The Callsheet Issue 1

ISSUE 01 | 2016

Featuring

+ FILM AND TV STUDIOS

IN SOUTH AFRICA

The Callsheet ’s Annual Industry Audit

+ LOCATION TRENDS

Top Location Managers on the Ever-Evolving Industry

+ OUTBOUND MISSIONS IN 2016

Wesgro, the dti, National Film Commissions and more

CONTENTS / 01

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ROBERT PAYTON ON BRINGING THE CHRISTMAS CHEER

The Renowned DOP and Director talks about conveying a Christmas feel through sumptuous food scenes.

02. Momentum Flop

Raises Serious Funding Concerns

04. Rob Payton on

Conveying a Love Affair with Food on Screen

05. SAGA Member

Reveals Industry Issues

06. Silver Bullet on

Shooting JUMO – A Brand Film

SILVER BULLET ON JUMO’S BRAND FILM

Wayne Lange and his team on pulling off an incredible filming feat in Tanzania and Kenya.

08. Triggerfish named

Western Cape Business of the Year

09. Movers and Shakers 10. Outbound Missions in 2016

12. Louie Psihoyos on Racing Extinction

14. Building a Legacy

through SA Studios

RACING EXTINCTION Kim Muller spoke to director Louie Psihoyos about his new environmental film, Racing Extinction.

24. Location Scouting 30. The Little Prince Review

31. Animated Series Reviews

32. Introducing the Nikon D7200

33. Cape Town

International Animation Festival

34. Ghana: A Tale of Two Film Hubs

LOCATION TRENDS Top Location Managers on the Ever-Evolving Industry

36. Events to Diarise 38. Associations 40. Directory of Advertisers

02 / NEWS

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MOMENTUM FLOP

RAISES SERIOUS FUNDING CONCERNS Momentum, a film shot in South Africa with an estimated $20-million (R283.5-million) production budget, opened to a disappointing $69 (under R1 000) in the UK Box Office.

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tarring Olga Kurylenko and Morgan Freeman, it had a 10-cinema release – with two theatres failing to sell a single ti cket, according to fi gures from Rentrak.

Although British audiences were less than impressed, Momentum fared better in the UAE, where it earned $275 000 since opening in October, according to Box Offi ce Mojo.

In Russia, it scored an opening weekend of $250 000 in July.

The film’s average UK taking of $6.90 per screen, however, simply adds insult to injury. It

has had a troubled past, with the Nati onal Film and Video Foundati on (NFVF) embroiled in a funding issue with the producti on earlier this year.

Momentum was meant to kick off the SAFilmFund, created quite suddenly by the then Minister of Arts and Culture Paul Mashatile and producti on company Azaria Media, headed by Anton Ernst.

Ulti mately the film cost the Department of Arts and Culture $2.25-million (R32million), with the NFVF, who paid out the money, being

drawn into crew conflict over non-payment by Ernst.

Ernst, in turn, blamed the NFVF for the crisis on set, an accusati on NFVF Head Zama Mkosi denied. “All funds paid towards the Momentum project were not part of the NFVF’s annual allocati on but were made available by the DAC, especially for this project,” she said in March.

Reviews have not been kind either. The Hollywood Reporter describing Momentum as a “daft acti on flick” with a part for Freeman “that might well

have been shot in half a day”, while The Guardian gave it one star and called it “utter pants”.

This raises many questi ons for South Africa’s film industry.

Do we conti nue furthering the internati onal film industry and putti ng our stellar service reputati on on the line for mediocre creati ons just to make money – or in this case, not even that? Or is now the ti me to put our foot down and focus on our local filmmakers, who, consequently, received a total of $1.26-million in funding altogether for 2014?

AFRIFF AWARD WINNERS ANNOUNCED The African International Film Festival (AFRIFF) has grown consistently over the years, and 2015 was undoubtedly their best year yet.

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80 films screened from 8-14 November, with the star-studded awards ceremony rounding off a successful festival line-up.

The ceremony – which took

place at the Eko Atlantic City on Victoria Island in Lagos – saw South African performers taking home some coveted awards. Fulu Mugovhani continues her streak of fame with Best Female Performance

in Ayanda, while Charlie Vundla took home Best Male Performance for his role in Cuckold.

AFRIFF received over 600 film submissions, a significant increase from last year when just

250 were received. The fest also saw industry sessions take place during the week, as well as training sessions for student filmmakers.

Here are all the winners of the 2015 edition of AFRIFF:

AWARD

FILM

CREATORS

Best Short Film

Alma

Christa Eka Assam

Best Feature Film

Fevers

Hicham Ayouch

Best Animation

The Legacy of Rubies

Ebele Okoye

Oronto Douglas Award for Best Nigerian Film

Refl ecti ons

Desmond Elliot

Best Female Performance

Ayanda

Fulu Mugovhani

Best Director

Raja Amari

Audience Choice Award

Silent Tears

Ushaya Bako

Best Screenplay

Price of Love

Hermon Hailay

Best Male Performance

Cuckold

Charlie Vundla

Best Documentary

Eighteam

Juan Rodriguez-Briso

Outstanding Jury Award

Hex

Clarence Peters

Best Student Short

Joy

Solomon Onita

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04 / PRO-SPECTIVE

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RENOWNED DIRECTOR AND DOP ROBERT PAYTON ON CONVEYING A LOVE AFFAIR WITH FOOD ON SCREEN

Have you worked with Checkers in the past?

A couple of years ago I directed two commercials for Checkers featuring Gordon Ramsay and Nathaniel. One for their steaks and another for their fantastic cheese range. They were a great opportunity to combine comedy, performance, and great looking food.

Checkers is known for its mouth-watering ad campaigns (dare I say food porn?). How did you stay true to that look?

Yes - Checkers has a great product offering, but I don’t like to think of what I do as food porn; it’s much more of a love aff air. The TV chef Nigel Slater sums up my relationship with food advertising, “Food has been my career, my hobby, and, it must be said, my escape.” My approach to this Checkers shoot was one of playful inventi veness.

Let the food perform, and capture it in ultra-slow motion with phantom cameras.

How did you then give the ad a ‘Christmassy’ feel?

Every year I try to think of a new way of depicting Christmas. To keep away from the conventional, and to give the audience new imagery.

Christmas adverts should be about building anticipation, and generating a feel-good factor, and maybe intimate a

litt le bit of over indulgence where food is concerned. This year for Checkers we were inheriting a white environment to match existing campaigns.

I decided to introduce the colours of Christmas in the food dressing, rather than through art direction, so we have the redness of Christmas baubles in cranberries, the greens of Christmas trees through dill and rosemary, and the whites of snow through sea salt.

Can you tell us about your upcoming shoots?

I am shooting another Christmas food campaign for a European supermarket chain in Ireland. Then I am off to Thailand for a drinks shoot, and home in time for the real Christmas in Cape Town.

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MY APPROACH TO THIS CHECKERS SHOOT WAS ONE OF PLAYFUL INVENTIVENESS. LET THE FOOD PERFORM, AND CAPTURE IT IN ULTRA-SLOW MOTION WITH PHANTOM CAMERAS.

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SAGA MEMBER CALLS FOR ACTION

In an open letter to the acting industry, SAGA member Chantal Herman shared her thoughts on the sector and the pitfalls she sees therein.

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hantal Herman, a member of the SA Guild of Actors, recently shared her thoughts on the acting industry in a lengthy Facebook post, which appeared on her group ‘SA Actors – Rock this Universe’ (www.saactors. rockthisuniverse.com). On 18 November, she explained how this year she found there are two kinds of actors: those who are proactive – “an ACTor who takes ACTion in the business of their career” – and those who don’t hone their craft , who believe they can play the lead in any

production going; that their agent will find all the work for them.

The former become automatic ACTivists “because the industry is so rife with exploitation and pays so badly that sooner or later, when you start knowing your worth as a human being and then an actor – because you know what you can bring to a production and the character – you can’t in good conscience take the abuse anymore.”

Herman went on to lament complacent actors because they don’t realise the damage they do by taking extremely low-paying

work. “They cry, ‘Pity me,’ because they’re way past the poverty line, EXPECT other people to get up and make the change and yet growl and complain when the boat-rocking starts and they are called upon to do their part to make their own lives better.”

The few on the frontlines know something must be done and they are proactive in their efforts to change the industry’s treatment of actors, Herman says, often without remuneration or reward.

“Something’s got to give. We can complain that we get no respect as actors but, with respect, we’re

perpetuating that status quo…

If you’re not treating your career as a business, checking your contracts, actively participating in your career and a working relationship with your agent, making sure you are on top of your game…then you don’t have enough respect for your craft and vocation either.”

This call for action comes on the back of the recent SAGA/ FIA Conference, where very few actors were in attendance.

To read the post in full, visit the SAGA blog on www. saguildofactors.wordpress.com.

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06 / SPOTLIGHT

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SILVER BULLET ON SHOOTING JUMO - A BRAND FILM

JUMO, a mobile money lending company, was looking for a way to show the potential reach of their product in Africa without the look and feel of the brand film being too corporate. To do this, Silver Bullet was tasked with the conception, development and completion of this immense project.

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his was a direct-to-client project with no agency managing the process, but the ace team at Silver Bullet developed a finished product that earned a standing ovation from JUMO. Silver Bullet wanted to show the diversity of people and landscapes in Kenya and Tanzania (two of the client’s biggest markets) by capturing about 150 non-actors as they travelled through both countries.

It was of paramount importance to be a small crew, with minimum gear and low impact. The team was scaled down to four South African crew, consisting of Wayne de Lange and Warren Smart as co-directors and cinematographers, Diana Keam

as the producer and camera assistant Khlaied Manual, and worked with fixers from African Sky and African Environments.

In the normal commercial world, covering such great distances and shooting so many people in two countries would take too long and be too expensive. Scaling down the team and with each team member being able to think on their feet to find solutions and to do more than their designated roles helped immensely with the shooting of the JUMO film.

The “walking match cut” approach made the shoot very technical from the get go. The team shot some tests, then Coralee, the editor extraordinaire, worked at creating the smooth

transition between shots that set the style of the shoot.

The first shot filmed set the composition for every shot to follow in that sequence, which meant that the team had to work fast to get the quantity of shots required for the edit.

When Coralee received the footage it became a very technical edit to match cut the people walking towards the camera – every detail from the size of their head, where they were looking and which foot they used became critical in creating the seamless flow. The ambience of the film was helped

by the music, composed by the wizards at Sound Foundry.

They did an early composition for Coralee to edit to, then refined it to the cut using real instruments in an experimental way. It was a very collaborative process to enhance the uplifting emotional impact of the film.

Shooting this project was clearly an enormous challenge (the team shot continuously for 12 days) but Silver Bullet has made a name for themselves as a full service production company with their own gear, and that does their own post production.

Standing ovations all round.

STUDIO 26 / 07

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JESSICA GARVIE, STUDIO

MANAGER AT STUDIO26, ON LOCATION TRENDS ON CURRENT TRENDS

A big trend at the moment for film is open spaces to build sets that can last two or three seasons, yet there is still nothing better than the organic features of our major cities – Johannesburg and Cape Town especially. For shorter productions, definitely locations that can be altered or added to at an affordable cost, and locations that have a uniqueness about them. Very popular for Stills is long, dry grass.

In the past season or two there has been a big wave of safaritype shoots and very rustic or weathered locations over the cleaner, more classic types.

ON WORKING WITH THE BRIEF The main point of the brief at conception is usually a feeling that a specific look or image portrays.

We need to know the main theme and ‘story’ so that we can match the best-suited area or areas to that mood, together with the art director and the photographer.

Due to the enormous variety within our locations, changes to the brief have happened on more than one occasion in a positive way. E.g.: The most recent was a brief for a Cadillac to be parked on a dirt road under trees, yet we ended up shooting the car on top of a hill in the middle of a freshly-cut wheat field, which

suited the campaign way better!

ON KEEPING IT FRESH

Many sites have been overdone to a degree; Franschhoek Pass in the car industry – done and done.

The cut-off high-way in Cape Town – old news. Yet, clients keep coming back, even for these done and dusted locations. A lot has to do with the service of the local production teams as well as the exchange rate. Though, in the end, the truth remains – South African locations are unbeatable!

ON THE EVOLVING INDUSTRY

Being able to build one set that can last for a few years is a major

factor for a film budget. South Africa has the space and the people who are willing to rent their land. Our two major film cities, Johannesburg and Cape Town, are so unique in every way and the variety and options are endless, and production in these areas is also top-notch. For the shorter or smaller productions, clients want something new, something special and unique, which our locations offer. Sets are built to be added to, things are made to be moved around and to be versatile, and one location can be painted any way manner or form you like. No two shoots are ever the same.

08 / NEWS

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TRIGGERFISH

NAMED WESTERN CAPE BUSINESS OF THE YEAR

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t the recent Premier’s Entrepreneurship Recognition Awards (PERA), Triggerfish Animation Studios was named the Overall Winner and Business of the Year. Triggerfish also took home the prize for the Business With Global Reach.

Western Cape premier Helen Zille congratulated the pioneering animation company, which celebrates 20 years in 2016. “Criteria for the overall winners included the ability of the business to create jobs and grow its turnover. Triggerfish achieved excellently in both those areas,” she said. “Triggerfish is a world-class enterprise, making a

major impact on economic growth in our province. They develop films which are translated into over 27 languages and licensed in over 150 countries. Their films have generated over R1 billion at box offices [and home entertainment] across the world.

