AVIJOZI 2024
Don't Miss AVIJOZI 2024
Chocolate Tribe
Discover AVIJOZI 2024: Where Creativity, Production and Technology Meet
Are you passionate about animation, visual effects, film production, or gaming? Look no further! AVIJOZI, the premier event in South Africa where creativity and technology converge, is back for their 3rd exhilarating edition on September 14 – 15, 2024, at Summer Place, Hyde Park, Johannesburg.
What is AVIJOZI?
Established in 2021, AVIJOZI is more than just a festival; it’s a dynamic platform that connects creatives, technicians, and producers. Hosted by Chocolate Tribe in partnership with Netflix and the NFVF, AVIJOZI serves as a catalyst for collaboration, innovation, and talent development in the film, production, animation, VFX, gaming and interactive media industries.
What to Expect
AVIJOZI 2024 promises an array of enriching experiences for industry professionals, enthusiasts and aspiring talents alike:
Masterclasses and Workshops: Dive deep into the latest techniques, tools, and trends with expert-led sessions covering various aspects of animation, VFX, film production and gaming.
Show & Tells: Gain insights into ground-breaking projects and behind-the-scenes processes through interactive showcases and presentations by industry leaders.
Game Jams: Participate in adrenaline-pumping game development challenges, collaborate with fellow enthusiasts, and showcase your creativity under pressure.
Technology Experiments: Explore cutting-edge technologies and innovations shaping the future of entertainment through hands-on demonstrations and interactive exhibits.
Networking Opportunities: Connect with like-minded professionals, forge valuable partnerships and expand your network within the vibrant AVIJOZI community.
Global Expertise: Meet and learn from leading experts and visionaries from around the world, who will share their knowledge, experiences and insights into the ever-evolving landscape of creative and technological industries.
Drone Pilots Demos: Marvel at the aerial acrobatics and precision flying of skilled drone pilots as they demonstrate the capabilities of cutting-edge drone technology. From breathtaking maneuvers to stunning aerial photography, prepare to be amazed.
Stunt Men Demonstrations: Experience the adrenaline rush as professional stunt performers showcase their skills and daring feats. Witness jaw-dropping stunts, choreographed sequences and thrilling action up close.
Film Screenings: Immerse yourself in captivating stories and cinematic adventures with screenings of acclaimed films, documentaries and animations. From thought-provoking dramas to thrilling adventures, there’s something for every movie lover to enjoy.
Music and Food: Enjoy a variety of food options with DJ beats setting the perfect festival mood.
Join Us at AVIJOZI 2024
Don’t miss your chance to be part of this extraordinary event that celebrates the fusion of creativity and technology. Whether you’re a seasoned professional, an aspiring talent, or simply a curious enthusiast, AVIJOZI offers something for everyone.
Mark your calendar, spread the word, and get ready for an unforgettable experience at AVIJOZI 2024. Admission is free of charge, tickets are limited, so bring your passion and enthusiasm and Register Your Free Ticket Now!
For more information and updates, visit www.avijozi.com and follow us on social media.
See you there!
AVIJOZI 2023 Video
Grand Prix and Gold for KFC "Anything For The Taste"
KFC
Grand Prix and Gold for KFC "Anything For The Taste"
KFC “Anything for the taste” wins at the Loeries 2023.
This advertisement follows Mr. Mulapo, the trusted “quality assurance inspector” who will go to any lengths to ensure that the KFC chicken is top-notch.
Romance Films approached Chocolate Tribe to do the compositing on this hilarious ad. The concept of this young man dressing up as an older respectable gentleman to pass himself off as a food assurance inspector
so that he can fully indulge his KFC craving, even if this means he is often taking off like a bandit to evade discovery.
As with previous projects, it’s always a treat to work with the incredible duo of director, Greg Gray and producer Helena Woodfine with agency Ogilvy. Well done to everyone who made sure that this ad won the prestigious Grand Prix Loeries award.
Boy Kills World
Boy Kills World
Lionsgate
“Boy Kills World,” which made its world premiere at the prestigious Toronto Film Festival last year. Directed by Moritz Mohr and produced by the duo of Sam Raimi and Roy Lee, this film is a thrilling ride filled with fast-paced colourful action and quirky charm.
