The Hive completes ITV Boat Race promos

The Hive, part of full-service post-production facility VTR, has created three versions of a promo for ITV’s coverage of the annual Boat Race between Oxford and Cambridge Universities, to be held on the River Thames later this month.
Following more than 30 years of television coverage on the BBC, ITV has won the rights to broadcast the event in which Oxford’s rowers take on Cambridge as they race up-river from Putney Bridge to Mortlake. The promos, which are aimed a widening the appeal of the 150-year old event to younger audiences and modernising coverage of the event, feature animation courtesy of the Hive.
Filmed at the Leander Club, the world's oldest rowing club and home to high profile rowers such as Sir Steve Redgrave and Matthew Pinsent, the promos feature animated body parts alongside spoken statistics about the impact of race conditions on the body. It cuts between shots of rowers and close ups of animated body parts, including a beating heart and the inside of an ear.
Following the location shoot, which was directed by Oscar Cariss - came three weeks in post. During this period Hive animators Phil Hurrell, Howard Bell and Martin Allan did the 3D modelling, animation and effects work using a combination of Maya and Softimage XSI. Lyndon Gaul finished the promo in Discreet’s flame.
“The challenge was to create a surreal environment within the human body whilst staying true to the live action shot by Oscar Cariss”, explained Allan.
The Hive has worked on a number of past projects with Paul Braithwaite, Production Manager at ITV. “The team at the hive are extremely accommodating”, he said. “They understood exactly what we wanted to achieve with these promos. Plus they always manage to work to a budget, without compromising the quality in any way.”
This year’s race, which is the 151st, is set to take place on March 27. The promos are currently airing on ITV.
(GB)