Employing 85 people, they are also an important source of employment for local residents.”

Over 300 businesses entered PERA, which was launched three years ago by the Western Cape Government and is co-sponsored by Absa, Deloitte, Business Partners and Entrepreneurs’ Organization. The 13 PERA winners shared R1.8m in prize money, with Triggerfish

also receiving an overseas trip as the overall winner.

“These kind of awards means a lot to us, because it’s further recognition of the impact the film industry can have on the South African economy,” says Triggerfish CEO Stuart Forrest. “You can make a strong case that film has cultural benefits - like the role it plays in social cohesion. But we’re proof that there is also an economic case to be made, that South African films and TV series can travel globally and deliver a significant return on investment.”

In the second week of December, Triggerfish will announce the final participants for their inaugural Story Lab,

which was supported by The Walt Disney Company and The Department of Trade and Industry. The groundbreaking, pan-African search for storytellers attracted a whopping 1 378 entries from 30 countries.

The shortlist included top African creatives like Nnedi Okorafor, a World Fantasy Award winning novelist; Charlie Human, whose debut novel Apocalypse Now Now is currently being adapted by District 9 ’s Terri Tanchel; award-winning picture book author Alex Latimer; and multi-award-winning directors Donovan Marsh, Hanneke Schutte, Jenna Bass, Judy Kibinge and Wanuri Kahui.

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MOVERS AND SHAKERS / 09

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MOVERS AND SHAKERS A change in staff heads is taking place at Cape Town Film Studios, with Makkie Slamong appointed as General Manager and Anita Dingwayo as Studio Production Coordinator.

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ape Town Film Studios has announced Makkie Slamong as General Manager. This comes after his long-standing forerunner Ross Rayners leaves the organisation to pursue a career in filmmaking. Slamong has been operating as the Studio Production Manager at Cape Town Film Studios (CTFS) for three years, and has extensive knowledge of the industry in both long and short form and has built relationships with the clients CTFS serves on a daily basis.

Says Makkie of the promotion: “I am truly grateful for the trust and belief in me that came from my Senior, Nico Dekker, and also for the blessings from our Exco Board.

For my outgoing GM, Ross, I know it will be big shoes to fill and thanks for the support. To my team, you are superstars and thanks for letting me shine with you. I hope to fly the CTFS flag high and to take us to new heights with the support of my loving family.”

The studios have also announced Anita Dingwayo as

Makkie Slamong, Cape Town Film Studios General Manager

Studio Production Coordinator.

Anita has been serving at CTFS for the last five years having worked previously in the film industry. She has a good understanding of how production works and will be taking on a larger, more encompassing role in the future. She is excited about the new appointment, saying: “I’m ecstatic with the promotion and look forward to growing in this position from strength to strength.”

Nico Dekker explained his rationale behind these moves in a cheery telephone conversation recently. “The big news is that our

General Manager of many years Ross Rayners resigned with my blessing. He’s passionate about film as we all know, and he’s always wanted to fully dedicate himself to filmmaking and I think he’s taking that plunge now with my blessing and support. From the 1st of January officially he will be pursuing his passion to be a filmmaker – director, producer and writer, for film. Makkie Slamong has been appointed General Manager so that’s quite a big, quick growth for Makkie.

Anita, who has been our Studio Assistant, has been promoted to Studio Production Coordinator.”

TO MY TEAM, YOU ARE SUPERSTARS AND THANKS FOR LETTING ME SHINE WITH YOU. I HOPE TO FLY THE CTFS FLAG HIGH AND TO TAKE US TO NEW HEIGHTS. Anita Dingwayo, Cape Town Film Studios Studio Production Coordinator

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10 / SPOTLIGHT

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Monica Rorvik, Head of Film Promotion at Wesgro (far left) © Courtesy of Wesgro

OUTBOUND MISSIONS IN 2016

South Africa’s presence on the world stage was felt this year, with most of the major international festivals paying attention to the country’s achievements and development.

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outh Africa has made grand steps in developing its international relations with various global film bodies and festivals in 2015.

We bring you a roundup of the major happenings, and what Film Commissions and Associations are planning for the coming year.

THE YEAR THAT WAS

Most recently the National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF) led a delegation of South African iEmmy judges to the International Emmy Awards, where three local productions were in competition – with Miners Shot Down bagging an Emmy for Best Documentary.

SA Minister of Arts and Culture Nathi Mthethwa led a delegation including the NFVF earlier this year on an African Roadshow to Ethiopia, Algeria and Western Sahara.

This was to encourage further relationships in these regions.

DW (France), Zidaka (SA), KZN Film Commission, the NFVF and Cannes Quinzaine Directors Fortnight partnered to create Cannes SA Film Factory, where four SA directors got the opportunity to direct four short films – the first programme of its kind to reach the African continent.

Annecy International Festival of Animation (MIFA) was hot on the cards this year, with the NFVF and Animation SA leading a delegation of 40 animation filmmakers to the festival, with a special SA-focus pitch session. The NFVF also led an SA delegation to Tribeca Film Festival, with over 40 South Africans attending the fest.

Acclaimed NFVF-funded Necktie Youth screened at the premiere.

The Association for the Transformation of Film and Television (ATFT) have attended a number of international festivals.

Most notably was the ATFTled delegation of filmmakers and producers that attended Sheffield Doc Fest to encourage co-productions and international investment. Another noteworthy trip was the SA delegation to this year’s Rio Content Market, where 20 of ATFT’s filmmakers were exposed to the Brazilian industry – with one selected for the pitching forum.

Meanwhile, Monica Rorvik, Head of Film Promotion at Wesgro, has been hard at work raising SA’s profile overseas.

They assisted and promoted the region on three trade missions: Cannes, Annecy, and Toronto IFF. “It also was assisting where possible filmmakers to be export

ready in markets professional organisations like DFA, ATFT, ASA, WGSA and IPO members attend. Some of these included Rio Content Market, Berlin EFM, Rotterdam Cinemart, Hot Docs, IDFA, Sheffield, Sunnyside, AFM, NAPTE Miami, NAPTE Polland to name a few.”

Finally, Gauteng Film Commission (GFC), the ATFT, and the Department of Trade and Industry (dti) teamed up to represent the country at the recent American Film market in Santa Monica. Pop, Lock ‘n Roll was presented at the market.

THE YEAR TO COME

Much has been afoot in terms of funding for the coming year, and not all of it is promising. The ATFT have had their support cut by the dti, who are scaling back on allowable missions in 2016 due to

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budget cuts among other reasons.

The dti is limiting trade missions to two per annum instead of four according to Denis Lillie, CEO of the Cape Film Commission (CFC).

Another worrying issue is the dti rebate, which has been exceeded – meaning that several filmmakers, although their rebates were approved, have now had it withdrawn due to lack of funds.

There is also concern that the rebates are being swallowed up by the larger production companies.

That said, not all is doom and gloom. The KZN Film Commission has six funding projects that are scheduled for production in 2016 according to Carol Coetzee, CEO at KZNFC. They will be hosting training sessions on screenwriting and productions, and during the first quarter of 2016 will attend the Berlin International Film Festival (Berlinale), the India International Film and Tourism Conclave, and the AFCI Location Show. ad.pdf 1 2015/08/05 03:40:23 PM The CFC is looking at taking

a delegation to the International Emmys in 2016, the Edinburgh International Film Festival and possibly the Venice Film Festival, says Lillie. “These delegations are subject to approval from the dti who have recently advised us that there may be budget cuts which could limit organisations to two missions a year instead of the current four,” he explains. “We are currently targeting traditional markets such as USA, Europe, Australia and New Zealand, purely because these are the countries that we do much repeat business with.” Lillie goes on to say that over 2014/15 they saw an increase in international indie film enquiries, resulting in productions outside of major studios contributing about R2.5billion to the province’s economy.

Wesgro’s plans for 2016 include a broad, Pan-African footprint, says Rorvik, with inbound missions from Canada, China, France and Italy on the cards.

Pascal Schmitz, Director of the ATFT (far right) at Durban FilmMart

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RENOWNED DIRECTOR LOUIE PSIHOYOS ON

RACING EXTINCTION

As a publication, we’re ever mindful of our impact on the planet. This month we bring you a fascinating and disturbing interview with multiple award-winning Director Louie Psihoyos.

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idely regarded as one of the world’s most prominent still photographers, Louie Psihoyos has shot for hundreds of magazine covers including Fortune, Smithsonian, Discover, GEO, Time and Newsweek. His first documentary, The Cove, has won over 70 awards, as well as the Oscar for Documentary Feature in 2009. But his latest endeavour is set to take the world by storm.

Racing Extinction is a film with a theme on everyone’s hearts right now – at least in Africa, we can safely say. Mass animal extinction and global climate changes are affecting everyone, but Louie believes there is a way to stop our destructive course.

The eco-thriller shows us how we are the solution. “It starts with one thing. One thing that changes the way you love, eat, act, drive, work”, the website says.

In an unheard of attempt to sway mass global consciousness, Discovery Networks premiered Racing Extinction in more than 220 countries and territories around the world on December 2. Louie shares the vision for his incredible production.

It’s been six years since The Cove won an Oscar.

With your next film, would you say the struggle for environmentalism against extinction has made progress?

Yes. I mean you look at The Cove, they were killing 23 000 dolphins and porpoises a year. Now they’re killing less than 6 000, so we’ve dropped that more than 70% in just the last few years. You look

at solar, which used to be the sort of a thing for people with a green bent. Now it’s cheaper than using coal, so the price has come down.

The burning of carbon dioxide is one of the biggest problems, and the solutions have become a lot cheaper and a lot more economical in the last five years, so we’re headed in that direction.

I think certainly six years ago not many people knew that we were going through a mass extinction event, and now people do. And now that we can start to increase the awareness, we can start working on the solutions.

And mercifully, all the solutions are upgrades. When you’ve switched to solar, your electrical bill gets considerably reduced.

You save carbon dioxide. You save money, and you save species.

There are a lot of touching stories on addressing extinction. Did you as the director cry when you made this?

Well, yes. I do get teary eyed still when I see it. It hits you emotionally. I want it to be an emotional film. People don’t change their behaviour based on what they think. The science shows that they change behaviour by what they feel. So we want to get people to be emotional, to feel, because that’s where social change comes from.

That was important to me that we make a film that’s emotional, but also hopeful at the end. You want to make people cry, but you want to give them a sense of hope because it is a desperate situation, but the idea is not

to make people despair. It’s to empower them, to make them feel like there’s solutions that they can take every day in their life.

We have this campaign. It’s called #StartWith1Thing. People say, “What can I do? I’m just one person,” but the collective action of one person taking action has dramatic consequences when we act together. So yes, it is an emotional film. If you look at the

history of any play or book or great film, it’s going to make you feel, it’s going to make you cry, it’s going to make you emotional. We do that, but by the beginning of act three, we begin to develop some hope.

My friends in palaeontology say that when we look at the human experience, say from the industrial revolution to the year 2100, World War II will be a footnote in comparison to our

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generation presiding over the biggest loss of biodiversity since the dinosaurs were killed by a comet 65 million years ago.

It’s really important to equip children on how to save near extinct species. Nowadays, most children are into gadgets – what do you think is the best way to educate them?

Well, right now, there have been books written on nature deficit disorder. Most kids are living in cities, they’re disconnected from nature, and they are connected to their cellphones. That’s why we created a campaign that’s based on an application, a website. If you go to racingextinction.com, you can use your cellphone, you can use your computers, and figure out how you can save species by just starting with one thing. That’s the name of the campaign, #StartWith1Thing.

On the site, we’ll give you the tools that you need to create the change that you need in your own life and in your community to help save species, so it will change.

The campaign will evolve as we go on. The campaign was created

by Vulcan Productions, that’s Paul Allen’s group up in Seattle. We’ve been working on it for two years.

It will evolve as we’re going on, but the idea that small actions we take today, if we do it collectively, we can help change the world.

Do you have a strong anecdote about the filming of Racing Extinction, something you will remember for the rest of your life?

I think one of the most powerful events in the film for me is I’ve been trying to create a projection event on the Empire State Building for the last four years, and everybody thought I was crazy, that it was impossible, and that it’d be too much bureaucracy to go through. It’d be too expensive.

It was a spectacular event, a lot of our partners that said nobody is going to be in New York. We did this on October 1st. All the New Yorkers will be in the Hamptons, will be over

in Europe, and the media won’t show up, and we had 939 million media impressions on the story.

We were the top trending story on Facebook and Twitter worldwide.

When we went down on the streets, that was the exciting part. We went down the streets of Fifth Avenue, and we stopped New Yorkers in their tracks. Taxis were stopped in the middle of the street. There were people sitting on cars, watching this big, epic grand scale projection of the endangered species on the Empire State Building.

It was beautiful to see this dream of seeing endangered species, and seeing kids, their faces lit up and seeing that we can stop a city like New York City in its tracks just by showing them the beauty of nature. It’s something that I had in my head for four years, and then to see it become a reality was, it was like a dream.

What do you think the world will look like in 30 or 40 years? Are you really afraid that our children or maybe grandchildren may see some animals only from books and from Wikipedia?

