I have finally gotten my priorities in order and am back with some awesome content for all my listeners, lockdown has been a test. I know the industry is in a strange place but here is a ray of sunshine, props master Kerry von Lillienfeld. We chat about how he got started, his absolute love for fabricating awesome new gadgets for film and tv, the evolution of technology in his field and really just his absolute love for the film industry and all the people that go with it. He is also a giant sci...
Jul 02, 2020•1 hr 15 min
We’re adapting to the times and going remote. This week I sat down virtually with Grant Powell, stuntman, coordinator, fight choreographer, storyteller, student and teacher. We went on many a tangent but really dug into the attitude, perseverance and passion required to make it in this industry. Make sure to follow Grant on Instagram @powell321 to check out the amazing fights he’s designed and phenomenal actors and stunt performers he’s trained. Always ready with a story and a laugh but serious ...
Apr 24, 2020•1 hr 23 min
Nadine Theron is a dancer, stunt woman, actress and small business owner her in Cape Town. She went from small town dreamer to successful freelancer in the film and entertainment industry. When there wasn’t work she made it, she dove head first into stunts, acting and production management and hasn’t looked back since. We talk about the joys of being a performer, learning to trust your training and stepping outside of the box. She’s shares the tough choices and is really an example of what can b...
Apr 03, 2020•1 hr 18 min
This week I sat down with continuity and script supervisor Kim Robinson. She is a ray of sunshine that like me just loves the idea of cerebrating the South African Film Industry and all the phenomenal people in it. She has even created a book about just that called A World Behind The Camera. We chatted about her job, what it actually means to be a script supervisor and continuity on a set and the multitasking and interpersonal skills required to be a pro. We talk about her passion project of cre...
Mar 27, 2020•1 hr 19 min
You may recognise her as Flea Van Jaarsveld in the new local series Trackers based on Deon Meyers crime novel of the same name but Trix Vivier joined me in all her inspirational glory chatting with us about her career, the journey to where she is today and the importance of hard work, perseverance and a solid grounding. This interview is filled with great advice on moving towns, focusing on the work you do and just enjoying the process of becoming the best team player you can be. You can find Tr...
Jan 24, 2020•1 hr 23 min
First episode of 2020 happens to be episode 20, coincidence, I think not. This week we sat down with stunts and special effects coordinator Antony Stone. We go through his amazing journey from athlete to student to stuntman to coordinator and look at some of the things he’s learnt along the way. We also chat about his short film Fracked currently doing the festival circuit. He is really passionate about the environment and the footprint we as humans are leaving behind and this project more than ...
Jan 17, 2020•1 hr 10 min
Welcome to the year 2020. This episode is a chance to look back on the creation of the South African Film Industry Podcast. See how far we’ve come, chat about what we want to achieve and the ideals we are hoping to keep promoting, especially the part about celebrating the amazing people in our growing industry. We also open up to some topic requests from you the listeners and chat a little about entering the industry, finding an agent and dealing with budgeting and finances as a freelancer. Lets...
Jan 03, 2020•21 min
For my last interview of 2019 I bring you the beautiful and talented Jo Galloway. Trained in Musical Theatre at the Waterfront Theatre School here in Cape Town she traveled the world with some amazing shows before packing her bag and taking the plunge into the big pool of LA. That was 8 years ago and since then she has built her career as an actress, writer, producer and director, through her company ShoWorks Entertainment. We chatted about the highs and lows of the industry, the ways we cope an...
Dec 20, 2019•1 hr 19 min
This episode is about business, investors and marketing your craft but without losing that love of the art and the passion for growth in our industry and our beautiful country. I sat down with Monica Rorvik the head of the Film and Media Department at Wesgro. They are in charge of promoting the Western Cape as a filming location and media creation hub. We talk about the importance of knowing your audience and selling your ideas to investors in a language that they understand. We both agree that ...
Dec 13, 2019•1 hr 40 min
This week we chat with local actress Anlia van Rensburg. We go through her journey from Musical Theatre training to children theatre, to indy film and television to well known villain in the Afrikaans soap Getroud Met Rugby. We chat about her decision to leave the show and move full time to Cape Town to sink her teeth into the many international productions filmed here, the challenges that come with relocating and rebuilding a network in a different town. She was recently cast in the Ridley Scot...
Dec 05, 2019•1 hr 4 min
This week we talk the gaming industry in South Africa. The film and game industries have much more in common than you may think, there is so much we can learn from each other and there are countless ways we can look to collaborating and creating together. I interviewed Nicholas Hall, founder of the Make Games SA forum and CEO of IESA, International Entertainment South Africa, the non profit trade body designed to help develop the industry and create trade relations with international association...
Nov 28, 2019•1 hr 22 min
Matt Esof is a stunt performer and entrepreneur here in Cape Town. He was thrown in the deep end a short 5 years ago when asked to be a double for an actor on Resident Evil 6 die to his high level Taekwondo experience. After that he was hooked and started working to build himself a career in the film industry. He’s had some ups and downs, crazy moments and as you will discover some very insightful drunken conversations that led to him starting his own VR and Augmented Reality company Envisio. We...
Nov 22, 2019•1 hr 16 min
This week we sit down with actor/director Daniel Lasker. After moving to Cape Town from his home town of Bulawayo Zimbabwe two years ago he has gone from strength to strength as an actor, director, writer, casting assistant and so much more. We talk about getting into the film industry, the importance of surrounding yourself with like minded people and how we must never stop learning, training and developing our skills across the board of filmmaking. This interview has been a great reminder to l...
