Company
& Team Since founding TOP in 1998, Giselher Venzke
and Bertha Spieker have produced more than
60 movies for the German speaking market, these
being both, TV and feature productions.
TOP has just finished 12 productions with a total of 430 shooting days in 20 months. This leading production company is certainly on of the the busiest and most professional in South Africa. TOP is currently busy shooting two productions, both for the German TV Market: "Congo" a 90 minute TV Movie for ZDF and "The Sinking of the Laconia" a 2 x 90 minutes TV Event Movie for German ARD Degeto, SWR and British BBC were wrapped beginning of December. | more...
The favourable production
costs and extensivelocation
possibilities represent one of the best
value for money environment in the world. Not
only African and fictitious backdrops but also
stories set in European, American, Asian countries
as well as New Zealand have been produced in
Southern Africa. | more...
South Africa offers various options for co-financing national
and international film productions.
TOP as a company is specifically geared towards
a future in which South African and German film
makers can continue and build on an already mutually
beneficial base.
Close cooperation with
many specialized companies as well as the highly
professional crew contributes to making TOP
a particularly strong partner in this business.
TOP’s team of permanent staff and numerous
highly skilled freelance employees can provide
up to 3 complete film crews to meet the requirements
of any production.
Cast & Crew IN ACTION Whether
highly experienced or young and talented – professional
work performance and excellent teamwork with
a good vibe is guaranteed! Some crew is working
with us for more than 10 years.
South African crews are widely considered to
be the most cost effective, talented and hard
working English speaking crew available anywhere
in the world. Team structures are based
on the British/American system. There are no
crew unions in South Africa but they are usually
governed by codes of conduct that have been developed
and nurtured over the years.
This country is unique in it’s multitude
of cultures and colourful faces. From the African
to Cape Malay, from Indians to Oriental and from
Northern to Southern European. South Africa has
a constantly growing pool of professional actors
and models.
Giselher
Venzke
Giselher
Venzke is an experienced producer with more than
30 years of professional experience in the Film & TV
industry. He studied at the College of Film and
Television in Babelsberg and learned and developed
his craft in the DEFA studios. After some productive
years in Berlin and Hamburg he first came to
South Africa in 1995 under contract to the film
producer Katharina M. Trebitsch. He produced
the TV series "The Cape of Good Hope" and, together
with Trebitsch Holding, he developed the historic
two-part TV film "Desert Rose". Both formats
proved so successful that it subsequently led
to the founding of Two Oceans Productions in
1998. Excited by the enormous potential of the
Cape region and the entire Southern Africa Giselher
Venzke remained in Cape Town as Managing Director
and Executive Producer of TOP. In 2000 he took
over the company together with his business partner,
Bertha Spieker. Since then Giselher maintains
and extends his long-standing relations and partners
in the whole of Germany and brings home to them
the "boundless possibilities" of the film making
in southern Africa.
Bertha Spieker
After a successful career in the fashion industry as a designer with her own label & business, Maria-Theresia
Bertha Spieker took a sideways step into the industry in 1993 when she joind Polyphon Ltd. TV Productions. She thereafter moved to Trebitsch Holding in 1995 and in 1997 the "Cape of Good Hope" production brought her to Cape Town. Realizing the opportunities presented in South Africa she joined Giselher Venzke as co-director of TOP. Bertha specializes in the service production of commercials. Her main emphasis is in the area of business administration as well as being responsible for film project financing.
Sandra Venzke-Krecklenberg
Sandra joined
the TOP team in 1998 as a set runner on the TV
Feature "Desert Rose". She spent
the next 9 years on set and in production, becoming
profficient to the different and growing tasks.
She progressed through the AD Department onto 1st
AD on the production "A Love in Africa" with Xaver
Schwarzenberger as her first director & "teacher".
After several productions in the 1st AD position
she moved to Production Management of various projects,
followed by Line Producing. In 2007 Sandra was
incorporated into the executive management team
of the company. Other than the daily management
of the business as General Manager Sandra's Producer
responsibilities include conceptualizing, budgeting
and scheduling.
MARCO S. LE ROUX
Marco was given the opportunity in July 2000 as a Production Secretary on the production "Invitation to Murder". He is known for his strong admin skills, level headed approach and good people skills. From the get go Marco has proved himself to be a valuable asset to the TOP team and has progressed from the secretary position to one of the countries' finest production manager. Since 2006 he has made the Line Producer position at TOP a job he handles with much aplomb.
Giselher
Venzke is an experienced producer with more than
30 years of professional experience in the Film & TV
industry. He studied at the College of Film and
Television in Babelsberg and learned and developed
his craft in the DEFA studios. After some productive
years in Berlin and Hamburg he first came to
South Africa in 1995 under contract to the film
producer Katharina M. Trebitsch. He produced
the TV series "The Cape of Good Hope" and, together
with Trebitsch Holding, he developed the historic
two-part TV film "Desert Rose". Both formats
proved so successful that it subsequently led
to the founding of Two Oceans Productions in
1998. Excited by the enormous potential of the
Cape region and the entire Southern Africa Giselher
Venzke remained in Cape Town as Managing Director
and Executive Producer of TOP. In 2000 he took
over the company together with his business partner,
Bertha Spieker. Since then Giselher maintains
and extends his long-standing relations and partners
in the whole of Germany and brings home to them
the "boundless possibilities" of the film making
in southern Africa.
After a successful career in the fashion industry as a designer with her own label & business, Maria-Theresia
Bertha Spieker took a sideways step into the industry in 1993 when she joind Polyphon Ltd. TV Productions. She thereafter moved to Trebitsch Holding in 1995 and in 1997 the "Cape of Good Hope" production brought her to Cape Town. Realizing the opportunities presented in South Africa she joined Giselher Venzke as co-director of TOP. Bertha specializes in the service production of commercials. Her main emphasis is in the area of business administration as well as being responsible for film project financing.
Sandra joined
the TOP team in 1998 as a set runner on the TV
Feature "Desert Rose". She spent
the next 9 years on set and in production, becoming
profficient to the different and growing tasks.
She progressed through the AD Department onto 1st
AD on the production "A Love in Africa" with Xaver
Schwarzenberger as her first director & "teacher".
After several productions in the 1st AD position
she moved to Production Management of various projects,
followed by Line Producing. In 2007 Sandra was
incorporated into the executive management team
of the company. Other than the daily management
of the business as General Manager Sandra's Producer
responsibilities include conceptualizing, budgeting
and scheduling.
Marco was given the opportunity in July 2000 as a Production Secretary on the production "Invitation to Murder". He is known for his strong admin skills, level headed approach and good people skills. From the get go Marco has proved himself to be a valuable asset to the TOP team and has progressed from the secretary position to one of the countries' finest production manager. Since 2006 he has made the Line Producer position at TOP a job he handles with much aplomb. 
