The Callsheet - Issue 1

ISSUE 01 | 2019

+ SA’S SNAZZY STUDIOS

Plan your Next Production with SA’s Range of Incredible Studio Spaces

+ FILM FORECAST FOR 2019

A Snapshot of what the Industry can Expect in the Months to Come

CONTENTS / 01

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02. Pearl Thusi Stars in Netflix Series

04 10 28 32

BREAKING GENDER STEREOTYPES

Director Ian Gabriel shares his insight on what ‘being a man’ means in today’s world.

03. The Link between Art and Film

04. Ian Gabriel Breaks

Gender Stereotypes

06. Film Forecast for 2019

08. Industry Snapshot

SA’S SNAZZY STUDIO SPACES

From sound stages to audio production, SA has the facilities you need.

10. SA’s Snazzy

Studio Spaces

20. Spelonk Gets Creative with Funding

22. WrapZERO:

Sustainability in Film

23. Outbound Missions 26. Where to Live When You’re on Set

THE RECCE UNPACKED Cinematographer Jacques van Tonder on his experiences behind the scenes of The Recce.

28. Jacques van Tonder on The Recce

30. CTIAF 2019 is Coming!

32. Mauritius Poised to

MAURITIUS: RISING DESTINATION Mauritius is poised to become a powerhouse of production for the international film community.

Become Powerhouse

34. Events to Diarise 35. Associations News 36. Directory of Advertisers

02 / NEWS

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PEARL THUSI

STARS IN NETFLIX SERIES The first Neflix Original Series in Africa will star local actress Pearl Thusi.

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etflix, the world’s leading entertainment streaming service, has announced its first original series in Africa with SA series Queen Sono.

The action-packed show follows Queen Sono, a highly trained spy in a local agency, whose purpose is to better the lives of African citizens. While taking

on her most dangerous mission yet, she must also face changing relationships in her personal life.

Created by Director Kagiso Lediga and Executive Producer Tamsin Andersson of Diprente, Queen Sono is expected to launch globally in 2019. Pearl Thusi will star as Queen Sono. This will be her second

production working with Lediga after Catching Feelings, which is also available on Netflix.

“We are delighted to create this original series with Netflix, and are super excited by their undeniable ability to take this homegrown South African story to a global audience.

We believe Queen Sono will

kick the door open for more awesome stories from this part of the world,” Lediga says.

Diprente has in the past created hit shows like Emmynominated Late Nite News with Loyiso Gola and Junk Pilots, which recently won the Disney award for Best New Global TV Series at Annecy.

RESIDENT EVIL

STUNT WOMAN SUES FOR MILLIONS Olivia Jackson, who had to have her arm amputated after an on-set accident, is now suing the film company.

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uring the filming of Resident Evil: The Final Chapter in Pretoria in 2015, stunt woman Olivia Jackson was horrifically injured and had to have her left arm amputated. The accident also left her with facial scarring, a twisted spine, a permanently dislocated shoulder, punctured lungs and broken bones.

Initially meant to appear in a fight scene, Olivia’s scene was changed due to unexpected rain and she had to stand in for lead actor Milla Jovovich in a high-speed motocycle stunt.

When a camera didn’t move out of the way fast enough, she

Olivia Jackson was terribly injured on the set of Resident Evil The Final Chapter. © Neale James

collided with it, as well as the rigging, and was thrown from her boke. She spend 17 days

in a coma after the accident.

Now Jackson has launched a legal case in the Gauteng High

Court agains the production and stunt company, the camera crane operator, the vehicle driver and the film director. She is reportedly suing for £2.2 million as she believes she has become unemployable since her accident three years ago.

She has documented her recovery process on Instagram.

“This is the twisted upper body I’m left with from my accident,” she shared, “Skew spine, offcentred neck (the most painful part), twisted shoulder blade, permanently dislocated shoulder, one arm, muscle atrophy on the left hand side of my core, and plenty more other treats.”

FILM AND FINE ART / 03

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LINKING

ART AND FILM

Cal Kingwill, who heads up Priest, shares her vision for the space and how the post production house has moved into the contemporary and visual art space.

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stablised in 2003, Priest has evolved into a creative studio that encompasses editing, finishing and VFX. It is also a beautiful gallery space, and is perfectly positioned on the intersection between art and film. Their Cape Town headquarters are in Salt River, and although their edit suites, 4K projector and infinity curve for the VFX suite is located here, the beautiful office space is shown off regularly when they host screenings and industry talks.

Priest Johannesburg is one part art gallery, one part production office, and one part Espressobar.

And, according to House and Leisure, “Priest’s ‘working space cum coffee space’ is an ode to clever and intuitive design.”

Cal Kingwill takes us through her offices and explains how film, design and fine art go hand in hand.

We’ve heard noise in the art world about a gallery…

Over the last three years Priest have not marketed our editing capabilities to the Joburg market as much as usual, since both Matthew Swanepoel (awardwinning purist Editor) and Amelia Cohen (extraordinary Illustrator

The edit suite in their Cape Town offices

and Motion Graphics Designer) are both new proud owners of babies – thus making being away from home less appealing. As a result of the edit space being used less, but still wanting the luxury of our own identity in Joburg, we collaborated with a group of artists known as The Dead Bunny Society. One of the members, Peter Mammes, I had met when I commissioned him to paint the iconic mural on the wall of the Espressobar. Along with the other members of the DBS, Neil Nieuwoudt, Stefan Erasmus and Dirk Bauhmann, Priest co-curated art exhibitions once monthly. Through Neil I was extremely fortunate to meet our now Gallery Director Wayne Matthews, and his Assistant Curator, Alison Shaw, who have evolved Priest Johannesburg into a well-respected art gallery.

What is the connection between these two fields in visual arts?

Both film and fine art are unquestionably creative fields.

Both engage the human capacities of communication, of the intellect and the sensed, experienced world – and they do so using the visual realm as a primary tool for this communication. Film is

Cal Kingwill heads up Priest © All photography by Anika Molnár | African Photo Productions

The space is carefully curated and designed

really a component of the arts, like literature, poetry and music.

Film has even been hailed as ‘the greatest art form’. Film in the contemporary world has challenges. The size and scope of film projects often require many people and vast funding.

These factors can obstruct the final expression. Generally speaking, fine artists can avoid these restrictions. Having a gallery allows us to engage in this kind of practice, keeping our ears to ground where creative expression can be a little more radical, irrational and flexible.

Have you always been interested in art and film?

My bigger passion is design. If I was brave enough I would retire to the country, build a jardin potager and make more beautiful pottery than has ever been done before. I studied Architectural Design. I loved History of Art. I’m not a very good drawer. However I appreciate all art forms. I love pizzazz. And I’m not afraid of a bit of controversy. With regards to loving film, I would say that I more wanted to create a less predictable environment for filmmakers to appreciate their passion in.

04 / COMMERCIAL DIRECTOR INTERVIEW

Giant Films’ Director Ian Gabriel on set.

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A still from Carling Black Label’s new campaign.

IAN GABRIEL

BREAKS GENDER STEREOTYPES Giant Films’ Director Ian Gabriel worked on an eye-opening commercial campaign for Carling Black Label in which the brand raised the question of what exactly it means to ‘be a man’.

Take us through your thought process behind the concept for Carling’s latest campaign.

It’s very bold for a man to have directed something like this and to speak openly about what’s wrong in society.

During the brief for this commercial, we were asked to devise a ‘problem and solution’ approach to the overall issue of toxic male behaviour and its effect on society. I knew from the outset that we didn’t want to preach about these issues which are obvious enough to see in society.

Our thought was that we needed to see dominant male behaviour reversed at key moments in the ‘dialogue’ (or lack of dialogue) that is ongoing in society. Our thinking was that it was important to target the way in which people are trapped into toxic behaviour by pre-existing patterns and to suggest points at which those patterns could be reversed.

The agency liked this overall conceptual approach, which we then applied to the storytelling. I also wanted to highlight the way in which diverse personalities

might look at this discussion and bring their own point of view to bear on the topic, knowing that even though we all largely pay lip service to the same basic societal values, there’s often big gaps in interpretation around what one person says and another’s apparent agreement with that statement. In other words, I didn’t want to be saying that we were all in unquestioning agreement on the topic we were dealing with; the objective was not to preach but to encourage a conversation. I think everyone – male, female and nonbinary – can subscribe to that idea.

What was it like executing this ad, from casting the right people to taking it through to post?

Most important for me was to find the lead narrator figure who should feel like a modern empathetic man openly exploring an idea. A lot of presenter commercials adopt a very ‘all knowing’ attitude in performance. I wanted to find an actor who could feel like he was learning truths and sharing them as he went along.

When I interviewed and worked

with Pallance Dladla, I felt like I could get him to evoke what I believed was the right balance of certainty and ‘discovery’ in his performance. It was important to see an empathetic male discussing the issue of ‘maleness’. I also wanted to be sure that when I cast the woman activist speaking to the crowd that we cast someone who really had the requisite passion for the subject. I thought that as we were dealing with such intimate views, we should be truthful rather than merely ‘performing’ what the roles required.

Once everyone involved with the production understood and felt the extent to which we were going for authenticity, the excitement and faith in what we were doing spread through the production and post work. I think (and hope) that that honest passion shows in the end result!

What were the main messages that you needed to get across to the audience?

One of the first visuals I came up with was the notion of the burning pram. This was clearly

not intended as a literal idea but as a projection of the notions of parental denial and neglect, and what harm that can affect across a lifetime.

There was a fear that this idea might be too controversial and not be understood as a symbolic portrayal, but it seems like everyone really got to understand the idea clearly enough.

We looked for, and expressed other life-affecting assumptions, dominant fatherhood, male rivalry, etc. – some of these are ancient tropes frequently dramatised in the arts through the ages – others were more recent manifestations, like the frequent and expanding misuse of contemporary social media to promote misconceived behaviour patterns. In contrast, we also wanted to celebrate positive acts that always occur, so balancing the burning pram motif with the motif of a son carrying his father down the stairs was a key emotive gesture which I felt gave us the authentic balance we were looking for.

BLACKSMITH COLLECTIVE / 05

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INNOVATING IN THE

TECH SPACE

Diogo Mendonça and Marcus von Geyso tell us why Blacksmith’s business model is ahead of the curve.

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company founded by Diogo Mendonça and Marcus von Geyso, Blacksmith Collective is unlike any other ad agency or production house. Not only is its business model designed to promote collaboration and creativity, but its scalability and flexibility is ahead of its peers – not to mention the fact that they can easily tap into a vast network of teams suited to any job at hand.

This has led Blacksmith into some incredible technological feats for clients. Diogo and Marcus share more.

Tell us briefly why your business model is unique?

We have a network throughout South Africa and internationally, and because of the scalability of our business model, we can cater to a R25k or a R15 million budget. It means we can have three or 30 teams running at any one time. We are also able to build unique teams with specific skill sets for each project we take on, while we provide strategic guidance, creative direction, quality control and project management expertise.

WWW.WEAREBLACKSMITH.CO @WEAREBLACKSMITH

How has this positioned yourself in the industry?

Our company is two and a half years old and we work within the ‘innovative tech space’. Because of the nature of our business model, this means that we have been able to do a lot of live streaming work, project-specific rigs, etc.

We are one of the few teams who have access to robotic arms, for instance. We are essentially the gateway into cutting edge tech for film and advertising.

In the current industry it’s about being adaptive. Technology allows us to also be relevant and work with cutting edge tech.

We cover full scale content production, live first-time moments and experiential events.

What kinds of unique projects have you worked on?

We filmed the launch for Budweiser Africa, which included 10 Jeeps, 6 Harleys and one helicopter. We also worked on a AR project for Yekani for the launch of their billion rand factory in East London. And then we worked with Intel, who flew 300 drones over the Johannesburg night sky to create a spectacular lightshow as part of Absa’s rebrand. This was a first for Africa.

