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.

E! announces E! VIP series featuring the celebrity greats of the African continent

Cera-Jane Catton
-
0

Entertainment Television (E!) announced on 18 May 2016 that it will be bringing more local content to the channel with the launch of a brand new show E! VIP.

E! VIP is set to give viewers an exclusive insight into the life of Africa’s notable and loved celebrities, giving them a taste of what it’s like to live life in the limelight. The first episode will feature Nigerian-born Tiwa Savage and the series will continue with celebrities such as Rita Dominic, Diamond, Mafikizolo, D’Banj and Cassper Nyovest. With in-depth interviews hosted by Dolapo or MzzAbby, viewers can look forward to uncover the stories of these stars.

“After the great success of the E! News Special, we are delighted to debut E! VIP on E! Entertainment Television in Africa,’ said Colin McLeod, managing director, UK and emerging markets, NBC Universal International Networks. “E! is committed to bringing audiences across the continent more original, local content and we are proud to showcase some of Africa’s biggest names in music and entertainment in this new series.’

The first six episodes of E! VIP will air from12 June 21h00 on E! (DStv Channel 124), with more episodes coming to the channel later in the year.

SABC increases royalty payment on radio

Cera-Jane Catton
-
0

The South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC), as part of its transformation drive on local music content, met with various collecting societies (Southern African Music Rights Organisation, South African Music Performance Rights Association, Independent Music Performance Rights Association and Association of Independent Record Companies).

The engagement was to establish a forum to discuss issues affecting the broadcaster and the music industry to ensure equity and transparency in royalty matters.

A key decision out of the meeting, on 19 May 2016, is the SABC’s increase of royalty payment from three per cent to four per cent on radio for all collecting societies. The SABC has implemented royalty parity for the collecting societies. The SABC is aware that there are artists who do not belong to these societies and this move is also a bid to encourage them to register with collecting societies so they equally benefit as the rest of the registered members, as their music is also played on SABC radio.

The SABC’s COO, Hlaudi Motsoeneng stated that “This move is meant to stimulate the music industry, through creating jobs and unearthing new talent. The SABC also wants to restore the dignity and to move away from a situation where creatives in the music industry are dying as paupers. The SABC will set a budget to honour SA music legends such as Babsy Mlangeni, Steve Kekana and Letta Mbuli and those that have passed on, amongst others, for their contribution to the industry. This once-off recognition payment will be in July.’

Motsoeneng further stated that “In the advent of democracy, the creatives should not blame the Government, as the mandate has been very clear from the onset that the implementation of policies depends entirely on leaders within different public institutions such as the SABC.’

The SABC has a clear strategy to invest in local industry development as a consequence of the recently amended editorial policy.

Sean Watson, chairperson of SAMPRA stated “We’re thrilled as SAMPRA by the bold decision taken by the SABC to beat the three per cent rate set by the courts and up it to four per cent. It speaks volumes about the SABC’s passionate commitment to the South African music industry and we are grateful for this proactive approach.’
Dodo Monamedi, chairperson of AIRCO and IMPRA commented “On behalf of IMPRA and AIRCO, we are embracing and remain committed and grateful of the announcement from the SABC about four per cent needle time payments to us as record companies. This means booming sales for our retailers, recording studios and live performances. We will work hand in hand with our stakeholders to educate our people about what needle time is about and its benefits. We shall all endeavour to promote and defend our local markets for all to benefit.’

Arthur Mafokate, representing SAMRO stated “We are very excited and looking forward to artists’ lives changing. We have waited for 30 years for this and we would like to thank the SABC team led by the Motsoeneng.’

The SABC said it values the pivotal role and contribution that musicians play in society.

Ikegami to showcase its latest 8K camera technology

Cera-Jane Catton
-
0

Ikegami Electronics Europe will demonstrate its latest television production and monitoring equipment on 8 June 2016 at MMC Studios in Cologne. The main focus of the event will be on the 8K Super Hi-Vision /4K UHD switchable SHK-810, the UHK-430 4K camera and the iHTR 4K Video Packetising Optical Multiplex Fibre Transmission system.

