimmel, CEO of ARB, commented on the verdict: “People must understand that we understood that they [Toyota SA] did not actually break the laws while filming. That is not the issue. The issue is that to the consumer watching the ad; it looks like they are driving in a natural sand dune area, which is against the law. It looks ‘cool’ and encourages other drivers to maybe do the same.” The final ruling gave Toyota the option to either fix the ad to meet ASA’s requirements or permanently withdraw their existing ad. However, ARB’s Schimmel cautions: “There are always two routes: withdraw the ad, or amend the ad in a way that brings it into line with the decision. The risk with amending is always that they might not manage it and face another ruling against them.” Since the ruling, Lorgat has confirmed that Toyota South Africa has opted to amend their existing commercial. “The final ruling was made once the media schedule had concluded, so there was no actual need to withdraw the TVC from stations. We are, however, in the process of adding disclaimers on to the TVC in order to continue using it on social platforms.” – Gezzy S Sibisi

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18-Sep-19 3:00:29 PM

DIRECTOR SPEAK

TIN QUENOG KR

This month Screen Africa spoke to award-winning director Quentin Krog about his journey to the director’s chair, his process when directing Die Byl, and what is next for him as a filmmaker…

and clear flow, which translates to making a good first impression on the audience in the first episode. As far as stylistic approach goes, it’s a very dialogue-heavy series, so my main aim was to always keep the scenes alive and moving, whether that be via dynamic blocking and camera movement or just engaging and rhythmic performances. When we scouted the main location for the detectives’ office, the first thing I told the art department was to break out 80% of all the dry-walling and open up the place. This allowed us greater freedom of movement, as well as lots of depth and layering for camera. Then it was just about making the look, feel and tone much darker than before.

TELL US A BIT ABOUT YOUR BACKGROUND AND HOW IT HAS SHAPED YOU AS A DIRECTOR? Being my dad’s 20-year-late laat-lammetjie and my mother’s only child, I never had the constant companionship or presence of brothers or sisters at home. My folks divorced when I was still a toddler, and I ended up living with my mom. So, growing up, I had a pretty lonely childhood where the TV was my constant companion, my babysitter and my favourite form of entertainment. My mom also allowed me, from a very young age, to watch movies that were totally inappropriate for my age. She’s always been very progressive and liberal-minded in that regard, so naturally I was always fascinated by the medium. I’ll never forget being superbly young and being moved to tears by the death of a grandfather in scene of a movie that was on TV. I can’t remember what the movie was but I’ll never forget that moment. I think those early years had a lot to do with shaping and informing what would become my future career. YOU MAJORED IN STAGE ACTING AT THE UNIVERSITY OF STELLENBOSCH, TELL US ABOUT YOUR JOURNEY TO THE DIRECTOR’S CHAIR? I think it was in my second year when my dad asked me to help him with some safari footage he had filmed on his new video camera – a Sony Hi8 Digital Camcorder. The camera came with some really primitive editing software on a CD and a fire wire cable that allowed you to digitise the 8mm footage from tape to hard-drive. I started messing around and cut together my first amateur doccie featuring my dad’s safari trip with his friends. The bug bit me really hard and there was no turning back after that. I filmed and edited everything that came across my path after that. Needless to say, my dad never got to use the camera again. From there onwards, I juggled acting jobs with shooting videos for friends and colleagues, eventually starting a small little side business. HAVING DIRECTED WELL-RECEIVED FEATURE FILMS AND TELEVISION SERIES, WHICH DO YOU ENJOY MORE AND WHY? Feature films are definitely more of a director’s medium; you get more time and focus to craft the screenplay, more time to compose the visuals and fine-tune performances. It’s definitely friendlier to the director. TV, on the other hand, is more of the writer and producer’s medium for all the obvious reasons, whereas the TV director has to compromise on pretty much everything, every day. So naturally I would gravitate towards films more, if the luxury and privilege presents itself, but that doesn’t mean I don’t enjoy TV. I do; it’s just a totally different mind-set and work fitness level. It’s like running a marathon at a sprinter’s pace! 14 | SCREENAFRICA | OCTOBER 2019

QUENTIN KROG

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TRUE-CRIME/MURDER CONTENT HAS BECOME A CONSISTENT FAVOURITE WITH VIEWERS LOCALLY AND GLOBALLY, WHY DO YOU THINK THAT IS? I reckon it appeals to the darker side of us all in some sort of weird and fascinating way. Also, as an audience member, I personally always enjoy trying to figure things out before the characters do, so I think that mysterysolving aspect makes it way more interactive for the audience. That could be part of the main appeal.

TELL US A BIT ABOUT YOUR WORK ON LOCAL CRIME SERIES DIE BYL… WHAT DREW YOU TO THE PROJECT? First of all, I really enjoy working with producers Jaco Smit and Herman Binge, along with their company Marche Media. I’m also a big fan, and friend, of head writer Leon Kruger. That and the fact that I’ve never really worked in the detective genre so intensely, so I looked forward to the challenge of show-running, reinterpreting and rejuvenating the series. An almost-deal-breaker was the fact that, at 73 minutes, each episode is featurelength and they wanted to produce 14 of them in 18 weeks. I’m based in Jozi and I wasn’t willing to stay away from my family for that long to shoot in Cape Town. Luckily, Jaco agreed to bring two other directors on board, in the form of Liezl Spies and Leon Kruger, to share the heavy workload. So I directed episodes 1, 2, 3, 4, 12, 13 and 14 – and the rest in between ended up in the highly-skilled and capable hands of Liezl and Leon, who did some really amazing work. WHAT APPROACH DID YOU TAKE WHEN DIRECTING THE FIRST EPISODE? Due to the nature of the shooting schedule, being constantly out of order and grouped in location blocks, there was less of a focus on ‘episode one’ and more of a holistic approach to the whole series. I do, however, always try make a point with the 1st AD of not scheduling episode one scenes within the first week or two of shooting. Mainly to allow us, as a creative team, to find our groove and settle into a style. So that by the time we get to episode one scenes, we’re already in a confident

YOU’VE WORKED ON SOME OF SA’S MOST-LOVED TV SERIES. WHAT, IN YOUR OPINION, IS THE KEY TO CREATING A SUCCESSFUL TELEVISION SHOW IN SOUTH AFRICA? For me the most essential ingredient is a good set of scripts. A great story with layered characters, all set in an engaging world. If you’re missing any of those ingredients, or they’re not developed to their fullest potential, then you’re already dead in the water before you’ve even rolled a single frame. For me that’s really the most challenging part of the whole process, wrestling with the scripts and fighting with the writers and producers for the best version it can possibly be, sometimes even right up to the last minute before we roll on the scene. And, more often than not, the bulk of this crucial phase usually ends up taking up most of my precious pre-production time, and then I’ve got scraps of time and attention left for the actual shoot prep. But once I’ve got a proper handle on the scripts, it’s all imprinted in my mind and then it’s really downhill from there. WHAT NEXT FOR QUENTIN KROG? I’m on a bit of a creative break at the moment, busy developing and pursuing some of my own ideas for the first time, ideas that I’ve been aching to do for many years now. I’m also keen to get some producing credits to my name. The extra time at home of late is also giving me some precious time to hone my dad and husband skills with my wife and two kids. We’re also currently expecting a third little one early in 2020. IF YOU WEREN’T A FILMMAKER, WHAT WOULD YOU BE DOING? In high school, I was really into music, so much so that I was pretty sure I wanted to be a rock star. My dad, however, was not so keen on the idea. I was the lead singer of the high school rock band… such great memories! I also had three different bands during my university days in Stellenbosch, which all faded into the background as my love for filmmaking grew. Currently, I have five of my old guitars hanging on the walls of my office – so, if all else fails, I guess I’ll have to dust off the old acoustic and warm up the vocal chords again!

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I S R A O C K S N ’ N A I T S S E E S E R T L N U P H T R L G E OTLI CU PEO G P S NNIN NARY I I P D S OR AN Picture this: a cloud of smoke, the sound of tyres screeching and a mesmerised crowd. A late-80s BMW, colloquially known as the Gusheshe, spins at high speed with the driver hanging out the car window. This is not a film stunt but a thrilling sport in South Africa, popularly known as spinning.

ilmmaker Ernest Nkosi is a passionate promoter of the electrifying sport of spinning. His first production featuring the sport was South Africa’s first televised car spinning competition, So You Think You Can Spin, in 2016. “So You Think You Can Spin was a 13-part competition TV series that tested drivers through various obstacles with knockout courses till a top-six and an audience vote to determine an eventual winner,” comments Nkosi. The series was pitched under the Monarchy Group by Nkosi to free-to-air channel e.tv. From October to December 2016, So You Think You Can Spin garnered almost a million viewers per episode. The thrilling show put the controversial world of spinning in the spotlight and forced the public to rethink the negative connotations often associated with the sport.

