Mercedes-Benz x Barclays WSL - Play-off Broadcast Graphics
I joined the team behind the live broadcast graphics for the Barclays WSL play-off between Charlton Athletic and Leicester City, presented by Mercedes-Benz. My brief covered three pieces: an intro card, an outro card and a branded replay wipe to transition between live footage and replays
The title card was already designed and the claw artwork for the wipe was supplied. My role focused on motion, bringing those assets into After Effects and developing how they entered, moved through and left the screen. Everything needed to feel connected to the wider broadcast package, including the team layouts, score graphics and banners created by the rest of the team. The cards had to communicate the fixture and partnership clearly while keeping the broadcast flowing
Most of the development went into finding the right movement for the intro. We explored around eight variations before landing on a fast slide with overlapping elements, giving the card a clear entrance without making it feel abrupt. The position keyframes established the movement, but the easing and timing between elements shaped how it felt. I refined the card’s movement to flow smoothly with the footage, with enough pace for a live sports broadcast and enough breathing room for the title and branding to register
Adjusting when each element moved helped the card feel like one connected animation, while keeping the play-off title, Mercedes-Benz branding and Barclays WSL and WSL 2 logos clear. The supplied claw texture remained part of the background, carrying the WSL colours through the composition
Once the intro movement was approved, I adapted it into the outro. The exit needed its own timing adjustments so the elements cleared the frame cleanly and handed attention back to the footage. The intro slid to the left and the outro moved to the right, giving each card a distinct purpose while keeping the same motion language across both
Building the replay wipe
The replay wipe was built from a large, flat image of the supplied claw artwork. We explored sourcing a 3D model and recreating it ourselves, but the schedule meant we needed a workable solution quickly so the production team could test it before match day
I separated the artwork into individual elements and used After Effects masks to isolate the parts needed for the animation. That gave me control over their movement and overlap, turning a single image into a layered transition
Position keyframes carried the artwork across the screen. The speed curve did much of the work: a slower entrance, a sharp acceleration through the middle and a slower exit. The fast central movement kept the footage covered briefly, while the easing at either end stopped the wipe feeling like a sudden interruption
The transparency created another challenge. Moving the claws across the frame looked right, but the gaps between them left the footage visible, so the artwork alone couldn’t hide the cut into a replay
I added a black fill that moved with the claw elements, creating the coverage needed to switch shots underneath. An inverted copy of the claw texture added detail to that fill, helping it sit within the supplied artwork rather than reading as a separate block
Viewed slowly, you can see how the masks, layers and fill work together. At broadcast speed, they read as one quick movement that carries the viewer into the replay
That was the aim across all three pieces. Plenty of thought went into the keyframes and construction, but the finished motion needed to feel natural within the broadcast, deliver the information and keep the game moving
Credits
Studio: Grizzle Animation
Agency: Aurora
Client: WSL Football
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