The Callsheet Issue 10

ISSUE 10 | 2015

+ RENTAL ROYALTY

Rental Companies on their Most Sought-After Film Cameras

+ SHNIT INTERNATIONAL

SHORTFILMFESTIVAL 2015

Mini-Movie Fans Converge in Cape Town

+ WHERE TO STUDY FILM IN SA

The Leading Training and Development Institutions

CONTENTS / 01

www.thecallsheet.co.za

02. Ultimate Braai

10 12 24 30

Master: Covering Vast Territories

04. Jungle Beat Game Claims SA iTunes Store Top Spot

IN PRODUCTION

See which films and TV series are currently in development or production in SA.

05. Mad Max Voted

Best Film of the Year

06. Necktie Youth Gets

Nationwide Release

07. Triggerfish Story Lab:

1378 entries from 30 African countries

09. Wesgro: Now’s the

Time for International Producers

RENTAL ROYALTY

SA’s leading camera rental companies give insight into their most beloved film cameras.

10. In Production 12. Camera Rental Royalty

17. G-Technology ev Range Review

18. Training and

Development in Film

23. American Film

Market Preview

FILM VS TV VS COMMERCIALS

Which sector is booming and why? Turn to page 24 for part one of this two-part series.

24. TV vs Film vs

Commercials: Part 1

26. shnit International Shortfilmfestival

28. Egypt: Modern, with Old World Charm

30. Indies & Shorts:

Necktie Youth and Scribblings

31. Film Review:

INDIES AND SHORTS : REVIEWS Kim Muller and Stephen Nagel tackle Necktie Youth and Scribblings.

The Visit

32. Events to Diarise 34. Opportunities 35. Associations 36. Directory of Advertisers

02 / SPOTLIGHT

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ULTIMATE BRAAI MASTER COVERING VAST TERRITORIES The Callsheet caught up with Executive Producer Peter Gird at Cooked In Africa’s Muizenberg offices.

Ultimate Braai Master has turned into a monster hit for Cooked In Africa! How is it doing locally and abroad?

We reach 100 million people in 280 territories around the world, and the show has been optioned in the US, Sweden, Brazil, Poland, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. So it’s safe to say the show has legs globally.

The format of the show is very fresh, and it doesn’t feel like to viewer is being inundated with product placement.

Yes, we’ve forged incredible partnerships with our headline sponsor, Robertson’s Herbs and Spices, and supported by CocaCola, Suzuki and SA Tourism. We are the only production company brave enough to employ an independent measurement agency to validate the return on investment for our sponsors.

And are your sponsors happy?

They’re thrilled. The numbers speak for themselves.

Why do you think viewers are so in love with this show?

It really is the journey of a lifetime for the contestants, and in season four, we’ve pushed them far out of their comfort zones. The level of intrigue is increased, because this time we’ve pitted the contestants against each other more so than in previous seasons. The game has changed, so the viewers are in for a big surprise.

What other projects is Cooked in Africa working on currently?

Showville, which is a coproduction with Okuhle Media, is going to be great.

Bontle Modiselle, who is an unbelievable choreographer, and Rob Van Vuuren, the comedian and actor, are the hosts and mentors. The premise is that we choose a small town, such as Gansbaai or Ceres, and hold one day of open auditions for the locals. If they have a talent, we want to see it. It can be absolutely anything, and we saw our fair share of crazy auditions.

At the end of the audition day, Bontle and Rob choose the four most promising acts.

The next day involves an intensive boot camp to hone the performances and improve the acts. Meanwhile, the town hall gets a makeover until its performance ready. On the third night, hundreds of local residents descend on the hall and watch the new and improved acts. At the end of the night, the audience chooses the winner, who receives R10 000 cash and a trophy.

It’s going to be a wonderful and heart-warming show, and will provide an incredible opportunity for local talent to get the recognition they deserve.

Every town has a story, and every town has a star!

Look out for the premiere on the 7th of November on SABC 2.

Executive Producer Peter Gird and director Andrew Faber brainstorming a new season of Ultimate Braai Master.

ULTIMATE BRAAI MASTER IS BACK! Over the last three years the Ultimate Braai Master has taken viewers on an unprecedented armchair road trip to some of the most epic outdoor locations in Southern Africa and has tipped the scale on what can be cooked on the open fire. But if you think you’ve figured out the game dynamics of Ultimate Braai Master, you’d be wrong!

Produced by Cooked in Africa Films, the fourth Season of South Africa’s most-watched cooking show is back, and this year it’s bigger, harder and hotter than ever before. Ultimate Braai Master, Game On promises to deliver more twists and turns; more suspense; and more smoke and tears than ever before.

When it comes to how this year’s competition plays out, the biggest change and the toughest challenge is the group dynamics: Teams from different walks of life are divided into one of three crews that are required to

work together – whether they like each other or not!

Other than the Spice Master rewards and South African Tourism vouchers, this year’s competitors are competing for more than the R500 000 cash, a brand new Suzuki Sx4 All Grip vehicle valued at R319 000 and the title of SA’s Ultimate Braai Master, they’ll also be traveling to the USA to compete as Team South Africa at the renowned World Food Championships in Florida in October 2016!

Sponsored by Robertsons Herbs and Spices and supported by Coca Cola, Suzuki and South African Tourism, Ultimate Braai Master Game On has managed to elevate an already entertaining format into a sizzling mix of action-packed drama that will enthrall diehard fans and leave local viewers wanting more.

Catch all the Season four action weekly on e.tv from Sunday, 20 September at 4pm, with repeats every Saturday at 1pm.

04 / NEWS

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JUNGLE BEAT GAME

CLAIMS TOP SPOT ON SA ITUNES STORE

I

n a flurry of excitement, hit local kiddie show Jungle Beat launched its first app game in the last week of August. The mobile game was developed to coincide with the launch for the third season of the series, which premiered internationally on Boomerang channel just the week before.

Two days later, the Jungle Beat game had reached number one on the South African App Store.

Co-developed by Sunrise Productions and RetroEpic, the game is aimed at ages four to eleven, and its premise is to help the show’s popular animal characters as they set out to rescue Baby Ostrich.

Following guidance from parents, Sunrise has created a quality game with no in-

Jungle Beat; the series © Sunrise Marketing Group

app purchases, selling for R39.99. “The game has been in developments for 18 months,” says Tim Keller, MD for Sunrise Productions, “and we felt that now was the right time to launch it. We have a great story to tell with the show launching around the world

– and it’s clear that children everywhere are discovering Jungle Beat.” Sunrise handled the project planning, game design UI design and sound, while RetroEpic helped with development and asset creation.

“We’ve been astounded at how different and challenging

game development is when compared with film and TV animation,” Keller explains. “The presence of an interactive world means that certain unknowns are only discovered during the implementation phase. For example, we went through five or six major rewrites of the movement/control system. It’s only when you start to play the game that you realise your initial design may have been incorrect.”

The Jungle Beat show has now broadcast in over 120 different countries and on 40 different airlines. Season 3 will screen in SA this Christmas, followed by Latin America early next year. Sunrise is also developing merchandise across all categories. The game is currently available on iOS and Android.

AYANDA

PICKED UP FOR US DISTRIBUTION

A

cademy Award-nominated director Ava DuVernay (Selma, Scandal) is in the process of breaking the film distribution mould through Array, her relaunched grassroots film distribution collective previously known as the African American Film Festival Releasing Movement (AFFRM). Through this platform she introduces films helmed by women and filmmakers of colour, and recently picked up Sara Blecher’s coming-of-age film Ayanda for US distribution.

“Not only is Ayanda a story about women, made by women,

Sara Blecher

but it also highlights female entrepreneurship and ingenuity, both talents which can mean the difference between success and hardship in a city like Johannesburg,” Blecher said in a release. “To have the film

bought for distribution by an African American woman who has made her mark in Hollywood was an incredibly proud moment for all of us involved in the making of Ayanda.”

According to the LA Times,

Ayanda will be released

by Array in autumn in the Northern Hemisphere, along with Japanese filmmaker Takeshi Fukunaga’s drama Out of My Hand, set in Liberia.

Both films premiered at the LA Film Festival this year. Ayanda tells the story of a 21-yearold entrepreneur who inherits a mechanic workshop from her late father and struggles to revive it. The film is set in Joburg’s Yeoville and stars Fulu Mughovhani as Ayanda, as well as OC Ukeje, Jafta Mamabolo, Nthati Moshesh, Kenneth Nkosi, Sihle Xaba and Vanessa Cooke.

NEWS / 05

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MAD MAX

VOTED BEST FILM OF THE YEAR

T

he action movie that received eons-worth of talk on the web has been voted Best Film of the Year by international critics. Mad Max: Fury Road, shot in Namibia by Australian Director George Miller, was awarded the Grand Prix of the International Federation of Film Critics (FIPRESCI) at the San Sebastian Film Festival

in Spain in mid-September.

The vote saw 493 of the world’s biggest critics choose from amongst films premiered after 1 July 2014. These awards typically go to arthouse productions that are considerably less mainstream. “You could have knocked me over with a feather!

It’s lovely to have this great cohort of critics acknowledge our collective labours in this

way,” Miller said in a recent statement. It is the first major award to be picked up by the film, which has a 97% freshness rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

Mad Max: Fury Road stars Tom Hardy and Charlize Theron, and is the fourth film in the Mad Max adventure franchise.

The film will receive a special screening at San Sebastian, the highest-profile film festival in

the Spanish-speaking world.

Originally established to honour Spanish language films, the festival is now one of the most important industry events in the world. Last year’s winner of the award was Richard Linklater for Boyhood.

Miller is scheduled to write and direct a fifth instalment for the series, titled Mad Max: The Wasteland.

TUTANKHAMUN

VISITS THE GOOD HOPE CENTRE

E

arly in August, the Cape Argus reported that the Good Hope Centre in central Cape Town might be leased to an international film company. Up until now, the city council had agreed to hold off negotiations and open public engagement on the future of the centre, but the venue is now a hive of activity, with a film crew creating sets for a four-part documentary series tracking the discovery of

Egyptian boy king Tutankhamun’s tomb. The crew has reportedly been on set since 27 August.

The miniseries is set to be filmed later this year, although no lease agreement has yet been entered for the venue. “It is being used on a temporary basis until December 2015,” Garreth Bloor, Mayco member for Tourism, Events and Economic Development, told IOL News. “The lease agreement process is on hold until further

notice and, once the process is reactivated, the city will conduct a public participation process based on the Municipal Assets Transfer Regulations.”

Despite Bloor explaining that the film crew will be using the Good Hope Centre for a limited time, his comments have been dismissed by the group of civic organisations behing the RAAK WYS! campaign. SACTWU spokesman Fachmy Abrahams said, “The city promised us public

participation before the building would be occupied. It is clear that the city never wanted to consult with the public from the start.”

Although the permanent occupation of the building has not yet been approved, the film crew will be there until December – or until the skirmish for the use of the venue has been resolved. All of Cape Town’s existing film studios are currently fully booked for the 2015 and 2016 seasons.

06 / NEWS

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NECKTIE YOUTH GETS NATIONWIDE RELEASE

U

nique South African stories by a new generation of filmmakers are hitting local cinemas in mid-September.

Critically acclaimed films Necktie Youth and Love the One You Love will be showing at selected theatres – and Necktie Youth also goes live online on the same day on iTunes and DStv Box Office.

