Nick NurseB次元官网网址檚 shocked made-for-meme face fell right into the MalamutsB次元官网网址� creative laps.
It was during Game 4 of the RaptorsB次元官网网址� opening-round playoff series versus Orlando. The Toronto coach was shocked at a three-second violation call. His mouth dropped open into a comically perfect O.
The face went viral. And Craig and Adam Malamut, the creative brains behind Bleacher ReportB次元官网网址檚 popular satire B次元官网网址淕ame of Zones,B次元官网网址� went back onto their latest episode B次元官网网址� featuring the DeMar DeRozan trade B次元官网网址� for a last-minute edit.
B次元官网网址淲e had (Nurse) in the episode already,B次元官网网址� Adam Malamut said. B次元官网网址滱nd when he did that face, we worked with our production manager, like B次元官网网址榟ow can we squeeze this shot in?B次元官网网址� It fit so naturally already with whatB次元官网网址檚 happening.B次元官网网址�
B次元官网网址淲e got super lucky,B次元官网网址� said Craig.
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Originally intended to be a one-off, the B次元官网网址淕ame of ZonesB次元官网网址� series of YouTube shorts is now in its sixth season of parodying the NBA, with the vibe and spirit of HBOB次元官网网址檚 smash hit B次元官网网址淕ame of Thrones.B次元官网网址� Their most popular episodes have been viewed cross-platform as many as seven million times.
Their recent DeRozan episode, written back in February and released a few days ago, is already one of the most popular. Raptors president Masai Ujiri plays the ruthless B次元官网网址淟ord Ujiri,B次元官网网址� who sacrifices DeRozan to the B次元官网网址淭rade RaptorB次元官网网址� B次元官网网址� a clever nod to the teamB次元官网网址檚 giant inflatable mascot B次元官网网址� in the name of an NBA championship.
A crying Kyle Lowry pleads with Lord Ujiri, while a wailing DeRozan cries out: B次元官网网址淧lease! IB次元官网网址檒l do anything! IB次元官网网址檒l try on defence!B次元官网网址�
B次元官网网址淲e didnB次元官网网址檛 know what to expect from this episode because we know it does touch on a genuinely sad subject for a lot of people,B次元官网网址� said Adam Malamut, who at 36 is seven years older than Craig. B次元官网网址漌eB次元官网网址檙e not necessarily trying to make something funny, we try to make something interesting and a lot of times funny is a way of making something interesting.
B次元官网网址淎nd so we werenB次元官网网址檛 sure if that was going to be too sad for people, but this one has been really popular.B次元官网网址�
The Malamuts borrowed from GOTB次元官网网址檚 B次元官网网址淭he Dance of DragonsB次元官网网址� episode (Season 5 spoiler alert) in which Stannis Baratheon sacrifices his daughter Shireen by burning her alive.
B次元官网网址淲e knew we wanted to do the DeMar trade,B次元官网网址� said Adam. B次元官网网址漈here was just nothing that felt more B次元官网网址楪ame of Thrones,B次元官网网址� the human drama behind that with the friendship between Lowry and DeRozan B次元官网网址� it was just so human, and it fit so perfectly into a theme with Stannis, the idea of having to make a cold sacrifice B次元官网网址� it felt a lot like the sacrifice of DeMar to bring in Kawhi (Leonard), the sacrificing a beloved person for the greater good.B次元官网网址�
Jakob Poeltl, whose name is hilariously butchered in the episode B次元官网网址� Norm Powell calls him B次元官网网址淛ake PuddleB次元官网网址� B次元官网网址� was asked if heB次元官网网址檇 watched the episode.
B次元官网网址淣o comment,B次元官网网址� Poeltl told reporters, then added: B次元官网网址淣o, I watched it. It was pretty funny.B次元官网网址�
Numerous players have tweeted their approval of the series, including PhiladelphiaB次元官网网址檚 Joel Embiid, PortlandB次元官网网址檚 C.J. McCollum, and the LakersB次元官网网址� Lonzo Ball, whose animated character comes out of an egg (which pays homage to the Daenerys Targareyn dragons eggs episode) hatched by his dad LaVar Ball.
B次元官网网址淭hon Maker loved his episode where we joke about theories that heB次元官网网址檚 older than they say he is,B次元官网网址� Craig said.
Some of the MalamutsB次元官网网址� satire is more scathing. The size of Andrew WigginsB次元官网网址� heart, for instance, is the butt of a joke in a Timberwolves episode featuring an axe-wielding Jimmy Butler.
The Malamuts, who are both self-taught animators and big GOT fans, originally pitched the show to Bleacher Report in 2014 as a mashup of B次元官网网址淕ame of ThronesB次元官网网址� and the NFL, with Tom Brady as Jaime Lannister and Bill Belichick as Tywin Lannister.
B次元官网网址�(The NBA) ended up being a better solution because the NBA, people know the drama and the human faces of it so much more than the helmeted players in football,B次元官网网址� Adam said.
In early episodes, the brothers drew on B次元官网网址渓ow-hanging fruit of major characters and the biggest NBA storylines,B次元官网网址� Craig said.
LeBron James became Jaime Lannister. Pat Riley was Tywin. The San Antonio Spurs were the White Walkers. Derrick Rose, who has an infamous history with knee injuries, was the wheelchair-bound Bran Stark.
B次元官网网址淲e were just planning on making this one little episode as a novelty piece,B次元官网网址� Craig said. B次元官网网址滲ut then the episode went so viral and (Bleacher Report) came back and said B次元官网网址楬ey can you make another one?B次元官网网址� so we dug deeper into NBA storylines and dug deeper into B次元官网网址楪ame of ThronesB次元官网网址� and managed to squeeze one more out.B次元官网网址�
Craig had just finished completing his masters degree in astrophysics when Adam, who was working in television in Los Angeles, asked Craig to join him, pitching a career in cartooning together.
The brothers from Cherry Hill, N.J., originally comprised the seriesB次元官网网址� entire staff, but found that most of the six to eight weeks of production that each episode requires was consumed by animating. It left little time to writing. But as the series exploded in popularity, Bleacher Report invested more resources. The entire team now has 22 people.
B次元官网网址淲e do the writing, we do the voices, some of the audio editing and the directing, and we have an entire animation team of about 10 people who does the animation for us now,B次元官网网址� Adam said.
Surprisingly, there is very little laughter during the production process.
B次元官网网址淲e (initially) laugh a lot, but then we have to make the same joke a thousand times to follow it through just because of the animation process,B次元官网网址� Craig said. B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 actually a hard phenomenon where weB次元官网网址檙e really laughing the first time, and then we really have to remember that moment so we know as we record it and as we board it and as we animate it: B次元官网网址極K, it was funny the first time we heard it.B次元官网网址橞次元官网网址�
ItB次元官网网址檚 tough to gauge an episodeB次元官网网址檚 response, Adam said.
B次元官网网址淥ne of the most challenging things for me, being a person whoB次元官网网址檚 all over the place ADD creative, I get bored of things really fast, I lose a sense of if itB次元官网网址檚 funny or not,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淲hat happens by the end is I think: this episode is terrible.
B次元官网网址淎nd then it goes out and itB次元官网网址檚 like B次元官网网址極K, maybe itB次元官网网址檚 not. People seem to like it.B次元官网网址橞次元官网网址�
Lori Ewing, The Canadian Press
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