The Callsheet Issue 8

ISSUE 08 | 2018

S RIE LO ERBAN DU

+ SOUTH AFRICAN SUCCESS

AT CANNES LIONS

Service and Creative Industries Shine

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CONTENTS / 01

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02. Lessons from

Cannes Lions

12 18 24 30

SA SHINES AT CANNES LIONS

South African’s work was much lauded at this year’s Cannes Lions, turn to page 12 for a deep dive with the winners.

04. A Bird’s Eye View of Global Trends

05. DFM News:

Celebrating Transformation

06. How to Unlock $2-Billion

07. DTI Launches

Improved Incentives

THE WORLD OF GEAR RENTAL

Henk Germishuysen of Puma Video shares his views and future predictions with the Callsheet.

08. Debunking

Distribution Myths

09. New Broom at NFVF Sweeps Clean

10. Bobby Amm:

Freeing the Bid

12. SA Success at Cannes Lions

THE LIFE OF A STORYBOARD ARTIST

Roelof Venter is in demand for his storyboarding skills, and unpacks this unique profession on page 24.

18. The World of Gear 22. Blackmagic Enchants Local Studio

24. Roelof Venter:

Storyboard Artist

26. Loeries Jury Presidents

30. Location Spotlight: Ethiopia

ETHIOPIA

As a location for film, TV, stills and commercials, Ethiopia’s jaw-dropping locations are garnering international attention.

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

02 / CANNES LIONS

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LESSONS FROM CANNES After starting as a copywriting intern at Publicis Communications in Johannesburg, attending the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity was something but a mere goal for me. So, when your creative director encourages you to come in on the weekend to compete in a proactive brief for the South African Cannes Young Lions, you don’t say no.

By Kaylee Germann

M

y art director, Prince Zwane, and I came in that Saturday and got the brief from Cinemark.

We had a total of 48 hours to conceptualise, script, shoot and edit our 60-second commercial for Ster-Kinekor’s Vision Mission programme benefitting people suffering from visual impairment.

It was exciting coming up with our concept for the competition, but it was quite nerve-wracking too. Everyone wants to win the prize, but I don’t think many believe they actually will – especially because you have no idea what other talent you’re up against.

A few months later, Prince and I found ourselves on a aeroplane to Cannes, France, representing South Africa in the international Young Lions Film Competition. Finding out that we had actually won and were heading off to experience the 2018 Cannes Lions Festival was surreal for us. We couldn’t have been more thrilled and grateful for the opportunity presented to us by Cinemark!

We got to meet up with the other competitors for the Young Lions Film Competition quite early on our trip. It was extremely interesting to learn where everyone came from – so many different backgrounds, people and creative minds.

Our hearts were overwhelmed with fascination and inspiration by the like-minded individuals that surrounded us.

Prince and I got to enjoy

Getty Images @ Cannes Lions 2018

the first two days of the festival, due to a few hiccups in the film competition! We attended workshops, one being the Supersonic Branding Workshop, hosted by Tracks & Fields. There were meetups where we got to discuss and participate in a certain topic, meeting different people along the way and gaining insight into their different points of view.

A big highlight of course was speaker, David Droga, talking about his journey and what he had learnt in his career.

It was definitely a huge eyeopener for us as beginners in the advertising industry.

Undoubtedly, the most fun experience was the Facebook Beach. We attended a discussion with some amazing insights on how digital marketing can be utilised using social media.

Prince got to meet one of his idols, Es Devlin, a stage designer,

and had the chance to view some of her exclusive work.

Of course, one of the major events on the first day was the official opening party – because what would advertising be without a huge celebration? We met an incredibly talented group of students visiting from an advertising university in Utah, not realising that we’d end up using them as actors for our Cannes Young Lions Film Competition advert later that week.

We attended as many of the award shows as we could over the week. We also received an exciting and insightful brief from the Global Citizen, which asked us to come up with an ad that would speak to women empowerment and how poverty can be alleviated by addressing this issue.

By attending the award shows, we were constantly inspired by work such as the

Trash Isles, Lacoste’s Save Our Species campaign and a lot of the work that won in the Health & Wellness category.

My fondest memory was realising that by being a part of the creative industry, we have the opportunity and power to change the whole world – with just one campaign. We have a voice and we are urged to share it on behalf of those who can’t.

We returned home filled with a fire to put everything that we had learnt and seen into our daily work in one way or another.

Winning the South African Young Lions Film Competition and getting the experience of attending the 2018 Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity have been extremely inspiring and fulfilling. I have learnt never to miss out on an opportunity, no matter how you think it’s going to turn out for you.

CONTACT DETAILS Laura Bishop Talent and Training Manager – Project Lead Cannes Lions T: 02030334098 E: laurab@Canneslions.com W: www.canneslions.com

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A BIRD’S EYE VIEW OF

GLOBAL INDUSTRY TRENDS

Stephen Follows © Enhlecreatives Photography

S

tephen Follows, a prolific data journalist, film industry researcher and analyst, gave an informati ve presentation on international film industry trends. It takes a talented speaker to hold an audience of filmmakers’ attention for two hours; Stephen Follows proved to be such a speaker. Follows started the session with fun examples of what data analysis can do. Have you wondered when Nicholas Cage’s career peaked? The numbers prove it to have been Con Air, says Follows.

Is there a correlation between willingness to perform nude and dancing skills? Definitely!

Proficient swing and tango dancers proved far more willing to strip down on camera.

But soon Follows got serious.

According to IMDB stats, the

number of feature films made in the last ten years has more than doubled. Yet the number of wide Hollywood studio releases has stayed prett y much consistent. “This comes down to a raw, hard fact – there are 52 weeks in a year,” Follows said. But while Hollywood releases have stayed consistent, cinema releases by independent studios and filmmakers have increased dramatically, with 16 or 17 movies opening every week in UK cinemas. And even with those figures, only around 10% of films made get screened in cinemas! Clearly, an “oversupply of movies” exists.

Despite this oversupply, the major Hollywood blockbusters continue to take three quarters of the box office revenue. The studios continue to make the same number of movies, and

those are the films making the money. “Huge changes are happening, but not in Hollywood,” said Follows. “The studios are doing the same business they’ve always been!”

A major change affecting both independent and studio filmmakers is the rise of the Chinese film market. The cinema admissions between 2012 and 2016 increased by 169% in China. Meanwhile, the number of Chinese accredited buyers at the American Film Market grew by 354% from 2005 to 2014. The share of international revenue from 2011 to 2016 has grown from 6% to 18% – and that figure is still growing. As China grows, international movies will be altered for their local audiences.

This will include cultural and geographical changes, an increase in diverse casting and nods to the Chinese censors.

Follows cited the Transformers franchise and Looper as films that have already been affected by this.

Follows debunked a myth around cinema audiences becoming more female, and revealed that the gender of audiences has stayed around 50/50. The change has been

that groups previously undercatered for by Hollywood – including women and minorities – are starting to make more conscious choices around the kind of content they would like to watch, and are demanding fair representation.

While the spread of cinema-goers’ gender hasn’t changed, Follows dropped the following bombshell: “Fewer young people are going to the cinema.” Older audiences, whom he termed “senior cinephiles” are going to expect higher quality, wellreviewed films, less remakes and representation. Follows believes we’re going to see a rise in films tailored to older audiences, such as Red and The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel.

At the end of the day, Follows believes that microtrends – such as distribution methods – should not be the focus of the conversation. “The big changes in the industry are the global changes in the way humans exist,” he said. “If you’re looking for changes and trends, you need to zoom out.”

For more of Follows’s work, visit www.stephenfollows.com

FEWER YOUNG PEOPLE ARE GOING TO THE CINEMA.” OLDER AUDIENCES, WHOM HE TERMED “SENIOR CINEPHILES” ARE GOING TO EXPECT HIGHER QUALITY, WELL-REVIEWED FILMS, LESS REMAKES AND REPRESENTATION.

DURBAN FILMMART / 05

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CELEBRATING TRANSFORMATION I

n an emotive panel discussion at the Durban FilmMart, six female film experts shared their experiences working in a male-dominated sector. All have faced obstacles on their journeys to success; some were structural and others were personal. The following are key

learnings from the session.

• As a producer, make it your mandate to work with a crew that is mainly female. Trust in each other and work together to transform the sector.

• Have the patience and stamina to see the development phase of your project

through to completion.

• Take the initiative and apply for funds from specially-created funding opportunities. The majority of applicants for film funding are male.

• South African children are unaware that local films exist. More must be done to expose the youth to African cinema.

(The Girls Go To Cinema is one such initiative. In partnership with the Nelson Mandela Children’s Fund, 1 000 girls per day over 10 days were able to watch a film and experience animation training.)

• Change occurs in the film industry when people do

not see representations of themselves on the screen.

We must write our stories and work outside of the traditional structure to make sure our stories are told.

• When negotiating film deals, women can be made to feel that their inherent qualities of ambition, forthrightness and taking a hard-line approach are seen as negative. They are not.

• Female-led production teams are making great strides in changing the behaviour and mindsets of the “old boys club”.

• Research shows that it makes economic sense to have women and people of colour on your production. These films do better financially than all-male, all-white productions.

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06 / DURBAN FILMMART

HOW TO UNLOCK

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$2-BILLION Photo by Thomas William on Unsplash

A

new study examines the growth potential of the continent’s film industries and looks at upping box office revenues in Africa.

If Africa were to follow China’s example and broadly invest in cinema infrastructure, it could achieve annual box office revenues of $1.5 to $2-billion; with Nigeria and South Africa accounting for as much as $500-million. This is one of the main findings of the 2018 Framing the Shot: Key Trends In African Film report, which was conducted by Founder of 234 Media, Dayo Ogunyemi, in partnership with the GoetheInstitut and with support from the German Federal Foreign Office. Launched at the Durban International Film Festival 2018, the study aims to fill the substantial

gap in information and analysis about the fast-changing film industry in sub-Saharan Africa.

Framing the Shot particularly recommends improving access to finance, incubating film-specific business skills and capacity and developing effective distribution.

Says the report’s author, Dayo Ogunyemi: “For too long, Africa’s film industry has been the subject of many anecdotes and much supposition; the absence of credible, comprehensive data has led to wasted resources and lost opportunities which the continent can scarcely afford. If African countries do not plan, invest and collaborate today, the trade deficit around content consumption will widen and the opportunity to shape the tastes and preferences of future generations of Africans will be lost.”

The Framing the Shot report catalogues and analyses the

major opportunities and challenges that Africa’s film industries face through four substantive parts: • A survey of African filmmakers and general analysis of the African film landscape • Country studies of Africa’s two largest film industries: Nigeria and South Africa • Case studies of three African films from development through completion; • A comparison of the commercial performance of an African and a European film; as well as lessons drawn from the diaspora — specifically in the context of African-American film.

