We were tasked with the production of a series of documentary style videos for AUDA-NEPAD (African Union Development Agency – The New Partnership for Africa’s Development). The purpose of AUDA-NEPAD is to accelerate the implementation of Africa’s development agenda. It aims to promote economic cooperation and integration among African countries, achieve the Sustainable Development Goals, support the Paris climate change agreement, and work towards Africa’s Agenda 2063. AUDA-NEPAD acts as a technical and development agency of the African Union, coordinating and executing priority regional and continental development projects to promote regional transformation.
The focus of this documentary video was the vital role and necessity of fish governance throughout Africa. Fish governance refers to the principles, policies, and practices that govern the management and conservation of fishery resources. It involves various stakeholders, including government agencies, fishing communities, industry representatives, scientists, and environmental organisations, working together to ensure the sustainable use of fish stocks.
For this video we travelled and filmed across Africa, visiting Nigeria, Gabon, South Africa, Mozambique, and Kenya. Our team has extensive experience filming and travelling, which was vital to the success of this project. Our team was well-prepared, with comprehensive and light-to-carry equipment. Our team excelled at dealing with different cultures, which allowed us to capitalise on every interview and filming opportunity by facilitating every conversation sincerely – making every interviewee feel comfortable throughout the process.
The video featured custom design and motion graphics developed in-house by our team. The script was also written and adapted by our team and was recorded in our recording studio. For the voice artist we picked a professional artist from a short list, who was then brought in for recording over the course of multiple days. This approach pushes the production value of the videos and is vital when producing a documentary style video, where video impact is a major driver for performance.
As part of the project, we also took a series of 360-degree photographs to provide a more intimate perspective to the project and the various members and organisations involved. This size project required a great deal of planning and experience to execute properly. Every country visit and scene had to be carefully planned to leverage every opportunity for filming. A comprehensive shot list had to be developed and collaborated by a team responsible for the organisation of different interviews and venues. If a single filming opportunity was not properly planned, it would often result in a loss of a half or even full day of filming. Keep in mind that many of these countries required extensive travelling between locations and often in less-than-ideal conditions, which would further delay travel. Furthermore, our teams had to deal with a variety of different laws and country regulations, often requiring less conventional methods for filming and maintained production value.
The project was an absolute pleasure to be a part of. Despite the difficult conditions we learned a great deal about the various challenges these countries with deal with on a regular basis. We also met some inspirational characters who opened our eyes to a whole new world of culture and storytelling.
Looking to produce your own set of high-production value documentary style videos? Get in touch with our team today!
