REVIEW. Sail away: The 7th South African Film and Television Awards once again a sinking ceremony; a how-to NOT of disaster coverage.

Mock-up paper boats littering the stage and stage front area - and which had nothing to do with the theme of film or television - didn't add anything to the 7th South African Film and Television Awards - except maybe contribute to the overall sinking feeling that television viewers were once again being subjected to a below par production of a local TV awards ceremony which is still battling to just get the basics right.

The 7th Saftas which played out on TV screens on Saturday night on SABC3 (and played over - it was supposed to end at 22:00 meaning viewers who recorded it missed the end since it only finished at 22:17) remains stuck in the doldrums of disaster coverage.

The 7th Saftas was produced by the National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF) and Vertical Limit Productions this year with the help of the SABC TV Outside Broadcasts fascilities and crew as a live broadcast on Saturday night from Gallagher Estate.

Executive producers Delmarie Seaward and Sam September, Kai Masterson as floor manager and Eugene Naidoo as director were responsible for the broadcast.

The 7th Saftas was not as bad as previous years, but it was still pretty bad. And why a TV award show would continue to show panning camera shots of empty tables with empty chairs in the foreground as a live shot over and over will remain a mystery.

In hindsight the 7th Saftas' disastrous red carpet coverage employing clearly inappropriate people like Nthato Mashishi was the harbinger of the horribleness to come.

While Nik Rabinowitz surprisingly shined with real humour as Saftas co-host and was clearly well-prepared and worked hard at incorporating jokes into the script, a staccato Connie Ferguson came across as stilted, struggling to read and struggling to get her words out properly.

For the first time ever at the Saftas, the "In Memoriam" segment wasn't botched. The pace of the show and the flipping through categories were also quicker than in years before and was a marked improvement.

The bad overall awardcast however wasn't helped by the massive bungle which got worse when Nik Rabinowitz was given the wrong envelope to read for best writing team for a TV drama series. The result led to an even bigger embarrassment playing out live on air.

While 7de Laan won as best TV soap of the evening, I would say it's actually Scandal which took the top prize as far as the broadcast of the 7th Saftas is concerned.

Technically, the 7th Saftas was marked by shoddy and bad sound throughout - sound problems as well as sound mistakes, open mics when it should have been muted; loud singular hand clapping constantly audible and which should have been equalised everytime it occured, and sound distortion - especially from Nik Rabinowitz and Connie Ferguson's mics.

Inappropriately, unqualified people are used as presenters of categories. Inappropriately, government and other organisational figureheads are given airtime to drone on with incessant chatter.

Realise that if you make a TV awards show that it is for the viewers - they don't want and shouldn't be subjected to your bureaucracy, ministerial, and sponsorship fuelled "must include" blabbing binges.

Visually the unimaginable bland black stage with black backdrop and twinkly red stars was more evocative of a dinner theatre evening out than what is supposed to be a glamorous TV award show.

The stage was also not quite disabled people friendly - especially for the several old and frail and injured who clearly needed help and had to make an effort to climb the steps to accept awards.

The few musical numbers tended to more French burlesque circus acts than actually being related to film and television like the Oscars and Emmys do. The ZA News cast who won an award and started singing with the music as the music started playing to force them off the stage, was unintentionally funny and a good moment

Samuel L. Jackson from Snakes on a Plane and who was Jedi Mace Windu appeared to present the awards to the actor and actress in a movie. Sadly Riaad Moosa, the doctor who turned stand-up comedian and who won, didn't attend and Craig Freimond had to accept on his behalf.

The best pre-prepared and produced moment of the 7th Saftas came far too late - 5 minutes before the end of the awards ceremony. On it's own as a standalone segment, it was magical and beautiful.

In the taped piece, intercut industry faces from the world of South Africa's television and film spoke to camera about why they're doing what they're doing and what it's all really about. It was mesmerising, great television and well done editing, cut with excellent mood music to fit the theme.

As what would be a truly magical standalone public service announcement (PSA), that minute and a half which could be its own separate TV advert to promote South Africa's film and television industry was really of outstanding quality. That is what the Saftas should be, look like and showcase.

Sadly it doesn't.

