FILM PRODUCTION & SERVICE IN SOUTH AFRICA

'ABC Africa' to be screened at Cinéma Vérité Festival

2007-10-08T04:24:00.000-07:00

Abbas Kiarostami’s “ABC Africa” will be screened in the Africa, Beauty and Pain Section of the Cinéma Vérité Festival, which is being held in Tehran from October 15 to 19.

Kiarostami and his assistant, Seifollah Samadian, travel to Kampala, Uganda. For ten days, their camera captures and caresses the faces of a thousand children -- all orphans -- whose parents have died of AIDS.

Olivier Malvoisin’s “Congo Moms”, Khalo Matabane’s “Story of a Beautiful Country”, Michael Skolnik’s “Without the King”, and Bernard Bellefroid’s “Rwanda, the Hills Speak” will also be screened in the Africa Section of the gala.

The members of the jury for the International Section are Iranian veteran director Rakhshan Bani-Etemad and the programming directors of several international festivals, Sean Farnel (Canada’s Hot Docs international documentary festival), Rada Sesic (Sarajevo Film Festival), and Kees Brienen (International Film Festival Rotterdam).

The films will be screened at the Felestin and Qiam cinemas. Focusing on international documentary films, the Cinéma Vérité Festival will also feature Rumi, Eastern Identity, and Special Screening sections

Oil on Water wins best best Feature Film at Everglades International Film Festival

2007-10-08T04:13:00.000-07:00

South African feature film, Oil on Water, was awarded Best Feature Film at the Everglades International Film Festival on Saturday, 29th September 2007.

Oil on Water was the only South African feature film nominated in this category and took gold ahead of five other international films from the UK, Canada and Ireland, including award winning director Ivan Kavanagh's Tin Can Man which recently won two International Awards at this year’s Sydney Underground Film Festival.

A new feature film Oil on Water, produced exclusively out of KwaZulu Natal, South Africa and due for release in cinemas in October 2007, won Best Feature Film at the Everglades International Film Festival on Saturday, 29th September 2007. The Festival showcased the talent of films from the likes of four-time Emmy Award winner, Mike Reiss, award-winning filmmaker, Gary Null, and multi-award winning Director and Cannes winner, Michael Attardi. Oil on Water is directed by South African acclaimed Director, Peter Matthews, who accepted the award for the film.

Hailed by filmgoers as one of the best films to come out of this country in recent years, Oil on Water was the only South African film nominated and it took the Gold Award from the United Kingdom, Canadian and Irish films nominated in the Best Feature Film category, including award winning director Ivan Kavanagh's new feature Tin Can Man which recently won two International Awards at this year’s Sydney Underground Film Festival.

The film is an insightful portrayal into what it is like to live with an undiagnosed psychological disorder and touches on emotional, psychological and spiritual issues that affect every human being at some time in their lives. Oil on Water has been described as a filmmaking tapestry, layered and textured with exquisite cinematography and psychological drama. The film depicts some of the most stunning locations in KwaZulu Natal. Because of the universality of the issues it addresses and the quality of the production, it has also been praised by international industry players, ahead of its distribution overseas.

Everglades International Film Festival is the sister festival to the Swansea Bay Film Festival and both festivals honor the individual voice. Oil on Water aims to uncover one of the world’s most heartbreaking and afflictive secrets – the effects of schizophrenia on those who suffer from it, and on those who love and live with them. According to writer and producer Elle Matthews, “Over 51 million people in the world suffer from the disorder, which is ten million more than the estimated 41 million people who are infected with HIV/Aids. Schizophrenia does not differentiate between race, culture and social class. It affects one in 100 people worldwide and is the leading cause of suicide in the world. Those statistics demand greater awareness for this mental disorder, and Oil on Water gives an honest voice to this silent killer.”

