Design and Concept: Eric Diga
Production Director: Eric Diga
Post-Production Direction: Bernard Ong
Producer: William Craig
Executive Producers: Jeff Wilson, Tom Vodick, Bob Vorwald
Producer/Editors: Ryan Johnson, Andrew Lennie
3D Lead: Michael Kislovsky
Motion Design/3D: Bernard Ong, Michael Kislovsky, John Long, Eric Diga

Brand consultancy and creative agency Troika has teamed up with longtime client ESPN to redesign the network’s blue chip college basketball programming. The package, which was last branded six years ago by Troika, will be rolled out through all of ESPN’s college basketball coverage, including College Gameday and men’s and women’s game coverage. The package hits air during ESPN’s first televised college basketball game of the 2011-2012 season.

ESPN’s aimed to revamp their college basketball package by bringing to the forefront the fanaticism, tradition and excitement that is unique to college basketball. To deliver an innovative, ownable design aesthetic, creative inspiration was taken from museums; elements were created with sculptural qualities as if the package were unfolding on the walls of a gallery.

Troika developed the package around the concept Mayhem, an immersive, abstract interpretation of the college basketball experience that takes a mixed-media approach by melding multiple elements of college basketball into single design elements. The culmination of the design concept is in the newly redesigned ESPN college basketball logo, which mixes textures of a hardwood floor, rubber basketball, nylon net, glass backboard and plastic shot clock to epitomize the college basketball experience.

Mayhem also informed the design for men’s and women’s game coverage, College Gameday, and ESPN’s college basketball franchises, including opens and a robust navigational toolkit. The artistry inside Mayhem was original dreamt up through pencil sketches by capturing an abstract, sculptural environment. This living, moving gallery of stories, fanatical fans and game elements take viewers into the passion and anticipation of the big game by featuring well known college basketball traditions; crazy student sections, hand made signs, and team colors.

Said Gil Haslam, Creative Director at Troika, “We really wanted to deliver the emotion and passion that compresses and eventually combusts during the big game. Mayhem served as the solution, and gives ESPN a unique, highly recognizable look unlike any other college basketball package on the air today.”
In all, a team of 29 designers, animators, creative directors, writers, editors and producers from Troika developed ESPN’s college basketball package, which was built in After Effects, Maya, and Cinema 4D. The package will hit air on November 11th during ESPN’s coverage of the Quicken Loans Carrier Classic.

 

Production Credits
Executive Creative Director Dan Pappalardo
Senior Executive Producer Kristen Olsen
Creative Director Gilbert Haslam
Creative Director Whit Friese
Executive Producer Connor Swegle
Producer Claudina Mercado
Associate Producer Eric Zapakin
Associate Producer Trevor Steadman
Writer Craig Cleek
Art Director Heather Kim
Art Director Neng Tea
AD/Designer Seton Kim
Designer/Animator Marcello Patrela
Lead Maya Animator Cory Strassburger
Lead Maya Animator Robin Roepstorff
Animator Jun Kim
Animator Glenn Suhy
Animator Tristan Maduro
Animator Hao Cui
3D Modeler Gene Arvan
3D Modeler Nick Smith
3D Modeler Troy Williamson
Animator Cody Smith
Animator Steve Strassburger
Director/Photographer Alain Vasquez
Assistant Editor Jeff Hayford
Design Assistant Andrew Shin
Design Assistant Katherine Meng
Design Assistant Debbie Huang

Brand consultancy and creative agency Troika has teamed up with Sportsnet, a subsidiary of Rogers Communications Inc., on a fully-integrated brand campaign across all five of the sports media entity’s platforms: tv, radio, digital, mobile and print. The brand offering, which includes a new logo, tagline, animation and graphics package, and theme music is set to launch concurrently with the start of the 2011-2012 NHL season.

Rich and multidimensional, the brand offering is designed to engage sports fans and provide a single source that delivers fans the content they want, whenever, wherever, on a local, regional, national and global level.

