Arcade

Arcade is a division of Egg Films that specialises in film advertising, while also producing music videos, documentaries, photography, activations and more.

Johannesburg & Cape Town

Directors: Alexa Wilson / Imraan Christian / Lebogang Rasethaba
Producers: Will Nicholson

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Arcade is a division of Egg Films that specialises in film advertising, while also producing music videos, documentaries, photography, immersive media, activations and any other creative-production problems that need solving.

We’re drawn to the frontier of culture and technology, breaking the mold of commercial filmmaking with a forward-thinking and budget-friendly approach to production, balanced with the solid backing of a 20-year-old production company.

In today’s increasingly noisy media landscape we provide advertisers with the cultural insights required to not only grab their audience’s attention, but to show that they deeply understand their world.

Arcade has offices in Johannesburg and Cape Town and represents directors Lebogang Rasethaba, Alexa Wilson and Imraan Christian.

Arcade is owned by managing director Colin Howard, director Lebogang Rasethaba, and producer Will Nicholson.

  • Two Grand Prixs, African Cristal Awards
  • Creative Circle Ad of the Year: Digital
  • Nine Gold Midas Awards
  • Two Gold Loeries
  • Two Gold Bookmarks
  • Bronze, Cannes Lions
  • Two Merit One Show Awards

CAPE TOWN OFFICE

16 Upper Pepper Street,
Cape Town, 8001, South Africa
info@arcadecontent.tv
+27 (0)72 252 1067

JOHANNESBURG OFFICE

11 Mackay Avenue, Blairgowrie,
Johannesburg, South Africa
info@arcadecontent.tv
+27 (0)72 252 1067

Will Nicholson: Producer
will@arcadecontent.tv
+27 (0)72 252 1067

Awarded by IDIDTHAT

AWARDED: BEST IN CRAFT (DIRECTION)
Arcade | Imraan Christian
Desire Marea ‘Be Free’ (Music Video)
IDIDTHAT Guest Judge: Julie Thorogood, Creative Director at NetworkBBDO
IDIDTHAT Guest Judge: Mark Middlewick, Director at First Pencil
February 2023

Julie’s comment: ‘I watched this video over and over. From powerful immersive performances, scenes that push boundaries, beautifully rich art direction and romantic cinematography… what’s not to love! Well done Imraan Christian, you gave me goosebumps!’

Mark’s comment: ‘This is an exceptional piece of work with a distinctive directorial voice. It’s an intimate and hallucinatory journey into a South African criminal underworld that I haven’t seen before (and on a music video budget). Very often music videos can feel like a hodgepodge of visually superficial scenes that don’t form a creative whole, but Imraan somehow manages to juggle narrative, performance and tone into a singular visceral experience. Exquisite work Imraan.’

AWARDED: CRAFT MENTION (DIRECTION)
Arcade | Imraan Christian
Sampa The Great ‘Lane ft Denzel Curry’
IDIDTHAT Guest Judge: Mfundo Mkhize, Director at The Star Film Company
May 2022

Mfundo’s comment: ‘I’ve watched this video numerous times. These arresting images and performances are so captivating. Imraan Christian is such a creative talent with powerful imagery. I won’t pretend I understand all of it but I do know it makes me feel something. To Imraan: Damn guy!’

AWARDED: BEST IN CRAFT (DIRECTION)
Arcade | Lebogang Rasethaba and Imraan Christian
Castle Milk Stout ‘Last Stories of Culture’
IDIDTHAT Guest Judge: Tseliso Rangaka, Chief Creative Officer FCB Joburg
October 2021

Tseliso’s Comment: ‘This could have gone wrong in so many different directions. Documentaries are difficult to get right. Ones about such niche areas of public interest, such as this one must present diabolical pitfalls for any director attempting them. Lebogang and Imraan managed to deliver this one with grace and a respectfulness that itself becomes a character in the story. It’s a beautifully told story about vanishing culture, set in a vast landscape of stillness, with a cast he had no choice but to work with. I love that Lebogang used his own voice for the narration, which makes it all the more intimate. As if the lessons are more for himself than for a wider audience, yet this is the very thing that brings us in. The music is also there for emphasis but not to intrude. “Last Stories of Culture” is a sad yet hopeful account of wisdom being passed from one generation to another, and there couldn’t have been better messengers. Well done Lebogang Rasethaba and Imraan Christian.’

AWARDED: BEST IN CRAFT (DIRECTION)
Arcade | Lebogang Rasethaba
Nike ‘Birthplace of Dreams’
IDIDTHAT Guest Judge: Graeme Jenner, ECD of King James Group JHB
November 2019

Judges Comment: “I think all we’re trying to do when we craft a film is make people feel something. Because when you feel something it stays with you, you remember it. There’s no amount of arty frames, clever cuts or pretty lighting (not to say that they aren’t to be found here) that can hide whether something is real or not. You either feel it or you don’t. And you get the feeling that Lebogang understands this very well. Nice one.”