Blu-Ray comes to South Africa

2007-08-27T02:51:00.000-07:00

Proving once again to be the frontrunners in digital encoding, VLab have pulled off yet another first: encoding for the new Blu-Ray technology. Hailed as the next generation optical media format, Blu-Ray delivers five times more recording capacity than conventional DVD, allowing for incredible detailed image reproduction and uncompressed crystal clear surround sound capabilities.

Blu-Ray is set to storm the market, making DVD capability archaic in comparison. Approached by agency Visual Volcano, VLab were tasked with being the first facility in South Africa to deliver a Blu-Ray encoding. VLab had engineers Chris Goulden and John Brink (Head of CAR) testing for days and then working through the night to ensure that the encoding was faultless for the outh African launch of Blu- Ray, using this new Sony technology.

To display the pristine picture quality capabilities of Blu-Ray, Vlab called on Bite Animation’s Edward Van Blerk, who combined the presentation, live action and graphic elements together into one seamless production, displaying the technology at its absolute best.

As for the crisp sound clarity, Sound Engineer Peter Cornell jumped at the opportunity to offer the best audio experience possible from a staging platform and generated a 5.1 Dolby mix, tocompliment the visual experience. All the juggling, schedule planning and project management was handled by VLab producer, Jeanette Van Acker.

Terri-Leigh Blomeyer of Volcano Advertising, was thrilled at the final outcome, “I am very pleased to say that the presentation was a huge success and was very well received by all who attended”.

What causes movies to be super hits or miserable failures?

2007-08-20T09:23:00.000-07:00

Just what makes movie a hit? A psychology professor dida statistical study of thousands of films to determine what makes them failures or box-office hits.

Films that earn awards and praise from reviewers tend to be R-rated and based on a true story or a prize-winning play or novel, says psychology professor Dean Simonton at the University of California, Davis. The original author or the director usually writes the screenplay.

Big-budget blockbusters - whether they are comedies, musical, sequels or remakes - do not ordinarily draw acclaim, Simonton found. Neither do summer releases, PG-13 movies, movies that open on thousands of screens or ones that have enormous box office numbers in their first weekend.

"I had this hope that there was a difference between blockbusters and really great art films - films that can be considered great cinematic creations," said Simonton, who presented his findings on Friday at the annual meeting of the American Psychological Association in San Francisco.

"It was gratifying to find out they're very, very different and you can find out what's different about them."

Simonton says he is not a movie buff - "I'm a consumer like everyone else" - but in his long-time studies of genius, creativity and leadership, he started compiling data about the collaborative process of filmmaking in 1999.

Rules and Exceptions

Brokeback Mountain is a prime example of what Simonton discovered. It was rated R, had an 87% approval rating on the Metacritic.com website and it came out at the height of prestige-picture time in December 2005.

It featured a top-notch creative team, including director Ang Lee and screenwriters Larry McMurtry and Diana Ossana, working from a short story by Pulitzer Prize winner Annie Proulx. The film cost $14m to make and grossed nearly $175m worldwide. It was nominated for eight Oscars and won three.

But then there are exceptions, like this summer's Knocked Up. It is also very much an R-rated movie, but it is a comedy that's gotten 85% positive reviews on Metacritic and was released in Jne this year.

Judd Apatow, who has long enjoyed a cult following, wrote and directed it. The film cost an estimated $33m to make and so far has grossed $164m worldwide. At this stage one can't tell if it will win any Oscars.

"All these things are just statistical relationships - there are always exceptions to every finding you have," Simonton said. "You'll have a film that really shouldn't have success but they have something quirky going for them... My Big Fat Greek Wedding, it's just a quirky thing.

"As a consequence," he added, "Hollywood falls back on sequels and remakes. Even though you've seen them before, you know they've succeeded in earlier versions."

