K&N Air Filters – Limited Edition Vaughn Gittin Jr. HPI RC Drift Car Sweepstakes

Production Company: Self Produced/K&N Air Filters

Project: K&N teamed up with HPi RC Cars to give away Vaughn Gittin Jr’s HPi 1/10th scale RC Drift cars – they contacted me to direct a chase between Jr and his 1/10th scale version. I’ve worked with Jr on several stunt driving shoots this year and he is always a pleasure to work with on projects. For this project we had one of HPi’s best Pro RC drivers and half a dozen of the 1/10th scale cars to use abuse. I brought in Skylar Smith and Jr brought in Andy Laputka – both filmmakers I’ve worked with in the past and good friends of mine. We knocked out the spot and Skylar did a great job of cutting the entire piece together.

Role: co-Director & DP. Also directed by Andrew Laptuka and Skylar Smith. Edited by Skylar Smith.

Shot on the Red One, Canon 5D, and Contour + POV Cameras

Special thanks to everyone at K&N & HPi

Electronic Arts – Need for Speed “The Run” Promo

Production Company: Self Produced/Need for Speed Branding

Project: Need for Speed was launching their newest title – The Run and asked me to come up with a chase sequence between two of its featured cars. The cars, Vaughn Gittin JR’s 1969 Mustang RTR-X and the present day RTR Mustang GT. We shot out in a highly confidential location in Arizona and were able to pull of some awesome stunt work thanks to the talents of Vaughn Gittin JR and Chris Forsberg who were the stunt drivers in the spot. In post, we cut in Los Angeles with Gypsy Sound doing the audio post work and Jerimiah Morey doing the final color grade. This project was a blast to work on from conception with Charles Kha and Rachel Kelly – all the way to the finishing.

Role: Director & DP, Camera Operators: DC Chavez & Skylar Smith, Color by Jerimiah Morey, Sound by Justin Gay & Gypsy Sound

Shot on the RED One, Canon 5D, Sony EX1, and Canon T2i

Special thanks to Justin Gay & Jerimiah Morey.

The end of 2011 has been crazy for me. The last few months of this year have kept me very busy and one of the projects I’m looking forward to finishing up is a piece on Team Need for Speed driver Chris Rado. Here are a few screen grabs from the video. Still editing it currently between a host of other projects. I really am liking how these few frames have turned out with some simple grades.

Low fall sun and some morning time attack = nice flaring. All of these shots are from my Sony EX1R. Which I was operating hand held to get Chris as he was about to go out in his first session at Infineon Raceway.

The light even caught some of the particles in the air – check out the bottom left part of the frame. I love atmosphere like that.

FWING 2.0 ready for battle. Stay tuned for the upcoming video. I’m excited for it, Chris and Rob were fantastic interviews and it makes it easy when Chris breaks the Front Wheel drive record at the event to make the story end on a high note!

Leadfoot Festival – :90 Promo 2012

Production Company: Self Produced

Project: Rod Millen must have one of the greatest driveways in the world. Over a mile long of twisting tarmac with some of his favorite features from courses and roads that he has raced – from around the globe. Now in its second year, the Leadfoot Festival is Rod’s celebration of speed – on his own driveway with his friends, family, and invited top drivers. This :90 spot was made to promote the 2012 festival.

Role: Director & Operator /Co-Editor (Skylar Smith)

Shot on the Panasonic HPX-170, Canon 5D and T2i cameras.

Special thanks to Rhys, Rod, Shelly, and Eddie.

Need for Speed – Fredric Aasbo 2011

Production Company: Self Produced

Project: Fredric Aasbo was 2010 Formula Drift Rookie of the Year. In between the 2010-2011 Formula Drift seasons he won several major international drifting competitions and was set to drive for Papadakis Racing in the Scion tC. A new car for Fredric and a new challenge – going from being a privateer to driving for one of the most successful drift teams in the world.

Role: Director/Operator (with Skylar Smith, Joe Ayala, and Justin Shreeve)/Co-Editor (Skylar Smith)

Shot on the Panasonic HPX-170, Canon 5D and T2i cameras.

Special thanks to Charles Kha, Rachel Kelly, Matt Powers, Skylar Smith, Joe Ayala, and Justin Shreeve.

Nissan North America – 14th Annual Petit LeMans

Production Company: Digital Guerilla

Agency: TBWA/Chiat/Day

Project: Document the Signatech Nissan LMP2 team at the 10 hours of Petit LeMans. As part of a five video series for Nissan North America -promoting Nissan’s racing efforts in a variety of professional racing series – World Challenge, Grand AM, TORC, and ALMS. The Signatech Nissan LMP2 team entered Road Atlanta – leading the LMP2 Intercontinental LeMans Championship. Qualifying 2nd position in LMP2 they finished third in class and clinched the championship before the final race at Zhuhai. The Signatech team was a pleasure to shoot – their future looks very bright.

