The Perfect Week

It is fabulous to be back on set in Dobsonville ... Back at the first tavern we ever shot at ... and where we launched our style all that time ago. Super talented actors. Fab crew. And a spa across the road for when it all gets too much :) 

Show: 'The Perfect Week' live-to-video

Event company: Mann Made Media

Corporate client: SAB

WAM... bam in the heart of Jo'burg

WAM from Jenine Collocott on Vimeo.

Last month we did this pro bono video for the Wits Art Museum... that tells the wonderful story about how this most exciting art gallery found its place in the heart of Johannesburg... such fantastic art... such a lovely story...

My roles:  Director & Producer

Agency Drive

Event Client:  Mann Made Media

Corporate Client:  Standard Bank

Event:  Agency Drive (external audience), 2011

My Role:  Executive Producer

I am posting this because as part of this event we produced a hard cover coffee table book detailing some of the major deals Standard Bank has done... And it was a huge task and in the end it was very pretty.  Here are some pictures that went into the book... as well as some from the event.  Pretty.

Woman Online...

Woman Online interviewed me...  Here it is with the link... yay.

Woman Online interviewed Jenine Collocott, Creative Director and an extremely talented woman.

Please introduce yourself and tell us about the path that led you to where you are today.

My name is Jenine Collocott and I am the Creative Director of my theatre and creative consultancy company Hello Elephant.  My work includes commercial theatre, corporate theatre and video, writing, directing and producing as well as television writing.  Most recently I was appointed as a senior writer on two new seasons of Takalani Sesame.

My latest play Sunday Morning, which I directed and produced, was selected by the National Arts Festival in Grahamstown as part of their Solo Season on their Main Programme in 2012 (along with theatre icons such as Pieter Dirk-Uys and Janice Honeyman). The development of Sunday Morning was commissioned by the Goethe Institut as part of their GoetheonMain initiative.  The play has traveled to a number of theatres and festivals in South Africa to high critical acclaim.  In 2013, we were nominated for five Naledi Theatre Awards three of which were for Best Director,  Best Lighting Design and Best Play.  It has been earmarked for an international tour in 2014.

In 2000 after I had returned from traveling for two years in Europe I moved to Johannesburg where I landed my first job in the event company VWV Productions as a corporate theatre producer.  I soon realised that whilst I loved the work – it was dynamic and exciting – I needed something more creative.  I went to study film at the film school, AFDA, in Milpark Johannesburg where I graduated in 2005 with a BA Hons (cum laude) in Live Performance.  All the while putting myself through film school by freelancing for VWV Productions and learning much about the industry.   As a new graduate I immediately began working for various corporate theatre companies as a theatre writer and director as well as making my own plays.  But it still wasn’t enough.   In 2010 (as a newly wed) I decided to further my studies once again but this time in Florence Italy, under the internationally celebrated pedagog Giovanni Fusetti as his theatre school Helikos (much to my husbands dismay!).  

Tell us about your business.

I have produced a number of commercial theatre plays to date, including Willy’s Ark, with the iconic James Borthwick.  Weekend Special, which was selected for ‘the return’ of the Windybrow Theatre Festival in 2011; High Diving, with Toni Morkel and James Cairns.  High Diving won a 2010 Ovation Award and was nominated for 2010 Handspring Puppet Company Award for Best Design; Dirt, with James Cairns and written by my husband and creative cohort, the international award winning author, Nick Warren. Dirt has recently returned from Australia where it was invited to the 2013 Fringe World Festival and was nominated for an Artrage Award. Dirt has recently been invited for a run at Theatre on the Square from the 28 May – 9 June. Sunday Morning with the critically acclaimed James Cuningham and written by Nick Warren.  Sunday Morning has been nominated for a number awards and detailed above.

Currently I am working on a number of new projects – Making Mandela, for which I received a writing grant from the National Arts Council. The Snow Goose with James Cairns and Taryn Bennett and produced by Kalk Bay Theatre Productions.  And finally A Day in the Desert with German clown and concert harpist Barbara Draeger.  Both The Snow Goose and A Day in the Desert will premiere at the 2013 National Arts Festival in Grahamstown.

