BBC
Welcome to the City of Love
Paris has never seen a love like this. Nexus Studios’ director Fx Goby draws a close parallel between romantic love and the passion athletes feel for their sports in this launch film for the BBC’s Paris 2024 Olympic Games coverage. Working closely with BBC Creative, Fx and the Nexus Studios team led an artful and intense choreography of 58 shots and 36 athletes into 60 seconds of breathtaking animated film. The expertly crafted piece is a dynamic and moving tribute to sporting passion.
To capture this concept and continue the legacy of BBC’s award-winning Olympics work, which previously earned Nexus Studios two BAFTAs, Fx wanted every single image to be iconic, capture the human spirit of endeavour, and retain warmth and texture. This made 2D animation a clear choice for its universal graphic appeal and a strong sense of hand-crafted artistry.
The Athletes
Each athlete’s body type, posture, and fashion all had to be authentically sport-specific with hours of research and experimentation being poured into their appearance. The character design process was a balance of capturing power and expressiveness. Fx and the team simultaneously dramatised both the sheer physicality of the athletes, while highlighting the subtlety of their emotions during their performances.
A Hymn To Love
An iconic, quintessentially French, love song, Hymne A L’Amour was written by Edith Piaf after she lost the love of her life, world boxing champion Marcel Cerdan. Rearranged for the story arc, it elevates the visual drama and provides a soul-stirring anthem for the Olympic Games.