Nike Jordan 'Engine'

CIRCUIT TRAINING
Directed by Daniel Kleinman for Rattling Stick, Nike Jordan Brand Engine is a 60-second spot that forms part of the integrated launch of their Melo M4 line. Created by agency Wieden & Kennedy's NY office, the spot featured basketball A-lister Carmelo Anthony working out in downtown Denver and completing a power play on the court. VFX and post for the spot was handled by Framestore.

Shot in stunning slow motion and with an accompanying soundtrack of a steam train inexorably building up to full speed, Engine is a more than worthy addition to the rich heritage of Jordan Advertising. Shot on a tight schedule in LA with only 180 extras, Framestore had the task of providing the NBA 'big game' atmosphere in the playing scenes. Separate crowd plates were filmed later and seamlessly composited and tracked to the main action, and additional players were also captured on green screen and positioned to obscure extras faces and numbers.

Framestore also had to turn California into Denver. The morning workout scenes took place on a typically mild and clear LA morning which, with the help of some sky stills and breath elements, became a far more dramatic and evocative environment.
"We worked a lot on those scenes with Wieden & Kennedy," says Murray Butler, Lead Flame artist on the project, "It was a challenge to find the right skies that would look moody yet still justify the direct sunlight you can see on the ground. We tried to time the breaths to work with the soundtrack but not feel overly syncopated."

Other tasks involved stripping in Denver Nuggets home court markings, and adding camera flashes as the action escalates. "It was great to have such a positive effect on an already stunning spot," adds Butler.