Lights, music, action! The next intake of students to the M-Net Magic in Motion Academy – Multichoice’s flagship corporate social investment programme – is around the corner.

The vision of the academy is the ongoing development of new generations of film and TV creators. Multichoice’s partnerships with South Africa’s top producers and production companies enables students to gain in-depth and wide-ranging experience of the industry. This internship means academy graduates are more likely to find positions within South African production companies, or become independent entrepreneurs after successfully completing the 12-month course.

In this way, the academy acts as a springboard from tertiary institutions and film schools into the profession. By training employable contributors to the economy, the company’s CSI initiative helps reduce the high youth unemployment rate in the country. The programme aligns with Multichoice’s business strategy of bringing people the very best in video entertainment, with the creation of authentic, homegrown content as an essential part of that viewing experience.

Students accepted into the academy must have a three-year qualification in drama, film, television or a related media field and no previous permanent employment in the industry. During the year-long course, they are given immersive experience in key areas of TV and film creation, across all the different genres. This includes production commissioning, scriptwriting, concept creation, producing, directing, cinematography, sound, art direction, editing, post-production and broadcasting.

Starting with 12 graduates in 2015 and expanding to 20 in 2016, the Academy is already impacting homegrown content. In 2015, the graduates produced and directed four films – IIizwi, The Ring, #Lit and Forgotten – which we aired on Mzansi Magic in December 2015 and March 2016, and which made it onto the channel’s Top 20 shows for both months.

The interns also participated in a variety of local productions, including Idols SA, Isibaya, Carte Blanche, Binnelanders, Getroud Met Rugby and Igazi, as well as worked on Happiness is a Four-Letter Word, a successful original South African movie.

*Applications for 2018 open in October/November this year. Look out for more details on www.multichoice.co.za