The overhaul began with Troika teaming up with Sportsnet’s in-house Creative Services team to evaluate their internal brand communication and develop a consumer tagline. Research was conducted through two-day on-site brand audits to build consensus from key department leaders and establish brand goals. From this intake, Sportsnet’s brand strategy was fundamentally shifted by establishing five attributes to support the new Sportsnet vision: visceral, excellence, robust, engaging and Canadian. These brand pillars are communicated through the new consumer-facing tagline, “Fuelled By Fans.”

A brand identity was built, beginning with a redesign of all Sportsnet logos into one cohesive system. The conceptual platform behind the creative, “Conduit,” was anchored in the network’s new position by visually fuelling the fan’s excitement through professional passion and spirited storytelling. The concept takes viewers on a journey through intricate circuits and light to build excitement and illuminate stories that are most relevant to fans in each region.

This concept was implemented across all aspects of the Sportsnet on-air identity. A new promotional system and insert system, including menus, lower thirds and transitions, was created to bring Sportsnet a cohesive set of navigational and in-game tools. Game packages, anchored with the home team’s oversized logo, were produced for 5 teams: Vancouver Canucks, Calgary Flames, Toronto Maple Leafs, Edmonton Oilers and Ottawa Senators. The network’s daily news show, Sportsnet Connected, was also redesigned with the creative rooted in the “Conduit” design concept.

Gil Haslam, Creative Director at Troika, noted, “We wanted to take Sportsnet from a well known Canadian broadcast brand to a finely-focused multi-platform sports brand. The ‘Fuelled By Fans’ platform and subsequent creative execution built from this position allows Sportsnet to become an easily recognizable brand no matter how it is consumed, whether it be television, print or online.”

The Sportsnet audit, reposition and rebrand was a 10 month process that included a team of over 25 creative directors, writers, editors, designers, animators and producers from Troika. The project was built in After Effects and Cinema 4D and launched on Monday, October 3rd.

Production Credits

Executive Creative Director Dan Pappalardo
Senior Executive Producer Kristen Olsen
Creative Director Gilbert Haslam
Creative Director Whit Friese
Executive Producer Connor Swegle
Producer Jason O’Leary
Producer Taline Ghazarian
Associate Producer Chris Hill
Production Coordinator Chet Patel
Writer Craig Cleek
Writer Charlie Short
Designer/Animator Marc Juon
Designer/Animator Maziar Majd
Designer/Animator David Perry
Designer/Animator Brian Hwang
Designer Seton Kim
Designer Matt Lehman
Designer Federico Reinfeld
Designer Fraser Davidson
Designer Daniel Garcia
Designer Michael Arcangeli
Animator Jun Kim
Animator David Glicksman
Animator Jahn Hancock
Animator Greg Reynard
Animator Ted Gore
Editor Joe Denk
Junior Designer Vanessa Koch
Junior Designer Assist Michael Arcangeli
Design Assist Andrew Shin

Buick Human Highlight Reel “Alan Page” :30 from Steele Films on Vimeo.

The Buick Human Highlight Reel in partnership with the NCAA shines a light on former NCAA student-athletes who have given their all on the field and now find a way to give even more to the causes that matter most.

This episode features NFL Hall of Famer Alan Page, a graduate of Notre Dame. Quarterbacks, criminals, the justice system, and racial equality: Alan Page has tackled them all.

Director: John Stewart Muller
Producers: Laura Boersma and John Stewart Muller
Production Coordinator: Kirsten Noll
Cinematographer: Frederick Schroeder
Editor: Ben Waters
Motion Graphics: Aric Avelino

For more great work, go to http://www.steelefilms.com

Buick Human Highlight Reel “Alan Page” from Steele Films on Vimeo.

Watching Sunday Night Football last night I was reminded how great Troika’s work for both Football Night in America and Sunday Night Football is. If you haven’t seen their case study for this work, I highly recommend it. It’s a quick read and is really interesting.

