HEELS
Main Title Pitch
BALLAD OF THE SOUTH
When I was 13, I taught myself how to use Photoshop so that I could design posters and DVD covers for wrestling events. So, when I had the opportunity to pitch a main title direction at Elastic for Starz' new wrestling drama, Heels, I felt as though my design journey had come full circle.
Pro-wrestling has and always will be an entertainment beacon for the working class, perhaps no more so than in the South. Pride, hard work, and history - the cornerstones of both the wrestling industry and the state of Georgia. This direction makes use of both 3D created shots with live action footage to take the viewer on a journey through the small town setting, as well as the center of the action: the Duffy Wrestling League. It showcases Georgia in all it’s glory - from the glamor of beautiful landscapes, to the no-holds-barred reality of its industry - spliced in between abstract shots of the squared circle and elements relating to different corners of professional wrestling.
For the above pitch board, I coupled the CG design frames with scenes of small town USA, inspired Greg Crewdson's photography, as well as reference shots from pro-wrestling photographer Jose Alvardo. This helped present the overarching concept, tying the pain and passion of independent wrestling to the grit and charm of the working class setting of Duffy.
