The Callsheet Issue 2

ISSUE 02 | 2015

+ SOUND STUDIOS IN SOUTH AFRICA + PROMOTING OUR CONTENT ABROAD + AFRICAN ANIMATION UNCOVERED + 50 SHADES OF CINEMATIC CHEMISTRY

CONTENTS | 01

www.filmmakerafrica.co.za

02. Deon du Preez and Robert Bentley Nominated for LMGA Award

04. Africa’s Pay TV Revenues to Rocket by 2020

05. SA Relaxes Immigration Requirements for Ad Sector

06. A Chat with Chelsea Macleod 08. In Production 10. The Rockwell Lures the Film Industry

12. Storage Solutions for the Digital Age

SOUND STUDIOS IN SOUTH AFRICA

PROMOTING AFRICAN CONTENT

An in-depth audit of the sound industry.

Who promotes local content abroad? Kim Muller chats to the experts.

14. Pushing the Boundaries of Sound in South Africa

20. Promoting South African Content Abroad

23. Indies and Shorts 24. African Animation: Repositioning Itself on the World Stage

24. Opportunities 32. White Hot Chemistry in the Movies

34. A Small Change in Thinking – Part Four

ANIMATION UNCOVERED

SIZZLING ON-SCREEN CHEMISTRY

Flip to page 24 for a follow up to 2014’s popular article.

Turn 50 shades of red as we get down and dirty for the month of love.

36. Vanilla Islands: An Oasis of Scenically Magical Locations

38. Events 40. Directory

02 | SPOTLIGHT

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DEON DU PREEZ AND ROBERT BENTLEY nominated for LMGA award. © Showtime

The Callsheet: Congratulations on your LMGA nomination for Outstanding Locations in a Contemporary Television Series for Homeland!

Did this come as a surprise at all?

Robert Bentley: Thank you, it came as a huge surprise as we did not submit for the award. It was submitted by one of the members of the Locations Guild of America. When we found out about it in December I did not take it too seriously as a lot of shows are submitted.

But now we are down to the last five. Very exciting because we were chosen by other Location Professionals I quote: “This award is given to television programs that celebrate the significance of contemporary locations as a critical element of character development and storyline.This nomination, voted on by your peers, is a testament to your reputation of excellence and your inspired work on the television program Homeland.” It is great as South Africans to be recognised for what we do.

Deon Du Preez: The nomination did come as a bit of a surprise as we have done many great projects in Cape Town and SA in recent years with not much notice taken or recognition for the beautiful and very versatile locations we have on offer. Locally we know that we are in a position to present Cape Town and many other areas in SA as locations doubling for elsewhere

in the world – it’s just great to know that the word is now ‘out there’, hopefully resulting in convincing more big productions and studios to come out this way.

The Callsheet: You’re facing some stiff competition from the likes of True Detective and Ray Donovan, but the Callsheet thinks you’re a sure winner. What do you think?

Robert: I think that Deon and I were very fortunate to work with a great team of locations professionals in our Department so really it is a team effort.

Deon: Without sounding over confident, I think we may have a chance - the end result on screen looked great. (Especially with fantastic work from the Art Department who assisted in ‘selling’ these locations as Pakistani etc).

The Callsheet: Cape Town doubled for Pakistan and Washington in the fourth season of Homeland, and was utterly convincing in every scene. What were the biggest challenges you faced?

Robert: We also played Cape Town as Afghanistan, Waziristan, Virginia and New York.

We had a number of large street scenes where entire neighbourhoods were dressed.

This took a lot of “Buy In” from the residents as

not only do they live here but many also have their businesses in the same building. This took a lot of preparation and time talking to the people and coming up with ways to assist them.

Fortunately we had a great team to assist us.

One of the challenges was to show the difference between the modern city of Islamabad and the older city of Rawalpindi which was constantly in our mind when presenting locations.

We used the Artscape Theatre complex as the Embassy exterior. As they are constantly busy we had some challenges working our schedules out, but again with planning they managed to assist us with all of our requests.

We also had all the usual challenges from closing an airfield, to re routing public transport services to having a major soccer match held at a different venue to allow our filming.

Deon: We had great support from the Cape Town Film Office and Roads & Traffic Authorities who assisted us tremendously. One of our biggest challenges probably was the short turn-around time between when we received scripts with location requirements to when we actually had to film at signed and secured locations - this taking place at the same time whilst filming another episode with its own challenges. (This usually put the pressure on trying to secure the permits and permissions in time for the scheduled shoot dates).

The Callsheet: What’s next for you? Can you tell us about any upcoming projects?

Robert: Nothing confirmed yet! But there is a lot in the pipeline so hopefully we get to do this again…..Soon!

Deon: I have recently started prep with Film Afrika of the 2nd Season of Dominion - a TV series for NBC Universal Cable Productions. It’s an American apocalyptic supernatural action TV series for the SYFY Channel in which Cape Town and surrounds doubles for a ‘post apocalyptic war Las Vegas’.

04 | NEWS

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Sub-Saharan Africa’s

Pay TV Revenues to Rocket by 2020 © elementa1 (freeimages.com)

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ccording to the fourth edition of the Digital TV Sub-Saharan Africa Report, pay TV revenues on the continent are forecasted to reach $6.22 billion (ZAR 71 trillion) by 2020. The report, which was conducted by Digital TV Research, says that excluding South Africa, pay TV revenues climbed from $0.83 billion in 2010 to $1.73 billion (ZAR 19.77 trillion) in 2014 and is expected to reach $4.12 billion (ZAR 47 trillion) in five years.

A recent article on IDG Connect regarding technology and Kenya’s film industry illustrates these facts – and we are already seeing a rise in demand for local and regional content. This is partly due to the Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT) switchover, which is scheduled to take place across the continent in 2015. “Long-awaited digital broadcasting will dictate new ways to consume content,” writes Vincent Matinde, “Already, headway is being made on Video on Demand (VoD) services in Africa and especially Kenya…Nigeria’s blockbuster service, iROKO TV, has launched in East Africa, basing its operations out of Kigali, Rwanda, to take advantage of the internet developments in the region. Aflix, an American-based company, has also launched

its services in Kenya, Ghana and Nigeria.”

Joan Kabugu, a Kenyan film producer, says that VoD platforms such as BuniTV could be the future of distribution. “Broadcasters such as M-Net and Zuku are also in the distribution chain,” she says, “they are keen on buying content and commissioning films to be produced yearly. This is definitely a plus for the filmmaking business.”

Digital TV Research’s report says that South Africa and Nigeria will contribute more than half the region’s pay TV revenues by 2020 for the 34 countries covered. Although satellite TV accounted for over 92% of the 2014 pay TV revenues, DTT will make inroads, contributing over $802 million (ZAR 9.16 trillion) in 2020 and effectively quadrupling the 2014 total.

“Three companies – Multichoice (DStv and GOtv), Canal Plus and StarTimes – accounted for more than 90% of pay TV subscribers in Sub-Saharan Africa by end2014,” says Simon Murray, Principal Analyst at Digital TV Research, “However, we have outlined plans for at least 30 major platform launches in 2015 throughout this report – at least twice as many as in 2014.”

Of the 12.92 million pay TV subscribers at the end of 2014, 9.65 million were pay

satellite TV and 2.81 million pay DTT. These numbers are expected to more than double by 2020. “Kenya has shown – and will continue to show – considerable digital TV growth, but it may be showing signs of overheating,” says Murray, “Kenya now boasts two pay DTT platforms, a cable network and four satellite TV operators – too many for a country with only 2.87 million TV households?”

Pay TV isn’t the only content that is set to see tremendous growth in the next few years, however. Mobile phone operators are poised to become Africa’s next television content networks, according to Ghanaian businessman George Twumasi, founder of African Broadcast Network Holdings. He says that of Africa’s 1.1 billion people, 900 million will have access to a mobile phone by the end of 2015. “Given easy access to mobile television broadcasting, cheap broadband services will likely encourage the majority of these young Africans to skip traditional television and directly consume television entertainment content via personal mobile devices. The demand for affordable mobile television devices…is set to soar as quality African-produced content becomes increasingly accessible for millions of new, insatiable consumers.”

NEWS | 05

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SA Relaxes

Immigration Requirements for Advertising Production Sector by the Commercial Producers Association of South Africa

T

he Commercial Producers Association of South Africa (CPA) has announced that, after a lengthy process of negotiation with the Department of Home Affairs, an agreement has been reached which will see the immigration requirements substantially relaxed for teams coming to South Africa to produce television commercials.

The announcement was made following confirmation by the Department of Home Affairs that it has issued a revised directive to its 124 missions abroad which is designed to assist the advertising production sector. The news has been welcomed by the CPA and its partners: the South African Stills Producers Association (SAASP) and the National Association of Model Agencies (NAMA) who together lobbied Home Affairs to make the process more streamlined and user friendly.

The CPA is now able to confirm that all personnel attending a shoot in an OVERSIGHT capacity (clients, agency and production personnel) from countries such as the UK, US & Germany (which are visa exempt) can now enter the country without having to pre-apply. This group can now submit their application upon entry into South Africa and the requirements have been substantially simplified.

The process for SPECIALISTS actively working on set – Directors DPs, ADs, technicians, actors and models - will still be to apply for authorization in person from their nearest South African Embassy however the requirements and procedures have been standardized and made simpler and will receive priority status with a maximum turnaround of 5 working days for processing.

A new prerequisite, which will facilitate the elimination of most of the arduous documentation that was previously required, is a letter of recommendation from the three associations which will be arranged on the client’s behalf by the South African service company.

Says Bobby Amm, Executive Officer at the CPA, “A significant element of the agreement is the recognition of the role played by Industry Associations by the Department of Home Affairs which has essentially enabled the CPA, along with partners SAASP and NAMA, to become involved in the process by endorsing applications made by reputable clients and service companies. This introduces an element of self-regulation which will enable the associations to have a stronger working relationship with Home Affairs and make recommendations to them.

The new agreement comes after months of lobbying by the industry associations which were deeply concerned about how clients would react to the changes. In making a case to Government, the three associations went so far as launching a successful crowdfunding initiative, procuring letters of concern from international clients to demonstrate the potential negative effects of this legislation to Government and engaging the services of South Africa’s top immigration attorney who legally petitioned the Department of Home Affairs to reassess the situation.

All things considered the CPA and its partners are very satisfied with the outcome and believe that it will restore South Africa’s status as a film friendly and easily accessible production destination. Says Amm, “we look forward to welcoming back clients who have expressed reservations about coming to South Africa to make their commercials. We think this development is a huge step in the right direction and aim to continue working closely with the Department of Home Affairs to ensure that the situation continues to improve”.

Important Note: Both oversight and specialist personnel who are citizens of non-visa exempt countries i.e. India, China, Russia etc must make applications to the South African Embassy.

The same documentation (as listed above for those who are visa exempt) must be submitted and the Embassy will issue the relevant visas for travel to South Africa.

Oversight personnel will be issued with the s11.1.a visitor’s visa and specialist personnel will be issued with s11.2 work authorization.

