KNYSNA NEWS - Knysna Municipality, which has established an official website for the film and event industries (knysnafilmandevents.co.za) has invited all businesses and individuals who operate in these sectors, or who provide services to film and event companies, to register on the site.
Knysna and Sedgefield offer some of the most interesting and accessible locations for filmmakers and event organisers, and the website aims to showcase both the variety of places and the spectrum of businesses as well as local talent that support filmmaking and event in the municipal area.
The municipality has appointed a specialist locations manager to run content and other functionalities on the site – which has raised the question as to why Knysna is paying to help attract film production companies who would have come to Knysna regardless of whether such facilities exist or not.
According to production coordinator Caylin de la Cruz who works with film production company Moonlighting in Cape Town, it would be ''nice and convenient" to have a website that will assist our scouts, but it wouldn't necessarily attract more productions to Knysna. “Production companies decide on locations beforehand, so having a website does not mean Knysna becomes favoured over any other location. It just makes things easier for us should we decide on shooting in Knysna.”
Is it worth it?
Asked why the municipality is spending money on a website and paying someone to run it, and if it is actually worth it since production companies would shoot in Knysna anyway – with or without the website – Ilse van Schalkwyk, manager of economic development at Knysna Municipality said, “It is absolutely necessary, as the website is a platform and a tool which makes it easier to do business in Knysna, and in our opinion will assist local service providers in doing business with these companies. It is our duty to stimulate economic development, and this is the purpose of the website.”
She emphasised that, since on-location activity demands a selection of support services to make for a pleasant and cost-effective filmmaking experience, the site’s job is to underpin Knysna’s reputation as a film-friendly destination by making it as easy as possible to find locations, venues, and services providers. Anyone who supports the film and event industries is therefore invited to list their properties or services.
Besides industry and location listings, the site also provides electronic film and event permit application forms, film and event guidelines, information for event managers, and information about hosting events in Knysna – and it will also post advertisements for vacancies in the industry when they become available.
“The site was warmly applauded when Knysna’s economic development department presented it at the 2017 and 2018 Cape Town Film Industry Annual Briefings, which were hosted by Wesgro, the CPA, and SAASP,” said Knysna mayor Mark Willemse. “It’s very clear that knysnafilmandevents.co.za will fulfil a real need in the film and event industry – especially once our local business and property owners come on board.”
Find out more
Visit www.knysnafilmandevents.co.za, or Facebook/Knysna Films & Events, or contact film@knysna.gov.za, events@knysna.gov.za, or 044 302 6586.
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