ON THIS PAGE:  THE MAKING OF A r1-MILLION RAND FILM; ANATOMY OF A FOOTSKATER

READ AN INTERVIEW WITH WRITER-CO-DIRECTOR BRENDAN JACK

READ MORE ABOUT SOUTH AFRICAN FILMMAKING

Synopsis
Vince, a poor miner's son, sets out to save his small town from exploding, his family home from the government, and his granny's lungs, all by inventing the new extreme sport of footskating... which is skateboarding for those who can't really afford a board.
The odds are more than stacked against him, as he has to find and train a team in a sport that no one's ever attempted before, go against his father's wishes for him to work in the mine, overcome his fear of teams, contend with the town bullies, and maybe find a girlfriend in the process.
Time is running out for the town and his family, and the high profile skateboarding finals in Johannesburg are looming. Vince has one last shot to find his place in the world and reveal his dream for all to see.
But is the world ready for this extreme and ferocious new sporting art form called footskating?

THE MAKING OF A R1-MILLION FILM
How do you make a movie for a million bucks? That's less than a lot of adverts on TV cost. And they're only 30 seconds long.
So how do you make a ninety minute film for the same budget? Here are a few things we tried:
Firstly, we decided to shoot this movie on brand new technology - on the Panasonic HVX-200 - a High-Def Camera that was basically untested around the world when we started shooting - but many people had a lot of high hopes for it.
The test pictures looked great, and by choosing not to shoot on film, we saved a considerable amount of cash. This route also meant that we could check our footage as soon as we shot it. And because this new Panasonic shot onto memory cards, we became very familiar with the takes from the day - while downloading the footage onto our Powerbook and external memory drive - right there on set.
And when we say set, we mean on the side of the road, or in someone's house who had generously let us shoot for free, or in our production van that doubled as a stunt vehicle. You get the point. It wasn't about big lighting trucks, catering companies and huge crews. This would only slow us down and cost money that didn't need to be spent. And having the footage readily available meant that we could go straight from shooting to editing. Then catch a few hours sleep, and then repeat the process until the shooting was complete.
We installed Final Cut Pro on a Mac at a friend's flat - that way we saved spending on an edit suite in a fancy office. The only difference between a flat and an official edit suite is that you get toasted sandwiches and air-conditioning in the suite. Plus, in the flat you can roll out of bed and edit at three in the morning when an idea strikes.
We also got help from a bunch of talented and energised acting friends who supported the project and loved the script (writing the script is the hardest, and also, the cheapest part of the movie making process - get the script right and you'll save a lot of time and money when it comes to mobilising the troops for the shoot).
We also used the aforementioned actors to help hold lights on set and carry equipment. Not all the cast will be willing to do this, so if you're going to try it, enlist the right people. Also, if you can't afford trained actors in every role, use your friends. They all want to have a go in front of the camera.
We continue to ask favours from smart people who have made films before, getting their advice, as well as tapping into the abundance of musical and film-school talent that this country is growing.
You make a film on a million Rand by pre-planning, asking favours, sweating, sometimes shooting from the hip…. and when all else fails, by praying.
The million Rand guerilla crew
Directors: 187 and Brendan Jack
Overseeing the creative process, telling people what to do in the nicest way possible. And keeping the crew and actors as happy as possible.
Producer: Ronnie Apteker
Always the first to arrive, even in foreign Roodepoort locations. Makes sure that the team is sticking to the schedule and that the operation is running smoothly.
Cinematography: James Frater, Trevor Calverley, Rory O'Grady
Making everything look super-cool and an essential part of the creative process. The reason there are three was that if anyone got offered a job that paid the bills, they had to leave our set and come back when they were finished.
Sound 'Department': Chris van der Walt
A small guy with a loud voice, essential for quietening a crew before going for a take. Good at getting onto small ledges to get the best sound. Also hired because he had a big van to carry equipment and actors.
Production Designers: Annelie Mare, Emma Eunson
The people running around with check-lists and getting asked a million questions. Making sure everything from wardrobe, props to continuity were in order.
Make-Up: Kyla Nortje
This included some special effects make-up... that she had to leave set for to write a make-up exam during shooting. She also doubled up as a decent spark at times, helping out the lighting 'department'.
Production Managers: Scott Sargent, Jonty Kramer
The other two people running around with clip-boards, making sure that all the shooting days were in order. Having the thankless task of taking pizza orders and having to keep everyone informed. Also made up the rest of the lighting 'department'.
Runner: Logan Reed
Made to do a variety of tasks, from fetching actors, to fetching dynamite fuse from some old lady hours away at the Vaal Dam, to holding heavy equipment, to acting in the film.
Assistant Director: Ben Horowitz
Called on to take control of the set for the last week of shooting, as this involved hundreds of extras and co-ordination. The man who keeps checking his watch, but has to maintain a patient smile at all times.
Editors: Alistair Thomas, Brendan Jack, 187, Kevin Bentz, The Vos
Making sense of all the footage, making some tough decisions about what stays and what goes. Assembling the puzzle at all hours of the day and night.
Grade: Paul Hanrahan
Giving fantastic colour to the picture, and also phoned a lot for technical advice.
Website: Andrew Murray, Mark McIntyre
The reason you are able to read this. Behind the scenes, making it look cool for you.

ANATOMY OF A FOOTSKATER
Many questions have been asked about what type of body physiology is the best for footskating.

There isn't one specific type, as is the case with all other sports. You can't say that Michael Jordan has a better basketball body configuration than Shaquille O'Neal. And you can't say that Tiger Woods has a better body than Vijay Singh. Even though he does.

The underlying point is this: There are basic physical needs to be a great footskater, but no one specific type of physical build.

Let's explore the basics.

Feet:
Pretty essential for footskating, although there are those have conquered the world without them.

Lower Leg:
Strong, not necessarily ripped, you're not competing in a beauty pageant. But stamina and strength are needed from this body part.
Upper Leg:
Doesn't hurt to have a little rippedness. It is your power centre. Besides the obvious strength, you need explosive muscle fibres that are able to hit and pop on that skate terrain all day.

Stomach:
Cubes help, but not if you don't have style. Also, you're going to need a strong stomach if you want to be involved in dishing out the sickness. Especially in front of crowds.

Spleen:
Not 100% sure what this is for. In old times, it was supposed to be the seat of all emotions. Emotion is always good during footskating sessions. Don't be afraid to express yourself.

The spleen is also said to be for filtering impurities, for when you cut yourself thrashing it. But you can live without a spleen. So don't worry.

Chest:
Necessary for grab tricks and keeping yourself stable at speed and when in air. Also the place that contains your heart... the boiler room of the body. Heart is necessary when you're not very good, so that you can try again and hopefully overcome your limitations.

Arms and Shoulders:
This sport is about feet, but do not neglect these extremities. Used as a rudder to control your moves and to stop you from landing on your face when a trick gets out of control.

Hands:
Provide for flair during tricks and also used in stopping-of-face-hitting-ground in out-of-control-tricks.

Neck:
A type of antennae that lifts your head a little higher, enabling you to see a little further into the distance. Often used in conjunction with the eyes.

Eyes:
Used to spot terrains that have not yet been ridden. Like empty swimming pools hidden by walls and rooftop parking lots, hidden by shopping mall management.

Brain:
Not essential, but helps you think up new footskating tricks. Which stops you from doing the same trick over and over until you get put into an institution. Brains also tell you when you are hungry, so that you don't faint at the skatepark and become too skinny.

SOUTH AFRICAN FILMMAKING                     HOME