Elias Ribeiro, Producer and Founder of Urucu Media, solidified his place in the local industry after his first film Jeppe on a Friday. Since then, he’s worked on short films like Ibhokhwe with his business partner John Trengove. Urucu also has a number of productions in development, and has partnered with Durban FilmMart

to create a residency programme in 2016. “There’s a lot going on,” he admits, “but I’m really proud and excited about what’s been happening after DIFF.” Necktie Youth won Best Director and Best Film at this year’s festival in Durban, as well as the Grand Prix in Amsterdam a few weeks later. He says the reason they decided to release Necktie Youth with Love the One You Love was partly because of their marketing budget, and partly as a creative way to bring these two original stories, so similar in their avant-garde styles, to the public’s eye. And it doesn’t hurt that last year’s freshest film also took home three DIFF awards – so they have that in

common, too. “We are changing history in South Africa,” Ribeiro says enthusiastically. “It is the first time a film is going to be released online on a fully blown day and date together with the theatrical release.”

“I’m terrified,” he continues, “I’m terrified of what I’m doing because when I look at the numbers and history, films like Of Good Report and Skoonheid discovered new directors, they won awards internationally, they had Variety, Indie Wire, Le Monde talking about them. But when it came to a commercial release, it came to under R100,000… so you’re going in knowing that there’s a very big chance for you to fail. But we decided that we

have nothing to lose. The film is doing well, the critical acclaim is there, we know that we have a solid, strong film – but we don’t have marketing muscle. So what I’m trying to do is to align synergies and create as much awareness about the film as I can.”

Ribeiro hopes that through this double release enough people will see the film and talk about it. “I really believe the film is strongly controversial and it’s going to spark a lot of dialogue between generations.

I’m hoping that if the DStv crowd and the iTunes crowd and the cinema crowd start talking about it, a miracle is going to happen and people might actually go to the cinema.”

MIRRORLESS IS MORE?

by Marius Van Straaten – Visual Impact

H

aving completed a travel documentary in Asia with a mirrorless Sony A7S, I thought it worthwhile to look at the mirrorless (ML) system compared to DSLRs. Mirrorless cameras are challenging DSLR cameras in a very real way.

Mirrorless systems have no mirror to intercept the light and reflect it in to an optical viewfinder, therefore a ML camera uses an EVF (Electronic View Finder) and not an optical system like a DSLR. This design difference can make ML cameras up to 35% smaller and lighter than DSLRs. The larger DSLRs often have better ergonomics than a ML system as there is more space for buttons.

Currently there are more lens

options for DSLR systems. A lens adaptor allows one to use DSLR lenses on ML cameras, but in my experience an adaptor can negatively affect the autofocus quality, speed, and sometimes the ability to control aperture effectively. Improved lens adaptors and more native ML lens options will alleviate these problems. ML cameras now employ phase detection pixels and match DSLRs autofocus speed when using native ML lenses without an adaptor.

A great benefit is that the shorter flange distance of the ML cameras allows one to use the older rangefinder camera lenses. Flange distance refers to distance from the mounting

flange at the back of the mounted lens to the film plane. A ML system has a shorter flange than a DSLR thus allowing the older, shallower lenses to fit.

Currently one of the biggest drawbacks of the ML system is the EVF’s ability in low light. I still prefer the DSLR’s optical viewfinder when needing to work fast as the EVF struggles to give you an accurate image in low light.

Despite equivalent quality, DSLRs currently cost approximately 30% more than ML cameras. This price differential will change as ML systems improve and replace DSLR systems.

Battery life on a ML system

is not as good as on a DSLR as a ML camera has to power an EVF. ML cameras are more social media and app friendly. One of my favourite features is the camera’s Wi-Fi link to Sony’s PlayMemories app, allowing one to control, upload and transfer images whilst shooting.

ML is not there yet in terms of optical viewfinder quality and ergonomics, but is very good for portability, travel work and shooting video. Image quality is equal if not better than DSLRs depending on budget. In time, mirrorless will be more.

THERE IS NO SUBSTITUTE FOR EXPERIENCE

MIRRORLESS IS MORE

NEWS / 07

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HAPTICS

PRODUCES NEW ONSCREEN ID FOR NU METRO

A

fter a six year-run for Nu Metro Cinemas’ current onscreen brand identity, the Haptics Saber animation team has created the national cinema chain’s new CI-leader utilising the ultimate in 3D Stereoscopic techniques and special FX. This cutting-edge new animated production from Haptics will start playing just before feature films in all Nu Metro cinemas nationwide from October.

“We have conceptualised and produced the new 3D Stereoscopic animation together with powerful, immersive 7.1 Digital Surround Sound for Nu Metro Cinemas - we were inspired by the full range of cinematic visual effects that are now integral to a movie’s story and appeal. Careful planning and choreography went into the execution of the animation

concepts to cover all audiences and genres of film,” explains Don Searll from Haptics.

Don Searll from Haptics

explains: “Our ideas for Nu Metro Cinemas were bold and innovative and in this instance we utilised Bullet Time visual effects - a depth-

enhanced simulation of variablespeed action. It is characterised both by its extreme transformation of time (slow enough to show normally imperceptible and unfilmable events, such as flying bullets) and space (by way of the ability of the camera angle — the audience’s point-of-view — to move around the scene at a normal speed while events are slowed); almost like a “virtual camera”, illustrated within the confines of a computer- virtual world.”

Haptics’ award-winning 3D Stereoscopic computer animation-team combined technological wizardry, CGI and 3D post-production to bring the concept to life. Stereoscopic animation is a technique for creating or enhancing the illusion of depth in an image by means of stereopsis or binocular vision.

1 378 ENTRIES:

30 COUNTRIES ENTER TRIGGERFISH STORY LAB

T

he Triggerfish Story Lab received a whopping 1 378 entries from storytellers and filmmakers from 30 countries across Africa and its diaspora, all eager to write the continent’s next animated blockbuster or hit TV series.

“When I told people I expected over 1 000 submissions from across Africa, everyone laughed at me. Ha! Now who’s laughing? Oh wait, I have to read all of these…” says Anthony Silverston, head of development at Triggerfish Animation Studios.

Industry experts will now

evaluate the 1174 feature submissions and 204 TV series submissions.

“I’m honoured and delighted to be a small part of the Triggerfish Story Lab,” says Peter Lord, who co-founded Aardman Animations.

“I believe that it’s vitally important for every country and culture to tell its own stories. Much as we may enjoy Hollywood storytelling, it is not the only way; there are so many different stories to be told, and so many voices demanding to be heard.” Triggerfish will be investing up to R44-million over the next three years in The Story

Lab, which aims to give Africa’s most talented storytellers and filmmakers the opportunity to develop their ideas alongside Triggerfish’s international network of mentors. Selected storytellers will potentially have their concepts developed into episodic TV content or an animated feature film for the global market.

Animation has proven to be a successful medium for South African films to travel internationally, with Triggerfish’s films Adventures in Zambezia and Khumba being distributed in over 150 countries and

dubbed into over 27 languages.

“The overwhelming response we’ve received shows the depth of storytelling talent in Africa,” says Anthony. “Thanks to everyone who entered; we’ll be announcing a shortlist of about 20 storytellers in October 2015.”

Shortlisted storytellers will take part in workshops in November before making their final pitches, after which Triggerfish will announce the final Story Lab participants in December 2015.

For more information, keep an eye on triggerfishstudios.com.

08 / CINE PHOTO TOOLS

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PHOTO HIRE

Photo Hire is a leading rental house in South Africa. Based in Cape Town, they provide the most cutting-edge and largest selection of equipment for the photographic, video, broadcast and film industries.

P

hoto Hire houses heavyweight brands to unique accessoriescameras, lenses, rigs, lighting, grip and production essentials- everything you need to make your shoot a success.

Photo Hire has one of the biggest collection of broncolor, Briese, Kino Flo, Arri and Profoto lighting. They have the leading selection of cameras including RED Digital Cinema cameras, Phase 1 (including the latest IQ250 digital back), Hasselblad, Sony, and of course a wide variety of Canon and Nikon. They also stock an extensive selection of lenses, including Cine Primes

by Schneider and Zeiss.

Cine Photo Tools is the sister company of Photo Hire, and is the place to go to purchase all your equipment. With such an extensive understanding of the photographic and film market, it made sense for Photo Hire to expand into the sales market.

Cine Photo Tools is official dealer for major brands such as Canon, DJI, FJ Westcott, Kinotehnik, Eizo, Small HD, Redrock Micro, Tether Tools, Samyang, Schneider, Leica S, Glidecam, Glidetrack, Chimera, FloLight, Sunbounce, Zylight, Savage Paper, Lock Circle and Metabones.

Photo Hire/ Cine Photo Tools take a holistic approach to their service and support. Their massive double storey facility houses both the rental and sales divisions, spacious studios and a professional printing lab. They also have recently opened a fully equipped gear check facility. All this conveniently under one roof.

As an authorised RED Digital Cinema dealer in South Africa,

the company now offers the full line of RED cameras and accessories to both buy and rent.

RED is synonymous with high definition, high performance digital filmmaking. Photo Hire/ Cine Photo Tools have set up a professional Cinema lab with gear check bays to ensure all cameras and lenses are perfectly focused and working at optimal level when they leave the premises. They have 4k UHD Playback available at the facility with an Eizo 30�

4K 10bit Screen and Samsung 50� UHD Monitor. On offer will also be backup and transcoding services with on-site DITs and Camera Technicians to assist with technical questions and workflow

advice. This department will be headed by Senior Digital Imaging Technician, Wezley Ferreira (of Digital Therapy). With 16 years on set experience locally and abroad- 6.5 of them as a DIT- he has worked on numerous feature films, commercials, music videos, short films and tv series.

Cine Photo Tools is the official distributor for broncolor. They can honestly boast the leading and largest collection to buy or rentfrom their famous award-winning power packs to full lighting kits, paras to and superb HMIs. They also have an in-house broncolor trained and certified technician who deals with all repairs.

The award winning Kino

Flo lighting systems have long been considered an industry staple. Their fluorescent and LED equipment for film, video, TV broadcast are built with performance and endurance in mind. As the official South African dealer for these revolutionary lights, you can hire Kino Flo kits from Photo Hire, as well as purchase them through Cine Photo Tools.

Photo Hire and Cine Photo Tools can supply you with the best, most advanced gear on the market. They stock sought after items like DJI Ronin gimbals, Small HD 500 series monitors, Westcott Flex LED light panels, The Ice Light 2, Eizo monitors and the new Glidecam Devin Graham Signature Series handheld stabiliser.

For the novice or experienced, Cine Photo Tools and Photo Hire are there to equip clients not only with the best gear, but the knowhow too. The staff are friendly and efficient, and always able to offer solution-driven assistance. The strength of the team lies in their industry proficiency, equipment expertise, and ability to offer guidance at an individual-needs level. As the photographic and film industry changes and evolves, so too does this diverse enterprise.

By combining a global vision with local market insight, they remain the most advanced digital support house in Cape Town.

NEWS / 09

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NOW’S THE TIME

FOR INTERNATIONAL PRODUCERS Wesgro invites investors to take advantage of Rand depreciation.

T

he Rand’s recent decline presents a real opportunity for investors and exporters in the Western Cape.

Wesgro, the Tourism, Trade & Investment Promotion Agency of Cape Town and the Western Cape invites investors looking to take advantage of this to make contact with the agency.

According to Wesgro CEO, Tim Harris, “the depreciation in our currency means that our skilled

workforce could offer investors better value for money in foreign currency terms, while at the same time benefitting exporters selling Western Cape products abroad.”

“This development also presents an opportunity for those companies looking to utilise the Western Cape as a headquarters for their expansion into the rest of Africa. Essentially our world class infrastructure and transport system, highly skilled workforce,

THE LAUNCH OF

J

uly 2015 saw the launch of Crew Pencil, South Africa’s fitrst online crew booking and diary system.

