ESPN the Open

ESPN was looking for a new way to dramatize the Open Championship golf tournament in its 140th year. They also wanted to celebrate and feature the notoriously difficult St. George’s course known for its blind spots, fickle seaside weather and one of the deepest bunkers in the game. Drawing on the lore of Saint George who was beatified for slaying a dragon, we decided to imbue the rolling green landscape of the course with an almost mythological power to turn the tournament into an epic battle between man and nature. Since dragon slaying and golf both involve hitting a big green thing with shiny metallic sticks, it just made sense. This is the directors cut with just a little more dragon built in.

Creative Director: Aaron King; Writer/Producer: Lauren Muir; Head of Production: Katie Larkin; Art Director: Steven Harper; Design: Earl Jenshus; VFX Artist: Paul Todaro, Dom Amatore; Maya Artist: Lee Mylks; Compositing: John Stanch; Editor: David Gargani