Yes, absolutely. I run a little organization called The Oceanic Preservation Society, and the marine scientists I talk to tell me that by the year 2050, all the coral reefs will dissolving if we don’t do something about it, and 25% of the species in the oceans live on coral reefs. So the coral reefs have been called the rain forests of the oceans, that’s where a lot of the biodiversity resides.

If we lose the coral reefs, we lose not just one of the most beautiful underwater ecosystems in the world – we also lose the food source for a billion people. There are a billion people that rely on the coral reefs for food and sustenance and recreation, and if we lose that, I think we’re causing one of the biggest environmental crimes in the world. So to me, it’s essential that we help try to mitigate this problem, so that we’re not seeing these animals in museums.

I just came from the American Museum of Natural History, the dinosaur museum. You think, God, these animals were killed.

The last dinosaurs were killed by a meteor, but this time, humanity has become the meteor. This new epochs is called the Anthropocene, the age of man, and the aim of this movie, what we’re trying to do is not just create the awareness that we’re going through this extinction of the Anthropocene.

I want to create a movement so we can create the solutions to prevent it. So that in fifty years, we’re not looking at ourselves and saying, why didn’t we do enough to try to solve this problem?

Because our own species name, Homo sapiens, means the wise ones. How wise it when one species is causing, you know, some scientists say 30,000 species a year to go extinct? By the end of this century, we could lose half the species on the planet.

The idea is to prevent a mass catastrophe from happening.

What was your motivation to start this preservation society movement that turned into developing Racing Extinction?

Well, a good friend of mine, Michael Novacek, he’s the Provost

of the American Museum of Natural History. He wrote a book called Terra, and in this book, he talked about how we’re losing species now faster than mankind’s ability to record the reason on the planet.

I have a background in palaeontology. I did short stories on the Mesozoic for National Geographic magazine. I wrote a book on palaeontology.

In the book, there’s a chapter on mass extinction. Six years ago, when I began work on this movie, I had no idea that we were going through a mass extinction right now.

So palaeontology is near and dear to my heart. A lot of my friends are palaeontologists.

Using the world’s most prominent palaeontologists as tour guides and for me to use whatever gifts I have in photography and film making, I wanted to create awareness that this was going on. Then with my interest in activism, I wanted to use the film as a platform to try to change how we are doing business with the planet. We’re doing something that I don’t think other generations are going to forgive us for if we don’t act now.

A manta diver explores the underwater world in Racing Extinction © Davic Doubilet / OPS (Oceanic Preservation Society)

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A view of the studios for the Voice Angola, SA and Nigeria © Sasani Studios

BUILDING A LEGACY

THROUGH SA FILM AND TV STUDIOS

So many productions were possible only because of the state-of-the-art studio spaces available in this country. Kim Muller explores this sector in detail.

B

efore we get down to business, let me begin with a snippet from an inspiring, cheery conversation I had recently with Nico Dekker, CEO of one of the most impressive film studios in the world. Yes, you heard me, the world.

“This morning I walked into this new stage and I really felt my hair standing up on my arms, looking at this feat and thinking, ‘How is this possible?’ In 2008

I remember 95% of people said that the Cape Town Film Studios, this kind of studio, could never work. It will definitely go down. Not 50%, but 95%! And today, seeing that beautiful, stunning, innovative new stage, it gives me such a feeling of hope. After we’re all gone, me dead and forgotten, these things will live on and they will hopefully be the foundations of the future on which the

film industry will be built.”

Teetering on the edge of the impossible is where the studio industry lies. And South Africa I can safely say is innovating immensely in this space – but the exciting news is we can be even better. “Innovation is the key to challenging situations and being open to learn and unlearn in this fast-paced industry.

A new level of thinking is required to turn challenges into

opportunities,” says Trish Taylor, CEO of Urban Brew Studios.

CURRENT HAPPENINGS

Although not many studios have long-term clients, this has begun to change over the last few years. Two great examples of this are DStv’s African versions of The Voice, which will be housed in Sasani Studios’ new complex for the duration of the show, and Cape Town

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The studio space for Hectic Nine-9 © Okuhle / MagnaTude Studios

A panoramic view of Cape Town Film Studios © Cape Town Film Studios

Film Studios, who built some water tanks and infrastructure for Starz’ Black Sails, now in its fourth season. Three of Global Access’ four studios are also currently being used for a number of local and regional productions like All Access for Mzanzi Channel and Inside the Baobab Tree for SABC, while Endemol Shine is making use of their largest space.

Over the last few years, we’ve seen a rise in the demand for more studio space, not to mention changes in industry standards such as 4K and 3D cinema. As a result, many studios have ramped up their infrastructure, especially from a broadcasting point of view.

“There is the ever increasing interest by international networks into South African produced or facilitated shows, together with new local channels such as the most recent addition to the DSTV bouquet,

VIA,” says Paula Brown, CEO of MagnaTude Studios, who facilitate local shows for a range of broadcasters. “It’s clear that if local studios and production houses keep delivering high quality and consistent results, this sector presents a massive opportunity for its contribution towards the GDP.” That said, we are in an interesting space as a sector.

Says Dekker, “I think we are definitely in a strong growth phase for international work, but also local work is picking up and more and more locals are making maybe not major, but rather ambitious films.

There’s quite a lot of activity out there in the market.”

Although he is right, Amelia Thiart, Head of Television Broadcasting at Global Access, goes one step further to say that there still isn’t enough local content being commissioned.

“The work that is being

commissioned seems to be quite sporadic, putting demand on our studios in certain months only, with less regular work in others.”

Some of the activity has come from Cape Town Film Studios, who recently hosted National Geographic’s Saints & Strangers. “A special deal was struck between the parties so that they [National Geographic] were allowed to use some of the Black Sails sets. I think it’s quite unique because that doesn’t happen often in our industry,” Dekker explains.

He believes this is where the future of film lies. “For someone to say, ‘Well, you’ve got the infrastructure, why don’t we cross use it,’ – but of course with the blessing of the owners of that intellectual property – I think it could add tremendous value to productions in helping our country and also helping the international people along.”

They have just completed

their newest construction, a massive Stage 5 and Workshop C. The stage has a concrete roof to increase sound worthiness, proof and quality, while a sound wall reducing decibels by 50db will divide the space in two so it can be used for separate functions. “This means you can shoot on one side and build on the other side, or you can separate its usages – you can shoot two productions,” Dekker says. The wall is 12m high with gantries of equal height and has never before been constructed on the continent. The stage also includes a 6m x 6m sliding door that weighs about 2.5 tonnes and works on an electric hydraulic system. “It’s also finished in miracle time because normally when we were building before, it took us 15, sometimes 18 months…But we found some innovative means to bring that time down to six months, which is out of this world!”

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The new workshop at CTFS © Cape Town Film Studios

Inside Workshop C at CTFS © Cape Town Film Studios

Sasani’s new complex has already become home to a number of series, and the company’s broadcast portfolio has earned it the name of ‘SA Soap City’. “We have five South African soaps under our banner, but our core expertise remains live broadcast for productions like The Voice,” says Eileen Sandrock, MD at Sasani.

Another strong move in the studios sector is the opening of Atlantic Studios recently.

“Atlantic Studios came from the idea to create a unique multipurpose studio space in Cape Town which can become a natural home to long-term and short-term projects,” says Jannie van Wyk, one of the founders.

With a total floorspace of 11 400m2, it has already attracted local show Suidooster. “Jaco Loubser from Home Brew had full confidence in the project from the beginning and since then the whole Suidooster cast have really got behind

Nico Dekker, CEO of CTFS © Cape Town Film Studios

us and made the studio home.

They have assisted us to make the space comfortable, and the space keeps improving.”

THE CHALLENGES OF STUDIO LIFE

There are a number of issues that plague the sector, one of these being the sheer size of investments that need to be made in order to open a studio. Most studio owners and operators can tell you a story of financial struggle, and Nico has some pertinent advice for folks looking to enter the sector.

“Studios are notorious for their extremely high capital expenditure and very low returns, and if you do it to make money, there’s no hope for you,” he says. “If to repay your capital is your goal, it’s not going to be the kind of business you want to be in. If the studio is part of a bigger strategy, holistically speaking, the studios are massive catalysts for development –

enormous, important catalysts for our country and for the industry. But the business of the studio, the physical return of money, is not good.”

“The industry is certainly undergoing unprecedented change which is being accelerated by technology and the changing viewership habits of consumers,” says Taylor of Urban Brew. “I think it’s a challenging time for the SA film and TV sector, but also an exciting period as our country is being noticed as a key player content player on the African continent. The content appetite on the continent is exploding and more and more international players are flooding into SA looking for partnerships.”

Collaboration is so key to this part of the industry – and the industry in general.

When Dekker first travelled abroad seeking advice from international studios, two main points he brought back

were that South Africans have a reputation for not working together, and that we’re extremely short-term driven. “If we don’t start working together, there really is a danger that we won’t have an industry in the future if you look at how the world is developing,” he explains, “Secondly, we need to also start forming long term strategies together that are not only for our own personal benefits. For instance, creating better training facilities for crew, maybe a proper crew academy where people can have proper artisan star qualifications.”

I will finish once again with a quote from my conversation with Nico Dekker: “I think it’s very important that we start taking our industry seriously and we start looking at what the five or ten year goals are that we want to achieve. That will also make us less vulnerable to short term, political changes and rebate changes, because it will be able to outlive all of that.”

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YOUR GUIDE TO STUDIO SPACE IN SOUTH AFRICA NAME

LOCATION SPECIFICATIONS

NOTABLE CLIENTS AND PROJECTS

TARGET MARKET

WEBSITE / CONTACTS

Almost Famous Studio

Woodstock, Cape Town

• Fully equipped daylight/flash studio for castings and shoots.

• 3.1m high infinity curve • In-house casting director and character agency, kitchen and changing facilities

Nivea, Rosetta Stone, Playboy, Mini Cooper, Volvic, MTV, Nikon, Lotto

Casting directors, stills, commercial, film shoots

www.almost-famous.co.za info@almost-famous.co.za

Atlantic Studios

Cape Town

• A total floor space of 11 400m2 with 9 000m2 in studio space and massive parking lot for over 350 cars and trucks, ideal for filming car chases • Three 500m2 sync-sound studios • A 3 600m2 semi-sync space • Three 200m2 studios (wild sound) • A semi-silent green screen studio of 1 200m2 • 2 diving tanks 8m deep for underwater filming • Infinity curve/chroma wall of 10m x 5m by 8m in height in 1 200m2 Epic Stage (Studio 2) • Green screen of 13m wide by 8m in height • Office space and fibre uplink for content streaming or live broadcast; 6 camera OB van

Suidooster

Film, television content, broadcasting

Marius: +27 (0)83 634 4460

Atlas Studios

Milpark, Johannesburg

• Studio 1: 440m 2 with sound stage, ideal for TV series & soapies • Studio 2: 460m 2 with sound stage, ideal for TV drama and sitcoms • Studio 3: 320m 2 with sound stage, ideal for gameshows and commercials • Studio 4: 270m 2 , ideal for commercials, screenings & events • Event Area: 360m 2 including basic furniture, kitchen, storage, parking bays, security, backup generator, liquor license, wi-fi, waiters/ushers/runners, décor, offices

Villa Rosa, Coconuts, City Ses’la, Ready Steady Cook, Home Affairs, Coca Cola Mega Millions, Emzini Wezinsizwa, My Perfect Family, Moferefere Lenyalong, The Bioscope, M-Net

TV productions, commercials, events, Film Club

www.atlasstudios.co.za info@atlasstudios.co.za

NEW STUDIO IN CAPE TOWN

SPACE TO MOVE

ATL A N TI C

ST U D I OS

GROW

CREATE



3 x 500m2 sound stages



6 camera OB van



3 x 200m2 studios for stills or video





1 000m2 studio

Centrally located in Montague Gardens



3 000m2 epic studio space





Massive parking lot for filming car chases

Largest permanent green screen studio in SA



Controlled tanks for underwater filming



Production office space while filming plus fibre uplink to stream content live or for broadcast



kykNET’s new soap “Suidooster” is filming in Atlantic Studios

Marius Maritz +27 83 634 4460 marius@atlanticstudios.co.za

COMING IN FEBRUARY Lock up storage for crew member’s trucks and gear.

Both shade and open parking available. Contact us now to book your space for safe, 24/7 access in a perfect location which is central for all locations.

Jannie van Wyk +27 82 554 4400 jannie@vanwyk.tv

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View of the green screen studio area at Phoenix Studios © Pheonix Studios

NAME

One of the studios at Global Access © Global Access

LOCATION SPECIFICATIONS

NOTABLE CLIENTS AND PROJECTS

TARGET MARKET

WEBSITE / CONTACTS

Bellovista Productions

Woodstock, Cape Town

• A production company with 7 years’ experience in Southern Africa and South America.

• Services include 100m 2 studio space for hire, lifestyle concierge, food, events, PR and other production work.

The Biscuit Mill, Precious Obsession, Alexandra Dietz, Imiso Ceramics Distinctive Clay Art

Film, documentaries, travelogues, stills, TV content, event hosting, private screenings, art gallery

www.bellovistaproductions. com studio@bellovistaproductions. com

Buchanan Studios

Cape Town City Bowl

• Ground Level Studio: 235m 2 with 2.2m(h) x 2.5m(w) roller door • Studio height: 3.9m with double volume infinity curve, roof with 4m clearance, wood painted silver.