Crew Pencil’s aim is to modernize the current crew booking system as well as encouraging and simplifying direct communication between crew and production companies 24/7.

With ever increasing technology offering us the convenience of taking care of so much online

and quality standard of living is now available to international investor at a dramatically reduced price” he adds.

Harris was also buoyed by the latest stats released by Barclays Africa Trade Index where SA was identified as the best investment destination for British firms looking to expand into Africa.

Harris believes that The Western Cape’s contribution to this billing cannot be underestimated.

According to the latest fitgures compiled by Wesgro Research, the province is the destination of choice for 20% of the FDI projects from the UK to South Africa. In 2014 Cape Town received 6% (ZAR206m) of total FDI into African cities.

South Africa came out tops for UK FDI into Africa in terms of both investment projects and capex in 2014, accounting for 28% and 41% respectively.

CREW PENCIL

and via apps, you can now also experience the ease of managing your freelance fitlm career online. Diary bookings and invoicing, all in one.

The site supplies an online platform where freelancers in the film industry can manage their diaries and job bookings, while simultaneously offering an online tool for production companies to search availability and crew-up for jobs.

The site allows for freelance crew to create profitles; upload CV’s; link Showreels & Portfolios; list their gear & vehicles and of course easily manage their diary, jobs and availability. It also offers easy to use invoicing software to assist crew members with this process.

Production companies create a booking sheet for their job by laying out their schedule, booking crew and uploading relevant documents,

such as scripts or storyboards, for crew to have access to. Once a crew member is pencilled by a production company on the site, an instant chat communication channel is opened between the two online, via the site.

Just in time for the start of the commercial season, Crew Pencil is now ready to use, with over 120 crew and 50 production companies already signed up. www.crewpencil.com

10 / IN PRODUCTION

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IN PRODUCTION OCTOBER 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:

DETOUR

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 deceitf ul relative. Sheridan has previously worked alongside Matt hew McConaughey and Nicholas Cage. The film is currently in post production.

JOURNEY IS THE DESTINATION

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 includes Katherine Waterston (Inherent Vice) and Ella Purnell (Maleficent).

The film has just wrapped production in Johannesburg.

MY SIGHT FOR SORE EYES JUST NUISANCE

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.

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 batt le, and the many characters who make up his court and citizens. The show is being produced for ABC in the US.

IN PRODUCTION / 11

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SHUSHH

RESIDENT EVIL: THE FINAL CHAPTER

The final installation of this mega-franchise has begun shooting in Cape Town. It sees 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.”

SHEPHERDS AND BUTCHERS

English actor Steve Coogan stars in this Apartheidera 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”.

TUTANKHAMUN

The story of the unearthing of the boy king is currently in production in Cape Town’s Good Hope Centre.

British broadcaster ITV has commissioned a four-part miniseries, written by Guy Burt and “will focus on the legendary personal story of Carter (the archaeologist), a solitary man on the edge of society who became an iconic figure and an unlikely hero,” a news release said.

Ben Schnetzer plays Max Vandenburg inThe Book Thief © 20th Century Fox, Jules Heath

Multiple award-winning actress Nse Ikpe-Etim will play Madeleine in the film Shushh, based on the novel Whiplash

by Tracey Farren. Madeleine is a refugee who comes to South Africa after suffering horrific war-time atrocities in the Congo. She forms a close bond with Tess, a young sex worker, whose life is in turmoil. Tess will be played by Christia Visser. The film will soon begin principal photography in Muizenberg, Cape Town.

12 / FEATURE

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RENTAL ROYALTY

The Callsheet invited South Africa’s leading camera-rental companies to talk about their most popular cameras. The Players: Matthew Maclennan – Panavision, Marius Van Straaten – Visual Impact, Toyah Fitzpatrick – Media Film Service, Stacey Keppler – Zootee Studios

THE ROYAL FAMILY ALEXA

SONY F55

ALEXA XT

SONY FS7

Panavision: The Alexa cameras are still the most popular. This is probably due to their pleasing pictures, high dynamic range, ease of use and proven workflows – you know what to expect when shooting with an Alexa camera. That and the fact that it captures ProRes natively in camera has always been one of its best selling points.

This is true for all the cameras in the Alexa family starting with the classic 16:9. As the name implies it has a 16:9 sensor and is perfect for most commercials and TV dramas.

The Alexa plus 4:3 which has a 4:3 super 35 sensor which can switch from 16:9 sensor mode to 4:3 sensor mode making it ideal for Anamorphic lenses. It also has built in remote-control features to work with the Arri wireless system.

Visual Impact: Our number-one blue chip wildlife camera. A beast of a camera with an unbelievable range of formats making it fit nearly every requirement possible. The ability to shoot Apple ProRes codec and Avid DNxHD creating an even wider market for us.

Media Film Service: The Alexa XT is a camera for clients who want more.

They want the Alexa process of simplicity, but with more options. This now allowed the client to shoot with anamorphic lenses and to shoot in Raw with the built in Codex Raw Recorder.

Visual Impact: The versatility of this camera makes it our number one renting camera.

Featuring a 4K Super 35mm sensor producing great shallow depth of fi eld.

Att racti ve as a standard production camera, but with amazing slow motion capability making it very att racti ve. Up to 180 fps on internal XQD media and 240fps using external RAW recorder in 2K, documentary and news guys love the front handle and MPEG recording. It’s prett y hard for the competi tion to beat this off ering.

Media Film Service: The Alexa Classic will always be the go-to camera of the digital world. It was one of the first to become embedded into our rentals pool, and one that is not going anywhere anytime soon.

Media Film Service: The Sony F55 is a versatile light weight camera that off ers fantastic footage in 2 or 4K. A great option for the more budget conscious market and works well as a broadcast camera.

Panavision: The Sony F55 is an underutilised camera that has all the features you could need. It has a true global shutter which eliminates the issues you can get with a rolling shutter.

It can shoot 4K or 2K RAW to the optional R5 module on the camera as well as simultaneously recording Sony’s XAVC codec onto SXS cards.

Panavision: The Alexa XT does it all with the same features as the 4:3 plus but with the added option to record RAW files in camera onto 512GB Codex mags. The RAW files give you maximum quality and latitude for grading and other VFX post work making it the camera of choice for features and high-end commercials. One of the drawbacks of the Alexas is that they are heavy, about 7kgs compared to the 3kgs of the REDs. To combat this, Arri released the Alexa M where the head and body are separate joined by a fibre optic umbilical cable, which gives the operator more fl exibility to get the shot especially in tighter spaces.

Media Film Service: The Sony FS7 is a relati vely newer camera to the cine market but is already making quite an impression. One to watch.

Zootee Studios: It’s just so versatile. We have a variety of mounts but the PL mount combination is proving most popular - it’s used to shoot everything from documentaries to commercials.

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

14 / FEATURE

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AMIRA

Arri Alexa

Arri Alexa

Panavision: The Amira is lighter and smaller than the classic Alexa cameras it was designed more for the single operator / documentary market. It also records up to 200fps at 2K on the Cfast 2.0 carts. And with the latest upgrades can also record 4K UHD ProRes. Media Film Service: The Amira is great documentary-style camera; lightweight and ready for any action kind of camera.

The greatest part of this camera for clients is the fact it shoot 200fps.

RED EPIC AND RED DRAGON Panavision: The Red Epic and Red Dragon are also very popular cameras, with extremely high resolution and dynamic range. Their small modular design makes them perfect for aerial drone work, Movi rigs and Steadycams.

The cameras are very similar in function and design with the sensor being the main difference between the two.

The Dragon has a 6K sensor and the Epic has a 5K sensor.

Both cameras record RED RAW (.R3D files) to Red MiniMags. The maximum frame rate depends on the resolution that you are shooting at but you can get up to 300fps at 2K on the Dragon. RED have recently launched the Weapon which is also a 6K camera which is capable of recording in

ProRes or R3D, with the 8K upgrade expected towards the end of the year.

Media Film Service: The Dragon was REDs call to the fight. With the Red 1, Epic and now the Dragon.

It shoots from 2 to 6K, it also has the capabilities of shooting in anamorphic, easy to use and lightweight.

Red Dragons are extremely popular. I’m sure the next Weapon will be just that – a weapon to reckon with.

Zootee Studios: People rent it particularly for gimbal work because of its small dimensions.

Arri Amira

OTHER CAMERAS VYING FOR THE THRONE SONY PMW 400

Visual Impact: Great ergonomics requiring no additional accessories allows for fast operating and shooting in adverse conditions, making it the ideal reality TV working horse. The low light ability is a major plus.

ALEXA MINI

Panavision: The Alexa Mini goes a step further. Its carbon fibre body weighing just 2.3kgs makes it perfect for aerial photography and handheld gimbals like the Movi or Ronin. It records ProRes to Cfast 2.0 cards up to 200fps.

It shoots 16:9 up to 4K. With the ability to shoot 4:3 and RAW expected to be available with a future firmware update.

Another nice addition are the built in motorised ND filters.

People are loving it with in combination with the Ronin-M

SONY ALPHA 7S

CANON C300

Visual Impact: Nicknamed the Canon 5Dii slayer. This camera offers a 24.3MP full frame CMOS sensor and shoots HD footage up to 50 Mbps on XAVC S. Amazing 5 axis sensor based stabilisation makes it very popular in the DSLR budget arena. Sony’s tiltable back screen is seriously challenging Canon and Nikon and making it increasingly a firm favourite.

SONY A7R II

Zootee Studios: This tiny 4K pocket rocket has literally been out on hire every single day since we bought it from SBSS in August.

Visual Impact: Very popular ergonomics and workability make it one of our foreign client’s firm favourites. With 4:2:2 sampling at 50 Mbs it ticks all the broadcast requirements.

That said clients are already shouting for the newer C300ii with internal 4K recording and improved slow motion.

SONY RX10II

Visual Impact: It’s rapidly finding its niche as a fast, ready-to-shoot fi xed lens option. Lovely T2.8 Zeiss lens equating to a 24 to 200mm lens in 35mm terms. The smaller

one inch sensor on the plus side allows for rapid processing, autofocus and fast burst shooting. Our absolute favourite is the Wi-Fi link with Sony’s PlayMemories app allowing one to control, view and access lower res photos for social media from one’s smart phone. So while you’re shooting you can start the PR and post photos sent from the camera to your smart phone.

PHANTOM 4K FLEX

Media Film Service: The Phantom 4k was a huge jump from the 2k Phantom camera. It is very specialised yet there is a place for this camera in the film world. And features are picking up on that as well; from National Geographic to a Mercedes car commercial.

THERE IS NO SUBSTITUTE FOR EXPERIENCE

MIRRORLESS IS MORE

α7s

α7r ll • 42 MP Full-Frame Exmor R BSI CMOS Sensor • BIONZ X Image Processor • ISO 102,400 and Silent Shutter Mode • Internal UHD 4K Video & S-Log2 Gamma • 5-Axis SteadyShot INSIDE Stabilization • 399 Phase-Detect AF Points & 5 fps Burst

RX10 ll

• 12.2MP Full-Frame Exmor CMOS Sensor • BIONZ X Image Processor • 4:2:2 UHD 4K Output via HDMI • Expandable Sensitivity: ISO 50-409600 • 3.0" 921.6k-Dot Tilting LCD Monitor • Full Pixel Read-Out, S-Log2 Gamma

• 20.2 MP 1" Exmor RS BSI CMOS Sensor • BIONZ X Image Processor • Low-Light Sensitivity to ISO 12800 • Internal UHD 4K Video & S-Log2 Gamma • Carl Zeiss 24-200mm f/2.8 Lens • Slow Motion Video at 1000 fps

Vocas Support Kit

Wooden Camera Support Kit

Shape Support Kit

Video Devices Pix-E5

Metabones PL to NEX

Zacuto Gratical Viewfinder

SUPPORTSYSTEMS

R E N TA L

Visual Impact, Johannesburg, 32 Bompas Road, Dunkeld, Johannesburg, 2196, Tel: +27 (0)11 788 9879 Visual Impact, Cape Town, 1 Glynville Terrace, Gardens, Cape Town, 8001, Tel: +27 (0)21 468 6000 After hours number: +27 (0)76 644 2685 Sales: jhb@visuals.tv / ctsales@visuals.tv Rentals: sarentals@visuals.tv

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G-TECHNOLOGY EV RANGE G-Technology has excited us again with some fantastic G-Drives and docks with Thunderbolt.