SHK-810 8K/4K switchable camera

Designed in collaboration with NHK, the SHK-810 is Ikegami’s fourth-generation 8K camera. It employs an 8K native 33 million-pixel Super 35 CMOS sensor achieving 4000 TVL horizontal and vertical resolution. The sensor allows the tight depth of focus often chosen for high-impact drama programmes. The SHK-810 provides 8K, 4K and 2K output. It can be used in a fully 8K production environment or alongside 4K and/or 2K cameras. Regular PL-mount lenses can be used.

8K offers 16 times more image detail than HD and delivers very sharp images on screen sizes or 85 inches or more. Public demand for 8K content is expected to be driven by coverage of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Ikegami is confident that 8K Super Hi-Vision will prove extremely useful across a wide range of applications including broadcasting and healthcare.

Ikegami UHK-430 4K UHD camera

4K resolution and high dynamic range have become important issues throughout the broadcast media industry as content producers and delivery channels plan their investment strategy for the coming five to ten years. The first in Ikegami’s new-generation Unicam XE range of cameras, the UHK-430 incorporates three newly-developed 4K-native 2/3 inch eight megapixel CMOS sensors which provide full 3840 x 2160 ultra-high definition resolution plus the depth of field required for studio and outdoor production. The UHK-430 delivers four times more image detail than high definition and has a colour depth of 10 bits per pixel instead of the current limit of 8 bits per pixel.

The UHK-430 incorporates a B4 bayonet mount compatible with 2/3 inch HD lenses. An optional SE-U430 expander accommodates large studio or OB lenses. Two piece construction allows the sensor and lens head to be detached as a compact unit for easy deployment on a support devices such as long-reach manually-controlled camera poles. In this mode, the head can be operated up to 50 metres from the camera body.

At the heart of the UHK-430 is a new processor, the AXII, reducing power consumption and delivering a wide range of features including 16-axis colour correction and new focus-assist for 4K and HD video modes. The AXII also provides the processing for Ikegami’s newly developed i-Log transfer characteristic which delivers high contrast for a wider dynamic range. This allows more image information to be retained for greater headroom and colour grading. The ITU-R BT. 2020 extended colour space specification is supported in 4K mode. BT. 709 colour space is supported in both 4K and HD modes.

Ikegami viewfinders available for the UHK-430 include the 7.4 inch OLED VFE741D, the 7 inch full HD resolution LCD VFL701D LCD and the 2 inch portable LCD VFL201D. All three include a serial digital interface for integrated camera and viewfinder menu control.

The companion Ikegami CCU-430 camera control unit enables easy migration from HD to 4K live production. Features include switchable 4 x 3G-SDI 4K output as well as HD output. An optional plug-in board makes 4K video, HD video, and HD cutout from 4K available simultaneously. 12G-SDI and video-over-IP interfaces will be introduced in the coming months.

A built-in 40 gigabits per second optical transceiver delivers full bandwidth 4K RGB 4:4:4 component channels from camera to CCU, allowing very high quality chroma keying. Dual HD outputs are provided for teleprompt and talent monitor plus return video lines from studio to viewfinder. The UHK-430 also has a Gigabit Ethernet data port to allow networked control.


iHTR Multi-Camera Optical-Fibre Transmission System

The iHTR series multi-channel optical multiplex fibre transmission system. This comprises a range of modules which can be selected in various configurations to match a specific operational requirement. Up to 20 gigabit per second multiple full-bandwidth uncompressed camera feeds, and optionally power, can be delivered along a single cable.

The system is more compact than traditional multi-cable alternatives and can be deployed quickly. Applications including high capacity low-latency data links within or between buildings, outside broadcast coverage from a sports venue or event hall, live broadcasting from locations requiring secure electrical power, and emergency surveillance.

Central element of the Ikegami iHTR series is the iHTR-100 bi-directional interface. This allows six HD-SDI camera sources and two return video channels to be multiplexed along a dual-core optical fibre. When connected to a second iHTR-100 module, the combination delivers video across distances of up to 20km. Direct-current power can be delivered up to 1km to remote cameras using the iHTR-103 transmitter and iHTR-104 receiver modules.

A typical configuration can accommodate six cameras covering a field or stage to a 1km distant OB vehicle or control room, including return video channels. Where remote power is not required, six camera can be linked to control-area feeds as far as 20km away along with two return video channels. In all instances, the iHTR system can be accessed via 100 BASE-TX networked personal computers.

