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Video Tech student shines

Video Tech student shines

Domestic abuse is rife in South Africa and we have some of the highest statistics in the world with regard to gender based violence and rape…

7 December 2011
Video Tech student shines

Domestic abuse is rife in South Africa and we have some of the highest statistics in the world with regard to gender based violence and rape. Durban University of Technology 2nd Year Video Technology student Terrence Ngobese wanted to put the spotlight on this dire issue when he made an advert entitled “Cell Phone Abuse”.

The advert has won him the prominent M-net Tag Rising Star award, this exceptional student is passionate about his craft and wants to provide thought provoking film making.
“The commercial is about prompting society to report domestic abuse, when it happens, instead of being bystanders who use cell phones for the wrong reason we should go back to basics and call for help.”

“The story for the add is based on a character who starts out doing the wrong thing with his phone (showing his friend the abuse of a girl by her boyfriend) and then through him we witness a new incident where we see the inaction of the bystanders that’s when he decides to call the police to report the crime”.
“The main challenge we faced when filming was organizing extras and of course we had a zero budget, as a director trying to create effortless realism from your talent that is not professionally trained. The production lasted about 3 hours of setting up and filming,” said Ngobese.

Eskom cable theft was the central theme of another commercial made by Ngobese and there are plans to sell it to Eskom.

He together with fellow students Thola Mhlongo and Njabulo Ngobese have finished an activism short film entitled “Silence about the fight of free speech in the lowest part of society the township” they are currently trying to get it screened on any public platform.

Cary Burnett senior lecturer of Television at DUT said, “Terrence is a highly talented young student. His Public Service Announcement for M-net was brilliant. It captured a feeling of reality and panic and was very effective in making the audience consider what would be the right thing to do when witnessing abuse. Terrence is a very visual story teller and his talents are well suited to the medium of television.”

– Savie Naicker

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