ADDICTS of reality shows in the vein of Jersey Shore, Jerseylicious and The Spin Crowd will be drawn to Clifton Shores, which is about four American twentysomethings trying to hack it as top-notch event co-ordinators to Cape Town’s uber-rich and fabulously demanding clique.
Executive producer Quinton van der Burgh, CEO of Burgh Group Holdings, is the brainchild behind the project. He says the idea took shape while he co-executive produced M-Net’s Sharp Shooter, which aired on the channel last year.
“We chose Clifton Beach as the backdrop as it is one of the premier locations in South Africa. The search for the four leads took more than a year. We wanted ‘real’ people from diverse backgrounds,” he said.
While Clifton Shores is pigeon-holed as a reality show, Van der Burgh emphasises that it is an unscripted drama. And the difference would be?
“A reality show is something that has the basis of Jersey Shores. What we do with Clifton Shores is set the stage and have the elements in place – in that light, it is scripted. But every day is different, we don’t know what the girls are going to do. The dialogue is their own. It is a difficult production – almost like shooting six movies at once.
“We film five days a week. On the (other) two days, we don’t know what might have gone down and we have to ask them to reiterate this in another conversation.”
Interestingly, the four American leads left behind relationships when they made their way to our shores for the shoot. Included in the storyline are three South African beauties who serve as travel and cultural guides for the young ladies.
Basically, the women arrive in South Africa to work at Quintessential, Van der Burgh’s events and marketing company.
“A lot of these girls have some history to them as well, so it’s not just endless parties and pointless dramas. Viewers also see the dynamics of their learning and growing up.”
The first season comprises 13 episodes and Van der Burgh is confident it will be a hit with the international market as well.
“We will be showcasing Clifton Shores at MIPTV in France. We will be showcasing to thousands of potential buyers and we have lined up a few American networks. The reason for having an American cast is predominantly because most South African shows never make it outside our territory. We have a working formula for the world stage. It should air in South Africa by the end of the year.”
Turning to the show’s selling point, Van der Burgh said: “The drama of the corporate environment and their personal relationships is there. In fact, the personal drama is as good as it gets. And so are the glitz and the glamour. The characters are relatable. People will love them or hate them. But that is the appeal of these types of shows.”
Since production got under way, Genna Lewis can’t remember the last time she had a decent night’s sleep.
As one of the content producers, she has to keep her pulse on every little development at the cliffside mansion and all the hot spots in the Mother City.
“It is quite an interesting process in that it rides that line between taking what is real and crafting that into an episode,” she admitted. “As content producer, you are tracking everything and seeing how it flows in the episode while, at the same time, creating and structuring stories.
“It affects the core creative team greatly. Chris Roland is the show runner and he also directs a lot of the episodes. David Kolko is a content producer like me.
“We have to constantly stay on top of what is developing. For example, we recently shot a Peroni yacht party. Logistically, it becomes hectic. We have paragliding and diving, shark diving and a safari as well.”
Lewis says the biggest drawcard of the series is its “fish out of water” hook. “It makes it a unique but completely identifiable story that is timeless. Those who are starting out in life will find the stories inspirational and those going through the same experiences will find a source of comfort.”
With South Africa on the global radar post-World Cup 2010, such pioneering initiatives can only bode well for our country.
After all, Charlize Theron, Tsotsi director Gavin Hood as well as District 9 and The A-Team’s Sharlto Copley proved that it is certainly achievable.