Home Authors Posts by Carly Barnes

Carly Barnes

608 POSTS 0 JOBS

NFVF seeks trainer for skills development programme

Carly Barnes
-
0

The National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF), is calling for submissions of proposals from professionals able to train and mentor filmmakers involved in their Sediba Directors’ Programme.

The annual programme aims to enable and educate South African Directors on how to direct compelling stories which appeal to mainstream audiences.

Closing date for submission of proposals is the 14 March 2014 at 12h00.

The applicant would need to fulfill the below responsibilities:

Develop the knowledge and professional practice skills
Inform on how to make films which appeal to mainstream theatrical audiences both within and beyond the immediate South African marketplace.
Increase knowledge and understanding cinematic tools and styles
Improve the capacity of directors to work with actors as well as writers and producers in project development.
Develop the ability of directors to produce mood boards, mood reels, written and verbal pitch in order to obtain financing.
Develop the directors’ understanding of the wider, rapidly changing film, television and ‘cross-media’ market.
Maintain a rigorous process for quality control, and execute deliverables within the project timeline.
Take into consideration the NFVF’s important targets for customer service and public funding accountability.

Applicant education and experience:

Relevant postgraduate teaching experience in film and television
An in-depth and diverse understanding of the requirements for developing and producing feature films and the collaboration required by the three key roles, that of producer, director and writer
Knowledge of project management techniques and tools
Experience in the running of a film business with emphasis on project development and production
Minimum of ten years’ experience in the film industry, including work with mainstream film companies and leading local and international directing talent

Position requirements:

Track record as a quality trainer
Project management experience
Knowledge of digital equipment
Independent operator
Willing to travel
Relevant experience
Critical thinking and problem solving skills
Planning and organizing
Negotiation skills
Decision-making
Adaptability

The applicant will be subject to NFVF criteria and preference will be given to training companies that are accredited with the relevant authority.

Visit the NFVF website for more information.

Contact Pretty Mthiyane on (011) 483 0880 or via email to training@nfvf.co.za for further inquiries.

Nigerian musicians develop animation series

Carly Barnes
-
0

The P-Square brothers, a Nigerian R&B duo comprising of identical twin brothers Peter and Paul Okoye, have launched an animated series, The Alingos through their entertainment company, P-Classic Entertainment.

The Alingos is the first high-quality animated series to come out of Nigeria and will initially run as a weekly web series.

The Okoye brothers have adapted an integrated approach to marketing the show, which includes applying a similarly themed animation style to the music video for their hit single, Unlimited.

The music video as well as the series will be available to viewers via the P-Square app, which will serve as an interactive platform between the musicians and their fans. The app is available for free download on android, iOS and windows devices.

Watch a trailer for the Unlimited music video.

Japanese film The Wife of Gegege screens in Johannesburg

Carly Barnes
-
0

The Embassy of Japan and the Centre for Japanese Studies at the Gordon Institute of Business Science in Johannesburg will screen a Japanese movie entitled The Wife of Gegege on Saturday 12 April at 14h00.

At the age of 28 and feeling past her prime, Nunoe (Kazue Fukiishi) agrees to marry Shigeru, an older man she doesn’t know (Kankuro Kudo). She discovers that he is a WWII veteran who lost an arm in the war and is hardly able to support himself. However, the manga books he writes are artistically successful and depicted without cute sentiment. Despite Shigeru’s great talent, they suffer financially as he strives to maintain his integrity through his work.

The Wife of Gegege is based on Nunoe Mura’s autobiography of her marriage to the famous manga author Shigeru Mizuki. Written and directed by Takuji Suzuki, the film features strong performances by the lead actors and does not only focus on the achievements of the respected Shigeru, but on his and Nonoe’s marriage and their daily struggles, portrayed in a mix of fantasy and realism.

All seats will be available on a first come first serve basis and a maximum of four tickets can be reserved per adult. Send an email to vanessa.jardim@pr.mofa.go.jp to make bookings on or before 31 March.

Jahmil X.T. Qubeka’s Of Good Report dominates Feature Film category of SAFTA 2014 noms

Carly Barnes
-
0

SCREEN AFRICA EXCLUSIVE: The nominees for the 2014 South African Film and Television Awards (SAFTAs) were announced at an event held at Urban Tree in Sandton on Tuesday 5 March.

