Transformation

A parallel priority for South African film commissions is to create viable pathways for crew and businesses from previously disadvantaged communities to participate in the mainstream commercial film sector. Our tools for this include:

Collectives
Collectives once again remain the building blocks of our Film Sector development programmes. Centrally managed but locally delivered programmes that function almost as Book Clubs for the film sector. Based on successful Tourism Department models, Collectives attract people interested in the Film Sector into a programme of events, activities, training and information that a) allow them to progress through the sector and b) allows the Commission to determine which individuals / businesses are serious about their careers. Each Collective is structured around a 3 year programme.

Film Partnership
A Film Partnership is a voluntary Industry Association of interested stakeholders. It is typically a web-based creation that encourages crew and local businesses – particularly those from the Collectives – to source more specific relevant information on local training, crewing, funding and other opportunities.

Black Skills Database / Black Empowerment Suppliers Database
A key outcome of the Collectives programme is to begin developing a Black Empowerment Database. This would be published and distributed to the film sector, and used as the basis for regular networking events between employers and suppliers / crew.

Crew Pool
Career placements and on-set learning opportunities in the current Film Sector are incredibly resource intensive; with the average TV commercial lasting just 2 days, the time an effort that goes into a work shadow is entirely lost once that production has wrapped. Worst still, with the average TV commercial company producing around 10-15 productions a year, that equates to just 20 -30 days of work for a trainee – certainly not enough to allow for sustainability. The solution is to create a pool of trainees, drawn out of the existing Collectives/Partnership/Forum programmes, which can place a limited number of crew on a range of jobs with a range of production companies.

Film Mentorship Programme
The film mentorship programme grows out of the 3 year collectives programme and aims to lead small black businesses into the film sector. Based on leading international Mentorship Programmes, our imperatives include but are certainly not limited to:

• Structured Programmes leading towards formally agreed outcomes and goals
• A focus on developing potential and untapped talent
• The support of collective knowledge management
• A non-elitist provision of knowledge and skills to all worthy beneficiaries.
• A focus on building the capacity and unique strengths of individuals
• a realisation that the Mentor has as much to benefit from a Mentorship as the Mentee.

“Starbucks” Stamp of Approval
We call this our Starbucks project because the idea came to us when sitting at Starbucks…. As a global corporation, Starbucks has identified a number of ways to target and encourage ethical business practice. We believe that in South Africa, ethical business practice in the film sector could include:

• Commitment to purchasing skills and services from historically disadvantaged individuals and businesses. By welcoming a diversity of people and ideas to our business, we create more opportunities for learning and success that benefit customers, partners (employees) and suppliers.
• Involvement with local efforts to bring people together and create positive change.
• Finding ways to minimize our environmental footprint, tackle climate change, and inspire others to do the same.

We have therefore developped a local “Stamp of Approval” scheme, whereby productions and production companies can be acknowledged for buying local, committing to transformation and employment diversity, committing to environmental best practices and working with local communities.