Gareth Kaatze’s Filmmaking Started with Shaky Handycams
With South African roots, Groundglass’ director Gareth Kaatze has a penchant for capturing and authentically telling stories, conveying difficult-to-capture human truths and insights. Driven by a desire to spotlight unsung heroes and capture their essence, the director’s childhood hobby of filming on handycam has transpired into this lifelong career.
Since starting out, Gareth has directed and edited content for brands and agencies such as BBDO, Tusker, Hunters, Seen, Snap Originals, adidas and Mofilm, to name but a few. Striving to push the boundaries and challenge the status quo, as well as bringing a fresh perspective to the world of content creation, the likes of ‘Fight Club’, ‘Mr Robot’ and the cinematic worlds of Wes Anderson inspired, and continue to inspire his creative process.
Hearing more about where his passion for the art form came from, and why Gareth believes “A hungry crew is never a vibe, and a happy and full crew will always go the extra mile to get the shot,” LBB’s Nisna Mahtani delves deeper into his journey.
LBB> When did you first realise you wanted to become a director and what were the first steps you took towards it?
Gareth> When I was a kid growing up, I would film everything (mind you, very shakily) with my parents’ handycam. When I got older, we would go surfing and take turns filming each other. From there I made my first surf movie called ‘Locked In’. The natural progression seemed to be a career in filmmaking, as a desk job never really appealed to me.
I then studied at Vega because it had the closest thing to a film degree in Durban at the time. Not too long after that, I met Tash Montlake in Cape Town, who was working with Dan Mace at the time. He offered me a job at a company called ‘If Not Why Not’ and I decided to leave my studies and start my first job in the film industry, which was an exciting and rebellious time of my youth.
LBB> Who were some of the directors who initially inspired you and what was some of the work which shaped your thinking?
Gareth> When I was studying at varsity one of my lecturers did a lecture on the film ‘Fight Club’ by David Fincher. After seeing the depth of thought that went into a movie, I was hooked as to how deep a film could actually go. Sam Esmail is another one of my favourite directors, he directed ‘Mr. Robot’ which for me is one of the best series of all time. And of course, you can never go wrong with one of the worlds Wes Anderson has created through this beautiful art form.
LBB> Over the years as you’ve evolved in your craft, how would you describe your style of filmmaking?
Gareth> I’d like to think my style for making films is emotive. I think stories point to human truths and insights that can often not be so obviously explained. And I hope to hint at these mysteries through the films that I make.
LBB> You’ve worked on a variety of projects, from a narrative short to short documentaries as well as a TVC. How do you initially approach each piece of work?
Gareth> I don’t think I have a conventional approach to each piece of work. Usually, it starts with an awkward meeting where I try to sound clever and lose my train of thought and words, then I go to sleep thinking the meeting went horribly. I wake up in the morning to walk my dogs. This is usually when the ideas for the film start rolling in, and then I go into full filmmaking mode for about a month or so. I ideate, film and edit until I eventually collapse into sleep.
LBB> From there, what are some of the grounding principles which help your creative process?
Gareth> For me, the grounding principles that help my creative process often start with what the film I’m trying to create actually means to me. I think it’s very important to be telling a story I believe in, rather than trying to make people believe in a story. Other than that, it’s eating well, thinking right and going to bed on time to keep some form of discipline and routine in my life.
[Images from 'Stitched Up']
LBB> Could you share a few examples of your work with us and give us a short summary of why they’ve been particularly formative to you?
Gareth> Probably the most formative project I’ve worked on was a recent short film called ‘Stitched Up’. This was an imaginary story, set in the ‘70s in a surf-infused African culture. And we made this film, from idea to completion in just over a month! A lot of my friends had never worked on a film set before and were involved in the shoot, from hair and makeup to styling and even wardrobe. Most of the actors had never been on camera before. To witness a whole community come together to create a short film was really surreal.
Another project that felt like a massive milestone in my career so far was the recent online piece I directed for Berocca with Eben Etzebeth [video below]. This was my first big brand online spot and was a big step up from the small team shoots that I’m used to doing.
It was an amazing privilege to work with one of our country’s most iconic sports icons. I also wanted to make the piece something more fast-paced, raw and edgy where you really feel like you’re part of the chaos of rugby.
This was an easy achievement directing with a monitor, but I have to tip my hat to our DOP, Calvin Thomson, who had no fear of being at the bottom of a scrum to get our hero shot.
I feel we really pulled off a short rugby piece that was quite unique in its style and energy and what a treat it was to work with the Groundglass production team, once again.
The Monk [above] was a film that felt closer to me personally. I had met Aaron Green through a family friend and trained with him in his gym before we filmed at all.
I found his story so fascinating because he embodies the spirit of a calm zen master who’s gone full circle on the hero’s journey. You would never know that he had been through such intense combat and war experiences.
I am always taken by people who have overcome such adversities and hardships in life. And the most inspiring are those who empower others by sharing what they’ve learnt along the way.
LBB> In terms of equipment, what is your preference to shoot on and why? What does it add to the stories you tell?
Gareth> In 2018 I worked for a company called Seen.TV, which was funded by Snapchat. Monthly we received more views than every news platform across the African continent. The bulk of our work was filmed on cell phones because it was a mobile journalism company. This really showed me that it doesn’t matter what equipment you use, it’s about the story. That being said, you still can’t beat the look of a cinema camera with some old prime cinema lenses and a simple bit of lighting.
LBB> Looking ahead, what are some styles you’d like to experiment with or pieces of work you’re keen to take on?
Gareth> Looking ahead with what we can already do with AI-generated video content, it’s quite hard to predict an unpredictable landscape in terms of what film and creativity might look like in the near-distant future. However, I would love to work on a long-form documentary about the obscure practices people do to obtain physical and mental health around the world.
LBB> What are some recent TV shows, movies or short films that have captivated you?
Gareth> A favourite documentary series of mine by Darren Aronofsky is called ‘Welcome to Earth’. It is a beautifully stylised expose of our strange planet and the people who inhabited it. I recently watched ‘3 Body Problem’ which had me hooked from the start. It felt like a modern take on one of my favourite movies ‘Contact’. My ultimate comfort show is Ted Lasso. This is a feel-good classic show that knows how to snuggle the soul.
LBB> Aside from what we’ve spoken about, where do you find inspiration? Are there any hobbies or interests which you pursue?
Gareth> I find a lot of inspiration by observing and listening. You can learn a lot if you listen to people's stories. Often this is just asking the right questions. There’s lots to learn in observing how people move and react in the world, and also watching how your own thoughts react in turn. My other hobby is quite old school and retro; it’s reading books. I also have a huge interest in Plant Medicine and the psychedelic renaissance we currently find ourselves in.
LBB> What’s the most valuable lesson you’ve learnt so far in your career?
Gareth> The most important lesson I’ve learned is to always have everyone well-fed on set! A hungry crew is never a vibe, and a happy and full crew will always go the extra mile to get the shot.
