Cera-Jane Catton

Ncam announced that its real-time camera tracking technology for augmented reality (AR) has been honoured with an Emmy Award for Outstanding Achievement in Engineering Development by the Television Academy (primetime).

Relied upon by leading broadcasters, including CNN, ESPN, Fox Sports, MLB, NFL, The Weather Channel and BT Sports, Ncam is able to integrate live action and computer-generated elements in the studio or on location more convincingly than ever before in order to provide a more immersive experience for television viewers.

“It’s a tremendous feeling to be put forward for such an accolade – we’ve come a long way since we began delivering commercial applications in 2012,’ said Nic Hatch, CEO, Ncam. “The fact that our technology is trusted by so many organisations to enhance critical live broadcasting of sports, news, weather and major events, speaks volumes – I couldn’t be prouder of our brilliant team who endeavour to make our business and the work of our clients such a great success’.

Presented for engineering developments so significant an improvement on existing methods or so innovative in nature, that they materially affect the transmission, recording or reception of television, the Engineering Emmys are overseen by the Television Academy’s Engineering Emmy Awards Committee, currently chaired by Wendy Aylsworth, senior vice president of Technology for Warner Bros. Award recipients are selected by a jury of television engineers.

“In order to integrate live action and computer-generated elements convincingly, the graphics have to stay precisely in place: any movement against the real elements instantly breaks the illusion,’ Hatch explains.

Ncam’s approach to camera tracking technology allows for the real-time integration of live action and computer generated elements. The positional tracking system utilises a pair of high speed witness cameras, along with a number of mechanical sensors to create a 3D image of the environment. The Ncam system instantly identifies a large number of points of high contrast in the scene, and from this builds a 3D map of the environment using a mathematical model. As the camera moves, its position can be tracked, never losing its absolutely precise reference.
This precise positional data is fed to a real-time graphics engine with virtually no latency. There is no need to incorporate physical markers into the studio, the set, or outdoor space and there is no time lost in set-up or when moving from one area to another.

The Ncam system works with any kind of camera, including handheld, steadicam, cranes and dollies. This allows productions to convincingly integrate augmented reality graphics into their broadcast shows.
Ncam technology is routinely used by Fox Sports for Monday Night Football. Zac Fields of Fox Sports said “AR is a very effective way to enhance your broadcast. The realism will only get better, and this is where I think we will see it move to the next level in the future.’

At The Weather Channel, Ncam enables the use of AR graphics to explain weather phenomena. “We’re bringing the outside into the studio,’ said Jeremy Jones, director of television products at The Weather Channel. “If we want to explain a tornado, for example, we’ll have an actual tornado come to life in the studio. The presenter will walk around and explain the dynamics of a tornado.’

In London, BT Sport covers the UEFA Champions’ League football competition and many other premium sports. It makes extensive use of AR in its studio to explain gameplays and even take its audience on a virtual journey across Europe to the stadium. The AR graphics are closely interwoven with real objects and screens in the studio, and can be seen by three cameras on different mounts.
The Technical and Engineering Emmy Awards will be presented to Ncam at an award ceremony and reception on Wednesday, 26 October 26 2016 at the Loews Hollywood Hotel, in Los Angeles.

For more information visit the Ncam website.

The special jury convened by the National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF) announced that the feature film, Noem My Skollie, currently on circuit in South African cinemas, has been nominated as SA’s official selection to the 89th Annual Academy Awards (Oscars) in the category for Best Foreign Language Film Award. The NFVF CEO Zama Mkosi said: “We are proud that after a rigorous judging process, Noem My Skollie, is nominated as the official selection for the 89th Annual Academy Awards…”

Competition this year for the coveted nomination to represent South Africa was intense. This is a remarkable achievement for Daryne Joshua’s first feature film. The producers, David Max Brown and Moshidi Motshegwa and their partners who supported the financing of the film at the NFVF, kykNET, M-Net and the distributor Ster Kinekor Entertainment, are thrilled with this news and are proud that the film achieved the accolade.

To date the film has been seen by more than 32 000 people in South Africa. “Noem My Skollie’s great box office performance has now been crowned with the nomination as South Africa’s entry into the Oscars, we are extremely proud to have been part of getting this amazing film on to SA screens and are excited about the continued potential in our market and on the global stage,’ says Mario Dos Santos, chief executive officer – Ster Kinekor Entertainment.

“Noem My Skollie has been a project close to our hearts and M-Net and kykNET are incredibly proud of every single person who has brought this authentic South African story to life,’ says Jan du Plessis, director: M-Net Channels. “What makes it even more special, is that this moving film is the work of a first time director and that the story is rooted in the true-life experiences of the screenwriter. It’s a film the world needs to see.’

“The sheer amount of love Skollie is receiving by audiences around the country continues to surprise us. We are overwhelmed by the honour of representing our country. Is met ‘n salute ja!” says director Daryne Joshua.
‘The greatest affirmation an artist can get is from their own tribe. We are ecstatic to have this affirmation!’ says producer Motshegwa.

