How SOFTSPOT's Triple Threat Roster Came in Clutch for NBA2K
When you’re in a heated war of words with a rival, there’s only one solution. And from the moment you sit down, controllers in-hand, gazes fixated on the TV screen, there’s nowhere else to hide. It’s just you and your NBA2K skills, with nothing less than eternal bragging rights on the line. Well, “eternal” until the next game, of course.
Which makes it all the more frustrating that, until now, your console of choice has proven to be a barrier for so many players. It’s why the fact that crossplay is coming to NBA2K is such welcome and exciting news - no more excuses, no more trash talk. It’s time to let your skills do the talking, however you choose to play.
That sense of excitement is summed up in a brilliantly kinetic, kaleidoscopic campaign from no fewer than three directors on the SOFTSPOT roster. And, in addition to the crossplay hype, we see star turns from a slew of NBA superstars in a range of spots which hurtle from comedic to absurd with the pace of a real-life basketball game. That vibrancy is no coincidence - it’s the result of a creative collaboration between three directors who simply love to work together.
To find out more about the campaign and its unique production, LBB caught up with SOFTSPOT’s Tomás Whitmore, Ryan Chun, and Hannan Hussain.
Above: The fast-paced ‘Crossplay is Coming’ spot was co-directed by Ryan and Tomás.
LBB> Tomás, what was your initial vision coming into this project - and how does it align with the finished campaign?
Tomás> Our goal from the outset was to create something that captured the childlike excitement that comes along with the new release of an NBA2K game. The announce spot “Crossplay Is Coming” is about the uncontainable joy that you’re overcome with when you receive the best news of your life - in the case of our story, the hero receives the news that Crossplay was coming back to NBA2K. We had a lot of fun pushing the creative to new heights, figuratively and literally by ending the spot on top of a mountain.
For the brand's launch spot, “Picking Teams”, there was a different sense of pressure. The whole idea was to transform that moment when two players pick their teams and break all rules of what's possible. It’s about two kids getting a chance to assemble their dream teams, so every pick has to outdo the last, which also means every scene had to do the same. The stakes had to continually rise in the spot, it was key that everything kept getting bigger, more epic, and exciting as all of these unexpected players were being assembled. And of course, last but not least, we had to stick the landing when the last kid picks a video game version of Kobe Bryant.
Big celebrity talent aside, I think the film works because of the incredible kids we casted. Daijah Peters & Cole Jones who played the main roles in Picking Teams, as well as Devon Weetly from Crossplay Is Coming, all really held the excitement and tension of their respective spots. For Picking Teams, as Daijah and Cole began to face off in rehearsals we quickly realised their interaction felt like an epic western showdown. It was something that their performances brought out of the film. I’m really proud of their work on the job. These incredibly young actors really held the spot together.
Above: Tomás picked up the directors chair for the ‘Picking Teams’ spot.
LBB> Can each of you tell us about the experience of working alongside other directors on the same project - what kind of benefits did that bring?
Tomás> Honestly, it felt like we were assembling the Avengers. On jobs like this there are so many high pressure moments, so having a group that you can rely on and turn to for creative support was major.
Ryan> These spots were meant to be fun and wild and over the top. This was without question the most fun I’ve had on set all year, and that’s because we did it as a team. Even when things get stressful or down to the wire, with this approach we were never doing it alone. We had each other to bounce ideas off of, figure out pivots, divide and conquer.
Hannan> Directing can often be a solitary journey through the creative process, but this experience allowed us to do it together, and that unity ignited a better vision for the campaign.
Ryan> Plus, as a director, one thing I think about regularly is how sustainable my lifestyle is. The long hours, the insane prep, the amount of stress we take on to make the things we love. It’s amazing and I couldn’t love it more, but I’ve often wondered if I’ll be able to sustain this volume of work 20 years from now. Where I don’t know what that will look like as a solo director, I can say for sure that the camaraderie and teamwork of doing this project together has really really changed the way I look at our ability to to push ourselves and the creative without having to be worried about burning ourselves out.
LBB> So how did you ensure that you brought differing artistic perspectives into this project in a way that felt cohesive?
Tomás> From a taste perspective it was really organic. I truly believe we have one of the most unique and emerging rosters in the industry and that has to do with the fact that no one has an ego and that we’re all multifaceted when it comes to our skill sets. Each of us is drawn to this industry because it’s a space that encourages curiosity. You can thrive in this line of work while learning. Every job, every pitch, every step of the way is a chance to grow and to connect with your creative partners.
A big part of building that culture is how we find our talent. When SOFTSPOT is looking at potentially repping a director we take all of this into consideration. How would they fit into the larger puzzle that is our roster? Are they open to learning and growing together? What are they bringing to the collective table? It’s important to us that we connect with our talent on an emotional level, that’s the cornerstone of our company. It’s why we called ourselves SOFTSPOT, because we bring emotional intelligence to the work we create. It’s also why we’re able to bring multiple directors onto a project and make it work.
LBB> There's a vibrancy which shines through the work which feels like it was overflowing with ideas. Do you think that has come as a result of this multi-director approach?
Tomás> 1000000%. The work feels like it’s bursting with energy and that’s because we were all genuinely excited and building off one another’s ideas. All throughout the shoot we’d regroup to show one another what we had captured while working with our respective units.
For example, while I was getting ready to shoot coverage on the Picking Teams spots Ryan would come back super hyped to show us an incredible 180 degree arching worms eye action shot he captured our talent whizzing by on his bike. Or Hannan would come back from shooting his scenes with Shaq where they got to improv a bunch of performance takes and we’d all be rolling around on the floor laughing. That back and forth would get me excited to line up my next scene.
