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C M Y CM MY CY CMY K 

FAREWELL TO ANGELA 

WILD TALK AFRICA


Aussie / SA co-prod 

Australia and South Africa 

signed an audiovisual coproduction 

agreement in June 

2010 and the official coproduction 

treaty will come 

Wild Talk 

Africa time 

Around 500 local and 

international delegates are 

expected to attend the Wild 

Talk Africa Wildlife Film 

Festival and Conference, 

which takes place at the 

Spier Wine Estate outside 

Cape Town from 28 to 

31 March. 

First-time international 

delegates at this biennial 

wildlife filmmaking forum 

include Richard Terry, best 

known for filming Stranger 

among Bears; Dave Salmoni, 

presenter for Animal 

Planet’s Rogue Nature series 

and Into the Pride; and 

James Honeyborne, director 

of the BBC series 

The Meerkats. 

Overseas companies 

represented at Wild Talk 

Africa 2011 include 

National Geographic 

Television International; 

UK; National Geographic 

Television, USA; 

Disneynature Productions, 

France; CIN.TV, Spain; 

Baynounah Media Group, 

United Arab Emirates; 

Parthenon Entertainment, 

UK; Smithsonian 

Networks, USA; National 

– to page 48 

treaty update 

into effect once it is ratified by 

parliaments in Australia and 

South Africa. 

Aifheli Dzebu, Head of 

Policy Research at the National 

Film and Video Foundation 

(NFVF), explains how the 

agreement came about. “The 

Department of Arts and 

Culture and the Department of 

International Relations and 

Cooperation were instrumental 

earlier in the process. The 

department and the NFVF 

continue to play a role in 

monitoring the benefits and 

implementing this treaty. 

The main challenge with 

treaties such as this is that 

there are a number of 

procedures and protocols that 

Refinery opens 

CT post-prod 

company 

Following on the recent 

developments of a closer 

collaboration between The 

Film Lab and Refinery comes 

an even more significant 

revelation. Refinery, in 

partnership with Heino 

Henning and David Grant, is 

to open a boutique style highend 

post-production facility in 

the heart of Cape Town’s 

agency and production house 

belt. The new facility 

will be called Searle 

must be observed.” 

Ana Kabalu, Official 

Programs and Research Officer 

for Australia High 

Commission, adds that the 

former negotiations to develop a 

co-production treaty with South 

Africa began in 2006. 

Says Kabalu: “The agreement 

was signed on 18 June 2010 by 

representatives of the Australian 

and South African 

governments. The treaty is 

formally called the Agreement 

between the Government of 

Australia and the Government of 

the Republic of South Africa 

Concerning the Co-production of 

Films.” 

Dzebu states that it could 


Street Post Production. 

Refinery’s Charl van der 

Merwe explains. “We have a 

close association with Cape 

Town Film Studios (CTFS) 

and our vision is to offer a total 

solution for anyone bringing 

commercials, feature film and 

television projects to Cape 

Town. We explored the option 

of opening a post-production 

facility at the studio itself, but 

from a practical perspective it 

made more sense to open in 

town due to the studio’s 

distance from town. We will 

hopefully in time have a 

satellite dailies solution active at 

the CTFS.” 

The decision was made to go 


MOTION OF THE OCEAN: Shooting the environmental documentary 

series Shoreline. See page 37 

Life, Above A l 

scoops SAFTAS 

A total of seven South African 

Film and Television Awards 

(SAFTAS) were presented to 

the feature film, Life, Above All, 

on 28 February at a gala event 

held at Madame Zingara’s 

Theatre of Dreams in Melrose 

Arch, Johannesburg. 

The film won Best Feature 

Film, Best Director (Oliver 

Schmitz), Best Writing, Best 

Ensemble Cast, Best Costume 

Design, Best Actress 

(Khomotso Manyaka) and Best 

Supporting Actress (Harriet 

Manamela). 

“The success of Life, Above 

All at the SAFTAS is 

absolutely wonderful,” says 

Schmitz. “I am honored, proud 

and elated. Today is my 

birthday and I could not think 

of a better present. Thanks to 

the wonderful actors and crew I 

worked with on the film,” says 

Schmitz. 

Winner of the Best TV 

Drama award was the 

Afrikaans series, Erfsondes, 

produced by Imani Media. 

Henrietta Gryffenberg won the 

Best Writing award for the 

same series. 

Says Erfsondes’ director 

Bobby Heaney: “The win was 

surprising because the series 

was largely ignored for the past 

three years. I’m not sure if it is 

the fact that the series is 

Afrikaans but we believed 

strongly that some of the 

exceptional performances 

should have been recognised at 

the SAFTAS. A win for Best 

TV drama does do that to a 

certain extent. 

“As for the writing award, no 

one deserves the SAFTA more 

than Henrietta. A lot of writers 

– to page 48

From the editor 

Parting of the ways 

For 23 years I have lived and worked closely to the South African 

film and television industry. Through Screen Africa I have had the 

privilege to talk, interview and write about the people whose creative 

imagination I admire, as well as those who support them with the 

technology they require to achieve their objectives. 

Screen Africa had its roots in a magazine titled Southern Screen & 

Stage which I started in 1988 with a dear partner Zane Greyvenstein. 

At the time, I had no clear sense of direction or any ambitions. I 

merely followed my interest and heart. 

When my partner died and I was on my own struggling as both 

editor and publisher to keep Screen Africa going, I was encouraged 

in my endeavours by loyal readers and a few advertising clients. 

Overcoming this difficult time taught me things about myself 

and the basics of business principles that I could not have learned in 

any other way. 

My experience is not unique. Many individuals and companies 

in this industry have been tested. I have watched people overcome 

setbacks and succeed because of their ingenuity and creative thinking. 

Their achievements have ensured a sustainable production industry. 

Throughout our professional equipment suppliers have ensured 

that the production side has the most up-to-date equipment available. 

Added to this, the country’s first class crews, post-production houses, 

rental companies and other service sectors have retained global 

standards even when beset by uncertain economic times. 

The year 1994 heralded a new era of equality and freedom for 

formerly disenfranchised South Africans. Screen Africa was around to 

record the new developments which saw young people embrace the 

changes and add their talent to the industry pot. 

The new democracy in the country allowed Screen Africa to explore 

African festivals and markets for the first time and at a workshop I 

was invited to in Harare, Zimbabwe in 1994, Sithengi – The Southern 

African & International Television Market was conceived. I became 

integrally involved in its birth and existence which lasted for 10 

years until 2006 when its board failed to revive it due to financial 

difficulties. 

I have always been concerned by the industry’s reliance on local 

broadcasters for their living. It was with this in mind that we began 

to distribute Screen Africa at international television festivals and film 

markets. 

Early in 1990 I identified the two annual MIP markets which take 

place in Cannes, France, as new opportunities for South Africans 

to sell and negotiate programme deals internationally. Screen Africa 

followed through by organising a South African exhibition stand 

which we ran at both MIP markets for four years, until the National 

Film and Video Foundation (NFVF) took over the function of 

promoting the South African industry at international events. 

Screen Africa had other firsts. In the mid 1990s, for example, we not 

only distributed the magazine at Cannes Lions advertising festival 

but we also personally attended. This became an annual Screen Africa 

project. 

Traditional broadcast has undergone many changes as a result of 

the digital revolution and the Internet. Likewise Screen Africa has 

been able to offer thousands of readers so much more via its website 

and regular email communication. I have particularly enjoyed my 

editorship of the weekly enewsletter which allowed me to write about 

the issues that affect the industry. 

I am privileged to have been able to follow the endeavours and 

successes of the people in this uniquely creative industry. 

Some people come into our lives by chance. They stay or are quickly 

forgotten. But through Screen Africa the people in this industry have 

left a footprint in my mind which will remain with me forever. 

Angela van Schalkwyk 

• This is an edited version of the email farewell and handover 

information which appears on our website www.screenafrica.com. 

SCREENAFRICA 

EDITOR-IN-ChIEF: 

Angela van Schalkwyk: editor@screenafrica.com 

DEpuTy EDITOR: 

Joanna Sterkowicz: joanna@screenafrica.com 

CONTRIbuTORs: 

Andy Stead, Karen van Schalkwyk, 

Martin Chemhere, Mariam Sha 

sub-EDITOR: Tina Heron 

RATINGs: Enid Venter 

enid@ihjohannesburg.co.za 

hEAD OF DEsIGN: 

Trevor Ou Tim: design@screenafrica.com 

WEbsITE & pRODuCTION upDATEs: 

Anusha Dayal: info@screenafrica.com 

subsCRIpTIONs: 

Anusha Dayal: info@screenafrica.com 

| SCREENAFRICA | March 011 

ADvERTIsEmENT sALEs: 

Marianne Schafer: marianne@screenafrica.com 

Hermione Ballinger: hermi@screenafrica.com 

ACCOuNTs: 

Marietjie Esterhuizen: accounts@screenafrica.com 

FRONT OFFICE: 

Delight Ngwenya: adminsa@screenafrica.com 

pubLIshER: 

Simon Robinson: publisher@screenafrica.com 

Sun Circle Publishers (Pty) Ltd 

Tel: 011 025-3180 Fax: 011 719-4392 

Physical address: Block A, Process House 

Epsom Downs Office Park 

13 Sloane Street, Bryanston, Johannesburg 

Postal address: PO Box 89271 Lyndhurst 2106 

6 

14 3 

SPECIAL FEATURES 

EQUIPMENT RENTALS 

Anyone for rentals?...22 / 24 

Equipment Rentals 

listings ......................28 / 30 / 32 

Equipment Rentals A – Z ..........32 

WILD TALK AFRICA 

Wildlife filmmaking under 

spotlight; The lion’s share ..........36 

Brewing homegrown talent ......37 

Wild 3D ........................................38 

Crocs feed in 3D ........................40 

High praise for Joubert’s HD 

feature ............................................41 

Lamberti goes 3D .......................42 

NEWS 

Aussie / SA co-prod treaty 

update; Life, Above All scoops 

SAFTAS; Refinery opens CT 

post-prod co; 

Wild Talk Africa time .................... 1 

C o n t e n t s 

Farewell to Angela ........ 3 / 4 / 5 

TV and film come together; M- 

Net restructures initiatives ......... 6 

In the spotlight; Specialised travel 

service comes to CT ................... 8 

Rating your film ...........................16 

TRACKING TECHNOLOGY 

First media convergence platform 

from Harris; Christie MicroTiles 

used by Gearhouse; Okuhle 

Media goes HD with Avid Media 

Composer; A steady horizon with 

PH ...................................................18 

Making two million ..........20 / 21 

FESTIVAL 

Cape Winelands festival delivers 

quality film ....................................33 

PE launches film festival .............46 

39 

BROADCAST 

DTT forges path in Africa .........34 

Incentivising digital migration ...35 

DOCUMENTARY 

Documenting Aids in Africa ......43 

TELEVISION 

Uncovering treasure in 

Cape Town ....................................44 

DOP speaks Alexa ......................45 

REGULARS 

Adcetera................................ 12-13 

Director Speak ............................13 

Defining Success ..........................47 

Audience Ratings .........................49 

Production Updates ........50 / 51 

Vital Sta’ tis’ tiks ..........................44 

Close Up .......................................52

Farewell to Angela 

Dear Angela... 

Ours is an intertwined history of various 

connections and interactions. There is Jolly 

Rest in Parys and my dear Oom Gert and 

Tant Magriet. There is the legal link with 

Rex and my father and brothers – all judges. 

There is our early co-operation in my days at 

the SABC when we supported the Pro AV 

shows at Kyalami which eventually 

progressed to Mediatech Africa. There is 

Sithengi, the market which we founded with 

others. And then came my involvement in 

Screen Africa – the various strategic sessions, 

our meetings, discussions and ideas. 

So I look back over a kaleidoscope of 

memories and activities. Among the 

combined recollections of bright shooting 

stars of recent years as well as blurred images 

faint with age I see your smiling face. It was a 

great pleasure to work with you, to visit with 

you and Rex and to participate in a series of 

events. I greatly admire your entrepreneurial 

spirit and your steadfast determination to 

make a success of your ventures. Your name 

is a beacon in the turbulent media world and 

you were always a source of wisdom and 

knowledge. You knew everybody in the 

industry and with your radiant personality 

you had access to all the varied personalities. 

What a class act!! The media world will 

never be the same without Angela. 

Go forth – not to conquer anew – but to 

enjoy! 

With gratitude and admiration. 

Gert Claassen 

I am sitting at my desk which is only five 

miles from Stratford-upon-Avon, home of 

Will Shakespeare, looking out onto the 

Siberian winter where the temperature 

outside is below freezing even at 3pm and I 

have dug out an old Screen Africa dated July 

August 1993. This was my first introduction 

to Screen Africa as I have returned to the UK 

10 years before. Although I had met Angela 

when she was one of the initial intake of 

SABC TV production staff and I was the 

film and TV camera instructor along with 

the likes of Mike Leeston Smith and Alan 

Johnson, it was only when I returned in 1993 

for a visit that I was introduced to Screen 

Africa. 