Kim Muller explores their specs and abilities thanks to Syntech.

NAME / DESCRIPTION

COMMENTS

G-DOCK ev with Thunderbolt: A nifty dock for solid state drives, complete with 2 portable 1TB drives

Capacity: 2TB Interface: 2 x Thunderbolt Disk: Drive Speed – 7200 RPM; Cache – Up to 32MB Compatibility: Mac OS 10.7 +; Windows 8, 7 and Vista Size (L x W x H): 7.87” x 5.12” x 3.54” / 200 x 130 x 90 mm Kit Contents: 1 G-DOCK ev Device with Thunderbolt connectivity, 2 G-DRIVE ev USB 3.0 Hard Drives, 2 USB 3.0 Cables, 1 Thunderbolt Cable Quick Start Guide, AC Power Supply Retail Price: 2TB US$499.95

Aside from matching your Mac, this sleek, G-DOCK ev can store up to 2TB and transfer at about 250MB/s, which is especially awesome if you’ve experienced Windows’ transfer rates. The Thunderbolt tech is ideal for fastest data transfer, while the dock also has a selectable RAID mode. It is ultra-flexible and expandable, working with any Evolution Series products.

G-DRIVE ev ATC: An all-terrain (G-DRIVE ev RaW) 1TB hard drive

Capacity: Up to 1TB Interface: Case Interface: 1x Thunderbolt Drive Interface: 1x USB 3.0 and 1x SATA Disk: 7200RPM Compatibility: Mac OS 10.7+; Windows 8.1, 8 and 7 (via reformat) Size (L x W x H): All-Terrain Case – 6.46”x 4.25”x 1.20” / G-DRIVE ev RAW – 5.14” x 3.29” x 0.65” Kit Contents: G-DRIVE® ev ATC with Thunderbolt hard drive solution with tethered Thunderbolt cable, USB 3.0 cable (for use with G-DRIVE ev), Quick Start Guide, 3-Year limited warranty Retail Price: 1TB US$229.95

Part of the Rugged family, this hardy drive is ideal if you’re a klutz like me. Not only is it shock, water and dust resistant, but it’s nice and lightweight, and the removable G-DRIVE ev RaW can be replaced with the G-DRIVE ev or G-DRIVE ev SSD. It can withstand a 2m drop on a carpeted concrete floor, is about 35% lighter than the G-DRIVE ev, and floats in water for about 30 seconds. This nifty drive is perfect for field back-up, editing, transferring and storage.

G-DRIVE ev RaW: A 1TB drive with a rubber bumper for drop protection

Capacity: 500GB, 1TB Interface: 1 USB 3.0 for plug and play; 1 SATA for use with G-DOCK ev Disk: 7200RPM Compatibility: Mac OS 10.7+; Windows 8.1, 8 & 7 (via reformat) Size (L x W x H): 5.14” x 3.29” x 0.65” Kit Contents: G-DRIVE ev RaW hard drive, Removable bumper, USB 3.0 cable (compatible with USB 2.0), Quick Start Guide Retail Price: 500GB US$99.95, 1TB US$129.95

Possibly my favourite of the lot (because of the cute colours and shape, of course) this rugged, lightweight hard drive is designed for my purse! And, with the handy blue bumper, it not only withstands a 1.5m drop, but also protects the drives from everyday bruises and scratches in your bag.

The drive is also compatible with the All Terrain Case, the G-DOCK system, or as a standalone device.

It is shock resistant, 35% lighter than the G-DRIVE ev and has transfer rates of up to 136MB/s.

I

t felt like Christmas had come early in our office not too long ago when I received five pieces of G-Tech hardware to review thanks to renowned local software and hardware distributor, Syntech. All were from the G-DRIVE ev range, which, by the way is incredibly slick and easy on the eyes: the G-DRIVE ev RaW, the G-DRIVE ev ATC, the the G-DOCK ev.

Because these names are so similar, I’ve divided them into a little table below to help you make the perfect pick if you’re adding to your solid state stash. Prices were taken from the official website (www.g-technology.com).

SPECIFICATIONS

All images ©G-Technology

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TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT IN FILM

Much has been happening in South Africa’s film educational realm. Kim Muller speaks to the experts to find out what the challenges are, where there’s been growth, and what to expect in 2016.

I

t is for the future of cinema that Africa exists. This is according to Djibril Diop Mambety, Director of Touki Bouki and Hyènes. “Africans, in particular, must reinvent cinema,” he elaborates. “It will be a difficult task because our viewing audience is used to a specific film language, but a choice has to be made: either one is very popular and one talks to people in a simple and plain manner, or else one searches for an African film language that would exclude chattering and focus more on how to make use of visuals and sounds.”

As more and more African auteurs begin to surface, South Africa is in a unique position – especially with its infrastructure and numerous tertiary institutions – to both support and contribute a new generation of filmmakers to the continent. As we look towards who tomorrow’s industry leaders will be, here’s what today’s lecturers and role model have to say about what’s new in their schools and where to from here.

ON BRIDGING THE GAP BETWEEN ACADEMIC EDUCATION AND HANDS-ON TRAINING Adam Yeld, Sales Manager, CityVarsity: “We mould our course around industry needs… We focus a great deal on experience and hands on training with a very practical curriculum, we also encourage students from first and second year to intern on third shoots.”

Bryce Hepburn, Head of Film, SAE Cape Town: “I focus on short form…There’s a huge growth in that area. My belief is that I’m trying to get the people work, and that will probably be where they get their first job if they don’t go work for someone else. I tell my students, ‘you’re not going to walk out of here and be a director on your first feature film, in the same way that BCom students are not CEOs when they leave university.’”

Seton Bailey, Project Manager, F.I.L.M.: “The biggest challenge – for both tertiary education graduates and non-graduates – remains having a realistic grasp of the industry they are entering and gaining access to the industry and a sustainable foothold for employment and career channelling going forward…Young, aspiring film crew often don’t fully appreciate how incredibly hard and often the formal production and servicing film industries can be and how long it takes to work ones way up the line-function to Head of Department status.”

Bobby Heaney, Director, M-Net Magic in Motion Academy: “It’s very hard for them [graduates] to get further experience because you’re now in the profession and people haven’t got time to mess around…With the Academy, they are getting that hands-on experience that teaches them how hard it is to be a boom swinger, a grip, a cam operator, a director, a floor manager… No matter where they move into

when they’ve finished the course, they will have an appreciation of the difficulty of each job.”

Nuno Martins, Principal, The Animation School: “We have an advisory council which includes members from industry, they inform and The Animation School of trends within the industry which are reviewed by our academic council and implemented accordingly. This thinking brings us closer to industry and allows our programme to evolve at the same pace as industry making our graduates industry ready from day one.”

Dr Tanja Sokota-Kokot, Head of the Film & Television Division, WSOA: “A historical and theoretical understanding grounds the practical application and deepens the student cinematographer’s ability to engage in an informed and knowledgeable way. We hold the view that theoretical and practical approaches are equally necessary in learning environments.”

ON HOW FRIENDLY THE LOCAL INDUSTRY IS FOR STUDENTS AND GRADUATES, AND KEY CHALLENGES Fhulyfhelo Badugela, M-Net Human Resources Director: “The greatest challenge the industry needs to address is the fact that there is still a lack of qualifications that focus on all specialisations and technical skills required

within the Broadcast and Media industry…Industry needs to partner strategically with further education institutions to share our needs, understand the current gaps and then design solutions to help close the gaps.”

Dr LJ Nic Theo, Lecturer, CPUT: “The established industry doesn’t seem to recognise the potential of the new generation, who often feel alienated by the old guard of the industry who expect it to be ‘business as usual’.

This is a new economic and social system now, post-2008, and the industry must learn how to capitalise on it… There are huge potentials there, and the new generation of film graduates are the key to harnessing that.

Bryce Hepburn, SAE: “Funnily enough, I get a lot of requests for interns, although film veterans are very sceptical of us. That’s valid, but we can only build that culture when our students are successful. I think they’re pretty receptive, attitudes are changing towards them.”

Franco Human, Dean, AFDA Durban: “Technology is our biggest game changer… There is no point in educating a student on outdated technology.

Although I miss the days of shooting on celluloid, processing your rushes and seeing the image for the first time, it is far more exciting for our new age generations to be shooting on the New Arri Alexa.”

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INSTITUTIONS PROVIDING TERTIARY EDUCATION IN FILM AAA SCHOOL OF ADVERTISING Key Offerings: AAA offers courses in advertising with fully accredited qualifications that are globally recognised. They offer a Creative Degree, a Marketing Degree, the Extended BA/ Foundation Programme, a BA in Creative Brand Communication, and a range of part time courses.

Key Staff: Dr Ludi Koekemoer: CEO, Clive Loxton: Creative Faculty Head (Johannesburg), Rian Swart: Creative Faculty Head (Cape Town) Website: www.aaaschool.co.za Location: Cape Town, Johannesburg

AFDA Key Offerings: Courses are offered in film, television, performance, business and computer technology. Degrees offered are Undergraduate BA, BCom and BSc, Postgraduate BA, Postgraduate MFA, Higher Certificate in Film, TV and Entertainment. AFDA Pro also offers short courses for industry professionals.

Key Staff: Bata Passchier: CoFounder and CEO, Garth Holmes: Co-Founder and Chairman, Malcolm Purkey: Dean of AFDA, Johannesburg, Dr. Christopher John: Dean of AFDA Cape Town, Gianfranco Human: Dean of

Š The Wits School of Arts (University of Witwatersrand)

AFDA Durban, Denise Roodt: Dean of AFDA Port Elizabeth, Dr Mothusi Phuthego: Campus Dean and Acting Registrar, AFDA Botswana, Tsholofelo Ntshingane: Director,

AFDA Botswana Board Website/Contacts: www.afda.co.za Location: Johannesburg, Cape Town, Durban, Port Elizabeth, Botswana

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BIG FISH SCHOOL OF DIGITAL FILMMAKING Key Offerings: The school offers 1st Year (NQF 4) and 2nd Year (NQF 5) in Audio Visual Production, as well as short courses in Production for Television and Film, low-budget production, production accounting, cinematography, scriptwriting, directing actors, fundraising, commercials and more.

Key Staff: Dr Melanie Chait: CEO Website: www.bigfish.org.za Location: Johannesburg, Cape Town

BOSTON MEDIA HOUSE Key Offerings: Boston offers qualifications in advertising, video and TV, marketing, animation and audio visual multimedia among others. Students can work towards a Diploma in Media Practices or a Bachelor of Business Administration in Media Operations Management. Boston also offers short courses in media.

