Activism from all angles: NITV captures hip hop supergroup's Jan 26 track in Virtual Reality

Recorded on the exclusive Nokia Ozo camera, NITV is telling Indigenous stories from every angle.

Only two of these camera in Australia - The Nokia Ozo 360 camera used to record NITV's 'Change The Date' project Source: Barbra McGrady/NITV

A unique January 26 project conveys a powerful message using innovative production.

The Nokia Ozo camera is a groundbreaking stereoscopic virtual reality (VR) camera that captures all the magic of 360° filming. Only two of these cameras exist in Australia and this January, one was in the hands of an Indigenous-lead creative team.

#ChangeTheDate is a track produced by Elefant Traks and written and performed by Australia best hip hop artists including Nooky, Thundamentals, L-Fresh the Lion and more. It speaks on behalf of black Australia and their allies, saying that January 26 is a Day of Mourning for many people and discussing whether moving the date of country’s national day is the way forward.

“Indigenous people have always had a 360 view of the world and never in liner. You just have to have a look at our art work and in particular landscape art which shows a 360 view of the world. Indigenous stories in VR really does reveal the hidden depth of Indigenous culture and provides an opportunity to merge all the art forms in one experience.”

Urthboy and his music label Elefant Traks were interested in using the power of music and rhyme to raise awareness of this 'controversial' date. The label used their wide networks to recruit some of the country’s most prominent rappers and M.C’s – Indigenous and non-Indigenous – who were also passionate about the message and keen to experience the VR world, facilitated by NITV. The collaboration of artists from across the country has been fondly labeled a ‘hip hop supergroup’.   

NITV Online, who have been eager to further play in the VR space since releasing Garma Festival in 360° facilitated the track, giving it new life in a VR production.

Producer of the 3LACK60 project and NITV digital producer, Luke Briscoe says,  

“Indigenous people have always had a 360 view of the world and never in liner. You just have to have a look at our art work and in particular landscape art which shows a 360 view of the world. Indigenous stories in VR really does reveal the hidden depth of Indigenous culture and provides an opportunity to merge all the art forms in one experience.”

Not only is the song provocative, but the video itself is just as radical. With 12 musos and poets packed into the Koori Radio studios in Redfern, NITV staff and production partners, Start VR captured the artist's performances as Urthboy, Nooky, Coda Conduct, Ozi Batla and entourage, emotionally call Australia to #ChangeTheDate.

With the success of Garma in VR, it’s clear that innovative technology is an increasingly popular medium for telling Aboriginal stories. As the piece is filmed in 360°, and is dominated by black creatives, it seems only logical to substitute the ‘B’ for a ‘3’ - and the cheeky title ‘3LACK60’ is born.

 

Discover more about Indigenous Australia with NITV's #AlwaysWillBe, an interactive line-up of truth, tradition and expression.