Surprise is a key element of authentic art. It tells us that there are new things under the sun. In her latest documentary “Symphony of Spheres” South African filmmaker SJ van Breda artfully uses cinematic surprises to take us into the world of the abstract sculptor Brendon Edwards. The result is a dazzling and memorable short movie.  In an interview (below) van Breda shares how she made the documentary.

Interview with SJ van Breda

MobileMovieMaking: Could you briefly tell us how you came to be a filmmaker?

van Breda: I have always been passionate about film, but left school and made the mistake of studying mechanical engineering. I graduated as an engineer in 2013 and worked for two years in the aerospace research industry. I think it was that experience that really forced my hand into delving in to filmmaking. While “society” considered my life course a success, it definitely didn’t feel like I was. I was lucky enough to get help and a scholarship to attend Vancouver Film School in 2016, and I have never looked back. Though filmmaking is tough, and my life looks very different from what it would have, I definitely made the right decision. I get up every morning and am in love with the work I get to do; that is all I can ask for!

MobileMovieMaking: Are there any filmmakers who influenced your work?

van Breda: I’m a huge fan of many filmmakers, but none influenced “Symphony of Spheres.” I tend to just experiment with the footage, music and SFX when it comes to these small documentaries. It’s really an exercise in creative filmmaking and allows me to try different techniques; in both visual and storytelling methods.

MobileMovieMaking: How did you meet Brendon Edwards—and what led to making the movie?

van Breda: We met each other through a mutual friend who I had also filmed previously. There is so much incredible artistic talent in South Africa, and in my home province KwaZulu-Natal, that I am on a bit of a mission to show it to the world. I created the FilmicFest 2019 winning doc Jane Digby in the same series as Symphony of Spheres – she is also a local artist. I love creating small, intimate documentaries that really try and get to the very heart of why artists create, and how this reflects themselves. I see the short docs I make as a kind of moving portrait, and I try and put forward the artist as much as possible in the content, visuals, editing and structure of the film. These docs are just passion projects that I take so much joy in creating. I think you can get lost in the office politics and hard bits of the profession you choose, even if you love it! These small, solo shoots and few weeks of post-production take me back to my pure love of telling a story through moving images. The creative freedom of it is a great respite from some of the other, more commercial and editorial work that I am lucky to have!

MobileMovieMaking: Documenting the work of an abstract sculptor had to be a challenge. How did you develop the visual concept for “Symphony of Spheres”?

van Breda: When I met with Brendon in 2019 about possibly collaborating on a film, I tried to get a good sense of his philosophy and the visual nature of his work. I also got to know him more as a person, and this helped inform the general tone of the film. From this meeting I knew that I had to focus on circles and symmetry, and then I spent a few weeks developing the idea, the general structure of the film, and creating a set of questions that I felt would be probing enough to give interesting, natural answers, that would support the visuals I had planned.

MobileMovieMaking:  Did you start with a script or shot list or was the shooting more improvisational?

van Breda:  With these short docs, I try to be open to improvisation. This is definitely made possible by the use of a mobile device when filming because of the incredible flexibility it offers. I go in to the shoot with a schedule of filming locations and general activities, and an extensive list of questions. I generally have a few shots that I would like to achieve, but I try and stay far away from storyboards for documentaries, because they inevitably become completely useless the moment you start shooting. Also, because the subjects I film are not typically used to a camera following them around, I try to be as spontaneous and natural as possible, in hopes that this translates within the film. Obviously, when shooting narrative with professional actors, this is different and storyboards and shot lists are definitely a help then.

MobileMovieMaking: During the shoot, did you encounter any unexpected problems?

van Breda: No unexpected problems; just the usual! I suppose the most unique problem I had on this shoot was trying to get the phone close enough to the metal forging equipment without it potentially melting. I’ve never had that problem on set before! But with FilmicPro and the iPhone X, shooting in 4K I was able to stay far enough away to punch in a bit in post.

MobileMovieMaking: The visual effects are stunning.

van Breda: I edited the footage in Premiere Pro. I knew that I wanted to use mirror effects while shooting, so I tried my best to factor that in to every shot. I tried to envision how the space around the subject I was filming would look mirrored either vertically or horizontally. Inevitably, some shots that I thought would be great just did not pan out, but I also had some happy accidents and found some awesome and wacky visuals coming from shots that were very spur of the moment. While the film was shot in 2019, I was only able to find time to edit it during the pandemic.

MobileMovieMaking: Could you talk about your use of stock footage?

van Breda:  Due to the pandemic, I employed the use of stock footage for some of the ‘circular’ moments in the film. I very much would have liked to capture these shots myself, but with lockdown restrictions it became evident that that would not be possible. I think with stock footage that it needs to add a large portion of meaning to the film, or it is just superfluous, so I tried to keep that in mind.

MobileMovieMaking: How does Mr. Edwards feel about the finished movie?

van Breda: He’s very pleased with it, so I’m happy! It’s always the worst moment when sending the cut of a film to the artist of whom it is a portrait. But I think it is as accurate as a short doc can be when trying to describe his process, his aesthetic and his philosophy.

MobileMovieMaking:Do you have any advice for filmmakers who might like to document the lives of artists or other creatives.

van Breda: Stay away from boring, standard format cutting of documentaries. The format is so universally done, I feel that it forces the subject into a ‘box’ of documentary filmmaking at best, and at worst completely misconstrues the subject and is so dry and boring. I try and make the entire film, shot choice, interview, cutting style, colour grading, music, SFX, look and feel like the artist as a person. My biggest piece of advice is therefore to NEVER do an on-camera interview, just take an audio recording. Talking heads are inevitably the most boring shot you could capture in a doc, and then you feel obliged to cut back to it. Unless the doc is heavily focused on the emotion of the interviewee while speaking, don’t show that talking head, it’s boring! Branch out in to other ways to show who they are!

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We previously showcased two of van Breda’s remarkable documentaries: “Secret Love Project” and “Jane Digby.” You can learn more about her work on her website and on Instagram. More about the sculptor can be found at BrendonEdwards.com.

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The editors of MobileMovieMaking.com have chosen “Symphony of Spheres” as the Mobile Movie of the Week.