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TELEVISION
Reality
and real reality
By Joanna Sterkowicz
After filming several hit American reality shows such
as Survivor and The Amazing Race, South African Mike
Yelseth recently received an Emmy nomination for
outstanding cinematography on the new History
Channel/Mark Burnett reality series, Expedition Africa:
Stanley and Livingstone. Also nominated were fellow
South Africans and colleagues, Ian Miller and Lee Doig.
M
ike Yelseth, founder of
Johannesburg-based facility
Time Frame Broadcast
Rentals & Services, was in
Samoa shooting the latest Survivor
series when he heard about the Emmy
nomination. “I was actually working
with Lee at the time and, like me, he
had been nominated for an Emmy
twice before, so we were really hoping
we would crack it this time round.”
In a lucky coincidence, Yelseth and
the other South African crew flew out
of Samoa just a week before the
devastating tsunami hit the island. “It
was even more real/devastating to us to
see the footage of the disaster as the
locals had been so welcoming and we
had made friends with many of them.”
He is currently working on a local
reality series with Matthew Gray and
Billy White of Gray White
Productions, called MTN Blaster Ball.
This series follows a number of other
reality series for Gray White, including
The Apprentice South Africa, Dans, Dans,
Dans and Vlok & Fordyce on the Run.
Prior to opening Time Frame in
2000, Yelseth had worked on what he
refers to as “real reality”, namely news/
current affairs programmes and
documentaries, some of which saw
Yelseth filming in hotspots such as
Congo, Baghdad, Somalia and
Afghanistan.
In a natural extension of Yelseth’s
own cameraman/DOP activities, Time
Frame, which he co-owns with
producer wife Vanessa Yelseth, is
positioned as a facility offering highend audio and video broadcast
equipment with a talented pool of
freelance crew to draw on. In addition,
Vanessa handles facilitation services for
local and international productions,
from initial research to locations,
logistics, crewing, equipment and
editing/packaging.
The bulk of Time Frame’s jobs
remain in the news/current affairs and
documentary genres, with local and
international clients like National
Geographic, ESPN, Beyond Australia,
Combined Artists, BBC NHU and Al
Jazeera among others. Time Frame has
facilitated several South African reality
series, the most receint of which was
Vodacom Thumb Wars for Donald
Clarke of Fuel Media.
Expedition Africa
As someone who had filmed a number
of famed explorer Kingsley Holgate’s
adventures across uncharted, rugged
terrains, Yelseth was prepared for the
rigours of shooting the eight-part
Expedition Africa: Stanley & Livingstone.
Conceived by American realityformat king Mark Burnett and
produced for The History Channel,
Expedition Africa follows four modernday explorers – Benedict Allen, Mireya
Mayor, Pasquale Scaturro, and Kevin
Sites – recreating Henry Stanley’s
historical journey across the wilds of
A DAY IN THE OFFICE – Mike Yelseth in action underwater in Palau
Tanzania in 1865 to locate Dr David
Livingstone.
The modern-day explorers met each
other for the first time in Zanzibar and
armed only with maps, compasses and
a limited budget, the explorers had to
hire porters and mules, buy food and
find water for the entire duration of
their trek, which ended up in Ujiji on
the shores of Lake Tanganyika.
Yelseth was one of five cameramen
on shoot, along with Lee Doig, Ian
Miller, Canadian Jeff Taylor and
American DOP Michael Murray. “It
was an incredibly tough shoot,” he
comments. “We ended up in areas that
were not accessible by road and trying
to stick to the production schedule was
a nightmare. There was a massive
swamp where you couldn’t get a
compass bearing. But it’s in these
situations where the best reality occurs.”
Charles Nordlander, head of
development at History Channel, wrote
this letter to the crew following the
shoot: “You amazed me on a daily basis
with your tireless efforts to capture the
story of our explorers while shooting
under some of the
most difficult conditions imaginable.
You trekked the same hundreds of
miles as the explorers, except
backwards with a 40-pound camera on
your shoulder, enduring periods of
thirst, hunger, sickness, minimal
sleep, scorching heat, torrential rain,
brutal swamps, dangerous animals
and bugs.”
The Survivor factor
Yelseth’s association with Mark
Burnett dates back to the third
Survivor series, which was set in Kenya.
“I got the call just after I did the first
three series of The Amazing Race for
producer Bertram van Munster. Since
Kenya, I’ve been involved in several of
Mark’s productions such as Pirate
Master Caribbean and numerous
Survivor series, together with Lee
Doig.”
On his Survivor experiences, Yelseth
comments, “Reality camera crews on
Survivor are assigned to observe and
cover the tribes. Communication with
the contestants is kept to a minimum
and it is crucial to maintain a wall of
professionalism whilst shooting these
shows. It’s a fine line to earn the trust
of the contestants while not impacting
or influencing their Survivor
experience.
“There always needs to be a camera
crew on each tribe, with at least four
camera crews per tribe at the beginning
of each series,” explains Yelseth. “It’s
very satisfying to shoot Survivor – the
locations are beautiful and the
producers go all out to give you what
you need to get the best footage. All the
cameramen are Survivor veterans and
come from as far afield as Australia,
Canada, Brazil and South Africa – in
fact, at last count, about 10 South
Africans make up the reality
camera crew.”
Congratulations to Ian Miller, Lee Doig and
Michael Yelseth on their Emmy Nomination!
– for Best Cinematography – Non Fiction
4
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www.timeframetv.com
All the support you need to make your production a success.
89 - 3rd Avenue Linden 2195 • T +27 (0)11 782 1152 • F +27 (0)11 782 1156
Contact: Vanessa Yelseth C 083 680 3441 • E vanessa@timeframetv.com
Nov-Dec 2009 – SCREENAFRICA
39
CONFERENCE
Dedicated to the art of on-air promotion and broadcast design, the fourth annual Promax/BDA Africa Conference
took place at Johannesburg’ Sandton Convention Centre in mid-October. As usual the event drew a range of
fascinating presentations. Here Screen Africa looks at three of the top-rated international sessions.
Know your generation
Photo by Trevor Ou Tim
By Karen van Schalkwyk
PRESENT FUTURE – Herman Konings
finally, ‘talented’ – “This generation has
its pulse on the world and they do a lot
to expose and show their talents.
H
erman Konings, who has a
doctorate in psychology and is
the founder of Belgian trend
and future research agency
Pocket Marketing/nXt, gave a
presentation called: The future has
arrived (It’s just not widely distributed
yet…). The presentation examined
aspects like aboriginals, flexistentialists
and mediors – in basic English, why we
are all children of our generation even
more so than we are children of our
parents.
Konings explained: “What has
happened in the last 10 years and what
has been the most important boom
market, is simply consumer technology.
The other side of this, paradoxically, is
the boom market of wellness and
health. In the modern world the
antidote to technology is a seeking to
escape to nature and wellness.”
Konings said that the most
important aspect to look at is how
people are products of their
environments and that they are
absolutely adaptable to their
environments. “Also the other
important aspect to note is that
consumers will not be able to predict
the future. Asked in the early 2000s
whether they would use phones they
could walk around with – mobile
phones – the majority said never, but in
2009/2010 this is a huge business. The
key is that the only really reliable
sources of prediction lie with the
experts in the field of history,
economics, psychology, etc.”
Konings elaborated that it was
important to study the way different
generations behave and what affects
their behaviour. “For instance the baby
boomers have the highest capital power
and money to spend while the
flexistentialits have limited capital
power.”
40
SCREENAFRICA – Nov-Dec 2009
Not passive
SKY’S THE LIMIT – An artist’s impression of the
Cloud Hotel in Dubai that will be built over the next few years
Digital pros
“Flexistentialist is the generation 40
and younger who follow this
classification: no space, no time and no
money. They are not able to afford the
luxury lifestyle of the baby boomers,
also because the baby boomers are
known to have spent more then they
can afford, in essence, being the
generational debt makers for future
generations. The flexistentialists are
also digital pros and know how to use
technology for their benefit, whereas
the baby boomers will still buy CDs
and be baffled by technology.
“They live a multi-layered life and do
not have time, so microwave food and
multi-tasking becomes crucial.
Everything is about time so while they
eat, they e-mail. Space intensification is
also a big issue so that space is utilised
to the maximum. Also they have
limited capital, which makes them
creative.”
Konings said however that the real
digital ‘aboriginals’ or ‘natives’, the ones
who know and will grow up completely
in a technological world, “are the sixand seven-year-olds”.
Konings elaborated that the key
aspects that the baby boomers look for
are the following: locality – a product
that comes from their country or
region, authenticity – products that are
brand conscious but that are authentic,
traceability – products where the CO2
emissions can be accounted for, and
finally, trustworthy and ethical
products – those that do not betray
humanity.
The classifications that meet the
flexistentialist, Konings explained, are
the following: astonishing – things that
are completely unusual, like the Cloud
Hotel in Dubai that will be built over
the next few years (a hotel that looks
like a cloud and is ‘see-through’);
cultainment – this is a fusion of culture
and entertainment; contagious – social
networks like Facebook, My Space, etc.
Flexistentialists are also interested in
i-motions – this is a fusion of science
and technology but making it
fantastical and bringing in emotions.
“For instance, walls in restaurants that
change colour by pressing a button or
change the scene, they thereby affect
the mood and hence the emotion.”
