From travelling across South Africa to meet people off the beaten track, and tell their stories, to capturing the essence of what drives a creative, taking you deeper into their world. Or a brand that owns their authentic voice & connects with their viewers. Here are a few examples of my love of story-telling, captured on film.
The SAFTA-nominated-Weskusbewoners is an intimate 13-episode documentary series that takes a personal look at 26 ‘Weskus’ locals.
Getting to the heart of what it is that makes this place so special to each of them. Each one with their own unique narrative. The balance they have found. The journeys that got them here and the experiences that affirm their decision to call the “Weskus” home. We share many cups of coffee, a lot of laughs, a few tears and definitely some pearls of wisdom, as we come to know why this place is so special and why spending time out here is so good for the soul.
The follow-up season to Karoobewoners. Season 2, Weskusbewoners, in collaboration with BrightRock, tells the same story of change, this time of the people of the ‘Weskus’, South Africa. Travelling as far north as the Namibian border, zig-zagging inland, to end up, of all places, in Darling. Darling.
Kyknet Trailer
Trvael north, up the West Coast, you will find the little town of Hondeklipbaai, where we meet 2 artists, Madeleine Baumgarten & Deon “the Villain” Venter, and we get yo hear about how they ended up in a place like this, and what life is like out here, in the middle of nowhere.
In this episode we travel to picturesque St Helena Bay & its neighbour, Stompneus Baai, to meet the tiny, yet dynamite package that is Hilda Adams & her ladies from Die Weskusmandjie, and the gentle conservationist, Jacques Nel.
Not only is this episode set in the magnificent Agterpakhuis region of the Cederberg, but we spend time with the granddaughter of the original Father of Rooibos Tea, and best friend of Dr Louis Leipoldt. We also learn a thing or two about the art of ‘bouldering’.
In this hub of the West Coast, we meet Transet train driver, single dad & rapper, Franklin ‘Capitol F’ Floris and self-taught fine artist, Sebastiaan Theart, who both share a little about what inspires them.
Director: Ian Martin
Production: HomeBrew Films
Client: Fidelity/ADT
”Ysters” saw presenters Johnny Davids & Alwyn Hollenbach, travel to SA’s top Golf Estates, the likes of Fancourt, Val de Vie & Blair Atholl, to name a few. Most of which also happened to be protected and facilitated by Fidelity/ADT.
Over 13 episodes Johnny & Alwyn meet, have a round with, and generally get to know the residents, members & friends of these esteemed golf estates. Some of our guests included; Mr Gary Player, Ryk Neethling, Sim “Tiger” Tshabalala and Damien Willemse.
Series Launch Promo
For one glorious year, before the Covid19 pandemic hit us, I was fortunate to take on the role of Creative Director of the RhinoAfrica Luxury Travel brand, where I was responsible for the conceptualising, execution, art direction, production & design of all marketing & advertising material.
Spending time in the African bush reminded me once again, of whats really important, and allowed me to reconnect with myself again.
Purpose-filled work will always take pride of place for me when it comes to working on brands. And RhinoAfrica is a leader in this field. It was a privilege to be a part of this brand, albeit for only one year.
“Don’t cancel on Africa” Campaign
Targeted, persona-based Marketing Campaign
Digital Collateral
My debut as a documentary series director, Karoobewoners has a very special place in my heart.
From conceptualising this series, with BrightRock, that would look at a myriad of people living in the Karoo, the life changes they made and the purpose-filled lives they now live, to travelling for weeks across the Karoo with a small team of 4, to falling in love with every single guest we got to meet, & share a few moments from their lives & tell their beautifully unique stories.
Documentary Series Trailer
Episode 1 Promo
We start our journey into the Karoo, in the beautiful gem of Montagu, where we meet farmers Petrus & Liana Janse and guesthouse owners Jacques Erasmus & his partner Hein
We get a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to meet & share his inspiration from ceramicist, Hylton Nel.
Hylton is a conceptual artist. Perhaps not in the way contemporary art uses the phrase but in the sense that he is an artist who is interested in ideas. The ideas and debates that capture his imagination are idiosyncratic and touch on many spheres, ranging from the history of the decorative arts to literature, visual art and issues in our politicised world. Often the references may not be immediately apparent, especially if the debate on that day was about a particular blue glaze and its meaning in Chinese ceramics, the significance of pattern-and-design motifs on Islamic tiles, the symbolism and form of cats in Egyptian art, the stances in erotic painting on ancient Greek vases, the resonances of Buddhist sculpture or the expression on the face of an African figure, to mention but a few possibilities. For Nel the medium of clay is a means to give his ideas form. The actual making of the form is seldom a challenge; his concern always remains with the idea or impulse that prompted him to realise the form. Over the course of more than 50 years working with clay and glazes, he has invented a visual language that is distinctly his own.
This episode of Karoobewoners takes us to the quaint, far-away town of Steytlerville, in the Eastern Cape region of The Karoo. Here we meet Kenny & Hanli Buber, who created there own little piece of heaven + chef & restauranter, Lizzy Snoek, of LIzzy’s Khaya fame.
