TV series the foundation for development of local film industry

Young filmmakers will be producing the comedy series for Bay TV as part of a film and television production training project being run by The Media Workshop of Port Elizabeth in association with Urban Brew Studios.

All the training of the 40 unemployed learners and graduates is being funded by the Media, Information and Communication Technology (MICT) Seta, according to Denise Roodt, founder and owner of The Media Workshop.

David Lister, who has a wealth of experience in the television and film industry both locally and internationally, is the supervising director and mentor of the internship programme. He is also the lecturer of the NQF 4 and NQF 5 certificate film directing modules.

Full feature film the big dream

"It is a privilege to have Lister here to coach the interns. He has directed all genres, including full length movies, telefeatures, television drama series, a puppet series, documentaries, commercials and corporate videos," says Roodt.

"The intention is to offer a sustainable training and development service to feed into the community television industry, which will see this year's top NQF 4 graduates entering the NQF 5 programme next year. The NQF 5 graduates will then be considered for internships or workplace experience programmes at community TV channels."

The big dream is to see the graduates produce the Eastern Cape's first commercial full feature film. "I strongly believe in the creation and development of new opportunities for the disaffected youth. There is a wealth of unrealised talent in the Eastern Cape," says Lister.

"The Media Workshop provides valuable structure, guidance and facilities. Students have a chance in a lifetime to be free to experiment and to find their own voice, to realise their passion for filmmaking and to tell their own original stories. They not only learn a range of technical skills, but also learn to work as part of a team in a collaborative medium which will prepare them for the realities of professional filmmaking," he says.