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Car spinning is legal and has been officially recognised by the country’s regulatory body for all motorsport, Motorsport South Africa (MSA), since 2010. The sport has also been endorsed by the World of Motorsport South Africa (WOMZA) and the South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (SASCOC) since 2014. “Spinning now happens in big arenas under controlled conditions, attracting audiences of over 15 million people annually, making it the biggest motorsport in the country,” Nkosi shares. Furthermore, there is a growing interest of the sport beyond our borders with the great possibility of the industry going mainstream. Nkosi’s latest production, the documentary An Ordinary People, is an in-depth account of the sport of spinning and the subcultural elements that have emerged from different parts of the

country. “An Ordinary People is a feature-length documentary film that traces the cultural origins and follows some of the culture’s elite practitioners. The backdrop is wisdom from freedom fighters of yesteryear,” says Nkosi. Principal photography on the film commenced after the completion of the So You Think You Can Spin TV series in 2016. The film has been a work-inprogress project for almost four years and only officially wrapped in June this year. Nkosi is the writer and director of the film; he worked alongside Nhlane Enos Manthata and Thato Dhladla to produce the film. Speaking about the film’s production journey, Nkosi says: “There were challenges but none bigger than the mental one. How do you stay motivated to see something through from start to finish? It’s almost four years later from the first day of production. How you overcome this is with a solid team and like-minded talented individuals that believe they can move the needle forward when it comes to this film stuff.” Much like the television series, Nkosi and his team travelled across the country as well as to neighbouring countries, including Namibia and Swaziland, to gain a better understanding of the impact and

popularity of the sport over the years. “Research was key to making the film,” highlights Nkosi. “We immersed ourselves in the culture, travelling the country and neighbouring countries, getting to know the scene and state of the culture and finding the respective regions’ most talented drivers and stuntmen.” Professional spinners and sportsmen featured in the film include So You Think You Can Spin season one winner Samkeliso “Sam Sam” Thubane; Mpumalanga wheel spinners (and brothers) Muzi and Myboet Thubane; as well as other profiled acts such as Lefa “Lentja” Motloung, Bradleigh “Skopas” McGregor, Mckeenan “Troubles” du Plessis, Anele “Muzi” Mbuqe and Kaylin “Kayla” Oliphant. According to Nkosi, there are over 3,000 registered

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TECH CHECK EQUIPMENT • Camera: Sony FS7 GoPro Hero4

professional drivers and stuntmen: the industry is thriving and the state of the sport and culture has never been better. An Ordinary People was shot over three and a half years and spent nine months in post-production. Nkosi says that the film has an “enhanced reality” look and feel, with “no CGI… no gimmicks.” Cinematographers Motheo Moeng and Nyembezi Ncaba shot the film on the flexible Sony FS7 camera as well as the popular action GoPro Hero4 camera. Editing was done by James O’ Sullivan and music was supplied by Mpho Nthangeni and Banele Mtwa. Postproduction duties included sound design and final mix by Sterling Sound and Beyond Sound, then grading by Comfort & Frame. An Ordinary People has been selected as the opening film at the 8th annual Jozi Film Festival (JFF), which takes place from 3 October until 6 October 2019. The first time Nkosi showcased at JFF was in 2015, when he presented his first feature film Thina Sobabili which won the

An Ordinary People is shot on the Sony FS7 and GoPro Hero4 cameras.

Audience Choice Award and soared to success. “My career highlights are definitely getting to compete for an Oscar and Golden Globe with our first feature film, Thina Sobabili, that journey was incredible,” recalls Nkosi fondly. Since then, Nkosi has built a solid professional relationship with the founder of JFF, Lisa Henry, and volunteered his time and skills on previous editions of the festival. Henry remembers her first encounter with the filmmaker: “I first met Ernest when he submitted his film Thina Sobabili to JFF. I loved the film and recognised his talent but didn’t know his film was a student film until we met – that made it even more impressive.” “His new film is billed as a private screening/free screening as it is in the running for a few big international film festivals which require World Premiere

status. We hope this happens for him and his team and we’re delighted to give Jozi audiences a first look,” adds Henry. “Lisa Henry is a visionary and genius. She came through to a test screening, we were having for the film and figured out a way for us to show the film while still making tweaks to it… so I will forever be grateful to her and the people at Jozi Film Festival,” comments Nkosi. Nkosi and his team have started submitting the film to some of the world’s most influential festivals and they are hopeful for positive feedback. “I think the film will resonate with audiences locally and internationally because we were honest in the making of the film. The culture demands authenticity, the characters are real, the action is real – and if you tell the truth in your work, it’s bound to fall on fertile soil,” Nkosi concludes.

KEY CREW Writer and director: Ernest Nkosi Producer: Nhlane Enos Manthata, Thato Dhladla and Ernest Nkosi. DOP: Motheo Moeng (SASC) and Nyembezi Ncaba Editor: James O’ Sullivan Sound: Mpho Nthangeni and Banele Mtwa

– Gezzy S Sibisi

OCTOBER 2019

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FILM

In conversation with SundanceTV Shorts Competition winner,

Kate D’hotman Kate D’hotman won the second SundanceTV Shorts Competition this year with her zombie comedy Life’s a Drag. She spoke to Fiona Walsh about seeing her film premiere in London and shared some advice for other young filmmakers.

AS PART OF YOUR COMPETITION PRIZE YOU TRAVELLED TO LONDON WITH ACTOR DAMON BERRY FOR THE LIFE’S A DRAG PREMIERE – WHAT DID THAT MEAN FOR YOU AND THE FILM? Being at the Sundance Film Festival: London, was a surreal experience, but it was a great validation for both the film and me as a filmmaker. Seeing the film on the big screen for the first time was totally surreal and completely exhilarating at the same time! SundanceTV Shorts was the first competition we entered, so it was a huge surprise to win, and it inspired me to really take the marketing of the film to the next level and enter more festivals. I met some really wonderful people at the festival and got inspired by what other filmmakers are doing on an international scale. This industry is all 18 | SCREENAFRICA | OCTOBER 2019

about relationships, investing in authentic connections and nurturing those – when you see these festivals as an opportunity to connect with people on a real level, rather than looking for a big cheque or a quick deal, you’re really investing in your long-term career as a filmmaker. PRESUMABLY YOU HAD A LIMITED BUDGET WHEN SHOOTING; WHAT DID YOU PRIORITISE? Yes, absolutely, budget is always a problem when making passion projects – you’re essentially drawing from your own bank account and maxing out your credit cards to get it made, and then calling in favours everywhere you can and asking people to come on board for free. You’re asking them to believe in your idea as much as you do. As someone who’s worked in

WHAT DID YOU HAVE TO COMPROMISE ON? Time was a definite challenge – I wish we’d had another half-day to shoot the office scenes. We had to move on pretty quickly without doing as many takes as I might have liked, not getting the time to really light the way the DOP, William Collinson, would’ve liked to. We also had to leave out shots I’d planned on getting, so sometimes I wish we’d got more coverage. We had to borrow all of our props and set dressing and Propstars very generously donated all of that free of charge – but we couldn’t get working computers, so of course we had to do a lot of compositing in post-production to fill in the screens. TELL US A BIT ABOUT THE ZOMBIE PROSTHETICS AND MAKE-UP ON LIFE’S A DRAG. I got really lucky with Dreamsmith letting us use their human arm for free, and they added all sorts of string and bits and pieces to the end of it so that once we soaked it in fake blood, Hlubi [Mboya] could take a big bite out of it and it really looked like she was tearing at muscles and tendons! Even I have to look away for some of that scene! Plus, Matthew Howard Tripp actually made a prosthetic production on TV commercials for finger for Damon [Berry], which was great several years, I prioritised two because I really wanted it to be falling off in things: the safety and security of a few scenes, and we got it to do that, the cast and crew by insuring the which is really funny on screen. Matthew shoot through GIB (public liability, also came on set and was a life-saver with personal accident and equipment makeup and special effects. insurance), and then feeding Our other two makeup artists were everyone properly, with real caterers Courtney Jane Larkin and Jurine Erwee, and meal options. I learned that and they worked really hard at creating lesson long ago: if you don’t feed wounds and makeup for Damon and Joe your crew well, they might turn into [Vaz]. Altogether, I think it turned out blood-thirsty zombies and come for pretty great, but it was definitely a you! challenge. I think it’s just a matter of treating your team well, and letting them know DESCRIBE THE FILM’S JOURNEY that you value their well-being. On that SINCE THE LONDON PREMIERE. note, I’d like to thank everybody who It’s still pretty early in the game – a worked on Life’s a Drag – cast, crew, good festival run usually takes about a post production and all the generous year to hit all the major ones – but it’s donors and sponsors. None of this already doing well. We got into Shnit would have been possible without you! International Film Festival in Cape

Town this October. We also made Official Selection at Atlanta Shortsfest, the Jozi Film Festival, Seoul International Film Festival in South Korea and the Women’s Comedy Film Festival, Atlanta, where I was lucky enough to be nominated for Best International Director. Most recently, we made Official Selection at HollyShorts Film Festival in Hollywood, Los Angeles. I decided to bite the bullet and make the 27-hour trip, and I’m so glad I did! Attending HollyShorts has definitely been a worthwhile experience. I’ve met a bunch of great filmmakers, writers from major US TV shows and feature films, managers, agents, producers and studio executives, so it’s been an invaluable experience. I’ve been talking to a few studios and producers about Life’s a Drag being developed into a TV series, which is really exciting. YOU’RE A MEMBER OF SWIFT; HOW DOES THE ORGANISATION HELP FEMALE FILMMAKERS? Sisters Working in Film and Television was launched by some female powerhouses in the industry, including filmmaker Sara Blecher, in 2017 at DIFF, which is where I came into contact with them for the first time. They’re a really great organisation, focused on fighting sexual harassment against women in the film industry, as well as advocating for the success of female filmmakers. We believe in women supporting one another and building each other up. Our trip to Berlinale last year, supported by the DTI,

FILM

“The biggest lesson Kate D’hotman and Damon Berry being interviews at Sundance Film Festival 2019 in London was the first test of this, and I was lucky enough to be one of the filmmakers to attend. It was a totally eye-opening experience, and really brought us together as women and as creatives. After the success of that trip, SWIFT really took off and membership has grown exponentially. Members are part of a SWIFT WhatsApp group, where we post questions and provide information and job opportunities for one another. Producers in the group are encouraged to give women in SWIFT the opportunity to work on their projects first, so we can address the imbalance in the industry and try to reach equal representation. WHAT’S YOUR ADVICE FOR OTHERS BREAKING INTO FILM? Whew! I’m hardly the authority on this, but I’d say the biggest lesson I’m learning from my exposure to international filmmaking and film festivals and markets is this: stop doubting yourself. Women, especially, are incredibly hard on themselves and are too self-deprecating.

As young South African filmmakers, we need to be pushing harder, dreaming bigger and claiming our place in the world. We have great ideas, original stories and tons of talent in our country. All we need to do is start believing in ourselves and stop waiting for someone else to make our dreams come true. As Oprah said, “If they don’t give you a seat at the table, bring a folding chair.” Write, write, write. Get your talented friends together and make something. Film it on your phone, or if you’ve worked in the industry for a while, don’t be afraid to ask for favours from gear houses or friends with proper cameras. Ask for advice, tell people what you’re trying to do. Start a crowdfunding campaign; if you have savings, use them! You are worth the investment. Be prepared for sacrifices – this isn’t a get-rich-quick game. But above all, don’t be afraid.

