KFC
Beyond The Sea
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In Kim Geldenhuys’ award-winning ad, he takes us on a hilarious journey to an island most South Africans didn’t even know existed. Marion Island – a remote South African research facility near Antarctica over 2,000 kilometers away from mainland South Africa.
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.
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