AGAIN' Exclusive: Zhelyaz Tomov on creating SA's own Game of Thrones'We spoke to international film editor Zhelyaz Tomov about AGAIN': A futuristic drama set about 700 years from now in a dystopian South Africa.
by Erene Roux
04-08-2021
in SA TV and Film
Image: Supplied
Film editor and VFX specialist Zhelyaz Tomov is currently working with South Africans Nizaam Ackerman (from Cape Town) and Amanda Dlamini, as they develop a South African TV show concept for Netflix African Originals. The series, titled AGAIN, is set seven centuries into the feature, in a dystopian South Africa, which has been torn apart by conflicts.
--
The South African spoke to the 39-year-old Bulgarian-born, Berlin-based film editor, who would like to see this TV series brought to life, and on a global streaming service platform such as Netflix.
Netflix African Originals: SA perfect arena' for dystopian sci-fi story The series, which is already in pre-production, was created after the team heard about the Netflix African Originals sub-section.
We wanted to do something different and unique. South Africa, with its complicated past and present, offers the perfect arena for a dystopian sci-fi story, says Zhelyaz.
Since English is spoken by everyone, this helps to open up the story for an international audience as well. There are amazing South African actors, who will no doubt bring the story into life in a way, which will resonate with millions of people.
--
Zhelyaz says that he has worked on an array of international award-winning productions as an editor. One of these productions includes Roads to Olympia which premiered at 40th Durban International Film Festival in July 201. It is working on productions like these that taught him one thing:
The most important goal is to keep the audience entertained, so the viewer can remain hooked up to the story. Our everyday life is exhausting enough, so when we turn our attention to a film or a movie, we demand the content is worthy.
That's what he hopes happens with AGAIN.
Keeping the viewer engaged Editing is a crucial part of achieving that goal. If the story builds up too slow and it feels dragged off, people get bored and if it's too hectic and escalates too much, people get exhausted and end up bored at some point. This is especially important for a TV series, where the storyline stretches over multiple episodes or even seasons. Nobody wants their audience to lose interest after episode two.
--
AGAIN will ultimately be a 10-episode post-apocalyptic drama set about 700 years from now in a dystopian South Africa.
The editing allows me to find the right balance in terms of building up the tension and story. I can accelerate it at times and slow it down if needed. By leaving some lines or even a scene out, by cross-cutting different scenes, telling a sub-story over a simple montage, and so on. Or through technical tricks like time ramps.
Sometimes even small, subtle things have a big impact on the pace and storytelling. I tried to implement that knowledge while writing AGAIN, so the script and story are already optimised to keep the viewer engaged.
Zhelyaz says that producers are having meetings with various people in order to finalise everything for the pilot.
Right now we are in talks with a concept artist to visualise the characters and the world, bases on the reference imagery I provide. Since everything in the series is happening so far into the future, none of the designs is existing and they all have to be created from scratch.
The first African sci-fi series of this magnitude Once the series gets the greenlight, Zhelyaz says this will be the first African sci-fi series of this magnitude.
Hopefully we'll be able to bring the story out in such a way, that it would resonate well internationally. If it gets green-lighted, we'll see the first African sci-fi series of this magnitude. That people realise high-end content is not restricted to US shows and will increase the interest in more African and SA made productions because they can shine exactly as much like the one from the West.
Image: Supplied
Do you have a news story for The South African?
E-mail us at info@thesouthafrican.com or WhatsApp us on 060 011 0211
Most recent headlines
11/12/2025
Dalet, a leading provider of cloud-native, end-to-end media workflow solutions, ...
28/11/2025
Nadia Fall attends the 2025 Sundance Film Festival premiere of Brides at the Egyptian Theatre on January 24, 2025, in Park City, Utah. (Photo by Donyale West/...
28/11/2025
It's easy to ignore those little red update available badges. But when it ...
28/11/2025
WASHINGTON Federal Communications Commission has released a tentative agenda for the December Open Commission Meeting scheduled for Thursday, December 18, 2025 ...
28/11/2025
The Professional Fighters League is looking to super-serve fans of mixed martial...
28/11/2025
Fubo has released in beta on select Roku devices a new feature that lets users display up to four simultaneous streams at once....
28/11/2025
The WNBA playoffs and Week 4 of the NFL regular season highlight the list of live sports events airing on television this weekend....
28/11/2025
The 32nd class of honorees to the B+C Hall of Fame took to the stage at New York's Ziegfeld Ballroom on September 26 for a gala induction event. Click below...
28/11/2025
We hold in our hands the very last Next Text for Next TV, the weekly back-and-fo...
28/11/2025
DirecTV said it made a deal with EchoStar to buy EchoStar's video businesses, including satellite-TV provider Dish TV and virtual MVPD Sling TV, for $1 plus...
28/11/2025
The Broadcasting+Cable Hall of Fame, the premier industry event paying tribute to the influencers, innovators and shining lights of broadcast, cable and streami...
28/11/2025
Friday 28 November 2025
Sky Sports x Slawn drop limited-edition football jersey...
28/11/2025
Rohde & Schwarz shows resilience in a challenging environment, revenue exceeds t...
28/11/2025
Unwrapped: The Toy Show Appeal - airing this Sunday on RT One and RT Player- s...
