What is Futsal?
Josh Dance
Motion Graphics DM7922
Abstract
Plan and produce a short motion graphics video that introduces and explains the origins and rules of Futsal and convinces the audience to give it a go.
WordCount: 4741
Table of Contents
Click on the buttons below to take you to the content section.
Project Planning
Audience Analysis and Target Audience
Accessibility of the Motion Graphic Film
Introduction
For this Motion Graphics module, I was keen to create a project on a topic that I am passionate about, and which would allow me to improve upon the motion graphics skills I learnt whilst editing films in my Film Production undergraduate degree course.
Discussing the project with Paul Wilson, my lecturer, I came up with the idea to create a motion graphics film that would explain the rules of Futsal and promote the sport. When I mentioned the sport of Futsal to Paul, he had never heard of it. I often get asked what the sport of Futsal is? I didn’t know of this sport until I came to Winchester University and joined the Futsal society. It is often described as “Five a side football”, but it’s not that at all. Futsal is its own sport with its own set of rules.
Motion Graphic Film Aims
Growing up, I rarely played football in physical education at school, despite it being the most popular sport in the world. The reason given for this is that most students play football outside of school, and physical education should be an opportunity to learn new sports. Therefore, Futsal is perfect for schools because it is combining the popularity of football with a new sport.
The main aim of the motion graphics film will be:
​
-
To introduce new people to the sport of Futsal
-
A short motion graphics video, that introduces and explains the origins and rules of Futsal and convinces the audience to give it a go.
-
The audience will be interested in finding out more about the sport and will follow the provided links.
-
To promote Futsal being played in physical education in schools.
Project Planning
To create this motion graphics film there was a series of tasks I needed to undertake which I listed here in my action plan.
I created a Gantt chart in Excel at the start of the project to enable me to plan out high-level tasks that I needed to complete each week. I ensured that I left plenty of time in the last few weeks to work on the report and for contingency.
I used Trello for a detailed list of things to do. The visual nature of Trello and that it was easy and quick to use, made it ideal for me to track the lower-level tasks I need to complete each week.
Research
I’ve been playing Futsal for two years and I am the captain of a team within my university society. Therefore, I am very familiar with the sport and its rules, but I was not familiar with the sports history.
​
The History of Futsal
Futsal originates from the South American countries of Uruguay and Brazil. Argentinian coach Juan Carlos Ceriani developed an indoor version of football that could be played in youth competitions in the local YMCA’s. He combined the principles of football with rules from basketball, water polo and handball. Through the YMCA, the game was spread quickly throughout South America, and was very popular in Brazil. As it could easily be played indoors and was not affected by the weather, it was used to keep players of other sports fit all year round and was ideal for physical education.
Juan Carlos Ceriani, Futsal Feed (2023)
​
Meanwhile in Brazil, a version began to develop on the streets of Sao Paulo in the 1930s. The game became hugely popular in Brazil and helped to create a whole host of football stars including Zico, Rivelino, Falcao and the legendary Pele. Pele’s play was developed playing Futsal, and he reached the Brazil national team at the age of 16, and went on to win three FIFA World Cups in 1958, 1962 and 1970.
Futsal was originally called ‘Futebol de Sala’ meaning ‘indoor football’. The popularity of Futsal grew worldwide with the help of the Brazilian football superstars. The first international competition, the South America Cup, took place in 1965 and was won by Paraguay. However, Brazil then won the next six tournaments up to 1979.
The sport began to spread from the South American continent and with its growing popularity came the need for a governing body and a world championship. The International Federation for Futebol de Sala, FIFUSA, was officially founded in Brazil in 1971.
In 1989, FIFA took over as the governing body, abbreviating Futebol de Sala to ‘Futsal’ and organising the first FIFA Futsal World Championship held in the Netherlands in the same year.
Under FIFA’s control, new rules were introduced aimed at improving the technical aspects of the game for players and spectators alike. A new rule book was produced in 1993. The ball was made slightly larger (increased to a size 4), but still weighted to reduce bounce, the linesmen were replaced with the second referee, and unlimited substitutions were introduced.
