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As part of our ongoing journey through all aspects of Film, TV, Theatre and many other forms of media, Gino sits down with multi-award-winning production designer Karabo Legoabe. Karabo has a Naledi Award, an Independent Theatre Award and was listed as one of the Top 200 Young South Africans by Mail & Guardian in 2021.
She studied drama at the National School of Arts then received her Bachelor of Arts in Dramatic Arts Honours at Wits University majoring in Production Design and Arts Management.
Her career as a designer spans more than 9 years. She has designed sets and costumes for various theatre and television productions produced by The Market Theatre, The Baxter Theatre, Soweto Theatre, The Dance Factory, Rainforest Productions, Imagine Creative and UJ Arts Centre. 
On top of all this she also manages all operations for the arts & culture department of UJ. Amazing! 

To name just a few of her most notable productions: Dying Screams of the Moon, written by Zakes Mda and directed by John Kani, Ingozi, a drama series on SABC 1, Ukutshona ko Mendi… Did we dance (Market Baxter Theatre) Poeto-Type and Secret Ballot (Kiri-Pink-Knob Productions) Asinamali, Thula Thula and 6 Characters in Search of an Author (Market Theatre), Ukhamba (short film by Imagine Creative) and What the Water Gave Me (UJ Arts Centre).
 

Let us know what you think, what movie or series you would like to see featured, or just to tell us how brilliant it all is instagram.com/africancouchpotato

Produced by Ted Loukes and A10 Consulting
ted@aten.co.za

Music by The_Mountain from Pixabay

© SANTE MEDIA 2023

Today, Gino chats to Kari Sekati, co-founder of Stage Fabrics, supplying wardrobe and styling to both individuals and the TV and Film industries. From single day shoots for an ad to months spent on the set of a feature film, it all seems a far cry from Kari's background of business management and property investment.

Kicking off in 2017, Stage Fabrics was built on a friendship through school at LISOF. The two young women have business, marketing and more importantly fashion qualifications which became the foundation of the business. They have a profound array of experience in the styling and fashion field, including actual garment manufature, worked on TVC’s, Films, TV Shows, PR Shoots, Brand Marketing, Online and Social Media platforms, as well as for film study work.

Kari talks about pre-and post-production and time on set including her memorable shoot with a lion. She shares advice for up and coming stylists, and successfully avoids the concept of Gino in a tank-top. 

STADIO Higher Education | Accredited Tertiary Education

Let us know what you think, what movie or series you would like to see featured, or just to tell us how brilliant it all is instagram.com/africancouchpotato

Produced by Ted Loukes and A10 Consulting
ted@aten.co.za

Music by The_Mountain from Pixabay

© SANTE MEDIA 2023

In this episode Gino relates the ups and downs of having a few days off in Dubai. With useful tips on where to shop, how to save money and the best way to get about, this episode is your one-stop advice shop.
 
Established in the 18th century as a small fishing village, Dubai grew into a regional trading hub in the early 20th century and grew rapidly in the late 20th and early 21st centuries with a focus on tourism and luxury. It has the second-most five-star hotels in the world , as well as the tallest building, the Burj Khalifa, at 828 metres.

Between eating, drinking, lounging in the pool and sleeping, Gino found time to get together three movie reviews while travelling to and from this popular tourist destinatioin.
 
If, like Gino, you need to get a liquor licence, do it online at OnlinePortal (licensedxb.com)
And as far as getting about is concerned use Careem, The everything app | Careem

Gino's airline movie choices are Barbie, Mary J. Blige’s “Real Love” and Insidiuos: The Red Door.

Let us know what you think, what movie or series you would like to see featured, or just to tell us how brilliant it all is instagram.com/africancouchpotato

Produced by Ted Loukes and A10 Consulting
ted@aten.co.za

Music by The_Mountain from Pixabay

© SANTE MEDIA 2023

It's almost Valentine's Day and you still haven't got anything for your beloved. Better get a move on. But can you afford it? In this episode Gino looks at what you could or should be earning in the Media industry.
 
The episode is divided into three categories: Creative, Marketing and Social Media. Within these categories, Gino talks about the remuneration for various job titles. These are further broken down into beginner's, medium experience and heavyweight salaries, as well as the difference between Cape Town and Johannesburg.