I’m learning from my exposure to international filmmaking and film festivals and markets is this: stop doubting yourself. Women, especially, are incredibly hard on themselves and are too self-deprecating. As young South African filmmakers, we need to be pushing harder, dreaming bigger and claiming our place in the world. We have great ideas, original stories and tons of talent in our country.

”

– Kate D’hotman

Watch Kate D’hotman’s award-winning short Life’s a Drag on SundanceTV (DStv 108).

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WHAT THE SITE OFFERS: • Users can browse by genre or composer. • Offers an easy-to-use, fast and automated usage request process. • After requests are approved and licensed, users can receive the full sound recording, should they need this. • No need to register, one can browse without registration, choose the songs they wish to use and request a quote by completing a simple questionnaire. Licensing and acquiring synch rights for your, Ad, Film, Theatrical and Television production has never been this easy.

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BUSINESS & LEGISLATION

INTIMACY

COORDINATION ON SA FILM AND TV SETS Galvanised by the #MeToo movement, film and TV producers around the world have acknowledged the imperative to recruit experts when working with intimacy, simulated sex scenes and nudity.

Workshop with Ita Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Brien in London 20 | SCREENAFRICA | OCTOBER 2019

n July, Sisters Working in Film and TV (SWIFT) invited Kate Lush from Intimacy on Set in the UK to run a workshop at the Durban International Film Festival (DIFF). Intimacy on Set was founded by intimacy coordination pioneer, Ita O’Brien, who – with others – developed a set of best practice guidelines. Interviewed on BBC Radio 5 in June this year, O’Brien described what her work involves: “My role on set is very much about sending out my antenna and trying to listen to everybody – from producer, to director, to actor. While the structure really helps to put in place a clear process that allows you to

choreograph a sex scene safely, it is absolutely, fundamentally, about the whole industry having a process, just like you have if you have somebody choreographing a dance or a stunt coordinator making the best fight possible. So the intimacy coordinator is lifting the intimate content that has fallen through the cracks before now because there hasn’t been an understanding that actually we need a craft, we need a structure to allow the actor to bring their craft of acting to the intimate content just like anything else, and to allow the actor to have autonomy over their own body.” Actor and movement director, Kate Lush, felt manhandled on the sets of the

“There is an inherent risk in unchoreographed sex scenes; a risk of trauma and a risk of sexual harassment. Any scenes involving fights or stunts are discussed in advance and mapped out to avoid anyone sustaining injury…It could be argued the emotional and physiological injury sustained in a poorly directed sex scene could have much longer-lasting implications, and cause much more hurt, than any physical injury. – Ita O’Brien

”

UK low-budget horror scene, where actors in a rape scene would be told by the director to just “go for it.” And when asked to train drama students to act in intimate scenes found that directors contradicted what she taught. “Actors would come back to me and say: ‘He stuck his tongue in my mouth, what am I supposed to do?’ Or, ‘The director told me to take my clothes off and it wasn’t in the audition.’” In despair, Lush approached O’Brien and trained to become an intimacy coordinator. For film director and founder member of SWIFT, Sara Blecher, exposure to the concept had such an impact that within weeks she was winging her way to London to participate in O’Brien’s training. “It was an extraordinary experience because this was the first group of women from all over the world that she was training and I think for all of us it felt that we were at the beginning of a very important moment in history; that there was the world before intimacy coordination, where people just do intimate scenes, and then there is the world afterwards, where intimate scenes are understood in a completely different paradigm.” In South Africa, where women are leaving the industry because they feel unsafe, intimacy coordinators could bring the change that is needed. “If you have to do a sex scene with a director who has never done a sex scene, with a crew that do not respect a closed set, for many, many, many actresses, it’s so traumatic, they stop acting. When you sign up to act, you don’t sign up to be a porn star, and in many cases, actresses are expected to do porn or to expose their own personal, intimate sexuality, rather than becoming the character they are playing. Intimacy coordination is a way of protecting them,” Blecher said. The potential for lasting psychological and emotional damage is very real. “There is an inherent risk in unchoreographed sex scenes; a risk of trauma, and a risk of sexual harassment,” O’Brien says. “Any scenes involving fights or stunts are discussed in advance and mapped out to avoid anyone sustaining injury…It could be argued the emotional and physiological injury sustained in a poorly directed sex scene could have much longer-lasting implications, and cause much more hurt, than any physical injury.” Bernardo Bertolucci’s 1972 film Last Tango in Paris came under renewed scrutiny with the #MeToo movement in 2016. In one scene, Marlon Brando’s character, Paul, rapes actress Maria Schneider’s character, Jeanne, using a stick of butter as lubricant. Schneider said the scene wasn’t in the original script and Brando and Bertolucci told her about it just before they began filming. Bertolucci said: “I wanted her reaction as a girl, not as an actress. I wanted her to react humiliated.” “Even though what Marlon was doing

BUSINESS & LEGISLATION

wasn’t real, I was crying real tears….I felt a little raped, both by Marlon and by Bertolucci,” Schneider, who spent years battling addiction and attempted suicide several times, said. She never acted nude again. Angela Sithole, who stars in DIFF’s opening night film, Knuckle City participated in Lush’s workshop, together with Thembikile Komani, who plays Duke in the film. Sithole, who believes intimacy coordination should have happened years ago, said: “I have had experiences where I was told at the last minute that this is a sex scene and so go and figure yourselves out… “I learnt so much from that workshop,” she said, “learned that there is so much that needs to be taken into consideration before an intimate scene happens. There needs to be rehearsals before an intimate scene, just like there are rehearsals before a fight scene. Before a fight scene, there is always a build-up, there is always a rehearsal, there is always a demonstration, there are steps that take place before you do a fight scene. In exactly the same way, there should be steps that you take before you do an intimate scene.” Actress Terry Pheto said: “The worst thing that one can do, especially for a young actor – or for any actor – is to just walk into the scene… you can’t just do your own thing.” An actor must be adequately prepared and know where the camera is going to be and what the camera angles are, “otherwise you are playing with emotions.” Norman Maake, director of the film Love Lives Here, which contains several sex scenes, said he would “embrace” the idea of intimacy coordinators in South Africa. Maake is very conscious of protecting his actors. He does not allow crew to socialise with actors on his set. “Some crew come from undisciplined sets and they bring bad habits with them,” he said. “For me preparation is everything. The actor first gets to read the script and understand what the role of the character is demanding from them and to question if that is something that they want to do… The idea is always for us to reach our story goals. So that conversation in the beginning is very important, because it tests the comfort of an actor; what they have done before, what they are willing to do, what they are not willing to do…I always insist that the two people who are going to do the sex scene also form their own boundaries. “In Love Lives Here, that is how it was done. So that by the time you see it on screen, it looks like the ideas we talked about. And I feel that why it also looks great is because the actors were in control.” Blecher will be joining forces with Kate Lush, who is relocating to South Africa, to offer intimacy coordination in South Africa. – Melody Emmett

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BUSINESS & LEGISLATION

OPYRIGHT ONCERNS

Written by Julia Smuts Louw, freelance screenwriter and host of the Animation SA podcast

The Copyright Amendment Bill, if signed into law, will give South African creatives rights that they don’t want, while taking away the ones they actually need, says The Coalition for Effective Copyright in South Africa. Here’s what it could mean for film and TV.

f you work in a creative industry, you’re probably at least peripherally aware of the controversial Copyright Amendment Bill (CAB), which, as of writing, awaits our president’s signature after a whirlwind trip through Parliament and the NCOP. First gazetted in 2015, the original CAB, along with the associated Performers Protection Amendment Bill, was the fruit of 2011’s Copyright Review Commission, itself prompted by pleas from the music industry to overhaul the 1978 Copyright Act and legislate for enforcement of Needletime royalties. Though the commission was necessary, what came out the other side is, by all accounts, a problematic bill that confers unprecedented rights on “users” of copyrighted materials, while leaving those it purported to protect – the creators – vulnerable to exploitation. Representing a variety of industry associations, the Coalition for Effective Copyright (CEC) has been lobbying for meaningful consultation and impact assessment on the suggested amendment, the latest version of which, stakeholders warn, remains inimical to the creative economy, not to mention contradictory of international treaties, the Constitution and, in parts, itself. The troubling sections, for those new to the debate, include those pertaining to

22 | SCREENAFRICA | OCTOBER 2019

the introduction of unwaivable and retrospective royalties, fair use rights, sub-licensing rights, a 25-year limitation on copyright assignments of literary and musical works and the infamous section 39(B), which makes it impossible to waive the rights the bill confers. In addition, the Bill introduces sweeping powers for government to prescribe contractual terms and user tariffs. “This over-reach by government may well lead to a business environment where investors would not be comfortable to invest in new projects,” warns copyright expert Stephen Hollis, a partner at Adams & Adams law firm. Press focus lately has been on the implications for the publishing industry, partly because the Publishers’ Association of South Africa (PASA) is, to date, the only body to have arranged for an independent economic impact assessment, undertaken by

Collen Dlamini

PricewaterhouseCoopers (summary: bad). But film and TV professionals stand to feel the effects as well – a fact that should concern government, given the industry’s growing economic importance. Here’s a primer:

Nick Cloete

ROYALTIES Sections 6A and 9A of the Bill requires that copyright owners of audiovisual works pay out royalties on profits generated from the commercialisation of such works under copyright to every performer involved, down to the last extra. This royalty rate could apply to all television

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Though the commission was necessary, what came out the other side is, by all accounts, a problematic bill that confers unprecedented rights on “users” of copyrighted materials, while leaving those it purported to protect – the creators – vulnerable to exploitation. S

S c re e n l e g e n d J o h n K a n i s p e a k i n g

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(Section 39B),” explains Hollis. The Performers’ Protection Amendment Bill, the ‘sister Bill’ to the CAB, further legislates that performers in audiovisual works would, after 25 years, gain the exclusive right to commercialise their performances. Any one of these performers could hamstring further use of a work by refusing to agree to a new 25-year term. “The likely impact of this on our fledgling film sector is that international investors would look elsewhere and local producers, creatives and the satellite economies supported by the film industry would bear the brunt,” says Hollis.