At the heart of the story is the deaf and mute protagonist, Boy(Bill Skarsgård), who embarks on a quest for vengeance against Hilda van der Koy, the perpetrator behind the tragic loss of his family. Guided by the inner voice from a childhood video game, Boy navigates the world with a thirst for blood. Trained under a mysterious Shaman, Boy becomes a lethal weapon.
Chocolate Tribe worked on various scenes throughout the film, such as the dream sequences where Boy encounters the Shaman, Boy finds himself immersed in an alternate state of mind, enveloped by a swirling, smokey environment, as well as the title sequence.
We are super excited and convinced this film will be an absolute hit. It’s one of those films that will stand out from the crowd. Well done to everybody involved, and a huge congrats to Moritz Mohr and producer duo Sam Raimi and Roy Lee, for such an amazing high paced original adrenaline-filled film.
Distributor / Production Companies: Roadside Attractions & Lionsgate, Nthibah Pictures, Raimi Productions, Hammerstone Studios
Executive Producers: Sam Raimi & Roy Lee
Writers: Tyler Burton Smith, Moritz Mohr &Arend Remmers
Editing: Peter Matjasko
Cinematography: Lucian Barnard
Casting: Nancy Nayor
Cast: Bill Skarsgård, Famke Janssen, Jessica Rothe, Michelle Dockery,
Brett Gelman, Isaiah Mustafa, Yayan Ruhain, Nicholas Crovetti, Cameron Crovetti, Quinn Copeland, Sharlto Copley
Visual Effects / Post Production: Chocolate Tribe
VFX Supervisor: Rob van den Bragt
CGI Supervisor: Tiaan Franken
Executive Producer: Nosipho Maketo – van den Bragt
Senior VFX Producer: Tracy-lee Portnoi
Production Assistant: Katlego Makhudu
Lead Compositor: Novak Miller
Compositors: Johan Wentzel, Alistair Johnson
Concept / Digital Matte Painting Artist: Novak Miller, Michael Howard
Pipeline Developers: Tiaan Franken, Richard Frangenberg (Prism)
IT Support: Aqeel Abba
The Kitchen
The Kitchen
Netflix
The Kitchen, the Netflix UK Original, and winner of two prestigious BIFA Awards (British Independent Film Awards) for Best Effects and Best Production Design, is set against the backdrop of a dystopian future in London. Directed by renowned actor Daniel Kaluuya in his directorial debut, alongside director Kibwe Tavares, of Robot & Scarecrow.
The film spotlights the gentrification of London. The Kitchen, the last remaining public housing complex, shelters its defiant impoverished residents who grapple with the constant fear of utility cutoffs, and face police intimidation as well as eviction.
At the heart of the story is the unusual dynamic between Izi (Kane “Kano” Robinson”) and 12-year-old Benji (Jedaiah Bannerman) that begins at “Life after Life” where Izi works. A company that composts those who have passed on into fertiliser as their families are unable to afford the conventional funeral option. As Benji deals with the loss of his mother, the film delves into the struggles of residents. The Kitchen offers a nuanced exploration of societal challenges. We see Izi step into unfamiliar territory; initially portrayed as a self-sufficient, and “I am just trying to survive and make it out alive” character. Izi’s role transforms as he takes on the responsibility “of a father” for Benji.
This project was a remarkable bridge, connecting talent across the globe (UK, South Africa, France, India and Canada) and fostering collaborative energy that transcends geographical divides.
To build the grungy worn-out world of The Kitchen, Chocolate Tribe worked on over 250 VFX shots, such as large 3D city scape set extensions, 2D/3D holographic advertisements, animated drones and rendered future-inspired vehicles, as well as many detailed 3D city assets (such as construction sites and the futuristic buildings).
The tools used on this production were Autodesk Maya, Arnold, Foundry Nuke, Substance Painter, Ftrack, DaVinci Resolve, Blender, Redshift, Unreal Engine, Houdini and Adobe Creative Cloud. The film highlights heavily the structural and architectural look of the block of apartments in The Kitchen (Les Damiers, which were filmed in Paris, France), which required over 100 assets to be sculpted and modelled.
We are proud to have been part of this amazing project. Congratulations to the entire team; behind the scenes and in front of the camera.
The Kitchen is currently ranked number 3 on Netflix’s Global Top 10 and has garnered wide positive reviews from audiences globally. The Kitchen premiered on Netflix on the 19th of January 2024.
