challenges
There are a number of factors currently impacting on Cape Town's film friendliness.
Please consider them carefully to see where you can make a difference.
Please consider them carefully to see where you can make a difference.
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THE EXCHANGE RATE A strong Rand is great for South Africans travelling abroad and also those importing goods into the country. For export industries, however, the situation is a lot more complicated. When the Rand is strong it means that foreigners coming to South Africa to pay for goods and services or who want to invest in our economy need to spend more to do so. In the Cape Town film sector most clients are international and the strong Rand makes filming in Cape Town (and the rest of the country) more expensive which leads to clients considering some of the many other countries that compete with us for the same business. We cannot sustain an industry on the assumption of a weak currency.
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WHAT CAN YOU DO Please understand that the exchange rate has a direct effect on the industry and is not something producers and clients bring up all the time simply to push down prices. If we all become more flexible and negotiable this will attract more work to South Africa. It is most important that the industry in Cape Town retain its competitive edge and continue to provide international clients with value for money independent of the exchange rate. Every person in the chain is capable of making changes to facilitate this.
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ESCALATING PRODUCTION COSTS The cost of making commercials and films is rising too rapidly and this is having a detrimental impact on the industry. From 2015 to 2017, the average daily cost of making a television commercial for an international client rose by approximately 20% which is way above the rate of inflation. In the past, these increases could be absorbed when the Rand became weaker however this is no longer feasible. If costs are too high, clients look for more cost effective and competitive film destinations to take their jobs to. Where we used to compete with a handful of other countries, we now find ourselves competing with many more who in some cases are offering rebates.
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WHAT CAN YOU DO If production companies, crew and suppliers all work together being more flexible, negotiable and solutions orientated to reduce production costs we can ensure that productions stay in South Africa.
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SECTION 11 VISAS As many of you will know, all specialist crew e.g. Directors & DOPs have to obtain section 11(2) visas. If the specialist cannot meet with these requirements for logistical reasons they will choose another country / location to shoot.
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WHAT CAN YOU DO The CPA have 2 board members on FIVA (Film Industry Visa Application) who are lobbying to have certain onerous requirements waived.
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THE DROUGHT |
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The effects of Cape Town's water shortage are well documented and have appeared in the press around the world. International clients often react badly to news of droughts (or any natural disasters or occurrences) because it creates uncertainty and increased risk for productions which are often expensive and sometimes uninsurable. Clients may wonder how they are going to pull off a shoot that requires water in a drought situation or that they are putting additional pressure on an already pressurised situation.
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This is a good time to examine and effect our green policies. Please do whatever you can to stick to the current water restrictions and limit the unnecessary use of water particularly on set. This will help to push back "Day Zero". If you are uncertain about how to go about this, please take a look at our "resources" page for useful advice. If you have any additional information that you think others might find useful, please send it to us.
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BUREAUCRACY & RED TAPE Unfortunately there is quite a bit of bureaucracy and red tape when it comes to shooting in Cape Town. Because there is a limited amount of space, there is often competition for space and resources in and around the City. There is also push back from the public who sometimes feel that the film industry is invasive and inconveniences them. Production companies spend vast amounts of time circumnavigating all of this for their clients but it can lead to serious headaches and delays, particularly when a location is off limits or permission cannot be obtained to do something the director wants to do. Too much red tape can pose a huge deterrent to clients because it frustrates the process and increases the risks.
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WHAT CAN YOU DO If you represent an authority - be it local or private - you can help by cutting red tape to an absolute minimum. We know there is always a propensity to create and implement rules but this is not film-friendly. Whilst the CPA is continuously working to reduce this we encourage you to be proactive when faced with increased levels of bureaucracy. If you become aware of practices that are not film friendly, report them to the CPA so that they can take it up with the relevant authorities and lobby to have them changed. The CPA will continue to engage communities where we work and the public in general.
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LACK OF ACCESS As a relatively small city, Cape Town struggles to balance the needs of the public and local communities with the needs of the film industry which tends to be quite invasive. As a result, many parts of the City have become closed to filming in recent years which is a challenge for an industry constantly in search of new locations. Sometimes this "lack of access" is legitimate while at other times it is not. The industry needs to keep working to ensure access to the City's locations and resources.
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WHAT CAN YOU DO Please appreciate that, in many instances, the shoot that you are working on may be inconveniencing someone else, be it a resident, a pedestrian or a small business owner. Please treat communities and their inhabitants with courtesy and respect as this will make people more open and accepting of our industry. If you are aware of a location or a resource that has recently become unavailable to the film industry, please report it the CPA so that we can work to regain access.
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SOUTH AFRICA'S REPUTATION Perceptions about what is going on in South Africa have the ability to influence international clients.
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WHAT CAN YOU DO Negative comments and attitudes can be off-putting and reinforce negative perceptions about the country. Please promote a positive image of Cape Town AND the rest of South Africa.
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