Location Spotlight: Spectacular South Africa
Moonlighting is a proudly women and diverse owned company run by partners Beccy Kellond (marketing), Shayne Brookstein (EP) and Nolan Roussouw (finance).
Beccy is originally from the UK and a background in brand consultancy. With a degree in Russian, she came to South Africa 20 years ago on a holiday, fell in love with the country and basically never left.
Shayne is a thoroughbred in the world of production with years of experience in all aspects of production, from long form, TV and doccies to director-based and serviced commercials. She is incredibly well respected amongst the South African crew, while her experience, dedication and calm, problem-solving approach inspire confidence and trust in producers from all over the world.
Nolan manages the finance of the company. He is a chartered accountant with a pedigree of some 25+ years in financial management and handles all aspects of the company’s finances with an unswayable calm and logic that defies most of us.
LBB> Why shoot here? How would you pitch South Africa to any production companies looking to shoot in your region?
Moonlighting> South Africa really is a production utopia! It is known as one of the top production destinations in the world with a really well established film and production services industry with phenomenal track record of proven experience in international productions from all over the world – from stills and commercials to Hollywood feature films.
We have locations that can replicate almost anywhere in the world within a two hour drive of a major city; a Southern Hemisphere climate; internationally renowned crew; a weak Rand which means a highly beneficial exchange rate for big production value; a diverse range of talent that is further expanded during season with many international models who come for the summer months.
And then – for the downtime – amazing food, people and scenery!
LBB> What are the main qualities of your region?
Moonlighting> Everything! Locations, climate, talent, experienced crew and suppliers, people and tourism infrastructure for the downtime.
LBB> What would you say are the top locations in South Africa?
Moonlighting> We have a diverse range of locations that can replicate almost anywhere in the world, all within a two hours radius of a major city. We have beaches, mountains, downtown city, suburbs, a wide range of architecture, all types of streets and roads from coastal highways to tree-lined avenues and city streets; agriculture, lakes and rivers, sand dunes, sports facilities, studios….
LBB> What location would you say is most popular?
Moonlighting> Cape Town is definitely the most popular and most widely used for international commercials.
LBB> Which location would you describe as the biggest attribute to local production?
Moonlighting> Cape Town for its huge variety of locations and film-friendly infrastructure.
LBB> Explain the climate and the best/worst times to shoot in South Africa?
Moonlighting> We have a Southern Hemisphere climate so we have summer at the opposite time to most of Europe.
The main production season is from October to April, with temperature ranging from 23° to 30+° and up to 14 hours of daylight.
LBB> What specific work permits/Visas are required to shoot in South Africa?
Moonlighting> Many countries are visa exempt and for nationals of those countries (e.g. Europe, USA, UK, Japan etc), your production services company can provide a film industry visa letter of authority which will grant access for most industry visitors for up to 90 days.
Where a visitor is coming from a non-visa-exempt country, we will provide assistance regarding how, when and where to apply for a visa.
LBB> How is the infrastructure in South Africa for supporting large productions?
Moonlighting> Excellent. South Africa hosts numerous international productions at all times, of all sizes and types from commercials to TV to feature films. We have multiple studios including the internationally renowned Cape Town Film Studios plus the major equipment suppliers.
LBB> What have been your biggest/most successful production in South Africa to date?.
Moonlighting> One of the recent, larger commercials productions we’ve shot is ROM (Royal Ontario Museum) 'IMMORTAL'
And for set build – the largest recent commercial is Stella Artois: 'Table Drop'
LBB> Where would you suggest a foreign production stay while they are in South Africa?
Moonlighting> Cape Town is generally the preferred destination for international shoots unless we need specific locations that will take the shoot to other cities.
Cape Town has many good hotels so it’s hard to single out a few…
A few to mention are:
- The Mount Nelson (a true stand-out icon with amazing history set in its own huge grounds in the centre of Cape Town)
- The Radisson Blu – beautiful, recently renovated hotel set right on the ocean next to the Waterfront
- The Dorp – a unique hotel set in Cape Town’s historic Bo Kaap area
- The Vineyard – set in its own gardens just outside of Cape Town in the Claremont area
LBB> Where are the best bars/restaurants? Any hidden gems you could suggest?
Moonlighting> Cape Town is a foodie’s paradise with so many wonderful restaurants, many of which are award-winning and internationally applauded.
Some great ones include:
- The Pot Luck Club - one of Luke Dale-Roberts’ legendary eateries
- Chef’s Warehouse (a few of these each set in stunning locations)
- Foxtrot (part of the La Colombe family)
- La Colombe (regularly features on the American Express Awards list)
- Haiku – excellent Japanese food in the town centre
- Baia – known for the best seafood in the Waterfront
- Fyn – fine dining in the centre of Cape Town
For a very different experience – go eat at the Oranjezicht Farmers Market at the weekend – really delicious array of global flavours in a really beautiful market setting.
Too many others to mention! When you shoot with Moonlighting we will send you our Restaurant Guide!
LBB> Any other tourist recommendations?
Moonlighting> The are loads of wonderful things to do in the evening if you only have an afternoon free!
Some include:
- A trip to the Winelands to taste some of our many legendary wines
- Table Mountain
- Robben Island (where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned and where you will be shown round by former inmates)
- Boulders Beach – home to the penguin colony
- Whale watching in season
- Cape Point – the point where the two Oceans (Atlantic and Pacific) meet