AWARDED: CRAFT MENTION (DIRECTION)
Arcade | Lebogang Rasethaba
Nike ‘DJ Doowap’
IDIDTHAT Guest Judge: Ahmed Tilly, Chief Creative Officer at FCB Joburg
August 2017

Judges Comment: “Big ups to Lebo for directing a campaign of somewhat dark, super-real, very honest commercials for Nike. He took me for a tour through the urban streets of South Africa and the unflinching minds of some powerful women. And he did it with visual gritt. Dankie Boi-Boi!

AWARDED: BEST IN CRAFT (DIRECTION)
Arcade | Kyle Lewis
Nasty C ‘Bad Hair’
IDIDTHAT Guest Judge: Steph van Niekerk
March 2017

Judges Comment: “I watched all the work a couple of times and then proceeded to rearrange the bookshelf, call a friend, instagram the cat and have a nap. This time there was method to my procrastination. I wanted to see which piece of work stayed with me after I watched it. My answer was Kyle Lewis’ ‘Bad Hair’ for Nasty C.

AWARDED: BEST IN CRAFT (DIRECTION)
Arcade | Kyle Lewis
Volkswagen #011Beats
IDIDTHAT Guest Judge: Molefi Thulo, Creative Director at Ogilvy & Mather Johannesburg
November 2016

Judges Comment: “Take the new VW Polo Beats, add a hot hip hop collaboration, geotag the city of Jo’burg with multiple sounds to turn it into the world’s biggest set of instruments and you’ve got one dope idea. This idea caught my eye because not only do I believe it will resonate with its target audience, but it’s also a funky way of bringing a product benefit to life, especially in the automobile sector. The slick shots, sound design and dynamic editing are additional reasons why this is my choice for Best of Reel.”

AWARDED: CRAFT MENTION (DIRECTION)
Arcade | Kyle Lewis
Sanlam ‘Mr Madumane’
IDIDTHAT Guest Judge: Graeme Jenner, Executive Creative Director at King James II
October 2016

Judges Comment: “Full disclosure – this comes from the fam in Cape Town. But it’s cool, I like it. It’s like alow-budget high budget video, which was the whole point I guess. Awesome conceptual styling, art direction and directing. Just another day on the job for Kyle then.”

AWARDED: CRAFT MENTION (DIRECTION)
Arcade | Kyle Lewis
Riky Rick ‘Exodus Short Film’
IDIDTHAT Judge: Lucas van Vuuren, Creative Director at The Jupiter Drawing Room
February 2016

Judges Comment: “Kyle Lewis’ piece for Riky Rick was nice to watch, the jumps and tonal shifts in the music are complimented by a wide and well selected array of gritty, real visuals. I liked watching it unfold like a well-edited art film.”

AWARDED: CRAFT MENTION (DIRECTION)
Arcade | Lebogang Rasethaba
Castle Lite ‘Lagered’
IDIDTHAT Judge: Jake Bester, Executive Creative Director at Publicis Machine
October 2016

Judges Comment: “There are also two special mentions for me. The firstly being Castle Light. Not only because it is a great piece of film, but also a great collaborative effort as it features across a lot of the SA Film Reel categories this month namely direction and editing. I was however surprised to not see it in sound design too. I felt there was great craft in putting that track together. Lots of moving parts here. Well done to the director for bringing it all together.”

Featured Work

IDIDTHAT Featured Stories 

IDIDTHAT Craft Awards February 2023

March 7th, 2023|Comments Off on IDIDTHAT Craft Awards February 2023

This month’s IDIDTHAT.co Craft Awards were judged by red-carpet-worthy talents of Julie Thorogood, Creative Director at NetworkBBDO and Mark Middlewick, Director at First Pencil. Congratulations to Director Imraan Christian from Arcade and Strangelove Editor Shelby Ncube who were awarded Best in Craft this month by both judges.

Arcade Director Alexa Wilson in 300 words

July 22nd, 2022|Comments Off on Arcade Director Alexa Wilson in 300 words

Since joining Arcade almost 3 years ago, director Alexa Wilson has consistently been creating work across diverse genres, from comedy spots, car and finance ads to moodier alcohol commercials. The Alexa thread that is carried through all this work is her strong visual language, local texture and meticulous attention to detail.

ARCADE PRESENTS ‘MUTANT’

June 9th, 2021|Comments Off on ARCADE PRESENTS ‘MUTANT’

Following the whirlwind success of their previous music documentary, Future Sound of Mzansi, filmmakers Lebogang Rasethaba and Nthato Mokgata team up again to direct MUTANT, an intimate documentary portrait film featuring Isaac Mutant, a controversial and outspoken rapper from the Cape Flats. The film took 6 years to complete, which allows audiences to witness Isaac’s character evolve on screen, from being a militant and agitated aggressor to a man in pursuit of a greater peace.

Related Companies

Egg Films

We do tv ads, branded content, music videos, short films & other things too…

Johannesburg & Cape Town

Directors: Brent Harris / Kyle Lewis / Lebogang Rasethaba / Robin Adams / Sunu / Zwelethu Radebe
Executive Producers: Colin Howard / Sean Beukes

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Company Website