Synergy Films Comes Full-Circle, Producing Team USA’s Entrance at the Tokyo Olympics
Synergy Films is known to sit at the intersections of speed, quality, and experience. Our reputation was put to the test by our past collaborators at NBC Sports when they came to us with an assignment for this year’s Tokyo Olympics Opening Ceremony. Our team had two weeks to pull off the shoot which was set to feature one of the most iconic faces in entertainment, Dwayne Johnson, a.k.a The Rock! Luckily, we thrive under pressure and are no strangers to the Olympic world. President of Synergy Films, Chad Watkins, opens up about his connection to the Olympics below, check it out!
Well, this project was a full circle moment for me. Some of you may know I started my “film” career with the International Olympic Museum in Lausanne, Switzerland searching and logging historical Olympic footage for TOP Olympic sponsors and others with approved access to utilize Olympic IP. Working for Didier Blanchard and Blaise Chardononse, I watched hundreds of hours of Olympic broadcasts of official films and historical footage of the games in a small cubicle to identify specific events, participants or medal winners. Philippe Meylan and Jean Laurent Bourquin were constant companions in the basement where we worked.
My love of the Olympics and Olympic Movement was solidified in Lausanne and catapulted me into working for the Atlanta Olympic Broadcaster (AOB) during the run up and through the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Working with Debbie McMinn and Chris Brown I pulled the night shift getting all of the tapes archived from the days events and prepped for the next day.
25 years later I now have the opportunity to work with the biggest entertainer on the planet and the world's largest sporting event with the nations top sports broadcaster. My humble beginnings in the basement of the Olympic Museum now translated to producing the Team USA entrance into Tokyo Olympic Stadium with Dwayne Johnson!
Along with an A+ team including Dito Montiel (Dir.), Jordan McMonagle (DP), Helen Urriola (LP), Matt McIntyre (PD), DeVaughn Hughson (AD) and Jack Felling our client from NBC Sports we pulled off what I feel was an incredible Open for such a deserving team!
Take a look!
