Well winter has certainly not dampened the film industry in South Africa, and we are "still" loving it...

Thank you to all those who have contacted us regarding South Africa as your chosen destination. What a great experience it is working with all of you. We look forward to many more enquiries and can assure you of our best service at all times.

A note regarding advertising, please feel free to contact us regarding rates. We are continuously searching for new agencies to promote, especially now with this influx of interest shown.

Always looking forward to hearing from you.

Warm regards, Chantelle

Contact Us...

Refinery Group embrace launch of HD channels

With the imminent launch of DSTV’s HD channel offering (scheduled for August 2008), Refinery Group have positioned themselves as the preferred solution for HD conversions.

“We fully embrace the move to better quality picture and sound that comes with HD,” comments Dave Keet, MD. “We encourage all production teams to move towards ensuring their material is ready for the future crossover to HD by the broadcasters”.

Whether shooting on film (35mm, 16mm) HD or Red-1, both the Refinery and V-Lab have the post production facilities and expertise to convert to HD ready formats at a reasonable cost addition.

Going forward, all new ads should be completed at HD resolution. V-Lab and Refinery have the necessary work-flows and gear for the job, including Lustre technology for grading requirements. Dave adds, “To put the process in a nutshell: all current standard definition adverts – PAL or NTSC - can be up-res’d, re-racked and hi-res titles added where required. Client has the choice to either leave their sound in stereo, or we can do a Dolby E encoding of the sound. We will then supply a master HD tape or file for telestream to the broadcaster”.

“The biggest issue in this process is that the ratios of the SD (standard definition) and HD (high-definition are different. Current television is 1.33 and HD is 1.78. This is a similar process/work-flow as cinema (film and digital projection) has been following. We have the expertise and technical knowledge, along with years of experience from having done cinema advertising and are confident in assuming the responsibilities of HD conversions for our clients,” concludes Keet.

For new commercials, clients should start mastering to HD (D5 or HD cam), allowing for future proofing for SD (Standard def- Pal and NTSC) as well as cinema and HD TV. In order to demonstrate the differences between the HD and SD up-res images, we are available to conduct demonstrations, work-flow discussions with clients, as well as discuss the budgetary implications of the process.

Read More:

V-Lab wraps up some commercials

V-Lab has recently wrapped a series of commercials for Wesbank, Gold Reef City and News Café.

The Gold Reef City spot, directed by Jason Xenopolous (a Mass Hysterical / Moonlighting co-production from agency Idea Engineers), required extensive post production coordination to ensure the commercial appeared as though it was in-camera, and not merely a series of video effects.

Sam Alessandri, V-Lab’s VFX supervisor said, “Jason has a great understanding of the entire filming process, and was hands on in the post production process. We held several meetings ahead of shoot day to design the transition shots for the commercial, even inviting me on-set to ensure the right steps were taken.”

The shots were then married up from the video take off on set to make sure there were correct angles, lighting and styles. This approach was taken in order to have no hidden surprises when it came to the online. This process really streamlines the shooting and the worries,” said Sam.
Another challenge was changing the colour of the silver Z4 to black. With the help from some 3D mapping and reflections, it was carried off flawlessly. Flame artist Jean du Plessis added the final touches and video effects to this spot.

The new commercial for News Café was shot on the Phantom camera. “Shooting any project in slow motion has amazing results but it does not compare to shooting at a thousand frames per second, it really makes the world as we know it come alive,” says Sam. Directed by Andre Liebenberg of Bouffant, the spot proved to be one huge experiment, “The Phantom system has not been through many trials and tests as yet,” says Sam. “It is only when you play back the material at the certain speed that you are able to appreciate the effect that was initially intended. A great aspect of the system is that the high definition quality is kept from shoot to grade to final conform in Flame.”

Bouffant also made use of the Phantom camera in the latest Wesbank spot, directed by Eric van Wyk. Shot at 1000 frames per second, the system enabled the spot to be shot in super-slow motion, and still have enough frames to ramp the shots and create varied speeds for the spot to work.

Again, workflow for this system was pushed to the maximum and working in HD throughout the process kept the resolution at the best quality possible. “It’s still early days for the Phantom camera and a lot needs to be done in terms of figuring out the way the system works in order to get it up to par with the international industry,” says Sam, “but V-Lab are making great strides in offering clients hassle-free post on these projects.”

The concept from O&M agency was executed superbly, and the end result is a product with fantastic energy, and graphics supplied by Inca work seamlessly with the body of the advert.

