Portfolio 2: Media World

After leaving the Rhodesian forces I joined Rhodesia Television, and my media career began. Working through technical and engineering (and some directing), I found myself in the Production area - mostly Production Co-ordinating and Production Management. I had very soon been asked to write some scripts for a children’s series we were doing - “Featherfoot Farm” - and as the producer loved what I had done, I ended up writing rather a lot of them; thus my “alongside” career in script writing came about. I loved working in television and film, and later melded that with multimedia. I am not sure how to illustrate the features here, or even what to feature! As ScriptCraft is about writing, both books and scripts, I am focusing on script writing in this section.

Children’s and Family programs

FEATHERFOOT FARM – Television children's edutainment - 33 x 10-minute episodes, broadcast TV1, TV2, TV3, 1989 - 1995 (Repeated continually). HEYNS FILM & TV FEATHERFOOT FARM – Radio children's edutainment - 56 x 10-mins, 9 languages, SABC 1990. SIYABONGA – Television. Wildlife documentary series for children. 6 x 10-minutes. Distributed through several European countries. RICHARD LAWTON & ASSOCIATES 1992 SEKUNJALO – Television. 2 x 5-minute magazine inserts on the Youth Ballet in Port Elizabeth, 1996. SCREENVISION TOM'S GREEN THUMB – Television, children's edutainment (conservation/gardening). 13 x 10- mins, TSS, 1993. C.H.I.P. HA MMAMPITLA – Television. Children's puppet edutainment - 13 x 10-minutes, TV3, 1991. HEYNS JABULA – Television children’s edutainment. 29 x 30 mins (incl inserts), for NNTV, CCV 1995. C.H.I.P. PALENQUETTE - youth stage play in 5 parts for a Scripture Union festival (also produced/directed by myself).

Documentary/Education/Corporate

MODJADJI, QUEEN OF RAIN (image Queen Makoma Modjadji IV, from the book, “The Mudjadji Dynasty: The Principles of Female Leadership in African Cosmology” by Dr. Mathole Kherofo Motsekga) – Television. 48-minute documentary about the legendary Rain Queen of Southern Africa, filmed in the Queen’s compound and surrounding villages with myself present, script written afterwards to fit the footage. 1997. ETHNIC PRODUCTIONS NELSON MANDELA: FIRE IN THE WIND. Multimedia CD production, 1997. Required travel to Cape Town for research in the Apartheid museum at Bellvue University as well as other research. Approved by the President’s staff. VMMC 1997, Q DATA CAIROO BOER GOATS: ARTIFICIAL INSEMINATION PROJECT – Video. Promotional programme by South African breeding group, for presentation in Australia. +-20 minutes. 1998/9. NESTLÉ MEGA PROMOTION – Product launch, 8-9 minutes. SCREEN VISION 1995 NESTLÉ MULTIBRAND GOLD RUSH PROMOTION – Product launch, +-30 minutes. SCREEN VISION 1996 EDITING, BRAINSTORMING, ANALYSIS AND REWRITING of many corporate and sell-through video scripts for VIDICOM/IFC (e.g. Middelberg Steel & Alloys, Optimum Collieries, etc), and for various independent companies in South Africa – and in the UK for LIFETIME INTERNATIONAL and BIG HAND PRODUCTIONS NORTH WEST PROVINCE ONE-STOP INFORMATION SERVICE - complex multimedia; series of modules on various aspects of the NWP – people, land, government, economy, tourism, etc. For kiosk information centres around the country. VMMC 1997 THE WORLD BENEATH – Radio. 10-minute conservation documentary, RADIO SAFARI 1995/6. INTERNATIONAL LABOUR ORGANISATION - 15- min CD demonstration of the “Start Your Business” multimedia training series. VMMC 1997 BEATING CANCER – Television documentary - 13 x 10-minutes, TSS & CCV 1992. C.H.I.P. LIVING & LOVING TALKS TO MUMS – Television adult education - 50 x 5-mins, TSS, CCV, 1992. UBECK HEALTH HINTS – Television adult education. 52 x 2-mins, TV1, TSS, CCV, 1992-3. C.H.I.P. HEALTH HINTS – Radio adult education - 52 x 2- mins, 9 languages, SABC 1993 HOME HEALTH CORNER – Television adult education - 13 x 5-mins, TV1, NNTV, CCV, 1994-5. BEDON A GUIDE TO HEALTH – Television adult education series of 5 mins, for TV1, NNTV, CCV, 1995. BEDON SA EAGLE IN-HOUSE – script for 10-minute live presentation of the multimedia concept, presented by staff of Pretoria branch to the country-wide Company Directors. VMMC 1996 Q MUZIK CORPORATE PRESENTATION – video and multimedia “businesscard”. VMMC 1997 VANTAGE MULTIMEDIA CORPORATE PRESENTATION – video and multimedia “businesscard”. 1997 VANTAGE MULTIMEDIA BROCHURE – Corporate pamphlet : text and design of pamphlet. 1997 VANTAGE MULTIMEDIA SCREENSAVER – multimedia screensaver. 1997 EG CHAPMAN - Proposal for fullscale internet presence. VWW Interactive, 1997. ZAMIL STEEL - Internet Presence and CD-ROM. VWV, 1997 . GEMINI CONSULTING - PC-driven multimedia programme. VWV, 1997

Drama series

BA HA HLALELE – Television. Light family comedy drama - 13 x half-hour episodes, TV3, 1990. HEYNS BA HA HLALELE II - second series - 13 x half-hour episodes, TV3, 1991. This included the first cross- race relationship ever broadcast in South Africa. HEYNS. UBAMBO LWAMI – Television. 13 x 26-min. Zulu Drama series - script editing, developing new writer, & writing of first three episodes, 1995/6. BEDON KELEBONE – Television. 13 x 26-minute drama series, Sesotho – wrote first two episodes entirely, plus parts of next two episodes, oversaw rest of scripts - script editing, developing new writer, 1997. C.H.I.P.