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VFX Pro
New York, NY, August 5 —Teaming up with ESPN Creative Services, commercial design and production studio HomeNYC completed the design for the first two in a series of spots to promote “Quite Frankly,” sports commentator Stephen A. Smith’s provocative new sports talk show premiering August 1 on ESPN 2. Both spots are now airing on ESPN 2, VH1, The Discovery Channel and The History Channel.
Directed by Barrett Esposito, the spots place the dynamic Smith center stage in front of glowing, translucent photo panels framed by bright stadium style lights as he energetically addresses the impressive roster and promising prospects of the New England Patriots for the coming NFL season and the controversial reunion of the Los Angeles Lakers’ Kobe Bryant and Phil Jackson.
HomeNYC Designer and Flame Artist Ben Orisich designed the visual look of the spots working with Director Esposito, ESPN VP of Creative Services Jon Achar and DP Pete “The Treat” Konczal.
“We began with the idea of using action footage in the panels, but ESPN liked the idea of using still images to connect Smith with the topic at hand,” said Orisich. “We came up with some dramatic pictures of the Patriots and Lakers and created some bold, fiery graphics which we projected into the background panels in a way that froze time and radiated New England’s championship dream come true and the potential return of the Lakers to the NBA promised land.”
Smith was shot on a green screen set at Shadow Stages in Manhattan with the aid of a Technocrane. An all-business deep blue suit (color enhanced in post) makes Smith stand out against the reds and greens in the background as he paces on a polished concrete floor, which reflects the panels behind him. Pictures, including the Patriots in a team huddle, the Super Bowl trophy held aloft in victory and Quarterback Tom Brady with his helmet cocked back on his head, roll by in transition with bold and fiery type graphics proclaiming the words NEW ENGLAND, DYNASTY, SUPERBOWL CHAMPIONS and 40 (the number of starters on the team, according to Smith). Director Barrett and DP Konczal, together with Orisich, shot time lapse images of the Manhattan skyline on the west side and in Times Square to complete the dynamic sports look of the photo panels and to embrace the New York setting of “Quite Frankly.”
“The complex translucent layering that makes the spot’s subject come alive demanded over 160 hours in post over a period of eight to nine days,” said Orisich.
"I knew this spot had to be lush and stylized,” said Esposito, “and Ben was my only choice. He's an incredible designer who isn't afraid to take chances."
Orisich did compositing, including all the green screen shots, in Flame after an initial color correct in Telecine. Senior Editor Mark Tyler of HomeNYC did retouch and cleanup using Smoke. Type animation was done in After Effects by HomeNYC Graphics and Animation Artist Alexander Cama and then composited layer by layer into the photo panels.
Editors Joe Castellano and Paul Dinatale of the Creative Group cut the spots in Avid. The Colorist was Creative Group’s Gary Scarpulla. Audio Post was done by Ralph Kelsey at Broadway Sound. Zdenka Glavan was the Producer for HomeNYC.
For more information on Home NYC, please visit http://homenyc.tv/
Media Contact: Lanny Sher, 310/659-0380; prals@pacbell.net
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