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shows, films, documentaries and even commercials that were flighted in the past 50 years. The proposal to introduce this ‘world-first’ royalty right in South Africa without any public consultation or economic impact assessment, is not just irresponsible, but irrational, according to Hollis. “Not only does this send a message to investors that government can rip up existing contracts, but it obliges production companies to pay out royalties to a horde of comers on all works that are still being commercialised,” he states. Another major issue is that the CAB restricts all assignment of rights in literary and musical works – including screenplays and scores – to 25 years. “If a producer were to offer a local composer a buy-out on the rights to an original song for big money, the composer would be prevented from entering into the deal due to the contract override clause

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AIR USE Probably the bill’s most notorious amendments are those which introduce what Hollis calls “arguably the broadest set of copyright infringement exceptions that the world has ever seen.” While this is great news for users of copyrightprotected works, like government and digital platforms, who are thereby given new freedoms to use copyright-

protected works without the need to remunerate, or obtain the permission of the authors, it’s bad news for the very vulnerable creatives that the Bill purports to protect, he warns. The fallout for those creating content for education would be particularly devastating. “It is quite clear to us that government is trying to offset the costs of ‘Free Education for all’ that they are obliged to provide, to the detriment of local knowledge production,” says Collen Dlamini, spokesperson for the Coalition. Government’s position is that while the new language will undoubtedly generate disputes, these will be settled in purposeformed copyright tribunals. But the cost of such litigation in time and money – for those who can afford it – not to mention investor confidence, will be disastrous, particularly since no statutory damages are awarded under our law. As explained by Animation South Africa’s Nick Cloete, speaking on behalf of the CEC: “Ultimately, creators will be practically powerless to contest copyright infringements – especially if the infringing party enjoys access to enormous resources like technology companies.”

SUB-LICENSING Also worrying is Section 23, which allows licensees to conclude sub-license agreements without permission. “Our copyright law must protect our exclusive rights,” Cloete says. “Without it, we will be unable to raise the funds to finance our projects or recoup our costs.” A small but crucial victory gained in the bill’s latest iteration, released in March 2019, is the removal of a clause stipulating that any projects funded by the state would confer copyright onto the state.

BUSINESS & LEGISLATION

Among other things, this would have effectively prevented producers from bringing the DTI rebate to the table when financing co-productions. “It now only relates to work done under the “direction or control” of the state,” says Cloete. A more dubious revision grants the Minister the power to decide which “local organisations” will take the copyright of works made under such direction. These muddy waters will surely leave investors wondering why our government recently ratified three international copyright treaties – the World Intellectual Property Organisation Copyright Treaty (WCT); the WIPO Performances and Phonograms Treaty (WPPT); and the Beijing Treaty (all signed in 2018) – only to flout their conventions, Cloete points out. “Despite the fact that international treaties supersede domestic law, [the uncertainty] will discourage collaboration with South Africa,” he says.

WHAT HAPPENS NEXT? After sailing through the Parliamentary approval process in record time, the CAB is now before the President for his assent. Several question marks around constitutionality should concern him, according to Hollis, not least the impermissible delegations of executive legislative authority to the Minister. Furthermore, the open-ended list of copyright exceptions could amount to an unjustified and arbitrary expropriation of (intellectual) property rights, he points out. But, as you may have anticipated, therein lies a catch. As and when the long-augured changes to Section 25 of the bill of rights, allowing for expropriation of property without compensation, are finally banged out in parliament, they are likely to affect intellectual property as well as land. Perhaps it won’t come to that. “Creative professionals can only hope the President appreciates the implications and sends the bill back for redrafting,” says Cloete. The DTI could not be reached for comment.

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TELEVISION

The State of South African Drama

Every week day, from 18H30 to 22H00, you are guaranteed to find South Africans glued to their television screens to keep up with their favourite shows. Screen Africa takes a look at the leading trends in the television staple of drama with Phathu Makwarela (The River – One Magic), Desiree Markgraaf (Isibaya – Mzansi Magic) and Caroline Doherty (Imbewu – e.tv). WHAT IS THE CURRENT STATE OF THE SOUTH AFRICAN TELEVISION LANDSCAPE? Caroline: The South African television arena has lifted its game immensely over the last few years. With broader alternatives and increased access to international content, our audiences have become much more sophisticated and we had to improve our storytelling and production skills. Desiree: The biggest shift I think came with the move from daily shows being 24 | SCREENAFRICA | OCTOBER 2019

soaps (mainly studio-based) to daily drama. Isibaya pioneered this shift by going full-tilt with that approach and it was an exciting and scary journey at the start. All the high performing shows are now working with that format - bigger drama stakes, action scenes, big climatic arcs and exterior worlds. Phathu: I truly believe that this is the golden era of television dramas in South Africa. There are more dramas and series being produced right now than any other

time in history. There are around 19 daily dramas that are being produced and broadcast in South Africa, without counting the many weeklies. That just tells you how much the landscape has changed in the country. I think more and more dramas are becoming topical and reflective of the society. WHAT KEEPS VIEWERS GLUED TO THEIR SCREENS? Phathu: South Africans want to see themselves reflected on television. Modern shows are an extension of their lived reality. It’s part of most people’s daily ritual. They seem to respond more to stories that move them – empathy (that is evoked by the stories) seems to hook them. Desiree: Building textured characters that arouse emotion and reactions from the viewers. Great actors who are taking the characters off the page (script) and giving them life, viewers can feel when an actor is really putting their heart into a role, they respond to that vulnerability and authenticity. The production values

are amazing now: beautiful wardrobes, sets, cinematography. Caroline: Nothing beats great writing with compelling characters and a cast with a fluid chemistry. HOW HAS THE INDUSTRY LANDSCAPE EVOLVED OVER THE LAST FIVE YEARS? AND, IN YOUR VIEW, WHERE DO YOU SEE IT MOVING IN THE NEXT FIVE? Phathu: The rise of telenovelas and the growth of alternative platforms has really changed the TV landscape in South Africa. Initially, the public broadcaster used to set the agenda of what was relevant. Free-to-air came into the field and challenged that, but it was really the aggressive growth of pay TV that suddenly changed the landscape. Desiree: The next 5 years will see us moving into brave spaces for content. As the viewers appetite for fresh content and the access to alternative platforms grow, so will the demand for high quality drama. We will see genres taking off and the emergence of a more varied bouquet of storytelling.

| WHAT ARE THE CHALLENGES FACING THE PRODUCTION HOUSES THAT ARE ENTRUSTED WITH RESPONSIBILITY OF KEEPING THE VIEWERS’ ATTENTION ON THE SCREEN? Caroline: The growing variety of options for content that are springing up. Audiences have access to content from all over the world on many platforms. The way viewers consume this content is changing. Technology has really broadened the viewing landscape. Viewers don’t have to rush home to watch their shows, thanks to the enabling pattern that is empowered by tech. Desiree: Time! Time to write and shape really great stories and produce them. Time always equals money, it costs more the longer it takes to cook. The other challenge is getting enough new writing talent into the industry. Talent needs time to get experience, so a lot of focus is on developing writers to meet the demands of the industry. Phathu: Budgets! Television Production is an expensive business and the budgets tend not to reflect that. WHAT ARE THE MOST DIFFICULT CONVERSATIONS WHICH YOU BELIEVE NEED TO BE ADDRESSED IN ORDER TO IMPROVE THE INDUSTRY? Desiree: We need to exchange views on how to tackle the development of new talent and promote mastery in that space.

“I truly believe that this is the golden era of television dramas in South Africa. There are more dramas and series being produced right now than any other time in history. There are around 19 daily dramas that are being produced and broadcast in South Africa, without counting the many weeklies. That just tells you how much the landscape has changed in the country.

”

– Phathu Makwarela What does it take to develop a high quality writer, director or producer? Phathu: It would be great to see more investment in developing writers in South Africa. This needs to come from within the industry, from industry groups and from government support. Internships should be developed, alongside writing programs, with industry support. Writing for television is a craft that requires substantial training. IS ENOUGH BEING DONE TO INSPIRE CREATIVITY – IN TERMS OF CONTENT CREATION AND PRODUCTION? Caroline: The television industry is a hard

nut to crack for newcomers to the industry. I think the industry would benefit from being more open to creative ideas from new filmmakers and producers, as well as finding ways to assist their development. Phathu: Creativity is a difficult beast. Real creativity requires investment. South African television is often very similar because budgets limit what is possible to achieve on screen. We tend to replicate stories and environments because we don’t have the money to achieve different styles or genres of production. Desiree: Good will is important, people wanting to do the right thing to inspire

TELEVISION

creativity, but it is balanced between the need to make content that is safe to invest in. It is always a difficult balance. Creativity comes when you take risks, but the risks need to be informed by thoughtfulness and being aligned to what is happening in the world. At Bomb, we have always achieved our best work through taking on uncharted paths with the support of our partners. That’s what inspires our creativity. SOUTH AFRICANS HAVE BEEN BLESSED WITH A GREAT ARRAY OF LOCALLY CONCEPTUALISED AND PRODUCED SHOWS TO TUNE INTO. WHY SHOULD WE KEEP WATCHING? Caroline: South African television is fast finding its feet and we are growing from strength to strength. This are constantly improving and soon our uniquely South African outlook will become something that offers new and exciting ways to tell story Phathu: South African television has never been this good, and it’s only going to get better. Desiree: We will keep surprising you. Our stories are compelling, our teams are made up of great talent and we will keep bringing strong entertainment to the screens every night. We don’t ever take our viewers for granted. – Levi Letsoko

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ADVERTORIAL

SILVERLINE STUDIOS IN

Silverline Studios offer film and television studios, with turnkey production services, in the heart of Cape Town. 26 | SCREENAFRICA | OCTOBER 2019

THE SPOTLIGHT STUDIOS: Stage 1 – SOUND TREATED Stage 1 – loading/storage area Stage 2 – SOUND TREATED Stage 2 – loading/storage area Stage 3 – SOUND TREATED Stage 3 – loading/storage area Stage 4 – not sound proof, so it is used as a storage area Production office space 1 Production office space 2 Production office space 3 3 Port Road

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Williams says: “Our facilities are updated regularly. We have recently renovated our 3 Port Road building, which has 3,000 square meters of offices and workshop spaces, with covered truck access, and fantastic views from the boardroom and user-friendly technology throughout” – and she describes how Silverline is well-positioned to offer turnkey production services because of its long-established network of industry partners. “Silverline has extensive partnerships with Refinery – who specialise in post-production – and Media Film Service, one of the country’s leading technical suppliers. Because of these long-term relationships, we can supply quotes and make introductions and create package deals for companies, who enjoy the ability to have all aspects of production managed under one roof.” Mkhontwana underscores this point. “Having everything on site is another huge advantage for producers. For example, in the case of the recent feature film Maze Runner – everything was done on-site and in-house. This ‘one park’ solution we have developed increases efficiencies all the way through the production chain: there’s no driving around to meet with different suppliers, and all the key stakeholders can work productively in the same studio space.”

