HOT SPOT: 'MLB Tonight'

04.07.2016

As Major League Baseball gets underway for the 2016 season, Lava Studio took MLB Network's MLB Tonight for a turn toward the meta with its graphically-intense new open for the nightly baseball show.

Lava's Creative Director David Woodward and Animation Director Kyle Reynolds devised a show open that takes the viewer inside baseball - not just inside the game, but inside the actual baseball itself. Viewers see the construction of an abstracted baseball, and inside it we see ballparks, highlights, and all the textures associated with the game. As the ball is wrapped, layered, covered and stitched, the world of baseball comes alive.

"MLB Network's creative team encouraged us to take risks and to be unafraid of breaking with sports graphic traditions," says Lava Studio owner Robert Kirkpatrick. "After three previous successful show packages, we had achieved a level of trust and a smooth working relationship that made this kind of bold collaboration possible."

In addition to the open, Lava's animation and design team created over 40 unique graphic elements for MLB Tonight, and each makes unexpected creative use of the textures and materials of baseball. Previously, Lava's Art Direction for Intentional Talk on MLB Network received two PromaxBDA Awards for art direction and an Emmy nomination for graphic design. A second Emmy nomination for MLB Central was recently announced.

Here's a look at the package's other elements:

Punctuation Tunnel:

Bump Bats:

Bump Cleats:

Phase Transition:

Bump Logo Form:

Bump Stitches:

CREDITS:

Lava Studio

Creative Director: David Woodward

Animation Director: Kyle Reynolds

Executive Producer: Robert Kirkpatrick

Executive Producer: Jennifer Otero Eirea

Senior CGI Animator: Omar Hernández Peña

Designer/Animator: Carlos Velasquez

CG Artist: Jamir Blanco

MLB Network

Executive Producer: Robert McGlarry

SVP Production: David Patterson

SVP Creative Services: Christopher Mallory

Creative Director On-Air, Creative Services: Premier Maldonado

Art Director, Creative Services: Jeff Boccia Manager, Creative Services: Kaitlin Riccardi

Graphic Artists: Jessica Birs, Michael Gallardo, Matthew Carlyle

3D Artist, Creative Services: David Wendl

Audio: Rick Van Benschoten