It’s the agencies that take the stage at the Loerie Awards, but the production companies are responsible for much of the work that gets those accolades.

Take brand film specialists Arcade Content for example. They’ve exploded onto the scene as the division of Egg Films that produces content that falls outside the realm of traditional TV commercials by producing brand films, web series, music videos, short films, documentaries and more through a minimal guerrilla style of shooting, with all the backup of an established production company.

Arcade's silver Loeries from 2016.

This year, they took home eight Loerie Awards after being the second most nominated production company going into the awards, with sister company Egg Films on 24.

Non-traditional TV tops at the Loeries

Listing these, Rasethaba starts with the documentaries he directed at the heart of Y&R’s #operation45 campaign for Operation Smile, which he dubbed, “The most meaningful 45 minutes of my career”, and went on to win an ‘integrated silver’ and bronzes for both ‘branded content video’ and ‘media innovation’. Adding to their nest of Loerie birds, Arcade also took home silvers in the music video category for Sons of Kemet’s In The Castle of My Skin, directed by Rasethaba, as well as Riky Rick’s Exodus, directed by Kyle Lewis. These were the only silvers and the highest accolade in the category awarded this year. Rasethaba’s work on Ogilvy’s Castle Lite Ziyabanda campaign went on to win bronze for ‘digital integrated’, and he was honoured with a craft certificate for Stilo Magolide and Say Thank You in the ‘original music and sound design’ category, with Rob Smith’s work on King James’ One Rand Family bringing home their final silver for ‘branded content video – campaign’.

That’s impressive considering it’s only their second year featuring at the Loeries, even more so with Arcade cracking the animation company category for the second year in a row at the Loeries – despite not doing animation – and Lewis having kicked off Arcade’s overall Loeries 2016 association by directing the Creativity Unites call for entries promo for the Loeries. Arcade’s recently revealed Loeries 2016 rankings also show them as the fourth top ranked South African film production company overall, with Rasethaba in eighth position as a director.

Rasethaba.

Rasethaba, currently working on a campaign for Facebook and a documentary about Isaac Mutant, shares how he feels about their wins, plans to extend Arcade’s winning streak next year and who he admires most in the industry…

1. Share your top three emotions linked to your Loeries' wins and 2016 rankings.

Rasethaba: The first thing I said when I saw the rankings was, “If this list was upside down, I would be second.” But then later I had to correct myself, because that would mean Terence [Neale] would be eighth and that’s not really fair, because we all know he is the best f**ken director in South Africa. So as a list of emotions, I wished the world was upside down at first, and then I regretted that. But more importantly I was proud to be associated with Will and Colin as my business partners at Arcade, because of how smart, determined and creative they are.

2. How do you plan on keeping – if not bettering – your rankings next year?

Rasethaba: I want to be the Kobe Bryant of this game, sans the scandals: A long, illustrious career made up of career highs. So that’s a lot of training, exposing my mind to the right type of elements in the world that will grow my mind, drinking from the fountain of youth, being the first black superstar in China and influencing presidents with my retirement speech.

3. Where are you displaying your Loeries?

Rasethaba: I don’t display my Loeries; they would compete with my sneaker collection!

4. Tell us who you personally admire in the industry – both an established mentor figure as well as a newcomer making waves.

Rasethaba: Terence Neale. He is insanely creative. I saw one of his treatments the other day and I freaked out thinking I would never be that creative. And the flipside is my man Kyle Lewis. He has the most powerful and striking visuals in the game; no one can touch him right now. It’s amazing; he is a young white kid from Cape Town yet his world is so big and he’s only going to get better.

Seems we’re all looking forward to seeing what 2017 holds! Click through to our Loeries' special section for more, here for more on Arcade, here to go #BehindtheSelfie with Lewis and be sure to follow both Arcade and Rasethaba on Twitter.