RECENT HIGHLIGHTS

ecently, the company has been involved in some exciting international and local projects, from M-Net’s television adaptation of Deon Meyer’s best-selling novel Trackers to the most recent instalment of the Maze Runner film franchise. Screen Africa caught up with Monde Mkhontwana and Ingrid Williams to find out more about the Cape Town-based studio facility and why it has become a favourite amongst content creators from all over the world.

PRIME LOCATION Office manager Ingrid Williams, who has been working at the studio for the last fifteen years – and whose portfolio covers a wide range of duties – outlines one of the chief attractions of Silverline Studios: its ideal location. “We are located right in the heart of Cape Town. So – particularly when we have international clients, for example –

the V&A Waterfront is on our doorstep, and the new Battery Park development is right across the road, which provides us with ample overflow parking.” This area is not only a favourite hang-out for visitors to Cape Town – with world-class shopping, dining, hospitality and leisure options grouped closely together within one safe and vibrant precinct – but is also extremely convenient for production crews, with both essential services (like parking) and recreational activities being readily available. Monde Mkhontwana – who joined the company in 2017 as an IT engineer before being promoted to operations manager a year later – adds that: “a big advantage of Silverline Studios is how convenient it is for crews of any size. We have immediate highway access and we even have a petrol station located at the back of the studios, where clients can run an account for the time they are on premises. We are

also near the Green Point traffic department and the area is fully covered with CCTV surveillance cameras. We have many features that just make life easier for our clients, and this is the area of Cape Town where everybody wants to be.”

TURNKEY CAPACITY Mkhontwana, who describes his role as “looking after clients, meeting their requirements and ensuring that the infrastructure of Silverline stays up to international standards”, shares some details about the different spaces and services that the studio can offer to production companies large and small. With four air-conditioned studios offering over 11,000 square metres of floor space, workshops, makeup rooms and production offices, Mkhontwana stresses that the Silverline offering “is very flexible and can cater to the individual needs of each and every production.”

It’s been a busy and exciting year for Silverline Studios, with the company overseeing many successful productions – including Scorpion King 5 (Universal), Noughts & Crosses (BBC) and The Kissing Booth (Netflix). Asked to reflect on their personal highlights from the past year, Williams says: “My favourite was the recent finale for Survivor South Africa Island of Secrets, which took place on the 12th of September. It was a flawless broadcast of the action from inside Silverline Studios, with a large cocktail party event on-site. This one evening showed the full capacity of what we can offer at Silverline Studios: top-quality production and broadcast expertise, as well as a dynamic space where we can make magic happen.” According to Mkhontwana, “My highlights for this year were the new VW advert and the new Discovery TVC that we shot here in studio. It is so exciting to watch these commercials – which, judging by their quality and production values, would make you swear they were produced internationally – and know they were actually done right here in Cape Town, in the place where we go to work every day. “To share these experiences with friends and family makes us feel proud and excited for the future,” he concludes. To learn more about the production home in the heart of Cape Town that Silverline has created, please scan the following QR code to visit their website: www.silverlinestudios.tv/facilities

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VFX

THE HARSH REALITY OF VFX STUDIOS

Written by Julia Smuts Louw,

freelance screenwriter and host of the Animation SA podcast

In 2013, visual effects house Rhythm & Hues went under after completing a project that should have filled their sails: Ang Lee’s Life of Pi (which won the Oscar for Best VFX, among others). This sad outcome gave some credence to a longstanding imbalance: a culture of undercutting, pressured by subsidised alternatives in other countries, meant US-based VFX studios were scraping ever-thinner margins even as prime gigs proliferated and their work became increasingly indispensable.

David Prescott hough it generated a couple of red-carpet protests and fifteen minutes of support from the broader media industry (you went home to shower and then tried to saunter in. Of may remember a valiant rash of green profile course I never realised the files had time stamps. Next, I pictures peppering Facebook feeds at the time, managed to solve this Alice in Wonderland commercial. expressing solidarity with green-screen jockeys), the Then I said, “OK, you guys have got to pay me now.” problem persists, and is only exacerbated by leaps in technology. As pointed out by VFX legend David Prescott, JULIA SMUTS LOUW: I LOVE THAT STORY BECAUSE, “there’s nothing left to do.” PARTICULARLY FOR WOMEN, RESEARCH SHOWS WE ARE Now more than ever, if VFX is done well, it’s invisible. LESS KEEN TO FAKE IT TILL WE MAKE IT, AND LESS KEEN TO This unfortunate truth, together with their natural place in SAY “OK, NOW YOU PAY ME PROPERLY.” the value chain, leaves VFX artists chronically underDP: I was embarrassed about that story. But I do have this appreciated and frequently underpaid. Knowing how to thing that it’s better to ask forgiveness than permission. I fight your corner is key, as Prescott counselled in his talk at have done things in my career where I’ve said, “I have no Cape Town International Animation Festival in March idea how I’m going to do this but I know I’m going to this year. figure it out.” This instance was not that. There was no Now a creative consultant, Prescott cut his teeth at backup plan. trailblazing studio Digital Domain – itself since bankrupted and auctioned to Asian owners – at a time when it was still JSL: THAT BRINGS US TO ANOTHER OF YOUR TALKING not unusual to go and see a movie just to check out what POINTS, WHICH WAS TO “SEE IMPOSTER SYNDROME AS new marvels CGI wizards had wrought. But by Prescott’s YOUR ALLY.” lights, those days are dwindling. His overarching message to the young workers in illusion of 2019: work for DP: That’s something I only recently started paying goosebumps, but make sure you’re getting paid. attention to. I replayed my career and realised there were He took us back to his humble beginnings in that these times when I got comfortable and capable and at humblest of media outposts: 1980s South Africa… each of those points, I would take on the next challenge, and have these waves of self-doubt, and then get David Prescott: There was no industry here at the time. comfortable again. Imposter syndrome is just a good way SABC had a couple of Quantel Paintboxes and that was it. to describe these peaks. For the longest time I said, “If you There was no one making films. There were people doing work for goosebumps you don’t need money.” Then one news logos. So you had to get into one of those day I said, “Hang on a minute, that guy’s earning more companies. I had [a connection] at this company that than me. I’m better than him. I should earn more money!” Hilton Treves worked at. And the only way to get in and on JSL: THAT’S SOMETHING ELSE THAT’S ENDEMIC TO a box was to say that I knew how to use it in the interview. [CREATIVE] INDUSTRIES. IF THEY SEE YOU’RE ENJOYING IT I walked out and thought, what the hell have I done? THEY SAY, “LET’S TAKE OFF A ZERO AND SEE IF THEY’LL I thought, “If I get the job, I will never lie on my KEEP DOING IT…” resume again.” DP: In the early part of the industry people were like, “Oh I had been there for a couple of weeks, fetching coffee, those guys are geniuses! They’re dong Titanic!” We had when they asked me if I could digitally paint five graphics no idea what we were doing. We had MIT scientists and for SABC. I spent the entire weekend figuring out the people who put rockets on Mars working for us. There was software. Early hours of Monday I finally banged them out,

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this peak moment where you went to work afraid, but you left work with goosebumps. I thought that was the perfect balance. By [the time of] Benjamin Button, I remember looking at that and saying “OK, there’s nothing left to do.” There isn’t a movie that you could make me afraid of making. If you look at the way WETA is using their new lighting system, it’s an amazing jump, and this deep machine learning stuff that Digital Domain was doing on Thanos is amazing. But what we’re doing now is inventing better ways to do stuff we have done before. But that doesn’t mean you can’t still use the craft creatively. JSL: YOU HAD ANOTHER POINT ABOUT “IF YOU WANT TO BE AN ARTIST, GO TO FRANCE AND CUT YOUR EAR OFF.” DP: My professor in art school told me that and I’ve held onto it, because it reminds me that I’m getting paid for this. True fine art is your own personal expression. You never know if people are going to like it. We don’t have that luxury. We have to create something people like. JSL: WHAT’S THE HARDEST PRODUCTION YOU’VE WORKED ON? DP: That’s tough. You get productions where the work was hard but the people were amazing. Or where the work was easy but the people were a nightmare. JSL: YOU HAD THAT STORY ABOUT TRANSFORMERS, WHERE YOU WERE STILL DELIVERING SHOTS WHEN PEOPLE WERE BUYING TICKETS. DP: Yeah. We’d been to the premiere, and – walking out – Michael Bay said to me, “Hey, I want to do another version.” I said, “You know, it releases tomorrow...” And he said, “Yeah it’s fine, we have nine hours.” I heard there were nine different versions in theatres that weekend. JSL: IN A WAY IT’S COMFORTING THAT THAT CRAP HAPPENS EVEN AT THAT LEVEL OF THE INDUSTRY. DP: Yeah, you just don’t tell anybody right? … I went through a wobble a few years ago where I became disillusioned. That was when I tried to move my career. I liked the idea of being a creative consultant. At first I was like, why would you give me the opportunity? Again: imposter syndrome. Then I got through this one job with Double Negative and realised twenty years of experience does pay off. And has a dollar value attached to it. I then realised that I had to really change the way I work. I was used to making massive commitments to directors, knowing I was responsible to deliver that. Now I was giving advice, but wasn’t going to have to live with it if it went wrong. JSL: THAT SOUNDS LIKE A WIN-WIN SITUATION FOR YOU! DP: No… I didn’t want to leave behind bad advice if I wouldn’t be there to fix it. So that was another learning phase. Now I’m really happy doing what I’m doing. And for the first time, I don’t have guilt about not being at work.

