The Callsheet Issue 9

ISSUE 09 | 2015

15 IBC 20

+ LOERIES 2015 Africa's Creatives Shine in Durban + POST PRODUCTION IN SOUTH AFRICA Unpacking the Latest Trends + FILM AUDITING AND PRODUCTION ACCOUNTING Analysing the Rebate and its Impact

YOUR IMAGINATION | OUR LOCATION

CONTENTS | 01

www.filmmakerafrica.co.za www.thecallsheet.co.za

02. Loeries 2015: Gold Winners 04. DSTV Seminar of Creativity 2015 08. Movers and Shakers 10. Two New AFDA Degrees to Prep Grads for Disruptive Business

02 14 THE LOERIE AWARDS

IT’S OPEN SEASON FOR FILM SERVICE!

2015 will go down in history as one of

The sun is shining, and SA’s service

the best Loeries ever. Turn to page 2 for

companies are gearing up for our

our exclusive coverage.

biggest season yet.

FILM

RS GUARANTO

DERS N O B N O I CO M P L E T NTING U O C C A N O P RO D U C T I AUDITORS

24 32 FILM AUDITING AND PRODUCTION ACCOUNTING

SPOTLIGHT ON STOCK PHOTO COMPANIES

Imogen Campbell goes head to head

Kim Muller unpacks this booming

with SA’s top film accountants for

business and chats to the experts

an analysis of the rebate.

about trends and growth

12. In Production 14. It’s Open Season for Film Service!

16. Post-Production in SA: 2015 Trends for an Ever-Growing Sector

24. Film Auditing and Production Accounting

30. Jeneen Galbraith Takes Home CT Business Woman Achievers Award

31. Film Review: Tell Me Sweet Something

32. Trends in Stock Imagery 34. KZN Film Commission: Our Kingdom is Your Stage

36. Mediatech Africa 2015 Highlights

38. IBC 2015: Don’t Miss the World’s Leading Electronic Media Show

40. Uganda: Action on a Shoestring 42. Associations 44. Directory of Advertisers

02 | FEATURE

www.thecallsheet.co.za

LOERIES 2015:

Grand Prix and Gold Winners

Loeries Hall of Fame Tony Koenderman Tony Koenderman, editor of AdReview, and associate editor of Finweek, was inducted into the Loeries Hall of Fame, for his outstanding contribution to the industry.

A total of 299 awards were handed out in the main categories, with the winners being broken down as follows:

Adams & Adams Young Creatives Award The award, for exceptional achievement at the age of 27 or younger, went to Melusi Mhlungu and Saf Sindhi. They each received a Gold Loerie plus R50 000, courtesy of Adams & Adams.

ALL

Student

Professional

Entries

2948

338

2610

Finalists

1009

106

903

Grand Prix

2

0

2

Gold

35

4

31

Silver

68

9

59

Bronze

120

19

101

Craft Gold

18

1

17

Craft

56

6

50

Certificate

Prize

Category

Country

Brand/Product

Entry Agency

Title

Production Companies

Grand Prix

Digital & Interactive Applications, Games & Interactive tools

South Africa

KFC/Food

Ogilvy & Mather Johannesburg

SoundBite

Digital Agency/Production Company: Gloo@Ogilvy, Hogarth

Grand Prix

Branded Content Video Single Execution

United Arab Emirates

Loto Libanais/Loto Libanais

IMPACT BBDO Dubai

Black Cats On Holiday

Cinematography: Ricardo Plates, Director: Maged Nassar, Tamim Younes, Film Production Company: Big Kahuna, Post Production Facility: Serena Dubai, VFX Operator/Colorist: Roman Peregon

Gold

Digital & Interactive Social Media

United Arab Emirates

UN Women/UN Women

IMPACT BBDO Dubai

Give Mom Back Her Name

Film Production Company: Bigfoot Post Production Facility: Lizard VFX

Gold

Digital & Interactive Social Media

South Africa

Salvation Army/Carehaven

Ireland/Davenport

#TheDress

N/A

Craft Gold

Digital Crafts

South Africa

takealot.com/Online Shopping

M&C Saatchi Abel

Spit Braai

Digital Agency/Production Company: M&C Saatchi Abel

Craft Gold

Digital Crafts

South Africa

KFC/Food

Ogilvy & Mather Johannesburg

SoundBite

Gloo@Ogilvy, Hogarth

Campaign Gold

PR Communication Campaign

United Arab Emirates

Loto Libanais/Loto Libanais

IMPACT BBDO Dubai

Goodbye Bad Luck

N/A

Gold

TV & Cinema Commercials - up to 90s

South Africa

Santam/Santam

King James Group

One-of-a-kind

Film Production Company: 0307 Films, Bas Productions, Post Production Facility: Black Ginger

Gold

TV & Cinema Commercials - above 90s

South Africa

Diageo/Guinness

BBDO Africa, Abbott Mead Vickers BBDO

Made Of Black

Film Production Company: Rogue, Post Production Facility: The Mill

Gold

Internet Video - above 30s

United Arab Emirates

UN Women/UN Women

IMPACT BBDO Dubai

Give Mom Back Her Name

Film Production Company: Bigfoot Post Production Facility: Lizard VFX

Campaign Gold

Branded Content Video - Campaign

South Africa

Sanlam/Sanlam Brand

King James Group

One Rand Man

Animation Company: Big Bird RC, Film Production Company: Arcade

Craft Gold

TV Crafts - Direction

South Africa

Diaego/Guinness

BBDO Africa, Abbott Mead Vickers BBDO

Made Of Black

Film Production Company: Rogue

Campaign Craft Gold

TV Crafts - Writing

South Africa

Suntory Lucozade/ Lucozade

Ogilvy & Mather Johannesburg

Give Me Strength Gum in Hair, Performance Art, Water Feature, Static

Film Production Company: Bouffant, Post Production Facility: Blade

Craft Gold

TV Crafts - Writing

South Africa

Santam/Santam

King James Group

One-of-a-kind

Film Production Company: 0307 Films, Bas Productions, Post Production Facility: Black Ginger

FEATURE | 03

www.thecallsheet.co.za

Prize

Category

Country

Brand/Product

Entry Agency

Title

Production Companies

Craft Gold

TV Crafts - Production Design

South Africa

Diageo/Guinness

BBDO Africa, Abbott Mead Vickers BBDO

Made Of Black

Film Production Company: Rogue, Post Production Facility: The Mill

Craft Gold

TV Crafts - Production Design

South Africa

Chicken Licken/ Chicken Licken

Egg Films

The Great Dlamini

Film Production Company: Egg Films, Post Production Facility: Left Post Jhb

Craft Gold

TV Crafts - Animation

South Africa

Riot! Games/ League of Legends

Shy the Sun

Amumu: The Curse of the Sad Mummy

Animation, Editing Company: Shy the Sun

Craft Gold

TV Crafts - Best Use of Licensed Music

South Africa

Diageo/Guinness

BBDO Africa, Abbott Mead Vickers BBDO

Made Of Black

Film Production Company: Rogue, Post Production Facility: The Mill

Craft Gold

TV Crafts - Performance South Africa

Santam/Insurance

0307

Santam One of a Kind

Film Production Company: 0307 Films

Campaign Gold

Integrated Campaign

United Arab Emirates

UN Women/UN Women

IMPACT BBDO Dubai

Give Mom Back Her Name

Film Production Company: Bigfoot Post Production Facility: Lizard VFX

Campaign Gold

Integrated Campaign

South Africa

Sanlam/Sanlam Brand

King James Group

One Rand Man

Animation Company: Big Bird RC, Film Production Company: Arcade

Gold

Ubuntu Award

South Africa

The Safety Lab/Soap

Y&R SA

Hope Soap

N/A

Gold

Ubuntu Award

Tunisia

UBCI GROUPE BNP PARIBAS/Corporate Social Responsibility

Havas Worldwide

Recycle to learn

N/A

Gold

Effective Creativity

South Africa

Coca-Cola South Africa / Coca-Cola

FCB South Africa (PTY) LTD

Coke Bobby

N/A

Gold

Effective Creativity

United Arab Emirates

Sawamninjah/Rescue Radio

Geometry Global Dubai

Rescue Radio The Rescue Continues

N/A

Gold

Service Design

United Arab Emirates

Unilever/Lifebuoy

Geometry Global Dubai

Handle On Hygiene

Editing & Film Production Company: Alchemy Films

04 | FEATURE

www.thecallsheet.co.za

DSTV SEMINAR OF CREATIVITY 2015 T

he DStv Seminar of Creativity never fails to incite inspiration and excitement among the Loeries delegates, and this year’s Seminar was no exception.

Google Creative Lab is a small innovation team that rethinks communications, products and strives to be experimental. This ‘ragtag group of idealists and vagabonds’ comprises writers, designers, filmmakers, coder, architects, engineers and everything in between. Steve Vranakis says the aim of the organisation is to use technology to break down borders, provide access and give super powers to others, and by doing so, they are inventing the future.

By highlighting a few of his favourite inventions, Steve wowed the rapt attendees with a melange of wonder and tech, and thereby reminded us, the user, what we love about Google. One particularly mind-blowing example was a sort of electro-fabric, created from hypersensitive and thin electric cables, which can be interwoven with regular fabric and made into clothing. A video showing a hand simply swiping a patch on a Saville Row suit, and placing a call on a smartphone, which raised exclamations of awe from the audience.

– Stefan Sagmeister

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In persuading people to buy things they don’t need, with money they don’t have, in order to impress others that don’t care, advertising is probably the phoniest field in existence today.

Ali Ali, a filmmaker from Cairo, gave a hilarious and inspiring presentation titled ’11 Stupid Things I Learned in Advertising’. After spending 10 years working his way up the ranks of major advertising agencies in Paris, Germany and Dubai, Ali decided stray from the work that was depressing him. His candour shines through in his list of key learnings: 1. Advertising is not rocket science 2. People have better things to do 3. Stay inexperienced 4. Be stupid and have fun 5. Present just one idea 6. Make your clients uncomfortable 7. The client is not always king 8. Respect the product not the process 9. The faster the better 10. If the ad still sucks, just pretend you didn’t do it 11. Good is the enemy of great While some of his statements drew shouts of astonishment, the laughter and cheering that followed solidified the feeling that perhaps the industry is in a need of a shake-up; and Ali Ali certainly seems like the perfect man for the job.

Stan Sthanunathan, Senior Vice President of Unilever UK, spoke about ‘Putting the I in Insights’. He stated that the world is deaveraging, and marketing as we know it has a finite life. Communication now has to be done on an individual level. Thankfully, digital makes individual connection possible. Stan stated that there needs to be a paradigm shift in the way advertisers understand consumers, and by doing so, one can inspire and provoke people to enable transformational action.

Chris Clarke, Chief Creative Officer of DigitasLBi gave a rousing presentation that urged the audience to abandon business as usual. Creativity can no longer be morally neutral, so pick a stance! “The kids are copying the brands, and the brands are copying the kids, so there’s no leadership!’ Chris lamented. Food for thought, indeed, and a clear call to action for

“

those seeking to be the next to lead pop culture.

“The consumer is not in control! The consumer isn’t even in charge of her bank balance or calorie count, so she’s definitely not in control of your brand!’ he concluded.

Almost nothing can be said about Ji Lee, Creative Lead at Facebook New York. His sheer creative genius is overwhelming, and any attempt to describe it will fall hopelessly short.

But here’s the gist of his presentation. It’s too easy to go home and drink Pinot Noir, and the power of personal projects is transformative. Do something, anything that inspires you to create.

And then share that work with the world. Ji Lee did just that, with a series of passion projects that became viral sensations. Just look him up, and you’ll see why one of the world’s biggest and most innovative tech companies reveres Ji Lee. ‘Focus groups are the death of creativity!’ boomed Chuck Porter, arguably one of the most famous names in global advertising. He began his world-renowned agency by aiming to do the most written about and talked about advertising in the world.

Some of this pearls of wisdom included: • Pop culture is currency • Stay loose and follow the winners • Everything is global • Everything is interactive • What you do is more important that what you say • Do one thing really well • Find a global truth • It’s hard to research your way to glory • Use new media in new ways • Swim upstream • Don’t use the money excuse And finally, don’t start with advertising, start with an idea to make a brand famous.

D&AD CEO Tim Lindsay closed off the Seminar by sharing his company’s creative gameplan, which comprises six interconnected elements that bring success to a creative endeavour: Valued: “We want to be part of an industry that

All photos by 2015 Loerie Awards, Gallo Images (Pty) Ltd

– Steve Vranakis

Personal and professional projects can complement each other.

– Ji Lee

“

“

If art is meant to be a reflection of society, and technology is playing more and more of a role in almost every aspect of our lives, shouldn’t art reflect this?

FEATURE | 05

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www.thecallsheet.co.za

is valued and understood” Long-lasting: “We want to be part of an industry that finds solutions that last” Principled: “We want to be part of an industry that understands the world’s problems are our problems” Collaborative: “We want to be part of an industry where collaboration is key” Brave: “We want to be part of an industry that is brave throughout its work, and never lazy” Human: “We want to be part of an industry that welcomes and invests in talent”

06 | FILMWORKS SA

www.thecallsheet.co.za

True Innovation.

One camera is all you need for 4K, HD and 8x Super Slow Motion.

It’s Sony at its best. The new HDC-4300 4K/HD System Camera features a breakthrough trio of 2/3-inch sensors including native Ultra HD (3840 x 2160) capture for spectacular Super Slow Motion, cutouts, perspective shots and zooms while maintaining pristine Full HD resolution. You can also originate HD while archiving an evergreen 4K master.

The new Sony HDC-4300. Discover for yourself why it is re-writing the rules book for Live Production.

