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ndyana swainston
creative polymath ™
Multimedia Creative focusing on:
Audio-Visual Editing
2D VFX Compositing
Graphic Design
Amplification defines my editing style. As a filmophile and designer, subtle nuances and latest techniques are forefront. I value dynamic and effective editing to amplify the message and the subjects of the story and create an authentic and powerful connection with the viewer.
Japan Day at Hoërskool Jan Van Riebeeck. Musical Documentary
Editor/Motion Graphics/Director/Music Composer
IJIKA. Promo Video
Editor/Colour/Music Composer
Where Japan and South Africa meets in one epic day of celebration of cultures.
A promotional musical/poetic documentary of grand and intimate moments.
The final cut of account-winning promo video for IJIKA with original musical composition
The Wonders of LARP. Short film
Editing/VFX/Colour
Life As We Know It. End-of-year audio project
Editing/VFX/Foley Artist/Music Composer/Colour/Sound Mixing/Mastering
Tasked with the concept of creating a final audio project, the visual filmmaker in me immediately burst with ideas. However, though I knew I definitely wanted to create my own film to do the audio for (rather than source one pre-made as the sound peers of the past had done) I felt that the audio was more of a supporting role rather than the highlight: which was the requirement.
So, I decided to look at it in reverse. What if I told a story through its sound and had the visuals as the support instead?
This led me to explore the concept of ASMR (Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response). I noticed how the goal of ASMR was to heighten or emphasise very specific sounds, often overlooked, so as to create an emotional response. From there it was just a matter of "which sounds"?
Over the course of my audio studies journey so far, my ability to tune into and take note of different frequencies and effects had significantly increased and I had already unknowingly been tuning into different frequencies at all times in my day. Being an outdoorsy/adventurous person, the sounds of life bustling in the windy mountain/sea region of my home city of Cape Town had inspired me greatly and as a conservation advocate, I thought this would be a fun, interesting and possibly even an effective way to bring awareness to the growing need for a conservation mindset when it comes to protecting the natural world.
I filmed where and whenever I had a moment to spare as I knew I needed as much time as I could get my hands on to record the audio in studio and still have time for post and to meet my deadline. 90% of the audio had to be recording as foley in the studio as it had to be as clean and clear as possible so as to create the ASMR effect.
Fairy Seeds. Music Video
Editor/VFX Artist
Music visualiser for the song "Fairy Seeds" by artist Mage Tears.
I wanted to play into the lilting sounds of the music by incorporating the use of speed ramps as well as the fantastical elements of the lyrics through visual effects such as glowing and warping.
Lift. Poster
Editing/VFX
The film is a poetic documentary about the intricate structure of a car's engine and the challenging process of repair.
For the first version of the poster, I took inspiration from the methodical and intricate process of building mechanical structures. As a child, my favourite activity was Lego and the first step to building any Lego was laying out all the many pieces and parts of my structure. Another aspect of the story is the fact that the protagonist was unsure of where the issue in the engine was, it was almost hidden and very difficult to find. As such, I overlaid a blueprint into the title itself, at first glance, it is not noticeable, but upon a closer look, the answer is right there.
For the alternative version, I took inspiration from the dark and complicated aspects of the engine and the story. I wanted to portray the engine as a large and anxiety-inducing structure (so in the poster the engine takes up most of the frame) and as a very daunting task ahead to determine how to fix this intricate and complicated machine. I played into the "getting your hands dirty" concept and presented the visuals with a partially desaturated but warm (dirty) toned colour palette. Additionally, the car parts themselves are presented like a symbolic labyrinth, to tie in the idea that it is a journey the mechanic needs to embark on in order to figure out what part of the engine actually contains the issue at hand.
Waiting for the Train. Poster
Editor/Director
The film is a journey of existentialism which explores themes of depression and lack of self-fulfillment and identity by taking a look at the youth culture of today and their general mentality and how we can get help from even the most unexpected places if we just trusted, spoke up and shared.
I took the photograph of the train tracks at Kalk Bay in Cape Town, South Africa. This very train was the inspiration for the film's setting as I conceived the idea for the story from my own experiences in my youth waiting for this exact train.
My goal with the design was to show the subtle, yet keenly hopeful expression of the character creates mixed feelings of longing, anticipation but also excitement. Representing the emotional journey the story takes.
