Home Authors Posts by Cera-Jane Catton

Cera-Jane Catton

316 POSTS 0 JOBS
Cera-Jane Catton is a writer and journalist with years of experience in community newspapers, blogging and freelance journalism. She has worked in a cache of capacities, often finding herself behind or in front of the cameras, intentionally and less so. She has been a stunt double in two Bollywood movies, has worked in various capacities on a number of natural history documentaries, and other international productions shot in South Africa. Cera is a former Screen Africa journalist.

Aza TV online VOD platform growing in Africa

Cera-Jane Catton
-
0

African television lovers can now access local content in a new digital media space through Aza TV, an online platform that aims to deliver the best in entertainment, lifestyle, talk and inspirational television by Africans, for Africans.

Aza TV was launched on 20 May 2015 by media personalities Salamina Mosese and Stephina Zwane through their media company, Sorele Media, a 100 per cent female-owned African media content company.

Aza TV is an online VOD platform, with all shows on the platform available to watch at the viewer’s leisure whenever he or she chooses.

In a recent interview with the Gauteng Film Commission (GFC), Mosese explained the inspiration behind Aza TV. “We named it Aza TV, Aza meaning powerful in Swahili,” she said. “We wanted to approach TV production in a new way.”

Both Zwane and Mosese are passionate about providing alternatives to mainstream media distribution and consumption. “We wanted to see how best we could encourage people to consume media in a different way, and to find a way to ensure that the producer of the content benefits and not just the broadcaster,” Mosese said.

While Aza TV is very much still in the start-up phase, the two women are proud to have made it past the one-year mark. “It was a daunting undertaking, and every day is a learning opportunity for us,” Mosese said.

Aza TV has four channels – Talk, Entertainment, Inspirational and Lifestyle – with different shows under each of these categories, all of which are accessible through the website or the AzaTV App.

Mosese says their target market is Africans aged between 14 and 40 years old and the numbers indicate that they’ve already started reaching this market – Aza TV hit 100 000 impressions in its first year of launch. “So now we need to grow these numbers and keep our audiences coming back,” she said.

The early success didn’t come without its challenges, however. “Starting a business is always challenging,” Mosese said. “Raising funding was very time-consuming, and then operating it and keeping content fresh and current is another challenge. Another challenge will always be the cost of data,” she added.

“However, AzaTV is a whole new medium for South African producers, so it is exciting to be able to develop content that can be easily consumed and accessed. It presents unique opportunities to get even more creative.”

For more information visit the Aza TV website.

EBS announces multi-platform EPG data contract to supply platforms in Africa

Cera-Jane Catton
-
0

EBS, a full-service provider of EPG data for platforms and channels worldwide, has announced that it is has been contracted by ITV Choice to supply EPG data listings to platforms in Africa and Asia. Part of ITV, the UK’s largest commercial broadcaster, ITV Choice is the home of big British entertainment, packed full of award-winning drama, gameshows, entertainment and documentaries, available throughout Asia, the Middle East and Africa, reaching more than 100 countries.

Using its unique multi-platform, multi-territory, scalable software solution, Pawa, EBS takes all the scheduling information for ITV Choice and restructures it to meet the requirements of the individual platforms. This fully integrated data workflow provides the channel with a write-once-publish-many capability.

As well as the EPG data, EBS is also providing ITV Choice with high-quality programme images that reflect the expectations of today’s viewers across multiple channels and platforms. EBS’ image team ensures that images are rights-approved for appropriate territories enabling ITV Choice to maintain editorial control with images associated with its brand.

Keith Bedford, managing director, EBS adds: “Whether content is discovered via a recommendation engine, onscreen guide or simple search, quality programme information is crucial. ITV Choice is a major addition to the television schedule in Asia, Africa and the Middle East and we’re very pleased to have been selected to provide multi-platform, EPG data services.’

For more information visit the EBS website.

Nigeria’s Eko International Film Festival to launch film institute

Cera-Jane Catton
-
0

The annual Eko International Film Festival (EKOIFF) is to launch a film institute during its 7th edition which will be held between 24 and 29 October 2016. The institute is billed to fill the gap between the new entrants into the Nollywood film industry and established practitioners.

EKOIFF is Nigeria’s leading international film festival in the coastal megacity of Lagos in southwestern Nigeria. The mission of EKOIFF is to promote the appreciation of arts and culture through the motion picture, arts and sciences, and increase tourism in the global village.

