IV Crown Showdown
Before the release of this jaw-dropping promo for Beterbiev vs Bivol, our studio got to help director Salomon Ligthelm bring the warrior roots of Old Rus to life in the treatment. Cinematic tension and dark atmosphere formed the foundation of this concept, straying away from more comedic promotional tropes in boxing and leaning into something that was gritty and refreshingly filmic.
Capturing that in the treatment was a hefty task, requiring a deep dive into historical film and television references that could embody the cultural background of these fighters, but also the ancient heritage of boxing itself. We combined these weathered landscapes and iconic battle scenes with visual abstractions of nature, humanity and the elements, creating a sense of mysticism and giving the IV Crown the weight of folklore legend.
The design was almost crafted in reverse, woven around our visual language like a tapestry and using gothic, almost runic typefaces. A darker colour palette helped to emphasise the tone of voice and narrative direction, using red and white as simple but powerful highlight colours that reflected historical writings, stood out boldly against our visuals and tied into the theme of battle. Adding medieval etchings as a reoccurring design motif throughout, we reinforced the distinctive connection between individual story beats and real folklore.
When the promo finally made its debut, we were blown away by its intensity and cinematic quality. Salomon had promised something powerful that sincerely celebrated the ancient history of the world’s oldest sport, and that’s exactly what he delivered. A film unique to IV Crowns, but one that could easily standalone and belong to a cinema screen.