In between all of my many commercial theatre endeavors, I also inject a real passion and professional rigor into the often abused and mediocre world of corporate theatre and video production. I do this by calling on my experience – as well as the many contacts and colleagues – that I have acquired as a result of my tenure in the professional industry.

In 2012 I broke some ground with two specific projects, Out of the Blue for Standard Bank and The Responsible Trader Roadshow for SAB – both of which I was creative head, writer and director.  The event production company Mann Made Media, who I regularly freelance for, submitted these two projects as part of their 2012 Loeries Submissions.  The Responsible Trader  Roadshow was nominated for an Ubuntu Loerie award.

What obstacles did you have to overcome to get where you are today?

The largest obstacle facing our industry is the lack of theatre audiences.  South Africans don’t really go to the theatre.  To overcome this I tour a number of plays extensively to schools and festivals – taking theatre to the audience – thus keeping these shows technically simple and theatrically vibrant.

On the corporate theatre front I treat this work as I would my own plays – A corporate audience like any audience deserves respect and it is not often that one gets to entertain at times 1000 ‘s of people.  And I think that this ethos keeps me regularly commissioned by various clients.

In our industry it is very hard to only do one thing – If you are only an actor or only a director the scope of work available to you is lessened.  I have honed my expertise in various areas of directing, writing, producing… and sometimes performing.

Where do you see yourself 5 years from now?

Still making great theatre with artistic integrity to full audiences… that and a few more rands in the bank!

Who would you say has been your greatest role model and why?

I have had a number of wonderful teachers in my life and I am inspired by all of them for different reasons.

What do you enjoy doing in your spare time?

Well my work is so all-consuming that in my spare time I am generally making theatre masks – which takes time and is therapeutic.  Other than that I am still threatening to start yoga!

What advice do you have for other aspiring business people?

If you love it… Do it…  Then share it.

Twitter – @jeninecollocott

Email – jenine.collocott@gmail.com

Web – http://www.jeene-in-the-wings.blogspot.com/

A newspaper brought to life

I like this video i was involved in so thought I'd post it...

Client: Avusa Media
Production Company: Mann Made Media
My Role: Concept Development
Written by Nick Warren

Kumba ...Live!

Event Company: Mann Made Media
Corporate Client:  Kumba Mines
Event:  Envision Share Options Roadshow (internal audience)
My roles:  Concept Development, Script Writer

Here is the video of the Kumba Roadshow script I did a little while back... check out my previous post for more on it...

Silver Star Casino Launch

Event Client: VWV Productions

Corporate Client:  Silverstar Casino

Event:  Launch Event (external audience)

My Role:  Event Creative Head, Live Producer, Live Director

This was the first job I was Creative Head on... it was in early 2008!  Long before I had a blog.  I found these pics in an old folder - and of course I remember this event well... and fondly!  The theme was 'Not the Usual' - the payoff line for the Casino itself.  What a pleasure!  It meant we could do so much - and have huge creative freedom.  We kicked off the evening with a walk-on-water fashion show.  With girls in outfits inspired by the look and feel of the casino's design.  This to a backdrop of the most spectacular water fountain (seriously - everyone should see it) and to a haunting musical number which Nick Warren (the then Creative Director of VWV) brought in New York... I don't know what it was called... so that's not helpful.  Ja.  But my most favourite bit of all was we had synchronised swimmers as part of the spectacle!  How cool.  

Artists rendering of the walk-on-water fashion show

Artists rendering of the Gala Dinner

Syncronised swimmers... in perfect unison... beautiful clothing... a fountain... what more.

Capoeira dancers

An opera singer

Tamara Dey and Concord in a wonderful musical duo

Geisha girls to welcome guests on arrival

SAB Live to Video

Event Company: Mann Made Media

Corporate Client: South African Breweries

My roles: Creative Head, Live and Video Director, Script Writer

Previously I spoke about this super fab show I did for SAB... and here is a three minute video of what we called Live-to-Video... where we took the on-stage live performance and translated it for the screen.  So that it was not the death of theatre when filmed - which would be an ordinary point and shoot of the on-stage production... and whose purpose could only be a record of the original show.  Rather we created a piece of entertainment in it's own right.  The video explains the whole thing so I need not go into detail here.  But I feel very lucky to have been part of this project and further developing what could be new medium in the corporate theatre world.  Rocking.

