ESPN needed a commercial for NCAA March Madness—the biggest thing in college basketball. The goal was to build hype around the event and connect an audience of young basketball fans to the story of the game.
ESPN's team was initially planning on using available footage for the commercial. When they decided to add live-action, there was a shoestring budget.
Director Howard Kim and cinematographer Will Jobe were able to optimize resources by using only one dynamic actor across multiple locations that they scouted beforehand.
The commercial was shot in iconic locations in Downtown Los Angeles.
The choice was to convey the excitement and adrenaline of the tournament through a realistic, dynamic feeling.