• Conclusions on African film in the global industry context and recommendations on priority steps to address the main opportunities and challenges identified Says Noemie Njangiru, Culture and Development Coordinator at the GoetheInstitut: “There are two reasons behind our investment in reliable information about the continent’s film industries: Firstly, the sector has a huge potential to contribute to economic growth and create

employment opportunities.

Secondly, we believe that strong film industries and better conditions for pan-African collaborations can contribute to undoing stereotypes, particularly in the context of the Western gaze on ‘Africa’.”

Taking a closer look at the South African film industry, the report suggests extending the current “generous incentive system that is primarily centred on production […] to the postcompletion value-chain — sales, marketing and distribution.”

The study continues: “For filmmakers and audiences that continue to endure the historical disadvantages meted out under apartheid, more must be done.

Cinema infrastructure must be extended to underserved townships in order to unlock latent spending power on film.

One of the most promising ways in which South Africa can do this is to support entrepreneurs and SMEs to close the gaps in distribution capacity and the deficits in exhibition infrastructure in townships and rural areas.”

Browse the full report online: www.flipsnack.com/ goethejoburg/framing-the-shotkey-trends-in-african-film.html

FOR TOO LONG, AFRICA’S FILM INDUSTRY HAS BEEN THE SUBJECT OF MANY ANECDOTES AND MUCH SUPPOSITION; THE ABSENCE OF CREDIBLE, COMPREHENSIVE DATA HAS LED TO WASTED RESOURCES AND LOST OPPORTUNITIES WHICH THE CONTINENT CAN SCARCELY AFFORD.

DURBAN FILMMART / 07

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GREAT STRIDES TOWARDS MEANINGFUL

TRANSFORMATION T

he IDC and the NFVF jointly signed the MOU for the Emerging Black Filmmakers Transformation Fund during a Media and Audio Visual (MAV) Networking lunch at the Maharani hotel.

The IDC gave filmmakers the chance to share their IDCfunding success stories with the audience. These testimonials came from Thabo Molefe, Stephina Zwane, Salamina Mosese, Mayenzeke Baza and Pascal Schmitz, who all urged prospective applicants to be clear, forthright and committed to seeing their projects succeed.

They also urged applicants to learn from their mistakes and take advantage of the plethora of experience within the IDC team.

Maijang Mpherwane, Head: Media and Motion Pictures at the IDC summed up the spirit of the event succinctly: “The IDC is open for business and we are here to serve the industry. Our team is skilled and passionate about what they do. We want to see industry players owning private jets!

And we are available 24/7 to help you attain those heights.

But the onus is on you – if

you want to access funding from the IDC, your business case must make sense. We don’t do grant funding – the projects that you bring to us must be economically viable.

And we are genre-agnostic!

“Meaningful transformation is our chief interest. And with the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding for the Emerging Black Filmmakers Transformation Fund (EBFTF), we are renewing our commitment to transformation. We are looking for truly emerging, young, black filmmakers who want to succeed in this industry.”

Maijang Mpherwane © Enhlecreatives Photography

NEW AND IMPROVED

INCENTIVES LAUNCHED T

he Department of Trade and Industry (the dti), supported by various other government bodies, announced the launch of revised incentive schemes for the film industry in South Africa at DFM. Statements of support by established film stakeholders Irfaan Fredericks, Themba Sibeko and Xoliswa Sithole gave insights into the role that the dti plays in developing and transforming the sector, while also emphasising that there is much more work that needs to be done to effectively transform the film industry.

Minister of Trade and Industry, Dr Rob Davies, highlighted that the film industry started to transform post 1994, and while our country has long been utilised as a service destination – famed for its chameleon-like locations – the industry has now developed its own ecosystem.

This ecosystem comprises the complete film value chain, and the dti recognises the importance of effective incentive schemes.

“Since 2013, 530 film productions have been supported by dti incentives. If you don’t have incentives in place, you are

not a player. And the revised incentives are about supporting transformation in the sector” said Minister Davies. “In 2016/17 the film industry directly contributed R4.4-billion to the GDP, and about R12-billion indirectly. In terms of jobs, the sector employs around 107 000 people. These are significant numbers.”

After intense review of the current incentives; revisions and improvements have been made. In terms of the Foreign Film and Television Production and Post-Production incentive and the South African Film

and Television Production and Co-Production incentives, the cap has been raised, as well as the percentage of Qualifying South African Production Expenditure (QSAPE).

With regard to the South African Emerging Black Filmmakers Incentive, the qualifying productions may have a total production budget of R500 000, which has been reduced from R1-million. This will allow more filmmakers to access the incentive.

There is also a new incentive (up to a grant amount of R2-million) for the purchase of filmmaking assets.

08 / DURBAN FILMMART

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DISTRIBUTION:

DEBUNKING THE MYTHS A

n enlightening panel hosted by representatives of Indigenous Film Distribution, AAA Entertainment and Ster-Kinekor sought to debunk the many myths circulating around film distribution, or the “exploitation cycle.” While the word “exploitation” carries negative connotations, panel chair Thandeka Zwana, quipped: “It’s not a bad thing in this case, without exploitation, you’re not going to make any money.”

The following commonly-held myths were busted over the course of the one-hour session:

LOCAL EXHIBITORS DON’T SUPPORT THE LOCAL FILMMAKERS

Helen Kuhn, of Indigenous Film Distribution, and Nicky Scheepers, of Ster Kinekor, spoke extensively on this topic.

While it might seem as though exhibitors take local films off the circuit quicker than international releases, this is not the result of a conspiracy. Instead,it is simply the result of attendance figures, which are tallied weekly. Often, exhibitors actually attempt to keep local films on screens through screen sharing arrangements.

Additionally, Ster Kinekor has established bands for film rental fees – ensuring that smaller, local films are not charged at the

Keeping up with Kandasamys

same amount as international releases (or, for that matter, local mass hits such as Keeping Up With The Kandasamys).

THE COMMISSIONS CHARGED BY SALES AGENTS AND DISTRIBUTORS ARE EXCESSIVE

Both sales agents and distributors charge between 20% and 30% commission on the film’s profit.

A South African film typically sells for between $1 000$10 000 internationally, with most falling at the lower end of this scale. Sales agents are required to promote the film and make deals, as well as having overheads

STER KINEKOR HAS ESTABLISHED BANDS FOR FILM RENTAL FEES – ENSURING THAT SMALLER, LOCAL FILMS ARE NOT CHARGED AT THE SAME AMOUNT AS INTERNATIONAL RELEASES.

including staff, offices, etc. As such, while 30% might seem high, they are often making around R5 000 on a deal! Moreover, while sales agents are currently subsidised by the dti, and thus can travel internationally to film markets at no added cost, this might soon come to an end – at which point, they will have to start charging costs on top of the commission, as is common for international sales agents. This is simply business, as this is not a non-profit sector! Distributors, too, take massive risks and do not make any money at all if a movie ‘flops’. Therefore, the commission simply covers their costs and allows them to continue operating.

VPF COSTS DISADVANTAGE LOCAL FILMMAKERS

VPF costs are the result of international agreements, and money borrowed from the ArtsAlliance. Exhibitors took it upon themselves to upgrade to DCP instead of 35mm – which, in the long run, is reducing filmmakers’ costs – and had to

borrow money to do so. Content creators arranged to contribute with the costs; VPF fees are simply covering that. The agreements come to an end in December 2019, which will mean that VPF costs will very possibly fall away in the near future. Until then, they are an unfortunate reality but do not mean to disadvantage local creatives.

GET MULTIPLE DISTRIBUTION DEALS

You should only enter one agreement with a sales agent, who will then facilitate a deal with one distributor. This allows for clarity at international markets, and ensures there is a limited team negotiating on your behalf. Downstream deals with VOD services and exhibitors should not be exclusive, but the deals with your sales agent and distributor ought to be monogamous. Scheepers then stressed the importance of never entering an exclusive agreement with an exhibitor, as no South African exhibitor has a significant enough footprint.

DURBAN FILMMART / 09

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NEW BROOM

A

cting CEO at the NFVF, Shadrack Bokaba, assured film industry stakeholders that the clean-up at the NFVF is in full swing, and they are committed to leading the charge in creating a sustainable and diverse audio-visual industry. He led a spirited debate and fielded many thought-provoking and emoti ve statements from the audience, which included the challenges that filmmakers face with regard to accessing distribution to their films, the lack of support for local films, and the fact that funding rejections are negati vely impacting first-time filmmakers.

Mr Bokaba also reinforced the

SWEEPS CLEAN

NFVF’s strategic goals in the short and long-term, which include:

TRANSFORMATION

Accelerating the support and development of PDIs in the audio-visual industry in line with the transformation agenda of the country and the three-tiered approach.

(With increased support and focus given to new entrants to the industry - those with litt le to no experience).

HUMAN CAPITAL DEVELOPMENT

Increase the number of people trained focusing on PDIs and areas of scarce skills

CONTENT DEVELOPMENT AND PRODUCTION

INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT

AUDIENCE AND MARKETS FOR SA CONTENT

SOCIAL COHESION AND NATION BUILDING

Increase the number of films written, produced and directed

by PDIs.

Promote the South African film industry locally and globally and increase audience access to SA films.

POLICY AND RESEARCH DEVELOPMENT Lead and influence development of film industry related policies and strategies at a local, provincial, national and regional level.

Increase access to production facilities and screening platforms for South African films.

Enable the telling of stories of national significance in indigenous languages.

PARTNERSHIPS

To collaborate with and influence relevant stakeholders.

AFRICA FOCUS

Increase engagement and trade opportunities between South Africa and the rest of the continent.

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10 / SPOTLIGHT

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THE IMPORTANCE OF

FREEING THE BID, SA-STYLE

by Bobby Amm

A

s the global advertising industry came together in Cannes in June to celebrate creativity, once again the lack of diversity in our industry was high on the agenda. While our international contemporaries are more focused on female directors receiving more opportunities and recognition, South Africa’s history means the challenge of promoting greater diversity is a lot more complex.

MORE THAN JUST GENDER

Why? Because diversity means so much more than just gender: it also refers to colour, race, sexual orientation, disability, religion and age. This is a very hot topic, having direct overlap with South African broad-based black economic empowerment (BBBEE) transformation.

Free the Bid is an international campaign, launched in September 2016, that aims to give female directors a voice in the advertising world. At this year’s Cannes Lions Awards, Proctor & Gamble, the world’s largest advertiser, announced that not only has it taken the pledge to “free the bid” but it’s also committed to assisting in expanding the initiative throughout the world over the next three years, together with other partners, including HP and Publicis Groupe.

