The Wave

73rd minute.

The center forward runs into the penalty area, pasts the defender, and unleashes a powerful shot. The goalkeeper dives. In vain. The ball hits the crossbar and falls heavily behind the goal line. Instantly, a positive wave emanates from the stadium and radiates thousands of kilometers in all directions. In a fraction of a second, both fans and spectators are touched in a way that only sport can provide. And for bettors, this moment is even more powerful.

This is the vision of sports betting that the online gambling and sports betting brand Betclic wanted to express in its latest film "The Wave" with the help of the agency Marcel. The story of a wave, like the swell of the sea, that travels through the countryside and cities until it returns to its starting point: the impact of a ball hitting the ground during a football match. Along its path, the wave lifts bettors, symbolizing the positive vibration generated by the action of sport.

"We wanted to express the butterfly effect of sports. The fact that a stadium is the epicenter of an emotion that can reach anyone instantly, thousands of kilometers away. And to express this idea, we started with the image of a drop falling into water. But to create narrative tension, it was essential for this idea to be played in reverse." explain Alexandre Girod and Julien Vergne, creatives at Marcel.

To create this film, which presented many challenges in terms of storytelling and production, Marcel collaborated with the awarded director Bruno Aveillan and Quad Productions. Although a large part of the special effects were done in post-production, the director wanted to capture parts of the wave during filming.

"I immediately loved the concept envisioned by the creatives at Marcel. Despite its initial appearance as a blockbuster, ‘The
Wave’ reveals a completely different reality. While the film had to be visually spectacular, what it had to show and convey was the opposite of a ‘disaster’ film. Here, the surreal effect generated by this ‘wave’ represents above all a surge of irresistible energy and happiness. One that can be felt during live major sporting events. Despite the fundamental importance of VFX in this film, I wanted to prioritize a certain proximity to the viewer by avoiding relying 100% on 3D. So, I created as many practical effects as possible ‘live.’ These effects were then enhanced by extensive post-production work by the teams at Fix Studio and Reepost. This approach gives the film a more organic, realistic, and human signature, infused with humor, in line with the generous and emotional nature of the script." says Bruno Aveillan.

"The Wave" progresses with an original reorchestration of Edvard Grieg’s classical piece "Peer Gynt", created by The Dog studio. Both visually and sonically, this film aims to break away from the conventions of sports betting.

The brand film, launched on television on Thursday, September 7th during the France/Ireland match, will be followed by a second film focused on the variety of games available in the application, TV billboards, and a print campaign.