Out of the Blue

Event Company: Mann Made Media

Corporate Client: Standard Bank

My roles: Style and concept development with MMM, script writer episodes 1,2 & 4-8, Director episodes 4-8

Very excited about this post... I have been waiting a while to put it up... But here it is.  I have, on a number of occasions, posted about this series I've been involved in for Standard Bank... Which started as filming physical theatre and has developed to include minimal and styalisted art direction.  The style was developed in 2011 when we has to film a physical theatre live performance to go on the road as part of the travelling roadshow... From there Nick (Creative Director of MMM) saw the creative opportunity to use the tecnique in a monthly video communication.  The character 'Sue' however was developed some years ago for the bank... So it has been a slow and steady development to get us to this exciting place.  

Here is a two minute video that shows bits of what it entails... Characterisation, drama, comedy, story... Just a few reasons why I dig it.  This clip includes the first few episodes and we are about to shoot episode 8 this month... So naturally the style and delivery has developed somewhat - but that's for the next video... yay.

In the Know and on the Move

Corporate Client: Avusa

Event:  Sowetan Relaunch Event (external audience)
Client: Avusa Media

My Role:  Creative Head, Co-writer, Co-director and Producer

We were commissioned to do the relaunch event of the Sowetan Newspaper.  There were a few aspects to the job that totally rocked...

*  The event took place on the then brand new and not yet seen by the public Gautrain service station platform... on the move
* The first monologue, on our tumultuous history in newspaper headlines, was in the buses taking the guests to the station... in the know
*  The above the line campaign which we pulled through the event collateral was so brilliant... reinterpreting history
*  We worked with the most wonderful actors... Hamilton Dhalmini, Mncedisi Shabangu and Lindi Matshikiza
*  At a given point in the one of the actors monologues the train made its entrance into the station - on cue - and the audience gasped!

Print ads from the above the line campaign...

Our event collateral following the lead of the above campaign...

Work in Life

Corporate Client:  Avusa Media
Video:  Work in Life | Results Survey 2009
My Role:  Producer and Video Director

We did this video for Avusa Media's 2009 South African work-life survey...  and I dig it... the simplicity of the art work by cartoonist and artist Alastair Findlay... the gentleness of the animation by Hayden Bodill... the subtle sound design by Andrew Spitz.  Alastair developed all the art work and I arrived at the animator's office with brown envelopes packed with frame by frame artwork - old school - which he scanned in and animated.  It has a quality which the cut out art work gives to the work.  It's simple - sometimes that's better.  Often actually.

    

Storyboard look and feel

From there we rolled out a country wide breakfast event... this is the holding slide.

This is of the PPT content slides each speaker was given... creative pull through.  ah.

Zombie!

Event Client:  Mann Made Media

Corporate Client:  Standard Bank

Video:  Out of the Blue Episode 5 (internal audience)

My Role:  Co-Script Writer, Video Director

We have just completed episode 5 of Out of the Blue.  And for the first time we played with lighting in the white space... which is a radical departure... given that the white space has always been the way.  Till now.  This was all good because in this episode we didn't use the infinite white space in the same sort of way.  There was no road tripping or mountain climbing... physical challenges that make the white space so exciting.  This time we had static fixed locations... so it was the fab lighting (by Nick Turvey) and brilliant editing (by Gareth...) that changed the space and brought the movement.  

Deborah as Sue being all 'Is it?!'

Lerato Moloisane as the ever enthusiastic Pam in action with Sue

The very funny Jose Domingos as the wonderfully dry Nigel

Mostly I was excited about the make-up of the dead person and the zombie.  The make-up artist Dawn Williams was part of the South African team that sent zombies over a ridge in Johannesburg at day break as part of the worldwide launch campaign of The Walking Dead.  Imagine seeing that - driving home from a big night dancing!  What the...?  Ahhh.  As you skid around the nearest corner.