We met again that year at IBC in 

Amsterdam and we forged a friendship that 

has continued to this day. Not only did we 

meet regularly at IBC (the first one we both 

missed was this year as we had become bored 

with the delights that Amsterdam had to 

offer) and we also met quite regularly at 

MIPTV and MIPCOM in Cannes. 

Initially I persuaded Angela to use my 

London office as the Screen Africa 

international centre and we ran exhibition 

stands at the broadcast and production show 

in London promoting South Africa as a film 

location destination. 

I also had the title of international 

representative which got me free tickets not 

only to MIP but NAB in Las Vegas, and the 

reason we could do all this was because in 

Angela we had an editor that was passionate 

about the film and TV industry in SA and 

would look at any opportunity to promote it. 

When I moved out of London we lost the 

London office. I kept my close relationship 

with Angela and she was very supportive 

when I tried to develop a TV channel on 

SKY promoting tourist destinations in the 

region. 

Also throughout this time I got to know 

Rex her husband and Yvonne and Karen her 

twin daughters well. Chateau Van 

Schalkwyk was often my friendly hotel, 

accommodation when in Joburg, I can assure 

you that a dinner conversation with the 

family could get quite heated as all the family 

have forceful personalities. 

Angela has been a dear close friend for 

nearly 20 years and long may it continue. Her 

contribution to the development and growth 

of the SA TV industry is incalculable. 

Luv and best wishes to you all 

Alan Joy 

A big thank you to you for all the dedication 

and enthusiasm you have contributed to the 

industry by bringing Screen Africa to us for 

the last 22 years. 

Sony is grateful for the working 

relationship particularly over the past 11 

years where you have always had time to 

work with us on various campaigns. From all 

at Sony we wish you all the very best 

wherever life takes you in the future… 

without the dreaded monthly deadlines! 

Best regards 

Jess Goedhals – GM Sony Broadcast 

CoMpiLEd by MARiAnnE SChAEFER 

We wish you everything of the best for your 

future endeavours (not retirement yet?). We 

have known you for many years and have 

always enjoyed working with you very much. 

We have really enjoyed your journalistic 

inquisitiveness and together with that your 

total honesty. You always did what you said 

you would! 

You played a major role in developing the 

industry to where it is now by making the 

relevant information accessible. 

We certainly are going to miss you a lot! 

Go well! 

Nic Bonthuys – 

SABC TV Outside Broadcasts 

I first spent a lot of time with Angela when 

she was on the board and later Chairperson 

of Sithengi, during Richard Ishmail’s 

energetic reign as CEO. 

In her approach, Angela was always 

considered, thoughtful, fair and practical. 

She was fiercely protective of the staff but 

perhaps most importantly, she was absolutely 

fearless. 

(I noted with wry amusement over the 

years as Angela turned that valour elsewhere, 

and stuck pins into several very sacred cows 

by simply telling it like it was – no easy feat 

when relying on some of those same icons for 

your advertising revenue.) 

As I try to sum up Angela, the word 

“integrity” comes to mind. That and “funny”. 

She’s very quick to laugh. 

Angela was always such an understated 

presence, I don’t think we’ll realise just how 

much she’ll be missed. But she will be, 

believe me, she will be. 

Martin Cuff 

We came off the starting blocks at around 

the same time into this industry and we’ve 

spent many good times together both in 

South Africa and in Cannes! Your initiative 

to start Screen Africa was a very important 

intervention into the growth and standing of 

the South African film industry. 

So thank you. We wish you the very very 

best. Don’t know what your plans for the 

future are but I hope they include some rest! 

Very best wishes 

Philip Key –Moonlighting 

You have done it – leaving Johannesburg and 

Screen Africa. Congratulations! For the years 

of effort, energy and thinking you put into 

providing the industry’s best publication we 

thank you. More importantly, it has been 

wonderful for all of us – and I mean all of us 

from the days of Avvid Videotech, Spescom, 

The Refinery and The Blade Works – to 

have been associated with you, the individual. 

We sincerely hope your life going forward 

gives you everything you dream of. 

Steve Harris – The Blade Works 

I would like to add my voice to those in praise 

of the efforts of Angela in her attempt to 

keep the SA film industry flag flying high. I 

was lucky enough to have gone through the 

entire period that Angela has campaigned to 

put the industry on the map and it is through 

her efforts that everyone had a central point 

to voice their thoughts, comments and ideas. 

She was the rallying point to where everyone 

| FAREWELLMESSAGES 

This month Screen Africa bids a fond farewell to its illustrious co-founder, publisher and editor of 23 years, 

Angela van Schalkwyk, who leaves to pursue exciting new endeavours. Here are some messages of goodwill from the industry... 

A Rough Rhyme for Angela 

What can I say, only heard the news today. 

What can I say, didn’t know she was going 

away. 

She will be greatly missed by one and all 

She made the mag stand proud and tall 

Her verve and flair 

Will no longer be there..... 

She filled the pages with grace and care 

Her intelligence clear for all to see 

Upon the pages for you and me. 

With critical pen she brought the mag along 

To greater heights and quality, way strong 

I fear t’will be hard for us for evermore 

To see her leave and go out the door 

But she will be remembered for what she did 

With so much charm and professional bid... 

We wish her always only the best 

For all her new endevours and the rest.... 

She’s earned the break and all the praise 

She’ll enjoy for the rest of her days 

And whatever her heart so fondly craves 

She still will accomplish in many ways... 

This I know for sure. 

We will just have to endure 

The time without her, sadly so 

We say thank you and watch her go.... 

Go well. 

Stay well. 

We love you Angela. 

Tai Krige 


Aussie/ SA co-prod 

treaty update 

Australia and South Africa 

signed an audiovisual co- 

production agreement in June 

2010 and the official coproduction 

treaty will come 

Wild Talk 

Africa time 

Around 500 local and 

international delegates are 

expected to attend the Wild 

Talk Africa Wildlife Film 

Festival and Conference, 

which takes place at the 

Spier Wine Estate outside 

Cape Town from 28 to 

31March. 

First-time international 

delegates at this biennial 

wildlife filmmaking forum 

include Richard Terry, best 

known for filming Stranger 

among Bears; Dave 

Salmoni, presenter for 

Animal Planet’s Rogue 

Nature series and Into the 

Pride; and James 

Honeyborne, director of the 

BBC series The Meerkats. 

Overseas companies 

represented at Wild Talk 

Africa 2011 include 

into effect once it is ratified by 

parliaments in Australia and 

South Africa. 

Aifheli Dzebu, Head of 

Policy Research at the National 

Film and Video Foundation 

(NFVF), explain how the 

agreement came about. “The 

Department of Arts and 

Culture and the Department of 

International Relations and 

Cooperation were instrumental 

earlier in the process. The 

department and the NFVF 

continue to play a role in 

monitoring the benefits and 

implementing this treaty. The 

main challenge with treaties 

such as this is that there are a 

number of procedures and 

protocols that must be 

Refinery 

opens CT 

observed.” 

Ana Kabalu, Official 

Programs and Research Officer 

for Australia High 

Commission, adds that the 

former negotiations to develop a 

co-production treaty with South 

Africa began in 2006. Says 

Kabalu: “The agreement was 

signed on 18 June 2010 by 

representatives of the Australian 

and South African 

governments. The treaty is 

formally called the Agreement 

between the Government of 

Australia and the Government of 

the Republic of South Africa 

Concerning the Co-production of 

Films.” 

Dzebu states that it could 


Production. Refinery’s Charl 

van der Merwe explains. “We 

have a close association with 

Cape Town Film Studios 

(CTFS) and our vision is to 

offer a total solution for anyone 

bringing commercials, feature 

film and television projects to 

MOTION OF THE OCEAN: Shooting the environmental documentary 

series Shoreline. See page 37 

Life, Above All 

scoops SAFTAS 

A total of seven South African 

Film and Television Awards 

(SAFTAS) were presented to 

the feature film, Life, Above 

All, on 28 February at a gala 

event held at Madame 

Zingara’s Theatre of Dreams in 

Melrose Arch, Johannesburg. 

The film won Best Feature 

Film, Best Director (Oliver 

Schmitz), Best Writing, Best 

Ensemble Cast, Best Costume 

Schmitz. 

Winner of the Best TV 

Drama award was the 

Afrikaans series, Erfsondes, 

produced by Imani Media. 

Henrietta Gryffenberg won the 

Best Writing award for the 

same series. 

Says Erfsondes’ director 

Bobby Heaney: “The win was 

surprising because the series 

was largely ignored for the past 

post-prod co 

Following on the recent 

could go and through National Geographic 

developments her of a closer efforts Cape Town. We explored the the Design, Best Actress industry 

three years. I’m not sure if it is 

Television International; collaboration between The option of opening a post 

(Khomotso Manyaka) and Best the fact that the series is 

UK; National Geographic Film Lab and Refinery comes production facility at the studio Supporting Actress (Harriet Afrikaans but we believed 

Television, USA; 

an even more significant itself, but from a practical Manamela). 

strongly that some of the 

Disneynature Productions, revelation. Refinery, in 

perspective it made more sense “The success of Life, Above exceptional performances 

France; CIN.TV, Spain; partnership with Heino 

to open in town due to the All at the SAFTAS is 

should have been recognised at 

eventually became Baynounah Media formalised Group, Henning and David Grant, is studio’s distance and from town. absolutely a wonderful,” force says the SAFTAS. in A win for Best 

United Arab Emirates; to open a boutique style high- We will hopefully in time have Schmitz. “I am honored, proud TV drama does do that to a 

Parthenon Entertainment, end post production facility in a satellite dailies solution active and elated. Today is my 

certain extent. 

UK; Smithsonian 

the heart of Cape Town’s at the CTFS“. 

birthday and I could not think “As for the writing award, 

Networks, USA; National agency and production house The decision was made to go of a better present. Thanks to no-one deserves the SAFTA 

– to page 48 belt. The new facility will be with a more boutique style the wonderful actors and crew I more than Henrietta. A lot of 

SA business. Through called Searle Screen Street Post Africa – to page 48 worked with on she 

the film,” says 


created a platform for people to say what they 

were doing (way before Twitter and 

Facebook), a place where companies could 

advertise their products, and a forum for 

industry discussion. Though sometimes at 

personal risk and hardship Angela was 

always forthright in her opinions and as far as 

I know never became the slave to government 

policies or thoughts. 

Angela is owed a great deal of gratitude by 

the industry and I salute her and wish her 

every happiness in her future as the credits 

roll 

All the best 

John Harrison – Southern Lighting 

Hey Angela, from Southern Lighting in 

1974 to Screen Africa in 2010! Its been a long 

road we have travelled through all years. 

Thank you for the amazing contribution you 

have made to keeping the industry connected 

for so long. 

You have made a huge impact on so many 

peoples lives that you will never be aware of, 

though stories, ideas and inspiration that they 

have gained from reading articles relevant to 

their lives in your magazine, even if we 

couldn’t always afford your full page ads! 

And while Screen Africa will continue on 

without you , it will never be quite the same. 

How could it be without the vision and 

passion you and Zan had all those years ago 

that has remained in the publication ever 

since? 

Wishing you well for the future and a 

wonderful life in the Cape. Somehow I don’t 

think this is where paths end. 

Dave Keet – Aquavision 

Angela, I know we have not always agreed 

on many other things, but that is normal in a 

democracy. 

What we both should agree and be proud 

of, is the fact that we have in different ways 

done whatever we could in giving leadership 

to our industry. As we both leave our 

different roles we leave with the knowledge 

and hope that what we have imparted to both 

our teams is the concept of tolerance towards 

each, all in the interest of service to the South 

African film industry. 

Eddie Mbalo – NFVF 

Hi Angela, I realise it is always difficult to let 

go of something that for so long has been 

part of your life, was your passion, something 

you have built, grown and nurtured. 

The television and film industry, as you 

know, has always been challenging and 

demanding, but looking back over the years 

at your career and valuable contribution it 

becomes clear that your legacy will remain 

for many years to come. 

Something you should be proud of as you 

deserve it. 

I like to wish you all the very best, good 

health and happiness for the future, it was an 

honor to work with someone as dedicated 

and professional as you. 

Good Luck 

Ronnie Van Wijk – Global Access 

March 011 | SCREENAFRICA | 3

FAREWELLMESSAGES | 

Providence dictates that we leave while on 

top, and I see you’ve taken it to heart. I recall 

our meeting at the newly opened then 

Gauteng Film Office in 2002. I had no staff 

yet to talk of and perhaps a temp who saw fit 

to hold fort while we talked. It was I believe 

one of my first media interviews. 

