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Carly Barnes

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Miller Camera Support presents new tripod for on-the-go shooting

Carly Barnes
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Miller Camera Support presented its new Cineline 70 Tripod System at the 2015 NAB Show which ran from 13 to 16 April in Las Vegas. The complete tripod system includes a new HD Mitchell Base 1-Stage Alloy Tripod and HD Alloy Ground Spreader to complement the robust Cineline 70 Fluid Head.

“Miller designed the Cineline 70 Tripod System to meet the demanding needs of on-the-go cinematographers who consider speed, reliability and consistency to be paramount,’ says Charles Montesin, global sales and marketing manager.

The heavy duty HD Mitchell Base 1-Stage Alloy Tripod has a fast and easy setup, with features that include a high-capacity leg-lock system, deploying turn-lock levers with rapid lock/release action, as well as a heavy duty Mitchell Base with a built-in bubble level. Built with the strength and torsional rigidity to take on heavy payloads, the tripod system has a capacity of 82.7 pounds, providing stability and security when supporting varying rigging configurations. Additionally, the sturdy HD Alloy Ground Spreader, designed for rapid setup and pull-down, easily attaches to the Alloy Tripod and is optimal for use on flat surfaces.

Completing the system, the lightweight Cineline 70 Fluid Head, constructed of corrosion resistant alloy, offers advanced precision fluid drag control with ultra-soft starts, smooth stops and perfect diagonal drag transition, as well as counterbalance systems with “all-in-one-location’ control layout. It is set to accommodate industry-leading camera mountings, including Arri, Sony, RED, and Canon, and it also features an Arri-compatible, side-loading camera platform, along with an optional, easy-to-fit Mitchell Base Adaptor to suit traditional Mitchell Flat Base tripods.

The fluid head also comes equipped with an extended sliding range to promote quick and seamless rebalancing of the rig when lens and accessory changes result in weight distributions.

Short films in competition at ZIFF

Carly Barnes
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The Zanzibar International Film Festival (ZIFF), which runs from 18 to 26 July, has announced the 16 films in competition for the 2015 Sembene Ousmane Film Prize. The selected films hail from 11 countries: USA, Brazil, Senegal, Madagascar, Ghana, Cameroon, Morocco, Kenya, South Africa, Ethiopia and Tanzania.

“The competition has been designed to reward excellence in short film production and to encourage the production of new short films, including short documentaries,’ explained ZIFF assistant film director international, Fabrizio Colombo.
He added, “Each of the three winning films will be awarded US$2,000 specifically earmarked to produce a new short film to be ready by ZIFF 2016.’

Bernd Multhaup of the Deutsche Gesellschaft fur Internationale Zusammenarbeit GmbH (German Federal Enterprise for International Cooperation), the co-sponsors of the prize explained, “this year the sponsors have decided to award three films to ensure that many more filmmakers are encouraged to make creative films through the Sembene Ousmane Prize. The short film genre is a powerful way to communicate serious issues without sacrificing production quality and aesthetic value.’

The three winners will need to submit their scripts and a production within four months of the award and funds will then be released. The winning three films will be screened at ZIFF 2015, and the new films screened in ZIFF 2016.

The 16 nominated films are:

Lesley by Victor Okoye Frank, USA / 15 min
O Canto da Iona by Thiago B. Mendonca, Brazil / 25 min
Maruna by Molly Kane, Senegal / 15 min
Aisaa’s Story by Iquo B Essien, USA / 15 min
Madama Esther by Luck Razanajaona, Madagascar / 15 min
The Traveller by Victoria Dogbe, Ghana / 9 min
Damaru by Agbor Obed, Cameroon / 24 min
Houkak by Younes Youfsi, Morocco / 17 min
Kwaku by Anthony Nti, Ghana / 16 min
Samaki Mchangani by Amil Shivji, Tanzania, 30 min
Kilimo 2 by Neema and Warren Reed, Tanzania / 6 min
Liberte Emprisonnee by Sara Mikayel, Senegal /16 min
Soko Sonko by Ekwa Msangi, Kenya / 22 min
Uthando by Tulanana Bohela, South Africa, 20 min
Grandma Knows Best by Tamara Dawit, Ethiopia, 16 min
Vitrin by Regis Talia, Cameroon, 15 min

Visit the ZIFF website for more information.