06 | PRO-SPECTIVE

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A CHAT WITH CHELSEA MACLEOD All Images © Chelsea Macleod

intense. Our head producer, Steve Lee Jones, is the hardest working person that I have ever met and he expects the same from the rest of the team. He is a businessman as well as a creative. He is an inspiration to me and I am lucky to be under his wing. The type of scripts that we at Bee Holder are looking for are smart, meaningful and thought provoking. I have read many great scripts lately and am always on the lookout for the next SA story.

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fresh, talented young woman on the Hollywood scene, Chelsea Leigh Macleod is quickly making her mark on the international scene. She began her career at a young age when a Boss Models scout signed her as a teen actress/model. Since then she’s lived in both Germany and the UK, where she studied film production at the University of Westminster, after which she moved to Los Angeles and graduated from the American Academy of Dramatic Arts. The 23 year old is now a Creative Executive at Bee Holder Productions, an award-winning company best known for You Don’t Know Jack – making her one of the youngest South African producers in Hollywood.

The Callsheet: In your experience, are there any major differences between the South African and international modelling and acting industries?

Chelsea Macleod: In South Africa I was already working with international clients.

However, living abroad and working internationally has been a very different experience. The types of projects that you work on and audition for are different. Living in California, I have been sent on auditions for Glee and the like, which is really exciting.

Mastering the General American and/ or British dialect is imperative because, internationally, not many people are looking for the South African dialect. I have also found it really important to observe and integrate into the cultures of the countries that I have been in. Every country has a different way of working and makes use of different terminology. Ultimately though, we are all the same. The industries vary somewhat, but my job as an actress and model stays the same.

The Callsheet: What’s it like working as Creative Executive at Bee Holder?

Macleod: Working at Bee Holder as the Creative Executive and Liaison for international co-productions has been

The Callsheet: Firstly, congrats on the Associate Producer title on Bee Holder’s upcoming film, White House Boys. What does your role entail in the production?

Macleod: White House Boys is one of my personal favourites on our slate and when Steve and Camila Castro, our EVP, attached me as an AP I was really pleased. I am a big fan of Keir Pearson (Hotel Rwanda).

It’s an extremely powerful story and is still in development at the moment, but I am involved in all aspects of the development of the project.

The Callsheet: What are your views on South Africa’s, and by extension Africa’s, film industry? Would you say there are fewer or more opportunities for you?

Macleod: Well it is clear that South Africa has significant talent, illustrated by the inspirational Charlize Theron, Neil Blomkamp, Gavin Hood, Darell Roodt and many others who are on the rise. South Africa offers diverse and unique locations. However, we need to improve our film incentives. This will encourage the increase of international film productions in South Africa. There are so many more opportunities in Hollywood and the USA, but having said that, I look at the Nigerian film industry – how interesting.

Nollywood?! The second-largest film industry in the world in terms of films produced each year. I would love to see more domestic South African projects being made.

08 | IN PRODUCTION

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IN PRODUCTION February 2015 Thanks to ever-present confidentiality clauses, no one is ever allowed to officially talk about what’s in production in Africa, but here are some of the projects to look forward to.

Alison Towerkop Creations’ Uga Carlini is writing and directing this adaptation of the remarkable life story of Alison Botha, who survived being raped, stabbed 37 times, and disemboweled, not to mention having her throat slashed 17 times. Christia Visser (Hollywood in My Huis) stars as the young Alison, with Amy Nelson producing.

Black Sails The pirates are back at Cape Town Film Studios filming season three of Black Sails, which premieres on Starz on 24 January 2015, according to Deadline.

The first season of the Treasure Island prequel set a viewership record of a Starz original series and won two Emmy Awards. Film Afrika is producing.

Detour Written and directed by Christopher Smith, indie thriller Detour will begin shooting in South Africa in the coming months. Tye Sheridan, currently the darling of the indie scene and a rising star in young Hollywood, will star as Harper, a student who plots the murder of a deceitful relative. Sheridan has previously worked alongside Matthew McConaughey and Nicholas Cage.

Dominion Season one of Syfy’s Dominion had mixed reviews, with a 70% rating on IMDB, a 47% metascore on Metacritic, and a brutal review in The Hollywood Reporter, where Tim Goodman called the angels versus humans drama “one of the dumbest, worst-acted, most poorly written series I’ve seen in ages.”

So the South African industry will be relieved to know that it still screened to over two million total viewers in June, according to Deadline, and has been renewed for a 13-episode second season, expected to start filming this month. Film Afrika is producing.

Last Broken Darkness Local actors Sean Cameron Michael (Black Sails) and Brandon Auret (Elysium) are attached to star in this post-apocalyptic action drama, directed

by Christopher Lee Dos Santos and produced by DS Films and The Karoo Film Company. Let’s hope it’s a dramatic improvement on Christopher’s first film, vampire thriller Eternity, which Munyaradzi Vomo memorably wrote made him feel like he was “trapped in a year-long eclipse.”

IN PRODUCTION | 09

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The Seige of Jadotville

Queen of Katwe

Wallander

Shadow & Act reports that Mira Nair is lined up to direct an adaptation of Tim Crothers book, Queen of Katwe, about a Ugandan chess prodigy. Lupita Nyong’o (12 Years A Slave) is set to star, with Disney producing. It’s expected to film in Uganda, where Nair set up the Maisha Film Lab.

Sir Kenneth Branagh is shooting an episode of his hit series Wallender on our shores, with Out of Africa. A largely South African cast will appear alongside Sir Branagh’s police inspector in the UK series. Wallender is based on Swedish novelist Henning Mankell’s Kurt Wallander novels.

Mat Joubert According to Out of Africa’s website, this adaptation of Deon Meyer’s crime novel Dead Before Dying went into production in December as a co-production with Germany company All-In Production.

Mohenjo Daro Variety says Ashutosh Gowariker (the Oscar-nominated crossover hit Lagaan) is directing Mohenjo Daro, an epic period adventure and love story set during the Indus Valley Civilization. Disney Studios India is producing, while Hrithik Roshan and Miss India Universe 2010 runner-

Fifty Shades of Grey ft. Dakota Johnson and Jamie Dornan © Universal Pictures (UIP SA)

up Pooja Hegde will co-star. Digital Spy says the film started shooting in January after a six-week delay caused by Roshan injuring his shoulder at gym.

According to Deadline, Fifty Shades of Grey and The Fall star Jamie Dornan will be in South Africa in 2015 to film The Siege of Jadotville, the feature film debut of commercials and music video director Richie Smyth.

Set in the Congo just after the murder of Patrice Lumumba, Dornan will play Commandant Pat Quinlan, an Irishman who led a UN battalion of 150 Irish troops that held out against a force of 3 000 local troops led by French and Belgian mercenaries working for the mining companies.

10 | SPOTLIGHT

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THE ROCKWELL Lures the Film Industry

by Katie Reynolds

Versatile and adaptable, this luxurious hotel caters to a filmmaker’s every need.

All images courtesy of The Rockwell Hotel

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had the unmistakable pleasure of experiencing first-hand the offerings of The Rockwell Hotel. Set in one of the trendiest areas in central Cape Town, the Rockwell combines comfort and accessibility with opulence and prestige. Step out onto the wrap-around balcony and you’ll find that most suites provide panoramic views of some of the city’s defining landmarks, such as the Cape Town Stadium and Signal Hill. The penthouse I was lucky enough to stay in was enormous, and can easily sleep up to eight people, while each room offers a sumptuous en-suite bathroom. Already an established conference and events venue, the hotel is diversifying its offering to cater to the local and international film industry. It’s convenient location, superb facilities and abundance of space is attracting location managers from across the globe. The natural light streaming in from the floor to ceiling windows is a filmmaker’s dream, and the magnificent indoor pool provides an air of exclusivity that is sought-after for film, TV and commercial shoots, as well as by the cast and crew once the cameras stop rolling.

Sonia Theron, Sales and Marketing Executive for The Rockwell, says “It is the optimal place to stay for any film and TV crew due its location and facilities. Situated in the hub of Cape Town where the V&A Waterfront

is within walking distance and town is but a kilometre away. This places the crew close to shops, clubs, bars, tourist attractions and some of the most filmed areas of Cape Town. There are also many film and TV studios as well as production houses all situated in the area.”

Apartments feature one or two bedrooms, while the ultra-exclusive penthouses have two or three bedrooms spread over two levels. Trust me when I say that these suites are not lacking in space. The large kitchen and pantry contains everything one might need for a self-catering stay. But if ordering in is more your style of dining, you can’t go wrong with the Steelworx Bar Lounge and the newly renovated Rockafellas Café in addition to the variety of dining spots just steps from the hotel. Other shooting locations within the venue include The Blank Canvas Events Venue, which is a beautifully designed and finished expansive space created for guests to design their own space through

look and feel - which lends itself perfectly to film shoots, and fashion shows, and is ready to be painted with artistic expression.

“All in all, The Rockwell offers flexibility which is favoured amongst an industry where nothing is set in stone and changes occur every second – from arranging early/late check-in, check-out periods, takeaway food packs, special meal requirements and times … the list is endless, as is our flexibility to meeting those requests” concludes Sonia.

MEDIA HOST | 11

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MEDIA HOST:

Adbank solution and new service: Adlytics

Nathan Williams

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dstream, licensed by Media Host which is run by well known local industry player Mike Smit, was founded over 11 years ago and pioneered the delivery of broadcast content via broadband.

A world leader, Adstream is digitally connected to over 30,000 global publishers and media owners in broadcast, print and digital, and now offers Adbank™ the most powerful digital asset management platform.

A single, integrated service storing all digital assets across the broadcast, print and digital media, making it ideal for storing both short and longform content, as well as offering a complete digital asset management solution.

Adbank™ is the favorite of over 5,000 customers including some of the largest brands and agencies worldwide. Offering 24/7 year round service to more than 100 countries around the globe, Adbank™ holds over 26 million digital assets under management and is enhanced by regular development on an on-going basis.

Media Host manage and distribute advertising to media owners (radio, TV and print) for over 300 local companies and have become the recognised hub for the industry.

With the growing number of electronic media outlets (airports, taxis online etc), Media Host takes care of the process, relieving media planners and traffic teams of a huge amount of stress.

The success of any digital asset management solution is dependent on the information associated with the asset (advertisement) and Media Host has a team to take care of this. Just send them the chase list, call sheet and any associated info, and

this will be captured by the team. Every bit of information relating to the campaign will then be available online in Adbank.

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A summary of Adbank’s unique functionality includes: •

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An online advertising management platform to collaborate, deliver, track, store and report All ads delivered are automatically stored in Adbank™ Production masters are stored in Adbank™ with automatically generated proxies to view or download on your computer or mobile device.

Gathers all your video information in one place - you can organise how you want it, then share it with anyone no matter where they are. Get the feedback and action you need to get on with your projects quickly and simply.

Helps people connect so you get the best ideas from your project team.

No more emailing compressed clips for approvals, or compiling showreels.

Tracks all activity - such as whether the file has been viewed or downloaded.

Choose who can access or download your files and easily set permissions for each individual user.

Easily creates showreels or presentations of your work.