As cordial as you were, you also where 

quite bluntly stating I should not get too 

comfortable in the position because I may be 

seen as just another bureaucrat by a 

fragmented and increasingly frustrated local 

industry. To that I replied…”Can I get you 

some more tea”? 

No really Angela you have been fair in 

your support of the local film and television 

industry and critical when it was needed. I 

don’t think you give accolades to anyone or 

thing unless it has some benefit that was seen 

as tangible. Plus you supplied the film 

industry with a sounding board through 

Screen Africa to express their views, promote 

their projects and extol virtue on whom ever 

may be reading your magazine about the 

craft of filmmaking. 

Enjoy the next path you walk down, 

savour every moment. No need to look back. 

You’ve built your legacy, now have some fun 

somewhere else. 

Sincerely, 

Themba Sibeko – Producer 

How does one say goodbye to someone who 

has become so much part of the film and 

television industry over the years? Our guess 

is one doesn’t. We‘d rather say, CHEERS 

‘till we meet again! 

You gave the film and television industry a 

sense of pride in what we do, which we badly 

needed, and you made us proud of you for 

providing us with such a fine rag. During 

your years at Screen Africa you played a pivotal 

role in the industry at the head of the most 

read and respected industry publication, 

which was of course all your doing. 

We hope that you will still somehow, no 

matter how small a role you play, be involved 

with the industry in some way or another. 

Because most of us know that if you have 

been in this industry for so long it grabs hold 

of you and its difficult to let go. So perhaps 

we will still read your name in print 

somewhere. 

We are not sure what your plans are for the 

future. The rumour is that you are moving to 

Cape Town. So whether it’s relaxing on your 

stoep, watching sunsets over the Atlantic, 

sipping champagne or pottering around with 

whatever it is that keeps you out of mischief, 

we want to wish you all the very best for the 

future. 

The Puma Video Crew 

The industry – no, South Africa – no, the 

continent of Africa – will not be the same 

without Angela van Schalwyk`s 

contributions through Screen Africa. 

We at Zimele Broadcasting Services, 

would like to take this opportunity to wish 

you well in all that you undertake during 

your retirement. We will not forget your 

immense positive influence in all our 

professional activities. Due to you, Screen 

Africa has achieved total recognition in the 

industry and is highly respected for its 

contribution. 

Thank you Angela, for all you have done. 

We will miss you and hope you take up golf, 

the game you championed and supported 

with so much enthusiasm. 

Lizelle Nel – Zimele 

Your passion and energy has always been 

inspiring! We admired your industry 

knowledge and well connected network as 

well as your ability to call a spade a spade 

when required!! 

Enjoy your retirement and may you be 

blessed! – Johan Chandler – M-Net 

4 | SCREENAFRICA | March 011 

To be asked to write something for Angela is 

like trying to teach Schumacher to drive a 

Formula One racing car. 

So sad to be losing this doyenne of film 

industry publishing, who has been very much 

a part of our lives since 1988. Nobody could 

have done it better than this lovely, cheerful 

and ultra-efficient lady. 

We will miss you sorely, Angela. Surely 

the fairest Cape will be all the more for your 

arrival on her shores. 

Tony Boyers – Film Lab 

This letter is not farewell. It is to say good 

luck with your new venture and continued 

success. For the Angela whom we all know, 

will not be satisfied to hang up her hat. In a 

country where some people retire on the job, 

let alone their career – from you we know to 

expect a lot more to come. 

I want to acknowledge the significant role 

that you played in making our industry a 

more accessible arena in which to work, 

thrive, or run from. I am a fan due to your 

determination in exposing a pile of 

documents issued by a broadcaster to be just 

that, and no more, as well as your constant 

questioning the rhetoric of the powers that be 

– who have no power(!). 

I met you when you and Zanee first 

launched the paper, and I salute you for 

pursuing the dream that turned yours into 

the most respectable and objective trade 

paper in South Africa. 

Why you undertook the role as board 

member of so many initiatives and 

institutions I will never know, but I do know 

that your selfless input of time and expertise 

contributed to the many changes we needed. 

Despite a few stubborn arguments – you 

impacted on my career in a memorable and 

meaning way and so I bid you bon voyage 

with sincerity and much admiration. 

Now send us some gripping fiction stories! 

All the very best. 

Dezi Rorich – Publicist 

Angela built the only database of reliable 

information available regarding SA film to 

date, we will be at a loss without her! But 

hopefully all will be well personally since I 

have heard that there really is a life beyond 

film! 

Helen Kuun – Indigenous Film 

Distribution 

I am always in awe of people who drive 

projects forward, maintain passion and 

enthusiasm and speak their mind without 

fear or favour. Angela has pioneered 

journalism within the South African film 

industry, Screen Africa having led the way for 

many years and I salute her undaunted spirit, 

tenacity and longevity in an industry that 

doesn’t often give credit where it’s really due. 

God speed! 

Christa Schamberger –Casting director 

Angela your contribution to the industry 

particularly all the years of volunteer work 

you have put into Sithengi will not be 

forgotten, and thank you for steadfast 

support of the South African Screen 

Federation (SASFED) from the get go. Our 

industry is better place for all your efforts. 

Rehad Desai – SASFED 

Screen Africa without Angela van Schalkwyk? 

Without her thundering editorials? Her 

flailing of the gabardine (silk, actually) 

swine? Her nose for a good story. Or her 

deep concern for the film industry? Hard to 

imagine. 

Always a pleasure to read and to meet at 

the few industry events that an isolated 

Capetonian can get to. 

You leave behind a large inkwell to fill. 

Dermod Judge – Scriptwriter 

Angela, it was an absolute pleasure to work 

with you on site, over the past few years. 

Your passion for the industry and your 

dedication to ”our cause” has been fantastic to 

see. You would go where others in the 

industry would fear to tread. Please keep in 

touch. 

All the very best, 

Eileen Sandrock – ZSE TV 

My memory of Angela is that no matter 

where I am in the film world be it 

Amsterdam, Los Angeles, Cape Town or 

Johannesburg, she would always turn up. 

Over the years as Screen Africa grew, it felt 

like she took first Logical Designs and later 

The Camera Platform under her wing 

offering fair deals and editorial. 

I will miss her energy! 

Tink Minster – The Camera Platform 

You have been a fundamental part of my 

development as a filmmaker. Your clear 

presence of mind and focused attention to 

detail will be lost for all of us. This scares me. 

Who will rise to the stand? You certainly 

deserve your break, though. I believe it is not 

goodbye, but see you next time. I am sure the 

industry will still feel your reverb for a long 

time to come! 

Markus Davies – Production Works 

I first had occasion to speak to Angela 

regarding press coverage of our “SA’s Next 

Top Editor Competition” in 2010. Here I 

was, one of the little people, trying to 

convince the editor of the leading film 

industry publication to give us some publicity 

and what I most remember was just how kind 

and generous Angela was. She listened 

intently to what I had to say, asked pertinent 

questions and generously agreed not only to 

giving us some publicity but also to allow us 

to submit our stories after the editorial 

deadline. She then made a point of following 

up with me about the competition, which 

was really appreciated. I’m sure many of us 

little people will miss both your kindness and 

your accurate observations of the industry 

landscape. It was a pleasure knowing you and 

I wish you well in your new endeavours and 

hope you get some of the rest you deserve! 

Kirsty Galliard – General Post 

Productions 

I consider you as one of the people who have 

contributed to my expanded knowledge of 

the audio visual industry; was an ardent 

reader of your editorials… farewell and on 

behalf of my colleagues at GFC we wish you 

all the best on future endeavors and please 

stay in touch. 

Lots of love 

Puisano Phatoli – GFC 

Your passionate commitment and service to 

the South African film and television 

industry will be deeply missed. Your work in 

the industry throughout the years has 

provided honest and intelligent support for 

the benefit of all stakeholders. I wish you the 

very best for your future plans and hope you 

have a well deserved rest. 

Warm regards and thanks, 

Toni Monty –Durban Film Office 

I’m grateful to have the opportunity to write 

to you before the swansong pressures 

accumulate. 

Several things bear saying: 

1) Thank you for your long and productive 

innings. 

2) We sincerely appreciate all the hard work 

you put into the magazine and into 

keeping international parties up to date 

with all the latest film and TV news from 

all corners of Africa, and 

3) The media industry is going to miss you. 

It seems like yesterday you were busy 

launching the online version – now I note 

this happened before 2006! Numerous other 

innovations (too many to count in a simple 

email) have happened along the way and 

you’ve always had your fingers on the pulse of 

what works and what doesn’t. I’m also 

personally grateful for the trips you arranged 

for local producers to represent their 

programmes and pitches in Cannes because 

of the lessons it taught me about global 

networking. In two words – good work. 

Enjoy the future and I hope it’s always as 

bright as you are. Here’s to more adventures, 

love, success and joy in your life. 

With best wishes, 

Phoebe Anderson – Producer 

You must be both happy and sad to be 

leaving Screen Africa, the baby you have 

nurtured and built into the most formidable 

and informed magazine on the African film 

and television industry. You should be 

extremely proud of your achievements! 

It has been a pleasure to get to know you, 

and meet you both at home and in the 

various markets around the world. You have 

always been an exemplary and enthusiastic 

ambassador for South Africa and its industry 

wherever you have been. 

I wish you all the best for whatever you 

plan for the years ahead. I am sure you don’t 

intend to slip into a quiet retirement! 

I hope Screen Africa continues to go from 

strength to strength imbued with the spirit 

you have infused it with. 

With my best wishes and affection. 

Christopher Mould – Screen Ventures 

When I look back at my life, few people 

stand out as gems. You are one of them. 

Thank you for your ongoing support, 

friendship and kind words, which has had 

great impact on my life. 

This is not good bye or farewell... there’s 

just too much in you to say goodbye to. We’ll 

stay in contact. 

“Each friend represents a world in us, a world 

possibly not born until they arrive, and it is only 

by this meeting that a new world is born.”– 

Anaïs Nin 

Loves 

Mariam Sha 

Best of luck Angela for all your future 

endeavours. 

You will no doubt make any future projects 

as successful as your past ones. Screen Africa 

will forever be in your blood and I’m sure you 

will never forget the clients, friends and 

colleagues you have known in the years as 

editor and owner. 

Thanks Angela for all your support and 

your interest in Touchvision .Our growth in 

this industry has been helped along by your 

impressive promotion and networking skills. 

Please keep in touch and look after 

yourself. Farewell. 

Stacey Pearson and The Touchvision 

Team 

Angela – it’s been an absolute pleasure 

working with you over the years and the 

industry will miss you. Your genuine interest, 

passion, friendliness, professionalism and 

accessibility was both refreshing and much 

appreciated. I’ll miss the dinners in Cannes 

and your warm friendly smile! All the very, 

very best, health and happiness. 

Kind Regards 

Stanley Edwards 

Bless you Angela in your new ‘creative 

challenges’ era. You are a wonderful, caring, 

genuine person and the same will come back 

to you. Thanks for your unwavering industry 

support, you have certainly made your mark. 

Above all, be inwardly happy. 

Sheila and Paul – SP Studios

Hey Angela!! You go girl!!! Good luck in 

your new endevours. I know first hand that 

you are such a wonderful woman and that all 

you have done for the industry was for the 

industry as compared to so many who have 

been personally driven. So much respect to 

you Angela and I am sure whatever you do 

now will prosper at your hand! Take care and 

thanks for all your support over the years. 

David Max Brown – Producer 

You know when Angela is in the room. 

Everyone is happy. It’s always comforting to 

be in Angela’s presence, and reassuring that 

someone is listening with care and 

understanding. Her passion for the film and 

TV industry in South Africa has always been 

inspiring and addictive, resulting in many a 

journey filled with inspiration. Thank you 

for your unwavering dedication and support 

of writers and filmmakers and for making 

your home the home of many scriptwriting 

and filmmaking workshops that are turning 

words into action. Myself and those who 

have attended our workshops salute you for 

your support during the past 10 years! 

Daniel Dercksen – The Writing Studio 

Screen Africa is a phenomenon. When I pick 

up the glossy and leaf through the myriad of 

articles, covering the South African film 

industry for every conceivable angle, I always 

find it interesting, passionate, intelligent, 

courageous and beautiful to look at. And why 

shouldn’t I? After all, you possess all of these 

qualities. It’s true. 

Although I’m not an employee of yours, I 

have been privileged to loiter around your 

offices like a vagabond, hijacking the 

boardroom at a moment’s notice, scoffing 

birthday cake, talking too loud, abusing the 

photostat machine and raiding the kitchen 

like a hungry actor (strange that). And yet 

you have tolerated my presence with grace. I 

think it says a lot about you that the working 

environment and staff you have manifested is 

so personal, joyful and inspired. You are an 

inspiration. 