The salary figures Gino talks about come from the digital communications recruitment agency, Ad Talent Africa, and should really be taken as a guide, rather than a definitive salary. As always it is up to you as to what you agree on with your employer.

See the link below for the full Salary 2024 listing.
Salary Survey 2024 - Ad Talent Africa

Link to Pearl Shozi episode Buzzsprout
Link to Chad Pop episode Buzzsprout

Now, get out there and get that special someone something for Valentine's Day.

Let us know what you think, what movie or series you would like to see featured, or just to tell us how brilliant it all is instagram.com/africancouchpotato

Produced by Ted Loukes and A10 Consulting
ted@aten.co.za

Music by The_Mountain from Pixabay

© SANTE MEDIA 2023

Ok, enough of 2023, time to look ahead, but ask yourself, has Hollywood run out of fresh ideas? 2024 looks like a year of many familiar titles. . .  This week Gino singles out some of the hot new releases coming at you in 2024. 

1. Mean Girls, a remake of the 2004 comedy, came out just recently.
2. Argylle with John Cena, Dua Lipa and Samuel L. Jackson comes out in February.
3. Madame Web is from the Spiderverse and stars Dakota Johnson as the female hero      who can see into the future.
     In March:
4. Dune: Part Two
5. Kung Fu Panda 4
6. Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire
7.  Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire. This time, instead of fighting each other, they may be on the same side against a deadly hidden threat that terrorises our world.
   In May:
8. The Fall Guy, Ryan Gosling stumbles onto our screens alongside Emily Blunt.
9. IF, A young girl begins to see everyone's imaginary friends who have been left behind as their real-life friends have grown up, with Ryan Reynolds… who also brings Emily Blunt with him.

   The end of May feels like deja vu because it’s just repeats, or adaptations.
10. Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga, the prequel to Mad Max: Fury Road.
11. Garfield, The Talking Cat.
12. Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes which follows War for the Planet of the Apes, where the chimpanzee leader, Caesar, died.
   In June:
13: Bad Boys 4 with Will Smith and Martin Lawrence.
14. Inside Out 2 for the kiddies.
15. A Quiet Place: Day One which, despite being called ‘day one’, is actually the third instalment of the movie franchise and this time it stars Lupita Nyong’o.
   In July:
16. Despicable Me 4 kicks off the second half of 2024 when it gets released on the 3rd.
17. Deadpool 3 with Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman.

   In August:
18. Borderlands Kevin Hart gets up to mischief alongside Jack Black in this outer space action comedy.
   In September:
19. Beetlejuice 2, with Michael Keaton still leading it, and, Tim Burton still directing it.
20. Transformers One with Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson and Laurence Fishburne.
   In October:
21. Joker: Folie a Deux, this time it is a musical. . .  and the Joker has a girlfriend played by Lady Gaga.
   In November:
22. Venom 3 from the world of Spiderrman.
23. Gladiator 2, with Denzel Washington joining the list of characters.
   In December:
24. The Karate Kid kicks its way back into our lives.
25. The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim.
26. Mufasa: The Lion King, the story of Simba’s dad. . .  before he was Simba’s dad.

So, plenty to look forward to in the coming months. . . 

Let us know what you think, what movie or series you would like to see featured, or just to tell us how brilliant it all is instagram.com/africancouchpotato

Produced by Ted Loukes and A10 Consulting
ted@aten.co.za

Music by The_Mountain from Pixabay

© SANTE MEDIA 2023

There's nothing better thank kicking back and settling down with a great comedy, and so this week Gino runs through 20 of the greatest Black Comedies of All Time. And if that doesnt tickle your funny bone, there's two extras to get you laughing into 2024.
Here we go!
 
