Role: Sole Creator
Tools: Premiere Pro, After Effects, Photoshop
Project Overview
This project is a countdown video celebrating ten years of Rocket League by ranking the Top 10 greatest goals of all time — as voted by the community.
Rather than being my personal opinion, the list was built from 1,087 community submissions using a transparent scoring system, turning the video into a true "official" fan-driven ranking. Released on my YouTube channel, Wayton Pilkin, the video has accumulated 700,000+ views and continues to spark discussion among fans, players, and creators.
The entire project was created independently from start to finish, including research, writing, narration, editing, gameplay cinematics, motion design, and sound design.
Creative Goals
The goal of this video was to create a countdown that felt event-level in scale — more than a standard "Top 10," and closer to a mini-documentary experience.
I focused on:
• Building anticipation and retention by reinforcing that each goal only gets greater as the video progresses
• Combining community-driven credibility with cinematic presentation
• Making each goal accessible by explaining the context and mechanics clearly
• Designing visuals that make the list itself feel like a "big moment," not just text on screen
• Encouraging discussion by letting viewers predict what remains in the top spots
Editorial Approach & Structure
A major challenge with any "greatest of all time" list is trust. To solve that, the ranking was created through a structured community voting system:
• Viewers chose their Top 5 from 29 curated options (selected because each had a realistic chance to contend)
• Rankings were converted into points (5 → 1), with honorable mentions worth 0.5 points
• Final placements were determined mathematically from all responses
The video structure was designed to turn the list into a suspenseful narrative
• #10 → #6 celebrates variety and history across eras
• Honorable mentions are revealed before the Top 5 to reduce disappointment and encourage viewers to guess what remains
• The final stretch is paced like a climax, culminating in the most iconic moment in Rocket League history
This format creates a built-in retention cycle: the viewer is constantly incentivized to keep watching to see what remains and where their favorites land.
3D Cinematics & Motion Design
The most technically demanding element of the project was the custom 3D cinematic sequence, which introduces the Top 10 concept and continues to serve a functional role throughout the video.
The intro was designed as more than a "cool opening":
• Iconic moments float in 3D space as the camera pans, showcasing a few of them one by one
• The sequence visually establishes the structure of the countdown
• By the end, the floating clips organize into the full Top 10 list — setting up the concealed list that is to be gradually revealed by the end of the video
A key technique used in the intro sequence was layering duplicate footage (scaled, blurred, blended, etc.) to create a cinematic haze/atmosphere, along with background "floating clips" to give depth to the 3D scene. The result is a cinematic sequence that feels premium while still serving clarity and structure.
Gameplay Cinematics & Breakdown Clarity
To elevate both hype and understanding, the video features extensive cinematic gameplay captured from Rocket League replay files.
Editing decisions emphasized:
• Cinematic camera work that stays readable and never becomes overly abstract
• Slow motion during breakdowns so viewers can easily capture every detail of each play
• Thorough sound design to emphasize hits, speed ramps, and crowd/caster intensity
The goal was to showcase how legendary each goal truly is while still being easy to follow, even for viewers who are just now learning about the context.
Reception & Impact
The video has received strong praise both for its honest execution of an opinionated topic and its high production value.
• 700,000+ views
• Content creator SunlessKhan: "The editing on your videos is absolutely mind blowing... you're reaching another level."
• Viewers repeatedly expressed amazement at the consistent "movie-quality" level of video I post on the channel