Kudelski Group and Google sign patent agreement

Carly Barnes
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The Kudelski Group, an independent provider of media protection and value-added service technology, and Google, have entered into a multi-year patent cross licensing agreement.

“The Kudelski Group is focused on developing and licensing technology and intellectual property to the video market and we are pleased to license our patent portfolio to Google while also gaining access to Google patents,’ said Joe Chernesky, senior vice president of Intellectual Property and Innovation at the Kudelski Group. “Operating companies benefit when they respect each other’s intellectual property rights and cross license their patents in a reasonable and collaborative manner. This agreement further validates the significant investment both companies have made and will continue to make in innovation to the benefit of consumers worldwide.’

“We are pleased to enter into this agreement, which will allow us to continue to focus on building great products,” said Allen Lo, Google’s deputy general counsel for patents. “Google has a portfolio of more than 55,000 patents and applications worldwide and is actively cross-licensing its patents in support of Google’s product ecosystem.”

While the specific terms remain confidential, this agreement provides the companies a patent license for their respective businesses, subject to certain limitations. Google will make a one-time payment to The Kudelski Group. With 4,500 patents and patent applications and over 60 years of experience in pioneering innovative technologies, the Kudelski Group offers a comprehensive intellectual property licensing program that provides its customers and partners with access to many fundamental technologies, enabling them to build compelling devices, applications and services that work seamlessly together.

Eutelsat enables Hausa channel to expand reach in Sub-Saharan Africa

Carly Barnes
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Arewa24, a 24-hour free-to-air Hausa-language entertainment and lifestyle channel, announced a multi-year capacity lease with Eutelsat Communications on the Eutelsat 16A satellite. Leveraging the satellite’s Ku-band footprint which sweeps across sub-Saharan Africa, the channel is shifting towards a new and higher quality of broadcasting service to solidify its position as Northern Nigeria’s premiere Hausa language channel. Under the Eutelsat footprint, Arewa24 extends its reach to Hausa-speaking communities throughout Nigeria and the region, including in Niger, Chad, Burkina Faso, Ghana and Cameroon.

Launched in June 2014, Arewa24 has chosen to upgrade performance using Eutelsat 16A while continuing playout and other channel services with its teleport partner, Jordan Media City, based in Amman, Jordan. Viewers can now benefit from improved satellite signal quality across Hausa-speaking regions and can also access a variety of popular free-to-air channels available from Eutelsat 16A’s rich programming neighbourhood.

Jacob Arback, president of Arewa24, commented, “We are extremely proud to bring the finest broadcasting resources to our television channel and to enrich the lives of our viewers by showcasing the beauty, promise and potential of Northern Nigeria to Hausa speakers across Nigeria and West and Central Africa. The choice of the Eutelsat 16A satellite demonstrates our ongoing commitment to raising the quality bar for our viewers and to partnering with a satellite provider that has long demonstrated its commitment to Africa.’

Atomos announces scaled down Bare Bones monitor

Carly Barnes
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Atomos, an Australian company which creates 4K and HD Monitor-recorders, a pocket size ProRes recorder, signal converters and power management solutions, has added a Bare Bones model to its product line.

The current Shogun model includes the following accessories: HPRC hard case, AC adapter, SSD media cases, D-Tap adapter, 5200mAh battery, battery charger, XLR breakout cable and SSD docking station. Addressing customer requests for a unit with only an AC adaptor version, in order to utilise legacy equipment which they already own from Atomos, and in an initiative to drive 4K adoption even faster, Atomos have announced a Bare Bones version of the Shogun which removes all accessories except an SSD media case and AC power supply. A high quality soft carry case is also included for protection.