• Unmatched 4K capability with wide dynamic range and wide color space1

• B4 mount supports both 4K and HD lenses

• World’s first three 2/3-inch 4K imaging sensors

• High-frame rate HD capture for 8x Super Slow Motion2

1 2

with optional software, SZC-4001 for HDC-4300 with optional software, SZC-4002 for BPU-4000

• Smooth and easy migration from HD to 4K

Sony Professional Solutions MEA FZ LLC

Email: middle.east@eu.sony.com | www.facebook.com/sonyprofessionalza | www.sony-psmea.com/broadcast

08 | MOVERS AND SHAKERS

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MOVERS AND SHAKERS V

elocity appoints two Executive Producers

Velocity Films is proud to announce the appointment of Helena Woodfine and Karen Kloppers to their Executive Producer team.

Recognised as two of the most respected and awarded producers in the country, they bring with them a wealth of hands-on experience, having produced for some of South Africa’s finest directors.

Woodfine started her career at advertising

Having produced for directors Keith Rose and Adrian De Garces, Karen’s expert production skills have meant Kloppers has been an indispensable asset to the company. Most recently she has been responsible for the management and career mentorship of the younger directors and production teams.

R

oy Andersson - jury head at RapidLion

Award winning director, Roy Andersson will sit as a jury head at the inaugural RapidLion – The South African International Film Festival, in 2016. The Swedish born filmmaker’s unconventional cinematic technique has earned him several prestigious awards, making him an iconic cinema great. His films are renowned for their humanistic approach to socio-political commentary.

In 1970, Roy’s first film, A Swedish Love Story, took the world by storm, the film was awarded four prizes at the 20th Berlin International Film Festival. After his second

film Gillap in 1975, Roy took a 25-year break from cinema and directed commercials. Soon after he established Studio 24, an independent film company and studio for feature films, short films and commercials.

In 2000, he returned to feature filmmaking with his movie, Songs from the Second Floor, which won the coveted Cannes Jury Prize at the 53rd Cannes Film Festival in 2000. His latest film, A Pigeon Sat on a Branch Reflecting on Existence, won a Golden Lion at the 71st Venice International Film Festival in 2014. The film has received international recognition and has movie lovers everywhere raving about it. Alan Scherstuhl of the Village Voice wrote, “World cinema may

Local filmmakers will be given an opportunity to attend a master class given by Roy during the festival. RapidLion will also arrange a press briefing where Roy will discuss his films and be available for questions.

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an indispensable asset to the company. Most recently she has been responsible for the management and career mentorship of the younger directors and production teams.

This new Executive lineup is evolving the brand while continuing to provide invaluable hands on production and creative support.

Longstanding key player, Nicola Valentine, will continue to play a vital role in marketing and maintaining the Velocity profile and its directors globally, remaining integral to the management team.

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agency TBWA\Hunt\Lascaris, producing over a period of ten years some of South Africa’s most iconic commercials. In 2002 she joined Velocity Films to produce for Greg Gray, their unwavering creative partnership of 14 years resulting in a body of work consistent in quality and conceptual excellence.

Kloppers brings with her an equally stellar career spanning over 20 years at Velocity. Having produced for directors Keith Rose and Adrian De Garces, Karen’s expert production skills have meant she has been

have no better builder of delightful scenes than Roy Andersson.”

Roy brings not only his wealth in cinematic expertise to the festival, but his appointment is a seal of the longstanding relationship Sweden has had with South Africa, dating back to the bad old days of apartheid. In 1976, Volvo pulled out of South Africa in protest, at a time when the car was at its peak of popularity, a measurable financial loss to them. Although grateful for the hand Sweden has played in our liberation we also lament over Prime Minister Palme’s assassination in 1986.

Roy Andersson will sit as the head of a jury that will select the winning feature length films at the festival, including the Best RapidLion Film Overall. The festival will also curate an exhibition of Roy’s films and he will be available to introduce his films at the screenings.

Local filmmakers will be given an opportunity to attend a master class given by Roy during the festival. RapidLion will also arrange a press briefing where Roy will discuss his films and be available for questions.

MOVERS AND SHAKERS | 09

Y

&R Appoints Mthuli Bam as Head of Electronic Production

Y&R South Africa recently promoted Mthuli Bam, a veteran senior TV producer that has been with the agency for more than half a decade, to Head of Electronic Production.

In his new role, he will oversee production across Y&R South Africa’s offices in Cape Town, Durban and both offices in Johannesburg.

Mthuli speaks four languages and has been involved in many award-winning campaigns since he started his career at HerdBuoys McCann-Erickson in 1999.

Passionate about finding and cultivating

L

isa MacLeod named head of digital at Times Media Group

Times Media Group (TMG) is delighted to announce the appointment of Lisa MacLeod as head of Digital, as of Tuesday, 1 September 2015. MacLeod will be driving the digital strategy for TMG’s online platforms and the integration with print at TMG. MacLeod, a former employee of TMG, returned to South Africa in 2014 after almost 12 years at the Financial Times in London, where she helped shape and execute their digital strategy.

She leaves her current position as Media24’s GM Digital Publishing to join TMG. Andrew Gill, MD Times Media, says MacLeod’s appointment is significant given the demand for digital expertise in a highly competitive media environment.

rough young talent, his first order of business is to grow and cultivate a hub of up-and-coming production suppliers for Y&R South Africa.

“I’m looking forward to working more smartly with new talent and streamlining process in our department to continually deliver world-class outputs in today’s challenging economic and advertising industry landscape,” he says.

Reflecting on his tenure at Y&R South Africa, many pieces of television and radio work remains close to his heart – including commercials for Caltex Going, Pick n Pay Goodness, and SKYY Vodka’s The Rise.

“Mthuli’s appointment is incredibly welldeserved,” comments Graham Lang, Chief Executive Officer of Y&R South Africa and Africa. “His calm demeanor in the face off

“MacLeod is familiar with the challenges of taking widely recognised print businesses, and evolving them into lucrative digital-first operations. The intellectual capital she brings is completely aligned to TMG’s expansion strategy, and our goal to become SA’s leading provider of news and entertainment through digital innovation. She is also no stranger to the culture of a newsroom,” says Gill.

MacLeod’s early career includes reporting at the Daily Dispatch, later becoming managing editor at Business Day. She joined the Financial Times in 2003, working in production roles and as a commissioning editor on special reports. She led a number of newsroom change projects as the chief production editor, before becoming managing editor in 2010.

MacLeod’s appointment as head of Operations for FT.com saw her manage the strategic, technological and operational

“

His first order of business is to grow and cultivate a hub of up-and-coming production suppliers for Y&R South Africa.

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www.thecallsheet.co.za

stressful professional situations is inspiring to not only myself, but to the teams he has worked with over the years. He is a well-loved and deeply respected member of the Y&R family,” he adds.

requirements of Financial Times’ successful digital businesses, including the website, tablets and mobile.

“Seventy percent of the Financial Times’ total paying audience now comes from digital subscriptions. I have no doubt that TMG’s business will soon be moving in moving in the same direction,” says MacLeod.

TMG CEO Andrew Bonamour says: “MacLeod will drive the ‘digital-first’ needs of our business without sacrificing editorial integrity or advertising revenues. It is a very exciting time to be part of the media industry in South Africa, and we are intent on ensuring TMG remains a relevant market leader.”

Matzopolous will be responsible for TMG’s South African TV channels, TV production business Ochre, the South African radio assets Rise and Vuma, and will also support Times Media’s broadcast investments in Kenya and Ghana.

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SECURITY SPECIALISTS IN FILM PRODUCTION, EXECUTIVE BODYGUARDS AND SPECIAL EVENTS.

10 | CAPENATURE

www.thecallsheet.co.za

CAPENATURE:

Your Imagination, Our Location

CapeNature invites you to experience our breath-taking landscapes, including mountains, dams, waterfalls, rivers, and in some cases, tarred roads leading up magnificent passes.

S

outh Africa has been described as a world in one country and the Western Cape is renowned for offering every possible cinematic location for its natural and historical destinations.

When searching for the perfect nature location, CapeNature is able to offer you an extensive selection of the most breath-taking landscape in the world, including mountains, dams, waterfalls, rivers and caves as well as several well-maintained tarred roads.

We can grant you access to The Cape Floral Region, an evolutionary treasure chest, which was added to the prestigious list of World Heritage Sites in 2004. We also render services and provide facilities for research and training, and generate income to sustain our value offerings.

To this effect all revenue raised by filming is ploughed back into CapeNature’s many

conservation programmes and activities. All our interventions are informed by sound biodiversity principles in an effort to build a successful Biodiversity Economy in the Western Cape.

CapeNature is a public institution governed by the Western Cape Nature Conservation Board Act. 15 of 1998 and is mandated to promote and ensure biodiversity conservation.

We manage various projects and programmes that not only address these conservation objectives, but also have created significant socioeconomic development opportunities.

Some of our locations have tarred roads complemented by magnificent landscapes making them perfect for vehicle shoots. For almost a decade now, most of the world’s biggest vehicle brands, insisted on using these stretch of roads to film their latest model, often in top secrecy under strict security.

As the official conservation agency for the Western Cape, CapeNature aims to provide professional scientific services to support biodiversity conservation programmes.

Our Scientific Services Unit (SSU) boasts a world-renowned team of specialists. The Scientific Services Unit supply expert advice on indigenous aquatic systems, plants, invertebrates, freshwater fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals to academic and non-governmental organisations. With prior arrangement via our Marketing department, the Scientific Services Unit is available to assist the broadcasting and filming industry.

As per our commitment to stimulate the economy, CapeNature invites all film schools, students and well emerging filmmakers to consider our vast range of locations for their projects.

t: +27 21 200 1388 | e: locations@permitz.co.za | www.permitz.co.za

AFDA

B

launches two new degrees to prepare graduates for Disruptive Business

usiness is changing, and its changing fast,” says Garth Holmes, co-founder and Chairman of AFDA, South Africa’s No. 1 Film & Performance school, recently listed by iD Magazine as one of the top ten off-the-grid art institutions in the world.

“We want to create a spirit and a culture that encourages people to start companies all the time and everywhere, much like in the Silicon Valley, Israel, Tech City in London and Berlin today.” he continues, paraphrasing from Bill Aulet’s book ‘Disciplined Entrepreneurship’.

The AFDA School of Business Innovation and Computer Technology has been designed to prepare smart, ambitious, and creative graduates with the necessary skills to deal with the way which we do business in the world today and in the future.

The newly accredited Bachelor of Commerce Degree and Bachelor of Science degrees will utilise AFDA’S unique integrated and outcomesbased curriculum structure that it has so successfully developed over the last 20 years. The

Computer Technology degree is a critical aspect of AFDA’s strategy to create authentic learning environments which challenge traditional business models in our fast-changing economy.

While the business students are responsible for identifying opportunities in the market and creating business and marketing models and the arts students provide the creative content, the computer technology students are responsible for creating the necessary technology for the business product or service to be expedited online (online fund raising, marketing, shopping, streaming, security, monetisation and data collection).

“The triumvirate and collaboration of business, arts and science is what makes the AFDA offer unique,” says Holmes. The project based collaborative and market related learning system allows graduates to become formally connected with a skilled peer group which is diverse and educated.

Requirements: The minimum requirement to enter an AFDA Bachelors degree is a National Senior Certificate (matric) or National Certificate

(Vocational) with exemption/admission to bachelor’s degree, or equivalent.

“Those who have the ability to imagine new services, new opportunities and new ways to recruit work are the new untouchables” – Thomas Friedman, Paraphrased from ‘The World is Flat’ Bachelor of Commerce degree in Business Innovation & Enterprise components: • Business Leadership • Marketing and Sales • Finance • Business Management Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Technology proposed learning components & outcomes: • Data Analysis and Management • E-Commerce Technologies • Programming • Data Streaming and Display technologies • New technologies and developments For more information please do not hesitate to contact AFDA Co-Founder and Chairman Garth Holmes: 021 035 0359, garth@afda.co.za

VISUAL IMPACT | 11

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CAMERA TRENDS

and Tech Advancements

by Stefan Nell - Head of Digital Imaging and Rentals

E

very two years, we in SA get a little taste of what will be on offer at IBC when we host our own trade show at the Dome in Johannesburg. This year’s Mediatech show was a really good one with some great new equipment on display at the various stands, representing most of the camera manufacturers and suppliers.

The 4K trend is in full swing and the new offerings from Canon and Sony, being the C300MKII and the PXW FS7 respectively, received a huge amount of interest from the industry. Both of these cameras are aimed to be affordable and adaptable cameras that cater to any workflow requirements from shooting in REC709, shooting in Log formats or in 4K RAW. The FS7 is readily available and roll out for the C300MKII is expected in September for South Africa.

Another camera from the Sony stable that attracted a lot of attention at the show was the A7S, a DSLR capable of shooting at an ISO of over

400 000 and in 4K in Slog with the addition of on onboard recorder. There was also huge interest in the release of the A7R MKII which will be hitting our shores mid-August. The A7R MII is capable of shooting 4K internally in Slog2 but has a maximum ISO of 100 000, it also has a 5 axis image stabiliser to assist in hand held operation.

Canon also had some amazing new lenses on display at various stands but the undisputed show stopper with regards to lenses was the Canon 50-1000mm 4K PL Zoom. This zoom is designed for wildlife filmmakers and even has a 1.5 extender built in as if a 1000mm wasn’t long enough. Some of the other lenses on display that were really impressive were the Canon 30-300mm PL zoom as well as the new Fujinon Cabrio 14-35mm, the perfect complement to the existing 19-90mm and 85-300mm lenses.

On the lower end of the 4K scale there are two new releases from Sony that are really exciting and these are the PXW X70, a 4K camcorder with a 1”

sensor that shoots at 50 Mbps. Then my absolute favourite, the Sony RX10 MII, a cybershot DSLR with a F2.8 24-200mm Zeiss lens that can shoot up to 1000fps with a 1/32000 shutter. It shoots in various codecs including XAVC-s in SLOG2.