• Floor painted concrete (mid-grey), with 5 x heavyweight cross overhead steel beams, natural light and 3 phase power with parking for generator truck if needed.

• Facilities: dressing room, bathrooms, kitchenette, 5 parking bays, broadband Wi-Fi, sound system

Elle, True Love, Marion and Lindie, Gavin Rajah

Photographic and film studio

www.buchananstudios.co.za andrew@buchananstudios.co.za

Cape Island Studios

Milnerton, Cape Town

• • • •

MasterChef South Africa promos

Film, TV, commercials

www.islandstudios.net/ cape-island-studios/ info@islandstudios.net

Cape Town Film Studios

Film City Boulevard, Cape Town

• The first custom-built, Hollywood-style film studio complex of its kind in Africa, with state-of-the-art support services.

• 4 sound stages: 2100m 2 , 1850m 2 , 1200m 2 , 1850m 2 , with Stage 5 and Workshop C currently under construction.

• Main data centre • Energy centre • 2 workshops • Hazardous waste facility • Medieval backlot

Black Sails, Saints & Strangers, Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom

Film, television

www.capetownfilmstudios. co.za info@capetownfilmstudios. co.za

Clive Morris Productions Studio

Randburg, Johannesburg

• Award-winning production company focusing on audio visual communication.

• 81sqm TV studio • Green screen infinity curve

Ashes to Ashes, 50/50, Taboo Africa, Scandal!, Beloved Country

Broadcast, commercials, documentaries, creative, design, digital, live events, marketing

www.cmproductions.co.za

Daylight Studio (Wavebreak Media)

Cape Town City Bowl

• • • •

Commercials, television, animation, stills, live events

www.breestreetstudios.co.za daylightstudio@ wavebreakmedia.com

Foghound Studios

Midrand, Johannesburg

• Studio 1: 18m x 11.6m with three-wall cyclorama, a light grif and 3-phase power • Studio 2: 7m x 5.7m with small lighting gantry and cyclorama • 60KVA generator on standby and for rental on location shoots • Camera and lighting equipment for hire including broadcast-quality kits, tungsten studio lights, location lights, sound rigs and staging and grips equipment.

• 4 Edit Suites • Audio Suite • Duplication Facility

Television, radio, commercials, corporate videos, live events

www.foghound.co.za

Stage 1: 25.9 x 18m, 6.2m height Stage 2: 16.5 x 19.5m, 6.2m height Stage 3: 27.5 x 19.5m, 6.2m height Flexible work space with drive-in access, cycloramas and on-site lighting, camera and grip facilities.

250m 2 studio space 36m 2 opening skylight floor to ceiling windows a wooden deck and roof garden with views of Lions Head • 23 x 3m balcony Sharp Shooter, Aramis, Estee Launder, Goldcrest SA Chef, GoTV, Nike, Deloitte,

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NAME

LOCATION SPECIFICATIONS

NOTABLE CLIENTS AND PROJECTS

TARGET MARKET

WEBSITE / CONTACTS

Global Access

Excom, Johannesburg

• Fully-equipped HD broadcast studios with facilities support and live connectivity.

• Studio 1: 234m 2 with green screen of 13m wide and 5.5m high, and entrance of 4.4m height • Studio 2: 256m 2 with a 6m high grid and 4.4m high entrance • Studio 3: 564m 2 with 5.5m high grid and 4.4m high entrance • Studio 4: 134m 2 • Facilities include multiple onsite offices, production offices, casting rooms, audition spaces, rehearsal studios, crew rooms, greenrooms, make-up rooms, set storage, green screen cyclorama, catering areas, 3D animation graphics, industrial vehicle lifts and extended access doors, direct link to private DStv channel 901.

• Location broadcasting kit includes HD equipment, 3D animation graphics capability, dedicated crew and engineer, satellite uplink

All Access, Inside the Boabab Tree, Thandeka’s Diary, Abo Mzalo, Him, Her and The Guys, Gospel Gold, Big Debate, Bantu Tour

Television sitcoms, dramas, talk shows, game shows, commercials

www.globalaccess.co.za contact@globalaccess.co.za

Gold Island Studios

Midrand, Johannesburg

• • • •

The Fort “Danny K” music video, Fresheye Films “McDonald’s iStories”

Film, TV, commercials

www.islandstudios.net/ gold-island-studios/ info@islandstudios.net

Grinder Films

Observatory, Cape Town

• Tabletop studios with total floor space of 315m 2.

• Includes 36m 2 infinity curve, roof height of 3.6m, 54m 2 lighting grid.

• Home Economist Kitchen includes: • Gemini Gourmet Multi-Function 70L Double Oven, Anvil 6 Ring Industrial Hobb, 10m running food prep work space, industrial extraction, colour corrected lighting, double wash basin with spray tap, double door fridge.

Facilities include: • Client lounge, work surfaces, client toilet and change room, storeroom and prep room, retractable curtain/wardrobe, crew toilet and shower, WiFi and teleconferencing, 150amp 3-phase studio power, 70kw 3-phase super silenced generator.

• Technology includes: latest Phantom HD Flex 2K and 4K cameras, advanced borescope and periscope lens systems, onsite image processing and conversion, access to LED and fibre optic lighting systems, custom SFX, tanks, rigs and model builders, RED EPIC Digital Cinematography up to 4K, glass filming oven 5kw ThermoFan with removable 2.5kw overhead grill, Photosonics Cinematography.

Amarula Gold, KFC, Kelloggs, McDonalds, Mugg & Bean, Q-Skyr & Cottage Cheese, Findus

Food related and tabletop filming, predominantly TVCs

www.grinderfilms.com david@grinderfilms.com

MagnaTude Studios & Post (Okuhle)

Mowbray, Cape Town

• Studios and post production services, purposebuilt for live HD multi-camera production.

• Studio floor size: 270m 2 • Green screen: 8m wide x 3.5m high • Infinity curve • Distance from floor to grid – 4.5m • Control room/audio/CAR – 60m 2 • Chill area, kitchen, toilets – 182m 2 • Total ground floor – 513m 2 • Makeup Room – 11m 2 • Power supply – 1 x 32amp 3phase outlet socket • Parking – 3 x parking bay for studio • 4 camera multi-cam productions with control room & fibre uplink • 4.5m lighting grid with Desisti cold light supplied and mounted

Hectic Nine-9, Fabulous Food Academy, Die Republiek van Zoid Afrika

Television content, also used as broadcast centre with news and/ or sports live crossings going out

www.magnatude.co.za info@magnatude.co.za

Media Film Service

Durbanville, Cape Town and Sandton, Johannesburg

• Leading film rental facility • Cape Town Studio: 540m 2 with 6m lighting grid, 28m and 18m infinity curves, onsite grips and lighting accessories, full camera, lighting, and grips back up and technical support, wardrobe and changing room • Johannesburg Studio: 462m 2 with 24hr security, production office space, catering, make-up and all appliances. Within the Media Film Service complex for instant equipment delivery.

• Both studios include backup generator and wireless internet and roller doors for easy access

Film, television and commercials equipment rentals

www.mediafilmservice.com brad@mediafilmservice.com (Cape Town) hayleyc@mediafilmservice.com (Johannesburg)

Stage 1: 20.6 x 29, 8.1m height Stage 2: 14.5 x 29m, 7m height with flexible work space.

Drive-in access Cycloramas and on-site lighting, camera and grip facilities

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NAME

www.thecallsheet.co.za

LOCATION SPECIFICATIONS

NOTABLE CLIENTS AND PROJECTS

TARGET MARKET

WEBSITE / CONTACTS

M-Net Broadcast Services

Randburg, Johannesburg

• M-Net Corporate has 6 studios situated in Broadcast Centre, with three used by SuperSport 24/7.

• Studios ranging from 165m² to 500m² • Studio 1: 165m 2 , rebuilt and refurbished with 5 cameras in SD and HD • Studio 6: 500m 2 , SD and HD capabiliti es.

Big Brother Africa, Carte Blanche, The Voice SA, Carte Blanche

Television content for their 24 channels

www.mnet.co.za www.mnetcorporate.co.za

Phoenix Studios

Randburg, Johannesburg

• • • •

Reason music video, KFC, Kyknet & Kie, Ford Ranger, Nandos, SuperSport

TV, commercials, music videos, sti lls, visual eff ects

www.phoenixstudios.co.za info@phoenixstudios.co.za

TV, fi lm, music videos, sti lls, commercials

www.photohire.co.za www.cinephototools.com

TV, fi lm, commercials, sti lls

www.q-studios.co.za info@q-studios.co.za

Broadcast and television content

www.realti mepictures.com quenti n@realti mepictures.com

TV content, animati on, broadcast, producti on

www.redpepper.tv

• • • • • • • • • •

100m 2 studio space with easy access for cars.

Shooti ng area includes: Rubberised, levelled out fl oor Segregated power grid allowing for lights to be plugged in anywhere Sound proofed viewing area for clients with a cabled, 32in HD monitor An acousti cally treated studio space for recording, as well as insulated from exterior noise Hair and makeup arti st with dedicated space Basic lighti ng including new lighti ng rig set up, with additi onal equipment readily sourced Studio hand/lighti ng assistant Catering Full crew Green screen Visual eff ects Full, wall-to-wall wrapped chroma cyclorama

Photo Hire (Cine Photo Tools)

Zonnebloem, Cape Town

• Recognised leader in SA’s rental market with 3 large, versati le studios, repairs, digital support, and sales.

• Studio A: 300m 2 with 8.5 x 8.5 infi nity curve • Studio B: 250m 2 with 8.5 x 8.5 infi nity curve • Studio C: 400m 2 with 10 x 14m infi nity curve • 3-Phase power supply • Kitchen and dining areas • Full range of gear available for rental

Q-Studios

Kew, Johannesburg

• 6 large studios ranging from 900m 2 to 500m 2 all under one roof, with Unit 7 of 150m 2 alongside, centrally located on a 30 000m 2 parcel of land.

• Unit 1: 900m 2 with 10m height and 7.5m lighti ng grid.

Includes 18m x 16.7m x 31m cyclorama, 3-phase power supply, dressing and makeup rooms and green room/ producti on offi ce of 49.5m 2. Not yet sound proofed.

• Sound Stage 2: 700m 2 with 20.53m 2 interview studio and bubble, and 8.9m height with 8.2m lighti ng grid. Includes hosts area and dressing rooms (31.5m 2), duct venti lati on system, 3-phase power supply, 1000 and 400watt lights.

• Unit 3 Main Studio: 540m 2 with 3-sided cyclorama/infi nity curve: 15m x 8m x 8m with 6m height and 12x6m adjustable bounce.

Includes lighti ng grid of 6.5m height, parking.

• Unit 3 Pack Studio (Sti lls): 180sqm with 10m x 5m cyclorama/infi nity curve and 6m x 6m bounce.

Unit 3 is currently used by Pixel Foundry.

• Unit 4: 604.8m 2 including 1 offi ce of 8m x 3m and 3 offi ces of 4.2m x 3m, a 55m 2 green room, ADSL connecti on, power points for hair, makeup, etc.

• Unit 8: Includes producti on offi ces and warehouse area • Unit 9 ‘The Paint Factory’: 830sqm with 130m 2 separate offi ce area. Includes telephones, fax and ADSL connecti on, lockable fenced ‘cage’ for equipment, used for set building and dock for District 9, Mrs Mandela, Strike Back.

Realtime Pictures

Linden, Johannesburg

• 152m 2 fully-equipped, HD broadcast TV studio • Includes sound proofi ng, generator, video and audio control rooms, producti on offi ces, lighti ng grid with dimmer board, entertainment area, makeup and wardrobe faciliti es, air conditi oning, catering area, Wi-Fi connecti vity.

• Faciliti es also include edit suites, audio faciliti es, equipment, a central apparatus room and gear for hire.

Red Pepper Pictures

Linden, Johannesburg

• Studios with producti on and broadcast faciliti es.

Studio faciliti es include infi nity curves.

Mrs Mandela, District 9, Strike Back

eTV, Lunch Box, Ed & Eppa, Shot Left

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NAME Roodebloem Studios

LOCATION SPECIFICATIONS Roodebloem, Cape Town

• Studios with gear rental.

• Church Studio: • Studio 1: The Church 200m 2 with 5.5m x6m x 7m curve, 2m x 1.2m access, makeup room and kitchen, varnished Oregon fl oors, blackout capability.

• Studio 2: The Hall 180m 2 with 5.1m x 4.2m fl at wall, 2.4m x 1.5m access, makeup room, kitchen, varnished Oak fl oors, blackout capability.

• Studio 3: The Gallery 60m 2 with 2.12m x 0.82m access, makeup room on request, kitchen, varnished Oregon fl oors, blackout capability.

• Studio 5: The Outdoor Curve with 7.9m x 3.3 m high curve and 3.9m wide access, daylight and power on request.

• Studio 6: The Drive-in 160m 2 with 9.7m x 7.1m x 9m corner curve, glass roof of 55m 2 , 2.3m x 2.5m garage door, a 4m x 2.2m internal door, 3-phase power supply, daylight or blackout opti ons, hot and cold water for shower, rain or bath scenes, drainage in studio fl oor, designer kitchen with 6-plate gas hob and 900mm electric oven, makeup room.