06 / TRENDS WATCH

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FILM FORECAST FOR 2019

We speak to industry stakeholders and experts for their thoughts on what lies ahead for the film industry in the coming twelve months.

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outh Africa has remained a resilient film and television industry despite numerous setbacks in the last twelve months. Although the country is still not out of the woods, it has stayed the course and will no doubt come out stronger for it. A softcore recession, political instability and an upheaval of the rebate system are just a few of the reasons why the industry has struggled, added to the fact that new international destinations such as Eastern Europe and Mauritius have opened their doors for film business, offering competitive rebates, cheaper labour, and other attractive options for the global industry.

The Western Cape, too, has dealt with a serious drought, and despite the downturn in 2017/18, is bouncing back with a number of international clients shooting in the region this open season. “Going out of drought is helping manage a more positive message including that we are a resilient city and region,” says Monica Rorvik, Head of Wesgro’s Film and Media Promotion Unit.

The F/LM Cape Town initiative has helped create a unified voice for the film and media industry, and its online portal provides a much-needed onestop platform for international producers and execs to explore what the Cape has to offer.

No doubt this will come in handy in 2019 and beyond.

Girl From Nowhere was the most watched film on Showmax recently.

TRENDS TO NOTE

One of the trends we’ve seen sweep SA’s film and TV sector is a growing interest in animation.

Not only has the Cape Town International Animation Festival grown immensely in 2018, but companies like Turner Africa (Cartoon Network) have shown interest in the country and the wider continent’s animation talents. Triggerfish has also recently launched a talent search competition for young people, which educates them on the basic principles of animation.

“You can see clearly that there are more and more initiatives coming up, and there is a strong entrepreneurial spirit on the market,” says Ariane Suveg, Head of Programming and Acquisition

at Turner Kids Africa. “The African animation industry is developing and structuring a strong network of talents and studios, creating interesting pan-African relationships and partnerships. We have actually partnered with African Animation Network to launch and support the Creative Lab initiative, which was really beneficial to approach uprising local talents. There are a lot of stories out there tapping in the uniqueness of African storytelling, and it seem like they are really starting to show.”

By most reports, local film producers have been doing well. Examples are Girl From Nowhere (the most watched film on Showmax), Sew The Winter

To My Skin (opened Cape Town International Film Market and Festival), and André Scholtz’s Toorbos (won the CTIFMF WIP Award for Final Mix. Other films of note in 2017/18 were Five Fingers For Marseille, High Fantasy, and The Wound, all of which received critical acclaim locally and internationally.

Uniquely South African stories like Kanarie and Matwetwe have also graced our stages. This bodes well for the coming year.

If this is the calibre of local productions that have been made and released in the last twelve to eighteen months, then 2019 offers a promising outlook.

Another trend is the increased use of blockchain, says Rorvik.

“Blockchain is one of the

TRENDS WATCH / 07

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Kanarie has received critical acclaim.

Sew The Winter To My Skin opened Cape Town International Film Market and Festival.

Christia Visser of Tess, stars in Girl From Nowhere.

disrupters that will become part of the ease of doing business – two examples are blockchain-driven contracts, and anti-piracy. Custos is a local company that provides one of the leading anti-piracy products protecting media globally.”

SABC STABILITY REMAINS IN QUESTION According to Harriet Meier, Chairperson of the Writers’ Guild of South Africa (WGSA), there are “certainly concerns

about the SABC and how their financial problems will impact content creators in the long run,” she says. “We have committed to working with industry and government, and will be part of the DAC Film and TV Summit on 30-31 January 2019. With all arts, culture, broadcasting and funding ministers and government departments in attendance, this will be the place to make our voices heard and help government understand what we need.”

This worry for the SABC and those providing content to the public broadcaster is not only felt by the WGSA. In fact, the Independent Producers Organisation, SOS Coalition, SA Screenwriters Federation (SASFED) and Media Monitoring Africa have been very vocal about the state of affairs at the SABC. Since mid-2018, content producers have not been properly remunerated for providing the public broadcaster with programming. Despite several large soap operas threatening to stop working if they don’t receive pay, the gravity of the situation seems to only have deepened. The IPO has since said it will poll its score of affected members as to whether they will commit to delivering content despite the clear breach of contract by the SABC. “We further note the disastrous financial situation reported by the SABC executive that will lead to a failure to pay salaries of SABC employees as early as March 2019. Likewise, many of our members have been given notice that payment delays will now be extended to 90 days. The amount owed to independent producers is steadily climbing and we estimate that this has risen to over one hundred million rand.

“The TV production sector is reeling under this debt.

Indeed, the mounting debt sounds the slow death knell of the independent sector. The patience of our producers is wearing thin, more so as many small to medium-sized and black

companies are now unable to extend existing loans to fill the huge gaps in their cashflow.”

It remains to be seen what will happen and whether government will finally assist the SABC in getting back on track or whether this crisis will ultimately deepen in 2019.

NEW EVENTS AND FESTIVALS

According to Meier, 2019 will also bring back the WGSA Muse Awards, as well as the inaugural Federation of African Screenwriters (FAS) Conference.

This will take place in October.

“This conference is designed to bring screenwriters from all over Africa together, to join hands, learn from each other and build a strong screenwriting community throughout the continent, which is capable of telling Africa’s stories to the world,” she explains.

Feeding into the growth of the animation sector, in 2018 DISCOP launched the DISCOMICS event in conjunction with African Animation Network. In 2019 the organisers will be launching the first Business Summit Nigeria 2019 in order to develop the West African industry. It will focus on finance and the economic imperatives of the content and creative industries. “The collaboration of DISCOP and Nigerian Film Corporation is a welcome development that marks an important milestone,” says the NFC’s Chidia Maduekwe.

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INDUSTRY SNAPSHOT We dig into the hot topics in the local film production, commercial, festival and animation industries.

FILM PRODUCTION RIDLEY SCOTT SHOOTS SERIES IN SA

Award-winning Director Ridley Scott is currently in SA Shooting a new television series. He is directing and executive producing sci-fi show Raised by Wolves for TNT. The story follows two androids raising human children on a mysterious virgin planet. As the human colony threatens to divide over religious differences, the androids learn that controlling beliefs is a treacherous and difficult job.

CHIWETEL EJIOFOR’S DIRECTORIAL DEBUT

Nigerian-British Actor Chiwetel Ejiofor makes his directorial debut with The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind. Based on a book of the same title by Malawian author William Kamkwanba, the film was scripted by Ejiofor and shot in Malawi. The cast stars Maxwell Simba, Lemogang Tsipa, Philbert Falakeza, Joseph Marcell, and Noma Dumezweni.

Netflix has bought the global rights to the production for an

undisclosed amount. It will be released on the online platform in 2019, as well as in selected theatres in the UK and the US.

KENYAN NOVELIST’S BOOK ADAPTED FOR FILM

Matigari, a novel by acclaimed Kenyan author Ngugi wa Thiong’o, will be adapted for film. Nollywood Director Kunle Afolayan is adapting the book, with attached Kenyan and South African filmmakers soon to be announced.

Ngugi wa Thiong’o is a prolific writer of 33 novels, plays, children’s books, essays and memoirs. Matigari is his 1987 novel, and tells the tale of a freedom fighter who emerges from the forest after Kenya gains its independence.

LOCATIONS UPDATE CAPE LOCATION NEWS Rudi Riek has been working in the film industry for 23 years in various roles and is well known for his expertise in locations related matters. He shares the latest updates with the Callsheet.

Kalbaskraal has hosted productions like Dr Who, Troy: Fall of a City, and Break in Time.

Chiwetel Ejiofor at the 2016 San Diego Comic-Con © Gage Skidmore via Wikimedia Commons

The 2018 Cape Town season is definitely in full swing and from the amount of people entering the country, it is clear that between the marketing done by the producers and the assistance of the City of Cape Town and entities like Wesgro in promoting the City, the message has definitely gone out that Cape Town is open for business.

This is great news for the entire industry and its supply chain. Adding to the busy commercial and stills seasons is also an unprecedented amount of long form projects who often stuck to the winter months now filming in conjunction with the rest.

This has, I can only imagine, placed quite a bit of pressure on all the resources, from gear to crew to location availability and traffic officers, but from most accounts it seems to all be working.

The City has definitely assisted with a much more reasonable Roads Embargo list this year, in essence giving

us more time to do our jobs than in previous years, as is the case with the beach limitations which are very reasonable considering the influx of tourists.

I am slightly nervous of the fact that we still often have to escalate relatively uncomplicated requests to a higher authority before it gets approved, but at least we do have that higher authority to appeal to.

The new facility in Atlantis Dunes is fully operational now and we are getting praise not only for the excellent facilities but also for the new biodiversity staff that are now running this nature reserve.

I think we are in for a very good remaining 2018/2019 season and in my view, our City has really proven it’s resilience to adversity.

KALBASKRAAL LOCATION OPEN FOR BUSINESS

A location just 40 minutes from Cape Town city centre, Kalbaskraal is a great desert look for filmmakers, says Mark Anderson.

“We’ve hosted recently a Moet et Chandon stills shoot for their latest ad campaign,” he explains,

INDUSTRY SNAPSHOT / 09

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Director Adrian de sa Garces’ Nissan Micra Drone Racer for TBWA

“and then also a pilot for Break In Time. The majority of our shoots are in summer when our location is dry, brown and desert-like, and the directors like the authentic scenes, wide angle views, and rugged, dense nature of the soil and its colouration.” He explains that night shoots are also very popular.

Kalbaskraal has hosted music videos, war films, sitcoms, biblical productions, and large BBC productions. “We are very film friendly and fall outside the Cape Town municipal area.

We have the added benefit of being commercial-zoned so no permits are needed. We’ve got 180 acres so there’s space for set construction,” he adds.

COMMERCIALS ADRIAN DE SA GARCES JOINS EGG FILMS

Director Adrian de sa Garces and Producer Lisa Gardner have launched ADSG, a branded creative partnership that will be

VIP Security & special event Armed Tactical Response Unit K9 Unit & armed escorts Risk management consulting Mobile operations unit with fully fitted CCTV control room BBBEE level 1

repped by Egg Films in South Africa and Nicholas Berglund in Europe. ADSG will maintain its own identity, while benefitting from Egg’s infrastructure and local agency relationships, similar to how Egg worked with Terence Neale as Humanoid. ADSG will work out of Upper Pepper, Egg’s new offices in the Bo-Kaap.

FESTIVALS AND SCREENINGS SA DOCCIE HAS ITS WORLD PREMIERE AT IDFA

Documentary Filmmaker Simon Wood has teamed up with Emmy award winner Francois Verster for their latest production, Scenes From A Dry City. The film recently saw its world premiere in Amsterdam at the IDFA. It is the first South African production in four years to be selected for competition at the world’s largest documentary festival. The co-directors joined forces with Laura Poitras (Academy Awardwinning director of Citizenfour) and

Charlotte Cook, who produced the film through their company Field of Vision in New York.

Described by IDFA as “a film that’s as visually stunning as it is urgent”, Scenes From A Dry City juxtaposes vignettes in different areas of Cape Town, and examines how the scarcity of man’s most precious resource causes cracks in a community’s complex social fabric.

“I am delighted to be returning to Amsterdam with a new film, IDFA is the spiritual home for documentarians and to be selected for competition there is an incredible honour,” Wood said. The film is set to have a North American premiere, and will be shown extensively on activist sites and in community road shows around Africa and the rest of the world.

EGYPTIAN FILM SCREENED IN SECRET

of violence or incarceration.

ArabQ has already received funding from a prominent anonymous Egyptian producer, as well as many unsolicited scripts.