Free the Bid’s pledge commits corporates to ask their ad

SINCE ITS INCEPTION, OVER 400 FEMALE DIRECTORS’ REELS HAVE BEEN ADDED TO THE FREE THE BID DATABASE; OVER 50 TOP GLOBAL AGENCIES AND 12 GLOBAL BRANDS HAVE TAKEN THE PLEDGE; AND THERE HAS BEEN A 400% INCREASE IN JOBS AWARDED TO WOMEN BY PARTICIPATING AGENCIES.

challenges as we do when it comes to promoting diversity and encouraging the transformation of business and society. As much as we all agree that female directors should be given greater opportunities, there needs to be a caveat that this shouldn’t necessarily be at the expense of our racial transformation agenda.

agencies and content producers for one bid from a woman director on every commercial produced.

The campaign motivates diversity starting with women, because women comprise over half the world’s population and make 85% of product-purchase decisions; furthermore, more women in advertising will change the cultural misrepresentations of women and will also help women working in film across all platforms. Free the Bid has recently added women working as DOPs and editors to its roster, so it seems likely that the initiative will expand to make the case for women to have greater access in all departments.

The Free the Bid model does show that, if industry participants commit to increased diversity, positive results can follow and this should encourage local players to commit to prioritising diversity in all its many forms.

One way to do this would be to sign the pledge at Free the Bid or simply to implement an internal policy that calls for at least one bid from a “diverse director” on every commercial put out to pitch; the results can only lead to a morefavourable result for everyone.

Yes, gone are the days where women could only stereotypically shoot babies, or beauty. A woman director can shoot cars and make metal look amazing [or a soccer ad that goes viral worldwide]. And, yes, why not try a female director on a ‘he-man’ beer ad? One might just be pleasantly surprised.

It’s time to spice it up and allow for change. It doesn’t have to be of a political nature but let’s view it as an opening of the doors of equality and creativity.

‘GOOD FOR BUSINESS’

Free the Bid’s assertion that women (particularly directors) are under-represented in the industry is borne out by a recent study undertaken by the Director’s Guild of America (DGA), which confirmed that “directors are overwhelming white and male” and that “every aspect to the

entire system disadvantages woman and people of colour.”

Free the Bid says that the corporate world “needs to fix its diversity issue — because it’s the right thing to do, but also because it’s a good idea for business. If creativity can be described as ‘thinking outside the box,’ then it would seem obvious that diversity would only increase creativity.”

The initiative is already displaying positive results. Since its inception, over 400 female directors’ reels have been added to the Free the Bid database; over 50 top global agencies and 12 global brands have taken the pledge; and there has been a 400% increase in jobs awarded to women by participating agencies. Free the Bid has also been launched in South Africa with director Leigh Ogilvie as our country’s designated ambassador.

While the South African production sector is in full support of the Free the Bid initiative, there’s arguably no country in the world which has the same

POSITIVE RESULTS

TINTOY PRODUCTIONS / 11

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TINTOY PRODUCTIONS ABOUT THE COMPANY TinToy Productions is a production company based in Cape Town, South Africa. We are a full team of creatives, do-ers and problem solvers with the capability of handling a project in its entirety from the big-idea-concept-creation to that final-nitt y-gritt y-edit.

We work closely and collaboratively with our clients, to create beautiful films, clearly communicated commercials and engrossing documentaries. Our most recent short film Good Mourning was selected as the best SA short for SundanceTV, and was recently screened at the Sundance Film Festival: London 2018.

SERVICES OFFERED Pre-Production The execution is only as good as the brief. Our team will conceptualise, schedule, storyboard and cast your production.

It’s all about being precise, comprehensive and clear.

Production Not only do we handle local projects from beginning to end, we also service the needs of international clients. We have a talented and efficient crew, capable of handling any scale of production.

Post-Production We have a fully equipped in-house post-production department, editing, VFX and sound studio. Welcome to our crib.

WHAT WE OFFER

CV OF WORK We have done everything from TVCs, to award winning films, to a music video for Hollywood star Idris Elba. We have worked with most of the top Cape Town agencies on both above the line and below the line content. Our short films have gone on to win multiple awards across the globe.

CONTACT US Tel: +27 21 424 0333 | Email: warren@tintoy.tv Address: 83 Castle Street, Studio 3B, Cape Town, 8001 Website: www.tintoy.tv

We are are super-tight team comprising experienced directors, producers and post-production wizards. We have our own, in-house post-production facilities and sound studio; meaning we are able to work closely with our clients from inception to completion.

We are passionate about making pixels, sound and emotion come to life on screen, and so each project is imbued with empathy, attention and creativity. Our goal is to help showcase your vision to the big, wide world in all its brilliance - as it so deserves. Let’s connect, have fun and make epic things.

MEET THE TEAM

Ian Morgan

Warren Ferreira

Karly Poyer

Writer & Director

Producer

Producer

Duran Barnett

Chris De Wet Bornman

Justin Hess

Head of Post-Production

Sound Designer

Editor

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Chicken Licken Hotwings’ Sbu 2.0. © ROMANCE Films Cape Town (left and right)

CANNES LIONS

SUCCESS FOR SOUTH AFRICA Natasha Skoryk finds that the African – especially South African – advertising industry walked away victorious from the 65th Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity.

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hile the 2018 edition of the Cannes Lions awards did not lead to quite as staggering a haul as the previous year’s (which saw South Africa take home 27 awards), the advertising industry at the tip of Africa continues to produce topnotch work, and the industry leaders from South Africa receive staggering international acclaim. South Africa managed to snag 21 Lions this year, and had 8 jurors across the various panels. This very quick summary of South Africa’s role at the so-called “Oscars of the Advertising World” demonstrates the respect and acclaim local advertisers have the world over.

Toyota Rush, Courtesy of Left Post-Production

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UNBELIEVABLE WRITING AND AN EXCEPTIONAL IDEA AND OF COURSE A REALLY GOOD CAUSE. I THINK THAT’S WHAT MAKES THE DIFFERENCE.

In fact, South Africa’s presence at the Cannes Lions International Festi val of Creati vity – as it has been known since 2011 – has been consistent since the 1990s, with local creati ves regularly winning major awards, and the juror panels featuring many of South Africa’s top names in advertising.

It has been heartening to see other African countries begin to excel at this platform in recent years, with Morocco winning

its first ever Lion at this year’s iteration and a Nigerian juror being appointed. The former achievement went to J. Walter Thompson Casablanca, who bagged a Bronze Lion in the Outdoor category for KitKat’s Break the Speed campaign.

Nigeria’s first juror was Noah’s Ark Communications Limited’s Lanre Adisa, who judged for the Brand Experience and Acti vation shortlist. While these are both massive

achievements that display growth across the continent, South Africa’s advertising industry continues to lead the region.

What is it that ensures South African advertising is so critically acclaimed internationally? “The distinction between award winning work and other work is very simple. It’s always the idea.

The idea is always king,” says Nina van Rensburg of 7Films.

They worked on the Bronze Lion-winning Dead Fish, for Surf Shack. “Obviously in this case, the idea was amazing and the writing by Patrick Robertson was exquisite. It was the perfect storm. Unbelievable writing and an exceptional idea and of course a really good cause. I think that’s what makes the difference.”

It is not surprising that South African stories and ideas are acclaimed in the contemporary climate. P&G’s Marc Pritchard said, at Cannes: “The days of general audience and general marketing are gone, and that is a good thing. People want to see themselves and to see brands with points of view – that is what is going to connect. […] If you are not doing multicultural marketing… you’re not doing marketing.” But South Africa has had a diverse and richly multicultural take on advertising for almost all of the democratic period, so it is no surprise that as international tastes move towards diverse stories, South Africans are leading the way.

Many of the award-winning campaigns of this last Cannes

Lions were centred around diversity and rooted in exciting collaborations. 7Films partnered with Y&R Cape Town to produce the campaign that wowed the jurors. Van Rensburg and her partners had seen another above-the-line campaign for the brand, and immediately became inspired to get involved. “We first saw the ad in print form on a flight from JHB to CPT,” she recalls. “We immediately fell in love with the quality of the writing and what the project, Surf Shack outreach is doing in the community to make a difference.” The fact that this commercial was for a worth cause was special, and it also helped that the story felt authentically South African. “It was a story told about characters from the Cape Flats, which I think stands out on an international canvas,” says van Rensburg.

Indeed, a trend within the local advertising industry has been a shift away from generic content that feels vaguely cosmopolitan, to stories that resonate deeply with local audiences – and acquire international laurels in the process. Xolisa Dyeshana, the Chief Creati ve Officer of Joe Public, says their agency acti vely embraces ‘South Africanisms’ and tries to create work that can immediately be identi fied as local. “Even from a commercial perspecti ve, we can create work that is aesthetically unique to ourselves,” explains Dyeshana.

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FUN FACTS • The Lions actually started out in Venice in 1954, before moving to Monte Carlo the following year, and Cannes the year after.

For the next twentyeight years, the festival alternated between Venice and Cannes, before sett ling in its current home in 1985 • Lions has grown from 130 delegates in 1954 to over 12 000 in 2018 • Entering work into the festival costs between €525 (±R 8 198) and €1 685 (±R26 313), depending on when the work is entered and what category it’s competing in • Attending the festival is not cheap either, with complete passes starting at €3 249 (±R50 737) – and be sure to keep some extra money aside for the south of France’s legendary parties!

• The first South African to receive a Gold Lion was David Feldman back in 1990, for a MercedesBenz commercial • Nearly three decades later, in 2017, Terence Neale became the first ever South African to pick up a Grand Prix • Traditionally, South Africa has been known to do incredibly well in the radio lions – and this year proved no exception, with 9 Lions going to South African commercials!

There is no reason to imagine that a local flavour won’t sell – and there have been plenty of examples around the world for meaningful, authentic advertising. He adds: “[I’m] really roused by telling the South African story in advertising. I grew up in a time when a lot of ads were done by people that didn’t look like me, and they were meant to make people

Joburg Ballet Company, Courtesy of Left Post-Production

like me buy things like OMO and Coke, and they sucked.

So I promised myself that one day I’d be part of an agency that embraces diversity.”

Often, those diverse campaigns will look like the documentary-style Surf Shack commercial discussed above, or the visually stunning Breaking Ballet, which took home a Gold Entertainment Lion. But embracing diversity can also be purely escapist fun; that uniquely South African aesthetic need not be dark. Joe Public’s Sbu 2.0 is a hilarious romp, directed by Greg Gray of ROMANCE. According to Dyeshana, part of the ad’s success comes from keeping the target audience in mind at all times, and creating something for that audience rather than for the team. Creating something for a local audience and with distinctly local flavour did not harm ROMANCE or Joe Public – in fact, internationals loved the quirky narrati ve about a science teacher who’d built

a robot version of himself!

