IDIDTHAT Craft Awards Rankings 2019
Every month IDIDTHAT teams up with ad industry leaders to award the finest in South African film and production craft. It’s now our honour to share with you the Official IDIDTHAT Craft Awards Rankings 2019. These truly were the best of the best in the industry in Film Production, Post Production, Music & Sound, Animation & Special Effects in South Africa. Congratulations you beautiful clever people you!
Campaign Special Mention (Direction Craft): November 2019
Darling Films | Zee Ntuli
Bonitas ‘Winning , Surviving and Family’
“I saw the running boy ad on TV, which is weird because who sees ads on TV anymore? Not me generally, it must have been half time during the rugby or something, but anyway, it stood out to me. I think it’s the simplicity, the commitment to getting it in (what is seemingly) one shot and the camera being really intimate with the characters in the scene that make it feel fresh and interesting. Sometimes less is more and that’s certainly the case here.”
– iDidTht Guest Judge: Graeme Jenner, ECD of King James Group JHB
Special Mention (Direction Craft): September 2019
Darling Films | Zee Ntuli
MTN ‘Autograph’
“The rugby narrative is delivered in an unexpected yet impactful way that gives one ‘the feels’. I love how the director delivered the story of the lone rugby supporter in a family of soccer lovers. Zee got us to root for Die Bokke by drawing us closer to the trials of the lead and touching on our affinity for family bonds. Nice one Zee and team!”
– iDidTht Guest Judge: Neo Mashigo, CCO at M&C Saatchi Abel Group
Best of Reel (Direction Craft): August 2019
Darling Films | Zee Ntuli
#BlameNoMore A Call for Change
“The success of this film relied entirely on Zee Ntuli achieving perfect balance between keeping the story raw enough to do justice to the script and subject matter, but bearable enough to watch until the end. A heavy task handled delicately with thoughtful casting and direction, clever lighting and intuitive camera work from Tom Revington (DOP).”
– iDidTht Guest Judge: Nikki Taylor-Garrett, CD at TBWA Hunt Lascaris
Special Mention (Direction Craft): July 2019
Darling Films | Ross Garrett
Joburg Ballet X Superbalist ‘Rehearsals for UNBOUND’
“A special mention for direction to Ross Garrett for “Joburg Ballet X Superbalist”. It’s not easy to capture the power of dance. Ross did it as artfully as the dancers captured the emotion of the subject matter. Great camera movement, simple and clean location, uncluttered yet so powerful. Well done Ross. These were beautiful to watch.”
– iDidTht Guest Judge: Ahmed Tilly, CCO at FCB Africa
Best of Reel (Direction Craft): June 2019
Darling Films | Chloe Coetsee
MTN ‘Springbok World Cup’
“A supporter ad is bound to be a cheese fest, and can easily turn into something that feels more like shared shame, than shared pride. However, Chloe managed to keep the performances real and likeable, and the track is perfect. Getting sportsmen to act like real people also deserves a nod. Love the well-considered opening sequence as well.”
– iDidTht Guest Judge: Claudi Potter, CD at Joe Public United
Special Mention (Direction Craft): May 2019
Darling Films | Zee Ntuli
OUTsurance ‘The Calling; Linda’
“I love the treatment of the voice-over: the unscripted feel and performance give the ad an emotional depth. The hand-held camera, which restlessly alternates between close up intimacy and moving behind and around things, gives a real sense of how a child might experience the events of the story: fragmented, uncertain, but also at very close quarters. The grade and lighting give the visuals a rich cinematic moodiness, turning the humble setting of the home, the hospital and the shop into a theatre for tragedy and heartbreak.”
– iDidTht Guest Judge: Fran Luckin, CCO at Grey Africa
Special Mention (Direction Craft): April 2019
Darling Films | Gale Maimane
Edgars ‘Winter Blues’
“I like the unusual storytelling here. The lead is believable and comfortably takes us through the offbeat edit. While one of the most interesting ad soundtracks I’ve heard in a while, weaves around what could have been just another clothing catalogue for Edgars.”