Some other products that impressed me were the Velvet Bi colour LED panels that come in 1x1 spot, 1x1 soft and a 2x1 panel. The light quality, build and price of these lights are really impressive but even more than that they are waterproof for shooting in extreme weather.

Finally, one of the manufacturers at the forefront of onboard recording devices is Video Devices and they have just launched the PIX E series in 5” and 7”. These are designed for 4K recording from your DSLR or cameras such as the A7S in 4K Pro Res. With all the manufacturers gearing up for IBC we can expect more announcements on releases and I am seriously excited to see what we can expect for the next cycle in terms of technological advancements and camera developments.

12 20 || IN SPOTLIGHT PRODUCTION

www.fi www.thecallsheet.co.za lmmakerafrica.co.za

IN PRODUCTION September 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:

Just Nuisance

Liam Neeson is teaming up with Open Road Films again (their previous collaboration was (The Grey) to make A Willing Patriot. Open Road Films said the focus of the film would be an “elaborate cat-and-mouse game” between the CIA agent and a “sinister terrorist”.

It has taken decades, but the story of the Navy’s first and only enlisted dog is coming to our screens. Currently in pre-production, the tale of Just Nuisance is sure to soften even the hardest of hearts.

The wily hound had a knack for riding the Cape Town railways on his own, and became a vital member of Royal Navy during the Second World War. Dumb Dog Productions and HopLite Productions are the teams behind the film.

Detour

Last Broken Darkness

Written and directed by Christopher Smith, indie thriller Detour is 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.

Local actors Sean Cameron Michael (Black Sails) and Brandon Auret (Elysium) are attached to star in this postapocalyptic action drama, directed

by Christopher Lee Dos Santos and produced by DS Films and The Karoo Film Company. A meteor shower has left the face of the Earth scarred and uninhabitable, and two friends are further tested by a new and terrifying threat.

A Willing Patriot

Journey is the Destination According to Screen Daily, Ben Schnetzer is to play a tragic Reuters photojournalist who was stoned to death in Mogadishu in 1993. Schnetzer will play Dan Eldon in Journey Is The Destination, a $6-million feature produced by Don Ranvaud.

The cast will also include Katherine Waterston (Inherent Vice) and Ella Purnell (Maleficent). By Geoffrey Macnab.

Mat Joubert This adaptation of Deon Meyer’s crime novel Dead Before Dying went into production in December as a coproduction with Germany company All-In Production. It follows the story of a worldweary police detective who tries to piece his life together after the death of this wife.

A serial killer might be the one to force Mat to face the world again.

Mandela’s Gun Produced and directed by John Irvin (Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy), Mandela’s Gun is a biopic that will chronicle the great statesman’s time as a guerilla fighter. It stars Tumesho Masha and Nick Boraine and is currently in the postproduction phase.

My Sight for Sore Eyes According to this local horror film’s Facebook page, the film takes place on “a remote farm in the middle of nowhere in South Africa. A young girl travels back for her mothers’ funeral and to see her mentally challenged brother. But on the night Chloe’s father leaves on business, the maid is left to keep an eye out for the brother and sister. Their peaceful world is thrown into chaos, when a tragic event ensues, forcing Chloe to make a life changing decision.” Acclaimed music video director Ryan Kruger is directing.

Of Kings and Prophets This biblical drama is currently in production in Cape Town. Acting legend Ray Winstone stars as a king who is hardened and weary after years of battle, and the many characters who make up his court and citizens. The show is being produced for ABC in the US.

www.fi www.thecallsheet.co.za lmmakerafrica.co.za

IN PRODUCTION SPOTLIGHT | 21 13

Acclaimed director Mira Nair is at the helm of this adaptation of Tim Crothers book, Queen of Katwe, about a Ugandan chess prodigy. Lupita Nyong’o (12 Years A Slave) set to stars at, with Disney producing. The film is currently wrapping up production.

Resident Evil: The Final Chapter The final installation of this megafranchise is set to start shooting this month. It will see Milla Jovovich reprise her role as Alice. According to IMDB, “following the events of “Resident Evil: Retribution”, Project Alice is forced to race against time as the villainous Red Queen attempts to destroy the final remnants of humanity.” Expect more zombie madness and mayhem on the streets of SA soon.

Shepherds and Butchers English actor Steve Coogan stars in this Apartheid-era court-room drama.

Coogan will play a lawyer who takes on a seemingly unwinnable homicide case.

The film is based on the book by Chris Marnewick.

The Whale Caller This hotly-anticipated adaption by Zola Maseko of the Zakes Mda classic “tells the story of a love triangle between the titular Whale Caller, his beloved whale Sharisha, and Saluni, the village drunk who teaches him to open his heart to people again”.

© Just Nuisance (Dumb Dog Productions and HopLite Productions are the teams behind the film.)

Queen of Katwe

14 | FEATURE

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© Showtime

Homeland Season 4

IT'S OPEN SEASON FOR FILM SERVICE!

© SA Tourism

Why SA Should Be Top of Mind for International Film Service Work

S KwaZulu-Natal is temperate during winter months. © SA Tourism

Chapman’s Peak Drive, Cape Town

outh Africa has long held a reputation for quality in film production and service on the continent and just looking at the last year in review, one can see that the country’s expertise is world-class. Starz’ Black Sails returned to the country for a second season, Syfy’s Dominion also saw season two filmed in South Africa, and Avengers: Age of Ultron shut down Joburg’s CBD for a short while to film an incredible, action-packed sequence in the city. International productions shot in South Africa have soared in the last few years – especially TV series – with the likes of Bluestone 42, SAF3 and Homeland Season 4 to name but a few. Films have also been on the rise with the likes of Momentum, Unfriend, Book of Negroes, Eye in the Sky, Dias Santana and Prisoner of War all reaching our shores. But why has the nation made such a global impact on filmmaking, you ask? Well, here are just a few reasons to get you packed up and on the next flight to sunny South Africa.

The weather is perfect And we aren’t exaggerating, either! Thanks to its location in the Southern Hemisphere’s subtropical zone, South Africa has a wider variety of climates than most in sub-Saharan Africa.

Although the winter months of July and August can get chilly, places like KwaZulu-Natal remain temperate during this time. The country has an average of 8-10 hours of sunshine daily, with semi-desert ato the west and greater rainfall to the east. The climate is Mediterranean and sometimes sees snow collect on the mountains of the Cape and Drakensberg.

The exchange rate is ideal With around R12 to the US Dollar and almost R20 to the British Pound, South Africa has a very favourable exchange rate for internationals. This has helped see a 30% expansion in productions in each of the past three years, according to FilmContact.com, which has, in turn, created a “bright spot for South Africa’s otherwise listless economy”.

Co-production treaties are on the rise.

Since 1997 South Africa has pursued coproduction treaties with a number of countries and to date has eight treaties in effect with Canada (1997), Germany (2004), Italy (2003), the United Kingdom (2007), France (2010), New Zealand (2011), Australia (2010) and Ireland (2012). Treaties vary from country to country and further information can be found on South African film commission websites.

SA has fabulous rebates SA’s Department of Trade and Industry offers a Foreign Film and Television Production and Post-Production incentive to filmmakers

FEATURE | 15

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International Films and TV Series Shot in SA in 2014 • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Big Kitchen (UK – Windfall Films) Black Sails (Film Afrika) Bluestone 42 (Out of Africa) Book of Negroes (Out of Africa) Carsten og Petra (Spier Films) Curse of Hendon/Grimsby (Moonlighting) DAAD Film Project (Germany) Dare 2 Dance (India – Gateway Film Services) Dias Santana (ZenHQ) Dominion (Film Afrika) Double Echo Eye in the Sky (Moonlighting) Face of Africa Germany (Bird Films) Fear Factor India (Endemol) Grzimek (Two Oceans Productions) Hamari Adhuri Kahani (Mehboob Bawa / Film Ad)

• Homeland (Moonlighting) • House Hunters International (USA – Leopard Films) • I’m A Celebrity Get Me out of Here!

(Denmark) • Jagga Jasoos (Mehboob Bawa / Film Ad) • Khamoshiyan (Mehboob Bawa / Film Ad) • Lying Makes You Happy (Film Afrika) • Memories (Kro-NCRV TV Series) • Momentum (Anton Ernst) • Mr X - 3D (Mehboob Bawa / Film Ad) • Our Girl (Out of Africa) • Prisoner of War (Johan Kruger) • Raja Natwarlal (Mehboob Bawa / Film Ad) • Ray of Life (Italy – EBN Productions) • Rosa 2 (Two Oceans Productions)

for more connectivity between South Africa and the world. Africa’s largest carrier, Ethiopian Airlines, announced non-stop flights to Cape Town, while Lufthansa has increased capacity between Cape Town and Munich for the summer and has upgraded its service between Frankfurt and Joburg. Switzerland’s Edelwiess will also connect the Mother City to Zurich non-stop.

Local carriers have also launched a number of new routes between major cities and unique destinations, connecting the country even more.

New air routes are popping up

SA has diverse talent and top-notch expertise

A number of new regional and international routes have recently been announced, allowing

Fondly known as the rainbow nation, South Africa truly lives up to the name. It is one of the

© Blackmagic

shooting on location. Rebate amounts vary, but the incentive is calculated at 20% of Qualifying South African Production Expenditure (QSAPE) with a cap of R50 million, while adding postproduction to your programme with get you a cumulative 22.5% incentive for Qualifying South African Post-Production Expenditure (QSAPPE) of R1.5 million. Shooting in SA and conducting post with a QSAPPE of R3 million and above will give you a 25% rebate. All info can be found on the www.thedti.gov.za.

• SAF3 (Kalahari Pictures) • Shark (BBC UK) • Shark Killer (Ace Hunter) (Out of Africa) • Shepherds and Butchers (Enigma Films) • Siba’s Table (Cooking Channel USA) • Soundtrack South Africa (Belgium – Geronimo) • Superbad (Two Oceans Productions) • The Avengers: Age of Ultron (Moonlighting) • The Kardashian Show (ZenHQ) • The Last Face (Moonlighting) • The Unexplained Files (Trilogy Creative Studios) • The Wrong Mans (Out of Africa) • Tiger House (Tendaka Matatu) • Tremors (Moonlighting) • Unfriend (Two Oceans Productions) • Wine (BBC Series) • Zorawar (Epic Entertainment)

Avengers: Age of Ultron

most ethnically diverse places in the world and thanks to a long history in the service industry for commercials and features, the country also holds one of the greatest pools of creative talent and experienced crew in Africa.

16 | POST-PRODUCTION OVERVIEW

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© Refinery

© Rolling Thunder

Street artist R1’s Hidden trophy piece set in Maboneng

iNumber Number

POST PRODUCTION IN SOUTH AFRICA 2015 Trends for an Ever-Growing Sector

by Kim Muller

T

he international post-production industry has, over the last few decades, become an integral part of movie making. Not only is post incredibly important in terms of computer generated imagery and visual effects, but what many don’t realise is that every (great) film contains an element of well-executed post production. Sometimes this is incredibly obvious – enter the Marvel franchise – and sometimes it’s as ‘simple’ as colour grading and audio post-production. Whatever the case may be, we’re better off with it and we all agree that when you don’t consciously notice the effects, that’s when the job is done to perfection.

South Africa’s post-production industry

has been a busy place of growth over the last few years, and the industry is known for worldclass quality and affordability. Global trends also tend to filter down to the continent, although Africa is well ahead of the international market in mobile content production and marketing.

This was one of the key trends brought forward at NAB 2015 and it’s safe to say that because smartphones are so accessible in Africa, shooting on mobiles (and the post-production thereof ) can eventually become the norm.

Amid the buzz and excitement at NAB, Adobe announced a raft of updates – including that of After Effects and Premiere Pro – to improve how broadcasters, filmmakers and

video professionals create, collaborate, deliver and monetise content across mediums.

Marc Ziman, Executive Creative Director and MD at Conduit Productions has a bright outlook for the local post industry. “South Africa is finally coming into its own as a destination packed to the brim with exceptional Animation and VFX talent, a great work ethic and world-class training,” he explains. “These factors coupled with the production values SA promises because of our exchange rate, poise to entrench SA as a go-to supplier for animation and VFX worldwide.” Ziman goes on to say that the tipping point in gaining momentum internationally will be when the local studio landscape begins to collaborate more openly. “We have to move from a position

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of insular closed source, to collaborative open source in order to join the international supply community. This is finally happening amongst studios and I feel will gather greater momentum as a direct consequence of business evolution.”

Hermann Venter of Rolling Thunder, an international production company that opened shop in SA recently, believes that online creations will soon shape Africa’s post-production values. “Work for online would normally entail putting something short and sweet together,” he rationalises, “With commercial budgets getting smaller, online work begins to get better. They put a bit more production value in online work.” His colleague, Harold Hölsher, adds that as the market continues to become even more accessible for individuals, this will alter productions. “Before, you needed lots of facilities, but more are able to handle these programmes and animators are becoming more and more efficient because they can facilitate better work and bigger work.

Soon production houses will include animation, colour grading, etc. I think more individuals and freelancers are also doing bigger jobs.”

POST-PRODUCTION OVERVIEW | 17

Budgets in television have not increased for a number of years and as a result, with the cost of living rising, pressure has been placed on all areas of the process in order to deliver good TV for less. According to Warren Bleksley, General Manager at Bladeworks, a group that encompasses BFX Studios, BladeDIT, Pudding Colour Services and Tinker Tailor, consolidation of post production is proving to work better. “We have started working

with production companies to try and lock down the budget and then roll with the punches when the production comes through the door,” he explains, “We at Bladeworks find that if we can control the workflow from DIT on set to the delivery at the broadcaster, we are able to address any shortcomings along the entire post production chain.”

The company has managed to refine its ‘camera card to broadcaster’ workflow in a number of programmes including M-Net’s new reality show Power Couple.

