Wagtale

“Stories are Equipment for Living”
Kenneth Burke. Wagtale is a story-company. We specialize in weaving together meaning through films.

We pay attention to the subtleties, the tiniest particulars, the hidden details, and the silences that often speak louder than words. We valorize responsibility and sensitivity, whilst striving for innovative mechanisms with which to tell stories. Started in 2015 by Jonathan Cornelius and Timothy Gabb, Wagtale has a unique voice in that it’s a conceptually-driven entity that approaches all facets

of filmmaking in a multifarious manner: we are writers, directors, shooters, editors, animators, designers and sensitive human beings who live in this world, alert and alive. We realise the project from conception to delivery, and understand it from this encompassing perspective. We make independent, character-driven documentaries, NGO documentaries, as well as commercial, travel and tourism films for the online environment. We offer our services to clients who need to stand out against the vast oceans of online content.

19/09/2024

Meet master tracker /Ui /Kxunta and his student Tsamma Bo

/Ui is a master tracker living in Nyae Nyae. He is one of the best known trackers and hunters in the Nyae Nyae conservancy, and is world renowned for his tracking knowledge.

/Ui is especially concerned about the transfer of tracking skills from the elders to the youth, which has been in steady decline.

“Every boy was supposed to be a hunter, they must learn how to hunt. By learning from their father, their uncles and brothers, they must become hunters! But all I see these days is the youth drinking a lot of alcohol.

“I spent three years teaching my nephew Tsamma how to hunt and track, and now when I join him in the bush, he’s extremely good at tracking and hunting! If he keeps going out everyday, he will become a master at tracking and hunting.”

Watch “The Healers and Hunters of Nyae Nyae” to find out more: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j1nPHBJRR0s

16/09/2024

Meet G/aqo Kaegce and his student Kxao Kha//’an

G/aqo is the last remaining Ju/’hoansi healer in the Tsumkwe area. Kxao is his student, and one of the only youth training to be a healer.

G/aqo tells us why the continuity is essential:

“All the other healers died, so now I am the only healer left. For now I’ll continue with healing people and teaching the younger generation, because I am getting old now.

“To be a healer is very important, the people need a healer because there are spiritual illnesses that the western doctors can’t heal.

“When the women sing and clap loudly, then I go into trance, and the ancestors tell me what’s coming.

“When the spiritual energies are low and the people are spiritually closed, I’m the only one who can see through it and open them up to their ancestors again.”

Watch “The Healers and Hunters of Nyae Nyae” on our website to find out more: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j1nPHBJRR0s

11/09/2024

Meet ǂOma Leon Tsamkxao

Leon lives in Nyae Nyae Conservancy, eastern Namibia, in a San run wilderness area managed by the Ju/’hoansi communities who have lived there for thousands of years.

His father, Tsamkxao ǂOma, otherwise known as Chief Bobo, is the Chief of the Ju/’hoansi and a revered elder in the community.

Leon tells us: “This is the only conservancy whereby the members of the conservancy can still hunt, but only the traditional way. When they use their bows and arrows.”

But things are changing very quickly for the Ju/’hoansi of Nyae Nyae.

Leon explains: “In the past it was like, people were almost hunting every day, and the healing system was very strong because at that stage we were having a lot of healers. And when somebody is sick, the healers all come together to heal the person. And the hunting was so good!

"Slowly, in the eighties, nineties, after independence, everything has changed.”

Today, tragically, there is only one healer left in Nyae Nyae, with the transfer of traditional knowledge and culture in a steady decline.

Watch “The Healers and Hunters of Nyae Nyae” to find out more:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j1nPHBJRR0s

Want to visit Nyae Nyae? Leon is also a tour guide, so be sure to get in touch with him!

09/09/2024

Feel like watching some local documentaries?

Browse our website and see if any catch your fancy...

