Sony Pixel Power calrec Sony

Inside the making of virtual reality film, Azibuye - The Occupation

02/03/2020

-- --

SCREEN AFRICA EXCLUSIVE:

It's not a secret that the issue of land redistribution remains a contentious and highly emotional subject in post-Apartheid South Africa.

According to South Africa's land audit of 2017, black South Africans who constitute 79 percent of the country's population own just one percent of the country's rural land and seven percent of urban property. This is while white South Africans make up only nine percent of the population, but own more than 23.6 percent of the country's rural land and 11.4 percent of the land in urban areas.

As a result, thousands of homeless South African people of colour are illegally occupying empty privately-owned homes and developments.

The virtual reality (VR) film Azibuye The Occupation follows the journey of two homeless people, Masello and Evan, in 360 view, as they take up residence in a vacant home in an affluent area in Johannesburg. As luck would have it, the pair discovers a crumbling mansion that has been vacant for nearly 20 years. They settle into their new home and proclaim their illegal occupation to be an artistic and political act in retaliation to the ongoing land redistribution issue.

The themes explored in the film include colonialism, dispossession, decolonisation and the role that art plays in addressing these issues.

According to Masello and Evan, the house is estimated to have been standing empty for 20 years. Award-winning documentary filmmaker, Dylan Valley, expands: I know Masello and Evan socially, through friends. The film is very much about the journey of this particular occupation, how they made this abandoned house livable, and the dilemma they face when they meet the owner of the house. According to Masello and Evan, the house is estimated to have been standing empty for 20 years.

The virtual reality film also delves into the backstories of the two occupants, revealing Masello as a well-known actress and Evan as a trade unionist. To me, they represent the long history of activism and self-organisation in South Africa, as well as protest art as they also view their occupation as an installation of sorts. It's hard to mention the underlying issues in the film without getting into spoilers, but I hope the film challenges viewers' assumptions about the issues and the characters, says Valley.

Valley is an associate lecturer at the University of the Witwatersrand, an editorial board member at Africa is a Country and an Atlantic Fellow for Racial Equity 2019. He has been a commissioning editor for the South Africa Broadcasting Company (SABC) and has directed several pieces for Al Jazeera.

Valley's documentary style is a mix of music, art and performance that tells compelling stories about real people with a social justice focus. Trying to correct some sense of social injustice or misunderstood story very much informs the subjects I choose. My work tends to slant towards a racial equity lens, so the subjects I cover fall very much underneath this banner, he explains.

Using VR technology to tell immersive stories

It was only in 2017, while watching VR films at the Encounters South African International Documentary Festival, that Valley imagined the extensive immersive possibilities that VR could add to his own documentary filmmaking career.

VR is still new here, and that's a good thing. There aren't many experts' and it's a great time for experimentation and play. I am particularly interested in the possibilities that these emerging technologies can offer to black filmmakers, he shares.

The search for more immersive experiences led Valley to Electric South, a Pan-African immersive media production studio. The Cape Town-based studio provides mentorship, production services, funding and exhibitions for a network of artists across Africa to explore their subject-matter through immersive, interactive stories including virtual and augmented reality.

A sponsorship agreement between Electric South and Facebook/Oculus saw Valley and other participants receive headsets and guidance in order to undertake their VR/AR projects.

Cultural producer at Electric South, Kirstin Erasmus comments: Immersive storytelling on the continent is climbing at a steady pace. Globally it is still in its infancy but, as knowledge about the industry grows, equipment and resources become more readily available and the opportunities present themselves. Those in the know are really excited about the possibilities of immersive storytelling, as it gives us as Africans the rare opportunity to curate and own our own stories.

Azibuye was shot in April 2019 on the Insta360 Pro camera, which films well in 8K and 3D; Zoom recorders were used for sound.

I wanted the viewer to feel like they were participants in the occupation. I was going for a very naturalistic documentary feeling and static 360 shots, informs Valley. I wanted to create a contemplative and reflective mood as the characters are talking about some complex socio-historical issues such as colonialism, laws of dispossession, Apartheid, etc. - and so the long, static takes in time-ravaged spaces helped with that.