Watch the trailer here:

shnit International Shorfilmfestival presents a short film experience. In its seventh year in South Africa, it returns to The Labia Theatre, in Cape Town. With additional events and screenings stretching to the furthest limits of the greater city, including The City Bowl Market, Waterkant Studios, Pepper Club Cinema, Truth Coffee and the Cape Town Club.

shnit announced an acclaimed South African jury, including Sean Metelerkamp, Zethu Dlomo, David Kau. This year, 13 films compete in the Made In South Africa category, with an additional 13 South African films screening out of competition.
Now in shnit”s fourteenth global year, 58 films from all around the world compete in the International Competition, which will award five films with the coveted Flaming Faun award in both jury and audience categories. Over 250 films will screen in total, in and out of competition, across the eight host cities: Bangkok, Bern, Buenos Aires, Cairo, Cape Town, Hong Kong, Moscow and San Jose.

shnit 2016 kicks off on Wednesday 5 October with a gala event at the City Bowl Market Building, and screens for five days at The Labia Theatre on Orange St in Cape Town, with highlight screenings at the Cinema Club on First Thursdays, Truth Coffee and Guga’sithebe Community Centre in Langa. For the first time shnit will be collaborating with the Black Filmmakers Film Festival, with a special screening at the Labia over the festival weekend. Another first is shnit’s showcase of the best kids films in the world at the new Waterkant Studios on Loop Street. Returning for a second year is A pretty $#i+ shnit night, where filmmakers (or anyone for that matter) can create the worst films they can for a night of hilarity and boos.

For the second year, the Elements Short Film Lab will run concurrently to the festival, offering filmmakers a chance to learn and expand their horizons through panel discussions, roundtables and networking events. Sunday 9 October sees shnit sign off for another year with a closing awards ceremony at the Cape Town Club, also featuring the premiere of the Real Time competition films. shnit is made possible in Cape Town by the support of the National Film and Video Foundation

Tickets are available through Webtickets.
Opening Night R70
Guga S`thebe Community Centre Screening R20
Labia and Truth Coffee shows R45
Long and Short – Kids Screening R70
Closing Night R120
Festival Passes (Weekend access) R280
Tickets for the Elements Short Film lab R300

Click for film and scheduling information on the Shnit website.

Nominations for the 2016 International Emmy® Awards were announced on 26 September 2016, by the International Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. There are 40 Nominees across ten categories and 15 countries. Winners will be announced at a black-tie Ceremony on 21 November 2016 at the Hilton New York Hotel.

Nominees come from: Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, France, Germany, Japan, Philippines, Singapore, South Africa, South Korea, Sweden, United Kingdom, United Arab Emirates and the United States.

“The International Emmy competition is the pinnacle for recognizing excellence in television around the world,” said Bruce L. Paisner, president and CEO of the International Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. “We congratulate the 2016 Nominees and welcome them to our global stage.”

In addition to the presentation of the International Emmy® Awards for programming and performances, the Academy will present two special awards. Shonda Rhimes, the writer, executive producer and creator behind Grey’s Anatomy, Scandal, How to Get Away with Murder and The Catch will receive the International Emmy Founders Award. Maria Rørbye Rønn, the chief executive officer and director general of Danish Broadcasting Corporation, which pioneered and drove the success of Nordic Noir drama around the world will receive the International Emmy Directorate Award.

2016 Semi-Final judging hosts were: Aetios, Fabienne Larouche & Michel Trudeau (Mont-Tremblant, Canada), Armoza Formats, Avi Armoza (Tel Aviv, Israel), Beijing CTV Splendid, Cheng Xiong (Changzhou, China), Broadview TV, Leopold Hoesch (Cologne, Germany),Cisneros Media, Marcello Coltro (Miami, USA),Cyber Group Studios, Pierre Sissmann (Paris, France), DR TV, Piv Bernth (Copenhagen, Denmark), FFP New Media, Michael Smeaton (Berlin, Germany), Fox Networks Group Latin America, Edgar Spielmann (Mexico City, Mexico), Fuji Television, Hisashi Hieda (Tokyo, Japan), Globo TV, Carlos Henrique Schroder (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil & New York, USA), Graf Filmproduktion, Klaus Graf (Berlin, Germany), Havas Productions, Raphael de Andreis & Yann Le Prado (Paris, France), HBO Latin America Group, Jonathan Baker (Miami, USA), KBS, Dae-Young Ko (Seoul, South Korea), MTVA – Hungarian Public Service Media, Zsuzsanna Kalomista (Budapest, Hungary), NFVF – National Film and Video Foundation, Zama Mkosi (Johannesburg, South Africa), ORF, Beatrice Cox-Riesenfelder (Vienna, Austria), Pyramedia, Nashwa Al Ruwaini (Abu Dhabi, UAE), Quebecomm, Sylvain Parent-Bedard (Montreal, Canada), Shanghai Croton Media, Benjamin Li (Shanghai, China), Sonae FS, Andre Sampaio (Lisbon, Portugal),The Story Lab, Erik de Winter (Amsterdam, The Netherlands),TV France International, Herve Michel (Biarritz, France), Wowow, Nobuya Wazaki (Tokyo, Japan), YLE, Liselott Forsman (Helsinki, Finland), Ziegler Films, Regina & Tanja Ziegler (Berlin, Germany).

For more information and the full list of nominees visit the International Emmy® Awards website.