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Behind productions such as Tshisa, Mtunzini.com, and the recently launched Moferefere Lenyalong is Moja Movie Factory and The Observer presents an interview with Charl Blignaut from this production house.

The interview touches on the company, its productions, television, Egoli and television ratings. Also we find out that Tshisa may be a long running series due to its success and Mtunzini.com will premier a brand new season in the New Year.

I found Charl to be very interesting, one of those people you would like to see in action and also pick his brain on matters relating to the development of entertainment in South Africa. It sounds like his production company has identified a simple yet effective approach to their objective in television and so far it looks to be working out very well. After all they are producing the countries hit dramatic series based on ratings. Often production company executives are very stuck up and will never share any information about anything but Charl is different, as you read the interview you will soon discover that.


When was Moja Movie Factory established? And Why?
From the company profile: The company was formed in 2002 to produce the (then) hit daily youth series Backstage. We did so until 23 January 2004 when we decided not to renew our contract with broadcaster Midi TV (e.tv). Formed by television writers, we turned our focus to creating groundbreaking family drama for the national broadcaster

How is it different from other production companies?
We're storytellers who got together, not business people. Without strong stories, there is no national dream. We were tired of selling our stories to fatcat production houses. And we're good people (despite my drinking habit). We want to make our world a better place. We've found that the best way to retain these values is to stay small/medium-sized. Nowadays a lot of people get into TV just for the money.

Who owns the company?
Stephanie Pickover, Thandi Mavata (Thandi runs the money), Charl Blignaut.

In the new world of television, there are exciting opportunities for production companies to diversify their content; some even seek aggressive ownership to pursue broader horizons? Is this part of your plan in any way, and if not - why?
I speak for myself. I have never been comfortable in an overly commercial environment. We love to tell South African drama and comedy stories. We would rather keep the company small with fewer projects. Slowly Moja will develop South African movies with unique, powerful stories. We dream of writing and producing a Pan-African soap.

Do you have an opinion on how television content, especially original local content, can improve in South Africa?
Where to start! The thing is that the primary client is the public broadcaster. They have a mandate from government to better the nation and not alienate any viewers. Groundbreaking comedy and drama most often requires an element of alienation and controversy, so it's tricky for everyone concerned. I think SA TV will grow again once we're making our own movies and tackling the risque subjects and smaller stories. That and a genuine skills training program. Right now people are being fast-tracked and promoted far too soon. We're seeing a serious drain in experienced skills on a creative level. And Icasa mandates require a lot more local programming than before. Nowadays everyone's a writer, deejay and/or filmmaker.

Do you think ICASA is doing enough to advance television and entertainment in South Africa?
Icasa has to work within the parameters of what is possible for the industry to achieve - goals must be realistic. But of course it's a lot of politics. I've seen broadcasters flaunting the rules and still not being brought to book. Icasa, like the public broadcaster, is ultimately an extension of government policy.

Do you think four (4) free to air channels are enough to provide news and entertainment for all our nine provinces including the television audiences we have?
Well, i guess - though more would be good. Except, sadly, if there were more the content would probably just weaken further. Of course it would be great to see a HBO-style broadcaster in town, a local station driven by progressive content and commercially driven (that's free to air). It seems so staggering that our channels can't seem to make profit. Airtime is gold. But aside from the public broadcaster, business is business and profits get ploughed into corporate gains, not public interest.

What are your opinions with the way in which the US television industry picks-up and broadcasts television shows? And do you think the new satellite channels and digital migration may push South Africa to improve, if improvement is necessary in your opinion?
American TV and local TV are two very different pictures re budgets and what people earn. Our entire Tshisa budget is a Hollywood movie port-a-loo budget. We don't have the distribution networks. It's expensive for us to sell ourselves overseas. American TV sells to the world. Risks can be taken there because returns are greater. As a writer, if you come up with a show there, you share the profit/Intellectual Property (IP). That's why so many top American writers are TV producers. Here we work for broadcasters. Whoever comes up with the money owns the IP (read: the broadcaster). We don't have enough investment capital to make something and sell it (except documentaries). America does. I sometimes think that in South Africa, by having a primary client that is the public broadcaster we forget our entrepreneurship; our risking it all to tell the stories we believe will rock. As writers we tend to follow instead of lead. In recent years there's been a rocky road traveled by broadcasters and producers. We need to forge a partnership between the two. That's what makes American TV strong - genuine partnerships to try and make a hit. Also, what local TV could really learn from America is to RECOMMISSION FASTER! In America - or most countries with developed industries - if a show is working, writers and producers are told to keep going. That way you hang on to your cast and crew and build a viable brand and it becomes more affordable the longer you shoot. Here it is common for a hit show to have a lag of a year or two before being back on the box - red tape.