1. Friday (1995) - Ice Cube, Chris Tucker and Nia Long
2. Coming to America (1988)
3. Barbershop (2002) - Ice Cube, Cedric the Entertainer and Eve
4. A Thin Line Between Love and Hate (1996) - Martin Lawrence, Lynn Whitfield and Bobby Brown
5. Life (1999) - Eddie Murphy and Martin Lawrence
6. Cool Runnings (1993) - The heroic Jamaican bobsled team

7. The Nutty Professor (1996)
8.  White Men Can’t Jump (1992) - Wesley Snipes and Woody Harrelson 
9. Rush Hour (1998) - Chris Tucker and Jackie Chan
10. Bad Boys (1995) - Martin Lawrence and Will Smith
11. Brown Sugar (2002) - Taye Diggs, who is in the Best Man
12. Diary of a Mad Black Woman (2005) - Tyler Perry
13. I Think I Love My Wife (2007) - Chris Rock and Kerry Washington

14. Norbit (2007) - Eddie Murphy and Thandie Newton
15. Hitch (2005) - Will Smith
16. Fresh Prince of Bel-Air - also Will Smith
17. Central Intelligence (2016) - Dwayne Johnson and Kevin Hart
18. Blue Streak
19. About Last Night (2014) - Kevin Hart and Michael Ealy
20. ATL (2006) - TI 
21. Drumline (2002) - Nick Cannon
22. Why Did I Get Married? (2007)

Did we miss one? Let us know what you would have included.

Let us know what you think, what movie or series you would like to see featured, or just to tell us how brilliant it all is instagram.com/africancouchpotato

Produced by Ted Loukes and A10 Consulting
ted@aten.co.za

Music by The_Mountain from Pixabay

© SANTE MEDIA 2023

Welcome to the first podcast of the year, on the first day of the year. 1 January 2024. Happy New Year to all of you, wherever you are.
Let’s take a look at 2023.

Episode 01 of African Couch Potato - the Mash-up entered the digital arena on the 18th of July, Nelson Mandela's birthday.
It is now listened to from Johannesburg to San Francisco, from Toronto to Tokyo, Across Africa, the United States, through Europe and into Asia - not bad for six months.

We are available on over 15 different streaming/podcast platforms and so far have featured 14 in-studio guests - not bad for six months. 

We already have a good list of recommendations from you, the listener, and we will get to them as soon as we can. Keep sending them in - it is good to keep Gino busy.

Our local recommends while you are still doing the holiday vibe include:

On Netflix,
  The Queenstown Kids
  Can You See Us
  Love, Sex and 30 Candles
  Miseducation, Netflix
  Runs In The Family
  Yoh! Christmas
  Magenta Coal
  Six In The City

On Prime,

  My Girlfriend’s Father
  Courting Anathi
  The Honeymoon

On Showmax
  Adulting 2 
  1802

We wish you all a very Happy New Year, and trust that one of your New Year's resolutions is to keep on binging.

Let us know what you think, what movie or series you would like to see featured, or just to tell us how brilliant it all is instagram.com/africancouchpotato

Produced by Ted Loukes and A10 Consulting
ted@aten.co.za

Music by The_Mountain from Pixabay

© SANTE MEDIA 2023

 Welcome to the Christmas Edition of African Couch Potato: The
Mash-up. Today is our 25th episode… on the 25th day of December!
When Christmas lunch is done, and all the presents have been given or received, what better way than a movie to round off the day.
So, to celebrate this time of year, Gino has selected a list of 25 feel good Christmas movies to snuggle up to with your loved ones.

Chapter 1
On Netflix:
  1. Yoh! Christmas (local, new)
  2. Best. Christmas. Ever.
  3. How To Ruin Christmas (3 seasons)
  4. Christmas Flow (2021, three episodes)
  5. Operation Christmas Drop (2020)
  6. The Princess Switch (2018)
  7. Catch Me If You Can (2002, Leonardo di Caprio and Tom
  Hanks)

Chapter 2
On Showmax:
  8. A Zulu Christmas
  9. Gog’ Shezi’s Christmas
10. Merry Liddle Christmas Baby
11. The Live Series: A White Christmas 2 (stand-up comedy)
12. How The Grinch Stole Christmas
13. Friday After Next
14. The Best Man Holiday (2013, Morris Chestnut, Taye Diggs,
Terrence Howard and Regina Hall)