Website/Contacts: www.boston.co.za Location: South Africa, with a presence in all 9 provinces; Tanzania

CAPE PENINSULA UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY (CPUT) Key Offerings: CPUT offers a National Diploma in Film and Video Technology, as well as an ND, NC and BTech in Multimedia, an ND and BTech in Journalism and Photography.

Key Staff: Jared Borkum: Course Coordinator, Lecturer Dr Ashraf Jamal: Lecturer, Dr Nic Theo: Head of the Film Programme, Lecturer Website/Contacts: www.cput.ac.za Location: Cape Town

CENTRE FOR FINE ART ANIMATION AND DESIGN Key Offerings: The Durban campus offers National Diploma in Integrated Fine Art, Animation

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and Graphic Design. This is a 3-year course. The Cape Town campus offers a 4-year course in drawing, animation, visual development, directing for animation, story, programming and professional practice.

Website/Contacts: www.cfad.co.za www.cfadcapetown.co.za Location: Durban, Cape Town

CITYVARSITY SCHOOL OF MEDIAL AND CREATIVE ARTS Key Offerings: Courses are offered in Animation, Film and TV, Sound Engineering, Photography, Multimedia and Graphic Design, Acting for Camera, Journalism, New Media Development and Motion Picture Make Up. Full time courses include Acting, Animation, Film and TV, Multimedia and New Media Development, as well as various BA degrees.

Key Staff: Michelle Young: National General Manager, Website/Contacts: www.cityvarsity.co.za Location: Cape Town and Johannesburg

DURBAN UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY Key Offerings: DUT offers courses in Drama and Production Studies, Video Technology and Visual Communication, with an ND in Drama, an ND, BTech or MTech in Journalism, an ND or BTech in Video Technology.

Key Staff: Dr Rene Smith: Executive Dean: Faculty of Arts and Design (Acting), Prof Brian Pearce: Deputy Dean (Acting) Website/Contacts: www.dut.ac.za Location: Durban

F.I.L.M. Key Offerings: A NonProfit Organisation offering accredited skills development and training in the local film, electronic and digital media industry. Programmes are NQF Level 4 and NQF Level 5: a National Certificate in

Film and TV Production.

Key Staff: Seton Bailey: Programme Director Website/Contacts: www.filmsa.co.za Location: Cape Town

FILM SCHOOL AFRICA COLLEGE Key Offerings: The FSA College launches full-time in 2016 with a live-in, 2-3 year programme offering a Diploma, NQVF 4 and 5, or Higher Certificate in Pre-Production, Production and Post-Production.

Bursaries are available.

Key Staff: Katie Taylor: Executive Director and Board Member, Howard Taylor: CEO, Marie Midcalf: Associate FSA Director/Editor/Teacher Website/Contacts: www.filmschoolafrica.org Location: Kayamandi and Strand, Cape Town

JINTEK VARSITY COLLEGE Key Offerings: The Jintek Media Institute offers full time and short courses in Film and TV Production, Radio and Broadcasting, Journalism and Drama.

Website/Contacts: www.jintekvarsitycollege.co.za Location: Tshwane

LABSPACE Key offerings: Labspace offers software courses in Adobe, Apple and DaVinci Resolve. It is an authorised training centre, with most of the courses taking place over 3 days. Labspace also offers consulting and support over a range of software disciplines.

Key Staff: Michael Brennan: Co-Founder, Saadique Mentor: Apple Certified Technical Trainer, Danielle Nel: Apple, Adobe and Avid Certified Lecturer, Cedric Robertson: Mentor and Apple Certified Trainer Website/Contacts: www.labspace.tv Location: Cape Town and Randburg

M-NET MAGIC IN MOTION ACADEMY Key Offerings: The M-Net MiM Academy was launched in 2014 to bridge the gap between handson experience in the industry and theory taught at educational institutions. Twelve graduates are chosen from tertiary institutions nationwide and entered into a year-long internship at M-Net. Key Staff: Bobby Heaney: Academy Director Website/Contacts: www.mnetmagicinmotion.com Location: Johannesburg

NELSON MANDELA METROPOLITAN UNIVERSITY Key Offerings: NMMU offers a Bachelor of Visual Arts, Btech in Journalism and Photography, and Honours and Masters in Media Studies.

Key Staff: Prof Derrick Swartz: Vice-Chancellor, Prof Rose Boswell: Executive Dean, Faculty of Arts Website/Contacts: www.nmmu.ac.za Location: Port Elizabeth and George

RED & YELLOW Key Offerings: Red & Yellow offers full time learning, online learning and bespoke training in a range of disciplines related to advertising and marketing. They full time courses include Marketing and Advertising Communication and Graphic Design, while their part time learning includes digital marketing and a range of short courses and workshops.

Key Staff: Lynette Oelschig: CEO, Clayton Sutherland: Creative Head, Hazel Pearson: Director and Administrator Website: www.redandyellow.co.za Location: Cape Town, Johannesburg

RHODES UNIVERSITY Key Offerings: Rhodes offers an integrated approach to drama

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masterclasses in these disciplines.

Key Staff: Trenton Birch: Marketing Director/ Campus Director, Bryce Hepburn: Head of Film, Dr Adam De Beer: Head of Academics and Animation, Izan Greyling: Head of Sound Website/Contacts: www.capetown.sae.edu Location: Cape Town

THE ANIMATION SCHOOL

© CityVarsity School of Medial and Creative Arts

studies with undergraduate programmes and post graduate programmes that draw from all disciplines and genres.

These include Drama 1, 2 and 3, Honours and Masters. The Journalism School is renowned for its programme, offering BA in Journalism and Media Studies (3 years) or a BJourn (4 years).

Key Staff: Prof Larry Strelitz: Professor of Media Studies and Head of the Journalism School, Prof Jeanne Prinsloo: Professor of Media Studies, Prof Gary Gordon: Head of Drama Department Website/Contacts: www.ru.ac.za Location: Grahamstown

SABIDO EACADEMY Key Offerings: Sabido eAcademy is a registered TVET College with the

Media Information Communication Technologies SETA. It offers NQF Level 4 and 5 in Film and TV Production Operations and Film and TV Production.

Key Staff: Natalie Delport: Managing Director, Simon Palmer: Head of Training Website/Contacts: www.eacademy.co.za Location: Johannesburg

SAE INSTITUTE (SCHOOL OF AUDIO ENGINEERING) Key Offerings: SAE offers courses in Animation, Audio and Film.

Students can obtain a one-year Higher Certificate in Animation and VFX, a BA in Film Production, a Higher Certificate in Digital Film Production, or a BA or HC in Sound Production. SAE also offers a range of short courses and

Key Offerings: The Animation School offers a 3-year full time Diploma in Digital Animation. It is an internationally recognised Autodesk Authorised Training Centre, and also offers part time courses.

Website/Contacts: www.theanimationschool.co.za Location: Cape Town, Johannesburg

TSHWANE UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY Key Offerings: Courses are offered in Drama and Film, Entertainment Technology, Performing Arts and Visual Communication. A three-year degree in Film and TV Production and drama are the main film courses offered.

Obtainable qualifications are the National Diploma, BTech, Master’s Degree in Technology, Doctorate in Technology.

Key Staff: Prof Mziwoxolo Sirayi: Executive Dean of the Faculty of the Arts, Dr Nalini Moodley: Assistant Dean of the Faculty of the Arts

Website/Contacts: www.tut.ac.za Location: Tshwane

THE CENTRE FOR FILM AND MEDIA STUDIES (UNIVERSITY OF CAPE TOWN) Key Offerings: A range of Undergrad and Postgrad degrees including a BA in Film and Media Production, Honours in Television Drama, and an MA in African Cinema are offered. The Centre also offers a selection of PhD and MPhil degrees. UCT has a Television studio complete with a production unit and equipment.

Key Staff: Prof Herman Wasserman: Director and Professor of Media Studies, Distinguished Professor PhilippeJoseph Salazar: Director of the Centre for Rhetoric Studies Website/Contacts: www.cmfs.uct.ac.za Location: Cape Town

THE WITS SCHOOL OF ARTS (UNIVERSITY OF WITWATERSRAND) Key Offerings: Wits offers a four-year Bachelor of Arts in Film and TV, MA courses in Technical Core, Screenwriting and Fiction Film: African Cinema and a PG Diploma in Arts for Film and TV. Key Staff: Dr Tanja SakotaKokot: Head of Division and Senior Lecturer, Prof Jyoti Mistry: Associate Professor and Deputy Head of Division Website/Contacts: www.wsoa.wits.ac.za Location: Johannesburg

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UNIVERSITY OF JOHANNESBURG Key Offerings: The Department of Journalism, Film and TV offers undergrad degrees in Journalism and Audiovisual Communication, as well as BA Hons, MA and DLitt et Phil in Film and TV. Two of its recent graduates were selected as part of the M-Net Magic in Motion Academy internship. UJ also offers journalism students the chance to intern at BBC Africa.

Key Staff: Mrs Emmerentia Breytenbach: Academic Coordinator Website/Contacts: www.uj.ac.za Location: Johannesburg

UNIVERSITY OF KWAZULU-NATAL Key Offerings: The Centre for Communication, Media and Society offers a 3-year degree

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in media, while UKZN also offers a Drama and Performance course and Media and Cultural Studies. Degrees offered are Honours, Masters and PhD. Key Staff: Prof Tomaselli: Head of the Centre for Communication, Media and Society Website/Contacts: www.ukzn.ac.za Location: KwaZulu-Natal

UNIVERSITY OF STELLENBOSCH Key Offerings: The Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences offers BAs in Drama and Theatre Studies, as well as Visual Arts. Stellenbosch also offers postgraduate degrees on Journalism, Visual Arts, and Drama and Theatre.

Key Staff: Dr P du Preez: Department of Drama,

Mrs Y Broodryk: Department of Visual Arts Website/Contacts: www.sun.ac.za Location: Stellenbosch, Western Cape

VAAL UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY Key Offerings: The Department of Visual Arts and Design offers NDip, BTech and MTech in Photography, as well as an NDip, BTech, MTech and DTech in Fine Arts, which includes multimedia, digital imaging, two- and three-dimensional studies and communication.

Key Staff: Adv. PDF Tlakula: Chancellor, Prof I N Moutlana: Vice Chancellor and Principal Avitha Sooful: Head of Department of Visual Arts and Design Website/Contacts:

www.vut.ac.za Location: Vanderbijlpark and Secunda

VEGA SCHOOL Key Offerings: Vega School of Brand Leadership is focused on advertising and brand communication, with certificates, degrees, short courses, workshops, honours, diplomas and masters in a range of disciplines including Creative Brand Communication, Fine Art Photography and Digital Marketing.

Website/Contacts: www.vegaschool.com Location: Johannesburg, Tshwane, Durban, Cape Town DISCLAIMER: Although this list by no means covers all the institutions providing quality education in the film industry in South Africa, these are some of the notable or main schools offering courses in media production.

M-NET MAGIC IN MOTION: A CASE STUDY

N

ationwide, an estimated 7 200 high school learners were exposed to diverse career opportunities within the local broadcasting industry through the M-Net Magic in Motion (MiM) Career Expo, which made stops in Cape Town, Johannesburg and Durban during August this year. The expo itself was an exciting experience.

The Callsheet was invited as a fly on the wall to the Cape Town event, held at the Science Centre. Youth from a number of disadvantaged communities were bussed in the experience what the industry is all about.