Completed material is easily distributed to stations and publishers - you don’t need to refer back to the supplier Adbank™ provides sophisticated management of global asset rights across global, regional and local requirements,

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Simone Peters

including the ability to report to rights managers and to block downloads of assets with expired rights which include countries, media types, visual talent, VO artist and music.

Users can request to be notified a certain number of days before the usage rights are due to expire. When this limit is passed, Adbank™ can send an email to the user to warn them of pending expiry.

Adbank™ allows assets to be approved by people at different levels in your company or by partners. Approvals allow both sequential and parallel approval tiers. If an asset is not approved, a new version can be uploaded for subsequent approval.

This provides a full version history of assets. Other unique and sophisticated services are available to further enhance this offering.

Soon to be introduced Adlytics This unique new service allows every advertisement distributed by Adstream to be fingerprinted and detected on over 50 radio stations and four television broadcasters (with more anticipated). Adlytics is able to verify and reconcile paid-for scheduled advertising to the actual broadcast, effectively measuring media campaigns to establish whether advertisements are reaching the targeted audience.

For more information visit www.adstream.com / www.mediahost.co.za, or email hello@mediahost.co.za.

12 | SPOTLIGHT

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G-DRIVE Mini © G-Technology

STORAGE SOLUTIONS for the Digital Age

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hen it comes to the film industry and the advances in technology that the sector has made in the last decade, safe and trustworthy storage solutions are something that everyone needs to consider at one point or another.

“Since the migration from analogue to digital, the industry has become completely dependent on fast, reliable storage arrays to store content,” says Ryan Martyn, Sales and marketing Director at Syntech, a Cape Town-based IT hardware distributor that focuses on professional storage, computer components and CCTV solutions. And, with the world shifting towards Ultra HD, 4K and even 6K, demand for digital storage will naturally continue to increase. So what can we do about it? According to HP, to thrive, today’s media companies “must anticipate trends, monetise content and innovate across the entire entertainment experience.”

But what does that mean in layman’s terms? And where do we start looking for the best digital storage for our carefully filmed footage? Well, there are a number of options when considering storage.

“Digital media is expensive to reproduce and requires a lot of storage capacity, and editing this content also requires a high bandwidth speed. This means that storage

solutions required for this industry need to be bigger, faster and more reliable than consumer-grade hard drives,” Martyn explains. “Most production and postproduction environments opt for local storage arrays because it is cheaper and faster than cloud storage. Cloud storage solutions offer users working remotely the ability to access content.” He goes on to say that some of the technology that’s expected in 2015 includes 40G Ethernet, which is 40 times regular network speed, and 10TB hard drives.

For long-form work and feature films produced on the continent, it’s more cost effective to host your own local storage arrays, particularly with connectivity issues and power cuts, which have been prevalent across South Africa in recent months. “I recommend the film producer hosts the content locally on a central device like a Tiger Box and make the content available to remote users using the embedded application software. This creates a private cloud and bandwidth costs are only incurred if and when the users need remote sessions,” Martyn says. “The local storage is also far more cost effective, accessible and faster than any cloud based solution,” he adds.

Syntech offers an extensive range

of products that support the storage management of the entire lifecycle of digital media – from recording to archive.

These include camera cards like SSD, CF and SD from Crucial, Lexar and SanDisk, professional card readers, professional expansion products for DIT stations and fast, rugged, portable hard drives from the likes of G-Technology and WD. They also offer RAID systems for super-fast, reliable storage that supports editing, centralised storage solutions that help multiple users catalogue and sort information, share content and collaborate from a single source, and back up and archiving software solutions from the likes of Xendata, Tiger Technology, Tolis Bru, mTape and HP. At the end of the day, we cannot talk storage without mentioning workflows – something that’s directly affected by storage solutions. Mike Smit is Managing Director of Media Host, a company that uniquely combines media, data and technology to answer the needs of advertisers and brands through a number of flexible solutions.

He says that the main thing for them is not offering technology, but workflow solutions. “Our prime focus is on brands, the production industry and broadcasters.

So the whole concept of our business is keeping everything in one place. If you take

SPOTLIGHT | 13

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From left © WD (wdbrand.com), G-Technology and mLogic

“

Most production and postproduction environments opt for local storage arrays because it is cheaper and faster than cloud storage. Cloud storage solutions offer users working remotely the ability to access content.

“

a finished advertisement, there are a whole lot of elements associated with it. Usage rights, talent, locations, etc., are connected with the asset and are kept with the ad forever. In a typical ad agency, they all have logins and they need to file more than one

piece of paper. With Media Host, all the reference material is in one place, which makes it so convenient,” Smit explains.

This fascinating storage solution is, of course, dependent on connectivity, but, says Smit, “internet connections are improving all-round”. Already 35 countries around the world have international brands that advertise in sub-Saharan Africa; with Media Host itself spearheading this international interest in the continent through its core product, Adstream. For those who don’t know, Adstream is the world’s leading advertising workflow solution and distribution company that delivers over one million ads per year to over 93 countries, storing every asset they send and serving over 5,000 customers. One of Adstream’s extraordinary features is Adbank – a single integrated service which stores all assets across broadcast, print and digital media. Adbank is a complete, digital asset management platform, storing unlimited file sizes, making it ideal for both long and short-form content. Its range truly is mesmerising, with functions including library reels and presentations, rights management, approvals and versions, annotations and sharing and moving files.

Data Security and Insurance With last year’s Sony hack still fresh on everyone’s minds, storage security and data insurance are pertinent issues to consider. Companies like KEU Underwriting Managers offer a Film Producer’s Indemnity that encompasses a rage of possible production issues, including negative film, digital media and faulty processing. “The insured production company must follow standard protocol for the insurance to be effective,” says Denise Hattingh of KEU. “That is, they have to download and view the footage, and then download onto two separate hard drives before cover is implemented.”

Ensuring footage is secure from hackers is pretty simple. It requires regular hardware and software checks to ensure that your storage arrays are properly guarded, and if you use cloud services, double check beforehand that they offer excellent data encryption and firewalls.

14 | FEATURE

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Cape Town CBD Facilities © Sound & Motion

Pushing the Boundaries of

SOUND IN SOUTH AFRICA

by Kim Muller

I

magine you’re watching Titanic – just before Jack dies. Now imagine watching it without sound. No dialogue, no sound effects, no music score to move your emotions and set the scene. That’s right.

Sound can easily make or break a production, and it is often an unseen, underrated sector.

Sound is also a very technical and time consuming subject. Ask any musician and they’ll tell you. But, when executed correctly, reaches across borders and industries, bringing life to any atmosphere. Our heartstrings, it would seem, are directly connected with our ability to navigate the world around us through sights and sounds.

Although the African continent has generally suffered from bad sound for many years thanks to a lack of expertise and equipment, Jim Petrak, Founder of Sound Surfers, says that although there is still debate around the sound quality of South African film, the industry is growing and becoming healthier. “I think in the last few years we’ve certainly started pushing those boundaries,” he says, “and unfortunately

there are lots of films being made where the sound quality is extremely poor, but I do believe that there are more and more people, more and more producers and directors, that are becoming aware of it and are starting to allow the budgets to come through to allow the proper post-production process to take place. As long as we keep growing the producers and directors who are opening up more to understanding sound, I think we will eventually succeed in the international market.” A great example of this is Leading Lady, one of the films which Sound Surfers worked on. The production has been offered a US release thanks to its quality – from visuals to sound.

It goes without saying that various studios specialise in certain areas of sound. For instance, the Radio Broadcasting Facilities (RBF), part of the SABC Business Unit, focus mainly on music recordings by artists and recording companies, while Big Leap, a Cape Town based studio, works mainly with commercial and television clients. RBF Marketing Manager Peter Jacquire says that

the digital age and accessibility to technology has had a huge impact on the sound industry, mostly in the way of home studios – allowing anyone that has a computer with enough processing power and some good speakers to work in the sector. “Home studios have eaten into the rate of occupation of our studios with sequencing instead of using live instruments,” Jacquire explains, but, he says, that the SABC is still one step ahead. “The SABC has an advantage with original instruments like the Hammond Organ with its Leslie Speaker, and the Fender Rhodes on its original speaker that cannot be imitated. That is what draws clients – even the home studios owners.” He says that their Johannesburg studios have already gone digital, while their Cape Town branch is currently going through high level upgrades.

Running a sound studio in the advertising sector, on the other hand, can be rather competitive, according to Craig Ormond, Founder of Big Leap. “The whole sound studio business in Cape Town has a lot of competition. But healthy competition can be a good thing, although I don’t know if

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Cinema from Front © Sound Surfers

Dubbing Stage JHB © Sound & Motion

Cinema Mix © Sound Surfers

M1A Studio JHB © RBF (SABC)

“

“

Our local industry could be a lot healthier if we had exposure to more international work.

there’s enough work to go around to support the industry, and that could be for various reasons,” he says. Big Leap has managed to stay afloat, however, with a number of jobs like the Smirnoff Ice Double Black with Guarana campaign and scoring two seasons of a Kyknet drama called Vallei Van Sluiers. “Across the board in all industries, there’s a lot of cost cutting, so you’re finding a lot of adverts’ budgets are getting tighter and tighter, and I think that’s just a function of the economy in general. There’s also the fact that technology has probably brought the costs down to quite a large degree. So it’s a fairly tough environment to trade in.”

Richard Vosgatter, Owner of Phonographic, a sound studio that’s been in business for about four years, agrees with Ormond. “I think there are a lot of studios out there, so the competition is quite tough,” he says. “As a start-up I think, if you can, you should be open to doing everything. So I compose music, final mix for TV and film, and a huge portion of my income comes from corporate videos at the moment. There comes a time when it is

healthy to specialize, too, and I suppose you have to be aware of that.” He goes on to say that although people working with sound are generally tech junkies, it’s important to not extend oneself financially so as not to drown in debt. “Thriving in wealth takes time, patience and wisdom,” he says, “Sermon over.”

No one understands these words better than Milestone Studios, Cape Town’s premiere recording facility with over 25 years’ experience. “We’ve recorded artists like Queen, Annie Lennox, Grammy award-winner Angelique Kidjo, and rappers M.O.P, as well as hundreds of other local and overseas acts,” says Murray Anderson, Chief Engineer and one of Milestone’s founders. They also have a range of other post-production jobs under their belts including audio dialogue replacement (ADR), sound design, radio production, film scoring and much more. He says that although the local sound industry is healthy, a lot of audio post-production for overseas shoots is taken home once the shooting is complete. “We have good facilities and engineers here, so there’s no reason that

we can’t do an excellent job,” he says.

Both Dave Harris, Owner of Freq’ncy Audio, one of the top five studios in SA according to the Loerie Awards, and Sound and Motion’s Simon Ratcliffe agree, saying that although the talent is there, there isn’t much recognition for sound outside of the country. “Our local industry could be a lot healthier if we had exposure to more international work, especially with regards to film work. It is frustrating that the world is happy to use our locations but not our post production talent,” Harris says. He cites shrinking budgets, an oversaturated market and the cost of gear as some of the challenges sound studios face, as well as the new BEE legislation requiring a minimum of 50% black ownership – which can adversely affect SMMEs, a category that most studios in SA fall into.