Ryan> Before we stepped on set, we made sure that we were all on the same page. We had the same intentions for the project and the general playbook of how we’d make our decisions in order to get there. I think the variety of ideas comes from the trust we had in each other to know that once we split off to shoot our separate scenes we’re thinking about what the other directors are shooting, how it’ll cut, and how the styles will blend and work together.
Hannan> Having a bunch of directors on the same wavelength just sparked this constant stream of ideas. We all had the same endgame in mind and a shared taste, which basically pushed us to raise the bar higher and higher.
Above: When Hannan wasn’t (allegedly) beating Donovan Mitchell in a shootout, he was directing a series of social spots with all of the featured talent.
Tomás> Getting to see people you love and cherish do their best work creates this endless cycle of inspiration. Our collaboration really pushed us to do the best work possible, which is really refreshing in an industry where so many people are burnt out, overworked, and simply looking to get the job over with. This job was the exact opposite of that, everyone was invested and cared, the same cycle of inspiration and support that was unfolding between the directors was also taking place with the producers and cinematographers across our units.
LBB> And why is working this way something that SOFTSPOT is keen to do? What are the advantages for brands, as well as the directors on your roster?
Ryan> Frankly, there’s jobs that are flat out asking too much in too little time for one director to do. Where before we’d have to make a decision of how much is too much to bite off at once, but now those parameters are totally different.
We can take on so much more, and to be honest have more fun doing it. It’s funny, we’ve been talking about this from a strategic point of view, but to really boil it down we’re just a bunch of friends with really similar tastes. I’m in this industry because I love making stuff and I love the people I get to make it with. If you’re telling me I can keep that creative integrity, tackle way larger projects, and have way more fun as I do it, why would I say no?
Tomás> It’s definitely not a one size fits all approach but it’s something we think makes sense for projects of a certain scale. It really comes down to days, budget, and ultimately the amount of deliverables. The multi-director approach is our response to the client's ever evolving deliverable matrix. Spreading the responsibility across a cohesive team allows for talent to do what they do best, focus on the details of their assigned work as opposed to rushing through scenes because they have to deliver 30 more assets. In the end it makes the wide range of deliverables better.
Even if it’s not the biggest campaign with a million deliverables we still like placing our more experienced directors on jobs with younger directors as consultants. Having the senior presence of a consulting director on a project from start to finish helps clients feel more comfortable with giving an emerging director a shot they wouldn’t normally get.
The beauty of the partnership is that it benefits both directors. Obviously it helps the younger directors get a shot at jobs and receive guidance that helps them avoid certain sand traps, but it also helps the older more seasoned directors by seeing what younger talent is tapped into. For myself, working closely with all of our younger directors has opened my eyes to so many new and amazing ways to tell stories.
Hannan> At SOFTSPOT, we're all about getting a crew of like-minded folks with an eye for what's cool and culturally relevant. That's the secret, really. It translates into added value for brands. For us directors, it's more than just work; it's like being part of an extended family. Unlike some other rosters where it can sometimes feel competitive or where you barely know your fellow directors, here, we have the privilege of constantly pushing one another to excel. It's great to be a part of this incredibly cohesive and inspiring unit of people.
Tomás> Lastly, but perhaps most importantly, this approach is healthier. This industry can get toxic at times with how much it demands of your life. Sharing in the responsibility with a team, both on the client and production side creates a strong sense of community. No matter how great the work is there is no point in doing it if you’re not having fun, living well, and smiling.
LBB> What was the biggest challenge you encountered and how did you overcome it?
Tomás> We knew from the very beginning that impeccable communication was going to be the difference maker on this job. Since each director had their own unit, which included their own producer, AD team, cinematographer, and art department support, it was paramount that everyone was on the same page.
Hannan> Yeah, the biggest challenge for sure was tackling all the unique pieces of content we had to deliver. But you know, as they say, teamwork truly does make the dream work. Our seamless communication system among the units turned out to be the secret sauce that made everything run like clockwork. Shoot days flowed smoothly, thanks to this constant and well-organised communication. I must give a big shoutout to our incredible production team – they were the true MVPs of this project.
Tomás> So to pull this off we rented a big house as a home base of operations for a few weeks leading up to the shoot. This also served as living quarters for Ryan and Hannan who were in town from New York. Everyday we got together and made sure that we were aligned on every single decision being made.
Then we brought in each department head and got every team aligned across our units. There were days when we had over 40 people working together to make sure we could address issues as they came up. The most challenging department to align across our three units was our AD team. Since this project had over a dozen celebrity talent in it, scheduling was already a nightmare, add in the fact that the talent needed to be manoeuvred across three units and it starts to seem like we’re crazy for even trying. It’s a huge accomplishment on everyone's part that we pulled it off.
As a result we all knew the plan going into our shoot days which meant we could pivot in unison when needed. It was truly epic, especially on the day when we had nearly 300 people on set with us. It was really exhilarating to see the machine working so efficiently.
LBB> And finally, what are your personal highlights from your experience on this project?
Hannan> Beating Donovan Mitchell in a 3-point shootout, even if he'll never admit it, that was definitely a personal victory worth remembering.
Ryan> When Hannan and I got to take the set jetpack for a joyride.
Tomás> Getting to direct Wembenyama was amazing. He’s really charming and has great instincts for acting. You can tell he’s going to be a star both on and off the court. The only thing better than working with him was seeing Ryan & Hannan absolutely crush it. Those two are so gifted and are both on the verge of taking a big leap in their careers. We’re really honoured to be a part of that.
