Boksburg a hot spot for location scouts
Boksburg has become the new hot spot for location scouts to shoot advertisements, television programmes and films.
On July 5, a one-day shoot took place at the prestigious Monte Christo security estate to film a television advertisement for sunflower cooking oil.
The filming kicked off bright and early around 5.30am. The project was led by Legacy Films whose owner and director, Barry van Niekerk, is a Boksburg local.
A crew of approximately 50 was working on the project.
The commercial was Van Niekerk’s first shoot in Boksburg, but he has done many shoots on other locations around Johannesburg and in various film studios.
ALSO READ: Blomkamp brings ‘Chappie‘ to Boksbur
When asked why he decided to shoot the commercial in Boksburg, van Niekerk said he knew that the house in the estate had the interior decor suitable for the commercial.
He also said that the South African film industry is familiar with what is available such as the northern suburbs of South Africa.
He argued that people don’t visit the East Rand, the locations are often never seen before and that it “is amazing [for them] to be in this part of the world”.
He also said that he would love to shoot all of his projects on the East Rand, including Boksburg.
The commercial will be aired on eTV only, from July 20 for three months.
* This is not the first time Boksburg’s scenery served as a film set.
In 2014, director Neill Blomkamp came to Boksburg to shoot a scene from the movie Chappie.
The film starred Die Antwoord’s Yolandi Visser as well as international film stars Shalto Copley and Huge Jackman.
Later, in 2014, the popular morning show, Ontbytsake, also visited Boksburg for a shoot.
