The film is now streaming on Prime Video – watch here
ABOUT THE WORK
In the middle of South Africa is Philipstown.
There’s not much there.
And with little opportunity, kids often turn to drugs and gangsterism.
To help, the town created the Philipstown Wire Car Grand Prix – a unique race where kids use their imaginations to build cars out of wire and discarded scrap – and then race them 3 kilometres around the town.
But for 15 years, only locals knew about it, so we asked: how do we make the world see and care about an invisible town?
We started by filming a group of kids in their year-long buildup to the race.
As they built their wire cars and trained for the Grand Prix.
We got to know them. Their hopes and their dreams.
And after a year of filming, when race day finally came, we tracked each wire car with special sensors, showing exactly where they were at any point and time on the track.
Behind the scenes we also digitally mapped the town and its surroundings.
Then, we used all the data to digitally recreate the race.
We turned the kids and their wire cars into real larger than life racers with larger than life cars, just like they see it in their imaginations. A virtual grand prix, on the streets of Philipstown. Exactly as it happened on the real race day. Every straight. Every turn. Every crash. Featuring F1’s official commentator Alex Jacques.
The virtual Grand Prix formed the exciting end climax of our documentary. And the kids had no idea that we did it.
Then we showed our film to the towns folk of Philipstown at a premiere screening
The kids’ amazed reactions to their digital selves became the final act of our documentary streaming on Amazon Prime video.
Putting a global spotlight on Philipstown, building connection and emotion.
Crucially, this wasn’t a digital overlay imposed on the town. Every element was built from real assets: real GPS race data, real streets, real cars, real kids. Technology didn’t replace culture. It amplified it.
And it created something few viewers had ever seen.
CREDITS
Client/Brand: Philipstown Foundation
Client: Kay Fourie
Client: Eileen Menne
Client: Kenneth Yoko
Agency: Accenture Song
Chief Executive Officer: Celeste Koert
Managing Director: Jane Ashforth
Chief Creative Officer: Alistair King
Chief Creative Officer: Matt Ross
Chief Creative Officer: Tseliso Rangaka
Executive Creative Director: Cameron Watson
Executive Creative Director: Devin Kennedy
Executive Creative Director – Design: Rouleaux van der Merwe
Creative Director: Gregory Booysen
Creative & Design
Designer: Connor Holyoake
Title Design: Fraser Muggeridge
Copy & Content
Writer: Terry Mlangeni
Copywriter: Graeme Jenner
Copywriter: Michael Wilson
Copywriter: Drew Murphy
Production
Head of Production: Katherine Jones
Production Lead: Riska Emeran
Producer: Keyana Govender
Producer: Savannah Boltman
Producer: Joshua Michael
Producer: Amy
Creative Producer: Astrid Iverson
Account Management
Business Unit Director: Leandi van den Berg
Account Manager: Nicola de Villiers
Traffic
Traffic Manager: Yumna Jacobs
Traffic Manager: Emma Rasmussen
Earned Media
Earned Media Practice Lead: Michelle Berman
Earned Media Account Manager: Aissa Sithole
Earned Media Account Executive: Samukelisiwe Hashe
Technology
Creative Tech Director: Alexander Bosman
3D, CGI & VFX
Animator: Jeffrey Booysen
Animator: Thomas Christian
CGI Director: Dima Lochmann
CGI Producer: Laura Mestel
CG Supervisor: Mikko Max Reim
CG Editor: Julian Jacobi
CG Animation Supervisor: Sebastian Hofmann
CG Environment Lead: Nikolaus Kinder
CG Lead Vehicle Designer: Adam Wesierski
CG Lead Vehicle Artist: Alexander Ricker
CG Character Lead Artist: Malte Lauinger
CG Compositing Lead: Daniel Beckmann
CG FX Lead: Christian Zilliken
CG Studio Lead: Tobias Lawrenz
CG On Set VFX Supervisor: Andre Eksteen
CG Key Visual Coordination: Bernhard Schröcker
CG Film Offering: Dominic Bitu
CG Consulting: Markus Huber
CG Digital Artist: Max Wesner
CG Digital Artist: Philipp Allard
CG Digital Artist: Marius Plock
CG Digital Artist: Marcus Kitschke
CG Digital Artist: Bardia Afchar
CG Digital Artist: Felix Reinsberg
CG Digital Artist: Alessandro Caragnini
CG Digital Artist: Manuela Schrewe
CG Digital Artist: Mano Büttner
CG Digital Artist: Jannik Mentzel
CG Digital Artist: Martin Wellstein
CG Digital Artist: Albert Abad Gutierrez
CEO & Legal: Nosipho Maketo-van den Bragt
Visual Effects Supervisor: Rob van den Bragt
CGI Supervisor: Tiaan Franken
Lead Compositor: Johan Wentzel
Compositor: Sven Hohmeier
Compositor: Jean Du Plessis
Compositor: Alistair Johnson
3D and VFX: Tegan Theron
3D and VFX: Mpho Vukea
3D and VFX: Sam Visser
3D and VFX: Lloyd Bischoff
3D and VFX: Taija Hartwig
3D and VFX: Taryn Jordan
Senior VFX Producer: Tracy-lee Portnoi
Post Production
Editor: Anthony Lee Martin
Additional Editor: Xander van der Westhuizen
Assistant Editor: Farren Simon-Wolfe
Trailer Editor: Paul Speirs
Grade: Nic Apostoli
Sound & Audio
Supervising Sound Editor: Stephen Webster
Sound Designer: Stephen Webster
Sound Effects Editor: Jodi Jacobs
Foley Recordist: Jodi Jacobs
Dialogue Editor: Michael Botha
Re-Recording Mixer: Michael Botha
Audio Producer: Jenna Lange
Music
Music Director: James Matthes
Music Supervisor: John Fishlock
Lead Composer: Elben Schutte
Lead Composer: Cobus Schutte
Additional Composers: Andries Smit, Keith Kavayi, Jordan Sterling, Tyron Woods
Vocals: Muneyi
Choir Master: Bongani Magatyana
Choir: Sisipho Gwele, Nomfundo Siphunguzulu, Esihle Onica Pingilili, Uviwe Gabayi, Anele Jack, Mncedi Mhlanga, Andile Solani, Nosiphiwo Magoqwana
*If your company collaborated on this project and you’re not featured, please contact studio@ididthat.co and we’ll help you become a member.
