The College Football Playoff will have a new look this year thanks to ESPN’s in-house Creative Services team. Five shoots were conducted over a 10-day span with the top four teams in the country — Clemson, Oklahoma, Georgia and Alabama. The result was a full-scale animation package that seamlessly pairs live action and 3D environments.
Inspiration for the theme of the new package came from creative director Tim O’Shaughnessy’s desire to create a connection between the four laces in the CFP logo and the four teams in the semifinal (Monday, ESPN, 5 p.m. ET). Senior designer Dale Harney served as the art director and architect of the new College Football Playoff world. Under the leadership of senior director Michael Szykowny and supervisor Lindsay Reiff, a package was created that will not only wow fans for the Semifinals and National Championship (Jan. 8 on ESPN), but for the entire New Year’s Six slate.
.@ESPN Creative Services' @ESPNCFB @CFBPlayoff #NationalChampionship Animations Package, 2.0: Check out @AlabamaFTBL and @FootballUGA stars showcased https://t.co/UrJqHHriQp pic.twitter.com/YXIipxu6Xd
— ESPN Front Row (@ESPNFrontRow) January 8, 2018