For more information visit the Ikegami Electronics website.

Leader to show latest 4K Waveform Monitor Options at BIT 2016 in Madrid

Cera-Jane Catton
-
0

Leader Electronics Europe will demonstrate the latest additions to its LV5490 4K/UHD/3G-SDI/HD-SDI/SD-SDI broadcast test and measurement platform at the BIT 2016 show in Madrid, from 24 to 26 May 2016. Held at IFEMA-Feria de Madrid, BIT is a biennial event embracing the broadcast media industry at its widest.
The LV5490 offers 4K, UHD, HD and SD text and measurement features in a compact portable unit. Waveform, vector and picture display can all be viewed at the same time on the LV5490’s 9 inch LCD monitor. The monitor is full 1920 x 1080 resolution HD with wide viewing angle and high colour reproduction. A 1920 x 1080 HD DVI and HD-SDI rasterized output is also provided to feed a larger monitor.

Simultaneous viewing of up to four SDI inputs is possible, including overlays. The size and location of individual channels can be adjusted on the display using a USB mouse so the user is not limited to fixed-size quadrants. The LV5490 can also be controlled remotely using standard KVM tools. Additional features of the LV5490 include video frame capture, instrumentation screen capture, timecode display and ID display.

Leader’s CINELITE® II toolset (comprising CINELITE and CINEZONE) also comes as a standard feature, allowing easy assessment of relative exposure and overall luminance during production. A Focus Assist option allows highly accurate on-set adjustment of camera focus to match the 4K format’s ability to handle very precise image detail.

Three new options have been introduced:

– High Dynamic Range (HDR) measurement. This employs an HDR display using Leader’s highly intuitive CINEZONE® false colors to highlight areas of concern when operating with HDR content. The Leader HDR display supports SMPTE ST2084 (Dolby PQ curve) and ARIB STD B-67 (BBC/NHK Hybrid Log Gamma).

– 12G-SDI connectivity. This option supports 12G-SDI, 3G-SDI quad link, 3G-SDI dual-link and HD-SDI, each input handling a quarter of the 4096 x 2160 pixel 4K or 3840 x 2160 pixel UHD image. The interface also incorporates a reclocked 12G-SDI output. 12G-SDI eye pattern with jitter measurements will be available as an option.

– Support for Sony’s IP Live Video, and the Networked Media Interface technology.

An impending fourth option for the LV5490 (previewed at the 2016 NAB Show in April) provides support for analysis of high frame-rate 4K signals at up to 8x real-time.

For more information visit the Leader website.

New IMAX® theatre opens at Mall of Africa

Cera-Jane Catton
-
0

The opening of the seventh IMAX® theatre in South Africa in just over three years is testament to the success and popularity of this premium cinema offering. The latest theatre opened its doors to the public on 28 April at the Mall of Africa, to coincide with the official opening of the new shopping mall strategically positioned between Johannesburg and Pretoria in Midrand.

As Ster-Kinekor expands the IMAX footprint to key sites across the country and continues to invest in the local market, South Africa now boasts the most IMAX cinemas on the African continent.

The new IMAX theatre forms part of Ster-Kinekor’s state-of-the-art, 1 122-seater cinema complex within the Mall. It also boasts two luxurious 3D-enabled Cine Prestige cinemas with their own VIP Lounge and exclusive catering offerings, a further six cinemas of which two are 3D-ready, and self-service ticketing and catering terminals for a seamless cinema experience.

The IMAX theatre celebrated its official opening on 18 May, with a special preview screening of Marvel’s X-Men: Apocalypse: An IMAX 3D Experience to more than 300 invited guests. The film releases nationwide on the Ster-Kinekor circuit, including its seven IMAX theatres, on Friday, 20 May, a week before its US opening.

“The prime position of Mall of Africa offers Ster-Kinekor an exciting new market of movie lovers to tap into and share great moments. Based on current performance of our IMAX theatres, and the great slate of blockbuster titles lined up in the coming months, I have every confidence that this new theatre will prove to be as successful,’ said Wanda Matandela, CEO of Ster-Kinekor Theatres.