Documentary Films help us shed a light on the world and how it works. We believe that good documentary films create real world impact, giving meaning to the world around us. Whether character- or issue-based, we strive to craft a well-told, emotive and cinematic story, with a touch of the cosmic.

03/04/2024

We're very proud to release our latest documentary for CGTN Africa's Faces of Africa series, in collaboration with StoryScope.

The film chronicles the last Ju/'hoansi hunters and healers of the Nyae Nyae Conservancy in Namibia (the only conservancy that still allows San to hunt on their land), and explores how these elders attempt to transfer their ancient knowledge to the few youth still interested in their culture.

We'd like to dedicate this film to an amazing director and mentor to us at Wagtale, Richard Wicksteed, whose untimely passing has left us extremely shocked and saddened.

We first visited Nyae Nyae whilst working on a project with Richard, and so wish he was able to see this film.

Since the 1970s, the San or Ju/’hoansi people have been displaced from their ancestral land in Namibia by imperial governments. Now living under conservancie...

15/08/2023

We're excited to share some recent work we did with StoryScope for CGTN's Faces of Africa series.

"The Fine Martial Artist" chronicles the story of Lee Jardine, a fourth generation Chinese South African, whose incredible journey combines martial arts and fine art to conquer life's hurdles.

Discover a captivating tale of identity, resilience, and self-discovery as Lee navigates his unique path.

Credits:

Director
Timothy Gabb

Camera and Sound
Jonathan Cornelius
Timothy Gabb

Editors
Timothy Gabb
Jonathan Cornelius

Online Editor
Matt Tapson

Sound Mix
Howard Audio

Music
CAPASSO

Archive
Paul Weinberg
Lee and Eddie Jardine

Producers
Laura Colucci
Neil Brandt

Production Company
Storyscope

Chief Editor
Ma Ke

Producer
Yao Hong

Executive Producer
Song Jianing

Supervisor
Fan Yun

Lee Jardine is a fourth generation Chinese South African, whose incredible journey combines martial arts and fine art to conquer life's hurdles. From battlin...

01/03/2023

Help us shed a light on and understand stories that otherwise might be forgotten. It is a passion of Wagtale to help craft these stories with a compassionate lens and to do justice to the stories themselves.

17/02/2023

That one time on a MTV shoot.

08/02/2023

Perks of the job.

Filming for Machaba Safaris

To view the videos we made for them, visit our website (www.wagtale.co.za).

01/02/2023

I guess you find the path by walking it.

25/01/2023

Our documentaries have screened at numerous festivals around the world, winning an Audience award in 2019 for The Lost Carts of the Karoo, and multiple awards for the feature documentary, SanDance, a co-production with OneTime Films.

We provide end-to-end production solutions, utilising our extensive network of creators and specialists, to deliver meaningful media that stands the test of time.

Get in touch to book your shoot!

18/01/2023

Die Nuwe Graskoue Trappers

The bright lights and big stages of Los Angeles did not intimidate the velskoen-clad youngsters from the tiny town of Wupperthal in the Cederberg mountains. Die Nuwe Graskoue Trappers - a 15-member dance troupe that performed the riel dance, one of the oldest dance forms in South Africa, at the World Championships of Performing Arts in Long Beach in California - returned home with 13 medals.

Born out of traditional Khoi and San ceremonial dances around the fire, the Riel Dance has been practiced by descendants of these indigenous cultures for many years. Recognised as a form of cultural expression, Riel dances include courtship rituals, and mimicking typical animal antics along with lots of bravado, showmanship and foot stomping in traditional outfits.

11/01/2023

Wagtale is a digital studio offering creative solutions and story-driven content to inspire and c***ect people across the world.

We provide end-to-end production solutions, utilising our extensive network of creators and specialists, to deliver meaningful media that stands the test of time.

We're based in Muizenberg, Cape Town, South Africa

Get in touch to book your shoot!

05/01/2023

Behind the scenes filming for Sabi Sabi Private Game Reserve

Check out the videos we made for them on our website (www.wagtale.co.za).

