Best in Craft awarded to director Zee Ntuli from Darling Films

This month’s IDIDTHAT.co Craft Awards were judged by Jabulani Sigege, Group Executive Creative Director at Machine_ and Jessie Zinn, Director at Bioscope Films. Thank you kindly legends for your time and expertise on this. And wow, there was a lot of work. We love seeing the industry producing at this volume. Let’s keep going! Massive congratulations Zee Ntuli from Darling Films on taking home Best in Craft for your work on KFC.

‘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

BEST IN CRAFT (DIRECTION)
KFC ‘Kentucky Town Eat The Rules’ (Director’s Cut)
Darling Films | Zee Ntuli

Awarded by Jabulani Sigege
Awarded by Jessie Zinn

Judge’s comment on DIRECTION:
“There were a few pieces that you would get, but why this one stood out was how it made you feel. It didn’t explain – just captured and conveyed a feeling instead, thanks to how it looked and sounded. It resonates because everyone has partied, and while locations, outfits and music might change, the urge to do whatever to the rules hasn’t.”

– Jabulani Sigege, Group Executive Creative Director at Machine_

Judge’s comment on DIRECTION:
“Yassis. What a trip. This spot feels like Euphoria, Yizo Yizo, and a Checkers Hyper teen fever dream got shoved through a Ratanga Junction infinity mirror and handed a bucket of KFC. What amazed me was how much of the visual trickery was crafted in-camera, all so beautifully planned, choreographed and executed. It’s hard to make chaos feel alive without letting it turn into total mush and this is where Zee’s directing craft really flexes. The anarchy may feel spontaneous, but you can sense the careful brain behind every mirror & movement. Zee is never afraid to quite literally eat the rules, and in doing so, reminds us what advertising can become when vision, craft and chaos are all held by a director who knows exactly what he’s doing.”

– Jessie Zinn, Director at Bioscope Films

CRAFT MENTION

CRAFT MENTION (SOUND – ORIGINAL MUSIC CRAFT)
D F W N E ‘Akhona’s Bounce’
D F W N E
Entered on behalf of D F W N E by Eyeforce

Awarded by Jabulani Sigege

Judge’s comment on SOUND – ORIGINAL MUSIC CRAFT:
“Mesmerising. That’s the first thought that came to mind after hearing the music on this piece. Layers are woven to create a wave of hypnotic sound that washes over you effortlessly and repeatedly. It takes skill to make a wall of melodies and instruments and loops feel like a single voice, felt playing in your synapses and DNA.”

– Jabulani Sigege, Group Executive Creative Director at Machine_

CRAFT MENTION (CINEMATOGRAPHY CRAFT)
Husqvarna ‘Eras’
7 Films | Lourens van Rensburg

Awarded by Jabulani Sigege

Judge’s comment on CINEMATOGRAPHY CRAFT:
“This film makes you feel like you’re watching an epic tale unfold. It’s the same feeling you get when watching an MCU origin story movie. You get transported by the visuals to the different periods, each with its own touch. The scene with the dust storm is fantastically Fury Road-esque.”

– Jabulani Sigege, Group Executive Creative Director at Machine_

CRAFT MENTION (DIRECTION)
Metropolitan Funeral Cover ‘Gogo Vivian’
Spitfire Films | Katlego Baaitse

Awarded by Jessie Zinn

Judge’s comment on DIRECTION CRAFT:
“This felt like a mini South African episodic show in the best way. So charming, funny and understated, with Gogo Vivian eating up her role as the family diva. I would absolutely watch a full ‘Succession’-esque South African film built around this family, ideally with at least one episode dedicated entirely to the reading of the will, where someone is accusing someone else of stealing all of the Tupperware. In a feed full of flashy tricks it was so refreshing to come across a spot that simply breathes. The dialogue lands, the performances feel real, and the humour is specific without feeling cartoonish. A beautifully directed piece that understands something very simple and very hard to fake: character is craft.“

– Jessie Zinn, Director at Bioscope Films

IDIDTHAT GUEST JUDGES:

Jabulani Sigege, Group Executive Creative Director at Machine_
Like Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Jabulani sometimes finds himself talking in the third person. Almost only when it comes to bios though.

Currently the Group ECD at Machine, he enjoys stories. Seeing them. Hearing them. Creating them. Figuring out what they can make us feel and do, and why. He’s obsessed with cultural capital, along with collecting and bottling the tears of Arsenal fans. When he’s not doing the latter, he’s people watching to find out what makes us tick.

Jessie Zinn, Director at Bioscope Films
Jessie Zinn is a South African film director working across commercials, documentary and narrative film. With an MFA from Stanford University and a background in documentary, her work is known for its emotional intimacy, cinematic restraint and deeply human performances. Her films have screened at DOC NYC, Visions du Réel, AFI Docs, Palm Springs and Aspen Shortsfest, with work featured by The New Yorker and Vimeo Staff Picks. She is a SAFTA winner and nominee, and has directed work for brands including Marriott, Generali and Four Seasons. Her recent work includes narrative directing for Netflix, and she is represented by Bioscope Films in South Africa, Darling Films in the UK and Tomorrow in the US.

ALL CRAFT ENTRIES