FilmCore New York helped to capture the intense emotions aroused by World Cup Soccer in providing editorial services for a new campaign for ESPN. Editors J??n Stef?°nsson and Doug Walker each cut two spots for the package, conceived by Wieden & Kennedy and featuring the music and voices of the seminal rock band U2.

he intent of the campaign is to get American viewers interested in World Cup Soccer by showing the effect the games have on sports fans in other countries. Anthem, cut by Stef?¬¨‚àûnsson to City of Blinding Lights, presents a montage evoking the games’s ability to turn the world attention away from its woes. In his voice-over, Bono states, ‘Just a ball and a goal?‚àö√묨‚àÇthat simple thing closes the schools, closes the shops, closes a city and stops a war.’ The campaign theme is ‘One game changes everything.’

Each of the spots has strong emotional content. Ivory Coast, about that country first trip to the World Cup, begins ominously. An airport scene shows people milling about nervously as gun toting soldiers patrol the terminal. ‘The story begins very tensely,’ said Stef?¬¨‚àûnsson. ‘You get the feeling that something bad is about to happen, that perhaps warring factions are about to start a fight. But soon you realize that it not a fight, but rather a celebration?‚àö√ë‚àö√Üpeople are coming together to rally around their national team.’

U2 music with its ringing guitars and sweeping vocals provided an interesting compliment to the visuals. ‘The agency had specific ideas about the tracks they wanted to use. Nevertheless, we tried many songs from the U2 catalog,’ Stef?¬¨‚àûnsson recalled. ‘Although I had to manipulate some songs more than others, in the end, their tone and feel worked well with the stories we were trying to tell.’

Stef?¬¨‚àûnsson is currently editing a fifth and penultimate spot in the campaign. USA will focus on the U.S. World Cup team and feature the song Elevation. ‘I’sm excited about it and hope it will be as wonderful as the rest of the campaign,’ he said.

FilmCore Editorial Santa Monica is located at 1222 6th Street, Santa Monica, CA 90401. For more information, call (310) 587-2400.

FilmCore New York is located at 149 5th Avenue, 6th floor, New York, NY. For more information, call (212) 627-3100.

FilmCore Editorial San Francisco is located at 545 Sansome St., 7th Floor, San Francisco, CA 94111-2908. For more information, call (415) 392-6300.