Because we were in one location, the shoot was smooth sailing. In terms of the storytelling, we wanted to interview the owner of the house, which was challenging for a number of reasons but we managed to get the interview in the end! exclaims Valley.

Representing South Africa at Sundance

The film was produced by Caitlin Robinson under the direction of Valley, with editing done by Stephen Abbott. Post-production duties were handled by Yoav Dagan and Samukelo Mahlalela.

Since its completion, Azibuye has garnered much international attention and became the first South African film to be selected as part of Sundance Film Festival's New Frontier Exhibitions programme.

It's
LINK: https://www.screenafrica.com/2020/03/02/film/film-content/inside-the-m...
See more stories from screenafrica

Most recent headlines

03/06/2024

Dalet and Veritone Reach Agreement to Distribute, Transact and Monetize Media Archives

Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, a...

28/04/2024

Mediahaus delivers the first SRT live-streaming sports production over 5G with URSA Broadcast G2

Mediahaus delivers the first SRT live-streaming sports production over 5G with U...

28/03/2024

No votes for all

Out of an estimated 20,000 journalists in Pakistan, less than one thousand are women according to a recent Gender Disparity Report published by the Internationa...

28/03/2024

Give Me the Backstory: Get to Know 8 Women Filmmakers With Shorts at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival

A still from Jasmin Baumgartner's Bye Bye, Bowser, which screened as part ...

28/03/2024

The Best Shared Storage For Video Production

alt= class=wp-image-12214 data-lazy-src=/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Best-Shared-Storage-EVO-logo-960x540-1.jpg/> Embarking on a cinematic journey or crafting a ...

28/03/2024

Future-Proofing the B-52

L3Harris is upgrading critical electronic warfare systems to ensure the iconic aircrafts spectrum superiority for decades to come....

28/03/2024

Supporting the RCAF for more than 25 Years with L3Harris' WESCAM MX-Series

L3Harris' WESCAM MX-Series EO/IR systems have supported the RCAF for more than 25 years....

28/03/2024

ENCO to Add AI News Anchor to Qimera Virtual Production Set

NOVI, Mich. During the 2024 NAB Show, ENCO will be showcasing an AI-driven virtual anchor delivering live news from a realistic 3D virtual news set....

28/03/2024

Johan de Nysschen Named President and CEO of ARRI Americas

MUNICH ARRI has announced that Johan de Nysschen has been put in charge of the ARRI Americas team as president and CEO ARRI Americas Inc....

28/03/2024

Fubo Inks Carriage Deal with YES Network

NEW YORK The YES Network and FuboTV have reached a multi-year carriage agreement that will allow Fubo to launch YES in its Pro base channel plan in time for YES...

28/03/2024

Dalet to Demo AI-Enabled Production, Automation and Monetization at NAB 2024

PARIS Dalet has announced that during its 2024 NAB showcase (booth #W1713), attendees can experience firsthand Dalet's collaborative, AI-enabled workflows t...

28/03/2024

Blackmagic Design Used on 2024 Oscar Nominated Films

Blackmagic Design Used on 2024 Oscar Nominated Films Brie Clayton March 28, 2024 0 Comments Blackmagic Design congratulates the many film professional...

28/03/2024

Arkona to Introduce BLADE//master Control and Orchestration Service at NAB 2024

Arkona to Introduce BLADE//master Control and Orchestration Service at NAB 2024 Brie Clayton March 28, 2024 0 Comments New option for BLADE//runner ke...

28/03/2024

Join Maxon for NAB 2024

Join Maxon for NAB 2024 Brie Clayton March 28, 2024 0 Comments Maxon returns to NAB with presentations by artists from around the world and demos of t...

28/03/2024

Boston Conservatory to Present Center Stage Production of A Midsummer Night's Dream at The Huntington

Boston Conservatory to Present Center Stage Production of A Midsummer Night'...

28/03/2024

The 4K cameras giving audiences an astronaut's view of Earth

TVBEurope meets Charles Black, founder and CEO of Sen, which has sent a payload of 4K cameras to the ISS to livestream images of Earth to audiences around the w...

