A.KID
Pushing what one creative mind can do with art.
/ Screen Printing / Architect / Record Label
/ Screen Printing / Architect / Record Label
This Melbourne-based artist A.KID tells his stories through the painstaking medium of woodblock carving.
By hand, he chisels his social, political and global musings into blocks of plywood - in a mirror image we might add.
The result - raw, powerful works of art printed from the original wood block. But - Akid's creative work goes far past his woodblock printing — he's also a creative director of a record label Mandarin Dreams and finds himself designing album covers and stages for music festivals.
Mandarin Dreams
is an art-based resistance movement formed in Naarm (Melbourne, Australia).
We see art as a setting for discovery and sharing of concerns; a call to action as well as an act of civil disobedience.
Power to the People.
A.Kid’s Works
Mandarin Dreams
Woodblock Prints
Instagram
Why this story?
This is a special one, our very first realisation of the concept. A moment in time when my idea became our collective reality. We also didn’t know what we were doing at the time, but it felt right.
We’ve held a camera before and told stories in the past from different angles, but this was different; this was about what we wanted to tell, period. With that came the energy we bought along with us - chaos, openness and pure collaboration.
We self-funded everything, so we self-employed ourselves as our bosses and did it on our terms to make films with our friends and do what we love as storytellers.
We were working out many things on the go, including communication between the crew, managing talent and our workflow on extracting the story. Not to mention I undertook the role of Cinematographer and Director for the project, which was a mad run, but I would do it again? Probs not for a while.
Shooting mixed medium format was not because it was SICK; it opened portals to our subject, breaking walls and allowing us to be with them or travel to different points in time. I also think us being 90’s kids, and the nostalgia lives with us.
21st May 2021 was when we first hit the record button on this project; we filmed at A. KID’s cozy lil studio that used to be on Sydney Road, Brunswick; it was the same place I ran into A.KID a few months before the shoot, around the same time we were free to roam when the COVID lockdown ended.
I was on my way home from a walk, I walked past his store, and I saw these incredibly strong pieces hanging on the wall; it grabbed me, and I had that moment when my eyes popped wide, and I was speaking to myself - “this artwork is mad, crazy talent, who is this person behind this?
I walked into the store, and A.KID welcomed me with a warm welcoming hello; that was it. I knew something from a stranger I’ve just met sparked that level of authenticity in me. The next minute, I’m there asking everything about his life and work et all; it was inspiring for a brown person to meet another brown person and be like, damn, you’re doing it! Doing it here - iykyk
This moment gave life
to the first episode
of HEATWAVES.
Crew
Shaki Prasanna,
Cinematographer/
Director/Co-Editor
“I was tired of waiting for a mad project to come to me; instead, I made it for myself with blessings from my incredible crew fully trusting the vision. Just like A.KID said, do it on your own terms and don’t let other people second guess it."
Lawrence Phelan,
Producer
"The idea of HEATWAVES has always excited me; by helping enhancing directors explore stories from across Naarm I knew he had to be involved and help grow the idea into something tangible. As the first video in the series, we knew we had to make an impact. We worked with a small crew in a small time frame but we could move and change roles fluidly. Without this abilty of pulling together and getting it down we really couldn’t have achieved this result."
Jack de Bomford,
Co-Editor
“I jumped on this project as I was excited by the opportunity to work with such a talented artist.
Sitting down for the first time with all the amazing footage and watching it through before starting editing ignited my inner storyteller, I couldn't wait to get started.
A.Kid's artwork looks even better in person, you should see it if you get the chance.
Cecilia Hedditch,
1st AC
“I worked as the 1st AC on the A.KID project and it was special to me because I’d just taken about a year-long break from working on set. It was such a really positive entry back into film; experiencing the passion from everyone behind the camera as well as from AKID was really good for the soul. I loved that it just felt like a group of friends having fun, but still laying it down with deep commitment. It was cool filming in A.KID’s actual home, I loved that his printmaking and music making spilled into every room of the house. You could really see that it wasn’t just a hobby… it’s a real passion and lifestyle. Everyone is always waiting for the right space to create, but he had made his space a living art making place and I thought that was a really cool reminder… to put your passion forward and prioritise it.
Georgia Stewart,
1st AC
"I took on this project because I love to work with new people; and Shaki is an incredible cinematographer who I admire. I loved that this project felt so personal. Filming in such a small space meant that all the crew and talent had to become close both physically and mentally. The most memorable part for me was watching A.KID create prints in real time. It’s not often you get to see an artist at work; it was truly magical. While watching this project, I urge you to search the screen for all the tiny details of love both in A.KID’s work, but also the cinematography, lighting and colour structures."
Stephen Loats,
Gaffer
“I joined in on this project primarily to support friends/creatives and their creative drive. I loved being able to watch a creative’s process, in a medium that I don't work in. A memorable moment was witnessing A.Kids passion towards music and his extensive vinyl collection. It was a stream of constant good music/vibes in the background whilst shooting. One thing that may not be evident on screen was the great atmosphere/experience on set, with creatives from different disciplines all working together and bouncing ideas off one another.”
James Weatherby,
Behind the Scenes
“I did this project for the respect and commendation I have towards the creative team. Shaki as a director, is so inspiring, and having the chance to learn from him and the team was something I couldn’t pass up.
I love lifting unique Australian stories up and amplifying minority voices. Something you didn’t see on screen was the team’s rapport with A.KID; Shaki kept the interview extremely casual and conducted it within A.KID’s home in Eltham. The long format of the discussion, mixed with the great energy Shaki and A.KID shared, allowed for some real magic to come out.
Daniel Witt,
Colorist
“It’s a project that permits artists to make something without limitations. I loved the permission of creative freedom that every crew member had. It allowed the subject’s creativity to shine on screen. In the color grade session, we did lots of look development and found ourselves becoming more comfortable pushing the images into a more stylistic world. This project involved lots of problem solving to get it into its final form and a great collaborative effort for everyone involved.”
Will Klep,
Audio Engineer
“I jumped at the opportunity to sound mix the A.kid heatwaves. I was struck by this super dynamic artist profile Shaki and the team had shaped. I had a particularly fun time enhancing and adding to the foley work, ambiences and sound design, bringing out the physicality of A.Kid’s woodblock printmaking, story and environments.”
Ilya Malov,
Assistant Editor
"For me, this project is very special as it was the first one I did in Australia. Even though I was not editing the entire piece, but rather polishing an already amazing work, it resonates deeply with me because I met very talented filmmakers who later became my dear friends. What I love about the project is its explosive mix of formats and styles, and it's definitely one of the most interesting and vibrant projects I've had the opportunity to work on.”