‘Alternative’ is another buzzword, –
this is not about less consumption but
about alternative solutions. “For
instance green technology and clean
cars as opposed to gas guzzlers.” And
“The great thing about the baby
boomers and the flexistentialists is that
they actually get on with each other.
There is a good understanding between
these two generations. The
flexistentialists are also known to be
the most open generation to date; they
will say what they think and demand
information. They are not a passive
generation.”
Konings gave a glimpse into the very
near future. “Augmented reality is the
next big things. It really means putting
‘extra’ reality on what you see. For
instance Apple will be launching a
laptop within the next year or so that
will have no keyboard and you will be
able to ‘point’ your laptop to the sky and
get direct information about that
segment of the universe that you are
looking at – galaxies, stars, etc.
Another example – you will be able to
buy glasses in the future that will give
you all the information of a product you
might be considering buying – where it
was made, what materials, how
much C02 is contributed in its
formation, etc.”
Konings added: “This whole new
way is changing the fundamental shift
and brands no longer have the power,
the consumer does. In a sense this is
what many refer to as the democratising
influence of technology.”
Konings concluded: “It is important
to know these aspects if you are in the
business of creating for consumers and
for instance with promos, which
Promax/BDA is all about. You have to
spend time getting to know what
generations like and see how you can
build this into your business plans.”
CONFERENCE
Consciously delving into the subconscious
By Joanna Sterkowicz
TV promo makers should use the classic five-part
dramatic structure to analyse the show they’re
previewing as a means of setting up a subconscious
conflict in the viewer that can only be resolved by
watching the show.
T
his was intriguing premise of
Australian TV promo guru
Charley Holland’s presentation
at Promax/BDA Africa.
Holland, who has worked as a creative
director at various TV channels and
agencies for 25 years, focused on
clip-based promos for any kind of
dramatic programmes.
“Dramatic structure is a problem
because it remains a secret world,”
explained Holland. “This is because of
the way the brain works – it controls all
functions without thinking about it.
The more you do things, the more
subconscious they become, like driving,
for example. So we go from being
consciously incompetent to
subconsciously competent.
“Great entertainment makes us lose
all track of time because it works on a
subconscious level. Promo makers must
be consciously aware of the things the
audience takes for granted and not bully
the audience with conscious facts.”
As Holland pointed out, the better
the show is, the harder it is to stay
conscious. As screenwriters encode
their work for the subconscious
enjoyment of the viewer, promo makers
need to decode it and think like
screenwriters.
Adamant that the study of
screenwriting should be compulsory for
promo makers, Holland said promo
makers need to get to the heart of the
story in a few lines. The first step is to
determine what the story is really about.
“This is also known as theme or
subtext. If you look at Master and
Commander, it tells the story of a British
sea captain in the Napoleonic wars
pursing a French vessel around South
America. According to its screenwriter
John Collee, the film is about how
modern man can be both a man of
PROMO GURU – Charley Holland
action and a man of reflection. In
another example, Michael Richards,
one of the stars of Seinfeld, describes the
show as being about modern manners
and etiquette.”
Thus the promo maker needs to ask
himself what concepts and ideas will
the viewer experience (ie. their
subconscious) when they watch the
show? Using the thriller The Sixth Sense
as an example, Holland noted that the
first element of dramatic structure to
look for is exposition (ie. dialogue that
quickly explains what the story is
about). In this case it’s the little boy
saying, “I see dead people”.
Playing with 007
By Karen van Schalkwyk
O
ne of the Promax/BDA Africa
conferences sessions dealt with
the making of the title
sequence for 007, The
Quantum of Solace. MK12 was the
company brought on board to do the
title sequence. The company is based in
Kansas City, Missouri and is a design
and arts collective that works primarily
in motion design, creating hybrid live
action and animation works both for
the commercial and feature film
market.
Timmy Fisher, one of the founders of
MK12, began by stating the following:
“I can still not get over the fact that
some kids from Kansas City, in the
middle of nowhere, actually got to do
the opening title sequence. However
initially we were brought on board to
do two VFX sequences in the film.
This we accomplished, but the big deal
was the title sequence.”
He and a fellow MK12 team mate
were flown over to Pinewood Studios.
“We lived in the UK for most of that
year commuting between Pinewood
and later in the evening back to our
place in Soho – often after 11pm and
struggling to find a place to eat!”
Fisher explains that while they were
working on the two VFX scenes, “we
would also work late into the night on
ideas for the title sequence. You must
understand that we were not initially
hired to do it but only the two VFX
scenes. We looked at all the great Bond
title sequences of the past two decades
and the thing about them is that they
all flow and have a unique ‘007 look’.
The pace is also symbolic and
foreshadows what will happen in the
film.”
Fisher continues: “We started by
looking at the larger thematic issues of
the film and although we were not
privy to the whole script and only
received the scenes we were required to
work on. However we knew that the
main themes were oil and water. One
day we decided to shoot some actual
“The second element is setting –
where and when the show takes place.
Next is characters – who are the key
players in the story and how do they
develop? The little boy refers to himself
as a freak and is emotionally fragile,
while the Bruce Willis character is
compassionate. Viewers won’t care
about the show if they don’t care about
the people in it.
“Thereafter comes conflict – what’s
at stake and what characters the stand
to lose? Drama is all about conflict. In
The Sixth Sense Bruce Willis says he
can’t be the little boy’s doctor anymore
and tells the child that he doesn’t know
if he believes he sees dead people. The
child responds, ‘How can you help me
if you don’t believe me?’. This is so
dramatically compelling a promo
maker might well miss it.”
Lastly there is resolution. Promos
should include a minor resolution
with a suggestion that there is a way out
of the conflict. The major resolution
must be avoided as it will give the
story away.
footage and hired a model and shot her
in a gallery in which she was in a tank
of water and then oil. “That was really
our early test of how it would look. We
aimed for the abstract female form and
also shot stills. We also kept the colour
palette simple. We worked on this for
hours.”
Fisher says that eventually they
showed what they had shot to the
producers. “They were interested and
liked what we had done, so asked us to
continue our work. Ideas kept evolving
throughout the process and we did a
second promo. This they really liked
but asked us to go in another direction
and instead of concentrating on oil and
water, we had to create the theme
around sand. Sand was associated with
oil and lack of water and was a fantastic
motif. Sand also becomes symbolic of
Bond’s isolation and his wondering in a
desert after Vesper dies.”
Fisher elaborates that they then built
a giant sandbox. “We played around
with sand for hours and shot more
female forms, sand blowing, twisting
and turning. On the third promo we
got the job and the go-ahead to do the
title sequence.”
The process was then very fast. “We
got six days to shoot the sequence. One
day with Daniel Craig, two days with
models and a few days with the sand
boxes and VFX. We also experimented
with different geometrical shapes and
boards and really used a lot of
imagination to get all the material.
Sand was great to work with as it has
the ability to be liquid, solid and
cosmic.”
Fisher concludes: “The
professionalism was fantastic and it was
great to work with so many talented
people. For us however, it is not so
much the end result but the process
that is the most rewarding. We spent
six months playing around with sand
and water and that is just a fantastic job
to do.”
41
NEWS
Reports by Karen van Schalkwyk
Working on Flame
T
PHOTOREALISM – Iwan Zwarts
he challenge of working at one of
New York’s leading digital
special effects post-production
houses can be daunting, as
Iwan Zwarts, a South African Flame
editor, discovered. For the last year
Zwarts has been honing his skills at
The Mill Group’s New York branch,
which has its head office in London
and another branch in Los Angeles.
Zwarts says that it is a great
experience to work at such a renowned
studio but the move was not easy. “I am
currently working as the lead Flame
artist at The Mill but making the move
was difficult. It was probably one of the
hardest things I have ever done. The
standard of their work is very high and
everything is in HD.”
Asked about the difference between
working in South Africa and in New
York, Zwarts responds: “I think it
comes down to the fact that the projects
and the budgets allow for better
finished product. The LG, Barclays
and Michel Gondry’s Microsoft
commercials were probably the best
stuff I have worked on.”
Zwarts says that one of the greatest
challenges of being a Flame editor is
the number of problems one has to
solve. “There is also the issue that
technology constantly improves with
new software, new cameras, etc. all the
time. My strategy with problem solving
is always to break down the big
problems into small ones and then just
solve them one at a time. I call it the
‘Systematic approach technique’.”
Zwarts worked for both Condor and
The Refinery before moving to The
Mill. “It is crucial to get as much
experience as possible and refine one’s
skills. I also lectured for a while at the
AAA School of Advertising.”
Zwarts explains that the reason he
became an editor probably has to do
with his background and his love of
visuals. “I have always been a visual
person. My mother is an artist and my
dad an engineer. I found being a Flame
Artist to be a good combination of the
two – a fusion of technical and creative
abilities.”
Zwarts continues: “I also believe that
what is more important than the
software is the artist behind it. Flame is
a trustworthy ‘workhorse’ and has been
my weapon of choice. I think an editor
Where roads lead
G
PERSONAL PROJECT – Greg Copeland
A scene from Roads
42
reg Copeland is a South
African DOP who worked
with some of the most
renowned people in the music
industry in the 1980s, such as Elton
John, Sting, Robbie Williams and Tori
Amos. Copeland also worked with
some of the major production
companies shooting commercials in the
UK.
