
9 October, 2020 - 06:02
Egg Films Adrian de sa Garces had the impossible task of resurrecting the greatest boxer of all time in his latest spot for Showmax, Game Changers. As if that wasnt already a massive undertaking, it all had to be done during lockdown level 4 while the country was declared a national state of disaster.
Showmax Pro bundles the existing Showmax streaming service with music, news and live sport from SuperSport. To launch Showmax Pro, Adrian was tasked by its creative team of Philippa Heal, Georja Romano and Jordan Tryon to rewind time and bring back to life one of historys greatest sporting using computer graphics while also celebrating the iconic game changers in sport today.
The result is a magical piece of creative visual storytelling, set to the backdrop of Alis famous speech.
View the commercial here: https://vimeo.com/466056602
Due to the stringent lockdown restrictions, the team used a combination of motion capture, 3D set pieces and live-action. The live-action elements were shot in a studio in Cape Town, using real-time in-camera streaming and Zoom to connect with the agency. The motion capture shoot took place at Chocolate Tribe in Johannesburg.
In studio, Adrian worked with a boxer to match Alis unorthodox movements and fancy footwork, with hair and makeup helping to recreate his unmistakable silhouette. For the boxer to float like a butterfly, he needed to emulate distinctly recognisable Ali moves like the The Ali Shuffle or the unique ways Ali used the jab.
These brief real-world elements brought a live-action impact and tactility that resulted in the 3D action feeling even more authentic. Chocolate Tribe then spent more than 12 weeks creating an almost entirely 3D environment and constructing a 3D Ali.
Adrian pulls back the curtain: The boxer emulated Alis style, but we only used him in the close-ups on Alis feet and the punching bag inserts that were shot in a studio. I would say that for about 90% of the commercial you are watching a 3D-constructed Ali.
Game Changers was a massive undertaking that required a team of experts all working remotely across the country while facing a pandemic, and it has to be said that it wouldnt have been possible without the trust that Showmax and Connected Videos chief marketing CMO, Natasha Matos-Hemingway, put in the process.
Chocolate Tribes technical ability and a considered approach to the work was exactly what it took to honour a champion whose legacy defied the odds.
Credits:
Title: Game Changers
Client: Showmax
Agency: Showmax
Chief Executive Officer: Yolisa Phahle
Chief Marketing Officer: Natasha Matos-Hemingway *
Senior Manager for Marketing & Studio: Lauren McInnes
Marketing Manager: Vuyo Mhlophe
Creative Lead: Philippa Heal
Senior Art Director: Georja Romano
Senior Copywriter: Jordan Tryon
Marketing Producer: Beth Maaroganye
Production House: Egg Films
Director: Adrian de sa Garces
Director of Photography: Paul Gilpin
Art Director: Adi Koen
Production Producer: Lisa Gardner
Executive Producer: Colin Howard
Lead Actor: Arnold Akani Phuzi
Wardrobe Designer: Sylvia Van Heerden
Editing Company: Strangelove
Editor: Xander Van Der Westhuizen
Post-Production Company: Chocolate Tribe & Strangelove
Sound Design and Final Mix: Audio Militia
Music Rights and Licensing: Audio Militia
Studios for Live-Action Shoot: Cape Island Studios
Motion Capture Shoot: The Chocolate Tribe
Commercials
Africa South Africa
Africa Stories
28/06/2025
Johannesburg, 27 June 2025 - As the nation commemorates Youth Month
2025, the N...
24/06/2025
Panels of the National Film and Video Foundation in Accordance with the NFVF Act...
13/06/2025
Johannesburg, 12 June 2025 - The National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF), an a...
11/06/2025
Johannesburg, South Africa - 10 June 2025 - The National Film and Video Foundati...
10/06/2025
Johannesburg, South Africa - 10 June 2025 - The National Film and Video Foundati...
06/06/2025
S o Paulo Film and Audiovisual Company (Spcine) and the National Film and Video ...
05/06/2025
Johannesburg, South Africa 4 June 2025 - The National Film and Video Foundatio...
29/05/2025
Rest in Power, a True Legend of Our Screens
Johannesburg, South Africa 27 May...
29/05/2025
Johannesburg, South Africa 28 May 2025 - The National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF), Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Mr. Vincent Blennies, has resigned from...