– iDidTht Guest Judge: Tseliso Rangaka, ECD at Ogilvy Cape Town
Special Mention (Direction Craft): February 2019
Darling Films | Chloe Coetsee
Consol ‘City, Pool & Bar’
“Chloe at her best having fun, fun, fun with tongue firmly in cheek. Liking the melodrama of these ever so simple spots. No dramatic sweeping or swooping of camera just wonderful direction of simple, single-minded performances. Nicely offset by the choice of music.”
– iDidTht Guest Judge: Vanessa Pearson, Founder and ECD at House of Brave
Best of Reel (Direction Craft): April 2019
0307 Films | Kim Geldenhuys
Okavango Diamond Company ‘The Light at the Start of Everything, Written by Iain Thomas’
“Kim Geldenhuys has taken up residency here for sometime. After taking an extra fine-tooth comb to his latest work, it appears I will not be the one evicting him. There are a lot of good things happening here. The bespoke Iain Thomas take on his famous “Light That Shines At The End Of Everything” is a welcome twist to the preachy narrator driven ad genre. The breathtaking pictures stitch together beautifully. And the music says the right things at exactly the right time. You can stay.”
– iDidTht Guest Judge: Tseliso Rangaka, ECD at Ogilvy Cape Town
Special Mention (Direction Craft): March 2019
0307 Films | Paul Ward
Tyme ‘To Whom It May Concern’
“Okay, so we all know that banks love a bit of a manifesto film. They love them more than an interest rate cut by the reserve bank. Which is why making a good one is so hard. But Paul has done so here. And he’s done it beautifully. Many spots that try get a philosophy across end up TELLING you what the institution believes. What is considerably harder is DEMONSTRATING what they believe. This piece gives one a terrific sense of what it means to be a young hustler in SA. It captures the energy, the pressure, the excitement and the drama. And because it does this, it CONNECTS with the viewer. And connecting with the viewer can be hard when you’re a bank. So a big well done to Paul and to King James. Nice one.”
– iDidTht Guest Judge: John Davenport, CCO at Havas South Africa
Best of Reel (Direction Craft): March 2019
0307 Films | Kim Geldenhuys
Glo ‘Step In’
“Damn it Kim! Can you stop for a bit and give other people a chance to be brilliant?? Seriously though, this film is proof. Proof of talent. I remember when Kim broke onto the scene when I was a (very) junior at Ogilvy. He directed a terrific film for SuperSport about rugby. It felt different from anything anyone else was shooting at the time. Because it was. That film let the industry know that a very special talent had arrived. And that special talent is still here. He’s shot plenty of amazing things for me over the years, and this spot for Glo is up to his usual exquisite standard. Bravo Kim.”
– iDidTht Guest Judge: John Davenport, CCO at Havas South Africa
Best of Reel (Direction Craft): February 2019
0307 Films | Kim Geldenhuys
Glo ‘Dig Deep’
“Kim does it again. Seemingly effortlessly. Yes we’ve seen boxers and boxing used countlessly in film and in so many different ways, and yes we’ve heard the inspo-alpha-male-pep-talk……and yes I had to remind myself that I’m not judging the idea…I’m looking at how the craft of direction carried the script and presented it to the viewer, and I just couldn’t fault Kim’s finely tuned eye for lighting and beautifully balanced symmetry throughout this piece. From the refined fluidity and seamlessness of the camera work, to the interplay between the action scenes and the solo performance one gets the sense of a very confident director totally at ease with the dance between subject matter and camera.”
– iDidTht Guest Judge: Vanessa Pearson, Founder and ECD at House of Brave
Special Mention (Direction Craft): February 2019
0307 Films | Paul Ward
Audi ‘Formula E’
“Well I’m totally partial to a Sam Shephard lookalike 
I mean who would ever forget his sexy all American swagger in The Right Stuff – back when it was okay to be American and have testosterone fuelled swagger…..Paul Ward dishes up some pretty pictures in this Audi Formula E film, with it’s warm honey toned grade and sinuous and elegant camera moves.”