Director: Daniel Kaluuya, Kibwe Tavaris
Writers: Daniel Kaluuya, Joe Murtagh, Amy Baty
Executive Producer: Michael Fassbender, David Kimbangi, Ollie Madden, Connor McCaughan
Producer: Kareen Adeshina, Theo Barrowclough, Daniel Emmerson, Daniel Kaluuya, Angus Lamont, Steve Newton
Editing: Maya Maffioli, Christian Sandino-Taylor
Cinematography: Wyatt Garfield
VFX Company: Chocolate Tribe
VFX Supervisor: Rob van den Bragt
Executive Producer: Nosipho Maketo – van den Bragt
Head of Production: Rob van den Bragt
Senior VFX Producer: Tracy-lee Portnoi
VFX Producer: Nikki Maistry
VFX Production Co-ordinator: Katlego Makhudu
3D Supervisor: Tiaan Franken
3D Artists: Fumani Hlungwane, Glenn Ewan, Grant Steyn, Kyle Sibanda, Lloyd Bisschoff, Mpho Vukea, Tanaka Musewe, Taija Hartwig, Taryn Jordan, Tegan Theron, Samantha Visser, Thezi Ndhlazi
Lead Compositor: Johan Wentzel
Compositors: Alistair Johnson, Angelo Collinicos, Graeme Armstrong, Jaron Clegg, Jean du Plessis, Jaco Kraamwinkel, Novak Miler, Sam Alessandri, Sven Hohmeier
Digital Matte Painting: Michael Howard
IT Support: Aqeel Abba
Legal: Nosipho Maketo – van den Bragt
3D Tracking: Glenn Ewan, Tegan Theron, Jaron Clegg, Alekh Kumar Singh, Gagan Deep, Prakash Chand, Md Azal
Roto Business Head: Abhishek Kumar
Roto Producer: Bosky Palan
Roto HOD: Prashant Sakpal
Roto Project Manager: Sushmit Daware
Roto Coordinator: Deepak Bhatt, Hanumant Pawar
Roto QC: Deepak Chadhokar, Shashank Tandle
Roto Supervisor: Prathamesh Gaikwad, Abhay Vibhute, Prashant Jadhav
Roto Lead: Nazim Patel, Bhavesh Jadhav, Ritesh Jagtap, Tushar Phadtare, Dipak Mandhare, Rahul Choudhari
Roto Artist: Amol Pagare, Shweta Patil, Vikas Yadav, Piu Dutta, Khushal Pardeshi, Asmita Kadam, Shashikant Gaikwad, Priya More, Sagar Khairnar, Sudarshan Sawant, Rajkumar Shakya, Arun Kurbetti, Sunil Chauhan, Jaywant Thakur, Ajay Shirsath, Pranav More, Rahul Pal, Ranjeet Mane, Vijay Bogale, Rahul Birajdar, Bharat Deve, Rohit Shelar, Indrajeet Sharma, Dipak Pisal, Sainath Nadavane, Omkar Patil, Swapnil Barje, Pravin Birajdar, Prathamesh Angre, Ajay Karmale, Girish Parab, Pankaj Chavan, Anil Gavde, Ashraf Shaikh, Pranav Dhadave, Miraj Ali Khan, Rahul Patil, Bhimashankar Birajdar, Imran Khan, Sushant Phadtare, Chetan Gawade, Vijay Lohar, Chandrakant Patil, Swapnil Panchal, Kunal Gaikwad, Sunil Mohite, Rahul Phadke, Amir Sangde, Kamlesh Gupta, Amar Sable, Shubham Shetti, Mayur Patil, Manohar Rathod, Ganesh Bhosle, Sushant Gaikwad, Omkar Bhosale, Rajesh Singh, Tushar Bijam, Mayur Madhekar, Akshay Bhavsar
Miseducation
Miseducation
Netflix
College dramedy, but make it South African! Our Tribe worked on Netflix South Africa’s latest coming-of-age comedy-drama Miseducation, created by Rethabile Ramaphakela and Katleho Ramaphakela of the production house, Burnt Onion Productions.
Following the story of High School leaver Mbali Hadebe (Buntu Petse) the daughter of a prominent politician, Brenda Hadede (Baby Cele) gets caught up in a grant funding scandal that results in all her possessions being repossessed on the night of Mbali’s 19th birthday party. This scandalous scene all unfolds just before Mbali, the High School popularity queen, is set to embark on her University journey. Amassed with humiliation, Mbali sets to blaze a new trail and start afresh at Grahamstown University in Makhada.