You are a cornerstone of the industry and 

your contribution should not go unnoticed. I 

applaud your career. Consider this a standing 

ovation. 

I thank you times a billion to the power of 

googelplex. 

Damon Berry – Actor 

Just heard that you decided to take the plunge 

and retire, thus joining the ranks of the 

unemployed. Welcome to the club. Fear not 

this huge step. Take my advice, I don’t use it 

anyway. If you feel blue at times, start 

breathing again and move on. You will do 

foolish things, but do them with enthusiasm. 

There are three ingredients to the good 

life, learning, earning and yearning. All of 

the above advice I learned from various 

sources, they helped me to stay focused, hope 

they will bring a smile of nostalgia and the 

memory of the wonderful employees and past 

employees to your face. 

I have really enjoyed working for you, 

especially being surrounded by my coworkers, 

whom I came to love and cherish 

with all their idiosyncrasies. While I worked 

there they were a very friendly, caring team, 

so I thank you and them for the privilege of 

being part of the team. 

Have a great retirement and let your hair 

down and do all the things that you never 

had a chance to enjoy. 

Be yourself, everyone else is already taken. 

Go for the magical. 

Maggie Davies – 

Former Screen Africa book keeper 

To a woman who never hesitated to give me a 

chance! God puts angels on earth that are 

disguised as people and you are one of those. 

Your hardworking and warming spirit made 

me believe I could and can do anything. It 

was great to see a woman in power who was 

nurturing and still stayed true in helping 

people out. 

I was surrounded with a funny, hard 

working team who loved food and those were 

just some of the benefits. Thank you for not 

turning any of my ideas down, that impacted 

me positively! 

I hope this is a well deserved break and you 

can rest assured that your legacy has left an 

indomitable mark on my life. Thank you for 

being a blessing and stay blessed. 

PS: I have the recommendation letter that 

you wrote for me when I left Screen Africa on 

my bedroom wall. Whenever I face 

challenges, I read it over and over again and 

believe that I am indeed a great person with 

immense possibilities. 

Zaza Moth – 

Former Screen Africa intern 

Thank you for being a most inspiring first 

boss… a true mentor. You instilled a strong 

work ethic and inspired me with your sense 

of integrity and true grit! You are a leader and 

a generous one that encouraged creative 

thinking and freedom of personality – the 

long service, dedication and loyalty of your 

staff is testament to this. Angela, you 

inspired a team. 

In an industry which thrives on ego, you 

never sought the spotlight, you were a true 

‘news hound’ quietly glamorous and 

constantly looked for ways to promote the 

growth of an industry which despite its 

flighty exterior is tough inside. You never 

shied away from controversial issues – the 

industry will be poorer without your 

observing eye. 

Thank you for your generosity and 

encouragement. Thank you too for the 

opportunity to travel and experience the 

global industry – you were always fair in 

making sure that all your staff shared in the 

benefits and opportunities of being part of a 

global ‘industry’ – I know I am richer for it. 

I wish you all the best on the many new 

journeys that lie ahead and may this new 

adventure bring you joy and fulfillment – I 

am sure it will also bring lots of fun! 

Wishing you only the best. 

Katherine Bester – Former Advertising 

Manager, Screen Africa 

Thank you for your friendship and support 

during the years. It was an honour and 

privilege to have worked with you on all the 

events and to learn from you. Your caring, 

loving and humble personality, has made you 

the person you are and always will be. Thus 

the reason your business has been a success 

for over 21 years! I will miss our melktert 

meetings and chats. Will have to bring 

melktert to Paarl! 

I wish you a wonderful and blessed 

retirement. May you and Rex enjoy the time 

together in Paarl. 

Love 

Ellen & Johan Oosthuizen – 

Events organiser 

Messages from 

staff members 

Dear Angela... 

I am genuinely teary-eyed and freaked out to 

think of you leaving Screen Africa – after all, 

you ARE Screen Africa! 

In the 13 years that I have worked at Screen 

Africa you have been my mentor and on 

occasions, my tormentor, due to being such a 

hard task master. But it is your high 

standards that have made Screen Africa such 

an enduring success. 

What a huge gap you will leave both at 

Screen Africa and in the industry! 

Joanna Sterkowicz 

It is time for me to say farewell and not 

goodbye. I take this opportunity to say thank 

you for all your love, guidance and greatest of 

support through all the years I have been 

here. 

Wishing you the very best for the future. I 

wish truly miss you. 

All my love. 

Anusha Dayal 

What a journey it has been. Not too many 

people can say that they enjoyed coming to 

work every day. What a great person you 

were to work for. 

You treated us as part of your family and so 

we worked as one happy family. I will really 

miss you. 

Marianne Schafer 

Thank you for being such an inspiration to 

me! You are an outstanding example of a 

successful woman with determination and 

courage. It has been fantastic working along 

with you. I wish you all the success, rest and 

good fun travels with your retirement. Thank 

you! 

Hermione Ballinger 

I bid you farewell and I take this opportunity 

to wish you well for your future. Thank you 

for all the love, care and support through all 

the years. 

This isn’t a goodbye, I will miss you, keep 

in touch. 

Lots of love 

Lindewe Letsoge 

Angela your strong work ethic, attention to 

detail and persistence will be sorely missed. I 

wanted to take a moment to say farewell and 

let you know how much I’ve enjoyed working 

with you. I have enjoyed my time here and I 

appreciate having had the opportunity to 

work with you. Thank you for your support, 

patience and friendship. I wish you all well in 

your future endeavours. 

Regards 

Mack Robinson 

Its seems like it was yesterday when I arrived 

at Screen Africa in Sandton, as a 25 year old 

full of attitude rock ‘n roller with torn jeans, 

back in 1997. I am still here, now married 

with a kid and armed with experiences. 

So why am I still here. I stayed because I 

liked the team and while working for Screen 

Africa, you allowed me, and encouraged me 

to grow and fulfill my endeavours. Thanks 

for giving me the times off to tour with my 

band, or to shoot my doccy. 

I will miss all our conversations. During 

stressful deadlines you still had time to talk 

about art and music and gave me great advice 

on living in the real world. 

I will never forget how proud I felt to be 

part of Screen Africa, when I saw our 

magazines being quickly disappearing off the 

shelves at MIPTV in Cannes. I thought: 

“yeah, that’s our magazine”. And when I saw 

how much respect people at Cannes showed 

towards you, I thought, “Yeah, that’s our 

boss”. But the most memorable thing about 

Cannes was how you seemed to transform 

from my boss, into my “mom”, worrying 

about if I’d eaten after a night’s partying at 

the Majestic. 

I will take great care to help push Screen 

African even further. It’s been a part of my life 

for so long that I think it has become a part 

of me. So enjoy your new adventure but now 

and then, just have a look and see how your 

‘baby’ is still growing, knowing that you gave 

| FAREWELLMESSAGES 

it life from the beginning. 

Tough, strong, but caring and 

compassionate – “Yeah, what a boss!” 

Lots of love 

Trevor Ou Tim 

I met with Angela almost about 24 years ago 

being pregnant with Bongani who is now 22 

years old. I lived at her house doing part-time 

jobs in various places. Her family (Rex, 

Karen and Yvonne) looked after Bongani 

when he was a small child. They had two 

dogs, Bagdad and Patch. One day I was 

coming home from work and got bitten by 

Bagdad. Angela took me to the nearest 

doctor in Grayston Mews and paid for my 

treatment and informed my employers that I 

could not work for a few days. 

I’d like to thank Angela for everything she 

has done for me and I’ve learnt a lot from her. 

Angela has been like a parent and a mentor 

to me. 

Angela, you gave me a wonderful 

opportunity to work for Screen Africa for the 

last 13 years. You were always patient and 

taught me English and advanced my 

computer skills working under your 

leadership. 

Thanks you Angela for all your dedication 

and committment in helping people improve 

themselves. 

Delight Ngwenya 

It is so hard to write this and really express 

what you have meant to me for all the time 

we have been together at Screen Africa. I 

respect you immensely and not just for the 

passion and dedication you have shown in 

building up Screen Africa, but for all that you 

do and are. 

I am grateful for your guidance and 

mentoring of my career and for your 

unwavering support. Truly when I think of 

Screen Africa, I think of you. I know that the 

team you have worked with has been loyal 

and given their best because of your 

leadership and kindness. The industry 

recognises you as one of the best in the game. 

You have been proactive, visionary and 100% 

committed. 

When I read all the comments for your 

farewell, one thing struck me: that is simply 

how genuine and sincere all the responses 

were. This, I think, is because your presence 

in the industry has touched so many. 

I know you will continue to do many 

things after Screen Africa. It is good to let 

things go at the right time. Here is to all you 

have accomplished and will accomplish in the 

future. Your loving daughter, 

Karen van Schalkwyk 

Wow! The past 14 months seem to have 

passed by in a flash and it’s been a pleasure 

working with you during this hand over 

period. 

For the last 10 years we have worked 

together through Mediatech Africa, but I 

truly never comprehended the extent of your 

knowledge and the reputation you have 

gained through building Screen Africa. You 

have built a sound business with a wonderful 

team and I am proud to have the opportunity 

to take this forward. 

I know it’s been extremely hard for you to 

let go of a lifetime of work, but I will 

endeavor to take this great brand and team 

forward to new heights. I am 

optimistic about the future of the 

industry and I am confident about the role 

we will play in its success. 

While you might feel a sense of loss of 

giving up your position, you will always 

remain the founder of Screen Africa. 

I wish you all the best and thank you again 

for all I have learnt. 

Simon Robinson 

March 011 | SCREENAFRICA |

nEWS | 

TV and film come together 

By Karen van Schalkwyk 


Another Afrikaans film 

Getroud met Rugby – 

Die Onvertelede Storie, 

will be released in 

March by Ster-Kinekor 

Distribution. 

Produced by Living Dream 

Films, which comprises of Cobus 

Rossouw (writer and director) and 

Bianca Isaac (producer), the film is 

an extension of the TV series 

Getroud met Rugby, a kykNET 

drama series shown in 2009 and 

2010. 

Isaac says that the film is an 

incredible opportunity on a 

creative and business level. 

“Having produced and shot the 

TV series we are taking a known 

product to the market with an 

existing audience.” 

On a creative level Rossouw 

explains that a film allows more 

exploration. 

“For the series we had a couple 

of locations in Krugersdorp – the 

mine dumps and mine houses – a 

beautiful juxtaposition to the opulent 

world of the series. At the time there was 

a huge outcry about the Bob van Reenen 

Stadium in Krugersdorp which was as 

motley as Ellis Park. There was always a 

loosely defined idea that got me excited 

towards a rags-to-riches / rugby ‘Rocky’ / 

underdog themed story.” 

Isaac says Karen Meiring, head of 

Afrikaans Channels and Marinda 

Swanepoel, commissioning editor, 

immediately saw the value of the film and 

extended the film rights to Living 

Dream. 

The film is about two broken rugby 

players whose paths cross and they ‘find’ 

M-Net 

restructures 

initiatives 

The resources that pay-TV 

broadcaster M-Net has put into 

its 10-year old learner-based 

initiative, the EDiT 

(Emerging Dynamics in Television) 

Awards, will now be split between the 

Vuka! Awards and New Directions, both 

of which fall under the M-Net Cares CSI 

(Corporate Social Investment) banner. 

Winners of the last ever EDiT Awards 

were announced at a ceremony held at 

Ulwazi Training Centre in Johannesburg 

on 24 February. Only three entries were 

commissioned for this, the 2010 

competition, which required that each 

participating tertiary institution produce a 

reality show. 

Bongiwe Selane, supervising producer 

for both EDiT and New Directions, 

attributes the low number of 2010 EDiT 

themselves. “Reghart Venter (Izak Davel) 

is a mechanic from the wrong side of the 

tracks who was a promising rugby player 

until he lost his way. Regahrt is sentenced 

to do community service and practices 

rugby with a fallen hero of the Stryders 

rugby team, Fafa Beltrame. The film uses 

rugby as a metaphor for two damaged 

men finding their way back.” 

Isaac says that the biggest challenge 

was time. “We literally had one month to 

get a step outline together for the film. 

Cobus also co-wrote the series and it was 

a challenge to find time to write a 

combined total of TV scripts while 

moving into post-production. We chose 

entries to the challenging nature of the 

reality genre. “It’s a very difficult genre to 

do as evidenced by the fact that 

broadcasters often turn to overseas, tried 

and tested reality formats. With reality 

shows you have to manage content and 

contestants, as well tasks for contestants. 

I’m delighted to say that all three EDiT 

finalists produced original shows with 

good production values.” 

Since EDiT’s inception in 2000 over 50 

short format television programmes in all 

genres have been commissioned by 

M-Net and produced by students. 

M-Net Marekting and 

Communications manager Koo 

Govender says that the decision to close 

EDiT is a realignment of the broadcaster’s 

industry development projects. 