– iDidTht Guest Judge: Vanessa Pearson, Founder and ECD at House of Brave
Best of Reel (Direction Craft): December 2019
Carbon Films | Jason Fialkov
City of Cape Town ’16 Days of Activism’
“I have to give this to Jason Fialkov for a beautifully directed set of 3 short ads. The performances that make these films are so subtle and nuanced, very well directed, and excellently and simply told. It’s the restraint that makes these films work, which I think can be one of the hardest things for a director to do, particularly when tackling a difficult subject. The kids are completely believable in their roles and the casting and performances are fantastic. The films feel like a moment from a feature film rather than a ‘commercial’, and it leaves the viewer with a powerful truth and importantly, an immediate behavior that can be changed. I like that they inspire action instead of just awareness. Congrats to Jason the team who put this together.”
– iDidTht Guest Judge: Ryan McManus, Regional CCO at VMLY&R South Africa
Special Mention (Direction Craft): December 2019
Carbon Films | Rob Smith
Jeremy Loops ‘What Would I Know’
“Rob Smiths film for Jeremy Loops is super original, somewhat strange but engaging piece. It’s one of those fun films that you want to watch and is a good bit of entertainment and an original angle, treatment and story.”
iDidTht Guest Judge: Ryan McManus, Regional CCO at VMLY&R South Africa
Special Mention (Direction Craft): May 2019
Carbon Films | Rob Smith
PhFat ‘Catherine’
“This one starts with a boy and a girl on a hill and ends with a haunting. I liked the visual intrigue of the seemingly natural changes of sky and light behind the characters as the camera moved around them. It was visually mesmerising but also made me feel like there was more going on here than was evident at first. Deceptively simple.”
– Guest Judge: Fran Luckin, CCO at Grey Africa
Special Mention (Direction Craft): January 2019
Carbon Films | Rob Smith
‘Sea Bones’
“The ability to hold attention in a very distracted world is epic. Weird yet compelling. Here the craft is more about the tension of the character.”
– iDidTht Guest Judge: Nathan Reddy, Chairman & Founder of Grid WorldWide
Special Mention (Editing Craft): October 2019
Deliverance Post | Ricky Boyd
Sanlam ‘A Whole New World’
Steph: I am well acquainted with the horrors of building a narrative from found footage, and just for that, this piece deserves a special mention. The narrative arc hits all the notes, whilst the cut builds to its climatic end.
Moses: It left me feeling that maybe sometimes humans don’t suck. It was a fleeting feeling, but a feeling nonetheless.
– iDidTht Guest Judge: Steph Van Niekerk, CD at Grey Africa/Liquid and Moses, Cat.
Best of Reel (Editing Craft): September 2019
Deliverance Post | Anthony Lee Martin
KFC ‘Hot and Crispy’
“I love how this story was brought to life. Fortunately for Anthony, he had a lot of beautiful elements to work with – from brilliant directing, a stellar performance, incredible art direction and insane cinematography. So, the pressure was on for him to bring it on. The technique was subtle, but it drove the tension in the story, which held me captive. Every cut, long and short, challenged my expectations and the FBI agent in me. I followed the story closely, looking for clues – this case had to be cracked mos. We are made to lean in even closer until the story is brought to a dramatic end by a montage of quick cuts that close the case exceptionally.”
– iDidTht Guest Judge: Neo Mashigo, CCO of M&C Saatchi Abel Group
Special Mention (Editing Craft): September 2019
Deliverance Post | Kobus Loots
Nedbank ‘Secrets’
“It’s hard enough to keep us attentive for 30 seconds. Well, the editor here was tasked with the enormous task of doing it on a 15-minute ad. Kobus managed to tell three simultaneous narratives yet keeping each lead central to the film. There are easier ways of telling this story, but they wouldn’t have had the cumulative effect of narrating three. So big ups to the team!”
– iDidTht Guest Judge: Neo Mashigo, CCO of M&C Saatchi Abel Group
Special Mention (Editing Craft): January 2019
Deliverance Post | Anthony Lee Martin
Pick n Pay ‘Nature Calls’
“It is a beautiful execution of a complex category. All areas of storytelling beautiful executed without saying a word.”
