Music video in international competition

26 March 2010
The Ranfurly Players, a group of drama students with intellectual disabilities, have created a music video on Piha Beach near Auckland and entered it in an international competition. The six finalists, decided in part by public vote, will be announced on 12 April and the winner on 19 April.

The actors, who all attend the Ranfurly Care Society in Epsom, Auckland, planned a day at Piha Beach to make the video, which is set to American singer Moby’s new single called Wait For Me. Viewers can see and vote for the video here on the Genero.TV website.

From the six finalists, Moby will choose the winning video, which will receive US$5000. The two best finalists receive US$1000 each.

The story shown in the video depicts the struggle to achieve and be accepted. The rope represents being held back and tied down, always struggling to move forward.

Brett Ihaka, the Creative Director at Ranfurly Care Society, says the competitions on the Genero.TV music website provide “fantastic opportunities” for disabled people to highlight their talents and creative passion.

“The students explored every possible emotion to create a moving and compelling video that is equal to anything seen on C4 or MTV,” Brett says.           

Ranfurly Players have performed in a number of plays and films, including Macbeth, The Three Musketeers, and a contemporary version of Antony and Cleopatra. In 2009, they created several short films that sold out over two nights at the Ranfurly Care Society's  Activity Centre.

The actors rehearse, learn dialogue, stage movement and improvisation, bringing their skills and talents to the stage.

‘This is a great chance to support a group of talented people,” Brett says. “Please show your support and vote for our video.”  

You can see other videos created by the Ranfurly Players on YouTube. Search RanfurlyPlayers.