Chapter 3
On Prime:
15. The Night Before (2015, Seth Rogen, Joseph Gordon-Levitt
and Anthony Mackie)
16. Office Christmas Party (2016, Jason Bateman and Jennifer
Aniston)
17. Tyler Perry’s A Madea Christmas (2013)
18. Home Alone (1990)
19. The Perfect Holiday (2007, Morris Chestnut)
20. Almost Christmas (2016, Gabrielle Union, Danny Glover,
Omar Epps, Mo’Nique)
21. Die Hard (1988)

Chapter 4
On Prime:
  22. Love Actually (2003)
  23. Gremlins (1984)
  24. The Preacher’s Wife (1996, Whitney Houston and Denzel
  Washington)
  25. Mr Bean’s Holiday (2007)

Plus, as an extra present from us, we have added in 5 additional titles, especially for the kids.

Chapter 5
  1. Peppa Pig: Peppa’s Christmas and Other Stories (60 minutes) 
  2. Captain Underpants Mega Blissmas (2020)
  3. Happy Holidays from Madagascar (2005, 4 episodes)
  4. Kung Fu Panda: Holiday (2010, 26 minutes)
  5. Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey (2020, Forest Whitaker)

Enjoy your Christmas day and best wishes for the whole festive season.

Additional music by Noel Mejia from Pixabay

Let us know what you think, what movie or series you would like to see featured, or just to tell us how brilliant it all is instagram.com/africancouchpotato

Produced by Ted Loukes and A10 Consulting
ted@aten.co.za

Music by The_Mountain from Pixabay

© SANTE MEDIA 2023

Zola Hashatsi is no stranger to controversy and the tabloids and he has made headlines for all the wrong reasons. This household name was recently accused of impersonating a medical practitioner at Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital but the case was later withdrawn.  
Coincidently, In 2022, Zola revealed that he had decided to answer and accept the call to serve as a healer.

Zola's performing career took off in 2006 when he started presenting on Craz-E.  Soon after, he moved to Frenz-E before blooming into an actor on Rhythm City.  In 2015, he hosted the tour show My Mzansi Adventure and co-hosted the celebrity magazine show Hush with Refilwe Modiselle. 

In this tell-all episode Zola opens up to us about what it was like being a child star and the transition from being in front of the camera to a behind-the-scenes role, which finds Zola currently acting as producer of The Morning Show on e.tv after parting ways with controversial TV channel, Moja Love.

Let us know what you think, what movie or series you would like to see featured, or just to tell us how brilliant it all is instagram.com/africancouchpotato

Produced by Ted Loukes and A10 Consulting
ted@aten.co.za

Music by The_Mountain from Pixabay

© SANTE MEDIA 2023

Another episode, another Masterclass. This time we turn our attention to the frantic world of television promos, those mini promotional videos that get squashed in between the adverts.
 
This episode finds Gino talking to Pearl Shozi, Executive Creative Director at Birthmark Agency, where he gets the lowdown on what it takes to produce those short trailers for all those TV shows. 

Originally from Durban, Pearl moved to the City of Gold in 2016 to expand on her video production career, starting out as a promo producer and working her way up to her current position of executive creative director. Since arriving in Jozi, she has  worked for Kwese, Fox International and creative agency, Birthmark.  

When not churning out promos, Pearl is busy studying for a Bachelor of Commerce (B.Com.) through the IMM Graduate School of Marketing.

Let us know what you think, what movie or series you would like to see featured, or just to tell us how brilliant it all is instagram.com/africancouchpotato

Produced by Ted Loukes and A10 Consulting
ted@aten.co.za

Music by The_Mountain from Pixabay

© SANTE MEDIA 2023

Gino first met Mfanelo Njoko in 2013 at Tulip High School where he was one of the participants in Gino's community journalism programme.

Fast forward 10 years and Mfanelo is the proud founder of Film To Kasi - an initiative that screens films in townships across South Africa. 

In this episode Mfanelo speaks about the determination it took to get this project off the ground as well as the people that helped him along the way - including the Gauteng Film Commission.
 

Let us know what you think, what movie or series you would like to see featured, or just to tell us how brilliant it all is instagram.com/africancouchpotato

Produced by Ted Loukes and A10 Consulting
ted@aten.co.za

Music by The_Mountain from Pixabay

© SANTE MEDIA 2023

In this episode, Gino chats to multi award nominee Chad Pop about editing, from his early days at AFDA to a six year stay at one of South Africa's top advertising agencies to finally stepping out into the big wide world with his own company.

