As the National Basketball Association playoffs reach the conference finals stage, many of the game’s biggest stars–including NBA MVP Steve Nash whose Phoenix Suns are still in the hunt for this season’s championship title–are featured in a Web-only video on nikebasketball.com. The slightly longer than a minute-and-a-half piece, What’s Your Game About, was produced by Nike Brand for interactive agency R/GA, New York, with design and animation from bicoastal Stardust Studios.
As we see the star athletes strut their stuff–some individually, others in concert with one another–on the court, their moves are accompanied by design and animation custom-tailored to match Nike’s Flight, Force and Uptempo brands. Among the players featured are Kobe Bryant, Jason Kidd, Vince Carter, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobli.
The piece has a pickup game feel yet is kicked up a stylish notch by the design and animation signifying the Nike line, with word elements that convey attitude such as “Change the game,” “Switch lanes” and “Break ankles.” Stardust’s work entailed the artistic use of Maya, Cinema 4D, and Adobe AfterEffects and Creative Suite.
The short was directed by Joseph Cartman and Harshal Sisodia of Nike Brand. Can Misirlioglu of R/GA served as editor/audio mixer. R/GA’s Nate Jenkins also was an audio mixer on the job.
The Stardust ensemble was headed by executive creative director Jake Banks, exec producer Eileen Doherty, senior producer Michael Neithhardt, art director/lead animator Doug Purver, art director Felipe Posada, animator Daniel Garcia and 3D artist Cary Janks.
Disney Pledges $15 million In L.A. Fire Aid As More Celebs Learn They’ve Lost Their Homes
The Pacific Palisades wildfires torched the home of "This Is Us" star Milo Ventimiglia, perhaps most poignantly destroying the father-to-be's newly installed crib.
CBS cameras caught the actor walking through his charred house for the first time, standing in what was once his kitchen and looking at a neighborhood in ruin. "Your heart just breaks."
He and his pregnant wife, Jarah Mariano, evacuated Tuesday with their dog and they watched on security cameras as the flames ripped through the house, destroying everything, including a new crib.
"There's a kind of shock moment where you're going, 'Oh, this is real. This is happening.' What good is it to continue watching?' And then at a certain point we just turned it off, like 'What good is it to continue watching?'"
Firefighters sought to make gains Friday during a respite in the heavy winds that fanned the flames as numerous groups pledged aid to help victims and rebuild, including a $15 million donation pledge from the Walt Disney Co.
More stars learn their homes are gone
While seeing the remains of his home, Ventimiglia was struck by a connection to his "This Is Us" character, Jack Pearson, who died after inhaling smoke in a house fire. "It's not lost on me life imitating art."
Mandy Moore, who played Ventimiglia's wife on "This Is Us," nearly lost her home in the Eaton fire, which scorched large areas of the Altadena neighborhood. She said Thursday that part of her house is standing but is unlivable, and her husband lost his music studio and all his instruments.
Mel Gibson's home is "completely gone," his publicist Alan Nierob confirmed Friday. The Oscar winner revealed the loss of his home earlier Friday while appearing on Joe Rogan's... Read More