Dan Mace's NXT LVL ad for Vodacom

29 June, 2017 - 08:57

Egg Films' Dan Mace directed This Is Your Time, Ogilvy's inspiring new ad for Vodacom NXT LVL, which was just named Editors Pick on Adforum and Ad of the Week on MarkLives.

The spot subverts the way we immediately box people, suggesting that instead of seeing a poor girl living in a shack, we should see someone with dreams and hustle and a 20-year plan, a whole universe of knowledge in the palm of her hand.

This board stood out for me as it was super rich in performance, which is an area I really want to take my reel into, says Dan.

Egg's latest signing only had one shoot day to coax the magnetic lead performance out of Siphosethyu Sam' Dyani, picked from her first-ever casting. We did loads of prep to get her into the right space, but when she was on set it just came naturally, says Dan. She was great to work with and took direction really well, which meant we had time to really focus on camera and making sure that was on point.

Stephen du Plessis edited the spot, keeping the performance central while allowing Dan's distinctive technical wizardry to add another layer to the spot's message about the power of technology.

I am proud of the end product and stoked to be a part of a message so relevant in our country, says Dan. Those are the ads I dig.

Fabian Vettiger shot This Is Your Time, which was conceptualized by Ogilvy's creative team of producer Helen d'Hotman, creative director Candice Hellens, copywriter Palesa Motiki, and art director Mantwa Toka.

Last week, Dan won his third Young Director Award in two years at Cannes Lions - a South African record.

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Dan won a Silver Screen award in the Broadcast category for the Here's To The US In Every Tusker ad he directed in Kenya with Groundglass for Net#work BBDO. Dan was the only winner from Africa in the category. He was also shortlisted in the Changing The World Frame By Frame category for Tusker Flag 42.

These are just the latest in a string of accolades for the Tusker campaign, which has already picked up an African Cristal Film Grand Prix; two One Show craft merits; Creative Circle Ad of the Month; Ad of the Week from MarkLives; and a Special Mention on ididtht's SA Film Reel.

Last year, Dan won two Silver Screen Young Director Awards: for Gift in the Short Film category and The Bomb Sniffing Rats Saving Lives in Mozambique in the Changing The World Frame By Frame category.

Dan's Young Director Award was one of a number of big wins by Egg directors at Cannes Lions this year. Absolut One Source - directed by Sunu - took home Gold in the Entertainment category, while adidas Originals Original Is Never Finished - directed by Terence Neale - won the Grand Prix in the Entertainment for Music category. In all, Egg Films' directors took home one Grand Prix, one Gold, two Silvers, and six Bronzes - the best-ever performance by a South African production company, at least in recorded history.

About Egg Films

The most internationally awarded South African production company in 2016, Egg Films represents directors Brent Harris, Dan Mace, Dani Hynes, Jason Fialkov, Lebogang Rasethaba, Slim, Sunu, Terence Neale and Zwelethu Radebe. We do TV ads, music videos, short films and other things too. For more information, visit https://eggfilms.tv.

Embedded video for Dan Mace's NXT LVL ad for Vodacom

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