Namibian Union Demands Film Investigation

2007-08-13T11:02:00.000-07:00

Namibia's only registered artists union has demanded an investigation by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting into the worsening state of affairs in the local film industry.
by Frederick Philander

The Oruuano Artists Union, self-proclaimed protector of the Namibian film industry in direct opposition to the government-recognized Filmmakers Association of Namibia, claims in the petition that Namibians are getting a raw deal with regard to employment opportunities.

"We are perturbed and disturbed by the present state of affairs of the Namibian film industry, especially on how local artists are employed and treated by foreign film companies producing films in the country," said the president of Oruuano Artists Union, Banana Shekupe, in the written petition.

In his view, imported foreign artists benefit much more than Namibians employed in the industry.

"Considering the many existing job opportunities, people are supposed to benefit in terms of employment-creation and alleviation of poverty, but it seems foreign artists are unfairly benefiting much more due to the many loopholes existing in the industry," Shekupe said.

He cited a case of an injustice perpetrated against Namibians who worked on the international Iraq war-film, 'Generation Kill'.

"Namibians employed on the film were taken to South Africa to continue with the shooting of this film, but they were instantly deported back to Namibia due to flimsy contracts and the fact that the ANC Youth League apparently charged that Namibians were taking away job opportunities from South Africans," the union boss said.

The union further demands an investigation into the whole structure of the local film industry.

"There had definitely been exploitation of Namibians on 'Generation Kill' that was shot on location in our country, though certain people denied this. This happened because there are no clear-cut regulations regarding work permits for foreigners. Apparently, there exists no guidelines governing foreign companies shooting in Namibia either, creating the impression that such companies do not pay taxes to our government," Shekupe said.

According to him, discriminatory practices against Namibians are rife among foreign companies operating in the country.

"I know of instances of racial abuse against black Namibian film practitioners and cases of racial ill-treatment of Namibians based on skin colour. Only if and when our union is permitted to serve on the board of the Namibia Film Commission will we be able to do away with these unacceptable practices," he concluded.

Botswana: Movie Shooting, a Memorable Experience

2007-08-13T10:55:00.000-07:00

The crew members have set up their areas of shooting, the most prominent probably being the small village/semi town built just as you enter Kgale View. The buildings simulate the African Mall in the olden days.To someone who does not know, the buildings look like they have been standing for a long time yet they were built only recently.

Only Mma Ramotswe's office has some fresh paint.Seeing scenes being shot is quite an exciting experience. In a nutshell, the cast and crew are always as busy as a bee, as theirs is a race against time.

Movement of visitors during the time of shooting is restricted to avoid disturbances.The preparation for the shooting is intense, and has to be done only by professionals. While actors prepare themselves, getting into the right costumes and make-up, the production crew are arranging their equipment to make sure everything is in order before the actual shooting begins.

The current location is dusty and with a lot of movement, the dust can be choking but that does not deter the committed crew. The lead actress, Jill Scott, has people they call stand-ins, who include local musician/rapper Desma Basson, musically known as Ice Queen. Her role is to test microphones, camera lighting, for the star (Jill Scott). The role of stand-in ends there - and she does not appear anywhere in the movie.

As we watched the shooting, publicist Joey Sapieka explained that a stand-in in movies should not be confused with theatrical understudies as they cannot sit in for the actor in case the actor is not feeling well or should anything happen to the actor or actress.

As everything has to be perfect, the stand-in is dressed in exactly the same attire as the actress. Basson sits or stands exactly where Jill Scott is supposed to be standing with the production crew on cue, to check the necessary details before calling in Scott to do the shooting.

After the production crew is satisfied that everything is in place, Scott then assumes position for the film to start rolling."You have to make sure your cellular phones are off, as a phone ringing can cost millions in waste," the film publicist explains.

While the camera is rolling everyone is silent, movement in the direction of the camera is restricted, the only people speaking are the ones in action. During the filming of this particular scene, on Arts and Culture - we managed to see Mma-Ramotswe sitting at a friend's cake stall, selling cakes. Apparently one of the clues to the crimes Mma Ramotswe is attempting to solve is contained in one of the cakes.