• Studio 7: Jett Studio 180m 2 with 7.6m x 6.7m x4m corner curve, 3-phase power, gantry level access of 2.7m x 1.7m, two skylights, stairwell access, kitchen, mobile makeup stati on, daylight or blackout opti ons.

• Studio 8: The Tailor Shop 48m 2 with 2.6m x 1.2m access, makeup room on request, kitchen on request, daylight or blackout opti ons.

• Studio 9: The Kitchen Studio 42m 2 with 3.2m x 2m designer kitchen with 5-plate gas hob and 600mm electric oven, balcony, stairwell access, 3-phase power, makeup room on request, daylight or blackout opti ons.

• Studio 10: The Mezzanine 23m 2 with 0.85m stairwell access, 3-phase power, and daylight or blackout opti ons.

• Studio 11: The Roof Deck 85m 2 with 3-phase power.

• The Courtyard is also available for shoots.

NOTABLE CLIENTS AND PROJECTS Vodacom, Foschini, Virgin Acti ve, Elle, Wildernessking, BBDO CT, BENCHFilms, Johnny Walker, The Sound of Taste

TARGET MARKET Film, sti lls and commercials, music videos, live events

WEBSITE / CONTACTS www.roodebloemstudios.co.za info@roodebloemstudios.co.za

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NAME

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LOCATION SPECIFICATIONS

NOTABLE CLIENTS AND PROJECTS

TARGET MARKET

WEBSITE / CONTACTS

Salt River Film Studios

Salt River, Cape Town

• 5500m 2 of floor space with production facilities.

• Unusually high roof beams • An extensive gantry system to assist with lighting and rigging requirements • Scissor lifts • High roller shutter doors • 2 separate 150 Amp 3-Phase power points • Includes set building options and a dedicated indoor environment.

Chevrolet, Power Couple, Nike, Jameson, Dare 2 Dance, The Gunman

TV, film and commercials

www.saltriverfilmstudios.com info@saltriverfilmstudios.com

Sasani Studios

Highlands North, Johannesburg

• Total of 6 800m 2 floor space with 12 studios ranging from 64m 2 to 1 027m 2.

• Stage 1: 17m x 22.5m x 4.6m height; supports a full spectrum of technical facilities for 24/7 live broadcast; currently dedicated to ongoing reality TV show.

• Stage 2: 427.57m 2 with 6.7m height; includes production office, kitchen, bathrooms, makeup and dressing rooms, props and equipment stores.

• Stage 3: 182.9m 2 with 6.4m height; includes 3.8m x 9m x 9.25m infinity curve, production office, kitchen, bathrooms, makeup and dressing rooms, props and equipment stores.

• Stage 5: 454.86m 2 with 8m height; includes 11.3m x 14.3m x 8.6m infinity curve, production office, kitchen, bathrooms, makeup and dressing rooms, props and equipment stores.

• Studio A: 59.13m 2 with 4.6m height; includes 2.5m x 2.5m x 4.5m infinity curve, 2 green rooms, 2 dressing rooms, 3 digital control rooms including lighting, vision and audio controls.

• Studio B: 153.68m 2 with 6.2m height; includes 4.3m x 4.3m x 9.4m infinity curve, 2 green rooms, 2 dressing rooms, 3 digital control rooms including lighting, vision and audio controls, analogue control rooms.

• All studios include live broadcast facilities and onsite coffee shop.

• Facilities also include a set store area of 650m 2 and a 1.2mw generator.

• Stage 1 & 4 have full HD control rooms with 1080 cameras with a capacity for 16 cameras in total and digital audio with 5.1 surround sound, a system designed for collaborative editing and recording to file of up to 32 audio channels and 12 video channels.

Isidingo, The Voice SA, Rhythm City, Skeem Saam, Tinsel, Turn it Out, Big Brother The Chase, eKasi, Gospel Gold, Big Brother Mzansi, Muvhango, Jika Majika, National Geographic

Reality TV, talk shows, game shows, sitcoms, photo shoots, special events, training, interviews, feature films, TV content, soapies

www.sasanistudios.co.za info@sasanistudios.co.za

South African Broadcast Corporation Henley Television Facilities

Auckland Park, Johannesburg

• Seven studios with broadcasting, production, post production, video editing, graphics, audio and transfer facilities.

• Studio 1: 112m 2 • Studio 2: 140m 2 • Studio 3: 297m 2 • Studio 4: 305m 2 • Studio 5: 671m 2 • Studio 6: 297m 2 • 9.4m lighting grid

Television content predominantly for the SABC

www.sabc.co.za/wps/portal/ SABC/SABCHENLEY marius@sabc.co.za

Stark Studios (Stark Films)

Randburg, Johannesburg

• State-of-the-art HD studio complex • Studios are 750m 2 and 500m 2 with 7m lighting grids

Television content creators

www.starkfilms.co.za Human@starkfilms.co.za

Studio 9 @ Camera Facilities

Randburg, Johannesburg

• • • •

10m by 10m studio (100m 2) Dry hire packages can include lights and gear hire.

Cameras for hire include Panasonic, Sony and Canon.

Support gear for hire includes dolly and tracks, mattebox, lighting, autocue prompters, mini jib arm, filters, audio and crew services.

N/A, dry hire

www.studio9rental.com roddy@camerafacilities.co.za moses@camerafacilities.co.za

Telemedia Studios

Rivonia, Johannesburg

• • • •

Studio 1: 180m 2 Studio 2: 85m 2 Both with 4.5m height Studio building of 950m 2 designed for broadcast: includes 180m 2 studio and 85m 2 studio with 3 large control rooms with access flooring, audio over booth, dressing rooms, boardroom, canteen, seven offices, open-plan reception, roof space for satellite antennae, backup generator and a connection to Telemedia Teleport.

Television content and broadcast services

www.telemedia.co.za info@telemedia.co.za

Generations, Binneland

The Nelson Mandela Project

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NAME

LOCATION SPECIFICATIONS

The Media Hive (Visual Impact Studio)

Gardens, Cape Town

• 120m 2 studio with 5m height • Features include BBC Standard sound proofing, Visual Impact equipment rentals on site, infinity curve with 3-phase power and break out boxes, sound attenuated air conditioning, wireless internet, drive-in door, double-storey room for studio control equipment, high gantry for top angle shots, loading bay and parking, dressing room, kitchenette, bathroom and shower, 50m 2 production space, high-speed file upload service, in-house catering.

The Production Works

Melville, Johannesburg

• • • • •

70m 2 Infinity Curve studio Full Overhead lighting grid Full HD and UHD Camera Setup Green room and Make-up rooms Full in-house Chroma Screen facility

Urban Brew Studios

Randburg

• • • • • • •

Studio 1: 600m 2 digital studio with std lighting Studio 2 & 5: 400m 2 digital studio with std lighting Studio 3 & 4: 400m 2 digital studio with std lighting (HD) Studio 6: 70m 2 infinity chroma studio with std lighting Studio 7: 45m 2 std chroma studio with std lighting ENG Facilities: 12 camera kits incl DV, XDcam and HD. Broadcast & MCR Facilities connected to 2 earth stns via optic fibre, with microwave as backup

Waterfront Film Studios

V&A Waterfront, Cape Town

Zootee Studios

Brooklyn, Cape Town

NOTABLE CLIENTS AND PROJECTS

TARGET MARKET Film, television and commercials equipment rentals

WEBSITE / CONTACTS www.visuals.tv tusa@visuals.tv

www.productionworks.co.za zorana@productionworks.co.za

One Gospel, Dumisa TV, Soweto TV, BayTV, 1KZN TV, ED Africa’s Knowledge Portal, Lotto Live Draw, Shift, Real Goboza, Live Amp, I’s for Life, Zabalaza, Khumbul’ekhaya, Vodacom Millionaire, Three Talk, Friends Like These, Yo TV

Broadcast and media content for community, commercial, spiritual, African and environmental genres

www.urbanbrew.co.za facilitiesinfo@urbanbrew.co.za

• Stage 1: one of the largest live broadcastenabled sound proof studio at 1 110m 2 • Stage 2: live broadcast-enabled sound proof studio at 800m 2 • Both are inclusive of control rooms, lighting grids, lights and dimmers, makeup and wardrobe rooms and exclusive-use toilets.

• Stage 3: 400m 2 tabletop studio with fully-equipped industrial kitchen adjacent to studio. This stage was increased to 1 000m 2 in mid-2015.

• Stage 4 (1 000m 2) and Stage 5 (2 400m 2) both come with grid height of 13m and are planned for 2015 and 2016.

• Other facilities include: full post production facilities, VFX animation facilities, Audio post studios, New media production, Language dubbing, LiDAR & cyber scanning, Digital film restoration and remastering, Archiving

Wallander, Dominion, Joe Bullet, Hectic Nine-9, The Giver, 10 000 BC, SPUD 2 and SPUD 3, Vrou Soek Boer, Knysna, Trompie

Film and television, state-of-the-art post-production, new media platforms

www.waterfrontfilmstudios. com

• • • •

The Anne Hirsch Show, Unearthed

TV content, stills, commercials and documentaries

www.zooteestudios.com info@zooteestudios.com

Facilities floor space of 239m 2 Studip Room: 82.6m 2 Mezzanine Client Lounge overlooking studio Reception and Production Lounge of 30m 2 with 27in Samsung VT • Painted Curve Area of 33.4m 2 • Curve dimensions of 7.2m x 4.5m x 6m height

Disclaimer: Although there are many more studio spaces available for use in South Africa, due to space constrictions in this publication we have only included the main ones involved in the film and television sectors.

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Wink © Velocity

LOCATION SCOUTING

Locations can make or break your production, and no one knows this better than your location scout. Imogen Campbell explores their wonderful world.

O

ne of the first people to be hired for a film, television or commercial production is a Location Scout. The scout is instructed via a brief, and to ensure a happy ending, must source a suitable site compliant with stringent criteria. To shed light on the process and the locations used in television, film and commercials in the traditional filming capitals of South Africa; KwaZulu-Natal, Western Cape and Gauteng. The Callsheet garnered the nitty-gritty details from industry experts.

This is what they revealed.

How do you set about interpreting a location brief and what are the possible pitfalls in determining what producers or directors envision at this nascent stage?

Robert Bentley, renowned location scout: I would start by doing a complete breakdown of the script into each scene.

I will also try to speak to the

Director and attempt to get inside their head. The biggest pitfall is when the Director briefs the Producer who then briefs the Service Company who briefs the Line Producer who briefs the Production Manager who briefs the Location Scout. Add hectic schedules and language differences and much gets lost in translation.

It is best to communicate directly with the Director for their vision.

Alison Ellard, Executive Producer at Wink Films: Interpreting a location brief is an exciting stage where you have the opportunity to look at a director’s treatment and show reel, as well as hear the type of location he/she is looking for. This is very much a creative space, as you can start to get into the director’s head and begin to shape an understanding of what he/she envisions.

Jessica Garvie, Studio Manager at Studio26: The main point of the brief at conception is usually a feeling that a specific look or image portrays. We need to know

the main theme and ‘story’ so that we can match the bestsuited area or areas to that mood, together with the art director and the photographer.

Hayley Bond, GM, Amazing Spaces CT: This is so often quite tricky because there are as many views in the world as there are people, so often when a producer describes a brief, what comes to mind for me is very often not what they are thinking of at all! In order to try and avoid this, we ask for reference images or a Director’s treatment wherever possible, because a picture paints a thousand words! We would also ask what the most important aspects of the location are for the Director / Producer – is it an overall feeling of the location or are they wanting the specifics like a wooden floor or a blue kitchen? A possible pitfall occurs when the Director envisions a complete mix of styles, but is wanting it all in

one location – for example, trying to find super modern interiors with a classic exterior and a rustic garden is not always possible!

Dale Edwards, Location Manager of JoburgFilm: There is much diversity amongst directors in the world. Everyone has their way of doing things. Some will give you a storyboard; some require that you read it from a script, whilst others will give you references of exactly what they want. The overseas briefs are sometimes very visual and done professionally by story-boarders with good references. Some briefs are vague.

The decision to use Johannesburg or Cape Town is determined by architecture and landscapes.

Have you experienced situations where the request in the brief was diametrically different to the actual location found?

Robert Bentley: Filmmaking is a creative process. Some Directors

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only know what they want when they see it or see what can be done. An example to illustrate the broken telephone, when a Director wanted a long beach with a few rocks at the end. By the time I got the brief I was told he wanted a rocky beach.

Result: unhappy director.

Alison Ellar: As you start looking at locations, information and inspiration emerge. The original idea changes and grows and sometimes ends up being diametrically different to your intention. Even so, this is a positive process, which results in the most fitting setting for that particular shoot.

Jessica Garvie: Due to the enormous variety within our locations, this has happened on more than one occasion in a positive way. E.g.: The most recent was a brief for a Cadillac to be parked on a dirt road under trees, yet we ended up shooting the car on top of a hill in the middle of a freshly-cut wheat field, which suited the campaign way better!

Hayley Bond: Oh yes, this happens regularly. We are often briefed for a suburban family home and the Director ends up shooting in a top-end modern location.

