Leading up to the 2014 World Cup, Logan & Sons director Ben Conrad fueled an invigorating short film for oil company Castrol featuring rally car driver Ken Block and Brazilian football superstar Neymar Jr. The film is an extension of Conrad’s ongoing work with Block — this time with an extra “kick” in the form of a worldwide football phenom.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SdBXpORSGu0
The exhilarating short film depicts a thrilling football-inspired Gymkhana session in Brazil, appropriately entitled, “Footkhana.” The piece expertly fuses burning rubber with dazzling football stunts for a one-of-a-kind match that stacks Neymar’s insane free-balling skills against Block’s drifts and donuts as the two compete against each other in a shootout.
“This was by far the most complex of the films I’ve done in the Gymkhana series, but it was a blast to put together,” Conrad said. “You have a superstar and his skillset and then the challenge of integrating it all into what Ken does in the car to create a union of two very different worlds. A lot of planning went into it, but some of the best stunts were on a whim. The result is a tremendously unique sports match that fans have just gone wild about.”
The integration of the two sports involved the liberal use of a variety of cameras, including GoPros, Cannon 5Ds, RED’s EPIC, and a Drone RC Copter to capture the action and maintain the raw filter consistent across Conrad’s Gymkhana series. In order to incorporate the football, the team had to be a lot tighter with the geography of the shots, resulting in Block’s figure 8s which allowed for the football players to showcase their tricks. With an arsenal of talented artists under one roof, LOGAN also handled all aspects of post-production including offline editorial, VFX, and color grading.
Unlike a traditional broadcast spot that is confined to specific time constraints, “Footkhana” is truly a unique showcase for Castrol and conveys the rawness, grit, and energy of a live sporting event. The short film has garnered more than 14 million YouTube views and continues to reign in popularity.
In addition to his continuing projects with Block and Gymkhana, Conrad has contributed to some of LOGAN’s most exciting pieces of work in recent months, including a behind-the-scenes look at the production for Miley Cyrus’ Bangerz Tour.
Downloads:
Credits:
Client: Castrol
Title: “Footkhana”
Agency: Earn Media
CD: Jamal Benmiloud
Producers: Collette Poole, Zinnia Higson
Agency: The Wasserman Group
Partner: Steve Astephen
CD: Mark Hibdon
Agency: Hoonigan
Creative Director: Brian Scotto
Production: Logan & Sons
Director: Ben Conrad
Cinematography: Oscar Faura
Live Action
Producer: Rick Brown
Football Choreographer: Andy Ansah
Production Service Company: Goodgate Production
Post Production: LOGAN
Producer: Pierre Nobile
Editor: Volkert Besseling
Sound Design: Keith Ruggiero
Music: “Mas Que Nada” by Sergio Mendez, Brasil ’66
Driver: Ken Block
Athlete: Neymar da Silva Santos Júnior
About LOGAN:
LOGAN (http://www.logan.tv) is an award-winning New York and Los Angeles-based creative studio and production company specializing in groundbreaking content creation. Their team of producers, directors, creative directors, VFX artists, and animators excel at problem solving and helping clients bring their vision to life. Concepting, ideation, design, live-action production, 2D and 3D animation, VFX, editorial, and finishing take place under one roof, making workflow a truly seamless experience.
Logan & Sons (http://www.loganandsons.com) acts as the live-action division of LOGAN and represents a broad spectrum of directorial talent.
Known for its iconic work for top brands, LOGAN helped create many memorable cultural moments, including commercial campaigns like the Apple’s iPod Silhouettes, viral hits like the Gymkana films (over 165 million views), opening titles and sequences for films like Zombieland, The Avengers, Premium Rush, and Gangster Squad, content and marketing campaigns for hit video games like Elder Scrolls: Skyrim, Call of Duty, Borderlands, Resistance, Metal Gear Solid, and many others.