Urban Brew in Bay training mix

THE studio behind some of South Africa's biggest television productions has thrown its weight behind a Nelson Mandela Bay initiative to develop local producers and filmmakers.

Urban Brew Studios has appointed journalism and television production school The Media Workshop and community station Bay TV as the leading training providers of a massive television production skills development project designed to benefit 90 emerging television producers and filmmakers from around the Bay.

The studio's Candice Mncwabe said at the launch at The Athenaeum in Central yesterday the project would add value to the province's television and film industry by empowering unemployed individuals with the relevant television and film production skills.

"The company would like to see less migration of individuals seeking job opportunities from the Eastern Cape to Johannesburg.

"Our wish is to develop a rich learning culture in the Eastern Cape and develop young people into film and television production industry experts who will use the rich culture and beautiful stories of Eastern Cape," Mncwabe said.

The Media Workshop chief executive officer Denise Roodt said they were honoured to be appointed by Urban Brew Studios.

"Their intervention and the MICT Seta's investment allows us to do what we are most passionate about – that is to develop the local film and television industry, and also empower local filmmakers by building on their skills base," she said.

Bay TV acting station manager Lungile Ndevu said they would provide students with the opportunity to do practical learning.

"Each student gets an opportunity to be a camera person, a producer and a researcher," he said.

"Another good thing is that we let them keep their intellectual product so that they can establish themselves and be able to create more work."

One of the students, Lindsey Jantjies, 20, of Palmridge, said she had loved watching movies from an early age.

"I started collecting DVDs and I wanted to know how the movie was made.

"The Media Workshop has given me an opportunity to pursue my dream in filmmaking. The three-month short course in video production has given me the much needed experience," she said.

"This programme came at the right time."

Urban Brew Studios, one of the largest independent television studios on the African continent, is home to some of South Africa's well known television productions such as Khumbul'ekhaya, YoTV and 3Talk. -