SAFTAS RED CARPET DISASTER: Utter incompetence on full display as inexperienced and amateur red carpet 'presenters' are let loose.

The pitiful and pathetic red carpet pre coverage of the 7th South African Film and Television Awards broadcast on Saturday evening on SABC3 with clearly unqualified and unprofessional live television "interviewers" was once again a jarring and eye-popping example of South African television's embarrassing and shameful refusal and inability to get it and do it right.

South African television, production companies and spotlight-seeking telenalities refuse to accept and work from the most basic premise of so-called red carpet award show coverage: investing in, and finding properly skilled people with experience who know what they're doing, can work under pressure, and can juggle the live demands and various simultaneous processes of red carpet coverage and make it look natural, smooth and easy.

Anyone cannot do it, and anyone shouldn't be doing it. Having watched Ryan Seacrest or Giuliana Rancic on E! Entertainment do red carpet coverage, isn't your "academic qualification" for thinking you're suddenly able to.

The gaffe-filled 7th Saftas red carpet coverage on Saturday evening with a meek Lerato Kganyago and a tragically inept, unprofessional and unqualified Nthato Mashishi was another sad display of exactly what happens when people who don't know what they're really doing - or who haven't done it for years and can't deftly adapt with live TV cameras rolling - try to do so-called "red carpet coverage".

What a national shame. And even more ironic that it keeps happening at a so-called awards show dedicated to honouring the best of television.

The numerous mistakes - especially of Nthato Mashishi - beamed into viewers' homes on Saturday evening by the producers as part of the 7th Saftas are simply too numerous to mention and was complete and utter failure television. Lets take just one cringe-inducing example:

Celebutant Jen Su in the yellow is talking, but viewers can't hear anything because neither of the vapid red carpet co-host, all smiling and apparently over-awed, can't be bothered or isn't technically focused enough on holding an actual mic immediately, and steadily, in front of her. And it happens multiple times, constantly.

Interrupting interviewees after they were just asked a question, sound here, sound there, sound gone, crazy and uncontrollable big windmill hand and arm movements and wholly uninformed interviewers is what viewers are shown.

"Are we seeing you playing a role, a cameo maybe?" asks Nthato Mashishi after Jen Su mentions she hopes soap Isidingo wins.

"I have actually before in the past. I've done a cameo role in Isidingo and I hope so again maybe again in the future," said Jen Su, nicely answering diplomatically and trying to lessen the obvious embarrassment.

"Okay. Thank you Jen Su. You look amazing."

If you do red carpet interviews - especially live - you need to know you're production information and the background on the TV talent walking the carpet inside out. You're get paid to know everything because you're supposedly better than the viewer watching. You don't ask questions if you don't know the facts.

If you're co-host mess up, you need to step up and smooth it over and cover for the other person's problems  - delicately - because you're a team. You don't just stand there.

You are also able to present to the camera (and the viewer) whilst simultaneously connecting to the person you're interviewing, while you listen to the director or floor manager, and as you keep an eye on the cameraman to adjust your standing angle and floor mark, and look for cues about what to do next, or how long to continue.

What on earth were the National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF), the Saftas organising committee and the production company thinking by using utterly inappropriate and unprofessional people not versed in red carpet coverage to do it - red carpet coverage which is also live?

People study, learn, qualify and work their way up for years in order to do skilled television presenting work like this - presenting work which is some of the hardest and most technical to pull off successfully.

The 7th Saftas red carpet was once again substandard trash television and an unmitigated disaster.

The black full wall curtain in the back like last year with "emptiness" stretching into the background? Another fail. The organisers probably haven't yet heard of pop-up banner screens with your award logo and that of the sponsors as a backdrop for your red carpet put up not randomly, but exactly behind your red carpet where the TV interviews are taking place - which is how real award shows do it.


ALSO READ: 7th Saftas massive mistake with best writing for a TV drama category creates huge embarrassment and confusion.
ALSO READ: Saftas judging: "No doubt there's room for improvement," says Nodi Murphy, judging chairperson for the 7th Saftas.
ALSO READ: Reeva Steenkamp not included in the "In Memoriam" tribute of the 7th Saftas; segment done properly for the first time ever.
ALSO READ: Nik Rabinowitz bring real funniness for the first time ever as co-host of the 7th South African Film and Television Awards; staccato Connie Ferguson fails.
ALSO READ: Review. Sail Away: The 7th South African Film and Television Awards once again a sinking ceremony; a how-to NOT of disaster coverage.