28/03/2024

2024 Big Night In Raises $145k to Support Triangle Arts Councils

Capitol Broadcasting and WRAL-TV once again proudly supported our local arts community with the broadcast of Big Night in for the Arts Thursday, March 7, 2024. ...

28/03/2024

JIC, MRC Announce Accord On Roles In Judging Measurement Companies

With more companies offering different approaches to measuring television viewing and campaign effectiveness, two of the groups that evaluate potential media bu...

28/03/2024

Hulu Added to Disney Plus App for Bundle Subscribers

The Walt Disney Co. said that it launched Hulu on Disney Plus, which makes Hulu programming available via the Disney Plus app....

28/03/2024

GroupM To Double Ad Spending On Women's Sports Programming

Giant media buyer GroupM said it plans to double its media spending on women's sports....

28/03/2024

Scripps Renews State Farm As Sponsor of Friday Night WNBA on Ion

Scripps Sports said that State Farm has signed a new multi-year agreement to continue as the title sponsor of Ion's Friday night WNBA telecasts....

28/03/2024

Elisabeth Moss, Kerry Washington Sign On for Imperfect Women' on Apple TV Plus

Elisabeth Moss and Kerry Washington will star in, and executive produce, Imperfe...

28/03/2024

Telemundo Station Group Addresses Climate Change With Month-Long Initiative

Telemundo Station Group launches the month-long climate change initiative Our Planet Thursday, March 28. The multiplatform campaign ends on Earth Day, April 22,...

28/03/2024

Circle City Broadcasting Renews Nielsen Ratings Deal

Nielsen said that Circle City Broadcasting, owner of WISH-TV in Indianapolis, has renewed its local TV measurement deal....

28/03/2024

Lionsgate Extends Deal With Seth Rogen's Point Grey Pictures

Lionsgate Television said it extended its deal with Point Grey Pictures, the production company led by Seth Rogen, Evan Goldberg and James Weaver....

28/03/2024

Ariana DeBose Back as Tonys Host

Ariana DeBose returns as host of the Tony Awards Sunday, June 16, on CBS and Paramount Plus. It is her third consecutive time hosting, and it will be the 77th T...

28/03/2024

The Steve Wilkos Show' Renewed for Season 18

The Steve Wilkos Show has been renewed for its 18th season in national syndication, Tracie Wilson, executive VP, NBCUniversal Syndication Studios & E! News, sai...

28/03/2024

Sinclair Selects Embrace as Its Media Orchestration Engine

PARIS Embrace, a developer of advanced automation and orchestration software solutions, has announced that Sinclair Broadcast Group has selected Embrace's P...

28/03/2024

Nielsen and Circle City Broadcasting Renew Local TV Measurement Deal

NEW YORK Nielsen has a multi-year renewal with Circle City Broadcasting, Indianas only locally owned and operated broadcast and digital news media network, for ...

28/03/2024

JVC to Demo Its First Ever 40x Zoom PTZ Camera Series at 2024 NAB Show

LAS VEGAS JVC Professional Video has announced that it will debut its new KY-PZ540 Series PTZ Cameras with 40x zoom at 2024 NAB Show (Booth C4720)....

28/03/2024

Brightcove Launches Cloud Playout 2.0

BOSTON Brightcove has announced the launch of Cloud Playout 2.0, a platform that the company said will offer customers new ways to create linear channels, monet...

28/03/2024

NBC Sports Chicago to Air First-Ever Animated Real-Time Local Sports Telecast

The Chicago Blackhawks and NBC Sports Chicago have announced a collaboration with the NHL to bring fans the first-ever local animated real-time sports telecast....

28/03/2024

The Best News Coverage is Real, Live, Balanced, Professional

The Best News Coverage is Real, Live, Balanced, Professional Andy Marken March 28, 2024 0 Comments Hero image source News of the World, Perfect Wo...

