To generate anticipation for its upcoming broadcast of the Rio 2016 Opening Ceremony, NBC Olympics, a division of the NBC Sports Group, turned to us to collaborate on a powerful promo – a spot capable of conveying the globally unifying energy of this special event, which will be reflected in NBC Olympics’ August 5th broadcast. NBC Olympics asked us to draw on a mix of creative ingenuity and special effects in generating a visual spirit of togetherness that serves as the promo’s overarching theme. One of our biggest challenges on the project was creating a 3D rig for the colorful lines that drive the spot. The goal was to generate a true 3D look and feel, which meant it had to visually work from several different angles.
NBC Olympics Chief Marketing Officer – John D. Miller Vice President/Creative Director – Joseph Lee 2C Creative Chief Creative Officer – Chris Sloan Design Director – Luis Martinez VFX Artist – Dmitri Zavyazkin and Andy Fernandez Supervising Writer/Producer – Ben Frank and Marni Wagner Writer/Producer – Eric Gardner and Michael Berkman Lead Editor – Jeff Morelli Technical Operations Manager – Ashley Hartford Assistant Editor – Williams Naranjo To achieve this, the team devised a setup using Cinema 4D that gave them the flexibility they needed while also achieving the look they desired. With this setup, we were able to rearrange the lines from scene to scene while keeping a consistent look and feel throughout the spot. The rig also allowed us to work efficiently and quickly given the project’s tight deadline. For the particle work and 3D line effect, we used X-Particles, an exceptionally fast tool that helped create a truly unique feel with a quick turnaround. Just two years prior, NBC Olympics had brought on 2C for a promo teasing its broadcast of the Sochi 2014 Winter Games. The NBC Olympics Rio 2016 Opening Ceremony promo is set to run both on-air and in movie theaters leading up to the event, which airs on NBC August 5, 2016 at 7:30/6:30 p.m. Central. “I always look forward to a challenge, and this one was especially rewarding in that it was our second NBC Olympics project.” “In choosing these techniques, we set out to create a celebratory and festive spot for NBC Olympics where special effects underscore the unifying aspect of its Opening Ceremony broadcast. The line itself serves as this current of energy connecting viewers around the globe.” -Luis Martinez 2C Creative Design Director