– iDidTht Guest Judge: Nathan Reddy, Chairman & Founder of Grid WorldWide
Special Mention (Direction Craft): November 2019
Egg Films | Adrian de sa Garces
MTN ‘Boss Zonke’
“If I had to be analytical about why I think this ad is well directed, it’s because all of the reactions to the lead character need to work when you think it’s Riky and then still again after when you know it’s not. I watched it again. They do. And if I had to not be analytical, then I just think it’s funny, which is enough for me. So I shall mention it, in a special way.”
– iDidTht Guest Judge: Graeme Jenner, ECD of King James Group JHB
Special Mention (Direction Craft): June 2019
Egg Films | Kyle Lewis
Adidas ‘Anywhere We Go’
“I love the choreography and casting. The projected titles are also beautifully considered. Visually great.”
– iDidTht Guest Judge: Claudi Potter, CD at Joe Public United
Special Mention (Direction Craft & Grade Craft): May 2019
Egg Films | Zwelethu Radebe (Direction Craft) & Nic Apostoli from Comfort and Fame (Grade Craft)
Cadbury ‘Mom’s Birthday’
“Solid, well-crafted storytelling. There isn’t a false note struck in any of the performances. I love the way that this isn’t a game – it’s a serious transaction between two human beings in a world where the child has set the terms. There’s no obvious smile and wink to the audience.”
– iDidTht Guest Judge: Fran Luckin, CCO at Grey Africa
Best of Reel (Direction Craft, Editing Craft, Grade Craft & Original Music Craft): January 2019
Egg Films | Zwelethu Radebe (Direction Craft) / William Kalmer (Editing Craft) / Nic Apostoli (Grade Craft) / Grant Booth (Original Music Craft)
SAB 18+ ‘Be The Mentor’
“This month’s winner holistically held my attention even though it was long. Idea, acting, storytelling at its best. Craft is everything, it’s not just one thing. This spot had all the pieces together… The ability to move a person and be so pure to your craft is what this piece is about.”
– iDidTht Guest Judge: Nathan Reddy, Chairman & Founder of Grid WorldWide
Special Mention (Direction Craft): November 2019
ROMANCE | MJ van Dorssen
CANSA ‘Don’t Fear The Finger’
“MJ van Dorssen, I don’t know who you are, but I do know you’re very funny. You must be quite larney too, because someone from Romance described this ad as ‘Hitchcockian’ on Instagram. No wait, I just checked again, it actually says ‘Hitchcock-inspired’. I prefer ‘Hitchcockian’ myself, but larney nonetheless. Truth be told, everyone knows I just like a good bum joke, and that’s exactly what this is. Well done MJ van Dorssen, whoever you are.”
– DidTht Guest Judge: Graeme Jenner, ECD of King James Group JHB
Best of Reel (Direction Craft): October 2019
ROMANCE | Greg Gray
Nedbank ‘Secrets (Sizwe & Alinah)’
Steph: This is a tense film and once you get into it, it grips you. It could quite easily have veered into the dramatic, but the performances are beautifully restrained.
Moses: The music, edit and framing all work together to capture the isolation and anxiety of the protagonist. It puts the burden of the secret squarely on him for such is the Tao of Secrets.
Steph: What do you know of the Tao of Secrets? You’re a cat.
Moses: There’s a dead bat under your bed…
Moses: I feel so much better now.
– iDidTht Guest Judge: Steph Van Niekerk, CD at Grey Africa/Liquid and Moses, Cat.
Special Mention (Direction Craft): August 2019
ROMANCE | Greg Gray
Nedbank ‘Secrets’
“Tension was built beautifully in this 15 minute film about the webs we weave. I couldn’t stop myself from taking screenshots of the perfectly framed, beautifully lit and considered scenarios.”
