Giant Films strengthens its commitment to top talent, welcomes Kyla Philander

Giant Films, a name synonymous with nurturing top talent, has signed director Kyla Philander to their roster. As a company with a 30-year legacy of supporting and growing passionate filmmakers, Giant has always sought out directors who bring something unique to the table, and Kyla is no exception.

2024-10-03T07:16:55+02:00September 11th, 2024|Categories: Editorial, Giant Films Editorial|Tags: , , , |

Eight days to go, why you can’t miss AVIJOZI 2024, Greg Gray, Ellen Poon, AI, drone zone and more!

There are 8 days left until the third annual AVIJOZI Festival kicks off on September 14-15, 2024 at Summer Place in Hyde Park. This year’s festival spotlights Film, Animation, Visual Effects, AI, and Interactive Technology, including Gaming and VR. The exciting line-up, of over 60 global industry leaders, has just been released and includes talks from industry powerhouses like Greg Gray, who will share his expertise on directing for story and character, Ellen Poon, who has worked alongside legends like George Lucas and Christopher Nolan on projects like Star Wars and Avatar, and Hamid Ibrahim, one of the co-creators of the series IWAJU, Disney’s first collaborative animation project with another studio.

2024-09-06T13:13:42+02:00September 6th, 2024|Categories: Chocolate Tribe Editorial, Editorial|Tags: , |

First Pencil’s latest car commercial for Omoda blasts into the future

Back with another car ad and hot off the heels of their campaign for Standard Bank, there is no denying First Pencil is having a moment! The team’s latest commercial for Omoda and agency Clockwork Media, directed by Justine Calverley and EP’d by Lebo Mabuela, is a prime example of their ability to merge their technical chops with some laser-infused cinematic storytelling. The ad has beams cutting through the scenes like something straight out of a sci-fi movie (with an added nod to Back to the Future) and the impressive in-camera work leaves you wondering what’s real and what’s not.

2024-09-02T13:47:12+02:00September 2nd, 2024|Categories: Editorial, FirstPencil Editorial|Tags: , , , |

Left Post hits 18 years, Owners Saki and Jacqui reflect on their journey and a legacy of iconic work

18 years ago, Jacqui Pearson and Saki Bergh became the new owners of Left Post and set out to carve their own space in the post-production industry. With Jacqui Pearson’s background in broadcast and Saki Bergh’s expertise in editing, they transformed Left Post Production from a small start-up company into an award-winning post powerhouse. Their partnership is one for the history books, a partnership that has produced some of our country’s iconic work from the past two decades and played a huge part in shaping South Africa’s post industry.

2024-08-30T09:03:21+02:00August 30th, 2024|Categories: Editorial, Left Editorial|Tags: , , |

What are rising directors in our industry thinking about? Here’s Robot’s director Ayanda Duma [INTERVIEW]

Ayanda Duma represents a group of rising young directors in our industry who have their fingers on the pulse of culture, and creativity and come with an inclusive mindset and strong point of view. From challenging societal stigmas to creating authentic representations on screen, Ayanda is not afraid to make her mark in Adland and with the smart production chops of Robot, you know you’ve got the whole package.

2024-08-23T08:30:36+02:00August 23rd, 2024|Categories: Editorial, Robot Editorial|Tags: , |

The Syndicate 2.0: Hits the Post-Production Suite Spot

Since Editor Nic Goodwin launched The Syndicate four years ago, the company has undergone an interesting evolution. Initially taking on a minimalist approach with a fully remote post-production process and a team of freelance talent, The Syndicate was one of the first post facilities of its kind in South Africa and a huge success for Nic. But it was time to take the next step forward and the post house has evolved to meet familiar client demands while sticking to its core ethos. Welcome to The Syndicate 2.0.

2024-09-02T11:23:37+02:00August 15th, 2024|Categories: Editorial, The Syndicate Editorial|Tags: , |

Grid Worldwide reimagines musical prodigy, Karyendasoul, at Tomorrowland

Bonga Ntozini, better known as Karyendasoul, is a 27-year-old music producer and DJ who has leapt to success and is making waves in entertainment and music culture. With a passion for ambitious collaborations, Karyendasoul has partnered with Grid Worldwide and 608 to build his brand and create a legacy for music as a movement.

The spark behind Star Films’ director Wim Steytler

Star Films’ Wim Steytler has established himself as a performance director who blends realism with the otherworldly. He can’t help but bring his love of symbolism and the mystical to each set he steps on, adding layers of meaning paired with strong attention to detail. Let’s get to know the man whose journey into filmmaking started in the most unexpected way.

Darling Fling, solutions powerhouse pulls off Carling’s epic hero journey

Six countries, ten cities, 17 days, and 54 awards to their name – Carling Black Label was on a fact-finding mission to investigate who else had as many accolades as them. Ogilvy South Africa had one burning question, ‘Who on earth could solve this massive, production-heavy project?’ With Executive Producers Mmameyi Mphahlele, Melina McDonald, and Lorraine Smit at the helm, Darling Fling had the skillset and solutions to bring this ambitious globe-trotting campaign to life.

