That could have been the tagline for the production as a whole: Bryan had 10 days to prep for shooting 20 scenes in three days in Namibia, where he worked with a small crew and local production company The Power & The Glory Films. “It’s amazing how much we got done,” he laughs.
This was his second shoot in Namibia, having previously filmed a Staying Alive campaign for MTV Europe there. “It feels like I’ve shot in most of Africa now,” says Bryan, who’s becoming known for the kind of contemporary, urban Africa aesthetic on display in Hugs.
“There wasn’t an art director, so we had to do everything with the locations and the cast,” says Bryan. “I’m fascinated by the weird contrasts of urban Africa – visually and culturally – so it’s natural that it’s quite prevalent n my work.”
Simon Kohler’s soundtrack’s been such a hit that Advantage Y&R Namibia is considering releasing it as a radio single. Bryan worked with Simon on African Cypher, which won the Audience Award at Encounters South African International Documentary Festival and Best Documentary at Durban International Film Festival. He says they have an unusual approach. “We work together from the very beginning,” says Bryan. “Simon comes on set as the sound recorder, which would normally be a different person from the composer. This allows him to listen to all the scenes on set, so that by the time he starts composing he has a clear idea of where we’re going.”
Creative Credits:
Ad Agency: Advantage Y&R, Namibia
Managing Director: Truda Meaden
Creative Director: Patrick Held
Production company: Fly On The Wall
Director: Bryan Little
Exec. Producer: Filipa Domingues
Line Producer: David Leite
DOP: Mike Snyman
Sound Composer: Simon Kohler
Editor: Grant Birch