Jasyn Howes let us pick his brain a little so we could gain some insight into his vision for the spine-chilling 5 part Showmax docu-series that he directed. The series ‘Boetie Boer’, which is streaming on Showmax, depicts the shockingly disturbing story of serial killer Stewart Wilken.
If you haven’t already read our first interview with Jasyn on how we collaborated to create the sonic world of Boetie Boer, read it here.
And if you haven’t checked out Boetie Boer yet, here’s the trailer.
SO WHAT IS DIRECTOR'S VISION?
At our studios we get the chance to work with so many talented creators in the industry, something we never take for granted because we know we can continuously learn from each other.
Now we’re hoping to share some of those learnings with you through our ‘Director’s Vision’ series.
Creative Executive Officer and Founder of Pressure Cooker Studios, James Matthes, says:
“We believe the best way to innovate is to grow the talent in our industry, forming a community to set a new standard with every project we touch.
We know that by sharing information and creating resources, we can build a stronger platform for everyone. We learn from each other’s failures and successes, and we believe that no mistake should be learnt twice. We know that by working together, we can all achieve greater success.”
LET'S HEAR WHAT JAYSN HAD TO SAY:
What was your vision for Boetie Boer?
My vision for Boetie Boer was to create a hybrid format bridging documentary and traditional narrative so that the characters of the past could be brought to life. We had a serious lack of archival material and so it was necessary to find a creative way to fill in the blank spaces for the audience whilst simultaneously exploring new territory for the genre in South Africa.
What would you do differently next time?
I would certainly choose a lighter subject matter for a start. I try not to think in terms of what I would do differently as I feel that creativity is about reacting to the moment, even in more controlled environments, and allowing the process and the choices being made in the given moment to be what they are. I know this might sound flakey or even counterintuitive, but there will never be a perfect set of circumstances when you make something and as long as everyone has their true north and the right intentions, what comes out of it is what it was ultimately meant to be.
Any tips for up and coming Directors when handling Music and Audio on a narrative project?
My tips would be to not consider it an afterthought. It’s been said that audio is 60% of the experience, and this is so true, so treat it with the respect it deserves and find yourself great collaborators in this field because they will literally make or break your project. Nothing is worse than a great looking film with bad audio and it’s definitely harder to sit through than a shitty looking film with great audio. Think about all of those found footage films, they all sounded great, right?