Deborah in make-up... the slow fade to becoming a Zombie!

I see dead people...

Me and the zombie.  Brilliant.

"What's in your head... Zombie... Zombie..."

Kicking Corporate Theatre for Kumba

Event Client:  Mann Made Media
Corporate Client:  Kumba (Sishen Iron Ore)
Theatre:  Envision Share Options (internal audience)
My Role:  Concept Development, Script Writer

In 2011 I was commissioned to write and hour long theatrical intervention that took the message of financial responsibility to Kumba Miners all over South Africa.  The script was based on a concept and an outline developed with Nick Warren from Mann Made Media.  Miners were about to be paid out lump sum Cash amounts from the companies employee share option initiative... so the point was to help show how bad financial decisions impact ones life... and then showing how the good financial decision can improve ones life in the long term... So pretty much 'wrong way - right way' industrial theatre.  But this is not as simple as it seams... to get across fairly complex concepts in way that is both entertaining and understandable was challenging.  The idea centered around a main character... Mr Mali the financial advisor who took us on the journey...  the other two actors played multiple roles - miners as well as the other key characters in the story... the audience was then brought onto stage to play side characters... the crazy irresponsible taxi driver who drives too fast and crashes into the un-insured car that the miner has just purchased.... or the weather guy armed with water spray bottle to create the slippery road that caused the taxi to loose control... It worked very well.  The audience was fully engaged, entertained and educated.

Below is the press article that appeared in the BizCommunity recently...

Themba as Mr Mali giving his financial advise

Recognition provides a wonderful opportunity to learn and this often happens when a situation that resonates with the audience is portrayed through a powerful medium - such as industrial theatre.

Recently, Mann Made Media was tasked to create a series of scenarios depicting the dilemma of the workforce shareholders at Kumba Mines. Kumba created a BBBEE share participation scheme (Envision Trust) for its permanent non-management employees at Sishen Iron Ore Company. Over a period of five years it consistently paid out dividends to the workforce, but coming to the end of Phase1, the shares would be sold and a substantial lump sum would be received by each member. An industrial theatre piece based on this story was the ideal tool to empower the audience with information on how to handle such a sum of money.

Our cast on stage with the audience

With this objective in mind, Mann Made Media worked on a strategy which involved using professional scriptwriters and actors to produce a piece of interactive theatre which would be beneficial to the audience as well as amusing and compelling. The concept of a likeable character with whom the spectators can identify has always stood the test of time in theatre pieces. With this in mind, the role of Mr. Mali was created, an Envision-appointed Financial Advisor who would play the part of a narrator and take the audience on a journey of profitable financial planning as well as the dangers of silly spending. The invaluable input and insight of Envision Financial Advisors was accessed in the research phase of the proposal and footage was taken of them giving financial advice, which would be later used as emphasis in the show itself, lending authenticity to the stories. This would also serve to introduce the option of starting a dialogue between the Envision appointed financial advisors and the employees.

The range of stories illustrating each circumstance was vast. The issues tackled were the importance of budget, saving, prioritising wants and needs, paying off debt and planning for emergencies. This was done with contrasting before-and-after scenes of different situations. Shakespeare's advice was taken into account: "Neither a borrower nor a lender be" and get-rich-quick schemes were disapproved of. Buying a house was encouraged and labelled a good investment and tax, interest and retirement were discussed at length: how and why tax is deducted from salaries and capital gains, along with the power of compound interest in relation to savings and investments and retirement. Humour was woven into the script in order to connect with the audience.

Lerato and Edward as the young couple spending their new found wealth on a car

At the end of the show Mr Mali summarised all the correct ways to deal with a lump sum of money using a Yes/No quiz with his fellow actors, winning the audience over with the slogan: "Make your money grow - not go!' The feedback from the audience afterwards was positive. In general, they were motivated to open up a channel of communication with the Financial Advisors provided by their company, but more importantly they felt valued as they recognised and identified with the situations presented to them. MMM has stuck to the principles of respect for the audience and professional integrity when using the powerful medium of industrial theatre.