According to TV Technology’s Gary Arlen’s recap of the 2015 International Consumer

Electronics Show, “skirmishes over format and technology will continue indefinitely”.

The chance of 4K UHDTV becoming a widely adopted format is being threatened by alternatives such as 4K, 8K and High Dynamic Range (HDR) imaging. This essentially means more expensive equipment will drive the market towards a ‘lease versus buy’ ethos.

In today’s world, there’s no assurance that individual producers can recover investments of this kind, and we’re already seeing this taking place through cloud-based editing, transcoding and workflow solutions.

CES 2015 also saw some great postproduction tools showcased. Alienware (Dell)’s most exciting new product was its proprietary break-out box for their laptops, allowing you to drop in your choice of AMD or NVIDIA desktop video card, increasing your power to render video.

Bleksley has sound advice for navigating the ever-changing landscape of post production: “I would say that if you are not constantly evolving your business to produce quality productions on small margins you may be obsolete quicker than you think.”

18 | POST-PRODUCTION: ANIMATION AND VFX TRENDS

© Pollen (Hummingbird Group)

ANIMATION VFX TRENDS

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and

T

he rapid advance of technology has meant that computer animation and visual effects are now not only available to the masses, but that the animation industry is one of the fastest-growing industries in the world.

According to a recent report called Global Animation Industry 2015: Strategies, Trends and Opportunities, the demand for animated entertainment has expanded, with an increase in broadcasting hours by cable and satellite TV – not to mention content flung across the far reaches of the web.

This growth has been evident in South Africa’s animation industry of late, with Triggerfish partnering with Disney to produce the Story Lab, Animation SA forging alliances with Annecy, and with a growing number of features and TV series being shot and finished in the country. “The main difference we have experienced is a shift from doing mainly only commercial work to more TV series and film work since film work is now made more accessible to smaller studios like ourselves,” the Lung Animation team told us, noting that although the industry is seeing a growth spurt, it’s still not thriving yet.

“Budgets are forever shrinking and agencies are taking a lot of the small stuff in-house,” they continued.

Warren Bleksley of Bladeworks says that there are some challenges the local industry faces. “The tools are more affordable and the talent pool is not as wide as we may like as the industry has become inundated with small, one-man operations and production companies who are considering taking post production internally to compete for more margins and a piece of the crowded market,” he says. He stresses that although a company may have the full complement of software and hardware, the key to success is “recruiting the right talent and support teams to drive these machines”.

Lung agrees that there is a hole in the industry’s cluster of talent.

“We need a bigger pool of technical people to fill technical director roles and VFX-type work. We have animators and modellers but we need some serious tech heads to join the industry in SA.” Technologically, there are quite a few advancements that are shaping today’s VFX. Cinema 4D – a very robust 3D application that runs seamlessly in the 2D animation and compositing space – allows 2D artists to branch out with “incredible results into 3D capabilities”, without needing to focus solely on 3D. “Of course the capability needs to be used correctly,” Marc Ziman of Conduit says. “But if done so, promises reduced costs associated with the right type of 3D requirements and incredible creative executions as is being seen locally and internationally.”

10 Biggest Global Animation and VFX Trends 1. 3D Printing: This can be used to build practical models and augment traditional skills.

2. CG-Generated Stop Motion: Mixing CG and traditional effects, e.g. The Boxtrolls.

3. Disappearing VFX: The world is finally mastering the craft of VFX as films move from grand gestures to subtleties and nuances, in the case of Interstellar, for instance.

4. Live Action is the New Animation: VFX has increasingly enabled live action versions of what would normally have been handled by traditional animators.

5. Mixed styles: A cross-continental mix in the types of animated characters produced.

6. New Tools: VFX tools are undergoing

Cell C animation

Another advance is Realflow 2015, a world leading fluids and particle simulator for 3D professionals. “2015 sees a huge overhaul in the artists control, capabilities and ability to choreograph liquids and particles,” says Ziman. “In a genre that already produces mind-bending feats of imagination, I feel we are going to see a broader capability to produce truly original uses of both technologies.”

With South Africa VFX and animation companies making a name for themselves in the CGI realm, Harold Hölsher of Rolling Thunder believes we are poised for something great. “SA is doing quite well with animated feature films, and I think with the right push, the future looks very bright.

All the facilities are geared up to facilitate big productions, it’s all about people pushing themselves.”

a sea of change and as a result, many companies will be evaluating their pipeline to see if these tools can be added or replace current workflows.

7. Non-Realistic Rendering (NPR): Where rather than a CG animator creating a realistic world, the 3D software is used to create impressionistic, hand-drawn media.

8. Organic Influences: The ability to mimic organic media, from film to watercolour, in order to benefit the medium the story is told in.

9. Projections and Practical Sets: The search for authenticity continues and extends to principal photography as VFX crews move from using traditional greenscreens to huge projections.

10. Scaling the Uncanny Valley: The motion capture of a talking racoon (Guardians of the Galaxy) among other fantastic CG characters in live-action sequencing.

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POST-PRODUCTION: COLOUR GRADING, FINISHING AND AUDIO TRENDS | 19

Trends In

COLOUR GRADING and Finishing

S

ince the time of Terminator 2, the film industry has increasingly replaced traditional methods with digital technology. As a result, production’s workflow has changed significantly over the years, replacing an expensive film finishing process with more affordable options.

Blackmagic Design’s DaVinci Resolve 11, which was released late 2014, has moved the company into the ranks of nonlinear editing and includes more editorial tools than ever before.

Both free and paid versions support a variety of third-party control surfaces, while their Colour

Match interface offers a wealth of grading tools including camera raw settings, colour wheels and primary sliders. “Although this isn’t a one-shot fix, it’s intended to give you a good starting point for your grade,” Oliver Peters explains in Digital Video magazine. “Where Resolve 11 really shines is in its roundtrip capabilities,” he continues “It can take media and edit list formats from a range of systems, then let you process the media and finally output a new set of media files and corresponding lists. EDL, AAF, XML and FCPXML formats are supported, making Resolve 11 one of the better cross-application conversion tools.”

In the colour grading arena, we’re beginning to see flat grading take over the world. Instead of upping the saturation and boosting contrast to create the professional cinematic look you’ve dreamed of, both filmmakers and photographers are beginning to lighten their blacks, dim their colours and embrace the use of natural lighting a la Girls. A move towards realism and authenticity is a major reason for this trend.

It also arguably allows viewers to feel like they are there observing the situation – but should always be used in the correct context.

Another somewhat annoying international trend is the rise in ‘orange and teal’ styles.

That is, unnaturally orange-tinted skin tones against vivid blue skies…or against dimly-lit rooms with blue tints! This has become prevalent in blockbusters as filmmakers rely even more on digital colour correction for their final look and feel.

AUDIO POST TRENDS

M

ethods of recording, editing, mixing and mastering audio has changed significantly with technology’s upward evolution.

According to Tape Op, as tech follows this predictable growth slope, within the next three decades, audio engineering will become virtual and immersive. But how does that affect audio post-production in the film industry?

Audio dynamic range has also increased over the years, and today, we’re achieving “a best-case unweighted systemic dynamic range of around 110-115 dB (19 bits) — from concert halls

to home playback; but only under controlled, pristine lab-like conditions,” John Lagrou wrote in a recent piece entitled The Future of Audio Engineering. “The economic engines

driving key changes in pro audio will be gaming, film, and television, as well as military — combined global revenue of over US$500 billion. Pro audio will be the beneficiary of this massive innovation investment — what I call the ‘first person shooter era’ of popular media.”

Things like gestural control, spherical audio (total immersive, 3D audio), visualised imagery

and head motion tracking are all areas that will affect the audio post arena in the near future.

The era of virtual AV post production is clearly not far off, signalling that these future trends will soon converge into a singular professional audio ecosystem.

Although consumers are familiar with surround sound at the cinema or within their homes, theatre-quality sound is now a reality for mobile users thanks to Fraunhofer Cingo.

These built-in stereo speakers or headphones process sound in a way that dramatically improves users’ experience on mobile devices.

20 | POST-PRODUCTION COMPANIES

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© Pollen (Hummingbird Group)

Blackberry graphics

COMPANY NAME

DESCRIPTION

WEBSITE / CONTACTS

2 Plus 3 Post Productions

Post house with experience in colour grading, VFX, motion graphics and other effects for film, commercials and music videos.

www.2plus3post.co.za

5:25 Productions

Digital content production including editing, graphic design, motion graphics and VFX.

www.525productions.co.za

8 Bit Post

Post-production company including offline and online editing, FX and animation, grading and mix supervision.

www.8bitpost.com

Agent Orange Design

Full service design consultancy offering video production and post-production services for corporates and events.

www.agentorange.co.za

Audio Optics

FCP edit suite and final mix studio. Broadcast standard; has won sound craft awards.

audioptics@mweb.co.za

BFX Studios

Animation and design studio for film and commercials, with a focus on visual effects, motion graphics and character animation.

www.playblast.co.za/bfx

Big Mouth Studios

Creative production and media house with a full audio post-production suite, video editors, graphic designers and more.

www.bigmouthstudios.co.za

Black & Burst Post Production

Post production for commercials and feature films

karen@macdonald.co.za

Black Ginger

Commercials, feature films, design, 3D stereoscopic, visual effects, animation.

www.blackginger.tv

Blade DIT

Offering bespoke Digital Imaging Technician services, data wrangling and VT. Part of Blade Works.

www.bladedit.co.za

Blake Prinsloo

Digital grading, visual effects and online marketing.

www.staticblack.co.za

Bluehouse

Broadcast visual effects: animation, post production, visual effects, broadcast design.

www.bluehousefx.com

CherriBomb Films

Offline editing and visual effects company. Services include feature editing, advertisements, corporate and entertainment videos.

www.cherribombfilms.com

Conduit Productions

Design-driven production house with post production studios, designers, illustrators and VFX artisans.

www.conduit.co.za

Cut & Paste Generation

One of SA’s highly-sought-after music composition and audio post-production facilities.

www.cutandpastegeneration.tv

Deepend Post Production

Post-production company with experience in local and international awardwinning film and post work.

www.deependpost.com

POST-PRODUCTION COMPANIES | 21

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COMPANY NAME

DESCRIPTION

WEBSITE / CONTACTS

Deliverance

Multi-award-winning post-production company with 4K Autodesk Flame and two offline edit suites.

www.deliverance.co.za

Digipro Ltd

Mauritius-based audio visual production, post-production, 2D and 3D animation.

digipro@intnet.mu

Digital Therapy

Boutique Onset Post digital cinematography workflow specialists.

www.digitaltherapy.co.za

DMCP

Wide range of services in pre, production and post.

www.dmcp.net

Ear Candy Audio Post

A full service audio post and dubbing facility based in Joburg.

www.earcandy.co.za

Edit Innovations

Mobile Edit Suite

lisa@editinnovations.co.za

EmmaWatkin.com

Comprehensive post-production service from script to screen with mobile solutions.

www.emmawatkin.com

Filmworks

Production services including post-production in South Africa, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Beirut and LA.

www.filmworksgroup.com

Final Fade Productions

Post-production house offering services to the broadcast & corporate industries.

www.finalfade-productions.co.za

Foghound

Complete, in-house and cost-effective solution for TV and radio commercials with two studios, 4 edit suites, an audio suite and 4 broadcast cameras.

www.foghound.co.za

Fourteen Tenth

Video and animated content production for television, web and corporate films.

www.fouteententh.co.za

Frameline Film & Television

Foleys, track laying and editing

www.frameline.co.za

General Post

Supplying freelance digital media, post-production and creative crew to the television and advertising industries.

www.generalpost.co.za

Gepetto’s Workshop - Craft & Design

Online, creative visual effects, title design, sound design and final mix

www.gwfx.co.za

Glass House

Mobile editors with 2 Avid laptops, 1 fully equipped Avid edit suite, and 1 Final Cut Pro suite.

www.ghpp.com

Global Access

Visual effects ranging from 2D infographics to 3D animation. Full HD editing suites with multi-format play-out facilities.

www.globalaccess.co.za

Guillotine

Specialist film and video post-production company offering offline editing, colour grading, post supervision, and VFX supervision.

www.guillotinepost.co.za

iKraal Video Production

Company offering video production and post services.

www.ikraal.co.za

Image Lab

Video production company with post-production services in video editing, sound design and graphics and SFX.

www.imagelab.co.za

Imagenheart

Award-winning film & music production company with post services.

www.imagenheart.com

Konstrukt

Creating motion graphics, animation and VFX from concept to completion.

www.konstrukt.tv

Kraft Post Production

Full service post production company offering Final Cut Pro HD editing, 2K online & grading, mobile editing, motion graphics, audio post and composition.

www.vimeo.com/kraftpost

Left

Award-winning post-production offline editing house. Ranked number 1 post company in SA by the Loeries in 2012 and 2014.

www.left.co.za

Liquid Sky

Video editing, animation, DVD authoring, motion graphics.

mark@360degrees.co.za

• Editing for foreign service • • High speed data uploads • • Colour, Smoke and VFX •

WINNER: Best South African Film at Durban International Film Festival

POST PRODUCTION

CAPE TOWN | JOHANNESBURG WWW.PRIEST.CO.ZA | +27 (0) 21 201 4777

22 | POST-PRODUCTION COMPANIES

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COMPANY NAME

DESCRIPTION

WEBSITE / CONTACTS

Loft 13

3D visualisation services and post-production facilities including 3D animation, editing and motion graphics for TV.

www.loft13.co.za

Lung Animation

Boutique-style animation studio with experience on-set and off. Includes VFX, character design, rotoscoping.

www.lung.co.za

Ministry of Illusion

Providing digital effects, online editing, graphics, multimedia, animation, telecine, music composition and final mix.

