About

Erik Johann Van Wyk

Erik Johann
Van Wyk

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Kindle

30 second Micro Short Film

A dark love story about rekindling an old flame.

RARE BIRD ‘ONE’

60 second Micro Short Film

An awakening in vintage Gucci.

RARE BIRD ‘TWO’

60 second Micro Short Film

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 ‘THREE’

60 second Micro Short Film

As The Crow Flies

120 second Micro Short Film

A road movie with a twist.

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.

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.

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.
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Erik Johann Van Wyk

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Erik is the founder of Lovers & Fighters

Nicola Louw

[email protected]

WhatsApp +44 7870 636445

About

Erik Johann Van Wyk is a South African director whose work is defined by a special blend of technical precision and storytelling. He has directed and designed award-winning commercials in all shapes and sizes all over the world through companies like Independent London, Anonymous Content Los Angeles, Velocity Films Johannesburg, Lovers & Fighters Cape Town and his own studio EJVW Studio for Europe. Known for elegant design, Erik crafts films that are intelligent and entertaining with a sense of magical realism. He started his career as a creative at legendary ad agency Hunt Lascaris. Before that he studied art, robotics engineering, economics, photography and screenwriting, and drummed for art school bands. He currently lives between London and Cape Town with his young family.
Reels
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