However, despite international
success, he decided to return to South
Africa and now lives in Cape Town.
“One of my main reasons for coming
back is that I wanted to pursue my own
projects and about 15 years ago I began
to write fragments of what would
become my first film, Roads,” he says.
“It’s a 23 minute noir mood piece about
alienation in a modern, urban no man’s
land. It is an evocative study of
isolation. I filmed a large percentage of
it in London on the M25 motorway. It
is about two runaway misfits, a teenage
boy and girl who are drawn together
while hitchhiking.”
Copeland explains: “In the UK there
was always decent lower budget work to
fall back on, which sometimes was a
chance to try out all kinds of things you
would not be allowed to do on a big
budget. There was lots of opportunity
to gain experience. It was also great to
work with some very talented people.”
Copeland explains that in the past he
worked on many short films as a DOP
and editor, “but this one felt personal to
me. I also knew from the start that this
would be a long process spread over
years. With Roads I was inspired by
moods, scenes and overwhelming
feelings. I wrote bits of dialogue on the
scenes over the years, but there was no
story. I had to literally move bits of
paper around to try come up with a
sensible timeline. But in a way the
whole film is a context in which to try
and convey some deep feelings. It was
truly an indulgent experience, hopefully
not in a bad way for the audience.”
Copeland elaborates that the greatest
challenge was making a short film with
relatively complex visuals without
involving too many people. “It also did
not seem worth the effort of making
my own film unless the whole thing
was totally personal. In the past I have
been attracted to animators like Yuri
Norstein and their ability to work
almost completely alone on a small
has to have a great eye.”
Responding to whether he
felt that films and
commercials were becoming
more post intensive, Zwarts
says: “Yes, most definitely.
The projects these days that
turn out the best are the ones
where post-production gets
involved from the concept
stage. We have loads of very
talented artists who know the
technical boundaries that can
help streamline a project from
the start with aids like previz,
animatics and tests. The Mill is
actually taking on a lot of in-house
directing projects. This is very
exciting.”
Zwarts says that his preferred style is
photorealism. “This is why films like
District 9 are so awesome. I think the
‘polished’ Hollywood’ days are over –
no more locked off shots, no more
polished actors. I like a look of ‘grit’; it
feels more real, more believable. The
effects should never overshadow the
concept or story, only add to it.”
Zwarts says that his future plans “are
to shoot some of my own stuff. I do a
lot of photography and painting. I also
definitely have a short film in mind.”
Zwarts concludes: “I think what
makes a great Flame artist is patience,
passion and the ability to collaborate
with others. Being able to think on
your feet is also crucial.”
film. It was very cathartic after working
as a DOP on big productions.”
Technically, Copeland says the film
is in the style of Sin City. “I filmed
backgrounds in my spare time at night
in England and the performers in my
double garage in Cape Town, which I
converted into a blue screen studio. I
also cast my children in the lead roles.”
Asked why it took such a long time
to make the film, Copeland responds:
“I am a perfectionist. My attitude was
if this scene does not resonate with me,
then forget it. The biggest challenge
was the continuity over the years and
another was self-motivation. However
piecing it together on computer screen
was really inspiring.”
Copeland says that the budget for the
film was low, “just to cover the
equipment costs. The main cost was
my time, not least the thousands of
hours in After FX doing the postproduction, combining the layers.”
Copeland adds that the name of the
film, Road, partially came from the
Portishead song, “and the choices we
make all the time on our journey
through life.” With regard to the
distribution strategy, Copeland
explains that he is sending it to various
film festivals around the world.
AUDIOVISUAL CONTENT PRODUCTION, DISTRIBUTION,
FUNDING EVENTS FOR GROWING WORLD REGIONS
MARK YOUR CALENDAR
SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA
DAKAR24-26 FEBRUARY 2010
CENTRAL, EASTERN EUROPE AND CENTRAL ASIA
BUDAPEST22-26 JUNE 2010
MIDDLE EAST
ISTANBUL14-16 MARCH 2011
www.discop.com
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tel los angeles + 1 323 782 13 00
ALL DISCOP™ EVENTS ARE
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AFRICA
Confronting Africa above
Cape Town-based production company Tiger Media has been involved in filming three television commercials
promoting an unusual project in Africa that aims to relieve extreme poverty in villages. In shooting the three TVCs,
Tiger Media also discovered the reality of working in Africa. For companies contemplating a shoot in Africa, Tiger
Media’s experience, as recorded by Astrid Kille, provides a useful guide.
EYE OF THE TIGER – Bonsaaso Ghana
Millennium Villages Africa has
the greatest proportion of people
living in extreme poverty with
more than 40 percent or roughly
300 million people living on less
than $1 a day. The continent's
environmental, epidemiological
and geographical challenges
including low-productivity
agriculture, a high disease
burden, and high transport costs
render African countries most
vulnerable to persistent extreme
poverty. With these rural
communities stuck in a poverty
trap, they are unable to make the
investments in human capital and
infrastructure required to achieve
self-sustaining economic growth.
***************************
Ghana: Health Care
Commercial Bonsaaso – Mobile
communication and Internet
access enables villagers to contact
community health workers in
time to make a difference,
community health workers can
contact doctors to diagnose, order
medicine and store data and can
also use mobile learning to
improve their skill.
***************************
Nigeria: Education Commercial
Ikaram – The education
possibilities have grown
enormously due to the mobile
communication and Internet
access that is now available in the
village.
44
Kampala Uganda
T
he Millennium Project was
commissioned by the United
Nations Secretary-General in
2002 to develop a concrete action
plan to reverse the grinding poverty,
hunger and disease affecting billions of
people. The Millennium Villages,
which form part of this initiative, are
based on the conviction that villages
can escape extreme poverty if they are
empowered with practical technologies.
www.millenniumvillages.org
Cellular telephony company Ericsson
is one of the corporations involved in
the project and in order to highlight its
involvement in the communication
systems through the villages in Africa,
briefed Tiger Media to film the
progress of the communication network
coverage in villages in Africa. The
three commercials we shot will be
screened on CNN at the end of
November. We have worked with
Turner/ CNN for two years and our
first project was the award-winning My
South Africa 2010 campaign for SA
Tourism.
UGANDA
The Tiger Media crew arrived at
Entebbe airport where we were met by
our local clearance agent and had no
hassle going through customs with our
equipment that was in 17 boxes and
weighed 218kg .
Arriving at night in Entebbe is not
advisable as the road to Kampala is very
dangerous as it is heavily populated.
Everyone drives extremely fast and they
ignore all the rules of the road. The
road has no street lights, just the candle
light from the shacks and shops and the
occasional string of Christmas lights.
This string of twinkling lights from
Entebbe to Kampala looks extremely
pretty, but don’t be fooled, as this
makes shadows on the road so that you
cannot see what people are doing.
Lake Victoria is Africa’s largest lake,
and more than 3.5 million people rely
on the lake for their livelihood. An
estimated 150 000 fishermen work on
the lake and catch US$500m worth of
fish per year. However, it is one of the
most dangerous waterways in the world
with 4 000 to 5 000 deaths every year
from piracy and accidents.
Mobile coverage did not extend
across the lake until Ericsson, network
operator Zain (Celtel) and the GSMA
collaborated to extend the coverage
across the lake. They have been
working in conjunction with Lake
Rescue Center, founded by a South
African and his Australian wife.
Tiger Media , CNN and Ericsson
shot a 60” TVC highlighting the
communication mobile network
coverage across Lake Victoria and its
importance as a lifeline for thousands of
people. Cell phones have improved the
security and safety of fishermen.
Riots broke out in Kampala on the
Thursday night before we were going
to leave and we had to stay in the Serina
Hotel another two days as the road to
Kampala was blocked. As travelling by
road was dangerous we eventually
opted for a helicopter ride to Entebbe.
Ugandans are very friendly and will
accommodate film crews but you must
have all your paperwork in order as you
can be asked to show your
accreditations, etc. at any time.
GHANA
We left Uganda the next morning for a
short 45-minute flight to Nairobi, and
a three hour stopover, then on to Accra,
Ghana. This airport is a bit crazy and
once again you must have customs
clearance, thus it is best to get a local
fixer to meet you and deal with this.
Once you you are out of the airport
building you still have people checking
you and lots of people wanting to help
you – don’t let them. Only use your
contacts.
We stayed in the Palms Hotel which
is clean and has good security, which is
what you want if you have lots of
equipment. It has a great swimming
pool and good food at the traditional
restaurant. You can pay with a credit
card; AMEX is also accepted.
We then travelled to Kamasi, the
capital of the Ashanti kingdom,
founded by King Osei Tutu in the
eighteenth century. Osei had a fetish
priest called Okomfo Anokye, who
unified the Ashanti states through the
Golden Stool. According to legend the
stool miraculously descended from
heaven and when it was on the ground
the gold penetrated the earth and
spread across the Ashanti kingdom.
Okomfo Anokye also planted two trees
in the forest and predicted that one tree
would live and become the capital of
Ashanti. The name Kumasi means ‘the
tree lived’. Due to British rule at the
time most of the magnificent Ashanti
gold artefacts can only be seen in
London at the British Museum.
