Volkswagen "New Tiguan" Behind The Scenes
Volkswagen "New Tiguan"
Volkswagen
Chocolate Tribe’s collaboration with director Karien Cherry from Giant Films, brings to life a playful dreamy world in Volkswagen’s latest ad. The VFX team was brought on to create a giant retro robot, a speeding piñata van, bouncy castles, balloon dogs and many many balloons.
To simulate the realistic dynamics for the various inflatables, Chocolate Tribe applied soft-body physics, in combination with a control rig to bring to life their whimsical, buoyant quality. The colourful piñata van was rehearsed in live-action, but the speed and fun driving style was done in full-CGI.
The retro robot was a fun technical and creative challenge. How to create a transformer-like building, which looked like a 1980s robot toy? Conveying scale and maintaining realism, whilst transforming an office block took about 2 months to visualise. One of our favourite scenes? Probably the balloon dogs. Playful and light-hearted 3D animated dogs, just made the room smile each time.
Chocolate Tribe’s team employed advanced physics simulations, detailed scene compositing, and tailored lighting to create visual consistency across CGI and real-world elements. A huge thank you to the team for this fun filled ad.
Please click here to view the full commercial.
KFC "Beyond The Sea" Behind The Scenes
KFC Anything For Taste
KFC
In Ogilvy’s latest award‑winning KFC ad, directed by Kim Geldenhuys (0307), viewers are taken on a hilarious journey to an island most South Africans didn’t even know existed—Marion Island, a remote research facility near Antarctica over 2,000 kilometers from the mainland.
The commercial’s key challenge was creating a believable Marion Island, without ever traveling there. Referencing the island proved difficult – available resources were limited, and the facility itself had changed over the years. To ensure authenticity, Chocolate Tribe meticulously recreated the current structures using a powerful combination of Maya for 3D modeling and animation, Nuke for compositing, as well as Autodesk Arnold and Unreal Engine for real-time rendering. Capturing the research facility, unique to Marion Island, was a fun yet demanding task. World-building in 3D goes beyond just the main structures. Populating the island with realistic assets was crucial.
The project also saw advancements in Chocolate Tribe’s workflow. Utilizing tools like real-time technologies by Unreal Engine, as well as USD (Universal Scene Description) improved pipeline workflows, and helped streamline asset management and rendering. This efficiency allowed the team to focus on creating the most visually stunning.
Naturally, the VFX are just one element of the commercial. The humorously absurd premise – a scientist’s desperate quest for KFC whilst being based over 2,000km away on a remote island – creates a truly memorable experience. “Beyond the Sea” is a testament to the power of collaboration between creative storytelling and cutting-edge VFX.
Please click here to view the full commercial.
The Kitchen Behind The Scenes
The Kitchen
Behind The Scenes
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.
Please click here to view the trailer.
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.
The Making Of "Bad Man"
Bad Man
The Making Of
Chocolate Tribe was thrilled to be part of the spectacular new music video for Chicago’s own heavy metal icons, Disturbed. Under the visionary direction of Tristan Holmes — working through Doomsday Entertainment — the entire video’s visuals were crafted by Tristan in MidJourney, one of today’s premier AI image generators.
Over the course of a month, Tristan produced more than 10,000 frames and expertly wove them together in his edit suite, with Chocolate Tribe stepping in to add the final polish and ensuring every moment packs the visual punch fans expect.
Wish know more about how Bad Man was made? Here’s a short interview with the director Tristan Holmes. Enjoy.
Please click here to view the full song.
Chicken Licken "Boneless"
Chicken Licken Boneless
Boneless
In one of the latest Chicken Licken ads called “Boneless”, Greg Gray from Romance Films and Joe Public take us on their latest humorous and wildly imaginative ride.
Chocolate Tribe worked closely with our friends to deliver one of the funniest commercials of the year. Our team handled all the colour grading, compositing and online work.
Client: Chicken Licken
Agency: Joe Public
Producer: Di Cole
Production House producer: Helena Woodfine
Colour grading: Nic
Production Company: Romance
Production Director: Greg Gray
VFX / Post Production: Chocolate Tribe
CGI Supervisor: Tiaan Franken
Senior VFX Producer: Tracy-lee Portnoi
Lead Compositor: Jean du Plessis
PHILIPS "One Up"
PHILIPS
In this almost magical Philips One Up commercial directed by Karien Cherry from Giant Films, Chocolate Tribe played a key role in post-production, bringing the stylish narrative to life through animation and VFX. Every animated element seen on screen was done in 3D, or through rig removals. Further work included floor clean-ups, lighting enhancements, and sky replacements.
