BBC Broadcast & BBC Post Production complete Olympics title sequence

BBC Broadcast and BBC Post Production have collaborated to produce the title sequence for BBC Sport’s coverage of the 2004 Athens Olympics.
The sequence follows a torch bearer as he awakens the Olympic spirit by reigniting the flame and traces his journey back to the home of the Olympics. As he passes through the sites of Greece, natural elements such as wind, earth, water and light are evoked and within these we discover the power of the athletes in action are formed. The title sequence, which will form the opening and intermediary sections of BBC Sport’s broadcast of the Games, air from August 14.
The sequence, created and directed by Paul Mitchell from BBC Broadcast, opens with the same torchbearer that appeared in the broadcast trails and traces his steps across the desert. As he runs through the ancient landscapes, the wind picks up and out of the sandstorm a sprinter forms. His strength and swiftness are characterized by the wind as he races past the camera.
The torchbearer then continues his journey along a rocky coastline and as water begins to twist and swirl into a whirlpool, a swimmer made from the bubbles emerges. From there, the journey moves inland and passes through rich landscapes filled with waterfalls, luscious fields and olive groves. The torchbearer looks up to a beam of light in the sky to see a majestic gymnast effortlessly glide and spin through the air before disappearing within a glint of light.
The last phase of the journey follows the hero at the summit of the mountain. As he holds his torch up a swirling tornado is generated and from this a discus thrower forms from the particles displaying raw strength. He launches his disc, which soars through the air to the final location where the torchbearer ascends the steps of a stadium to hold his torch proudly before the Olympic rings.
To create the sequence, the athletes were filmed both on location in Greece and in action against green screen. The 3D and digital effects team at BBC Post Production then 3D match moved the athletes and attached custom particle effects using Maya to create the impression of them emerging from out of the elements.
The swimmer and gymnast were primarily created in the Inferno with extra 3D elements added for enhancement while the sprinter and discus thrower were created through many layers of 3D imaging initially composited in Shake before passing these sequences to Inferno for final polishing.
Louise Braham, Producer, BBC Broadcast says of the sequence: “We aimed to recreate a mythical story and show the God-like power of these athletes in the true home of the Olympics and produce something more akin to a mini film than a standard title sequence. One of the main challenges was the logistics of organising the shoot in Greece but it was fantastic to have the opportunity to film in archaeological sites which are normally out of bounds to film crews.”
Ian Simpson, Digital Effects Supervisor, BBC Post Production added: “The project has really drawn on a whole range of digital effects techniques and the team has been able to play to its strengths combining 2D and 3D work with elements of Inferno work. The challenge has been to recreate these dynamic photo-realistic images of the larger than life athletes in action within an incredibly tight time-frame.”
(GB)