DISTRIBUTION TURNER AFRICA EXPANDS TO WEST AFRICA

Egyptian Filmmaker Sam Abbas’ production The Wedding made waves at Berlinale in 2018. He launched ArabQ, the first Arab production house solely dedicated to providing a platform for queer narratives in Muslim communities.

In late 2018, The Wedding was screened secretly in Turkey, Tunisia, Lebanon, and Egypt – all countries where homosexuality is frowned upon or explicitly banned.

They are held in speakeasystyle locations where viewers are subject to the equivalent of airport security safety measures in order to attend. Abbas himself cannot attend due to threats

Turner Africa recently announced a new partnership with Greenworld Communications in Nigeria. This offers Greenworld access to advertising solutions on some of its iconic, highquality channels across the continent, namely TNT, Cartoon Network and Boomerang.

Turner is an entertainment, sports and news company that operates more than 180 channels and showcases 47 brands in 34 languages in over 200 countries.

Greenworld offers Turner Africa dedicated television and integrated sales and a back-end team with the experience to produce costeffective, high-impact advertising, content and sponsorship solutions on the Turner channels.

Guillaume Coffin, VP of Sales and Business Development for Turner in France and Africa said, “The partnership with Greenworld is an important move for Turner’s developments and regional relevance in West Africa. Its expertise and its ability to innovate as well as its eventbased advertising know-how convinced us to sign this new partnership. We are convinced that with this new offer we will bring even more value to clients.”

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10 / STUDIOS

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Urban Brew Studios produces and facilitates some of the shows (left and right)

SA’S SNAZZY STUDIO SPACES We take a look at how South African studios are innovating in 2019, from sound stages to sound design.

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outh Africa has long had a strong selection of studio spaces that ranges from sound stages and daylight studios to post production and sound design suites. Cape Town Film Studios is the country’s major facility that caters to large-scale international productions like Tomb Raider and Warrior although there are several other players that have entered this space in recent years. Most notably Silverline Studios, which hosted The Maze Runner’s latest instalment whilst shooting in SA. Johannesburg is home to many facilities that cater to local productions, with studios like Sasani catering to shows that stretch as far as Francophone Africa. Urban Brew Studios is also a major player in this regard, and has been growing its offering to facilitate more international broadcast programme formats. Most recently the studios serviced Cartoon Network’s Pop Up Party, and hosted The Voice South Africa

S3 in their 1 000m2 studio.

“Studios are a way to bring year round business to what used to be just seasonal, location-driven business. Being open to year-round activity means the film industry is more sustainable,” says Monica Rorvik, Head of Wesgro Film and Media Promotion Unit.

Studios often offer a variety of options to suit each production.

According to Nimrod Geva, who heads up Quizzical Pictures, owners of Fleet Street Studios

in Randburg, their two 300m2 spaces are available for dry hire or with tailored equipment and lighting packages. “Features include competitive pricing, AC, sound attenuation and a very accessible and pleasant working environment, centrally located near MultiChoice,” he says. “Since we are producers ourselves, we often understand a customer’s needs in a unique way. We have also designed our charges to take into account the reality of television budgets and

THIS DIP WAS DUE TO A NUMBER OF FACTORS: CONTINUED DISRUPTION IN THE MARKET IN TERMS OF THE DEVELOPMENT AND GROWTH OF VARIOUS PLATFORMS, THE TOUGH ECONOMIC ENVIRONMENT, AS WELL AS PRODUCERS FINDING VARIOUS WAYS TO PRODUCE CONTENT, NOT ONLY STICKING TO THE TRADITIONAL RECIPES.

have created an environment that is conducive to productivity.”

Another Joburg-based space, Atlas Studios, caters for anything from film and TV shoots to events and screenings, with three sound studios and one daylight studio, as well as office space complete with free WiFi on level five for short- and long-term rental. The studios has been running a First Wednesday Film Club in collaboration with Akin Omotoso and Katharina for more than a decade. The event is free for the public, and showcases local and international films once a month except January. “We occasionally have the crew; production team, director and actors present to give the audience an opportunity to ask questions and network with the team after the movie, with complimentary meals and popcorn,” adds Lorien Gimpel.

Urban Brew Studios has been around for nearly three decades and has grown into a leading facilities provider for local and

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Images by Sky Rink Studios (left and right)

international broadcast content.

They have eight television studios with interchangeable control rooms, ranging from 226m2 to 1 000m2. They are fully equipped for live shows with dual broadcast lines to all three national broadcasters, while their Urban Rhythm Factory provides audio post and music composition needs. Added to this rather wide offering is post production suites and channel playout – as well as two of their own channels, 1 Gospel and Dumisa. “The relocation to our new enhanced studio facility during April earlier this year took place at the perfect time, and continues to create more opportunities than ever before, says Theunis Du Toit, Head of Facilities. “There is great variety in our solution offering – having studios to cater for any need, from large

shiny floor formats and talk shows to telenovelas or soaps.”

A newcomer to the studios sector is Mr Georges Creati ve Studio. According to Studio Manager Brandon Shore, it’s a unique space situated on the third floor in Paarden Eiland, Cape Town, with picturesque views and large windows letting a barrage of natural light in. “With over 400m2 to use, it really has to be seen in person to be appreciated,” he says. They also have a French-inspired reception area, a make-up room that can be transformed into a set, a casting studio and an art studio.

STUDIO TRENDS

The studio sector has remained more stable than others despite the downturn in the wider film industry. Du Toit, of Urban Brew, believes this dip was due to a

number of factors: “Continued disruption in the market in terms of the development and growth of various platforms, the tough economic environment, as well as producers finding various ways to produce content, not only sticking to the traditional recipes,” he explains. “The downturn has fortunately not had much of a negati ve impact on us; in fact the new studios have received a great amount of attention from various producers and platforms.”

Several studios have production houses att ached, and as such they work in tandem to produce their own projects. One such company is Fleet Street Studios. According to Geva, this gives them an “extremely competi ti ve” edge in ensuring they are chosen for productions. That said, he is expecting an uptick in the

new year, particularly in the second half. “There is also a lot of international interest in our industry and our work and this will be a game changer for everyone,” he adds.

According to Gimpel, studios have become more flexible and they are finding other ways of utilising their spaces. “Studios that come fully equipped have recently decided to upgrade their equipment to full HD for better quality,” she explains, adding that because of the many online broadcast platforms that are now available to local filmmakers, more content will be made with better quality. Brandon Shore also feels this trend is firmly taking hold. “Given that all content is now almost entirely video-driven, I would expect a huge increase for the demand for small to medium-sized shoots, and may we all profit from it!”

12 / COMPANY PROFILE

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MR GEORGES CREATIVE STUDIO ABOUT THE COMPANY Mr Georges was born out of a desire to bring creators together in a space that allows them to express themselves exactly as they are.

Mr Georges is based on a real-life character who embraces his quirks, uniqueness and sheer brilliance unashamedly. These are the qualities we want Mr Gregores Creative Studio to imbue on all the creators that use it to express their art, in any form they choose.

If you’re looking for studio that lends itself to being transformed, a space to create huge art pieces, or need a venue with spectacular surroundings, Mr Georges Creative Studio is your home away from home. A visit to the studio is the only way to truly feel the creative energy harnessed in this one-of-a-kind space.

SERVICES OFFERED AND FACILITIES AVAILABLE • It’s a studio for creative freedom. The ability to transform the space from one shoot to the next with natural light beaming through the big industrial windows giving the open area a life of its own.

• The doors are open for any creative that seeks a space to express their brand(s).

• Photographers’ dream studio with sea and mountains views dancing in the background.

• Artist rental space to create and collaborate.

• Events space for brands to host their dream launches.

• Casting studio facilities.

• A beautiful make up and dressing room for editorial photography shoots.

• An exquisite French-inspired reception area.

WHAT WE CAN DO FOR YOU We can make your dream a reality with our photographic, art and casting studio, as well as an events or product launch space.

LOCATION AGENTS The Location Corporation | Contact: Dee on 082 444 7557 Email: locations@tlcsa.co.za | Website: www.tlcsa.co.za

MEET THE TEAM

Lauren Hoffman Owner

Brandon Shore Studio Manager

CONTACT US Address: 3rd Floor, Reynolds Group Building, 17 Auckland Street, Paarden Eiland, Cape Town Tel: +27 71 475 9494 (Brandon) Email: brandon@mrgeorgesstudio.com Website: www.mrgeorgesstudio.com

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Sky Rink Studio’s versatile space

A QUESTION OF SUSTAINABILITY

As more and more local and international productions consider their output and how to go green, one wonders how this affects the studio sector.

Liesl Hattingh is Director at WrapZERO, a company that promotes sustainability in film, a facility that makes it easy for a production to reduce their environmental impact. She says this is a competitive advantage in the international market.

Her colleague, Grace Stead, echoes her words, adding that by saving electricity and water, and reducing waste, there is a direct cost benefit to the studio.

“Some things might not save money, but I have found that savings are a huge driving force for implementing change.”

Things studios should

Mr Georges Creative Studio

consider when going green are energy efficiency, water conservation and waste reduction, as well as prioritising the procurement of low carbon products and services, says Liesl. “In international markets, we see new studios featuring green design principles, materials and technology there are even carbon neutral studios. A new development is a unique opportunity to achieve a high performing building that makes it easier (and therefore more attractive) for productions to go green.”

Urban Brew’s Du Toit is very much for improving studios’ efficiency. “As new technologies evolve, it provides the means to go green. Energy efficiency is probably one of the biggest items to be considered – transformation

from traditional lighting to LED as well as solar energy.”

Grace says that key indicators are imperative: if you can’t measure it, you can’t manage it. “By having accurate measurements in place you can

A production in action at Fleet Street Studios

bill clients more accurately and you know where you need to invest to reduce consumption.”

Existing spaces need to do an audit to find out what they need to focus on for best return of investment. New studios, however, need to consider resource management and green design principles, material and technology right from the start to ensure the biggest impact, says Grace.

“Major international studios are all publicly committed to corporate sustainability programmes aimed at decreasing their carbon footprint to limit global warming and increasing their resilience to changes brought about by climate challenges. Offering green filming facilities in SA will therefore allow the local market to compete internationally on best practice,” Liesl explains.

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MAJOR STUDIO SPACES IN SOUTH AFRICA STUDIO

WEBSITE

STUDIO

WEBSITE

Almost Famous Studio

almost-famous.co.za

Fleet Street Studios

fleetstreetstudios.co.za

Atlantic Film Studios

atlanticstudios.co.za

Realtime Pictures

realtimepictures.com

Atlas Studios

atlasstudios.co.za

Red Pepper Pictures

redpepper.tv

Buchanan Studios

buchananstudios.co.za

Roeland Street Photo Studio

roelandstreetphotostudio.com

Cape Town Film Studios

capetownfilmstudios.co.za

Rosewater Studios

rosewaterstudios.com

Clive Morris Production Studio

cmproductions.co.za

Roodebloem Studios

roodebloemstudios.co.za

Curve Space

curvespace.co.za

Salt River Film Studios

saltriverfilmstudios.com

Daylight Studio

breestreetstudios.co.za

Sasani Studios

sasanistudios.co.za

DMC Studio

dmcstudio.co.za

Shine Studios

shinestudios.co.za

Foghound Studios

foghound.co.za

Silverline Studios

silverlinestudios.tv

FotoMAX

fotomax.co.za

Garden Route Film Studios

gardenroutefilmstudios.com

Sky Rink Studios

skyrinkstudios.co.za

Global Access

globalaccess.co.za

Stark Studios

starkfilms.co.za

Grinder Films

grinderfilms.com

Studio 26

studio26.co.za

MagnaTude Studios

magnatude.co.za

Studio 9

studio9rental.com

Media Film Service

mediafilmservice.com

Telemedia Studios

telemedia.co.za

Mr Georges Creative Studio

mrgeorgesstudio.com

The Bello Studio

bellovistaproductions.com

Overberg Film Studios

overbergfilmstudios.com

The Media Hive

visuals.tv

Panalux Studios

panalux.biz

The Production Works

productionworks.co.za

Phoenix Studios

phoenixstudios.co.za

Urban Brew Studios

urbanbrew.co.za

Photo Hire / Cine Photo Tools

photohire.co.za / cinephototools.com

Wembley Studios

wembleystudios.co.za

Platinum Studios

platinumstudios.co.za

White Wall Studios

whitewallstudios.co.za

Q Studios

q-studios.co.za

Zootee Studios

zooteestudios.com

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SKY RINK STUDIOS

ABOUT

VICINITY

A world-class production precinct in the heart of an African city. Designed to produce dramas, sitcoms, telenovelas, news, sports, advertising shoots and pretty much anything the imagination can conjure, this is where Africa’s production stars will without a doubt shine at their brightest.