03/01/2023

As the sun rises in the new year, we wish you all peace and prosperity.

Happy 2023, everyone.

We've got our work updated on our Vimeo account, check it out, link in bio.

14/12/2022

We specialise in documentary films, advocacy films, travel/tourism films and animation.

Our documentaries have screened at numerous festivals around the world, winning an Audience award in 2019 for The Lost Carts of the Karoo, and multiple awards for the feature documentary, SanDance a co-production with OneTime Films.

We provide end-to-end production solutions, utilising our extensive network of creators and specialists, to deliver meaningful media that stands the test of time.

Check out our website to view our work.

07/12/2022

In one of the last, untouched frontiers, Blue Safari Seychelles is pioneering a new style of experiential travel while actively conserving this pristine region.

We have been visiting the outer islands of the Seychelles since 2016, and every time we return we are blown away by the natural beauty, the abundance biodiversity, and the unique experiences on offer!

To view the videos we made for them, visit our website www.wagtale.co.za.

Address

Muizenberg
Cape Town

Website

http://www.wagtale.co.za/

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Videos

SABI SABI | THE HEARTBEAT OF SABI Celebrating our natural world… At @sabisabireserve the safari experience takes on an immersive approach where the focus is on all things big and small to nurture a deep respect for nature. Feel the passion of their expert safari guides and trackers as they tell their stories and revel in exciting encounters with the abounding wildlife. Each safari brings new opportunities to understand nature's intricacies and allows you to appreciate every creature and every plant that forms an essential part of these integrated ecosystems. Watch our video and get a sneak peek into the thrill of a Sabi Sabi safari. #sabisabisafari

SABI SABI | THE HEARTBEAT OF SABI The Heartbeat of Sabi Sabi Private Game Reserve For over four decades, Sabi's people have played a pivotal role in shaping the Sabi Sabi experience into what it is today. Their team forms the heartbeat of Sabi Sabi and it is through them that their essence is conveyed. They are not just staff, they are family. Their passion and love pulses through every part of your experience. To them, Sabi Sabi is more than just a place of work. It is a place where they belong and feel supported to pursue their dreams - it is home. The true magic of our world-renowned Sabi Sabi experience lies in the authentic hospitality that their team effortlessly delivers. Watch our video to learn more about our team and their love for Sabi Sabi. #sabisabi https://www.wagtale.co.za/sabi-sabi-the-heartbeat-of-sabi

SABI SABI | THE HEARTBEAT OF SABI The Heartbeat of @sabisabireserve For over four decades, Sabi's people have played a pivotal role in shaping the Sabi Sabi experience into what it is today. Their team forms the heartbeat of Sabi Sabi and it is through them that their essence is conveyed. They are not just staff, they are family. Their passion and love pulses through every part of your experience. To them, Sabi Sabi is more than just a place of work. It is a place where they belong and feel supported to pursue their dreams - it is home. The true magic of our world-renowned Sabi Sabi experience lies in the authentic hospitality that their team effortlessly delivers. Watch our video to learn more about our team and their love for Sabi Sabi. #sabisabi

SOCIAL AUDITS: LEADING TO BETTER SERVICES FOR MORE PEOPLE The story of how social audits have spread and innovated in South Africa. The video tells the story of how social audits have spread to more cities, how they have been scaled up, how collaborative relationships have been developed with government and the Auditor General and how the methodology has been applied to infrastructure and the mining sector. Produced and shot by Wagtale for IBP-SA

!Khwa ttu San Culture and Education Centre

SanDance Teaser

Cape Town night scene

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Our Story

Film and Animation Services, Cape Town, South Africa Wagtale is a story-company. We specialise in branded storytelling, producing documentaries, travel and tourism promotional films and animation.

Animation especially is a key tool for telling stories during these trying times, whether it’s an explainer for your new online ordering process, or messages of hope and inspiration to your online audiences, animation is a limitless medium for telling digital remote stories.