Role: Director, Co-Editor (DC Chavez/Skylar Smith)

Shot on the Canon 5D and Sony EX1 cameras

Samuel Hübinette Racing – Formula Drift Irwindale Finals

Production Company: Self Produced

Project: Samuel Hübinette is the winningest driver in Formula Drift. Nicknamed the Crazy Swede, he is known for his rally style driving and loud MOPAR machines. For 2011 he brought on Irishman Dean Kearney on his SHR team in the SRT Viper. Sam talks through the journey to professional drifter and teaming up with Dean Kearney.

Role: Director/Operator (with Skylar Smith) Editor

Shot on the RED One, Canon 5D, and Contour + cameras

Will Roegge’s Recent Work.

TBWA\Chiat\Day – Nissan USA – Nissan 370Z at the 2011 Indy Grand Prix of Sonoma.

Production Company: Digital Guerilla (self produced)

Project: Tony Rivera and Brass Monkey Racing have campaigned Nissan GTRs for the past two seasons in Pirelli’s World Challenge series. This season, they’ve built and are racing one of North America’s first Nissan 370Z race cars. We followed Tony and the team as they tackled Sonoma’s Infineon raceway at the 2011 Indy Grand Prix of Sonoma weekend.

Role: Director, one of 3 camera operators, and co-editor.

Shot on the Sony EX1, Canon 5d & Contour HD cameras.

Need for Speed – The Making of the RTR-X

Production Company: Need for Speed

Project: Document the build, tuning, and testing of Vaughn Gittin JR’s Mustang RTR-X with interviews with the key people in the conceptualization, design, and build process.

Role: Director/Operator/Co-Editor (Skylar Smith)

Shot on the Canon 5D and T2i cameras.

Special thanks to Charles Kha, Rachel Kelly, Vaughn Gittin JR, Andy Blackmore, Twins Turbo Motorsport, and Skylar Smith – for their help on the project.

Porsche North America/Porsche Motorsports North America – Jeff Zwart Pikes Peak Hill Climb 2011 In-Car

Production Company: Digital Guerilla (self produced)

Project: Jeff Zwart, seven-time Pikes Peak Champion bests his 2010 record setting run by 10 seconds in his street-legal Porsche 911 GT2 RS. He also set the record for the fastest street-legal car to ever race at the Peak. This is the entire run up the hill, captured from a Canon 5D Mii and a Contour HD camera. More details on the race at http://www.ppihc.com

Role: Director and editor.

Shot on the Canon 5d & Contour HD camera

Porsche North America/Porsche Motorsports North America – 911 GT2 RS record setting run at Pikes Peak 2011

Production Company: Digital Guerilla (self produced)

Project: Jeff Zwart, seven-time Pikes Peak Champion bests his 2010 record setting run by 10 seconds in his street-legal Porsche 911 GT2 RS. He also set the record for the fastest street-legal car to ever race at the Peak. More details on the race at http://www.ppihc.com

Role: Director, Director of Photography, and editor.

Shot on the Canon 5d & Contour HD cameras.

Porsche North America/Porsche Motorsports North America – Porsche, the Road to Pikes Peak

Production Company: Digital Guerilla (self produced)

Project: Jeff Zwart and Porsche Motorsports look to repeat their record setting performance at the 2010 Pikes Peak International Hill Climb – this time in a street legal model the Porsche 911 GT2 RS. The 997 GT2 RS is the most powerful production model Porsche ever made. Instead of trailering the 997 to the base of Pikes Peak – Jeff decided to drive it himself to the race. Clearly not a trailer queen, the GT2 RS achieved a 22+ MPG average on the 1132 mile drive from Santa Ana, California to Pikes Peak, Colorado. The goal of this video was to show the versatility, reliability, and performance of the GT2 RS. One day its cruising around Utah, gas stations, highway driving, mountain roads, drive thru’s, and the next day its putting its 620hp to use as a full blown race car in America’s second oldest race – the Pikes Peak Hill Climb.

Role: Director, camera, and editor – special thanks to Derek Hayes who operated second camera and drove the pursuit car.

Shot on the Canon 5d .

Director’s cut of some of my favorite footage from my recent BFGoodrich & Shaun White campaign. Shot on RED ONE MX. 2k 2:1. 120FPS. DirtFish Rally School in Washington state. Digital Guerilla productions. BFGoodrich 2011.