When discussing commercial success, much attention is often devoted to visionary directors, creati ve producers and adventurous advertising agency executi ves. But much of the success comes down to impeccable post-production processes. South African postproduction houses are on par with international counterparts, and are meaningfully contributing to interesting storytelling through the medium of film!

Jacqui Pearson, of Left PostProduction, worked with Darling Films and TBWA\Hunt\Lascaris Johannesburg on Breaking Ballet for the Joburg Ballet Company.

“Collaborating with post early on in the process is key to achieving a great creati ve end product and being responsible to the clients’ budget,” she says, when asked to give advice for creating high-quality work. “If we can all get that right we might get back to mutually beneficial relationships, trust and respect.”

One of the challenges facing post-production – even the industry leading postproduction houses, like Left , which has been a leader in the sector for the past twelve years – is that many advertising executi ves and filmmakers disrespect the process. “[One of the challenges has been] agencies starting up in-house post and disregarding the experience, infrastructure and support required to give the attention each unique and individual project deserves,” says Pearson. For a truly aesthetically pleasing project, it is vital to build trust between all of the stakeholders. “Strict Instructions” is often the downfall of what could have been a beautiful film,” sighs Pearson. Luckily, with Breaking Ballet, the client, agency and behind-the-camera team were all risk-takers who were more than happy to try new things and not obsess over micromanagement.

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SOUTH AFRICAN JUDGES IN 2018: • Titanium Jury: Jason Xenopolous, Chief Vision Officer and Chief Creative Officer at VML • Direct Marketing (shortlist): Neo Segola, Creative Director at FCB • Design category (awarding): Vumile Mavumengwana, CD and designer at VM Design • Brand Experience & Activations (shortlist): Matt Ross, Chief Creative officer at King James • Radio & Audio (awarding): Molefi Thulo, Creative Director at Ogilvy & Mather Johannesburg • Media (shortlist): Wayne Bishop, Managing Director at PHD Media • Film (shortlist): George Low, Creative Director at TBWA\Hunt Lascaris.

Toyota Rush, Courtesy of Left Post-Production

What does Pearson focus on when approaching a project? “Production value and creati ve output in no order of preference,” she replies. There are other things to consider, such as “being ahead of the curve in our industry along with the support, service and respect always with a smile.” At the end of the day, there is no easy recipe for success in the commercials industry. “There are many variables along the

way as films is not an exact science,” says Pearson. “A brave client, the agency idea, the directors’ visual interpretation and the editors’ and finishing artistes’ collaboration on “That one thing” being the translation of the idea into film is what Left bases its success on.”

The focus on collaboration and respect across all levels of the industry, service with a smile (which South Africa has become world famous for!),

and willingness to try new things and explore is what allows some members of the local advertising industry to excel at such a high level, where others fail. Dyeshana mentions he requested story edits be made to Sbu 2.0 – not because he didn’t trust Gray’s impeccable vision, but because he felt shift ing the order of events in the commercial around would make it funnier to the target audience.

TRY NEW THINGS AND EXPLORE IS WHAT ALLOWS SOME MEMBERS OF THE LOCAL ADVERTISING INDUSTRY TO EXCEL AT SUCH A HIGH LEVEL.

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VW Learner, Courtesy of Left Post-Production

CBA 100 , Courtesy of Left Post-Production

Award-winning work cannot happen when the agency and the filmmakers see themselves as at odds with one another; when everyone trusts one another’s unique expertise and knowledge, magic can happen!

Van Rensburg also notes the importance of collaboration with agency and postproduction houses. She cites the “mentorship of Graham Lang ECO at Y&R Cape Town” as particularly crucial to the success of Dead Fish – he was willing to both guide production and experiment. How did the story process work for an ad campaign focused on an outreach initiative?

“We wanted the films to be believable and real, which is why we used a documentary approach. We tried to keep it as honest as possible in the way that it was filmed. We used real characters, real situations and nothing was staged. We did a workshop with the characters to get the best performance out of them,” explains Van Rensburg.

The prices for entering work at Cannes Lions can be prohibitive to smaller agencies and filmmakers who are just starting out, but as brand South Africa continues to grow, we can be almost certain that the number of Lions brought home

from the French Riviera will as well! The last few years have been excellent – and the next few will probably be even better.

The organisations interviewed for this article already have their next projects lined up. 7Films, for example, is embarking on exciting work for major brands such as Nedbank, Heineken, Vodacom, Netflix and Spur – as well as Mercedes-Benz (a campaign for which got South Africa its first Gold Lion in 1990).

Left is currently working on an international feature and planning a trip to Canada and USA, where they plan to meet and engage with industry experts to ensure

we can offer cutting-edge services to our local clients.

While budgets have been shrinking and many of the players in the film and advertising industry are worrying about the future, it is clear that the excellent products expected from South Africa are still being produced. Whether the story being told is in a documentary format, escapist humour like Sbu 2.0, or visually complex storytelling as with Breaking Ballet, it is clear that the South African advertising agency is continuously pushing itself to be better and more interesting.

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SOUTH AFRICAN WINNERS IN 2018: GRAND PRIX

Radio Lion: Carling Black Label - Anti Women Abuse Initiative ‘Soccer Song For Change’ | Ogilvy Cape Town | ABInBev Johannesburg, Audio Militia Johannesburg, 0307 Films Cape Town, Black Ginger Cape Town, Deliverance PostProduction Cape Town, The Workroom Cape Town and Video Cartel Cape Town

GOLD

Entertainment Lion: Joburg Ballet Company’s Breaking Ballet | TBWA\Hunt\ Lascaris Johannesburg and TBWA Africa, along with Blue Noise Johannesburg, Darling Films Johannesburg, Left Post Production Johannesburg, and The Upstairs Ludus Post Production Johannesburg Radio Lion: Flight Centre Youth & Adventure’s Date, Swim and Festival (campaign) | TBWA\Hunt\ Lascaris Johannesburg

SILVER

Creative Data Lion: Joburg Ballet Company’s Breaking Ballet | TBWA\Hunt\ Lascaris Johannesburg, TBWA Africa, Blue Noise Johannesburg, Darling Films Johannesburg, Left Post Production Johannesburg, and The Upstairs Ludus Post Production Johannesburg Entertainment Lion: Sanlam MyChoice Funeral Plan’s Uk’Shona KweLanga - A WhatsApp Drama Series | King James Group Cape Town Media Lion: Sanlam MyChoice Funeral Plan’s Uk’Shona KweLanga - A WhatsApp Drama Series | King James Group Cape Town Print & Publishing Lion: Commission for Gender Equality’s Frasier, Eric, Ethan and Steve (campaign) | DDB South Africa Print & Publishing Lion: Powa Johannesburg’s The News You Need to See | Joe Public Johannesburg, Publications for Good Radio Lion: Flight Centre Youth & Adventure’s Date, Swim and Festival

Chicken Licken Hotwings’ Sbu 2.0. © ROMANCE Films Cape Town

(campaign) | TBWA\Hunt\ Lascaris Johannesburg Radio Lion: Volkswagen South Africa’s VW Brake Assist Stalker and Funeral (campaign) | Ogilvy Cape Town and We Love Jam Cape Town Radio Lion: Cell C C-surance’s iGugu Lebo, iGugu Nomsa, and iGugu Siya (campaign) | 1886 Johannesburg Radio Lion: Universal Music South Africa’s Hugh Masekela Tribute | Havas Johannesburg Bronze Design Lion: Viacom MTV’s #FCKHIV | Ogilvy Johannesburg Entertainment Lion: Carling Black Label - Anti Women Abuse Initiative Soccer Song For Change | Ogilvy Cape Town, ABInBev Johannesburg, Audio Militia Johannesburg, 0307 Films Cape Town, Black Ginger Cape Town, Deliverance Post-Production Cape Town, The Workroom Cape Town and Video Cartel Cape Town Film Lion: Surf Shack - Surfing Outreach programme’s Dead Fish Eyes | Y&R South Africa/ VML, 7Films Cape Town and Big Leap Music &

Post Cape Town Film Craft Lion: Chicken Licken Hotwings’ Sbu 2.0. | Romance Films Cape Town, Joe Public United Media Lion: KimberlyClark Huggies’ The World’s First Baby Marathon | Ogilvy Johannesburg Radio Lion: ABInBev Castle Lager’s Make a Different Friend campaign | Ogilvy Johannesburg Radio Lion: Carling Black Label - Anti Women Abuse Initiative Soccer Song For Change | Ogilvy Cape Town, ABInBev Johannesburg, Audio Militia Johannesburg, 0307 Films Cape Town, Black Ginger Cape Town, Deliverance Post-Production Cape Town, The Workroom Cape Town and Video Cartel Cape Town Radio Lion: Volkswagen South Africa’s VW Brake Assist Stalker | Ogilvy Cape Town and We Love Jam Cape Town Social and Influencer Lion: Sanlam MyChoice Funeral Plan’s Uk’Shona KweLanga - A WhatsApp Drama Series | King James Group Cape Town

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Jakob Owens on Unsplash

THE WORLD OF GEAR Natasha Skoryk chats to Henk Germishuysen, of Puma Video, to discover what the latest trends in gear rental are.

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any industry experts feel that technology has peaked; there has been a move towards cheaper, more budgetfriendly gear options (such as the Blackmagic range, or the lower-end cameras of major brands), instead of the traditionally heavy-weight

equipment of days-gone-by.

This means that gear rental companies are having to adapt their business models. In some cases, this means chasing after the latest, state-of-the-art equipment (like the Sony Venice, which has been famously selected by James Cameron for use in the Avatar sequels).

Other suppliers are choosing to refocus on non-camera items.

“Unfortunately, we just don’t all have the budgets to keep up,” says Germishuysen, when asked whether South African gear rental firms are keeping up with technical advances internationally. “I think the bigger suppliers are managing

to do that. The rest of us have to do our homework and think where we are going to spend our buck.” Does that impact negatively on clients? “We certainly have the right tools for most of the jobs, but not all of them,” explains Germishuysen.

The traditional primary clients for gear rental firms – overseas

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Chris Murray on Unsplash

Ethan Cull on Unsplash

© Puma Video

natural history documentary filmmakers, corporates, and those working on current affairs content – continue to rent out equipment. Filmmakers, meanwhile, are moving in a slightly different direction.

Part of the issue, for gearrental companies, has been this widespread rise in affordable,

yet high-quality, equipment.

“It has definitely also become more affordable for a DOP or operator to own their own 4K camera, which offers high frame rates, HDR and so forth,” says Germishuysen. “So providing the support items like grips, lighting equipment and other sundry items is also

I THINK MANY OF THE PRODUCTION AND SETVALUES THAT WAS TRANSFERRED TO CREW IN DAYS OF YORE HAS CREATED AN INTELLECTUAL CAPITAL GAP.

something we see a lot more.”