Scott sits in a chair, with a number of cakes that will make any passer-by salivate.

The owner of the shop's little girl, Lily, is seated next to Mma Ramotswe as handsome but bad boy Charlie Kgotso (played by renowned British actor Idris Elba) shows up and plants himself in a chair on the other side of the table where the little girl had been sitting.

The man briefly chats with Mma Ramotswe while rudely chasing away customers enquiring about the prices of the cakes. The little girl is sent to the store, and sent back again to buy ice-cream as the good looking Charlie Kgotso talks to Mma-Ramotswe.

Mma Ramotswe dressed in something many Batswana call their traditional attire, leteisi, chats with the young man calmly before he chooses a cake, which costs P500. With Mma Ramotswe nodding "Excellent choice", he slams the money on the table and leaves. Prior to his departure, Mma Ramotswe's secretary, played by another American actress, Anika Noni Rose, who features in Dreamgirls, approaches the table and nicely asks the gentlemen if he can take a picture, and he rudely declines, only to come back later with the little girl enjoying her ice-cream telling Mma Ramotswe she did a good thing with her camera and managed to take a good shot.

Filming however can be a tiring process for one who is watching, the scene is repeated again and again, shot from different angles, so that the editing crew have a wider choice when making the final cut for the movie.

The movie, however, does not end with those playing bigger roles; there are those who play minor roles called extras. The extras are shown what to do; some of them just walk past, pretending to be involved in conversations.

This particular scene - on Arts and Culture - is a pure joy to watch. It has two lady extras, in the beginning, who walk as they chat. Then there are two security guards who present moneyboxes and walk away, and a gentleman who walks to another extra, a phone-shop operator, and makes a call.

Arts and Culture officials sat there for several hours watching the same scene being shot over and over again.The crew is expected to wrap up the Kgale View shooting in about a week's time and move to other locations, including Mma Ramotswe's house in Zebra Drive near the Gaborone Sun.

BBC World broadcast documentary about Central Kimberley Diamonds

2007-08-13T10:47:00.000-07:00

The junior diamond exploration company Central Kimberley Diamonds Ltd, is pleased to announce, that a production film of the company and its exploration operations is to be broadcast on BBC World (Europe).

The documentary, which will last about six minutes, will centre on the Central Kimberley Diamonds exploration projects in Kimberley South Africa, capture footage of the company's exploration and mining operations, and will include interviews with the Central Kimberley Diamonds Board of Management.

The film production is set to take place in September 2007 and will be produced by BNT (Business News Television), a production company working closely with BBC World. The exact date of the documentary's broadcast will be published as soon as more details are released.

The advertising and promotion for Central Kimberley Diamonds to be generated from this documentary is expected to be highly beneficial for the company. BBC World has been the fastest growing news channel for the last 10 years worldwide and with over 52 million global viewers per week and accessible in over 200 countries around the world, the documentary offers Central Kimberley Diamonds viewing time for around 75 million homes across the globe.

James Lehman, CEO of Central Kimberley Diamonds, offered encouraging words on this latest development, 'We are very pleased to be a part of this media production project, BBC World produces award winning programs and is well known for its first-class journalism', said Lehman. 'The opportunity to work with a media correspondent with such extensive audience catchments will certainly provide Central Kimberley Diamonds with an excellent chance to show the life, working practices and projects we are undertaking at Central Kimberley Diamonds', Lehman concluded.

International Film Industry is Pumping a Huge Amount of Cash into South Africa

2007-07-26T04:07:00.000-07:00

The film industry in South Africa is at an all time high.

"Cape Town has been favoured for it's incredible diversity of natural and architectural locations;" says Mark Visser the spokesman of the Capr Film Commission.

Filmmakers are using Cape Town regularly as a film location. Miami Vice starring Colin Farrell was filmed there.

