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As South Africa's growing, yet struggling, television industry and the government call for bigger support of the country's TV and film biz, M-Net on Thursday announced the names on the 12 interns from across South Africa who will be the first class attending M-Net's new Magic in Motion Film & TV Academy for a year.
"The 12 Magic in Motion interns are indeed in for the ride of their lives," said veteran TV and film producer Bobby Heaney, the academy's director at the World Trace Centre in Sandton yesterday.
"This is their springboard moment."
"M-Net's Magic in Motion Film & TV Academy was specifically designed to achieve long term objectives which will benefit the whole industry and ultimately the whole country," said Bobby Heaney.
"The 12 interns represent the brightest, the most passionate and most dedicated film, television and media students from across South Africa," said Bobby Heaney of the academy's first class of students.
They will be attending the year long, accelerated work-readiness programme in the world of professional film and TV production.
"Do we have the next Koos Bekker among these 12 interns?" asked Bobby Heaney. "The next Anant Singh? The next Gavin Hood? Perhaps yes. But probably not without a strong support base and the practical and theoretical fundamentals."
"M-Net is building a new industry network - a network of sharing, nurturing, inspiring and creating to support new talent long into the future."
The 12 students - chosen out of 200 applications - will gain practical experience and knowledge by working across various local M-Net channels' TV productions ranging from Carte Blanche and Idols to Isibaya, Zabalaza, Rockville, Big Brother Mzansi, Binnelanders, Power Couple SA, MasterChef SA and several others, starting next week.
First they will all travel to Cape Town to work on the set of new reality show Power Couple SA, after which they will all work at Sun City on Miss South Africa 2015 returning to the M-Net channel this year. After that they will be split across the various other local productions.
At the end of the year the interns will also be tasked with pitching original TV show concepts to the various M-Net channel heads, and they will get to make their own TV pilot show as well.
"We received the highest caliber of students for the first intake," said Kershnee Govender, M-Net's corporate affairs director. She said M-Net's new Magic in Motion Academy is an example of M-Net's commitment to developing local talent in the film and television industry.
Buti Manamela, deputy minister in the presidency, praised M-Net's Magic in Motion Academy initiative, saying its very important that South Africans tell local TV stories and that South Africa's film and TV industry grow to nurture the youth interested in careers in this industry.
"It's important that every project for youth development include the youth."
"Too often our stories are being told for us. These stories are often not our own stories, they are largely American or Eurocentric stories from the outside market. We need to start telling our own stories that resonate and reaffirms our cultural identities," said Buti Manamela.
The first 12 interns for 2015 at M-Net's Magic in Motion Academy are:
· Sandisiwe Aluta Qupa (AFDA JHB)
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Palesa Rathebe (AFDA JHB)
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Yalezo Njuguna ( UJ)
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ThembaTwala (WITS)
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Ignatius Shongwe (AFDA JHB)
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Reitumetse Mataboge (AFDA JHB)
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Thembalethu Mfebe (UCT)
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Kabelo Ramputa (Boston Media House)
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Mbali Zulu (UJ)
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Lele Dinte (AFDA JHB)
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Mark Madai (AFDA CT)
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Sivela Mgudu (CPUT)