Sound and Motion, however, have gone on to completely by-pass some of these issues within the local industry and are focusing on reaching the continent as a whole. They are home to the South African Film Orchestra and world-renowned Foley artist Michael J Broomberg, and currently have two studios in Cape Town, and one in Johannesburg, Dar es Salaam and Lagos – the latter of which is very involved in Nigerian reality TV, a huge market in West Africa at the moment. “We’ve been doing their version of Survivor, their version of Pop Idols, Strictly Come Dancing, etc. We now have full time staff there and although we have a studio in Lagos itself, when we go in for a production, we’ve got a container with moveable sound panels that we drop off at the location and install our studio in the container for the month. We’ve been doing it for about 7 or 8 years now,” he says. The Dar studio focuses more on music production in the region, while the Joburg and Cape Town studios are currently being upgraded to accommodate Dolby Atmos and 7.1 accredited rooms respectively – ideal for world class post-production.

Ratcliffe says that he sees a very bright future for the African sound industry as the continent aspires to higher standards in film and television production. “I think in a way, that sense of diaspora, of people leaving and settling elsewhere, is actually a big driving force in content development – not to say that it’s reliant on that, but I do think that being an aspirational continent on the whole we have great stories, especially when you dig into things. People are watching

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© Popsicle Studios

Cape Town is bursting at the seams with entirely capable and cutting-edge sound studios, but that hasn’t stopped Ryk Otto from realising his dream of opening a music production studio late last year. But Popsicle Studios is no ordinary recording space. Not only is it backed by a young, vibrant team from Cape Town’s incredibly talented music scene, but their Executive Partner, Anton van der Merwe, is a sound recordist that’s worked on CBS’s award-winning series 60 Minutes for over 30 years, on a 90 minute doccie that was screened at Tribeca in 2013, and award-winning series Years of Living Dangerously. That that’s not the only thing setting them apart – Popsicle is one of the few sound studios in South Africa that uses content creation to provide tailored multimedia solutions, while its online

magazine, the soon-to-be-launched Popsicle TV will promote the local music scene.

“Everyone’s come back and said the fact that you offer content creation from a visual and audio perspective under one umbrella is great,” says Otto, Popsicle’s MD. “They all say that it’s a huge selling point, a big game changer and it means they pay less, it means the process is a lot quicker. It’s not something we anticipated very highly, but people’s ears prick up quickly when we say we create content.”

Otto initially developed the idea for Popsicle with Raiven Hansmann (Popsicle’s Senior Producer and Engineer of Goodluck fame) while completing his studies at AAA. He says the process was very organic, and things generally just fell into place as they needed them to. And Popsicle TV? “This is kind of the hook of the business and not just another recording studio,” Otto says. Their Head of Film, Imraan Christian, is a UCT Film Production major who helped found The naas Collaborative. He’s worked internationally and has a keen eye for aesthetic beauty and detail. So of course, it goes without saying that the content Popsicle has already produced is stunning – in both visual and audio quality.

They ultimately believe that “your band is your brand” and seek to build that brand through live recordings and studio shows. Although they’re officially open for business, Popsicle TV has yet to be introduced to the public. A gargantuan launch party is planned for 27 February at Dragon Room, complete with some major local artists including Spoek Mathambo’s Fantasma group. Watch this space.

a company that specialises in music licensing, libraries and compositions for the likes of Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom. The company has over 60,000 tracks to choose from including a popular African content library. “A wide variety of high quality yet cost effective music is needed by the industry that often don’t have the budget or time to compose music for all their shows,” he says.

Other companies known in South Africa for providing unique, authentic music libraries and licensing services include Lalela and Universal Music SA. McGahey says that clearing copyrights can be a producer’s biggest headache.

There are extremely complex clearances that come with certain music selections, so the best way to deal with this is to have an idea of the music you want for your production and get professional help from the outset. “We offer a comprehensive music supervision service that includes free music searches, copyright investigations and negotiations with record labels and publishers for commercial track licenses,” Mc Gahey says, “We often help with music budgeting and can suggest and supply the perfect mix of original composition, library music tracks and licensed popular music.”

Popsicle Studios: New kids on the block

Game of Thrones, they’re watching House of Cards, shows with incredibly high value in post-production. The internet speeds that we’re starting to see slowly develop in Africa – all the on-demand stuff – I think it’s really positive and TV is going through an amazing golden age at the moment, to the point where there’s a very distinct article that came from Belgium recently about how audio fidelity on TV is starting to exceed audio fidelity in cinema.” He goes on to say that audio for television is becoming more dynamic and because of this, Dolby’s new Atmos standard is not about making productions louder, but rather about reaching people on a variety of platforms.

“What it means is that that quality now has to become universal, so the whole [world’s] standard gets raised, which is very exciting.

It’s an extremely exciting time to be doing this kind of thing.”

Navigating the Murky Waters of Music Licensing Before using any music for a film or television production, the tracks need to be licensed – and this can often be quite confusing for filmmakers. Another challenge is the sheer amount of choices one has – from scoring or composing your own soundtrack to browsing music libraries for the perfect sound to match your visuals. “Music libraries have become increasingly important because of the sheer number of productions being worked on, often to tight deadlines,” explains Craig McGahey of Mama Dance!,

Popsicle Studios: A Case Study on Combining Music and Content Creation

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Major Sound Studios Operating in South Africa Studio

Location

Specialties

Website

African Dope Publishing

Western Cape

Large, Cape music catalogue and music licensing expertise

www.africandope.co.za

Arcadia Sound

KwaZulu-Natal

Film and TV audio post production, sound design, editing, music production and field recording

www.arcadiasound.com

Big Leap

Cape Town, Western Cape

Music production and post, original soundtracks for radio and tv, commercials, multimedia, film and video

www.bigleap.co.za

Cape Audio College

Cape Town, Western Cape

53 studios and digital audio workstations, recording, producing, engineering, mixing, mastering and programming for music, film, TV and commercials

www.capeaudiocollege.co.za

Cape Town Sound

Cape Town, Western Cape

Music production, engineering, composition

www.capetownsound.com

Create Sonic Life

Durban, KZN

Sound solutions for games, animations and pictures. Specialising in sound design, compositions, editing and mixes.

www.ryanhall.co.za

Cut & Paste Generation

Bryanston, Gauteng

Music composition, sound design, final mix studios, Dolby E encoding, Dolby Digital EX surround licensed studio

www.cutpastestudios.com

Dreamspace (Cape Town Recording Studios / Audio Post)

Cape Town, Western Cape

Award-winning studios with 7 Protools HD recording suites, Source-Connect certified, final mix, full audio production for advertising, film and music industries

www.dreamspacerecording. com

Fine Tune Studios

Bryanston, Gauteng

Final mix for TV/radio, audio stripes, voice recording, jingles, sound design, tracking and audio for presentations, games and multimedia

www.finetunestudios.com

Freq’ncy Audio and Music

Cape Town, Western Cape

Award-winning, high end post production, sound design, music composition

www.freqncy.co.za

HeyPapaLegend Sound Studios

Cape Town, Western Cape

Sound design, music composition, TVC final mix, radio and voice production

www.heypapalegend.com

Kwazi Mojo

South Africa

Dolby E 5.1 certified, full service audio post production, sound design, final mix

www.kwazimojo.com

Lalela

Cape Town, Western Cape

SA/USA music library, licensing, compositions

www.lalela.com

Mama Dance!

Cape Town, Western Cape

Music solutions, libraries, searches, licensing and clearances, composition and sound design

www.mamadance.com

Mastermax Productions Midrand and Western Cape

5.1 mixing studios, mastering facilities, location recording, love sound and lighting hire, soundproofing, overdubs

www.mastermax.co.za

Milestone Studios

Cape Town, Western Cape

Music recording studios, audio post production for Film & TV, ADR, ISDN, Source-Connect, language translation, analogue and digital equipment, Protools HD, Logic Pro, Ableton Live, film scoring

www.milestones.co.za

Mtommbo Audio Solutions

Randburg, Gauteng

6 Protools, 2 Nuendo final mix suites, composition, score to picture, TV, radio, jingles and sound design

www.mtommbo.com

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Studio

Location

Specialties

Website

Phonographic

Cape Town, Western Cape

Music production, sound design, voice over, final mix

www.phonographic.co.za

Popsicle Studios

Cape Town, Western Cape

Recording and production studio for live and electronic music, sound design, composition and multimedia content production

www.popsiclestudios.co.za

Postmasters

Johannesburg, Gauteng

Voice Recordings, audio mix, sound design, 5.1 surround mix, Dolby E Conversion

www.postmasters.co.za

Red Bull

Cape Town, Western Cape

Digital music technology, recording, production and multimedia content production

www.redbullstudios.com/ capetown

SABC Radio Broadcast Facilities (RBF)

South Africa

Largest broadcast and production house in Africa, music studios, outside broadcast, media libraries, sound restoration, radio archives, record library

www.rbf.sabc.co.za

Sonovision Studios

Rivonia, Gauteng

5 HD audio suites, ISDN and source connect links, composition, translations and SFX libraries

www.sonovision.co.za

Sound & Motion Studios

Cape Town, Johannesburg, Dar es Salaam and Lagos

Award-winning music, TV and film sound production studios offering services to Africa, Dolby Atmos and 5.1 rooms and awardwinning Foley artist

www.soundandmotion.co.za

Sound Surfers

Bryanston, Gauteng

Award-winning studios with full design of big screen audio for film and TV; stereo and 5.1 mixing, Protools editing, Foley and ADR stage

www.soundsurfers.net

Stratosphere Sound

Western Cape

Over 18 years’ experience in location sound mixing and recording; sales and rental of sound equipment

www.stratosphere.co.za

The Crayon Room

Paradise Beach, Eastern Cape

Digital production including photographic, editing and sound studios

www.stratosphere.co.za

The Work Room

Cape Town, Western Cape

Award-winning studios for audio post production including sound editing, ADR, Foley, mixing and Dolby encoding

www.theworkroom.co.za

Universal Music Group (South Africa)

Johannesburg, Gauteng

Global music leader in recorded music, music publishing and licensing

www.universalmusic.com

Waterfront Studios

Cape Town, Western Cape

Largest sound stages in Africa, edit and audio suites for film and TV

www.ninedesign.co.za/wfs/ wfs_site

Sound Sales and Equipment Rentals Company

Location

Offerings

Website

Above and Beyond Productions

Port Elizabeth, Eastern Cape

Sound, lighting and audio visual services

www.above.co.za

Audiosure First Technology

Midrand, Gauteng

Importer and distributor of professional audio and lighting equipment

www.audiosure.co.za

BA Sound Studio Work Shop

Durban, KZN

PAs, installed sound, recording and broadcasting audio equipment sales

www.basound.co.za

Kleens Music

Durban, KZN

Retailer of musical instruments, PA systems, pro audio, recording and production equipment

www.kleensmusic.co.za

Matrix Corporate & Theatre Sound

Randburg, Gauteng

Design, sales and rental of professional sound equipment

www.matrixsound.co.za

ProSound

Weltevreden Park and Durban

Design, sales and rental of professional sound equipment

www.prosound.co.za

Scotronics

Port Elizabeth, Eastern Cape

Importers and distributors of electronic and audio components

www.scotronics.co.za

Sennheiser Electronic SA

Auckland Park

Microphones and headphones

www.sennheiser.co.za

Stage Audio Works

Randburg, Gauteng

Lighting and sound products for sale and hire

www.stageaudioworks.co.za

Stage Gear SA

Cape Town, Western Cape

Supply of all musical instruments

www.musiciansmedia.co.za

The Sound Corporation

Randburg, Gauteng

Audio, lighting, AV and staging equipment

www.sound.co.za

Tuerk Music Technologies

Randburg, Gauteng

Largest selection of studio equipment in SA

www.tuerkmusic.co.za

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MILESTONE STUDIOS: World Class Sound to Suit Any Production

L

ocated off Long Street in Cape Town’s CBD, the entrance to Milestone Studios gives no clue to the fact that Cape Town’s premier recording studio lies behind the glass exterior. Inside, five state-of the-art recording studios are set up for any audio-related job, from large scale music recording in Studio 1 to Post-production for film, radio and TV commercials in Studios 2, 3, 4 and 5. All studios are equipped with ProTools HD, and manned by a team of highly experienced engineers.