Sky Rink Studios is a level 1 B-BBEE (100% black-owned), high technology television and film studio located in the heart of the ‘City of Gold’, Johannesburg. We offer a comprehensive service to local and international producers as a one-stop-shop partner, including co-production partnerships, and government incentives.

Sky Rink Studios is located at Carlton Precinct, right in the heart of the city, with entrances in both Main Street and Marshall Street (for set deliveries). Sky Rink Studios in partnership with City of Joburg will be redeveloping Main Street in 2019 into a walkway, called the ‘creative corridor’, from Ghandi Square to Maboneng.

FACILITIES Our facilities come standard with the following equipment: sound and control rooms with three complimentary full HD cameras and green rooms; online and offline edit suites with various capabilities; DMX controlled lighting grid; 2400 m2 space for fully-equipped production offices to be allocated to different production houses; makeup rooms and artist waiting rooms (private and communal); experienced crew and key production staff based on your needs; more than 600 parking bays.

PRODUCTIONS SHOT HERE With our studio capabilities, we have brought life to productions that have a tremendous impact on viewers’ pleasure. The ability to imagine world-class dramas, sitcoms, news, advertisements and hosting of events has allowed us to overly deliver on client expectations. In the past, we gave life to productions like award winning Gospel Unplugged, The Remix SA, MTV VJ Search finale and many more. We had a part in shooting music videos with the well-known South African band known as The Parlotones, and a up and coming Netflix movie to be released early 2019. We pride ourselves in hosting gamechanging events such as the David Tlale fashion show Azania which paid tribute to the Nelson Mandela centenary.

STAGE/STUDIO SPECIFICATIONS STUDIO NAME

AREA M2 / FT

ROOF HEIGHT

LIGHTING GANTRY HEIGHT

HANGING CAPACITY

Studio 1

392 m 2/1286 ft

8 m /26 ft

5 m /16 ft

150 kg point load & 250 kg/m 2

Studio 2

364 m 2/1194 ft

8 m /26 ft

5 m /16 ft

150 kg point load & 250 kg/m 2

Studio 3

296 m /971 ft

8 m /26 ft

5 m /16 ft

150 kg point load & 250 kg/m 2

Studio 4

284 m 2/932 ft

8 m /26 ft

5 m /16 ft

150 kg point load & 250 kg/m 2

Studio 5

659 m 2/2162 ft

8 m /26 ft

5 m /16 ft

150 kg point load & 250 kg/m 2

Studio 6

429 m 2/1408 ft

8 m /26 ft

5 m /16 ft

150 kg point load & 250 kg/m 2

Studio 5 and 6 combined

1088 m /3570 ft

8 m /26 ft

5 m /16 ft

150 kg point load & 250 kg/m 2

2

2

CONTACT US Address: 132 Main Street, Johannesburg, Gauteng Tel: +27 11 354 0043 | Email: info@skyrinkstudios.co.za Website: www.skyrinkstudios.co.za

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AUDIO SPACES BREAKING BOUNDARIES

When it comes to sound studios, South Africa has an ever-growing repertoire of spaces for local and international productions to use.

Rhapsody Recording worked on the Waterfront series © davidswart.co.za

S

outh Africa’s sound studios are a healthy bunch that has been growing their offerings and abilities to suit an ever-changing market’s needs. Not only do many studios now offer everything from sound design and ADR to voice recording, Foley and final mix, but some are going beyond what’s expected of them to provide more services across the production and post production workflow.

According to Simon Ratcliffe, Sound Supervisor and Music and Score Mixer at Sound and Motion Studios, 2018 has shaped up to be a doozy. They did score mixing for Sony and Lionsgate, post for TV shows like Idols and won Best SA Film at DIFF for one of their first co-productions, among other accolades. The company also worked on Marche Media’s acclaimed Kanarie, as well as Die Seemeeu and yet to be released Crossroads, Eight, Salvation, A Kasha and a few more. “I think it’s important to work together with filmmakers to focus local films on the international market.

There are many examples of films that have fared poorly on local box office reports, but once you take international resale into consideration, they actually do extremely well,” he explains. Sound and Motion are the only company that have an official orchestra working in the industry – the South African Film Orchestra.

A company that’s hoping to completely rearrange the current production workflow is Rhapsody Recording. Rhapsody has worked on projects like The Wound and Waterfront.

According to Greg Albert, there is a disconnect between location sound and post production in the way the workflow is arranged – even from the preproduction stages. This leaves major gaps in communication and vision, particularly from a sound perspective. Ultimately this means that more post work needs to be done than would have been necessary had audio engineers been involved in the project from the planning stages.

With a background in location

sound engineering, Albert wants to revolutionise the way we approach sound, because, after all, it does make up at least 50% of a production. “It’s hard for a producer or creative to speak sound,” he explains, adding that a good product can come from good planning. To this end, Rhapsody offers pre-production assistance – script analysis and a proposal for sound design and music treatment based on the director’s vision. They also offer location sound, sound effect, atmospheric and music recording during principal photography, and then of course, all the bells and whistles in post. “This works well for the local sector with production budgets of between R6-8 million up to R12 million,” he says. This is a much more efficient strategy, firstly because sound is produced according to each project’s need as opposed to a set template. An example Albert gives is Young Ones, starring Nicholas Holt and Elle Fanning.

Secondly, it saves producers money in the post-production phase. He says an additional way to grow the post-production

Pressure Cooker Studios new space opens early 2019

industry is through co-production treatiesand partnerships.

James Matthes is one of the partners who run Pressure Cooker Studios. The company has done so well in 2018 that they are now in the throes of building a bigger studio that will accommodate all their audio post production needs.

Their projects have ranged from reboots for Sony and Lionsgate to sound design and music on the Supa Strikas animated series for Disney XD. “We love being connected to the industry. We find too many people are disconnected and they’re holed away in their studios and never talk to people.

We’re trying to change that – our whole company is built on collaboration, and we’ve grown from there. That’s been our ethos from the start.” This also assists them in the range of things they do at Pressure Cooker. “It means we can be massively diverse,” James explains, “We’re now in the gaming industry – we released the first game out of Africa to release on Nintendo Switch called Semblance. There’s huge growth in this sector, added to the new wave of cinema coming out of SA.”

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MAJOR AUDIO SPACES IN SA

MAJOR AUDIO SPACES IN SA

STUDIO

WEBSITE

STUDIO

WEBSITE

Arcadia Sound

arcadiasound.com

Postmasters

postmasters.co.za

Big Leap

bigleap.co.za

Pressure Cooker Studios

pressurecookerstudios.co.za

Cape Audio College

capeaudiocollege.co.za

Produce Sound

producesound.co.za

Cape Town Sound

capetownsound.com

Rhapsody Recording

rhapsodyrecording.com

I’m Ryan

ryanhall.co.za

Red Bull

redbullstudios.com/capetown

Cut & Paste Generation

cutandpastegeneration.tv

SABC Radio Broadcast Facilities (RBF)

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

Cape Town Audio Post

capetownaudiopost.com

Fine Tune Studios

finetunestudios.com

Shaw Music Studios

shawmusicstudios.co.za

Freq’ncy Audio and Music

freqncy.co.za

Sonovision Studios

sonovisionstudios.com

Hey Papa Legend Sound Studios

heypapalegend.com

Soundcast Studios

soundcast.co.za

Kwazi Mojo Studios

kwazimojo.com

Sound & Motion Studios

soundandmotion.co.za

Sound Surfers

soundsurfers.net

Sound Surgeon Studios

soundsurgeon.co.za

Stratosphere Sound

stratosphere.co.za

The Crayon Room

thecrayonroom.com

Mama Dance! Music Solutions

mamadance.com

Mastermax Productions

mastermax.co.za

Milestone Studios

milestones.co.za

Mtommbo Audio Solutions

mtommbo.co.za

On-Key Sound Studios

onkeysound.com

The Work Room

theworkroom.co.za

phonographic.co.za

Universal Music

umusic.com

popsiclestudios.co.za

Wired Sound Studios

wiredsoundstudios.co.za

Phonographic Popsicle Studios Call Sheet Dec 2018 v2.pdf

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2018/12/12

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Disclaimer: Due to space constrictions in the Callsheet magazine, we have only listed the major operational studios and audio facilities in SA. If you would like your company included in future, please contact us.

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Call us (+27) 71 875 6363

18 / STUDIO PROFILE

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URBAN BREW STUDIOS Urbanitis: a curious ailment affecting a group of creatives known as Urbanites.

S

ymptoms include, but are not limited to, an incredible overflow of creativity, with noise levels exceeding decibel levels that no human being can process. An impeccable ability of attention to detail and the urge to break into song and laughter in moments which require tears. The core of Urban Brew’s DNA is its undeniable ability to tell stories from a place the viewer relates to in the comfort of their home.

Have you ever heard of the term “leaders of the new skool”?

Well, Urban Brew Studios is that school, and we pride ourselves with giving birth to and delivering to you these creative rascals and leaders in the industry.

LOCAL AND INTERNATIONAL SHOWS

Having been in the game for nearly three decades, you would have had to be living under a rock not to know who and what Urban Brew Studios is about. In case this is you, over the years we have produced legendary, award winning programming for all South African broadcasters, shows like Khumbul’ekhaya, bringing estranged family members together. Live Amp, a rare offering that focuses purely on current chart-topping music both in South Africa and neighboring African countries.

Of course, entertainment television will always need its spice and Real Goboza brought

exactly that as South Africa’s longest standing gossip show.

We have also produced and nurtured young talent in YoTV Live and YoTV Mini, South Africa’s longest-running kids’ programme, celebrating 25 years of shaping ever-growing young minds.

And if we continue our streak of accomplished achievements, iKhaya is the highest rated drama series on Mzansi Magic Monday timeslot history with a second season that is expected to continue breaking barriers.

Gold Diggers is an Urban Brew Studios’ drama that gained great success locally and as a result landed distribution deals across Africa. It is set in the underworld of mining, with twists

and turns that carried through both seasons of the telenovela.

These crazy Urbanites have produced international formats such as Dance Your Butt Off, Friends Like These, How Do I Look, E! Entertainment SA, the first ever Presenter Search, Cartoon Networks Pop Up Party, Disney Channel’s first ever South African production, I love Violetta, and Top Actor Africa for BET. Not forgetting local trailblazers like Mahadi Lobola, a reality show focusing on the lobola element of getting married, Shift and Wie’s My Liefie, to name a few.

GOSPEL CHANNELS

In 2007 Urban Brew Studios’ launched the One Gospel channel,

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soon followed by Dumisa TV. One Gospel has continuously created outstanding gospel content through innovative programme formats and sourcing of the highest quality content in the industry. One Gospel is accessible on the DStv platform in South Africa, Angola, Botswana, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Swaziland, Zambia and Zimbabwe. Dumisa TV is a unique channel offering 100% local South African ministries, preaching and traditional music. It has been on the air since 2012, highlighting the local church communities and traditional gospel artists.

