Twists of Destiny: The Rubik’s Cube. A Journey through Nine Weeks to Create a Short Narrative Interview.
˙Serah Wambui – The Prodigy
˙Grace Wachuka – The Cheerleader
˙Sandeep Sura – The Motivator
[Approx; 5 minute read]
Alright, buckle up! I've just wrapped up this incredible project - a short narrative interview that took me on a wild ride. But let me back up a bit and give you some background. It all started with my love for Table Tennis and the burning desire to gain an edge over my opponents. Enter the Rubik's Cube. I saw in it a reflection of the mental challenges faced in the game - twisting, turning, and thinking to find solutions against the clock. Talk about pressure, tenfold! As I embarked on my quest to conquer the Cube, it became my constant companion. It went wherever I went, and along the way, I encountered some amazing people. But none of them dared to take on the challenge of solving the Cube. Until I met Serah, that is. It was a chance encounter while commuting to work. Serah was spending the day with her mom, and her eyes lit up when she saw the Cube. She was captivated by it, and over the next month, she made it her mission to master its secrets. The moment we reunited and witnessed Serah solve the Cube in just over a minute, a spark ignited in my heart. I knew I had to capture this incredible journey - the triumphs, the struggles, and everything in between. And so, the nine-week adventure began.
. . .
The whole process took a while because Serah, our talented star, had limited availability. She could only spare Saturday mornings to work with me, and I'm super grateful for the sacrifices she made. Surprisingly, this delay turned out to be a blessing in disguise because both Serah and I grew a lot during that time.
This project was full of firsts for me. I've never worked or filmed with anyone before, let alone a talented 12-year-old like Serah. It was such a cool experience collaborating with her and helping her deliver her lines. I wanted her to be herself and let her unique personality shine. At first, she was a bit shy, but she totally rocked it in front of the camera. We spent a lot of time making the story work. Not only did we focus on the script, but we also put effort into set design, wardrobe, and props. I ended up rebuilding the set seven times because I wasn't happy with how it looked. Finally, I found the perfect spot and even created a separate set within the set for the intro and interview scenes.
I did multiple takes at different times of the day to get the lighting just right. I also made sure the vibrant colors of the Rubik's cube inspired the wardrobe and props. Serah loved red, and I leaned towards blue. To tie everything together, I used muted colors or shades of the Rubik's cube.
I recently got a new Haze machine. It added a nice touch to the scenes by softening the light, but it didn't last forever. Honestly, for interviews or longer scenes with multiple takes, I wouldn't recommend using it. However, it worked great for quick B-roll shots! Read more about this process here.
Editing the five scenes was a huge task. Just organizing the footage felt overwhelming. To make it more manageable, I broke it down into smaller tasks and dedicated 3 to 5 hours each day. I had to select the best takes, edit the story for a smooth flow, enhance the audio, color correct plus grade the clips, and add the necessary graphics. After about five days of editing, I finally had something worth watching!
This was also my first time taking my camera and lights outside of my Studio. It was such an exhilarating experience, like a kid going to school for the first time. I made sure to have a comprehensive checklist to avoid forgetting anything. During the shoot, I had a little scare when one of my lights fell, and I even misplaced a lens cap. Luckily, I found them both, and I learned some valuable lessons. “Insurance, here I come!”
. . .
I remember when I first spoke to Grace about the idea, she instantly fell in love with it. She believed in my abilities and was thrilled by the potential that this could help people. Little did she know how much work would be involved. Once Grace discussed the idea with Serah and received her approval, the brief was straightforward: Share your experience of learning the Rubik's Cube. The brief was intentionally concise to let Serah's narrative unfold without influence.
Serah had a lot on her plate with schoolwork and various activities. She questioned whether she would have enough time to dedicate to practice. Her hectic schedule left her working late into the night and waking up at the crack of dawn at 4:30 am just to squeeze in some practice time. She made use of every spare moment she had, whether it was practicing in the car on her way home, squeezing it in after completing chores, assignments, and getting ready for bed, or using the mirror to fine tune her expressions late at night. Grace then had a final practice-run with Serah before she went to sleep. She even sacrificed her precious Saturday mornings, giving them up entirely for the sake of her commitment. Throughout her journey, Serah was fortunate to have the support and encouragement of her family. Their confidence in her became a constant source of motivation.
The first time on set, when Serah attempted to narrate her version of the story, it was incredibly difficult. She found herself freezing up, and the disappointment was harsh. But she knew that setbacks were a part of life. She picked herself up, dusted off the disappointment, and soldiered on. The love and military-like discipline of her mother, who, I kid you not, required a full-fledged negotiation and a team of professional negotiators to pry her away from the set, proved to be a masterstroke! Serah began to relax and learned the importance of embracing imperfections and being true to herself, rather than striving for unattainable perfection.
As Grace witnessed Serah's progress with the Rubik's Cube, she couldn't help but feel inspired. During this time, Grace managed to solve the puzzle in less than five minutes, showcasing a level of patience and determination that she never thought she possessed. As the journey continued, Serah became more self-driven and focused. She recognized that her success was entirely in her own hands. She had to learn how to adapt to the challenges and changes that came her way. The Rubik's Cube became a metaphor for life - a puzzle to be solved, conquered, and celebrated. In the end, both Grace and Serah discovered more about themselves through their Rubik's Cube journey. They experienced the power of belief, determination, and resilience. They learned that success is not solely about achieving a specific goal but also about personal growth and the lessons learned along the way.
. . .
I believe that every experience in life brings ample opportunities and pure blessings, so as I sign off, I hope to film the second part of this story: Serah aiming to break the East African Record with a time of less than 10 seconds!
Written by; Sandeep Sura and trans-scribed on behalf of Grace Wachuka. If you haven’t watched the Video yet, click below!