Gladiators TV Hits the Houston Arena

For nearly a thousand years, between the first and second century, armed combatants, called gladiators, entertained audiences in the Roman Republic and Roman Empire in violent confrontations with other gladiators, wild and condemned animals. This summer, those gladiators are fighting their way to the Houston Museum of Natural Science (HMNS).

The exhibit Gladiators: Heroes of the Colosseum will make its debut at HMNS and is building excitement. The exhibit explores the behind-the-scenes lives of the gladiators and the colossal stage upon which their fate was determined, the Colosseum. The gladiator world specialized in training, discipline, regulation, and peril, but also of hope of fame, redemption and even wealth and freedom.

HMNS granted Saba Studios the honor of producing a TV commercial that would build excitement and pull in the spectators.

Michael Saba, President of Saba Studios, commented, “Using a blend of 3d animation and live action, we wanted to create a scenario that would give the viewer a first-person experience as to what a gladiator might have seen and thought just moments before his next battle”.

We placed the viewer inside the gladiator’s helmet and walked him through the Colosseum tunnel, towards the gates which would open and lead him to his next fight in the big arena. We flashed shots of his training, a rambunctious crowd and even a battle. You can also hear the sounds of the environments, the crowd cheering and the clanging of the weapons, which really added to the overall experience.

We had a great time producing it and we hope the crowd enjoys it!

To learn more about the project, watch the commercial here.