Dale Edwards: It is more what the director envisions in his mind. You might find that nationalities like the Koreans, Chinese, Americans and British – all have different visions of Africa. It looks different to various clients. You have got to read their minds. Some directors are very thorough in their research and are very specific

like the director of Ali, Michael Mann, had done his research.

What are the most soughtafter locations for film, commercials or television in the Western Cape, KwaZuluNatal and Gauteng?

Robert Bentley: Cape Town beaches, countryside and some of the City, Gauteng Big City and Townships; KZN tropical vegetation, beaches and the safari look.

Alison Ellar: There is a repetition of things that are already popular, such as our streets that can be American or European, or houses that can often go totally across the board. Our nature is obviously very popular; our beaches, forests, mountains, etc.

Jessica Garvie: A big trend at the moment for film is open spaces to build sets that can last two or three seasons, yet there is still nothing better than the organic features of our major cities – JHB and CT especially.

For shorter productions, definitely locations that can be altered or added to at an affordable cost, and locations that have a uniqueness about them.

Hayley Bond: The trends change all the time, but at the moment our most sought-after locations are typical American or European family homes. We are doing a lot of shoots in smaller suburbs like Rondebosch and Kenilworth in Cape Town.

Cherise Haskins, GM, Amazing Spaces Gauteng: As we know,

JHB is primarily local market so the location has to be relative to the brand. More often than not our brief is a middle LSM (Living Standard Measure) family home that could lend itself to being aspirational. Open plan is always key, and they don’t like locations with a lot of dark wood/colours.

KZN is often cheated for greater Africa, or even Scotland or the past, playing destination for a lot of the ‘History of’ series.

Dense vegetation and locations that have a colonial feel to them are what work in KZN. Jeanne Watson of Shoot my House: As agents who represent homes, gardens, farms etc, in the Cape, we see really distinct fashions each year and a swing between modern and more traditional homes, from one season to the next. Consistently though, it’s the upper-middleclass contemporary homes that have the longest lifespan in terms of TV Commercial interest. For Stills, it definitely seems to be uncluttered modern locations with uninterrupted sea views or very structured architecture.

Offices are big this season so far. English country gardens are always a winner as are Provençal exteriors. Locations where there is flexibility, adaptability and lots of options within the space are always popular as are locations that offer space, easy access and simple logistics.

Dale Edwards: I focus on JHB and surrounds. The majority of clients are Cape Town and overseasbased though. After District

9, the sci-fi type of look with broken-down buildings and African landscapes has become sought after. JHB CBD is very popular.

Nikki Tilley of South Coast Tourism Office: Speaking from the KZN’s South Coast perspective- beaches, bridges, the spectacular road passes, the diverse architecture such as old colonial houses and old fishermen cottages, the farming landscape (largely banana and sugar-cane settings), African and rural settings, such as food and taxi markets, rondavels/huts and forests in the hinterland are popular.

Why are these locations so sought after? Please mention the specific factors making them so desirable for a shoot.

Robert Bentley: Cape Town is very versatile. We have pockets of older Victorian streets close to a modern glass and steel city on the Foreshore area while a few streets away we have an older city feel. This makes it so convenient to shoot in Cape Town.

Durban has an African city feel while at the same time can be quite colonial. Umhlanga is more modern, the South Coast has lush sub-tropical vegetation and the North Coast has the game parks.

Gauteng also has a lot to offer, not only the big city feel of the CBD but also the modern city areas of Rosebank and Sandton, there are big mansions, stadiums and areas like Kliptown and Orlando.

Jessica Garvie: Being able to build one set that can last for a

26 / FEATURE few years is a major factor for a film budget. South Africa has the space and the people who are willing to rent their land. Our two major film cities, JHB and CT, are so unique in every way and the variety and options are endless, and production in these areas is also top-notch. For the shorter or smaller productions they want something new, something special and unique, which our locations offer. Sets are built to be added to, things are made to be moved around and to be versatile, and one location can be painted any way manner or form you like. No two shoots are ever the same.

Hayley Bond: It seems like a lot of commercials that we are shooting are targeting everyday people – and so they are looking for houses that are not over the top and unattainable. Our family homes are ideal for this because they have great style, great taste and look inviting but not too ‘over-the-top’ – while

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still being a decent enough size to facilitate a film shoot!

Dale Edwards: The majority of ad agencies for local commercials are based in Johannesburg. Most local commercials are filmed in Johannesburg. The agencies don’t like to move too much unless they have the budget. They like to shoot in JHB which is work for us.

Johannesburg Police Department and Traffic are very helpful and friendly. Internationally; it depends on the brief. If they can’t match it in CT they are going to try and match it somewhere in the country. The two main areas for crew are JHB and CT for technical backup and equipment.

Johannesburg crews are good.

What are the specific criteria that you look for in a location before recommending it for a shoot?

Robert Bentley: The right look for the film. I will consider

how the location translates to screen. Access and logistics are important, but the location has to be right for the Director’s vision.

However, if there are two similar locations, I would recommend the one that logistically better.

Alison Ellar: There’s a great deal of due diligence that one has to do before you can recommend a location for a shoot. We would look at availability, whether it can handle the logistics of a shoot and the scale and impact of the shoot, for example neighbours or others who are affected in the area. Each venue is a blend of logistics and the director’s vision; they both have equal weight.

Jessica Garvie: A big factor is “Is this location shoot-friendly?” If so, one can work together and make a plan for logistics and budgets.

Hayley Bond: There are a couple of things we take into consideration – the most important one being whether or not the location offers

something new and exciting to the film industry. It has to have something about it that is new and interesting, because we don’t want to have 25 locations that all have the same look and feel.

We definitely take into account the logistics around the location – parking, access and any Film Office restrictions that may apply in that specific area. We also only want to work with locations where the owner actually WANTS shoots – there is nothing more unpleasant for a film team than being in a house when the owner doesn’t actually enjoy shoots!

Dale Edwards: You can’t just drive in your car and take a photograph. You have to give the client a location they can use. Because of my extensive experience as Transit/Location/ Unit Manager, I know where to put the base camp, what they can do – how we can lock the roads, all the logistics. Logistics is extremely important.

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Specific venues in the US have been used to depict a variety of settings; are South African venues as versatile? Are we in danger of overdoing some sites?

Robert Bentley: SA is incredibly versatile, especially Cape Town.

We have filmed Cape Town as Pakistan, America, Bermuda, Malta and Australia on two recent jobs. Some sites are well utilised, sometimes residents and shop owners feel they are over-used.

Alison Ellar: Yes, they are as versatile. This is proved by the amount of nationalities that come to South Africa to shoot here. They are all making use of the same locations and they are all fulfilling their needs.

Jessica Garvie: Many sites have been overdone to a degree; Franschhoek Pass in the car industry – done and done.

The cut-off-high-way in Cape Town – old news. A lot has to do with the service of the local

production teams as well as the exchange rate. Though, in the end, the truth remains – South African locations are unbeatable!

Dale Edwards: Although there are the favourites, but we try not to repeat sites. We aim to be creative.

Sometimes we film locations a lot, but make it look different every time. For landscape locations; Glen Afric is used because the animals are there to work with. The farm is so small, so you try to find an angle to it because of the animals. It is difficult; you don’t want to move the animals because of the cost.

Another location is Nash Farm – The western Salvation was filmed there. We built a whole western town on the farm. Some directors have mentioned that they would like the acacia (umbrella) trees to actually be on location.

Christall Kay of Location Masters: South African locations are extremely versatile. We are fortunate that in South Africa we have a wide variety of

different types of architecture, climate regions, and landscapes that can cater for various location briefs both locally and internationally. Ranging from world class game reserves and expansive deserts to bustling cities and majestic beaches, South Africa is unstoppable in its delivery of locations.

With our diversity, many looks with regard to locations can be recreated. From American Colonial and Georgian to modern German Architecture, South African locations provide a flexible backdrop to match any scene required.

What are the most photographed and filmed locations in South Africa?

Robert Bentley: Darling Street!

Jessica Garvie: Cape Town in all (Beaches, Citybowl, Table Mountain, and the West Coast, Atlantis and Studio26.

Hayley Bond: I can’t really say for public locations, but for private locations our suburban homes are the most filmed in locations.

Jeanne Watson: I can’t speak for the whole of South Africa or for properties represented by location agents, but if I was to guess at the most photographed and filmed locations I’d imagine – the cut off highway, Atlantis Dunes, Chapmans Peak Drive, Strandfontein beaches, Company Gardens, Cape Town city streets and farms like Oak Valley and Rustenberg with a lot of scope.

Dale Edwards: I don’t there is one, in particular. We use a few – JHB CBD, the ELLE building, the old streets that can be used as London or New York.

Nikki Tilley: From the South Coast perspective –The Wild Coast Sun sees a lot of production companies utilising their jungles and wild natural landscape. Given that we have two of the top ten shark dive sites in the world – Aliwal Shoal

Contact Jaun de Meillon (Group Chief Operations Of f icer) T. +27 83 9599967 E . jdm@opensky.sa.com W. w w wopensk ysa.com 1st F loor, Propert y Ser v ices, President Stey n, Harmony, Welkom 9 460 GPS: 28º 0’ 23.61” S - 26º47’ 33.17” E

28 / FEATURE and Protea Banks - and thus highly photographed, as is Oribi Gorge and many of our beaches. Our 120km coastline offers vast open stretches of golden beaches and hidden rocky coves, often used to replace Mauritius and other island settings. One must also bear in mind that so many scenes are set dressed so sometimes it’s not for the location itself but rather what the location can offer in terms of support, budget, accessibility, infrastructure etc and the South Coast is a very cost- effective base for any shoot.

What type of locations in South Africa are more in demand in the last 24 months or so?

Robert Bentley: This changes all the time and what is fashionable this year we don’t use again next year.

Alison Ellar: The demand on locations has really become about the demand of so many companies wanting to work on the locations.

Jessica Garvie: Very popular for Stills is long, dry grass. In the past season or two there has been a big wave of safaritype shoots and very rustic or

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weathered locations over the cleaner, more classic types.

Hayley Bond: We can’t really answer for open/public spaces, but our houses that emulate German, American and English homes work consistently. English gardens are always sought after as we get a lot of English Outdoor Furniture catalogues.

Dale Edwards: I just had to find a location for BBC in JHB. They ended up using the Expo Centre. They built a whole set there. Landscapes and interesting old buildings are always important as is the town CBD. We have beautiful old locations in JHB. The locals tend to use Soweto, but there is also Brazzaville, near Hartebeespoort, used by internationals for its hellish look that could depict a township in Congo.

Are some locations quite appealing, but due to bureaucracy or other challenges become difficult to use in South Africa?

Robert Bentley: The CTFPO as well as the Commissions in Johannesburg and Durban try

really hard to assist but so often they are just banging their heads.

Unfortunately we have a culture where people do not want to extend themselves and it is such a pity as we have a fantastic country with awesome resources.

Public Works, Department of Corrections, Department of Defence to name a few are extremely difficult as calls and emails go unanswered and no one wants to commit. They are all losing out on potential revenue but we as filmmakers always find a solution.

Alison Ellar: The difficulty we are facing at the moment, as an industry, is that locations are becoming more regulated and therefore more difficult to access.

Locations are the main reason foreigners come to South Africa to shoot. If we can’t offer them the locations that we have and provide flexibility to fulfill our client’s requirements, we put our own industry at great risk.

There seems to be a perception that filming has a negative impact on locations. However, there are so many instances where a location is left in better condition than when the crew arrived

Wink © Velocity

Wink © Velocity

Dale Edwards © JoburgFilm

Dale Edwards © JoburgFilm

there, for instance when a beach is cleared of all rubbish and debris. If a shoot is run properly it can have an incredibly positive impact, rather than a negative one. Other benefits for the greater good include money that is brought in to the city, as well as employment opportunities within local communities.

Jessica Garvie: In all we think locations are either accessible or not. The biggest problem right now is the Visa regulations, which stop clients from coming because the whole process of applying is way too complicated, it takes too long and the embassies abroad are not very helpful!

Dale Edwards: It is sometimes difficult to work with Gauteng Film Commission. If we had a basic Film Office like New York Film Office as they are film friendly.

JHB needs to be film friendly.

The government departments may not understand how much revenue the film industry can make. There is also the danger of film school graduates shooting all over and not fully understanding the logistics involved in locations.

The risk is that we don’t look after locations as we should.

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The Little Girl, the Fox and the Aviator in The Little Prince © ON Animation Studios

Playtime with glow-in-the dark paint © ON Animation Studios

THE LITTLE PRINCE REVIEW

The Fox, the glow-in-the-dark paint scene and feel-good French music are just some of the reasons Sheree Steenkamp would recommend revelling in this adventure-fantasy animation.

The Little Girl is voiced by Mackenzie Foy and the fabulous Fox by James Franco © ON Animation Studios

I

fell in love with a Fox. With his slightly squint, bright button eyes, sticky-up ears, quick wit and quizzical expression, The Little Prince’s Fox is the perfect antidote to the tired tall, dark and handsome cliché. Enter short, russet and quirky. There are many reasons to go watch The Little Prince but the Fox (voiced by the ever-foxy James Franco) is the best one. But alas, it was not me who got to cuddle with the Fox before bedtime.

