From Fiserv Forum to the Forest, Part 1: Milwaukee Bucks, The Famous Group Inject Heightened Creativity Into New Mixed-Reality Open Video Sunday night's activation also aired on FanDuel Sports Network Wisconsin, ESPN By Kristian Hern ndez, Senior Editor Monday, March 10, 2025 - 8:00 am
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The Milwaukee Bucks played a pivotal Eastern Conference matchup against the Cleveland Cavaliers at home on Sunday night. A sold-out venue brought the energy and the noise, but as an added touch to make sure the crowd was ready to go for tip-off, The Famous Group (TFG) executed an in-venue, mixed-reality (MR) activation that flipped Fiserv Forum into a dense forest with roots protruding from the ceiling and taking over the videoboard, rims, and the entire lower bowl.
This is pretty exciting because this has been almost three years in the making, says Andrew Isaacson, EVP and partner, The Famous Group. Instead of being above ground like we've done in the past, we're going underground and into the root system, which will provide a really entertaining show for the fans.
To learn about the technological side of this project, click HERE for Part 2 of our two-part report from Milwaukee.
The mixed-reality activation brought the forest into Fiserv Forum.
Headed Underground: Creative Reinforces Fear the Deer Theme With Roots, Foliage Working together for 11 seasons, and with the partnership kicking into a higher gear over the last four seasons since the franchise's NBA Championship in 2021, the Milwaukee Bucks and The Famous Group were poised to elevate the creativity and production value for the 2024-25 regular season. One of TFG's creatives, Producer Dustin Sussman, began working with the Bucks in 2021 and has seen the evolution of this partnership and its ability to push the creative envelope.
There's a high level of trust [between The Famous Group and the Bucks] that pours into the projects that we do together, says Sussman. Having a strong relationship with their production staff helps us understand their branding, messaging, and the small nuances that they put into making every game different.
Leaning into the Bucks' Fear the Deer theme, which was first launched in 2015 and is influencing this year's Statement Edition jersey, the fan experience and gameday production needed to pack a bigger punch to truly bring this concept home. Through the direction of Milwaukee Bucks' Executive Producer, Broadcast and Live Events, Johnny Watson, the main goal of this project was to have a deeper attention to detail and highlight the innovation of this long-standing relationship.
Players, including Giannis Antetokounmpo, were recorded on a practical set during Media Day.
We've done many Fear the Deer-themed opens over the last few years, but we wanted to figure out how to bring the forest into the stadium, says Hemu Karadkar, creative director, The Famous Group. This idea is going into the forest, and since the spirit of the deer lives there, we wanted to put the players in there with a practical set that we created.
For previous Statement edition games, the traditional open would run on the in-venue videoboard, but for this marquee matchup against the Cavs, the franchise wanted to augment their open with this MR technology from TFG. After many back-and-forth conversations, the final product had large roots, branches, and foliage slowly creeping into the venue from the ceiling and walls. Once the building was completely transformed, a wooden version of a deer with glowing green eyes rose from the court. After Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo was shown with a pair of glowing green eyes of his own, in-game highlights and staged shots with the players captured during pre-season Media Day closed out the dramatic piece before the starting lineup was introduced.
While the mixed-reality portion was being sorted out and developed, two other creatives at TFG - Art Director Daniel Olszewski and Lead Editor Steve Davis - joined Sussman to capture content when they were with the roster in late September. With this content in their back pocket, the Bucks opted for different open videos dedicated to each of their jerseys: their Association Edition whites, their City Edition blues, and the Statement Edition blacks that were worn on Sunday night. Olszewski directed the shoot for the Association open and art directed all three videos, Sussman directed the shoot for the City open and produced all three videos, and Davis played a large role in all three - he directed and art directed the shoot for the Statement open as well as directed the two other videos. To make this open video shine, TFG made an investment in presenting the most ultra-realistic environment as possible. Unlike other activations where certain parts of the building were placed into the spotlight or only one virtual graphic was used, this project was the combination of the entire lower bowl as its canvas and a complex series of graphical elements being deployed at once.
The open video featured a wooden version of a deer with glowing green eyes.
We asked ourselves how to make these roots feel like they're coming down from the roof and hugging the videoboard and seats, but sticking to them in a real way, adds Karadkar. We were able to contour the whole stadium and show the roots more organically.
After years of tinkering and testing out solutions, The Famous Group feels comfortable enough to execute a massive undertaking of this size.
We were able to scan the arena and track the elements to have everything fit perfectly, continues Karadkar. It won't feel like the roots are floating, dangling, or moving in a way that they shouldn't be.
The Famous Group focused on making the roots look as realistic as possible.
A Bucks-Based Perspect