NEW MEDIA

CONNECT

WITH THE AFRICAN CYBER Choosing sides is easy when one lands on the active game streaming platform, the African Cyber Gaming League. The South Africanborn game streaming site shares some of the behind-thescenes magic that keeps 1000s of gamers across the country logged in.

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very gamer in the world knows the two golden rules that every gamer lives by: firstly, nothing comes between a gamer and his or her gaming time; secondly, nothing in this world makes life better than joining a virtual universe of equally passionate gamers. Nick Holden is the co-director of African Cyber Gaming League, a digital residency space that he co-founded with Clint O’Shea that is continuing to give form to the South African cyber gaming landscape. “Nick comes from playing competitively, while I was just a gamer with my heart in growing the community and industry. We met online around 12

years ago, and our paths continued to cross as he started operating online tournaments and I wrote about them,” says O’Shea. “Over time, I decided to get involved in operating gaming events and we started working together at a variety of events hosted by MWEB,” he adds.

DIGITAL SPACE AND GAMING What started off as a gaming campaign for online and venue competitions, over time, blossomed into a fully-fledged cyber gaming platform that is home to numbers of gaming heroes and villains. “The site grew from a basic need initially to advertise the Call of Duty World League event we were contracted to do

in 2016,” says Holden. “Over time we saw the potential to bring a more varied range of gamers together to play and compete more regularly across multiple titles. The site is now constantly evolving to accommodate more players, engagement elements and titles.” With the help of state-of-the-art servers, streaming and php technologies, the African Cyber Gaming League platform is revered for broadcasting gaming content (live action game streaming) from users, who are registered members of the cyber community residing on the platform. The process is simple: gamers, ranging from budding competitive gamers to the

NEW MEDIA

AND PLAY GAMING LEAGUE

highly experienced, can get onto the site using an easy to use step-by-step instruction to register themselves and legitimise their residence on the cyber platform at no cost. “We have added customisation options for users, which includes branded avatar kits to show team or brand support,” enthuses O’Shea. He continues: “We host one-night cups for games like Fortnite, Call of Duty and more on a weekly basis. Players can sign up via the site for free, then check-in on the night of the tournament. From there, tournament brackets are generated and players compete. Our app notifies players when their next match is ready to start.”

LURING DIGITAL RESIDENTS The site is founded on sharing users’ gaming content with the platform’s subscribers, as well as broadcasting the tournaments. Of primary importance, is how the site is designed to encourage continued engagement and interaction between gamers. The digital space is very enabling for the gamers to showcase their personalities – as having an online identity is a very important part of competitive gaming. “We do only feature live streams from our tournaments, but the video clips we feature are accepted from all titles, platforms and tournaments,” says Holden.

“Competitive tournaments need content to be relevant. Content needs personalities. If any of that is neglected, the others generally get lost. Written content lives alongside the video and streaming, but video is now the one that ensures user engagement,” adds O’Shea. Besides luring in interested gamers, the site has built enough capacity to accommodate viewers who purely enjoy the gaming broadcasts from an audience perspective. The gaming culture is built on understanding the importance of feeding off other competitors by watching them as they compete, similar to how (for example) football fans enjoy a game that they are watching on a sports channel. Game hosting is the life-blood that keeps the numbers on the platform consistent and triggers further interest from various other parties. “Viewers can be sitting in another continent and still watch the event via a live stream. Being able to stream from an event and capturing the player and spectator reactions amplifies that all again,” says O’Shea. Holden believes: “Live streaming also offers online spectators the opportunity to engage live with other viewers and even the players and casting team. Without it, it would be like hosting in a vacuum.”

SEEING THE FUTURE – BACKWARDS The African Cyber Gaming League is bolstered by in-house developers who consistently update the technologies on the site to ensure up-to-date experiences for gamers and spectators. Due to the innovations that take place at an alarming rate in cyber universes, digital game hosting has a few upgrades on the horizon. According to Holden: “At the ACGL the policy is simple: never stop innovating. Automation of the general user experience is going to be integral going forward. We would like to ensure that our response time and problem resolution is handled swiftly on the site. We’re constantly updating the website to ensure that we are solving problems or improving the overall user interface,” he adds. The cyber gaming world is not without its challenges. As the platform owners are aware, the costs of larger-scale broadcasts rise exponentially. And, in certain instances, the reach of the broadcast would not justify the costs incurred. He concludes: “That being said, if a reader has never seen a high-end Esports broadcast, they might be surprised by what they see. Game streaming and broadcasting – even locally – is up there with some of the best sports productions in the world.” – Levi Letsoko

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Tuned in

NEW MEDIA

to target-driven radio The global explosion of streaming radio and podcasts as a new way of consuming content has carved a path in the direction of target-driven radio. Screen Africa chats to Rhowan Johannes and Tiff Willemse about why streaming might be the future of radio and the technological innovations that enable it.

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iving in a technologically-advanced era has broadened the playing field in the entertainment spheres. Gone are the days when one would have a structured pattern of how they would consume content, such as tuning into one’s favourite radio show. Unlike in the past, one doesn’t have to rely on the traditional routines of media consumption – and it is all thanks to the progress that has been made by innovative thinkers. The world of digital brings with it an array of options – and each option consistently redefines the changes that shift economic and social paradigms. Rhowan Johannes, the station manager at 2Oceansvibe (a Cape Town-based digital radio station) believes that alternative radio platforms offer a unique approach to the media practice. “Our origin story is like no other – one man had the genius foresight to create an alternative platform with an incredibly unique tone that now generates over half a million unique hits a month,” he says.

RADIO WARS: ANALOGUE VS DIGITAL/ALTERNATIVE He says: “Digital radio is a highly active market because technology is so easily available and incredibly user-friendly to set-up. The technology we have right now makes it a breeze to produce live

streaming content.” Digital radio platforms shared a common advantage in that they do not require the intricate technologies that analogue radio efficiency relies on. The availability of software enables the digital platforms to carve a unique niche. Founder of targeted media platforms, Tiff Willemse, who is the CEO of Massiv Media, conceptualised a niche commuter radio platform that is available on designated mini bus taxis, which reaches a large market due to the average South African’s heavy reliance on public transport. “The innovation around Massiv Metro was to utilise the innovative technology we have developed over the years and the deep understanding of the urban commuter market and combine this with dynamic, entertaining and engaging content,” says Willemse. “We developed a radio head unit for vehicles that can only stream content exclusively from Massiv Metro. We are able to leverage our access to very competitive data rates and launch a relevant hybrid radio station,” he adds.

STRUCTURED VS. ON THE GO The world of radio is undergoing changes that are similar to the ones experienced by other media platforms including television and film. Traditional

NEW MEDIA

“The innovation around Massiv Metro was to utilise the innovative technology we have developed over the years and the deep understanding of the urban commuter market and combine this with dynamic, entertaining and engaging content.

”

– Rhowan Willemse

Rhowan Johannes radio stations find themselves in a position where they are forced to supplement the analogue set up with digital enhancements such as streaming apps and digital presence. This transition speaks to the undeniable presence of the alternative platforms, while, at the same time, the phenomenon creates a pathway for new players to gain access to an industry that previously boasted high barriers of entry (in terms of platform ownership). “Our motto is ‘work is a sideline, live the holiday’ – so it’s only fitting that our on-air personalities can broadcast from anywhere in the world. We’ve uncovered great hardware and software programmes that can allow this without compromising on the quality of delivery,” says Johannes. He adds: “We’ll also be focusing a lot more on

podcasting features and packaging these items in a more user-friendly way.” Willemse openly acknowledges the added advantage that technology has placed at his company’s disposal. As a targeted media platform, Willemse’s Massiv Metro has managed to solidify a presence in carefully controlled spaces (mini bus taxis and assigned taxi ranks equipped with free WiFi), enabling them to reach their targeted market. “We have not solely relied on this to gain and maintain our audience. Prior to launch, we conducted extensive research with mini bus taxi drivers and with commuters to ensure we put together a radio station that would engage and entertain them,” says Willemse. “4G networks and WiFi are the key technologies alongside our customdesigned streaming radio unit, which is installed directly inside the mini bus taxis,” enthuses Willemse.

CONTENT IS KING 2Oceansvibe’s Johannes indicates that it is highly important to take note of audience behaviour and keep track of any changes as and when they happen, because this allows the platform to stay relevant to the audience. The digital radio world does have its limitations if it is to be compared to the traditional radio platforms, but at the

same time it does offer a revised option to audiences who prefer going beyond the ordinary. When analogue and digital are put head-to-head, it becomes evident that the deciding factor between two is the quality of content. “We have to drive conversation, shows, topics and interviews across social media enticing audiences to tune in. This is why we encourage our hosts to live stream on socials as well,” says Johannes. “Where we differ is the content we produce. We don’t work in the same parameters that traditional radio does,” he adds. Massiv Metro’s Willemse agrees that for any platform to remain resilient, it needs to have a well-coordinated content plan. He says: “Great content is what brings listeners back to us even outside of the commuter environment and allows us to run highly successful campaigns for our clients. “Digital innovations are fantastic but there is so much available that at the end of the day people are going to follow and engage with relevant and appealing content and digital innovations are going to need access to this content in order to retain their audience,” says Willemse.

BRAND NEW WAVE It is imperative for alternative radio platforms to package their offering in a very appealing fashion in order to position themselves as a new wave in the geographical radio eco-system. The talent behind the scenes (and microphones) is a vital tool in the

operational framework of the platforms, from the on-air talent to the human resources and administration, as well as the business developers. “When you look at our current radio landscape, big on-air personalities have now been replaced by presenters who simply back-announce songs and comment on the weather,” says 2Oceansvibe’s Johannes. “Our platform has stood the test of time because we offer such a unique and diverse group of voices that cover an array of topics and beats. Digital presenters have the power to produce longer-form content and have the ability to be authentically themselves,” he adds. There is no doubt in Willemse’s mind that streaming radio is the fastestgrowing segment of the radio industry, both locally and internationally. “The shifting playing field between analogue and digital is a moving target. Digital in its conventional format will allow much more competition but will still be controlled by ICASA. “The freedom of the internet gives listeners the choice to listen to content anywhere in the world, and – at the end of the day – the more accessible this becomes to people, the faster the shift from traditional radio to digital streaming radio will happen,” he concludes. – Levi Letsoko

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CINEMATOGRAPHY

Director Mamadou Dia and DoP Sheldon Chau on shooting Nafi’s Father in Senegal Premiering at Locarno Film Festival, where it took home two major awards, Nafi’s Father is an intimate Senegalese drama that sees two brothers fighting over their children’s wedding. The film’s director Mamadou Dia and DoP Sheldon Chau tell us more.