But perhaps the most exciting thing about the expo was not the goosebumps from hearing kids getting excited about being actors on a real production set, or dancing during the warm-up in the mock control room, but the fact that the twelve handpicked MiM Academy interns were running the show. These twelve were

Learners experienced the life in front of the cameras as extras on set © M-Net Magic in Motion

handpicked last year to participate in a year-long internship which was nearing the halfway point by the time August arrived. By then, they had already been placed on nineteen productions including soap operas, feature films and dramas. Says Bobby Heaney, the Academy Director: “I keep moving them around so that they spend between two and four weeks on each production and during that time they are designated to specific areas. Palesa might

go onto Ashes to Ashes and she might work in the Art Department for a few weeks. Then she will be moved to Isidingo, and she will work as a Floor Manager or a 2nd Assistant Director for a three week period. I keep shifting them around so that basically I’m giving them ten years’ experience in one year,” he explains.

We spoke to one of the interns, Sivela Skye Mgudu, who studied at CPUT before being accepted on the programme. He

was incredibly inspired by the Career Expo, even though he was one of those sharing their newly found skills with the high school students. “Nothing satisfies me more than inspiring kids out there who don’t really know what the industry is about – it really fulfils me and I feel like the industry can become better,” he said of the event. “I’m not there to prove a point or anything, but I am there to pave a way for the younger generation to learn how to take over because we are the future of South Africa.” Already he’s received offers to work at a couple of production companies, so it’s sufficed to say that M-Net has evidently done well in solidifying these interns’ futures in the motion picture industry. If the MiM Academy manages to pull this off correctly with their first batch of interns, the programme could become instrumental in feeding experienced leaders into the film industry value chain.

SPOTLIGHT / 23

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AMERICAN FILM MARKET

This annual, eight day event, currently hosted in Santa Monica, California (until 2017) is the world’s premier market place to seal the deal in regard to the production and distribution of films.

FOR PRODUCERS AND FILMMAKERS COMING FROM AFRICA, TWO EVENTS SHOULD NOT BE MISSED: THE PITCH CONFERENCE AND THE AFRICAN COPRODUCTION ROUNDTABLE. AFM Conference © Alex Riddle

F

ounded in 1981, its focus is squarely on deals! These may be on completed films that range from the big blockbuster to the lower budget genre on the other, and encompasses films at every stage of development or production.

Running from the 4- 11 November, its programme includes deal making, screenings, seminars, networking and the ubiquitous parties. Delegates like acquisition and development executives, agents, attorneys and directors all converge to network, sell and acquire films. They are privy to 700 screenings. It uses all fifteen movie theatres on Santa Monica’s Third Street Promenade. Bespoke cinema screens are also erected to further accommodate these screenings in the scenic environs.

Why should African film producers attend the event?

Motion picture production and finance is a collaborative art and business. The AFM offers the best opportunity for filmmakers, producers and entrepreneurs from around the world to connect. Further, most films require revenue from the export marketplace to secure production financing or to give investors a chance to recoup.

Only AFM and Cannes provide the opportunities to meet with the global film community buyers, producers, financiers, sales companies - in one place.

What are your anticipated highlights this year?

Every year over 100 films have their world premiere at AFM

(among the 700 screenings) and hundreds of project are announced that are about to start shooting. This is always a highlight but the films and projects have not been revealed yet. Most production and sales companies wait until the eve of AFM to make their announcements.

What parts of the programme are not to be missed?

For producers and filmmakers coming from Africa, two events should not be missed: The Pitch Conference and the African Coproduction Roundtable.

At the Pitch Conference, attendees will learn the essential rules and tools of pitching from the experts.

The African Coproduction Roundtable is an AFM initiative

to further the development and promotion of the African film industry. The Roundtable will bring together stakeholders who have an interest in films produced in Africa with crosscultural appeal to work towards realizing the full potential of the African film industry.

THE MARKET BY THE NUMBERS: • 8,000 people attend the eight day event

• 70 countries • 700 screenings • 400 films

24 / FEATURE

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TV VS FILM VS COMMERCIALS The feature film realm has long held us captivated, but now television, video on demand and commercial trends are upending cinema’s reign. Kim Muller discovers which sector is thriving in South African circles, where the challenges are, and what’s ahead in the future. This is Part 1 in a two-part feature.

T

his is the golden age of television, or so we’ve been told for the last couple of years. Whether the statement is true or not is a different story, but perhaps J.J. Abrams said it best at the BAFTAS a little while back: “I think the television allows for a more free flowing creativity, whereas films, by their nature, require a more disciplined storytelling, where there’s less opportunity for smaller, more nuanced scenes that might not be serving the main story and the main plot. So in that way, TV is a more freeing form.”

With the rise of digital television, web series, and video on demand to name a few, the battle for the airwaves has begun. In some ways this has left the film circuit in the dust, with commercials taking to television’s format to get their messages across. Branded doccies, for example, have been making huge strides in the last few years. But that doesn’t mean that the feature film is dead. Oh, no. It simply means that it now has some serious competition.

Content is still king, and when that content is compelling – TV series or feature – the audience will come. This is clearly demonstrated in the killing Universal Pictures made not once or twice, but thrice breaking its own world record for 50

Black Sails ©Starz Entertainment

Shades of Grey, Fast and Furious 7, and Jurassic World in 2015.

FILM PLAGUED BY POLITICS

Gary King, Executive Producer at Picture Tree says that despite the fact that blockbusters and global cinema are doing relatively well, “the film industry worldwide is pushing hard to survive”. The company is a collective of directors working mainly in short form on productions in SA, Tanzania, Angola and also Nigeria. “Series are killing the feature films like video killed the radio star,” King continues, “And the internet has changed the parameters of the film industry to such an extent that we are all continuing to adapt. We are filmmakers and have skills that five years ago were applied differently to how we are applying them today.”

Patrick Walton is from 1BigDoor, an umbrella company that incorporates ShootAway

Productions ( Test My Ride).

Formed during the economic downturn, the group diversified and looked towards other revenue streams in the film and events sectors. He says that although the local motion picture industry is benefitting from the exchange rate, growth continues to be impeded by a number of socio-economic and political factors. “Internal politics and personal agendas are disrupting the natural growth cycle. There is also an increasing demand for more studio facilities, crew and equipment,” he explains.

“There is a definite increase in TV series over film and Cape Town in particular is becoming known for being a destination for this format,” Walton says. “The governing bodies need to seriously address this now to prevent demand overrunning supply.”

“One major area of concern is the provincial lack of funding and the current strategy from

those receiving that funding,” he continues, “For a number of years now a film fund has been discussed, but as with many announcements by our representative bodies when in Cannes, nothing has come of it and it is desperately required for us to participate as producers at the table instead of just being facilitators.”

But all is not doom and gloom, according to Tracey Williams, Managing Director at Refinery, one of the leading post-production facilities in South Africa, with both local and international productions under their belt – Queen of Katwe, Siege of Jodotville, Schuster: Pay Back the Money and Dis ek, Anna to name a few. “I think the quality and storytelling of our SA films has improved hugely. It is a tough business to compete at our local box office, but films are finding their audience. I do believe the quality of what is being produced has improved, but it is extremely difficult to ensure commercial success at our box office,” Williams explains. “We are seeing many foreign shows coming to shoot in SA, but we still need to see the growth in quality of our local broadcast work.” She concludes by saying that in the future, she foresees distribution platforms changing immensely.

“This will be a challenge for cinemas, but should open up more platforms to filmmakers.”

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THE TV TAKEOVER BEGINS

With the digital switchover earlier this year, the industry has seen an enormous need for fresh local content in the television realm.

M-Net and its mother company MultiChoice are one of the biggest broadcasters on the continent to ride this wave. Shows like Our Perfect Wedding, Isibaya, Carte Blanche, and Binnelanders are incredibly popular on their channels. Says Yolisa Phahle, CEO of M-Net SA: “We are committed to telling local stories that resonate with the people across Africa. This is in line with our investment strategy and our long-lasting relationship with the African entertainment industry.”

The company has been increasing their investment in local content year on year, spending over R1 billion in creating African stories for the continent.

“Today, we are developing the local content in ten African languages and before the end of the year, we envision increasing the number of local languages.

M-Net was to tell stories that resonate with people across our diverse continent,” Phahle says.

One of the main trends in the television market is viewers wanting to watch content that resonates with them, and as a result, M-Net have focused on local content development.

Another trend is immediacy.

“We have put solid measures in place with Express from the US in bringing our viewers content within 24 hours after it airs overseas. This prevents piracy

THE MOTION PICTURE INDUSTRY IN NUMBERS R1.9 BILLION:

The estimated Qualifying SA Expenditure on preproduction, production, post production and distribution (IPO/DTI annual ending March 2014)

21%:

The growth percentage in South African feature films produced between 2012 and 2013 (NFVF, 2013)

Dias Santana ©Refinery

CONTENT IS STILL KING, AND WHEN THAT CONTENT IS COMPELLING – TV SERIES OR FEATURE – THE AUDIENCE WILL COME.

R1.8 BILLION:

The turnover in commercials shot in SA (CPA, 2013)

R0.86 BILLION:

What SA stills producers contributed to the GDP and spoiler alerts with viewers.”

Because people now consume more video entertainment than ever before, there are huge opportunities for growth in this sector, although there are still challenges to overcome. “We have amazing acting talent, incredible stories to tell and incredible producers, and directors. [But] We have a shortage of writers and we need to find a way to develop and increase our pool of script writers,” she concludes.

Another issue the broadcast industry faces is the exponential growth of Video on Demand (VOD) across the African continent through platforms like Afrinolly, Buni.tv and iROKOtv. In a recent press conference, MultiChoice

Africa CEO Tim Jacobs shared his thoughts on competition for broadcasters, especially in light of Netflix coming to Africa and Naspers launching ShowMax as a VOD alternative. “Over-theTop (OTT) offerings like Netflix are sometimes a substitute and sometimes a complement to FTA (Free To Air) broadcasting. We find that Netflix is complementary because the bulk of linear TV is not consumed by younger viewers.

The challenge for OTT in Africa is cost and accessibility – you can’t watch long-play streaming video over a mobile network because of the expense. There is a window of opportunity in most territories that will take time to penetrate. It’s something we have to compete

(SAASP, 2013)

150:

The approximate number of registered production companies currently active in SA.

with. It’s also important to note that OTT is not a regulated space because it’s online. How our parent company Naspers has dealt with this is launching a product like ShowMax in South Africa. It competes against us (MultiChoice), and tries to eat our lunch. Naspers is throwing a direct competitor to cannibalise our audience as fast as it can and we have to deal with that.”

26 / SPOTLIGHT

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SHNIT

INTERNATIONAL SHORTFILMFESTIVAL Artfully bold and playful

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shnit International Shortfilmfestival at the Labia in Cape Town. Courtesy of shnit

Tyron Janse van Vuuren won the MADE IN SA Award for Preparation. Courtesy of shnit.

he unmistakably bold, magenta-branded festival is an annual, twelveday celebration of the art of the short film. It will be held internationally from 7 – 18 October this year.

This fantastically creative and all-encompassing festival values diversity and originality and welcomes short films from any genre or style, but cannot exceed 40 minutes, which is its only limitation.

The shnit International Shortfilmfestival is unique in that it has mushroomed to cities on five continents and now occurs concurrently in all the venues in these cities. The most important venue remains Bern, the originator city in 2003, and the cities on other continents are known as PLAYGROUNDS. One of the playgrounds is the gloriously, beautiful Cape Town, now in its sixth year. Joining the PLAYGROUND line-up is Bangkok, Buenos Aires, Cairo, Kyoto, Moscow and San Jose. shnit jolts into action with screenings lasting five days in all the PLAYGROUND cities from 7 -11 October. Each city will

have unique performances and screen the short films. The focus is the shnit Open Competition.

Each Open programme consists of about six to seven short films lasting about 80 minutes.