www.moi.co.za

M-Net Production Services

Broadcast post-production and non-linear services

www.mnet.co.za

Modern Times

Production house with a boutique post-production facility built around FCP: conversions, web, multimedia, audio mix

www.modern.co.za

Mother City Records

Specialists in audio post-production for film, TV and radio. Also offers creative sound design, original music composition, extensive music library, 5.1 surround sound mixes and final masters.

www.mcrecords.co.za

Motion Bones

Namibia’s pioneering animation and visual effects studio.

www.motionbones.com

Mushroom Media

Full service, creative boutique for HD, 2K and 4K post-production

www.mushroommedia.co.za

New Creation Collective

A boutique post-production facility with services including editing, visual effects, colour grading, motion graphics and animation

www.newcreationcollective.com

New Wave Productions

Turnkey solution for productions including post production with 3 Final Cut Pro edit suites, offline set up and audio post.

www.new-wave.co.za

Okuhle Media (MagnaTude Studios & Post)

Award-winning media and production company with broadcast studios and post (MagnaTude Studios & Post).

www.okuhle.co.za

On Key Sound

Audio post-production for film and TV including Verraiers, iNumber Number, Intersexions, etc.

www.onkeysound.com

Orchestra Blue Post Production

Non-linear, offline editing and complete post production

www.obpp.co.za

Orijin

Leading broadcast design group with experience in broadcasting, animation, on-air promos, VFX, filming and post-production.

www.orijin.co.za

Phonographic Music and Audio Design

Audio post-production company with offerings in music production, sound design, voice over and final mix.

www.phonographic.co.za

Pollen (Hummingbird Group)

A creative services agency providing production, post production and original content to TV, film, digital and mobile.

www.pollen.tv

Popcorn Post Production

Company offering a range of post-production services in commercials, corporate videos, live events, music videos, short films and documentaries.

www.popcornpost.tv

Postboxx

Professional, quality production and post-production services from concept to delivery.

www.postboxx.co.za

Postmasters

Digital video editing, audio mix, graphics

www.postmasters.co.za

Postmasters

Specialists in video post-production for the SA broadcast industry.

www.postmasters.co.za

Press Play Films SA

A dynamic creative production house includes graphic design, video editing, motion graphics, 2D and 3D animation and VFX.

www.pressplayfilms.co.za

Priest

Film editors extraordinaire for TV commercials, AV’s music videos, documentaries and series.

www.priest.co.za

Production Works

Full production studios, HD edit suites, 2 ProTools audio final mix.

www.productionworks.co.za

Pudding Colour Services

South Africa’s leading colour grading and telecine house.

www.pudding.co.za

Realtime Pictures

Television studio with online and offline plus linear edit suites, final mix, graphics, animation, camera and lighting hire.

www.realtimepictures.com

Refinery

Joburg-based post-production facility that handles all aspects of picture management from script to screen.

www.refinery.co.za

Riot Post Production

Small edit house specialising in TV commercials, music videos, short films and documentaries.

www.riotpost.co.za

Rolling Thunder

Full service film production and post-production studio with offices in SA and Dubai.

www.rollingthundersa.co.za

Sasani Studios

Broadcast studios and post-production facilities that cater for all segments of the TV broadcast and post market.

www.sasanistudios.co.za

Searle Street Post

Award-winning post-production company combining the latest technology, integrated, tapeless workflows and experienced talent.

www.sspp.co.za

Seed Post Production

Award-winning editors with 18 years professional experience, commercials to features, with full post management for mobile and onset.

www.seedposthouse.co.za

POST-PRODUCTION COMPANIES | 23

www.thecallsheet.co.za

COMPANY NAME

DESCRIPTION

WEBSITE / CONTACTS

Silverline360

Group of companies encompassing film equipment, sales and post-production.

www.silverline360.com

Sonovision Studios

Turnkey audio post-production services for the film and advertising industries.

www.sonovisionstudios.com

Sound Surfers

Movie sound specialists for feature film and TV audio post-production.

www.soundsurfers.net

Stingrayinteractive

Pre and post-production, TV, cinema, radio production, website developers.

Street Stories Films

Documentaries, corporates and broadcast with editing in Final Cut Pro 2.

www.streettalktv.com

Tank Studios

Providing a broad range of services including editing, graphics, colour grading, audio and other deliverables.

www.tankstudios.co.za

Tessa Ford Post

Post-production house with three cinema style edit suites for non-linear offline edition and full post supervision.

www.tessafordpost.co.za

The Blade Works Post Production Facilities

Commercial post-production and visual effects.

www.bladeworks.co.za

The Bridge

Film, TV, medial post production editing, management and supervision.

Commercials, features, AVs, image films and editors.

www.thebridgesa.co.za

The Digital Cut

Non-linear services.

www.cmproductions.co.za

The Digital Workshop

Post-production boutique specialising in TV commercials, creative editorial, authoring, and audio final mix.

www.digitalworkshop.tv

The Flying Circus

Full service animation and post-production facility offering everything from motion capture to VFX for feature films.

www.flyingcircus.tv

The Pixel Surgeon

Creative photographic retouching, post-production, product photography, on-set digital operating.

www.thepixelsurgeon.com

The Video Lounge

Pre to post, AV/multimedia, commercials, documentaries, graphics, equipment hire, edit suites and source machines.

Debbie@thevideolounge.co.za

The Workroom Audio Post Production

Award-winning audio post-production company working on features, television, radio and commercials.

www.theworkroom.co.za

TiNT Post Production

Offering colour grading and finishing, digital encoding, VFX, post-production facilities and audio.

www.tintpost.com

Upstairs Ludus

Post-production facility, sister company of Upstairs Post.

www.upstairspost.co.za

Urban Brew Studios

Broadcast post-production studio inspired by Africa & informed by international trends.

www.urbanbrew.tv

Visual Impact

Leading provider of digital HD broadcast solutions, with complete postproduction packages.

www.visuals.tv

Waterfront Film Studios

Offers a comprehensive range of facilities: 3 sound stages, full post-production facilities, VFX animation facilities, audio post studios, digital film restoration.

www.waterfrontfilmstudios.com

Winchester Special Effects

The latest post-production workflow incorporating the best in class applications.

www.wfxssa.com

© Refinery

© Refinery

MasterChef SA Season 3

Stuur Groete aan Mannetjies Roux

DISCLAIMER: Please note that although there are many great post-production houses operating in in Southern Africa, due to limited space in The Callsheet, we are unable to include them all. We have done our best to cover all major companies in the industry and apologise if your organisation has not been mentioned.

24 | FEATURE

www.thecallsheet.co.za

FILM AUDITING AND PRODUCTION ACCOUNTING Many of South Africa’s accountants have made film auditing and production accounting their life’s work.

Imogen Campbell talks to the industry leaders about the complexities of the business.

T

he process of conceptualising an idea and then bringing it to screen is a spectacularly creative process. The accounting of

the monetary resources, however, is not, but is crucial to the completion of a project. The Callsheet inspected production accounting and auditing in

respect of the Department of Trade and Industry’s rebate. We spoke to industry stalwarts and requested their expertise on the subject.

FILM GUARANTORS Hollard, a leader in film guarantors is represented by Carol Kruger. Hollard manages the entire process from script to screen and The Callsheet was keen to discover what that entailed.

The Callsheet: Since you are film guarantors, what are the elements in the production process that you scrutinise the most to make sure that it is completed on time and in budget?

Carol Kruger: We evaluate the script, budget and schedule prior to giving the bond. In addition we like to approve the HOD’S, with particular emphasis on the production accountant and the Line Producer. The shoot is monitored daily. During shoot, the production supplies us with a daily progress report and wrap reports. Weekly cost report, general ledger and trial balance gets sent to me to be checked weekly. Everything is uploaded to our online app and from there our team gets notifications.

This way we are all on the same page.

The Callsheet: How do you co-operate with the DTI and the pay-outs along the tranches?

Kruger: Milestone letters are sent to the DTI once a payment is due. The DTI act on this and then make the payment to the SPV. The Callsheet: What are possible types of claims that could arise and that Hollard is managing risk against?

Kruger: As you will have seen, we manage the process to see that the film is on a steady course from day one. The biggest risks are not completing the daily schedule which could be as a result of a difficult director or actor OR things out of the producers control such as weather or an actor that goes walkabout!

The Callsheet: When budgeting for a movie tapped into the rebate, is production accounting

different to a film not utilising a rebate?

Kruger: On a professional production the same rules apply. Differences are: a) Certified copies of ID’s is one of the biggest issues. This normally is the biggest argument point between accounts and other departments. b) Monitoring what is qualifying spend and what is not.

The Callsheet: Who are the specialist SPCVs (special purpose corporate vehicle) that you often work with?

Kruger: A new SPCV has to be opened for each film. The Production House/Producers will open the SPCV and will apply to us for a completion bond. We have a lot of loyal producers that Paul Raleigh has relationships and that we have developed over the years. Mostly, our clients know that we go the extra mile for them, and we see these as a partnership and not just a business relationship.

COMPLETION BONDERS Film Finances, world leaders and pioneers in completion bonds, represented by Jane Fry. Completion bonding means that the film is bonded to ensure that it is actually completed and delivered on time and within budget.

The Callsheet: Advance funding against the DTI

rebate is often required, what is involved to do this?

Jane Fry: The DTI often pays productions in milestones, some of which are paid after principal photography and after delivery of the film. The Producer requires funding earlier than this in order to finish the film and so

the Producer is regularly looking for advance funding against the rebate. There are various facilities that offer this lending facility. The Producer would enter into an agreement with the lending facility.

The Callsheet: When budgeting for a movie

FEATURE | 25

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tapped into the rebate, is production accounting different to one not utilising a rebate?

Fry: Accounting should be no different whether it is tapped into the rebate or not, other than tracking true Qualifying SA Production Spend (QSAPE). The tracking of QSAPE is very easy. Each expense is

tagged when captured into the accounting programme and then a report can be drawn from that info.

The Callsheet: What are the elements in the production process that you scrutinise the most to make sure that it is completed on time and in budget?

Fry: Ensuring that the director makes his/ her day according to the signed-off shooting schedule and keeping track of expenditure.

After principal photography it is important to ensure that the signed off Post Production Schedule is monitored and that all the post production deadlines are met in order to deliver the film on time.

PRODUCTION ACCOUNTING

The Callsheet: What does production accounting for the film industry entail?

Hugh Barrett: • In prep – being involved with updating the budget until it is “locked” – usually just before the start of filming.

- Preparing cashflows so that funding flows to the production in time to pay costs - Completing DTI rebate application.

• Making sure purchase orders are issued for purchases and rentals • Making “urgent” and other payments.

Checking statements from suppliers to ensure invoices have not been missed • Petty cash – checking and reimbursing, • Preparing payroll – checking timesheets with production manager or line producer. Making sure contracts have been completed and approved • Checking and approving payroll breakdown prepared by Payroll company, • Checking cast contracts – and running their payroll

• •

•

•

• •

Extras – checking Extras chits against their payroll Data capturing – of AP (accounts payable – electronic and cheque payments) and petty cash Updating Cost Report – weekly during shoot - to ensure production still on budget During shoot – daily “hot cost” reporting.

This is a ‘snapshot’ of daily costs looking at overtime costs, catering, extras and any other variable daily cost Compliance with any other studio requirements Compliance with DTI rebate requirements if applicable – e.g. ongoing review of programme for trainees and of supplier BBBEE ratings.

The Callsheet: What are industry specific challenges that you face in doing production accounting for the film industry?

Barrett: Current shortage of experienced accounts crew. Never enough time!

The Callsheet: When budgeting for a movie tapped into the rebate, is production accounting different to one not utilising a rebate?

Barrett: Not much. Of course one needs to ensure that in broad outline the rebate rules are being complied with – length of shooting period, more than 50% shot in South Africa and so on. May be some restriction on suppliers in order to ensure production meets BBBEE targets.

The Callsheet: Which types of companies typically act in the capacity of SPCVs (special purpose corporate vehicle)?

Barrett: Shelf company – all production costs must be paid by this company. No other costs are allowed.

“

I think the industry is also very specialised and most accounting packages are not geared for the kind of record keeping.

“

Hugh Barrett from Film Afrika made observations on the practical aspect of production accounting in the process.

26 | FEATURE

Kagisho Bapela, Chief Creative at Thekgo Chartered Accountants, expounded from an accounting perspective.

The Callsheet: What does production accounting for the film industry entail?

Kagisho Bapela: Production accounting in the film industry entails providing accounting support for the production to ensure that the money spent in the production of the film can be well accounted for. Basically all money received by the film from funders/ investors has to be recorded in the financial records of the production. Also, all the costs of producing the film as per the production budget have to be recorded. As an accountant you also do the reporting to investors/bonders on the progress made in terms of the budgeted costs. You also handle all other statutory reporting requirements.

The Callsheet: What are industry specific challenges that you face in doing production

www.thecallsheet.co.za

accounting for the film industry?

Bapela: There is a gap between accounting practice and players in the film industry.

Sometimes creatives do not appreciate certain basic accounting or record keeping principles. This is not really ignorance but lack of exposure to a more strict and defined way of doing things like accountants are bred to be. It takes patience and understanding to overcome some of the differences in approach. I think the industry is also very specialised and most accounting packages are not geared for the kind of record keeping and reporting requirements that the industry requires.

The Callsheet: What are the practical steps in doing production accounting in terms of the tranches of the DTI rebate? Is this 20% split useful; do some categories seem to require more funding than others? My understanding is that even if you underspend on one tranche, it cannot be utilised in another tranche,

is this correct?

Bapela: The rebate is paid out on defined terms and the completion bonder plays a role in managing the reporting process with DTI. Production accounting’s role is to provide timely cost reports so that the bonder can advise the DTI on the progress the film has made in terms of the tranches.

