LOCATIONS MEETINGS

Meeting between Constantia Hills Residents Association and and the CTFPO, CFC, CPA, SAASP, Private Locations managers

Meeting between Constantia Property Owners Association and the CTFPO, CFC, CPA, SAASP, Private Locations managers
Apologies; IPO

Both meetings covered similar topics and issues will be summarised here:

CONCERNS RAISED

Discussion included in italic below

Zoning / Repeated use of certain properties

Neighbours are concerned that some homeowners use their properties as businesses (ie a film studio) rather than residential, and therefore re-zoning is suggested. Nevertheless, this is a perception rather than reality; the house receiving the most complaints was host to four tv commercials in 18 months. (A neighbour runs an exercise class from home three days a week, every week of the year – who causes the greater impact) Whilst it’s important for Producers to be aware of impacts caused by OTHER / previous users of a particular property, relevant issues include neighbour’s jealousy.

Hours of Activity

Filming permits are normally issued for hours between 6am and 10pm. Departures from this should be discussed with the CTFPO; the office is keen to ensure that no permit application is rejected without consideration.

Noisy set up of catering before the given time

An issue for larger shoots; catering companies set up first and loudest. Be aware of this. The CTFPO will engage with the Catering Companies’ association. Short periods of notificationIf your shoot will cause an impact on the community, please try and notify the neighbours timeously.

Number of Vehicles on set / Parking issues

Parking is always problematic. If possible, try to keep your teams to a small number of vehicles – park in designated zones, or pref. on the property where you are filming.

Impact on Greenbelt

This is perhaps the greatest concern to residents – ECOs and Film Unit Liaison officers may be required for working on the greenbelt. Again, be careful how you park your cars.

Helicopters

The permit issuing office for helicopters is in Pretoria and therefore cannot know the impact of a shoot on the community. Please liaise with CTFPO should this be a requirement.

Benefit to Community

As so often, affected communities want to see direct financial benefits to allay the impact of filming. However, the City does not allow for ring-fencing of any income, and is clear that all permit fees will continue to be disbursed via the general “pot”. You are strongly advised to avoid providing any cash to any community / residents group, since it sets a difficult precedent for the industry and contributes to the rising price of filming on location.

ACTIONS

The CTFPO is undertaking a Site visit with both residents associations in July/August, so that the permit officers are better briefed on the impacts of shooting in Constantia.

THE CTFPO will engage with Catering Companies via their association.

The CFC will also address communications to affected communities, and stress the overall benefits of filming to the city.

Environmental Production Suggestions: The Green Production Office

Many of the decisions made in the production office affect the way the entire production impacts the environment. Learn how to set up a production office that impacts on sustainable development, without having any noticeable impact on the production itself.

Whether you're on a stills shoot, awareness of issues of sustainable development begins with the very set up of the production office.

In setting up a production office, you can choose to do less of the bad things and more of the good things, without having any noticeable impact on the production itself.

The following are a few easy steps you can take to protect the planet:

Don’t forget; make an effort to buy locally produced goods and products wherever possible – money that stays within the community is good for the community, good for the Stills Production industry. It also contributes to your BEE scorecard……

Callsheets & Printed Materials

Use both sides of the paper. Doing double-sided copies is easy, and you cut in half the amount of paper you use.

Don't use bright-coloured paper on script revisions – it has to be bleached and is harder to recycle

Always recycle old paperwork. Make sure everyone who gets copies has easy access to a paper recycling container.

Office Products

Buy paper with recycled content – the higher the better.

Given a choice with any office product, look for the one with recycled content, or that is recyclable. For example, if you need padded envelopes, get those with fibre padding instead of plastic bubble padding.

Recycle used toner cartridges. Most office supply stores provide postage-paid envelopes to mail used printer and copier cartridges to recycling facilities.

Be sure to provide recycling containers in highly visible locations.

Communicate with cast and crew electronically if possible, instead of sending paper memos.

When you wrap production, donate leftover office supplies to a non-profit group or school. Don't throw anything away – somebody else can use it.

Janitorial Paper and Cleaning Products

Buy paper towels, napkins and toilet paper with recycled content. Today, the quality is comparable to virgin materials. Natural colour is better than bleached.

Avoid cleaning products with toxic chemicals. Nontoxic products are widely available.

Packaging

When you're ordering supplies, ask the vendor if they can deliver in reusable containers, such as plastic crates.

If you're ordering breakable stuff, ask for (almost) any packing material other than styrofoam peanuts – you can get biodegradable peanuts, paper, or even those new air-filled plastic pillows.