Dumisa is accessible on the DStv platform in South Africa, Angola, Botswana, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Swaziland, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

ORIGINAL CONTENT CREATION In recent years UBS has extended its content creation division to scripted formats, starting with South Africa’s very first telenovelas Inkaba and Zabalaza.

This inspired the crafted interest in drama, out of which iKhaya, a drama series centered around a man whose twisted crazy double life eventually caught up to him, was born. Furthermore, we created Die Vliëende

Springbokkie, a futuristic Afrikaans sitcom based in outer space, produced for the small screen.

COMMITTED TO QUALITY

Urban Brew Studios strongly believes that having a committed interest in consumer behavior, target markets and brand positioning is the key to highly rated programming and further viewer reach. Being at the forefront of creating programming that enjoys great audience connectivity leads to steady growth, while staying true to what the audience wants and needs. It also enables commercial brands the space to enjoy dedicated audiences within various programs and has been a major focus for Urban Brew Studios in recent years.

We have our eye on the ball, understanding that content creation doesn’t have to be one dimensional and can benefit more than just the broadcaster.

We have produced content like Vodacom NXT LVL, ABSA Claim The Cash, Vodacom Millionaires, Standard Bank’s My Fearless Next, and many others. Our experience and expertise gained over the years have now paved the way for us to bring to life a vision that will see the best

CONTACT US Address: Brightwater Commons Centre, c/o Malibongwe and Republic Roads, Ferndale, Randburg, 2194 Tel: +27 87 057 5707 | Email: info@urbanbrew.co.za Website: www.urbanbrew.co.za

industry creatives meet cutting edge technology to produce and tell stories innovatively in the this next revolution.

INCREDIBLE STUDIO FACILITIES

We are now home to Africa’s most dynamic state-of-the-art studio facilities maximised for efficiency and utilisation. Our HD TV production facilities are connected via a fiber-backbone into a world-class data centre with an uninterrupted power supply and high-quality IT connectivity infrastructure. We provide an end-to-end solution of facilities hire, including crew and equipment tailored to specific client needs.

The new facilities include a 100-seater cinema, an events dome and eight TV studios with interchangeable control rooms. We also have 15 video post-production suites with Adobe Premiere Pro systems, and 18 make-up, wardrobe and green rooms that form part of our facilities.

Our Urban Rhythm Factory is an industry-leading audio postproduction and music creation facility. It serves as a prolific music publisher in South Africa, and is a registered member of SAMRO and CAPASSO. With

its own production music library, it has thousands of songs available to the public for purchase. The Studios are acoustically-engineered and consist of four audio postproduction studios, five audio post and music production studios with AVID Pro Tools HD systems and industry leading music production software.

A YOUTHFUL PULSE

Walking through these hightech facilities, the experience is undeniably eclectic. You will certainly bump into young, dramatic individuals with a flare in their personalities; creatively expressing themselves not only in their crafts but even in their taste in apparel…we’d understand if you thought you were walking through the pages of Vogue magazine. That’s not to say you won’t bump into the more conservative types whose quirky personalities are the backbone to some of our greatest creations.

If this all sounds mystical and magical on paper, pay us a visit and let’s walk you through Africa’s television wonderland - URBAN BREW STUDIOS. No idea is too big. If you can dream it, we can brew it!

20 / LOCAL FILM FOCUS

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SPELONK

GETS CREATIVE WITH FUNDING Desmond Denton’s post-apocalyptic sci-fi fantasy Spelonk has found some creative ways in which to make bank.

O

ne of Africa’s few fantasy films, Spelonk is the tale of a world undone, where bounty hunter Dante fights to survive in an apocalyptic Cape. The film will be released as an Afrikaans feature and Desmond Denton, the film’s creator, already has big plans in the works for adapting

it for television in English.

Principal photography and the rough cut are complete, and the film’s post production is being finalised. It stars Greg Kriek, Eric Uys, Abduragman Adams, Scot Cooper, and Christine Tesco.

As with many South African films, Spelonk has faced a roller coaster of highs and lows in its

CREATIVE EDITING, COLOUR GRADING, GREAT SOUND DESIGN, AND AN AMAZING SCORE ALL PLAY A VITAL ROLE IN THE PRODUCTION OF A PROFESSIONAL-LOOKING FILM.

journey from script to screen.

It was selected at Silwerskerm as one of the top scripts, and was also selected for Berlinale Talents. The concept was tested at the London Film Festival, developed with a Euroscript panel, represented SA at the New York Film Festival, and is now ready to be fine-tuned for festivals and markets – an expensive endeavour when considering an average post production budget. To this end, Desmond has created a unique funding model that allows anyone to become a stakeholder and investor in Spelonk. “Because of the nature of our project, post production is where we need the most support. Creative editing, colour grading, great sound design, and an amazing score all play a vital role in the production of a professional-looking film. We worked so hard to make sure that the images we filmed are great, and we want to honour that quality in our post production.”

But this is no ordinary ‘crowd fund’ – in fact, it’s the furthest thing from it. Not only are people invited to be part of the Spelonk movement by investing, but their investments will be recouped from the first sales and paid out as a first drawdown on funds is received. Investors will also receive any revenue made from sales. Desmond has brought his commercial service savvy to the feature film realm, and as such, has even created subtle opportunities for advertisers. He invites people to showcase their

companies within the film with integrated product placement, products or services linked with stars or characters. This is not only for the film itself, however, but sponsorships can take place behind the scenes, too. One company provided the cast with tablets from which to read their script – not only feeding into the sustainability of the production and the movement behind Spelonk, but creating a unique and memorable moment that’s sure to be talked about on many sets to come. He has also created a slew of limited edition perks which are released to fans as financial milestones are reached. Examples of these are the Spelonk Survival Novel, a leather wristband, the Spelonk audiobook, and more.

If you’re interested in finding out more or helping Spelonk reach its finance milestones, visit www.desmonddenton.com.

Filmmaker Desmond Denton

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BLACKSMITH COLLECTIVE ABOUT THE COMPANY Founded by Diogo Mendonça and Marcus von Geyso, Blacksmith Collective calls itself a creative collective rather than a production house or agency. Rather than focusing on the traditional agency model which sees creatives churn out work 9 to 5, we have based ourselves on a model which allows us to tap into our vast network and assemble teams of the best people for the job. With a network of more than 500 creative partners across Africa, we tap into a vast talent pool and scale easily according to the project needs. Having met at Ogilvy & Mather JHB, Diogo and Marcus took the leap of faith and decided to work together. Since then, they have worked with some of the biggest brands, both locally and internationally.

SERVICES OFFERED Based on our business model tailored with good project management, quality controls and creative talent, we are able to execute a high standard of production work and scale within client budgets. We specialise in concept & strategy, film & photography , post production, animation, graphic design, gear hire.

WHAT WE DO Specialising in content creation and creative problem solving, with access to more than 500 experts in the creative, brand, film, web and engineering fields, we provide our clients with access to a curated network of creative minds to work on solving even the most demanding briefs. Our vast network consists of expert teams who specialise in solving creative problems by applying innovative tech, killer strategy and expert execution. Our teams stretch across South Africa, with hubs in Johannesburg, Cape Town, Durban and have recently gone international with production in Dubai and Qatar.

Thanks to the trust we’ve built with clients, we are able to not only present clients with the best talent for the job, but we also provide a platform for creatives to approach brands for ideas, allowing us to continuously breed fresh ideas and remain relevant. Our platform also looks at finding and developing new talent.

MEET THE TEAM

Marcus von Geyso Creative Director

Diogo Mendonça Managing Director

CONTACT US Address: 38 Wessel Road, Rivonia, Sandton, Johannesburg Tel: +27 76 309 8998 | +27 82 635 7994 Email: hello@weareblacksmith.co Website: www.weareblacksmith.co Social Media: @weareblacksmith

CV OF CLIENTS • • • • • • •

Absa Alexander Forbes Carling Black Label Castle Lager Castle Lite Corona Coca-Cola

• • • • • • •

DHL FNB MTN Qatar Vega Vodacom Shell

22 / SUSTAINABILITY IN FILM

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STUDY EXPLORES

PRODUCTION WASTE A ground-breaking study shows exactly how much a production can waste – or save when going green.

I

n an effort to raise awareness around sustainability in the film industry, KwaZulu-Natal Film Commission gave WrapZERO the task of researching the province’s production industry to find out the environmental impact of different sizes of productions taking place within the province.

The study is the first of its kind in South Africa, and sets a baseline for future comparisons. It also provides guidance on next steps in going green. It looks at the breakdown of a range of shoots, from commercial and television series to feature films. These included uZalo, Kings of Mulberry and The Widow. An additional two television commercials and two stills shoots were also studied.

Liesl Hattingh, Director of WrapZERO, and her colleague Grace Stead are pioneering sustainability in film. Their consultancy promotes and enables resource efficiency, waste reduction and socially responsible decision-making in the production of film, TV, commercials and stills. They are passionate about bringing the industry up to scratch because it has an enormous impact on the planet.

Global broadcasting production accounts for 2% of all carbon emission factors – equal to the international aviation industry.

And a 2006 study showed that the film industry topped hotels, aerospace, apparel and semiconductor manufacturing in traditional air pollutant emissions.

According to Carol Coetzee, CEO of the KZNFC, the study Hattingh and Stead conducted

shows that long-form production in South Africa results in an average of 49 tonnes of CO2 emissions per week. “Through leveraging this research, the KwaZulu-Natal Film Commission stands to be an industry leader in sustainable film and media production, and by identifying and measuring Key Performance Indicators, the KZNFC can track and report on industry improvements. The KZNFC can also use this information to educate, advocate and lobby its members, the wider industry and government at different levels.”

WHY THIS MATTERS

Although one can argue that it’s ‘expensive’ to become sustainable, there are many significant, long-term reasons why the industry should be considering the world around them. Firstly, it provides the ideal opportunity for local industry bodies to work

An excerpt from the WrapZERO study.

together to reduce negative environmental impacts.

Secondly, South Africa’s policies need to become more aligned with international best practice in order to become a choice film destination worth using. “Many of them service international brands that are publicly committed to comprehensive sustainability programmes,” Coetzee says, “but also from a local resource management point of view it is important to begin the process of change.”

Although longer productions naturally used much more CO2, the significantly smaller carbon footprint of short form work was largely due to the duration of the shoots and did not include flights or accommodation – possibly the largest contributors to carbon emissions. According to the study, the frequency of this type of production amplifies its impact.

“Although exact figures could not be confirmed, around 30% of the market segment of financial spend goes to television, while 25% is commercials and 20% feature films. This means that although the impact per production is lower, there are many more productions per annum compared to television and film.”

THE WAY FORWARD

The study demonstrated very low levels of awareness and practice of sustainability. As a result, educational, upskilling workshops will be conducted throughout the province. They will focus on raising awareness, implementing behaviour change, training sessions with guidelines that will be workshopped, and initiating policy change on a national level.

KZNFC is working together with Stained Glass Production, a company that ran the only TV series based in the province at the time of the study. Their strategic partnership means that the economic impact of the series is evaluated based on its significant impact on the province over a short period of time. The company has committed to taking the lead in implementing sustainable business practices both in studio and on location.

“The KZNFC is also in the process of lobbying other locally-based productions to follow suite. We are excited about making a difference and encourage filmmakers to explore the opportunity,” Coetzee concludes.

FESTIVALS & MARKETS / 23

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OUTBOUND MISSIONS Local government bodies and industry associations regularly attend international festivals and markets to promote and support the industry.

V

arious South African industry bodies receive funding from the local government to attend international festivals and markets, in order to support and promote local filmmakers whilst aboard.

Below is a look at what has been confirmed for 2019. Filmmakers are encouraged to stay in touch with industry bodies as more missions will likely be confirmed as the year progresses. Market readiness workshops are often conducted by organisations for companies who wish to apply to attend the various markets as part of the official delegation from South Africa.

WESGRO

According to Monica Rorvik, who heads up Wesgro’s Film and Media Promotion Unit, four missions are in their plans, although they are still subject to approvals. “Approval has been received for Berlinale and for SXSW,” she adds. Berlinale is set to take place from 7-17 February 2019, while SXSW takes place from 8-18 March 2019.

“Attending markets is a way of attracting projects to

View of the red carpet at Berlinale.

Cape Town and Western Cape.

Being in market also helps us to link our producers to the opportunities in market.”

KZN FILM COMMISSION

The KwaZulu-Natal Film Commission is focused on strengthening its relations within the African continent, and as such, are actively pursuing and building relationships with Nigeria, Kenya and Zanzibar. They also have plans for attending several international markets in order to position the province as a choice film destination globally. “In Africa, the KZNFC will participate at

FESPACO, Africa International Film Festival (AFRIFF), KALASHA, Zanzibar International Film Festival (ZIFF). In Europe, KZNFC has identified platforms such as Annecy Animation Festival in line with the newly adopted KZN Film strategy whereby animation has been identified as one of the strategies to ensure sustainability and create employment in film,” Lungile Duma explains.

“AFCI offers access to most of Hollywood’s major production houses. In the UK, the KZNFC is looking at strengthening relations and creating enabling environments for local filmmakers

with minority filmmakers in the diaspora. In another filmmaker support initiative, the Toronto International Film Festival has positioned itself as a great platform to sell content, secure foreign funding and engage on co-production opportunities.”

In addition to the film commission’s outbound missions in 2019, they will also looking to offer “intense training” for emerging and established filmmakers to ensure the industry grows and remains sustainable. They also have plans in motion for real transformation, as well as women and youth empowerment programmes.

NFVF

The National Film and Video Foundation attends many festivals and markets annually. They often put national delegations together for events like Cannes Film, Hot Docs, Annecy, AFCI, TIFF, IFP co-production market, and the Pan African Film Festival. National festivals they fund and attend include Durban International Film Festival, 48 Hour Film Project, and Grahamstown National Arts Festival.

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24 / WESGRO YEAR IN REVIEW

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Drakenstein Youth Ambassadors, Africa Games Week experts, together with representatives from Drakenstein Municipality and Wesgro at the 1000 Games an Hour event at Mbekweni Youth Centre.

2018/19 SEASON BACK IN ITS GROOVE

After a difficult year, the local industry has found its footing once more, with the 2018/19 season promising a return to form as Cape Town and the Western Cape reclaims its spot as a premier film destination. With multiple feature and tv productions plus the commercial industry getting ready to shoot, Cape Town is back in business.

T

he local film industry has proven its resilience and pulled together to overcome the issues it has faced, such as the drought, becoming global leaders in water-wise production, and bringing forward solutions during various industry engagements hosted throughout the year.

In response to the uncertainties in the industry, the City of Cape Town embarked on a new communications plan called F/LM Cape Town.

Launched in November, the F/LM Cape Town website is an online resource developed by the City in collaboration with the local film and media industry. It serves to highlight Cape Town as the film and media hub of Africa (film.investcapetown.com).

The F/LM Cape Town initiative

encourages all partners, both private and public, to pledge to follow a five point plan – one that the City itself promises to adhere to and Wesgro has signed. The pledge is a commitment to follow the five guiding principles of collaboration, fair business practice, transformation, sustainability and promotion.

WESGRO FILM AND MEDIA PROMOTION: 2017/18 YEAR-END REVIEW

The Wesgro Film and Media Promotion (FMP) unit works to bring local and international productions to Cape Town and the Western Cape, and grow the local industry. The unit received 9 declarations for the 2017/18 financial year that came to R1.92 billion assisted production value spend, linked with 2 449

full-time equivalent jobs (FTE).

The unit gets these declarations through facilitating a more investment ready climate including: meeting to resolve red tape issues; driving businessto-business connections for conversion to production; assisting growth with export advancement programmes; and providing advice on access to national film and TV incentives provided by the Department of Trade and Industry, as well as other activities.

During the last financial year, in partnership with industry and various inbound missions, the unit helped facilitate Exporter Advancement Promotion (EAP) upskilling to 603 companies. The major b2b and EAP events were aligned with industry festivals such as Cape Town International

Animation Festival, Encounters Documentary Film Festival, Cape Town International Film Market and Festival, and Wavescape Surf and Ocean Festival. Additional ad hoc festival industry programmes were facilitated, such as the Plettenburg Food Film Festival, the Belgium Film Festival and the Italian Film Focus.

2017/18 saw multiple successful international inbound and outbound missions take place throughout the course of the year, which served to further encourage collaboration and foster relationships between the local and international industry. In total, there were 23 inbound missions and delegations assisted by the Wesgro Film and Media Promotion team, and 75 companies were assisted to key global markets.

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AFRICAN FILM COMMISSIONS NETWORK

Head of Wesgro’s Film and Media Promotion Unit, Monica Rorvik, and Wesgro’s Film and Media Promotion Officer, Lisa Mini, were certified as official African Film Commissioners by the African Film Commissions Network in November 2017. As certified members, the Unit is connected to a Pan-African group of mandated film commissioners who work together to attract productions to Africa and develop capacity across the value chain of the industry.

INBOUND AND OUTBOUND MISSIONS HIGHLIGHTS

The dti InvestSA team spearheaded an inbound buyers mission in July 2018, bringing producers from Canada, Germany, the Netherlands, USA and UK to the country. Wesgro Film and Media Promotion welcomed these producers in Cape Town and hosted a business to business event which has already proven to have been very fruitful, with multiple follow up meetings already having taken place.

Supporting partners for the mission, which then travelled the country, included the NFVF, Gauteng Film Commission, Durban Film Office and the KZN Film Commission.

At the end of October, a group of emerging South African producers participated in an outward film investment mission to the American Film Market (AFM) in Los Angeles, also organised by the dti. This mission had a goal of promoting South Africa as a

YOUTH AMBASSADORS WERE THEN GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY TO ATTEND PLAYTOPIA, A DAY FULL OF LEARNING AND PLAY WHICH HAS HOPEFULLY INSPIRED A NEW GENERATION OF GAME DEVELOPERS. filming location to attract more international productions to the country and foster international co-productions with the USA, as well as driving economic transformation in the sector. The delegation took top meetings with major industry players in Hollywood to strengthen local and international connections.

LOCAL AND INTERNATIONAL FESTIVALS AND THE AFRICA HUB

Wesgro Film and Media Promotion attended the Annecy International Animation Festival as part of a nearly 90-strong South African delegation, with significant representation from the Western Cape. The delegation was supported and accompanied by the Department of Trade and Industry (dti), the National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF), the Department of Arts and Culture and Animation South Africa (ASA).

The team also attended the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) as part of the inaugural Africa Hub. This was an opportunity for various film bodies to represent a united African film industry, organised by the National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF). The NFVF

also partnered with the dti, as well as key stakeholders from Ghana, Kenya, Namibia and Nigeria. The TIFF Africa Hub hosted a wellattended Africa breakfast, which informed international producers about the many opportunities for filming and collaboration in Africa. This included details about the new dti incentives and co-production treaties. The TIFF Africa Hub proved a great success and the initiative will hopefully be presenting a united African Film industry at various international markets going forward.

Cape Town International Film Market and Festival grew in stature this year. Elias Ribeiro signed on as the Market Director and brought years of producing expertise to shape and grow the market. This year it included esteemed decision makers from more than 18 countries including: Algeria, Botswana, Canada, Egypt, Estonia, France, Germany, Italy, Ireland, Nigeria, Kenya, KZA, Swaziland, Tunisia, Turkey, UK, and the USA. Africa Halal Week supported three of these decision makers, hosting a panel discussion on how to work with the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) regions more effectively.

Development in the global spotlight, with industry experts from Africa and worldwide sharing their knowledge and experience with established professionals and emerging talents alike. Make Games Africa included talks and masterclasses surrounding all aspects of game development, including financing, development, publishing and community engagement.

During Playtopia, which took place over the weekend, delegates and the public had the opportunity to play over 35 new indie games which were being exhibited. The festival also included an interactive art exhibition, virtual reality rooms, the international exhibition “Digital Gardens” created by AMAZE/Berlin, and live music.

Wesgro Film and Media Promotion partnered with Africa Games Week and the Drakenstein Municipality to host a workshop at the Mbekweni Youth Centre, aimed at getting youth in the area excited about the multitude of opportunities available in the gaming sector.

A few hand-selected ‘Youth Ambassadors’ were then given the opportunity to attend Playtopia, a day full of learning and play which has hopefully inspired a new generation of game developers. These ambassadors will be starting their own Make Games SA meet-ups, supervised

by Make Games SA mentors in Drakenstein as they aim to start driving awareness and skill development of the gaming industry in their communities.

AFRICA GAMES WEEK WRAP UP

Film banner strip 2017.indd Wesgro Film and Media Promotion with Nordic, Canadian,2 French and Singaporean guests for Africa Games Week

The inaugural Africa Games Week, organised by Interactive Entertainment South Africa, took place from 28 November to 2 December at the Castle of Good Hope. The event consisted of the business to business Google PlayaDeveloper Day, gaming great place to create conference Make Games Africa, and the consumer facing Playtopia festival. The event was a massive success, putting African Game

For further enquiries please email film@wesgro.co.za

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26 / ACCOMMODATION

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HOME AWAY FROM HOME

WHEN YOU’RE ON SET We explore some local venues that cater to film producers to find out what they offer in terms of accommodation.

I

t’s not always about the size or the glamorous design of an establishment that endears it to filmmakers who stay there. Rather, accommodations for cast and crew are valued for their staff’s ability to cater to the many needs of a production, from late hours and airport transfers to special catering requests and more. Several hotels and apartment rental services in South Africa are quite used to hosting filmmakers, such as the Rockwell All Suite Hotels and Apartments, or the luxurious Hyde Hotel in Sea Point. Other

such accommodations are the Bantry Bay Suite Hotel and Mandela Rhodes Place, which is, as Martine Rambert Wood, Executive Sales Manager, says, “home away from home”.

“We are flexible and listen to their needs,” she explains. “We will tailor-make their package for their late nights and early mornings to facilitate their busy schedule. With our room service until 11 pm, free of charge, we can assist with their all their meals requirements. Our fully equipped kitchenette could assist to warm up their readymade meals that can be ordered

WHAT THE PRODUCER SAYS “It was a pleasure staying with you and the team really felt welcome. It’s the small touches like a coffee station and a round of drinks on the house that really count a lot, but most of all it’s the great hospitality and very comfortable setting.

Everyone felt relaxed, so thank you to you and your staff and especially Juanita who is always patient with us and tries her best to give us the best service and rooms for the best rates – and always with a happy laugh and a chuckle along the way.”

- Nolan Hooper, Owner and Producer at Hoops Productions, on Bantry Bay Suite Hotel’s offerings.

The Bantry Bay Suite Hotel

The Hyde Hotel Skydeck

with their menu in their room.”

Hospitality, ultimately, is the order of the day with hotels, and an extra stretch of hospitality is what filmmakers often look for when booking accommodations.

According to Wood, they are available 24 hours a day to assist with any requests. “We pay attention to details, and with our ‘value add’ we continue to exceed all expectations,” she says, adding that their location is also a drawcard as the Bantry Bay is within walking distance from all amenities, the beach, and numerous eateries.

The Hyde Hotel offers a unique contact form just for film crew bookings on their website. They are open to provide filmmakers with temporary or long term accommodation for crew, cast or both, and have 36 modern, fully serviced apartments and studios along with complimentary shuttles to the V&A Waterfront.

They also offer casting rooms, and a host of other options to make one’s stay more than comfortable.