The 20% split is really just a mechanism to make sure the spending is managed. The only time a tranche is measured against your spending, as far as I understand, is when the last tranche is paid. This is mainly because the film has to be audited to the DTI to establish the final “rebatable� costs. So only the last 20% could be lower.

The first four tranches should be equal.

The only weakness of the 20% split is that the last two tranches usually have to be replaced by other temporary funding as they come through much later in the process, after principal photography has been completed.

AUDITORS Newton Cockcroft, Director at Deloitte & Touche.

The Callsheet: Are there any pitfalls or challenges for the auditor to take into account in the process?

Newton Cockcroft: It is important to remember the background of this incentive.

It was developed to stimulate the growth of the industry and to create employment.

The programme has undergone some substantial changes through the years and, as example, the initial incentive programme

has developed into the Foreign Film and Television Production and Post-Production (to attract foreign film productions) and the South African Film and Television Production and Co-Production incentive (to assist local film producers in the production of local content). A specific support programme for emerging black filmmakers has also been developed.

We know that the current programme is likely to undergo some changes and we believe that the DTI will look at specific sectors of the industry where employment

can be created. Sectors like the Animation industry and the wildlife documentary industry are getting substantial interest from abroad and these industries sometimes battle with specific aspects of the current rebate programmes. A successful industry programme grows with the industry and we know that the DTI has been in consultation with these sectors of the industry and that they may be looking at specific changes in the programmes to assist these sectors.

The area of the guidelines that we have seen to be the most problematic is the requirement that all disbursements have to be made through the bank account of the SPCV. As clients have grown over the years (as a result of the effectiveness of the rebate programme) they seem to be doing more and more productions simultaneously.

This then makes it problematic where a staff member works on more than one production at the same time as you simply cannot transfer such staff member between productions due to the effect that this would have on aspects like the pension fund and/ or medical aid fund memberships of such staff member. We have discussed this with the DTI and we believe that this matter will soon be resolved.

www.thecallsheet.co.za

The Callsheet: Are the guidelines as set out by the DTI specific to guide the auditing processes to monitor the DTI rebate payouts?

Ryan Hutchison: The DTI guidelines outlines the requirements and conditions filmmakers must meet in order to access the DTI rebate, it is also a valuable resource for the auditor as he/she should be familiar with the guidelines when performing his audit duties for the final application to the DTI. The Callsheet: What other auditing principles are taken into account when doing the rebate audit to ensure accuracy with legislation?

Hutchison: When performing an audit for the DTI or on company financials statement, the audit principles remains consistent. An auditor performing an audit is required to adhere to the following principles: - Independence, Honesty, Confidentiality, Consistency, Verification to evidence – this isad.pdf not an exhaustive list, but 1 2015/08/05 03:40:23 PM forms the corner

“

stone of a good audit. What I think your question alludes to, is what other procedures are undertaken by the auditor to ensure accuracy with DTI guidelines, the DTI provides agreed upon audit procedures which the auditor must perform. These audit procedures have specific audit objectives which the auditor will use when auditing the expenditure of the production, where the procedures provided by the DTI does not provide sufficient evidence for the auditor to conclude his or her findings the auditor can use a variety of techniques to assist in obtaining said objective.

The Callsheet: What is the role of the auditor in the process with the DTI rebate? To obtain some funds audited budgets must be provided?

Hutchison: The role for the auditor is to express an opinion as to whether the production has complied with the DTI guidelines in terms of the rebate claimed.

The auditor at the final stage of the claim to the DTI, will audit the expenditure incurred by the production and agree that these cost meets the objectives as set out in the agreed upon audit procedures issued by the DTI.

An auditor performing an audit is required to adhere to the following principles: - Independence, Honesty, Confidentiality, Consistency, Verification to evidence – this is not an exhaustive list, but forms the corner stone of a good audit.

“

Ryan Hutchinson, Audit Clerk at Galbraith Rushby informed the Callsheet on the auditing side of the process.

FEATURE | 27

Finance meets Creative Expression We offer finance and accounting services that allow creatives to actualize their vision with excellence by applying our knowledge and skill to ensure their business success.

We contribute to the creative process through the following:

• • • •

Deal Structuring and Funding Production Accounting Supervising Producers Auditing

email: Kagishob@thekgo.co.za

cell: 084-806-7593

tel: 012-347-0341

28 | FEATURE

www.thecallsheet.co.za

The Callsheet: Please explain the process and clarify the auditing post completion of the project?

Hutchison: The production as part of their final application to the DTI must have their expenditure statement audited by a registered auditor. The auditor is required to follow the procedures and objectives as outlined in the agreed upon procedures issued by the DTI

which is referred to as Annexure A. The auditor responsibilities are to audit the expenditure sheet and issue a report as to whether the expenditure claimed by the production as QSAPE meets the requirement as per the guidelines. The audited expenditure statement and audit report together with the completed Form D is then submitted to the DTI for payment.

There are distinct differences when doing movies that utilise the rebate compared to one that does not, and its more the focus on expenditure incurred to ensure they meet the requirements in terms of the DTI guidelines.

From a budget perspective, the producer would consider the limitation imposed on certain line items i.e. producer cost which is limited to 10% of TPE or R1-million, whichever is the lesser – this includes the travel and accommodation of the producers. Certain other costs like entertainment and publicity are also excluded from QSAPE, the production accountant should be aware of these limitations and code these cost as non-QSAPE when processing the entries in the accounting package. Producers and production accountants should be aware

of the minimum QSAPE spend required for the different film incentive i.e with foreign film incentive the minimum QSAPE spend is R12-million on productions; not achieving this minimum spend could be put you in a precarious position. The production accountants must monitor the budget in terms of the DTI guidelines and ensure that they are in line. At the end of the day, this can affect their budget if the DTI is reduced and thus ultimately affect the production of the film.

“

There are distinct differences when doing movies which utilise the rebate compared to one that does not, and its more the focus on expenditure.

“

Once the auditor is satisfied with the outcomes he/she will issue an audit report with his/her conclusion.

This refers to making use of milestone payment from the DTI. This is available to bonded films, the DTI then allows for the production to draw down from their approved incentive amount over five instalments. The 5th instalment is only paid out after the production has submitted their final form D with the audit report. For production with a budget up to R10 million, the DTI offers a subsidy on the bond fee. At each specific draw down stage, the production has to submit cost reports to their bonder which will then issue a letter to DTI to affect the payment of the milestone payment.

TA I LO R - MA D E F I L M & T E L E V I S I O N INSURANCE SOLUTIONS KEU is a leading Film and Commercial Producers Underwriting Manager that is able to provide a comprehensive solution to any production company.

Our cover includes: • Nominated Key Cast & Crew • Negative / Digital Media • Faulty Stock • Hired-in Miscellaneous Equipment • Props, Sets & Wardrobe • Extra Expense • Third Party Property Damage

• • • • • •

Public Liability Employers Liability Animal Mortality Personal Accident Hired-in Vehicles Action Vehicles

We provide insurance solutions for both local and international productions. We can assist whether your client is filming a Feature Film, Television Series, Stills, Documentary or Advertisement.

Please note that we are only permitted to deal with approved Short Term Insurance Brokers. Your broker may contact us should you require a quotation or additional information.

60706

Contact either Denise or Iola on 0861 00 00 90 KEU Underwriting Managers (Pty) Ltd is an authorised financial services provider, FSP No. 5076. KEU products are underwritten by Centriq Insurance Company Ltd. We partner with registered short-term insurance brokers to ensure your risk is covered. KEU is a member of SAUMA.

UNDERWRITING MANAGERS (PTY) LTD

88 Monkor Road, Randpark Ridge Tel: 0861 00 00 90 Fax: 0861 00 00 30 email: info@keu.co.za www.keu.co.za

FEATURE | 29

www.thecallsheet.co.za

The Callsheet shines the spotlight on KEU Underwriters The Callsheet: I have seen the services that you provide; would you care to elaborate on the money and securities aspect of the coverage in a plan? How will film production lose money due to damage and destruction of money or securities?

Denise Hattingh: The biggest money risk that is faced by the production company is the actual distribution of hard cash to various crew members – but mainly the Art Department.

We often find that individuals have to enter into less desirable locations to purchase certain props and the like and is then a soft target for criminals.

The question will always be – do I keep the money on me or rather leave it in the vehicle? Theft from

an unattended vehicle is a standard exclusion on the policy, the flipside of this is if the person carries this with him then they become the target. The insured must always take due care when cash is distributed and where it is kept – speak to your broker when you are not certain of the policy conditions. Where possible make use of a card system or electronic banking. Theft from individual crew members are not insured – so make sure you know who is handling your money.

The Callsheet: Would you comment about your experience in the entertainment underwriting industry; since your start in 1996 to now? What are the overarching changes?

Hattingh: I started my underwriting career at an international insurance company and was afforded the opportunity to grow the local

entertainment underwriting portfolio. The biggest changes we have experienced in recent years are the move over from film to digital and the understanding of what the specific risks are. If there are changes in the industry – we as underwriters must be sure that we also understand the risks associated with the new technology.It has also meant that smaller production companies with smaller budgets can now enter the market as digital filming and editing has made it more accessible. There has also been a greater degree of understanding and requests to obtain liability insurances, especially when international productions are filmed in South Africa. We have also experienced an increase in the number of liability claims as people are now more aware of their rights.

Impact in motion “The only limit to your impact is your imagination and commitment.”

Tony Robbins

Deloitte is proudly playing an active role in promoting the film industry in Africa – an industry that not only produces world-class-quality films, but also creates thousands of jobs and contributes significantly to the GDP of countries in Africa.

We are committed to making a meaningful impact on the industry through our audit, consulting, financial advisory, risk management, tax and related services.

For information on our professional services, visit www.deloitte.com/za.

Newton Cockcroft Director ncockcroft@deloitte.co.za

© 2015 Deloitte & Touche. All rights reserved. Member of Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited

30 | GALBRAITH | RUSHBY

www.thecallsheet.co.za

BUSINESS WOMAN Achiever Award in the Professional Category

Jeneen Galbraith and Michael Rushby

J

eneen Galbraith has recently won the business women’s achiever award in the professional category. Together with Michael Rushby, they built the business from scratch in seven short years with an astounding 3 000 clients. The firm grew from the basement of Jeneen’s house with one employee to an office in Woodstock which accommodates some 38 employees. The firm offers accounting, taxation, consulting and other advisory services, with a specialist focus on the film industry.

Not only is Jeneen a Registered Auditor, a qualified Chartered Accountant and a Chartered Management Accountant, but during her final year at Rhodes University she took home all the gold medals for auditing, accounting and taxation – the first time a woman received such an achievement at the university.

Before starting her firm in 2008, Jeneen enjoyed a successful career in accounting.

She has developed a well-rounded skill that includes local and international corporate finance, auditing and taxation. She began her career at Coopers & Lybrand in 1994, and became audit supervisor in their London office within four years. Then she seconded to GlaxoSmithKline plc as a Senior Financial Analyst before returning to SA. Jeneen attributes the firm’s extensive client base to the service they provide. “Our growth is due mainly to our existing clients who recommend us by word-of-mouth to new clients,” she shares. “When I started my business in 2008, I did not have any capital… but built the business from the ground up…

I was committed to delivering an excellent service but at a reasonable price,” she explains. Jeneen makes a point of following a proactive training approach and has personally trained many of her staff. “This approach requires patience, commitment and time. I sit with them at their desks and work with them.” The company offers learnership programmes, enabling staff to become Chartered Accountants, Professional Accountants and Chartered Management Accountants (CIMA).

The firm also provides pro-bono accounting services to a number of non-profit

organisations such as The Property Foundation of South Africa and the Down Syndrome Inclusive Education NPO. They provide reduced fees to other organisations like ‘5 For Change NPC’, and also outsource work to a number of independent bookkeepers working from home. “This particularly assists those who are single moms and need to be available for their children,” she says.

Leadership Lesson “I truly believe in the value of building your team and giving them the tools to reach their full potential. I truly believe that building a team of exceptional people is key to our success and take pride in the enthusiasm, motivation and focus of each and every employee at Galbraith Rushby.”

Regional Business Achievers Award Since 2001, Business Women Achiever Awards South Africa (BWASA) has held the annual Regional Business Achiever Awards (RBAA).

Jeneen Galbraith was one of the three finalists in the professional category, each interviewed by judges in different industries, among other things. The BWASA culminated with a gala dinner at Kelvin Grove, where Jeneen won the award as Cape Town’s Business Woman of the Year in the Professional Category.

FILM REVIEW | 31

www.thecallsheet.co.za

© All images courtesy of UIP

TELL ME SWEET SOMETHING

Love makes the world go round, or does it?

by Kim Muller

A

kin Omotoso’s new romantic film Tell Me Sweet Something is quite possibly one of the prettiest films to come out of South Africa. Maboneng Precinct in Joburg looks as hipster as ever and the cast is literally to die for. Each scene is a cinematic moment, from the all-too-perfect passionate kiss to breaking it down on the dance floor, the equal distribution of black, white and coloured background actors and, of course, my personal favourite, the bookstore no one seems to care about.

This ‘great African love story’ follows Moratiwa (Nomzamo Mbatha), an aspiring novelist struggling with her second-hand bookstore, her writing, and her love life, too.

Her best friend, Tashaka (Thishiwe Ziqubu) convinces the socially awkward twentysomething to go out partying with her, where she meets SA’s biggest model Nat Masilo (Maps Maponyane). Initially they don’t get along, but as all rom-coms go, the hiccups are smoothed out eventually and the rest is history!

The film was incredibly sweet and adorable, setting Joburg up as the city of love – not to mention its incredible touristic value.

