Sports Classics Bounce off the Screen in Steelworks’ Animated Film

Steelworks has unveiled an experimental self-initiated animation endeavour, ‘Sports Reprocessed’, injecting artistic energy into classic games such as basketball, tennis, baseball, and volleyball. The vibrant project marks the first in a series of unique pieces by the studio, designed to push its creative boundaries and explore diverse aesthetic and narrative styles.

Toying with textures and colours, the studio weaves a playful patchwork of intricately crafted sporting materials and bouncing balls upon abstract reimaginings of playing fields. Constant motion, clever transitions, and flying particles bring the film to life, consistently holding viewers’ attention.

 

The creatives at Steelworks were inspired to challenge their capabilities with this internal project following a string of client projects drawing from sports themes. The subject matter not only offers the opportunity to showcase the studio’s proficiencies in a new light, but also to reflect the team’s own state of continuous motion, flowing between think tanks, reworking edits, and finalising visuals.

Through a combination of Houdini, Cinema 4D, and Redshift, the team delicately detail the raw elements that make sports possible, bringing a new appeal to paraphernalia including courts, nets, balls, rackets, and gloves. They also strive to imbue the objects with life via allusions to the body, with a closer viewing uncovering hints at the spine and the sheen of sweat. The shifting visuals, alongside the title of ‘Sports Reprocessed’, further recall the subconscious state of mental recalibration humans unlock when on the pitch.

For the finishing touch, the team complement the visuals with an original soundtrack composed of perfectly paired Foley elements, transforming the piece into an all round sensory experience.

Nidia Dias, creative director at Steelworks, comments, “This project was an incredible journey for us, and we thoroughly enjoyed every step. Our quest to introduce a fresh aesthetic to the sports world led us to numerous exciting concepts. Choosing which ideas to incorporate into the main video was a tough call, but ultimately, we're extremely proud of the final product that we've created.”