Bruising & Snoozing with the LA RAMS in “NUMBERS GAME”

Go RAMS! You don't have to be a RAMS fan or a football fan for that matter to appreciate and enjoy “Numbers Game,” a really exhilarating new film starring safety and team co-captain Jordan Fuller who suffered a season-ending injury in January of 2022. Jordon is the charismatic and cool young man from Newark, New Jersey, whose mom Cindy is an amazing backup singer for the likes of Bruce Springsteen, The Rolling Stones and so many others (including fellow Jerseyan and dear departed Whitney Houston). Jordan's uncle is Sinbad! Now that's what I call good genes. Can you imagine Thanksgiving dinner at Jordon's house!

I remember when Jordon was named the Gatorade Player of the Year for New Jersey and the State Player of the Year by NJ.com as a high school senior after rushing for 747 yards and 10 touchdowns, catching 33 passes for 886 yards and five touchdowns and throwing for 135 yards on offense and making 44 tackles and intercepting six passes on defense. His brilliant career has taken him from Jersey to the Ohio State Buckeyes (where he kicked some serious butt) to the Super Bowl LVI winning RAMS. Of course any rags to riches story includes a little tragedy (which makes a person stronger), and so it was with the talented Mr Fuller who suffered season-ending ankle and hamstring injuries last year. A lot of chatty nattering sports pundits started writing Jordon off, but he persisted, went through a helluva rehab program and is back on the field for the RAMS kicking butt once again.

Believe it or not all of this drama is captured in this incredible new short film "Numbers Game," which thrusts viewers through a dizzy landscape of VFX and documentary images narrated by Jordon's strong and determined VoiceOver and scored with the mesmerizing tune “Vengeance” by Zack Hemsey, which has been used before in trailers for Game of Thrones and others but here the music is totally appropriate and right as Jordon pursues his rehab, yes, with total Vengeance.

Produced by Rams Studios, “Numbers Game” recreates Fuller’s true story through a visceral mashup of live-action and animation created by director Aaron Rolo, known for his filmmaking work in sports and music, including a recent ESPN spot featuring LeBron James for the 2023 NBA Western Conference Finals and animated live-music films for Travis Scott's Utopia. The film’s unique storytelling and sound design bring to life a cascade of numbers, graphically illustrating the significance of rest on health and mental wellness in Fuller’s recovery. And that's where brand partner Sleep Number comes in. Jordon recounts everything from the number of his career tackles and assists to the number of weeks of rehab and hours of restorative sleep on his Sleep Number smart bed following his injury. According to the RAMS press release, “'Numbers Game' demonstrates how individualized sleep on a Sleep Number smart bed helps contribute to better performance on the field, and underscores the fact that 80% of NFL players have a Sleep Number smart bed."

Wow! Totally get that, and totally get the Sleep Number and "Numbers Game" hookup. In fact after watching this tour de brute force of a film, I got a little sleepy. So excuse me while I catch a few ZZZs on my own very firm, king-size dumb mattress and start counting some sheep. In the meantime, credits for the film are below, and all participants are worthy of respect. Thanks RAMS for the wild ride! Now good night...

Credits
Director, Editor, and Animator: Aaron Rolo
Music: Zack Hemsey
Animation/VFX: Antek Karbowiak
Animation/VFX: Ellis Blake

Sleep Number
Vice President, Marketing, Planning, and Brand Partnerships: Patrick Campion
Senior Specialist, Partnerships: Lindsey Schumer
Senior Director, Public Relations: Julie Elepano

Los Angeles Rams
Chief Operating Officer: Kevin Demoff
Chief Marketing Officer: Kathryn Kai-ling Frederick
Chief Commercial Officer: Jennifer Prince
Vice President, Brand Strategy: Lexi VonderLieth
Vice President and General Manager, Rams Studios: Marissa Daly
Vice President, Marketing Operations: Margaret Plouffe
Vice President, Corporate Affairs: Joanna Hunter
Vice President, Legal: Todd Davis
Senior Director, Partnership Management: Brittany Ramos
Senior Director, Creative: Cory Befort
Director, Studios Operations: Michelle Runch
Director, Video: Chris Williams
Senior Producer: Solo Koo
Senior Manager, Brand Strategy: Rachel Zisman
Senior Manager, Partnership Design: Cate Howard
Senior Manager, Partnership Management: Jayla Winston
Senior Manager, Marketing Operations: Brittany Cipolla
Manager, Studio Operations: Melissa Park
Manager, Player Partnerships: Emma McVay
Photography Lead: Brevin Townsell
Photographer: Travis Ellison
Motion Graphics Designer: Jake Dunn
Coordinator, Brand Strategy: Tiras Holifield
Coordinator, Studio Operations: Danielle Mandel