How RIOT Reimagined Imagine Dragons’ ‘Believer’
While this can’t technically be listed as clientThe reason we do what we do—the client is the partner, the collaborator, and the audience we’re here to impress and grow with. work, we absolutely believe it deserves to be showcased to the world. We poured our heart, soul, and creativityThe spark that starts it all—creativity is the fearless pursuit of new ideas, powerful stories, and unforgettable brand moments. into this project with the same passion we bring to every client campaign. Not ones to typically enter contests or competitions, the “Make The Cut” contest for Imagine Dragons—featuring legendary 80s action star Dolph Lundgren—was a challenge we couldn’t resist. The contest closed for entries on April 8th 2017, but the experience left a lasting impression.
This project serves as a testament to our editing capabilities and creative prowess. Completely unfiltered and 100% our creation from an editorial perspectiveThe brand's north star—vision is your long-term purpose, guiding everything from campaigns to company culture., it allowed us to explore techniques and styles that might feel “too out there” for client work. Think of this as one of RIOT’s creative agency experimental films, with the Adobe x Imagine Dragons contest footage as our canvas. The result is something bold, unique, and undeniably us.
The footage package included 50-60 clips from the music video shoot, along with 5 atmospheric videosYour brand in motion—video captures attention, tells stories, and delivers emotion in a way that text and static visuals can’t. and 5 Adobe Stock videos. One of the contest’s major rules was that only this footage could be used, challenging us to push our creativity within strict limitations. Nearly 98% of the video was edited, colored, and completed in Adobe Premiere Pro, showcasing our deep expertise with the software. The only time we turned to Adobe After Effects was to create the gleaming 80s-style cinematic effect behind the Imagine Dragons logo.
We thoroughly enjoyed working on this project and are incredibly proud of the final result. It’s an example of the kind of innovative, boundary-pushing work we excel at. Above, you can watch the MUG5 edit of “Believer” by Imagine Dragons. We hope you enjoy it as much as we enjoyed creating it!