BFGOODRICH – Shaun White Medals :15

Production Company: Digital Guerilla

Post Production: Mondial Creative

Agency: The Martin Agency

Project: BFGoorich helps upgrade Shaun White’s driving at DirtFish rally school.

Role: Director, Camera Operator.

Shot at the DirtFish Rally school on the RED ONE X, Canon 5D, and Contour HD cameras.

BFGOODRICH – Shaun White Daydream :15

Production Company: Digital Guerilla

Post Production: Mondial Creative

Agency: The Martin Agency

Project: BFGoorich helps upgrade Shaun White’s driving at Laguna Seca race school.

Role: Unit director, Camera Operator.

Shot at Laguna Seca with Skip Barber race school on the RED ONE X, Canon 5D, and Contour HD cameras.

As I was about to leave for Atlanta last week for the second round of the 2011 Formula Drift season – I got an email from a friend asking a favor. Someone had cancelled on him for an important shoot and he needed a POV camera operator. Being a user and supporter of Contour HD cameras – I obliged and changed my travel plans to include an extra few days in Florida. Shooting exotic cars – rough, I know. Here is my look at exotic cars… enjoy.

Ferrari F430 & Ferrari 599 GTB

Lamborghini LP-560 4.

Ferrari 599 GTB – RACE MODE.

Porsche 911 Turbo & Ferrari F430.

Dirty girl.

Porsche 997/911 & Jaguar XK

Take offs.

Lamborghini eyes and BMW 328 making an appearance.

Till next time.

Need for Speed – Team Need for Speed @ the 2011 Dubai 24h

Production Company: Need for Speed

Project: Document Team Need for Speed’s run at the 2011 Dubai 24h race. Dividing the 24 hour endurance race into 4 segments: Day, Dusk, Night, and Dawn – to help show the progression of time and the wear on the team & car.

Role: Director/Operator/Editor

Shot on the Canon 7D, 5D, T2i and Contour HD cameras.

Special thanks to Charles Kha, Rachel Kelly, Rod Chong, DC Chavez, and Ekstrak for their help on the project.

Matt Powers in-car Formula Drift Long Beach 2011. Shot on Contour HD cameras. For Team Need for Speed. 1080/30p.

The Mustang RTR-X sounds as good as it looks – amazing. A 1969 Ford Mustang with a present day Ford Racing 5.0L Coyote Engine – breathing with Kinsler Individual Throttle Bodies and controlled by a MOTEC stand-alone ECU. Which allows the tuner to adjust cam angle through the ECU and uses the Ford’s cam position sensor – instead of just disabling that feature. Built and tuned by Twins Turbo Motorsports in Signal Hill, California, dreamed up by Formula Drift champion Vaughn Gittin JR and designed by Andy Blackmore – the RTR-X is a thing of beauty. I cannot wait to shoot it in action.

Here is a quick video I shot and edited featuring the RTR-X and it’s first session on the dynometer. It produced over four hundred horsepower at the wheels – whereas many tuners quote their power output at the flywheel, this is four hundred to the ground. On pump gasoline. A street car. YEEhaw.

End of February, beginning of March 2011 and I found myself deep in a production on the east coast. Working with friends on a small crew, we shot 8 days in a row – for a client in Virginia, Vermont, and New Hampshire. Rig shots, chase cars, POV cameras, and plenty of interviews. Here is a quick behind the scenes look at some of my favorite images and still photos. It was an awesome project to direct/dp.

Vermont was still freezing and got hit by the largest March snow storm in state history while we were there. Check out all that pow.

Finally got to shoot some more rally. Tim ONeil’s driving school was prime with plenty of new Ford Fiesta rally cars. Nice sideways shot from the slalom course.

Everyone on our team was good behind the lens – here out DIT/DAT Colby takes a break from transferring and logging to snap some stills.

Wyatt Knox & Verena Mei, in-car screen grab from ONeil’s. Looks like fun in a FWD Rally Mazdaspeed 3.

Art director, Dave Spoonman Padgers explores the powder.

Sunrise in Burlington, Vermont over the green mountains.

Tag team partner DC Chavez is ready to operate, produce, rig, whatevers clever – he wears many hats and they all look good.

Car prep at Vermont Sports Car was neat to see production Subaru WRXs get transformed into Rally America machines.

Sound recordist guru of LA sound gypsies – Justin Gay leans back in VA. We were in search of some BBQ – which we found on the last night.

2011 Mustang rips through some leaves on a country road.

Excited to post up the final product in the next few weeks. Thanks to all the crew and agency homies who made the project fun. Thanks to cheese for the snaps of the crew. All other stills are screen grabs from the video itself.