Process

NBA Schedule Release was looming, and the Rockets needed a video that would show off their new ketchup and mustard branding, embody the spirit of Houston, and stack up favorably against the other 29 schedule release videos dropping on August 13.

Primary inspiration for the POV “flythrough” approach came from an NBA Playoffs on ESPN spot from the previous season. From there, we built the video script in close collaboration with the Rockets’ social team. We set the video primarily in space with the rocket originating in Houston (on earth) so we could show off the Rocket’s fictional restaurant “Rudy T’s” and a decked out slab car parked out front. From this foundation, we embellished with ideation for how to visually represent the opponents and how to include easter eggs and jokes.

After alignment on a detailed script, environments and assets were built in Unreal engine and the flythrough animation was constructed so that each planet placement was entirely modular. A modular build was absolutely necessary at the finish line when the final video had to be publish-ready just 24 hours after receiving the finalized NBA schedule.