EURO/COPA SOCCER
EURO GERMANY AND COPA AMERICA 2024 SOCCER SET
The summer of soccer brought the world together in true FOX Sports fashion! Dubbed “The Cathedral of Soccer” by Forbes, our set was a stunning blend of innovation and artistry. Designed by New Zealand-based architectural firm Van Brandenburg, the set drew inspiration from European architecture, featuring a striking rose window that released Augmented Reality (AR) elements.
We extended our set into a full 360-degree experience, beyond the physical limitations of our LED volume. Using AR, we expanded the environment and incorporated camera rail systems to virtually navigate the set. At key moments, the virtual camera hands off smoothly to the live camera, blending our real and virtual worlds. It was an intense project with many hours of effort across the team, but the results were worth it. Many believed we had built a physical set in Germany—proof we did our job right! Proud to have been part of one of FOX Sports’ most ambitious productions to date.
Art Directors: Gary Hartley, Michael Dolan
Realtime Team: Michael Adames, Jason Bognacki, Dave Brown, Oscar Carrillo, Susan Largent, Jesse Larson, John Martin, Jason Phipps, James Reed, Alex Seflinger
Producers: Jim Rodman, LeBraun Robinson, Chris Smith
Project Manager: Joshua Perea
A CLOSER LOOK: THE "CATHEDRAL OF SOCCER"
As part of the realtime team, I optimized and retopologized Van Brandenburg’s designs to ensure seamless operation on FOX’s LED stage. I also contributed to creating the concrete textures, light strips, and water movement. Working with Drive Studio’s AR package, I handled cleanup, optimization, and adding functionality to Augmented Reality (AR) elements.
ROSE WINDOW
The Rose Window was a standout feature of our set, inspired by stained-glass windows in gothic cathedrals. Serving as an AR informational graphic, it seamlessly integrated into our environment, either opening up from the floor or nestled within a wall. Its dynamic integration brought both beauty and functionality to the set.
AR ELEMENTS
Here are the concepts in our early phases of design for the Augmented Reality (AR) elements of the set. The package was designed by Drive Studio, and we did cleanup, texturing, and fuctionality in-house.