The launch of the film institute will take place during the festival’s Youth Development in Art workshop:
The two-day workshop in youth development in arts aims to inspire the youth. “Arts can turn around a troubled teenager; get young men and women off the streets into creative and constructive pursuit. Art can change attitude, build self-esteem and redirect the path of wayward, art can also prevent despair,’ says the EKOIFF website. The workshops will engage young men and women in a more meaningful way to look inside themselves to rediscover their potentials.

Training Modules:
• Screening-writing
• Directing
• Cinematography
• Editing
• Sound

For more information visit the Eko International Film Festival website.

NEP acquires Broadcast Solutions Group

Cera-Jane Catton
-
0

NEP Group Inc. (NEP) recently announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Broadcast Solutions Group, a global provider of outside broadcast flypacks and broadcast services partner in the Pan Asian region. Jones Day represented NEP as lead M&A counsel, and financial terms were not disclosed. The transaction will bring Broadcast Solutions, headquartered in Singapore with offices in India, UAE and the UK, into NEP’s Worldwide Network. Following this acquisition, NEP will have offices in 16 countries, as well as the ability to support productions across every continent.

Broadcast Solutions has been providing broadcast services for 16 years, covering broadcast projects for a range of high profile clients and events across a wide variety of sports including, cricket, golf, field hockey, football, tennis and kabaddi. Following the acquisition, Broadcast Solutions will operate as NEP Broadcast Solutions under the leadership of Saeed Izadi and will continue to be headquartered out of Singapore. The acquisition of Broadcast Solutions will make NEP a leading worldwide provider of outside broadcast flypacks.

“Broadcast Solutions has an exceptional reputation for service in the Asian and Indian markets, regions that remain key strategic priorities for NEP. This acquisition puts us in the leading position in these markets and enriches our global depth of resources, ensuring we have the best facilities and a highly experienced staff that can cover any project, anywhere in the world. The entire Broadcast Solutions team shares our commitment to superior client service and innovation, and I am very pleased to welcome Saeed Izadi and his team into the NEP Worldwide Network as we continue to expand our international broadcast services business,’ said Kevin Rabbitt, CEO, NEP Group.

“Becoming a part of the NEP Worldwide Network marks a milestone in our growth. I couldn’t ask for a more closely aligned partner than NEP to bring immediate and significant value to our worldwide clients,’ said Saeed Izadi, CEO and founder, Broadcast Solutions Group. “I am confident that this transaction will add a great deal of flexibility to our operations and will provide our staff with enriching collaborative opportunities. We are excited to expand our service excellence to a wider reach with the increased support of a worldwide network and a broader pool of resources.’

For more information visit the NEP website or the Broadcast Solutions Group website.

Italian NGO ACRA to sponsor ZIFF

Cera-Jane Catton
-
0

Zanzibar International Film Festival (ZIFF), taking place from 9 to 17 July, recently announced the signing of a sponsorship agreement with the Italian NGO, ACRA. This move will not only support ZIFF, one of Zanzibar’s major festival events, but also support the island’s tourism and cultural development.

ACRA will fund the Difficult Dialogues Public Forum, held during the festival each year, as well as an Artist-in-Residency programme and exhibition in collaboration with NAFASI Art Space, and the My Heritage workshop in collaboration with UQ Produzioni of Italy.

Laura Bassini, programme manager of ACRA explains their involvement, “ACRA recognises the role that civic organisations like ZIFF play towards development and the festival is a great occasion to acknowledge that good work.’

“Awareness is an essential background towards long term sustainability of cultural heritage. People need to be informed about the outstanding value of Stonetown Heritage for the entire world. On this basis, local inhabitants will have higher motivation to maintain and promote it,’ added Bassini, noting that the UNESCO office in Dar es Salaam and other interested parties have agreed to participate in the public forum that will take place on 13 July.

Speaking at the signing of the contract, professor Martin Mhando, CEO of ZIFF said, “Among different activities, the project will create different awareness activities in order to sensitise Zanzibar inhabitants on the importance of the conservation of the built heritage of Stone Town and its potential for economic growth, and income generation.’

“We stop the festival to engage with the community of Zanzibar, and the public forum is our way of assuring that the people of Zanzibar maintain their right to freedom of speech as enshrined in the UNO charter,’ concluded Mhando.

The UNO is a major supporter of ZIFF through UNESCO, UNFPA and UNICEF.

For more information visit the Fondazione ACRA website or the ZIFF website.

SGL to showcase new version of FlashNet at IBC

Cera-Jane Catton
-
0

SGL‘s FlashNet content management solution is designed to integrate seamlessly with MAM or automation control systems to provide significant improvements to workflow efficiency without intruding on the users’ familiar desktop. SGL’s Open System Architecture provides broadcasters, post production facilities, and news/sport organisations with reliable, scalable solutions with substantial cost and workflow benefits.