Due to the industry booming so much Anant Singh, a South African producer has commissioned the building of Dreamworld Film Studios in Cape Town, which will be available for local and international use.

Singh and his company, Video Vision, have been responsible for many of South Africa’s greatest local movies as well as anti- apartheid films, including Sarafina, Cry the Beloved Country, Yesterday and Place of Weeping. Singh has already started work on Nelson Mandela’s autobiography, Long Walk to Freedom, with filming expected to start next year.

Over 30 international movies were shot in South Africa.

The reasons for shooting in South Africa are along day, stunning locations which include mountains, sea, semi-desert areas, winelands and small towns.

Isn't it time you considered coming to South Africa?

X-Rated Movie Industry is finding that High Definition is too graphic!

2007-07-21T08:46:00.000-07:00

Producers are finding that, ahem... (you know movies with naked men and ladies) HD is some times just too darn clear and precise.

Sometimes not everything is meant to be seen like cellulite on thighs or a ripening pimple near a private part.

Well it doesn't surprise me and prooves my point that HD is the way to go.

Female stars in the industry are going under the the knife to have their boobs repaired because with HD you can see the implants looking weird.

Producers know that viewers want to feel as though they are in the room. That's one of the reasons they switched to HD, they just quite didn't realise it would have such an impact!

Want to use power point slides in your film production?

2007-07-20T07:47:00.000-07:00

Basically TV's have different resolutions to computer monitors. That requires graphics to be sized to handle the conversion to video.

Here are suggestions on how to do it:

Width in horizontal lines should have a minum of 1.5 points or they tend to shimmer on the TV screen
Check that content is at least 1" from the 4 edges.
Use the ruler tool.
Use BOLD text that is sized to at least 20 points. Smaller sizes are difficult to read.
Use black edges on text, except of course if you have a black background.
Don't apply the "S" button.
Use the drawing toolbar which is located under "Tools" ==> "Customise" ==>"Shadow Settings".
Check that the shadow on/off button is ON.
Select black background on the far right icon.
Use the offset sparingly.
Shadow looks best positioned below and to the right of the letters.
If your background is black, use a gray shaow.
Red is not recommended as it tends to bleed.

Video News Releases for TV stations

2007-07-20T07:41:00.000-07:00

A communications department can draft a news release and send it out to a number of television stations. Sometimes a news director will bite, while other times a development can languish in obscurity. So, to improve the odds of getting a story on the air, many organizations develop video news releases, also knows as VNRs.

“Government agencies, like corporate and nonprofit interests, have information to get to the public,” said Michael Sheward, executive director of the National Association of Government Communicators. It’s no surprise that one of the best ways of reaching the public is through television,” so to enhance a message’s ability to be broadcast, communications professionals in have implemented the use of the VNRs as a way to add pictures to the typical print news release.”

Perhaps this description sounds like a PSA, but Patrick O’Leary, senior television producer/reporter at the USDA’s Office of Communications, said there’s a big difference. “A PSA is like a commercial, which runs in a 30, 60, or sometimes 10 or 20-second length and is placed in commercial breaks,” he explained. “A VNR is really a television story, a news story meant to be incorporated into a stations’ news broadcast.”

Feed The Beast

The basic idea is that the VNR’s presented information and pictures will seamlessly blend into the look and feel of a TV station’s programming. When you adopt the look of a standard TV news story, your VNR has a greater chance of being accepted into a newscast.

VNRs aren’t just run on local news stations, however. David Crawford, director of Media Relations for the Ohio State University Medical Center, said that his association uses VNRs monthly to “highlight the clinical aspects of medicine and research findings,” and that this information can end up anywhere in the country.

Sheward added that the VNR target market is much large today, as networks and markets of all sizes have a greater news hole to fill. “Television is the beast that must be fed,” he said. “Many stations are getting on the air at five or six in the morning with an hour or two of local news. Networks pick up from seven to nine or 10 in the morning. Some local stations will have a noon newscast; they’ll come back again at four or five with local news, pick up the network broadcast at 6:30 or seven, and then again at 10 or 11, depending on your time zone. That’s five or six hours a day.

