Steph van Niekerk is one of advertising’s most awarded film writers. Her work includes the Topsy Foundation’s Selinah and Kevin, as well as M-Net’s Birth. Her film awards include a Gold lion, a Bronze lion, a Grand LIA, a couple of Gold Loeries and South Africa’s first and still only Gold One Show in the TV and Cinema category. Steph is currently freelancing at some of the country’s best agencies and is always in pursuit her first love; that is film.
"I watched all the work a couple of times and then proceeded to rearrange the bookshelf, call a friend, instagram the cat and have a nap. This time there was method to my procrastination. I wanted to see which piece of work stayed with me after I watched it." Her answer was Kyle Lewis’ Bad Hair for Nasty C. Here's why...
"It’s an audacious project. I can’t imagine putting together a 14-minute music video. But the music, images and textures all come together to create a richly layered, visceral film in three parts or chapters. Each chapter has its own treatment and track (essentially its own music video), but it’s held together seamlessly by some very clever editing, sound design and a strong aesthetic.
"The opening sequence, images of bone in gold liquid expertly edited to the music, is arresting and sucks the viewer in. Chapter 1 is all about the renaissance-style opulence and the costume design and styling is outstanding. (See 1:46) In Chapter 2 all the opulence is stripped right back to a bare scene but the film drives forward with a pacey edit. (See 6:55) Chapter 3 is about phases and transitions and the ‘mirrored’ technique works well to tell that story. (See 10:57)
"The sound design and build of the transition sequences are amazing in their own right and create breathing room between the three chapters. (See 4:00; 8:57) What I really want to commend is the attention to detail in this multi-layered film. There is a level of craft here that is often lacking in South African Music videos. I can see why it shot to the top of the Apple music video charts. As a filmmaker, Kyle is developing a sensibility that is his own and I won’t be surprised his work pops up on a reference reel near you."
Special mentions for the month also went to:
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