A relative newcomer to the industry, Darkside Studios brings together a number of
disciplines under one roof. The two partners in the firm, Dean Konidaris and Alastair
Orr, collectively bring directing, writing, editing, producing and sound design skills to
the mix. But a vital aspect of the company’s current business comes through the
combined efforts of three of their colleagues – Ariye Mahdeb, Sean Braam and Ryan
van den Berg. Together these three make up the company’s industrious animation
and VFX department.
Covering 2D, 3D, character design, modelling and all other aspects of animation and
effects, this part of the Darkside team is in the process of establishing itself as a
broad-based, one-stop shop for this increasingly important part of the production and
post-production process. Among the jobs they have handled since setting up shop are
AVs for live events such as the Discovery Leadership Summit and Comic’s Choice
Awards, titling sequences for shows like Nightguard (on Fox Crime, DStv
Channel 126) and Dineo’s Diary
(on Vuzu, DStv Channel 116), among others.
In keeping with the ethos of the company as a whole, the animation department
prides itself on being able to work within any budget. “It’s always quality over
quantity,’ Konidaris says, “and I know that’s what everybody says but really, these
guys will not take on any project to which they cannot give 100 per cent. Everything
that is going out of the department is the best they can do – whether it’s a title
sequence, an AV, visual effects for a film.’
While the team puts in any number of hours necessary to complete projects for
clients, they use their down time to develop their own ideas, stories and characters
and perfect their grasp of the software. Recently the entire crew pulled together to
create a six-minute teaser for their next feature film project – written and directed by
Orr. Titled Forces, the short was created on virtually zero budget, with
the Darkside team and all of their collaborators giving of their time to produce it. With
Braam taking the lead on the VFX shots for the project, the team modelled and
animated several floating, flying knives and also did some compositing work on the
eyes of the main character. “It doesn’t sound like anything intense but just modelling
those knives, to get them looking right, getting them lit right, making them blend
seamlessly into the shots, took a lot of time,’ Konidaris says.
“That kind of project is a great way for us to explore the kind of work we can do,’
Braam adds. “It’s not just a showcase for Alastair’s film, to get it made, it’s a
showcase of what we as an animation department can do. With most projects though,
we realise that the work is not our vision and I think a lot of companies forget that.
We work to bring our clients’ vision to life. They come to us for our knowledge and
expertise and how we can use those to realise their vision.’
Although the three of them are strong operators in their own right, the tired old
adage that three heads are better than one really holds true here. Mahdeb says:
“Whatever we do here, we constantly check with one another. By the time the work
goes out we have something that all three of us can be proud of.’
