Final Fu

Blind recently teamed with MTV2 to produce a fully animated opening and graphics package for the martial arts competition reality series, FINAL FU. In homage to the blazing combat of kung fu films and anime, the opening portrays a protagonist in the fight of his life. The Hero battles level by level to the top of a mythic tower, which parallels the format of the show, until he alone is the champion, the “Final Fu.” The show and opening premiered May 1st, and airs weekly on MTV2.

Blind and MTV2’s Justin Rosenblatt previously worked together on the globetrotting opening for the series, WILDBOYZ. Once more, Rosenblatt sought out Blind for their take on this new martial arts series. The show’s open had two primary objectives, most importantly to excite the viewer, but also to explain the general framework of the show. Working from the vast history of kung fu cinema and anime, Blind attacked this project with a ‘spinning dragon-style’ punch. MTV2 was thrilled with the results and Justin Rosenblatt commented, “Tom Koh and BL:ND did a remarkable job delivering titles that were creatively above and beyond our expectations. They really thought about the series comprehensively, and turned around a show open, titles and graphics that visually complimented the show’s aesthetic.”

Bruce Lee’s film Tower of Death (1981) and other similar films supplied the archetypes that inspired the opening’s characters and situations. Both 3D modeling and animation we used to create the intricate martial arts moves that each character performs. Then hand-drawn cell animation was added to achieve the final anime-inspired aesthetic. The backgrounds were crafted by matte painters and then combined with the 3D characters. From the initial character designs and ink sketches to the final delivery, Blind matched the speed of their Hero and delivered the project in 4 weeks. “This ended up being a bit of a dream project for us,” said Creative Director Tom Koh. “We all love those classic kung fu films and anime. It was a blast taking those things and making something new with them.”