Howard Audio scores with Allan Gray

“Father’s Share” was directed by Peter Pohorsky of Plank Films. “It was really important to treat this film with the visual simplicity and integrity of a feature film,” says Pohorsky. "Painstaking detail and research went into the production of the ad, with particular focus on the accurate representation of South African history over five decades. The ad was shot in Allan Gray’s trademark black and white, and a specialist cinematographer was brought in, along with a custom Arriflex black and white digital camera. The music was scored to the finished film using some traditional African instruments and live musicians. John Kani and Mabutho 'Kid' Sithole acted as consultants.”

“The legacy of previous Allan Gray commercials is massive,” says Adam Howard. “We realised the music had to follow the concept of time passing through the 50 years of the narrative. A flugel horn was the featured instrument and to add some authentic African sounds we called upon top session players to add to the score. Andy Innes, Johnny Clegg’s musical director, played some African guitars and even whipped out his umrubhe - Xhosa mouthbow. Justin Sasman played trombone, tuba and accordion. We had the luxury of time to score the two-and-a-half-minute piece. This project is definitely a highlight of my composing career.”

In a shift from previous ads, this is a universal story, told in a fresh and authentic way from a South African perspective, according to Graeme Jenner, King James II’s creative director and founding partner - “It is a gently humorous, yet heart-warming fable of a relationship between parents and their children — one that many South Africans will identify with.”