DC Shoes isn't your typical shoe company, oriented as it is to meet the needs of the speed-loving, concrete-chewing, adrenaline-loving skate and snowboard set. chrome Editor Hal Honigsberg paid special attention to honoring that particular combination of grit and breathless cool in Ken Block's Gymkhana THREE: Part 1; The Music Video Infomercial, a hip-hop video infomercial starring the rhymes of The Cool Kids and directed by Razor Factory's Bryan Barber.
Celebrated rally car driver and DC Co-Founder Ken Block is no stranger to gymkhana, the amped-up motorsport that requires drivers to navigate fierce obstacles while putting on a skillful performance. For Block, gymkhana was initially intended as an inexpensive way to practice between rally races, but it soon presented itself as an opportunity to improvise, and Block developed his own intensified brand of the sport through trial and error. Gymkhana THREE is the much-anticipated follow-up to previous viral successes, which were viewed over 70 million times and stemmed from Block's personal footage. The video scrolls flawlessly through an environment replete with still shots of iconic DC shoe imagery; smoke-filled, neon-tinted rappers spitting their game; and a tricked-out Ford racer spiraling across the screen, leaving a dust- and smoke-filled halo in its wake. Honigsberg seamlessly blends the stark black stage-set backgrounds of one scene with the monolithic industrial buildings sprawling behind the next, interspersing shots from various angles and distances to create a vibrant story that matches both DC's unflinching image and the steady, determined lyrics and beat of the song.
"DC is a really unique company that tailors its products to a specific demographic, so you can't just come out with your typical shoe commercial," noted chrome EP Betsy Beale. "You need to balance the director's vision with the client's specific tone and style, and Hal, as always, does that expertly."
Credits:
Client: DC Shoes
Title: Ken Block's Gymkhana THREE: Part 1; The Music Video Infomercial (feat. The Cool Kids)
Air Date: August 24, 2010
Creative Director (DC Shoes): Nate Morley
Producer (DC Shoes): Laura Ferguson
Prod Company: Razor Factory
Director: Bryan Barber
DP: Mike Ozier
EP: Craig Fanning
LP: Brandon Bonfiglio
VFX: Elephant Post
VFX Artist(s): Rob Doolittle, Ernie Camacho, Jon Van Wye
Producer: Aaron Leichter
Editorial: chrome
Editor: Hal Honigsberg
EP: Betsy Beale
Telecine: Company 3
Colorist: Rob Shirada
About chrome:
Santa Monica-based chrome was founded in 2001 by Editors Hal Honigsberg and Lance Pereira. Since then, the company has grown to include such talent as Editors Adam Parker and Mike Hackett, and provide in-house finishing and graphics for commercials, film and the web. Led by Executive Producer Betsy Beale, chrome is committed to helping its clients maximize their projects' creative potential.