Writer-director Jahmil X.T. Qubeka’s controversial second opus, Of Good Report came out with the most nominations in the feature film categories – a total of 11, including Best Feature Film, Best Director and Writer for Qubeka, Best Editing for Che Amaru Tunstead and Cobus Rossouw, Best Cinematography for Jonathan Kovel, Best Production Design for Jerry Manganyi, Best Sound Design for Philip Miller, Best Make-Up / Hair (Ian Swann) and Best Actor, Actress and Supporting Actor respectively for Mothusi Magano, Petronella Tshuma and Tshamano Sebe.

Of Good Report first came to public attention when it was banned by the Film and Publication Board (FPB) the night before it was scheduled to open the Durban International Film Festival in 2013. It has since played to great acclaim at numerous festivals in South Africa and abroad. This darkly comic erotic thriller tells of a teacher’s dangerous obsession with one of his students.

Among the other major nominees in the film categories was Barry Berk’s Sleeper’s Wake, which, among its seven nominations, garnered a Best Actor nod for Lionel Newton as well as writing and directing nominations for Berk.

Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom also picked up several accolades, along with comedy Fanie Fourie’s Lobola and Venda-language drama Elelwani.

On the television side, ZA News, My Perfect Family and Late Nite News appeared several times in the comedy categories. Mzansi Magic’s soap / telenovela Isibaya was nominated in all eight Soap categories – all three of the Best Actor nominees were from the popular show. The award for Best Soap is to be decided by public vote.

Room 9 and High Rollers featured prominently on the TV Drama honours list, along with Rockville and Skeem Saam. Idols, MasterChef South Africa, Come Dine With Me SA and Taboo SA are all in contention for the Best International Format Show.

The SAFTAs, or Golden Horns, as they have become known, are now in their eighth year and take place under the aegis of the National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF). They are designed to honour excellence in the film and television industries.

NFVF CEO and SAFTAs Committee Chairperson Zama Mkosi said that the number of entries has increased from last year’s 354 to 432 this year, a rise of 22% . The judging committee was chaired in its deliberations by producer Roberta Durrant and veteran actor Jerry Mofokeng.

In his address before the award announcements, Mofokeng stressed the importance and prestige of the SAFTAs and the rigour of the judging process, with no place for honorary nods or consolation prizes. “There is no “Ag shame’ Award,’ he said, “so there can be no potential winners of the “Ag shame’ award. Each and every nominee announced here tonight is a potential SAFTA winner… We must be able to say with confidence, “Here is a SAFTA winner, show some respect!’’

The SAFTA Awards ceremony will be held on 4 and 5 April.

Report by Warren Holden

DISCOP merges with regional partners

Carly Barnes
-
0

DISCOP Istanbul and DISCOP Africa, television content markets which take place in significant industry growth regions, have acquired new partners in order to expand both events and build closer connections in each market respectively.

Patrick Jucaud-Zuchowicki, Founder of the DISCOP Markets believes that business in these regions is where the future of their clients lies. “Both Istanbul and Johannesburg have become influential centres of gravity and DISCOP’s ground-breaking alliances will also help develop deeper relationships with multinational brands and advertisers that have become vital to the continuous growth of international TV content business,’ said Jucaud-Zuchowicki.

Hakan Adiguzel, President of Globus Fairs and Congress, a prominent Istanbul-based trade show organiser which will own 50% of DISCOP Istanbul, said: “Turkey has now become a major player in the global industry. As a marketplace for international content suppliers, as a production centre with a plan to export US$1 billion worth of TV content in the next decade, the city is now a strategic TV business hub for Central and Eastern Europe, Central and West Asia, North Africa, and the Middle East.’

Nat Kekana, part of the group of South African investors who will attain 50% of DISCOP Africa said: “The next few years will bring enormous opportunities as digital services become increasingly common across a continent blessed by the world’s youngest population. And in a few years, DISCOP Africa has grown to become the only market where multiplatform entertainment business meets Africa.’

DISCOP markets will host over 4,000 delegates, both non-exhibiting and exhibiting, which represent more than 2,000 international TV and digital content companies in 2014.

DISCOP Istanbul takes place until 6 March at the Istanbul Convention and Exhibition Centre in Turkey.

DISCOP Africa takes place from 5 to 7 November at the Sandton Convention Centre in Johannesburg, South Africa.

Visit the DISCOP Istanbul and DISCOP Africa websites for more information.

Production equipment to suit the needs of reporting media

Carly Barnes
-
0

International equipment suppliers catering to the fast-paced and dynamic reporting media sector are addressing unique needs pertaining to the industry, such as on-location power, lighting, camera support and communication.

