Leading post-production and production house Optimus has produced five innovative spots for the Chicago Blackhawks 2010-2011 regular season. Three of the 30 second spots featuring players Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane and Duncan Keith debuted during the Blackhawks’ season opener, with the remaining two spots to be unveiled throughout the regular season. The spots bring to life the intense and dramatic tone of the Blackhawks’ new advertising campaign, developed by Ogilvy & Mather/Chicago, which captures each individual player’s skills and passion; while underscoring the team’s continuous commitment to “One Goal”.
The spots were created through a uniquely collaborative effort, utilizing the expertise and talent of both Optimus and ONE at Optimus. The team, including Optimus Executive Producer Brian Hrastar, Optimus Editor Randy Palmer, ONE at Optimus Executive Producer and Managing Director John Noble and ONE at Optimus Director/DP Jim Matlosz, produced, directed, cut and finished the spots in just seven days.
“Because of inevitable difficulties of professional player availabilities we literally had one week to shoot and edit these beautifully conceived concepts,” said Noble. “The team’s seamless collaboration from shoot through post was instrumental in turning around the project so quickly for agency producer Mike Diedrich and the Ogilvy creative team.”
Working around each player’s schedule and availability constricted the production timeline yet the end result appears anything but rushed. Each spot features a stunning slow-motion effect, which was achieved with a Phantom HD GOLD high-speed digital camera, rented from Fletcher Camera & Lenses. “Shooting with the Phantom enabled us to capture a level of clarity – such as individual ice crystals flying from a player’s skate – that allows for the viewer to make an emotional connection with the spot and the player,” said Hrastar.
During the five-hour shoot, the Phantom GOLD and three Canon 7Ds were employed – of which one was used for overhead shots – were running continuously. A technique that Matlosz says he often uses when directing spots with professional athletes, “When I work in these situations, I like to keep the cameras running at all times so that we have a better chance of capturing dramatic angles and the players’ personalities. The more we get out of the athletes during production, the better it will be during post.”
While in post-production, Palmer took his cues from the almost somber, slower version of the song “Here Come the Hawks” that plays throughout the spots. “The real time Canon footage and sound effects added a visceral tension to the striking slow-motion footage of the Phantom,” he commented. “The pace of the music, along with the voice-over dialog by each player, guided the editing decisions; with the real time footage adding some tension to keep the viewer engaged before cutting back to a portrait.”
To view all the recently debuted Optimus spots “Toews – Awards/HD”, “Kane – Day/HD” and “Keith – Snow/HD” visit: http://www.optimus.com/?login=1199:hawks.
Credits
Optimus
Editor: Randy Palmer
Asst. Editors: Mike Berg, Logan Hall
Colorist: Craig Leffel
Colorist (Dailies): Ken Wald
Color Asst: Joel Signer
Graphic Design: Donnie Bauer
Online Editor: Mike Weber
Online Assts: Jim Moore, Glenn Pasek
Audio Engineer: Bruce Lash
Audio Asst: Marina Bacci
EP/Managing Director: Gretchen Praeger
Executive Producer: Brian Hrastar
Associate Producer: Lauren Connolly
ONE at Optimus
Director/DP: Jim Matlosz
Associate Producer: Sarah Slevin
Executive Producer: John Noble
Senior Producer: Kathy Hurley
Line Producer: Kipp Christiansen
Ogilvy & Mather/Chicago
Sr. Partner/Director of Broadcast Production: Larry Bryne
Partner/Executive Producer: Mike Diedrich
Chief Creative Officer: Joe Sciarrotta
Partner/Creative Director (Art Director): Chris Turner
Partner/Creative Director (Copywriter): Dave Metcalf
About Optimus
Optimus is a leading post-production and production house with offices in Chicago and Santa Monica. A true one-stop shop, Optimus offers a full suite of creative services, including production, editing, film transfer, color correction, visual effects and design, audio mixing and finishing. With ONE, the company’s live-action production arm, Optimus offers all production services, from shoot through post, under one roof – a singular, streamlined creative-driven machine. For more information, please visit www.optimus.com and www.oneatoptimus.com.