The cutesy introduction and brand identity throughout was really lovely and spoke to my Typo-loving soul, and the costume department clearly went all out to make these people look amazing. And it worked. I also found the old people’s stories of how they met and stayed

together rather endearing. It broke the slowmoving story up nicely, and gave me something truly authentic to cling to. Not that the film wasn’t authentic – it was at points – but there were also areas where I felt the dialogue was a bit stilted, as though they were trying to pronounce things just right, or pushing to make it just a bit funnier; when the protagonists’ stony glares or enduringly happy faces gave no indication that I should feel anything for them. Surprisingly enough, I fell more in love with the supporting actors – Thishiwe, Thomas Gumede and Thembi Seete were such great fun and really brought the story to life.

Probably the greatest moment for me was when Moratiwa (spoiler alert) hears that Nat’s old squeeze Sashi is pregnant. Gone was the stylistic look and beautiful cinematic New Girl vibe. Her lipstick was everywhere and the look of shock on her face was palpable – just what I would have felt if I’d been in the same situation.

The ending, too, was entirely redeeming. It wasn’t a happy-go-lucky, once-upon-a-time fairytale. It was real. There was rejection, the rejection we’ve all felt at some point in our love lives, and there was growth. I felt empowered as a woman. And that’s why Tell Me Sweet Something was great.

The film releases on 4 September nationally.

For more information, visit the Facebook page: www.facebook.com/tellmesweetsomething.

Thomas Gumede and Thishiwe Ziqubu

Moratiwa (Nomzamo Mbatha) takes a ‘swim’

The lively Lola (Thembi Seete)

32 | FEATURE

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© Fotolia

© Jacey Searra Photography

© Getty Images, iStock

© Fotolia

STOCK IMAGE TRENDS From Africa to the World

by Kim Muller

A

s the internet becomes flooded with our travel photographs and selfies, one has to wonder where exactly the stock photography industry is headed in the future. It’s getting harder for brands to stand out and ensure they are seen and as a result, many companies are moving towards bold, striking imagery. But how does this relate to the African image industry?

“Africa is relatively small market for us, but it is growing very quickly,” says Gerd Mittmann, Vice President of International at Shutterstock, “South Africa in particular is a big production market for visual content and some of our biggest contributors shoot their content there.

One challenge is clearly bandwidth or site speed in the area. We use global caching technology to speed up local browsing around the world.

Long-term, we are considering hosting facilities that will speed up access due to shorter hops for the data.” Margi Sheard, Managing Director at Greatstock, a company servicing professionals in the advertising, production and other segments of local and international markets, agrees. “There is a burgeoning market for African imagery as African markets and business expand,” she

explains, “International marketers and producers also see the growing potential in Africa, and need relevant imagery for their work.”

That said, the demand for stock photography, video and music in South Africa continues to stay strong, while the rest of the continent is developing. Says Paul Foster, Senior Director for Creative Content at Getty Images: “We’re

able to keep up with the changing landscape of shrinking print media and advertising budgets with iStock

by Getty Images and capitalise on the growing online and broadcast demand for video content and music of all genres. Customers in sub-Saharan Africa particularly respond to our regionally relevant lifestyle content. Demand for our content, represented by our local partner Gallo Images, has never been higher.” He goes on to say that content submitted to gettyimages.com from African contributors has risen by 75.81% from 2010 to 2015 and is expected to increase.

Contributions from African photographers are somewhat behind the curve, especially

when compared with the US and Europe, but as more photographers realise the potential their images have online through stock websites, the offering from the continent will become that much more eclectic says Jacey Searra, of Jacey Searra Photography, a local company that contributes to the likes of Shutterstock, Getti and PicsaStock. “We have talented photographers capturing excellent images of our unique and beautiful continent, which could be used as stock to make extra money or as a core business for passionate photographers. Overseas companies have excellent systems in place to offer global photographers a chance to sell their images and get paid well.”

Things are beginning to change, however, with Shutterstock contributors from Africa earning over $600 000 last year, says Mittmann.

“In Tanzania, the median pay-out to contributors was higher than the country’s GDP per capita from the previous year and we saw contributors hailing from Madagascar and Nigeria licensing their content for the first time last year.”

According to Sheard, the continent still has to make headway in the long-form market, where the continent is already “prolific producer”.

FEATURE | 33

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Having said that, many of the issues Africa’s stock photo industry faces are similar to that of the global arena: free or cut-price imagery and unlicensed usage, for instance. “You don’t get the quality, depth and breadth of content in free collections, and creative commons doesn’t overcome the need for model released content for commercial use,” Foster says. “We believe

customers need impactful, original imagery to create their best work and engage their customers. We see only fairly basic and functional imagery in free collections – the economics of the free image model means you cannot attract the very best photographers.”

Trends for 2015 Visual trends in 2015 include blurred backgrounds, linear styles and, as previously mentioned, unique perspectives. “Blurred backgrounds offer texture and colour, without distracting from your focal point,” Mittmann explains. “It’s continued to grow, because it works so well with responsive design.” Searches for ‘blur’ increased 144% from the prior year, while linear style searches have grown by 921%.

In video stock footage, Shutterstock’s most popular downloads have been time lapses, aerial shots, fashion, slow motion and animation.

Other notable visual trends include point of view, where brands are looking for content that tells “an intimate first-person-perspective story,” says Getty Images’ Foster. Wanderlust – our

enduring fascination with nature’s beautiful mysteries – and the Vanguardians – an increased demand for images showcasing visionary leaders who blend innovation, creativity and compassion – are also strong trends this year. Glitch aesthetic trends are also making the rounds. Foster explains: “In our increasingly curated world, there is a pull toward an aesthetic that feels messy and unexpected. In our increasingly curated world, there is a pull toward an aesthetic that feels messy and unexpected...Glitch is a vision of the unexpected – a serendipitous accident which tells an honest, uncensored story.”

Michelle Haarhoff of Fotolia, an Adobe company with over 42 million images and over five million users, offered up the following trends: age shows no barrier, or images highlighting people of all ages in a variety of

activities, green is the new black – “images showing the diverse methods in which we as individuals can act more sustainability and do our bit for the environment are important to bear in mind” – and sensory immersion through technology, from hi-res textures of water to slowmo video.

Searra says that ‘creative corporate’ images are always in demand, especially the eye-catching, mood-setting type. “One of the most popular and in demand, I would say, is ‘Super Still Life’ images, which you will find on blog-type and online shop sites.” Neutral

backgrounds are also in demand, as well as abstract images – from landscape to architecture. Africa has good penetration of mobile devices so we should see more marketers taking advantage of this economic trend from an imagery perspective, Sheard adds.

Stock companies are ramping up their offerings to give users a seamless online experience, with everything at their fingertips. So whether you’re looking for a picture of a body in a ditch, a car going off a cliff or something even more bizarre, stock photographers the world over will definitely have you covered.

34 | KZN FILM COMMISSION

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KZN FILM COMMISSION Our Kingdom is Your Stage

T

he KwaZulu-Natal Film Commission’s vision is to position the province of KwaZulu-Natal as a globally competitive, diverse and sustainable industry and choice film destination. The KwaZulu-Natal Film Commission has a number of initiatives set out to fulfil its mandate to make the province a film-production centre.

The Human Capital Development aims to develop and implement programmes for skills development and industry support through various forms including programmes that redress the current skills shortage by creating new skills in the film and television value chain to ensure competitiveness in the region. These programmes will enhance the capabilities of the local filmmakers to increase local KZN content on the South African and international distribution platforms with the vision to sustainable employment in the KZN film and television sector. Current interventions drive transformation, diversification and service excellence through skills development in the local film industry.

The Human Capital Development Department has successfully initiated the following programmes to support the training, skills development, transformation and diversification of the local film industry.

1.

KwaZulu-Natal Film Commission Bursary Programme currently supports 28 students attending various tertiary institutions to study film. These institutions include AFDA, Durban University of Technology, Creative Arts College, Centre for Fine Art and Animation Design.

2. SEDIBA Spark Narrative and Documentary script writer programme that recently graduated 43 filmmakers with the necessary skills to further their individual film and documentary projects. This program was mentored by Alby James and the facilitators included Julie Hall, Loyiso Maqoma and Pat Van Heerden.

3. The International Finance Programme for Producers will see 19 producers graduate in September 2015. The program is led by

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

renowned international Course Director Angus Finney.

The Mandela’s Children Project is a partnership with The National Film and Video Foundation and is a skills development project that nurtures women and youth through an incubation process. This programme provides a platform for young women filmmakers into the industry. The first feature film from the series of films produced in 2014 won The Durban International Film Festival Production Merit Award 2015.

SMME Incubation programme is an accelerator programme to support new and emerging film production houses to become sustainable and profitable companies.

A production technical programme is currently run in conjunction with NEMISA and Durban University College.

The mentorship programme is to support current funded projects by new and emerging filmmakers.

The Cannes Africa Film Factory is a

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special project in partnership with DW (France) and Zidaka (South Africa), the National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF), and the Cannes Quinzaine.

This project sees four local filmmakers and four international filmmakers teaming up to produce a short film that will be screened at Cannes Film Festival 2016.

The KwaZulu-Natal Film Commission prides itself on the ability to partner with the provinces filmmakers through the Film Fund which has been created to stimulate the growth of the film industry in the province of KwaZulu-Natal.

Objectives of the KwaZulu-Natal Film Fund •

•

• •

To provide funding to support opportunities for emerging stakeholders with a particular focus on previously disadvantaged individuals within the KwaZulu-Natal film industry To build a skills base in KwaZulu-Natal through increased production of national and international productions in the region To develop and showcase KwaZuluNatal local content To showcase the province’s talent, locations and infrastructure through productions

The KwaZulu-Natal Film Commission provides film related funding in four broad categories: • • • •

Development Funding Production Funding Marketing and Distribution Markets and Festivals

The film fund has supported numerous projects which include features, documentaries, short films and TV series.

Over this current financial year to date, KZNFC has granted funding to 58 film projects. The funding granted funding towards development, production and for marketing and distribution.

In line with the mandate of providing and encouraging the provision of opportunities for persons, especially from disadvantaged communities to enter and participate in the film industry, the KwaZulu-Natal Film Commission engages in numerous industry initiatives. In March 2015, KZNFC hosted a SA-Nigeria fact-finding mission which was attended by a delegation of 23 Nigerian filmindustry role players as well as South Africa film-industry role players. The aim of the three day session was to explore the different industries, the synergies and the possibilities of co-productions between the two countries.

In May 2015, KwaZulu-Natal Film Commission took five filmmakers from

the province to Cannes Film Festival for eight days where the filmmakers got an opportunity to attend the Producer’s Network, which is the industry’s niche event attended by invitation only. The first opening of the Producers Network had the spot light on KZN and the KZN filmmakers had an opportunity to introduce the projects they were working on.

In July, the KwaZulu-Natal Film Commission hosted its annual 3rd annual Simon Sabela awards which are aimed at recognising outstanding filmindustry achievers within South Africa and internationally with a particular focus on KwaZulu-Natal born achievers.

The awards are in honour of the late Simon “Mabhunu” Sabela who was the first black South African director and became a legend in both big screen and television.

Come tell YOUR story.

Our Kingdom is Your stage.

All images courtesy of KZN Film Commission

36 | SPOTLIGHT

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MEDIATECH AFRICA 2015 Highlights and Standout Tech 1. Paul Martin, Business Head – Channel Marketing & Sales, Sony Professional Solutions MEA Mediatech Highlight: The highlight for me at Mediatech this year was the level of customer engagement we have had. It’s been a busy show for us with a large number of enquires across all our products displayed.

A

s the largest media and entertainment technology trade show for southern Africa, Mediatech Africa 2015 was a resounding success. Staged from 15 to 17 July at the Dome at Northgate, Johannesburg, it presents the latest technologies and trends to southern Africa’s broadcast, film, live event and AV system integration industries. We spoke to a few exhibitors to find out what their highlights were, where Africa’s headed and what tech they showcased.

Best Tech: HDC-4300 is the world’s first 4K system camera with three authentic 4K image sensors. It delivers 4K/HD capabilities for Sports and Event Broadcast; up to 8X SuperSlow Motion in HD Resolution. A very exciting product!

We also had a lot of interest for our tape digitizing station (PWS-100TD1) – this unit provides efficient digitization of legacy video tape and can transfer up to four video tapes at a time with error checking.

2. Roxanne Marnewick, Cine Photo Tools Where Africa’s Film Tech Industry is Headed This Decade: With new technology opening up so many creative avenues for local

filmmakers, as a continent we will truly be able to compete at an international level. It has evened the playing field so to speak. We are also seeing a lot more multi-purpose gear coming out such as DSLR cameras that can capture 4k video internally and high-end video cameras (such as the RED) that can pull crisp quality photographic images. Equipment that is more compact and modular seems to also be the way things are headed.

Best Tech: As newly appointed official RED Digital Cinema dealers, we really wanted to show off this amazing brand by providing a full workflow set up at the show- from capturing footage on camera right through to the editing process on a monitor.

Our Eizo monitors are also receiving a lot of attention as they are professional monitors geared towards filmmakers, photographers, editors, designers- basically anyone needing high-end grading and quality.

Kino Flo needs no introduction in the film and broadcast industry. It has been a lighting essential for many years and has an unmatched reputation in terms of quality and productivity.

SPOTLIGHT | 37

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3. Jayson Chase Phosphor, EMEA Business Management, AJA Video Systems Inc How AJA is Innovating in 2015: AJA is constantly looking at the market and recognizing that many customers beginning to utilize IP technologies for their video needs, especially as Ethernet is a cost effective cabling alternative. AJA will continue to explore what these IT based options may offer our broadcast clients in Africa to produce cost-effective, while still reliable and powerful solutions that the market craves. All AJA Mini Converters are supplied with a 5 year warranty.

Best Tech: AJA Video System’s highlight was to showcase the CION Production camera to the local and International market. AJA have recently introduced five new Mini-Converters.

These were showcased at Mediatech.