Promotional Marketing Items

If you're looking for promo items, try a vendor that specializes in environmental items. SAASP has extensive contacts within the local community. You can get shorts made out of recycled soda bottles, cups made with recycled currency, and even toothbrushes made with recycled plastic that you mail back when they get old (to be recycled again)!

Cannes campaign highlights Location Gauteng

A campaign by the Gauteng Film Commission (GFC) and the Commercial Producers Association (CPA), to market the capacity of the Gauteng film industry at this year's Cannes Lions International Advertising Festival, was intended to put Location Gauteng firmly on the international advertising industry's map.

Show reels, labelled Best of Gauteng, South Africa, and showcasing the cream of commercials produced in the province recently as well as prime Gauteng locations, were distributed with copies of the 2006 Loerie Awards Annual books to the hotel rooms of a targeted group of top creatives attending the premier annual gathering of the world's advertising, creative, direct marketing, interactive, film, radio, media and marketing communities.

The reels were compiled from submissions by CPA members to represent the best work they have produced in Gauteng recently.

“There certainly was a strong South African, and particularly Gauteng, voice at this year's event”, said GFC marketing manager, Puisano Phatoli.

Added impact

According to Phatoli, the exceptionally successful performance of the Gauteng advertising industry – which scooped a record number of accolades including a Grand Prix and several Golden Lions – gave the marketing campaign enormous added impact.

“It was truly a case of ‘walking, as well as talking' the talk,” she said.

In addition to the individualised hotel drops, the GFC also distributed the reels at various industry functions and parties during the week.

“With up to 9000 industry stakeholder from 75 countries meeting here to share and explore fresh concepts and new ideas, we had the perfect platform to capitalise on the adventurous nature of the creative spirits of the ad industry. Our aim was to demonstrate the extent to which Location Gauteng is still one of the advertising world's relatively under-discovered destinations – a destination that combines the excitement of a new African frontier with all the technical savvy, sophistication and infrastructure of Europe or America. This was underscored magnificently by the many success achieved by Gauteng-based entrants this year.”

The direct marketing strategy was supported with a print advertising campaign in publications that were distributed during the event, including Cannes Lions Daily, Screen Africa and The Callsheet.

Keith Bernstein to shoot on No.1 Ladies Detective Agency

Leading unit-stills photographer Keith Bernstein has been hired for an 8 weeks shoot on No.1 Ladies Detective Agency. Anthony Minghella will direct the film based on the best-selling book by Alexander McCall Smith.

Shooting on No.1 Ladies Detective Agency begins in Botswana in July - and the producers have hired Cape Town based unit stills photographer Keith Bernstein to shoot all the stills for the 8 weeks shoot. Keith has previously shot unit stills all over the world, and worked with Robin Williams in Hawaii, Bob Hoskins in Nepal and the late Christopher reeve in California.

For No.1 Ladies, Cape Town model makers Rivets&Rockets have built a custom-made sound proof camera blimp, enabling high-end digital stills cameras to be used safely on set.

KOO donation can

A simple sticker transforming the appearance of a can of tinned fruit effectively and creatively raised awareness for KOO's commitment to ‘Unite Against Hunger', a charity that helps feed those in need.

CALL FOR NOMINATIONS FOR THE SAASP EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

NOTICE TO ALL SAASP MEMBERS

It is time again for you to make your nominations for Executive Committee members of the South African Association of Stills Producers, for the period July 2007 to 30th June 2008.

The Board’s responsibility is to govern the affairs of the Association. Please remember, as you make these nominations that you wish your representatives to have the following representative profile:

Be able to understand the functions of SAASPUnderstand fully and subscribe to the principles and values of Ubuntu, Creativity, Honesty, Integrity as well as the objectives of SAASP

Be able to learn about the legislation affecting Employment Equity, Skills Development, Black Economic Empowerment and other initiatives, as well as, translate it into workable policy and practices for the Association’s members

Be able to take and carry out the mandate of the SAASP membership

Be committed to stay the period of the full one-year term of office or until the next AGM whichever is the longestBe available to invest time into SAASP activities during and after working hours

Be capable of communicating with you and regularly giving you feedback Both the nominee and the person making the nomination must be paid up members of SAASP.

Please ensure that the member you nominate is available and agrees to standing for election.
Nomination forms (with CV’s attached) are to be faxed to 086 659 5366 emailed to info@saasp.co.za by no later than 29th July 2007.

Skoda Fabia - Full of lovely stuff

To demonstrate the super-awesomosity of its Fabia, Skoda lets users watch them build one. Out of cake ingredients.

We've never felt more inclined to run a hand across the hood of a vehicle and hope against hope that the finish will come off. Plus, there's something so psychologically soothing about Poppins.