*Update*
Looks like Chicago’s own J. Ivy made an appearance in the opener of last nights game. Anyone got any info on who produced this open?
*Update*
Open music video was created by IronClaw

NBC Sunday Night Football intro featuring J. Ivy & Faith Hill from J. Ivy on Vimeo.

F1 Opening Titles from Bishoy Gawdat on Vimeo.

ROOT Sports Game Package Montage from Troika Design Group on Vimeo.

(HOLLYWOOD, CA – April 6, 2011) Troika Design Group, a strategic branding and design agency, has teamed up with ROOT SPORTS(TM) to provide creative direction for the re-brand of the company’s three regional sports networks in Seattle (formerly FSN Northwest), Denver (formerly FSN Rocky Mountain) and Pittsburgh (formerly FSN Pittsburgh). ROOT SPORTS, a subsidiary of DIRECTV Sports Networks, officially launched on April 1st as part of the 2011 Major League Baseball season openers for the Seattle Mariners, Pittsburgh Pirates and Colorado Rockies. For a more in-depth look at the ROOT package developed by Troika, check out this case study: http://troika.tv/casestudies/ROOT

ROOT Sports Promo Montage from Troika Design Group on Vimeo.

Troika was challenged with creating a network brand that would reflect the networks’ new approach and core brand values, while also taking into account the need to assist in promoting five professional sports, numerous collegiate conferences and teams, and local sporting events. From initial positioning through logo, image, game packaging, show identity and promo systems, the reinvented network aimed to challenge the norm of regional sports networks by embracing its passionate support for local teams and creating a deeper connection to its fellow fans.

To deliver this authentic experience, Troika developed the brand position “We Are a Fan.” This brand position reflected the network’s biased home team voice and was the basis for the entire creative package. The ROOT SPORTS logo grounds the positioning and creative with bold letter forms to exude strength, pennant notches to allude to sport, and the color red to convey passion. Going even further to showcase the network’s mindset of the fan, the logo also has the ability to “wear the jersey” of the home team in live event programming by taking on the home team essence, so fans will see the ROOT SPORTS logo on air in yellow, blue, purple and other iconic colors.

Geoff Walker, VP Marketing at DIRECTV Sports Networks, parent company of ROOT SPORTS, noted, “Troika has done an outstanding job for us in developing an exciting, unique viewer experience. Everything about the look and feel, from music to graphics to show opens to programming transitions, reflects our brand promise to deliver an experience that is authentic, dynamic and bold, and with a decidedly local flavor.”

“Home Team” game packages were developed to capture the energy and excitement of each region by tapping into the look and feel of hometown stories, textures and sounds. Elevated 3D graphics were also implemented to lend a sense of scope and scale to the package. Design and motion theory were developed within the game insert system to work seamlessly across all five sports and incorporate levels of sponsorship for different sports and leagues.

ROOT SPORTS’ image and promo toolkit are anchored by the network’s brand colors, but have the framework to celebrate team logos, imagery and colors. Troika established the overall voice for the network’s promos, which are written with insider perspectives into rivalries, players and nostalgia. An original score, as well as brand themes, mnemonics and sound design, were created to capture the authenticity of fan experiences.

Said Gilbert Haslam, Sports Creative Director at Troika, “This was the perfect creative assignment for our team, combining big concept and high-end production to deliver a unique experience to the regional sports fans. Our ‘Home Team’ concept allowed us to break the mold by celebrating fans insider perspectives and the love for their teams through a visually biased approach. ROOT SPORTS was a great partner that pushed us to challenge the norm, and together we’ve created a network identity that the fans will truly appreciate.”

The creative vision for ROOT SPORTS was developed by over 20 creative directors, writers, designers, animators, editors and producers at Troika, along with client vision and direction from Geoff Walker and William Roberts, VP Content DIRECTV Sports Networks. The project was built in After Effects, Cinema 4D, Maya and Final Cut Pro and delivered in a toolkit format for each region to customize. Alongside the delivery of brand and style guides, the launch also included on-sites in regional markets with marketing and creative teams to roll out the new brand voice and on-air elements.