Milestone’s investment in technologies like Source-Connect and ISDN means that studios anywhere in the world are accessible from Cape

Town. Artists ranging from Morgan Freeman and Jeff Bridges to Hugh Dancy and Mos Def have recorded to remote destinations from Milestone recently.

Milestone’s award-winning in-house composers have scored films like John Boorman’s Country of my Skull, which starred Samuel L. Jackson and Juliette Binoche, documentaries for the BBC, Animal Planet and the CBC (winning a Gemini Award for Best Music in Canada), theme music for many TV series, and jingles for countless television and radio advertisements.

Studio 1 features a large recording space with 7 metre high ceilings, four isolation

booths, an array of vintage microphones, and the only Raindirk Symphony console in Africa.

Artists who have recorded at Milestone include Queen, Annie Lennox, Johnny Clegg, Abdullah Ibrahim and many others.

The space has been used for orchestral recordings, as well as recent film shoots for artist Brett Murray, and British band The Kaiser Chiefs. For more information, visit www.milestones.co.za or contact Murray Anderson on 021 424 6000.

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Promoting

SOUTH AFRICAN CONTENT ABROAD ©District 9

Courtesy of Videovision Entertainment

Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom

W

hen we think of South Africa film industry, the nation has a number of productions that have made waves on the international circuit in recent years. Gavin Hood’s Tsotsi, which won the 2006 Foreign Language Film Oscar, and Neill Blomkamp’s District 9, which gleaned four Academy Award nominations and a huge global following come to mind, but there have been others that have done very well. According to Box Office Mojo, Khumba made over $20-million (R231million) worldwide, while Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom topped that at over $27-million (R312-million) worldwide – not to mention Triggerfish’s first animation, Adventures in Zambezia, which made over $34-million (R392-million) in the international box office.

“These films were both following the rules of international marketing and release,” Monica Rorvik, Manager of Film and Production at Wesgro, says of Khumba and Long Walk To Freedom. “They were boosted by having stellar international casts that made them possible to market internationally.

Khumba also planned international stars for

its English version, and local Afrikaans stars to take advantage of that additional domestic market – the country’s first film in release simultaneously in Afrikaans and English. This feat gained it much free publicity.”

She goes on to say that these are the exception to the rule, unfortunately. Without the right marketing and release strategy, no local film can expect to make it outside the country – unless it is Oscar-nominated like Tsotsi or a fluke like The Gods Must Be Crazy, which made around $30-million (R346million) at the box office at the time. “Film marketing is a tough business,” she laments.

Joy Sapieka, a renowned local publicist, says that no matter where a production is being promoted – whether domestically or abroad – the premise remains the same. “List the Unique Selling Points, research your target audience, then plan a publicity and marketing strategy that fits your budget with military precision,” she says. “The art is not just to tell the public that the film is screening on the various platforms, but to find a way to make them want to pay to see the film. There’s lots of competition out there and many other

leisure choices.”

Making it on the festival circuit is also not a guaranteed way to market a production internationally, although it does have its benefits. “Some local movies have been fortunate to be selected for screening at smaller international film festivals. A handful of films have been selected for and even competed at the prestige festivals like Cannes, Berlin, Toronto and Busan,” Sapieka says.

But when it comes to a sure-fire formula for international success, there is none.

That said, South Africa has done extremely well with promoting documentaries, both locally and abroad. “Local doccies sell out at local festivals and enjoy high ratings on television,” Sapieka says. According to South Africa’s foremost documentary producer Steven Markowitz “documentary is popular in South Africa, firstly because people want to see what’s going on behind the news, and secondly as we are a country in transition, so there is much to explore and debate and

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© Adventures in Zambezia

“

Adventures in Zambezia

The transfer of knowledge through a blend of local experts and international opinion leaders will raise the bar of South Africans’ capabilities, as well as attracting foreign projects into the region.

“

documentary is the perfect platform for this.”

Joy goes on to say that our doccies screen well at international festivals, with some directors winning significant awards, including Cliff Bestall, Francois Verster, Rehad Desai, Bryan Little and Khalo Matabane.

Lloyd Kirsten, Director of Film Summit: Africa, a new event that will focus on developing big budget business opportunities in the film industry, says that South Africans have traditionally travelled abroad in order to promote films, to seek knowledge, expertise and business relationships.

Through the programme, they will bring top level executives to the country. “Finally we will benefit from attracting a large group of decision-making top execs into our own backyard,” he says. “The transfer of knowledge through a blend of local experts and international opinion leaders will certainly raise the bar of South Africans’ capabilities, as well as attracting foreign projects into the region. Not only will this bring revenue generating opportunities, but will be the catalyst for better quality productions within our own borders.”

Kirsten goes on to say that because of new initiatives like Film Summit, he sees a “steep upward curve in the coming years of better quality, internationally appreciated work emerging from South Africa, and Africa in general.”

Some of the problems we face in South Africa with fictional productions are budget shortages and lack of confidence in our own storytelling – although the industry is well aware of this and is slowly addressing the issue. “Going to market to international

audiences could mean that the South African filmmakers need to budget for star-actors,” Rorvik explains. “These ‘A’ List star-actors have a track record in foreign territories and this can help predict how well a film will do in those regions. Thus star-actors help with pre-sales and distribution deals. Without star-actors plus an international marketing budget, films will most likely not break into the international market. Locally the staractor system is growing, especially in the Afrikaans market. Local stories that are told well, and if possible with humour, do the best domestically. Think about Schuster and his film franchises.”

“It would seem that most local screenwriters use Hollywood formulas instead of going for inspired local storytelling with a universal appeal,” Sapieka says. “Afrikaans comedy and musicals have done very well at the local box office in recent years. Now every producer thinks they could make their fortune

producing an all-singing, all-dancing, funny Afrikaans movie. This has resulted in a glut in the market.”

She says that the budget South Africans put towards marketing productions is also negligible – although with documentaries this isn’t usually a problem because they thrive on press coverage. “Generally in other successful film-producing countries, producers or distributors set aside a large proportion of their overall budget – sometimes up to a third – on film promotion. In South Africa, film marketing spend is minuscule and in most cases even an afterthought. There is no point in spending millions making films if there is no audience watching them,” she explains.

Then there’s the question of which territories are covered by the word ‘international’. Are we marketing our productions to the African continent enough? “South African films are enjoyed internationally for different reasons,” Sapieka says. “The films that seem to work in Europe are either specialist arthouse films like Skoonheid (Beauty) or feel-good films with characters that overcome the adversities of Apartheid… We are also starting to find audiences in the rest of Africa. South African films have won awards in Nigeria, Ethiopia and Burkina Faso. African distributors like Cote Ouest in Ivory Coast and iROKO TV are buying our films for distribution in their countries.”

“2014 was a disappointing year for local films,” she continues, “with hardly any films making an impact. Hopefully 2015 will be better. We can look forward to Neil Blomkamp’s Chappie, new films from auteur directors like Oliver Hermanus with Endless River and hopefully Oliver Schmitz and brave young talents like Jenna Bass.”

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DESIGN INDABA FILMFEST Hip hop and haute couture and Calvin & Hobbes. © Big Eyes

T

he annual Design Indaba FilmFest opens in Cape Town soon: a 10-day festival chockablock with South African premieres. Some of the films are premiering for the first time in Africa and one, soon-to-be-announced film, for the first time worldwide.

The highly curated selection of feature films and documentaries on creativity and design were picked for their varied takes on architecture, urban design, fashion, photography, street and performance art and motion graphics. And, this year, the daily cinematic boost of creativity returns to The Labia from 20 February to 1 March.

The Labia is the oldest independent art repertory cinema in South Africa, a historical cultural landmark and a heritage site. The theatre opened in 1949 and initially was used for staging live performances. Over the years it has built a reputation in Cape Town for its quirkiness and developed a passionate following among locals. Design Indaba contributed to The Labia’s recent fundraising drive to buy digital projectors for all four of its screens.

These 10 films are premiering at Design Indaba FilmFest 2015, each showing for one night only:

Big Eyes (opening night) tells the outrageous true story of one of the most epic art frauds in history. In the 1960s, painter Walter Keane achieved massive success by taking credit for his wife Margaret Keane’s paintings. Her work revolutionised the commercialisation of popular art with enigmatic paintings of waifs with big eyes.

Stripped: The Comics Documentary is the ultimate love-letter to comic strips. It brings together the world’s best cartoonists to talk about the art form they love and what happens to them in the era of the closing newspaper. The film features more than 90 interviews with the world’s best comics, including the creators of Calvin and Hobbes and Garfield.

Stories of Our Lives (Special Edition) is a Kenyan film created by the members of a Nairobi-based arts collective who have removed their names from the film for fear of reprisal. This anthology film dramatises truelife stories from Kenya’s oppressed LGBTQ community in what can only be described as both a labour of love and a bold act of militancy.

The Newsroom – Off The Record offers an intensely close portrait of the newsroom at a popular Danish tabloid during a turbulent period marked by controversy, scandal and dropping newsstand sales.

Regarding Susan Sontag is an intimate investigation into the life of one of the most influential and provocative thinkers of the 20th century. The documentary explores Sontag’s life through archived materials, accounts from friends, family and colleagues, and interviews she conducted.

Art and Craft is about Mark Landis, one of the most prolific art forgers in US history.

His impressive body of work spans 30 years, covering a wide range of painting styles and periods. After duping Matthew Leininger, a tenacious registrar who ultimately discovers the decades-long ruse and sets out to expose Landis’ escapades, Landis must confront his own legacy and a chorus of museum professionals clamouring for him to stop.

The Salt Of The Earth director Wim

Wenders creates a masterful documentary that looks at the work of photographer and humanitarian Sebastião Salgado over the last 40 years. The audience is taken on a great journey through Salgado’s career during international conflict and famine and in remote tribal communities.

