Outside of South Africa, another production center is Kenya, which is becoming a gateway to production in East Africa. Boards spoke with Mario Zvan, exec producer at Blue Sky Films, one of Nairobi's major production service companies, to get the lowdown on the production service possibilities in the region.

What kind of commercial jobs have you shot? We generally shoot commercials with a strong African theme: big vistas, Mount Kilimanjaro, Maasai tribesmen, a wildlife backdrop. We are asked more and more for images of urban Sub-Saharan Africa and we do quite a bit of tea and coffee commercials.

What kind of film infrastructure exists in Kenya? The local commercial industry is very small and there are a number of small-time producers doing small commercials and TV programs. Kenya does not have the infrastructure of South Africa. We do have a good selection of lighting and grip equipment, but no modern 35mm or high-end HD cameras. We import cameras from Dubai or South Africa. We work 12-hour days and do not charge more on weekends.

What is casting like? There are a number of local modeling agencies and a small pool of professional actors. Most of the time, we put ads in the papers and get first timers who want to supplement their regular income. This works well as many locals are very good natural actors. Europeans are scarce, but on a recent feature film we managed to get 100 to 150 white extras.

What other African countries have you filmed in? We've shot throughout East Africa. We have shot more jobs in Tanzania and Zanzibar than anybody else. We shoot in Uganda, Ethiopia, Rwanda and Burundi. We have also organized logistics for the Congo and shot in rebel-controlled south Sudan and government-controlled north Sudan.

If a client wants to film in a less-developed African country, what is your advice? We like to explore and develop other African possibilities, but most of the time the issue is dictated by the budget. Shooting in countries with no film infrastructure is expensive and we'll end up shooting in Kenya where we can find similar locations. Most African countries have been extremely hospitable. The biggest challenges are a lack of film infrastructure and understanding the attitudes the locals may have towards filming. Most African countries are 'money poor' but 'time rich' - they do not understand a production is very 'time poor' and that every lost hour costs money. The problem lies in finding the right person in government to give you permission. Government officers are not at their desks so this requires more prep time. But we anticipate this and allocate more people to each task.

VITAL STATISTICS
Official languages: English and Kiswahili
Currency: $1USD = 70 Kenya Shillings
Time Zone: GMT +3

Blue Sky Films http://www.blueskyafrica.com