Waterfront Studios recognizes that stimulating local productions is critical to the development of a sustainable film industry in South Africa. In partnership with leading rental companies and suppliers, Waterfront Studios has developed lens-to-finish packages aimed at productions with budgets under R3-million. These packages cover both digital and film-based processes, allowing filmmakers the choice of medium through which to capture their stories. Together with their partners, Waterfront Studios aims to support Indy filmmakers who make a critical contribution to our industry.

The 16mm package includes: the camera kit with lenses, accessories and monitoring, 10,000ft per week Kodak 16mm stock, processing and telecine rushes, offline edit facilities, HD/2K online conform and full uncompressed DI grade, stereo and 5.1 surround audio mix, digital mastering, master tape and hard drive.

The Red One package includes: the camera kit with lenses, accessories and monitoring, on-set DIT and data management, all media transcoding, offline edit facilities, HD/2K online conform and full uncompressed DI grade, stereo and 5.1 surround audio mix, digital mastering, master tape and hard drive.

Terms and conditions do apply, and the packages can be tailored to some extent to satisfy the requirements of different projects.

The main advantage of these all-in-one packages, apart from the massive cost savings, is the continuity in technical knowledge and support, provided from the first day of the shoot to the last day of the grade. This minimizes the risks on set and ensures a hassle-free post experience.

The packages start at R700,000 (ex VAT) for the Digital Red One offer and R925,000 for the 16mm offer. These heavily discounted rates are only available for local South African film projects with a maximum budget of R3-million. Contact Richard Lackey (richardl@waterfrontstudios.co.za or 021-409-2000) for more information.

Condor, a member of Waterfront Studios, launched its long form VFX division 18-months ago. Andre van der Merwe, head producer, secured a series of great projects for LA-based clients. The first, “Scorpion King”, demanded 14 big VFX sequences and harnessed the talents of Sedick Simons, Heiko von Fintel, Jason Williams and lead artists, Grant Legassick and Nick Seal. Our next project, “Lost City Raiders”, required compositing and matte painting photorealistic CG environments, including a waterfall. Incorporating RED footage added a twist to the workflow, but our artists took it in their stride – lead artists included Heiko, Grant, and Nick with compositors Udesh Chetty and Grant Aerts. Our VFX team is currently working on “Bitch Slap”, an independent film under the direction of Rick Jacobson. “Bitch Slap” is a riot of action, attitude and the artistry of our VFX team. We can’t wait to share this before and after reel with you! Click the link to Condor Cape for our current showreels.