“TV has to have content to fill that time,” said Sheward. “You can’t just have an anchor at the desk reading for an hour.”

Depending on your organization, there may be niche media outlets with needs that dovetail yours perfectly. Such is the case with the USDA; they’re in the business of agriculture and there’s an entire genre of broadcasting dealing specifically with farms. Two programs, AgDay and U.S. Farm Report, frequently broadcast USDA VNRs. “UY.S. Farm Report actually treats me as their Washington reporter,” said O’Leary. “We can tell our partners here within the USDA that their message is actually getting placed and reaching, in this case, 150 stations.”

Some Assembly Required

A VNR, however, isn’t going to be placed on 150 stations if it’s not up to snuff. When creating a video news release, it’s important to use the same professional production standards that television news departments follow for their own work. A lower quality production will stick out like a sore thumb and detract from the overall newscast.

“They’re not going to say, ‘Excuse this video –it was produced by someone else,’” joked Sheward. “Make your material top quality so that it matches what these stations use.”

A good VNR will also be succinct, as news directors only have a limited amount of air time to devote to any story. “The average TV news story (with visual) is anywhere from 30 seconds to a minute and a half,” Sheward estimated. “The VNR needs to be packaged in that sort of time frame of have the ability to be cut and pasted into that.” If you’d like to get a station to spend a longer amount of time on your story, Sheward suggested editing it into chunks so that it could be aired, for example, as a three-day report.

It should be noted that “VNR” can refer to either a complete story or a whole package of information surrounding your story. Sending out a complete package to news organizations is a nice way to increase your chances of getting your material aired, as you are providing the media outlet with options.

Include a self-contained story with B-roll. And if you use specific charts or graphics in your story, Sheward advised that you run the graphics again without the type. “Sometimes stations are very judicious in wanting everything on their broadcast to be in their chosen type-font or face,” he explained. “So you give them the opportunity to use your graphic but to put up their own verbiage in their typeface.”

In addition, a VNR’s content should resemble a real news report as much as possible. “Make it something that news directors will see as news,” emphasized O’Leary. “You want to look for some angle that will make it seems like a real news story.”

VNRs are most frequently distributed via satellite transmission, followed by tape. Some organizations simply notify stations of the material and direct them to a Website were the VNR can be downloaded. The USDA, however, posts its VNRs on its Web site not for distribution, but for additional public exposure.

“I think VNRs are ideal for Web sites – it’s another way for us to put information out to the public,” said O’Leary. “Watching a 90 second VNR on a Web page is the kind of activity people like to do on Web sites. It’s a way to tell the story and, because they are so short, they don’t take a lot of bandwidth to archive on a server.”

A Question Of Ethics

There can, however, be a problem with VNRs looking too much like news stories. The Bush administration and the Department of Health and Human Services recently came under fire for its VNRs, which focused on the benefits of the new Medicare drug bill. Among other shots, these VNRs feature pictures of President Bush receiving a standing ovation and a pharmacist telling an elderly customer that the new law is “a very good idea”.

Because these VNRs look like regular, unbiased news stories (as well-crafted VNRs are designed to do) center on controversial – and highly politicized – legislation, many question the ethics behind news stations using video news releases. As a result, the Radio-Television News Directors Association released a statement reaffirming its belief in its guidelines on VNRs, which were developed more than a decade ago.

“RTNDA does not endorse the use of so-called video news releases,” the statement read, “but neither do we reject their use, as long as that use conforms to the association’s Code of Ethics …(which) calls on radio and television journalists to guard against using audio or video material in a way that deceives the audience.”

In essence, the RTNDA puts the onus on journalists to determine what is and what is not biased. After this firestorm, however, it pays to develop a VNR that is completely honest and as unbiased as possible. “VNR is kind of a dirty word in the news industry,” said O’Leary. “There are a lot of broadcasters who say, ‘We’d never use a VNR; that’s basically a fake news story.’”

This doesn’t mean, however, that organizations should throw in the VNR towel. A VNR can find a home on the air, provided that it’s impartial and uncolored. News organizations “are not going to run something that doesn’t pass the sniff test for impartiality,” said O’Leary. “They’re not going to get placed if they are blatantly partisan. Our role here as reporters and producers is to disseminate info as factually as we can.”

Written by: Laura Kenyon

Richard Branson launches Virgin Money

2007-07-18T02:01:00.000-07:00

Sorry but I keep forgetting to upload this great event which my wonderful crew organised last year already.

It's the fun, rich & good looking Richard Branson!

When he launched Virgin Money in South Africa, he was looking for something exciting to set him apart. He said the team with the good idea will get the job. No problem with the budget.

Those kind of clients are great as you can just let your creativity flow.

Anyway we produced a mini documentary of the Virgin Money Launch. I mean making movies and organising events isn't really that different is it?

You still need to know what you're doing and the equipment is pretty much the same. Only difference is that a designed shoot you get to take a couple of takes till the director is happy and well an event, you only get one chance.

Richard is a fantastic person to work with and game for adventure. We constructed a the longest zip slide ever on the continent of Africa and the good man slid down himself.

Richard Branson also owns the most stunning game reserve I have ever been to.

It's for clients that have a bigger budget, but worth every cent. Take a peek: ULUSABA

Filming Wild Life

2007-07-17T23:41:00.000-07:00

Experiencing the African bush in a relaxing manner ie after you've got your footage in the can, is a must.

For me there is nothing like experiencing the call of the wild. I love the African bush. You have to have been there to know how it really feels.

This video which was filmed in the Kruger Park shows some exciting wild life drama happening.

It's quite dramatic to watch some thing like this happen under the African sky.

The language you can hear being spoken is English and Afrikaans. They are both recognised as national languages in South Africa to gether with Sotho, Xhosa and Zulu.

Obviously Ican arrange for you to experience African safaris that are out of this world.

Having grown up in South Africa I'm very familiar with Southern Africa's territory and know all the locations for shooting movies or hanging out and watching lions. You choose.

Botswana pins Hollywood hopes on "Detective" film

2007-07-10T23:31:00.000-07:00

Botswana is pinning its Hollywood hopes on a new film based on the best-selling fiction series "The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency." by By Moabi Phia

Ia controversial move, the government has gambled $5 million to promote the southern African country's star power to movie buffs around the globe.

Work on the film, based on Alexander McCall Smith's novels about an intrepid female sleuth, began this month as the first major production hosted by the arid country more famous for diamonds and wildlife than movie-star glamour.

Directed by Anthony Minghella ("Cold Mountain" and "The English Patient"), the movie features U.S. singer Jill Scott in the lead role of Precious Ramotswe -- the owner of a Botswana detective agency.

Singer and actress Anika Noni Rose, who starred in the film "Dreamgirls," will play Ramotswe's secretary, Grace Makutsi.

"The movie has two primary characters. One is Mma Ramotswe and the other is Botswana as a whole. It tries to tell a story of what is wonderful, what is magical, about Botswana and about the rest of Africa," Minghella told Reuters in an interview.

The magic is missing for some residents of Botswana, who say the government's $5 million offer to underwrite the movie demonstrates a case of misplaced priorities for a country which, despite its mineral riches, remains largely poor.

"What is government trying to do? Where have you seen that being done anywhere else in the world?" fumed one participant in a radio call-in program."I think our government has a wrong interpretation of the word tourism."

MARKETING THROUGH MOVIES

Minister of Tourism Kitso Mokaila, whose ministry was responsible for the $5 million film fund, insisted the movie presented "a rare opportunity" for Botswana to market itself as a premier African travel destination.