“Shogun Bare Bones is all about accelerating the move to 4K at breakneck speed in combination with the amazing Japanese 4K high quality affordable cameras, allowing customers to utilise legacy Atomos accessories they already own.” said Jeromy Young CEO of Atomos. “We still expect the full Battle Ready Shogun loaded with accessories to be popular but now users can decide what makes sense for their first and second 4K camera rig.”

SAE presents new Digital Film Masterclasses

Carly Barnes
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The SAE institute, which offers qualifications and short courses in animation, filmmaking, and sound production, is presenting a new and free to attend Digital Film Masterclass series.

The topics covered include:
• Music video directing
• Women in film
• Composing for television commercials
• Shoot to colour grade
• The future of online workflow

Classes will be held at the SAE Woodstock campus in Cape Town every two months.
Visit the SAE website for more information.

In addition, the organisation will be holding an Open Day on Saturday 18 April between 09h00 and 12h00, where guests will be given a campus tour and the opportunity to interact with SAE staff and students.

To register for this event visit the SAE website.

Audio recording app developed for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch

Carly Barnes
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Apogee Electronics, a digital audio recording technology specialist, has launched MetaRecorder, a two-channel audio recording App for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch which will revolutionise mobile audio production for video.

Apogee’s MetaRecorder is the first audio recording app for iPhone to offer intuitive multi-take recording, tagging and file organisation for any field recording scenario. The perfect companion to Sennheiser’s digital clip-on microphones powered by Apogee, MetaRecorder features 24 bit/96kHz recording quality plus software control of input level and recording pre-sets.

Control with Apple Watch app

Essential features of MetaRecorder on iPhone can be controlled from Apple Watch – start and stop recording, “favorite a take’, add markers or set microphone input level.

Final Cut Pro X workflow

Apply metadata tags like keywords, favorites, markers and more to audio files while recording in the field, then share the recorded audio and Final Cut Pro XML files to Dropbox directly from MetaRecorder. When imported into Final Cut Pro on a Mac, the captured metadata simplifies the process of organising and parsing media, substantially accelerating the post-production workflow.

MetaRecorder is a free download from the Apple app store. For a limited time, connecting a compatible Apogee or Sennheiser device permanently unlocks unlimited continuous recording. MetaRecorder also works with the built-in microphone or any other iOS compatible device but is limited to 60 seconds of continuous recording.

2015 Cinemark Young Lions final call for competition entries

Carly Barnes
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Young, creative hopefuls are just a few weeks away from the possibility of winning the prize of their dreams – a trip to the Cannes Lions Festival, taking place between 21 and 27 June, to the value of approximately R100 000. By entering the 2015 Cinemark Young Lions Competition, two young South Africans will soon be jetting off to the French Riviera to hone their skills amongst the best in the world.

Teams who do not want to miss out on this opportunity need to register for the South African competition by 21 April.

“Registration for the Young Lions competition closes in a matter of days. It is only those that have registered who will be emailed the brief. Upon registration, a unique registration number is issued. It is this registration number that must be used to name the entry video in order to eliminate bias by the judges concerned,’ explains marketing manager for Cinemark, Tshireletso Yvonne Diogo.

It is only by winning the national competition that Young Lions can secure the opportunity to participate in the international leg of the competition. Winners, made up of a two-person team, will be handpicked by a selection of esteemed South African judges. Judging criteria is based on originality of concept, the idea itself and creative use of the medium – considering that the winning ad will be screened at select Ster-Kinekor cinemas across the country.

Those who have entered the Young Lions competition will have 48 hours to film and edit a commercial no longer than 30 seconds. The brief will be emailed to all registered competitors on 21 April at 12h00, giving creatives until 23 April at 12h00 to submit their commercial.

