The Fabric of Football | Manchester United

Adidas

Belief - a second part of the documentary series exploring The Fabric of Football, celebrating the jerseys and the stories behind them, told through the people, places and moments that make the clubs what they are, featuring shirts past and present at their core. jdpl were privileged to produce this documentary alongside the Arsenal Fabric of Football film. 

At Manchester United, belief isn’t optional. It isn’t fleeting. It isn’t abandoned after a bad loss or a bad manager. The names on the back of the shirt change. Belief in the shirt never dies. It is endemic. It is all encompassing. It was created by decades of dominance in a city that oozes confidence. Belief flows through every fibre of the club - players, fans and management. Belief is the rock upon which the Theatre of Dreams is built.

Throughout the documentary, current players, fans, legends, academy players and club employees are interviewed in their local environments, painting a picture that is complex yet brutally simple. The storyline is devised into three sections. The first part of the narrative, the head, comes from the voices inside the club, voices who have seen how belief exists at every level. The second chapter, the heart, speaks to the ones who are the lifeblood of the club; the fans. And finally, the third part - hope - perhaps the most striking element of belief at United.

Visiting the academy, we captured the stories of young players and how early belief hits them. The strong single voice-over narrates the dramatically grabbing visuals of those who are interviewed in-between football sequences and shots of Manchester, bringing energy and urgency.

The film achieves a rawness and a realness that fits in with the club’s culture, yet still feels stylised. Allowing slower paced moments to blend seamlessly into fast paced action sequences.

To attain this cinematic feel, vintage lenses were used to give the documentary a timeless texture that is authentic and warm. The use of mixed media also represents the club’s fans - young and old - VHS reminds us of the 90s and phone footage puts us in the present.

Client - Manchester United / adidas
Agency - Hill + Knowlton Strategies
Directors - That Jam
DOP - Tom Welsh - Thomas Hole
Grade - Wash London

Production Services included: Budget Management - Location Sourcing - Set Build - Equipment Hire - Commission of Crew - Prop Sourcing - Catering - Travel

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