Whatever It Takes – directed by Anton Visser

Anton Visser shows his strong visual side with this epic commercial for the prestigious Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum International Photography Award (HIPA). Conceptualised out of M&C Saatchi Abu Dhabi and filmed in South Africa, the adventure-filled piece takes us from the African bush to frigid big wave surfing and a bustling alleyway in Thailand.

The team was relentless in their attention to detail as they transformed the length of an ordinary Cape Town alleyway into an Asian marketplace. Casting for the ocean scenes shot near Dungeons in Hout Bay was just as crucial; ultimately surf photographer Alan Van Gysen was brought in to fill the role as lead actor. For the big cat scenes, Anton shot from inside a cage in order to get up close to the lion and film some stunning visuals.

This bold ad is backed by a unique drum sequence performed by Kevin Gibson in studio at We Love Jam. Kevin played the drums to the picture in order bring an organic and spontaneous feel to the commercial. 15 different microphones were used in the recording, providing sound engineer Arnold Vermaak with a varied selection of audio for the final mix.