POSTBANK VISA TENNIS GALA
Arena Sofia / Bulgaria
Live Opening
Projection
Experience
Creative Direction
Concept Development
Art Direction
Motion Design
Concept Development
Art Direction
Motion Design
Novak Djokovic × Grigor Dimitrov Charity Match
From a one-line brief to a full live opening ceremony experience.
CLIENT
Grigor Dimitrov Foundation
FORMAT
Projection Mapping
AUDIENCE
Spectators 10,000+
SURFACE
Full tennis court
VENUE
Arena Sofia
TIMELINE
6 weeks
ROLE
Creative Lead
The Challenge
The initial brief was extremely minimal:
"Create a 3-minute opening sequence featuring a character jumping
across cubes."
across cubes."
That was the entire starting point.
— No script.
— No storyboard.
— No music.
— No visual references
— No storyboard.
— No music.
— No visual references
The challenge was transforming a visually repetitive mechanic into a compelling live opening experience capable of holding the attention of a full arena moments before the match began.
Reframing
the Idea
the Idea
A literal interpretation of the brief would have resulted in repetitive visuals with limited emotional progression.
Instead of treating cube movement as a simple physical action,
I reinterpreted it as a metaphor for growth, choices, and overcoming obstacles.
I reinterpreted it as a metaphor for growth, choices, and overcoming obstacles.
This transformed the sequence from a motion exercise into a narrative experience.
Live
Execution
Execution
The final experience as presented live inside Arena Sofia.
Concept
The story follows a universal human journey:
- beginnings
- curiosity
- learning
- choices
- ambition
- obstacles
- achievement
- impact
Because the event supported youth development through the Grigor Dimitrov Foundation, the concept evolved beyond sport into a broader human story.
Creative
Development
Development
A curated exploration process
that shared the visual language and spatial narrative.
that shared the visual language and spatial narrative.
Visual
References
References
brand palette
material references
light studies
motion inspiration
material references
light studies
motion inspiration
Spatial
Exploration
Exploration
projection geometry
court layout
perspective experiments
court layout
perspective experiments
Narrative Sketches
early scene ideation
story flow
scene transitions
story flow
scene transitions
Technical
Design Thinking
Design Thinking
Because this was a live one-point projection mapping setup, the visuals had to be designed specifically for:
- Perspective illusion
- Court geometry readability
- Depth perception from the audience viewpoint
- Transition clarity
- Timing precision for live playback
- Large-scale projection constraints
This wasn’t screen content adapted for projection.
It was designed for the physical environment from the start.
It was designed for the physical environment from the start.
One-point Propjection
All visuals are built for a single projector position, ensuring perfect alignment and scale.
Perspective Illusiom
We use converging lines and depth cues to create spatial illusion on a flat surface.
Court Geometry Readability
The tennis court lines and play area remain clear and recognizable at all times.
Depth Perception
Layered composition and parallax enhance depth from the audience viewpoint.
Transition Clarity
Each transition is designed for maximum clarity in a live, large-scale enviroment.
Timing Precision
Every second is choreographed for live playback with zero room for enor.
Large-Scale Constraints
Optimized for brightness, contrast, resolution and real-world projection emitations.
01
Concept
Concept
Exploring the core idea, narative and visual metaphor.
02
Storyboard
Storyboard
Building the narrative sctructure and key moments
03
Animatic
Animatic
Timing passing and video flow
04
Development
Development
Refering motion, transition and visuals.
05
Final
Final
The final sequence ready for the action.
Peocess
Pipeline
Pipeline
From the first sketch to the finale frame. A structured pipeline built for clarity precision and impact.
Final Visual
Direction
Direction
Monochrome geometry. Volumetric forms. Controlled contrast. Brand-led green accents.
Built for clarity, scale, and emotional impact in a live arena setting.
Live
Execution
Execution
The final experience as presented live inside Arena Sofia.
My Role
I led the project end-to-end as the primary creative lead:
Concept & Strategy
Transformed the initial brief into a narrative concept and experience strategy.
Visual Direction
Defined the visual language, geometry, mood and pacing for the entire sequence.
Motion Production
Created storyboards and animatics, directed motion production.
Technical Supervision
Coordinated external CGI support and supported technical implementation and live execution
Collaborators
Key partners who helped bring the experience to life.
cGI Support
Artur Fremor
Technical Execution
MP Studio
