Creating the intro video for Memphis Tigers Basketball is always a challenge. Trying to determine the right combination of concept, music and visuals that fits the personality of the team and will fire up the crowd (and team) at the beginning of the game.
So as excitement reached a fever pitch with the hiring of Tiger legend Penny Hardaway as head coach, the Running Pony team went to work to come up with a unique and compelling way to introduce the team.
The direction from the marketing team at the U of M was clear: they wanted to create a high-energy “Vegas-style” experience for fans at FedExForum. Vice President of Marketing and External Relations Tammy Hedges and Senior Associate Athletic Director for External Relations Steve Macy told us they wanted to highlight Penny but not overshadow the players and also tie the intro to the team’s marketing campaign—“Back to Business.”
After weeks of brainstorming, the day arrived to meet with Coach Hardaway to present our ideas. After a few minutes of conversation he said, “I know what I want you guys to do.”
Penny then pulled out his phone and showed us what he called “his favorite commercial of all-time”—the legendary Nike freestyle commercial from 2001 that featured NBA stars like Vince Carter and Jason Williams.
“Do that,” he smiled.
So all we had to do was re-create a Memphis Tiger version of Penny’s favorite TV commercial, which also happened to be one of the most beloved Nike spots ever created.
Easy, right?
Running Pony Producer/Director Brian Manis along with Director of Photography Gabe DeCarlo began work on how to create an homage to the spot.
Unlike the street-ball attire worn on the original, the decision was made to have the players doing their moves wearing both their uniforms and the black suits they sported on the schedule poster.
Director Brian Manis gathers the team for the final shot
Next was a location scout of the Laurie Walton Basketball facility at the University of Memphis to identify the best place to shoot. The creative team decided on the practice court…with all of the lights turned off in the gym…to spotlight the players as well as the team logo at center court.
The next challenge was how to create a strong light to spotlight on the players while keeping the surrounding area dark.
Gabe improvised removing the bulbs from several Kino Flo lighting systems to assemble a massive soft light he could control from a single switch.
When it came time to shoot, it all came together…the players enjoyed “free-styling.”
Then it was a matter of Avid editor Simon Davies matching the players’ actions to the beat of the music.
To create a sense of visual excitement around the arena, we created 4 different videos for the arena’s corner boards so at points in the intro fans saw different shots in different areas of the arena. Here, for the first time outside of FedExForum, you can see all 5 videos synchronized.
The reaction from the team and fans and media at FedExForum told us we hit the mark.
