On our epic journey of film making we have loads of fun, see beautiful places and meet awesome people. Have a read through our blog and share our journey.
At the end of 2022 we had the privilege of producing and shooting a great spot for Mancosa – a private higher education institution founded in 1995 as a post-apartheid empowerment institution. Directed by Greg Francois, this spot encourages anyone and everyone to brave through, no matter your circumstances.
Thanks to the epic team at Gorilla Creative Media who entrusted us with this project.
Take a look at our latest spot produced and shot in record time by Greg Francois for Heineken UEFA Champions League through the awesome folk at Machine
Brief to delivery: 2 weeks
Confirmation of project to shoot: 6 days
Would we do it again? Hell yeah!
Director: Greg Francois
Exec Producer: Tricia Francois
Line Producer: Anco Henning
Client: Heineken
Agency: Machine
Content Producer: Vuyi Uduchekwu @ Prodigious
Executive Creative Director: Jabulani Sigege
Creative Group Head: Gareth Owen
Senior Copywiter: Ty Keating
Editor: Barry Smit
Colourist: Joshua Borrill
When the sun is shining and the party is in full swing there’s nothing worse than running out of tequila. Greg Francois gives us party envy in the second spot for the global campaign for Jose Cuervo shot in Cape Town.
Greg shot the global campaign for the entire stable of Jose Cuervo brands over three days with the awesome folk at Rocket Films. With dozens of product permutations and edits, this was an epic shoot!
If lockdowns got you feeling like letting loose on a rooftop somewhere, you’re not alone. Greg Francois gives us all the feels in this epic spot for 1800, Jose Cuervo’s premium tequila. Starring beautiful people in gorgeous Cape Town it makes you want to don those stilletos, grab your bestie and party the night away! One day, right?
Greg shot the global campaign for the entire stable of Jose Cuervo brands over three days with the awesome folk at Rocket Films. With dozens of product permutations and edits, this was one of the biggest commercial shoots to take place in Cape Town this year, all whilst practicing Covid compliance. No mean feat we tell ya!
Thanks to the following peeps who made this remote shoot happen so seamlessly.
Director: Greg Francois
Prod co: Rocket Films
Exec Producer: Debbie Cornell
Line Producer: Catherine de la Harpe
Line Producer: Denis Dyas
DOP: Paul Gilpin
Art Director: Sarah-Jane Moulds
Wardrobe Stylist: Catherine de Reuck
Editor: Saki Bergh @ Left Post Productions
Colourist: Craig Simonetti
Final Mix: Audio Militia
Following on from our annual Cannes pilgrimage on the beautiful French Riviera, Greg was jetting off again, this time to Beirut to shoot a Dettol campaign with social media influencer and style icon Noha Nabil. Originally a TV presenter, Noha shot to stardom as one of the Middle East’s most prolific influencers. Her Instagram account alone has earned her more than 6 million followers. In the latest Dettol campaign for their skincare range, Greg captured Noha and her daughter beautifully in spontaneous interactions whilst showcasing the skincare properties of the Dettol brand.
For us, Cannes is a magical time. We escape the frigid cold of Cape Town and head for the red carpet glam of the Croisette where the sun is warm, the sea cool and the rosé always perfectly chilled. The Mediterranean washes away your cares and the Gutter Bar steals your pride. But most of all, it’s a place for us to reconnect with our clients from all over the world. Highlights this year: the villa party with our dear clients at Family Films in Ukraine, who always put together the best event at their classic art nouveau villa overlooking the city, and of course the always fabulous South African party that gives us the warm and fuzzy’s and makes us proud to come be who we are.
The beloved Milo brand, positioned predominantly as a kid’s nutritional drink, has traditionally used football as a theme in most of their advertising. For a new campaign to promote the fact that Milo can be consumed as a breakfast drink, Greg was commissioned to shoot a soccer TVC but with a difference. Continuing the worldwide trend and trajectory of promoting equality and uplifting females as capable sports role models, the hero of the TVC was actually a heroine. Greg enjoyed the challenge of finding a lead who could act, play football and who had the charisma and personality a brand such as Milo demands. The ad was such a success that even his own daughter took up soccer at her local club!
Greg captures the hopes and dreams of a bunch of young soccer fans as they construct a giant Nigerian flag in the hopes of catching the attention of their football heroes. Great storytelling, beautiful pictures and a heartwarming end.
Over the last few years Greg has shot a number of spots for Ukraine’s largest cellular network, Kiev Star. Following on from the success of the previous campaign where a little girl loses her toy chicken and finds it again with the help of social media, the client decided to make a sequel, this time to promote their 4G connectivity. It was Greg’s challenge to create a world where the little chicken transforms into a Godzilla-esque giant chicken taking the girl on a magical journey through the city. Although Greg used a combination of background plates, live action, computer animation and animatronic rigs constructed in a studio, the star of the show was the little girl who was a master performer for such a young age. This commercial showcased Greg’s technical skill in combining life action with animation but most importantly his ability to extract heartwarming performances from his cast. Shot with our friends, Family Productions, based in Kiev.
For twenty years, Kiev Star cellular network has been the steadfast provider of connectivity to millions of Ukrainians. When tasked with creating a twenty year anniversary spot for the brand, Greg jumped at the chance. Using a series of transitions to seamlessly take the viewer from one era to the next, the commercial takes us on a sentimental journey from a first date and wedding, to the next generation growing up and repeating history. Shot through Family Films, Kiev.
Growing his beauty reel, Greg raised the bar for Comfort fabric softener, Middle East. The brief was to create a French-inspired high-end perfume commercial to highlight the fragrance properties of new Comfort. Cape Town was the perfect choice for this shoot, where Greg was able to capture a romantic Alpine setting in Elgin, a one hour’s drive from the Cape Town city centre.
This commercial follows the heartwarming journey of a toy chicken who is separated from his little owner, and through the power of social media they are reunited once again. Although known for his skill in extracting great performances from young kids, Greg could not have done this without the incredible talent and performance ability of his 4 year old star.
The commercial was so successful, the brand recognition so strong, that every little girl in the Ukraine wanted one. This resulted in a massive leap in market share and sales within a highly competitive market. Shot through Family Films, Kiev.
Greg directed this charming story of a father and his daughter interacting via video chat whilst he travels for business. Shot with a small hit squad and drone, this sweet story was a massive success for Ukrainian’s cellular network, Kiev Star. Shot through Family Films, Kiev.
Following on from the success of the last two Dunlop campaigns shot by Greg, he was tasked with shooting one of their most epic TVC’s yet! This commercial describes five very different people, each embarking on a unique journey of their own. To define each journey the locations had to be very different, presenting specific challenges that would demonstrate the individual performance of their tires. From steaming jungles to wide open deserts to modern city backdrops, Cape Town is renowned for the incredible diversity of locations that are within close range of this city. Shot in only two days, we were able to ensure maximum in-camera production value including constructing a massive waterfall downtown to merge the post production elements. It was an epic adventure!
