A new seven-part crime thriller, The Passing, aims to showcase emerging talent and encourage aspiring filmmakers to create their own opportunities, even with limited budgets, said director and producer Shane Comley-White. The idea for the miniseries grew from a short showreel concept designed to allow aspiring performers to showcase their skills.

“Getting into the industry was actually quite difficult. All the people I train and perform with needed some kind of showreel to demonstrate what they could actually do.”

“The concept (of The Passing) revolves around a gun being passed from one person to the next in different ways, whether it is found, picked up, or stolen. Each person who comes into possession of the gun has to make a life-changing decision about what to do with it at that particular moment,” Comley-White said.

The production team of The Passing. Photo supplied

Breaking into the film industry can be challenging, particularly for people who have never worked on a production set. “What we are doing is we’re creating an opening to allow people to see new talent and new actors emerge in different ways.”

Comley-White encourages aspiring filmmakers not to wait for major productions to offer them opportunities, but to create their own content and showcase their abilities.

“Modern technology has made filmmaking more accessible, allowing people to use their mobile phones to produce content, build an audience, and gain recognition without a substantial budget.” Although funding remains a challenge for emerging filmmakers, Comley-White believes people can start small and gradually develop their skills and projects.

“I would say, get yourself a camera and a whole bunch of people who are passionate about what you want to do. Create something, see where it goes, and gradually build yourself up. The challenge has changed from what it used to be. You now have the opportunity to build something from scratch, even if you have a zero budget, as we do.”

OFM News/Siyakholwa Mbatyazwa dg

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