What is the worst thing about owning and managing a production company?
It's not for the faint-hearted, but is subject to all the same pressures as any business. Soaring petrol and food prices, obstreperous cast and a lack of IP ownership to name a few...

South African television has very few quality programs, what is it that your company has identified as the reasons for such lack of high quality shows?
It's budgets - at all the channels in the country, pay or public. Budgets are shrinking and it's a real crisis. Producers are folding or refusing contracts. Quality drama (in our case) relies on locations and money shots as much as human drama and great acting and art direction - audiences expect screen value. It's becoming more difficult to deliver this. Petrol and food prices have soared but budgets just get smaller. The profit margins are minute, a couple of percent of total budget.

We have a lot of local stars, some on your show “Tshisa”, who also appear on other shows. Although it is understood that some stars or talent, help in getting the show popular. It seems we have too much duplication of talent and not enough fresh & new faces. Why is it that producers don’t bring fresh and new talent to screens?
Casting budgets are small. There is literally no actor training budget, so most producers rely on good, trained people - not a huge pool. Audience's moan loudly - as they should - when acting is poor in a show so risks are kept to a minimum. Of course there are companies that seek out new talent on principal. And the broadcasters do try to regulate casting so that faces don't become overexposed. Then again, what's overexposed? I am always amazed at how seriously good many of our actors are - and they're not famous beyond our borders. That's why I think we need more movies to spread the word. Low-budget-big-on-humanity movies that touch all people on the planet.

When we watch US or UK shows, there is always the talent, writing, producing, directing and presentation factor, however, most importantly is the beauty factor which is often pivotal to most television producers. There has to be eye candy on shows for women and men. Why is it that South Africa seems to lack in this area, since all the talent that appears on all most all shows is not that kind to eye?
Eish. I don't know. It's many things - all departments need to be equally strong. A lot of it has to do with the Director of Photography. This determines the lighting and the look. We have some great DOPs, but most dramas can't afford them or they have left the industry. There are new people coming up and they are very in demand but don't have the experience. Another part of it has to do with Art Directors. We have brilliant people in South Africa, but they work on commercials and features for better money. You can earn in a week on a commercial what you'd earn in a month on Tshisa. Yes, the truth is that there must be eye candy. This is crucial to audience aspiration, especially a youth audience. TV is aspirational - beautiful people with more problems than you. That said, it is a joy to cast against the grain and to mix it up and not stereotype images of sexiness/coolness.


Speaking of Tshisa, it is possibly the most fascinating show on air and reminds me of Yizo Yizo, in terms of its rawness and real life situations not to mention dialogue. You also have some great actors. Is it easier producing a show like that or more difficult?
Nope, it's all absolutely scripted like any show. The actors breathe into it, but seldom ad lib. We really don't have the time to jam and mess up and reshoot - or the money to. It costs R65000 a day to shoot drama. So actors must follow the script and bring it to life. Often we will ask actors to do their own translations so that its more natural. They are always welcome to imput and discuss their characters.

What are the most interesting facts you have to share about Tshisa which viewers may find fascinating to know? Things which happen/ed only on set and behind the scenes?
I guess most people know that Precious and Bafana (Mbali and Bongani) fell in love in real life - and broke up too. What most people don't know is that we met Mbali when she started visiting set because her mom was our make-up and hair stylist. We cast Mbali in mtunzini.com and then in Tshisa when she was in matric. Bongani we cast fresh out of Afda Performing Arts (and Thandy who plays Lindiwe). In Bafana, like with the character Baksteen, we wanted an actor who could also make music, but music was less important. When we took them to studio to try a track they came up with the title song and the closing song. We immediately hooked them up with more producers on Season 2 and now there's a CD on the way in Season 3. The CD will also feature Jozi. According to SABC's research, this was the band our Season 1 viewers most want to see on the show. Jozi members now produce our songs for us. Hip-hop producer Battlekat does the mood music. Funny, though, when Jozi visited the set recently to perform, a group of schoolgirls arrived - and headed straight for our cast past Jozi. TV just makes you more famous, end of story. It's about getting your face out there.

The Tshisa cast has some seriously experienced actors on it, but the longest CV is little Speedy's (Given). He started when he was a baby and has been in more shows than anyone I've ever met. His mom comes to set with him and keeps him (and us) real.


If you could improve anything about Tshisa what would it be, besides the budget of course?
Omigoodness, lots of course. A million little mistakes you see when you're sitting in the screenings. But the show is built on love and commitment from a great cast and crew and it's rocking. What I would love to see improve is the outreach. The truth is that Tshisa has an educational motive. I'd love to see road-shows and concerts and social networking online that can be supported by hip social awareness messaging. The broadcaster wants this too, so I hope the brand becomes a yardstick - what to do when you're faced with a difficult choice as a young adult.

Does the show (Tshisa) have a future beyond this season?
Yes. The broadcaster seems very happy with the ratings and there's talk of it becoming long running.