– iDidTht Guest Judge: Nikki Taylor-Garrett, CD at TBWA Hunt Lascaris
Special Mention (Direction Craft): June 2019
ROMANCE | Greg Gray
Chicken Licken ‘Soul Sisters; Father and Son’
“The comic timing on this particular spot is really great, and I love the way the music and the performances work together – not just to get a smile from the audience, but to make us connect with this father and son in a more emotional way.”
– iDidTht Guest Judge: Claudi Potter, CD at Joe Public United
Special Mention (Direction Craft): December 2019
Bioscope Films | Kyla Philander
Google ‘Google Station’
“Kyla Philander‘s film for Google is just really sweet and super authentic. It has a great real feeling to the treatment and the cast … and just feels like a nice honest, refreshing take on the power of connectivity… without trying to be overly emotional or manifesto-like and dramatic. Simple and well told and leaves you with a great feeling about the initiative.”
– iDidTht Guest Judge: Ryan McManus, Regional CCO at VMLY&R South Africa
Special Mention (Direction Craft): November 2019
Bioscope | Fausto Becatti
Consol Glass ‘Perfectly Made For Each Other’
“Is the whole ‘Glass vs Cans’ thing the new Pepsi/Coke advertising rivalry of back in the day? I don’t really understand it, but it would seem so because this spot is amazingly produced, especially if the hype about it being created 95% in-camera is to be believed. I was intrigued and engaged and a bit mesmerised. I felt like watching it again. Not many ads warrant 2 consecutive views, which is why this gets a special mention.”
– iDidTht Guest Judge: Graeme Jenner, ECD of King James Group JHB
Special Mention (Direction Craft, Cinematography Craft & Original Music Craft): July 2019
Bioscope Films | Zipho Dlangamandla (Direction Craft), Thomas Revington (Cinematography Craft) / Yanick Bathfield & Vicente Espi (Original Music Craft)
Yoco ‘Just Start – Brand Film’
“Bioscope’s director Zipho Dlangamandla needs special recognition for directing what appears to be quite a complex board for Yoco with great skill. He managed to capture a brand film that is fresh and energetic. I love how this director covered everything from performances to music with great consideration. Props to his cinematographer Thomas Revington for capturing the vision so well.”
– iDidTht Guest Judge: Ahmed Tilly, CCO at FCB Africa
Campaign Special Mention (Direction Craft): January 2019
Bioscope Films | Fausto Becatti
Coca-Cola ‘Share A Coke With Me’, ‘Share A Coke with Euwelia & Bonganiokuhlekwamadlamane’ & ‘Share A Coke with Andaleeb & Kgosi’
“I love it when a film captures the real, the authentic and the beauty. Keep on going Coke!”
– iDidTht Guest Judge: Nathan Reddy, Chairman & Founder of Grid WorldWide
Best of Reel (Editing Craft): July 2019
Ludus Post Production | Nick Gishen (Offline Edit Craft) & Michael Naidoo (Online Edit Craft)
Brand South Africa ‘One Africa One People’
“My Best of Reel goes to the team at Ludus; Nick Gishen (Offline), Michael Naidoo (Online) for the fantastic job they did with Brand South Africa’s ‘One Africa One People’. Their editing skills kept me attached to the lead character throughout a frenetic race to safety. The shots were selected perfectly and timed beautifully. The piece was so magically crafted that I was transported into the terrifying mind and heart of the lead character. Powerful stuff!”
– iDidTht Guest Judge: Ahmed Tilly, CCO at FCB Africa
Special Mention (Editing Craft): April 2019
Ludus Post Productions | Mark Ash (Offline Edit Craft) & Michael Naidoo (Online Edit Craft)
Outsurance ‘It’s a Calling – Matt’
“It’s great to see OUTsurance telling authentic, well put-together stories that make the audience feel something. Well done.”
– iDidTht Guest Judge: Tseliso Rangaka, ECD at Ogilvy Cape Town
Special Mention (Direction Craft): May 2019
The Star Films Co | Jonathan Parkinson
Xero ‘Unexpected’
“One simple fluid take lets the stunt enjoy center stage. It feels easy and unforced. It would be even better with no voice over. Just a superbly well-phrased end title. Okay, you might need two titles.”
