Experiencing Interruptions?

Johnny Clegg - Take My Heart Away (High Society Remix)

The story follows a young South African boy, Lindo, who lives in an informal settlement that borders an international spaceflight launch site. Lindo is infatuated with space travel, his hideout in-between is filled with articles and old books on space travel, as well as drawings and pictures of rockets and spaceships. His dream is to fly amongst the stars, far away from his destitute township life. One day, Lindo sees an opportunity to sneak on board a space shuttle as a stowaway.

  • Jaron Clegg
    Director
  • Jaron Clegg
    Writer
  • Jaron Clegg
    Producer
  • Boy Astronaut: Nhlakanipho Ntenjwa
    Key Cast
  • The Toy Maker: Mothusi Chebeletsane
    Key Cast
  • Community Leader: Siyabonga Gwala
    Key Cast
  • Jaron Clegg
    Editor
  • Jaron Clegg
    Visual Effects
  • Project Type:
    Animation, Music Video, Short, Web / New Media
  • Genres:
    Sci-Fi
  • Runtime:
    5 minutes 20 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    June 29, 2016
  • Production Budget:
    14,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    South Africa
  • Country of Filming:
    South Africa
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Arri Alexa
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
  • Digital Cinema Package:
    Unavailable
  • South African Broadcasting Corporation : Morning Live Edition
    Johannesburg
    South Africa
    July 9, 2016
    South African Premiere
  • Top Billing
    Johnannesburg
    South Africa
    July 28, 2016
Distribution Information
  • South African Broadcasting Corporation
    Country: South Africa
    Rights: Free TV
  • MTV Base
    Country: South Africa
    Rights: Paid TV
  • E.TV
    Country: South Africa
    Rights: Free TV
  • Channel 0
    Country: South Africa
    Rights: Paid TV
  • Rythm Safari Music
    Country: Australia
    Rights: Internet
Director Biography - Jaron Clegg

Jaron Clegg is a young filmmaker from Johannesburg, South Africa. When he was ten years old, he began experimenting with stop-motion animation, using models he had built from franchises like Lord of the Rings and Warhammer.

He would immerse himself in fantasy worlds populated by characters that he had physically constructed, playing out scenarios and imagining epic battle scenes. He wanted to relive certain scenes from films he loved, but also to craft it in his own way. It was then that his love for the moving image was born.

At 13 years-old, Jaron began to experiment with game engines that allowed the user to edit levels and record videos with in-game cameras. He moved on from stop-motion films to creating digital shorts exported from these virtual playgrounds. For a while, this satisfied him. Soon, however, he realized that he needed to create his own worlds from scratch.

By the time he reached his mid-teens, he had found his childhood heroes in Scorsese, Spielberg, and Kubrick. He placed great value on cinema as an extension of the imagination, refusing to allow himself to be compromised by the mounting technical obstacles that his ideas demanded.

At around 14, he started learning CGI modeling, rigging, texturing, animation, particle effects, and simulation techniques all incorporated into live-action sequences. Since then, he has devoted himself to the learning process. By the time he turned 16, he had written numerous scripts, completed hundreds of visual experiments and racked up thousands of hours on a wide range of animation software.

Jaron then attended and graduated from the Vancouver Film School. He currently works as a filmmaker in Johannesburg. As a dreamer, Jaron lives by the following edict: if you can imagine it, magic can happen. He continues to look out for and embrace any advancement in software, or any other technology, that can further aid in creating and sharing art.

He believes that we are presently at the threshold where visual technologies are on a celestial par with dreams, and narrative is progressing beyond traditional cinematic language. As interactive entertainment, virtual reality and film continue to collide and influence one another, whole new forms of narrative are waiting to be born.

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

For me, "Take My Heart Away" is about the passion and the yearning to have your dreams and your spirit taken to a better place. The story of the video follows a young township boy who escapes his township "life-world" on a space shuttle, which literally and figuratively launches him into the next plane of existence. It's a journey of transcendence.

It was quite an emotional project for me-- making a film for my dad. I treated it as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and pushed really hard to bring the script to life. I put a lot of pressure on myself to create something I could be proud of.

During casting we auditioned many kids for the main role in the film, and we were very lucky to meet Nhlakanipho Ntenjwa, who quickly stood out with his unique sense of humor and honesty. He also completely understood the premise of the film off the bat, not to mention his dream to be a space engineer when he grows up. He is an incredible talent, and one to watch.

We were also extremely lucky to get Mothusi Chebeletsane, who plays the toy maker in the film. He is an amazingly expressive and intelligent soul who exudes warmth on screen. Siyabonga Gwala, who plays the community leader, was also an absolute pleasure to work with. He was quick to adapt to any scene and understood the complex feelings that were associated with his role. For instance: portraying the feeling of both concern and awe at the sight of a young member of his community disappearing into a space shuttle launch site.

Making the film was an incredible journey as I had to create all of the visual effects, many of which were made before we even started shooting, in order to meet the deadline. This included creating the South African Space Centre that we see in the film, as well as simulating rocket fire and smoke for the launch scenes. It was challenging to streamline the visual effects work while writing, producing and directing the production.

We shot at Maropeng, Cradle of Humankind. The staff there were incredibly supportive of the project from day one. We also shot in the Diepsloot Township for four days, and that was a humbling, eye-opening experience for me and the crew. The township community was so welcoming and supportive; we couldn't have made this film without their blessings. We must also make mention of the extras that came from that community who got into the spirit of the project, and delivered beautiful and heart-warming moments in the film.

I'm incredibly thankful to have had the opportunity to do this video. I took away a lot of insight and skills that will be crucial for me, paving the way forward as a filmmaker.