Golden Globe-nominated digital studio Reel FX (Dallas/Santa Monica) has teamed up with the Cleveland Cavaliers to take the Cavs fan experience to the next level with all new player introduction video specifically created for the Cavs 2016 NBA Playoff run. The new video debuted at Game 1 of the first round of the Cavs vs. Detroit Pistons NBA Playoff series on Sunday, April 17th.
Click HERE to view the intro video.
The content includes dramatic, large-scale 3D court projection imagery that leads into an electrifying piece with dazzling visual effects featuring downtown Cleveland, Quicken Loans Arena (The Q) and Cavs season highlight footage that includes players LeBron James, Kyrie Irving, Kevin Love and JR Smith. The piece also reveals the Cavs 2016 playoff theme “ALL IN to 16,” (#ALLin216) — a countdown to 16 wins for an NBA Championship.
Known for their creative cutting-edge and innovative game presentation, the Cavs approached Reel FX with their vision for something impactful and memorable to kick off the team’s 2016 playoff run. Reel FX Creative Director, Colin McGreal teamed up with the Cavs QTV production team including Paul Mazzoleni, Sr. Producer of Creative Content Development and A.J. Johnson, Sr. Producer for the Cavaliers. Together they honed a multi-platform concept that would engage fans from the court to the rafters of The Q, creating even more energy for the team and a synergy between the team and its fans.
“The Reel FX team helped bring our ideas to life with their animation technology that successfully gave the project a mega dose of high voltage emotion that we were looking to create for the all-important player introduction video,” said Cavaliers CMO Tracy Marek.
Adds McGreal, “Working with the Cleveland Cavaliers organization was a amazing collaboration. Not only were they very enthusiastic creatively but also savvy to the needs of a process that needed to launch at play-offs. They are a very forward-thinking group that continues to look for ways to push the arena experience to be immersive and special. I look forward to entertaining new ideas with them in this evolving industry.”
Fans first experience the content as 3D imagery transforms the court in a :20 second piece with explosive visual effects that create the illusion of a city pulsing with energy beneath the court. Fans’ eyes are then drawn to the Cavs’ Humongotron, the arena’s massive HD scoreboard, as the playoff player intro zips through sweeping views of Cleveland landmarks and fans look upward to find swarms of light trails of Cavaliers spirit filling the sky and guiding them into Quicken Loans Arena – all while taking in some of the season’s most unforgettable moments. The piece culminates with the playoff “ALL IN 216” theme and logo.
Reel FX’s Kevin Althans directed the three day shoot which took place in Cleveland in mid-March. Althans, McGreal and Executive Producer Steve Johnson worked with the Cavs organization to identify key locations including Quicken Loans Arena and filled them with local residents and Cavs fans. Reel FX Senior Editor Quan Tran cut the piece. The visual effects and motion design for the Player Intro Piece and Court Projection were done in After Effects and Cinema 4D and rendered in Arnold. In addition to the shoot footage, and game highlights, hi-res stills were used along with camera projection techniques to create unique 3D moments in the action.
Reel FX Credits:
Creative Director – Colin McGreal
Director – Kevin Althans
Executive Producer, Live Action – Steve Johnson
Producer – Jen Cadic
Editor – Quan Tran
VFX Artists – Jackson Armstrong, Mike Roy, Ian Johnson, James Tobias
Motion Design Artist – Jun Lee
Lead Flame Artist – Mike Roy
Flame Artists – Laychin Lee, Dan Margules, Jared Brower
Sound Design & Mix – Frank Pittenger
About Reel FX
Reel FX develops and produces award-winning animated films, virtual reality experiences, mobile/interactive content, live-venue projects, and commercials. Based out of Dallas, Texas and Santa Monica, California, the company has over 23 years of experience working with studio partners like Fox, Warner Bros., DreamWorks Animation and Universal Studios as well as national advertising agencies and global brands. In 2010, Reel FX announced the launch of its feature film banner, Reel FX Animation Studios. Its slate includes the Golden Globe-nominated The Book of Life with 20th Century Fox and Free Birds with Relativity Media. The two films have grossed a combined $210 million worldwide. Multiple feature-length animated projects are currently in development. Reel FX Commercial, the studio’s turn-key short-form division, crafts a variety of broadcast and digital content, music videos and themed attractions. The studio’s newest division, Reel FX VR, launched in 2014 and has already developed dozens of world-class VR interactive activations and 360º narrative content for innovative brands, such as 20th Century Fox, Acura, American Express, AT&T, Frito-Lay, GE, Legendary Pictures, Lionsgate, Porsche, Samsung, and the U.S. Air Force, and for all leading VR headset platforms including Oculus Rift, HTC Vive, Samsung Gear VR and Cardboard.
About The Cleveland Cavaliers
The Cleveland Cavaliers are owned by a group led by Dan Gilbert, the chairman and founder of Quicken Loans, Inc., the nation’s largest online home mortgage lender. With the #1 goal of delivering an NBA Championship to the city of Cleveland, Gilbert has created an environment that focuses on excellence and innovation at all levels and in all areas. The organization owns and operates the AHL Lake Erie Monsters and AFL Cleveland Gladiators, both also playing at Quicken Loans Arena in downtown Cleveland, as well as the NBA Development League’s Canton Charge operating in nearby Canton, Ohio.