About Troika Design Group
Troika is an award-winning integrated agency known for solutions-oriented strategy and design for clients in entertainment media. Based in Hollywood, Troika is a hybrid, combining a brand consultancy and a design studio, bringing together a unique team of designers, producers, animators, editors and conceptual thinkers who specialize in brand and creative strategy, design, production, and brand stewardship. The agency was founded in 2001 and is led by industry veterans Dan Pappalardo and Chuck Carey. The company has worked with top entertainment media brands, including ABC, FOX, Time Warner, Disney, ESPN, EA Sports, The CW, TNT, Starz, Oxygen, VH1 and Telemundo. For more information, please visit http://www.troika.tv or call Robert Blatchford at 323.965.1650.

About ROOT SPORTS
ROOT SPORTS(TM) is owned and operated by DIRECTV Sports Networks LLC, which operates regional sports networks in the Northwest, Pittsburgh and Rocky Mountain regions. The three networks combined reach more than 8.7 million viewers across 18 states and own exclusive programming and distribution partnerships with more than 25 teams and conferences. DIRECTV Sports Networks is a controlled subsidiary of DIRECTV, the world’s most popular television service.

Production Credits

Promo & Image
Agency, Brand, Design, Production Company: Troika Design Group
Executive Creative Director Dan Pappalardo
Senior Executive Producer Kristen Olsen
Creative Director Gilbert Haslam
Creative Director Whit Friese
Executive Producer Connor Swegle
Producer Taline Ghazarian
Associate Producer Eric Zapakin
Associate Producer Joe Nash
Writer/Music Supervisor Craig Cleek
Art Director Craig Stouffer
Art Director David Pagani
Lead Designer Seton Kim
Designer/Animator Mike Tello
Animator Jun Kim
Animator Ted Gore
Animator Gary Hebert
Animator Anthony Honn
Animator David Perry
Animator Eric Del Greco
Design Assistant Andrew Shin
Design Assistant Michael Arcangeli
Editor Hans Carillo
Assistant Editor Mike Stratigakis

Music/Sound Design Levels Music Group
Writer/Music Supervisor Craig Cleek (Troika)
Mix Levels Audio

Game Package
Agency, Brand, Design, Production Company: Troika Design Group
Executive Creative Director Dan Pappalardo
Senior Executive Producer Kristen Olsen
Creative Director Gilbert Haslam
Creative Director Whit Friese
Executive Producer Connor Swegle
Producer Jason O’Leary
Associate Producer Eric Zapakin
Associate Producer Joe Nash
Writer/Music Supervisor Craig Cleek
Art Director Craig Stouffer
Lead Designer/Animator Maziar Majd
Designer/Animator David Perry
Animator Jahn Hancock
Animator Gary Hebert
Animator Ted Gore
Animator Anthony Honn
Animator Marcos Vaz
Design Assistant Andrew Shin
Design Assistant Michael Arcangeli

Music/Sound Design Levels Music Group
Mix Levels Audio

Already Been Chewed is his site. Great work Barton.

NFL from BrightPhoton on Vimeo.

NFL for capacity.tv
BPhoton : Art direction on style frame / 3D modeling / animation
Concept artist : Craig Mullins
Prod/directing/compositing/animation : Capacity.tv
Sound : Echolab
Special thanks to Capacity guys !!!

via Capacity.tv

For the 2010/11 installment of Thursday Night Football packaging, we were fortunate enough to orchestrate a multinational collaboration with some of our favorite artists. Our Los Angeles-based team worked closely with Dublin-based Echolab and Paris-based BrightPhoton, as well as fellow countryman and legendary concept artist, Hawaii-based Craig Mullins and of course the talented team at NFL Network down the street. The resulting creation is an epic, NFL-branded labor of love.

More great work from Troika. Thanks Mika for the contribution.

Hit the jump for the press release. Some great info.

