Best in Craft awarded to Fausto Becatti from Bioscope Films for direction and Sinister Studios for VFX

This month’s IDIDTHAT.co Craft Awards were judged by the myths, the legends, the icons themselves; Sibusiso Sitole, CCO and Co-Founder of The Odd Number and Lourens van Rensburg, Director at 7Films. Superstars!

‘What are the IDIDTHAT.co Craft Awards?’ Every month we team up with ad industry leaders to award the finest in South African film and production craft across these different categories: Direction, Editing, Cinematography, Animation and SFX, Online, Original Sound, Sound Design and Final Mix. It’s just another way that we make it ridiculously easy to stay up-to-date with who’s doing the best work in the country.

BEST IN CRAFT (Direction & VFX Craft)
Awarded by Lourens van Rensburg

BEST IN CRAFT (VFX Craft)
Awarded by Sibusiso Sitole

Johnnie Walker ‘Bold Steps (Directors Cut)’
Bioscope Films | Fausto Becatti (Director)
Sinister Studio | Christian van der Walt, Novak Miler, Ben van der Walt, Stanley Segal (VFX)

‘This film is a visual treat that moves seamlessly through different graphic styles and effects. It’s a feast for the eyes, and manages to tell a compelling story whilst not letting the VFX get in the way.’
– IDIDTHAT Guest Judge: Sibusiso Sitole, CCO and Co-Founder of The Odd Number.

‘Craft, craft, craft; our ever-elusive partner in crime! This month’s Best of Craft goes to someone who pushed their craft and nailed it. Jonny Walker is a beautifully crafted piece made by a team that are at the top of their game. Fausto and his team’s attention to detail are obviously evident but is highlighted when you go through the spot shot-by-shot. The love for craft and the never-give-up attitude culminates in a beautifully completed project taking all parts of the process into consideration. The spot cuts through a lot of advertising noise and makes a statement of its own – a completed vision that keeps at bay obvious tropes we see come and go in our industry – well done Fausto! Despite being a very busy edit you can see the planning that has gone into all parts of the execution, from pre-prod all the way to the finish and you can’t ignore what the team at Sinister has achieved, it’s awesome to have talent like this right on our doorstep. It’s a beautifully crafted piece of work, congratulations to everyone involved.’
– IDIDTHAT Guest Judge: Lourens van Rensburg, Director at 7Films.

CRAFT MENTION (Direction Craft)
CBL ‘Bridal Armour’
Darling Films | Jeana Theron

Awarded by Sibusiso Sitole & Lourens van Rensburg

‘A beautiful way to dress an ugly subject. I think this piece is a powerful message told in the most elegant way. Its power lies in the idea of a protective bridal gown, and makes us question the safety of women in marriage. It’s a haunting film, powerfully executed.’
– IDIDTHAT Guest Judge: Sibusiso Sitole, CCO and Co-Founder of The Odd Number.

‘My special mention goes to Jeana for her direction on Bride Armour. Again it is the love of her craft that turns a really difficult subject into a visually stunning and entertaining piece of communication. The director has done an incredible job with a sensitive subject through beautiful images which are also thought-provoking and hard-hitting. Through the use of her craft, Jeana manages to land a difficult South African truth by giving her audience access to her ideas and inviting them into her poetic world. Sublime use storytelling craft! Beautiful work, well done.’
– IDIDTHAT Guest Judge: Lourens van Rensburg, Director at 7Films.

IDIDTHAT GUEST JUDGES:

Sibusiso Sitole is the CCO and Co-Founder of The Odd Number. He has worked on numerous clients including FNB, Standard Bank, KFC Local/Africa, Nike, Coca-Cola, Barclays Bank International and also produced the DSTV #TIA campaign which has been tremendously successful within the millennial space. Other notable campaigns include Cadbury ‘Free the Joy’ and KFC ‘He eh’, both of which proved highly effective for both companies. The work he is most proud of however, is the DSTV Compact #NiceLifeProblems campaign which has resonated in the mass market. Sibusiso is a London International award winner as well as a multiple Loerie and Pendoring award winner and has been asked to judge during both ceremonies. He has also won the Loeries New Voice award 3 years in a row and was asked to judge the Apex awards for 2015.

Lourens van Rensburg is a director at 7Films. He has more than 30 years of experience as a director. He is a born storyteller and has more than 400 commercials under his belt. Lourens’ passion for comedy, performance and action makes him very versatile as a filmmaker with his work winning numerous awards globally.