Anything Taekwondo, Mancs Can Do Better

The Korean martial art of taekwondo might not attract the headlines like the UK’s other sporting obsessions, which is probably why it has slipped under the radar that we’re actually rather good at it. Several UK fighters are top ranked for their categories, raising hopes for a successful medal haul in 2012 in both the London Olympics and the Euro Championships which will be held in Manchester.

The GB Taekwondo headquarters is based in East Manchester, and The Boot Room, a digital agency based nearby in The Sharp Project, has won the tender to help promote GB Taekwondo through all digital channels. The Boot Room, whose owners were the original ambassadors of The Sharp Project, worked with fellow tenants Mocapone and world-class fighters Jordan Gayle, Bianca Walkden and Tony Grisman to produce a stunning short promo video to accompany the publicity for the British Open that comes to Manchester Regional Arena at Sport City on 1 and 2 October 2011.

To make the video, the fighters donned the famous bobble suit and had their authentic kicks and punches digitised by motion capture studio Mocapone. Their digital selves then became awesome robots; The Boot Room then interspersed the animations with live action footage and music to make three stunning promo films.

Mocapone’s Hogan Burrows said: “It was a great project to be involved with. The fighters had a real mix of brute force and agility, and I don’t think that the subtleties could have been captured any way other than motion capture. We got work with our neighbours at The Sharp Project which is always pleasure.”

Steve Flynn, GB Taekwondo’s Commercial Manager, said, “We were really pleased to team up with The Boot Room for this project. We had worked with PR companies before but we really needed to change our tack to get our message to a wider audience through different platforms. Working with The Boot Room exposed us to new ways of doing things that we’d never have thought of, such as the motion capture. Together they brought a passion to their work which really hits home, and I’m sure it’s going to create a buzz.”

This is just one example of the way tenants at The Sharp Project are beginning to interact to bring in specialised skills for their creative digital projects. With new tenants continually arriving, this collaborative spirit can only gather pace.

Charlie Hankers