The road to Kumansi is treacherous
and as the Ghanaians are hectic drivers
we had to tell our drivers to slow down
and not to overtake on solid white lines.
They also drive on the right hand side
of the road. which is disorientating.
We stayed in a newly renovated hotel
the Golden Tulip with good food and
spacious rooms.
We travelled 100km for two and a
half hours every day to shoot at the
Village Bonsaaso, which consisted of
six Millennium Villages with
approximately 30 000 residents.
There is dense forest and villages all
AFRICA
the Equator
along the road. A few people still mine
illegally for gold on the road, yet very
little gold is found. The forest is
denuded of wildlife except for snakes,
and cattle and goats have taken over.
NIGERIA
We stayed in the new Southern Sun
hotel on Victoria Island, the main
business and financial centre of Lagos.
The hotel was very good but does not
take AMEX and to find an ATM that
will give you money on any card was
impossible. You need to travel with
cash.
Travelling in Nigeria is total anarchy.
A two lane road becomes a five-lane
highway and everyone used their
hooters. It takes three hours to travel
25km in Lagos.
Our shoot was in Ikaram, 120km
from our hotel in Akura, 300km from
Lagos. We decided to fly to Akura as
the road is very dangerous. Once again
we travelled every day to the location,
which took two and a half hours on a
potholed, narrow road.
The Millennium Village cluster of
Ikaram is located in the state of Ondo
in south-western Nigeria. Ondo State
has many natural reserves and good
climatic conditions with rich forest
resources, but it remains very
underdeveloped with terrible poverty
and a very low standard of living with
most of the people living in old
plantation houses. (see pic)
After shooting for three days we were
ready to leave but our flight was
cancelled so we had to drive the 300km
back to Lagos. This was a hair-raising
journey as most of the road is a dual
carriage (dual carnage) way. If the
traffic on the other side is blocked, the
cars just randomly cross the grass island
and start coming down the road the
“wrong way” – this was very scary.
We achieved our objectives, came
back with great footage, met some
fantastic and helpful people, and made
some lifelong friends, and we all would
definitely go back to each country. All
the equipment came back safely, but
most importantly, the client
is happy.
Ikaram Nigeria
Bonsaaso Ghana
FACTS:
UGANDA
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Get a local fixer (get quotes first
from a few as prices vary) who
will get a clearing agent and
security
Hotels: stay in Kampala –
Entebbe does not have good
hotels
Don’t travel at night
Get press accreditation $100
Health: take coartem with you in
case you get malaria, as well as a
malaria test kit
Drink only bottled water; also
brush your teeth with bottled
water
Carry local cash for tips, etc
Bring all your own equipment as
you can’t rely on getting good
equipment in these countries
GHANA
Same as Uganda
•
You need a yellow fever jab
•
The customs are very strict
NIGERIA
Same as above
•
Always have security
•
Don’t self drive
•
Stay on one of the islands
•
Nigeria has a lot of protocol so
allocate time for this
SA Crew Tiger Media:
Richard Kille: DOP
Astrid Kille: PM/Photographer
Kenny Geraghty: Sound
Russell Bowden: Focus Puller
Equipment:
•
•
•
•
Panasonic HPX 500 (P2)
Pro 35 and prim lenses
Mini Jib
Wally Dolly
SCREENAFRICA
Zooming in on the film & Television
production industry in Africa
DIRECTORY &
INTERNATIONAL GUIDE
SC
Post-production pg 26
RE
A
R
A N
N
BROADCAST • FILM • COMMERCIALS • TECHNOLOGY • DIGITAL MEDIA
21st Anniversary pg 42
ENAFR
Y
Bang Bang Club pg 36
IC A
NEWS
MAGAZINE
I V
E R S
www.screenafrica.com VOL 21 – MAY 2009 R27.00
SABC signs
contract with Siemens
The South African
Broadcasting Corporation
(SABC) signed a contract with
Siemens IT Solutions &
Mauritius
digital
upgrade
Mauritius Broadcast
Corporation (MBC) has
been upgraded with a R7m
Avid Unity ISIS media
storage solution by South
African-based Spescom
Media IT. This upgrade
which boosts storage
capacity and postproduction efficiencies,
signals a further evolution
towards a fully digital
environment for the
broadcaster.
MBC's television
network currently consists
of three analogue channels
and six digital channels.
Two new digital terrestrial
channels were launched in
2008 and a project for a 24hour rolling news station is
well under way and will
provide an interactive
platform for local, regional
and international news.
– to page 51
Services at the beginning of
April to oversee the roll out of
digital technology solutions
across the corporation.
The contract encompasses
an agreement that will allow
Siemens to oversee, project
manage, consult and deploy
the necessary technology for
the roll out of a number of
specific digital projects.
Priority areas are projects
relating to infrastructure for
Digital Terrestrial Television
(DTT) including new Final
Control Centres (FCC),
playout and storage,
infrastructure for supporting
the SABC’s coverage of the
2010 FIFA World Cup, and,
archiving libraries enabling
easy access to content material.
Siemens and the SABC, as
the managing client, will work
in close co-operation to get the
best possible equipment for the
projects. In some cases, the
SABC will purchase the
equipment, in others, Siemens
will evaluate and buy the
equipment on the SABC’s
behalf from suppliers. “This
will, in effect, allow us to
choose the best possible
systems available throughout
the world,” says Richard
Waghorn, Chief Technology
Officer at the SABC.
Siemens, in its project
– to page 51
Township film
goes to Cannes
The Game of My Life, a soccerthemed feature film shot over
seven days in the Duduza
township just outside of
Johannesburg, will be
represented at the Cannes
Film Festival in May by its
writer/producer Michael J Rix.
Directed by Dumisani Vusi
Nhlapo in his feature film
debut, The Game of My Life is
going straight to DVD for
distribution in South Africa’s
townships via a network of
vendors. “I’m also hoping to
get the DVDs into stores like
Reliable. We will be doing a
lot of word of mouth
marketing and taking ads in
the Daily Sun. There is also
the potential of selling the film
to a local broadcaster,” explains
Rix.
In January Rix, who singlehandedly made South Africa’s
first ever claymation feature,
Tengers, put out a call to
interested parties to each buy a
2% share in The Game of My
– to page 51
EIGHTIES TO NOUGHTIES: Southern Screen & Stage, the first trade magazine
for the South African film and television industry launched in May 1988. It changed its
name to Screen Africa in 1992 and for a while was published in A4 size. Today Screen
Africa is a glossy, world class trade monthly magazine which reflects the South African
and African industries to local and international readers.
M-Net’s new local
content strategy
All local series produced for
South African pay-TV
broadcaster M-Net will now
be piloted as a means of
testing content before series
go into production. In other
firsts, the broadcaster is to
issue commissioning briefs for
its Series and Action channels
and focus strongly on
development.
Newly appointed head of
Local Development &
Production Helen Smit
emphasises the importance of
the development element.
“We’re really keen to develop
our own formats in all genres.
As a broadcaster we want to
perform on all platforms and
to do that you need to own all
rights. However, we wouldn’t
necessarily exclude coproductions.”
