Check out the Fox’s video here…

No Problem! How hard could this possibly be? First step: find period images that would guide me in replicating a series of vintage uniforms, and second, sourcing the vendors to create the uniforms that would reflect eight decades of proud ASU football history for the new intro. Now, where to find all those pictures from 1899?

After lots of research we found a few excellent photos that gave us the references we needed to have the oldest jerseys designed. As the decades progressed, reference photos became more plentiful, but to accomplish this task we needed a great partner. Enter Tiedman & Formby, a vintage athletic company based in Boulder, Colorado. They sent us some great mock-ups, created vibrant storyboards and, working under a serious time crunch, completed some beautiful jerseys. But hmmm…that was just the jersey. Not wanting half-dressed football players running around, we also needed vintage pants, helmets, cleats and an abundance of accessories to bring this all to life.

My favorite item of the shoot happened to be a pair of 1899 football pants that I was able to get at the very last minute from Sports Studio, a wardrobe house out of Culver City. I feel as though getting accurate vintage apparel and not settling for something that just could’ve ‘worked’ is what’s going to make the finished intro seem that much more realistic.

Looking back, we had to use seven specialty vendors to put together our line up of uniforms. That’s a lot of research! But not to worry, alumni and past players should find their era accurately represented in the new ASU Football intro. Who said football jocks aren’t fashionistas?

If you are lucky enough to have game tickets, you’ll see True Story’s work on the big screen at Sun Devil Stadium for the home opener on September 1^st and all season long! Of course, you can check out the finished intro right here at truestoryfilms.com too.

By Katelyn Edmonds

In a tough economy, colleges across the country are looking to differentiate their institutions from the competition, and True Story is in the thick of this trend with a slew of video projects that are geared toward new student recruitment. Click here to check out some of our latest education projects.

Brett Tuttle

- Brett Tuttle, producer for True Story Films, is leading the charge in the New York City offices and will continue to be a front man for our education division. Look for more good things to come as we push forward into a new market and, if you’re planning a trip to the Big Apple sometime soon, be sure to check in with Brett and say hi. – TSF

Our adventure began with the four-hour drive from Phoenix to Babacomari Ranch, just outside of Sonoita, Arizona. An incredible location that revealed itself as an ideal set for what the campaign’s director, Cary Truelick, and the rest of his team set out to accomplish – taking the
campaign, “Wonderful,” dreamt up by the creatives at E.B. Lane, and bring it to life.

The shoot began with an Arizona sunset; the backdrop of mountains and tall desert grass made for a shooters paradise. The scene was picturesque and had all the classic Arizona warmth and beauty: sunset, cowboys riding across a wide landscape,
backlighting…

The natural lighting of the setting sun made for an ideal frame for the horses and their riders, as the sun slowly dropped. Our heroes became more and more back lit by the warm glow of Arizona’s palette, a magical blend of oranges and reds. As always the best thing about a sunset shot, it just keeps getting better and better…

As we made our way through the week the locations and talent began to shape “Wonderful.” My job was to capture the process. I got very familiar with TSF’s Canon 5D and was reintroduced to the power of “dust.”  So often, we were shooting at either sunrise or sunset when the wind and dust particles are busiest. One of my favorite stylized techniques is “the backlit lens flare.”  The technique is awesome for sunrise and sunset shots, but not so much for conditions with lots of blowing dust, requiring frequent breaks to clean the camera lens.

It’s amazing how such a small particle of dust on the lens can become so amplified by the sun firing right down the lens. Stopping the lens down completely (or darn close to preserve detail) and “pushing” the sun behind interesting elements in the shot, makes for some pretty sweet camera magic. Star patterned lens flares – so “cowboy” western, yet timeless and consistent with the feel of the AZ Lottery’s campaign.

By week’s end most of us were happy to see the rolling hills and vast country side of southern Arizona in our rearview mirrors. I, for one, took a lot more from my experience than just a sunburn and camera case full of dust. I took photos, lots of ‘em. I also rekindled my amazement for the beauty and variety of backdrops this incredible state has to offer. After 10 years of working all
over Arizona (And when I say, “all over” I mean it. Four year of trekking across the state with Alex Mitchell and the team from Arizona Highways was certainly an adventure!!)

Working against the elements – dust, windstorms and heat – and a field full of Longhorn Steer (yes, one of my on-set assignments included a series of long lens, backlit shots of dozens of massive steer that circled around me; funny, Cary
and Howie were “conveniently” shooting the cattle drive from a distance) is certainly hard work, but well worth it when the campaign comes to life. This campaign is certainly worth its title and my trade out of “children and dogs” for “dirt and cattle!”

By Mic Waugh, Stedicam Operator (and Still Photography Enthusiast)

But, for our team at True Story – a staff of predominantly ASU grads and longtime production partner for the university’s athletic program – the opportunity to participate in the behind-the-scenes rollout of the new brand is nothing short of exciting. Pre-production brainstorming for the 2011-2012 athletic year has officially begun and, with it, comes a new wave of creative possibilities.

Check out the official details of the new brand at http://asunews.asu.edu/20110412_asuathleticsbrand and stay tuned for more from True Story this summer.