“We want to focus our resources 

instead on the Vuka! Awards (which 

encourage newcomer and professional 

filmmakers to make Public Service 

Announcements) and New Directions (a 

training initiative for emerging 

to shoot the film and series at the 

same time as it made logistical sense 

to shoot the film in sync with our unit 

movements to each location for the 

series. This meant that some days we 

shot the series and other days the 

film.” 

The film was shot on a Sony EX3 

with Letus adaptors and Nikon 

primes. Rossouw adds: “This created 

the film’s look and feel. However we 

did not differ too much in style, 

palette and grade to the TV series. 

We made use of hand-held to keep up 

the pace of the film and used whip 

pans, crash zooms and fast editing. 

Trevor Calverley, the DOP, was 

integral to the film and was the DOP 

on all 26 episodes.” 

Casting was critical and they used a 

casting director to go through the 

initial audition process. “We narrowed 

down the field and came up with a 

short list,” says Rossouw. “This is 

important for me because the 

character on paper becomes physical 

and never matches the picture of what 

you have in your head. By the time we 

cast Izak Davel and San-Marie Nel as the 

male and female leads we were certain 

that we made the best choice.” 

Rossouw says that they hope audiences 

will enjoy and be moved by the film. 

“During the creative process I am guided 

by what I witness and feel in a given 

moment. This is because I am reluctant to 

presume or guess the audience’s 

sensibility. I work on the premise that if 

the performance, the shot, the scene or 

the film creates an emotional change in 

me, it may create similar emotions in the 

audience. I feel that we have achieved 

that.” 

filmmakers). These two projects result in 

the production of solid content for our 

niche channels rather than the 

experimental content that has come out of 

EDiT,” says Govender. 

Selane adds: “EDiT has been incredible 

but in every project you get to a point 

where you question where it is going. New 

Directions, which nurtures and develops 

emerging scriptwriters and directors, 

focuses on producing half-hour films, 

while EDiT programmes are between 

eight and 15 minutes. 

“We want to amplify New Directions 

from now on and hope to produce more 

films in each cycle. In March we will 

deliver the latest three films that have 

been produced. New Directions, which 

has been going since 1998, was revived in 

2009 after a hiatus of two years. In the 

past New Directions has produced films 

in other African countries and we hope to 

do this again in the future.” 

M-Net plans to re-launch New 

Directions in April this year.

nEWS | 

ANIMATED ACTION – Kevin Geiger, Judy Prins and Basil Ford 

In the spotlight 

Animation SA partnered with 

the Services SETA and the 

Cape Film Commission 

(CFC) in January to bring 

world renowned consultant Kevin Geiger 

to South Africa to conduct a workshop 

session on animation. Geiger consults to 

all the major US studios including The 

Walt Disney Company and 

DreamWorks. He has worked 

internationally as an authority on the 

business of animation and specialises in 

pipeline efficiency and budget 

management. 

“This is the second 

workshop that Animation SA 

has put together,” says Tim 

Argall of Bugbox Animation, 

who was instrumental in 

organising an Animation SA 

conference last year. “We 

bought all the major players in 

animation production together 

along with government 

Tim Argall 

agencies that invest in 

animation to hear our brilliant 

speakers. Workshops like these 

create a safe environment in which to 

address our greatest challenges and we 

receive industry feedback from someone 

like Kevin Geiger who has world class 

experience.” 

The local animation industry has 

developed over the years with more 

animated films, like Jock of the Bushveld 

3D and Zambezia due for release. Argall 

comments that one of the biggest 

advantages is that the animation industry 

has grown because of entrepreneurs who 

are willing to take risks. 

“One huge obstacle is South Africa’s 

| SCREENAFRICA | March 011 

relative isolation from the rest of the 

world’s film industry. We need the 

experience of people like Kevin Geiger to 

ensure that we can be a true competitor in 

global animation. The areas where we 

lack experience are in story, production 

pipeline, finance and distribution — all of 

which were covered in the conference.” 

Basil Ford of the Industrial 

Development Corporation’s (IDC) 

Motion Picture division who attended the 

conference, points out that there is now a 

window of opportunity for the local 

industry but that it has to ensure it 

produces high quality content. 

Argall maintains that South 

Africa’s quality of 3D 

animation is better than most 

of Asia and costs are lower 

than Europe and America. 

One of the issues raised at 

the workshop is that South 

African animated films need 

to penetrate the American 

market. Ford says: 

“Triggerfish Animation 

stressed this and mentioned 

that, although we think we have a good 

handle on what the American market 

wants, there is a large gap between our 

tastes and sensibilities and their’s. We 

cannot ignore this if we hope to make 

films that work well in that market. This 

was demonstrated by a number of 

European productions that have failed to 

perform as well as they should have in the 

American market.” 

One of the most challenging issues is 

the cost of animation. Argall comments: 

“Costs are extremely high but so are the 

potential returns. Something that was 

Specialised travel 

service comes to CT 

An international travel company that specialises in personalised logistics 

management services for the film and entertainment industry will 

soon open its doors in Cape Town. 

Moves Travel Group is based in Australia, North America and 

Europe and the latest move is part of the group‘s strategy to expand its global 

reach. 

Nick Haines, general manager, says: “It was just a matter of time before we 

opened up in Africa. We are committed to providing customer focused, specialist 

integrated logistics management services to meet our clients’ needs.” 

The South African arm came about when Haines spent some time travelling in 

South Africa about two years ago. “I was on holiday in Cape Town and noticed 

the major studio being built (Cape Town Film Studios) as well as a major feature 

film shot in Camps Bay. Also a close colleague of ours in Australia was working 

in Cape Town at the V&A Waterfront and we conducted some due diligence on 

the marketplace. The outcome of this encouraged us to make the move here a 

reality very quickly. South Africa is an important, emerging economy.” 

Haines explains that Moves Travel handles all aspects of travel for their clients 

including airfares, accommodation, vehicles, visas to freight and foreign exchange. 

Says Haines: “We aim to be a leader in travel and freight logistics globally to the 

sport and entertainment markets. This is a huge goal and we believe we can 

achieve it. We have further expansion plans for Asia and South America.” 

Moves Travel has partnered with local company Giltedge Travel, which is 

based in Cape Town. “An Australian business colleague of ours, John Elliot, 

introduced us to Giltedge Travel. They were an obvious choice due to their sound 

management and experience in handling logistics for major inbound and 

outbound groups.” 

The Cape Town branch will be headed up by South African Corne Maritz. 

“Her team will grow quickly with some of the opportunities we have lined up. We 

actively seek to work with all of Africa, so I forsee loads of opportunity for future 

employment in the travel, sport and entertainment markets.” 

Haines adds that the biggest challenge is to find people who think globally. 

“This is another reason for our partnership with Giltedge. Strategically we have 

opened up in Europe, North America and Australia which allows our local offices 

to offer the very best local airfares and accommodation for any inbound or 

outbound travel. This gives us major competitive advantage and delivers huge 

savings for our clients.” 

Haines predicts that they will open up another office in Johannesburg. He is 

currently based in Sydney and plans to visit South Africa every two months. 

“The atmosphere is great. I think South Africa is a wonderful country,” 

he says. 

made clear from the conference is that 

your market needs to determine the 

business plan and budget of a production. 

This in turn will be determined by the 

track record of your team, as well as the 

story that you want to tell and how this 

film genre has performed historically.” 

Government has shown support for the 

animation industry. Says Argall. “We had 

excellent attendance by the IDC, the 

DTI (Department of Trade & Industry) 

and CFC and the event itself was funded 

by the Services SETA with the help of 

the CFC. 

“A spontaneous panel discussion with 

Kevin Geiger, Basil Ford and Judy Prins 

from Delloitte’s Media and 

Entertainment division, provided 

practical advice on how government and 

the financial services industry can help 

build and grow the animation industry, 

especially in funding and distribution.” 

Animation SA plans to organise more 

conferences in 2011. “We have identified 

story as a major concern and we will let 

our members and other interested parties 

know what we plan to do next,” adds 

Argall.

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FiLM | 

FROM PLAY TO FILM – A scene from Master Harold and the Boys 

After wowing audiences at film 

festivals and winning the 

audience award at the Cape 

Winelands Festival last year, 

Fugard’s timeless classic Master Harold 

and the Boys will be released nationwide 

on 13 May. The film is produced by 

Michael Auret, the managing director of 

Spier Films, which has earned a 

reputation internationally for producing 

sensitive screen adaptations of stage shows 

like U-Carmen eKhayelitsha (winner of the 

Golden Bear at the 19th Berlin Film 

Festival) and Son of Man. 

Auret felt at home when he was 

approached by Focus Films Ltd (UK) to 

help them to produce an international 

screen adaptation of Fugard’s play. 

“This is familiar territory,” says Auret. 

“The story is still very relevant to South 

African and global markets.” 

For Auret, it was also a personal 

journey. 

“I very much identify with the 

character Hally in terms of his coming of 

age in a confusing, racist world. Unlike 

Hally – and I presume Athol Fugard – 

(this is presumed to be partially 

autobiographical), my parents were left 

wing and progressive and we grew up in 

small, racist, conservative towns in 

Rhodesia and Zimbabwe.” 

Master Harold and the Boys strongly 

captures “the confusion that arises in 

those that practice racism in the face of 

the obvious similarity and humanity of all 

people.” 

Auret agrees that Fugard’s story 

remains timeless and relevant to our 

current times. 

“Many kids have parents like Hally's 

and many South Africans may recognise 

all of these characters in today’s South 

Africa,” he says. 

For Auret there was only one director 

who could bring Master Harold to the big 

screen and introduce it to international 


Michael Auret who produced Athol Fugard’s Master Harold and the Boys, which will be released 

nationwide in May, believes that the story still has global relevance. He hopes that the film will 

affect people in a positive way and says: “that is the reason I went into the film business.” 

Daniel Dercksen uncovers the passion that drives Auret. 

In touch with the 

craft of filmmaking 

audiences. 

Passion 

“Lonny Price was very passionate about 

making the film and also very close to the 

material as an actor and director,” says 

Auret. 

Price, an award-winning Broadway 

director, played the part of Hally under 

the direction of Athol Fugard in the first 

Broadway production of Master Harold 

and the Boys opposite Danny Glover and 

Zakes Mokae in 1982, and also directed 

the Broadway revival of the play in 2003. 

It was not an easy film to make as it 

was primarily made for an international 

audience and was set in the 1950s. 

“This required real effort from us as 

filmmakers, to maintain the authenticity 

of the time in the music, wardrobe, set 

dressing and vehicles— which are also 

expensive,” says Auret. 

“The budgets were very tight. The film 

was originally going to be shot in Durban 

in October 2008 with an investor from 

Durban, but in the market crash of 2007 / 

2008 the investor pulled out and we 

switched the production to Cape Town 

with a reduced budget.” 

Auret used two international actors 

with huge box office appeal for the lead 

roles because they both passionately 

wanted to do the film. 

“The financial reality was that investors 

were only prepared to invest if the leads 

were international stars, as this is a film 

aimed at a global audience and with a 

budget higher than that can be recouped 

in just South Africa.” 

“Ving Rhames even wanted to produce 

it,” says Auret, who was hooked on 

Rhames as Marsellus Wallace in Pulp 

Fiction and later in films like the Mission 

Impossible franchise. 

“We were genuinely pleased that such 

an accomplished actor wanted to play the 

character of Sam so desperately.” 

Hally is played by Freddie Highmore 

specifically because he is immensely 

talented and is unmatched in South 

Africa and possibly in the world. Plus he 

has made many films already at such a 

young age. His film credits include 

Finding Neverland ($116m worldwide), 

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory ($475m 

worldwide) and Arthur and the Invisibles 

($108m worldwide). 

About effort 

Says Auret: “Nothing was 

spared in trying to make this 

film the best it could possibly 

be. The director and some of 

the producers deferred some 

or all of their fees to finish it 

because of the passion they 

have for the film. Working 

under these conditions is 

always difficult but I think 

through all the sacrifices we 

have made a beautiful and 

PERSONAL JOURNEY – Michael Auret 

thought provoking film.” 

Auret firmly believes that governments 

have to support the marketing, 

distribution and sale of their countries' 

films if they want to see their countries 

win global market share for their cultural 

output. 

“The film industry is an extremely 

tough business with an incredible 

oversupply of films for the number of 

distributors and screens that exist 

worldwide,” says Auret. “For instance the 

Sundance Film festival recently made 

their selection of 500 films for their 2011 

festival from about 4 000 film 

submissions; 2 000 were from the US and 

2 000 from the rest of the world. So what 

happened to the other 3 500 films? 

“Most film industries outside of 

Hollywood, Bollywood and Nollywood 

(which have huge established markets), 

rely on state subsidies and funding to 

drive production and ensure that films 

can be produced to reflect and explore a 

country’s culture without continually 

bankrupting investors. 