It’s no secret that local
content performs well in
South Africa and M-Net’s
locally produced shows are no
exception. “Local content,
which accounts for about 18%
of the M-Net schedule, really
works for us. As long as we
tell stories that are relevant
and that people can relate to,
they will resonate with the
audience and generate good
ARs. We always set AR
targets for each local show
and that target is tied to the
time slot and to the record for
that time slot. Carte Blanche,
for example, performs
remarkably well for an
– to page 51
EMAIL NEWS
EVENTS
www.screenafrica.com
For more information
Tel: +27 (0)11 719-4380 Fax: +27 (0)11 719-4392
Email: editor@screenafrica.com
45
P R O D U C T I O N
U P D A T E S
FOR FURTHER DETAILS VISIT
www.screenafrica.com
Avmark
Avmark
Avmark
Avmark
Avmark
Avmark
Avmark
Avmark
Avmark
Avmark
Avmark
Avmark
Avmark
Avmark
Avmark
Those productions in red are newly listed this month
Order of Information
1. Title
2. Production Company
3. Director
4. Genre
Avmark
Avmark Systems cc
Digital - Broadcast & AV Systems
Unit 5 Bryanston Gate
170 Curzon Rd, Bryanston
South Africa
Tel: +27 (11) 463-3167/8
Fax: +27 (11) 463-2534
Email:avmark@icon.co.za
Authorised Distributor
Official Worldwide
Olympic Partner
www.avmarksystems.co.za
general post
the finest freelance
post-production & creative crew
editors * researchers * animators * visual effects artists
storyboard artists * directors * sound engineers * writers
post-production producers & supervisors
ALSO offering flexible, cost-effective
post-production solutions for the
commercials industry
tel: 0860 111 553 fax: +27 11 706 7949
bookings@generalpost.co.za www.generalpost.co.za
after hours emergency number: 076 225 9173
IN THE PIPELINE
a lion in the bedroom
Two Oceans Production
Prod: Giselher Venzke/ Bertha
Spieker
Feature
in a different time
Spieker/ Jayson de Rosner
Feature
MIXED BLOOD
Uppity Films
Dir: Phillip Noyce
Feature
PROJECT HAMMER
Spieker
Feature
TIME FRAME
Spieker
Feature
THE HUNTER’S
DAUGHTER
Speiker
Feature
ZERO DIET
Spieker
Feature
IN DEVELOPMENT
DESIGN IN DIME NSION
46
94.7 MOMENTUM
CYCLE CHALLENGE
International Radio Pictures,
Inc
Dir: Belinda van Heerdan
Commercial
ANIMAL
COMMUNICATION
NHU Africa
Exec Prod: Sophie Vartan
Wildlife Documentary
AS GOOD AS IT GETS
DO Productions
Prod: Marlow de Mardt/
Brigid Olën
Feature
BUSINESS AND THE
BEAST
Current Affairs Films/
Upfront Entertainment
Dir: Yosif Feyginberg
Documentary
CONTROLLING
PASSIONS
First Take Production
Prod: Deon Potgieter
Feature
KAYA
Spieker
Feature
KHAZI
Banny Joma Enterprise
Prod: Branny Mthelebofu
Feature
LESOTHO
Current Affairs Films
Prod: Barbara Barde
Documentary
LOVE ON THE ROCKS
Flame Power Multimedia
Exec Prod: Thuso Oitsile
Feature
MOSEME ROAD
CONSTRUCTION
Mutodi Films
Prod: Mutodi Neshehe
Corporate
Operation Crane
H2O
Spieker
Feature
Q & A WITH DG OF
DEPT OF LABOUR
Panache Video Productions
Exec Prod: Francois de Villiers
Corporate
REPLAY
Spieker
Feature
SOUTH AFRICA
RP Productions
Exec Prod: Robert Paltiel
FIFA 2010 World Cup Doccie
Series
SUPERMAMA
GoogelPlex Productions
Dir: Karen van Schalkwyk
Feature
WE DID OVERCOME
Exec Prod: Jane Thandi
Lipman/ Robin Benger
Documentary
WHITE EYED WOMEN
Current Affairs Films &
Fabula Film
Exec Prod: Jane Lipman/
Francesca Borghetti
Documentary
WHO HIJACKED
THABISO KUNENE
Zing Entertainment & GH
Film
Exec Prod: Joel Phiri
Feature
ZEBRAS
DO Productions
Dir: Bruce Beresford
Feature
IN PRE-PRODUCTION
A SHOT AT THE BIG
TIME
Just Do It Productions &
Moviworld
Prod: Janet van Eeden & Terry
Vallet
Feature
AFROX CUSTOMER
CARE
FC Hamman Films
DOP/ Dir: Neels Smit
Corporate
CHAMELEON
NHU Africa
Wildlife Documentary Series
FIFA 2010 WORLD CUP
FC Hamman Films
PM: Odette van Jaarsveld
Flagship Video
FREE PASSAGE TO
ANGOLA
NHU Africa
IN THE SHADOW OF
THE STADIUM
Jane Lipman
Feature/ Doccie/ Series
LIEFLING, DIE MOVIE
Hartiwood Films
Prod: Linda Korstent
Feature
MOST ENDANGERED
NHU Africa
PEACE PARKS
NHU Africa
VKB Radio
FC Hamman Films
DOP/ Dir: FC Hamman
Commercial
P R O D U C T I O N
WILDCATS
NHU Africa
ExecProd: Sophie Vartan
IN PRODUCTION
20 SOMETHING
Red Pepper Pictures
Dir: Deepika Bhoolabhai
TV Magazine Programme
3RD DEGREE
e.tv
Investigative TV series
7DE LAAN
Danie Odendaal Produksies
Dirs: Alwyn Swart
Daily TV Drama Series
ACFS
International Radio Pictures,
Inc.
Prod: Kit Reynolds
Pro Bono tvc for African
Children’s Scheme
AFROX – SHEQ
INDUCTION
FC Hamman Films
Prod: FC Hamman
Corporate
AIDS EDUCATION
ZULU VERSION
FC Hamman Films
Dir: Neels Smit
Education Video
AFRO SHOWBIZ NEWS
SABC News International
Exec Prod: Jody-Layne Surtie
TV Magazine
AGAPE – CHRISTIAN
MAGAZINE SHOW
Gabaza Productions/
Pitso Communications
Prod: Sarah Ngubeni
Magazine Show
BINNELANDERS
Stark Films
Dir: Danie Joubert
TV Drama
CBC SERIES IN AFRICA
Jane Thandi Lipman
Documentary
CONGO
Prod: Giselher Venzke &
Bertha Spieker
Feature
COPA COCA–COLA
FOOTBALL STARS
Whatwewant Branded
Entertainment
Exec Prod: Dave Keet/
Erik de Jager
TV Series
COUNTDOWN 2010
Fuel Media
Prod: Moyika Sisulu
TV Magazine
EASTERN MOSAIC
Red Carpet Productions
Magazine Programme
U P D A T E S
EGOLI (THE FEATURE)
Brigadiers Franz Marx Films
Exec Prod: Burgert Muller/
Pieter Venter
Feature
EDULOAN
FC Hamman Films
DOP/ Dir: FC Hamman
Corporate
EKASI STARS
NHU Africa
Documentary
FLESH
Franz Marx Films
Morne Ebersohn
TV Series
GENERATIONS
Morula Pictures
Exec Prod: Mfundi Vundla
SOAPIE
GNLD all africa int
convention
FC Hamman Films
DOP/ Prod: FC Hamman
Corporate Event
HOUSE CALL
Izwe Multimedia/ Urbanbrew
Series Prod:Annalie Potgieter
Live Medical Talk Show
HOW TO BECOME A
ZULU IN 30 DAYS
Afromol Vision
Exec Prod: Johnny Alpha
Feature Comedy
INTO THE DRAGON’S
LAIR
NHU Africa
INTRODUCTION
OF THE CHILD
FRIENDS SCHOOLS
FRAMEWORK
Panache Video Productions
Dir: Liesel Eilselen
Corporate
ISIDINGO
Endemol South Africa
Dirs: Raymond Sargent/
Johnny Barbazano
Daily TV Drama
JAM ALLEY
Red Pepper Pictures
Prod: Lindi Lucouw
Youth Music
KWELA
Pieter Cilliers Productions
Dir: Marie Minnaar
Magazine Programme
LIVING PROOF
– LAUNCH
PBJS Seattle
Prod: John Moffit/ PBJS
Launch Video
MOTSWAKO
Carol Bouwer Productions
Prod: Vesko Mrdjen
Talk Show
NUTRIDAY CASH
MANIA SHOW
Bragge Film & TV
Dir: Guy Bragge
Game Show
PASELLA
Tswelopele Productions
Insert Dirs: Liani Maasdorp/
Werner Hefer
TV Magazine Programme
PILLOW GUNS
Mutodi Films
Dir: Mutodi Neshehe
Short Film/ Drama
PLANET X AFRICA
Enhanced Digital Media (TY)
LTD
Exec Prod: John Rousseau/
Craig Tarling
TV Series
RHYTHM CITY
Curious Pictures
Series Prod: Anthony Shaw
e..tv Soapie
RHYTHM CITY
INTERACTIVE
Curious Pictures/ e.tv
Prod: Devon Brough
Interactive Platform Media
SCANDAL
Ochre Moving Pictures
Series Prod: Romano Gorlei
Daily TV Soap
STATE OF EMERGENCY
Mahala Media & Sonrise
Entertainment
Exec Prod: Michael Lee
Documentary
STATION STRANGLER
Crime & Investigations Unit,
Etv
Prod: Meggan Raubenheimer
Documentary
STUDIO 53
M-Net Inhouse Productions
Insert Dirs: Navan Chetty
Mag Programme
SUPER SWIMMER &
TELKOM SPLASH
Media Ventures
Dir: Chris Moolman
TV Magazine
TIRZA
DO Productions
Prod: Mardou Jacobs/ Brigid
Ol‘n/ Marlow de Mardt
Feature
THE AFRICAN SOCCER
SHOW