At the IBC exhibition taking place between 9 and 13 Sept 2016 in Amsterdam, SGL will showcase its new version of FlashNet, which includes the following key features:

• SGL FlashNet Lite – SGL is introducing FlashNet Lite, its new entry-level software solution. FlashNet Lite provides the full FlashNet solution but is restricted to a single server node. As Lite customers grow, FlashNet can grow with them.

• New Infinity User Interface: which is being incrementally rolled out over the next six months, provides customers with an neat dashboard that further simplifies archive procedures with sophisticated tools for archive and restore functionality, system health, monitoring, analysis and more.

• ESupport for AXF: SGL now supports reading and restoring from SMPTE’s Archive eXchange Format (AXF). FlashNet, SGL’s flagship content management storage system, can now read and process AXF objects providing greater flexibility for customers, ensuring long term availability of content in the future regardless of technology evolution.

• Support for Sony Ci: SGL now supports Ci, Sony’s cloud-based service that allows media professionals to collaborate on the creation and sharing of high quality, high resolution content. The SGL integration with Ci means that broadcasters and content owners can quickly and easily transfer material directly to the cloud from their MAM system using SGL FlashNet. As well as Ci, SGL also supports Amazon S3 via Aspera and ExpeDat Gateway.

• Pre-defined drives for specific archive roles: The new version of FlashNet, unveiled earlier this year, allows customers to allocate a pre-defined number of drives within their library for a specific role, such as archiving Avid jobs only, or restoring/archiving material at a certain time of day. This allows larger broadcasters with multiple drives to further improve operational procedures.

NFVF and Namibia Film Commission sign agreement during DIFF 2016

Cera-Jane Catton
-
0

The National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF) and the Namibia Film Commission (NFC) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) during the Durban International Film Festival (DIFF) 2016. The signing ceremony was held at the Elangeni Hotel on 21 June and the MOU was signed by NFVF CEO Zama Mkosi and Obed Emvula, chairperson of the board of the NFC, with the participation of officials and producers from both countries.

The aim of this MOU is to create a framework for developing cooperative relations between the NFVF, an agency of the department of Arts and Culture of South Africa, and the NFC, which supports, encourages and promotes film production as well as the development of the film industry in Namibia.

Actions undertaken within this framework are intended to benefit each organisation and their respective members, generating opportunities for connecting audiovisual content producers in SA with film commissions in Namibia and locations for audiovisual content production, as well as generating new economic activity in their respective countries.

“Our mandate as the NFVF is to form solid partnerships. Not just in SA, but across the African continent,’ said Mkosi. “47 per cent of foreign productions coming to Namibia are from South Africa, this shows the growth and the need to form firmer ties between South Africa and Namibia,’ said Emvula.

Specific provisions of the agreement include:

– Establishing an organisational level relationship between the parties to provide framework to support and strengthen the respective parties operational pillars.
– To promote co-production of films, television and other audiovisual content by Namibian and South African filmmakers, as well as production service business, and on-location filming in Namibia and South Africa.
– To maintain a bilateral communication channel designed to share ideas and best practices on domestic and international film production and promotion.
– To facilitate the visit of producer delegations from the two countries, as well as specific information to producers in regards to filming locations, regulations, incentives and clearance requirements in each jurisdiction of their respective countries.
– To promote distribution and exhibition of South African and Namibian Films.
– To facilitate training and skill exchange between film practitioners from the two countries.

SABC local content increase will include live broadcast of cultural events

Cera-Jane Catton
-
0

In a media briefing on 22 June 2016, the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) announced that its TV network channels will have a refurbished schedule, complete with brand new local content, slot changes and a list of new personalities.

These changes form part of the corporation’s decision to increase local content to 80 per cent on TV. The SABC’s COO Hlaudi Motsoeneng stated, “As an organisation we are moving towards an era of great transformation in terms of programming, where all these changes are aimed at placing our audience’s needs and wants.’
Starting from Monday 4 July 2016, the SABC will be introducing major changes on its television platforms, including a brand new look and feel for SABC3.

In addition cultural and traditional events from across all tribes in SA will be broadcast live on SABC. Motsoeneng stated that religious content, representing all recognised religions will be given more air time on SABC channels. “What we’re going to do is to make sure that we include religious programmes,’ said Motsoeneng. “We’re also going to engage religious people, all of them inclusive, we’re going to have meetings with them.
“All traditional events, we’re going to make sure that South Africans are proud to be South Africans on culture and tradition. All these cultural events, it doesn’t matter which tribe, we will put those cultural events at the SABC live.’