“As the country’s leading cinema chain, we are excited to launch another top-class entertainment venue that will certainly contribute to an influx of new customers to the mall. Ster-Kinekor understands that people demand high quality entertainment experiences – being immersed in the very heart of the action in an IMAX theatre is a sure way to satisfy this expectation.’

The new IMAX cinema is fitted with a floor-to-ceiling and wall-to-wall IMAX screen, second in size only to the newly-opened IMAX cinema at Eastgate Shopping Centre. The crystal-clear images coupled with IMAX’s customised theatre geometry and powerful digital audio, create a unique environment that makes audiences feel as if they are part of the movie.

IMAX fans can look forward to a slate of big movie titles, such as X-Men: Apocalypse (20 May); Alice through the Looking Glass (27 May); Warcraft (10 June); Finding Dory (17 June); Independence Day: Resurgence (24 June); Suicide Squad (05 August); and Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, all releasing in IMAX 3D over the next few months.

“With all the action, drama and adventure that these films bring to the big screen, watching it in our new IMAX theatre takes cinema viewing to a whole new level. Directors produce films to be experienced on the big screen, and I don’t think you can get much better than watching one of the year’s most anticipated films in the world’s most immersive cinema format,’ commented Matandela.

Giovanni Dolci, VP theatre development, EMEA at IMAX Corporation, said: “The rapid expansion of the IMAX format in South Africa is most encouraging. I was here for the official opening of the IMAX theatre at Eastgate in December last year, and am back less than six months later for another opening.

“The theatres continue to perform for us in this market, and have delivered positive growth over the past three years. We are confident that this impressive cycle will continue with the opening of this, Ster-Kinekor’s seventh site,’ stated Dolci.

For more information visit the Ster-Kinekor website.

Author of six books at age 26 seeks funds for NYFA

Cera-Jane Catton
-
0

Last year Soweto born 26 year old author, Nonhlanhla Mnisi celebrated her personal milestone of having published six books by age 26. This year she is half way to raising funds to attend the New York Film Academy.

Mnisi is an author, writer and radio/tv producer who holds an undergraduate degree in B.Com Banking and an Honours in Business Management. An entrepreneur she founded SwitchArk Productions which specializes in ghost-writing, public/media relations. She recently launched six books written under the theme: 6 Books at 26 years.

The books are:
• Life Changes; published in the UK – 2010 (Motivational Poetry)
• Shades of my Brutality; published in SA – 2013 (My life story)
• Stained for a season, cleansed for life; published in SA – 2013 (Short story of a cancer survivor)
• Overdue Resignation; published in SA- 2013 (Motivation)
• A Good Woman/Man BUT not a Great Partner; published in SA- 2014 (Motivation Insights)
• Township to City; published in the USA – 2015 (Vision+Passion = Purpose)

Mnisi has been offered a partial bursary by the New York Film Academy to be part of a one year producing programme in film and TV in New York City. It is an opportunity to enhance her skills in the arts space, wherein she would like to come back and contribute to the SA economy as far as arts, culture and entertainment is concerned. “I live by my formula Vision + Passion = Purpose which encompasses me executing my vision in things I do with my heart and not my strength. I aim to specialize in documentaries films, and reality shows wherein I get to turn some of my books into production scripts, drama series, as well as capture our South African historic and prolific individuals our youth don’t know much about,’ said Mnisi.

Mnisi is seeking financial assistance for a programme which resumes on 31 May 2016. She has already paid the deposit to secure her space to be part of this programme.

The required fees breakdown:

$25 000 (Tuition remaining balance covering both semesters) – half is due and is approximately R170 000.
Through her ghostwriting and PR work she has raised $7600 for living expenses.

If you would like to sponsor Mnisi you can email her at mnisinz@gmail.com.

Absolute Film Producing for South Africa workshop

Cera-Jane Catton
-
0

South Africa is one of the most conducive environments for making a film right now. One problem is access to information, which this programme wishes to tackle. Presented in Rustenburg by filmmaker, Bonginhlanhla ‘Mr. B’ Ncube, ‘For filmmakers who want to tell our stories to the world’.

