All work and No sleep makes submissions come to nought!

11 November 2011:

So, today is like the final hand in date for pracs, right. And I am an hour away from submitting the project. There I am sitting infrom of the Mac watching the video footage exporting away. So I come up with this idea that I have been watching this programme since I started filming, so it won't kill me to take 40 okay maybe twenty winks while the thing is exporting. My mind and my body agreed, thus my eyes became droopy and off to lala land I went, with not a moments hesitation.

Next thing I know, someone is waking me up and I am blabbering saomething about the submission. I look at the time and I am told - sorry girl, hand in was an hour ago!

What!!!! After all those sleepless nights editing the footage!

Anyway I had to calm down, have some tea and figure out what to do next.

I'm still thinking!

A few pics from Impendulo

Directing the killing of the sangoma scene.

Directing...what a task!

My assistant for the day, Sgaxa

Killing the sangoma

Impendulo Mascots: The Woof Girls

Zluh and I waiting for a taxi before we shoot a scene at the EC taxi rank...we waited and we waited.

Roller Coaster Weekend!!!!!

24 October 2011:

Wow!!! What a weekend. Travelled to Molweni on Friday to pick any shots that I would have missed and continue with a scene that I had not completed. Only to be greeted with an unexpected turn of events. Saturday was a scorcher in Molweni, Zluh and I trotted off to fetch one of the kid actors to travel to Durban with to shoot another scene. The boy ran away clearly not wanting to continue with the film. Clad with camera, tripod and all the other bits and pieces we use to make films I stood gobsmacked that this was happening so close to the end.
But I breathed in and breathed out - and found another child whose perfomance and innocent demeanure made me want to cry, however I could not cry - you can't be a weakling director you know (gotta take control).

On the same day we went to go and film in the notorious Chesterville Rank. I received 50 million warnings about shooting there, however if I as a filmmaker cannot shoot in the midst of my own peoples reality then where can I film. So we continued and yes we did draw in a crowd and some wanna be actors too, but it was marvelous and the shots were also marvelous.
Sunday we were shooting in Moore Road and those scenes went well with Sixolile and Sandile.
I am so glad that I am nearing the finish line. I can literally see the banner that says the FINISH and I hope to be amongst those that receive a rose and towel, perhaps even a trophy at the end.
Thank you for the continued support. I will see you all at the FINISH line.
From the Impendulo Team.

Impendulo - The Answer Continues Opening Up Can of Worms!

4 October 2011:




Original artwork by Cruz Puga

 Tonight is going to be rough! Working towards completing the trailer, voice over for the poem was fabulous with Menzi izolo, Music has been composed (beautiful song and vocals) - Great job Thato, working on the trailer tonight for submission = no sleep, still looking for funds for post production - My head is completely split!

Nevertheless the dream is still ALIVE and the filming should be, more like has to be completed by Sunday - I speak this into existence.

The trailer should be up on the blog page by the end of this week! Excited and afraid, I always seem to open a can of worms that sinking into fertile great and a tree pops out.

Shoot, Cut and The View workshop was postponed to the 5 November 2011. Will post more about this event which will be held at the Durban University of Technology - more worms let out of the success can!
Hope you all have a blessed, productive and worry free day and make things happen!

From the Impendulo Team.




Memoirs of Molweni

Shoot day 5 in Molweni



First Read through of the script



Getting my hands into the real work of feeding the nation :-)

Auditions in Molweni

In Molweni

Getting ready to make a meal out of it!

Shoot, Cut and The View...

‎4 September 2011:

I thought Impendulo would just be a short film whereby I shoot, edit, distribute and thats about it, but little did I know that It has potential to be something greater than that.

On October the 1st, I will be hosting an interactive introduction to the art of Film and Video workshop called Shoot, Cut and The View, which will be held at DUT City Campus. The workshop is only open to a selected group of highschool students, but who knows the potentials of an idea it just grows and grows and grows some more.

I'll keep you guys posted on the proceedings of the workshop as well as the guest speakers and the films that will be screened on the day.
As for Impendulo we have six days of filming in the can and looking forward to the last three days and to officially call it a Wrap!!!!

Thank you once again for your ongoing support for this film initiative.

Oops before I forget...the story has also taken on a new direction, many of you would have had the opportunity to read the synopsis, but there was no character by the name of Zakes. I recently brought this character to life and I beleive that he is going to set fire onto the film. So be on the look out for updates and yeah...

From The Impendulo Team and FilmsThatMove Media :-)

Chasing after the goat family

‎24 August 2011:

Two days ago I went to Molweni, as you may know this is one one of the Impendulo principal locations. Molweni is so inviting and when there you never really want to leave so I stay over night.

Evening comes and Zluh and I are still at Philangethemba wrapping up with work and so on. Not realising that Billy The Goat, The Goateress and the two kids had been locked up inside Tholulwazi high school, and the goat family tends to snack on the organic garden at Philangethemba.

MaKabishi (Meaning cabbage) and another boy - I don't really remember his name, however I do remember him always saying "yes" to everything Zluh was saying. For example:

Zluh: Jump
Boy: Yes
Zluh: Run after the goats
Boy: Yes
Zluh: You can stop now
Boy: Yes

They chase aimlessly trying to lead these goats out of the school gate, but Billy and his family were very tactical and boy do they know how to play games with humans.