That role was honoured by the Little Girl (Mackenzie Foy).

The Girl met her (and my) beloved Fox through her elderly next-door neighbour, a retired and eccentric Aviator. The Mother (Rachel McAdams) has planned out the Girl’s entire summer holiday down to the last minute of studying and final wink of sleep to ensure she is accepted into the sought-after Werth Academy. The diligent eight-year old is tempted away from her sterile, cookie-cutter life and regimented schedule to the Aviator’s colourful, chaotic abode and contagious imagination.

The Aviator is a selfconfessed hoarder who keeps his plane, his favourite tinkering object, in his garden and a sandwich in his pocket – in case of a bad fall, of course!

Jeff Bridges’ voice evokes a wonderful warmth as the twinkly-eyed Aviator and he enchants the Little Girl with his misty-eyed narrative about the Little Prince (Riley Osborne) who he met many years before whilst traveling through the Sahara Desert.

The script (written by Irena Brignull and Bob Persichetti) is perceptive, endearing and delightful – The original Little Prince Story, written in 1943 by Antoine de SaintExupéry, is told within an unique new story frame that illuminates how vital it is to

remember the magic of the world that comes so easily through a child’s imagination and is slowly buried under the drab repetition of the 9 to 5 workaholic hamsterwheel as we get older.

Witty, wise, and whimsical; The Little Prince (directed by Mark Osborne) is engaging and exquisitely-crafted eye-candy of stop-motion animation and computer animation. It’s a quietly astute film with a big heart and an apt soundtrack that made me think that the line between fantasy and reality should more oft be straddled. As the Aviator says, “It’s not growing up that’s the problem, it’s the forgetting.”

Now, where did I hide my glow-in-the-dark planets and stars all those years ago?

IT’S A QUIETLY ASTUTE FILM WITH A BIG HEART AND AN APT SOUNDTRACK THAT MADE ME THINK THAT THE LINE BETWEEN FANTASY AND REALITY SHOULD MORE OFT BE STRADDLED.

SERIES REVIEW / 31

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ANIMATED SERIES REVIEW

What happens when you spend too much time watching animated content? Kim Muller explores this insane world of adult storytelling.

D

isclaimer: I usually don’t do series reviews – partly because over any season you might feel a whole range of emotions and opinions, and partly because why review series when you can just binge watch them? Nevertheless, I’ve been sufficiently bombarded with some incredibly creative adult and children’s animations recently, and I thought it only fair to share a taste of my rollercoaster experience with you.

BOB’S BURGERS

Can I just say WTF even? When I initially watched my first episode of Bob’s Burgers I absolutely hated it! I hated the weird characters who bizarrely had no chins (it really freaked me out at first), the boring monotony of Tina’s voice, and Kristen Schaal. Ahhh Kristen. How you have grown on me, from your hilarious role in The Last Man on Earth and your dramatic role as Louise in this show. Gone

Bobs Burgers © FOX

are those intense moments of second-hand embarrassment on Flight of the Conchords.

Bob’s Burgers was created

by Loren Bouchard in 2011 and has since broadcast 93 episodes.

It’s a very simple premise – an average guy called Bob running a hamburger restaurant with his family: Linda his eccentric, over-the top wife, and his three adorably messed up kids Tina, Gene and Louise. I’ve already carved out favourite episodes, I’ve had the song ‘Slumber Party Fashion Show’ and Gene’s anthem from ‘Fart School for the Gifted’ stuck in my head, and I’ve rooted for Louise when she teaches her mom a lesson in laser tag. It’s really easy to fall in love with the outrageous comedy (everything goes wrong, always), plus their character development is phenomenal.

We are reintroduced to auxiliary characters with absolute ease, from a bank robber to a TV presenter to the ever-single

and utterly fragile Aunt Gail.

If you’ve never seen Bob’s Burgers, I highly recommend you do so right now. If you have, watch more. You’ll learn some crazy but totally cool parenting tips!

ADVENTURE TIME

I’m a die-hard Adventure Time fan. It arguably cemented my relationship with my now husband. I even curated all the episodes with songs in them for his birthday, so suffice to say we’re avid followers of Finn and Jake. Again, this is a simple premise: a young human boy and his best friend, a magical dog, go on incredible adventures together in the enchanted land of Ooo. Each 11 minute episode is chock-full of imagination and wonder, and an added bonus is watching the show’s characters grow older and wiser with each season.

Having said this, Pendleton Ward’s creation has taken a

Adventure Time © Cartoon Network

significantly darker turn in its 5th and 6th seasons. As Finn starts to reach adolescence, questions about identity and life crop up, and I must say, he handles these issues so well! For instance, at the beginning of Season 6, Finn meets his long-lost dad, gets screwed over by him, and loses an arm. Throughout the rest of the season, he’s dealing with how he feels about the situation, how he feels about girls, how he feels about his dad, and how he ultimately becomes a sad, depressed kid before making his way back to hero status in Breezy.

And Jake the dog’s advice for him is simple but rings true for us, too: “Listen to your melon heart.”

The show is wonderfully complex and at the same time subtle and easy for children to digest. It’s also a huge source of adult comedy, with some really hard-hitting life lessons – all bundled into bite-sized episodes. Worth the watch, every single time.

32 / PRODUCT REVIEW

NIKON D7200

www.thecallsheet.co.za

Although not a radical upgrade to the D7100, this new entry to the market still adds some important features. Kim Muller reports.

SPECIFICATIONS

© All images courtesy of Nikon

O

ff the bat, I just loved this camera. It’s so much easier to get accustomed to and handle than the other Nikons I’ve played with in 2015, and the image sensors are fab.

I noticed especially when I was shooting continuously at events that the larger buffer allowed me to take some great pics on the fly in large jpg format. It has 100shot buffers for jpg normal or basic shots, and for NEF buffers at four times as many shots as its predecessor. For large jpg, it has a 100 frame buffer – almost three times as much as the D7100.

The D7200 is Nikon’s highend APS-C camera, and is the only DX format machine in the company’s current line-up that supports autofocus on screw drive lenses. Its ISO range is expanded from 100 to 102 400, but there is a catch: since little colour detail would be left at ISO 51 200 and 102 400, Nikon

has chosen to make these two sensitivities black and white only.

New additions include NFC Wi-Fi that connects to your phone via an app, a new picture control option of Flat, and timelapse movies. The HDMI jack is also full-sized, the same as those on Apple TVs, cable boxes and DVD players, while the top LD is large, legible and simplified with a green LCD backlight.

A highlight is that fact that this baby works with every AF lens made since 1986, thanks to its focus motor. Its manual focus is also extraordinary and precise, while both AF and manual offer extremely sharp imagery with way more detail than you’ll ever need! The new 51-point AF system provides great performance even in low-light situations. Plus, with its HD film options and Expeed 4 image processing, you’ll be ready to take on any event, film or still shoot with ease.

Name

Nikon D7200

Type

Single-lens refl ex digital camera

Lens mount

Nikon F mount (with AF coupling and AF contacts)

Effecti ve pixels

24.2 million

Image sensor

23.5 x 15.6 mm CMOS sensor

Processor

Expeed 4

ISO

100-25 600 (ISO Expandable to 102 400 in B&W)

Format

DX format

Video frame size

1920 x 1080; 60p (progressive), 50p, 30p, 25p, 24p 1280 x 720; 60p, 50p Actual frame rates for 60p, 50p, 30p, 25p and 24p are 59.94, 50, 29.97, 25 and 23.976 fps respecti vely; opti ons support both high and normal image quality 1920 x 1080; 60p and 50p are available only when 1.3x (18x12) is selected for image area in the movie shooti ng menu MOV file format

File formats

NEF (RAW): 12 or 14 bit, lossless compressed or compressed JPEG: JPEG-baseline compliant with fi ne, normal or basic compression; opti mal quality compression available NEF (RAW)+JPEG: Single photograph recorded in both NEF (RAW and JPEG formats

Storage

SD (Secure Digital) and UHS-I compliant SDHC and SDXC memory cards; camera has double card slot for overfl ow or backup storage.

Viewfi nder

Eye-level pentaprism single-lens refl ex viewfi nder

Shutter speed

1/8000 to 30 s in steps of 1/3 or 1/2 EV, bulb, ti me, X250

Range (ISO 100, f/1.4 lens, 20°C/68°F)

Matrix or centre-weighted metering: 0 to 20 EV Spot metering: 2 to 20 EV

ISO sensiti vity

ISO 100 to 25600 in steps of 1/3 or 1/2 EV; in P, S, A, M modes, can also be set to approx. 1 or 2 EV (ISO 102400 equivalent; monochrome only) above ISO 25600; auto ISO sensiti vity control available

AF-area modes

Single-point AF; 9-, 21- or 51-point dynamicarea AF, 3D-tracking, auto-area AF

White balance

Auto (2 types), incandescent, fl uorescent (7 types), direct sunlight, fl ash, cloudy, shade, preset manual (up to 6 values can be stored, spot white balance measurement available during live view), choose colour temperature (2500 K to 10000 K), all with fi ne-tuning

Range (line of sight)

Approx. 30 m (assumes no interference; range may vary with signal strength and presence or absence of obstacles)

Weight

Approx. 765g with battery and memory card but without body cap; approx. 675g (camera body only)

Dimensions

Approx. 135.5 x 106.5 x 76mm

Operati ng environment

Temperature: 0 to 40°C/32 to 104°F; humidity: 85% or less (no condensati on)

Supplied accessories (may vary by country or area)

EN-EL15 Rechargeable Li-ion Battery, MH25a Battery Charger, UC-E17 USB Cable, ANDC1 BK Camera Strap, BF-1B Body Cap, DK-5 Eyepiece Cap, DK-23 Rubber Eyecup

SPOTLIGHT / 33

www.thecallsheet.co.za

CAPE TOWN

INTERNATIONAL ANIMATION FESTIVAL

S

et to run from 18-21 February 2016 at The River Club, the Cape Town International Animation Festival (CTIAF) has announced an African premiere, multiple award winners and Oscar nominees as part of the lineup for their fifth edition.

Formerly known as Kunjanimation, the annual event brings some of the best animated films from across the world to South African audiences. In addition, the CTIAF hosts an exciting range of workshops with global industry leaders, providing a rare opportunity to engage with them and learn from

their insights. This year’s topics include Character Animation, Scriptwriting and Producing.

MagicLight Pictures and Triggerfish Studios’ Stick Man will have its African premiere.

There will also be screenings of Cartoon Saloon’s Song of the Sea, directed by Oscar nominee Tomm Moore, and multiple award-winning The Boy and the World, directed by Alê Abreu.

Producer Mark Shapiro (Coraline, Paranorman, The Corpse Bride) is a highlight on the workshop programme, while Christine Ponzavera will discuss pitching strategies and coproductions. Friends of Design

will present a series of gaming workshops and Pop the Culture will run seminars. Technical talks and demonstrations will be hosted

by ToonBoom, Chaos Group, The Foundry and Autodesk.

“It’s a coup to have secured Nedy Acet, who is a 3D animator at Dreamworks Studio,” Festival Director Dianne Makings adds. “He

will present an artistic workshop about character design. We are grateful to the French Institute of South Africa, who have enabled Nedy and Christine to be with us.”

The CTIAF is made possible with the support of Wesgro, Animation SA, the National Film and Video Foundation and the French Institute of South Africa.

FORMERLY KNOWN AS KUNJANIMATION, THE ANNUAL EVENT BRINGS SOME OF THE BEST ANIMATED FILMS FROM ACROSS THE WORLD TO SOUTH AFRICAN AUDIENCES.

Screenings & Workshops

BUY YOUR TICKETS AT www.ctiaf.com 09H00 TILL LATE ON 18-21 FEBRUARY 2016 AT RIVER CLUB, OBSERVATORY

34 / COUNTRY SPOTLIGHT

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GHANA

A TALE OF TWO FILM HUBS Come with us on a journey to an exotic land of vibrant colours and stunning film locations.

Imogen Campbell reports.

T

his West African country is nestled between Cote d’Ivoire, Burkina Faso and Togo and borders the Gulf of Guinea. It is roughly the size of the United Kingdom and Uganda. Accra is its capital and largest city.

Must-see attractions include the dense tropical rain forest in Ghana’s Kakum National Park.

It is home to 40 species of large mammals and a highlight on this trip is taking an amble on the Canopy Walkway. It is 30m above ground and offers incredible views. The country’s largest wildlife park, the Mole National Park, is situated in north-western Ghana. Another area of extraordinary beauty is the site of the largest manmade lake on earth, and also provider of much of Ghana’s electricity: Lake Volta.

FILM

Cobra Verde (1987) starring Klaus Kinski, Ali (2001) starring Will Smith, and Ties that Binds (2011) have been partially shot in Ghana. The most recent film to be shot there is Netflix’s Beasts of No Nation - the drama about African child soldiers, directed by Cary Fukunaga, with 14-year Ghanaian Abraham Attah and Idris Elba.

The Nollywood spectre looms in many ways. One actress remarked that Lagos’ population is comparable to that of the whole of Ghana and that there is so much more opportunity in Nigeria. The latter has seen a tremendous influx of Ghanaian

Two canoes under palm trees on the beach in Ghana © Curt Carnemark - World Bank

actors, precisely for this reason.