27/11/2025
LONDON Vizrt has added several AI-driven advanced features offering improved speed, intelligence and accuracy in the newest version of its media asset managemen...
27/11/2025
Prime Video has launched AI-powered video season recaps in a beta version for select English-language Prime Original series in the U.S., a move Amazon is callin...
27/11/2025
Back to All News
Netflix's Raat Akeli Hai: The Bansal Murders Marks a Grand...
27/11/2025
27 Nov 2025
GSMA brings M360 Eurasia 2026 to Samarkand in partnership with VEON...
27/11/2025
Tahar Rahim and Izuka Hoyle star in the gripping six-part Sky Original from Acad...
27/11/2025
Thursday 27 November 2025
Sky Arts Reveals the Nation's Greatest Basslines - and Queen Reign Supreme
The UK's most iconic basslines have been revealed...
27/11/2025
Back to All News
Stranger Things 5': Prepare for One Last Adventure With O...
27/11/2025
The media industry has a paradox at its core. It's an industry built on light, color and imagination, yet behind the scenes, it's powered by one of the ...
27/11/2025
Rating reflects rating progress across areas including policies, diversity & inclusion, health & safety and Net Zero leadership
Winchester, UK, 27 November 202...
27/11/2025
What are the industry standards for Retail Media? Kathryn explains that certification is based on the IAB Europe Retail Media Measurement Standards and the IAB ...
27/11/2025
World champion boxer and Irish sporting icon Katie Taylor will be in studio this...
27/11/2025
Roblox, one of the world's most popular online gaming platforms for primary ...
27/11/2025
Black Friday is leveling up. Get ready to score one of the biggest deals of the season - 50% off the first three months of a new GeForce NOW Ultimate membership...
26/11/2025
SVG Sit-Down: Prime Video EP Mike Muriano Previews Massive Black Friday Slate Fe...
26/11/2025
A cinematic snow sculpture at the 1995 Sundance Film Festival. Photo by Randall Michelson...
26/11/2025
Book podcasts are booming. On Spotify, you'll find everything from celebrity book clubs to deep dives with bestselling authors. And in markets where audiobo...
26/11/2025
Mumbai, November 24, 2025: In a first-of-its-kind initiative, JioStar, in collab...
26/11/2025
LONDON Factual content producer ITN Productions has launched a new low-latency IP gallery for news bulletins....
26/11/2025
MIAMI TelevisaUnivision said it struck a new multiyear distribution agreement with YouTube TV that includes distribution of TelevisaUnivision's U.S. network...
26/11/2025
OpenDrives, Inc., a leader in software-defined data storage and data services, today announced the launch of the Atlas Corporate Creative Solution. This new Atl...
26/11/2025
Disguise, the industry-leading company powering the world's biggest live performances, is partnering with pioneering LED wall manufacturer DVS to give atten...
26/11/2025
HighField AI, the pioneer in agentic and multimodal automation for broadcast and media production, today announced the expansion of its global channel partner n...
26/11/2025
As high-stakes Premier League fixtures approach and additional premium content launches, with MONO positioning themselves to dominate Thailand's sports stre...
26/11/2025
Hosting a wide variety of events from high-intensity NHL games to complex live music concerts and major entertainment productions, Montreal's 21,000 capacit...
26/11/2025
Vizrt, the leader in live production technology revolutionizing viewer engagement and experience, releases AI-driven advances focusing on speed, intelligence, a...
26/11/2025
ITN Productions, an award-winning factual content producer, today launched a new low-latency IP gallery for news bulletins. Responsible for delivering a leading...
26/11/2025
Ikegami reports ongoing advances throughout 2025 in developing and delivering coordinated television production solutions that maximize quality, versatility and...
26/11/2025
Following the Nov. 21 blackout of NBCUniversal channels on Fubo, the two sides have traded barbs about their inability to reach a new carriage deal....
26/11/2025
LONDON As TV sports rights become increasingly important for both broadcasters and streamers, Ampere Analysis predicts global investment in the genre will surpa...
26/11/2025
LOS ANGELES Vubiquity said it has achieved the Amazon Web Services (AWS) Media & Entertainment Competency as part of the AWS Partner Network (APN). This designa...
26/11/2025
WASHINGTON The Federal Communications Commission's Enforcement Bureau said it has entered into a consent decree with Comcast calling for the cable company t...
26/11/2025
Berklee Named to the Hollywood Reporters Top Music Schools List The publication highlights the college's screen scoring program, industry partnerships, and ...
26/11/2025
Back to All News
Animated Series Love Through a Prism' Casts New Light on ...
26/11/2025
Back to All News
NALIP Unveils Fifth Cohort of Director Incubator
Social Impact
26 November 2025
United States
Link copied to clipboard
The National Assoc...
26/11/2025
YouView Achieves Greenly Gold Certification for SustainabilityNov 26, 2025
YouView is proud to announce a Gold Certification award from Greenly for our perform...
AGAIN' Exclusive: Zhelyaz Tomov on creating SA's own Game of Thrones'We spoke to international film editor Zhelyaz Tomov about AGAIN': A futuristic drama set about 700 years from now in a dystopian South Africa. 
