TO celebrate 20 years in the TV and film industry, Mandla N is building one of the biggest studios in Africa.
Called Power Park Studios, it is based in the West Rand.
The TV producer and director said the studio is everything filmmakers dream of.
“A huge squatter camp is built there. There’s also a huge supermarket, hospital, prison, police station, government offices and many facilities,” said Mandla.
“We’re building things I’ve used and needed in the 20 years I’ve been in the game. We’re still working on it and it’ll be bigger when we’re done with it.”
The Black Brain Pictures co-founder said it was time to take things to a new level and that’s why he started Power Park Studios.
“We’ve done really iconic shows in Mzansi,” he said.
“Instead of hiring studios, we thought let’s build something we can constantly work from.
“So we struck a deal with Power Park Studios and they’ll manage it.
“Other filmmakers can work with us and use the facilities.
“I’ve been blessed to build something that will create a lasting legacy.”
He said the past two decades were tough.
“The journey has been a roller-coaster ride. We’ve gone through heavy challenges that almost made us shut down.
“But we still managed to create award-winning concepts. For us, it’s always been about the craft and creating authentic stories,” he said.
He said people should expect more hit shows from them.
“We recently got our first telenovela, DiepCity, and we’re excited about it. We’ll be competing with other telenovelas and that’s exciting.
“I’ll also be doing more movies and giving people chances and leads. I’ve been meeting people on Instagram and giving them opportunities.
“Some of the leads on DiepCity are from Instagram. I’m heading towards people development for now,” said Mandla.
