EKASI Our Stories, etv's local drama production, works well as a reworking of the fireplace storytelling concept, despite the different challenges that TV presents.
The storylines are relevant and have universal appeal: they tackle themes such as human trafficking, physical abuse, prostitution, drugs, unplanned pregnancies, crime, family dynamics and greed.
Most stories feature lessons of forgiveness, acceptance and true love.
But the concept behind eKasi Our Stories is not just to tell stories , but to reflect the values of our dynamic society.
When it comes to the technical delivery of telling stories on TV there are many areas, however, that point to this series still being in its incubation period.
As one watches, you cannot help but wince at the often too rapid camera movements and cringe at t he inept delivery of some of the dialogue.
Head of the channel Monde Twala explained his vision behind the series: "eKasi is well positioned to develop new talent in our industry."
One story that stood out was Trapped, in which the crime of human trafficking is explored.
The storyline is clear and well-structured but the overall acting often immature. The leading actress somehow acts out of her own emotions instead of sharing her character's role with the audience.
Mathapa Motlana, who plays a Zimbabwean who came to South Africa for a better life, admits that she faced a few challenges with the role.
"I never auditioned for the role because I had auditioned for another role. This was my first leading role. It has taught me things I wasn't fully aware of," she says.
The stories are mostly set in the townships and often reveal themselves as low-budget projects. The lighting is not that sharp and the locations seem to be in close proximity to each other. Executive producer, actress, and scriptwriter of one of the segments, Petronella Sello, said they work hard to tell realistic stories that people will identify with.
"And it's amazing what some of the kids come up with. But we need more producers to institute training programmes and pass on the skills and experience they have gained over the years."
What can be praised about the series is its authentic touches.
Township characters come alive and live out experiences that viewers instantly recognise as resembling their own.
In this regard, e.tv is making strides in ensuring that there is a new pool of talent in the local acting industry and hopefully a lot of good things will develop from these projects.
There are positive signs a gem will emerge through these efforts, and someone linked to the series will one day look back and point to Ekasi as an incubation phase that launched them towards a career in TV or the movies.
eKasi: Telling our own stories
EKASI Our Stories, etv's local drama production, works well as a reworking of the fireplace storytelling concept, despite the different challenges that TV presents.
The storylines are relevant and have universal appeal: they tackle themes such as human trafficking, physical abuse, prostitution, drugs, unplanned pregnancies, crime, family dynamics and greed.
Most stories feature lessons of forgiveness, acceptance and true love.
But the concept behind eKasi Our Stories is not just to tell stories , but to reflect the values of our dynamic society.
When it comes to the technical delivery of telling stories on TV there are many areas, however, that point to this series still being in its incubation period.
As one watches, you cannot help but wince at the often too rapid camera movements and cringe at t he inept delivery of some of the dialogue.
Head of the channel Monde Twala explained his vision behind the series: "eKasi is well positioned to develop new talent in our industry."
One story that stood out was Trapped, in which the crime of human trafficking is explored.
The storyline is clear and well-structured but the overall acting often immature. The leading actress somehow acts out of her own emotions instead of sharing her character's role with the audience.
Mathapa Motlana, who plays a Zimbabwean who came to South Africa for a better life, admits that she faced a few challenges with the role.
"I never auditioned for the role because I had auditioned for another role. This was my first leading role. It has taught me things I wasn't fully aware of," she says.
The stories are mostly set in the townships and often reveal themselves as low-budget projects. The lighting is not that sharp and the locations seem to be in close proximity to each other. Executive producer, actress, and scriptwriter of one of the segments, Petronella Sello, said they work hard to tell realistic stories that people will identify with.
"And it's amazing what some of the kids come up with. But we need more producers to institute training programmes and pass on the skills and experience they have gained over the years."
What can be praised about the series is its authentic touches.
Township characters come alive and live out experiences that viewers instantly recognise as resembling their own.
In this regard, e.tv is making strides in ensuring that there is a new pool of talent in the local acting industry and hopefully a lot of good things will develop from these projects.
There are positive signs a gem will emerge through these efforts, and someone linked to the series will one day look back and point to Ekasi as an incubation phase that launched them towards a career in TV or the movies.
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