Shake The Dust trails the influence of hip hop culture to the most unexpected corners of the globe – to Uganda, Yemen, Cambodia, Haiti and Somalia where hip hop and breakdancing thrives in Third World rural communities and urban ghettos. The film portrays the intimate stories of b-boys and b-girls, DJs and hip hop artists to paint a picture of a global community joined together by hip hop culture.

Tomorrow We Disappear follows the story of three of Kathputli’s performers as they come to terms with the loss of their homes.

Director Jim Goldblum’s debut feature brings to life the magic of the Indian folkart that faces extinction at the wheels of bulldozers driven by commercial development.

Dior And I centres around Raf Simons’ debut collection as creative director of Christian Dior Couture. The film shows the inner workings of the eight-week process to premiere a collection, with a behind-thescenes look at the skilled seamstresses who helped Simons realise his vision for his first Dior show.

FilmFest provides an opportunity to mingle with like-minded creative individuals, to network and discuss ideas in a convivial, relaxed environment. After some of the featured films there will be a chance to interact with film producers and industry icons too.

Tickets to Design Indaba FilmFest can be bought at designindaba.com/film

INDIES & SHORTS | 23

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INDIES AND SHORTS Leem Lubany and Adam Bakri in Omar

Omar – A love letter from Palestine There are so many wonderful things that could be said about Omar. Since its release in 2013, it was screened at the Toronto International Film Festival, it was shown in the Un Certain Regard section at Cannes Film Festival, where it won the Jury Prize, and it was also selected as the Palestinian entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 86th Academy Awards. Director Hany Abu-Assad reportedly put the idea together in one night and wrote the script in four days. But despite his rushed methodology, the film is a gripping love story in every sense of the word, from location to performance.

From the moment we meet Omar (Adam Bakri) as he climbs over the separation wall between the two warring states to meet his girlfriend Nadia (Leem Lubany), we get a very real sense of what it’s like being a Palestinian youth. The freedom fighter-cum-terrorist is extremely loyal – to the very end and to a fault, as he quietly battles through prison, trickery, loss and eventually betrayal by the people he loves most.

We also get some valuable insight into Middle Eastern culture, where girlfriends and boyfriends abound, but always in secret, and

Pumzi, working in the ‘virtual natural history museum’.

where there is a ‘right way’ of being together that will not shame the family. Incredibly moving – I was in tears by the time the credits rolled – and constantly questioning the way we view both the Israeli and Palestinian sides of the conflict and the innocent young lives caught within it.

Pumzi – Afrofuturism at its most creative Deep in the desert, 35 years after World War 3, the Water War, lives Pumzi. A lithe, young East African living in Maitu Community, a 100% self-sustaining, underground city with no pollution, she works in the ‘virtual natural history museum’, dreaming of the day when trees and water will once again bring life to the outside world. Her dreams are vivid, unhindered by the future’s ‘dream suppressants’ and are the beginning of her journey into the harsh outside world.

The story is written and directed by Wanuri Kahiu and moves quickly and with purpose. Not long after Pumzi has strange, watery dreams, she is sent a moist soil sample, untainted by radioactivity and ideal for planting. She does just this, and a baby tree blooms almost instantly. That’s where

by Kim Muller

Oh Wait; a moving short film made in just two days.

things get interesting. Without giving away the plotline, we get a unique look at the societal structure in Maitu, we see a young woman fight against an oppressive system; against the elements, for something she believes in.

Oh, Wait. – Dramatic and moving characterisation Before I jump into what-the-actual-bleepis-going-on, I must mention that this experimental film was made in just two days with minimal equipment, and for that, it truly is an amazing accomplishment. Written and directed by Khalid El Jelailati and produced by Khinc Studios, this seven-and-a-half minute piece is beautifully synchronised both in the music that it uses and the scenes which change to reveal the various moods of the director (who also plays the protagonist). Little sounds like water running down the drain and the sighs of deep disappointment are what keep one watching to the end, eager to know exactly what is upsetting this man so much as he prepares for his day. A Moonlight Sonata and a few close-ups and freeze-frames later, we still have no idea why he’s miserable, but his characterisation thereof is stunning, almost bringing me to tears as I watch.

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One of the most successful long-form productions that’s currently underway is Jungle Beat, Sunrise Production’s flagship brand.

AFRICAN ANIMATION: Repositioning Itself on the World Stage

by Kim Muller

L

ate last year, when asked to research the animation industry, I had no idea that I would be getting into some seriously interesting stuff. Not only was I blown away by the incredible studios that some of our leading animators and VFX artists are working in, but their work itself, some of it coming from students or juniors in the industry, is testament to the fact that animation in South Africa is going big – and it’s only a matter of time before they reap the rewards.

But as I dug below the surface, I found that there is much more to the industry than initially meets the eye. A number of moves

have been initiated to secure SA’s animated future. One of the most successful longform productions that’s currently underway is Jungle Beat. It is Sunrise Production’s flagship brand and, although it has had immense success as a TV show broadcast in 180 countries worldwide, Executive Producer Phil Cunningham says that their goal is to build it over television, cinema, digital and physical platforms. “Series 3 is in production and nearly complete,” he says, “and our first major game will be completed

by February 2015. We have been building our team and pipeline very carefully to prepare towards a Jungle Beat feature film. I would

hope that we will be in production of an animated feature film by 2016.”

This focus on brand building rather than simply trying to create long-form productions is something that’s at the heart of Sea Monster’s growth strategy. They have already created a series of excellent animated explainers, games and cuttingedge augmented reality apps for many of SA’s largest companies. They have also just launched a game with HIV SA to raise awareness amongst 15-20 year old women on the risks of HIV. Glenn Gillis, Managing Director of Sea Monster, has a wealth of insight into the industry, having worked

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closely with the DTI on the first rules of the film rebate and is busy working with the DTI and others to provide input around the changes needed to suit the animation and VFX industry. “At Sea Monster we help brands engage with their audiences using the skills we learned in making TV series,” he says. In the meantime, they are building up capacity and creating digital products to showcase their abilities – essentially making it easier to package and expand internationally.

When asked if South Africa currently has efficient pipelines to carry out long-form animation to the scale that it’s done in the

“

© Sunrise Marketing Group

“

As I dug below the surface, I found that there is much more to the industry than initially meets the eye. A number of moves have been initiated to secure SA’s animated future. One of the most successful long-form productions that’s currently underway is Jungle Beat.

US, he says no. “Not really on the scale that you need to compete with globally. We do some great work, but it’s happening in a bit of a vacuum. The problem with a project-to-project approach is that it’s hard for companies to gear up and to grow a big enough pool of skill and experience. Also, depending on how you define the animation industry, the biggest employers in animation are companies you have never ever heard of.” He cites Derivco in Durban, a massive employer that works in the gaming industry that does work for corporates, while Lobster Ink provides content – animation and other – to train the global hospitality industry.

© Sunrise Marketing Group

Sunrise Production have been building their team and pipeline very carefully to prepare for a Jungle Beat feature film.

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All images © Black Ginger

“We definitely need sustainable incubator, skills and development hubs, and again we can learn a lot from things like F.I.L.M. We also need support for companies so they can grow industrial capacity, which will build momentum and scalability,” he says.

Canda Kincses, Producer at Black Ginger and one of the Directors of AnimationSA, agrees saying that there are areas of real progress. “I think education and training is getting to a point where we’re producing high-quality graduates who will hopefully then become high-quality employees, creative artists, and people who are more tech savvy.” she explains, “It’s all kind of converging – there’s a lot of things in motion at the moment that are leading towards what could be a very successful, booming industry. I know that Wesgro, the Gauteng and KZN film commissions are also doing a lot of research into how to boost animation, visual effects, and post production in that part of the world.”

When asked whether we can safely say that in two to five years the country will have a strong industry that supports regular long-form projects, she says that we’re already there. “A number of features have done outstandingly on the international circuit thanks to Triggerfish; Black Ginger has done work that’s won awards around the world, not only for commercials, but for feature visual effects as well. There are other companies that are making a name for themselves with international producers and there are a lot of little companies springing up as well. I think if everyone agrees to work collaboratively towards the bigger picture, I’d say we’re there.”

Another mover and shaker in SA animation is Pollen, which has been operating for the past six years in Johannesburg. According to VFX Director Rory Mark, the company is especially interested in nurturing upcoming talent.

“We’ve certainly seen an interest from the Jozi youth who have snapped up the opportunities for growth in our development projects,” he says. “Last year we developed and produced more content than ever before… we were commissioned to produce shows for Kyknet, e.TV and SABC. We also commenced the training of sixty of the next generation of internationally recognized South African animators in collaboration with the DTI & Brave on our very own homegrown projects.”

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Animation frames from Fristi; one of Black Ginger’s recent projects.

Both he and Anthony Silverston of Triggerfish say that one of the challenges in animation right now is not educating or growing the talent pool, but rather the depth of talent across the board. “I think the one area where we don’t have enough people are the leads – the more experienced people,” Silverston says. “There are certain people now who have worked on four feature films…so they’re in demand, they go between the companies. If we can train

up the next set of leads, we’ll be able to do more projects. I think there are enough juniors out there, it’s just the leads that we need to mentor and support.”

Black Ginger has been doing just that through a company-wide programme that will upskill all employees according to their needs. Kincses heads up the programme, and says that they are currently working with the SETAs to bring their support programmes in line with what the industry

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SA’S TOP ANIMATION SCHOOL

Opens Johannesburg Campus

T

he demand for 3D animation is growing rapidly across the globe, its power made evident in 2014 by hit movie blockbusters like Frozen and The Lego Movie. Today, a career in animation is an extremely attractive option for creative young people.

The spike in the demand for local 3D animators has led The Animation School, launched in Cape Town in 2000, to open a campus in Rosebank, Johannesburg.

The school offers a three-year full time Animation Diploma, as well as a number of part-time courses, and has established itself as the leading specialist animation training institution in South Africa.

“Our educational offering is unique in South Africa as we only do animation,” says Nuno Martins, principal and cofounder of The Animation School. “It’s a highly specialised field and we have built an enormous level of expertise over time, because it is our passion, we also have a big industry network which our students are able to access. That is why they consistently win awards and find employment at leading studios.”

Skilled animators and digital artists are a scarce resource in the country, and the Johannesburg campus will help to address the demand. “For the past four years, people in the industry have been asking us when we are going to open a school in the city, based on the number of our graduates who have found work in film and television production over the past 14 years,” Martins says.

The new campus, opened last year, reflects the demographics of the province and, says Martins, the work being produced by the students has a uniquely African flavour. “Some of our top students are from Soweto and there is no doubt that they are having a strong influence on the types of characters that are being brought to life.”

South African animation caught the attention of international studios with Adventures in Zambezia, produced in 2012

by Triggerfish Animation Studio. That was followed a year later by the company’s hugely successful release of Khumba.

“Foreign studios sat up and took note,” says Martins. “Here were two Pixar-quality films produced on a fraction of the budgets of the American studios.”

Triggerfish, which has set itself a five-film goal, is now working on its third animated movie, and typically employs more than 110 animators at the peak of production.

“Applicants who have completed grade 12 and have a reasonable level of creative talent are invited to apply,” says Martins.

“We are looking forward to supporting the industry in Johannesburg, and to supplying production companies with fresh, interesting young talent.”

