After teasing the prototype for Wilson’s 3D-printed basketball in early 2023, the motion team at Woodwork Amsterdam now reveals the real-life production version called the Airless Gen1 ($2,500 and sold out) in this dramatic CG release film.

Nina Fabel, EP at Woodwork: “Our creative concept for the Wilson Airless Gen1 animation blends a mystical powder-formed realm with the high-tech genesis of the ball. Set against a backdrop of celestial events, the narrative captures the ball’s laser-sintered creation, from powder to perfection.
 

“Set against a backdrop of celestial events, the narrative captures the ball’s laser-sintered creation, from powder to perfection.”

 
“This approach not only highlights the ball’s innovative manufacturing but also its futuristic allure. Marrying technology with an engaging, otherworldly story, we intricately wove branding and basketball motifs into the otherworldly setting. As planets aligned, their formation subtly mirrored a basketball court’s outlines, creating a visual linkage that enthusiasts would appreciate.

“The eclipse’s corona and dusty landscape were detailed to echo the Airless Gen1’s distinctive hexagonal lattice structure, infusing elements of the ball’s design into the cosmic event, thereby seamlessly blending the narrative’s celestial theme with the product’s innovative design cues.”

Watch the process/R&D film:
 

 
 

 
Client: Wilson Sporting Goods
Art Director: Jennifer Braier, Jarvis Kim
Copywriter: Nick Eckel
Senior Project Manager: Molly Pike
Marketing: David Picioski

Production: Woodwork Amsterdam
ECD: Marvin Koppejan
EP: Nina Fabel
Producer: Gayle van Bochove, Cory Chonko
Art Director: Roberto Andreu
3D Artist: Lennard Goede, Neil Verhavert, Michiel Krop, Pascal Amestegui Fuentes
2D animator: Hidde Maas

Music: THNDR