28/03/2024

VEON Pays Back Outstanding Balance and Cancels its Revolving Credit Facility

28 Mar 2024 VEON Pays Back Outstanding Balance and Cancels its Revolving Credit Facility Amsterdam, 28 March 2024, 09.30 CET - VEON Ltd. (Nasdaq: VEON, Euronex...

28/03/2024

TNT Sports Gets Its College Game On for March Madness Audio

TNT Sports Gets Its College Game On for March Madness Audio Marching bands, crowds make up for lack of court FX and wired players By Dan Daley, Audio Editor ...

28/03/2024

Cosm/ESPN Deal Will Bring NBA, NHL, Tennis, College Football, and More to Shared Reality' Venues

Cosm/ESPN Deal Will Bring NBA, NHL, Tennis, College Football, and More to Share...

28/03/2024

MLB 2024: The Famous Group, Miami Marlins Team Up for AI-Powered Intro for All 2024 Home Games

MLB 2024: The Famous Group, Miami Marlins Team Up for AI-Powered Intro for All 2...

28/03/2024

MLB 2024: MLB Network Showcase Opts for Secaucus-Based Remote Production

MLB 2024: MLB Network Showcase Opts for Secaucus-Based Remote Production The league's production arm marks 15th-anniversary season with packed schedule By ...

28/03/2024

MLB Opening Day: ESPN Brings Sunday Night Baseball Into Analytic Age With Volumetric Replays, Win Probability' in Scorebug

MLB Opening Day: ESPN Brings Sunday Night Baseball Into Analytic Age With Volume...

28/03/2024

MLB 2024: FOX Sports Steps Up to the Plate With Big Audio Plans

MLB 2024: FOX Sports Steps Up to the Plate With Big Audio Plans More player and field sound will be on tap By Dan Daley, Audio Editor Thursday, March 28, 202...

28/03/2024

Rohde & Schwarz first to show measurements on novel Bluetooth Channel Sounding signals for positioning accuracy

Rohde & Schwarz first to show measurements on novel Bluetooth Channel Sounding ...

28/03/2024

Julia Rodgers Joins Riedel Communications as Southeast Regional Sales Manager, Bringing Decades of Industry Expertise

Wuppertal March 28, 2024 Julia Rodgers Joins Riedel Communications as Southeas...

28/03/2024

Netflix Announces Agatha Christie Series 'The Seven Dials Mystery' by 'Broadchurch' Writer Chris Chibnall

Back to All News Netflix Announces Agatha Christie Series The Seven Dials Myste...

28/03/2024

Haivision Showcases World-Leading Live Video Contribution Ecosystem at the 2024 NAB Show

Makito X4 video encoders, Haivision Pro mobile transmitters, StreamHub receiver,...

28/03/2024

FOR-A shows production flexibility for entertainment and sports at CABSAT

Compressed and uncompressed IP solutions alongside SDI...

28/03/2024

Tonight on House of Zwide: Zanele informs Zola of her pregnancy

Tonight on House of Zwide: Zanele informs Zola of her pregnancyDon't miss Thursday, 28 March's riveting episode of South African soapie House of Zwide o...

28/03/2024

Tonight on Umkhokha: MaMzobe outsmarts Gabisile but Difa's suspicion rises

Tonight on Umkhokha: MaMzobe outsmarts Gabisile but Difa's suspicion risesDon't miss Thursday, 28 March's riveting episode of South African soapie U...

28/03/2024

Tonight on Uzalo: Mbatha wins Linda Sibiya over

Tonight on Uzalo: Mbatha wins Linda Sibiya overDon't miss Wednesday, 27 March's riveting episode of South African soapie Uzalo on SABC 1 on DStv channel...

28/03/2024

Greater Scope: Doctors Get Inside Look at Gut Health With AI-Powered Endoscopy

From humble beginnings as a university spinoff to an acquisition by the leading global medtech company in its field, Odin Vision has been on an accelerated jour...

28/03/2024

Generations: The Legacy - Wednesday's episode, 27 March 2024 [VIDEO]

Generations: The Legacy - Wednesday's episode, 27 March 2024 [VIDEO]Stay up to date with the latest episodes of your favourite South African soapie on The S...