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April 2012 www.thecallsheet.co.za
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SOUTH AFRICA’S WEALTH OF STUDIOS STUDIOS
Sasani Studios JhB
The diversity and quality of studios in South Africa is just one more reason international film, commercials and stills production companies are happy to bring their projects here.
T
he 16 studios we polled, a small cross-section of the vast local studio offering, had a combined size of more than 26 000 square metres. Local studios offer facilities that can compete with their international counterparts at very competitive rates. The many studios we featured have been busy with a number of different projects, encompassing commercials, movies (including high-budget hollywood productions), live broadcasts and stills shoots. Some of the services and facilities offered are: infinity curves, green screen capability, soundproofing, vehicle access, control rooms, lighting grids/gantries, daylight studios, production office spaces and so much more. A variety of established studios across many different sectors is good news for the film industry as a whole. This is because studios create a number of support jobs, including: construction of sets, carpentry and more. There are studios catering to every budget and stripe of production, in addition to an established selection of studios for stills shoots. Cape Town Film Studios, the largest studio complex in South Africa, has four high-spec sound stages in addition to workshops
and a medieval back lot. Cape Town Film Studios has made a favourable impression on everyone who has worked there, including international talent and producers. Dredd writer and producer Alex Garland enthused: “We had an excellent experience working at Cape Town Film Studios. Nico,
Monique and their team were immensely helpful to the production and provided a superb and highly efficient studio environment in which to shoot. In addition, the local South African crew were firstrate. The whole experience was extremely positive and we would readily do it again.”
Jim Dodson, executive producer of Chronicle, the super-hero blockbuster that was released in February 2012, added: “We all felt so grateful to be able to be based at Cape Town Film Studios for our entire prep and shoot. It is truly a world-class state-of-the art facility. I hope to bring another feature
back there real soon.” Cape Town Film Studios has led the way, but there are plans for similar studio complexes in South Africa’s two other film hubs - Durban and Johannesburg. Former Gauteng Film Commission CeO Terry Tselane revealed towards the end of last year that the GFC is looking to develop the Film City project, which will see a dedicated film district in the province - the likely result of this will be investment in larger film studios in the capital. In Durban, Videovision entertainment CeO Anant Singh, has just won a court appeal that sees him one step closer to building a massive studio complex at Natal Command on the Durban beachfront. The sale of Waterfront Studios to Collective Dream has ensured that this facility, situated in a prime location, has continued to thrive. With the on-site postproduction facilities and three stages at Collective Dream, they have been busy with a variety of projects, including the daily show Hectic9Nine. A thriving studio industry speaks to the overall health of the local film and television trade, indicating that there is a diversification of the work being done here. It indicates that South Africa is no longer just a location destination and that the industry is maturing. As the studios grow in numbers and in the services they offer it is a reflection of the general health of the industry. To see more about the studios we profiled, see page four and five.