Prof Patricia Caillé.
The two astute scholars are collaborating on conducting field research for a project titled CREACOLCIN, “Making Films Collectively in Africa and the Middle East”. This is the latest project initiated by the multidisciplinary and international research network HESCALE (groupe-hescale.com). Prof Caillé and Dr Jansen van Vuuren previously collaborated on a HESCALE research study on “Women Filmmakers in Africa”. The end result of that project is a peer reviewed academic publication, which will be published early 2022.
The current project focuses on the technical and creative aspects of filmmaking and seeks to draw attention to the ways in which a range of professionals recruited as the technical crew for a film project (such as cinematographers, sound technicians and editors) contribute to the creative process. The objective is to highlight individual career paths (training, conceptions of film, work experience) and how these technicians (such as cinematographers) have developed an understanding of film and filmmaking. Lastly it seeks to examine how they work collectively on a film set. So far, the members of HESCALE have been conducting research in Tunisia, Morocco, Cameroon, and Togo. Professors Caillé, and Jansen van Vuuren, and two post graduate students from TUT will be conducting the field work for the South African part of the study.
As part of this project, Angel Zulu and Marcus Magoane - top students in the Advanced Diploma Motion Picture Production programme, who specialise in Cinematography, were selected and trained to conduct field research for the South African part of the study. They also interviewed professionals from the South African Film and TV industry. As part of the field work process, they also attended a red carpet film première of the newly released South African film, New Material (directed by Craig Freimond, starring Riaad Moosa). The latter part was to witness film consumption and film culture in the country’s industry.
Additionally, the two students also got an opportunity to engage and interview well-known producers within the South African Film and TV industry, such as Harriet Gavshon, Pepsi Pokane, Paul Kruger and André Scholtz. They also interviewed individuals from institutions such as the National Film and Video Foundation, MNET and kykNET. Thus, it was a valuable experience for the students in gaining insight into the industry in which they will be employed in future.
Furthermore, apart from making a valuable contribution to the scholarly discourse, the aim of the field work is to inspire the selected students to continue with this project towards their Post-graduate Diploma and Masters’ Degree. The students will also have an opportunity to participate in the write up for a chapter in a peer-reviewed international book.