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Erik Johann Van Wyk

Erik Johann
Van Wyk

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RARE BIRD

3 x 1 minute episodes

In-camera visual effects really bring things to life. I love the lens flares and textures created by the bulb, which is the central catalyst to the character’s story. Actors love in-camera rigs, because they can interact for real, cinematographers like them because they can expose for real and I like them because I can then direct for real. Actor Carel Nel so nailed the beautiful weirdness of it all.

RARE BIRD

Dance

Just love this little 30 seconder for the designed oddness of it.

Rototrope

Installation

I love making this stuff. An analogue Zoetrope – a gigantic art installation made by real people who show up. And all the perfection lies in the imperfections. Shot on 35mm film and anamorphic lenses. Sure AI will do a slicker job, but that is not the point. This was beautifully human and vulnerable, just the way we like our sci-fi.

God Complex

Short Film Test

Shot on 35mm film. This is a test edit to find a look and feel for a sci-fi short film that turned out to be too expensive to make the right way. And we were told no-one watches short films, rather just make the film. We haven’t made the film yet. Love how light flooding the camera creates such beautiful textures and how the sound design connects the movement. The actual camera really became an integral part as a storyteller.

The very first frames of a Cold Open

Pitch Film

A Cold Open is the very first scene of a series. How do you hook the viewer? With drama. And a helicopter. And 35mm film. And anamorphic lenses. And sound design that gives you goosebumps. This was part of a pitch film for a series, a feeler for an idea that Covid unfortunately blocked and it lost it’s way a little bit. Let’s see what happens.

Happy Tears

Character Test

Shot on 35mm film and combined with the right music design, this turned out to be a very beautiful ‘happy tears’ moment. A successful little test for a character we are developing.

Double-click the kitty

VFX Effect

A quick test we did for the timing of zooming out of a VFX effect. It worked well, but we never used it. Love how the volume of the purring increases.

Stills dance

We shot these stills on a Canon 5D. It was interesting when the random pictures were arranged in a specific order, it created a narrative alongside the track. The track came long after the stills were shot, but they became serendipitous dance partners.

Foxglove Reinhardt

Tone test

This was a tone test for a psychological thriller series. We made a simple title sequence to see how it would feel.
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Lovers & Fighters

Nicola Louw

[email protected]

WhatsApp +44 7870 636445

Website

A bit about me.

I’ve been directing commercials all over the world for a while now, and quite honestly, the best part of the job is that no two projects are the same. We invent fresh looks, fresh approaches and even fresh tech for some concepts. I’ve been very fortunate to be part of a remarkably diverse body of award-winning work, from epic cinematic achievements for cars and seamlessly layered post-production to stories driven by kids – each piece with its own unique cinematic design as per the core idea. As an ex-agency creative director it is crucial for me to align pure entertainment for the viewer with the idea for the brand, it very much drives my thinking throughout the process. I am constantly in awe of the creativity of the people I work with, some of whom are in the most celebrated agencies in the world like Wieden+Kennedy, BBH and BBDO. Growing up my family lived in many cities – London, Oslo, Geneva, Stuttgart, Singapore, Boston, Portland, New York, Minneapolis, Barcelona, Palma, Johannesburg, and Cape Town – and I draw heavily from the influences of all these places. I studied art, robotics engineering, economics, photography and screenwriting, and drummed for art school bands. Music is a major personal creative driving force. I am currently based between Cape Town and London with my wife and little boy.
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