Those items, of course, can be key to a successful shoot – especially in the hands of talented and experienced crew.

The shrinking size of crews worries Germishuysen. “The days of having full crew on set for most (but not all) shoots I think is over,” he explains. On shoots, each crew member now performs a wide range of functions, instead of being limited to the clearly delineated roles as in the past. It is not surprising to find an operator who also does the focus pulling, or to find a producer functioning as a camera assistant. Adds Germishuysen: “I think many of the production and set-

values that was transferred to crew in days of yore has created an intellectual capital gap.” On contemporary sets, Germishuysen feels that plenty of those involved at a technical level simply don’t have the knowledge required of them.

Historically, technical knowledge was delivered through experiential learning on set. Many of South Africa’s most acclaimed crew members have pointed out that they’ve acquired the majority of their knowledge on the job, especially since the major local film schools tend to focus on storytelling, and the creative side of filmmaking more generally, rather than on technical details.

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Young crew members therefore always learned through informal apprenticeships. They sank or swam – and foreign service clients were generally more

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than satisfied with the quality of the swimming! As the crews shrink along with budgets, there are fewer experienced crew members who can transmit

HDR IS SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT, AS IT’S NOT SIMPLY ABOUT THE SHEER NUMBER OF PIXELS BUT THE QUALITY OF THOSE PIXELS. THE IMAGES ARE BRIGHTER AND BETTER WITH HDR, NOT JUST BIGGER.

their technical expertise.

“Our perception is that gear is treated with less respect on shoots lately,” Germishuysen says. This, he feels, is a direct result of both the rise in budget gear and the trend towards leaner, streamlined crews.

Of course, not all industry trends are negative. While technology is reaching a sort of plateau, there are still numerous regular developments to get excited by. “The latest trend points to at least 4K,” notes Germishuysen. “Everyone wants to shoot 4K to future proof their material. Then we have 6K and

8K lurking in the wings. Then High Dynamic Range (HDR) is the next “thing”. HDR is now available not just in cameras but in monitor displays and recorders. Even TV screens are now branded HDR ready!”

At its most simple, image resolution refers to the number of pixels displayed on screen – the higher the ‘K’, the more pixels on screen and, therefore, the bigger the image. HDR is slightly different, as it’s not simply about the sheer number of pixels but the quality of those pixels. The images are brighter and better with HDR, not just bigger.

Mathias Arlund on Unsplash © Puma Video Kobu Agency on Unsplash

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Krists Luhaer on Unsplash

Lucas Favre on Unsplash © Puma Video

HDR offers far higher contrast ratios (which allows for more detail in shadows and highlights) and better colour accuracy than either 4K, 6K or 8K ever had. This development is enthusing, both from an aesthetic perspective and a storytelling one. While resolution might seem like a focus for gear-heads and cinematographers alone, higher resolutions allow for more immersive experiences for the viewers. This is due particularly to the added depth that higher contrast ratios can provide. Moreover, improved colour accuracy ensures a director’s vision – especially

when it comes to colour palette – can be executed. Colours that previously were impossible to represent on screen will become more common. Shooting in HDR is worthwhile, particularly given the videos may soon be screened commonly on HDR television screens.

“But like 4K and the other Ks, HDR also comes with its own inherent challenges,” Germishuysen warns. For example, adapting HDR content to Standard Dynamic Range (SDR) displays is possible, but challenging. This is important to bear in mind as most domestic displays aren’t HDR quite yet.

Statistics for North America predict 32% of consumer television screens will be HDR by 2019; the figure is almost certainly lower in South Africa. Compression is possible. It requires tone mapping and using the s-curve to limit the dynamic range while preserving the relative intensities, and simultaneously increasing the contrast. This sort of finicky editing may not be for everyone, and should be kept in mind when making camera decisions.

Still, the rise in HDR is worth looking forward to. South African crews’

technical skills may be dwindling a little, but creative storytelling continues to thrive – and gear that leads to more immersive experiences will almost certainly result in better local films!

BUT LIKE 4K AND THE OTHER KS, HDR ALSO COMES WITH ITS OWN INHERENT CHALLENGES.

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Blackmagic gear on display at Atlantic Studios.

BLACKMAGIC

ENCHANTS SOUTH AFRICAN STUDIO Natasha Skoryk catches up with one of Atlantic Studio’s engineers, whose diligence in testing the latest Blackmagic equipment resulted in breakthroughs.

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arlier this year, Atlantic Studios in Cape Town became the first studio in South Africa to be equipped almost entirely with Blackmagic gear. “It’s Blackmagic from top to bottom,” says Chris Gardner, an engineer at the studio. Cameras, monitors, camera control, vision mixing – basically everything that the Australian manufacturer offers – is Blackmagic. “We’ve been having flawless shows,” Gardner says. He adds: “We’ve launched a new show on kykNET & kie, called Tussen Ons, and if anybody would like to see the image quality put out by Blackmagic, we’re mixing six cameras live to tape on that show, and it’s really looking amazing.”

The decision to go with Blackmagic was originally rooted in limited budget, but the team has been thrilled with the service and quality of the equipment they’ve received.

That said, part of that quality is

down to the local team. Working through Marius van Straaten, of Visual Impact, Atlantic Studios became one of the first teams internationally to receive a demo model of the Blackmagic URSA Broadcast. The first few tests did not go according to plan.

Gardner explains further: “We did a few tests in studio, with the broadcast camera, and we were really not happy with the images we were getting. Blackmagic and the northern hemisphere natively work in a progressive format, so interlaced is something the southern hemisphere and we work in for our broadcasters down here. And basically, the camera performed very well in a progressive format and what we kept on coming back to is that on the interlaced formats we would pick up quite a bit of noise on the sensors and the picture quality would suffer because of that.” The colours just weren’t as crisp as they would have liked, and the camera needed

a lot of light. “This is natively a Blackmagic thing, you know, their cameras require a lot of information – but the Broadcast camera tended to have a lot of noise in it,” clarifies Gardner.

There was only a limited time with that first demo model, but when van Straaten saw the results of the first few tests, he agreed that there was most certainly a problem with the camera’s sensor. Nobody was sure what the source of the problem was. This got referred to Jason Sprout, who works with Visual Impact on supplying the Blackmagic gear – and he made the call to send a demo model back to Atlantic Studios.

“All of this happened before the NAB launch of the URSA Broadcast camera in the States,” says Gardner, reiterating the urgency of the team’s testing process, “and what happened from there on is that we spoke to one of the technicians on Blackmagic’s side. At the same

time that we were doing all of those tests, they were busy trying to get the camera ready for NAB. We sent through a few clips and some stills images of stuff we were picking up on the sensor and we came to the conclusion that the sensors got a phase reversal issue on the software which processes the image off the sensor.”

One of the major pros of the Blackmagic system is its reliance on software. After receiving feedback from Atlantic Studios, Blackmagic’s technicians were able to bring out an update that rectified that issue entirely.

“Since that software update, since we’ve received our six Blackmagic Broadcast Cameras, we’ve found the image super crisp,” Gardner explains. “It’s still light-hungry, it still needs a lot of information for the sensor but they really are fantastic cameras. They’re great value for money, easy to operate, they’ve got great camera control units.”

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So what was the feedback process like for the team at Atlantic Studios? “It was really nice to be involved with that whole process, dealing with Blackmagic was great,” gushes Gardner, “The feedback and the assistance we were getting through Visual Impact and from Stage Audio Works was also amazing.”

Of course, no system is entirely flawless. “What I do find a little bit challenging is the servicing and spares and just the way the whole service structure is set up,” says Gardner. “It’s very difficult to get something repaired or serviced – not that I’ve needed to!” When a piece of Blackmagic equipment breaks

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down, it cannot get serviced or repaired by South African engineers. Instead the entire unit must be shipped to Johannesburg, and from there is passed onto an international service centre. “I’d really like that sort of thing handled in South Africa,” Gardner adds.

After all, local engineers have the sufficient expertise and technical know-how to be able to execute servicing and repairs without crossing any borders.

Gardner also acknowledges that the more expensive brands tend to be more technologically “evolved” - particularly in terms of the depth in control.

“But having said that, because Blackmagic is largely software driven, we’re expecting a lot of development,” he quickly adds.

“Blackmagic is just around the corner with being able to offer all the same control and the finer adjustments that we’re not getting at the moment.”

In all, the so-called flaws of the Blackmagic equipment need to be viewed holistically.

Historically, the price of equipment precluded local start-ups from expanding – and Blackmagic is seriously challenging that. “There’s pretty much nothing that we can’t do, or can’t find a workaround for in the Blackmagic system,” says Gardner. If a cheaper system can do everything previously offered by its more expensive rivals, then we will hopefully see a rise in South African television broadcasters, and witness a reinvigorated industry.

There is very little Gardner sees as legitimate cause to complain about: “It’s a great product, a great system – we’ve got all-round amazing service from the South African suppliers and resellers – it really has been a pleasant experience, and a great step forward for South African television!”

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Vodacom Ironman - a segment of storyboard frames.

ROELOF VENTER: STORYBOARD ARTIST

Roelof Venter is one of South Africa’s most in-demand storyboard artists. The Callsheet caught up with Venter to discover more about his profession.

What qualifications are required for storyboarding?

Your skillset is the most important thing – nobody’s ever asked me for my diploma or anything like that!

So then, what skills are needed to become a storyboard artist?

I went to the Pro Arte high school in Pretoria, so I had some education in fine arts, specifically drawing. That’s vital for storyboarding. Figure drawing is good, and knowing the proportions of the human body; the more you can know that off-by-heart, the quicker you will be able to draw. Of course, with experience, it just gets easier! The other key aspect is perspective drawing, because you need to be able to put a character in a background, or in a specific location. And the client expects you to use your imagination – because those

shots don’t exist yet! Finally, you need to know film terminology.

Shot sizes, edits and camera moods. So, I went to a film school. Look, my idea was not to become a storyboard artist. That sort of just happened! I always loved the art of storyboarding.

Ever since I was in high school, I loved the whole process behind making a film. But because I was always very artistic, I landed in storyboards – and it’s really fulfilling!

do it directly on the computer, and it’s already in the digital world. It just saves a lot of time.

I work on PC, but you can also work on Mac, depending on your preference. I use a tablet, so that I can actually

draw on the tablet and the image appears on the screen.

If you’ve got more money, then you can use a Cintiq, which is a screen that you can draw on.

That’s very nice to have, but it costs as much as a small car!

What do you use for storyboarding?

I do my storyboards on Adobe Photoshop. I use a tablet, so that I can put everything on ‘layers’, and then it’s easier to make changes. I don’t do drawings on paper anymore, because it’s a huge headache to do changes on that. And then I have to end up scanning stuff in and sending it to the client in any case, and that wastes a lot of time. So I A selection of storyboard frames from the Telkom More advert

FEATURE / 25

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What projects have you been involved in recently?

