Set in a quaint little town in the Western Cape popular rock singer, song writer, guitarist and talk show host, Karen Zoid and partners, have established a fully equipped studio with a restaurant and bar in the small town of Philadelphia.
Thirty minutes from Cape Town City Centre, the location boasts: a state of the art sound booth with SSL duality desk for music production, soundtrack design and film scoring; make-up and dressing rooms; crew room; and of course the 400sqm studio with a loading bay at the rear - fondly called the 'Motherload' zone.
The studio is a room within a room – constructed with double walls and a double ceiling to ensure the space is fully sound proof. The 5-meter- space has a 4.5m high lighting grid with 3 phase power (63 amps). Making provision for vehicle access via the loading bay as well as wheelchair access, the studio offers ample secure on-site parking.
“The inspiration for the studio name comes from the origins of the word Philadelphia which means, place of brotherly love,” says Zoid. Explaining how the theme of her business is collaboration, Zoid went onto unpick the meaning behind the name, “A Mothership is described as a large spacecraft or ship from which smaller craft are launched - we invite smaller vessels to come dock, collaborate and make use of our space and services.”
Karen will fill the role of Creative director and is joined by Carien Loubser (Managing Director), Marie Geldenhuys (Videographer), Anelie Loubser (Photographer), Cecilia Scholtz (Post Production), Marilie Loubser (Design and Motion Graphics), and Melpro Music who will run the music studio. Mothership welcomes artists and producers to use as many, or as little, of the services on offer as they wish.
But the Mothership is so much more than just a studio, set within the Philadelphia Mill dating back to 1860 is the quirky restaurant De Malle Meul. Seating up to 120 people, the remnants of the old mill have been maintained. Offering an array of traditional South African delicacies, the restaurant offers a renowned weekly Sunday buffet. Adjacent to the restaurant is the soon to be Motherless bar – an ideal spot to take in the atmosphere of the quaint little town or enjoy a post shoot drink.
Festivals, workshops, shows and open air theatres are just a few of the activities lined up on the Mothership’s social schedule.
“My dream is to have the Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra perform in our studio,” said Zoid in a final comment.
Welcoming the establishment of the studio, Wesgro CEO, Tim Harris, commented: “We welcome the Mothership Studio to the Cape's stable of state of the art spaces available for creatives in the film, music and production industry. The boutique studio enhances our already extensive offering, further boosting Cape Town's reputation as a world-class film city, and the Western Cape a top film destination.”
The Minister of Economic Opportunities in the Western Cape, Alan Winde, added: “We welcome the landing of the Mothership in the Western Cape. This exciting project has the ability to develop into a buzzing, creative hub in Philadelphia, attracting new visitors to the town and growing the economy in the area.”
Issued by Wesgro Media Team, 28 May 2018