Date Night. Poster
Author/Cover Designer
LARP, or Live Action Role Playing, is an immersive adventure-based character & world building experiences played by passionate individuals all over the world. In this short film, we bring this world to life.
Waiting for the Train. 3rd year film
Editor/Director/Writer/VFX
Tik tok, instagram, facebook ... young people today are exposed to an infinite amount of ideas and imagery, causing mental overload. Pictures of beautiful countries and cultures, reels about new films and series, stories about their friends, acquaintances and colleagues, clips about breaking news and witty memes make the average young adult feel that there is so much to do and so little time and it's all out there, just out of reach.
I always see friends and colleagues yearning for simple pleasures, regretful of things they should have done when they had the time. We're all victim to our own insatiable desire for inspiration, knowledge, connection, without the mindset to take life as it comes because it's beauty is only so because it is finite. We each have our own lifespan, worries, fears, desires and pleasures and we're always convinced we're suffering life and we're suffering it alone. Always anxious about the next step or what's missing.
This film is a journey of existentialism which explores themes of depression and lack of self-fulfillment and identity by taking a look at the youth culture of today and their general mentality and how we can get help from even the most unexpected places if we just trusted, spoke up and shared.
Dante Alighieri in Comics. Documentary
Editor/Director/Colour/Music Composition
Documentary of the "Dante Alighieri in Comics" event that took place at the Dante Alighieri School of Language in Cape Town.
Scriptwriting 101. Published Book
Author/Cover Designer
The short yet complete guide to the art and craft of script and screen writing for novelists and filmmakers.
Whether you have never written a creative piece or you have decided to take another crack at it, either way you are most definitely in the right place.
Scriptwriting 101 is the essential manual to understand how to turn your ideas into functioning and triumphant stories.
The act of scriptwriting today is typically daunting, lengthy and unnecessarily complicated by contradictory rules and advice and so many excellent ideas are lost before they've even begun.
This manual was designed to not only succinctly summarise pre-existing rules of scriptwriting. but most especially to ensure a clear and fluid understanding of how to write a groundbreaking story.
Learn English in 10 Steps. Published Book
Author/Cover Designer
Language! It's so diverse, it's so multifaceted, it's so full of words like "multifaceted"!
How do you manage it all? Well, would you believe me if I said it's actually simpler than you think.
I have grown up multicultural and multilingual all my life, and, having been in the same position as you, I know first-hand how impossible it can seem to have to learn a new language. I have learnt that there are just 10 steps to learning a new language. Just 10!
This guide breaks down those 10 SIMPLE steps so that you can learn English easier and faster than you have ever had to and the best part? It means learning English can actually be FUN!
You don't need to go to endless language lessons, you don't have to spend hours repeating words over and over again, and you definitely don't need to put sticky notes all over your house so you can pick up vocabulary.
This guide is the 10 steps I have adapted over the years to not only help my students across the world learn English faster and more effectively, but these are also the same techniques I have used to teach myself from a young age. I fell in love with the English language so easily and with the power of words, things just got a little more exciting!
The film is a dark comedy drama so I wanted to highlight the more fearful aspects of the lover's relationship. I wanted to show how trapped the protagonist felt (figure on the left) by their lover (figure looming over him) so only a silhouette is visible to demonstrate the one-sided feelings in the relationship - illuminated by the only source of light during loadshedding: the moon) .
Plot: two lovers are trapped in one's apartment as loadshedding strikes and they are forced to finally spend time together with no distraction.
my tools
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Film is art...
That statement couldn't be more true!
Movies are such a major part of our lives, mine especially, and they are filled with major and minor breakthroughs alike.
I've always been fascinated with the subtle (and not-so-subtle) meanings and messages of films, almost like a treasure hunt.
The purpose of stories, of movies, is to connect. And how do we connect? Through discussion, through analysis, through storytelling.
I explore and analyse the plethora of movies and build a community of storytellers.
Passion Projects.
As well as my various works and projects, both independent and collaborative, I have some additionals:
Teaching Company
I have been teaching and facilitating language and communication for over 8 years
Editfest
My submission to editfest 2024
Title Sequences
I have worked on a few title sequences, both included as part of some of the works above, and independently
Educator
Designer
Editor
Musician
VFX Artist
Get in touch
Elevate your videos with a fine-tuned ear for the most effective visual and emotive impact, through top-tier enhancement for a full-rounded immersive audio-visual experience
© 2022 by Ndyana Swainston
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