Perhaps the future of accommodation for the film industry is the boutique hotel, which offers detailed and personal service. CSR and community-building is also massive for venues like these. “At the Bantry Bay we are a family that is passionate and dedicated.

We do not outsource new staff.

Our culture is to empower each and every member of the family by providing professional training, giving all the opportunity to better their skills to climb the ladder in the hospitality industry,” Wood explains. “We play a huge role in the social development of our community.

We provide further training and a job shadow programme while earning an income. Further, The Rainbow Academy is an art and music academy fully financed for underprivileged matriculated art students. Being part of our group, not only do we contribute to their funding, but we also provide them with an opportunity to train with us during their school holiday, giving exposure and allowing them to learn about hospitality while earning an income.”

COMPANY PROFILE / 27

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IN THE CITY BY THE SEA MANDELA RHODES PLACE ABOUT THE HOTEL This iconic hotel is located in the heart of Cape Town’s cultural quarter, redefining spacious and contemporary living with luxurious all-suite style apartments. In close proximity to Mandela Rhodes Place Hotel, there is a host of leisure options where you can meet, shop, relax, dine and explore the myriad of both business and cultural landmarks. Mandela Rhodes Place Hotel features five-star amenities, including a rooftop swimming pool, wireless internet as well as undercover parking.

Four carefully restored historic buildings integrated with a modern high rise come together to offer a range of spacious one and two bedroom apartment options including Superior, Deluxe, Platinum and Studio categories. The hotel apartments offer spacious rooms with elegant en-suite bathrooms. All have an ambience of simple, classic design. An open-plan lounge and fully equipped kitchen allow guests to entertain, eat in, or simply relax with a drink whilst enjoying the urban landscape.

Cnr Wale and Burg Street, Cape Town, 8001 Telephone : +27 21 481 4000 Email: resmanager@mandelarhodesplace.co.za www.mandelarhodesplace.co.za

SERVICES OFFERED • • • • • • •

24 Hour Reception and Security Rooftop Swimming Pool and Rooftop Yoga Deck Secure Undercover Parking Complimentary Wi-Fi 4 Restaurants and Bars Concierge Services Daily Scheduled Complimentary Shuttles to the V&A Waterfront

THE BANTRY BAY SUITE HOTEL ABOUT THE HOTEL Located in wind-free Bantry Bay and a stone’s throw from the popular Sea Point Promenade. The Bantry Bay Suite Hotel offers more than just a luxury boutique hotel experience. With breathtaking views of the Atlantic Ocean, set against a backdrop of the magnificent Lion’s Head, the hotel is in a perfect location for guests to explore and enjoy all that Cape Town has to offer.

SERVICES OFFERED SERVICES OFFERED • • • • • • • •

24 Hour Reception, Concierge and Security Bar, Lounge and Restaurant Business Centre, Conference and Meeting Venue Swimming Pool Garden and Terrace Secure Undercover Parking Complimentary Uncapped Hi-Speed Wi-Fi HD Satellite TV

Each of the 41 suites, combine style and sophistication with comfortable and spacious rooms with en suite bathrooms. We have self-catering, fully equipped kitchenette, with a lounge and dining room facility. All rooms have a large sleeper couch and balcony (except for the studios).

The self-catering suites are air conditioned and are fully equipped with everything a guest would need to make their stay with us as easy and comfortable as it would be at home. Our Hotel offers a wide range of facilities and communal areas for our guests to relax, unwind and enjoy the superb food and beverage menu, as well as daily specials on offer.

8 Alexander Road, Bantry Bay, Cape Town, 8001 Telephone : +27 21 434 8448 Email: reservations@thebantrybay.com www.bantrybaysuitehotel.com

R1 695 B&B - Single occupancy / 2019 rate / per room, per night / Non Commissionable | R695 for every guest added to the room Quote the Promotional code to book and qualify for the rates - PRO/MRP/BB2019

28 / CINEMATOGRAPHER INTERVIEW

The RECCE has had a successful festival run including CTIFMF and DIFF

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Although tough logistically, the locations were incredible.

JACQUES VAN TONDER

ON THE RECCE A cinematographer who was recently nominated for a Camerimage award, Jacques van Tonder shares his process and experience on local flick The Recce.

A

lthough he’s had a front row seat watching professionals on set when working as a DIT on international features and commercials, Jacques van Tonder is still very passionate

about the local industry. When not on commercial or long form sets, he’s been shooting mostly documentaries. The Recce has had a successful festival run – including CTIFMF, RapidLion, DIFF and is set for Idyll Wild

2019. This is his first feature film as a DP. It has not been released commercially, but is available for rent on BoxOffice.dstv.com.

The Callsheet caught up with Jacques shortly after Camerimage to pick is brain.

Tell us about your experience on The Recce.

I met Jac Williams, Executive Producer at Man Makes a Picture and of The Recce, way back in 2004 when I was a PA and he was an intern. We kept in touch and we spoke often about making films together. He sent me the script and when I read it, I thought it would make for a very interesting film from a visual perspective.

It was clear from the preproduction stage that our resources would be stretched and it would be a challenging

Executive Producer - Jacob Williams (left) and Jacques van Tonder (right) © Dmitrij Kutz

film to make from a technical perspective. We ended up having a few extra weeks of preproduction and I think the extra time really helped us on the shoot. With all our meticulous planning we were still in for a few surprises.

The locations that Jac and the director, Ferdinand van Zyl, found were really amazing, although some were tough logistically. We had a few places where we were too remote for a lot of lighting gear so we had to work to a tight schedule to be in the right place at the right time to work with available light. Other times we set up in a studio-like environment and we had the luxury of a bit more time to finesse things.

It was great working with a director like Ferdinand. He had a clear vision of what he wanted

CINEMATOGRAPHER INTERVIEW / 29

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for the film and he was really dedicated to maintaining his artistic integrity. His knowledge of storytelling helped a lot when we needed to make deviations from our plan. It was really amazing to work with such a dedicated and talented crew, all focused on the same outcome and doing their best to make the film as good as it can be.

What was your artistic vision for the film?

We really tried to make The Recce look unique in a South African context. We referenced many American war films and put our own spin on their techniques. It was important to separate two distinct worlds: The Home Front and The Bush.

With a mix of techniques incorporating lensing, camera movement and lighting, we

AT THE END OF THE DAY THE CAMERA AND LIGHTING SHOULD BOTH SERVE THE STORY BEING TOLD. tried to distinguish between the two and still create the feeling that they affect each other and cannot exist in isolation from each other. Choosing the right locations was key in this regard.

Are there specific equipment or techniques needed for an action film shoot?

I don’t think there are any default techniques one should rely on for a specific genre of film. In

my opinion each story needs a fresh approach to tell it in a unique way and the boundaries should be pushed as far as possible with what you have to work with. Sometimes the film needs to be really realistic and other times the world that you create can be fantastical and surreal. At the end of the day the camera and lighting should both serve the story being told.

Your thoughts on Camerimage and your nomination?

It was a great privilege to be invited to Camerimage and a huge honour to be nominated in the Cinematographers’ Debuts Competition. We were in the line-up against some real quality work. The films varied in budget, content and cinematographers’ approach to the work. The Jury was made up of professionals

from around the world. I feel that we can hold our heads high as we represented South Africa in a really good light.

I want to thank the whole team that worked on The Recce and say that I am proud to share this nomination with all of them. Making a film is a team sport. Considering that Camerimage is focused on the cinematography, I want to specifically mention the huge contributions made by Pieter Bosman (Production Designer), Jacques le Roux (Editor and Colourist), Johan Nel (Camera Operator), Quinton Fredericks (1st AC), LeRoux Swanepoel (Gaffer) and Karl Friedrich (Key Grip). Thank you, Man Makes a Picture, for the opportunity.

It was a wonderful experience to make this film and I hope we do many more in the future.

Greg Kriek stars in The RECCE .

The Recce film poster

A full house at Camerimage. Photo by Krzysztol Wesolowski

30 / FESTIVAL FOCUS

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CTIAF 2019 IS COMING!

Proudly presented by Animation SA, the build-up is on for the eighth Cape Town International Animation Festival. The festival takes place from 8-10 March 2019.

Artists Alley is part of the exhibition arm of the festival.

Terence Maluleke talks at the seventh CTIAF. Photo by Corrie de Vries

T

he Cape Town International Animation Festival has become renowned for presenting world-class content, from animated films to insightful workshops and masterclasses, as well as providing a unique platform to engage with global industry leaders.

The festival also hosts business-to-business sessions, producer events, networking opportunities and government panel discussions, in addition to student competitions, a family programme, and an outreach initiative.

“We will again present a phenomenal line up of international and South African speakers, masterclasses, awardwinning films and much more as part of our eighth festival,” says Festival Director Dianne Makings. “This year we will be hosting some African continent film premieres, debuts of South African pilots, and our pitching competition for Annecy is back.

“The South African animation sector is booming more than ever.

Last year we saw a record number of visitors at the festival and we are proud to have positioned CTIAF as a leading marketplace

CTIAF Student Winners 2018. Photo by Gavin Withers

for the fast-growing African industry, while giving consumers the opportunity to enjoy the world’s best animated films, which would otherwise not be accessible to them. I urge people who want to attend to note we have moved to the second weekend in March.”

The full programme is available from early 2019, and once again will include internationally acclaimed films.

“To whet your appetite – we will be screening African premieres of Mamoru Hosoda’s Golden Globe nominated Mirai as well as Makoto Shinkai’s romantic fantasy drama Your Name, and hot off its debut on BBC One on Christmas Day, Magic Light Pictures’ Zog, directed

by Academy Award nominated

Director Max Lang and adapted from the book by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler.”

Last year, almost sixty speakers and industry leaders from South Africa, Canada, Japan, the USA, UK, Germany and France shared their insights and knowledge with attendees.

A number of local studios announced exciting developments at CTIAF 2018, including Sunrise Productions, whose project Munki and Trunk has been acquired by Nickelodeon. A meeting between them at the festival in 2015 was the first step in this process.

This year’s theme for the festival has been designed by the talented Marc Moynihan, whose illustrious career includes working with high-profile studios, His roles

include designer and storyboard artist for Aardman Animation, and Visual Development for the popular Simon’s Cat. He won the UK National Redbull Canimation Animation Prize for his short film Raaaawrrr! and has been an integral team member for projects in television animation for the BBC and Channel 4.

The CTIAF is proudly presented by Animation SA and is made possible thanks to generous support from sponsors the Department of Arts and Culture, the City of Cape Town, Wesgro, Nickelodeon, the High Commission of Canada, The Japanese Embassy and Consulate in Cape Town and the French Institute of South Africa. CTIAF has also partnered with Annecy International Animated Film Festival and Animate Africa.

The Cape Town International Animation Festival takes place from 8-10 March 2018 at The River Club in Observatory, Cape Town. Visit www.ctiaf.com for the full programme details.

Bookings can be made through www.webtickets.co.za.

Join the CTIAF on Facebook @CTInternationalAnimationFest and Twitter @CTanimationfest.

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THE CALLSHEET

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Four thousand square meters of large indoor shooting facilities, centrally located just 10 minutes drive from Cape Town city centre. Make-up and wardrobe facilities as well as three phase house power, roof staircase and steel gantry available.

Our large fleet, operating out of eight branches countrywide, offers a variety of flexible vehicle hire solutions ranging in duration from 24 hours to 24 months to meet our clients’ diverse transport requirements.

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32 / LOCATION SPOTLIGHT

Mauritius Cinema Week - MASTERCLASS

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Mauritius Cinema Week - MASTERCLASS DAY 2

MAURITIUS POISED TO BECOME POWERHOUSE

An island paradise once known only for its idyllic beaches, Mauritius has positioned itself to welcome the international filmic community with open arms. Joyce Chiremeso attended the annual Cinema Week.