“As South African producers we are 

grateful to the DTI (Department of 

Trade and Industry) and the NFVF 

(National Film and Video Foundation) 

for their support to the South African 

film industry. The DTI has identified the 

stimulation of distribution in their 

customised sector programme but this has 

not been implemented and the NFVF, as 

far as I know, does not provide subsidies 

to distributors or sales agents. 

“Unfortunately many countries get 

stuck in financially supporting producers 

predominantly, without moving on to 

supporting the distributors and sales 

agents who market and sell the films 

locally and internationally, when they too 

are usually investing in films and need 

support,” he says. 

As CEO of the Sithengi Film and TV 

Market Auret tried to demonstrate to the 

local and national governments that an 

"international" style of event and 

organisation could be created in Africa, 

with the aim to be a fixture on the global 

filmmaking calendar similar to the Pusan 

Film Festival, which is the gateway 

festival for Asian products. 

“It was disappointing that after 10 years 

of investment in creating the Sithengi 

institution and brand, the various 

stakeholders allowed this to come to an 

end.” 

In 2010 there were more than 25 South 

African films distributed locally. 

Auret believes that this boom in local 

films is “a maturation of the industry.” 

He says: “The fact that people are 

finally trying to make films that will 

retrieve their money at home, without 

gambling on the incredibly risky 

international market, is a good thing. The 

craft of film making improves the more 

films are made. 

Global 

“The South African film industry is 

exciting as more films are made that give 

local directors a greater chance to make 

films and that give actors lead roles. By 

making them at a low enough budget and 

with the support of the NFVF, DTI and 

IDC (Industrial Development 

Corporation), producers can hopefully 

start to make money for their investors 

and encourage more private sector finance 

to our film industry. All of these factors 

may lead to films coming out of South 

Africa that will really capture a global box 

office in the way that the Australian film 

Wolf Creek has done.” 

Following Master Harold and The Boys, 

Auret also produced Black Butterflies, a 

German-South African co-production 

that was filmed in Cape Town and is 

based on the life of sixties poetess Ingrid 

Jonker. It was directed by Paula Van Der 

Oest with Carice Van Houten (Valkyrie, 

Black Book) and Rutger Hauer 

(Bladerunner, Hitcher) as Jonker’s father, 

the Minister of Censorship. Liam 

Cunningham (Hunger, Clash of the Titans) 

plays Jonker’s lover Jack Cope. It will be 

released in South Africa later in 2011. 

Auret is currently producing the 

documentary Who is Robert Mugabe? 

directed by Simon Bright for the French 

broadcaster Arte. It will be completed by 

the middle of the year.

The Sallywood Project – telling South Africa’s own stories 

Skills development is 

not an end in itself 

Let’s face it, skills development is not an 

end in itself; it is merely a means to an 

end: A diverse, sustainable, internationally 

competitive film industry that stands tall 

in the global marketplace and proudly 

sells South Africa’s stories locally and 

internationally. 

The Film Industry Learner 

Mentorship program (F.I.L.M.) – a 

Section 21 not-for-gain, skills 

development facilitator & accredited 

training provider – was established to 

provide career opportunities through 

certified learning and work-based 

mentorship on local & international 

productions. 

F.I.L.M. trainees are carefully selected 

from the rapidly expanding F.I.L.M. 

database & placed and remunerated onthe-job, 

enabling trainees to concentrate 

on acquiring selected skills on local and 

international productions, alongside a 

dedicated mentor. This approach aims at 

ensuring focused, effective skills transfer 

to people who might otherwise not gain 

access to the industry. 

The F.I.L.M. skills focus is on 

management, from line producing to unit 

management, editing, accounting, 

assistant directing and related film 

industry occupations. The intention is to 

up-skill and equip primarily – but not 

We assist F.I.L.M. partner companies with skills 

development, transformation, BEE & dti Rebate 

qualification requirements. 

The Film Industry Learner Mentorship program 

(F.I.L.M.) provides trainees in F.I.L.M. partner companies 

with exciting career opportunities and the chance to 

gain vital skills and qualifications through theoretical 

training and hands-on, work-based mentorship on 

local and international film, commercial & television 

productions. The intention is to promote the careers of 

primarily but not exclusively previously disadvantaged 

exclusively – previously disadvantaged 

people with film industry experience for a 

uniquely demanding, pretty tough arena: 

local and international film production. 

The Sallywood Project – 

selling south africa’s stories 

The F.I.L.M. program soon realised 

however that not every aspiring young 

F.I.L.M. trainee is cut out for the 

grueling challenges of a career in longform 

film or commercial production. 

Passionate young would-be filmmakers 

and media-entrepreneurs from all 

walks of life approach us all the time with 

amazing ideas and truly incredible stories, 

just crying out to be told; stories that may 

never make it to the Big Screen or even as 

Television Features. They are nonetheless 

South Africa’s own stories; raw, visceral, 

exciting, intense, rich, diverse, 

entertaining, immediate & marketable… 

We also realised that we’re being 

swamped by a Tsunami of pretty lowgrade 

films polluting South Africa’s 

shores from up North. 

So F.I.L.M. decided it was high-time 

to create a counter-wave – from the 

Southern tip back up North – of South 

African films written, produced and 

distributed by our brilliant, talented, 

skilled, professional young F.I.L.M. 

trainees. 

F.I.L.M. designed an Aligned 

PROMOTING A GLOBALLY 

COMPETITIVE INDUSTRY 

F.I.L.M. SEEKS DYNAMIC, FILM, COMMERCIAL & TELEVISION PRODUCTION COMPANY PARTNERS 

COMMITTED TO SUSTAINED SKILLS DEVELOPMENT IN THE FILM INDUSTRY TO JOIN US NOW! 

people with film industry experience & thus to grow the 

Industry. The skills focus is on management, from line 

producing to unit management, editing, accounting, 

assistant directing and related film industry 

occupations. 

F.I.L.M. believes our industry can only become truly 

globally competitive, if we develop top, skilled, 

experienced, passionate and empowered crew, heads of 

departments & managers who stand tall internationally. 

Successful applicants employed by F.I.L.M. partner 

companies - are paid industry-related remuneration, 

G I V E B A C K T O T H E F U T U R E – L E T F . I . L . M . W O R K F O R Y O U ! 

PHOTO COURTESy MARCOS CRUZ 

TIME TO SKILL – The Sallywood Project meeting 

Mentorship skills program specifically 

aimed at using film & electronic media to 

tell South Africa’s stories while actually 

producing dynamic, kick-ass, professional 

short films and series for our South- 

African-story-starved communities. The 

Sallywood Project was born. 

The Sallywood Project involves handson 

experiential-learning workshops with 

SA’s top mentors taking trainees through 

each critical stage of the Film & 

Television Series Production Process, 

including: Research & Subject Matter 

Selection; Story-line Development; Plot 

Origination & Conception; Scriptwriting 

& Development; Fund-raising & 

Budgeting; Pre-production; Principal & 

Post-production, including sound & 

picture-editing, graphics & animation; all 

the way through to Marketing & 

Distribution 

| SponSoREd EdiToRiAL 

Thankfully, one of the last grants 

issued by the Mappp-Seta before it was 

incorporated was for the Sallywood 

Project. To the departed Seta we say 

‘Thank-you’ – and long may your positive 

legacy endure through Sallywood. 

What we now earnestly seek are the 

kind of strategic partners and co-funding 

enabling F.I.L.M.to produce these 

awesome productions – & to ensure the 

training and skills development of our 

young entrepreneurs – at the same time as 

they produce these amazing, nail-biting, 

got-to-see, truly gripping South African 

stories for audiences across the nation. 

For further information & to discuss 

how you can become a part of the 

sallywood project contact seton bailey on 

seton@filmsa.co.za . 

enabling them to focus on acquiring skills - working 

with mentors on local and international Film, 

Commercial & Television productions. 

To join F.I.L.M. as a Partner Company contact Seton 

Bailey on seton@filmsa.co.za. To apply as a trainee, 

please contact Lulu Stone on info@filmsa.co.za. Please 

include film experience to date, intended career path, 

industry references and contact numbers, any other 

supporting documentation and a photograph, to 

F.I.L.M. APPLICATIONS, PO Box 12202, Mill Street, 

Gardens, Cape Town, 8010, 021 461 7950. 

www.filmsa.co.za

FiLM | 

By Joanna Sterkowicz 

Write Act Shoot 

The new film from the team that created the South African box office hit, White 

Wedding, releases nationwide on 25 March. A dark comedy / action / heist movie, 

Paradise Stop is set to engage audiences as much, if not more, than its predecessor. 

Sitting on the stoep of her stylish 

Parkview house, director Jann 

Turner reveals that the script for 

Paradise Stop was written right 

there – between the stoep and the 

adjoining dining room. 

“My two partners in Stepping Stone 

Pictures, Kenneth Nkosi and Rapulana 

Seiphemo (also the two lead actors in 

both films) and I started to write Paradise 

Stop just before White Wedding’s theatrical 

release. At the time none of us had any 

work due to the collapse of public 

broadcaster SABC, so we thought we 

might as well start writing our next film. 

Rapulana Seiphemo in a scene from Paradise Stop 

“While completing White Wedding we 

talked about a heist movie, although 

Paradise Stop is not just that as it has many 

layers. The film is about friendship, trust, 

betrayal, integrity, dishonesty and 

corruption,” says Turner. 

The Stepping Stone threesome also 

wrote White Wedding and prior to that, 

co-wrote – with Neil McCarthy – the 

SABC series Mzansi. They are currently 

working on a new script planned for 

production in April 2012. 

Turner, Nkosi and Seiphemo’s writing 

process begins with a scenario – in White 


Wedding it is the road between Durban 

and Cape Town – and in Paradise Stop it is 

a heist. The latter was inspired by research 

the team did about pharmaceutical heists 

for a BBC drama project. 

“Kenneth, ‘Raps’ and I decided that we 

wanted to shoot in Limpopo province as 

we’d not worked there before and because 

we liked the landscape,” continues Turner. 

“Once the scenario is established we 

create the characters and work out who 

they are. Our writing process is long and 

organic but when the script is finished 

things move very quickly. 

“Oscar-winning director Francis Ford 

Coppola once said that if you want to 

make a film then put up a banner and 

start marching, finance will fall in behind 

you. So that’s what we do – we set a date 

for production before we start writing as 

that gives us a structure and a deadline,” 

adds Turner. 

Drafts of Stepping Stone scripts are 

only sent for feedback to executive 

producer Ken Follett (the award-winning 

British novelist who is also Turner’s stepfather), 

consigliere Kevin Fleischer and 

publicist Joy Sapieka. 

Money matters 

White Wedding cost just under R6m to 

make (its box office was R5m) while 

Paradise Stop cost around R9.5m. 

“We think that’s too much as South 

African films should be made for between 

R5m and R7m,” states Turner. “Stepping 

Stone didn’t make much profit on White 

Wedding but we recouped our costs and it’s 

a living title so will continue to sell.” 

Finance for Paradise Stop came from 

Follett and South Africa’s Department of 

Trade & Industry (DTI). Follett has set 

up a company to finance Stepping Stone 

films called Ken Follett Presents. 

According to Turner it is a 

tightly controlled business run by a 

“merciless accountant”. 

She describes the DTI as “absolutely 

fantastic” because they don’t concern 

themselves with content. “If you meet 

their criteria, they will pay you.” 

Tough shoot 

Paradise Stop was shot over 24 days in 

October and November 2009 (in 

comparison White Wedding was an 18-day 

shoot). The fact that the script involves 

lots of action, including a helicopter 

sequence, made it a tough film to shoot. 

Turner remembers the worst day of the 

shoot. “We lost half a day because of rain 

and we just sat there all depressed, 

watching raindrops. The most difficult 

sequences to shoot were the car scenes. It 

was so hot in Limpopo and the crew and I 

had to squash on a trailer that was 

attached to the car. It was worse for the 

actors as they were crammed in the hot 

car with the windows closed.” 

In response to the question of what it is 

like to direct your two lead actors who are 

also your business partners, co-writers 

and good friends, Turner comments: 

“Kenneth and ‘Raps’ are very professional 

and great actors so it’s fun, although we 

do have our moments. The advantage is 

that they’re both extremely prepared as 

they know the characters so well. We like 

to have a family feel on set so we work 

with the same crew and we tend to write 

for people we know.” 

The crew was based at Mookgophong 

(formerly Naboomspruit) and shot in and 

around the area. Paradise Stop was filmed 

on the Arri D21 HD camera as Turner 

wanted “a beautiful look”. This was the 

first time Stepping Stone shot to card, 

which required the presence of a data 

THE POWER OF THREE – 

Rapulana Seiphemo, Jann Turner 

and Kenneth Nkosi 

wrangler on set. 