African Soccer Television
Prod: John Parr
TV Series
THE BAR-ONE
MANHUNT
Code Red Communications
Exec Prod: Francois van Wyk
TV Series
THE FIRST LADY IN
STERKWATER
Exec Prod: Branny Mthelebofu
Documentary
THE MOMENT OF
MOKOLOLO
Exec Prod: Branny Mthelebofu
Documentary
7B¸A7<
B631/<
47
P R O D U C T I O N
HERITAGE
Adjusting Your Sails to Weather all Storms
Authorised financial services provider
Brokers to Leading International Production Houses
Call us for a copy of the 3rd Edition of
“FILM AND TV INSURANCE CHECKLIST”
Contact Sheryl Reynolds
Telephone: (011) 944-7628 Fax: 086 529-4042
Perfecting the art of clean
Cape Town
Francois de la Bat
082 8550089
francois@niceequipment.com
Johannesburg
Valerie Kotze
082 554 0651
valerie@niceequipment.com
Durban
Ravi Moodley
082 614 5776
ravi@niceequipment.com
48
THE BIG QUESTION V
Pandamonium Productions
Dir: Kate Stegeman/ Emily
Richards
Michael Schneider
TV Series
THE GARETH CLIFF
SHOW
Imani Media
Dir: Bobby Heaney
Talk Show
THE ZOO THAT SAVED
THE WORLD
NHU Africa
Wildlife Docuemtary
THE WAS AND FEAR
AMOCINE
Dir: Joaquina Bebe
Feature
TOP BILLING
Tswelopele Productions
Prod: Patience Stevens
TV Magazine
TRAVELLING
UNPLUGGED
Touchdown Africa
Dir: Byron Taylor
Travel Reality Show
VILLA ROSA
Spectro Productions
Dir/s: Vickus Strijdom/
Abdries van der Merwe/
Leroux Botha/ Isabel Smit
TV Drama
VODACOM THUMB
WARS
Fuel Media
Prod: Donald Clarke
TV Series
WOLF WOLF
TUT Film School
Tebogo Dube
Feature
WORLD OF GOLF
FC Hamman Films
Prod: Fc Hamman
Marketing Video
ZOLA 7 SERIES
Ochre Moving Pictures
Factual Entertainment
POST-PRODUCTION
AFRISAM TRAINING
International Radio
Pictures,Inc
Dir: Kit Reynolds
Corporate
AFROX ACCPAC
TRAINING
FC Hamman Films
DOP/ Dir: Odeete van
Jaarsveld
Corporate
AFROX PERMIT TO
WORK
FC Hamman Films
Prod Man: Odette van
Jaasveld
Drama
U P D A T E S
AURUM LANCET
SERIES
FC Hamman Films
Dir/ DOP: FC Hamman
Corporate Video
DARFUR
ZenHQ & Event Film
Prod: Chris Roland/ Uwe
Boll/ Dan Clarke
Feature
DOOMSDAY
Rogue Pictures
Dir: Neil Marshall
Feature
DRAWING THE LINE
Current Affairs Films cc
Prod: Jane Lipman/ Nevile
Josie
TV Series 2
EGOLI – PLACE OF
GOLD
Franz Marx Films
Head Dir: Ken Leach
Soap Opera
Exploring The Vine
Cooked in Africa Films
Exec Prod: Justin Bonello
TV Series
FAMILY BONDS
Sosiba Entertainment
Deon Potgieter
TV Sitcom Series 2
FOLLOWING JESUS
FC Hamman Films
Prod: Susan Cherian (USbased)
Drama Series 2- 6
GARY PLAYER GOLF
FC Hamman Films
Prod: FC Hamman
Business College Video
GNLD GR2
FC Hamman Films
DOP/ Dir: FC Hamman
Corporate Video
GNLD CONVENTION
SESSIONS
FC Hamman Films
Prod: FC Hamman
Corporate Video
GLAMOUR AND
GLORIA
Spieker
Feature
HOPEVILLE
Curious Pictures
Dir: John Trengrove
Feature
Jozi
Videovision Entertainment/
TOM Pictures
Dir: Craig Freimond
Comedy Feature
KENNEDY’S BRAIN
DO Productions
Prod: Marlow de Mardt/
Brigid Ol‘n
Feature
KRUGER CAMP
CREATURES
NHU Africa
LOYISO GOLA FOR
PRESEIDENT
Competent Artistes
Prod: Paul Tilsley
Feature
MODERN MIGRATIONS
NHU Africa
NIGHT DRIVE
The Film factory
Dir: Justin Head
Feature
OUT OF AFRICA
– FROGS IN DEMAND
NHU Africa
PHOEBUS APOLLO
EXCLUSIVE ALLIANCE
International Apollo Exclusive
Alliance
Exec Prod:H. Delport
Commercial
RACE-IST
Race-ist Film Company
Film Publicist: Nicolle vanRensburg
Feature
SECRET OF WHALES
Spieker
Feature
SOUTHERN CROSS
Mutodi Films & Kwacha
Media
Dir: Kalumbu Kapisa
Feature
SOWETO DRIFT
Young Mind Productions
Dir: Pule M Motlung
Feature
SPOON
Inspired Minority Pictures
Feature Film
THEMBA
DO Productions/ Zeitsprung
Entertainment
Prod: Michael Souvignier/ Ica
Souvignier/ Josef Steinberger/
Brigid Ol‘n/ Marlow de Mardt
Feature
THE AMBASSADOR
Spieker
Feature
THE KALAHARI
NHU Africa
TROOP
NHU Africa
P R O D U C T I O N
uasa international convention
FC Hamman Films
Pm: Odette van Jaarsveld
Corporate Event
VKB TOP 100
HIGHLIGHTS
FC Hamman Films
Editor: Annie Hamman
Corporate
WILD WALK
NHU Africa
WOLF WOLF
Tswane University of
Technology
Prod: Anna-Marie Jansen van
Vuuren
Feature
WOMEN IN
TECHNOLOGY
Dir: Jane Lipman
Documentary
YOUR DATE WITH
DESTINY
Di Rosen Productions
Prod: Di Rosen
TV Series
COMPLETE
A KALAHARI TAIL
NHU Africa
Exec Prd: Sophie Vartan
ALBERT SCHWEITZER
Two Oceans Production`
Spieker
Feature
ANTARCTICA
NHU Africa
Documentary
DESERT WANDERERS
NHU Africa
DRAGON MOUNTAINS
NHU Africa
FIFA 2009
CONFEDERATIONS
CUP
RP Productions
Live Football
FOR WHICH I AM
PREPARED TO DIE
Lindy Wilson Productions
Prod: Lindy Wilson
Documentary
GET BUSHWISE
NHU Africa
Children’s Wildlife Series
GETAWAY TO AFRICA
Cooked in Africa Films
Prod: Darren Putter
TV Series GNLD
HIGHLIGHTS VIDEO
FC Hamman Films
Prod: FC Hamman
Corporate Video
GORILLAS: A JOURNEY
FOR SURVIVAL
NHU Africa
ICEMAN
NHU Africa
Documentary
LEGENDS OF THE
LAKE
NHU Africa
Documentary
LOFKLEUTERS & JAN
DE WET 4
FC Hamman Films
DOP/ Dir: FC Hamman
Education Video
MTC LG COOKIE
Power & Glory Films
Raphael Scriba
Commercial
MENDA CITY
A Mandela Film Production
Exec Prod: Victor Okafor
Feature
OF JOURNEY, HOME
AND TREASURE
Journey, Home & Treasure/
Media Resources
Dir: Feizal Mamdoo
Feature Documentary
PLANET AFRICA
NHU Africa
Documentary Series
RAINBOW NATURE
NHU Africa
Documentary
THE CHEETAH
DIARIES
NHU Africa
THE GREAT PINK S
NHU Africa
THE NATURE OF LIFE
NHU Africa
Documentary
THE SEARCH FOR THE
KNYSNA ELEPHANTS
NHU Africa
THIS TIME TOMORROW
Purple Pictures Studis
Exec Prod: Sam Boye
TV Series
WANDERING WILD
NHU Africa
Exec Prod:Sophie Vartan
U P D A T E S
Screen Africa relies on accuracy of information
received and cannot be held responsible for any errors or
omissions which Nov-Dec occur.
E-mail production updates to:
info@screenafrica.com
Vital Sta’ tis’ tiks
Cape Town again reports an increase in workflow. International
commercials are picking up and the month was good. Overall
commercial work is up from 2008. Features were boosted by The
Sinking of the Laconia on 35mm for TOP Productions, and The Girl
shot on 16mm. More feature work is in the pipeline.
Johannesburg is still processing Strike Back for Out of Africa,
and the commercials remain at a reasonable level. Bulks too are
busy. The commercials submitted by Media Host are slightly higher
than last month.
We would like to thank the laboratories and Media Host for the
information they have supplied. We make no attempt to identify
the title of the production, or the production house or any other
information as this is often confidential information – we supply
simply the numbers.
Statistics for October 2009
Through the labs:
Johannesburg.
Features
1
Cape Town.
Features
2
Shorts
0
Commercials
28
Doccies
9
16mm
23 35mm
5
Shorts
0
Commercials
26
Doccies
0
16mm
8
35mm
20
Commercials submitted to broadcasters via media host
October
1 250
49
Audience Ratings
August 2009
This monthly feature selects prominent local productions
and ranks them in terms of audience ratings (ARs). Selected foreign
programmes are shown only for comparison.
ARs are weighted over the period of transmission and the number of
transmissions during the calendar month. Data is supplied by the South
African Advertising Research Foundation and processed by Interactive
Market Systems (South Africa) (Pty) Ltd.
