ESTE NORTJE (Editor)

Este Nortje graduated from the Free State University (SA) with a Baccalaureus Artium in Communication in 1985. After studies she started working for the SA Communication Service (SACS) where she was appointed as producer and scriptwriter. She started producing documentaries and information programmes on South Africa for SABC. The edit suite soon attracted her and she started making a gradual transition to editing.

From 1986 to 1993 Este gained experience in all aspects of production and post-production, but mainly focused on video offline and online editing on linear systems. During this period she received training from a Johannesburg based company, Multivision, to produce multi-screen productions. Este was asked to direct and edit a three-screen visual spectacular for the opening of the Organisation for African Unity (OAU) at Sun City. Este directed and edited her first wildlife documentary in 1992 (Sea turtle Sanctuary) The programme won a National Television and Video Award and went on to win three awards at the Natural History Documentary Festival in Sondrio, Italy. The following year Este directed and edited a documentary, Confluence of Dreams, which won second prize at the annual Technical Film Festival in the Chech Republic.

In 1993 Este and two business partners started a production company, Imagination Audio-Visual Services and she took responsibility for all post-production. During this exciting period in South African history, one of her highlights was meeting Pres. Nelson Mandela and being chosen as part of the camera crew filming his inauguration for the documentary, One Country, One Nation.

In 1995 Este decided to specialise in editing wildlife programmes, doing both off-line and online editing as well as colour grading. One of the most successful documentaries she worked on was Kalahari, Living on the Edge. The programme won an Avanti Gold Award in South Africa as well as several international awards, of which one was awarded for the colour grading done by Este. In 1997 Este started free-lancing at Aquavision TV Productions and worked on series like Blue Reef Adventures, Adapted to Survive, Natures Greatest Moments, Great Rivers of Africa and programmes like The Greatest Shoal on Earth and Ghosts of the Great Salt Lakes. Most of the editing was done on an Avid Symphony.

In 1998 Este was asked to edit a programme on South Africa to be shown at the World Trade Expo in Lisbon.

In 2000 Este had the opportunity to do the audio postproduction for the documentary The Killing Game, and won an Avanti Kraft award for audio Final Mix.

Other career highlights was serving on the advisory committee of the Motion Picture Academy of the Tshwane University of Technology (TUT). She also acted as external moderator and guest lecturer. She was asked by Sony SA to test their first non-linear edit system (SonyXpri) with their engineering department. Between 2003 and 2006 Este cut other genres like drama, sit-com, magazine and travel shows, and also bought her second Avid editing system. In 2007 she returned to the wildlife genre to cut the documentary Hippo Hell.