Battery power

IDX System, a manufacturer of Lithium-ion battery systems has produced Duo 95 and Duo 150 battery packs which have the capacity to power a camera as well as run or charge other devices.

Zachary Shannon, Field Engineer and Technical Servicer for IDX in California commented: “What we’ve implemented on these new batteries is two D-taps. They can be used for powering on-board accessories, such as lights, or any recorders, or anything that requires 12 volts. We’ve also added a USB power output that can charge tablets, smart phones, remote controllers, anything that requires USB power.’

In terms of safety, Graham Sharp, General Manager of Anton/Bauer, a manufacturer of film and video camera broadcast batteries, said their Lithium-ion battery packs were the best on the market, making use of circuitry which constantly measures temperature and current draw.

“The minute we see anything strange going on, like a rise in temperature or overcurrent situation, we basically open a switch and shut the battery down,’ added Sharp.

BHV Broadcast, a distributer of broadcast video equipment for production and post-production has developed a product called Video Ghost, which is designed to prevent damage from incorrect connections by sending a 48-volt supply over an existing video cable.

Lighting innovations

Companies such as Zylight, K5600, Litepanel and Kino Flo Lighting Systems are designing a variety of products that addresses camera crew needs relating to packing and transporting equipment, adjusting colour illumination and managing daylight.

Joe Arnao, President of Los Angeles-based lighting solutions company Zylight commented on their F8 LED Fresnel fixture, “It’s bright like an HMI, but better suited for run-and-gun news ENG applications. You just snap on a battery and go.’
California lighting manufacture, K5600, launched a 200-watt tungsten balance metal halide discharge bulbs for its Joker fixtures, allowing lighting operators to quickly change and get double- usage out of a single fixture.

In 2014, K5600 is creating lamps for all of its fixtures enabling crew to change the colour temperature on existing Jokers without having to gel them.

Scott Stueckle, Sales and Public Relations Manager for Kino Flo Lighting Systems in California commented that their fluorescents and LEDs were based on spectral sensitivity curves of all major camera manufacturers.

“Now that you have a variety of HD cameras, the rise of the DSLRs and those types of things, each camera has tended to have, by manufacturer, its own spectral sensitivity curve. We’ve added into our line of our LED Celebs, and tubes for all of the fluorescent fixtures we made over the past 40 years or so,’ said Stueckle.

Support equipment

Because news cinematographers often have to carry equipment and a number of tripods while in the field, Vinten Camera Support Equipment and Systems have developed an innovative product, blueBridge, which enables the shooter to use both small and large cameras on a single support.

Tobias Keuthen, Global Brand Manager for Sachtler and Petrol Bags recognised the need for smaller and lighter tripods to support lightweight cameras. “The ACE L fluid head works the same way as our larger products; it’s got the DNA of Sachtler, a smooth camera movement. It’s also the lightest tripod in this range,’ said Keuthen.

Communication technology

Accelerated Media Technologies (AMT), a broadcast truck maker, has developed an all IP liveshot vehicle with a Dejero Ka-band system which is both cellular and satellite capable, the Nissan MV 200.

Tom Jennings, President of AMT, said: “The shooter can literally push one button and have the unit completely connected to its bandwidth, via satellite or via cellular. It’s got satellite backbone components so that if the cellular bandwidth drops off, the satellite bandwidth has the load and will maintain its bandwidth no matter what happens.’

Illegal DTT set-top boxes infiltrate the South African market

Carly Barnes
-
0

Illegal DTT set-top boxes, which receive free-to-air digital terrestrial television (DTT) test channels and offer recording to external storage device capabilities, are being sold at markets in Johannesburg and Cape Town.

The STBs , raising concerns with local manufacturers who have invested in producing compliant Digital Video Broadcasting – Terrestrial, version 2 standard (DVB-T2) STBs, and broadcasters alike.

Due to a lack of copy-protection mechanisms on the HD output to the TV, and into the personal video recording (PVR) functionality of these devices, the affected parties will have to rely on law enforcement agencies to stop the pirate low-quality STBs from flooding the South African market.

Bronwyn Keene-Young, e.tv’s Group COO, says while South African manufacturers will comply with the SABS standards, they will not be able to compete with cheap low-quality foreign STBs.

“Having the broadcast signal protected at the commercial launch of DTT will go a long way to make sure that these boxes become redundant and therefore pose no threat to the local manufacturing industry,” concludes Keene-Young.

