There was always a sparkle in Ilse van Hemert’s eye when she used to give journalists an outline of the storylines coming up in SABC3’s Isidingo. By Debashine Thangevelo
And if you pushed her for more information, she would flash you a mischievous grin and say: “You will just have to watch it!”
Given that she relished penning the stories, I asked her what swayed her to join Scandal.
“Producing is my first love. I enjoy grappling with the big picture and finding ways of making it work as brilliantly as possible on screen.
“As head writer at Isidingo, I was only responsible for stories and scripts. Apart from casting input, I had nothing to do with production,” she explains.
Of her new responsibilities, she says: “I am responsible for defining a vision for the show based on the mandate from the broadcaster and producing company (Ochre Moving Pictures). In other words, I get to give direction to the head writer on what kind of stories we should be telling, about who and for whom. I help to invent these stories, I guide and monitor casting, directing, look and feel, how shots and scenes are put together and I approve the soundtrack. Basically, I have to set the style and standard of quality.”
Having also worked on the Afrikaans soapie Binneland when it was still known as Binnelanders, Van Hemert is an authority on what works and what doesn’t.
She continues: “The template for structuring a long-running series is similar. But the target markets are vastly different. Therefore the style in which the stories are told is somewhat different. Binneland is in soft focus, a nostalgic version of the world. Isidingo is glamorous, capitalist, critical and cynical. Scandal is wholesome, moralistic and inspiring.”
Shedding light on the interesting twists in the series – more so with the resurrection of Michelle Maxwell’s dead character, Abigail – she says: “The idea was invented before I joined, but in my opinion it is a clever way of forcing Shakira to face the consequences of her deeds. Viewers have been baying for justice and the writers have found the most original way to do so.”
As for having two powerhouse talents in Sello Maake kaNcube (Daniel Nyathi) and Luthuli Dlamini (Stan Nyathi) share the same platform, Van Hemert smiles: “We wanted to do something big to discourage viewers from straying to the competition, so we decided to make the lions face-off. There is a much more delicious story to be told on that score. And Shakira will be finding a husband and rule as queen of a very unexpected castle.”
Ultimately, Van Hemert’s goal is “to tell the stories of the South Africans who watch the show, stories of the drama and joy of the battles of the daily life of those who don’t earn much, but hope to conquer the world”.
With Loyiso Maqoma on board, she says: “Loyiso will bring an authentic voice to Scandal. His passion for education, local culture and languages, as well as his ability to get to the heart and soul of a story, will be a wonderful asset.”
LOYISO MAQOMA
HEAD WRITER
While the pressure is on for Maqoma to step up to the plate, it is a challenge he relishes.
Although he initially pursued a career in finance, his passion for writing derailed his plans.
Scandal’s new head writer studied with the then Saswa (South African Scriptwriters Association) before joining Spark, a high-level scriptwriting programme run by the NFVF (National Film and Video Foundation).
In 2008, he joined Isidingo as a resident writer before being promoted to assistant head writer.
“It was a great privilege to start my career with Isidingo, an award-winning local soap,” he says.
Of the trial and error phase of his profession, Maqoma offers: “The main thing has been learning the principles of storytelling early on in my writing career. The tools that make you not only understand what makes a story a story, but what makes a story a good story. I’ve learnt that it’s not enough to merely be a good ‘writer’, you first have to be a good ‘storyteller’.”
Prior to taking up his post at Scandal, I asked him what he thought of the characterisations and story arcs.
“Characters on Scandal are well rounded, fun, appealing with unique story functions. The cast is a collection of exceptionally talented individuals. Story, though, is an area that’s needed attention. But we have a writing team who are committed to improving the quality of storytelling by making stories more compelling.”
He continues: “When our viewers talk about Scandal, we don’t want them to merely talk about characters on a television screen. We want them to refer to our characters as friends or family; people they root for, that they’ll sometimes love or hate, people with whom they’ll always share an intimate connection.”
With Daniel being unmasked as a charlatan, Maqoma hints at the storyline only getting juicier.
On being partnered with Van Hemert again, he says: “Ilse is a great joy, a challenge and always a lesson.”
With these dynamic writing visionaries pooling their talents, I guess tuning in to Scandal will become par for the course.
• Scandal airs on e.tv every Monday to Thursday at 7.30pm.