“With a chance to win a prize of almost R100k in rand value, not to mention the tacit knowledge, ground breaking insights and intellectual capital that stands to be transferred to delegates in Cannes, as well as networking opportunities, every ambitious creative under the age of 28 should be entering the competition, register now!’ Diogo says.

For more information, please contact Yvonne Diogo on yvonned@cinemark.co.za; 011 445 7772 or visit the Cinemark website to register.

NFVF announces 2014 co-production report

Carly Barnes
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The National Film and Video Foundation, an agency of the Department of Arts and Culture, presents the annual co-production activity report for 2014. The report is compiled from data captured from the applications for advanced ruling and is aimed at assessing how co-production activities contribute to the local film industry.

In order to reach a wider distribution network of filmed material, most countries have signed co-production treaties with countries that share similar visions. To date South Africa has a total of eight co-production treaties with the following countries: United Kingdom, France, Australia, Ireland, Italy, Canada, Germany and New Zealand and is currently finalising a treaty with Brazil.

Over the past three years South Africa recorded a decline in the number of co-production projects completed in a year. In 2011 a total of 16 projects were completed. In 2014 a total of seven projects were recorded, one less than 2013 and five less as compared to 2012. The global financial meltdown has been identified as a possible reason for the decline in the number of co-production projects in the past years. “We have however seen countries that have signed co-production treaties with South Africa set aside budget specifically dedicated to co-productions and therefore expect to see an increase in the number of co-production projects going forward,’ says Zama Mkosi, NFVF CEO.

The NFVF has also embarked on co-production treaty missions to Brazil as well as Nigeria to forge relations with these countries. There is a definite focus on BRICS and other African countries moving forward as the models for the film industry are similar to those of South Africa, making it easier to align and form partnerships.

For the past three years the SA/Germany treaty has been the most active. The treaty has constantly been the one producing more projects as compared to others. For the year under review the treaty has completed four projects namely; Unfriend, Super Dad, Truth and Consequences and Johanna and the Bush Pilot, an increase of one project from 2013 but a decline compared to eight in 2012. The SA/Canada treaty is one of the oldest treaties and in 2014 increased by one project (Shark Killer and Against the Wild – Surviving the Serengeti) from 2013 while the SA/UK treaty dropped to one project (Mandela’s Gun) in 2014 from two in 2013.
Overall the most preferred genre for the year under review was family, with 28.6% of the projects submitted being this genre. The rest of the genres each held 14.3% of the projects submitted.

It is evident the tourism sector and the transport sector were the biggest beneficiaries of the co-production projects with more than R13 million and R7 million spent in the two sectors respectively in 2014. The sector with a minimal benefit was the services sector with less than a million spent on hair and makeup.

One of the necessities of co-production is job creation as the projects pool together human resources from both partnering countries. The co-production report revealed that out of a total of 586 crew members used in the projects 36 were South African. South Africa however enjoyed a wider distribution in casting. Of the 120 cast members used in the co-production projects 71 were South African, with 61 featuring as leading cast.

Feature films have made up the largest proportion of co-production activity for the past two years. For 2014 a total of three feature films were submitted.

The growth of co-productions moving forward is important and is the reason for the NFVF’s trip to Brazil earlier this year as well as the engagement held with Nigeria in Cape Town last month. The partnership with both countries will enable more co-production projects to occur and enable more South African filmmakers to tell their stories and share them with a greater audience.

The results of the co-production report for 2014 can be found on the NFVF website.

Turkish series to air in Sub-Saharan Africa

Carly Barnes
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Turkish broadcaster and content distributor Kanal D has licensed two of its mini-drama series Love (13 x 90 min) and Secrets (18 x 90 min) to African pay-TV platform StarTimes. The series will broadcast on the platforms’ Star Novela E and Star Series E channels in prime time. This is the first time a Turkish series has featured on a pay-TV platform in the region. The series will be broadcasted with English dubbing.

Watch the trailer for Secrets

Watch the trailer for Love

Visit the Kanal D website for more information.

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