Washington Commanders: Scary Season

30 October 2022Teasers Experimental Sports & Fitness

Client: Washington CommandersThe NFL in America's capital
Film: Scary SeasonA Halloween film for the team's social channels
Game: WAS vs INDSunday, 30 October 2022
Brief: Friday 21 OctoberExisting footage only, no shoot
Delivered: Saturday 29 OctoberThree aspect ratios, before three in the morning
Starring: Scary TerryTerry McLaurin, with Taylor Heinicke

With the 2022 NFL season in full swing, our collaboration with the Washington Commanders continues.

The team asked us to create a new film for their social media channels to help build hype for that Sunday’s game against the Indianapolis Colts. After the Commanders big win the week before, it was important that the Commanders remained in the W column. And that they did!

A Commanders player in smoke with glowing eyes from RIOT's Scary Season film for the Washington Commanders

Spooky season

Just in time for Halloween, a series of spooky events have been unfolding and we wanted to have a little fun and highlight them throughout the film. The story goes that quarterback (QB) Taylor Heinicke only started last season due to the original starting quarterback being injured.

The opening shot from our film sets the scene for what is about to commence

This season it has happened again, with draft pick QB Carson Wentz playing the first six games before getting injured with Heinicke standing in as a replacement.

During the first six games superstar Wide Receiver Scary Terry McLaurin and Carson Wentz couldn’t quite find their rhythm together. And so entered Taylor Heinicke, who seemingly has a way of finding Scary Terry during play. It’s all a little bit freaky how well this is playing out.

Eyes glowing: the roster, one by one, to Scary Terry

Terry McLaurin, Scary Terry, eyes glowing from RIOT's Scary Season film for the Washington Commanders — Scary Terry McLaurin.

Taylor Heinicke in burgundy, mid-throw from RIOT's Scary Season film for the Washington Commanders — Taylor Heinicke, the stand-in who keeps finding him.

Starring in their own movie

To highlight these weird coincidences and superpowers, we wanted to follow on from our previous films by continuing to highlight the Washington Commanders as if they were starring in their own movie. This time we used a juxtaposition of colored looks to represent different worlds within the movie, adding a black and white cyborg, deus ex machina vibe of the players going to battle.

The initial exploration concept we shared, showcasing our intended vibe

Going to battle: the black and white world and the color one

The Washington Commanders title in red smoke from RIOT's Scary Season film for the Washington Commanders — Frames from the film: the two worlds, the glowing eyes, the call. Scroll sideways.

A Commanders player in smoke with glowing eyes from RIOT's Scary Season film for the Washington Commanders — Frames from the film: the two worlds, the glowing eyes, the call. Scroll sideways.

Hero capes on

Represented as superheroes in stylish fashion, we put on our own hero capes on in our creative studios during the editing process to painstakingly achieve the glowing eye effect by frame-by-frame masking everything twice for each shot, and every person in it! With the addition of hand animated lens flares, handheld camera shakes, slow motion and speed ramp effects we added impact, making our film stand on the edge of the screen for the viewers.

Raw footage as sent by the Commanders: number 39 at FedExField, in color, before the treatment — The same moment at FedExField: the footage the Commanders sent, and the black and white world with the eyes done by hand.

A Washington Commanders player in black and white with glowing eyes from RIOT's Scary Season film for the Washington Commanders — The same moment at FedExField: the footage the Commanders sent, and the black and white world with the eyes done by hand.

Helmet, gloves, laces: hand-animated flares and speed ramps

The catch, the touchdown, the call

Bleed and melt

To tie it all together we bent the creative rules once again by playing with the Commanders logo so it would bleed and melt on the final clip for extra scary Halloween vibes.

The final clip: the W, bleeding and melting

Eight days, no shoot

The brief landed on a Friday: Halloween content for the Commanders’ channels, around 45 seconds, existing footage only, no budget for a shoot. Roman Shuman’s steer was one word, possessed: game footage spliced with the players as demon versions of themselves. Rael Enteen started sending footage that night and kept it coming all week: media day, the super slow motion from the Packers game, the tunnel, every angle of the Heinicke to McLaurin touchdown.

By Monday we had a test of the glowing eyes. The first cut went over on Friday afternoon with a ticket offer on the end card. On Saturday the plan changed: no offer, post it the next morning as gameday content, and close on the team’s official game slate, which NFL rules require. The final 1920×1080 was approved at 10:41 that night, the three aspect ratios went over before three in the morning, and the Commanders posted it at 10:18.

The first cut's end card: Scary Savings, four tickets starting at $150, over a silhouette of Terry McLaurin — Friday's first cut was a ticket push called Scary Savings. By Saturday night it was gameday content: the offer came out, the official game slate went in, and the film got its name.

The WAS vs IND game card from RIOT's Scary Season film for the Washington Commanders — Friday's first cut was a ticket push called Scary Savings. By Saturday night it was gameday content: the offer came out, the official game slate went in, and the film got its name.

“This is so badass. Love it.”

Roman Shuman, Washington Commanders, on the first cut

Eight days

From brief to gameday

Fri 21 OctThe briefHalloween, 45 seconds, no shoot. Roman's word: possessed. Rael's first send that night.
Mon 24 OctThe testThe glowing eyes, first try: a red helmet, a lens flare, a handheld shake.
Tue to ThuThe footageThree more sends from Rael: the tunnel, the super slow motion, the touchdown.
Fri 28 OctFirst cutShared at 4:10pm, ending on a Scary Savings ticket offer.
Sat 29 OctThe pivotOffer out, official game slate in. Approved 10:41pm, final files before 3am.
Sun 30 OctGamedayPosted at 10:18am. Heinicke starts in Indianapolis: Commanders 17, Colts 16.

Live on gameday

The film went out on the Commanders’ own channels on the morning of the game, and it is still up: the tweet and the reel, as posted.

Credits

Client: Washington Commanders
Client leads: Will Misselbrook, Chief Creative and Digital Officer; Roman Shuman; Rael Enteen
Agency: RIOT
Creative direction, edit, VFX and sound design: Chris Maguire
Producer: Nastassja Simone
Footage and game slate: Washington Commanders
Starring: Terry McLaurin, Taylor Heinicke and the 2022 Washington Commanders

ServicesCreative Direction Concept Development Commercial Production Branded Content Editing Motion Graphics Color Grading Sound Design