Client – Japan Sport Council
Markets – Japan
Timing – May 31, 2014
Agencies/Vendors – Dentsu, Rhizomatiks, P.I.C.S, HOKOCREATIVE, Dentsu Tec
Tech Word Cloud – 3D motion data, CGI, projection mapping, outdoor experience, live event
The Japan Sport Council employed CGI, lasers, and projection mapping to bring legendary athletes back to life during a live event to bid farewell to the National Stadium.
The National Stadium in Tokyo, built in 1964 to host the Olympics, holds a special place in the hearts of the Japanese people. On May 31, 2014, the stadium closed its doors for the final time. Japan Sport Council’s mission was to stage the grand finale of the National Stadium.
On the National Stadium’s final day, Japan Sport Council brought legendary athletes back to life. Famous world records, events, and athletes such as Carl Lewis and his 100m world record, Sergey Bubka, Mike Powell, and others were reenacted on the field by AR match moved with the camera motion, lasers, and projection mapping, alongside the actual historical videos during the live event.
This event came to life via the use of 3D skeleton information extracted from old video archives for live AR footage. The athletes’ motions were traced frame by frame, checked with a mannequin, and converted into 3D motion data. Software for a system that was able to analyze athletes’ 3D motion and position within the stadium, as well as a system that synchronized the original images with real-time venue footage was also employed. Another system integrating all the data and systems to synchronize the footage on the screen, projection mapping, laser projection and CGI footage allowed the audience members to experience the stadium’s historical moments first-hand.
The creative idea and execution behind the Reviving Legends campaign, Dentsu, was aided by several production companies and technology vendors, including Rhizomatiks, P.I.C.S, HOKOCREATIVE and Dentsu Tec, who worked to create the CGI, lasers, and produce the event. One major challenge of combining all of this technology was that the integrated playback system had to be fully customized for the requirements of this specific event; primarily, it had to be optimized for real-time broadcasting.
On the day of the event, over 36,000 were in attendance at the stadium while the event was simultaneously broadcast live on several popular TV shows. Featured on over 780 different media channels, the event’s media coverage was worth more than USD 33 million. The farewell to the National Stadium via the Reviving Legends event paved the way for the new challenge that begins with the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.