A VFX series for the uniform reveal that captured D.C.'s natural element. Water as character, not effect.
Much of D.C. is surrounded by water. The Potomac, the Anacostia, the Tidal Basin - the rivers and waterways that shape the city are central to its identity. The Wizards' 2024-25 City Edition leaned into that idea.
Monumental Sports and the Wizards came to us with the brief: create a series of VFX for the uniform reveal and season opening that captured the natural beauty and chaos of water, with player movement as the through-line.
Water is the easiest thing to film badly and the hardest thing to direct precisely. Every shot was built with that tension in mind. Slow-motion ripples, mid-action splashes, atmospheric mist - each element designed to behave like the players themselves. Fluid in some moments. Percussive in others. Never decorative.
The VFX work composited photo-real water elements over player footage with a precision that made the integration feel inevitable. The viewer doesn't read it as "water effects." They read it as the team's relationship with their city, rendered in motion.
The Cherry Blossom 22-23 package taught us how to build a brand world for the Wizards. Water City taught us how to push the craft layer further - match-moving, composition, and atmospheric integration at production-VFX quality.
Water as character, not effect.The Flannel · VFX & Direction
We delivered the full VFX series across the City Edition open and the uniform reveal. Match-moving, water simulation, atmospheric work, and final compositing - all built to live on broadcast, in-arena, and social with no quality dropoff between formats.
This is the second consecutive City Edition season we've led for the Wizards. Each year compounding the relationship with Monumental Sports and pushing the craft of the franchise's most-watched merchandise moment.
25-minute intro call. Bring your brief. We'll bring a perspective.
contact@theflannel.com