Little Thief produced short that sees AI try to inspire
Little Thief has produced a short film for Under Armour, that uses AI to create what it calls The Ultimate Team Talk.
Under Armour athletes Trent Alexander-Arnold (Liverpool), Antonio Rüdiger (Real Madrid), Laura Freigang (Eintracht Frankfurt), Alex Greenwood (Manchester City), Jayde Riviere (Manchester United), and Reuell Walters (Arsenal) gave their insights into motivation and the best speeches they’ve heard, which was then combined with insights from Paul Winsper, Under Armour’s VP of athletic performance, a systematic review of sports psychology literature and an analysis of real-life and cinematic speeches.
This research was synthesized into a set of principles and themes to underpin the AI model’s output, including grit and determination, preparedness, growth mindset, positive framing, visualization, and underdog energy.
Actor, artist, producer and director Ashley Walters then performed the resulting speech, taking direction from the AI as to how to approach it and adding his own touch.
Alexander-Arnold said: “The mental aspect of the game is just as, if not more important, than the physical aspect. Our comeback win against Barcelona is the perfect example of that. I will never forget the team talk before that match, every single one of us believed it was possible. This ‘Ultimate Team Talk’ will hopefully give young players that same feeling.”
Greenwood added: “I’ve been fortunate enough to play in lots of different teams, lots of different dressing rooms, in different countries. I’ve learned a lot from coaches and teammates. For me, clarity is important. Understanding what your coach needs from you as a group, but also as an individual, is key.”
The Space Between was the lead agency on the project, which you can watch below.
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