Sweet Spot Content for Econet Zimbabwe
When Sweet Spot Content first received the original script, they heard a story that rang true for many fishing boats in Zimbabwean villages. It immediately became clear that maintaining the authenticity – and enhancing it – was the key to bringing this story to life. With a good, solid production plan in place, they proceeded to do just that.
They decided to tell the story in a bold, cinematic way – and shooting in the small fishing village of Musampa in Kariba meant that it would definitely not be easy. Because of the remoteness of the village and the lack of resources, the production team was faced with an immense task, but it was one that they were more than capable of handling.
Lead by producer Linda Notelovitz, they pulled off an extremely complex shoot that demanded an incredible amount of planning and preparation, as well as the ability to pre-empt any possible issues.
Dicomm producer Henri Smit says: “Their major forward planning, attention to detail and expertise made it possible to pull off this very complicated and politically driven production. The experience was seamless, and I was always assured of their knowledge and expertise for getting any problem solved.”
Linda, who is the kind of person who doesn’t see problems, just solutions, made sure that the shoot went smoothly. She has the experience and ability to pull the team together and create synergy in any production. When she joins Sweet Spot Content’s revolutionary new co-direction duo of Miles Goodall and Gareth Paul, a perfect creative team is formed.
This unique mixture of creative visions and experience guarantees a successful shoot and exceptional end product – and also makes sure the client enjoys the experience. This is something that Clever Isaya, brand manager at Econet Zimbabwe, can attest to: “Sweet Spot Content is a very professional outfit. They were always willing to listen to our comments, and were flexible in addressing any client requests – something you don’t often experience with production houses.”
Sweet Spot Content added more emotion and dramatic tension to the story – and juxtaposing the old with the new, they show just how much better Econet is making the lives of real fishermen. As the film opens with an old fisherman, we hear about days of old as his son heads into the waters. Seconds later, we’re caught in the middle of a storm as our hero fishing boat goes to rescue another boat – a boat doesn’t have the help of Econet’s technology.
Bringing this dramatic, performance-based film to life – complete with special effects – was definitely no easy feat in the heart of an isolated village. Casting real fishermen from the village, and drawing out such meaningful performances, also took special expertise.
Linda’s ability to create an atmosphere of ease on the shoot allowed the co-direction duo to focus on the creative aspects of the project. Having two directors, each with a unique focus – Miles on cinematography and Gareth on production design ¬– means that no time is wasted, and every creative element gets the precise focus it deserves. Without this unique collaboration, the quality of the final product would never have been possible. Isaya believes that this final product “captures one’s imagination in a truly unique way, and millions of people will definitely connect with it”.
“A production of this magnitude doesn’t come along that often, so I feel privileged to have gone on this journey with Linda, Miles and Gareth,” says Smit.
Credits
Client – Econet Wireless Zimbabwe
Chief Marketing Officer: Isaiah Nyangari
Brand Manager: Clever Isaya
Sweet Spot Content Production team
Producer: Linda Notelovitz
Director/Cinematographer: Miles Goodall
Co-Director/Production Designer: Gareth Paul
Post Production – Left
Producer: Jacqui Pearson
Editor: Nic Goodwin
Agency – Dicomm Advertising
Managing Director: Charles Mutemera
Creative Director: Virginia Mate-Kole
Agency Producer: Henri Smit