Read more:

The bridge in the river

"Hijack victim killed after being thrown from van on freeway!"

"Political corruption trial of real estate developer begins."

"SABMiller executive killed in attempted robbery!"

Front page story: "City pothole crisis! We send our reporter to find the city's worst pothole!"

Depressing, maddening headlines. I'm glad I don't live in Chicago!

I know many would think those headlines came from South Africa, but they are all from the Chicago Tribune, published over a period of about two weeks.

Another story from the Chicago Tribune that I will never forget was published on August 1 2007. On that day a bridge carrying Interstate 35 over the Mississippi River in Minneapolis collapsed during rush hour due to a lack of maintenance.

Hundreds of cars were sent plunging into the waters of the river below. Dozens of people were killed. I remember that story well as a friend of mine travels over that bridge every day on his way home from work. He left the office half an hour earlier that day, and just missing the collapse of the bridge.

Imagine this incident had occurred in South Africa, if a bridge carrying the M1 in Johannesburg collapsed, due to a lack of maintenance? Can you picture the complaints, the vitriolic letters to the editor, the whining about how the country is falling apart?

We would never hear the end of it. People would pack for Perth the next morning. Yet it happens in America, the richest country in the world, and it's not the first time it's happened there.

The Interstate 35 incident got me thinking. In South Africa, we often hear people complaining that things are falling apart, that we are so Third World and that these kinds of things could never happen anywhere else but here.

But these complaints don't make sense to me. I am an engineer and the last twelve years of my life, I have spent six in America and six in South Africa. The only time I have driven through a pothole that has wrecked the tyre of my car has been in Las Vegas

Source: South Africa - The Good News

Read More:

Looking for incredible office space in Cape Town?

Information:

• 218 Buitengracht street
  
• Cape Town
  
• Modern office
  
• New building
  
• Parking
  
• Security
  
• Alarm
  
• Air-conditioning
  
• Unique City and Table mountain view
  
• Space 88 SQM - or 165 SQM - TBC
  
  

Office space for media clients - no shops or suppliers

Call me if you would like to view our offices or if you know someone in the Media industry that is interested.

Julie Van Damme 082 5754059

Read more:

The Glen Apartments

Camps Bay - Cape Town

Set amongst a wooded area, The Glen takes its name from the 35 acre Glen forest nature reserve that the apartments verge on in Camps Bay. The Glen consists of 30 individually designed luxury serviced apartments with breathtaking views of the mountain and ocean. The organic form, following the steep, narrow topography of the site, comprises of terraced platforms divided into four blocks. Each area is serviced with its own elevator directly from the underground secure parking. The apartments are finished with modern and clean aesthetics and glass curtain walls maximise the scenery.

Combining design elements and interiors with modern aesthetics and floor spaces ranging from 60 to 180m², The Glen offers guests the choice of Studio Apartments, 2 bedroom apartments and 3 bedroom loft apartments. Top class interior finishes emphasise stone and timber, while maximum use of glass curtain-walls optimise the natural light and frame the magnificent views.

Read More:

Cape Film Commission

The City of Cape Town has approved the following Film Tariffs for 2008/9 and these will be applicable from 1st July 2008 - 30th June 2009.
See attached and Annexure A1 guidelines.

Please ensure these tariffs are distributed to all industry stakeholders and those on your database/s.

In order to continue to support the industry and the industry competitiveness, the tariffs are as follows:

1. Location Tariffs

We are pleased to confirm the good news that location tariffs continue to be reduced by 100% - ie no charge.
The exception is filming on the locations administered by the Bulk Water Department, which remain at 2007/8 rates.

See the attachments for details.

Please note the following:

a) In terms of the City's By-Law relating to Filming (2005) –
ALL film shoots require a permit to shoot on Council land or for the use of Council land for associated filming activities.
Please ensure that a permit is applied for in terms of the City's procedures.

b) The City requests that this continued reduction in film location tariffs be used positively by the industry to achieve inter alia: the intended goals of promoting the industry and Cape Town as a film destination and for much needed skills development in the industry.

c) The City will continue to monitor the implementation of this reduction and use (abuse) of the locations and for example, will continue to not allow "block booking" of locations or the overuse or abuse of film locations.
Should the reduced tariffs have any unintended negative consequences, these will be identified, monitored and any action taken accordingly or criteria/guidelines set in place as required.


Read More: