A Tanzanian production company has commissioned Cape Town-based Dermod Judge to shoot a 50-minute investment video for the Tanzanian government. Benchmark Productions will produce the film, which aims to position Tanzania as an investment destination.
Says Judge: “It is a very ambitious production aimed at investors all over the world. The video will position Tanzania as a stable country which has been transformed into one of the most business-friendly countries in East Africa. It covers the main sectors: agriculture, mining, infrastructure and tourism, all of which have a variety of investment opportunities.’
The video will include an interview with the Tanzanian president Jakaya Kikwele and the CEOs of the main investment organisations.
Judge explains how the project came about: “To meet the stringent requirements of the project Benchmark Productions conducted research and came up with Bjorn Rudner with whom I have worked with extensively in the past. When Bjorn heard that they were battling to get a decent script, he suggested that they contact me.’
On receiving Judge’s CV Benchmark Productions hired him and flew him to Tanzania for a week. “I came up with the concept while holed up in a wonderful Robert Louis Stevenson-type hotel on the beach north of Dar es Salaam,’ says Judge, who did a lot of research to prepare for the shoot.
He says: “I had received official reports and overviews, interviews and promotional brochures before I travelled to Tanzania. Upon arriving I moved into the hotel and worked on the concept and came up with an overall slogan “Reap the rewards’ illustrated by a sickle cutting through a bunch of wheat or grain ready for harvesting. I presented the concept, the breakdown of the modules and a rough treatment to the CEO of Benchmark Productions and got the go ahead,’ says Judge.
The shoot will take place over three weeks in various regions of the country including Dar es Salaam, Arusha, Ngorongoro Crater, the Serengeti and Zanzibar.
The video will be translated into six different languages. “We want to access investors from all over the world including China, Russia and some European countries. There will be an hour’s worth of material; it has to be accessible and offer various levels of information. The website home page will contain icons for 10 distinct modules, each offering a focused view of the various elements. The video will be distributed on DVD to selected investors.’
Judge explains some of the technicalities of the shoot. “There are over 90 separate shots on the shot list and only a few of them can be left to a second unit to shoot. I am looking forward to shooting a beautiful Masai female singer who will perform a wordless song, while showing off the attractions of gold, diamonds, gemstones and tanzanite.’