22/05/2025
The National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF), an agency of the Department of Sp...
13/05/2025
The NFVF, an agency of the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture that was create...
10/05/2025
The National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF), an agency of the Department of Sp...
09/05/2025
The National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF), an agency of the Department of Sp...
09/04/2025
The National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF) is pleased to announce that the ca...
08/04/2025
We are pleased to announce the appointment of Mr. Vincent Blennies as Chief Exec...
04/04/2025
The National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF) invites final-year animation students to submit character designs inspired by lead characters from any South Afric...
14/03/2025
The National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF) is pleased to announce that the ca...
01/03/2025
Antis pticos Orales: Revisi n De La Literatura Y Perspectiva Actual Influenza son contradictorios, dadas las elevadas tasas de curaci n espont nea. De ser neces...
28/02/2025
The Future of Green Energy: Challenges and Prospects Green energy, also known as renewable energy, has emerged as a critical solution to global energy challenge...
27/02/2025
Beginner Coding in Python: Building the Simplest AI Chat Companion Possible
AI-powered Personal VoiceBot for Language Learning by Gamze Zorlubas
You can ear...
24/12/2024
The National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF) is calling for applications from South African film and television filmmakers to be part of the NFVF's delegat...
06/12/2024
The National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF) is pleased to announce that the cl...
30/11/2024
The National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF) is pleased to announce that the ca...
16/11/2024
The National Film and Video Foundation, an agency of the Department of Sport, Ar...
16/11/2024
The National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF) invites emerging female producers ...
16/11/2024
The National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF) invites current masters students t...
30/10/2024
Johannesburg, 26 October 2024 - The 18th Annual South African Film and Televisio...
30/10/2024
BEST ACHIEVEMENT IN SOUND DOCUMENTARY
!Aitsa
Practitioner: Simon Kohler
Production House: MED CINE
BEST ACHIEVEMENT IN EDITING DOCUMENTARY
Rise: The Si...
24/10/2024
In accordance with Section 6 (2) (c) of the National Film and Video Foundation A...
19/10/2024
The National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF) invites postgraduate students to s...
15/10/2024
The National Film and Video Foundation (herein referred to as NFVF) is a statutory body set up by the government to grow and develop the South African Film and ...
11/10/2024
10 October 2024 Johannesburg, South Africa - The National Film and Video Found...
09/10/2024
Sportel stand number: Ravel Hall G06/07 After a summer filled with intense sport emotions in Paris, France and beyond, Globecast will be happy to welcome you...
04/10/2024
SAFTAs 18 Announces Date and Theme: Honouring Excellence in South African Film and Television with the theme Back to Basics . Johannesburg, South Africa Wedn...
04/10/2024
Johannesburg, South Africa Wednesday, 2 October 2024 The South African Film ...
01/10/2024
Johannesburg, South Africa - Monday, 30 September 2024 - The National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF), an agency of the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture (...
24/09/2024
Every little girl out there who has felt different because they are not what soc...
09/09/2024
The National Film and Video Foundation (herein referred to as NFVF) is a statutory body set up by the government to grow and develop the South African Film and ...
06/09/2024
Johannesburg, 05 September 2024 - The National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF),...
09/08/2024
Johannesburg, 8 August 2024 - It is with profound sadness that the National Film...
01/08/2024
Globecast to Showcase the Broadcast Industry's Most Advanced Connectivity and Hybrid Cloud Solutions at IBC 2024
PARIS, 1 August 2024 Globecast, the lead...
16/07/2024
The National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF), an agency of the Department of Sp...
13/07/2024
The National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF), an agency of the Department of Sp...
09/07/2024
The NFVF, an agency of the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture that is created...
02/07/2024
Arabsat, ASBU and Globecast are commemorating 20 years with a renewed multi-year deal for Global Arabic Bouquet (GAB) services, providing a wide range of DTH di...
11/06/2024
Tuesday 11 June 2024, Johannesburg. The National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF...
31/05/2024
The National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF), the custodians of the South African Film and Television Awards (SAFTAs), has learned of the allegations of ill-tr...
22/05/2024
Judge blocks auction of Elvis Presley's Graceland estateA judge in Tennessee has temporarily halted a foreclosure sale of Graceland, the historic home of El...