Chad was privileged to be nominated for Best Editor at the AFDA graduation awards as well as for the Rocket award at the 2017 Promax Africa Awards.

In 2018 he was ranked number 11 in the Best Editor category by the Loeries Africa/Middle East Awards.

Chad discusses the joys of being thrown in the directing deep-end, and the difficulties of changing from the fast paced styles of short-form television, like ads and promos, to the intricate nuances of long-form work, like movies and documentaries.  

Let us know what you think, what movie or series you would like to see featured, or just to tell us how brilliant it all is instagram.com/africancouchpotato

Produced by Ted Loukes and A10 Consulting
ted@aten.co.za

Music by The_Mountain from Pixabay

© SANTE MEDIA 2023

Gino takes a quick look at South Africa's streaming platforms and gives us a review on one production from each platform. 

1. Spinners (Showmax)

Ethan is a 17-year-old driver working for a local gang. Disgusted with gang life, Ethan discovers a possible way out via spinning, an extreme motorsport. But the looming gang war jeopardises that hope.

2. The Burial (Prime Video)

Inspired by true events, a lawyer helps a funeral home owner save his family business from a corporate behemoth, exposing a complex web of race, power, and injustice.

3. Eurovision Song Contest - The Story of Fire Saga (Netflix)

When aspiring musicians Lars and Sigrit are given the opportunity to represent their country at the world's biggest song competition, they finally have a chance to prove that any dream worth having is a dream worth fighting for.

4. Tetris (Apple TV)

The story of how one of the world's most popular video games found its way to players around the globe. Businessman Henk Rogers and Tetris inventor Alexey Pazhitnov join forces in the USSR, risking it all to bring it to the masses.

Let us know what you think, what movie or series you would like to see featured, or just to tell us how brilliant it all is instagram.com/africancouchpotato

Produced by Ted Loukes and A10 Consulting
ted@aten.co.za

Music by The_Mountain from Pixabay

© SANTE MEDIA 2023

Bringing a list of even more films that Gino has not yet seen, Banele P. Mtebele runs several film clubs and a post-production suite called The Village Post Office.  

Banele talks of the importance of screening films to the community through his film club in Alex, as well as weekly film classes to inspired young would-be filmmakers.

He also takes us through some of the films that have shaped his life growing up:

 Amores Perros (Life's a Bitch) by Alejandro Gonzalez Innaritu

A Reasonable Man by Gavin Hood

One Flew Over a Cuckoo's Nest by Milos Foreman

Tsotsi by Gavin Hood 
Don't Fvck with Me, I Have 51 Brothers and Sisters by Dumisani Phakathi

and Mother by Bong Joon-Ho

Banele has worked on Collision (Netflix);  Nkalakatha - The Life of Mandoza (BET);  Mother of All (eVod) and several reality shows and commercials.

Let us know what you think, what movie or series you would like to see featured, or just to tell us how brilliant it all is instagram.com/africancouchpotato

Produced by Ted Loukes and A10 Consulting
ted@aten.co.za

Music by The_Mountain from Pixabay

© SANTE MEDIA 2023

Gino first met Siphiwe Hlabangane in 2017, so now is a good time for a catch up. Join us as Siphiwe unpacks his career.  A seasoned film and series producer, Siphiwe is best known for iNumber Number (series); Single Guyz (sitcom); Diamond City (drama); Lithapo (telenovela) and Shaina (film).

More recently, he produced the critically acclaimed Savage Beauty on Netflix and is currently working on a romantic comedy for the same streaming platform that will come out next Valentine's Day.

Siphiwe, fondly remembered as "Kolo Modise" on Muvhango (SABC 2), is also a skilled actor and workshop facilitator.

Let us know what you think, what movie or series you would like to see featured, or just to tell us how brilliant it all is instagram.com/africancouchpotato

Produced by Ted Loukes and A10 Consulting
ted@aten.co.za

Music by The_Mountain from Pixabay

© SANTE MEDIA 2023