Applications for 2015 are now open in Johannesburg.

For more information, call 0861 8222 44, or visit www.theanimationschool.co.za.

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© Sea Monster Sea Monster recently launched a game with HIV SA.

“

“

We have also just launched a game with HIV SA to raise awareness amongst 15-20 year old women on the risks of HIV. At Sea Monster we help brands engage with their audiences using the skills we learned in making TV series.

needs. “We have implemented our own training and development programme which is multi-tiered, from upskilling graduates to bridging programmes for self-taught enthusiasts.

She goes on to say that although we could have enough man power to pull together to create a large animation workforce if needed, this doesn’t necessarily mean that everyone should be housed under one roof. “Internationally the trend is to have a vast, migratory work force that works with different companies as different projects come in. When we get to a position where we have a lot of companies

who have a lot of work, we will be able to support a lot of artists who are then able to perhaps specialise. So if they do something particularly well, they could open up a storyboarding company, for example, and become a service provider.”

Donovan Cook, Head of Animation at City Varsity and one of the current organisers of the monthly Animation Xchange, says that another issue is that although we are cost competitive in terms of long-form animation, we need to find a way to keep creatives employed. “What is happening at this point is a feature film gets funding, writers, animators, technical experts get jobs for three to six months and then they have to either start their own organisation, go into advertising, leave the country or change industry. What we are looking at for the long term is creating artists who graduate and can create their own opportunities as entrepreneurs. We are looking at developing their cultural awareness, understanding of their heritage and the importance of markets beyond just the European and American.”

Ultimately, through collaboration, so much can be done to take animation to the next level. “This is where the magic happens, where all the individual elements come together,” says Gillis, “We start collaborating as companies, we get private sector money into the industry – not public sector. You do need money from government, but you need to at some point stop relying on that. We need fairly substantial investment over the next two to three years to build those companies, but ideally you want to then prove that there’s a business case otherwise you’re continually reliant on this.”

AnimationSA in 2015 AnimationSA has in recent years really been in talks with government in order to receive proper funding and support in the sector.

Kincses has worked with the organisation for about eight years and says that through it, a certain kinship and cohesion has been formed between creatives. This and their willingness to volunteer time have helped bring the association to where it is today.

“There is a lot of promise at the moment in the South African industry, and whether or not local producers have what they need to make that happen is in constant debate,” she says. This debate is centred

on some not feeling that government is supporting them enough, while others think that government systems are actually hindering them to a certain extent. “Not everyone agrees, everyone has had a different experience, but we really need to educate and bring producers up to speed on how to put together the deals that create the financial engines that create companies. So AnimationSA is working a lot in that particular field: with producers, trying to lobby government when we can, leverage existing funds for projects that benefit everyone, education and training, speaking to all the stakeholders in training environments, etc.”

Another item on ASA’s agenda is attracting international co-production partners through government bodies like the NFVF to ensure that South African animation is placed on the map. A recent outworking of this was the South African Pavilion, which has been present at the International Animation Film Market (MIFA) for the last two years. Not only has it helped attract producers to the country, but a number of French animation schools like Emile Cohl and Gobelins have brokered exchange programmes to upskill undergrads. Véronique Encrenaz, Head of Projects at MIFA, says that although South Africa is ready to take on feature films, the realisation of these projects depends largely on two things: “You [must] have the technical capacity and artistic skills and ideas to develop things, and artistic work will follow. You also need to work with the government and find the right partners for the money to finance productions.” There are currently two co-productions underway between France and SA and if these are successful, Encrenaz says that it will give the international community confidence to do more work with South Africa.

Other African Animation Hubs According to Encrenaz, Annecy has its eye on two other African countries aside from South Africa. Both Zimbabwe and Kenya have animation hubs that are still in their infancy, although one Kenyan production was present at last year’s festival. “We are starting to work with Zimbabwe and Kenya to start developing a relationship and give them the opportunity to share projects.

We’ll keep on this artistic side for the

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© Triggerfish

A creation of Triggerfish; Khumba tells the adventures of a young zebra born with only half his stripes.

“

If we can train up the next set of leads, we’ll be able to do more projects. I think there are enough juniors out there, it’s just the leads that we need to mentor and support.

of Salad Chick fame. Nqobizitha Mlilo, an animator who lectured at the Zimbabwe Institute of Vigital Arts (ZIVA) for five years, has done over 25 videos integrating 3D with live action. “I think people are still very ignorant of their abilities so the industry

“

moment because the industry is not quite there yet,” she explains.

The Association of Animation Artists in Kenya (A3) was founded in 2008 and has since been catering to the growing needs of animation artists, producers and others involved in the East African animation space. In 2013, nine Kenyan animation films were screened at the Africa in Motion festival in Edinburgh. According to Paula Callus, senior lecturer in computer animation, NCCA, Bournemouth University and researcher in sub-Saharan African animation, the production value of these films can be compared to any of its Western counterparts. Young East African animators are also applying cutting edge techniques to their independent films, whilst holding fast to their cultural identity.

The Zimbabwe Festival of African Inspired Animation (ZIMFAIA) was founded in 2010, and this year will focus on initiating an inter-cultural conversation between African countries and the rest of the world.

Stand-up comedian Carl Joshua Ncube, who is also the chairperson of the Zimbabwe Animation Association, told The Standard that they are trying to make the country’s animation more commercial and accessible.

Zimbabwe currently has a few notable animators such as Tafadzwa Tarumbwa

itself does not demand as much from the animators and 3D artists as they should,” he recently told Povo Interviews. Zimbabwe’s animation industry is also supported by the Joint Afrikan Animation Group (JAAG), which Mlilo founded with two others.

30 | OPPORTUNITIES

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KwaZulu-Natal Film Commission seeks

External Service Providers A view of the 2014 Simon “Mabhunu” Sabela Awards

T

he KwaZulu-Natal Film Commission is focused on positioning the province as a globally competitive, diverse and sustainable industry. Its mission is also to create opportunities and grow the sector.

As such, it seeks to appoint external service providers to the following positions up for tender:

Scriptwriting Trainer The appointed will provide script-writing training, of international standard, to KZN Film script writers which will capacitate

them with the relevant script-writing skills. The service is to be provided to the KwaZulu-Natal Film Commission for a period of three years.

manage the annual Simon “Mabhunu” Sabela Awards for a period of three years.

Skills Auditor

Marketing and Communications Service Provider

The appointed will conduct skills audit on the province to determine the current skills profile and skills gap in film for a period of three months.

The appointed will provide a marketing and communications service to the KwaZuluNatal Film Commission for a period of three years.

Co-ordinator and Project Manager The appointed will co-ordinate and project

Applications to these positions are available through tender on www.kwazulunatalfilm.co.za

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Fifty Shades of Grey, © Universal Pictures, UIP SA

Other Raging Romantic Films

WHITE HOT CHEMISTRY in the Movies

by Kim Muller

I

t’s February, the month of love…and what better way to celebrate than with a glass of wine, under the covers, watching your favourite romantic film? The Callsheet couldn’t agree more, so we’ve compiled a few movies that are bound to get your blood pumping and your heart racing! To help you pick the perfect flick, we’ve put together some of the films where we think actors and actresses have extraordinary, insatiable chemistry. So sit back, relax, grab a box of chocolates and come with us on a journey of love, lust and everything in between.

Forbidden Love in El Crimen del Padre Amaro Cosy up to a hot young Catholic priest as he leaps into temptation in the acclaimed, controversial Mexican film El Crimen del Padre Amaro (The Crime of Father Amaro). The newly ordained Father Amaro (Gael Garcia Bernal) becomes infatuated with Amelia as she asks awkward questions about love and sin in confessional. Let’s just say things spiral from there.

Melancholic chemistry in Blue Valentine From its opening scenes, Blue Valentine has a feeling of impending doom that cannot be shaken. All seems well on the surface between Dean and Cindy (Ryan Gosling and Michelle Williams) but as the film charts their love story in reverse, it becomes more and more apparent that there’s more sadness and destruction in store. A real tear jerker.

Four-way chemistry in Closer Facebook’s relationship status ‘It’s Complicated’ is a perfect description of the four-way affair that unfolds in Closer. Starring Natalie Portman, Jude Law, Julia Roberts and Clive Owen, there’s no end to the disgustingly delicious chemistry between these two couples.

And just like the trailer says, “love is an accident waiting to happen”.

South African chemistry in Love the One You Love What happens when you cross a sex-line operator with a dog handler? That’s right, chemistry! Cape Town director Jenna Bass brings a wonderful love story to life in the form of Chi Mhende and Andile Nebulane, who suspect their romantic relationship is the subject of a bizarre conspiracy. Plus the documentarystyle cinematography makes it that much more believable.

© Fox Fire Films

Three-way chemistry in Vicky Cristina Barcelona From steamy love scenes to seductive conversations, Vicky Cristina Barcelona has it all.

The storyline follows two girlfriends, Vicky and Cristina (Rebecca Hall and Scarlett Johansson) on their Spanish summer holiday. There, they both become enamoured with the same painter (Javier Bardem), unaware that his deliciously

sexy ex-wife (Penelope Cruz) is about to re-enter the picture.

Because there are an infinite number of truly awesome romantic flicks out there, we thought we’d pay homage to those we simply cannot fit on the list. Here they are…

• Little Children features Kate Winslet, Jennifer Connelly and Patrick Wilson.

• Last Night is an unlikely but beautiful match between Kiera Knightley and Guillaume Canet.

• Lluís Homar and Penélope Cruz give a deeper meaning to the word tragic in Broken Embraces.

• Emma Stone and Ryan Reynolds hit it off in adorable caveman animation The Croods.

• We’ve yet to see it, but Fifty Shades of Grey seems set to become the most anticipated romantic film of the year, with more presold tickets than any other film to date! Watch it in South Africa from 13 February.

• Dawid Minnaar mesmerises both animals and his co-star Anneke Weidemann in Die Wonderwerker.

• Naughtiness abounds in Of Good Report, starring Mothusi Magano and Petronella Tshuma as ‘Nolitha’.

• Settle down with a modern-day Romeo and Juliet story in Zee Ntuli’s Hard to Get. • Out of Sight brings sizzling pair George Clooney and Jennifer Lopez together.

• Diane Lane and Olivier Martinez in Unfaithful still inspire men and women everywhere to rendezvous in public bathrooms.

• Coco and Igor sees Anna Mouglalis and Mads Mikkelson use a piano for a way it wasn’t intended. Their love (and lust) is allconsuming.

• Rumour has it that Jack Nicholson and Jessica Lange ‘bonded’ for real in The Postman Always Rings Twice.

• Heath Ledger and Abbie Cornish become entangled with love and drugs in Candy.

• Old Hollywood shows us some magical chemistry in An American in Paris, starring Gene Kelly and Leslie Caron.

• Jesse Bradford gets a run for his money with Elisha Cuthbert in My Sassy Girl.

Local chemistry in Love the One You Love

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• Marion Cotillard and Guillaume Canet are absolutely adorable together in Jeux d’Enfants (Love Me if You Dare).

• Ryan Philippe and Reese Witherspoon are smoking hot in 90’s teen classic Cruel Intentions.

