nba mitan OPENER
Animation; Stoeryboarding; Art Direction
a refreshing take on basketball content in china.
NBA China was ready to break free from the stale, studio-style show format of the past, and they wanted something bold, fresh, and full of energy for their revamped NBA Mitan series.
In 2017, NBA China partnered with VICE Media to redefine their basketball and culture content. They sought a younger, more dynamic approach that resonated with their audience, and I was brought in as design director to give it the visual spark it needed. My role was to shape the show’s entire aesthetic and narrative, from the visual direction to designing assets, creating storyboards for teaser content, show openers, lower thirds, and transition animations.
We wanted to capture the raw energy of the game, the culture surrounding it, and the pulse of a new generation of fans. The result? A completely new, immersive way to experience NBA basketball, blending vibrant visuals with storytelling that felt as fresh and fast-paced as the game itself.
show intro
One of the key aspects of the project was the show intro animation that would play before each episode of the content series. My idea was to create a visual aesthetic that represented the energetic and fanatical love for basketball culture on the court, and off the court in China.
The visuals needed to represent basketball culture as a whole, not just the act of playing. I created the initial storyboards and art direction for the series intro. From there we moved into more detailed storyboards and key design frames. Once we had aligned on the design direction and storyboards, we moved into a previs phase refining key frames and characters. Final animation was produced by bewilder.tv
