DC Basketball shots
April 9, 2005 1:51 PM   Subscribe

Amazing basketball shots from the DC training facility.
posted by driveler (27 comments total)
 
Definite visual tricks. Look for it on some of the longer distance arc shots. You'll notice the last leg of the arc changes angle slightly and it cuts off the second it hits the net. Many of the earlier shots are real, probably just took enough tries to get it to work right. Another thing to look for: Look how many shots at the end have the ball sailing off the top of the screen. Shots like those make it easy to splice. Why is it that earlier/easier shots show a shadow on the wall while later shots don't? etc.
posted by kamus at 2:24 PM on April 9, 2005


looks real to me, try a shot like that 100 times and you're bound to get it in once, and that's the one you put in the clip.
posted by bizwank at 2:31 PM on April 9, 2005


Why is everyone who enjoys basketball inevitably a gigantic moron?
posted by borkingchikapa at 2:53 PM on April 9, 2005


I say we enlist the sleuths at Powerline to get to the bottom of this "Basketgate".
posted by sharksandwich at 2:53 PM on April 9, 2005


I... I... feel the sudden, mysterious... urge to buy DCSHOECOUSA™ sneakers.
posted by AlexReynolds at 2:56 PM on April 9, 2005


meh. how hard is it to throw a ball into a hoop in front of a camera? Also, some of the arcs don't look very believable.
posted by puke & cry at 2:59 PM on April 9, 2005


This is viral marketing.
posted by Mean Mr. Bucket at 3:11 PM on April 9, 2005


This is viral marketing.

I'll second that.

Isn't there a commercial they've been showing lately that uses this same technique? Some college or pro player making a string of long-court shots? Same "home video" feel, etc.
posted by _sirmissalot_ at 3:23 PM on April 9, 2005


This is viral marketing.

and?
posted by Kwantsar at 3:26 PM on April 9, 2005


Boo. You're infected.
posted by foot at 3:31 PM on April 9, 2005


this has gone too far... now the next time i see someone lob a shot off of the end of a skateboard i won't know whether it was for real or not... damn these special effects...
posted by cusack at 3:45 PM on April 9, 2005


Isn't there a commercial they've been showing lately that uses this same technique? Some college or pro player making a string of long-court shots? Same "home video" feel, etc.
posted by aceyim at 4:54 PM on April 9, 2005


My guess is it's not special effects. If any of you have ever seen any skateboarding videos (or god forbid filmed them) you'll know that in order to nail a trick it literally takes hours of shooting. With great editing it looks like the skateboarder is incredibly consistent. For some skateboarders it will take months to produce a 10 minute segment in a video. I'd say that philosophy of shooting is at work here. Try it enough times you'll make it. Edit it together like it's just a day of screwing around at the park. Kids see it, love it and buy DC shoes.
posted by photoslob at 5:03 PM on April 9, 2005


Whatever it is, its cool as hell. Either the editing or the shooting is fantastic, it doesn't matter,
posted by Suparnova at 5:32 PM on April 9, 2005


I think it'd take longer to fake these shots than actually make them. Either way, eh. I'm not particularly amazed. If they showed them making more than one in a row before an edit, then I'd be impressed.
posted by notmydesk at 6:27 PM on April 9, 2005


Nooo nononooo.... some of these are definitely faked. Hitting the ball with the board and getting a swish? Sorry, not in 10,000 tries. Funny though.

And I really don't think it'd be that hard - once you get a basic arc in you just have a fake ball follow the path, have some fishing wire stuck to the net for the timing.
posted by BlackLeotardFront at 7:28 PM on April 9, 2005


All the shadows are perfect and the ball never goes above camera (unlike the fake lebron james commercial).
posted by null terminated at 7:41 PM on April 9, 2005


All the shadows are perfect and the ball never goes above camera (unlike the fake lebron james commercial).

Not true. The shadows are perfect, but the ball goes off camera in a bunch of these shots, and only a few of the shots actually show the shooter, basket, and ball simultaneously.
posted by sellout at 8:46 PM on April 9, 2005


Not impressed - I did not see a cheerleader thrown through the hoop.
posted by quam at 9:08 PM on April 9, 2005


Damn, these new DC Shoes are nice. I think I'll go buy another pair.

I enjoyed the real or not real swishes. Either way, I don't care. I'm one of those gigantic morons that enjoys anything to do with balls, baskets, and shoes. Just entertain my ass, and I'll give you money.
posted by strangeleftydoublethink at 9:38 PM on April 9, 2005


They're real. Like photoslob says above, we're talking about pro skateboarders. They film for hours, all the time. Some of the shots are unbelievable, but with enough tries I bet you could sink one, and all you see are the ones that got sunk.

Just like how watching a skate video you might think that Eric Koston always perfectly hits kickflip-to-rail slides, but you don't see the 99 times he missed it, unless he really hurt himself and that makes it onto the "bails" segment.
posted by mathowie at 10:49 PM on April 9, 2005


I suddenly have a craving for a Pepsi Blue!
posted by JeffK at 7:04 AM on April 10, 2005


Hitting the ball with the board and getting a swish?
no, that one banked in, with rim.

Real or fake, it's a definite improvement over this ad.

*runs off to Do the Dew*
posted by hellbient at 9:35 AM on April 10, 2005


*looks at shoes he just ran out and bought*

fuck.
posted by Baby_Balrog at 3:34 PM on April 10, 2005


Eh, im going to say fake. Taking the last shot for instance, using the right arrow key it is possible to view the shot frame by frame. After seeing the ball "swish" it should maintain a similar arc (without any significant force changing its direction) but the next few frames show the ball drop straight down. Gotta be shenanigans IMHO.
posted by ReggieNoble2 at 1:40 PM on April 11, 2005


oh damn, sorry about biting your link aceyim...
(I do think mine was better though... :)
posted by hellbient at 8:04 PM on April 11, 2005


ReggieNoble2, that wasn't a swish, the ball hit the back left side of the rim, forcing it back to the front where the net stopped it a bit. This happens all the time in basketball.
posted by hellbient at 8:13 PM on April 11, 2005


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