21 October 2019
MultiChoice Africa is proud to have presented another Masterclass in its MultiChoice Talent Factory Masterclass programme, a series of industry-led workshops aimed to upskill and empower established professionals across Africa’s film and TV industries. The MultiChoice Talent Factory (MTF) is a shared-value initiative that provides a platform for the creative industries to develop their talent and engage with one another through their shared passions. This initiative has a multi-tiered approach, namely; the MTF Portal, the MTF Academies and MTF Industry Masterclasses. Established in 2018, MTF has academies in Nairobi, Lagos and Lusaka and provides 60 students with a fully funded 12-month academic and immersive training experience to hone their TV and film skills under the guidance of industry experts.
MultiChoice’s “Best In Class” masterclass workshops, provide industry creatives with exclusive access to practical, expert-led skills training that afford film and television professionals the opportunity to interact and learn from the best. This month’s masterclasses were led by leading African and international industry experts namely Neil Brandt, Executive Producer and Patricia van Heerden, a broadcast content specialist and channel strategist.
Brandt’s masterclass on film financing and distribution including van Heerden’s session on creating formats & pitching to commissioning editors was hosted in Windhoek to 30 established creatives. The MultiChoice Talent Factory’s mission is to train both emerging and established talent and connect creatives across the continent through its three touchpoints. The MTF Masterclasses to date were made possible through strategic partnerships with local M-Net channels, technical partners such as Dolby, Fox Portugal, the New York Film Academy and many more to come. Our lead experts have included multi-cam guru Bobby Heaney, Dolby sound expert Vikram Joglekar, Jonathan Kovel, the cinematographer behind the award-winning South African film Ayanda and renowned pan-African storytelling and creative consultant Allison Triegaardt.
About Neil Brandt
Neil Brandt is an energetic multi-award winning filmmaker, producer and founding member of Fireworx Media in Johannesburg and most recently, StoryScope, and is passionate about nurturing authentic African voices that challenge stereotypes. Neil has produced hard-hitting fiction, non-fiction films and series for theatrical, broadcast and VOD platforms, working in volatile spaces across Africa, the Middle East and Latin America. Recent drama series produced in South Africa for domestic broadcast include “Keeping Score”, “Hustle” and “Emoyeni”, and independent features include “uGugu no Andile”, “One Last Look”, “Chemo Club” and “Taste of Rain”.His documentaries have broadcast on ARTE, VPRO, Sundance Channel, BBC, PBS, ZDF, NHK and others. His most recent film, “Whispering Truth to Power” (2018), won Special Jury Prize at Hot Docs International. He is a regular contributor to Al Jazeera Witness & Artscape, and Executive Produces CGTN’s “Faces of Africa” series. He is currently in production on “Influence”, an Arte/CBC co-production, a global-trotting political thriller unpacking the post truth era in a time where democracy is up for sale.
About Patricia van Heerden
Most recently, she was the Head of Content for a Media24 channel on DStv that commissioned original content of 780 hours a year. In the past, she has held the following positions: Head of Entertainment SABC (SABC1, 2&3), Commissioning Editor Factual Programming SABC1, Head of Editorial for AL Jazeera’s current affairs program, South2North. She has worked in the television industry making: French and local cooking shows, documentaries, reality show formats and has recently co-produced a fiction film about Bram Fischer. She has taught: The Horror Genre, African History, Documentary film and a Masters Course in History and Film. She holds a MPhil and MA from NYU. She is presently the Chair of the South African Screen Federation representing seven industry organizations.
About the MultiChoice Talent Factory:
The African continent is steeped in a rich and diverse history of living passionately through language, art, music, and colourful storytelling. As the continent continues to change rapidly, the entertainment industry has become ever more relevant. MultiChoice Africa has identified an opportunity in this fast-changing environment—one that will have a lasting impact on the industry as a whole. The MultiChoice Talent Factory (MTF) is a multi-tiered training programme (Academies, Masterclasses & Portal) designed by MultiChoice Africa to focus on positively impacting the technical and professional value chain in the film and television industry across the continent. As a business born and bred in Africa, we have a long-term commitment to making a socioeconomic difference in the countries in which we operate. As such, this initiative helps to play a positive role in growing Africa’s creative industries. MTF is a shared-value initiative that provides a platform for the creative industries to develop their talent and engage with one another through their shared passions. Through the MTF Academies (every year, the academies select 60 talented individuals from across 13 countries to participate in a 12-month academic and practical immersion programme including both theory and hands-on experience in cinematography, editing, audio production and storytelling) we are building a pipeline of good local content for our channels whilst the Masterclasses focus on developing technical skills of established creatives in cinematography, audio and storytelling to improve the quality of local productions and are conducted by leading African and international industry experts. The MTF Portal is the golden thread that brings talent and opportunities together on one platform. It is a Pan-African, film and television digital marketplace that offers open, cost-free access to film creatives across the continent to showcase their talent, access opportunities, stay up to date with industry news and expand their industry network. Through this initiative, MultiChoice Africa’s demonstrates its commitment to enriching lives by developing the art of inspired local storytelling and story making, while simultaneously growing a legacy of local content on our DStv, GOtv and Showmax platforms and ultimately continue showcasing Africa’s rich cultural heritage and diversity. More information available on www.multichoicetalentfactory.com
Are you signed-up to the MultiChoice Talent Factory portal? Join over 24 000 creatives who are expanding their network and showcasing their talent! The portal is a pan-African, film and television digital marketplace for information about all aspects of this creative industry. #SignUp2MT
