To celebrate the arrival of EA SPORTS FIFA 15, Wieden+Kennedy Amsterdam worked with Imperial Woodpecker director Mark Zibert and The Mill to create "Feel the Game," taking fans on a dramatic ride - immersing them in the game so they experience everything that happens on the pitch. 

Lionel Messi, star athlete of FC Barcelona, plays the hero. Immersed in the game's world the film shows FIFA fans experiencing everything the players feel. They are plunged onto the pitch for an in-game view of the action; when it rains in the game, it pours in their loft; when a player receives a crunching tackle, the FIFA fan takes the impact and falls across the room; and when players rise in unison to protect their goal, objects in the room rise to the occasion.

The Mill creative team worked closely with director Mark Zibert, Wieden+Kennedy Amsterdam and EA SPORTS FIFA Marketing Team in EA Canada, to develop a look for the close-up and stylized interactive game experience shots. The game footage directly captured from the game, overlaid as a 360 degree panoramic and tracked to every minor movement of the player's head, depicts the enveloping gameplay experience.

2D lead artist Kyle Cody comments on combining elements, locations and scenes into a seamless high-energy film: "Every live-action shot of the players at home was enhanced with small details from the game, down to rain droplets finding their way into the player's apartment, and dripping off the brim of a hat."

"During the first buildup to a goal, when the characters jump up to block the ball, a CG goldfish was animated to join the immersive experience of the game, jumping out of his tank with his owners to help! At the very end of the spot, a CG replica of Dortmund Stadium was built, meshing together the teenage player jumping out of his chair in celebration of a goal onto the game football pitch."

The visual effects smoothly help the viewer become absorbed by the story of the film, just as players do while playing and scoring in the game. FIFA 15 will be released in Europe on September 25 and in the UK on September 26, 2014.

- The Mill

Date
September, 2014

Role
Lead Compositor

Director
Mark Zibert

Agency
Wieden + Kennedy Amsterdam