WHAT MADE THIS STORY IMPORTANT TO TELL FOR YOUR FIRST FEATURE FILM? MAMADOU DIA, DIRECTOR: The film follows Tierno, who struggles to balance his role as a sufi religious leader in rural Senegal with his role as a father, as he tries to prevent his daughter from marrying her cousin. I’d been working on the script since 2016 after graduating with my master’s degree in film at New York University. It’s the result of weaving together personal stories and contemporary social issues. In the film, extremist religious groups try to infiltrate a sufi community by means of marriage. Nafi’s Father deals with some of today’s most difficult questions for my community and the world at large. Movies, like news reports, tend to align along polarised extremes targeting specific audiences and their expectations. When representing the African continent, they either visualise hopeless places—think of Beast of No Nation—or celebrate resilient heroes, like in Queen of Katwe. In between these extremes of Afro-Pessimism and Black-Optimism lie numberless, more nuanced stories that await to be told. As an African and Muslim man, I wish to engage in this process of re-imagination — in what the philosopher Souleymane Bachir Diagne calls “Afro-responsibility.”

CAN YOU TELL US MORE ABOUT THE DECISION TO FILM IN YOUR HOMETOWN IN SENEGAL: WHAT ADVANTAGES DID IT BRING, AND WHAT WAS THE EXPERIENCE LIKE? DIA: It is the first fiction feature shot in the area. We went through all the stages of a new experience. We had lots of questions, such as how to explain what the film is about without giving away too much information – as the majority of the cast weren’t professional actors. We had a lot of excitement on the first days of shooting; people were curious to see how a movie is made. And then, after a couple of days, the constant repetition of the same gestures and acts took some of the excitement away. Midway through the shooting, we kind of became part of the town. SHELDON CHAU, DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: When Mamadou first told me we were filming in his hometown of Matam, I immediately got very excited. We shot in a small town that was an eight-hour drive inland from Dakar. This was rural Senegal, and right on the border of the Senegal River, which creates the border between two very different countries – Senegal and Mauritania – and a place where “filmmaking” is a rather foreign thing. Spending a month and a half in Matam is one of the more special experiences in my life. The local community accepted us and took us in like family.

CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT THE CAMERAS YOU CHOSE TO USE ON THE FILM? DIA: Sheldon and I were looking for a professional camera in the full sense of what “professional” could mean. At the same time, one that was not too big, nor too intrusive for non-actors who have never seen a film crew before. The goal was always to get close to the characters because Nafi’s Father is an intimate family story. Because of this, we chose the URSA Mini Pro. We also chose it due to how quickly it allowed us to complete postproduction. It was important to finish this film in time for the summer festivals, and our workflow was much more streamlined by editing BRAW footage with DaVinci Resolve. CHAU: For this project, Mamadou had told me that we were shooting in a small town that was very far from any major city. Whatever camera package we brought there had to survive the length of the shoot. Not only that, but we needed something compact and have as few cases as possible. The URSA Mini Pro was light enough, plus I didn’t need all the extra common accessories to shoot – I didn’t need a big camera crew to follow me and with the internal NDs, especially in Senegal’s extremely bright daylight, I was good to go.

Also Matam is the dustiest place I’ve ever filmed in in my career, yet the camera never once failed. It never failed to turn on, and all of the footage captured through the lens made it onto the CFast cards and into all the hard drives. One common misconception of this camera that many people ask me about is its low light capabilities. In hindsight, we were not afraid of the dark on this film, especially in the climactic night-time sequence with interior and exterior shots. With proper lenses, a decent lighting strategy, and a solid grasp on exposure, the URSA held up well in the native ISO 800 range. The noise was minimal, and if we pushed it to ISO 1600, any unwanted noise was pretty easy to remove in post.

“The goal was always to get close to the characters because Nafi’s Father is an intimate family story. Because of this, we chose the Blackmagic URSA Mini Pro. We also chose it due to how quickly it allowed us to complete post-production. It was important to finish this film in time for the summer festivals, and our workflow was much more streamlined by editing BRAW footage with DaVinci Resolve. 34 | SCREENAFRICA | OCTOBER 2019

”

– Mamadou Dia

| WHAT CAMERA SETTINGS AND LENSES DID YOU CHOOSE AND WHY? CHAU: We shot using the Blackmagic RAW codec at 4.6K, mainly using BRAW 8:1. We framed for a 1.85:1 ratio, as we felt that that best captured the mood and feel of the narrative. 2.39:1 was never in consideration as we wanted to get close to the actors and not limit their headroom. I shot mostly at ISO 800, and pushed it to 1600 for moments that needed it. For glass, we used a set of Zeiss Uncoated Super Speeds, and a modified Duclos Tokina 11-16mm zoom. The Zeiss Super Speeds are some of my favourite lenses of all time. I opt for them when I feel a film needs a more vintage look in addition

to the extra boost in low light, since they open up to f/1.3. Having them uncoated gave us some beautiful irregularities – wild flares, softer contrast, unplanned reflections. PLEASE TELL US ABOUT THE SHOOTING STYLE AND TECHNIQUES YOU EMPLOYED TO TELL THIS COMPELLING DRAMA? DIA: Nafi’s Father is set in a society that has strict rules. The Fulah community lives all across Africa from West to East. It is a community that has more than 50 million people. Even though they live in different countries they generally follow the rules of moderation. At times the shots were locked off to reflect the strictness. However, this film is about a family wedding that isn’t going as planned, and also about a small community drifting into religious extremism. So sometimes the camera had to move to follow the action. CHAU: As Mamadou mentioned, the camera ranged from a variety of techniques

– sometimes locked off and static on a tripod, other times a more vibrant handheld, and at times a super wide lens. Our main character Tierno – played brilliantly by Alassane Sy – goes through a range of aggressively passive emotions throughout the film and I especially wanted to highlight that; it pretty much dictated the visual language of the film. How did Tierno feel at this moment? What is his state of mind? What does he want in this scene versus what is he actually doing? Subtly, I tried to evoke that in the cinematography. DID YOU RELY ON A PROXY/OPTIMISED MEDIA WORKFLOW OR WORK NATIVELY WITH BRAW MEDIA? CHAU: We created proxies as per our editor Alan Wu’s specifications. Because BRAW was such a new thing, we didn’t want to make the decision right there and then to work natively on it. Therefore, we created MXF proxies for the AVID software at the end of every day, so our DIT could be

CINEMATOGRAPHY

syncing footage to sound during the next day. After the offline edit, our colourist in New York – Pedro Padilla of RIF///RAF post house – brought it back to BRAW for the DI. PEDRO PADILLA, COLOURIST: Since I used the ACEScct colour-managed workflow, I had a solid starting point using the Blackmagic camera input device transform, which allowed me to very quickly see where Sheldon intended to go with the visuals, while retaining all of the highlights and roll-off captured on the sensor. One of the main benefits to working with BRAW, that I noticed, was the speed with which I could make primary adjustments without sacrificing time to render caching upon playback. When it came to secondaries, I found I could really push some challenging portions of the image further than I expected, especially in the shadows. Shifting and slowing down heavily saturated colours yielded clean results, with very little noise or banding.

“For glass, we used a set of Zeiss Uncoated Super Speeds, and a modified Duclos Tokina 11-16mm zoom. The Zeiss Super Speeds are some of my favorite lenses of all time. I opt for them when I feel a film needs a more vintage look in addition to the extra boost in low light, since they open up to f/1.3. Having them uncoated gave us some beautiful irregularities – wild flares, softer contrast, unplanned reflections.

”

– Sheldon Chau

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CINEMATOGRAPHY

MOBILE MAGIC

Screen Africa reviews the DJI Osmo Mobile 3

The all-new DJI Osmo Mobile 3 launched in South Africa in mid-September. Restyled and featuring several new app-based operating modes, the gimbal packs an impressive array of tricks into its compact, lightweight design. Screen Africa was given the chance to test-drive one of the new units ahead of its official release.

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“THE EVERYDAY GIMBAL” The first thing to notice about the Osmo Mobile 3 is its new foldable design. Measuring just 157x130x46mm when folded – and weighing only 405 grams – the gimbal is truly portable enough to carry along anywhere. It also features a redesigned, ‘ergonomic’ handle – now with a 15-degree inclination, rather than a perpendicular grip – for greater comfort over long periods of use, and the engineers have thought to include a useful Standby Mode, where you can leave your phone set up in the gimbal in folded position, only to begin shooting again in a matter of seconds. A fifteen-hour battery life and the ability to charge your phone from the gimbal are also great conveniences. Balancing your smartphone on the DJI Osmo Mobile 3 is very easy; in fact, out of the box, it is one of the features that immediately sets it apart from previous-generation competitors such as the Osmo Mobile 2 and the Zhiyun Smooth-4. The Mobile 3’s clip-in slider system is intuitive to use, allows you to balance in both horizontal and vertical planes with two touches of a button, and the counterweights are robust enough to balance phones that are fitted with both casings and additional lenses [ours was tested with a Moment cell phone casing for the Samsung S9+ and the Moment 1.33x Anamorphic Lens]. At the launch of the Osmo Mobile 3, Raissa Mendes (DJI regional manager, Middle East & Africa) spoke about the responsiveness of DJI as a company, and how the Mobile 3 was developed after extensive market research and consultation with users of the company’s previous-generation smartphone stabilisers. With new features like Quick Roll – which allows you to transition from portrait to landscape mode simply by pressing the M button twice – and with a host of new innovations to enable singlehanded control of the stabiliser, it is clear that DJI have tried to build, in their own words, an “everyday gimbal” that can be used quickly and easily in any setting or situation.