Big Brother Mzansi housemates make their first round of evictee nominations

Carly Barnes
-
0

The live Big Brother Mzansi Secrets Nomination Show, which aired on Mzansi Magic (DStv Channel 161) at 21h30 on 3 March, revealed the four housemates who will potentially face eviction from the house.

For the very first time in the game, housemates nominated who they would like to see go home, which meant Jase (with four votes), Kat (with three votes), Lola (with three votes) and Mandla (with four votes) will be up for eviction. However, Head of House Sol chose to exercise his “Save and Replace power’ and removed Mandla from the nominations list, replacing him with Thando.

Although Lexi received five nominations, she and Mzamo were exempt from possible eviction, after they won the individual immunity task on Monday. Loko, Sol and Iris received no nominations.

The contestants voted as follows:

Iris – Jase, Lexi
Jase – MK, Mandla
Kat – Thando, Lola
Lexi – Mzamo, Jase
Loko – Lexi, MK
Lola – Kat, Mandla
Mandla – Poolie, Lola
MK – Jase, Lexi
Mzamo – Lexi, Jase
Poolie – Mandla, Kat
Thando – Kat, Mandla
Sol – Lola, Lexi

The fate of Jase, Kat, Lola and Thando is now in the hands of the voting audience who will send one of the housemates home. The results will be broadcast on Sunday 9 March at 19h00 on Mzansi Magic.

Visit the Big Brother Mzansi Secrets website to find out how to vote.

Big Brother Mzansi Secrets airs live 24 hours a day, seven days a week on DStv channels 197 and 198.

Isibaya: Telenovela turned soap opera

Carly Barnes
-
0

Mzansi Magic’s Isibaya, a telenovela set against the backdrop of the taxi industry, draws to a close on 13 March, and due to its success among South Africa audiences will broadcast five days a week from 17 March at 20h30 as a daily soap opera.

Yolisa Phahle, Channel Director of M-Net’s general entertainment channels said: “Viewership exceeded the expectations we had when we launched in March 2013, with the show now consistently surprising viewers with fresh and interesting storylines. You also only have to go onto social networks during the broadcast of each episode to see how closely viewers are following the story arcs and characters. We are thrilled to now be able to offer our viewers a dose of Isibaya every weekday as the show enters a new era.’

The Bomb Shelter, the production company who produces the show, is not yet revealing what new characters and plots will be introduced into the narrative; which is themed around the lives of the Zungu and the Ndlovu families in the Thukela Valley in Kwa-Zulu Natal. The show will continue to deliver home-grown South Africa relevant stories which involve villains, rivalry, power, money, impossible love and the tensions which arise between the city and rural family members involved in the taxi business.

Isibaya airs on Mzansi Magic (DStv channel 161), at 20h30 from 17 March.

Visit Mzansi Magic’s Isibaya website page for more information.

Liquid Telecom builds a satellite hub in South Africa

Carly Barnes
-
0

Liquid Telecom, an independent data, voice and IP provider which services cellular, wireless and fixed line providers, ISPs, financial institutions and businesses of all sizes in eastern, southern and central Africa, is building a satellite hub at a South African earth station in order to route African traffic in Africa.

By avoiding backhauling traffic via Europe, as many operators need to do, the company is able to reduce inoperativeness and increase connectivity speeds for users.

Due to the expansion of its pan-African satellite business, Liquid Telecom, which built the largest single fibre network in Africa covering over 17,000km from Uganda to Cape Town, will be able to provide high-speed, cost-effective broadband services to more remote areas.

Nic Rudnick, CEO of Liquid Telecom, said: “Our fibre and satellite networks complement each other and enable us to meet the ever-increasing demand for connectivity from across Africa. Teraco is the most connected point in southern Africa and our investment in the earth station and the expansion of our satellite capabilities reflects our commitment to building Africa’s digital future.’

African businesses are serviced by very small aperture terminal (VSAT) services, which aren’t fast or strong enough to handle the Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS) or private VPN services they need. With this new investment and having sourced best-in-market VSAT equipment, Liquid Telecom is able to provide these businesses with high-speed broadband connectivity and related business tools, no matter where they are situated.

The hub will be based at an earth station provided by Teraco, a provider of resilient, vendor neutral data environments in South Africa.

Lex van Wyk, CEO of Teraco Data Environments, commented: “We welcome Liquid Telecom’s investment in our site. Liquid Telecom is known for being an innovative company and for recognising future trends and responding to them, which is why they remain well ahead of the competition.’

1...363738...61Page 37 of 61
- Advertisement -
- Advertisement -
- Advertisement -
© Copyright 2017

Pin It on Pinterest