Energetic Open stars Pentatonix performing “Weekend Go,” their new Thursday Night Football theme song
New York/San Francisco-based content creation/production studio BODEGA teamed up with editorial agency Northern Lights, design shop King and Country, and NBC Sports Group to produce an epic stadium entrance in the 2016 open for NBC’s Thursday Night Football.
Fred Gaudelli, Executive Producer of “Sunday Night Football” and “Thursday Night Football,” and NBC Sports Group VP Creative Director/Director Tripp Dixon wanted something new and fresh for the open and knew Pentatonix embodied the right type of energy and talent. The result features the Grammy-winning a cappella powerhouse ensemble performing a new TNF theme song, “Weekend Go,” which was inspired by their hit track, “Sing,” from their Gold album, “Can’t Sleep Love.” The open also features a number of top NFL stars.
The open launched on the NFL Network during the first of nine NBC-produced TNF games on November 3 and celebrated the kickoff of the football weekend. The cut features archival NFL Films game footage as well as newly shot footage of the NFL players. “Weekend Go” also includes a spoken word bridge to drive each week’s match-ups. The Thursday Night Football logo shield was turned into an 8 foot by 8 foot physical structure based on initial concept illustration by Mr. Wonderful Creative Director Gary Keenan and featured almost 250 unique lighting elements that were programmed in time to the song.
To maintain a high energy level and keep the piece fresh for viewers week after week, Creative Director/Editor David Gioiella focused on pacing. “It was fun to dial in both the performers’ and players’ performances to the track,” he notes. “I wanted to keep the intensity and excitement up throughout the piece so it’s fun to watch every time viewers tune in.”
“We enjoyed working with BODEGA on this project”, adds NBC Sports VP Creative Director/Director Tripp Dixon. “We shot in a practical, stylized tunnel on location in LA and teamed up with King and Country for the design component, helping us to blur the line between the real and digital worlds. The combination of these two highly collaborative production and design teams helped us create something exciting, youthful and fun for Thursday Night Football.”
Credits:
Client: NBC Sports
Executive Producer: Fred Gaudelli
Coordinating Producer: Rob Hyland
SVP Creative: Mark Levy
VP Creative Director/Director: Tripp Dixon
Senior Associate Director: Charlie Vanacore
Senior Associate Producer: Julie Schwartz
Senior Director On-Air Graphics: Wade Echer
Senior Project Manager: Kea Kelly Alcock
Production Company: BODEGA
Executive Producers: Kristopher Walter, Mark Littman, David Gioiella
Executive Creative Director: Adam Reid
Line Producer: Cliff Schumacher
Director of Photography: Chuck Ozeas, Jordan McMonagle
Production Designer: Evan Rohde
Editorial: Northern Lights
Editor: David Gioiella
Executive Producer: Robin Hall
Producer: Jenny Figarola
Assistant Editor: Kieran Mulroy
Audio: SuperExploder
Sr. Mixer/Sound Designer: Ted Marcus
Sr. Producer: Meredith Nazzaro
Concept Design: Mr. Wonderful
Art Director: Frank Farella
Creative Director: Gary Keenan
Executive Producer: Damien Henderson
Design, 3D Animation, CG/VFX: King & Country
About BODEGA
BODEGA is a content creation company based in New York and San Francisco.
We tell stories on screens of every size. We make commercials, promos and digital content.
Our integrated approach allows for collaboration through every step in the process from creative to production through post including audio, finishing, design and visual effects.
About Northern Lights
Northern Lights is a thriving bi-coastal (NY/SF) editorial and post production boutique featuring filmmakers and visual artists with a passion for telling stories.
From Promax and Emmy-winning TV branding to commercials, film and Internet content, Northern Lights has been a destination for original ideas since 1995.
The company’s award-winning talent is continually creating new ways to interpret footage for all modern delivery platforms. Their unmatched ability to shape ideas into focused content for brands is fed by a creative environment that fosters trying new things and taking risks.
Northern Lights teams up with sister companies Mr. Wonderful for design, SuperExploder for composing and audio post, and BODEGA, for creative assignments and production. Working together, they’re a powerful one-stop resource that tailors their offerings to each individual client and filmmaker’s needs.