DJI MIMO – A WORK IN PROGESS? Another big change for erstwhile DJI users is the app that users must download in order for their phone to interface with the gimbal. Gone is DJI Go and in comes DJI Mimo, a redesigned application that provides some of the Osmo Mobile 3’s most advertised features – such as Story Mode, which provides pre-configured gimbal movements (and template soundtracks) to automatically jazz up your footage so that it’s ready for your Instagram feed. DJI Mimo – which pairs effortlessly with your phone via Bluetooth – offers a range of shooting modes, including photo and video, 3X3 panorama, slow motion, Hyperlapse (for convincing time-lapse shots) and Sport Mode, which increases both the responsiveness and speed of the gimbal’s motors, allowing you to film fast-moving objects with increased image stabilisation. As well as basic handheld operation, the gimbal’s joystick functionality (which can be calibrated separately) gives added smoothness for subtle tilt and pan movements – essential tools for serious

cinematographers. The zoom function is still operated by an ‘up/down’ button system, a feature that many users were probably hoping would evolve into a zoom wheel, as the buttons can lead to awkward ‘jumps’ as one moves in or out on a subject. While features like Gesture Control – where the gimbal will begin recording, or snap photos, when it ‘sees’ users making one of a small range of preprogrammed gestures – might be useful in social situations (like group selfies), budding filmmakers will be even more interested by Mimo app’s Active Track 3.0 functionality and the ability to achieve Dolly Zoom shots (of the kind made famous by Alfred Hitchcock) directly on the gimbal. The Active Track function is easily activated using a trigger on the back of the device, allowing you to focus on a single subject and keep them in the middle of frame. This is excellent for personal recordings – such as speeches or presentations – but it is also extremely useful for situations such as casting rooms, where you might want to leave a camera set up and yet still allow performers to move around the room. One gripe here is that you need to be careful about setting up your Active Track shots: ensure when you squeeze the trigger that the subject is not standing in front of other objects (such as a picture on the wall), as this can confuse the operation, causing extremely jerky footage. At this stage, however, there remain some definite areas for improvement as far as the DJI Mimo app is concerned – and this is especially the case for Android users, who have more limited functionality than those using iOS. Some of the main problems with the Mimo app we encountered were the inability to shoot at 24 frames per second and the lack of freedom when it comes to adjusting exposure levels and other more advanced settings. While, of course, users can always revert to their app of choice (such as Filmic Pro), many of the gimbal’s most striking features – such as Active Track – are not interoperable across different app, a huge drawback. Even more frustrating: although the gimbal is able to balance a smart phoned fitted with an additional lens, DJI Mimo doesn’t yet feature any in-app support for attached lenses. Therefore, if you are trying to shoot with an anamorphic lens, for example, you will not be able to de-squeeze the image in the app (as you can in Filmic Pro or in Zhiyun’s gimbal app, ZY Play, for example).

FINAL VERDICT The DJI Osmo Mobile 3 is a fun, easy-to-use smartphone gimbal that is destined to sell a lot of units as – in our Instagram age – everyone is turning into a video content producer. At just R1,895 (or R2,255 for the combo package, which includes the Osmo grip tripod and carrying case), this will be a highly rewarding purchase that instantly allows you to be more creative when operating your cell phone camera. With some improvements to the DJI Mimo app, the Osmo Mobile 3 could also become an indispensable tool for filmmakers looking to create beautiful images on a miniscule budget.

CINEMATOGRAPHY

“With a three-axis gimbal that effectively reduces shaky footage, Osmo Mobile 3 delivers a super-smooth, stabilised image. A lightweight, ultraresponsive design reacts to your movements in real time, letting you focus more on the moment at hand.

”

– Raissa Mendes, DJI Regional Manager, Middle East & Africa

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IBC 2019

REPORT

A RECORD

IBC 2019 It’s a place where cutting edge innovations and creative ideas are shared and relationships are formed. Each year IBC continues to grow and this year attendance hit a record number! The world’s media, entertainment and technology industry once again gathered in Amsterdam by the droves, while the total attendance figure of 56,390 saw a record number of next-generation (18–35s) attendees, demonstrating the vital role that the show has in the broadcast and entertainment industry.

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BC CEO Michael Crimp was delighted to see audience growth in key target areas, “Particularly in welcoming more young people, senior level executives and overseas visitors,” he said. ”While this gives us a focus to build on next year, our metrics for success also include crucial elements like quality of experience, audience engagement and IBC’s influence on the industry, and our conversations with exhibitors and attendees tells us that these have all improved on 2018.” This year’s show was indeed jam-packed with the technology and trends of tomorrow and perhaps the

biggest highlight for most was the first-ever IBC Esports Showcase live tournament. I think it highlighted just how gripping and entertaining Esports can be and why the media and broadcast industry should be getting involved. Esports is an incredibly fast-growing movement and IBC attendees saw it first-hand, with two professional teams from ESL’s network of National Championships across Europe going head-to-head in the classic FPS multiplayer Counter-Strike: Global Offensive. The broadcast, media and entertainment industry’s sense of social responsibility is stronger than ever. Movements championing diversity and inclusivity are gathering momentum and there is a conscious increase in company initiatives making a positive impact in the workplace and community. To reflect this, and its commitment to driving change in the industry, IBC has for the first time recognised social

REPORT

responsibility as part of its prestigious awards programme with a stand-alone award: the Social Impact Award. Competition for this award was so intense that the judges awarded not one, but three trophies: to Turkish broadcaster TRT for its World Citizen programme; Sagar Vani, an Indian initiative, which is an omni-channel citizen engagement platform; and finally Chouette Films, an initiative of the University of London’s School of Oriental and African Studies, whose aims are to produce academic and informative content with the smallest of environmental footprints. The conference sessions provided attendees with much food for thought. Google’s Android TV and Roku were singled out as two of the most transformative technologies at IBC by Accedo’s Fredrik Andersson in a What Caught My Eye conference session on Innovation. A big topic of conversation on the main IBC stage was change: changing monetisation models, changing consumer habits, even changing content expectations (have we reached Peak Content yet?). Something that never changes, though, is the ever spectacular Big Screen Events. As always, the IBC Big Screen, which is equipped with Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos, delivered a stunning programme of events and screenings. An exclusive cinematic screening of Game of Thrones’ epic Season 8 battle episode drew a huge crowd, as did a session on the stories behind the edit and the music of the Elton John biopic, Rocket Man.

The IBC2019 exhibition featured 1,700 exhibitors over 15 halls offering attendees the opportunity to discover all the latest trends and technologies at their own pace. In the post-production environment, Adobe used the show to unveil Auto Reframe, a new feature for its Premiere Pro video editing software that is powered by the company’s Adobe Sensei artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) platform. Auto Reframe automatically reframes and reformats video content so that the same project can be published in different aspect ratios, from square to vertical to cinematic 16:9 versions. Avid used the opening day of IBC to share that its Media Composer video editing software offering will now be able to deliver native support for Apple’s ProRes RAW camera codec, and will support ProRes playback and encoding on Windows. The exponential growth in video consumption worldwide is a challenge, as consumer demands and expectations increase. Taking notice of the market trends, Nikon opportunely unveiled its all-in mirrorless moviemaking set-up: the Nikon Z6 Essential Movie Kit, built around the video-friendly 24.5MP full-frame 4K Nikon Z6 body. Comprising filmmaking essentials such as the Atomos Ninja V monitor, SmallRig camera cage and spare batteries, Nikon describes the Movie Kit as “providing the pure essentials to get rolling quickly, with all the core tools to make high-quality movies,” while “leaving filmmakers free to customise further components to suit their personal preferences.” The package will cost aspirant filmmakers around US$3800. 6K was a buzzword often dropped into conversations at IBC, and Blackmagic Design used the occasion to announce the Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 6K, a new handheld digital film camera with a full Super 35 size 6K HDR image sensor. There are no surprises when it comes to Blackmagic Design: the Aussie company continues to impress with their amazing technology, and of great interest was the release of their ATEM Mini, a new low-cost live production switcher specifically designed to allow live streaming to YouTube and business presentations via Skype.

IBC 2019

As always, Sony showed off their prowess in the industry, unveiling a whole new range of products, solutions and services. The highlight for many a DoP had to be the new PXW-FX9 – XDCAM camera, featuring Sony’s newly-developed Exmor R 6K full-frame sensor and Fast Hybrid Auto Focus system. Building upon the success of the PXW-FS7 and PXW-FS7M2, and inheriting its color science from the digital motion picture camera VENICE, the new camera offers greater creative freedom to capture stunning images and represents the ultimate tool of choice for documentaries, music videos, drama productions and event shooting. Also of interest to shooters was the launch of Sony’s new full-frame E-Mount FE C 16-35mm T3.1 G cinema lens, an ideal match for large-format cameras such as the PXW-FX9 and VENICE, where the wide angle zoom combines advanced optical performance, operability and intelligent shooting functions. For the audiophiles, an impressive third generation of the DWX digital wireless microphone system was great to see, with the compact DWT-B30 bodypack transmitter catching my eye. For an industry that is constantly changing, being able to experience all the latest tech and hear about the challenges and opportunities facing the industry from key industry players all in one place is invaluable. IBC Director Imran Sroya commented: “IBC continues to succeed because we work hard to present the most knowledgeable speakers, the most topical sessions and the technology of tomorrow, providing a global meeting point that enables industry professionals to get together and share vital information about all aspects of media, entertainment and technology.” It really is the place to be and the place to meet and I am already looking forward to see what IBC has up its sleeve for next year! – Ian Dormer

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M A R KET PL AC E

UPCOMING EVENTS OCTOBER 23 OCT – 9

4TH BRICS FILM FESTIVAL

Niterói, Rio de Janeiro

2 – 13

BFI LONDON FILM FESTIVAL

London

3–6

JOZI FILM FESTIVAL

Johannesburg, South Africa

12 – 21

CAPE TOWN INTERNATIONAL FILM MARKET & FESTIVAL

Cape Town, South Africa

25 – 3 NOV

BANFF MOUNTAIN FILM FESTIVAL 2019

South Africa

27 – 31

ADVERTISING WEEK AFRICA

Johannesburg, South Africa

DISPLAYS & MONITORING

PRESS RELEASES

AUDIO

SPECIAL FOCUS

CAMERAS & ACCESSORIES

LIGHTING

DVD

TECHNOLOGY