I

n the last year or so, Mauritius has taken the world by storm as a haven for filmmakers. The country has opted for a unified approach to attracting internationals to their shores. Not only do they offer a beautiful, idyllic location with beach destinations to boot, but they also have a very

Mauritius Cinema Week - MASTERCLASS DAY 1

strong incentive offering that not many nations can beat.

From 18-21 October 2018 the second Mauritius Cinema Week took place, and the Callsheet joined in the festivities.

This included a selection of the best in cinema both locally and globally, as well as awareness around the island’s creative

industries. The week took on a strong business approach, and included a conference on film financing, a workshop on the jobs of tomorrow’s film industry, as well as masterclasses on the creative aspects of film. The programme was spearheaded by the Mauritian Economic Development Board.

Mauritius Cinema Week - MASTERCLASS DAY 2

ATTRACTIVE REBATE SYSTEM

The Mauritian film incentive offers a cash rebate of 30% on all Qualifying Production Expenditure, and up to 40% on certain projects. This QPE is in respect to pre-production, production, and post production on a film project. It includes

LOCATION SPOTLIGHT / 33

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Mauritius Cinema Week - MASTERCLASS DAY 1

accommodation, catering, rental or film equipment, ground transport and logistics, air tickets, local and foreign cast and crew. It covers feature films, documentaries, TV productions, serials, commercials, music videos and dubbing work.

The country has one of the highest rebates in the world, and definitely the highest in Africa, surpassing SA’s 2025% rebate. And because there are no film incentives in India, the island attracts many Bollywood productions. Most European countries receive their rebates in the form of tax credits, with rates of up to 32% in Ireland, while California offers a tax credit of 20-25% on qualifying productions.

WHAT MAURITIUS OFFERS THE WORLD

The country has a range of beautiful beaches, forest,

Mauritius Cinema Week - MASTERCLASS DAY 2

national parks, and tree-lined avenues that can be used as locations. Other looks include waterfalls and rivers, stunning underwater photography along the protected west coast, and surf breaks along Tamarin Bay. Run-down French colonial architecture make for interesting backdrops, while sugarcane and tea plantations are available for agricultural looks. Places of particular interest are the Black River Gorges National Park, Casela Nature Park and the coloured earth of Chamarel and Le Pouce. Popular locations are the Botanical Gardens, Le Morne Brabant, Fort Adelaide, hotel premises and beaches.

Mauritius is a firm favourite for the Indian film community.

Serenity, starring Anne Hathaway and Matthew McConaughey, was the first Hollywood feature film to shoot on location here.

South African production

houses such as Two Oceans Production have already set up offices on the islands to better service their clients.

The country has postproduction studios providing digital animation and VFX facilities. It also has a fullyfledged production studio in the pipeline, with the first phase of construction slated to begin in early 2019. The Economic Development Board is open to discussing other investments into infrastructure, like water tanks, for instance. The Board is a one-stop facilitator for filmmakers who need to apply for permits and clearances.

For more information on filming in Mauritius, visit www.filmmauritius.com, call +230 203 3800, or email filminmauritius@ investmauritius.com.

QUALIFYING PRODUCTION EXPENDITURE BREAKDOWN CATEGORY OF PRODUCTION ELIGIBLE FOR UP TO 40% REBATE

MINIMUM QPE (USD)

Feature film (including animation)

$1 million

Television drama series or single drama

$150 000 per episode

CATEGORY OF PRODUCTION ELIGIBLE FOR UP TO 30% REBATE

MINIMUM QPE (USD)

Feature film (including animation)

$100 000

Television drama series or single drama

$20 000 per episode

Television documentary programme

$20 000

High-end international television commercial

$30 000

Music video

$30 000

Dubbing project

$30 000

VICTORIA BEACHCOMBER The Callsheet stayed at the Victoria Beachcomber Resort & Spa whilst on the island. The Beachcomber Hotel Group offers unique shore-side properties that can accommodate filmmakers or other business travellers with modern style and impeccable taste. There are eight Beachcomber hotels in Mauritius, and one on the French Riviera.

The Victoria Beachcomber is located northwest of the island, between Brand Baie and the capital of Port Louis, not far from the Pamplemousses Botanical Gardens, with several historical places in close proximity. The hotel offers the exquisite ‘swim-up’ rooms which open directly onto a generous 800m2 swimming pool. Conviviality best defines their restaurants: Le Superbe, La Casa and L’Horizon. The spa houses five treatment rooms, as well as seven qualified therapists and both a wet and dry steam bath. A selection of land and water sporting activities are available for guests, while a kids and teens club will keep the young ones busy.

28 34 // SPOTLIGHT EVENTS TO DIARISE

www.thecallsheet.co.za

FEBRUARY

MARCH

PALM SPRINGS INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL 2 – 15 Palm Springs, USA

PAN AFRICAN FILM AND ARTS FESTIVAL 7 – 18 Los Angeles, USA

RAPIDLION: THE SOUTH AFRICAN INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL 1 – 10 Johannesburg, South Africa

GOLDEN GLOBE AWARDS 8 Beverly Hills, USA DHAKA INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL 12 – 20 Dhaka, Bangladesh LONDON SHORT FILM FESTIVAL 12 – 21 London, United Kingdom INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL OF ROTTERDAM 23 – 3 February Rotterdam, The Netherlands SUNDANCE FILM FESTIVAL 24 – 3 February Park City, USA SLAMDANCE FILM FESTIVAL 25 – 31 Park City, USA GÖTEBORG FILM FESTIVAL 25 – 4 February Gothenburg, Sweden

BERLINALE INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL 7 – 17 Berlin, Germany

FESTIVAL ANIMA 1 – 10 Brussels, Belgium

EE BRITISH ACADEMY FILM AWARDS (BAFTAS) 10 London, United Kingdom

PORTLAND INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL 7 – 21 Portland, USA

DUBLIN INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL 20 – 3 March Dublin, Ireland

SOFIA INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL 7 – 17 Sofia, Bulgaria

SEDONA INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL 23- 3 March Arizona, USA ANNUAL ACADEMY AWARDS (OSCARS) 25 Los Angeles, USA

CAPE TOWN INTERNATIONAL ANIMATION FESTIVAL 8 – 10 Cape Town, South Africa SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST FILM FESTIVAL 8 – 16 Austin, USA LUXOR AFRICAN FILM FESTIVAL 15 – 21 Luxor, Egypt ANN ARBOR FILM FESTIVAL 26 – 31 Michigan, USA

Bibir Bagicha Road No 1, Dhaka, Bangladesh © Ahmed Hasan via Unsplash

JANUARY

ASSOCIATIONS NEWS / 35

www.thecallsheet.co.za

SASFED, SOS AND IPO ON SABC CRISIS

The SA Guild of Actors held a Actors Policy Indaba in late November 2018. The focus was on the status of the actor, as well as identifying what is needed to protect local performance artists.

This follows the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee for Trade and Industry announcing that they have endorsed the Copyright and Performers Protection Amendment Bills. They will now be sent to the National Assembly for approval.

“As a result of this, the rights of South African performers can now be elevated in line with global standards,” said Jack Devnarain, SAGA Chair.

“More than anything, the adoption of these bills will play a substantial role in correcting the power imbalance in the performance industry. For the first time in South Africa, audio visual actors will be able to bargain from an empowered and fair position when negotiating their remuneration.”

He added that SAGA will remain vigilant and ensure bills pass in the House of Parliament, as well as support and work towards better opportunities for actors.

The South African Screen Federation, the IPO and the SOS Coalition have released statements concerning the SABC’s ongoing crisis.

According to SOS, 4 December 2018 marked the worst crisis faced by the broadcaster in its democratic history. SOS Coalition has pleaded with directors who have resigned to retract their resignations, for the President to reject and appeal resignations, for the Minister of Communication to reverse their position of non-engagement, and for independent producers to not refuse to deliver content during prime time, such as Uzalo, Muvhango, Generations and Isidingo.

The Independent Producers Organisation has welcomed the call from SOS Coalition, including their call to soapie producers. “The IPO will now poll its score of affected members as to whether they will commit to

continue delivering content despite the clear breach of contract by the SABC,” they said, “We further note the disastrous financial situation reported by the SABC executive that will lead to a failure to pay salaries of SABC employees as early as March 2019. Likewise, many of our members have been given notice that payment delays will now be extended to 90 days. The amount owed to independent producers is steadily climbing and we estimate that this has risen to over one hundred million rand.”

SASFED says the industry has been severely damaged by the ongoing financial crisis at the SABC, and will continue to be further damaged if the SABC is left to “literally dwindle into the abyss”. “We

are convinced that the SABC can be a viable independent public broadcaster with an independent board and a good management team.

However none of this is possible without the SABC being able to access a loan to dig itself out of the present crisis. Besides our concern for workers at the SABC, we are deeply concerned about our industry - we have already cut staff, lost companies and some have still not been paid revenues owed to them by the public broadcaster. It is clear to the entire media ecosystem that the present crisis needs first to be averted before serious work can be put into turning the institution around.”

For the full statements, visit www.thecallsheet.co.za.

Tanzania: Chen Hu via Unsplash

SAGA HOLDS ACTORS POLICY INDABA

36 / DIRECTORY

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DIRECTORY OF ADVERTISERS COMPANY

TELEPHONE

EMAIL

WEBSITE

PAGE

AfrodizzyActs Entertainment

+27 64 850 7545

bookings@afrodizzyacts.co.za

www.afrodizzyacts.co.za

31

Atlas Studios

+27 11 482 7111

info@atlasstudios.co.za

www.atlasstudios.co.za

11

Blacksmith Creative Collective

+27 76 309 8998

Diogo@weareblacksmith.co

weareblacksmith.co

05, 21

D & K Management Consultants

+27 11 824 0334

saint@intrigue.co.za

www.bodyguardservices.co.za

23

Kempston Truck Hire

+27 21 511 8501

info@kempston.co.za

www.kempstontruckhire.co.za

31

Mandela Rhodes Place Hotel

+27 21 481 4000

resmanager@mandelarhodesplace.co.za

www.bantrybayhotel.com

27

Mr Georges Creative Studios

+27 84 660 7229

mrgeorgesstudio@gmail.com

www.mrgeorgesstudio.com

12

Pressure Cooker Studios

+27 21 419 4719

info@pressurecookerstudios.co.za

www.pressurecookerstudios.co.za

31

Pro Events

+27 21 425 2170

info@proevents-sa.co.za

www.proevents-sa.co.za

09

Q-Studios

+27 11 882 4311

info@q-studios.co.za

www.q-studios.co.za

14

Quizzical Pictures

+27 11 726 2828

quizzical@quizzical.co.za

www,quizzical.co.za

Inside Front Cover

Salt River Studios

+27 21 510 2598

info@saltriverfilmstudios.com

www.saltriverfilmstudios.com

31

Silverline Studios

+27 21 409 2000

info@silverlinestudios.tv

www.silverlinestudios.tv

13

Silverback File Management

+27 71 875 6363

dataman@silverbackstudios.tv

www.silverbackstudios.tv

17

Sky Rink Studios

+27 11 354 0043

info@skyrinkstudios.co.za

www.skyrinkstudios.co.za

15

The Hyde Hotel

+27 21 434 0205

reservations@thehydehotel.com

www.thehydehotel.com

31

Universal Production Music

+27 11 722 0500

ryan.hill@umusic.com

www.umusicpub.com/za

Outside Back Cover

Urban Brew Studios

+27 87 057 5707

info@urbanbrew.co.za

www. urbanbrew.co.za

18, 19

Wesgro

+27 21 487 4844

monica@wesgro.co.za

www.wesgro.co.za/film

24, 25

CONTACT US Cover Image: Still from Sew the Winter to my Skin (2018) | Courtesy of Yellowbone Entertainment | Photo by Elsa Bleda

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

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

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