Saftas judging: 'No doubt there's room for improvement,' says Nodi Murphy, judging chairperson of the 7th Saftas.

''There's no doubt that there's room for improvement, when is there not? And specifically for growth" said Nodi Murphy, the overall judging chairperson of the 7th South African Film and Television Awards during the live broadcast of the awards ceremony which was shown on Saturday night on SABC3.

The National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF) tries to honour South Africa's film and television industry by organising the award ceremony which sadly mostly remains mired in amateurism with a convoluted nomination, selection and judging system, and a shoddy televised ceremony which year after year is always filled with a myriad of production mistakes.

"We're talking about the Saftas here," said Nodi Murphy. "This is only possible with each of you lending your considerable power to the process and being involved, for they are your awards, and they are decided by your peers," she said.

"So I'm grateful to address hundreds of you here - powerful; powerful and influential - shapers of our aspirations and interpreters of dreams. I encourage you to continue to responsible to delve and discover and to bring to light as yet untold histories and stories to challenge attitudes and inequalities."

Zama Mkosi, chairperson of the South African Film and Television Awards committee and NFVF CEO said on Saturday night that "the committment shown by our broadcasting partners - SABC3, Mzansi Magic and Top One - is an indication of the growing stature of the awards, and will ensure that even more South Africans are exposed to the amazing talent found in our industry."

BREAKING. 7th Saftas massive mistake with best writing for a TV drama category creates huge embarrassment and confusion.

The always amateur South African Film and Television Awards made another massive boo-boo it tried to rectify as the live TV awards was shown on SABC3 tonight: after majorly botching the best writing for a TV drama series award, the 7th Saftas tried to lessen the huge embarassment by calling the real winners to the stage later to make an acceptance speech.

The 7th Saftas caused huge embarrassment - both for Born Free Media's writing team and SABC2 and 90 Plein Street, as well as e.tv and Quizzical Pictures which produce 4Play Sex Tips for Girls - by completely messing up the best writing for a TV drama category and spoiling prematurely the winner for the next category of best supporting actress in a TV drama series.

When it was time for the 7th South African Film and Television Awards to make the award for best writing for a TV drama, the recorded nominees introduction for the category for best TV writing in a drama series played.

"And the award goes to: Nazli George as Shireen in 90 Plein Street," read co-host Nik Rabinowitz.from the golden envelope he opened. Then he turned to his side as if helplessly looking for support after he read a wrong envelope. "It seems ..." and then a dumbfounded, perplexed and visibly embarrassed Nik Rabonowitz simply stopped talking as he looked sheepishly in front of him.

Music blared. The voice-over announcer announced: "The 4Play Sex Tips for Girls writing team wins their first Safta. It's also their first nomination."

Then, super cringeworthingly and super awkwardly, Teddy Mattera, a writer from 90 Plein Street walked up and stood behind the Saftas stage microphone.

He was oblivious that he shouldn't be there, that 90 Plein Street's writing team didn't really win - and nobody from the National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF) or Saftas production team or Vertical Limit Productions producing the show was seen on the Saftas stage trying to intervene and stop him.

Teddy Mattera then launched into an acceptance speech, making the live on-air 7th Saftas gaffe even worse.

"It's miraculous. Khalo Matabane, our head writer couldn't be here today, but respect to Sue de Groot, Ndumiso Khovano, and myself Teddy Mattera, it's been a beautiful ride. Finally we predicted the fall and the rise of somebody in our story. You know who. Thank you."

The live and embarrassing mistake being played out on stage and on TV screens in South Africa was surreal, shocking and highly embarrassing.

The next category of best supporting actress in a TV drama series was also spoilt because of the mistake. An introduction of the nominees played, but viewers and the Gallagher Estate audience already knew it was going to be Nazli George who wins.

After the embarrassing spectacle the 7th Saftas continued by handing out five further awards without getting the real winners - the real writing team of 4Play Sex Tips for Girls - on the stage.