The most recent one has been the Vodacom NXT LVL ad, where they run up the stairs with the words that sort of light up. It’s a very high-tech kind of advert.

What was nice about that one was that it was very challenging.

It was a very surreal kind of thing; it wasn’t like a normal story. What they’re advertising is actually a concept, so the commercial is very abstract.

And that’s very challenging and rewarding, as an artist. Because there’s a lot of stuff that you have to figure out when you’re sitting there, drawing. You get reference from the client, but none of it exists yet!

I also worked on the Telkom MORE ad, the one with the

icons that sort of float in.

That was also quite nice.

Would you say storyboarders are more in-demand for high concept ads like those?

Yes. I work for the film company, and I’m basically helping them to visualise what they intend to do, because their suit-wearing clients just can’t. Even if the filmmakers give them a set of photos, the clients sometimes demand a storyboard because they want to see exactly what it’s going to look like. Which is great, because if it wasn’t for that, I’d be out of a job!

What’re some of the challenges you face as a storyboarder?

Before I agreed to this interview, I actually thought: this is going to be difficult! Because it’s not

all glamorous. The industry has shrunk over the last couple of years. I think South Africa is going into a recession, or we have been in a recession and we’ve just not been saying it. So work has scaled down, the budgets have shrunk. I’ve actually lost clients because of the budgets.

A lot of clients would now rather go out and take photographs of the technical crew, so you can kind of see what the shots will look like, and then they can put that into a file and then show it to their clients. They don’t have budgets for storyboards anymore. That’s a scary prospect!

I’ve tried to find new ways of doing the work quicker, so that I can present it to my clients faster.

Luckily, if you market yourself more or less continuously (which is kind of tedious, but you’ve got to do it) on social media platforms like Facebook and LinkedIn, and build up your contact base and grow your number of returning clients, then you’ll be okay! That’s where I’m at the moment. It’s really not as bad as it could be!

Because the turnaround for storyboards specifically in the commercials industry is very quick (maximum 4 or 5 days for a 45-second ad) and drawing technically difficult shots and group scenes takes a lot of time, it is sometimes necessary to work long days. It becomes

easier to manage this the more experience one gains.

Drawing storyboards on time and within budget is a balance between time versus quality.

Sadly, sometimes we need to compromise on quality in order to finish on time and stay within budget. Luckily storyboards are rarely used as finished artwork, so a certain roughness is acceptable to most clients.

What advice would you give someone who is just starting out in this sector?

Time yourself. I work using a timesheet. I’ve got it on my cellphone and I keep very, very strict tabs on how long it takes me to do stuff. When I started out, I had no idea.

You’ve got to start building that knowledge very early on.

Because otherwise, when you start to quote for jobs, you’ve got no idea what to base it on.

You’ve got to figure out how much your work is worth on an hourly basis – and there are industry standards, which can help to guide you. But clients don’t really like to work with an hourly rate, because it makes it difficult for them to quote their clients. They like to work on price per panel. So you need to know how long that’ll take you so that you can give them an accurate quote.

26 / LOERIES

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Loeries 2017 Judging

JURY PRESIDENTS THE LOERIES 2018

L

oeries Creative Week returns to Durban in August, for the fourth consecutive year as it celebrates 40 years of rewarding creativity across Africa and the Middle East. The creative festival takes place from 13 to 19 August and includes judging of round 2 500 entries, a seminar of international creative leaders, masterclasses, awards ceremonies and many fun networking events.

The jury presidents for this year’s event bring global leadership and experience to the judging panel with three of the world’s top creative leaders guiding over 160 judges in the process of selecting the best of brand communication from across the region.

The jury presidents are: Fabian Frese, Chief Creative Officer at Kolle Rebbe, in Hamburg Germany; Nicolas Courant, Executive Creative Director at Ogilvy & Mather, Singapore; and Sebastian Padilla, Co-founder of Anagrama in Mexico.

These thought leaders are also on the podium at the DStv Seminar of Creativity on Friday 17 August, during Creative Week - a once-off opportunity to hear these industry leaders speak and anyone involved in marketing, advertising and design should attend.

This year’s jury presidents and seminar speakers include:

FABIAN FRESE CHIEF CREATIVE OFFICER, KOLLE REBBE, HAMBURG GERMANY

Is it a coincidence that in his previous role at Jung von Matt as Executive Creative Director, the agency was recognised as Germany’s ‘Agency of the Year’ and as ‘Independent Agency of the Year’ at the Cannes Festival? We don’t think so.

His talent has won him an

impressive number of national and international awards in his personal capacity, no doubt the reason he has been invited to serve on the Cannes Lions jury.

He made a bold move in 2013 when he left Jung von Matt to take a digital sabbatical, touring as an intern through a variety of digital companies which, he says, made him ‘much poorer but a lot smarter’. He also founded start-ups during that time and this has remained close to his heart because his current agency, Kolle Rebbe, is big on supporting start-ups.

HIS TALENT HAS WON HIM AN IMPRESSIVE NUMBER OF NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL AWARDS IN HIS PERSONAL CAPACITY, NO DOUBT THE REASON HE HAS BEEN INVITED TO SERVE ON THE CANNES LIONS JURY. Fabian Frese

LOERIES / 27

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Nicolas Courant

HE STARTED IN HIS NATIVE FRANCE AS A COPYWRITER WORKING ON MAJOR ACCOUNTS INCLUDING AIR FRANCE, LA SOCIÉTÉ GÉNÉRALE, PFIZER AND SEAT. IT WASN’T LONG BEFORE HE WAS RANKED AMONGST THE BEST FRENCH COPYWRITERS

BY CB NEWS.

La Société Générale, Pfizer and Seat. It wasn’t long before he was ranked amongst the best French copywriters by CB News. Then Ogilvy beckoned.

Nicolas joined Memac Ogilvy as Creative Director to set up the agency in Tunis, founding OgilvyOne in 2009, OgilvyAction in 2010 and OgilvyPR in 2011, and driving Memac Ogilvy Tunis to the top three most-awarded MEA agencies and the top 10 EMEA agencies in 2012.

Nobody was surprised when he was appointed to head the newly created Memac Ogilvy MENA Regional Creative Council in 2012.

In his current position, Nicolas has been involved in award-winning creative work for Unilever, Allianz, Coca-Cola and Philips. He adds this recognition to a host of awards from every major international contest in categories that range from film and digital to mobile and direct.

His work has also featured on TED’s Ads Worth Spreading.

SEBASTIAN PADILLA CO-FOUNDER, ANAGRAMA, MEXICO

When Rihanna wants to create a stir (and when does Rihanna not

He joined the agency in 2014 as Partner and MD Creation, responsible for Netflix and the global Lufthansa account.

NICOLAS COURANT EXECUTIVE CREATIVE DIRECTOR, OGILVY & MATHER, SINGAPORE

First Europe, then EMEA and now Asia: Nicolas is sharing his creative talent across the world.

He started in his native France as a copywriter working on major accounts including Air France, Loeries 2017 Judging

WITH A PROMINENT ARCHITECT FOR A FATHER IT WAS ALMOST INEVITABLE THAT SEBASTIAN WOULD CHOOSE TO WORK IN THE CREATIVE ARTS, BUT THE DISCIPLINE WASN’T OBVIOUS. HE THOUGHT ABOUT IT VERY CAREFULLY BEFORE CHOOSING GRAPHIC DESIGN BECAUSE IT WOULD ENABLE HIM TO WORK ACROSS THE CREATIVE DISCIPLINES. want to create a stir?) she turns to Anagrama, the design studio Sebastian co-founded in 2008.

With a prominent architect for a father it was almost inevitable that Sebastian would choose to work in the creative arts, but the discipline wasn’t obvious. He thought about it very carefully before choosing graphic design because it would enable him to work across the creative disciplines. He was right.

After graduating he worked in advertising for a year until he met Mike Herrera, his founding partner and now Creative Director at Anagrama.

Gustavo Muñoz became the third member of the team. From their beginnings in a cramped

Sebastian Padilla

bedroom, they have grown into a studio that employs more than 30 designers, architects, programmers and software engineers, they have offices in Monterrey and Mexico City, and they’ve worked in more than 40 countries throughout the five continents.

Their work is fascinating and ranges from graphic and interior design to interactive design. And while Rihanna may be their most celebrated client, they also work for major brands such as Armani, Nike, and Vitra.

Creative Week tickets are now on sale at loeries. com. Delegates should arrive Wednesday 16 August and depart Sunday 19 August to get the most from the festival which takes place in Durban, South Africa.

28 / CLASSIFIEDS

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DOTKOMRADE

JANEENS GREENS

LIVING ASSETS

You’ve directed it, you’ve shot it, you’ve edited it, and now you need to finish it. For professional colour grading, DotKomrade offers you a cutting-edge facility. Based in Joburg, DotKomrade is accessible, equipped to international standards and home to ICA-accredited colourist, Matt hew Tapson.

30 years’ experience working with plants and a passion for creating Greens sets for Commercials, Stills Shoots and Features since 1999.

Her nursery provides plants and props for client requirements from English gardens, tropical forests, palm beaches, ponds, moonscapes and more.

We are creators of live sets to the entertainment industry, from desert to jungle and even other worlds. We can supply greens crew, vehicles, equipment, trees, plants, arti ficial plants, substrates, hard landscaping, and outdoor dressing, to complement any set on any production, such as commercials, documentaries, feature films and events.

38 3rd Street, Linden, Johannesburg M: +27 82 817 4450 E: colourgrading@dotkomrade.co.za W: www.dotkomrade.co.za

Janeen Nichols M: +27 76 062 1353 E: janeennichols@gmail.com W: www.janeensgreens.com

Clint Gordon – Greensman M: +27 76 688 8342 E: clintgordon@mweb.co.za

Janeen’s Greens Greens specialist for the Film Industry

MAMA DANCE MUSIC SOLUTIONS

STUNTEAM

THE POUND

Mama Dance is a one-stop-shop for all your music needs.

LIBRARIES: Our website has 150 000 high-quality South African, African and International production music tracks ready for download and we offer free searches!

COMPOSITION: Send us a brief and our talented team will create it.

SUPERVISION: Searches, Costings & Clearances.

Stunteam specialises in stunt coordinating and fight choreography, combat techniques, on-screen performance, weapons training, sword fighting and training of stunt performers. Directors Grant Powell and Vernon Willemse have a combined experience of 24 years in the film industry and hold an impressive body of work as performers and coordinators.

Doing a Car Shoot?

4 Dorman Street, Gardens, Cape Town T: 021 424 0314 E: Dale@mamadance.com W. www.mamadance.com

Vernon Willemse M: +27 83 465 4573 Grant Powell M: +27 83 739 2500 E: info@thestunteam.com W: www.thestunteam.com

Need experienced car crew that: • Think on their feet?

