OVERSEEING ART DIRECTOR KIZAZI MOTO
1ST TOTEM PROBLEMS
Directed by Tshepo Moche – South Africa
Teenager Sheba is excited to finally receive her digital totem, a mark of adulthood that connects every citizen with their ancestors and gives full access to the privileges of society. Thanks to her bickering family, Sheba’s totem ceremony goes horribly wrong, accidentally sending her to the ancestral plane. Sheba discovers an infernal bureaucracy and a festering feud between two sides of her family which must be resolved before Sheba can find her own voice and return to the land of the living.
1st Totem problems is a 2D short produced by Giraffics in Egypt. Tshepo Moche, the Creator/Director of 1st Totem Problems, reigns from SA. Tshepo has a sharp wit and endearing approach to culturally specific family traditions and their hilarious challenges ( with global appeal! ). It was important to pick up on those humorous specifics in this short film. We wanted the characters to feel comedic and convey a slightly more adult themed approach in their performance and environment. The idea that spirits reside and connect through water is a common theme throughout Africa. Entering the realm of Ancestor Inc one felt as though you were inside a giant corporation but it still felt sacred - and of course, when looking at the details, very cleverly designed to highlight the humour that drove this piece forward. Giraffics did a wonderful job concepting the colour and flow of this film. The colour palette for each scene was carefully considered to emphasis the evolution of the story. This was particularly fun and challenging as the world, inspired by solar punk, was so vibrant and harmonious we still needed the characters to bounce out of the colourful canvas.
I journeyed with this film from early conception and we held the creative together, always focusing on Tshepo’s kind and thoughtful, funny and endearing direction. We faced challenges finding the right team for this film but eventually we nailed it with a sound direction and a wonderful team.
Giraffics Art Director: Ahmed Gamal Arafa
The “Printing Room” is a hallowed space where you receive your Totem. We were going for a space that felt like it had deep meaning and as though the ancestors were present. Leaning on more abstract shapes helped push the environment into a more other worldly space. We encouraged the art director to give as much depth and scale as possible.
Artroks credited to: Giraffics | Tarek Abdelkawi | Renato Sideris | Abdullah Moatasem | Segun Samson