Chocolate Tribe also designed and animated surreal 3D windows, floating buckets, and mops that added a whimsical layer to the storytelling.
It was an absolute pleasure working with the team in South Africa and the UK, and as always, thank you the the our awesome Chocolate Tribe team.
Agency: Accenture Song
Producer: Ronwin Barnes
Production Company: Giant Films
Producer: Emma Lundy, Cindy Rodkin
Production Director: Karien Cherry
Colour grading: Nic
VFX / Post Production: Chocolate Tribe
Animation & VFX Supervisor: Rob van den Bragt
CGI Supervisor: Tiaan Franken
Senior VFX Producer: Tracy-lee Portnoi
On-set VFX Supervisor / 3D Lead: Tiaan Franken
Lead Compositor: Jean du Plessis
Compositing: Johan Wentzel, Alistair Johnson, Sven Hohmeir
3D Artists: Tegan Theron, Mpho Vukea, Scott Lee Samuels, Taryn Jordan, Taija Hartwig, Glenn Ewan, Sam Visser, Lloyd Bisschoff, Kyle Sibanda
Matte Painter: Michael Howard
Volkswagen "New Tiguan"
VW
New Tiguan
Chocolate Tribe’s collaboration with director Karien Cherry from Giant Films, brings to life a playful dreamy world in Volkswagen’s latest ad. The VFX team was brought on to create a giant retro robot, a speeding piñata van, bouncy castles, balloon dogs and many many balloons.
To simulate the realistic dynamics for the various inflatables, Chocolate Tribe applied soft-body physics, in combination with a control rig to bring to life their whimsical, buoyant quality. The colourful piñata van was rehearsed in live-action, but the speed and fun driving style was done in full-CGI.
The retro robot was a fun technical and creative challenge. How to create a transformer-like building, which looked like a 1980s robot toy? Conveying scale and maintaining realism, whilst transforming an office block took about 2 months to visualise. One of our favourite scenes? Probably the balloon dogs. Playful and light-hearted 3D animated dogs, just made the room smile each time.
Chocolate Tribe’s team employed advanced physics simulations, detailed scene compositing, and tailored lighting to create visual consistency across CGI and real-world elements. A huge thank you to the team for this fun filled ad.
Please click here to view the behind the scenes.
Visual Effects / Post Production: Chocolate Tribe
VFX Supervisor: Rob van den Bragt
CGI Supervisor: Tiaan Franken
CEO & Legal: Nosipho Maketo – van den Bragt
Senior VFX Producer: Tracy-lee Portnoi
Matt Painting: Michael Howard
Lead Compositors: Jean du Plessis, Sven Hohmeier, Johan Wentzel, Alistair Johnson, Angelo Collinicos
Onset VFX Supervisor: Tiaan Franken
3d Artists: Tegan Theron, Taryn Jordan, Kyle Nkosana, Sam Jessica Visser, Mpho Vukea, Grant Steyn, Lloyd Bisschoff, Taija Hartwig, Rowan Ashton Christy, Lionel Glenn Ewan
Client: Volkswagen SA
Head of Marketing: Bridget Harpur
Brand Marketing Manager: Lungile Nkgadima
Brand Consultant: Thato Lekgetha
Agency: Ogilvy South Africa
Creative Director: Alex Goldberg
Art Director: Annie Bekker
Copywriter: Emma Wilson
Business Director: Julian Hendrickse
Accounts Manager: Katlego Malaka
Producer: Cathy Day
Production Company & City: Giant Films
Director: Karien Cherry
Executive Producer: Emma Lundy, Cindy Gabriel
Producer: Kim Fowler-Forbes
Production Manager: Khanyi Ngubane
Production Coordinator: Thandi Steenkamp-Persson
Director of Photography: Adam Bental
Director Assistant: Mieke Olivier
1st AD: Greg Martin
2nd AD: Siya Noah
Focus Puller: Kent Satram
Loader: Patience Mokoena
DIT: Steven Whittaker
VTO: Augusto Figueira
Production Art Director: Riccardo Pugliese
Props Master: Andre Fourie
Art Driver: Champion Shamba
Art Runner: Catherina Van Wyk
Stylist | Costume Design: Bridget Baker
Stylist | Costume Design Assistant: Sandra Sophia
MUA: Neveen Scello
Gaffer: Bernie de Wet
Unit and Locations: Michael Rinquest
Best Boy Grips: Alex Kauffenstein
Grip Assistant: Daneel Barnado, Thabelo Khololane
Best Boy Lights: Thulani Mhaga
Precision Drivers: Cleo Ligwa, Shane Williams
Editing Company: Deliverance Post
Editor: Julian Redpath
Colourist: Terry Simpson
Music track: Chris Staples “Always on My Mind”
Publishing and Master Rights: Bank Robber Music
Sound Engineer: Marc Algranti
KFC "Beyond The Sea"
KFC
Beyond The Sea
In Ogilvy’s latest award‑winning KFC ad, directed by Kim Geldenhuys (0307), viewers are taken on a hilarious journey to an island most South Africans didn’t even know existed—Marion Island, a remote research facility near Antarctica over 2,000 kilometers from the mainland.