• Have all the right tools?

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• Skilled drivers?

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• Killer detailers?

Make it easy for yourselves….

Call The Pound now on 0826845575 E: mary@thepound.co.za W: www.thepound.co.za

RE

AL

CA R S FO R F

IL M

NEWF / 29

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NEWF NATURE, ENVIRONMENT

& WILDLIFE FILMMAKERS CONGRESS

Pictured during a session on Filmmaking Driving Social Change: Jolynn Minnaar; Lisa Samford; Dr Paula Kahumbu and Hilary Sparrow.

“

T

he time is now for Africa to tell Africa’s stories and to take responsibility for what’s happening with our heritage and our identity and what better medium to do this than TV and film to inspire millions across continents...” said Dr Paula Kahumbu during her opening keynote address at the second NEWF (The Nature Environment and Wildlife Filmmakers Congress) held at the Durban Botanic Gardens in July during which experienced and first time enviro-documentary makers spent three full days networking and sharing ideas.

Dr Kahumbu is the CEO of proactive Kenyan conservation organisation Wildlife Direct which spearheads the public awareness campaign to address the elephant poaching crisis.

“We have to attempt to change the narrative. We need to share our stories, and use these to inspire others. We have created our own 60-episode TV series

which is screened weekly. 40% of Kenyans have seen our show and for 29% of Kenyans, this series is their primary source of wildlife knowledge,” she explained.

“We need to lobby jointly to support established and new shows. We are stronger if we work together – even across borders. Together we can save Africa’s wildlife for all of Africa,” concluded Kahumbu.

The storytelling theme was picked up again by Dustin Renwick – the programme officer for storytelling grant at National Geographic Society. “Storytelling helps us to understand the world and inspires us to help to protect it,” he said. Renwick gave pointers when applying to Nat Geo for storytelling grant submissions.

Peter Hamilton from Documentary Television.com spoke about the changing face of video and film consumption: the shift from cable and satellite to transactional, online and streaming facilities. He also

spoke about the business of documentaries and unscripted films and the changing financial models and its implications on the revenue of filmmakers.

Ahead of the NEWF congress, Renwick and Hamilton also groomed and mentored the finalists of the 2018 N.E.W Pitch, a category of the NEWF Development Fund, which is dedicated to discovering the next generation of nature, environment, wildlife and adventure filmmakers and providing them with pitching experience and the opportunity to win a production grant to produce a short documentary film.

NEWF Founder and Programme Director Noel Kok is thrilled that NEWF is proving to be an important forum dedicated to promoting films that matter.

Kok was delighted with the calibre of presenters again this year. More than 30 expert global speakers from South Africa, Kenya, France, America, Zambia, and Mozambique participated in lively and worthwhile discussions and presentations that spoke to the broad themes of Beyond the Technical; New Perspectives; Case Studies and Under the Baobab tree.

“The Nature, Environment and Wildlife Filmmakers Congress delivered in its vision as a platform for passionate filmmakers around the world to forge new relationships, build on those already formed, innovate and move towards further development in natural history and conservation content creation, using Africa as the key landmark.

“For three days, NEWF

STORYTELLING HELPS US TO UNDERSTAND THE WORLD AND INSPIRES US TO HELP TO PROTECT IT.

created a path to conservation through film by providing a platform for delegates to engage, network and contribute to the industry. NEWF 2018 offered topics to inspire story and spark lively and robust debate, informative panel sessions, case studies and interactive demonstrations and to this end, an array of keynote speakers, industry leaders and special guests gave amazing inputs.

NEWF is positioning itself as Africa’s premier destination for the convergence of nature, environment, wildlife and adventure conservation filmmakers, scientists, conservationists and broadcast media. Two years into this journey, we are optimistic that we are on the right track!” Kok enthused.

CONTACT DETAILS

Cell: +27 64 294 0669 WhatsApp: +27 64 294 0669 Email: info@newf.co.za Website: www.newf.co.za

30 / LOCATION SPOTLIGHT

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ETHIOPIA

Ethiopia’s jaw-dropping locations are a massive draw-card to shooting in the region – even if complex bureaucracy continues to pose a challenge.

Photo by Trevor Cole on Unsplash Fasil Ghebbi in Gonder, Ethiopia © SarahTz (via Flickr) Photo by Trevor Cole on Unsplash

I

n many ways, Ethiopia is the real world’s answer to Marvel’s Wakanda; it is the only country in Africa never to have been fully colonised. A reflection of the tapestry of its beauty and historical complexity, is the fact that Ethiopia is home to nine UNESCO World Heritage sites – with five more locations currently under consideration.

There are stunning, untouched national parks, active volcanoes, sites of immense historical and cultural significance, rich and diverse wildlife, and fabulous

lakes. None of these spots are in any way average – one the latter, Lake Shala, is the deepest lake in North Africa!

Ethiopia is easily accessible via air due to Ethiopian Airlines’ successes, and has a developed infrastructure internally making it possible for crews to journey around the country with ease.

The country has hosted multiple complicated documentary and stills shoots, and has proved a resoundingly popular destination for such productions. The BBC and PBS have commissioned

a number of productions in the area, facilitated by proactive local fixers.

In terms of adverts, features and other creative forms, Ethiopia remains largely untouched – despite a quickly growing interest in cinema, and a developing local industry.

Bollywood movies have been particularly popular in the country. Many Ethiopians watched Hindi movies prior to them being subtitled or dubbed, and easily understood the plots of these over-the-top

productions through actions and facial expressions. Unsurprisingly, local productions have therefore come to mirror Bollywood tropes and aesthetics. Yet, even though Bollywood has expanded to shoot in Africa (particularly South Africa), Ethiopia has not serviced any Indian productions as of yet. That has been a priority for the government, with the Ethiopian Tourism Organisation claiming they “are in talks with Indian producers and trying to get them to picturise the movies in our country.”

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A few international productions, such as the post-apocalyptic Crumbs (2015), have utilised Ethiopia’s incomparable backdrops to stunning effect. The biggest challenge facing such films is the slow-moving bureaucratic machine. It is imperative international productions make use of knowledgeable local fixers, as it is all too easy to get caught up in a tangled web of customs clearances, visas and location permissions. The latter is applied for in the production’s country of origin, but only gets fully approved on arrival. A fee is then payable. Additionally, productions will have to pay for regional – and occasionally local – film permits as well. The exchange rate means these

fees tend to be very affordable, but the rigmarole may scare off potential production teams.

Other documents required to film here include work visas and customs clearances for all equipment. All of these require substantiated Motivation Letters that are approved (or declined) well in advance.

Fortunately, the Ethiopia Film Commission (founded in 2017) intends to streamline these processes and launch online applications in the near future, but it remains to be seen when these will be piloted – and how effective they will be. Still, given there is such widespread interest in cinema within Ethiopia it seems only right that this gorgeous country become Africa’s next film hub.

IT IS IMPERATIVE INTERNATIONAL PRODUCTIONS MAKE USE OF KNOWLEDGEABLE LOCAL FIXERS, AS IT IS ALL TOO EASY TO GET CAUGHT UP IN A TANGLED WEB OF CUSTOMS CLEARANCES, VISAS AND LOCATION PERMISSIONS.

CLIMATE Ethiopia’s climate differs greatly depending on the altitude of the region. The country can be divided roughly into four distinct ecological zones. These are: Kolla (tropical zone), which has an average annual temperature of approximately 27°C with annual rainfall of around 510 millimetres; Danakil Depression (also known as the Danakil Desert), which is the hottest region in Ethiopia and has temperatures of up to 50°C; Woina dega (subtropical zone), where the average annual temperature is around 22°C, and annual rainfall is between 510 and 1 530 millimetres; and Dega (cool zone), which has an average annual temperature of about 16°C with annual rainfall between 1 270 and 1 280 millimetres.

In summary, the climate of Ethiopia depends greatly on one’s location – and should be researched in collaboration with a production’s fixers and location managers prior to shooting.

ACCESS Ethiopia has a large number of airports, which can be accessed via commercial and chartered flights. The largest airport is Addis Ababa Bole International Airport. It serves as the main hub for Ethiopian Airlines (Africa’s largest carrier since 2017).

Aside from Ethiopian Airlines – which fly direct between most major European, American, Africa, Asian and Middle Eastern destinations – the following airline service the airport: • • • •

Air Dijbouti EgyptAir Emirates Flydubai

• • • •

Gulf Air Kenya Airways Lufthansa Qatar Airways

• Saudia • Sudan Airways • Turkish Airlines

EXCHANGE RATE Ethiopian birr

South African Rands (ZAR)

Us Dollar (USD)

Euro (EUR)

Chinese Yuan (CNY)

50

25,23

1,82

1,57

12,13

Photo by T Daggy J Ali on Unsplash

CONTACTS Ethiopia Film Commission Headquarters: Kazanches, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia Email: info@ethiopiafilmcommission.com Web: www.ethiopiafilmcommission.com Ethiopia Tourism Organisation Email: info@ethiopia.travel Web: www.ethiopia.travel

FIXERS Zablon Beyene | Independent Fixer Phone: +251 911 24 33 71 / +251 913 54 83 77 Email: zablon@zabtoursethiopia.com Web: www.zabtoursethiopia.com Adanech Admassu | Independent Fixer Phone: +251 911 445026 | Email: adanechadmassu@gmail.com Web: www.adanechadmasu.wordpress.com

32 / EVENTS TO DIARISE

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AUGUST SAN ANTONIO FILM FESTIVAL 1–5 San Antonio, USA LOCARNO FILM FESTIVAL 1 – 11 Locarno, Switzerland MELBOURNE INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL 2 – 19 Melbourne, Australia

SEPTEMBER CALIFORNIA INDEPENDENT FILM FESTIVAL 6 – 13 California, USA

THE ADVENTURE TRAVEL FILM FESTIVAL LONDON 10 – 12 London, United Kingdom POPCORN FRIGHTS FILM FESTIVAL 10 – 16 South Florida, USA

SOUND ON SCREEN FILM FESTIVAL 24 – 26 Cape Town, South Africa

TORONTO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL 6 – 16 Toronto, Canada

MONTREAL WORLD FILM FESTIVAL 24 – 4 September Montreal, Canada

ATLANTA DOCUFEST 13 – 15 Atlanta, USA

LOERIES CREATIVE WEEK 13 – 19 Durban, South Africa

ODENSE INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL 27 – 2 September Odense, Denmark

CAMDEN INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL 13 – 16 Camden, USA

RHODE ISLAND INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL 7 – 12 Rhode Island, USA

