Johannesburg filmmaker and cultural producer Hallie Haller has founded Better Yet, a company that transforms existing African cultural assets into new revenue-generating formats. Haller's background, with parents who would have been creatives if born in a different time in South Africa, encouraged them to pursue "crazy ideas". Curiosity has driven Haller towards newness, new people, and collaboration. As the founder of the South African chapter of GirlsInFilm, Haller provides community, mentorship, and industry access for underrepresented creators.
Haller credits FAM Films with helping them transition from an individual with "wild ideas" to someone who can execute those ideas commercially. However, it was a practical concern that led Haller to start Better Yet - tax implications made them realize having a company could allow them to build something bigger than as an individual freelancer. Initially, Better Yet aimed to turn existing South African stories into new formats, including immersive experiences, XR, interactive works, merchandise, and screen adaptations.
The Création Africa programme led Haller to re-examine their business idea, realizing that adapting existing intellectual property at scale would be complex and costly. Haller decided to pivot towards producing original intellectual property that Better Yet owns outright, allowing for future adaptations, merchandise, and profit-sharing arrangements to be built into the business from the start. This approach enables creators to have a share in future profits and adaptations of their work, a departure from standard industry practices.
Haller's current focus is micro-dramas: short, serialized vertical videos designed for mobile viewing, with episodes around 90 seconds to two minutes long. Better Yet is moving away from conventions dominating the global market, focusing on comedy and joy with human performers at the center. Haller argues that AI still struggles to replicate comedy convincingly and wants the company to remain creator-led. Recently, Better Yet signed Johannesburg-based award-winning commercial director Wandile Xaba, known for her ability to entertain and speak to the local market.
Better Yet's model aims to change how creators benefit from the intellectual property they help produce, with writers and directors having a share in future profits and adaptations. However, challenges arise from the lack of an established distribution model or standardized costing structure for micro-dramas in South Africa. Haller must balance fair pay for creators with a production model lean enough for the business to survive, requiring a strategic approach from the story-development stage.
Haller applied to the Création Africa programme primarily for its business education, which provided valuable insights into marketing strategies. The programme challenged Haller's assumption that visibility is a marketing strategy in itself, forcing them to think more specifically about their audience, buyer, and desired outcomes. This shift in thinking has been instrumental in shaping Better Yet's approach to marketing and business development.
The Création Africa programme, an initiative of the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs, the Embassy of France, and the French Institute of South Africa (Ifas), supports cultural entrepreneurs across South Africa, Lesotho, and Malawi. The programme has been instrumental in helping Haller develop a more strategic approach to business and marketing, enabling Better Yet to move forward with its innovative approach to creator-led micro-dramas.
Key points
- Better Yet focuses on comedy and joy in micro-dramas, with human performers at the center.
- The company aims to change how creators benefit from intellectual property, with writers and directors having a share in future profits and adaptations.
- Haller applied to the Création Africa programme for business education, gaining valuable insights into marketing strategies and audience engagement.
