World Debut: From Outsiders to the Olympic Games
Feature Documentary
Client/Network: The Olympic Channel and YouTube Originals
Think Less Services: Creative, Packaging & Sales, Production, Post-Production
Executive Producer: Tony Hawk
Partners: Boardwalk Pictures and Madica Productions
Awards:
- Telly Awards Gold: Documentary - Directing, 2022
- Telly Awards Gold: Online - Sports, 2022
What were once lifestyle fads have evolved into some of the world's fastest-growing sports and are now set to debut on the world’s biggest stage – the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games. Step inside the 20-year journey of three new sports born on the fringes of society – skateboarding, surfing, and sport climbing – alongside names like Tony Hawk, Emily Harrington, and Sofia Mulanovich.
Shot on location in:
Madrid, Spain | Torino, Italy | Lausanne, Switzerland | Palm Springs, Florida | Mar Del Plata, Argentina | San Diego, California | Tokyo, Japan | Salt Lake City, Utah | Lima, Peru
120mins of unscripted content, a global crew, high profile cast, and all delivered start to finish in 7 months during a pandemic.
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The Challenge
World Debut," a feature documentary for the Olympic Channel and YouTube Originals, presented a unique challenge: bridging the gap between the colossal, traditional institution of the Olympics and the fresh, culture-rich newcomers of skateboarding and surfing. It was a delicate dance of understanding and communication, akin to blending oil and water. The task was to foster a dialogue between two entities that, while now bound together, didn't fully comprehend each other. The project demanded honesty, empathy, and a deep dive into the unique appeal of these new sports, all while crafting a compelling narrative that would resonate with a diverse audience.
The Concept
In the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Summer Games, the global stage welcomed four new sports - skateboarding, surfing, and sport-climbing. Born from grassroots movements and a spirit of nonconformity, these sports made their bold debut.
Our film, "World Debut," traces the intriguing evolution of these outsider sports, paralleling their journey with the Olympic Summer Games. We delve into the stories of athletes, stewards, and fans who worked tirelessly behind the scenes to integrate these new sports into the Olympic movement.
Using a blend of never-before-seen archival footage and original interviews with the gatekeepers of the Games, we illuminate the process of sport selection for the Olympics. We aimed to answer a key question for our audience: why were these new sports chosen for Tokyo 2020?
To highlight the challenges of incorporating culture-based sports into the Olympic Games, we embraced animation and heartfelt storytelling from those who've dedicated two decades to this cause.
At Think Less, we believe in entertainment as a powerful storytelling tool. For "World Debut," this meant capturing the raw, gritty aesthetic and pulsating music that embody these counter-culture sports. Our vision was not just to inform, but to captivate, leaving audiences with a deeper understanding and appreciation of these new Olympic sports.
The Creative
We knew from the outset that we wanted to blend a cinematic and lo-fi aesthetic that would be crucial in reflecting the spirit of the counter-culture sports featured in our film. We broke down our visual language into four key categories:
Interviews
Our sit-down interviews form the narrative backbone of the film, weaving together archival, vérité, and animated moments. We opted for minimalistic interviews for officials, juxtaposed with more free-spirited ones for our athletes.
Animation
We used 2D animation to make the Olympic process accessible and engaging. Bold serif typefaces and retro human illustrations filled in for moments when archive footage was lacking. We drew inspiration from the Mid-Century Modern aesthetic, embracing the color and clean lines of a Keith Haring pattern.
Archive
Through our partnership with the Olympics, we were able to source, for free, an unlimited supply of Olympic archives. This mixed with archive broadcast partners we utilized iconic moments and never-before-seen archival footage. This allowed us to walk the audience through the history of the Olympic Games and the journey of these new sports.
Verite
Key moments at the IOC headquarters, competitions, and personal spaces served as building blocks for the story arc. We captured the rewarding, and often daunting, reality of fulfilling dreams. We also spent time with our Icons, illuminating their respective sports and personal experiences.
The Edit
We faced our greatest challenge with World Debut in the editing room. With a highly compressed timeline, we had to kickstart production and post-production simultaneously. The only way to achieve this was to assemble the right post-production team that could work independently and with a high degree of trust.
Then, COVID-19 hit, forcing us to transition to a fully remote post-production workflow. This involved daily virtual huddles and cutting sessions. The smooth transition and successful delivery of the film were only possible due to the upfront work of building the right team.
We also worked tirelessly to ensure that the integrity of each sport's attitude was maintained to a high standard. This meant getting the tone, pacing, and music right to reflect each sport's unique personality. One of our proudest moments was when the team from Rage Against the Machine saw a cut of the film and immediately agreed to provide the intro track.
Lastly, we developed the visual language for our film's animation. This process was the secret ingredient that made the film truly shine.