The commercial’s key challenge was creating a believable Marion Island, without ever traveling there. Referencing the island proved difficult – available resources were limited, and the facility itself had changed over the years. To ensure authenticity, Chocolate Tribe meticulously recreated the current structures using a powerful combination of Maya for 3D modeling and animation, Nuke for compositing, as well as Autodesk Arnold and Unreal Engine for real-time rendering. Capturing the research facility, unique to Marion Island, was a fun yet demanding task. World-building in 3D goes beyond just the main structures. Populating the island with realistic assets was crucial.
The project also saw advancements in Chocolate Tribe’s workflow. Utilizing tools like real-time technologies by Unreal Engine, as well as USD (Universal Scene Description) improved pipeline workflows, and helped streamline asset management and rendering. This efficiency allowed the team to focus on creating the most visually stunning.
Naturally, the VFX are just one element of the commercial. The humorously absurd premise – a scientist’s desperate quest for KFC whilst being based over 2,000km away on a remote island – creates a truly memorable experience. “Beyond the Sea” is a testament to the power of collaboration between creative storytelling and cutting-edge VFX.
Please click here to view the behind the scenes.
Client: KFC
Agency: Ogilvy
Global Chief Creative Officer: Liz Taylor
Chief Creative Officer: Pete Case, Kabelo Moshapalo
Executive Creative Director: Peter Little
Creative Director: Clayton Swartz, Chantelle Dos Santos
Art Director: Naledi Manama
Copywriter: Abas Rashid, Klara Sebright
Head of Production (Agency): Debbie Dannheisser
Agency Producer: Alex Bailie
Account Manager: Merushka Pillay
Business Director: Lungi Ngobese
Managing Partner: Greg Pfuhl
Chief Strategy Officer: Neo Makhele
Strategist: Qamani Nyewe, Dimpho Khola
Project Manager: Natalie Choate
Director: Kim Geldenhuys
Production Company: 0307
Executive Producer: Jacqui Beek
Production Manager: Jo Walker
Director of Photography: Mathieu Plainfosse
Production Designer/ Production Art Director: William Boyes
Editor: Julian Redpath
Music Supervisor and Music Producer: Marc Algranti
Music Arrangement: Simon Ringrose
Sound Engineer: Lorens Persson
Special Effects Coordinator: Michael Mostert
Visual Effects / Post Production: Chocolate Tribe
VFX Supervisor: Rob van den Bragt
CGI Supervisor: Tiaan Franken
3D Artists: Fumani Hlungwane, Grant Steyn, Kyle Sibanda, Lloyd Bisschoff, Mpho Vukea, Tanaka Musewe, Taija Hartwig, Taryn Jordan, Tegan Theron, Samantha Visser
Lead Compositor: Jean du Plessis
Compositors: Johan Wentzel, Alistair Johnson, Sven Hohmeier, Angelo Collinicos
CEO & Legal: Nosipho Maketo – van den Bragt
Senior VFX Producer: Tracy-lee Portnoi
Colourist: Nic Apostoli
AVIJOZI 2026
Don't Miss AVIJOZI 2026
Chocolate Tribe
Join Us at AVIJOZI 2026
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 2026.
For more information and updates, visit www.avijozi.com and follow us on social media.
See you there!
Discover AVIJOZI 2026: Where Creativity, Production and Technology Meet
Are you passionate about animation, visual effects, film production, and/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 2026, 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. Brought to you be AVIJOZI NPC and Chocolate Tribe, 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 2026 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.
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.
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.
Game Expo: Participate in adrenaline-pumping game development challenges, collaborate with fellow enthusiasts, and showcase your creativity under pressure.