Opening of the world’s longest railway tunnel online via Blick webTV and LiveU

Cera-Jane Catton
-
0

LiveU announced that the opening of the world’s longest railway tunnel – 57.09 km – was brought live to online viewers by Blick webTV using LiveU technology. The Gotthard Tunnel was officially opened on 1 June 2016 after decades of debate about its viability, with the result now being hailed as an engineering tour de force.
Blick webTV was founded in 2006 and is part of the larger Ringier, a Swiss-based, multifaceted media group with employees in 15 countries. It produces web video content for both Ringier and external customers.

Michel Huber, head of technology, said, “We were determined to broadcast live from the entire event. We also wanted to stream the first train journey through the Gotthard live. That was why we chose LiveU. The mobility was crucial. Our video journalist was able to transmit images to our editors for almost an hour without an external power supply and all live.’

Blick webTV used a LU500, LiveU’s flagship uplink device for professional newsgathering, equipped with eight SIMs spread across three network operators. The company also took a Reuters Live Stream from the tunnel via satellite downlink. That was produced onsite by SRF and allowed Blick webTV to cut between images from the two feeds.

Huber said, “Our expectations were more than exceeded. No test runs were possible in advance so we therefore had to rely on the 4G network working in the tunnel as advertised. There were, in fact, a few places where the available bandwidth dropped to just 500k bits. Even in those extreme circumstances we kept broadcasting. As a result, we were very satisfied with what LiveU delivered to us from the Gotthard.’

Blick webTV has been using LiveU technology for 18 months now with the company deploying it for various types of news and sports coverage including the European Beach Volleyball Championships this year. It highlights even greater LiveU use since Facebook opened itself up to live video streaming.

LiveU owns the patent for cellular bonding for remote news gathering in the US, Europe, China and other countries. All LiveU products are based on this fourth-generation patented technology.

For more information visit the LiveU website.

African Screen Network developing African audiences

Cera-Jane Catton
-
0

The African Screen Network (ASN) has launched a new distribution initiative to grow African audiences for quality African films. With an initial offering of six award-winning, critically-acclaimed African feature films and documentaries, the ASN comprises of 21 screens in 16 countries including Mozambique, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Tanzania, Kenya, Sudan, Ghana, Nigeria, Madagascar, Ivory Coast, Zambia, Chad, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Egypt, Uganda and South Africa,

“For too long, the distribution of quality African films has been piecemeal at best. We believe it is crucial to build African audiences for our films. The ASN will contribute to breaking the borders between filmmakers and their audiences,’ said ASN manager Khanyo Mjamba

“We have launched the ASN with 21 partners across the continent but plan to grow and deepen the ASN in the future. We aim to reach 40 partners by 2017. We are also actively looking for the next six titles for 2017 release,’ Mjamba added.

The first six films included in the package are the Ivory Coast Cannes-selected Run by Philippe Lacote, the Sudanese TIFF Audience Award winner Beats of the Antonov by hajooj kuka, South African DIFF winner Necktie Youth by Sibs Shongwe La Mer. The Kenyan Berlinale winner Stories of Our Lives by Jim Chuchu and the Nest Collective, South African DIFF winner Love the One You Love by Jenna Bass, and Tribeca winner Democrats by Camilla Nielsson. These films will be screened by ASN partners across the continent, through a mix of independent cinemas, screening venues and cultural institutes.

The ASN was initiated by Steven Markovitz of Big World Cinema with a small seed grant from the Goethe-Institut and through self financing. “After we produced Viva Riva! we embarked on an experiment by releasing the film across Africa. It was a test case, followed by another test with the documentary Concerning Violence. After collecting data and much planning, we felt ready to launch the ASN. As producers of African films, we can’t sit back and wait for the distribution of our films to materialise, we have to actively build audiences. Without local audiences our cinema will stagnate,’ Markovitz said.

“While everyone is talking about online distribution, data on the continent is still expensive and satellite television does not have widespread subscribers. Theatrical distribution is still the cornerstone of the film business and investment in new cinemas is expanding on the continent. There is still nothing to match watching a film with other people in a dark room on a big screen,’ added Markovitz.

Trailers:

Beats of the Antonov.
Run.
Love the One You Love.
Stories of Our Lives.
Democrats.
Necktie Youth.

1...222324...32Page 23 of 32
- Advertisement -
- Advertisement -
- Advertisement -
© Copyright 2017

Pin It on Pinterest