Steph’s comment: ‘Well done, Laz, you made me cringe! He perfectly captures the painful awkwardness of butchering a joke. The timing’s all wrong, the punchline is mangled, the protagonist is the only one laughing. You got it all wrong, which is so right in this case.’

Juliet’s comment: ‘Fausto’s Dangerously Distracting KFC piece also put a smile on my face for its complex simplicity. Or maybe it’s simple complexity. Either way, nicely done.’

Morgan’s comment: ‘Nothing makes us happier than when people work hard to please us. Mr. Becatti, ever intrepid, spent countless hours on another continent painstakingly crafting 76 exquisite black-and-white shots and filtering them through an arduous post process to obtain an organic and earthy look that is a visual breath off fresh air in this digitally saturated marketplace. The result: a ninety second abstraction that so perfectly embodies wine it would get even Jesus’ Juices flowing. The spot’s brilliant payoff line is Beautiful Things Don’t Ask for Attention — well you have mine, Fausto. Bravo, sir.’

Tshepo’s comment: ‘Why is it not longer? The director took us on a journey and it was a beautiful journey alright. A visual feast of note matched with great storytelling. I don’t use the word exquisite a lot, I don’t think anyone should but this work here is exquisite.’

Ian’s comment: ‘Kyla Philander brings understated awareness and an easy cinematographic style to their piece for Ferrimed, weaving narrative and voice over together with effortless personal to camera performance that works to display unselfconscious intimacy and acceptance of women’s unique roles shared by women across multiple generations and life situations. Congrats Kyla, a Direction Craft Mention for you. ‘

Rob’s comment: ‘Fausto Becatti from Bioscope Films was already awarded last month for the amazing graphic “The Unlimited” series trailer, but after watching the “Unbullied By The Likes Of You” by Fausto Becatti, it grabbed my attention. The twisted, warped and glitchy film really made me sit up and think about the realities of bullying and the strength required to fight back and rise above it. Being a father of 3 wonderful mix race children this type of reality hits you hard. The only way to counteract this is by exposing this often hidden evil and by supporting those who deal with it. My greatest respect to everyone who worked on this campaign. And yes, it deserves an IDIDTHAT Craft Mention (Direction)!’

Tian’s comment: ‘I am really enjoying the series of “The Unlimited” films that have been coming out. The whole campaign has a distinctive theme and aesthetic that holds all the work together without any of it becoming too derivative or samey-samey. My favourite “The Unlimited” piece this month is called “Unmute and damn the consequence”, and it was directed by Kyla Philander. They managed to create a spot where the execution is as fierce as its subject. It’s cinematic and arty but still completely approachable. The camera language is simultaneously intimate and respectful. Each frame is a work of art in and of itself, and when strung all together, they create a piece that’s visually emotive and genuinely moving.’

Ana’s comment: ‘The textured landscape and journey the piece takes you through as a viewer, is so rewarding – beautifully crafted and linked scenarios, bold cast, the framing of every scene, the transition between real in camera moments to boldly illustrated animations, an empowering voice and track bringing you in – all the layers, making you want to watch more, in true Fausto style. Like an open door, you need to walk through to reveal the next step. It draws you in, and you can’t help but love every second of it and watch to see what’s next.’

Mohlalefi’s comment: ‘I loved this piece as much as I love that bloody liquid. I never thought tequila would elicit an emotion of empathy from me but that’s what this piece did. It forces us to stay with the hands, sometimes feeling the raw calluses on our own hands and the dirt under our nails. A great coming together of awesome pictures, deliberate sound design and an amazing voice treatment. Cheers to Fuasto Becatti and the Bioscope team.’

Mfundo’s comment: ‘Yesses. A true psychedelic journey. The film is truly an immersive experience even without the subtitles, any person who views this will understand and be emerged in the experience. It is intense and intriguing, from silhouettes to the sweat. From the lighting to the camera movement, I swear I could smell every close-up. What Fausto has proven is that sound design can be more evocative than a music track, because it really adds to the trip. This commercial is remarkable from the first to the last frame, every image is breathtaking.’

