NFL to Run HD Spots During Super Bowl

The NFL announced this week that it plans to run its first ever high definition commercial during Super Bowl XXXIX on Sunday.

The final commercial in a series of advertisements for the 2004 NFL Playoffs features Don Cheadle that mixes historical NFL Films footage in a seamless football sequence tied to the NFL's 2004 theme of "Building Bridges." Cheadle has been nominated for a Best Actor Academy Award for "Hotel Rwanda."

NFL Films used researchers to locate the original film for each of the 30-plus historical clips used in the commercial, going back to the original negatives and restoring them in HD quality. "We don't believe in out-takes, we save everything from the Super Bowl," said Steve Sabol, president of NFL Films. Colorist Chris Pepperman retransferred the footage to HD with art direction by Penny Ashman; Elisabeth Silverman served as editor.

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