Filming physical theatre

Event Client:  Mann Made Media

Corporate Client:  Standard Bank
Video:  Mount 2015 (internal audience)
My Role:  Concept Development, Co-Script Writer, Live & Video Director
Video:  Out of the Blue Pilot & Episode 2 (internal audience)
My Role:  Concept Development, Co-Script Writer
Video:  Out of the Blue Episode 4 (internal audience)
My Role:  Concept Development, Co-Script Writer & Director

How do you film physical theatre - ahh - you don't.  Or if you do - it doesn't really work.  Have you ever seen filmed theatre?  Not great.  The major difference between theatre and film is the space.  Obvious.  The theatrical space cannot be captured on screen in the way that it is portrayed on stage - on stage actors physically project the space with their gaze, their movements and their intentions... it's the wonder of theatre.  Film cannot do this.  In film you have to have the close up and the long shot and the swell of music... the camera does the work for you.  When you arrive in the theatre you are there sitting in your seat... but soon you are whisked away... in a car on your way to Cape Town... or on a run through down town Joburg... or in a boat on the sea... or wherever... your imagination does the work for you.

So when this project for Standard Bank first skidded in - about a year ago now - I did mental backbends and flick flacks on how to do it... without a budget for a mountain climbing on-location shoot at Mount Kilamanjaro!  ...the creative back then was a mountain climbing theme which was originally to be realised through a series of physical theatre comedy sketches.  This was fun and fabulous... the actors 'squashed' onto a small elevated stage of 1m by 2m... and through physical performance and the actors making their own sound effects... we could be any where!  Of course.  The joys of theatre...  Climbing the face of a mountain rock.  Rowing a boat through the rivers.  Arriving at the mountain summit to plant their flag in the ground!  However the show needed to travel to a number of regions all over South Africa.  Sending actors and a road manager and a technical team is quite an expensive business... hence the desire to film it.  But how.

After many sleepless nights... and wondering down many expensive and not-quite-right roads... the solution was clear... a white space!  Ta Daa.  This was so brilliant because it bridged the gap between theatrical space and cinematic space.  In a white space you can do anything and be anywhere... like in theatre.  And we fully used the joys cinema offers... tracks, dollies, jibs, loads of different lenses... close ups... long shots... crash zooms etc etc... we created a delightful series of sketches that followed these three characters, led by Sue... through the challenge sign-up... boot camp... base camp... half way... and summit!  It really was the place where cinema meets theatre... using the limits and offerings of both mediums to the maximum.  It was great - so much so that they ended up canceling the live show and everyone got to watch the video.  Who would have thought.  Not me.

Sue is interesting.  We - meaning Deborah Da Cruz the actress and myself - developed her for a Standard Bank monologue (written by Nick Warren at Mann Made Media) a number of years back as a say-it-like-it-is, aerobic-instructor-type, no nonsense, hard-core, hectic... but still charming... character... who the audience just loved.  She made them laugh.  She is very funny and quirky and uniquely South African.  And ever since her first appearance she has become a kind of in-house character at Standard Bank.  So much so that this year we started a monthly in-house series with Sue at the centre using the same white space shooting style we developed back then, called 'Out of the Blue.'  And it rocks.  It has evolved slightly now to include key set and prop elements - therefore the physical theatre side is not as heavily present... but should they need to skydive or white river raft... it shall be back!

So on my return from Italy I have picked the role of director back up ... I was lucky enough to co-write for Sue from Italy... as I know her very well!  It is innovative and fabulous and I love doing it.  It makes me laugh too.  What a wonderful thing.  Humour.

Below are some images from our shoot for Out of the Blue episode 4.  Rocking.  Working.

Sue blasts Graham and Joe...  Can you hear me!

Deborah as the tactless hard-core fabulous Sue...

'...exactly!'

Me and Chantel Carter brilliant Art Director... and Laura our wonderful costume lady poping in on the right...

James and Mongi as Graham and Joe... the odd couple... hit the road!

Bend like the wind...

Free your expectations...

The full team... flowing like the river x

The shoot draws to a close...  Almost... me and Nick Turvey - fab DOP