A first of its kind, the Absolute Film Producing in SA, a sub-workshop of the Skills QuickStart (QS) Programmes is designed to launch filmmakers into the business of making movies. This is a practical workshop that gives current and vital information required to pounce into action. The workshop also unpacks certain criterion that have often been made out to be impossible and too complex.
The programme deals with film producing from the development processes of acquiring the right story, securing a distributor or sales agent for your film through to financing it, marketing it and making the next one. The myths about the dti’s rebate and incentive schemes are unpacked making film financing an easy step by step process.

Who should attend?

Delivered in English to anyone with a dream of one day producing a movie for cinema or TV in South Africa. It is an advantage to have done a basic course or workshop in producing but it is not a pre-requisite, however, both Introductory and intermediate levels are a required for the advanced level.
The workshop serves a good starting point as well for any film school graduates as it unpacks the real world and gives them a quick launch into the industry.
Absolute Film Producing for South Africa Intermediate Level is on 11 and 12 June 2016.

About the Workshop Facilitator

Bonginhlanhla Ncube a.k.a “Mr. B’ is a renowned filmmaker who recently produced his action comedy flick, Safe Bet. He was awarded Best Producing for the international competition 48HFP for the short film, Wrong Call in 2010. He was later commissioned by Mnet to produce the TV movie 48 in 2011. 48 was a huge success and saw him travelling to Hollywood, Canada, France, Germany and Nigeria as the film collected some awards and received numerous nominations including the African Movie Academy Awards.
Mr. B is a four-time judge of the SAFTAs, he has also sat in the South African Oscar nomination panels and further ashore has been a judge at the Diversity in Cannes short film contest. He draws from a wealth of both expertise and experiences he has gathered in his filmmaking journey.

Workshops are in Rustenburg at Tshenolo Guest House. The total course fees are R 1,195.00. A deposit of R500 is required to secure space and balance paid on or before 31 May 2016.

For further information or to apply email qs@sukumamedia.co.za.

John Vlismas announced as new host of Comedy Central’s ‘Roast Battle’

Cera-Jane Catton
-
0

Outspoken comic, comedy producer and roast veteran John Vlismas is warming up for his new gig as the host of Comedy Central’s Roast Battle – the new comedy format in which comics battle to the death in a series of quick-fire comedic combats.

Vlismas, who famously ruffled Steve Hofmeyr’s feathers at the 2013 Comedy Central Roast of Steve Hofmeyr, and brought a gun to the 2014 Comedy Central Roast of Kenny Kunene, will be keeping his cool as he presides over the new series of live shows. The first episode of the new series will be taped in front of a live audience at Parker’s in Montecasino, Johannesburg, on 26 May, before airing across the continent on Comedy Central from June 2016.

Joining Vlismas at the first outing of Roast Battle are comedians Dusty Rich, Nina Hastie, Dillan Oliphant and Nquoba Ngcobo. They join contestants Chris Forrest and Mo Mothebe, and guest judge Kenny Kunene, himself a former roastee.

Pioneered at the Comedy Central International Comedy Festival in December 2015, the Roast Battle finds Vlismas keeping the peace between the six local stand-ups as they aim to ‘burn’ and out-do their opponents armed only with an arsenal of five jokes in the form of original one-liners. The Roast Battle host and guest judges then decide who will proceed through to the next round. Six monthly heats will be followed by a grand final event at the end of the year at which Comedy Central will crown the Roast Battle champion.

Vlismas said, “Nothing shows love in the comedy world like one performer tearing another performer’s heart out through their back passage, and beating it to death like a baby seal on a Namibian beach. And then we’ll get the comics to hug it out and score them, so one is not only mortally wounded but officially a loser as well.’

Evert van der Veer, vice president Comedy Central Africa said, “The Roast Battle concept disrupts and subverts the established notion of what a stand-up performance should be, and adds an exciting, speed-based competitive element that is engaging and entertaining for comedians and audiences alike.’

To attend the live taping, tickets are available now from Computicket, or can be bought at the door at Parker’s on 26 May 2016. Tickets are R150. Doors open at 18h00. Over 18s only.

Comedy Central Roast Battle episode one premieres on Comedy Central on 13 June 2016.

For more information visit the Comedy Central Roast Battle website.

