Boise’s tight-knit community allows it to pull off many large scale events that would often be impossible in any other location. When ideas even as hair-brained as bringing the Athletic Club de Bilbao to play at Albertson Stadium come about, it seems the whole city will pull together to see it happen. We were lucky to be a part of this historical event as major sponsors of the Basque Soccer Friendly. Co-Directors, John Bieter and Argia Beristain, came to our door with this seed of an idea and a whole lot of passion. It was apparent this would become something much bigger than all of us, and it certainly turned out to be just that.
It’s difficult to rally attention for this size of an event purely from scratch. For months, the Basque Soccer Friendly website racked up thousands of hits and followers even though there was no information, no date, and not even an opponent to play. The organizers persevered to through a lot of doubt and obstacles to keep building, even when it felt like there was nothing to build on. By sheer optimism and hard work, these elements did eventually fall into place. Our first task was to create commercials for broadcast with little-to-no video to work with. Creating a promo for an inaugural event with minimal raw materials was an interesting challenge. The amazing design work of Carew Co. provided the look for the game’s logos, and we created the feel with this spot. The buzz began.
The Basque Soccer Friendly settled upon their opponent team, Club Tijuana, who is the top ranked team in La Liga MX. The “Xolos” (their mascot) had no media for our marketing whatsoever. We needed to gather some footage to show Basque Soccer Friendly supporters who they would be coming to see. With a very light camera kit and one sketchy trip to Tijuana, we were able to properly introduce the opposing team. Sideline access is always exciting, but never quite as exciting as at a professional Mexican soccer match…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r5176ilnqEg
We also produced promotional videos for the Basque Studies Foundation. Through the foundation, all proceeds of the game will fund scholarships for the Boise State University Basque Studies Program and Idaho Youth Soccer Association. One of the most inspiring things of this event was seeing how many lives were going to be changed by these scholarships; all from the generosity of sponsors and volunteers who brought it to life. Aside from exposing the surrounding communities to an unprecedented level of international athletics, kids from immigrant or underprivileged families would have scholarship opportunities that could carry them into the collegiate levels of soccer. BSU students would also gain a whole new level of cultural education by the international exchanges and scholarships created through the proceeds. It was great to get to tell these stories of the effects of the game that will reach far beyond the field for years to come.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g5Cpr4Lnmno
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GQnl1Ss_3iQ
The greatest challenge that we faced was capturing a timelapse of turning the famous Boise State blue turf into a grass soccer field. The whole process lasted 8 days, posing a great great amount of challenges. We had to be able to set the pace of frames taken to something that would be slow enough to capture quick moves like removing the goal posts, but fast enough to capture the multi-day tasks like covering the turf with decking. Then, there was accounting for the long night hours and calculating how much memory each hour would use so we could change cards without missing gaps of action. This planning took almost as long as the timelapse itself. We placed one GoPro at the very top of the stadium, and another lower angle in the East end, taking a still photo every 30 seconds day and night. Miraculously, both cameras survived the week of heavy lighting, wind, and rain. This, paired with some intercutting of shorter timelapses taken from the Sony FS-7 and Canon 5D created the ultimate transformation experience.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e5EDmz3R75Q
Our final project for the Basque Soccer Friendly was a wrap-up video of the entire experience. This event was uniquely emotional for the Boise community because of its high concentration of Basques. Athletic Club plays for the city of Bilbao in the province of Biskaia, which is where the majority of Boise-Basques come from. Crowds have long gathered at the downtown Basque Center to watch their games overseas. The team has a cantera policy, which means their players are all native to the Basque Country or have been trained through their youth leagues. The team stands as a strong symbol of the Basque identity. For many Basque immigrants and their descendants, seeing their players here in Idaho was an unrivaled experience. This impact was the reason so many sponsors and volunteers jumped on board, and it has taken our cross-cultural relationships with the Basque Country to a whole new level. Athletic Club’s President, Josu Urrutia, made many comments throughout their stay about how blown away they were to find the heart of Athletic so strong here in Boise. This bond was monumental for the city, the fans, the team, and the entire culture. We were lucky to capture it and hope it will continue for years to come.
Mayor Dave Bieter and Co-Directors, John Bieter, Argia Beristain, and Bill Taylor pose with the Athletic players at the Boise Basque Center
Athletic Club de Bilbao President, Josu Urrutia accepts the key to the city