Today, Futsal has become a global sport, and an increasing number of football associations are taking an interest in promoting it. Global broadcasting of major Futsal tournaments has increased the viewing figures from Futsal fans. The recent 2021 FIFA World Futsal Cup in Lithuania and the 2022 UEFA European Futsal championships in the Netherlands have both promoted this exciting game worldwide.
Futsal Rules
I discussed the rules of Futsal with my Futsal team, and we created a list of the main rules.
To make sure these rules were correct before using them in my motion graphics video, I checked the official UEFA and FIFA websites, which both had articles confirming my understanding of the rules.
What is Motion Graphics ?
Motion graphics is usually a combination of multiple layers of images, texts, graphic elements, computer generated imagery (CGI), or live footage combined to form a digital film. Motion graphics helps to convey ideas to the viewers in an easy and effective way. It is different from common animation as is not strictly character-driven, but uses animated shapes, logos, and other texts.
​
​
Motion graphics does not have an official creator but is linked to the development of computer graphics.
Uses of Motion Graphics
Adobe After Effects
Prior to this motion graphics module, I had limited experience in using Adobe After Effects. My initial experience was gained during my Film Production undergraduate course where I learnt to use the software to create special effects.
Therefore, I enrolled on Motion Beast’s After Effects Motion Graphics Beast course. The course includes 23 lessons on how to animate motion graphics. From this course I learnt how to key frame and animate shapes, as well as layers and masking. Additionally, the course shows how to properly use all the features of Adobe After Effects.
Audience Analysis and Target Audience
The motion graphic video targets football fans, as they are more likely to try the sport of futsal because of its similarities to football.
​
A statistical analysis of the viewers of the English Premier football league in 2021 found that just over 70% were male and 29% were female.
Viewers of the English Premier League in 2021 by gender
​
Sport England 2012
The graph above clearly shows the male dominance regarding participation in football in the UK. Therefore, the target audience of football fans is likely to be male dominated.
According to ‘The Taking Part Survey (2011) on adult participation in sport, 16–24-year-olds are most likely to play football outdoors (23%) and football is the most popular sport among this age group.
Analysis of the most popular football related content on YouTube shows that football fans like to watch and consume all aspects of football and the players.
​
Audience Personas
The motion graphics video will appeal to young people, with a strong interest in football, and encourage them to get involved in the sport. Young people are the ideal target audience because they can play the sport at university and join the futsal society, and they can promote the sport being played in physical education at schools and colleges.
Film Brainstorming
Initially, when planning my Futsal motion graphics video, I brainstormed to generate ideas of motion graphics to create for the film. I then created a mind map using Figma of the preferred ideas to use.
Mood Board
I then created a mood board for the motion graphics video. This consisted of images and design elements for inspiration which I could use for the video.
Colour Palette
​
Bold colours were used in the futsal film to capture attention and create a strong contrast.
​
Primary colours
I chose to use the colour green as the primary colour. Green is linked to football and sports due to it being the colour of grass on sports fields. Even though Futsal is mostly an indoor sport, I wanted to further the strong links I had created between Football and Futsal to appeal to my target audience. The colour emotion guide also gives green as being peaceful, and for growth and health well-being.
Secondary colours
To compliment the green background, I then chose strong colours that stood out. I used a bold blue as the secondary colour as blue is associated with sports and fitness and is often the colour of indoor pitches. Red was used for the rule book as red is a symbolic colour showing power. A strong yellow depicts the sun. White has also been used as it gave a clear contrast against the deep coloured backgrounds.
Accessibility of the Motion Graphics Film
Motion accessibility is about designing and developing the motion graphics so that it enhances the experiences of some viewers but does not impede the experiences of others. People who suffer from vestibular disorders (giddiness), low vision, use screen readers or triggered by visual stimuli may need to avoid motion. The rules below apply mainly to motion used on websites, but some of the rules are applicable to a video.
​
​
Rules to make motion more accessible on web pages are:
​
-
Keep motion design to less than a third of the page, and animation at the point of focus.
-
Avoid flashes and limit bounces to three times.
-
Avoid parallax scrolling and motion where background and foreground move at different speeds.
-
Keep duration short and movement reasonable. Use speed that feels natural for size and movement of object.