Nov 15, 2019•58 min
Part 2 of our interview is filled with crazy stories and a tonne of inspiration for young actors and filmmakers. We chat about Ryans directing style, get a look into the making of Fried Barry and he gives some great insight into the Festival system and how directors can use it to their advantage. All in all we realised we’re the same type of nerd and probably need to find some hobbies, but not really, and I left feeling positive about the future of our industry. Remember why you do what you do, ...
Nov 08, 2019•1 hr 7 min
Ryan Kruger decided eleven years ago to make South Africa his home base and hasn't looked back since. He is and actor and director most known for his unique directing style that has helped create some really memorable music videos for our local artists and has really taken control of his career by starting to direct his own experimental short films. The most recent is Fried Barry which has been turned into a full length feature film due to be released in 2020. In Part 1 we chat about his journey...
Nov 01, 2019•55 min
Sadly our Horror Fest special must come to an end but Part 2 of my interview with Paul Blom and Sonja Ruppersberg is filled to brim with festival chat, horror cinema discussions and a few rabbit holes. We talk about violence in cinema, the unfair labels placed on lovers of alternative media, the life of an independent freelance creative, meeting your idols and the importance of just being a nice person. You can check out the full Horror Fest schedule, running from the 29th October to the 7th Nov...
Oct 24, 2019•1 hr 24 min
October means Halloween and what better way to celebrate than by interviewing the founders of our very own South African Horror Fest Paul Blom and Sonja Ruppersberg. We chat about where it all started and how the Horror Fest has grown into an internationally recognised film festival. We go on many a tangents about horror movies, music and our appreciation for young filmmakers who are able to do some amazing things with small budgets and big hearts. There are so many great screenings happening th...
Oct 18, 2019•1 hr 11 min
This week we head behind the scenes with unit stills photographer Graham Bartholomew. We chat about what his job entails, researching cinematic styles, finding the right moments on set for the best shot and capturing the unique experience of filmmaking. It has really given me a new appreciation for what he does and will make you look at his beautiful photographs with new eyes. Check out his website http://grahambartholomew.co.za. and follow his adventures and photography on Instagram @grahambart...
Oct 10, 2019•1 hr 6 min
Part 2 of our interview with stunt woman Lana Katz. We chat about her joining the board of SASA, the South African Stunt Association, what it has done for the stunt community in South Africa and what we are hoping for in the future of our industry. We touch on her adventurous turn as a reality TV start in The Longest Date where she to her own surprise found love. We enjoy many targets talking about the industry we love and just needing out on how lucky we are to do what we do. Lets take a leaf o...
Oct 03, 2019•58 min
Settle in for Part 1 of my interview with South African stunt woman Lana Katz. We had such a great time I couldn't possibly cut it down to just one episode. This week we talk about how Lana got into the industry, her amazing leap out of a ten year career in advertising into her dream job of being a super hero in cinema. The universe threw some personal trials her way and she came out stronger than before. She is so passionate about what we do you just can't help being inspired by her joy and pos...
Sep 26, 2019•57 min
Shana Mans is an up and coming South African actress to watch out for. We chat about her unique path into becoming a full time actress, the value of understanding what goes on behind the scenes in the pre production process of film making and some great insight into staying positive and always working on yourself as a person in order to portray fully rounded characters. She knows what she wants and seems to always find ways to make sure she is ready for whatever challenges this industry throws a...
Sep 19, 2019•1 hr 26 min
I know it looks long but it is totally worth it. Accent and dialect coach Richard Wright Firth (known for playing Muldoon in the series Black Sails) sat with me to talk about his work on set helping actors find their voices. We talk about the South African Film Industry, what makes South African performers unique and his hope for the future of accent coaches on film sets. We also go far off the beaten path talking about Star Wars, Dungeons and Dragons and his hilarious failures at social media. ...
Sep 13, 2019•1 hr 46 min
Brian Wentzel is an armorer at Hire Arms in Cape Town, a company dedicated to providing weapons to the film industry. We talk about his favourite part of the job, some of the intricacies of guns through the ages and why South Africa is an industry to be reckoned with. He shares some amazing stories of working all over the world and how someone would get into the industry to be an armorer on set. You can check out some of the amazing films Hire Arms has worked on as well as behind the scenes phot...
Sep 05, 2019•1 hr 17 min
David Wayne Smith is an independent film maker as well as a storyboard artist and creative researcher at Egg Films in Cape Town. In this interview we talk about how he got into storyboarding and the advertising industry. The things he has learnt along the way and the connections he has made that have helped him pursue his own passion of making movies. Let him inspire you the way he inspired me with his outlook on making movies and the way it can effect all people, both in the making and in the w...
Aug 29, 2019•1 hr 20 min
Shaun Verth is a parkour and free running athlete and a talented South African stunt performer. In this interview we talk about his start in the film industry, his first opportunities as a stunt man and lead stunt double on some amazing productions and his recent international adventures. We have a great chat about staying humble, always learning and knowing your limits when entering the stunt world. You can find Shaun on Instagram @shaun_verth Get in touch with us via email at thesafipod@gmail....
Aug 22, 2019•40 min
A short intro episode to share a little bit about who you are listening to and how this podcast came to be in the first place. Get in touch with us via email at thesafipod@gmail.com Follow us on Instagram @thesafipod for updates on interviews and news about the pod . . Intro music by The Heatley Bros Royalty Free Music "Damn Girl" Art by Ben Geldenhuys @benny_behemoth on Instagram
Aug 19, 2019•5 min