There are usually about ten programmes in each city. An official festival jury awards films in the following categories: • Smart Joe (Films Under 4 Minutes) • Magic Jack (Films From 4 to 10 Minutes) • Long John (Films over 10 Minutes).

Each PLAYGROUND presents National Jury and Audience Awards in a closing night ceremony, held one week before the grand finale in New York on the 18th. The audience in each playground chooses their favourite film and it can then stand a chance to win the “Audience Award” allocated by the festival organiser. This film then will stand in line to win the overall competition as announced later in New York. This concludes the national completion.

Another component of the festival is the shnit CINEMAS,

THIS FANTASTICALLY CREATIVE AND ALL-ENCOMPASSING FESTIVAL VALUES DIVERSITY AND ORIGINALITY AND WELCOMES SHORT FILMS FROM ANY GENRE OR STYLE, BUT CANNOT EXCEED 40 MINUTES,

SPOTLIGHT / 27

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launched in 2014 and embracing select cinemas and exclusive venues in more cities across the globe. It allows fans to watch nominated short films outside of the PLAYGROUND host cities.

The evening programme comprises seven or eight fine short films. The audience from these screenings contribute to the CINEMAS award.

A total purse of US$100 000 is up for grabs for this year’s international festival, split equally over five categories as follows: • shnit JURY Award – Category up to 10 min • shnit JURY Award – Category up to 20 min • shnit JURY Award – Category up to 40 min • shnit PLAYGROUNDS Award – Chosen by the audience • shnit CINEMAS Award – Chosen by the audience

Finally, award winners, shnit managers and the president of the International Jury gather for the award ceremony in New York, where the awards have been conferred since 2013.

The statuette itself is known as the FLAMING FAUN. It has a befittingly cheeky demeanour hinting at an award honouring those who have overcome obstacles to reach their goals.

Cape Town’s Sean Drummond has risen to the role of global coordinator and oversees the festival in all of its host cities. Alasdair McCulloch is now Cape Town festival manager. Formerly, key venues in Cape Town have been The Labia Theatre and Pulp Cinema. Funders include the National Film and Video Foundation and the Cape Film Commission. Tyron Janse van Vuuren made local shnit history by having his work, Preparation, win both jury and audience award in 2014.

Sean Drummond’s welcome speech in Cape Town. Courtesy of shnit.

SHNIT IS UNIQUE IN THAT IT HAS MUSHROOMED TO CITIES ON FIVE CONTINENTS AND NOW OCCURS CONCURRENTLY IN ALL THE VENUES IN THESE CITIES. ONE OF THE PLAYGROUNDS IS THE GLORIOUSLY, BEAUTIFUL CAPE TOWN,

28 / COUNTRY SPOTLIGHT

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Sunset at the Dock, Egypt © Christoffer Vittrup Nielsen

EGYPT:

MODERN, WITH AN OLD-WORLD CHARM Home to one of the oldest civilization, Egypt is awash with scintillating deserts and shimmering seas. Imogen Campbell discovers its fabulous locations and film opportunities.

E

gypt evokes images of the Pyramids, glimmering desert dunes, exquisite mosques and aromatic spices. The hallmark of a powerful, ancient civilisation, it is the 30th largest country worldwide, approximately a tenth the size of Brazil and slightly bigger than the most populous country in Africa, Nigeria. Situated in North Africa, it borders the Gaza Strip, Israel, Libya and Sudan. It also has a boundary with the Sinai Peninsula.

POPULATION

The population of Egypt is approximately 88 million (July 2015: The World Factbook).

It is the third most populous country in Africa, with 99% being ethnic Egyptian. The looks of the talent has the same ethnic make-up and other looks may need to be brought in from abroad. According to Emerge Film Solutions, “Egypt has a small pool of local directors, directors of photography and stills photographers. Key crew is available in Cairo and Alexandria.”

PREVIOUS PRODUCTIONS AND HISTORY It was formerly dubbed the ‘Hollywood of the Orient’, because of its reputation for making quality movies in its

golden era, which spanned three decades from the ‘40s to the ’60s. Musicals dominated the Egyptian film industry, specifically in the 1940s. However, it all began with the first short films of the Lumière brothers shown in Alexandria on 5 November 1896. Cairo followed suit, by having its first cinematographic projection in November 1896.

Notable films shot in Egypt include the following: The 1992 Denzel Washington film, Malcom X; the tenth Bond instalment featuring Roger Moore, The Spy Who Loved Me; the iconic The Ten Commandments (1956) starring Charlton Heston and Transformers:

Revenge of the Fallen.

Egpyt’s most notable actor is the acclaimed Omar Sharif who starred in epics like Lawrence of Arabia, earning him an Oscar nomination as well as winning two Golden Globe awards and Doctor Zhivago, a Golden Globe worthy performance.

THE CURRENT FILM LANDSCAPE

The Arab Spring of 2011 has had a huge impact on the film industry as the country fights for stability.

However, Kuwaiti-based, female writer and director Noor Hilal Arnaoot’s Marriage Impossible is filmed in Cairo

COUNTRY SPOTLIGHT / 29

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CLIMATE OF EGYPT Egypt is, as to be expected, hot and dry in summer. Winter is mild, though the days are bright and sunny, but known to have cold nights. Expect humidity along the Mediterranean Coast.

Annual hours of sunshine, and average minimum and maximum temperature in Cairo, Egypt

Ewan McGregor and Egyptian actor and filmmaker, Amr Waked in Salmon Fishing in the Yemen © Laurie Sparham / Lionsgate International

this year. Egyptian actor and filmmaker Amr Waked appeared in global hits Syriana and Salmon Fishing in the Yemen and famously with Scarlett Johansson in Lucy.

His 2014 movie, El Ott or The Cat was also shot in Cairo.

Industry insiders express that there has been a decline in Egyptian cinema since its heyday, specifically in the last decade or so. Slapstick comedies and dramas with a heavy Hollywood bent dictate cinemas and box office sales.

The Egyptian Media Production City (EMPC) was launched in 2000. This complex houses facilities like studios and sets for television programs and has cinema production capabilities. They have much competition from the more traditional destinations of Morocco, seen as safe, and Tunisia. There is also competition from the film industry in Jordan that recently received accolades for its role in the filming of The Hurt Locker.

The crew were described as consummate professionals.

Some of the major challenges in drawing foreign production are as follows: • Bureaucratic hurdles when trying to film on site in Egypt, • The lack of a distinguished film commission in the country, and • The effects of security issues on insuring film productions.

To access wonderful, wellpreserved Egyptian cinema online, peruse the YouTube channel Aflam, an Egyptian cinema archive.

FILM FESTIVALS

The 37th Cairo International Film Festival runs from 11 – 20 November 2015. This, the oldest festival in the Middle East is an annual festival was launched in 1976, but exceptions were the 2011 and 2013 years when it was cancelled due to political and budgetary constraints.

International actors awarded include the splendid Omar Sharif, Elizabeth Taylor, Morgan Freeman and even the South African, Charlize Theron.

The 4th Luxor African Film Festival took place in March this year.

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Major Airports in Egypt: • Cairo International Airport is considered to be the main airport of Egypt.

• Luxor International Airport, located in central part of Egypt.

Airlines flying in: EgyptAir and Midwest Airlines, Air Arabia, Air Berlin, British Airways, Excel Airways, South African Airways, Emirates Airways

FIXERS IN EGYPT Egypt Productions LLC (Film and Television production Services): Email: info@egyptproductions.com, Tel: +20 2 2415 3830 Fax: +20 2 2415 3831

CONTACT The Egyptian Tourist Authority: Misr Travel Tower, Abbasiya, Cairo Egypt, Email: info@gotoegypt.org, Tel: +20 207 408 2095 Website: www.gotoegypt.org

30 / INDIES AND SHORTS REVIEW

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INDIES AND SHORTS

Scribblings

SCRIBBLINGS (2015) REVIEW

BY STEPHEN NAGEL

[Stephen is a film critic and aspiring filmmaker, currently working on his first film project, Breathe Easy. Find more of his film musings at www.btglifestyle. com or on Twitter @thesnagel.]

I recently got the chance to check out a really cool short film with some amazing actors. The film, directed by Oscar Barby is called Scribblings, and stars Francis Chouler as The Writer, Chi Mhende as his girlfriend Viva, and Gahlia Phillips as a lodger named Blanca.

Chouler plays a struggling writer failing to strike a balance between his relationship with his girlfriend and his commitment to his vocation as a writer, personified by the appearance of a lodger in his home.

Scribblings, according to producer Amrish Shah is a film that explores themes of anxiety, multiple personalities and writer’s anguish.

First things first; is it just me or does Francis Chouler just look like he’s a movie star? I could totally picture him as being South Africa’s Vincent Chase. You may have seen his face show up in a

number of films before, and can catch him on the next season of Black Sails as Lieutenant Perkins.

He doesn’t just look like a movie star, but has the acting chops to go with it. I found his performance thoroughly convincing in every moment of every scene, especially when he’s flitting between different states of mind.

Looking at the film itself from a technical standpoint, it churns out a mixture of well-composed medium and close shots that place necessary emphasis on very specific actions; but also relies heavily on over-the-shoulder TV-like shots which I was not a big fan of. When the camera settles on a character’s face for an extended period, it feels more like a film, as one gets to absorb the tone and weight of a scene.

The score was slightly overbearing at times, where I think the film could get away with using deafening silence to portray some of the heavier moments.

I interpreted Blanca (the lodger) as part muse and part character in The Writer’s story. She’s the quintessential apparition helping an artist escape his reality by fashioning an alternative one, feeding creativity all the while.

She’s both part of The Writer, and a creation of his. This is made

clear by his detailed description of Blanca when he’s on the phone with Viva. Gahlia Phillips does a great job of bringing this eccentric character to life.

The vagueness of this character’s autonomy was the most intriguing element of the film.

As an aspiring filmmaker myself, “You’re whatever I want you to be” is a line that is still ringing in my ears. The ability to create and shape a being as one pleases; to destroy them as one pleases.

It’s a huge responsibility as our choices as writers create our reality as much as they reflect it.

I would have loved to see Chi Mhende get more screen time in Scribblings, and wished that her character had a bigger part in the film. She’s an amazing talent who won best actress at DIFF for her role in Love the One You Love where she co-starred with Chouler.

Overall I really enjoyed Scribblings. It has amazing acting, some great composition, and explores some interesting themes about the human condition.

Find the trailer for Scribblings below: www.youtube.com/ watch?v=OTrWqQ0DPzg

NECKTIE YOUTH: A GLIMPSE AT JOZI’S RESTLESS MILLENIALS

BY KIM MULLER

Off the bat – I was wowed by the production value and the calibre of backers this movie has! Not to mention the Fear and Loathing theme of getting absolutely wrecked for the sake of being wrecked, and watching pretty little rich kids explore how much they can mess their lives up. Necktie Youth is a dark tale of love and grief that engaged me from the outset.

The monochrome production juxtaposed against blood red sans

serif fonts highlighted both the film’s simplicity and its deeper themes, all without saying a word.

I fell in love with the characters as they were introduced, their seemingly shallow, entitled lives embroiled in something they just couldn’t seem to grasp. It was like watching a captivating, arthouse episode of Jersey Shore or The Hills, except with a bit more substance and vibrancy, a bit more of home. I was glad that they didn’t shy away from the issues of the day – that downtown Joburg is rubbish; that you can get away with shoplifting if your dad’s rolling in dollar bills, that there is a mountain of a divide between the rich and poor classes, that skirting suicide is a weirdly thrilling pastime…

There were moments, however, when I questioned whether this is really what the youth of today are like, if this generation – my generation – is really so apathetic towards the world around them, their history, their heritage. And what hurts most is the answer I come up with: a resounding yes.