-
Make sure motion doesn’t hide or add elements where screen viewers or low vision people cannot find them.
-
For videos always include a pause button.
There will be a clear narration with the motion graphics sequences which will help viewers with visual impairments. The narration will tell the story of futsal and its rules.
The colours to be used in the film are bold colours with lots of contrast. The font used for text will be clear and easy to read.
The Script
Outline Story
For the opening line of the script, I decided to promote futsal by using the popularity of football, as futsal originated from football. Two of the biggest stars of football, Messi and Ronaldo, both used to play futsal, and I have mentioned them to draw attention to futsal.
The intended audience of the motion graphics video are people who play football, but who probably haven’t heard of or tried futsal, and they are likely to be huge fans of Messi or Ronaldo.
I then felt it was important to differentiate the sport from 5 a side football and show that futsal is its own sport with women’s divisions, world cups and national leagues.
I then researched into the history of the sport, as I felt a brief history was important to include, alongside the rules and popular formations.
To conclude the script, I suggested how the audience can become involved in the sport.
Final Narration
I then wrote the script below:
The Storyboard
Initially it was difficult to storyboard the motion graphics short film. I had lots of ideas, but at that stage I didn’t know what my capabilities were using Adobe After Effects. So, I tried to keep the storyboards simple and not over-complicate it.
I wrote the short script first, aiming for a film length of between one to two minutes. Based on the script, I then drew the storyboard pictures, adding descriptions of motion graphics sequences I thought would fit well with the script.
​
I then experimented with using Image Creator to produce a more professional storyboard. The images were created by AI with my instructions.
Style Frames
I created the following style frames of the opening sequence for the film. I decided on using option 2 as I chose a green background to link with football.
​
Digital Storyboard
I followed this by creating a recording of myself reading the script. I added this recording into Adobe Premier Pro, along with some images from Google to represent the motion graphics. This created a digital storyboard which represented the general idea of how the video would look and could then also be used for timing the motion graphics sequences. This was very helpful when planning the motion graphics sequences in After Effects as I then knew the length of time for each sequence.
For example, in the sequence with the spinning world globe, I was able to use the digital storyboard to determine the length of time the globe should spin whilst the narrator is talking about the spread of futsal from South America across the globe.
The Motion Graphics Video Production
For the opening scene of the video, I intended to use motion graphics to visually represent football. In my storyboards I had drawn a penalty shot as the opening sequence, but I then decided that football celebrations would be more expressive. The use of the iconic Ronaldo in celebration utilises the star value of one of ‘football’s greatest stars’ that goes along with the narration.
​
​
To create this effect, I imported a video of several different footballers celebrating on the pitch, into After Effects. I then rotoscoped around the footballer, and frame by frame, tracked the footballer’s movement during their celebration. I changed the footballer to the colour blue to stand out against the green background I had chosen for this sequence. To create the football atmosphere of a large match, I also added the sound of a football crowd over the goal celebrations.
To show players on a futsal court, I created two teams represented by black and white circles. Then, using key framing, I changed the position of each circle on the court and animated a ball hitting the back of the net from kick off. I later used this motion graphic again to show the different formations in Futsal and rules such as kick in.
To show that the sport spread from South America across the globe, I knew that the best motion graphic to use here would be a spinning globe. And to give further detail I would show the map of South America on the globe as the starting point. I had previously learnt how to do this on the special effects module for my undergraduate film production degree.
The next two motion graphics sequences of the sun and the rule book were difficult to create. I had to simplify my original ideas here.
For the sequence about Futsal rules, I used the motion graphic of a book opening to depict the rules book. I edited in the date of the official rules book creation with a film dissolve effect and added a falling basketball ball to show that some of Futsal’s rules were taken from basketball. I used keyframing to animate the basketball’s movement, editing the time and speed to try to make the basketball bouncing as natural as possible. I restricted the bounces to three times as suggested by motion accessibility. I also added basketball sound effects to increase the effect.
The final sequences of the motion graphics video shows film of an actual live futsal match and a link to my ‘Choose Your Sport’ website created for my transmedia project, where the audience can find out more about the sport.
