Computer Graphics World

12 July 2009 A New Identity B randing is important for any company or entity. So when the well-known sports news program SportsCenter wanted to update its on-air identity, the endeavor was not taken lightly. After all, ESPN's fl agship SportsCenter had established itself as a fan favorite, working hard to stay at the top of its game following its inception in 1979. Since then, the look and feel of the show has evolved. In 2004, for instance, Troika Design Group helped ESPN intro- duce a new graphics package, called Revolution, when the show began broadcasting in high defi nition. Recently, Troika was approached again, this time to evolve the original and well-received Revolution identity as SportsCenter's production became bi-coastal (with the unveiling of a new West Coast studio at the LA Live entertainment complex) and expanded to nine hours of live programming each day. The transformation, which occurred in April, introduced view- ers to a new show opening based on a design Troika calls Goliath. "From a design standpoint, we wanted to create a sort of prequel to the Revolution identity from 2004," says Gilbert Haslam, creative director at Troika. "We were asked to push the boundaries we had set with Revolution, to basically test the limits of how detailed and immersive we could make the package." Haslam describes the concept: "At the heart of the Sports- Center logo is a red sphere, so we decided to take viewers on a warp-speed journey from the birth of this fi ery, liquid-hot sports sphere to the moment of impact at the logo's resolve. Along the journey, viewers are catapulted through three tiers of activating turbine rings and video screens showcasing clips, before arriving straight into the real-world SportsCenter set." The futuristic, high-tech sports-machine world comprises hundreds of highly detailed elements, all engineered with three tiers of interlocking cylinders that construct the concentric circle-based turbine environment. The new on-air identity also contains hallmark animations and a tool kit of modular project fi les and animation elements. "The project was massive," Haslam says, noting that it spanned nearly a year from concept to delivery. Haslam, along with executive creative director Dan Pallalardo and execu- tive producer Kristen Olsen, oversaw a team of 20 artists and programmers who worked on the package for approxi- mately 16 weeks. Prior to that, the group spent months doing research and development. The Total Package "The client gave us one primary goal to achieve: to set a new bar of sports-design excellence with the new package," says Haslam. During the pre-production stage, the Troika group brainstormed with the SportsCenter team, which identifi ed new concepts they wanted to inject into the graphic branding, such as a large-scale environment with the infusion of more detail inside, more effects, and more cinematic qualities. To this end, the goal was to bring colossal scale to the Goli- ath identity. However, the package still had to be user-friendly for ESPN's in-house production staff since Troika would be providing the crew with a tool kit of working elements. "With these types of large-scale branding packages, traditionally we're delivering elements that are going to be used in a more linear fashion," Haslam says. "What's unique about the Sports- Center project is that the tool kit operates like a 3D virtual set. The ESPN team can use this set as delivered, with all the lighting, textures, and materials in place. Or, it can rearrange, scale, or combine any elements to create new staging areas, all based on prebuilt elements." As a matter of fact, the pack- USER FOCUS: BROADCAST Troika Design Group spent nearly a year conceptualizing and creating SportsCenter's new on-air identity. Dubbed Goliath, the graphics package comprises hundreds of detailed elements.

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