STAMFORD, Conn. – August 5, 2024 – NBC Sports selected Imaginary Forces to create the main title sequence for its re-imagined primetime presentation of the 2024 Paris Olympics – Primetime in Paris – airing each night through the conclusion of the Games on NBC and Peacock.
“We came to Imaginary Forces because they understand that all great entertainment begins with an outstanding title sequence – there is no more powerful way to prime viewers emotionally for the show that follows,” said NBC Sports’ Tripp Dixon, SVP & Creative Director, and Joseph Lee, SVP, Creative Marketing Sports and Entertainment. “For the first time ever, the Olympic primetime broadcast begins with a thrilling title sequence that speaks to the Games’ legacy, emotion, and the sheer virtuosity of athletic performance, all taking place in the spectacular setting of Paris, the City of Light.”
NBCU invited Imaginary Forces’ Creative Director Alan Williams to film key scenes for the opening title during The Universal Shoot, a six-day event held on the Universal Lot in Los Angeles which featured a one-of-a-kind portable dynamic volumetric screen designed by ILM StageCraft. During this event, Williams directed the athletes’ sequence of movements and designed a lighting treatment to capture the drama of the Games.
The storied legacy of the Games was captured by integrating archival footage and historic moments alongside footage of current athletes. The team at Imaginary Forces rotoscoped and adjusted the color grade on these celebrated moments of the past, which lends a sense of visual cohesion among these elements and connects the past with the present.
Williams says, “The Olympics happen on a global stage where everyone is watching. We understood that NBCUniversal wanted to create an opening title sequence that captured this feeling of grandeur. Together, we worked to create an evocative, vibrant, and innovative main title that sets the tone for the coverage about to follow.”
An integral part of NBCUniversal’s brief was to invite a fresh take on the track “Bugler’s Dream.” There’s nothing quite like music to evoke a certain memory, emotion, or distinctive experience. While “Bugler’s Dream” has been the bedrock of the Olympic Fanfare for nearly three decades, this project presented an opportunity to pay tribute to its timeless appeal and to infuse the track with new life and energy. With this in mind, NBC Sports commissioned Evolving Sound and Jules Bromley to deliver a new arrangement.
“When NBC Sports shared the track with us, we were blown away,” says Williams. “At Imaginary Forces, we feel so grateful to the teams at NBCUniversal and NBC Sports for trusting us to help them craft such a memorable opening title sequence.”
NBCUniversal’s coverage of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 features multi-platform offerings across NBC, Peacock, USA Network, E!, CNBC, GOLF Channel, Spanish-language networks Telemundo and Universo, and NBCOlympics.com and the NBC Sports app. Every day, NBC provides Olympic fans with at least nine hours of daytime coverage of the Summer Games’ most exciting events, including live finals coverage. Peacock is the streaming home of the 2024 Paris Olympics, providing fans with the most-comprehensive Olympic destination in U.S. media history, including live streaming coverage of every sport and event and all 329 medal events.
NBCUniversal is presenting its 19th Olympic Games, 12th consecutive overall, and owns the U.S. media rights on all platforms to all Olympic Games through 2032. The Paralympics take place from Paris August 28-September 8, 2024.
ABOUT NBC SPORTS
NBC Sports connects people to the moments that matter most and serves sports fans 24/7 with premier live events, insightful studio shows, and compelling original programming. As the sports division of NBCUniversal, NBC Sports presents premier content across linear platforms NBC, USA Network, GOLF Channel, as well numerous digital sites, including Peacock. NBC Sports possesses an unparalleled collection of media rights agreements, partnering with some of the most prestigious sports properties in the world: the International Olympic Committee and United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee, the NFL, Big Ten Conference, NASCAR, INDYCAR, PGA TOUR, Notre Dame, The R&A, PGA of America, USGA, Churchill Downs, Premier League, Tour de France, and many more. It also consists of NBC Sports Next, a subdivision of NBC Sports and home to all NBCUniversal digital applications in sports and technology within its three groups: Youth & Recreational Sports, Golf, and Betting & Gaming.
ABOUT IMAGINARY FORCES
Imaginary Forces was founded 1996 in Los Angeles and is an award-winning creative company specializing in design-based visual storytelling. Renowned for designing iconic film titles, Imaginary Forces has brought motion design into the worlds of advertising, architecture, gaming, and documentary film production.
— NBC SPORTS —