This episode introduces us to the family-owned Padstal just outside Richmond, on the N1 + the breathtakingly beautiful Bergplaas Nature Reserve, just outside Nieu Bethesda, Karoo.
”Bergplaas is a powerful and wild place where our connection with nature and the oneness of all life is alive & can be experienced and felt. A space where we can connect to our own true nature and recognise that solving the environmental crisis the world is facing starts with a commitment to deep reconciliation through the heart”
- HRH Princess Irene van Lippe-Biesterfeld of the Netherlands
Along with my copywriter partner, we were responsible for the visuals, art direction & narrative to try capture the concept of Change Science. Change Science draws from psychology, behavioural economics, and neuroscience. It shows us that anyone can change – and that any change brings opportunity with it.
It was also our job to take existing, real-person-written stories & turn them into conceptual visual narratives that would eventually become a library of short films on the Change Exchange Platform
Furthermore, myself & a sound engineer designed & packaged a podcast series with presenters Rehema Isa & Lebo Biko. centred around conversations with women who have, and are negotiating change, successfully.
PODCAST: Chatting opportunity within change and adversity with Lebo Mutloane
Apart from Art Directing House & Leisure Magazine, I was responsible for the Creative Direction of the HL Video Channel. It was an absolute privilege to create these beautifully intimate films that allowed us to get to know the people, homes, chefs, creatives & other fascinating individuals that filled the pages of the magazine.
An interview V/O with Van der Merwe Miszewski Architects about the inspiration & design of, while touring the iconic Bridge House, Higgovale, Cape Town.
HL unlocking South Africa's creative disruptors, as shot by renowned photographer, Trevor Stuurman
In the town of Prince Albert, in the Karoo, we spend a few days with Frances van Hassalt, her brand, and most importantly the inspiration for their world-class, hand-woven Mohair products
Shortmarket Club Chef, Wes Randles, lets us in on his secret to constructing a new dish.
Cities can sometimes be intimidating, and we don’t always take the time to look up, but when we do, magic happens.
Multi-award-winning Sylvester Chauke is a self-confessed Madonnacrazy entrepreneur and founder of DNA Brand Architects. After an illustrious career as the national marketing manager for Nando's South Africa, Sylvester joined broadcasting giant MTV Networks Africa as its director of marketing and communication.
A behind the scenes look at HL’s Next Gen Creatives and what the statement “the future is female” means to them.
Kim was born on December 17th 1956 – in Johannesburg, South Africa. She spent the first 18 years of her life in South Africa; she then left her beloved African shores and spent the next 12 years travelling, researching and documenting crafts. Looking at craft-production and people’s historical connection to their material culture.
We spend a very special day at his Tamboerskloof home, with Chef, Liam Tomlin.
Liam was born in Dublin, Ireland, where his career as a chef began at the age of 14. He went on to gain experience in some of Ireland and Europe's finest kitchens, eventually moving to Australia in 1991. For the next six years Liam worked with Dietmar Sawyer of Restaurant Forty One as Chef de Cuisine, honing his skills and accumulating invaluable knowledge, before opening Banc Restaurant in Sydney.
Since then he has travelled the globe, opening restaurants, doing consultancy work, publishing cookbooks and winning numerous prestigious international awards. In 2004 he moved to Cape Town, South Africa, consulting to various luxury lodges and restaurants.
In 2010 he opened Chefs Warehouse & Cookery School, which eventually became Chefs Warehouse & Canteen, regularly featured in the top five Cape Town restaurants on Tripadvisor. In 2016 Liam opened Thali, Chefs Warehouse @ Beau Constantia, in 2017 Chefs Warehouse @ Maison in Franschhoek and in 2019 Jewells in Paarl.
We spend the day in studio with Landuma Ngxokolo, discussing the role that cultural inspiration plays in the creation of his designs and new collections.
Cover & Feature shoot for the House & Leisure Architectural Issue
Owners, Warren Siebrits & Lunette Bartz, take us on a tour, of their home, in Kew, Johannesburg, designed by the famed sculptor, Edoardo Villa, and the method to what appears to be some sort of madness of design.
Tristan du Plessis is an international award winning interior architect based out of Johannesburg, South Africa. His firm of 7 full time designers focuses strongly on signature projects as a specialist company that deals with hospitality and luxury residential projects on a turn-key basis, from design to completion.
As consulting Creative Director, I worked hand-in-hand with the HyperionDev Marketing Team & agency Bain&Bunkell, to develop & produce a fresh, repositioning campaign for Africa’s leading, human-lead coding education solution. #codethisthis
#CodeDidThis TVC
The 3rd season in the “Bewoners” Documentary Series.
This time we travelled to The Lowveld, to towns like Mbombela, Lydenburg, Waterval Boven & Kaapsehoop to name a few. And once again meet the most fascinating people from this region.