– iDidTht Guest Judge: Fran Luckin, CCO at Grey Africa
Best of Reel (Direction Craft): April 2019
The Star Films Co | Tristan Holmes
Investec ‘We Live in a World’
“I’m going to call this work by Tristan Holmes a very worthy contender. Yes my sister agency commissioned it. Yes someone else should probably be the judge here. But I’m the one tasked to do this. It helps that the work speaks for itself. Through the best alternative to Idris Elba there is. It also speaks through the picture perfect…well pictures, a great score and that thing the lead does at the end of the ad. Watch it again. Tell me I’m wrong.”
– iDidTht Guest Judge: Tseliso Rangaka, ECD at Ogilvy Cape Town
Best Of Reel (Direction Craft): May 2019
7 Films | Siphiwe Myeza
Gillette ‘Akhona’
“Full disclosure: 7Films shot this for us at Grey. I don’t believe I’m patting myself on the back by selecting this as my Best of Reel though because everything this film is, it owes to SJ Myeza and 7 Films. It could so easily have been a sad but moving story about loss and struggle. But through his casting of Akhona and Nozizwe, aided by the rapport he established with them that enabled him to draw so much rich material from them, through the sensitive cinematography that gives dignity and warmth to their home, to the way the edit guides the viewer through the relationship, the director has turned this into an ultimately joyous portrayal of the redemptive power of love.”
– iDidTht Guest Judge: Fran Luckin, CCO at Grey Africa
Best of Reel (Direction Craft): November 2019
Arcade Content | Lebogang Rasethaba
Nike ‘Birthplace of Dreams’
“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.”
– iDidTht Guest Judge: Graeme Jenner, ECD of King James Group JHB
Best of Reel (Editing & Grade Craft): October 2019
Strangelove | Xander Vander (Editing Craft) & Nic Apostoli (Grade Craft)
‘Disco Casting’
Steph: We couldn’t decide between the two pieces, so there are two Best of Reels this month.
Moses: I’ve seen a lot in my nine lives, and rarely does something feel new. This piece popped.
Steph: I love the structure of it. The edit perfectly accentuates the track, with each character representing an instrument. It’s playful and astute. Great casting too, which is fitting, because it’s for a casting agency.
– iDidTht Guest Judge: Steph Van Niekerk, CD at Grey Africa/Liquid and Moses, Cat.
IDIDTHAT Guest Judges 2019
Thank you to all these sexy judges for awarding the best in South African Production Craft for 2019! We salute you, we rate you, we love you, basically, you’ve made it okay!
Top Row: Tseliso Rangaka, Steph Van Niekerk, Nathan Reddy, John Davenport, Neo Mashigo, Ahmed Tilly.
Bottom Row: Vanessa Pearson, Ryan McManus, Nikki Taylor-Garrett, Claudi Potter, Fran Luckin, Graeme Jenner.
January 2019 Craft Awards – View
Nathan Reddy, Chairman & Founder of Grid WorldWide
February 2019 Craft Awards – View
Vanessa Pearson, Founder and ECD at House of Brave
March 2019 Craft Awards – View
John Davenport, CCO at Havas South Africa
April 2019 Craft Awards – View
Tseliso Rangaka, Executive Creative Director of Ogilvy Cape Town
May 2019 Craft Awards – View
Fran Luckin, CCO at Grey Africa
June 2019 Craft Awards – View
Claudi Potter, Creative Director at Joe Public United
July 2019 Craft Awards – View
Ahmed Tilly, CCO of FCB Joburg
August 2019 Craft Awards – View
Nikki Taylor-Garrett, CD at TBWA Hunt Lascaris
September 2019 Craft Awards – View
Neo Mashigo, CCO at M&C Saatchi Abel Group
October 2019 Craft Awards – View
Steph Van Niekerk, CD at Grey Africa / Liquid and Moses, Cat.
November 2019 Craft Awards – View
Graeme Jenner, ECD of King James Group JHB
December 2019 Craft Awards – View
Ryan McManus, Regional CCO at VMLY&R South Africa
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