Hollywood comes to Bryanston

Upon discovering a shared passion for entertainment and film-making, East London couple Michael and Grace Norman return home to open their second award-winning motion picture studio, MiclnGrace, right here in Bryanston.

MiclnGrace Studios was first established in 2011 by the South African couple. Michael is film director, actor, writer and businessman while Grace is a film-maker and businesswoman. The studio got its start under the initial name EWH, a music recording studio and entertainment company in Los Angeles, California.

To this day, MiclnGrace Studios is the only South African fully black-owned studio in Hollywood. “We just wanted to expand and when we were in Hollywood we realised that there was such a huge gap that needed to be filled which was to bring back the African content into the world,” Grace said.

She added that it was important to properly layout the African narrative.”Obviously [referring to] proper African content in terms of how is it placed, how we talk about Africa and how the media interpret Africa as a whole. This is what we expanded into the film studio.”

The couple is now the new owners of a modern and fully equipped studio in Bryanston. The creative space offers a full menu of in- house services such as editors, public relations and marketing experts and a scriptwriter. Clients can host podcasts, film videos or even host a spectacular launch event, the possibilities are endless, said Grace.

Michael noted that although the transition has been stressful and challenging at times, it is worth it. “It was important for us to bring it home, to expose the South African and African scenes to quality film-making and producing.

“You have to understand that we are dealing with different worlds, different mindsets and experiences. But at the end of the day, you have to start somewhere and it is just one of those things that we have to overcome with growth.”

Michael added that the overall African film industry has not yet developed like the rest of the world, this is why he is so passionate to make the impact and instil as change. “We want people to proudly say that ‘I’m in the film industry’ and actually get the benefits out of it in the manner in which it was intended to be like.”

Michael said the aim was to ultimately change the way in which the industry is viewed and break particular stigmas around it. “Respect the artists, their content and their creativity and stop looking at it as a pastime. To this day, people treat film in this type of industry like it is something that you can do but you must have a day job – it is time to change that.”

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