Best in Craft awarded to ROMANCE, Adam Bentel and Pressure Cooker Studios

This month’s IDIDTHAT.co Craft Awards were judged by our esteemed poultry enthusiasts Nkanyezi Masango, CCO at DENTSU CREATIVE and Cindy Lee, Director at The Star Film Company. Yes, chicken reigned supreme this month as Greg Gray from ROMANCE, Adam Bentel from KrewKut & Elben Schutte feat. Martin Bergeaud from Pressure Cooker Studios clucked their way to glory 🐔🏆 Congratulations to ruling the roost team!🐣👑

‘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 VFX, 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
Chicken Licken ‘Undefeated Since Forever’

Romance | Greg Gray (Direction)
Awarded by Nkanyezi Masango & Cindy Lee

Krewkut | Adam Bentel (Cinematography)
Pressure Cooker Studios | Elben Schutte feat. Martin Bergeaud (Original Music)
Awarded by Cindy Lee

CRAFT MENTION
Chicken Licken ‘Undefeated Since Forever’

Pressure Cooker Studios | Elben Schutte feat. Martin Bergeaud (Original Music)
Awarded by Nkanyezi Masango

Comment on Direction: ‘Chicken Licken TV ads have set a high benchmark for craft. The latest instalment manages to deliver the magic we’ve come to expect from them: sensational performances, top-tier art direction and magnificent cinematography. Every component culminates in pure entertainment. It takes a great team to pull this off, but I do have to give credit to the coach. Greg Gray is the real-life José Mercibeaucoup. Undefeated.’
– IDIDTHAT Guest Judge: Nkanyezi Masango, CCO at DENTSU CREATIVE

Comment on Direction: ‘I’m always fascinated to know where Greg’s scripts start and where his execution ends. Because the amount of detail that goes into his work is extraordinary, this piece for Chicken Licken is no exception. His casting is quite exquisite and what he can pull from a non-actor, I have no words. The art direction is meticulous, right down to the minute details – I bet you he even had the coach’s name engraved on every trophy. Every single detail is obsessed over and that’s what crafting a good commercial is all about. This is visual storytelling at its best.’
– IDIDTHAT Guest Judge: Cindy Lee, Director at The Star Film Company

Comment on Cinematography: ‘Adam is a pure genius when it comes to his craft. His vision gives everything he does such a distinct look. Every frame is like a painting. The shafts of light, the mood, the colours, and the textures he creates with his lighting. His composition, all exquisite. He brings so much to the ‘art’ of visual storytelling. Thanks to Adam, Chicken Licken is as delicious to look at as it is to eat. Well done you.’
– IDIDTHAT Guest Judge: Cindy Lee, Director at The Star Film Company

Comment on Original Music: ‘We often underestimate the importance of a good piece of music. How it can make you feel, how it can steer a commercial in the right direction even without you realising it. The brilliant piece of original music from Pressure Cooker Studios in Chicken Licken ‘Undefeated Since Forever’ hits every note. It’s clever, it’s witty, it’s funny, it’s tonally perfect. It’s like the icing on the cake of a perfectly crafted commercial. It makes me smile even if I’m not watching the commercial. Bravo.’
– IDIDTHAT Guest Judge: Cindy Lee, Director at The Star Film Company

Comment on Original Music: ‘The music elevates the story to another level. It’s carefully considered yet feels effortless – an excellent demonstration of how to make music enhance a film, plus it’s such a beautiful song on its own. Massive shout-out to Elben Schutte and Pressure Cooker Studios.’
– IDIDTHAT Guest Judge: Nkanyezi Masango, CCO at DENTSU CREATIVE

CRAFT MENTION (DIRECTION)
MTN ‘Chase’
Darling Films | Slim

Awarded by Nkanyezi Masango

‘The level of craft in MTN ads has been consistent for a while now. Thanks to Slim and the Darlings, it has been sustained in MTN Chase.’
– IDIDTHAT Guest Judge: Nkanyezi Masango, CCO at DENTSU CREATIVE

CRAFT MENTION (DIRECTION)
MTN ‘MoMo’
The Rudeboy Collective | Aadil Dhalech

Awarded by Cindy Lee

‘I’m always a sucker for great performances and Aadil Dhalech delivered with this spot for MTN MOMO. Surprisingly it did that without getting lost in the VFX or all the hard working sell (and there’s a lot of it). It’s a real joy to see good, subtle humour shine through (just love the security guard’s performance) and not take second place to a big or busy idea. The editing, narration, music and sound design all helped push the humour without labouring it. It’s not easy making such a memorable commercial that has so much to sell. All in all a commercial beautifully crafted.’
– IDIDTHAT Guest Judge: Cindy Lee, Director at The Star Film Company

IDIDTHAT GUEST JUDGES:

JULY Craft Awards Judge_Nkanyezi Masango (Small)

Nkanyezi Masango, Chief Creative Officer, Dentsu Creative SSA
Nkanyezi has collected 9 Cannes Lions and a variety of metal from major ad festivals globally and in South Africa. But his motivation is winning over audiences, shaping brands and breaking barriers between the industry and marginalised talent. As a champion for diversity in the creative field, he founded Blackboard Community, an initiative that aims to raise awareness for creativity as a career to high school students in disadvantaged communities. Blackboardcommunity.co.za

JULY Judges Announcement Cindy Lee (Small)

Cindy Lee, Director at The Star Film Company
Cindy started out as a copywriter, sharpening her teeth at TBWA Hunt Lascaris. She then moved on to directing commercials which she believes has given her her eye for detail and craft when it comes to her other love – long form. In between her successful commercial directing career, Cindy wrote a short screenplay ‘HORN’ about the horrors of rhino poaching that won at the New York Picture Start Film Festival. She was nominated for a SAFTA (South African Film and Television Award) for her television directing debut of the drama series ‘Sober Companion’. She directed three episodes of Showmax’s critically acclaimed first original drama, ‘The Girl From St. Agnes’. She has just received her second SAFTA nomination for best director in a Drama for her first solo series, ‘Desert Rose’ which is now streaming on Showmax. She directed ‘I’ll Bring The Wine’, a five-part content series for Nederburg wines. She is currently finishing her first short film ’The Last Ranger’ which is about to be released on the festival circuit.