Behind the Scenes 

Crew

Executive Producer - Carolyn Carew

Carolyn is an award winning Executive Producer of world-class television and multimedia concepts. Over the last ten years she has produced more than ten series in reality TV, drama, sports, entertainment and live broadcast as well as over 200 commercials. In 2007 one of her drama series won over seven drama awards at the prestigious South African Film and TV awards; another won best drama at the 2008 Reims International Film Festival in France, and her drama series “When We Were Black” won the Best Television Series Award at the 2009 Fespaco Film Festival.

Carolyn holds a degree in Social Sciences and post graduate studies in Human Resources Management from the University of Cape Town South Africa. She began her career in the feature film industry in 1987 as an Assistant Director (Circles in the Forest, Damned River, and Tiger Tiger and Burning Bright) before moving into film and TV commercials.

During the 1990’s she spearheaded major television training initiatives that produced some of South Africa’s top young producers and directors. In 1992 she taught at the Newtown Film and TV School, the first institution to cater for young aspirant black film makers who were denied access to the industry during the apartheid era. From 1995-2000 Carew headed the SABC Television Training and ran a successful Drama Series – Dramatic Encounters for new writers, producers and directors— which received a number of award nominations.

In 2000 she joined loveLife, a youth HIV prevention programme as Head of the TV unit. She received an AVANTI Award in 2002 for the best youth show – S’camto @ Large as well as the Best Children’s Reality Series at Sithengi in 2003 for S’camtogB – groundBREAKERS. She also served as a council member on the inaugural South African National, Film and Video Foundation from 1999 -2002.

Carolyn is the co-creator, with Mickey Madoda Dube, of the YOU campaign and the Imagine Afrika Reality TV show which is part of an historic moment in the history of broadcast in Africa.

Series Director – Mickey Madoda Dube

Mickey hails from Soweto, South Africa. He is an international award winning Film, TV and Commercials Director, with over 20 years experience in the industry. Dube holds a degree in Dramatic Arts from the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, and studied film on a Fulbright scholarship at the University of Southern California, USA, where he graduated with honours. He also taught at the Newtown School of Cinema and TV in Johannesburg.

Mickey has collaborated on a series of short story adaptations, produced dramas and a series on the Truth and Reconciliation Commission for the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC). His work pans both political and social issues including the loveLife Campaign, South Africa’s production of Sesame Street, a variety of documentaries and television feature films – A Walk in the Night (1998); Saints, Sinners and Settlers (1999); Mozart- The Music of the Violin (2004).

Mickey’s talents also include work in the commercials arena. He worked on Cell C campaigns, two of which won first and second place in May 2001 for Ad of the Month. He also directed international commercial brands, such as Standard Charter Bank, Globacom, Pepsi, Coke Cola, for cinema and television, many of which won awards.

Episode Director: Botswana – Mangaliso Bhengu

Mangaliso is a South African Director who cut his teeth working on Reality TV shows. For almost six of the seven years that he worked in the TV industry he spent directing Reality shows. He says this allowed him an opportunity to learn a lot about himself and others, because he had to deal with real people and real issues, interact with a variety of people and get to know them on a more personal level.

His directing credits include Zola 7 (2004), L’attitude (2005), Vuka Uzenzele (2005), Khumbul’ Ekhaya (2007), Big Brother Africa (2008), and Kwanda Communities with soul (2009). Friendly and honest with the characters he shoots, Bhengu gets a lot more positive feedback and content out of them. His calm, creative and artistic nature, provide a conduit for expression and his favourite motto is: “Be who you are, and say what you want; because those who mind don’t matter, and those who matter don’t mind.”

Episode Director: Uganda – Bearthur Mgoza Baker

Beathur is a South African producer and director with a special interest in documentary film, media activism, and new genres of factual programming that address social reality, development, youth, gender, identity, and history/heritage. In her career to date she has observed and experienced the power of the media for positive intervention, education, justice, healing and restoring, respect and dignity to community, country and people. This has motivated her to increase awareness of the value and importance of accurate, representative, fair, and engaging media coverage, and storytelling.

Baker is also a seasoned journalist and media professional committed to strengthening and developing the reach and impact of African media. She has worked as a commissioning editor for documentary/factual programming at the South African Broadcasting Corporation and currently teaches documentary film at the Big Fish School of Filmmaking in Johannesburg. She has made films addressing issues of governance, race and identity, gender, socio-economic realities, youth and culture; and has successfully mentored several young filmmakers and content creatives. Baker enjoys working with young people because of their enthusiasm and curiosity; and is inspired by how young Africans grasp and run with new media and technology.

Episode Director: Côte d’Ivoire - Patrick Vergeynst

Patrick is a film/TV producer, director and scriptwriter with numerous edutainment works under his belt. Since 1994 he has worked on public health and development issues for the likes of UNICEF, PSI, GTZ and PACT; he also directed a series of documentaries for UNICEF in Rwanda, to raise international awareness of UNICEF’s efforts in the aftermath of the 1994 genocide.