ATLANTA UNDERGROUND FILM FESTIVAL 19 – 21 Atlanta, USA

VENICE INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL 29 – 8 September Venice, Italy

COMIC CON AFRICA 14 – 16 Johannesburg, South Africa

FINGAL FILM FESTIVAL 10 – 12 Fingal, Ireland

SILWERSKERMFEES 22 – 25 Cape Town, South Africa

TELLURIDE FILM FESTIVAL 31 – 3 September Telluride, USA

MZANSI WOMEN’S FILM FESTIVAL 6–8 Johannesburg, South Africa

SARAJEVO FILM FESTIVAL 10 – 17 Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina

GLOBAL PEACE FILM FESTIVAL 18 – 23 Orlando, USA

EVENTS TO DIARISE / 33

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OCTOBER SAN DIEGO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL 10 – 14 San Diego, USA OTTAWA INTERNATIONAL ANIMATION FESTIVAL 26 – 30 Ott awa, Canada JOZI FILM FESTIVAL 27 – 30 Johannesburg, South Africa MANHATTAN SHORT FILM FESTIVAL 27 – 7 October New York, USA

REYKJAVIK INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL 27 – 7 October Reykjavik, Iceland

BFI LONDON FILM FESTIVAL 10 – 21 London, United Kingdom OUT AT THE MOVIES INTERNATIONAL LGBT FILM FEST 4–7 Winston Salem, Carolina HAMPTON INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVALS 4–8 East Hampton, New York

NEW ORLEANS FILM FESTIVAL 17 – 25 New Orleans, USA

SHNIT WORLDWIDE SHORTFILMFESTIVAL 18 – 28 8 Cities Internationally

CAPE TOWN INTERNATIONAL FILM MARKET & FESTIVAL 12 – 21 V&A Waterfront, Cape Town

MOSTRA SAO PAULO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL 19 – 1 November Sao Paulo, Brazil

CHICAGO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL 11 – 25 Chicago, USA

TOKYO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL 25 – 3 November Tokyo, Japan

CARMEL INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL 17 – 21 Sunset Centre, California

SOUTH AFRICAN HORRORFEST 25 – 2 November Cape Town, South Africa

Photo by Caroline Veronez on Unsplash

ZURICH FILM FESTIVAL 27 – 7 October Zurich, Switzerland

MARBELLA INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL 10 – 14 Malaga, Spain

IRIS PRIZE FILM FESTIVAL 9 – 14 Cardiff, Wales

34 / ASSOCIATIONS NEWS

NFVF STATEMENT ON THE NUMBER The National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF) is an agency of the Department of Arts and Culture that was created to ensure the equitable growth of South Africa’s film and video industry. The NFVF’s role as the national film funding body is to particularly increase the number of South African films and Previously Disadvantaged Individuals (PDIs) producing them. To this end, the NFVF has dedicated programmes for the youth and women.

As a majority women run organisation, the NFVF values and respects women.

The organisation was the one of the first institutions to sign a Memorandum of Agreement (MOU) with Sisters Working in Film and Television (SWIFT) and promote the signing of the SWIFT Pledge against sexual harassment through various channels including at the South African Film and Television Awards (SAFTAs) 12 ceremony.

Early in 2018, the NFVF awarded Marketing and

Distribution Funding to Born Free Media (BFM) for their film The Number. Subsequently various allegations of sexual harassment and assault were made against former BFM director Khalo Matabane. The remaining producers of BFM only became aware of these allegations following the press and social media reports.

In light of these allegations BFM have chosen not to take up the funding awarded, a decision fully supported by the NFVF. The NFVF will not support acts that go directly against the pledge signed by the NFVF, but more importantly against the values that the NFVF is built on.

www.thecallsheet.co.za

SWIFT OFFERS FREE COUNSELLING SERVICE SWIFT in partnership with Life Line would like to announce that our Life Line – WhatsApp number is now live. This intervention is part of SWIFT’s on going work to support and empower womxn in the Film and Television industry, especially in the event of sexual harassment.

How does it work?

It’s a booking line for free counselling sessions. If you have experienced any uncomfortable or traumatic experiences on set, you will receive counselling and advise which is specific to your unique situation.

When to send the WhatsApp? This WhatsApp number is available 24/7. You will receive a response within 8 – 24 hours. Please note this is a booking line for counselling, not a crisis line, meaning it is not for medical assistance or life threatening situations.

What is the WhatsApp number?

082 813 2710 Any comments or queries are to be directed to www.advocacy@swiftsa.org.za

ASSOCIATIONS NEWS / 35

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On the 16th July, the highly valued annual APEX events were held in Sandton, where the Association for Communication and Advertising (ACA) hosted the NeXt Level of Thinking Masterclass in the morning followed by the APEX Awards Ceremony in the evening.

The theme for the morning was ‘Effectively navigating communications campaigns in a dynamic environment’. Five highly respected industry leaders – Musa Kalenga (House of Brave), Sharon Keith, Zibusiso Mkhwanazi (M&N Brands / AVATAR), Omar Abou Ezzeddine (Mirum) and Samu Makhathini (Kantar Millward Brown) – with talks ranging from how to localise international campaigns through to building an African agency network among others.

Following each presentation, delegates and invited guests

were encouraged to take part in a short Q&A session lead by radio talk show host and founder of Champion South Africa, Ashraf Garda.

The APEX NeXt Level of Thinking Masterclass has become one of the highlights on the industry calendar where delegates enjoy a jam packed morning with highly inspirational talks from some of SA’s premier thought leaders. There is no doubt that everyone left the event taking with them thought provoking ideas and valuable learnings on the efficacy of marketing communications,” says James Barty, ACA Chair.

The list of APEX award-winners is available at www.acasa.co.za

WOMEN ONLY FILM FESTIVAL Four days of films made by women. The yearly place to be for movie lovers!

“Roll’em, ladies! ” said Alice Guy Blache a pioneer of cinema, in 1914. A century later women filmmakers continue to enrich our world. They resist, invent and break stereotypes.

And their movies, which are full of humour, rage or impertinence, help us discover other realities, other truths.

Elles Tournent promotes and enhances the work of women in the arts and cultural world in general and particularly in the audiovisual and media sectors. To this end, the association develops activities such as the creation and animation of socio-cultural events, festivals, exhibitions, workshops, conferences and artistic performances.

Only feature films made by a woman director are eligible.

Late Deadline: August 31, 2018 Visit www.ellestournent.be for more information or to apply.

Photo by Alejandro Alvare on Unsplash

#APEX2018 IS A MAJOR SUCCESS

36 / DIRECTORY

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DIRECTORY OF ADVERTISERS COMPANY

TELEPHONE

EMAIL

WEBSITE

PAGE

AFM

+1 310 446 1021

harold@ift a-online.org

www.americanfilmmarket.com

Inside Back Cover

AVIS

+27 21 927 3456

avisfilm@avisbudget.co.za

www.avis.co.za

23

Cannes Lions

+442 030 334 012

marianb@lionsfestivals.com

www.canneslions.com

02

Cape Town International Convention Centre

+27 21 401 5000

sales@cticc.co.za

www.cticc.co.za

03

CC&A Insurance Brokers

+27 31 716 6000

gillianl@ccainsurance.co.za

www.ccainsurance.co.za

09

City Varsity

+27 21 466 6800

info@cityvarsity.co.za

www.cityvarsity.co.za

Outside Back Cover

DotKomrade

+27 82 817 4450

caro@dotkomrade.co.za

www.dotkomrade.co.za

28

Folio Group

+27 21 426 2727

janet.pillay@foliotranslations.com

www.folio-online.co.za

13

Global Bodyguard Solutions

+27 11 824 0334

saint@intrigue.co.za

www.bodyguardservices.co.za

15

Janeens Greens

+27 76 062 1353

janeennichols@gmail.com

www.janeengreens.co.za

28

Living AsSets

+27 76 688 8342

clintgordon@mweb.co.za

-

28

Loeries

+27 11 772 1220

info@loeries.com

www.loeries.com

26 - 27

Mama Dance

+27 21 424 0314

info@mamadance.com

www.mamadance.com

28

NEWF

+27 64 294 0669

info@newf.co.za

www.newf.co.za

29

Open Window Institute

+27 26 489 200

info@openwindow.co.za

www.openwindow.co.za

05

Puma Video

+27 11 886 1122

info@pumavideo.co.za

www.pumavideo.co.za

Inside Front Cover

The Pound

+27 21 556 4948

mary@thepound.co.za

www.thepound.co.za

28

The Stunteam

+27 83 465 4573

info@thestunteam.com

www.thestunteam.com

28

TinToy Productions

+27 21 424 0333

bean@tintoy.tv

www.tintoy.tv

11

CONTACT US Cover Image: Photo by Reinaldo Kevin on Unsplash www.unsplash.com

Special Projects Designer/Illustrator: Lauren Smith lauren@filmeventmedia.co.za

Business Manager: Joyce Chiremeso joyce@filmeventmedia.co.za

Publisher: Lance Gibbons lance@filmeventmedia.co.za

Junior Designer: Caitlin Perrett caitlin@filmeventmedia.co.za

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

Editor in Chief: Katie Reynolds-Da Silva katie@filmeventmedia.co.za

Writer: Natasha Skoryk tash.skoryk@gmail.com

Assistant Editor: Kim Crowie kim@filmeventmedia.co.za

Production Manager: Katlego Molele katlego@filmeventmedia.co.za

Head of Design: Sheree Steenkamp sheree@filmeventmedia.co.za

Traffic Manager: Tamlyn Peters tamlyn@filmeventmedia.co.za

Business Development Manager: Karen Barnes karen@filmeventmedia.co.za 2 Dingle Avenue, Kenilworth, 7708 Tel: +27 21 674 0646 www.callsheet.co.za

JOIN US 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.

DEV E LOP | PAC K AG E | P I TC H FINANC E | L I C E N S E | D I ST R I B U TE

American Film Market

®

Oct. 31 - Nov. 7 | Santa Monica AmericanFilmMarket.com

EVOLVE YOUR ART As a creative you take risks. You think differently. You find new ways to solve problems. Keeping one step ahead is easy with CityVarsity Accelerate. Study a professional short learning programme part time. You’ll learn from expert lecturers, enjoy world-class facilities and make those light-bulb moments matter. You’ll truly master your craft and accelerate your career.

Isn’t it time you updated your CV with CityVarsity? > Acting for Camera > Basic Photography > Camerawork & Lighting (Advanced) > Creative Writing > Digital Video Editing > Directing > General American Dialect for Actors > Graphic Design for Digital Media > Introduction to DSLR Filmmaking > Make-up > Mobile Game Design > Music Production – Cubase > Presenting for TV > Scriptwriting > Sound Engineering > Video Production > Vocal Training for Radio > Web Application Development Please note that not all programmes are offered at all campuses.

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