Editing (expedited at Refinery) was a 

challenge as the script was not as ready as 

it should have been when shooting 

commenced. 

“My two editors, Tanya Hagen and 

Adam Broer, and I had to rework the 

structure of the film in the cutting room. 

We don’t do much in the way of test 

screenings as the more opinions you hear, 

the more it slows you down. So we rely on 

our instinct,” Turner explains. 

Big release 

Paradise Stop is distributed by Helen Kuun 

of Indigenous Film Distribution and will 

open on about 60 screens, with a mix of 

35mm and digital prints. 

Says Kuun: “The publicity campaign is 

heavily focused on the star cast and 

director with their proven track record. 

Some interesting elements in the 

campaign include outdoor ads on trucks, 

a high end glamorous premiere at 

Soweto’s Maponya Mall, and a strong 

online and TV presence. 

“We believe this film has the potential 

to be even bigger than White Wedding. 

Paradise Stop screened twice at last year’s 

Durban International Film Festival to test 

audience response. A number of people 

said it was a stronger film than White 

Wedding with bigger box office potential.” 

Passion and risk 

Turner points out that film companies in 

South Africa operate like corner shops. 

“Every time you make a film it’s an act of 

passion and a huge risk. Hopefully we can 

make enough to pay back our investors. I 

get sick to the stomach thinking about 

how the film will do as there is a lot 

riding on it.”

011 313 1622 • www.pansolutions.co.za

ADcetera Report on the South African commercials industry 

marketing with an 

exclusive difference 

Louis Vuitton hosted some of their valued clients at the U2 concert at 

FNB Stadium on Sunday 13 February, to bring the Louis Vuitton 

Core Values campaign to life. 

The latest in the beautiful Louis Vuitton ad campaign shot by 

Annie Leibovitz features U2 front man Bono (aka Paul Hewson) and 

his wife, Ali Hewson. In the ad Ali Hewson carries a new handbag, 

which was a joint project between Edun and Louis Vuitton and 

includes a special charm which hangs off the bag. The ad shows the 

couple leaving a plane with a South African landscape as a backdrop 

and carries the tagline 

"Every journey began in 

Africa". 

The bag is the French 

firm's first made-in-Africa 

product. All proceeds from 

the sale of the bags will go 

to TechnoServe, a nongovernmental 

organisation 

which fosters enterprise 

building in the developing 

world and the Conservation Cotton Initiative, which supports 

sustainable farming in Africa. 

The U2 guest invitations, which depicted the Annie Leibovitz 

image of Bono and his wife, were hand delivered in an Aston Martin 

DB9 much to the delight of the guests. Havas Sports and 

Entertainment managed the exclusive U2 event. 

Prior to the concert guests enjoyed a champagne reception at the 

Louis Vuitton store in Sandton City. At the venue they were treated 

to live cooking, good wine and networking in a private suite 

transformed into a luxurious entertainment lounge created by Louis 

Vuitton’s décor team from New World Productions. 

Quality moments in a car 

A new European campaign for 

Peugeot conveys that quality 

moments can be achieved 

behind a steering wheel. Finding 

time for oneself is a luxury and 

with this in mind Peugeot and 

its advertising agency BETC 

Euro RSCG conceived the 

campaign. 


The commercial shows the 

stressful life of a businessman. 

He finds breathing space driving 

his car; here he gets a moment of 

respite and relaxation. 

The print campaign puts 

forward the idea that time spent 

in the car helps you to find time 

to think and make decisions. 

Jack Parow send-uP is ‘zef’ 

for roman’s Pizza 

Irreverent fastfood 

brand 

Roman’s Pizza 

has got Jack 

Parow fans in a 

tizz with its new 

television 

commercial – 

and it’s got 

business 

booming over at 

the pizza parlour. 

The commercial features a 

fictitious rapper named Frikkie 

Bellville and contains various 

‘zef’ cultural references in 

support of a three-for-the-priceof-two 

promotion by Roman’s 

Pizza. 

“We’ve noticed a rash of harsh 

– and coarsely-worded – 

responses online to the 

commercial. And thanks in part 

to them, we’re laughing all the 

way to the bank,” says Roman’s 

Pizza managing director John 

Nicolakakis. 

“The whole ‘zef’ rap 

movement, personified by acts 

such as Jack Parow and Die 

Antwoord, is in itself a clever 

and satirical construct that has 

no basis in reality. It’s extremely 

popular right now, and just beg 

to be sent up. So all we’re doing, 

really, is spoofing the spoofers.” 

The strong reactions by Jack 

Parow fans have caused the 

commercial to go viral on the 

Internet, including through 

social media such as Facebook 

and Twitter – and given its 

impetus it goes far beyond the 

reach of television. 

Following an initial broadcast 

run between 15 and 25 January, 

the commercial was screened 

again between 14 and 24 

February. 

carat wins coca-cola account 

in six african states 

The Coca-Cola account for east and southern Africa has been 

awarded to media agency Carat Africa. 

The six countries that Carat will deal with are Botswana, Namibia, 

Lesotho, Swaziland, Kenya and Uganda. In the first four of these 

countries Carat Africa will be responsible for the Coca-Cola, Fanta 

and Sprite brands, while in Kenya and Uganda it will be responsible 

for Novida, a non-alcoholic malt based drink. 

“The Carat team from sub-Saharan Africa, Uganda and Kenya all 

began their careers in media by working on the Coca-Cola account. 

For most of us it feels like the return home of a long-time love,” says 

Adriana Prista-Johnson, media manager for Carat Africa. 

“I believe that the client was also impressed by the focus that Carat 

Africa places on training throughout the continent,” she adds. 

Other major accounts held by Carat Africa include Nokia 

(throughout the continent) and the Procter and Gamble account, 

which the company recently won in West Africa. 

In South Africa, Carat holds several key accounts, including Cell 

C, Old Mutual, Johnson & Johnson, Nokia, Woolworths and more 

recently Kraft Foods. 

Carat is part of the Aegis media group. Dawn Rowlands, Aegis 

CEO for sub-Saharan Africa, says that the region is an extremely 

important growth area for the group. 

A digital campaign has also 

been developed, built on the fact 

that the target market does not 

have much time to spend surfing 

online. So it offers them the 

choice to view the presentation 

of the Peugeot 508 content at 

different lengths depending on 

how much time they have. 

chilling news 

for waistlines 

Director Hylton 

Tannenbaum completed the 

latest Steers commercial for 

TBWA \ Hunt \ Lascaris at 

the end of January. The ad 

is about Steers’ free ice 

cream offer – an offer that is 

very bad news for the 

waistlines of ice-cream 

loving men accross South 

Africa. 

doing bad ass 

with new bff 

chuck norris 

Bouffant TV’s Marc 

Sidelsky directed the new 

BFF Chuck Norris T 

Mobile campaign. By the 

way, BFF means ‘best 

friends forever’ or ‘big fat 

friend’. 

These humorous ads 

have turned into a pop- 

culture phenomenon in the 

Czech Republic and central 

Europe where the 

campaign flighted. The 

campaign is an entertaining 

look at Norris in various 

guises, and also features the 

less tough side of the 

martial arts expert and 

actor. The commercials on 

YouTube have been viewed 

by more than 4.5 million 

people.

Director 

Spe a k 

Wednesday 

(7Films) 

WHAT IS IT ABOUT DIRECTING THAT APPEALS 

TO YOU? 

It allows you to interpret people and stories in the 

most exciting, beautiful, bizarre or unsettling way 

possible. There’s no right or wrong. It’s your job to 

open your eyes to see, experience and interpret life. 

HOW HAS YOUR BACKGROUND PREPARED YOU 

FOR DIRECTING COMMERCIALS? 

Left on the church’s doorstep, the nuns only survived 

till I learned how to handle a knife. I was then adopted 

by a circus and after many weird unsettling deaths I 

was finally kicked out at age 18. I then studied film and 

thereafter was adopted by 7Films. 

DO YOU HAVE ANY MENTORS? 

yes, Lourens van Rensburg. 

WHAT HAVE BEEN YOUR CAREER HIGHLIGHTS? 

A documentary I made while being incarcerated in my 

last mental asylum. I was kept in solitary confinement 

for six months… the documentary was a monologue. 

WHAT’S THE TRICK TO TELLING A STORY IN 30 

SECONDS? 

Every aspect, detail, frame needs to communicate a 

story….so no real trick. Does it involve little dead 

animals? 

WHAT’S THE CLEVEREST AD YOU’VE EVER SEEN? 

One of my favourite commercials is Michel Gondry’s 

Levi’s Watch Pocket. 

WHAT ARE THE COMMON ELEMENTS OF REALLY 

BAD ADS? 

When clients think they can write really good scripts. 

When they use humour to save a really bad concept 

with bad over the top performances… this could go 

on forever. 

ADcetera 

IS THERE A SECRET TO DEALING WITH AGENCY 

CREATIVES AND CLIENTS? 

yes, Rohypnol and they are great in a stew. 

WHAT HAS BEEN THE MOST BIZARRE THING THAT 

HAS HAPPENED ON A SHOOT? 

The day I was sexually harassed by a man from a 

mental institute and then he started stalking me. 

DO YOU HAVE AN ICONIC BRAND FOR WHICH 

YOU’D LOVE TO MAKE A COMMERCIAL? 

yes, Diesel. The commercial would probably be dark, 

quirky, with lots of sex and violence. 

WHERE IS YOUR DREAM LOCATION? 

Tokyo, the culture, the people, lost in translation, 

harajuku girls, they eat dolphin, they take karaoke 

very seriously, robots, technology, cosplay, hello kitty, 

love hotels, chaotic but yet empty and lonely… 

WHO ARE YOUR FAVOURITE FILMMAKERS? 

Locally: Keith Rose (obviously). Internationally: there 

are so many directors I admire but these were the 

guys who really inspired me from a very young age – 

Chris Cunningham, Mark Romaniken, David Fincher, 

Michel Gondry, Terry Gilliam, Frank Budgen. 

WHERE DO YOU SEE YOURSELF 10 YEARS FROM 

NOW CAREER-WISE? 

Directing should never feel like work; I’m doing it 

because I love it. 

A f r e s h n e w f i l m d i v i s i o n At w i c k e d P i x e l s 

Like their overseas counterparts, 

Shilo, Passion Pictures and Psyop, it 

was inevitable that Wicked Pixels 

would evolve into an edgy, director 

based production company. 

To better service the digital filmmaking 

revolution, Wicked has launched a 

new film division, specialising in the 

production of commercials that require 

live action to be integrated with animation 

and visual effects. With their strong 

background in CGI, this is an exciting step 

forward for South African production, 

and their work has already been included 

in the coveted D&AD Annual. 

Their animation, visual effects and 

design studio will continue as usual; 

producing highly creative works for ad 

agencies, broadcasters and production 

companies alike. 

To better service their Joburg clients, 

Wicked Pixels has opened an office in The 

Mews in Rosebank. The studio is operating 

independently of their Cape Town 

operation, although a lot of synergy 

between the two exists. 

The new model has been very successful. 

Their first project, the on air imaging for 

the launch of Top TV, won 5 Gold and 2 

Silver awards, including Channel Brand of 

Top TV 

the Year at the recent PROMAXBDA 

Africa Awards, directed in part by new 

signing to the company, Gavin Coetzee. 

Shortly after that, their film division 

was really put to the test when they were 

Top TV PPC Cement 

awarded the production for the new PPC 

Cement commerial, via The Jupiter 

Drawing Room in Joburg. The dynamic 

commercial is a complex mix of liveaction, 

visual effects, stop motion 

animation and time lapse photography, 

directed by Wicked’s Craig Wessels. 

Shooting took place over four days at 

eight locations in and around Joburg, 

which was followed by two months of 

animation and post-production. 

Wicked Pixels has recently been signed 

by leading UK live action/animation 

powerhouse, Joyrider (www.joyriderfilms. 

PPC Cement 

com) for representation in both the UK 

and the US. With Wicked now in their 

14th year in business and no sign of slowing 

down, it is clear that the industry 

can expect more innovations in the years 

to come. 

March 011 | SCREENAFRICA | 1

nEWS | 

By Karen van Schalkwyk 

Rating your film 

The Film and Publication Board (FPB) rates films according to specific regulations which 

aim to protect South African audiences. Here we discuss how it operates in practice. 


RAYLENE 474-8750 

Evert Knoesen of the FPB explains 

that their objective is to protect 

children from potentially 

harmful content and provide 

consumer advice. “Consumer advice 

informs sensitive adult and child 

consumers of the content elements of a 

film, game or publication to assist them 

with making informed decisions. The 

FPB also regulates the distribution of 

adult content.” 

