Best in Craft awarded to Daniel Morcos from Carbon Films AND James O’ Sullivan and the late SJ Myeza from 7Films.

We’re back beaches! January’s IDIDTHAT.co Craft Awards were judged by Darling Films‘ director, Chloe Coetsee and ECD of Machine_ Cape Town, PJ Eales. Congratulations to all the winners.

‘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 SFX, 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 (Direction)
‘Set Your Heart Free’ (Short Film)
Carbon Films | Daniel Morcos

Awarded by Chloe Coetsee

“This spot makes you work for it, and I like that! In a spoon-fed commercial world it was great to get a sense of something before making sense of it. I love how the voice drifts through the contrasting visuals, creating a tension and offbeat pace. It’s evocative and playful and cool.”
– IDIDTHAT Guest Judge: Chloe Coetsee, director at Darling Films

BEST IN CRAFT (Direction & Editing)
‘The Letter’ (Short Film)
7Films | SJ Myeza (Director)
7Films | James O’ Sullivan (Editor)

Awarded by PJ Eales

“I wasn’t expecting to be brought to tears on a Sunday morning but The Letter absolutely floored me. I loved everything about it, from the way the various pieces of film from SJ’s commercials and projects have been seamlessly cut together to tell one story, to the way the voice was directed. It’s a powerful piece of film for an absolutely amazing initiative.”
– IDIDTHAT Guest Judge: PJ Eales, ECD at Machine_

CRAFT MENTION (Direction)
Glo ‘Football’
Giant Films | Ian Gabriel

Awarded by Chloe Coetsee

“A very close second place for Best in Craft was Ian Gabriel’s ‘Football’ spot for Glo. It put a smile on my face. I loved the irreverent style of the visuals tied together by good old-fashioned story telling; the combination created something fun and engaging to watch. The idea is something we’ve seen many times before, which would have made it even harder for Ian to find those original moments that keep surprising the audience throughout. That’s good direction.”
– IDIDTHAT Guest Judge: Chloe Coetsee, director at Darling Films

CRAFT MENTION (Direction)
Property24 ‘Make the most of Home’
Hungry Films | Jasyn Howes

Awarded by PJ Eales

“There have been a multitude of films and pieces of work that have been released throughout the pandemic, often leading to what I call Covid-fatigue. But this piece from Jaysn Howes stood out for me. Kudos to the writer for a beautifully written VO, but it’s Jaysn’s direction of the talent that really brings the film to life and sets it apart from others I’ve seen. It’s beautifully directed and beautifully executed.”
– IDIDTHAT Guest Judge: PJ Eales, ECD at Machine_

CRAFT MENTION (Direction)
Wimpy/Engen ‘The Next Stop’ (Directors Cut)
They | Mel Ismail

Awarded by PJ Eales

“There was a lot of really emotional work entered this time round so this spot for Wimpy by Mel Ismail was like a breath of fresh air. I actually hadn’t seen the spot before this and the joke reveal made me laugh out loud, so much so that I watched it over and over again. The performances from mom and dad are fantastic, but Mel has done some incredible work in the way she directed the little girl, her facial expressions and the little nuances that Mel coaxed out of her are simply sublime.”
– IDIDTHAT Guest Judge: PJ Eales, ECD at Machine_

CRAFT SHOUTOUTS
By Chloe Coetse

Although not officially Craft Mentions, there are two other pieces that I felt needed a shoutout because the craft applied to the work stayed with me long after I first watched them.
The first one is a beautifully executed promo for Hunters Cider directed by Itumeleng Mohlabane (Bomb Films). I loved all the bells and whistles. It was technically well thought out and therefore rewarding to watch.
The second one is director Kyle Lewis’s (Egg Films) fashion film, ‘Made to Create x Qhawe‘. This genre can easily blend into a sea of sameness, but there was an overall wielding of craft that deserves a nod.

IDIDTHAT GUEST JUDGES:

JAN 2021 Chloe Coetsee CRAFT AWARDS JUDGE_NEWS

Chloe Coetsee is a director at Darling Films. As a director, she is a lover of dead-pan characters and her work distils humanity into all its awkward glory. She is particularly skilled at smashing ideas together to realize unlikely situations that will spark joy in audiences. Somehow capable of being the life-of-the-party while continuing her avid people watching, Chloe brings a light touch and a big personality to all her work.

JAN 2021 PJ EALES CRAFT AWARDS JUDGE_NEWS

As Executive Creative Director of Machine_ Cape Town, PJ oversees every aspect of creative output at the agency, with a focus on three main areas: Creative Product, Client Relationships and People. As a respected creative leader in the industry, he leads a studio of over 21 curious minds in producing award-winning work for some of the best brands in the world including Heineken, Red Bull, Chivas Regal, The Glenlivet and Emirates Airlines amongst others.