Together Films’ blueprint for authentic brand storytelling by Executive Producer Gaye Leong

Executive Producer Gaye Leong unpacks Together Films’ approach to establishing and living their own brand values through a process that emphasises the importance of being human-centric, outlining a clear storytelling journey, involving the right people, and creating impactful endings. With this approach, Together Films is able to tell, and create, compelling stories. This ensures that their work – ranging from commercials to content to documentaries – resonates with audiences, addressing their needs and fostering a meaningful connection with the brand.

Lauren Chengan and Ken Kamara, the new faces at Triple Story Content

Triple Story Content is shouting from their rooftop that directors Lauren Chengan and Ken Kamara are joining their roster of independent talent. According to Executive Producer Monareng Makwetla, both Lauren and Ken perfectly embody the philosophy of Triple Story Content, which values multi-faceted directors who understand the industry from various angles.

IDIDTHAT partners with LITTLEBIG to bring South Africa all the Cannes Lions news 2024

Each year we team up with a partner to bring the South African ad industry all the Cannes Lions coverage and most importantly celebrate South Africa’s creative work and strengthen our unique ad culture. As we gear up for the festival, we are excited to announce our partnership with production company, LITTLEBIG. Thanks to the team’s support IDIDTHAT is yet again able to bring home all the Cannes 2024 news. Having won Gold at Cannes themselves, LITTLEBIG understands the significance of Saffas supporting each other internationally. Thank you for joining us in championing South Africa’s creativity.

2024-06-06T16:07:50+02:00June 6th, 2024|Categories: Cannes Lions, Cannes Lions 2024, Editorial, LittleBig Editorial|Tags: , |

AVIJOZI 2024: Everything you need to know from Festival Director and CEO of Chocolate Tribe Nosipho Maketo-van den Bragt

Mark your calendars! On September 14-15, 2024, Chocolate Tribe, in collaboration with Netflix, proudly presents the third annual AVIJOZI Festival. This world-class festival spotlights Film, Animation, Visual Effects, and Interactive Technology, including Gaming. We spoke to Festival Director and the leading force behind AVIJOZI, Nosipho Maketo-van den Bragt to find out how the festival has levelled up this year and what exactly we can expect. Whether you're a professional filmmaker, a gaming enthusiast, or starting out- you won’t want to miss AVIJOZI 2024!

Director Gorgeous Bushman brings a curious mind to Gentlemen Films

To meet Bathandwa Ngwendu a.k.a. ‘Gorgeous Bushman’ is to be reminded that the world is a vast place full of things to be discovered. He has a unique, open, and curious point of view that he brings not just to his work, but to every interaction. His move to Johannesburg has found him a permanent home at Gentlemen Films, where his intimate storytelling approach meets the vast experience of the team.

2024-05-17T07:26:47+02:00May 17th, 2024|Categories: Editorial, Gentlemen Editorial|Tags: , , |

Director Jabu Newman from Romance speaks to (not at!) Gen Z in sexual health campaign

Jabu Newman’s latest campaign #ForeverWena is an unashamed, unafraid story about sexual health and choice. Cementing her reputation as a director who is fluent in speaking to the youth, Jabu has crafted a portrait of South Africa’s Gen Zs that feels unique, personal and genuine. Showcasing a stunning range of sexuality and sexual exploration, the campaign #ForeverWena is a celebration of sexual diversity with zero judgement or shame, AMEN!

2024-04-30T12:49:11+02:00April 30th, 2024|Categories: Editorial, ROMANCE Editorial|Tags: , , |

‘A nimble bunch of over-achievers,’ it’s about time you meet LittleBig

Established in 2003 LittleBig is a full-service video production and activation company that, we think, has been flying under people’s radar for far too long. It had us baffled that these guys were bringing home top international awards for South Africa over the past few years (hello Gold Cannes Lions) yet we weren’t seeing their name in the headlines. So, we made a point to get to know the team and find out more about what they do behind the scenes to get onto the main stage at Cannes.

2024-04-26T12:50:45+02:00April 26th, 2024|Categories: Editorial, LittleBig Editorial|Tags: |

Howard Audio sweeps the floor with FOUR Creative Circle Annual Awards, leading the charge in audio

The Creative Circle Annual Awards might be done but the taste of the win is still fresh in the air at Howard Audio, and for good reason. The team were the audio force behind 4 awards, including winning FIRST in the Integrated Campaign category, FIRST in the Radio and Audio campaign category, First in the Mza'taal category and SECOND in the Digital category. Massive congrats to Adam Howard and his team – always pushing the standards of audio in South Africa!

2024-04-15T10:14:45+02:00April 15th, 2024|Categories: Editorial, Howard Audio Editorial|Tags: , , |

Cake celebrates three years of magic with a deck of personalised tarot cards

Proving that their creativity isn’t restricted to the ad world, the team at Cake decided to celebrate three years of commercial-making magic with a set of personalised tarot cards. YES PLEASE! Each card represents work Cake has pulled off in it’s third year and tells a little story about the concept while linking to the video, genius, you don’t even have to be psychic to enjoy them.

Spitfire boosts its talent roster with the arrival of director Paul Ramaema

Spitfire has welcomed director Paul Ramaema to its roster, solidifying the production company’s reputation for fostering young gifted talent. Paul’s work ranges from car commercials to music videos and comedy performance spots; a great fit for a production company that embraces multi-talented directors.

2024-04-03T15:08:55+02:00April 3rd, 2024|Categories: Editorial, Spitfire Editorial|Tags: , , |