The Herd hit Mzansi Magic Sunday evenings with a bang! Whether you loved MaMngadi and all her schemes or were Team Kayise, the show gave us drama, action, country life and capitalism depicted at its best! Want to know what goes into making such an amazing production? We sat down with Executive Producer of The Herd and Executive Creative Director of Seriti Films, Kutlwano Ditsele to find out!
1. How did you come up with the concept of The Herd?
We have a very strong spirit of collaboration at Seriti Films and we had a brainstorm of the kind of story we wanted to tell collectively as a team: We decided on a story that dealt with legacy, patriarchy and generational wealth. Once we had the broad idea, we collaborated with strong writers in Gwydion Beynon and Lebogang Mogashoa to build the narrative and the rest, as they say, was magic.
2. The show was really well received by viewers, how do feel about the great reception, being a new production company in the industry?
It is always scary to put your work out there for all to see. When the first episode came out and we received such a great reception, it certainly was a relief to feel that we were able to strike a chord with the audience.
3. This was Seriti’s first production, we are sure you have so many stories, why start with The Herd? What is the importance of a story such as The Herd?
It felt like this was a story that needed to be told because conversations around land, generational wealth etc were and still are very topical in the country, and I suppose we wanted to weigh in from our point of view.
The Herd is an ensemble piece so all the characters are really important. The audience are really invested in all of the characters and they really work beautifully as that ensemble.
4. What was the most challenging scene to shoot?
Without a doubt it would have to be the scene where Bheki (Nyambose) tells his daughter Kayise about the importance of the family owning the land. For us, it felt like this was the scene that captured the essence of the story we wanted to tell. It was challenging because we needed to make sure that we told it in a way that the message would come across and also in a way that was not arrogant or offensive.
5. What was your favourite scene to shoot?
There were so many great scenes that come to mind but one of my favourite was when Bheki was killed. It was setup so nicely because the audience had no idea that Dingaane was lurking in the shadows awaiting instructions from Mangadi, so I think it was a great surprise when it finally happened.
6. Who do you feel is the most important character in The Herd and why?
The Herd is an ensemble piece so all the characters are really important. The audience are really invested in all of the characters and they really work beautifully as that ensemble.
7. This is Seriti’s first production and you’ve already been nominated for so many behind the scenes SAFTAs, what is your secret to success?
Without a doubt it would be our spirit of collaboration. We trust each other as a team and no one individual has final say on any matter. I think this helps us push ourselves to new levels.
We want to create work that makes an impact in people’s lives for the positive and leaves a dent in the industry that cannot be ignored.
8. You’ve personally come so far, from studying in the USA, to becoming the youngest partner at The Bomb Shelter, where will we see you in the next five years?
Working at Bomb really helped me grow in the 9 years that I was there and now being at Seriti and running my own business with my partners, there are new lessons and new goals to learn and reach. In the next 5 years I really want for Seriti to be producing stories not only for the continent but for the whole world.
9. If you could describe the type of content that viewers should expect from Seriti in one sentence, what would it be?
We want to create work that makes an impact in people’s lives for the positive and leaves a dent in the industry that cannot be ignored.
Stay tuned to Mzansi Magic DStv channel 161 for more of the best in entertainment!