In the shadow of one of the world’s premier production studios, Amar Shah, creative strategist for the Orlando Magic, helped launch STUFF Studios — the Magic’s in-house digital production studio. Shah, an Emmy-winning producer, returned to his hometown with a vision to that combines classical storytelling with new age media.
“I’ve always intertwined the worlds of pop culture and sports. From my days at ESPN and Fox Sports and finally the NFL, I was able to come up with stories that entertain both audiences. When I came to the Magic I wondered how could I bring the same creativity and storytelling to the table,” Shah wrote.
Inspired by similar efforts by the Chicago Bulls, Bleacher Report and other contemporaries, Shah wanted to bring digital storytelling to his hometown franchise. Inspired by the ever-present influence of nearby Disney World, he set out to establish a production team to build narrative-driven content for fans.
“Walt Disney is the epitome of great storytelling. Orlando is my home town. It’s the place that shaped me. The Orlando Magic gave me my start in media when I was in high school. So I feel gratitude to come back home after 11 years in Los Angeles. That experience of living in both these places created a unique blend of influence and inspiration that shaped my storytelling.”
Hailing from the “The Most Magical Place on Earth,” Shah of course needed a hero to be the emblem of his new brand of stories. STUFF, the furry green dragon mascot of the franchise, came to become not only the namesake of the studio, but also the protagonist of his tales. STUFF got his first dose of the limelight in last year when Magic forward Aaron Gordon dunked over him on his way to a runner-up finish in the 2016 NBA Slam Dunk Contest.
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Shah explained that while STUFF, like many sports mascots, had been used in in-arena promotions and team events, he had potential to tell much larger stories.
“We had the perfect outlet in our mascot Stuff, who also had a history of doing similar content. For me, Stuff had the combination of Mickey Mouse’s mischief and Charlie Chaplin’s charm. He is a star who appealed to all sorts of people, young and old,” Shah wrote. “Stuff is the Buster Keaton of mascots. A genius. From when I was a kid I loved what Stuff brought to every game. His irreverence, his sense of fun. I’ve worked with Academy and Emmy-award winners, but collaborating with a mascot is something special.”
The NBA, often regarded as one of the most youthful and technologically agile domestic sports leagues, was a fertile ground for Shah’s new brand of storytelling. The NBA is a relatively young entity, often quick to react to and adopt social media trends, memes and new content platforms to engage a young fanbase that’s always looking for the next big thing. Part of Shah’s vision in building an in-house creative team was not just to produce content, but to effectively promote it in the ever-changing digital media landscape.
“You have to look at social media platforms as new television channels. They all have their own audience and demographic,” Shah wrote. “We have have a great fan base all over the world. This automatically gives us an in-built audience. The goal is to tell engaging, inspiring and relatable stories. And these platforms allow us to create unique content that can all come together to help us connect with our audience.”
One of the best ways to drum up fan interest is with recognizable names. Luckily, Shah has access to a pool of stars in right on his NBA team. Among them, Gordon has flashed his theatrical flare in dunk contests, while Magic small forward Terrence Ross actually starred in STUFF Studios’ most recent production The Fast and the Furriest, a play on the Fast and Furious film franchise. Shah hopes to continue incorporating pop culture icons and celebrity appeal into STUFF Studios’ upcoming productions to help build their audience.
And as far as his dream actor collaboration? He already has hopes to link up with an old friend.
“I got a chance to know Shaq (O’Neal) when I was in high school. And in some sense, he also helped me get to where I am. To reunite with him with a collaboration opportunity would be a treat. In terms of next film, you’ll just have to wait to find out.”