Namibian film, animation, motion graphics and post-production collective Inchiology Studios recently added another big notch to their belt.
The collective collaborated on a music video for longtime American actor and hip-hop artist Ice Cube.
The latest visualiser for the musician’s song ‘It’s My Ego’ currently has three million views on YouTube after less than a week.
Inchiology owner and creative director Inna Goroh says the video’s director, Gabriel Hart, had seen their previous work and has used them for a few other projects in the past.
The team producing the four-minute video includes producer Jenny Kandenge, lead animator and VFX editor Matias Fellemon, lead editor and animator Jacob Schicilenge, music composer Moises Domingo and their production intern Uakaa Jeomba.
Goroh says the creative industry in Los Angeles is fast paced.
To translate a brief into reality for such a massive brand, he says his team worked closely with the video director to outline what was feasible.
He says projects like these fall in line with the company’s goal to connect with the international market.
“Though our film industry is growing, we’re still a pretty small population for our skill set to be sustained, so we’ve been trying to do a lot of work outside the country as well, and we’ve been privileged to be able to do that,” he says.
“It brings a bit of visibility to us, and one opportunity leads to another.”
Other major projects the collective has worked on are a music video for American rap duo City Girls (who’ve collaborated with Chris Brown, Young Thug and Doja Cat) and a soon-to-be premiered music video for rapper Skrilla.
In the last few weeks Inchiology has also released their own web series, ‘Tsek’, with Bret Kamwi as the lead.
Two episodes of the series are on YouTube, and Goroh (as well as the comments) tells us the reception has been amazing so far.
The collective’s goal was to make something that would be both fun to watch and fun to make, he says.
“We have to enjoy what we’re doing and make sure it looks good, and that whoever is consuming it enjoys it. The process [of producing ‘Tsek’] was collaborative and fun for us, because it was our idea we were fleshing out, and we were putting our blood, sweat and tears into it.
“Working on set wasn’t a nightmare where everyone feels like they’re in a hellish environment. If you feel like you’re dying and it’s ruining you, it’s not worth it,” he says.
This ties into the advice Goroh has for other local creatives.
“Word of mouth travels. I have friends who work in Los Angeles and Hollywood, and one thing they’ve said is: When recruiting somebody to work at a studio, they go around and ask whether anybody has worked with this person before . . .
“What gives you the edge is your work ethic – whether you’re easy to work with and whether you keep your word. People should want to work with you, not just for your skills, but because it’s a pleasure,” he says.
– Anne Hambuda is a poet, writer, and social commentator. Follow her online or email her at annehambuda@gmail.com for more.
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