"People can say what they want. But I can tell you that this decision, taken with the approval of Cabinet, was not a mistake as it will go a long way in ensuring that Botswana and what it can offer in terms of tourism get international recognition," said Mokaila.

Botswana has been struggling to diversify its economy from the over-reliance on diamonds, which currently account for about a third of the country's export earnings.

"We always talk diversification of the economy, and when an opportunity like this avails itself we start pointing fingers," said Mokaila.

Radio talk show host Shombi Ellis -- who has a minor role in the movie -- told Reuters she was disappointed with most of the sentiments aired on her show, where callers repeatedly questioned the wisdom of pumping money into movie-making.

"We are sending a wrong message to the rest of the world. People have to understand that if government had not stood up on this, we could have lost out to countries like South Africa who have more advanced film industries than us," Ellis said.McCall Smith's books have been a stunning global success, selling in excess of 15 million English-language copies alone.

They have already been credited with sparking a mini-tourism boom in Botswana, a former British protectorate with a population of about 2 million.

A growing number of tourists are visiting Mochudi, the hometown of Ramotswe.

TRADITIONALLY BUILT? The movie sparked a minor controversy in Botswana when a South African casting agency rejected 18 local women shortlisted to play Ramotswe on the big screen, saying they were unsuitable to portray the "traditionally built" fictional character.

Oscar-nominated hip-hop diva Queen Latifah, U.S. talk-show queen Oprah Winfrey and actress Whoopi Goldberg were among those floated as possibilities for the role, which eventually went to Scott, a Grammy-award winning singer.

And while international readers have lapped up the adventures of Mma Ramotswe -- a strong female figure who tries to find moral solutions to life's many problems -- Botswana's book buyers have been slow to warm to the woman who may become their country's emblem.

Martina Seetso, manager of Exclusive Books in Gaborone, said McCall Smith was not a best seller there, although interest has been growing with the start of movie production."They are just popular enough, if you get what I mean. But in the past three weeks the sales seem to have improved a bit because people are curious to know what the hype is all about," Seetso said.

Producing quality on a tight budget..

2007-07-10T09:51:00.000-07:00

You don't have to sell your Villa or compromise on your DOP to get quality footage.

There are a couple of things one can consider when shooting on a tight budget.

If the footage is not going to be for cinema one can really drop 35mm and switch over to High Definition.

TV stations broad cast from tapes. For commercials which are only for TV shoot on HD. You save a fortune on film and processing. And cut down on production time too.

Also consider shooting in a country like South Africa which has worlds within worlds.

There such a vast source of locations from desert to jungle and surreal moon scapes.

The crew is professional and friendly - they will go the extra mile, (well the crew I work with any way!).

And last but not least the rate of exchange is so favourable.

Movie Crew available in South Africa

2007-07-09T06:30:00.000-07:00

Most film producers don't realise how much cash they can save by filming in South Africa. This does not mean you have to save on quality.

Rather EXPECT quality!

South Africa has qualified crew. Seriously we have oscar winning camera men and DOP's.

What crew are you looking for?

I have a list longer than my arm for:

Directors
Accountants
Art Director
Assistant Director
Grip
Gaffer
Best Boy (grip & gaffer)
Boomswinger
Camera Operator
Cast co-ordinator
Chaperone
Continuity/Script supervisor
Costume Designer
D.O.P/Lighting Cameraman
Driver
Focus puller
Genny Operator
Hairdresser
Line producer
Loader
Location manager
Make up
Production Designer
Production Manager
Production Co-ordinator
Production Secretatry
Props Master
Props Assistant
Runner
Set Dresser
Sound
Spark
Steadicam Operator
Transport Manager
Unit Manager
Video Take Off
Wardrobe

For producers wishing to get some good documentary footage of Africa I have well versed camera men with own camera kit.