June 4th, 2002

Scotts Valley, CA - Heart pounding music plays as San Jose landmarks fill the screen. We see an image of a Sabertooth Tiger in the reflection of the window, stealthily stalking the streets as he makes his way towards the Compaq Center in San Jose for his next game. In his path, he discovers competitors' jerseys and helmets strewn in a grassy field and rips them to shreds. As he leaps onto the virtual arena’s field on screen, the San Jose SaberCats players burst onto the actual playing field just below it amidst a display of fireworks and lasers as the crowd goes wild.

As one of Tam Communications' most recent successes, the San Jose SaberCats opener (a shortened version also serves as a TV commercial) combines 3D Animation with live-action video. Starting with an existing 3D model of a lionness and pictures of Sabertooth Tigers, Tam's 3D Animator, Aaron Dingman, created his own model of a prehistoric and now extinct Sabertooth Tiger.

According to Dingman, "I almost completely remodeled the head, added the familiar large canine teeth, bulked up the body, shortened the tail and legs, then gave the body the broader chest area characteristic of the Sabertooth Tiger. That was the easy part. Then I had to animate a realistic walk and run cycle so the cat could move throughout the piece."

Tam's own Tam O'Connor Fraser shot the live-action footage in and around the Compaq Center. It was then brought back in-house where Senior Graphic Designer Michael Baxter put Adobe AfterEffects to work. Baxter added the shadow of the SaberCat against an alley wall and the reflection of the cat in a real shop’s window. He then changed the time of day in all of the scenes. The video footage (shot in broad daylight) is treated with a blue wash to make it look like twilight. Baxter also illuminated streetlights and the interior lighting in buildings to add realism of the effect. Other scenes were given a green tint to signify the cat’s point of view.

Editor Scott Bayer then cut all the video together, adding in real game footage, and integrating a piece of original music composed by Pat Mosca of Mosca Music. He also added critical sound effects to increase the intensity of the video such as the SaberCat roar and the bone crushing sounds as the SaberCat attacked the opponents’ gear.

Hank Stern of the San Jose SaberCats states, "It's emotional and riveting. There's a feeling of intrigue and suspense that sets the tone for the game to follow."

Tam Communications is a leading digital media company, servicing corporate and entertainment clients by combining technical, creative, and communications expertise in the realms of video, interactive multimedia, and web. The company's expanding spectrum of original entertainment programming—developed for broadcast, cable, syndication, and other venues—airs worldwide. Tam Communications is a privately held company located in Scotts Valley, CA. Please visit our web site at www.tamcom.com.