The Ghanaian film industry has unofficially been divided into two; first, the more elite, English-language one known as Ghallywood and the second, Kumawood, which refers to movies made in Kumasi and mostly done in the local dialect, Twi. Kumawood, though dominating the movie market, is not as highly esteemed, but many in the industry see it as saving Ghanaian movies in a time of Nigerian ascendancy. Critics say its films lack originality and that its themes of juju or witchcraft is vexing. Kumawood has its own movie awards. Established

in 2011, annual Kumawood and Akoben Film Festival (KAFFA) and is a platform to recognise excellence of various filmmaking roles within the Ghanaian industry. The alternative Ghana Movie Awards were held on 30 December 2015 at the Accra International Conference Centre.

A new Kumawood movie, Our Judges, has been a recent release in the country after a scandal involving the country’s judges.

There are no tax incentives for foreign feature films or commercials shooting in Ghana.

Ghana’s best known filmmaker is Shirley Frimpong-Manso. She agrees that Kumawood is good

for Ghanaian movies. There are two major cinemas left in Ghana, money is scarce and piracy is rife.

Frimpong-Manso creates films through her film production company, Sparrow Productions.

Another strong female director is Leila Djansi’s and a US-based Ghanaian filmmaker, Yaa Boaa Aning shot parts of the feature film on human trafficking Bleeding Sunshine there.

There is no Film Commission as the Ghana Film Industry Corporation (GFIC) was sold under the divestiture implementation programme. Many bemoan the politics that had undercut the Ghanaian film industry.

COUNTRY SPOTLIGHT / 35

www.thecallsheet.co.za

CLIMATE The climate is tropical and with fairly consistent day-time, average maximum temperatures ranging between 26° - 32°. Ghana’s rainy seasons are from April to June and September to November.

Average Min and Max Temperatures in Accra, Ghana 40°C 30°C 20°C 10°C 0°C

Jan

Feb

Mar Apr May Jun

Max temp

St Georges Castle © David Stanley

Jul

Aug Sep

Oct Nov Dec

Min temp © www.weather-and-climate.com

Average monthly precipitation with rain, snow, hail etc.

300mm 150mm 0mm

Jan

Feb

Mar Apr May Jun

Jul

Aug Sep

Oct Nov Dec

© www.weather-and-climate.com

GETTING THERE BY AIR Kotoka International Airport is the country’s premier international airport.

Elmina Castle in Ghana © Trevor Kittelty, Shutterstock

Airlines flying into Ghana include: • KLM • • British Airlines • • Qantas • • EgyptAir • • Emirates Airlines • • South African Airways • • Royal Air • • Maroc • • Turkish Airlines

Kenya Airways Delta Airlines Arik Air MEA Iberia TAP Portugal Ethiopian Airlines RwandAir

POPULATION 26,327,649 (World Fact Book) Beasts of No Nation © Netflix

FIXERS IN GHANA BlasTours Tel: +233 302 404460 E-mail: info@blastours.com Website: www.blastours.com/about-blastours-ghana Margie McMahon ( Freelance) Tel: +27 21 422 1321 Email: mcmahon@icon.co.za

CONTACTS Ghana Tourism Authority Tel: (233) 302 222153/244794 Website: www.ghana.travel Elmina Harbour, Ghana © Francisco Anzola

36 / EVENTS TO DIARISE

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JANUARY JANUARY 2016 PALM SPRINGS INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL 1 - 11 Palm Springs, USA LONDON SHORT FILM FESTIVAL 8 - 17 London, UK FLICKERFEST INTERNATIONAL SHORT FILM FESTIVAL 8 - 17 Sydney, Australia NEW YORK JEWISH FILM FESTIVAL 13 - 26 New York, USA WILD AND SCENIC FILM FESTIVAL 14 - 18 California, USA 20th BERLIN & BEYOND FILM FESTIVAL 14 - 20 San Francisco, USA

WHITEHEAD INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL 15 - 18 California, USA THE IRVINE INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL 15 - 21 California, USA FIPA-INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL OF AUDIOVISUAL PROGRAMS 19 - 24 Biarritz, France

CINEMA ON THE BAYOU FILM FESTIVAL 20 - 27 Louisiana, USA SUNDANCE FILM FESTIVAL 21 - 31 Utah, USA

NY WILD FILM FESTIVAL 28 - 30 New York, USA THE ST. AUGUSTINE FILM FESTIVAL 29 - 31 St. Augustine, USA REFRAME PETERBOROUGH INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL 29 - 31 Peterborough, Canada 18th ANNUAL SPOKANE INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL 29 - 6 February Spokane, USA

14th PUNE INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL 14 - 21 Pune, India

SLAMDANCE FILM FESTIVAL 22 - 28 Utah, USA

DHAKA INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL 14 - 22 Dhaka, Bangladesh

SAN DIEGO BLACK FILM FESTIVAL 27 - 3 1 San Diego, USA

GOTEBORG FILM FESTIVAL 29 - 8 February Göteborg, Sweden

BIG EASY INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL 15 - 17 New Orleans, USA

INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL ROTTERDAM 27 - 7 Feb Rotterdam, Netherlands

20th BERLIN & BEYOND FILM FESTIVAL 31 Stockton, USA

EVENTS TO DIARISE / 37

www.thecallsheet.co.za

FEBRUARY SANTA BARBARA INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL 3 - 13 Santa Barbara, USA

CLERMONT-FERRAND INTERNATIONAL SHORT FILM FESTIVAL 5 - 13 Clermont-Ferrand, France ANIMA – BRUSSELS CARTOON AND ANIMATION FILM FESTIVAL 5 - 14 Brussels, Belgium 10th ANNUAL BEAUFORT INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL 10 - 14 Beaufort, USA BERLINALE INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL 11 - 21 Berlin, Germany PORTLAND INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL 11 - 27 Portland, USA

3rd CHENNAI INTERNATIONAL SHORT FILM FESTIVAL 2016 15 - 21 Chennai, India ANIMAC – INTERNATIONAL ANIMATION FILM FESTIVAL 18 - 21 Lleida, Spain DUBLIN INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL 18 - 28 Dublin, Ireland BELOIT INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL 19 - 28 Beloit, USA 22nd ANNUAL SEDONA INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL 20 - 28 Arizona, USA

NEW YORK INTERNATIONAL CHILDREN’S FILM FESTIVAL 26 - 20 March New York, USA

Angelina Jolie in Disney’s Maleficent , Photo By Film Frame © Disney 2014

PAN AFRICAN FILM FESTIVAL 4 - 15 Los Angeles, USA

38 / ASSOCIATIONS

SOS SUPPORT PUBLIC BROADCASTING The SOS welcomed a Western Cape High Court judgement setting aside Hlaudi Motsoeneng’s permanent appointment as SABC COO, as irrational and unlawful.

The Public Protector had released a report in 2014 entitled “When governance and ethics fail” and made some recommendations for the SABC and Motsoeneng. The Board, with full knowledge of Minister of Communications, ignored its recommendations. A paid-for report was even commissioned in an attempt to clear Motsoeneng of wrong-doing and permanently appoint him.

The Minister and the Board have both expressed their intention to appeal this latest judgement. SOS implores these

www.thecallsheet.co.za

parties to make an honourable decision and follow the Public Protector’s recommendation and in so doing, also save taxpayer money and avoid further disgrace and scandal.

The SOS Collation has also launched its own case regarding the procedures followed that resulted in the unlawful appointment of Mr Motsoeneng, wherein it considers the legality of the Minister’s involvement in all such appointments. It is of the view that its case has been bolstered by the findings of the Western Cape High Court judgements.

The SOS Coalition represents a broad spectrum of civil society stakeholders committed to the broadcasting of quality, diverse, citizenorientated public-interest programming aligned to the goals of the SA Constitution.

THE INDEPENDENT COMMUNICATIONS AUTHORITY OF SOUTH AFRICA (ICASA): ICASA has approved the application for the transfer of an Individual Electronic Communications Network Service (“I-ECNS”) licence from On Digital Media (ODM) to StarTimes Media (South Africa) Proprietary Limited.

It was approved as: • The application met the applicable regulatory requirements.

• It had been published for public comment, subsequent to which a public hearing was held on 6 August 2015.

• Further analysis of all relevant information was completed.

It believes that the decision is in the public interest and will promote competition, investment and consumer choice in the broadcasting sector.

ASSOCIATIONS / 39

www.thecallsheet.co.za

An announcement at the AMASA awards introduced South Africa’s official benchmark in Content Marketing: The Branded Content Marketing Institute of South Africa (BCMA). It is an affiliated branch of the global BCMA, headquartered in London.

The history of the association began years ago when the advertising agency One Lady and a Tribe worked with Pfizer on the Centrum Guardians Project. As this campaign evolved from a print ad and 3Talk campaign into a thirteen-week television series it was apparent that they were no longer working on a conventional advertising framework.

They had inadvertently created branded content.

In order to learn more about it they searched for

an institute or association.

They then discovered BCMA; however, without a South African presence, it made the next step obvious.

Transmedia or branded content is a narrative expressed across a variety of touchpoints in different ways. “The BCMA has created a proprietary measurement tool with Ipsos determining what makes branded content effective and how it delivers on ROI.” They look forward to holding regular forums and workshops for BCMA SA members and share best practice as technology evolves and the need to be able to measure its effectiveness. “

FILM INDUSTRY FUND In September, the Film Industry Fund in partnership with the City of Cape Town Parks department donated two jungle gyms from their communal fund amounting to R34 235.38 each. The first was for the newly established park in Narwahl Street in Rugby, whilst the second was installed in Roger Street in Zonnebloem.

They have now donated three permanent structures since their first donation made in 2014.

The Western Cape © Soft Focus Photography

BRANDED CONTENT IN SOUTH AFRICA GETS ITS OWN BRAND

40 / DIRECTORY OF ADVERTISERS

www.thecallsheet.co.za

DIRECTORY OF ADVERTISERS COMPANY

TELEPHONE

EMAIL

WEBSITE

PAGE

Aquila Private Game Reserve

+27 21 430 7260

res@aquilasafari.com

www.aquilasafari.com

09

Atlantic Studios

+27 83 634 4460

marius@atlanticstudios.co.za

website to be launched

17

Cape Town International Animation Festival

+27 11 285 6000

director@ctiaf.com

www.ctiaf.com

33

Direction Films

+27 83 235 6720

anco@directionfilms.tv

www.directionfilms.tv

23

KZN Film Commission

+27 31 325 0200

info@kwazulunatalfilm.co.za

www.kwazulunatalfilm.co.za

Inside Front Cover

Lemonreel Film Services

+264 81 122 7717

info@lemonreel.com

www.lemonreel.com

21

Location Masters

+27 11 575 0180

info@locationmasters.co.za

www.locationmasters.co.za

25

MIPCOM

+33 1 79 71 96 17

mathieu.pesin@reedmidem.com

www.mipcom.com

Inside Back Cover

Open Sky Film Studios

+27 83 959 9967

jdm@opensky.sa.com

www.opensky.sa.com

27

Shoot my House

+27 21 855 1210

production@shootmyhouse.tv

www.shootmyhouse.tv

26

Sony Professional Solutions MEA

+971 4 390 9626

anu.thomas@eu.sony.com

www.sony-psmea.com

03

South Coast Tourism

+27 39 682 7944

marketing@tourismsouthcoast.co.za

www.tourismsouthcoast.co.za

29

Studio 26

+27 83 368 6216

mail@studio26.co.za

www.studio26.co.za

Outside Front Cover, 07

Thekgo Chartered Accountants

+27 84 806 7539

kagishob@thekgo.co.za

Urban Brew Studios

+27 11 285 6000

romy@urbanbrew.co.za

www.urbanbrew.co.za

Outside Back Cover

Visual Impact

+27 21 468 6000

marius@visuals.tv

www.visuals.tv

05

Wizardz

+27 21 461 9334

copy@wizardz.co.za

www.wizardz.co.za

39

11

CONTACT US Cover Image: Courtesy of Studio 26 www.studio26.co.za

Writer: Kim Muller kim@filmeventmedia.co.za

Account Executive: Theo Jacobs theo@filmeventmedia.co.za

Publisher: Lance Gibbons lance@filmeventmedia.co.za

Assistant Designer: Lauren Smith lauren@filmeventmedia.co.za

Production and Traffic Manager: Nazeera Hartley Roach nazeera@filmeventmedia.co.za

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

Editorial Assistant: Imogen Campbell info@filmeventmedia.co.za

Production and Traffic Co-ordinator: Basheera Hartley bash@filmeventmedia.co.za

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

Account Executive: Jennifer Dianez jennifer@filmeventmedia.co.za

57 2nd Avenue, Harfield Village, Claremont, 7708, Cape Town, South Africa Tel: +27 21 674 0646

JOIN US www.thecallsheet.co.za www.fi lmeventmedia.co.za 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.

4-7 April 2016 // Cannes // France

Just like Ben Silverman, thousands of talented people bring content to life.

Come and mip them.

Ben Silverman, Founder & CEO , Electus

Join them miptv.com

4 days 11,000 participants 20,650 m2 1,632 exhibiting companies 100 countries 3,915 buyers (including 1,050 VOD buyers)

* MarchĂŠ International des Programmes : Your content, your community.

Any screen. The global TV and digital marketplace in April.