Ofcourse I was laughing like a crazy woman thinking that this was a fantastic game and new way to exercise - chase after goats, I would never really catch up with them and they will keep me running *there's an idea!*

I don't really know what happened after that, still rather curious, I hope it was a happy ending for the goat family as well as Makabishi and Yes boy.

Saturday we will be concluding the Molweni scenes and getting ready for post production. If you are around the Molweni area come and holla at us as we will be rocking and rolling with One Horn - the mafia bull and the Billy Goat Family!

Have a good day!

From the Impendulo Team!

Getting to know the characters

Hello again!

Great for you to join us on the Impendulo page. Thank you for taking this journey with me into making this film. For a treat I have decided to share with you a bit of information about the characters in the film.
Every week I will post character descriptions, pictures and video clips of some the characters in the film. This week I’ll introduce you to Mpendulo and his fantasy of a life as a taxi conductor.

MPENDULO

Mpendulo is a 10 year old boy from Lower Molweni. The rural area that he is from has suddenly lost its coolness and the city is the ‘in thing’ with the young boys of the village – of course that is where the money is and who wants to dress in tattered clothes when you can make good money in the city and wear expensive brand name clothing.

Mpendulo our hero is drawn into this fantasy that is riddled with true lies. What will become of his fantasy? Will he find gold at the end of the rainbow?

Comment of the week

Seeing street kids on the street has suddenly become a norm. This is a universal challenge.

***Place a comment and tell us your views on this topic.

:

Impendulo logo

We are working on a logo for the film and thus far this is what we have come up with.                       Very simple and yet so profound to the film and the concept behind the boots. Tell us what you think of it.

Ciao,

The Impendulo Team :-)

Troopers continue!

Hi Impendulo supporters,

So the story that I am relaying to you happened on the ‎19 July 2011 as I was making my way to Molweni to deliver scripts for the cast members.

Script delivered to the cast at Tholulwazi High School, but the day did not go at all the way I had planned. I firstly took the wrong taxi and ended up on the upper side of Molweni. The sun beating down on me, laptop and note books, overnight bag and leverarch file were holding me down. I almost had to walk all the way to lower Molweni, but thank God a taxi that was blasting Fifty Cents stopped and the conductor, I don't know whether he could not see that I was tired, didnt even offer to carry my bag into the taxi for me.

So I arrive at Lower Molweni, but the saga continues. As I am walking along a narrow pathway (bridge typa) a taxi comes speeding towards me. I then with natural instincs try to move out of its way...there I go falling into a ditch and a big, I mean big rock became my cushion, but I have the bruises on my butt to prove it. I could have just cried.

Troopers never cry they just sniffle. So I sniffled all the way to Philangethemba. I just thank God I did not land into the stream that would have been another tale to tell.

Nevertheless Impendulo continues, butt bruises or no butt bruises.

Molweni

Molweni in Kloof was the place to be yesterday where I went to confirm the principal locations to shoot Impendulo. The place is beautiful, its like a hidden treasure from the world, untouched, innocent and raw. I cannot wait to engage with the rest of the community, my kid actors, this place is a God send. Just waiting for paperwork to be completed and let the games begin. Uber excited.

Thanks once again to Zluh, Philangethemba, Tholulwazi High School for allowing me to be part of your lives for the day. It was an honour, till my next visit which will hopefully be audition day!

May 29 - Part 2

Location Scouting 2

Location scouting went well yesterday with the Olympus camera. Only problem was the zoom distance was way too short, but I beleive I got the pics that I needed to take.
When I arrived at Pat Ramsay Gardens in Moore Road (one of my Oscar winning locations), I was surprised to see two dogs inside the park/gardens keeping guard of the swings and the see saw. This put a dent to my scouting. How do I film in a location supervised by two vicious dogs?

The taxi ranks were buzzing as usual and I don't forsee any problems filming here, but for safety I am going to have to bring some security along with me.

South Beach was abuzz with hot surfers who couldn't wait to ride the beautiful waves at North Beach this Saturday - so I got distracted a bit . Yeah I might not be a water baby, but I know a good wave when I see one.

Now to consolidate the information and break that script down!
Check out some of the pics:

Pat Ramsay Gardens in Moore Road

Abandoned Park

Out of Bounds!

Berea Centre Shooting spot

June 3

 Going to the film office today to discuss locations with the Durban Film Office Permit officer, Musa Ntuli. Hope it goes well.

June 2

Scriptbreakdown, If only I was not managing my own production.

June 1

I need to finalise the proposals, so intense and insane, but loving it with all my heart. Thank you to everyone who has been listening to this mad film ideas. Let's make this happen!

May 30

Proposals, proposals, proposals. Impendulo - The Answer needs money. The filming date has changed to August 2011

May 29

The beginning of great things.

Impendulo - The Answer Log Line

Impendulo tells a story about a 10 year old township boy who runs away from home and journeys to the city of Durban in pursuit of his dream job as a taxi conductor.