Miseducation is a delightful blend of light-hearted comedy and the compelling drama of college life.
Chocolate Tribe worked on 155 VFX shots and clean-ups across all 6 episodes. From the bright fireworks wishing Mbali a “Happy Birthday” across the Sandton Skyline, to the 3D crowd simulations of student protests, and burning down a heritage building in post-production when a disgruntled group of students sets the room alight.
Miseducation is currently streaming on Netflix.
Agency: Netflix
Production Company: Burnt Onion
Production Director: Catharine Cooke, Lwazi Mvusi, Themba Mfebe, Rea Rangaka
Producer: Phuthi Nakene
Visual Effects / Post Production: Chocolate Tribe
VFX Supervisor / On-Set VFX Supervisor: Rob van den Bragt
Executive Producer: Nosipho Maketo – van den Bragt
Senior VFX Producer: Tracy-lee Portnoi
Production Assistant: Katlego Makhudu
3D Supervisor: Tiaan Franken
3D Artists: Mpho Vukea, Tanaka Musewe, Taryn Jordan, Tegan Theron, Kyle Sibanda
Lead Compositor: Johan Wentzel
Compositors: Alistair Johnson, Sven Hohmeier, Jaron Clegg, Jean du Plessis
IT Support: Aqeel Abba
Legal : Nosipho Maketo – van den Bragt
iNumber Number Behind The Scenes
iNumber Number
Jozi Gold Behind The Scenes
Chocolate Tribe is thrilled to share an exciting project we worked on with Quizzical, and directed by Donovan Marsh, that has kept us buzzing with anticipation.
The feature film sequel “iNumber Number: Jozi Gold.” revolves around two friends, Shoes (Presley Chweneyagae) and Chili (S’dumo Mtshali), who bravely confront crime in the bustling city of Johannesburg as they pursue a notorious gold kingpin known as the Hyena Man.
Chocolate Tribe was brought on board to bring to life the character of Jonga, the Hyena Man’s trusted partner. A domesticated, ferocious, and intelligent hyena.
Chocolate Tribe turned to Autodesk’s Maya, Ziva muscle simulation toolset (from Unity), Peregrine Labs’ Yeti for some amazing hair sims, the robust Autodesk Arnold renderer for some amazing photorealistic rendering, Houdini for the various simulations on the chains and saliva, Substance Painter for texturing and Zbrush for sculpting. Naturally finished off with The Foundry’s Nuke for some final integrations.
The project took the studio about 8 months, requiring extensive research and study of hyenas to accurately depict their movement, gait, growl, and the nuances of their fur, as well as focusing our CGI creation on the accurate species of hyena for the film. When it comes to CGI creature creation, even the smallest gestures and behaviors unique to the creature cannot be overlooked, as they contribute to the character’s authenticity and believability.
From meticulously sculpting the muscular structure to refining the facial features and motion of the body and hair, all our Tribe team members played an amazing role in bringing this remarkable character to life. A heartfelt thank you to all involved from the Chocolate Tribe.
iNumber Number is now streaming on Netflix.
Fastrack Behind The Scenes
Fastrack
Fastrack Behind The Scenes
Photorealism, creature work, and Chocolate Tribe. A match made in heaven. We were thrilled to be approached by Fastrack, an Indian fashion accessory retail brand, to create a fully CGI orangutan for their latest fashion eyewear commercial. We created an orangutan before, and were happy to try and improve on what we learned during the production of the Checkers commercial.
The creative team worked in Autodesk Maya for animation, Arnold for lighting and rendering, Yeti for the fur system and Ziva from Unity for the model, muscle and movement simulation.
Ziva as a tool allows the full reproduction of realistic muscle, fat and skin slide simulations. It can create an accurate simulation of the underlying skeletal structure and also manipulates the behavior of soft tissue and tendons. A vital ingredient to getting that photorealistic weight, look and feel.
Yeti was amazing to work with on the orangutan’s hair and fur. It was important to get the details right, and with Yeti’s node based workflow, gave the team an amazing amount of control over the dynamics, hair flow, length, density, color and texture of hair and fur.
From an animation point of view, The Tribe spent a lot of time to find a balance between creature and character animation. Although the client was keen to make it look as realistic as possible, they were also aware that the performance of the orangutan needed to connect with the viewer in less than 12 seconds. We filmed performance reference plates during the shoot with an actor, and experimented with a lot of different performance animation options to find the right level of expression.