Jac Williams, founder of production company Man Makes A Picture, recently wrapped his first feature film as producer of The Recce. Williams chats to Screen Africa about his makings in the industry and what next for Man Makes A Picture…
How did you come to find yourself working in film?
I travelled to England in 2000 and work there until end 2003. It was during my time in England that I realised that I want to work in the film industry. I want to tell stories and be a filmmaker. After four years in England I came back to SA and enrolled myself into a film school in Cape Town…
I finished my studies and I couldn’t wait to start freelancing and work on big film sets… I soon enough realised that if I really want to produce my own projects I’ll have to start my own production company. During this time, I also found out that there is a job called chaperoning. This is where you look after the international clients, agencies, directors, actors, models etc. Seeing that I also had a kombi at that stage and got paid for it, it was lucrative to start doing it. This really gave me the opportunity to learn all aspects of how the industry worked, because I was working in production and saw how companies run their day to day business.
What does the job of a producer entail?
…The most important job of a movie producer is to find a good story, believe in it enough to lay yourself on the line and commit yourself for years to realise the film, because at the end of the day you dedicate years of your life to a single project and it’s got to be worth it.
As one of the founding members of Man Makes a Picture, tell us what led to the making of the company?
During my chaperone years, I started Man Makes a Picture. So, while I was chaperoning I could also do emails etc. and I had a business partner as well. Being able to freelance while I was building the company helped me financially and I also learned the ins and outs of the industry, plus got to know all the crew.
We started getting small jobs, from music videos to corporate videos and started doing small TV jobs etc. In 2012, I signed a big contract to direct and produce an international series for CNBC Africa…
To make movies was obviously the dream; I’ve worked on movies, but the early movies a produced were short films… The Recce is my first feature. We found a private investor and we made the film independently.
What has been the biggest challenge in your career to date?
The biggest challenge in my career to date was the struggling years in the beginning. There wasn’t always work and there were one or two winters where I thought I must get myself a corporate job. But just as you think things can’t go worse it turns around and something positive happens again. Stay passionate and committed, because this is an industry based on rejection.
What have been your career highlight(s) to date?
When I directed and produced a TV show called It’s Africa’s Time. I directed 13 episodes, travelled to 14 countries in Africa, did 150 interviews and took over 100 flights.
But the biggest highlight now to date is The Recce. We are very excited about it and audiences will see something not made by locals yet.
What are you currently working on?
Currently I’m busy with new television games shows for a very interesting brand and there are a few movies in the pipeline.
What is your dream shoot location?
My dream shoot location is India. I’m fascinated by that country and would love to do a travel documentary through India.
If you could remake any Hollywood classic with an African twist, which would it be and why?
Well that’s a tricky question. I would like to reimagine something like John Ford’s The Searchers (arguably the best American Western) in a South African context. Westerns are about the spirit of the frontier; therefore, if one considers our history, it draws strong parallels to the mythical American Wild West.
Who are your mentors? Why them?
My mentors, mmm, well from a young age and my school years probably my parents. My father was a lector and my mother a teacher. I learned a lot from them during those years and still do.
What advice do you have for young people wanting to follow in your career footsteps?
My advice is to follow your dreams and don’t give up. Everything is possible if you believe in yourself. Don’t expect things to always just happen the way you want it to happen. Be committed and don’t be entitled. Be tenacious.
Three people, dead or alive, that you would love to invite to dinner?
I would love to interview Quentin Tarantino, Cleopatra and Hendrik Verwoerd.
What next for Jac Williams and MMAP?
Well our plan is to get the movie released in South Africa, which will be on 8 September. Get into international film festivals and make more movies.
If you weren’t working in film what would you be doing?
If I didn’t work in film I would probably be working on my parent’s farm outside of Jeffrey’s Bay where we shot part of The Recce…