FiDO-4T (transmit) and FiDO-4R (receive) conveniently deliver up to four channels of 3G-SDI over fiber on standard LC connectors.

The FiDO converters are proving to be the most popular.

4. Juanne Whyte, Pro Broadcast Slaes Manager, Orms How Tech Advances Have Impacted SA’s Media Landscape: It has affected our industry in a very big way. South Africa has great talent, not only as actors but also creative minds and production companies. We don’t always have the large Hollywood budgets so we need to be able to cater the correct camera equipment to match the SA budgets available.

This has made it possible for us to supply the correct affordable equipment to production companies in SA and still have top notch

films, commercials and documentaries.

Best Tech: We have the entire Canon EOS Cinema range of camera. We also have the DJI Inspire 1 & Phantom 3 Drones for aerial cinematography and of course the Ronin and Ronin M 3 axis stabiliser gimbal systems.

5. Musandiwa, CMM One World Media Why New Tech Is Important for the Industry: It helps with the creation of new dimensions and direction, this both from a consumers and organizational perspective.

It also lets the organization know whether or not we were on par with our competitors and where we need to improve.

Best Tech Showcased: One World Media’s OB van and our SNG facilities together with our LED screen, the OB van is Tricaster, Full HD, operating on either 4 or 8 camera’s together with our SNG uploading facilities which are directly linked to Telemedia. Both OB van and our SNG facilities have been captivating clientele, the LED screen is the one that seals the deal.

6. Vuyo Tofile, Managing Director, EntBanc Group Africa’s Position in the Global Media Industry: The African continent has the opportunity to leapfrog the developed media and film world from a technological perspective as cellphones and mobile technology did over fixed landline. Media and film technology has the unique opportunity to provide African solutions on the continent for African challenges thus possible creating unique developments along the way.

Best Tech Showcased: I was working as a partner for ProDirect for their financing and insurance solution (ProFin and ProSure). The Avid S6 and Venue products in the ProDirect stand were the most popular products and the introduction of the new financing solution available to ProDirect clients was exciting for most clients too!

7. Ryan Martyn, Sales and Marketing Director, Syntech Mediatech Highlight: Mediatech was a fantastic opportunity to connect with many customers, resellers and product vendors all under one roof. What makes this kind of environment so special is the ability for people to openly see working examples of what technology is available and establish what will work best for their specific needs.

Best Tech Showcased: This year Syntech decided to showcase a range of technology products that empower filmmakers to do more with their workstations and notebooks.

We ran a live demonstration of Tigerbox, a collaborative shared storage solution for media professionals.

Other highlights from our stand included ATTO and the latest in Thunderbolt2 products from Sonnet, Netstor and G-Technology along with the latest storage offerings from G-Technology and WD.

38 | IBC 2015

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IBC 2015:

I

BC is the leading global tradeshow for professionals engaged in the creation, management and delivery of electronic media and entertainment. The event’s unparalleled exhibition and agenda setting conference encompass the very latest developments in traditional media, IPTV, telecoms, IT and R&D making it essential for everyone’s understanding of the industry and its future.

IBC is a fixture on the calendar of the global media industry, attracting over 55 000 professionals and 1 700+ exhibitors from more than 170 countries. Among them are the industry’s most senior executives who choose IBC’s highly respected conference to set and challenge the media agenda. The event plays host to a wide array of free to attend sessions, product demonstrations, big-screen movie presentations and the IBC Awards Ceremony.

Innovations such as the IBC Future Zone and IBC Content Everywhere Europe showcase technology at the cutting edge. With all this and more, IBC is the place to learn and lead.

The IBC Conference sets the standard for thought-leadership and forensic analysis in all areas of the electronic entertainment industry.

Split into six dedicated streams – Advances in Technology, Business Operations, Content Innovation, Industry Insights, Strategic Insights, keynotes and the IBC Big Screen Experience – it combines world-leading speakers with a rigorously peer-reviewed conference programme that dissects the

The world's leading electronic media event

current state of the industry and maps its future.

Over 1 700 companies choose IBC because of its consistent track record in delivering their core business objectives.

New initiatives, such as the IBC Content Everywhere Cloud Solutions, keep the show at the forefront of innovation and industry attention. More than 55,000 professionals including 1 000+ accredited press ensure key messages and breaking news are communicated globally.

Whether you aim to generate sales leads, raise your profile, gather market knowledge or network with peers, there is no more effective venue than IBC. IBC Content Everywhere Europe takes places alongside IBC and provides a forum for discussing the latest developments and the future of digital content in Europe’s single market providing a focus on rich media production, apps, digital marketing, social media, content personalisation, big data, cloud services, second screens and much more. IBC Content Everywhere Europe is part of global series of exciting new events that also takes place in MENA. IBC Content Everywhere Europe is designed to help visitors quickly and efficiently expand their knowledge and understanding of the latest trends, strategies and developments in online TV and video through a range of features and exhibitors across all fourteens halls of IBC.

IBC2015 RAI Amsterdam Conference: 10 - 14 September 2015 Exhibition: 11 - 15 September 2015 www.ibc.org IBC Content Everywhere Europe RAI, Amsterdam 11 – 15 September 2015

40 | COUNTRY SPOTLIGHT

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© Uganda Tourism Board

Bird watching is one of the Uganda’s alluring attractions.

UGANDA

Mount Gahinga, Uganda

Action on a Shoestring

by Imogen Campbell

T

his landlocked East African country is bordered by Lake Victoria in the east and surrounded by Kenya, South Sudan, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda and Tanzania.

Winston Churchill is attributed for naming Uganda the Pearl of Africa; tourists today visit for gorilla safaris, notably in Bwindi Forest, chimpanzees, bird watching and trekking. Bungee jumping and white-water rafting and kayaking trips down the Nile are also popular attractions.

Climate The Ugandan climate is mostly equatorial, modified by the altitude with the northern savannah region experiencing dry conditions as an exception. Its two rainy seasons are characterised by thunderstorms and do not hinder almost year-round sunshine.

The African Queen was shot on location

there in 1951, featuring Katharine Hepburn and Humphrey Bogart. Other productions include King Solomon’s Mines, Mogambo, Mississippi Masala featuring Denzel Washington and 2006’s The Last King of Scotland depicting events of the life of the notorious 1970’s dictator Idi Amin.

Ugawood Ugawood is the name of the film industry in Uganda. The first credited feature-length film is Hajj Ashraf Ssimwogerere’s 2005 movie, Feelings Struggle. Due to lack of funding many movies are made on a small budget and sold door-to-door and tend to go straight to DVD. The country produces about 30 movies annually. Locals call these movies ‘Bina-Uganda’. The trend in this industry is to create action and martial-arts genres of movies.

A well-known film company in Wakalinga,

is Godfrey Nabwana’s Ramon Films, which gained popularity for doing war and real-to-life movies, which he distributes door-to-door. Ramon is credited with making the first Ugawood action movie, Who Killed Captain Alex, in 2010. It was recently uploaded on YouTube with English sub-titles. An American, Alan Hofmanis who moved there to work with Ramon launched a Kickstarter campaign to raise cash internationally for a new movie studio.

Donations on the site had reached more than £8 800 by 1 April 2015.

Denis Onen, a respected Ugandan filmmaker’s made comments about its film industry in The Sunrise in an article dated, 10 May 2015. He said: “Uganda’s film industry is characterized with copy and paste, with miserable story lines and poorly directed videos. Most of our films and our music videos comprise storylines

COUNTRY SPOTLIGHT | 41

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© Uganda Tourism Board

© Uganda Tourism Board

Fixers in Uganda Name: Derrick Kibisi Company: Talking Film Production Specialist: Producer/Fixer Tel: +25 6792 902 991 Email: dkibisi@talkingfilmproduction.com Company: Encounter Africa Uganda Film Crew Fixers Specialist: Fixer Tel: +256-414-690356 Email: info@filmcrewfixersugnada.com

Tourists today visit it for gorilla safaris and chimpanzees. © Neil Davidson, Fox Searchlight Pictures

James McAvoy in The Last King Of Scotland (directed by Kevin MacDonald)

and ideas pulled from Nigerian movies and Jamaican music videos. Isn’t that copy and paste?” He is thus well aware of some its shortcomings and need for development.

Visa allows travel between Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda with the same multiple entry visa. It can only be used if visiting all three countries.

Challenges

Film commission and film festivals

The country has a severe lack of modern technology and education. To address the lack of skills and to enable them to tell their own stories through film, the Maisha Lab, a non-profit training initiative for emerging East African filmmakers was established in 2004. It was founded by filmmaker Mira Nair (who shot Mississippi Masala there).

Film permits, visas and tax There are no tax incentives for foreign commercials or films shooting in Uganda.

Entry is subject to regulations from country of origin. The new East Africa Borderless

There are a proliferation of film festivals for Ugandan filmmakers to showcase their work like the Pearl International Film Festival and the Ugandan Film Festival. The Uganda Communications Commission has a mandate to regulate the film industry.

Getting there by Air Uganda’s Entebbe International Airport is its transport hub and serviced by South African Airways, British Airways, Emirates, Ethiopian Airline, Kenya Airways, Egypt Air, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines as well as the national carrier, Air Uganda.

Exchange Rates The official currency is the Ugandan shilling and the exchange rate against major currencies on 6 August 2015 is as follows: Major Currencies

Ugandan Shilling

1 ZAR (Rand)

275.46

1 US dollar

3514.92

1 GBP

5457.44

1 Euro

3829.24

Contact Uganda Tourism Board: P.O. Box 7211, Kampala, Uganda.

Tel: +256 (414) 342 196/7 E-mail: utb@tourismuganda.info Website: www.visituganda.com

42 | ASSOCIATIONS

Film and Publication Board (FPB) recognises the authority of Press Council to regulate press content A meeting was held between the FPB and the PSCA, South African Editor’s Forum (SANEF) and the Interactive Advertising Bureau of South Africa (IAB SA). The discussion revolved about the proposed revisions to the structure of the PCSA and the Press Code.

The PCSA is an independent body chaired by a retired judge. It consists of members of the public and the media and it historically handled complaints relating to traditional hard-copy newspapers and press.

The PCSA has been working with the IAB to ensure that complaints relating to digital content are dealt with appropriately in response to the confusion surrounding the handling of complaints relating to the burgeoning news content published online.

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The FPB’s draft plans for classification of online content were questioned and scrutinised following its publication in March. It requires pre-classification prior to publication of any “film, game or certain publication” according to their guidelines.

Included in its scope is user-generated content distributed via social media platforms. The definitions of “film” and “certain publication” within this bill are very broad possibly encompassing video and content of any form including news and current affairs.

In terms of the Draft policy’s current wording anyone who publishes or facilitates the publishing is required to submit content to the FPB for classification before uploading it to the Internet. The problem with this is that it includes stakeholders from Google to the average individual blogger. Commentators have stated three main objections about it in its current form: • It will not succeed in its aim to prevent children from accessing content of a sexual or violent nature, • It will result in an unconstitutional limitation of freedom of expression, and • Lastly, it did not address many operational and enforcement challenges.

Section 16 of the Film and Publications Act (FPA) currently exempts publishers of newspapers and magazines recognised by the press Ombudsman (and subscribe to the Press Code) from the FPB requirements that apply generally to all other forms of publication.

The proposed new “Code of Ethics for South African Print and Online Media” would then replace the current Press Code. This means that the press content is covered notwithstanding the medium of publication. This, therefore, includes print, online and social media content, as well as digitally-streamed audio and video content. It also extends to user-generated content posted to publisher websites, incorporating basic principles and guidelines as to its management and compliance from the publisher’s perspective.

The FPB acknowledged the FPA exemption would extend to the websites and online properties of traditional newspapers as well as those only active on the web like Media24 provided that the PCSA comply with the Code.

ASSOCIATIONS | 43

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Once the South African Music draft regulation are finalised, they will apply to sound broadcasting services, comprising public, commercial and community radio services. The South African TV local content regulations will deal with television programming like drama, documentaries and soap operas.

Now that these have been wrapped up country-wide, the Authority will conduct further public hearings then publish final regulations having taken into account the feedback from the workshops, written submission and public hearings.

Post consultation with industry players and the publication of draft regulation on local content for television and radio, ICASA invited interested and affected stakeholders to workshops in July 2015 in all nine provinces. The workshops were conducted in order to solicit input on the draft regulations.

ICASA gathers information on South African ICT sector to submit to the International Telecommunications Union

© Jacey Searra Photography

The Independent Communications Authority on the Draft Local Content Regulations for Television and Radio

ICASA recently notified licensees of the release of the 2015 International Telecommunications Union Information Communications Technologies Indicators Long Questionnaire.

The Authority, on the government’s behalf is mandated to collect ICT indicators information on the South African ICT sector. It is then submitted to the ITU as measure of the country’s obligation as a member state of the United Nations.

ICASA will update its database with this new information and use it for future analysis of the ICT sector in executing this mandate.

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44 | DIRECTORY LISTINGS

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CONTACT US

Cover Image: Grootvaderbosch Nature Reserve (Langeberg region), Courtesy of Cape Nature, Š Liesel Kershoff 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 Assistant Designer: Lauren Smith lauren@filmeventmedia.co.za Editorial Assistant: Imogen Campbell info@filmeventmedia.co.za

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Group Sales Manager: Lloyd Kirsten lloyd@filmeventmedia.co.za Production and Traffic Manager: Nazeera Hartley Roach nazeera@filmeventmedia.co.za Sales Co-ordinator: Tracey-Anne Arendse tracey-anne@filmeventmedia.co.za 57 2nd Avenue, Harfield Village, Claremont 7708, Cape Town, South Africa Tel: +27 21 674 0646

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8 DAYS IN NOVEMBER san ta monica

AMERICAN FILM MARKET & CONFERENCES

www.AmericanFilmMarket.com

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The American Film Market is produced by the Independent Film & Television Alliance I www.ifta-online.org

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