He has also covered news in Central Africa for international news agencies and TV broadcasters. Patrick launched a series of film projects to raise awareness on key development issues, and training to develop local capacity in the audiovisual sector. He has directed a number of productions including the documentary Lost Innocence (2000), as part of the International Campaign Against the Use of Children as Soldiers, and the film Vero sy Haingo (2004) to mobilise communities against the sexual exploitation of children in Madagascar.

In 2001, Patrick moved to Antananarivo, Madagascar and set up a communication agency, Média Resources, specializing in audiovisual productions and educational multimedia campaigns. Patrick is a Belgian national, of Congolese origin; he presently works and resides in South Africa.

Content Producer - Kai Crooks-Chissano

Kai is a strategic communications and content development expert with 20 years experience working in the international development sector (as an Advisor for the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS); UNDP Officer, and consultant for several other UN agencies) with multilateral, bilateral, non-governmental organizations, and the private sector. Behaviour change communications, HIV prevention, strategy and content development are her forté.

Kai holds a Masters degree in Health Education and Behavioural Sciences from Columbia University in New York City, USA. She has extensive experience designing, implementing and evaluating development programmes, media campaigns, conducting focused facilitation, strategic planning and moving an agenda. This is her repeat performance working on Imagine Africa; she headed research on IA II.

For this series, Kai developed the content format and wrote all materials needed to provide information and insight into the series. That meant ensuring that the Executive Producer, Series Director and episode directors had current debate information on the series themes; researching key attitudes / behaviours needed to explore in the series; feeding into the scripting process, source of characters and their storylines; and developing content questions specifically around the themes of series (PMTCT, vulnerable young people, and youth lifestyles). The fluidity of the new series also meant establishing partnerships in countries where episodes were filmed and building existing relationships. Kai brings energy and organisation to the IA team. She says that she works first for passion everything else is secondary.

Head Editor - Wandile Zulu

Wandile is a young, enthusiastic editor who is always eager for the next challenge. Through the various types of projects he has done, he has learnt how to efficiently and effectively convey his client’s message in the post production medium.

His vast knowledge of cross platform systems such as After Effects, Colour, Motion and Photoshop give him an advantage in the post production process. He is always mindful of the two D's of Post Production - Deadline and Delivery.

Editor - Johnny Lawrence Nkgapele

Johnny is a young talented editor who studied film making at the University Of Witwatersrand (Wits Film School). He has worked on different television formats, ranging from PSA's, Music Videos (Channel O Awards Nominee), Documentaries and Dramas. Johnny is passionate about editing and his editing style is very appealing to the youth. He brought that editing style to the Imagine Afrika show to make it fun, youthful and educating all at the same time. He has edited Imagine Afrika Seasons 1, 2 and is currently editing season 3.

Assistant Editor - Tsholofelo Monare

Tsholofelo is a charismatic junior FCP editor with a BA in Motion Picture Medium and experience in television and documentary editing. She also has experience in camera work and sound recording, a combination that makes her a well-rounded filmmaker. Tsholofelo has a strong work ethic and is always keen to collaborate in pre-production with the director and the writer to gain a clearer picture of the project at hand. She is driven by passion and love for motion picture as well as the desire to contribute to the growth and development of the television and film industry in South Africa.

Tsholofelo has a knack for telling stories; this has been her passion for years and she strives to find ways of expressing her inner creativity, while speaking for those that do not have a voice.

Offline Editor – Youri Licht

Youri is a multi-talented researcher, editor, writer and director. As a researcher he regularly does work for some of the country's leading commercials production companies and is known for his ability to produce top class work under pressure. As well as being a talented researcher, Youri is a gifted writer with a solid video editing track record and showreel on demand. Youri is a multi-disciplined team player who adds great value to any production he is involved in. He is bilingual, speaking French and English fluently and has extensive film knowledge.

Production & Post Production Crew

South Africa

• Line Producer – Tsholo Mashile
• Series producer – Thandi Zwana
• Production Manager – Chevelle Francis
• Production Coordinator – Christiane Dankbar
• Office Assistant – Sophie Rahilare
• Office Driver – Ike Motsoari
• Offline Editor – Dylan Perlman
• Offline Editor – Marina du Toit
• Assistant Editor – Mambila Mageza
• Assistant Editor – Tresor Milambu
• Scriptwriter – Angus Douglas

Botswana

• Sound – Irish Mathala
• Sound – Oupa Ngcobo
• Fixer – Peo Petersen
• Driver – Chris Moseweu
• Camera Assistant – Lucky Mapange

Côte d’Ivoire

• Director of Photography – Danny van der Merwe
• Fixer – Raymond Ngoh
• Production Manager – Ali Bamba
• Production Manager – Alex Quassy
• Sound Man – Stephane Ediemou
• Sound Man – Mobid Ngboba Gaston
• Production Coordinator – Housessenon Senalide Solange
• Set Assistant – Diomande Kanner Furbert

Uganda

• Director of Photography – Natalie Haarhoff
• Camera Assistant – John Khisa
• Sound – Hosea
• Sound – Paul Namayo
• Fixer – Patricia Olwoch
• Service Provider – Ellen Goerlich