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The show focuses on the intense preparation, including the scientific planning that goes into safely performing these dangerous stunts.The opening sequence mixes photography, live action and animation in a Matrix/blueprint style that examines distances and measurements that need to be considered when attempting a skydive, base jump, jet ski trick.
"The producers of the show wanted to use actual footage from their show and have the ability the rotate around the stunts, Matrix style," says BMD executive producer Steve Petersen. "This meant painstakingly modeling the stunt people and their equipment in our 3D software to be able to recreate angles that didn't exist."
"We focused on creating a look that matched the tone of extreme sports without relying on cliches associated with this genre," adds BMD creative director Ken Carlson. "We also wanted the music to sound different from the usual guitar-driven soundtracks that are a mainstay in extreme sports programming, so we worked with our composer, Albert Chang, to create a breakout percussion driven score that sounds entirely different, yet appropriate."
The Big Machine Design team used Apple’s Final Cut Pro 5 to edit the sequence, along with Adobe After Effects, Illustrator and Photoshop. Maxon Cinema 4D was used for animation. Apple’s Soundtrack and Logic Pro were used to create the audio track.
Studio credits include associate producer Elaina Porter, senior designer Ming-Shian Wang and 3D designer/animator Steve Lawrence. Additional design was provided by Anthony Kolb and Claudia Yi Leon. Spencer Armajo, Robert Adams, and Michael Hackett handled rotoscoping.