Knoesen explains that the FPB is far 

more tolerant than the Motion Picture 

Association of America’s (MPAA) film 

rating system. “We have a range of 

classifications symbols from ‘A’ for all ages 

to ‘18’ for general release. We have an 

additional classification of ‘X18’ which is 

used for adult content (pornography). In 

addition we use a range of symbols, 

consisting of letters, giving the consumer 

advice on the principle content element of 

the film.” 

Knoesen elaborates that a film that is 

rated with a ’16S’ rating indicates that it is 

not suitable for children 16 or younger 

and with a principal classifiable element 

or warning that the film contains scenes 

of sex, indicated by ‘S’. Other symbols are 

‘N’ for nudity, ‘L’ for strong language, ‘B’ 

blasphemy, ‘V’ for violence, ‘D’ for drug 

use and ‘P’ for prejudice. 

According to Knoesen the current 

rating system of the FPB is more 

appropriate than the MPAA system. 

"Societal norms do differ from society to 

society. By example, the MPAA tends to 

rate sexual content more restrictively than 

violent content. Our European 

counterparts tend to be more along the 

lines of the FPB.” 

Age differential 

The FPB ratings are more subtle than the 

MPAA, maintains Knoesen.. “Like most 

international content classifiers, we use a 

widely differential range of ages. These 

include ratings of A, PG, 10, 13, 16, 18 as 

well as special categories where we may 

give a film an age rating plus a mature 

accompaniment designation (by example 

13M). This creates the possibility for 

someone under 13 to see a restricted film 

if they are accompanied by an adult. This 

more nuanced system allows us to be as 

non-invasive as possible while still 

protecting children.” 

Last year there was controversy in the 

US when the MPAA gave the film Blue 

Valentine a N17 rating – that is no under 

17 old can be admitted. The Weinstein 

Company appealed to the MPAA ruling 

on the grounds that violent films in the 

US get far more lenient ratings than ones 

that show some sex and nudity. They won 

the case. 

On appeal 

Asked if these kinds of appeals have 

happened with the FPB, Knoesen 

explains: “The FPB classifies films within 

a constitutional framework. Films are 

given age restrictions based on a set of 

guidelines which are published in the 

Government Gazette and are reviewed 

with public participation on a regular 

basis. Distributors who are unhappy about 

classification decisions can appeal to the 

Appeals Tribunal – a separate and 

independent adjudication.. This system is 

used by distributors and the decisions are 

published.” 

Knoesen explains that should a 

distributor be dissatisfied with the finding 

of the Appeals Tribunal they may 

approach the High Court. “The most 

recent example of appeal was in the case 

of the film, The Green Hornet, where the 

distributor appealed against the decision 

of the classifications committee. The 

appeal was not successful. The majority of 

appeals, although very few, have been 

decided in favour of the applicants. The 

distributors are entitled to refer matters to 

the High Court and / or the 

Constitutional Court.” 

The FPB receives about 6 000 

classifications a year. “We usually receive 

between one and five appeals a year. 

Appeal arguments vary from 

administrative grounds to pro-social 

values. These arguments are usually 

discernable from the appeal findings 

which are published online.” 

The FPB controls and regulates all 

content on all media platforms. “From a 

legal perspective the FPB is empowered 

to regulate all content, regardless of the 

platform. Nevertheless the proliferation of 

media platforms represents an ever 

moving target for the FPB in its attempt 

to protect children. When we receive 

complaints we investigate its origin and 

the content on the sites and, should the 

content be content that is prohibited in 

terms of the Films and Publications Act 

or any other law, we refer it to the SAPS.” 

The FPB has a relationship with 

Inhope (an association of Internet hotlines 

aimed at protecting children). “We also 

refer to them for further investigation and 

referrals to law enforcement agencies. The 

most honest answer is that we try to 

anticipate future developments and where 

they get ahead of us, we try and catch up.” 

Protecting children 

Should regulation be less or more 

stringent? Knoesen says: “The FPB 

believes in appropriate regulations. Over 

regulation could unfairly restrict freedom 

of speech, but freedom of speech, just like 

any other right, is not unqualified. In 

particularwhen it comes to children, it is 

our responsibility to restrict their 

exposure to potentially harmful content. 

The Constitution of the Republic states 

that the ‘Rights of the Child’ are 

paramount.” 

Knoesen says that they would like to 

see greater cooperation and sharing of 

responsibility between distributors and 

the FPB. “We would like to enter into a 

public and private partnership that sees 

responsible content distributors allowed to 

classify their own content under set 

conditions.” 

It takes between five to seven days to 

classify content. “It must be clear that it is 

the responsibility of the distributor to get 

content classified by the FPB. Film 

classification is done by a committee of 

two or more people. They watch the film, 

write a detailed report — with a summary 

published on our website and outline 

relevant reasons for their decision.” 

Knoesen concludes: “Members of the 

public are given regular opportunity to 

give input in re-drafting our guidelines 

through an open consultative process. 

Our current research shows that 60 to 65 

% of the public agree with our ratings, 

with the balance in almost equal parts 

(15 to 20%) say that it is either too 

high or too low. This is our target of an 

acceptable range.”

Equipping Africa 

Complete solutions for MCR and Live Production Studios 

from concept to implementation. 

RADIO AND TELEVISION BROADCASTING SYSTEMS 

PO Box 1853, Rivonia, 2128, South Africa 

Tel: +27 (0)11 803-3353/4 Fax: +27 (0)11 803-2534 

E-mail: telemedia@telemedia.co.za www.telemedia.co.za 

With nearly three decades of experience in the 

radio and television broadcasting industry.

TRACKinGTEChnoLoGy | pRodUCT nEWS 

First media convergence 

platform from Harris 

International communications and information technology company, 

Harris Corporation, has introduced the broadcast industry's first 

integrated media convergence platform. 

Selenio is ideal for hybrid environments and combines traditional 

baseband video and audio processing, video and audio compression 

and IP networking technology into a single platform. 

Selenio is flexible and modular so it is suitable for any fixed or 

mobile production environment, broadcast facility or digital terrestrial 

redistribution head end (DVB-T/T2, ATSC, M/H, ISDB-T), as 

well as cable, satellite and IPTV head ends. Based on proven Harris 

compression, networking and processing technology, it is a spacesaving, 

energy-efficient solution that enables service providers to 

support content from multiple sources and deliver it over multiple 

platforms. 

Operational benefits include intelligent, efficient management of 

IP, compressed and baseband signals, reduced control complexity, 

simple deployment and increased functionality in a smaller footprint. 

The unique, high-density, modular architecture lowers total cost of 

ownership by reducing installation, maintenance and upgrade costs. 

Selenio enables full-featured, multichannel video and audio 

processing, distribution and compression applications at a size and 

density scale that is unprecedented in the marketplace. Hybrid 

applications such as decoding an incoming compressed, contributionquality 

stream, converting it to the required HD format and reencoding 

it for consumer redistribution are easily managed. 

Selenio architecture is designed to maximize operational efficiency. 

MPEG-2 and H.264 compression standards are supported from SD 

and HD to 3Gb/s and mobile. Virtually any advanced audio 

capability — including best-in-class loudness control — can be mixed 

and matched on a single module. 

For more information contact Concilium Technologies. 

Okuhle Media goes HD 

with Avid Media Composer 

Okuhle Media, a Cape Town 

based producer of local and 

international broadcast and 

corporate content, has 

purchased Avid’s HD video 

editing suite from Spescom 

Media IT. 

Okuhle purchased the 

Media Composer 5 for Mac to 

manage its huge amount of 

post production work. 

The upgrade was more 

than welcome. Says Louise 

van Hoff of Okuhle Media: 

“We are, among others, 

responsible for SABC 2’s 

flagship show Hectic Nine-9 

and Which Way, the Safta 

winning teen travelogue. As 

well as corporate work which 

ranges from AVs, training and 

launch videos to branded 

content and interactive clips 

for new media platforms. At 

any one time we have a 

number of projects on the go 


in various phases of 

production. With a significant 

amount of post-production 

work that often requires fast 

turnaround, we needed to 

improve efficiencies.” 

The main requirement was 

a fully functioning stand alone 

HD-capable edit suite that 

could be upgraded and 

eventually be linked to a 

network and media 

management system. She 

explains: “This allows us to 

streamline our postproduction 

department and have editors 

share the workload and 

projects. 

“It also enables us to keep 

the final finishing and online 

processes in-house, from 

effects to colour grading, 

therefore offering our clients 

the highest quality and 

standard of work without 

outsourcing.” 

Christie MicroTiles used by Gearhouse 

Gearhouse South Africa’s AV 

division has invested in a first 

batch of 100 of Christie 

Digital's multi award winning 

signage product MicroTiles. 

The purchase was made via 

Christie South Africa and 

Gearhouse AV's operations 

manager, Bhans Sheomangal, 

says they needed a reliable 

product that could be easily 

deployed and used for 

numerous tasks including 

creating multiple plasma 

screen effects. He says that 

MicroTiles is the “perfect” 

solution for Gearhouse. 

Built on proven DLP 

technology, MicroTiles are 

specifically designed for 

maximum image quality in 

demanding, high ambient 

light level environments. 

MicroTiles can be 

seamlessly integrated into any 

set or scenic elements, which 

suits Gearhouse as they are 

frequently involved in set 

design and build through sister 

company Sets, Drapes, 

Screens (SDS). 

The installation was quick 

and easy. “The hardest thing 

was getting used to the Mac 

operating system,” says Van 

Hoff. 

Benefits were quickly 

realised. Avid Media Access 

(AMA), a plug-in architecture 

that greatly accelerates tapeless 

video workflows, allows 

Okuhle to work natively in 

high definition without 

transcoding offering editors 

the ability to import or link to 

HD footage instead of real 

time capture. 

“By working in HD we are 

also able to ‘futureproof’ our 

shows. Importantly HD 

allows us to meet international 

industry standards, opening 

doors to more revenue 

opportunities and the 

opportunity to establish a 

global footprint,” says Van 

Hoff. 

Christie MicroTiles in use at the METRO FM Music Awards 

When used together as one 

surface 100 MicroTiles make 

up a 4 x 3 metre area. The 

colour calibration and 

temperature over all the tiles 

when used in this format is 

excellent and is controlled by 

software that calculates and 

balances according to the age 

and chroma levels of the 

different tiles. 

Gearhouse MicroTile 

projects so far have included 

the Vuka! Awards live telecast 

from the Theatre on The 

Track at Kyalami, Midrand, 

where the tiles were built into 

a prominent and eye-catching 

heart shape set piece. 

Other MicroTile events for 

Gearhouse was the 2010 

METRO FM Music Awards 

staged in the Mbombela 

Stadium, Nelspruit and the 

ANC Lekgotla strategy 

meeting in Mogale City 

Krugersdorp where the tiles 

were used for multiple power 

point presentation and 

information points. 

A steady horizon with PH 

Perfect Horizon (PH), an innovative camera stabiliser for land, sea 

and air, has reached our shores. There are only seven in the world, six 

in the US and one in Cape Town where it can be hired together with 

cameraman Brian Uranovsky. 

Uranovsky, who shot BAFTA nominated Fifa World Cup Stories 

for the BBC, brought PH into the country a few months ago and 

reports that it is already causing a buzz in film and TV circles. PH 

can be mounted on boats, jet skis, snowmobiles, cranes, cars or 

helicopters, regardless of bumpy rides, rough waves or turbulence this 

stabilising device keeps the horizon perfectly stable. 

The most imaginative use was in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of 

Azkaban in the sequence where Harry takes a wild journey on a 

triple-decker bus. For the James Bond film Die Another Day it was 

used for the dramatic opening surfing sequence. 

“PH works with an electronic gimbal head, which uses sensors and 

motors to keep the upper payload platform level with the horizon,” 

says Uranovsky. “It has a group of level sensors that run though a 

computer system and drive the motors attached to the gimbal frame.” 

It is small and lightweight, weighing just 13.6kg and 23cm high. It 

can carry loads of up to 68kg, doesn’t get hot and takes 10 to 15 

seconds to spin up. Its seals are waterproof so waves can easily crash 

over it without causing damage. With a Mitchell plate top and 

bottom it mounts directly onto the camera tripod or high hat; the 

fluid head and camera are fixed on top of PH. Set-up time is about 

five minutes. 

The primary advantage for the camera team is that PH keeps the 

unwanted pitch and roll motion of a boat or vehicle from reaching the 

fluid head and camera. 

PH fits neatly into one pelican case, which fits in the boot of any 

car and travels as regular baggage on airlines. 

It has been particularly valuable for filming popular teenage surf 

films like Blue Crush and Step Into Liquid, as well as surfing 

competitions for Red Bull and Quicksilver. In TV it has been used on 

programmes like CSI, Fear Factor, Six Feet Under and the BBC 

natural history programme Planet Earth when they shot a scene in 

Alaska. 

For commercials it has worked well for clients like Toyota, Honda, 

Nissan, Ford, Nike, Reebok and Red Bull.

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