Branding Agency Delivers New Identity and Innovative Information System for Golf Channel’s Tournament Coverage of PGA, LPGA, Champions and Nationwide Tour

(HOLLYWOOD, CA –January 6th, 2011) Troika Design Group, a strategic branding and design agency, has partnered with Golf Channel to launch a new Live Tournament package for the network’s premiere events. The January 6th debut at the 2011 Hyundai Tournament of Champions in Hawaii marked the beginning of this identity and information system that will be showcased throughout all PGA, LPGA, Champions and Nationwide tournament coverage on Golf Channel.

Continuing its longstanding creative partnership with the network, Troika built off the strength of a brand position they generated with Golf Channel in 2008 to inspire a new approach to how the network’s flagship events will be viewed.

The creative mission was to capture the passion of the big event, integrate innovative messaging, highlight the emotional rise and fall experienced by the fan and generate an authentic “inside the ropes” tournament experience that was adaptable across all tours.

To meet that challenge Troika combined organic live action featuring intense moments of anticipation, execution and celebration with signature animations in an opening sequence that sets the tone for the grandeur of a big tour event. Enabled by the intelligence of the design system, featured players and key moments are able to be customized for each tour and are fully updateable as the drama of the season unfolds, bringing the most compelling stories and personalities to the forefront.

The tournament package includes an information system featuring a multi-faceted, expandable leaderboard and player card concept that takes the viewer well beyond what’s been seen before in terms of levels of information and navigation. Highlight opens raise the profiles of the game’s elite to superhero status in action-based sequences backed by immense billboards of the player’s name.

Said Gilbert Haslam, Troika’s Sports Creative Director, “Golf Channel gave us the perfect challenge to bring our passion of the game and ability to solve complex design problems to their tournament package redesign. By tapping us to further solidify their position as the authority in tournament coverage, we delivered a game-changing package capturing the spirit and innovation of modern day golf. Our unique partnership with the Golf Channel will make this identity a living entity they can continue to enhance and update across all tours.”

The state-of-the-art package included signature elements such as opens, bumpers and transitions, an insert system, and original score. In all, over 40 key elements were delivered in a toolkit format for the Golf Channel’s internal team to easily customize in After Effects, Cinema 4D and Photoshop as the season moves forward.

Production Credits
Client: Golf Channel
Creative Director: David Piccolo

2010 Demo Reel from Alejandro Brubaker on Vimeo.

Sons of Blueland from mikeseehagel on Vimeo.

Game opener submitted by Mike Seehagel. Thanks for the contribution Mike.

Sons of Blueland
Atlanta Thrashers 2010-2011 Game Opener

Animation: Mike Seehagel
Company: Saw Productions
Audio: Keith White
Narration: David Coles

ESPN WNBA Rebrand from Billy Cummings on Vimeo.

My first rebrand as Senior Designer at ESPN. This vibrant new package encompasses every single element for ESPN’s WNBA coverage, beginning with the 2010 WNBA Finals.

Billy Cummings, a newly minted Senior Designer at ESPN was kind enough to submit some of his fantastic work to GraphicsMafia. Check out his demo reel to see some more great work including the very recognizable and very slick Onion News Network graphics. Thanks Billy.

Fraser Davidson Sports Identity from Fraser Davidson on Vimeo.

A short portfolio reel exhibiting some of the design and branding of various sports teams. For more information and the rest of my portfilio, please visit http://cargocollective.com/davidson

Great sports reel by David Fraser

UEFA EURO 2012 – POLAND/UKRAINE from bikini filmes on Vimeo.

The Brand Story of UEFA EURO 2012 LOGO.

Agency: Brandia Central
Animation / Post production: bikini
Sound Design: Vitor Ruas

bikini . pós produção de filmes . 2009

Great work from John Dickinson and Brett Morris. I love these sort of case studies that break down how they did it. Also, if you’re not familiar with motionworks, check it out. It’s been a fantastic resource for the motion graphics community for years.

via http://www.motionworks.com.au

Check out more from this spot and more of Job Hall’s work
http://work.jobhall.tv/#295303/Adidas-Energy-Spot