The prime-time TV figures as reported on TVSA for 29 September - 5 October, 2008 has placed Tshisa as the number one drama out of the top five, with a reported 4,825,000 viewers. How does that make you feel?
Nice. This is why we work on the public broadcaster. You just can't reach so many people anywhere else. Equally wonderful was when we saw the research off Season 1 and something like 80 percent of viewers in areas without electricity could recall the storylines - which means they asked their friends at school or missioned to find a TV just to watch the show. That commitment is because they are proud of the screen value. This looks like international TV, and it's theirs. This brings a huge responsibility to the broadcaster and producers to make sure the show is teaching the audience life skills (without lecturing them or avoiding the reality of life here now, else people switch channels).

Why do new seasons take such a long time before they could return on-air?
It's a matter of red tape. Review panels, dozens of signatures, many departments signing off, (often necessary) scrutiny by the content people. Why does it take long to get something at home affairs? Same reasons.


Your company also produced Mtunzini.com which took a while for me to get the hang of it, but I eventually found it entertaining and again the cast was great at selling the show to viewers. What influenced its development?
It's a funny story. Bongani Thwala, the James Bond of the sands, was once a white woman called Samantha Snow. We created a show called Deadline that eventually found a home on SABC1 and became mtunzini.com. The idea was to create an African murder-mystery format. One that allowed space for culture and tradition and emotions as well as forensics.

Will it return for another season? If so, what will viewers see?
Yup. mtunzini.com 3 starts in the new year. Look out for a new Bongani Thwala. The role is now played by Thapelo Mokoena and the brother rocks - especially opposite the ever-delectable Phuthi Khomo.


You have recently introduced a new show on SABC2’s popular comedy slot on Sundays at 19h00. The show is called “Moferefere Lenyalong” how was this show developed?
Some of us at Moja thought we were funny and wanted to try a sitcom. We also wanted a studio-based show (they're more secure than drama re the shoot). We pitched a dramedy at Sithengi and the head of the hub at SABC was on the panel. She advised us to speak to Anne Davis, the senior commissioning editor for comedy at SABC. Anne invited us to workshops with international comedy people. When the SABC briefs came out we took what we'd learned and pitched. The brief was for a show set in a wedding chapel, so we went for a farm community in Ficksburg and introduced a guesthouse to the equation. We wanted to make a show that was charming and old-school. We feel a lot of South Africans hanker for their gogo and the comfort of the past - when you used to chat to your neighbours and not lock your front door. When culture dictated the rules of the house - for better or for worse. To make sitcom we were taught that you must create characters that are monsters. So we made our wedding chapel hosts the victims of a terrible marriage.


How long did it take the station to pick-up the show?
At once. They have people that read the pitches and then shortlist the best and do interviews. The process takes a couple of months. Then you get a development contract to write. If they like the scripts they give you a production contract or advise you on a production house. It's important that people out there with ideas, who can write, realise that the broadcaster will help you find a producer. What TV needs here is fresh ideas. So go pitch them.

Who did the casting?
The amazing old doyenne of the stage and screen Trudie Taljaard. She knows how ensembles work and how to typify styles of humour that work as a unit. She was ill when she cast, but was to be seen zooming around the Moja office in her wheelchair shouting advice to actors.


The cook at the B&B plays her role very similar to the popular Lillian Dube and sounds a bit like her sometimes, just without the unique voice. Where did you find her? She is good in her unique sort of way and could work on a variety of roles!
Elizabeth Serunye. She's got it in her soul. It's organic. She's a professional actor. I remember seeing her on Yizo and falling in love. The important thing in sitcom is that the character is archetypal, so comparisons do happen. But she and Lillian are very different actors.

The show is watched by at least 2million viewers what do you think of that?
Can I come out from under the couch now? We were terrified we wouldn't be able to pull it off.


What are your thoughts on the announced END of Egoli by Mnet?
It was a long time coming. It has to do with IP and money. M-Net is cutting back on budgets.

What do you think of the television audience rating system in South Africa?
I am reliably told the AR infrastructure in South Africa is one of the best in the world. There are little boxes inside several hundred TVs that you are aware of and you log on and off of and that track your viewing patterns. TVs are representative of the nation (in America there may be 3 TVs per household; in South Africa 3 households per TV). ARs attach value to a show for advertisers. It tells you who watches and this determines where you place your advert. How many people watch determines how much you pay for your advert being there. This is the grist of TV - a show needs to pay for itself in the number of adverts it attracts. I'm pleased to say that Moja's shows do. The research issue is not as much the ARs but as it is support research. Focus groups can give feedback and help you know what stories/characters/songs worked best; what viewers' issues are. Broadcasters are starting to engage in wider research. We all want the same thing - for our TV to rock.

Thank you to Charl Blignaut at Moja Movie Factory for this interview and supplying me with pictures.



By The Observer

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