Audio Production
The purpose of the narrator is to tell a story which captivates the audience and sells the message. A narrator’s voice must be clear and convincing to bring a script to life. To do this some acting skills are required.
A narrator’s voice should have the following qualities:
-
Clarity and articulation
-
Authenticity
-
Consistency
Initially I created a recording of the script myself. I then sent this recording along with the script to the narrator, someone who I knew had a clear speaking voice and acting skills.
Once the narrator had recorded the script, I edited together the multiple takes I had requested using Adobe Premier Pro. The reason for the multiple takes was to allow me to produce the clearest version of the narration by editing sections together. With just one take, the narrator is likely to sound unclear when saying a word or make a mistake while reading. I cut out any long pauses between speaking, “umms and errs” and natural breathing so the narration is as easy to listen to as possible.
When I had finished editing the narration, I imported the motion graphics from After Effects, into Premiere Pro. I edited together the motion graphics sequences in Premiere Pro and added the narration soundtrack. Using the digital storyboard which I had previously created, I was able to match the narration with the motion graphics.
I then added royalty free background music to the soundtrack to make the motion graphics video more entertaining. I chose fast paced music with a repetitive beat which I felt suited the pace of the video. In addition, I added sound effects such as football crowds and the sound of the basketball bouncing which made the video more engaging.
Bunnystudio.com (2021)
​
Adobe Stock Photo
The Outcome
The completed Futsal Motion Graphics video can be found in the Choose Your Sport campaign YouTube site:
https://www.youtube.com/@chooseyoursportcampaign
​
Direct link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-8jzrw606iU
​
Click on the video to play the sound
What is Futsal?
Sustainable Development Goals
​
The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals are a blueprint to a more sustainable future for all. They address global challenges and have the power to end poverty, fight inequality, and stop climate change. In addition, the Football for the Goals campaign in 2022 encourages the global football community to use its influence and power to raise the profile of the SDGs.
The goal met by this motion graphics project is:
​
​
Goal 11 Sustainable Cities and Communities
​
The Futsal video contributes towards the SDG goal 11 in the following ways. Encouraging Futsal promotes physical activity and healthy lifestyles, reducing disease. Futsal fosters community and social cohesion through teamwork. It emphasizes the need for sustainable infrastructure such as energy efficient indoor sports facilities which play a significant role in contributing to sustainable development of cities and communities. Futsal also promotes inclusivity and diversity as can be played by all ages and backgrounds.
Reflection
The motion graphics module proved to be a challenging task. I worked closely with Paul Wilson at the start of the module to develop the idea to create a Futsal motion graphics video. We were both enthusiastic about the idea. Sadly, Paul passed away not long after this.
​
My existing After Effects experience was more about special effects for film than about creating motion graphics. Therefore, I had to teach myself how to animate in Adobe After Effects using the Motion Beast’s online course and YouTube videos. Animating in Adobe After Effects was new to me and I didn’t have sufficient time to learn it all in detail and had to concentrate on the basics. Hopefully, in the future, with more practice and tuition, I will improve upon this skill.
Some of animated motion graphics in my Futsal video, such as the book opening and the sun, for example, have room for improvement. These were difficult sequences to create, and I would have benefitted from individual tuition to help me with these aspects of the animation. Furthermore, in the futsal courts sequence, adding a number to the circles representing players would have been a good idea.
In spite of this, some of the motion graphics did work well and I was pleased with the futsal courts showing the players, the spinning globe and the basketball bounce. I also think the narration and soundtrack really enhance the video.
​
Future Considerations
As I become more experienced with After Effects, then improvements could be made to some of the animation in the video such as the sun and the book opening. On the futsal court sequence, I could enhance the video by adding numbers to the circles to represent them as players.
I could also include subtitles for accessibility and would consider adding features to allow turning off the motion to help those viewers affected by motion. I could also extend the length of the film to include more detail on the rules or create another motion graphic film focussing on the history of the sport.
Conclusion
In conclusion, I am very happy with the motion graphics Futsal video. I set out to create a video advert to promote Futsal and raise awareness of the sport, mainly amongst the target audience of football fans. This video has done just that. It provides all the necessary information and encouragement the audience needs, and hopefully will convince them to give Futsal a try. I have been able to use this video in my ‘Choose Your Sport’ campaign for my transmedia project. The video has been uploaded to YouTube, Facebook, Instagram and TikTok.