Mo-Sys StarTracker goes to the movies at Cine Gear Expo 2016

Cera-Jane Catton
-
0

Mo-Sys Engineering will present their pioneering camera tracking system, StarTracker, made available for VFX workflows, at Cine Gear Expo in Las Angeles 2 to 5 June 2016.

Mo-Sys Engineering, known for manufacturing robotics for high-end movie productions – Gravity used Mo-Sys remote heads for the entire production – will showcase hand-held camera tracking for the first time at Cine Gear Expo. Their versatile StarTracker studio camera tracking system uses a single optical sensor per camera, and retro-reflective stickers – or stars – on the studio ceiling, making it an inexpensive and robust system already used by the likes of ESPN and the BBC.

In a studio environment, StarTracker places no restrictions on where the camera can go and what it can do, since it does not interfere with the set or lighting. The camera can do 360 degree pans, and move to anywhere in the studio as long as enough stars remain in sight of the tracking camera.

StarTracker offers a solution for large tracking spaces, with ceilings up to 15 meters, as only one upwards-looking tracking camera is required and the tracking map can easily be extended by adding stars to the ceiling. Over the last two years it has reportedly proven to be the most robust tracking system for broadcast because of the simple setup procedure and the un-intrusive nature of the tracking system, with no daily calibration or operator. It is independent of what happens in front of the camera, like set changes, light changes, shiny floors, water surfaces, objects and actors obstructing the camera. As long as the StarTracker camera sees enough stars, accurate tracking data is provided. StarTracker is versatile and can be mounted to any camera support or used on hand-held.

Therefore Mo-Sys opened their StarTracker interface to VFX tools used by the film industry (e.g. MotionBuilder, QTake, Film Engine). The broadcast-proven system offers a light-weight solution for previz and on-set visualisation for greenscreen filming and augmented CG elements. StarTracker allows filmmakers to visualise set extensions, framing shots with CG elements, providing eyelines for actors and generally giving a more immediate and immersive filming experience. The captured tracking data can be used for post-production, eliminating up to 70 per cent of post-tracking and matchmoving, a laborious and time-consuming process. StarTracker data can be easily integrated into existing VFX workflows.

For more information visit the Mo-Sys website.

Broadcast-quality live streaming now available on Facebook

Cera-Jane Catton
-
0

With the opening of the Facebook Live API, brands can now live stream video content directly to Facebook using high-quality production equipment. This has been extremely important to broadcasters and video content creators that want to deliver non-stop live video coverage to the Facebook community. LiveU, a pioneer in live streaming technology, has created a new “plug and play’ live streaming bonding solution that connects automatically to Facebook, enabling broadcasters and content creators to deliver rock-solid, highly produced video streams. The Huffington Post, a global source of breaking news, opinion, entertainment and community, and an early adopter of LiveU Solo, is utilising the technology to deliver high-quality live video to a wider audience on Facebook.

“At The Huffington Post, we’re eager to deliver live streaming to our Facebook audience and have already increased production by seven times in the last month,’ said Patrick McMenamin, supervising producer at The Huffington Post. “LiveU Solo has helped us become one of the first outlets to stream high-definition video direct to Facebook. We’ve used LiveU in the field to stream HD video in our primary campaign coverage and high-profile interviews, as well as our popular Game of Thrones after-show chat.’

“Broadcasters and online video content creators are looking to differentiate their content by delivering live quality streams, maintaining reliable connectivity, and sharing it with the world seamlessly. This can be accomplished with LiveU Solo,’ said LiveU co-founder and COO, Avi Cohen. “The Huffington Post has seen tremendous success in live streaming. They understand that live streaming content connects audiences to high-quality video on-the-fly.’

Optimised for online video performance, Solo delivers the rock-solid video streams LiveU is known for by using LiveU Reliable Transport (LRT™) protocol’s integral adaptive bit rate and forward error correction technology. LiveU Solo connects automatically to Facebook Live, Wowza Streaming Cloud™, as well as other popular CDNs, OVPs and YouTube Live, making live video simple. Solo can be managed and controlled remotely via a web interface or smartphone.

To learn more visit the LiveU Solo website.

1...282930...32Page 29 of 32
- Advertisement -
- Advertisement -
- Advertisement -
© Copyright 2017

Pin It on Pinterest