The cream of the local productions
Key: Day/s refers to the day or days of the week the programme is transmitted. Frequency refers to how often it is
transmitted – D=Daily, W=Weekly, S (followed by a number) indicates a series of that number of episodes. Television
the top five programmes
e.tv
Rank Programme
1Taxi
2Rhythm City
3
Michael Jackson
30th Anniversary Celebration
4
Around The World In 80 Days
5
International Raw
Date
23/08/2009
23/08/2009
11/08/2009
04/08/2009
24/08/2009
Genre
Soap
Maga
Musi
Movi
Movi
Genre
Maga
Movi
Dram
Soap
Soap
AR
8.05
7.51
6.08
5.66
5.49
AR
1.47
1.37
1.24
1.23
1.18
W
e
4.13
3.79
18:30 M-F S5
2
9.18
9.99
W
2
0.32
4.74
Binnelanders Dram 18:00 M-F S5
M
1.03
0.89
Carte Blanche
Maga 19:00 Sun
W M
1.24
1.21
Egoli-Place of Gold
Soap
M
0.93
0.75
Fokus Actu 18:30 Sun
W
2
5.33
5.68
Generations
Soap
20:00 M-F S5
1
24.06 22.95
Gospel Gold
Musi
09:00 Sun
W
2
5.86
5.39
Isidingo:The Need
Soap
18:30 M-F S5
3
4.25
4.20
18:30 Fri
W
1
8.60
8.27
Morning Live
Maga 06:00 M-F S5
2
2.13
1.87
Muvhango
Dram 21:00 M-T S4
2
8.08
8.44
News at Seven
News 19:00 Daily D
e
6.43
5.84
News at Seven on 3
News 19:00 Daily D
3
3.31
3.61
Pasella
Maga 19:30 W
W
2
5.45
6.07
Rhythm City
Soap
18:30 M-F S5
e
9.65
9.36
Scandal
Dram 19:30 M-T S4
e
9.00
8.36
3rd Degree
7de Laan
Soap
50/50
Maga 17:00 Sat
Jam AlleyVari
SelimathunziVari
Date
01/08/2009
18/08/2009
Genre AR
Movi
12.69
Dram
12.24
29/08/2009
22/08/2009
02/08/2009
Musi
Movi
Spor
12.17
11.99
11.19
We feature the top five shows viewed for each of the channels.
Start Time
Maga 21:30Tue
Genre
July 2009 AR
Date
12/08/2009
12/08/2009
24/08/2009
14/08/2009
02/08/2009
AR
13.55
11.84
11.15
10.40
9.05
Entertainment,
Aug 2009 AR
Date
Genre
23/08/2009 Sitc
11/08/2009 Dram
25/08/2009 Maga
17/08/2009 Soap
30/08/2009Reli
AR
27.32
19.69
19.63
19.25
19.09
Channel
M-Net
Rank Programme
1
Carte Blanche
2
Made Of Honor
3
CSI Miami
4
Binnelanders
5
Egoli-Place Of Gold
Genre
Soap
Dram
Dram
Dram
Musi
Frequency
SABC3
Rank Programme
1
Days Of Our Lives
2The Oprah Winfrey Show
3
Music
4
Shall We Dance
5
Dudley Do-Right
Date
24/08/2009
11/08/2009
24/08/2009
20/08/2009
12/08/2009
Day/s
SABC2
Rank Programme
1
Moferefere Lenyalong
2
Muvhango
3
Motswako The Mix
4
7de Laan
5
Gospel Time
to genres: Actu: Actuality, Docu: Documentary, Dram: Drama, Educ: Education, Maga: Magazine, Musi: Music, News:
News, Quiz: Game Show, Real: Real life, Reli: Religion, Sitc: Sitcom, Soap: Soap, Spor: Sport, Vari: Variety, Y.Ent: Youth
Name
SABC1
Rank Programme
1
Generations
2
Montana
3
Zone 14
4
Mtunzini.Com
5
Jika Ma Jika
Universe estimated at 5.232 million households. One ratings point of all viewers represents about 145 590 viewers.Key
18:00 M-F S5
18:00 Sat
W
1
7.52
10.40
Special Assignment
Docu 20:30Tue
W
3
3.77
2.92
Top Billing
Maga 19:30Thu W
2
3.25
4.11
Zola 7
Maga 20:30T
1
14.40 12.61
W
Top foreign shows
Days of Our Lives
Soap
17:10 M-F S5
1
6.42
6.77
WWE Wrestling Smackdown
Spor
20:30 W
W
e
8.07
9.19
The Bold and the Beautiful
Soap
18:00 M-F S5
1
11.87 12.30
The above represents a selection of programmes only, and is calculated on the total calendar month’s weighted average of the total audience
over all age groups. If you want a particular programme included, please e-mail Enid Venter at enid@ihjohannesburg.co.za.
The purpose of the schedule is to show the types of programmes South African audiences view, and to what extent.
50
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
$22m Dubai deal for SA format
in Syria and with Montreal-based 2D software company Toon
Boom developing a dedicated Know Your Nation software
production pipeline. The first two pilot episodes will be ready in
January 2010.
“Speedy Productions is executive producing the entire series.
The English voiceovers are being done in South Africa as well as
the final edits. We’re selling the series everywhere and it is also
available in half-hour bundles. In South Africa it’s been sold to
TV, newspaper and mobile.”
Mostert got the idea for Know Your Nation after doing The
Finer Things, a series on the history of art and design. “I realised
we were developing a new way of communicating information,
using animation and humour. A history show that was countrybased seemed a logical next step. I was inspired by the interesting
nuggets of information that you pick up about a country when you
travel. Writing a newspaper column and having a comic strip also
helped, because you have to hook the reader early, and convey a lot
of information briefly.”
In 2008 Speedy Productions did a Know Your Nation pilot (on
the South African historical legend, Shaka Zulu) at the request of
the European Broadcasting Union. The pilot was presented at
MIPCOM the same year. “We’ve developed quite a
comprehensive format bible, which was very beneficial in
attracting regional partners. The format bible goes through every
step of the production pipeline, including how to deconstruct a
script line by line and rebuild it into a cohesive story with dynamic
visual cues,” explains Mostert.
The series is being produced in Afrikaans and Zulu, as well as
in Arabic and French. Various sport-themed versions (eg. Know
Your Cricket) are also being produced.
In other Speedy Productions news, the Speedy TV series is to be
licensed by MBC for broadcast in the Middle East. Mostert has
also launched a new cartoon character called Papsak, which will
be produced as a two-minute TV series through an animation
training initiative in Khayelitsha.
DAC gets industry lowdown
Department needed
addressing.
Although the SABC crisis,
which has crippled the
independent production sector,
falls under the Department of
Communications (DoC),
Minister Xingwana said she
was engaging with that
Department on the issue.
(Meanwhile, the DoC has
released the controversial
Public Broadcasting Services
Bill which seeks to put control
of the SABC directly into the
Minister of Communications’
hands and which wants to
impose a tax on citizens to
fund the broadcaster.)
Delegates at the open forum
were encouraged to hear from
Minister Xingwana that the
Department of Trade &
Industry (DTI) is amending
the Copyright Act and is
taking measures to ensure
speedier disbursement of
National Lottery payments.
Together with the DTI, the
DAC is setting up a task team
to look into film finance and
legislation. The Minister also
revealed that Co-production
Treaties are about to be signed
with Ireland, Australia, New
Zealand and France.
SASFED’s written
submission to the DAC points
out that its representations are
made in a context of industry
depression, the immediate
cause being the SABC crisis.
It also attributes the current
state of the industry to “the
general shortcoming to achieve
a vaunted post-apartheid
vision for a vibrant, sustainable
industry, dynamic to its society
and the world.”
As per the SASFED
document, the requirements
that have failed include: due IP
ownership and copyright;
dynamic commissioning
structures; dynamic terms of
trade; conducive budget
structures, including for
development; audience and
platform growth and
development; effective training
and development across the
value chain; an effective, policy
and operationally growthaligned public broadcaster; and
accessible policy and
operationally growth-aligned
commercial broadcasters.
SASFED also makes
reference to a number of
industry gains that have been
eroded or are in danger of
being lost. These include:
requisite local content levels;
independent commissioning;
integrity of the role of
independent producers and
content creators; freedom of
expression and diversity of
New studio complex
Floor, acoustic and air-conditioning treatment will be the envy
of any broadcaster, meeting if not exceeding all international
specifications. “We wanted the best,” comments Stark. “We had
no choice but to compromise in certain areas in the past, so we
knew where we could improve things and what extras were
required to ensure a faultless workflow. We have applied this
knowledge in the creation of this facility and have adopted the
philosophy of ‘going the whole hog’.”
No detail has been omitted. There is a spring-mounted,
blimped 500kVA generator beneath the studios, alongside 70
basement parking bays with an additional 50 bays on the
premises. The entire building showcases the distinctly original
design of Cape Town based architect Joeke Monteiro and boasts a
leisure area overlooking an extensive garden and several water
features.
On the equipment side, the Starks’ attention to detail is again
evident. “In each studio we will have three Grass Valley HD
LDK 4000 Elite cameras with Fujinon lenses and Vinten Osprey
Elite Pedestals. Each studio has three dedicated control rooms,
and these will feature HD TV Logic monitors, Kayak HD 100 C
M/E Multi-format production switchers and OIV/96 VCM
Yamaha audio mixing desks. The lighting will be primarily based
on a new technology Nesys cool lighting system. PostMasters will
be facilitating the post-production, which will include five edit
suites, an audio suite, as well as a 47-seater auditorium/audio suite
with a JBL cinema surround sound system and Projector Design
HD projector. The systems integrator and principal equipment
supplier for this project is Inala Broadcast.
“Whilst the facility is essentially dedicated to Binnelanders, we
will have capacity for additional productions,” adds Stark, “and we
will be exploring this after our official launch in 2010.”
The design team has not omitted essential production areas
such as make-up, wardrobe, waiting areas, green rooms,
conference rooms, production offices, props and sets storage areas,
hold-back areas, and a reception area that shows the attention to
detail and artistic flair of Elsje Stark.
voice; co-productions and joint
ventures by the public
broadcaster; and the integrity
of the public broadcaster. (The
full SASFED document can
be accessed on www.
screenafrica.com.)
