Blackheart Gang

south africa special 5 4 the blackheart gang

After three days of glorious sunshine, it seems rather fitting that my

The crew have just moved into their new office and someone’s got to keep

meeting with Cape Town-based collective The Blackheart Gang should take

the momentum going. “We’re really busy at the moment,” explains Treweek.

place on an uncharacteristically grey and drizzly Monday morning. As Ree

“We just got back from Abu Dhabi yesterday. There was this crazy animation

Treweek rounds the corner into the tree-lined square where we’ve arranged

festival on so we had to go check it out.”

to meet, I can tell who she is by her outfit, her hair, and the ethereal look of

Having included the group’s delightfully dark animation, The Tale of How, on

someone who’s been up all night working in poor lighting.

shots 99 DVD, I’m keen to find out about what was behind the piece, and

We take a seat in a nearby café and are joined by another member of the

what they’ve been up to since. “Tale of How is actually the middle part of a

Blackheart troupe, Jannes Hendrikz. He jokes about his coffee consumption,

project called the Dodo Trilogy, which forms part of a bigger idea called

but still seems determined to reach caffeine nirvana. He orders a double

Household,” says Treweek.

espresso. I’m sure his hands are shaking. Maybe it’s just creative intensity.

For several minutes Treweek and Hendrikz unpack their creative brains in

The third spoke in the Blackheart wheel, Markus Wormstorm, can’t make it.

front of me, explaining how they intend to launch the next instalment in the Dodo Trilogy, The Tale of Then, as part of an exhibition of artwork attached to the Household universe. My ears prick up when Treweek reveals that they’re also working on an international commercial for United Airlines, which is set to launch in the new year. “It’s probably the biggest commercial project we’ve worked on so far,” she tells me.

Under the title Shy The Sun, the trio have been producing commercials for several years, though both Treweek and Hendrikz are quick to point out that their heart is black, not sunny. “We enjoy working in commercials as it gives

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the blackheart gang 5 5 south africa special

us a different experience and a chance to develop new skills,” says Hendrikz. “But our main focus is the Blackheart Gang. Shy the Sun has helped us to buy new toys to try new things on and experiment with new techniques.”

The Blackheart Gang was born in the winter of 2004 when Wormstrom and Treweek began brainstorming the Household concept. Treweek developed illustrations that conceptualised the world, while Wormstrom worked on the story and the music. The missing piece fell into place when the pair met Hendrikz. He led animation and compositing duties and assumed the role of creative director. I ask Hendrikz about his background, expecting to hear the usual ‘art school followed by agency followed by break away’ story.

Instead, with a Zen-like calm, he tells me he spent several years as a monk.

The conversation switches to sources of inspiration and Hendrikz becomes animated. “Music. The whole thing for me started with music.

Gang of three: James Hendrikz, Ree Treweek and Markus Wormstorm

the blackheart gang cape town A collective in Cape Town has plenty of experience in producing commercials, but, as Stephen Whelan found out, they really just want to play with their toys and develop their favourite animated characters

I was illustrating and wanted to know how to put images to music, to show

“Commercials

my experience of listening to music visually,” he grins. “I’m not inspired

give us a

by any particular artist or style, but I’m definitely inspired by music.”

different

The pair offer to show me their new office so we head back to their studio space. Treweek’s face lights up as we enter the room. The new toy she’s been expecting has arrived and is sitting on her desk. She rushes

experience and a chance

over like a kid on Christmas day and announces “I’m shaking”. She

to develop new

unwraps her new plaything, a digital screen that will allow her to

skills. Our ad

illustrate directly onto the computer. “I’m going to be up all night playing

work, through

now,” she declares.

Shy the Sun,

While Treweek nurses her new machine like it’s a first-born child,

has helped us

Hendrikz pulls out a selection of DVDs to show me what they’ve been watching lately. “We loved Suzie Templeton’s Peter and The Wolf animation. And Madame Tutli Putli by Chris Lavis and Maciek

to buy new toys and to

Szczerbowski. And Jeu by Georges Schwizgebel.”

experiment

As I’m leaving the building I half expect it to collapse into the earth like

with new

something out of Poe’s Fall of the House of Usher, but instead the sun

techniques.”

breaks through and the clouds clear and I’m left feeling that the name Blackheart belies the innocent excitement at the centre of the collective’s creative lives.

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Links Madame Tutli Putli: www.nfb.ca/tutliputli Suzie Templeton’s Peter and the Wolf: www.breakthrufilms.co.uk/peterandthewolffilm Georges Schwizgebel’s Jeu: http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=hxK9M-UsgvA Marcus Wormstrom as one half of trip hop outfit The Real Estate Agents: http://www.myspace.com/therealestateagentslive

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