Then 4Play Sex Tips for Girls won in the category for Best TV drama series. The e.tv show's production team blatantly made mention of the mess-up when Harriet Gavshon, accepting the award, said: "For the wonderful writing team who I hope will still be acknowledged ..."

Then after a musical performance by Chris Chameleon the 7th Saftas couldn't ignore the embarrassing mistake any longer.

"Earlier we didn't give the writing team for 4Play Sex Tips for Girls an opportunity to make their acceptance speech," said 7th Saftas co-host Nik Rabinowitz, "so please welcome the 4Play Sex Tips for Girls writing team."

"So I leave you alone now?" viewers then suddenly heard 7th Saftas co-host Connie Ferguson say off camera - an open mic mistake which should have been muted on the sound desk and which was once again part of the many sound problems the Saftas broadcast had on Saturday night as usual with this award broadcast.

The 4Play Sex Tips for Girls writing team of Minky Schlesinger, Gillian Breslin and Busisiwe Ntintili then made their way to the stage to make their acceptance speech.

It's not clear whether Teddy Mattera and the 90 Plein Street writing team now have to give their golden horn trophy back - or whether he already did so.

The NFVF also didn't issue any statement during or after the conclusion of the live broadcast about the embarrassing on-air mishap and what exactly happened with the best writing award. The NFVF didn't immediately respond to a media enquiry made about it on Saturday night after the awards.


ALSO READ: 7th Saftas red carpet disaster: Utter incompetence on full display as inexperienced and amateur red carpet "presenters" are let loose.
ALSO READ: Reeva Steenkamp not included in the 7th Saftas "In Memoriam" tribute; segment however done right for the first time ever.
ALSO READ: 7th Saftas judging:"No doubt there's room for improvement," says Nodi Murphy, judging chairperson.
ALSO READ: Nik Rabinowitz brings real humour to the South African Film and Television Awards for the first time ever.
ALSO READ: Review: Sail away. The 7th South African Film and Television Awards once again a sinking ceremony; a how-to NOT of disaster coverage.

7th South African Film and Television Awards to be shown on SABC3, TopTV's Top One and on DStv's Mzansi Magic channel.

You're reading it here first.

The 7th South African Film and Television Awards (Saftas) will be shown on three South African TV channels this year: On SABC3 on Saturday 16 March at 19:30 as I've already revealed; as well as on TopTV's Top One (TopTV 150) on 24 March at 19:00, and on Mzansi Magic (DStv 161) on 30 March at 18:00.

SABC3 will have a repeat of the 7th Saftas at the end of March and Mzansi Magic will also repeat the 7th Saftas on 3 April at 21:00.

Major credibility issues remain regarding the South African Film and Television Awards.

Besides that, there have been years where the awards ceremony (which keeps calling itself "annual" although there's been years where it didn't take place at all) was not broadcast on television at all although it took place.

The 7th Saftas will however be the first year that it is suddenly shown on more than one South African broadcaster. Of course no actual announcement of any of the broadcasting news of the awards show on three TV channels yet.

Vibe 2000 and Vertical Limit Production to do the stage and event production for the 7th South African Film and Television Awards in 2013.

Vibe 2000 Entertainment and Vertical Limit Production has been appointed  to do the stage and event production in 2013 for the 7th South African Film and Television Awards (Saftas) which will take place in March next year.

The National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF) council appointed Vibe 2000 Entertainment & Vertical Limit Production who will hopefully produce a better TV awards event than the panned previous years.

Vibe 2000 Entertainment and Vertical Limit Production have worked on several events staged through 27 African countries in the past which include awards ceremonies and concerts.

BREAKING. SABC2's 7de Laan back IN!; kykNET's Binneland and Villa Rosa OUT! of the 7th Saftas; e.tv returns, M-Net will broadcast.

You're reading it here first. 

I can break the news that the popular SABC2 soap 7de Laan is back in the race as South Africa's most popular soap on TV in the 7th South African Film and Television Awards (Saftas) which will take place in March 2013 and which will be screened on one of M-Net's TV channels for the first time.

