JOHANNESBURG – Sets Drapes Screens (SDS), the specialist set building company of Gearhouse South Africa, marked two years since it was launched in 2008 to complement other companies in the Gearhouse Group. Previously, Gearhouse had Gearhouse Scenic at its Cape Town branch, but formed SDS to meet an increasing need for a set building operation based in Johannesburg.
Positioned to offer seamless integration of visual media and digital scenic elements – from printed flooring to LED lighting – into temporarily built environments, SDS is headed by Pieter Joubert and Craig Pretorius.
Joubert had previously worked at Gearhouse Rigging and Pretorius also had several years of industry experience.
SDS incorporated Gearhouse Scenic and the Cape Town base, and the head office and main workshops are now in a 1,600-square-meter facility in Bez Valley, Johannesburg, adjacent to Gearhouse SA's main HQ and warehouse.
SDS received 75 percent of its work through other companies in the Gearhouse Group in its first year of operation, but for the second year, close to 40 percent of its business came in directly from outside contacts.
SDS has invested in new CNC cutting machinery and spray booths for painting, with a workflow designed for efficiency and fast turnaround.
The initial eight full time employees (including Joubert and Pretorius) has expanded to 11, plus a workshop crew of 12 regular freelancers in Johannesburg and another five full time staff in Cape Town. A dedicated project manager coordinates all the jobs going in and out.
Where possible, local talent is recruited and opportunities are open to those wanting to learn the skills of the trade.
Several personnel from the Sho-Show-Loza Crewing Company have been employed and trained.
SDS's Gearhouse affiliation also gives the company access to other technical disciplines such as electrics and projection/AV.
The company has completed high-profile projects including the 800-square-meter TATA stand at the 2008 Johannesburg Motor Show, Miss World 2008 and the set for SABC's Confederations Cup coverage in 2009.
The McDonalds Coop event in 2009 was the first big event using projection screens as an integral set element, and 2010 projects have included various events linked to the FIFA Wold Cup.
These included the Kick Off Celebration Concert at Orlando Stadium, Soweto; the Emirates Meeting Points at all 10 World Cup stadiums and installations at three studios in Johannesburg and Cape Town for American broadcaster ESPN, plus one for ESPN Brazil in Johannesburg and a smaller operation for BBC Sport in Cape Town.
Another World Cup job was creating a set for the launch of Sony 3D, with shows running daily throughout the tournament in an In2Structures Dome pitched in Nelson Mandela Square, Sandton, Johannesburg.
The draping side of the company is also expanding. SDS has acquired a substantial stock of LED starcloths.
Other projects include 2010 Kora Awards in Burkina Faso, the Oriflame Diamond Conference in Mombasa and assorted jobs in Malaysia and China over the last 12 months.
For more information, please visit www.gearhouse.co.za.