• Who can forget Mr & Mrs Smith, where Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt found love in real life?

Same sex chemistry in Brokeback Mountain: Put two manly men on a set and tell them to make out, and it probably wouldn’t be as hot as Jake Gyllenhaal and Heath Ledger in Brokeback Mountain.

Cowboy Jake’s “I wish I knew how to quit you” scene seethes with raw emotion.

Dysfunctional love in Silver Linings Playbook: Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence make one helluva messed up couple in Silver Linings Playbook. Both are dysfunctional – he has bipolar disorder and she’s a recovering sex addict. Drama ensues.

Childhood chemistry in Let the Right One In: Who says vampires are incapable of love? In this riveting Swedish horror, 12 year old Oskar (Kåre Hedebrant) is an overlooked and bullied boy. That is, until he finds love in a peculiar girl called Eli (Lina Leandersson).

Award-winning chemistry in Blue is the Warmest Colour: An emotional rollercoaster of note, Blue is the Warmest Colour captures young love at its best and worst through the eyes of Adèle and Emma (Adèle Exarchopoulos and Léa Seydoux).

Ryan Gosling and Michelle Williams in Blue Valentine

Three-way chemistry in Vicky Cristina Barcelona © Blu Films

Forbidden Love in El Crimen del Padre Amaro © Columbia Pictures

• Kate Winslet in The Holiday, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and The Reader • Rose Byrne in Bad Neighbours and Adam • Zac Efron in basically anything; the shower scene in The Lucky One is proof, and his lust is palpable in The Paperboy • Emma Stone in Easy A and Crazy Stupid Love • Rosario Dawson in Trance and Seven Pounds • Carey Mulligan in Drive and Never Let Me Go • Kiera Knightly in Atonement, Never Let Me Go and Last Night • Michelle Williams in just about anything, although Blue Valentine and Take This Waltz come to mind • James McAvoy in Atonement and Trance

More Killer Chemistry...

© The Weinstein Company

Actors and actresses who get chemistry right every time

© Davi Russo, Incentive Filmed Entertainment

Hollywood couples with chemistry both on-set and off

Artificially intelligent chemistry in Her: The extent of what’s possible with technology is never more tangible than in Her. A lonely writer (Joaquin Phoenix) develops an unlikely bond with his newly purchased operating system (Scarlett Johansson).

Natalie Portman and Clive Owen in Closer

34 | FRESH OPINION

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© Brocken Inaglory, Wikimedia Commons

by John Hill

Prerequisites - Once Again, the Devil is in the Detail •

•

•

• •

• • • •

Discover what the target audience – potential distributors and the viewing public – really want Give this to them with a hint of uniquely South African sauce in the beginning to create a sustainable home-grown motion picture industry where the profits accrue to South Africans To produce a series, say 10, of lowbudget made-for-television feature films for export markets To double the output every year until we achieve 100 films a year The stories will need to be written against stringent well-known screenwriting constraints Budgets to include production, marketing and named product branding Marketing of bundled products aimed at international markets Schedules and expenditure to be strictly controlled All gear, art department and studio/ location aspects to be smaller simpler

•

•

•

versions of the real McCoy Cast: Ideally, at least one potential bankable star should be included in a small part. The cast is to be small; crowd scenes are to be kept to an absolute minimum. It is envisaged that cast members will be paid a fee sufficient to attract relatively good actors who are nevertheless unknowns Crew: A minimalist crew is envisaged: Departmental Heads are to be fully professional, while interns will perform ‘assistance’ roles, and specialist interns will perform ‘operational’ roles.

The number of FTEs is likely to grow exponentially This plan provides for the acquisition of relevant real work-place experience identified earlier and fits fairly neatly into the Intern <> Low Budget categories (see Fig 2) in this espoused model for Transformation and Professionalism in South Africa.

Funding Initially, the programme will require start-up funding and should become self-sustaining

within a three-to-five-year period and should be completely self-sustaining thereafter – indeed, even make a profit – provided sound business management principles are applied at all times. Funding can initially come from the applicable SETA, the JOBS FUND, the DTI and the IDC.

The Plan is to Make Several Low-Cost Features Grounded in the principles developed initially

by Roger Corman who produced B-Grade films that made a profit, the plan is to make several low cost films a year using intern ‘operators’ and ‘assistance’ crew under professional mentor-HODs, employing strict story and budgetary constraints.

The Roger Corman Approach •

Why Roger Corman? He has 60 years experience as a low-budget feature film producer and has probably had more influence on Hollywood than any other single individual. He nurtured the beginning of careers of such stars

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Real McCoy Low Budget Features and;

Medium to Big Budget

Documentary

Features and TV Series

No

No

Valuable

Experiential

Experiential

Experiential

Learning

Learning

Learning

Envisaged

Envisaged

Professional Work-place Experience Specialist Intern Entry

1-yr

2-yrs

Beyond Film School:

Assistance

Operations

Assist. HOD

Various

Various

Funded by

SETA

SETA / JOBs FUND

JOBs FUND

PROD CO.

PROD CO.

Fig.2. How this Implementation Plan addresses the issues of Transformation & Professionalism.

Pre-production: This phase is to include the final polished screenplay, the services of a WGSA member script consultant, and all the usual aspects of taking a concept to the production stage, including: Production: Each film will be made by a small paid novice crew with fully paid professional departmental heads who should be members of a respected guild or professional body.

© Berthold Werner, Wikimedia Commons

Development: This phase is to include the development of script ideas to the GO / NO GO decision. This may include the development of the screenplay to several drafts, mentored by a WGSA member, but not necessarily to polished screenplay stage.

Post-production: Editing and finishing must be done to professional standards and mentored by a member of SAGE. Ownership, marketing and distribution: It is envisaged the products will remain the intellectual property of the campaign and its partners and not sold outright.

The products will be marketed in bundles to local and international markets.

Each campaign will need a budget for marketing at international film markets.

Local broadcasters will be able screen the bundled products at a license cost.

How long will this take? We can make it happen in five years. But only if we work together – really hard! Of course there will be many doubters: this is to be expected people who believe it can’t be done. Let us accept we have differences. Let’s put them aside. Let’s make this work.

All it takes is a small change in thinking…

© www.morguefile.com

Putting the Plan into Action

For example, the camera crew will be supervised/mentored by a SASC member.

All this work will be managed by a supervising producer to ensure uniform standards of professionalism.

The production phase of each film is to be streamlined: If 10 films are to be made, the crews will work on, say, five of these which will allows for each crew member to gain a significant amount of experience in a relatively short time frame.

© André Karwath, Wikimedia Commons

•

as Robert de Nero, Dennis Hopper and Jack Nicholson and many notable directors like James Cameron, Francis Ford Coppola and Martin Scorsese cut their directorial teeth on Corman’s films.

How? Corman based the Go/NoGo decision on the Film Poster. His films looked and sounded different.

He perfected the now well-known Hollywood Blockbuster. He has produced more than 400 films – nearly all of which made a healthy profit and his approach continues to influence Hollywood to this very day.

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THE VANILLA ISLANDS: An Oasis of Scenically Magical Locations

by Carryn Gabriels

Š Shutterstock

The tranquil waters of the Maldives islands.

COUNTRY SPOTLIGHT | 37

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F

orming a new travel destination brand in the Indian Ocean, the Vanilla Islands is an affiliation of six island nations: Mauritius, Seychelles, Réunion, Comoros, Maldives, and Mayotte.

The alliance was formed between two of the world’s prominent island groupings.

The President of The Indian Ocean Vanilla Islands Organization, Alain St. Ange, and Chairman of the Caribbean Tourism Organization, Mrs Beverly Nicholson-Doty, agreed to cooperate on global issues and to jointly promote the islands as a destination of choice for tourists at London’s World Travel Market.

The destinations boast an oasis of peace and tranquillity, and form a powerhouse of scenically magical locations.

Filming in the Vanilla Islands Mauritius, home of many avian species, flaunts vast flora and fauna. The archipelago

is lined with sugarcane fields, dotted with mountain peaks, and encircled by emerald beaches, offering a back drop of a slice of paradise.

Seychelles brandishes flawless imagery of pictographic beaches, rolling hills, coral reefs and abundant vegetation. The archipelago is ready for filming.

Réunion, the island cloaked in green, flaunts locations from a wealth of architectural treasures and winding roads to cascading waterfalls, from dramatic cliffs to indigenous fruit fields. The beautiful volcanic landscape parades white and black beaches, and is considered the European cinema and TV production hub in the Indian Ocean and Africa.

Maldives islands are rugged with luminous cyan-blue water, and exude luxury. Its tranquil, warm waters are home

The lush vegetation and tantalising waters of the Seychelles.

Experience emerald beaches and a slice of picturesque paradise in Mauritius.

to astonishingly rich marine life which include sharks, the world’s largest fish, coral walls, magnificent caves and schools of brightly coloured tropical fish. To add to the island nation’s appeal, it is conveniently situated in close proximity to India, allows for easy access to film equipment.

Comoros islands are haphazardly scattered across the Indian Ocean. The regal islands are volcanic and wrapped by coral reefs, offering magical and diverse island settings. Palms line the sovereign nation’s white sand beaches, and ylangylang scents the air, comprising an enchanted and sublime island location.

Mayotte, petite and French, is poised above a magnificent sea world. The island boasts emerald water and chocolate sand, and unusual locations such as an 8metre waterfall cascading directly into the sea.

38 | EVENTS

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FEBRUARY JAIPUR INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL 1 – 5 February Jaipur, India AMI’S 13TH ANNUAL POLYETHYLENE FILMS CONFERENCE 3 – 5 February Florida, USA PAN AFRICAN FILM FESTIVAL 5 – 15 February Los Angeles, USA BRITISH ACADEMY FILM AWARDS (BAFTA’S) 8 February London, England THE 87TH ACADEMY AWARDS (OSCARS) 22 February Los Angeles, USA

ALUTA FILM FESTIVAL 26 – 28 February Nelspruit, Mpumalanga

3RD ACT | UJ ARTS & CULTURE CONFERENCE 8 – 10 March Johannesburg, South Africa SOUTH AFRICA FILM AND TELEVISION AWARDS (SAFTA’S) 19 – 21 March Johannesburg, South Africa BOKEH FASHION FILM FESTIVAL 26 – 28 March Cape Town, South Africa THE SOUTH AFRICAN ECO FILM FESTIVAL 26 March – 2 April South Africa

© Campari Calendar 2015

JOZI FILM FESTIVAL 22 – 25 February Johannesburg, South Africa

MARCH

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EVENTS | 39

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Cover Image: Dakota Johnson and Jamie Dornan in Fifty Shades of Grey, which releases at Ster-Kinekor theatres countrywide on Friday, 13 February. Š Universal Pictures, UIP SA Publisher: Lance Gibbons lance@filmeventmedia.co.za Executive Editor: Katie Reynolds katie@filmeventmedia.co.za Head of Design: Sheree Steenkamp sheree@filmeventmedia.co.za Writer: Kim Muller kim@filmeventmedia.co.za Editorial Assistant: Carryn Gabriels carryn@filmeventmedia.co.za

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