Over the course of this semester, I have become confident in using Adobe After Effects and can add it to my skills set. Learning After Effects and motion graphics was a goal of mine when choosing to do this masters course. Following on from this semester, I plan to continue learning and improving upon my Adobe After Effects skills and making more motion graphics videos.
References
Biteable (2017) What is motion graphics?
Available at https://biteable.com/blog/what-is-motion-graphics/
[Accessed 2 April 2023]
Brundrett A., (2017) How to make motion design accessible
Available at http://uxpamagazine.org/how-to-make-motion-design-accessible/
[Accessed 8 April 2023]
Cree S., (2021) Accessible motion: why it’s essential and how to do it right
Available at https://medium.com/design-ibm/accessible-motion-why-its-essential-and-how-to-do-it-right-ff38afcbc7a9
[Accessed 7 April 2023]
Dept for Culture, Media and Sport (2011) Taking Part Survey on adult participation in sport
[Accessed 6 April 2023]
​
Dugout (2023) A complete guide to Futsal history
Available at https://www.dugoutchennai.com/futsal/history-and-guide-to-futsal-game/
[Accessed 1 April 2023]
Educba (2023) What is Motion Graphics?
Available at https://www.educba.com/what-is-motion-graphics/
[Accessed 1 April 2023]
FIFA (2021) A crash course in futsal rules
Available at https://www.fifa.com/news/a-crash-course-in-futsal-rules
[Accessed 1 April 2023]
FogageiroFutsal (2018) Futsal Tactics
Available at https://www.youtube.com/shorts/jmHpfJAKFhk
[Accessed 20 March 2023]
Freepik (2023) Designed by Studiogstock Freepik images
Available at http://www.freepik.com
[Accessed 15 April 2023]
Hamdan S., Hundal A.,(2019) Know your audience: Football Fans
Available at https://www.thinkwithgoogle.com/intl/en-145/marketing-strategies/video/know-your-audience-football-fans/
[Accessed 5 April 2023]
Makokha R (2021) Choosing the best narrator voice for audio and video
Available at https://bunnystudio.com/blog/choosing-the-best-narrator-voice-for-audio-and-video/
[Accessed 3 April 2023]
Manchester FA (2023) The history of Futsal
Available at https://www.manchesterfa.com/news/2019/feb/04/the-history-of-futsal
[Accessed 1 April 2023]
Reed D. (2023) Who invented Futsal?
Available at https://futsalfeed.com/original-content/who-invented-futsal
[Accessed 1 April 2023]
Rookie Road (2023) Futsal History
Available at https://www.rookieroad.com/futsal/history/
[Accessed 1 April 2023]
SoccerPoweredbyFutsal (2023) Futsal Rotations
Available at https://www.youtube.com/shorts/NIudxW9-7mY
[Accessed 3 April 2023]
Statista (2021) Share of viewers of the English Premier League in the United Kingdom in 2021, by gender
[Accessed 8 April 2023]
The Football Association (2023) The History of Futsal
Available at https://www.thefa.com/get-involved/player/futsal/history-of-futsal
[Accessed 1 April 2023]
Thiago C., (2021) Futsal Origin | Brief History of Futsal. Know Where and How it all Began
Available at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Va3iXEVJAm8
[Accessed 1 April 2023]
UEFA (2018) Futsal rules: a quick guide
Available at https://www.uefa.com/futsaleuro/news/0257-0df011694488-660a2a07b52d-1000--futsal-rules-a-quick-guide/
[Accessed 1 April 2023]
US Futsal (2023) History of Futsal
Available at https://futsal.com/history-of-futsal/
[Accessed 1 April 2023]
Villegas F., (2022) Audience Analysis: Definition with types and uses
Available at https://www.questionpro.com/blog/audience-analysis/
[Accessed 8 April 2023]
Woman’s Sport and Fitness Foundation Factsheet 2012
Available at https://www.wsff.org.uk/
[Accessed 9 April 2023]