Generation Kill up for 11 Emmies

Southern Africa’s emergence as a top destination for runaway TV series is evident in this year’s nominations for the 61st Prime Time Emmy Awards. Productions shot in Southern Africa are up for 19 awards, including five nominations for South African crew. Generation Kill, the road trip war miniseries about US troops heading for Baghdad, is nominated for eleven awards at the 61st Prime Time Emmy Awards. With its ensemble cast and foul-mouthed, rapid-fire dialogue, it’s reminiscent of The Wire, the awardwinning cop show which was also produced and co-written by Ed Burns and David Simon, It screened on M-Net in February 2009. The HBO show shot in South Africa, Namibia and Mozambique with Out of Africa Entertainment. South African set decorator Emelia Weavind (District 9) is co-nominated with production designer Rob Harris and art director Mickey Lennon for Outstanding Art Direction for a Miniseries, Movie or Special, while South African casting director Christa Schamberger (10 000 BC) is nominated with double Emmy winner Alexa L. Fogel for Outstanding Casting. Line producer Lance Samuels says Out of Africa secured Generation Kill because of their relationship with Company Pictures, a British production company they’d worked with on the BAFTA-winning The Devil’s Whore and hugely popular Wild at Heart, which averaged 8.5 million viewers a night during its fourth season. It also helped “that South Africa was way more cost-effective than anywhere else, especially with the dti rebate. We could also offer high quality crew, with a strong work ethic, favourable locations and the ease of shooting in South Africa.” “It was huge,” Lance adds. “We shot eight weeks in Namibia, 15 weeks in Upington, and six weeks in Maputo, Mozambique.” Although he says he missed having a film commission so that he could deal with just one body, he says, “The Northern Cape was an absolute pleasure. We got a hell of a lot of support from the mayor. We must have spent more money than they’d seen in their lives before and they gave us carte blanche. It’s definitely a part of the country that’s unexplored for filmmaking.” Shooting in Upington did have its challenges though. “Take 36 American actors, between 18 and 25, and put them in a small town like Upington, and it’s chaos.” He’s already planning on returning for his next project, Strike Back, a TV series based on Chris Ryan’s bestselling novel. Lance says their biggest challenge on Generation Kill was moving military equipment across Africa. “We needed 15 Humvees, which you can’t get in South Africa. We flew to a big US marine base in Jacksonville, North Carolina. The first time we got into a humvee, there was brain matter on the seat and bullet holes everywhere. We had to refurbish them in the US, then ship them to South Africa, but they’re decommissioned military vehicles so we had to get permission from the state department to take them out and use them. When they heard about all the Humvees going to Africa, alarm bells started ringing. They wanted to know where the coup was going to happen. It was an interesting discussion, trying to tell them that we were just making a movie and not going to war.” They had more problems trying to move their convoy of military equipment, which included 15 Humvees and 12 military trucks, across the border into Mozambique. “We’d notified the authorities, but they obviously hadn’t let the president know, because he hid in a bunker for nearly an hour because he thought they were being invaded.” Lance says that the South African Emmy nominations are “amazing.” He’s full of praise for casting director Christa Schamberger. “Christa did a superb job. We got the main leads from the States but there were bit parts that were vital. Even though a character might only say ten words, they’re vital because they’re there all the time in the convoy. She thoroughly deserved her nomination.” He’s equally complimentary about set dresser Emelia Weavind, the other South African nominee, who went on to work with Lance as the production designer on The Bang Bang Club, which will have its world premiere at Sundance early next year. “She benefited immensely from working with Rob Harris, the production designer on Generation Kill. He did The Devil’s Whore with us and we’re working with him again on Strike Back. He’s just a genius; there aren’t many production designers you can bring into South Africa and say: ‘Make Africa into Iraq.’ But Rob saw it straight away. People don’t believe it was shot here.” Out of Africa has carved a niche for itself as South Africa’s largest television service company. “When I started Out of Africa, I wanted to mainly concentrate on feature films,” Lance admits. “But then we started getting TV work and now we do most of the large, high-end TV series here. I’m quite happy with that. There always needs to be a 9-10 timeslot.” Out of Africa are currently working on Strike Back for Sky; the new Leon Schuster feature film; and Africa United, which Lance describes as an uplifting, feel good African kids story set against the backdrop of the 2010 FIFA World Cup. For more information, please visit www.outofafrica.info. WHAT THE PRESS IS SAYING: “A raw, gritty, so-real-you’ll-forgetit’s-drama miniseries... technically superior.” Variety “You could almost take Generation Kill for a surreal road comedy. The drama of this outstanding miniseries, and its horror comes from knowing where that road leads.” Time “Among the truest and most trenchant war movies of all time.” Washington Post “Both timely and timeless.” TV Guide Watch the Generation Kill trailer here. Watch the making of here. Kevin Kriedemann

Tags:  fifa world cup 2010  sundance  company pictures  out of africa entertainment  hbo  m-net  sky  kevin kriedemann  chris ryan  lance samuels  alexa l fogel  mickey lennon  christa scamberger  emelia weavind  david simon  rob harris  ed burns  strike back  wild at heart  africa united  the wire  generation kill  the devil's whore