Sis Petunia knows how to iron, but she also knows how to push buttons and activate the VUZU AMP disseminator to get rid of boring television in the Mzansi galaxy.
That is what viewers see in the hilariously cool new M-Net promo "The Adventures of Captain Makhamisa and the VUZU AMP Starship" for the new channel which will be launching on 13 October at 17:00 on MultiChoice's DStv.
The funny on-air promo, inspired by Star Trek and filled with little details and attention which makes it worth watching again and again is simply excellent and very well done - especially given the fact that the creatives and producers behind the scenes had a very small budget to pull of a science fiction premised promo to raise awareness for a hip and happening, trendy new TV channel.
In the cute and clever promo set on the gleaming white bridge of the StarShip VUZU AMP, Captain Makhamisa discovers bored TV viewers in Sector 2.
The bridge crew then zaps them with the VUZU AMP disseminator to bring joy, laughter and happiness to their lives on the couch in front of the television.
Captain Makhamisa brings just the right touch of Captain Kirky over-dramatisation in his black captain's chair (more reminiscent of the emperor's chair in Star Wars than Star Trek actually), while the set and special effects are amazing for such a minute and a half promo.
Funny vernacular thrown in, hilarious facial expressions and acting, a send-up of well-known and beloved TV tropes and the starship's helm officers who are are hilarious in their "this is a real job that I'm taking very seriously" approach, make the VUZU AMP promo an instant TV pop culture classic creation.
The VUZU AMP launch promo advert was conceptualised by the creative agency Black River FC and directed by Jono Hall and Louis Minnaar from Darling Films.
Filming took an entire day. To build the spaceship bridge set and to make the cool costumes complete with VUZU AMP logo "was a group effort" I'm told, "with ideas from directors Louis Minnaar and Jono Hall as well as constume designer Joel Janse van Vuuren".
"The set design was done in approximately a week and the graphics in the screens as well as the final spaceship took about two weeks to finalise. The brain behind all of this belongs to Louis Minnaar".
Producing the promo, there was a limited budget and the team had to employ clever design ideas to achieve the desired look.
"The iPad were borrowed from friends and family; an old chair was converted into the captain's chair; the emergency button is actually a Tupperware cap; the director brought the pink counch for the cactus scene from his house".
"It was all taken a step up in post-production. Furthermore, the actors were allowed to improvise on set where they wanted to".
The end result is a really brilliant and funny promo.
Would it be too much to ask that VUZU AMP perhaps make some more cool Starship VUZU AMP vignettes once the channel is up and running on DStv to introduce, joke with, and bring awareness to some of the shows that DStv subscribers will be able to see on the channel?