At the open forum,
filmmaker Rehad Desai
stressed the need for a set of
funding mechanisms that are
not centralised in a single
body. “At the moment the
industry is de-professionalised;
talent is migrating to where
they can get jobs and facilities
are closing down. People can’t
make ends meet. In addition
to the funding quagmire of the
last five years, budgets have
remained stagnant. All this is
happening as we hurtle
towards a multi-channel
environment.”
The Minister responded by
saying that the DAC was
going to be very strict on
accountability and reporting
systems with regards funding.
“We will require forensic audit
reports, such as is the case with
Sithengi, before we release
funding. I’ve asked the NFVF
to give me a minimum,
realistic budget that would get
the industry on a good footing
but I have to say the DAC too
has been hit hard by the
recession.”
Cape Film Commission
CEO Laurence Mitchell
urged the Minister to develop
a clear industrial policy for the
film sector, with serious
investment in sales and
distribution. “The Western
Cape industry is at the mercy
of the Northern hemisphere
and has become a summer
industry.”
Editor Catherine Meyburgh
said the freelance sector faced
huge problems, as it hadn’t
been able to increase its rates in
six years. “Transformation is
another big problem. We’ve
been unable to get mentorships
going with the Media
Advertising Printing
Packaging Publishing-Sector
Education Training Authority
(MAPPP-SETA) and the
SABC. Mentorship budgets
are needed and foreign shoots
need to use local trainees.”
Producer John Stodel voiced
SA series
attracts interest
in March 2010 followed by a
theatre release of Egoli The
Movie.
Marx studied novel and
telenovela formats in Rio de
Janeiro and the United States.
In order to ensure that the
content would appeal to an
international market,
Spacegrow and Marx also
engaged the services of a
number of well-regarded
consultant producers in the
United States.
“The development process
was fairly complicated,” says
Spacegrow’s Morne Ebersohn,
“especially due to the fact that
the preferences of various
television markets often differ
in quite subtle ways.”
Initial screenings at 2009
MIPCOM met with
unanimous interest and
support from distributors and
broadcasters in markets as
diverse as the Netherlands,
Germany, Italy, the United
Kingdom and the United
States.
“We were very encouraged
by the level of interest,” says
Ebersohn. “We had thought
that the approach would
require substantial tweaking to
be appropriate for various
markets, but it seems that we
succeeded in taking viewer
preferences into account early
enough in the development
process.”
Spacegrow is currently
engaged in distribution and
broadcast discussions with a
view to releasing Flesh in a
number of markets. “We know
that the story works and that it
translates well across market
boundaries,” says Ebersohn.
“The key issue now is whether
we can come to an agreement
with distributors and
broadcasters that satisfies the
commercial imperatives of all
concerned.”
his concern about the
Independent Communications
Authority of South Africa’s
(ICASA) “weak” and
“tentative” regulation of the
SABC’s local content quota
and its taking little notice on
the industry’s comprehensive
document protesting local
broadcasters’ ownership of IP.
In closing, Lebone Maema
challenged the Minister to
ensure that at least one Coproduction Treaty is signed
with an African country
during her tenure and
to re-look at a National Film
Fund.
51
Events
Close up
DAC Minister Lulu Xingwana meets industry
Photos by Trevor Ou Tim
NOVEMBER 2009
3
Minister Lulu Xingwana
Eddie Mbalo (NFVF CEO)
Feizel Mamdoo
(SASFED)
Laurence Mitchell
(CFC)
Dr Melanie Chait
SES
Birmingham www.sbes.com
4 – 11 American Film Market
Santa Monica, Los Angeles, USA
www.americanfilmmarket.com
18 – 20 InterBee
Tokyo
www.inter-bee.com
10 – 20 33rd Cairo International Film Festival
Cairo, Egypt www.cairofilmfest.com
25 VUKA! Awards
Bassline, Johannesburg www.vuka.multichoice.co.za
JANUARY 2010
21 – 31 John Stodel
Joe Mafela
Pule Diphare
Catherine Meyburgh
Lindi Ndebele-Koka (right)
with the Minister
Promax/BDA Africa
Sundance Film Festival
Park City, Utah, US www.sundance.org
25 – 27 2010 Natpe 2005 Conference and Exhibition
Mandalay Bay Resort, Las Vegas, US
Email: info@natpe.org www.natpe.org
27 – 7 Feb International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR)
Incorporates CineMart
Rotterdam www.filmfestivalrotterdam.com.
FEBRUARY
1–3
Realscreen Summit Renaissance
Washington DC Hotel www.realscreensummit.com
11 – 21 Pan Africa Film & Arts Festival 2010
Los Angeles, IS www.paff.org
11 – 21 Berlin International Film Festival
Nisha Jones (SABC)
Vanessa Sheldrick
(Promax/BDA)
Kaos
Motion Magic Digital Entertainment’s Tony Tang,
Jason Xu, Zhong Bin and Kristin Cheetham
Berlin, Germany www.berlinale.de
22 – 28 Aluta Film Festival
Kimberley motheoseleke@yahoo.com
24 – 26 DISCOP Africa
Sofitel Teranga Hotel, Dakar, Senegal www.discop.com
MARCH
TBC Eject Media’s Lizo Mnisi, Maraza and
Khanyisa Zatu
SuperSport’s Kerry Prinsloo and
Sumaya Meeran
SABC’s Lukas Scheepers, Kabelo Collis, Andrew
Herold and Thulani Maseko
LOG ON TO NEWS: www.screenafrica.com
•
SABC gets R200m
•
Ghana features Top TV
biz leaders
•
•
•
Massive growth in online
video watching
•
•
4.6bn mobile subs by
end 2009
The four top SABC
execs suspended
after all
Zulu film to shoot early
2010
South African agencies
ranked in top 20 in
Cannes report
On the move
Sibanyoni joins Kaelo
Siphiwe Sibanyoni has been appointed producer of Kaelo –
Stories of Hope. With a viewership of over seven million, Kaelo –
Stories of Hope showcases stories of how visionary companies,
government, NGOs and individuals are conquering the
challenges of poverty, unemployment and underdevelopment.
“As the producer of Kaelo – Stories of Hope, I am looking
forward to showcasing personal success stories, highlighting best practices and
inspiring ordinary citizens to take action. I believe the series is having a serious
impact on the way individuals and organisations tackle various social challenges and
I feel very honoured to be part of this,” says Sibanyoni.
He was previously the producer for a series of documentaries called the
Evolution of Science for SABC Education, as well as on SABC1’s Science for Life
programme. He has also been involved in the Take 5, All You Need is Love, Walk the
Plank, Big Brother and Heartlines productions.
“Siphiwe’s creative and empathetic outlook on life makes him perfect for the
job,” says Sandile Koza, Managing Director of Kaelo Worldwide Media. “His ability
to transform socio-economic challenges into touching, imaginative stories on
screen is remarkable.”
52
•
White Wedding wins 1st
international award
•
IDFA selects The
Manuscripts of Timbuktu
•
SA filmmakers give
back in Ethiopia
•
Dubai Lynx Awards
The Middle East & North Africa Advertising
Awards for Creative Excellence
The Palladium, Dubai Media City
UAE www.dubailynx.com
25 – 31 Amnesty International Film Festival Amsterdam
Amsterdam, The Netherlands www.amnesty.nl/filmfestival
APRIL
10 – 11 MIPDOC
Cannes, France www.mipdoc.com
12 – 16 MIPTV
Palais des Festivals, Cannes, France www.miptv.com
10 – 15 NAB – National Association of Broadcasters
Las Vegas www.nab.org
21 – 2 May
Tribeca Film Festival
New York, USA www.tribecafilmfestival.org
29 – 9 May Hot Docs
Toronto, Canada
www.hotdocs.ca
MAY
2–6
ZUMA Film Festival
Abuja, Nigeria www.zumafilmfestival.org
12 – 23 Cannes International Film Festival
Cannes, France www.festival-cannes.fr
African Film Library
VOD service
A dvertisers L ist
Atlas Studios..................................47
Avmark Systems ..........................46
Black Magic Design.........................5
Blade / BFX......................................1
Camera Facilities...........................29
Case Connection, The.................49
Christie...........................................33
Discop Africa.................................43
Face Up International..................48
Gauteng Film Commission
(GFC)................................. IBC
General Post ................................46
Glasshouse ....................................49
Glory Computers.........................45
Heritage Insurance.......................48
Inala / Stark Studios.....................15
Kodak...............................................21
Lawo/B&I...........................................7
Media Film Service......... OBC
Mikromedia....................................35
Nates Audio Visual..............26 – 27
NDS.................................................29
Nice Equipment Co.....................48
Panasonic........................................17
Pro-Sales............................ IFC
Setbuild............................................46
Sony.................................................19
Spescom..........................................11
Spescom / Maxell..........................23
Time Frame....................................39
Visual Impact..................................31
Zimele Broadcast Services..FC
Hero, 15001 HGTG_SA
DON’T PANIC!
WE’VE GOT THE ANSWER TO LIFE, HD AND EVERYTHING!
NO MATTER WHERE IN THE UNIVERSE YOU’RE SHOOTING, MEDIA FILM
SERVICE HAS THE DIGITAL TOOLS AND KNOW-HOW TO GET THE SHOT!
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