Role: Sole Creator
Tools: Premiere Pro, After Effects, Photoshop
Project Overview
This project is a documentary chronicling the two-year journey of one of the most dominant rosters in Rocket League history. The video follows the formation of a North American "superteam" composed of Daniel, Beastmode, and Atomic — from their meteoric rise and international dominance, to a heartbreaking World Championship loss, and ultimately, their redemption as world champions under the NRG banner.
Released on my YouTube channel, Wayton Pilkin, the documentary has accumulated over 100,000 views and received widespread praise from both the competitive Rocket League community and fellow creators.
The entire project was created independently over the course of approximately six weeks. All research, writing, narration, editing, motion graphics, sound design, and visual elements were completed by me from start to finish.
Creative Goals
The primary goal of this documentary was to tell a complete competitive arc — not just a recap of wins and losses, but a human story centered on pressure, trust, failure, and preseverance at the highest level of esports.
Key creative objectives included:
• Structuring a long-form narrative around the clear acts of rise, fall, and redemption
• Maintaining high audience retention across a 27-minute runtime
• Translating complex competitive history into a clear, emotionally engaging story
• Elevating esports storytelling with cinematic pacing, sound design, and motion graphics
• Giving weight to both triumph and failure, allowing moments to prepare for and take in each moment
Rather than focusing purely on gameplay highlights, the documentary emphasizes legacy, expectations, and the emotional cost of competing under constant pressure.
Editing & Storytelling
The documentary is structured chronologically, with intentional callbacks and thematic parallels to emphasize the idea of history repeating itself — and eventually being rewritten.
Key editing decisions:
• Strong narrative momentum balanced with emotional breathing room
• Highlighting "first-time" milestones and not harping on repeated ones
• Strategic use of foreshadowing to contextualize later moments of failure and success
• Long-form pacing designed to sustain engagement without overwhelming the viewer
A pivotal moment in the video is the infamous "massive mistake" from Atomic at the 2024 World Championship, and how that moment overshadowed an otherwise historic season. This failure becomes the emotional backbone of the story, shaping the tension and payoff of the eventual redemption arc.
Motion Graphics & 3D Cinematics
Motion graphics were used extensively to enhance clarity and elevate storytelling while remaining grounded and purposeful.
Custom visuals included:
• Fully animated tournament brackets built from scratch in After Effects
• Stylized newspaper and historical recap cinematics rendered in 3D
• Polaroid-style photo sequences used to frame legacy and memory
• Paper cutout animations used to explain roster changes
Sound Design & Tone
Sound design and music played a critical role in the pacing and emotional beats throughout the video. Audio was used to heighten tension during high action and pull back during reflective sequences.
The overall tone shiftes intentionally across the runtime — from confidence and dominance, to devastation and heartbreak, and finally to redemption and resolution — mirroring the journey of the team itself.
Most of the documentary contained music in the background, but the breakdown of the "massive mistake" cut all music, emphasizing how authentically brutal the moment truly was.
Reception & Impact
The documentary received strong praise from both viewers and established voices within the Rocket League community.
• Commentator Lawler: "The man does it again."
• Content Creator AlphaKep, live on stream: "I'm gonna be honest with you, that video has touched me a little bit. That was incredible. Dude, his videos are ******* good, man. They really are."
Audience feedback frequently highlighted the storytelling, emotional weight, and production quality of the video.