Mfundo’s comment: ‘The story of Cass Collier is beautifully documented through the lens of Kyla Philander. The duration of the film is the same as a pop song but it feels a lot shorter. The film is engaging from start to finish (a feature film has to be made). You can tell the director was invested and cared about “Cass” and his story. That unpretentious none guarded voice-over/interview is so telling. A story that takes us through the tremulous waters of apartheid and lands on who Cass is today, is poetic. The surfing footage is mesmerising. The portraits capture this man’s very essence. The use of photographs and timelines not only gives us a sense of nostalgia, but it also paints a full picture. This is a piece of art, with a large dose of history.’

Mohlalefi comment: ‘Here’s to a great story told and treated with the technical brilliance and respect that it deserves. A perfect mix of drama, intrigue and visual wizardry that transports us back and forth between yesterday and today with ease. I was captivated from beginning to end. Kyla Philander and the Bioscope team understood the assignment.’

Lourens’ comment: ‘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.’

Tseliso’s comment: ‘I had never heard of ACG before this film. And I probably never will, unless Jason Fialkov directs another one. I have a recoil reflex to popping pills but I get that a lot of people depend on medication to have the semblance of a life. I also appreciate how difficult it must have been to direct a script that attempts to put human warmth into essentially a pharmaceutical company’s brand ad. Yet “Make It Better” is top to tail an authentic human story. I like the clever use of vantage. The protagonist carries her role well and one actually believes she’s getting better. The whole thing is well thought through and meticulously executed.’

Alan’s comment: ‘Fausto’s Spotify clinched it for me. Mainly because of overall attention to detail as a director, and a true understanding of the end product. There’s no real conceptual idea, but for a music platform, it’s exactly on point. Everything from the choice of shots, the lighting, editing, and in particular, the locations, were huge contributors to making a slick and well thought through piece. Well done Fausto for excelling in the directing and mastering of these facets.’

Peter’s comment: ‘Fausto’s Unleash for Spotify Premium is a gritty, raw, authentic and energetic piece of entertainment that is easy to watch and easier to love. My agency did work on this, just wanted to call that out.’

Stephanie’s comment: “This is pure cinematic storytelling at its finest. No tricks or tired “looks”. With beautiful performances, incredible pacing – it’s a visual feast that takes you on a journey with a character that you as a viewer are rooting for from start to finish. As they say ‘if it looks like an ad and smells like an ad, it’s probably not a very good ad.’ This does not look or smell like an ad. Nice.”

Lebogang’s comment: “This whole process has cemented in me the undeniable fact that Fausto is extremely talented. This piece reveals an unwavering appetite for strong visuals that pierce through the visual clutter of the internet in 2020. What’s so dope about this story with Kit is that it’s a story we all know, but this take on it felt so fresh because of the strong visual extension to a powerful narrative. The shot of Kit in a snowy city, I’m not even sure what’s happening there, but that moment was the moment my envy turned into respect. Man is good y’all.”

Cindy’s comment: “Talk about a film that literally gets under your skin. I watched it a few times. I felt compelled. And the more I watched it, the more I saw, the more I felt. The cinematography is rich thanks to the amazingly talented Thomas Revington, the images, carefully curated are powerful, the edit, a piece of magic all on its own. The director takes you on a journey, floats you into dreams and drops you back into reality. Often we have a beautiful film broken by a terrible narrator. Not this time. Fausto knows how to tell a story both visually and verbally. He manages to bring the beauty of a stylized piece without losing the honesty and integrity, and dare I say, the heart of the story. I love how he uses sound design over music to suck us in. The film, like the brand, feels seeped in tradition and pride. It’s not just a celebration of culture, it’s a celebration of filmmaking.”

Grant’s comment: “This is a beautiful piece of storytelling. The many facets of Zulu culture represented and narrated effortlessly. Amongst a lot more excellence, the sequence of the elevated guy falling back down to earth was brilliantly executed. Really well done.”