ESPN, one of the world’s most recognized sports broadcasting networks, partnered with creative agency Hyperactive to produce a dynamic, emotionally charged commercial for the campaign titled “The Beauty of the Game.” The campaign aimed to highlight the passion, drama, and artistry that make sports compelling on and off the court.
GRAFX Co. was brought on to execute high-impact 3D animation and visual effects that would amplify the drama of the featured moment: NBA star J.R. Smith breaking the backboard during a powerful dunk—a visual metaphor for the force, emotion, and precision that define professional basketball.
Project
ESPN – The Beauty of the Game
Client
Hyperactive
Our Role
Production, Post, & Visual Effects
Crafting the Moment
Our team was tasked with one of the most pivotal shots in the commercial: the close-up of the backboard shattering during J.R. Smith’s dramatic dunk. This iconic shot required a seamless fusion of photorealistic 3D animation, precision visual effects, and practical FX integration to deliver the raw intensity ESPN is known for.
Our team executed a full CG replacement of the backboard, meticulously modeled and textured to reflect realistic wear and accurate impact behavior. Advanced glass shatter simulations were developed, ranging from large shards to micro particles, enhanced with dust trails and responsive lighting for added realism. To ensure every detail aligned with J.R. Smith’s performance, custom hand-animated passes were crafted to match his movement and physical force.
The CG was then composited with live-action footage and practical plastic shards captured in-camera, blending both elements into a cohesive, cinematic sequence. The result is a visually striking crescendo that underscores the emotion and power of the moment, bringing ESPN’s storytelling to life with dramatic flair and technical finesse.
Shattering Expectations
This ESPN commercial aired across national broadcast and digital platforms, supporting the network’s ongoing mission to celebrate the emotional and aesthetic power of sports. Dreamspace’s work in this project demonstrated our strength in complex visual effects, photoreal CG integration, and sports storytelling through cinematic techniques.
By blending advanced technical execution with artistic sensibility, we helped ESPN deliver a moment that is both visually memorable and symbolically resonant, reinforcing their position as the gold standard in sports content.