From the classroom to the film set, TGV Founder, Melt van der Spuy has always been driven by a love of storytelling and the power of education. In this candid conversation, he shares the insights that have shaped his career and the unique perspective he brings to his work.
By Michaela du Plessis
If there’s one thing that’s immediately obvious about Melt van der Spuy, it’s his infectious personality. As I sit in the allocated waiting room of a brightly lit film set in central Cape Town, the sound of his contagious laughter and the voices of an equally jovial film crew echo down the hallway before he even enters the room. He’s wearing black jeans, a plain black T-shirt and a matching black beanie that has clearly been well-loved – the creative’s staple uniform! This is our first meeting.
Although initially nervous to be in a foreign environment, Melt quickly makes me feel at ease, introducing me to the team and offering just about every snack/beverage one could imagine. I think to myself what a dream it must be to bring brand voices to life and jokingly ask him what his favourite part is. Smiling, he responds: “Meeting new people, but not like in the corny cliché type of way. The people we meet, they’re usually at some sort of top of their game, have some kind of exceptional story, or they’re just really knowledgeable about what they are doing. It’s always such an amazing experience to see someone’s passion come to life in front of the camera and just to see people talk with so much emotion and passion about something they’re knowledgeable about, passionate about and just enjoy doing. And the majority of the time when we have someone in front of our cameras, they’re one of those people – it’s amazing to witness.”
When asked which unique skill has been particularly useful when navigating the film industry, he pauses, thinking for a second, before responding:
“The eagerness and ability to learn. Or rather, curiosity to. I’ve always been insanely curious about everything on set. When I didn’t know something, I would go up to people and ask, “What are you doing?” and “Why are you doing that?”
Melt explains his point further, his voice becoming more animated and excited as he speaks, “Everything on set, it suits my brain quite nicely. [Because] if you’re not into cameras at the moment, then there’s sound, lights, lenses and then there’s editing – there’s just a massive amount of options available to you. I think that’s why I enjoy directing or even editing. It’s constant problem solving – knowing all of the departments and how they come together, when something went right and where something went wrong. It’s absolutely fascinating and I’m just curious about it. And as soon as I’ve figured it out, I want to become good at it. But that’s just me. I enjoy learning new things, I guess I think most people do? I don’t think that’s a very exceptional thing, but it’s a trait that has benefited me!”
Intrigued by how one can be so humble yet hold such wisdom in their words, I can’t help but light the curiosity torch in my own brain. I ask if directing was his first career path?
“Funnily enough, I used to be a teacher, and before that, I was destined for agriculture. I really miss working with young minds. It’s something that I crave and that’s why I like volunteer lecturing when I get a moment. Well, I did it once, I don’t know if they want me back…”
His answer leaves me amused. No wonder his people skills and art for storytelling come so naturally – Melt has practically trained his entire life for this role and he plays the part with ease.
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“TV was never really a thing. Like obviously people tell you growing up you can become a farmer, a doctor or a lawyer and a teacher, and then they get stuck on that. Where I come from to be on TV or to make television was just never a realistic dream. And today, when we get to do that, it is I mean, late into my twenties, I didn’t even think that that was a thing. And I never sought it out because it was so far fetched. And then today, when we do this and we’re delivering TV shows and we’re working with people in this industry, it’s a little surreal still sometimes that we we do this and that we get to do this. It’s like living out a dream that I never knew I had. It’s just so cool. I love doing this. It’s such a weird thing and it’s such a unique beast and it takes so much collaboration from everyone involved, from a bunch of different departments and people, and everyone is so skilled at what their one thing is that they do or the two things that they do. And it’s when all of those things and everyone understands each other perfectly, then you get this. At the end of the day, you get this product. It’s slightly different to what you envisioned, but it’s also so cool because the reasons why it’s different is that collaboration and that you can’t plan for everything. And yeah,it’s just such a cool process and it’s, I’m just so stoked to be part of it as making a living. Yeah, I’m excited to get up in the mornings and I know there’s a lot of people who don’t feel that way. This. Yeah, this is just – I was born to do this, it feels like.”
One can only gather that as a director, leader, and colleague – he understands and appreciates the art of collaboration. He knows that no single person has all the answers or ideas, and it takes a diverse group of talented individuals working together to bring a vision to life. Having spent only one day on set with the team, I can already come to the conclusion that Melt fosters a collaborative environment on set, encouraging open communication and the sharing of ideas.
They believe that by bringing together a range of perspectives and skills, the final product will be stronger and more impactful. This approach has led to the creation of some of the most authentic and impactful video content I’ve seen from a South African production company in a while.
I have no doubt that Melt and his team will be making waves in the industry, not just because of their talent, but because of their ability to bring out the best in those around them and create something truly special through unique storytelling.