Philadelphia 76ers vs Miami Heat
A cinematic game-day short film capturing the intensity and atmosphere of a pivotal 76ers vs. Miami Heat matchup during the 2018 playoff push. Rather than a traditional highlight reel, this piece immerses the viewer in the full sensory experience of being inside the arena — the pre-game tension, the crowd energy, the moments that define a franchise's season.
This was an experiment in treating a regular-season game like a short film, with all the craft and intentionality that implies.
The concept was simple but ambitious: shoot an entire game like a film, not a broadcast. I positioned myself courtside with a cinema lens kit — primes from 35mm to 135mm, all shot wide open for maximum depth separation. Every frame was composed, not just captured. The players move through shallow focus like characters in a narrative.
I structured the piece in three acts. The first act is all atmosphere: the building filling up, fans in the concourse, the team arriving, warm-ups with empty arena echo. The second act is the game itself, shot with an emphasis on faces, reactions, and body language rather than traditional play-by-play. The third act is the aftermath — the exhale, the celebration, the quiet arena.
The sound design blends live arena audio with a composed score. I used dynamic range aggressively — near-silence before a free throw, then the full roar of 20,000 fans. The contrast creates tension that mirrors the experience of being in the building.
The piece set a new standard for game-day content within the organization. It demonstrated that every game has a story worth telling cinematically, and that investing the time and craft to tell it pays dividends in audience engagement and brand perception. The short film approach became a recurring format for marquee matchups.