Shaamila Fataar is a media industry veteran. Her illustrious 18-year career spans diverse facets of the media industry, from entertainment journalism and broadcast operations to content acquisitions, movie classifications, film and television production, and currently as a commissioning editor at the Content Hub premium cluster, working on productions for M-Net and Showmax across the continent.
Her tenure at Multichoice has included work with Supersport, KTV, Go!, M-Net Series, and Channel O. In more recent years, she has been overseeing the SAFTA-winning local comedy series Tali’s Diary, which kicked off the Showmax Originals brand in 2016 with Tali’s Wedding Diary, and was followed by Tali’s Baby Diary and Tali’s Joburg Diary. Shaamila also launched M-Net 101’s first telenovela, Legacy, and has overseen the production of the Showmax original school drama The Girl from St Agnes, the horror drama Dam, and M-Net 101’s Still Breathing and Inconceivable.
Her feature slate includes the romantic films The Day We Didn’t Meet and Love, Lies and Hybrids, the horror film Parable, and the SAFTA-winning film Glasshouse. Her most recent work includes the documentary project Boetie Boer: Inside the Mind of a Monster for Showmax and M-Net 101’s Habits of Gen Z. She’s also helmed the animated series Jay Jay: The Chosen One for Showmax in Nigeria, as well as the 2D animated series Twende, which is coming to Showmax in December 2023.
She underscores her multifaceted career with a commitment to excellence and a broad and profound understanding of the media landscape across Africa.
1. What is the best thing about being a scripted content CE?
Being a scripted television commissioning editor can be an incredibly rewarding role as it places you at the forefront of creativity and innovation in getting to work with talented writers, directors, and producers to bring unique stories to life. The impact on popular culture is undeniable and being able to support diverse voices by greenlighting projects from underrepresented voices helps me contribute to a more inclusive and representative media landscape. A commissioning role allows me to help launch and even advance careers and there is unique satisfaction in seeing a project you've championed come to fruition. Seeing a script evolve into a fully-fledged production can be incredibly gratifying. But with great power comes great responsibility. Being a commissioning editor also comes with challenges, like the pressure to make successful decisions, managing budgets, and sometimes dealing with the disappointment of projects that don't perform as expected. However, the rewards of shaping compelling and culturally significant content often outweigh the challenges.
2. What kind of content does your audience love the most?
Our audiences tend to have a wide range of viewing preferences, and whether it is a telenovela, comedy, or drama series or even a documentary project or an animated series, the common thread is relatability. Content that reflects their lived experience, or their hopes and dreams, and places a mirror up to their world tends to resonate. But they also want to be surprised and delighted with a fresh spin on something that is culturally and socially relevant to them. In the premium space, audiences are spoilt for choice, so they gravitate to local shows that are clearly made for them and allow them to reflect, escape, smile, laugh, cry, and celebrate being an African.
3. When you read a script, what excites you when you’re considering a commission?
When first reading a script, I have to be drawn into the story world with a vivid visual portrait. This medium of television and film is a visual world, so scripts that show visual potential are very gripping. I have to connect with the writer on a human level to understand the world that they are crafting. Sometimes this connection comes from seeing a fresh perspective on a subject that has been explored many times before. Sometimes it is a compelling character or memorable dialogue. At other times is it originality that jumps off the page and challenges me and my view of the world. But it could also be the technicalities of smart conflict and tension intersecting with stand-out social commentary. There are many ways a script can be exciting and engaging. But at its core, it must be relatable. Authentic. Compelling.
4. Which script immediately caught your attention and why?
Several scripts over the years have caught my attention. But DAM from the very accomplished writer director Alex Yazbek showcased a very brave and original concept in gripping narrative fashion. We had never ventured into scripted horror series for an English language viewer and what Alex managed to achieve over two seasons in building a story world that feels familiar but also like nothing else we’ve seen on local screens was remarkable. The scripts for the Tali franchise managed to capture cultural resonance and razor-sharp social commentary unlike anything else I have read in the comedy space in a very long time. And then the scripts for Twende have also really made a memorable impact with their unique blend of adult satire, slapstick goofball humour, and heartfelt messaging that will bring moms, dads, and kids to the screen.
