South Africa Start Sat 01-05-2010 End Tue 01-06-2010
Big Fish School Of Digital Film Launches Additional Courses
By Bete Kun
Young South Africans are taking their places on the world stage in Film and TV production. According to CEO, Dr Melanie Chait, of Big Fish School of Digital Film Making, the country’s multi award-winning accredited film school, the recent successes of South African films – Jerusalema, District 9, Tsotsi, etc – have shown creative local youth that there’s not only a rewarding career to be had in film and TV, but one that is available here in our own country.
“Local talented young people are not only being trained to world class standards right here in Johannesburg, but many of them are going on to be internationally recognised for their work globally,” says Chait. “In addition, the recent screening of three of our students’ films on BBC World’s ‘South Africa, My Country’ has created a deluge of requests for additional training,” says Big Fish CEO Melanie Chait.
To this end Big Fish has announced an additional two-year National Certificate course in Audio Visual Production at their Milpark school.
Based in the heart of the country’s film and TV hub in Milpark, Johannesburg, Big Fish has been turning out graduates in film and TV for the past seven years, since it was originally established in 2003 as the film and TV unit at Monash SA, and subsequently as an independent training provider.
“This is the second year we are running non-subsidised fee-paying training courses which have been very successful. The 2009 intake is now in its second year and being trained by South Africa’s very top award winning industry professionals,” Chait continues.
Recognition from local and international organizations as a leader in film training on the continent, is due in part to the following:
- Use of state of the art HD equipment
- Global award winning tutors and mentors – Oscars and Emmys
- Intensive, hands on training in a simulated workplace environment
- Small classes – maximum 20 students
- Life skills and business training
- Job assistance and placement programme
- Continued lifelong learning programmes through short courses and master classes
“Having won several awards over the past 12 months – in New York, China and locally – we are seeing the profile of our graduates and the school being elevated across the globe, and the demand for more courses is exploding.
Keeping our focus on the delivery of quality and leading-industry training is our passion and commitment to our students,” says Chait. “We are also very proud of our high female intake each year which is helping to redress the gender inequality in the film and TV industry. Along with this, the increasing number of participants from outside South Africa makes for fabulous debate and discussions among the students.
”Students from Big Fish are living the dream in the industry from script writing to filming, directing and producing, both at home and internationally.
While all the places for subsidised students are full for this year, a few for the additional fee-paying course are still available. Closing date for applications for the additional course is 5 March 2010, and further information on fees, course outline and other information is available from Connie Mosegedi at +27 (0) 11 482 5599 or mosegedic@bigfish.org.za
About Big Fish
Big Fish School of Digital Filmmaking is an award winning, accredited Film & TV School that provides cutting edge, groundbreaking training interventions to address skills shortages in South Africa.
Our mandate is to give talented young people access to training to enable them to be economically sustainable in the film and TV industry. With a core focus on students from disadvantaged backgrounds, Big Fish has also recently opened its doors to fee-paying students from across South Africa and the African continent.
The selection process is just as rigorous for these students as the school is intent on providing world-class, high quality training to young people who show determination, creativity and passion for the film industry.
Classes are restricted to a maximum of 20 students per class as the training is designed to equip individuals with an intense hands-on experience. Big Fish students are tutored and mentored by the very best award-winning South African professionals, many of whom have been nominated for, or won, Oscars, Emmy and other prestigious awards. International filmmakers also present classes, courses and master classes at Big Fish.
To date Big Fish has trained almost 1000 students and is proud of its 85% employment rate of former students. The remaining 15% work on their own productions, some through Little Pond, a Production Trust established by Big Fish for former students. A full time employee is dedicated solely to work placements, job opportunities and ongoing monitoring of former students.
In addition to finding sponsorship for disadvantaged students, Big Fish is the appointed training partner for the Multichoice Film Talent Incubator Programme, now going into its 4th year. It is also the flagship programme for Absa’s entrepreneurial development.
Big Fish is the proud recipient of the 2009 prestigious ‘Stevie International Business Award’ for Best Program of the Year in the Middle East and Africa, presented at the St Regis in New York in September, 2009.
In 2008 the then Minister of Arts and Culture, Z. Pallo Jordan, presented Big Fish with the ‘Investing in Culture’ Platinum Award, in recognition of excellence in technical innovation, capacity building and sustainability.
Other accolades and awards include:
2009: China - Sichuan TV Festival, Gold Panda Award, Best Documentary Cinematography; 1st and 2nd place at the Bafundi National Film Schools Festival;
2008: Big Fish shared first place and took second place at the Bafundi National Film Schools festival.
2007: Nominated for a Drivers of Change award.
2006: Received the Investing in Education Mail & Guardian award.
2005: Received the Impumelelo Award for innovative work in the fields of poverty reduction and community development; Received awards for student promos produced for Ster Kinekor
2004: Received awards at the Actors Centre Student Film Festival.
For further information please contact Bette Kun on:
Email: bettekun@gmail.com
Tel: +27 (0)825769739 / (0) 11 646 0821
+27 11 482 5599
www.bigfish.org.za
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