I can also reveal that both of e.tv's soaps Rhythm City and Scandal! are legitimately back (although no official word from e.tv about having entering their soaps), after e.tv withdrew all of its nominees and shows just before the 6th Saftas took place earlier this year. 

I can also exclusively break the news that kykNET's Binneland and Villa Rosa won't be votable for the 7th Saftas as Best Soap (although it's a viewers' vote category only) - neither show entered for the 7th Saftas, similar to 7de Laan last year.

Controversy swirled around organisers, the National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF), at the beginning of this year when the Danie Odendaal Production was blatantly excluded from the Best Soap Award during the 6th Saftas – a category in which only viewers' vote determine the winner.

7de Laan won as Best Soap at the Saftas in 2009, again in 2010 and 2011 before suddenly being excluded in 2012. 

The NFVF dumped 7de Laan, the 3rd biggest South African soap according to viewership figures, since the soap failed to enter other categories. The NFVF said soaps are only eligible to be voted for if they've entered other categories; the production said they were not aware of that.

Now 7de Laan is back in the Saftas after having entered into other categories, although South African TV viewers will again not have a true complete soap set to truly choose from and which will still be impacting on the true legitimacy of the Best Soap category winner.

iNkaba in, Binneland and Villa Rosa out

I can reveal that while SABC1's Generations, SABC2's Muvhango and 7de Laan, SABC3's Isidingo, e.tv's Scandal! and Rhythm City, M-Net's The Wild and even Mzansi Magic's telenovela iNkaba (for the first time) all entered into categories and therefore will be listed in the Best Soap category, kykNET on DStv's Binneland and Villa Rosa are absent because they did not enter anything.

Fans of Binneland and Villa Rosa won't be able to vote for these shows, although they are legitimate and longrunning soaps.

"Eight soaps that submitted entries will go to judging and also qualify for Best Soap as a viewer voting category," the NFVF tells me.

This year the 7th Saftas saw 354 entries qualify to proceed to the so-called "filtration process" which will be followed by final judging. While South Africa's TV industry plays nice, there is still simmering tension behind the scenes, with the Saftas abjudication process still accused of sistemic and judges' bias. Once again, previous winners and nominees of the Saftas serve as judges which is perceived to be a conflict of interest.

"The Saftas judges are professionals with integrity, also if a judge has been nominated in a category they are not permitted to sit on the judging of their own project. The judging process is audited," the NFVF tells TV with Thinus.

"I’m proud to say that not only is the Saftas growing but the whole industry as we continue to witness a considerable increase in the levels of international and local investments in the film and TV industry," says Zama Mkosi the NFVF CEO and Saftas chairperson.

Tension

"This year all the role players in the industry fully support the Saftas," says Mkosi. And while public criticism surrounding the upcoming 7th Saftas has not yet bubbled to the surface as in previous years, behind the scenes broadcasters and industry players are keeping a close eye on the process. Industry insiders remain concerned about the true independence of the awards.

"e.tv remains committed to working together with the NFVF and the Saftas committee to address concerns around the independence of the awards," says Monde Twala, e.tv's group head of channels. Just before the awards ceremony of the 6th Saftas e.tv in a big fight with the awards ceremony, withdrew all e.tv nominees and shows, although the broadcaster did enter again this year.

"Our efforts aim to bolster industry competence and transparency," says Monde Twala. "It is important that we work towards ensuring genuine reward for the country's diverse film and television talent pool."

Back on TV

Another swirling backstage drama in the past was the bad organising and the NFVF's inability to find a broadcaster in time to televise the awards show done over two consecutive nights, or to institute a so-called "carousel wheel" similar to American award shows where TV channels play nice and equally share in taking turns to televise shows such as the Emmys on a turn-by-turn basis to fascilitate buy-in and continued support.

Now M-Net agreed to show an edited version of the 7th Saftas in 2013. "M-Net is fully behind the awards, and has committed to screening an edited version on one of its channels," says Theo Erasmus, M-Net's director for general entertainment channels who is an M-Net representative on the Saftas committee.

"The Saftas have come a long way and it is encouraging to see all the role players, including industry peers, government and broadcasters holding hands in ensuring the awards evolve," says Nodi Murphy, the new overall chairperson of the judges of the Saftas.