New York/San Francisco-based content creation/production studio Bodega’s Emmy Award-winning creative director Haley Geffen, Northern Lights’ editor Alan Chimenti, colorist Chris Hengenveld and VFX shop Zoic Studios team up with NBC Sports Group and NBC Sports VP Creative Director/Director Tripp Dixon for the fourth season running to deliver full-throttle football excitement in the open for NBC’s Sunday Night Football (SNF). The open, featuring Carrie Underwood and a host of NFL stars including Russell Wilson, Antonio Brown, Odell Beckham Jr., Patrick Peterson, Dez Bryant, Clay Matthews, and DeMarco Murray, debuted September 13th on Sunday Night Football‘s Giants vs. Cowboys broadcast, which was watched by nearly 27 million viewers. The piece will continue to air throughout the NFL season.
Click HERE to view the open.
“We know we will see plenty of intensity during the game, but the open is really about setting the stage for that in a fun and more unexpected way. Last season Fred Gaudelli, the Coordinating Producer for SNF, wanted to introduce more interaction in the open between Carrie, the players and the fans. This season we worked with Haley and the Bodega team to take that notion of interaction and access a step further, introducing a behind-the-scenes component that enabled us to toggle between a raw/spontaneous feel and a refined/choreographed performance,” notes Tripp Dixon. “Shooting on a big sound stage played into our behind-the-scenes concept nicely…all the lights, equipment and buildings in the periphery evoked a big production feel.”
“A few weeks after putting the final touches on the Super Bowl XLIX open, we were in a room brainstorming this year’s open…challenging ourselves to think differently,” said Haley Geffen. “It’s Carrie’s third season working with us and at this point the set feels like a legitimate family. Why not give the viewers an inside look into this environment, peel back the curtain a bit and show fans what we experience on set with a superstar and a cast of marquee NFL players.”
Zoic Studios was brought on board to telegraph stadium environment intensity to living rooms across the nation. Zoic ECD Chris Jones and VFX Supervisor Julien Brami led the team to intertwine the kinetic stage graphics with the live action footage of Underwood’s performance and the NFL players to simulate an immersive concert environment.
“Not only was it exciting to work on a project for NBC Sports, it was also a great experience to collaborate with Haley, Tripp, and the entire team that has put this major project together for several years running,” notes Brami. “It was an exciting challenge to create a visually perfect new world for the audience to enjoy and feel a part of.”
Adds Geffen, “Our relationship with NBC Sports is proven and there’s nothing better than trying to outdo ourselves year after year.”
Credits:
Client: NBC Sports
Coordinating Producer: Fred Gaudelli
SVP Creative: Mark Levy
VP Creative Director/Director: Tripp Dixon
Senior Associate Director: Charlie Vanacore
Production Company: Bodega Studios
Creative Director: Haley Geffen
Head of Production: Michael Flexner
Line Producer: Rayna Saslove
Director of Photography: Chuck Ozeas
Production Designer: Evan Rohde
Editorial: Northern Lights
Editor: Alan Chimenti
Colorist/Flame Artist: Chris Hengeveld
Executive Producer: Robin Hall
Assistant Editor: Tim Avery
VFX: Zoic Studios
Executive Creative Director: Chris Jones
Executive Producer: Ian Unterreiner
Producer: Nick Vassil
VFX Supervisor: Julien Brami
Art Director: Wes Kandel
Lead Flame: Toby Brockhurst
3D Supervisors: Sallyanne Massimini
3D Lead: Scott Rosekrans
Senior Lighters: Christina Murguia, Jacob Long
Lead Compositors: Nicholas Daniels
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.
About Zoic Studios
Zoic Studios is a visual effects company based in Culver City, California, NYC, and Vancouver, B.C. Our team has a proven track record of success, crafting innovative visual experiences for film, television, advertising, video game and interactive projects.
“Visual Evolution” is our mission: to advance the story, art, and technology of the moving image. Masters in the fields of design, animation, compositing, and production management, Zoic’s reputation attracts rising talent and encourages a strong work ethic.
Zoic prioritizes research and development in service of constant creative growth, from in-house virtual production to real time rendering using game engine technology.