5. Hypothetically, if you could go back and change anything about a show you have worked on, what would it be?
Time is always a challenge. The time to craft narrative. The time to cast. The time to create set pieces. Or even the time to find the right investor for a project. It’s very rarely enough. And while we do work in a fast-paced environment where our professional teams of creatives put their heart and soul into their projects, a time machine would be an amazing gift to all my projects. Dialling the clock back, but also leaping into the future to gauge audience responses, and then make those much needed tweaks and adjustments that take a project from excellent to outstanding.
6. What is the most important thing about having a commissioning editor involved in a production?
A commissioning editor acts as a bridge between the creative team and the audience, ensuring that the final product not only meets artistic standards but also fulfils business objectives. This editorial and business expertise is invaluable in making content successful in today's competitive media landscape. Producers have many creative tools at their disposal, but commissioning editors have a deep understanding of the audience and market trends which greatly enhances the chance of success. Working across a number of projects at any given time, with highly experienced peers, also gives the commissioning teams a unique approach to problem solving, innovation, and adaptability that allows us to assist producers, writers, and directors to tell their story in a way that aligns with our audiences but also maintains the brand identity and reputation of our company.
7. What would you say is the most important skill a commissioning editor should have?
I believe that the most important skill in commissioning work is business acumen coupled with a strong creative instinct. Understanding the business side of the industry from end to end is crucial for making informed choices through the development and production process and even extends to the marketing and distribution of a show. But equally important are the creative instincts and skills that help propel projects forward. Balancing these skills is critical to success.
8. What advice do you have for anyone thinking about going in your direction?
Getting into this industry is very challenging. Anyone who has aspirations of becoming a commissioning editor has to embrace resilience and fortify their skills. Good commissioning editors start with a foundation of education and industry experience. They stay abreast of industry trends, emerging technologies, and changing viewer preferences and are always on the lookout for opportunities that would resonate with our audiences. Like a pilot, who flies 10 000 hours in the sky, an effective commissioning editor has to make 10 000 hours of content to master their craft. Be hungry and passionate about creating stories that people want to watch and constantly grow and develop your skillset. And success is within reach.
9. What would you say makes the South African content landscape unique and how does that influence what you do?
The South African content landscape is clearly characterised by diversity. Diverse languages. Diverse cultures. Diverse interests and experiences. In exploring a multilingual, multicultural community, we must explore and embrace different perspectives and narratives. We get to showcase this on screen every day. And when you start looking at South Africa with an international co-production lens, then it also becomes pertinent to look at our natural beauty as a country and reflect that in our casting, our landscapes, our vivid visual imagery. Our content doesn’t only need to shine a light on South Africa. It also reflects the broader African continent and our connection to the wider world. So bringing a South African and, sometimes just as importantly, an African flair to global perspectives certainly influences the way we develop and tell our stories. In my role, I get to offer insights into South Africa’s history, cultures, and social issues both for South Africans and the rest of the world.
10. What exciting projects can audiences be on the lookout for in the near future?
Our commissioning teams have been hard at work this year and on a number of amazing co-productions for M-Net 101 such as the incredible Devil’s Peak and Reyka season 2, which are both coming soon. And on Showmax, the critically acclaimed Spinners is one to watch out for. But from my slate, I am incredibly proud of Twende, the 2D cut-out animation series of a pangolin boda boda driver in the fictional east African town of Milima – coming to Showmax in December 2023.
For the true crime fans, right now, you can watch the gripping new documentary Boetie Boer: Inside the Mind of a Monster which has just released on Showmax. It’s a very dark look inside the mind of a serial killer. Not for the faint-hearted, this docuseries has exclusive audio recordings with the voice of the killer recounting his depraved crimes, as well as some incredible recreations around the story of Stewart Wilkens, dubbed by some as South Africa’s secret serial killer.
Then, anyone who doesn’t understand the importance of pronouns or how being called a slut is a compliment, should tune into Habits of Gen Z. This conversational documentary is designed to give audiences a unique look at Gen Z, the Born Free Generation of South Africa, and decode how very different and how very much the same this generation is to every other generation.