I’m one of those people. I couldn’t care less that Apartheid was a big thing, I’m just glad I never had to live it. I couldn’t care less if someone needs help – I gotta do me first, yo. Sibs Shongwe-La Mer, young as he is, has hit the nail on the head with this one. He’s made me dig into not only how I feel about being South African, but how I feel about being human in the 21st century. He’s clearly a director to watch, and I’m very keen to see what he does with his sophomore production.

If you’re a fan of edgy, black and white films, this is a mustsee – plus now that it has a cinematic release date, you have no excuse. Head over to the Labia in CT, the Bioscope in Joburg or selected Ster-Kinekor Cinema Nouveaus from late September.

FILM REVIEW / 31

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THE

VISIT

G

rowing up I was fortunate enough to see both sets of grandparents most of childhood life. Following a long day at school I would walk with my cousin to my Nonna, which is an Italian name for grandmother, and on the other side of the family, I would see my granny and Donna (this is what we called my grandfather) on weekends. I was truly fortunate to have had them in my life from such a young age.

But what if you knew of them, but never had the luxury of spending time with them? What would they be like, what would they think of you, do they like boybands or not? This is how The Visit opens as Bekki and Tyler are sent to their grandparents

We bring you a review of The Visit by AFDA Durban’s Dean, Franco Human. To read this and other film reviews and trailer posts, visit our website: www.thecallsheet.co.za/blog.

for the week for the first time.

The Visit was written and directed by M. Night Shyamalan The Sixth Sense, Signs, Unbreakable) and was produced

by Jason Blum (Paranormal Activity, The Purge, the Insidious series) but to be honest, I don’t believe The Visit will be a blockbuster. Horror films have a specific market of females from 18-25 who mainly enjoy them, and The Visit is definitely not on the same level as Paranormal Activity and the Insidious series.

The story of a brother and sister who are sent to their grandparents’ remote Pennsylvania farm for a weeklong trip is an interesting set-up, but moved very slowly from beginning to end, with very few

scare moments and surprise elements as one would expect with horror films. When Tyler and Bekkie discover that the elderly couple is involved in something deeply disturbing, they see their chances of getting back home are growing smaller every day. Do you know your grandparents, or are you meeting them for the first time?

Ed Oxenbould (Tyler) and Olivia DeJonge (Bekkie) performed their roles very well alongside Deanna Dunagan (Nana) and Peter McRobbie (Pop Pop), who illustrated the mysterious grandparents to a T. Most of The Visit was shot using hand held and told through the lens of Bekkie who was making a documentary of her visit with her

brother as the lead commentary through the film. Beware if you are not a fan of hand held camera work, it can be jarring on the eye.

The story was set on a beautiful farm with great shots to show the surroundings and the house where most of the action takes place. A very interesting home to have grown up in with all the necessary corridors and interesting furniture in the home to fill the space of a horror film.

POPCORN RATING: 2/5 FINAL COMMENTS:

I enjoyed the film but to compare it to others, it just does not make the cut in my opinion. The trailer promised a lot more than what I received in the cinema house.

FINEDGE:

ONE STOP SERVICE FOR PAYROLL FinEdge software has been created based on experience and knowledge, and specifically written, for the film industry.

Keeping up with the latest trends, legislation and regulations, our software is specifically focused on

the (at times unique) requirements of the film industry. We have recently implemented new designs, features and protocols.

The latest is our software and system for extras. Extras can pre-register online at

extras.finedge.co.za and upload their ID’s. It can take under a second to sign your extra in – soon there will be no need for chits!

Our crew pay slips are unique. It shows the daily start and end times, hours worked,

and your crew can see what they have been paid for.

By contracting with FinEdge to handle your payroll, you will have a one-stop service catering for every payroll detail on your behalf.

At FinEdge we do the work.

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32 / EVENTS TO DIARISE

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OCTOBER BUSAN INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL 1 - 10 Busan, South Korea MIPCOM 5-8 Cannes, France MARBELLA FILM FESTIVAL 7 - 11 Marbella, Spain SHNIT INTERNATIONAL SHORTFILMFESTIVAL 7 - 11 Cape Town, South Africa and Cairo, Egypt

ADELAIDE FILM FESTIVAL 15 - 25 Adelaide, Australia

BFI LONDON FILM FESTIVAL 2015 7 - 18 London, UK

CHICAGO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL 2015 15 - 29 Chicago, USA

SITGES INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL OF CATALONIA 2015 9 - 18 Sitges, Spain

ROME FILM FEST 2015 16 - 23 Rome, Italy

WARSAW FILM FESTIVAL 9 - 18 Warsaw, Poland NYC INDEPENDENT FILM FESTIVAL 12 - 18 New York, USA THE 2015 SANTA FE INDEPENDENT FILM FESTIVAL 14 - 18 Santa Fe, USA NEW ORLEANS FILM FESTIVAL 14 - 22 New Orleans, USA UNITED NATIONS ASSOCIATION FILM FESTIVAL 15 - 25 San Francisco, USA

COLCHESTER FILM FESTIVAL 19 - 24 Colchester, UK THE FLYWAY FILM FESTIVAL 21 - 25 Minnesota, USA CARMEL INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL 21 - 25 California, USA MOSTRA INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL 21 - 4 November Sao Paulo, Brazil TOKYO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL 22 - 31 Tokyo, Japan MORELIA INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL 23 - 1 November Morelia, Mexico

AFRICA IN MOTION FILM FESTIVAL 23 - 1 November Scotland KIEV INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL 2015 24 - 1 November Kiev, Ukraine DOK LEIPZIG 2015 26 - 1 November Leipzig, Germany FILM FINANCE WORLD AFRICA 2015 28 - 29 Johannesburg, South Africa EIGHTH EUROPEAN PSYCHOANALYTIC FILM FESTIVAL 29 - 1 November London, UK AUSTIN FILM FESTIVAL 29 - 5 November Austin, USA MAR DEL PLATA INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL 2015 30 - 7 November Mar del Plata, Argentina

EVENTS TO DIARISE / 33

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FILM FESTIVAL COTTBUS 3-8 Cott bus, Germany DISCOP AFRICA 4-6 Johannesburg, South Africa AMERICAN FILM MARKET & CONFRENCES 4 - 11 Santa Monica, USA FESTIVAL TOUS ÉCRANS, GENEVA INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL 5 - 12 Geneva, Switzerland AMERICAN FILM INSTITUTE (AFI) FEST 2015 5 - 12 Los Angeles, USA KANSAS INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL 6 – 12 Kansas, USA

HAWAII INTERATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL 12 - 22 Honolulu, Hawaii KOLKATA INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL 14 - 21 Kolkata, India BARCELONA INDEPENDENT FILM FESTIVAL 16 - 22 Barcelona, Spain IDFA INTERNATINAL DOCUMENTARY FILM FESTIVAL 18 - 29 Amsterdam, Netherlands PHOTO & FILM EXPO 2015 19 - 22 Johannesburg, South Africa TORINO FILM FESTIVAL 20 - 28 Turin, Italy

THESSALONIKI INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL 6 - 15 Thessaloniki, Greece

INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL OF INDIA 20 - 30 Goa, India

CAIRO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL 8 - 17 Cairo, Egypt

MAR DEL PLATA FILM FESTIVAL 22 - 30 Mar del Plata, Argentina

© Campari Calendar 2015

NOVEMBER

INTERNATIONAL SHORT FILM FESTIVAL BERLIN 10 - 15 Berlin, Germany

34 / OPPORTUNITIES

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OPPORTUNITIES: OCTOBER SAFTAS FEATURE FILM DEADLINE APPROACHES The 10 th annual South African Film and Television Awards opened for entries to the 2016 edition on 13 August 2015 and closed on 18 September 2015. Only Feature Film submissions will be extended to Friday, 16 October 2015.

Applicants can now submit their applications online by going to www.saftasonline.co.za. For feature film and feature length animation, only South African films produced and publicly exhibited or broadcast between the 1 January 2015 and the 31 December 2015 are eligible to enter. Only productions that are entered will be eligible for consideration.

For complete rules and entry guidelines for the 10 th Annual SAFTAs, visit www.nfvf.co.za.

GOOD PITCH2 KENYA CALL FOR ENTRIES In July at Durban FilmMart, DOCUBOX Kenya and BRITDOC announced that Good Pitch2 would be coming to Nairobi in 2016.

The call for entries to Good Pitch² Kenya is open until 2 November 2015 and we are on a recruiting

drive! What are we looking for?

Great documentary projects from filmmakers that fulfil these criteria: • Films that tackle a significant national, regional or global issue or have something important to show us about the world and ourselves • Film teams who are looking for partnerships and funding to help their film create change around leading social justice and environmental issues • Films that are currently in production and will be 60+ minutes in length when finished • Filmmakers who live and work in Africa Visit www.mydocubox.org, www.britdoc.org, or www. goodpitch.org/events/gpke2016 for more information.

JOIN A FREE FILM COURSE AT UCT The University of Cape Town’s Centre for Film and Media Studies is offering a free film course. UCT TV Studio and Stepping Stone are presenting a unique single-cam, non-fiction filmmaking course that will add a quality film to your portfolio and help you learn all aspects of the production process. Only a limited number of applications will be accepted, so

apply online as soon as possible!

The course takes place from 9 November to 11 December, Monday to Friday from 9am to 5pm. Only those available during the specified times should apply.

As a participant, you will learn about: • Conceptualizing stories and writing treatments for documentaries • Writing a script and doing a paper edit for a 5-minute promotional documentary • Various production roles, including directing, producing, camerawork and editing • How to pitch ideas to and take briefs from clients • How to draw up and manage production budgets • How to structure engaging non-fiction films What you’ll gain: • A 5 minute film for your show reel • A certificate of attendance • A variety of filmmaking skills (pre-production, production and post-production) • Confidence working with camera and editing equipment • Experience working as part of a production crew • Experience controlling projects from concept to delivery • Experience liaising with clients

The application deadline is 1pm on Monday, 19 October 2015.

All applicants must complete and sign the official application form online and email it to steppingstone@uct.ac.za, fax it to +27 (0)21 650 4746, or deliver it to UCT TV Studio, Baxter Theatre Centre, Corner Main Rd and Burg Rd, Rondebosch.

The form and information on the course can be found on www.cfms.uct.ac.za/amazingopportunity-free-film-course.

TVC DIRECTORS IN CAPE TOWN ZenHQ Films is now accepting reels from experienced TVC directors for representation in South Africa. If you are a dynamic and passionate creative with a clear voice, and want to join one of South Africa’s most respected production companies, then we would like to hear from you. At ZenHQ Films you will receive the kind of support and collaboration directors only dream about. WE LOVE & SUPPORT TALENT! To be considered you must have a reel that will blow us away. Sorry, no first timers.

Applicant Requirements: Send CV/bio and links to reels only.

Email: jobs@zen-hq.com

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ASSOCIATIONS / 35

This past month 2015, Cabinet approved the submission of the Films and Publications Amendment bill, guided by a policy that has been mired in controversy as it seemingly curbs internet freedom.

Cabinet communicated that the bill sought to amend the Films and Publication Act of 1996 and adapt it to technological advances. It also seeks to protect children from harmful or disturbing media content, but its broad terms have raised concern.

According to a number of sources, Gavin Davis, the Democratic Alliance’s shadow minister for Communications, stated that the bill would still need to be deliberated on in parliament and amendments made. Thereafter, it will be passed to the National Assembly before submission to the President to sign into law can be effected.

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