Ken Block and BJ Baldwin at Baja 300 Powerdays!
Johnny Greaves world record warm-up!
We shot this ad for Method race wheels the day before Johnny Greaves set the world record. He was hitting this 100 foot table top like it was nothing! Shortly after this he jumped 260 feet just practicing. The locations was Jeremy McGrath’s private ranch just outside San Diego.
Johnny Greaves World Record Jump warm-up
Johnny Greaves jumps 301 feet to set new world record!
Johnny Greaves has pulled the sword from the stone by doing what many have talked about and contemplated. He jumped his Monster Energy Toyota Pro-2 truck over a 200 foot gap setting a new four wheel record at 301 feet!
Method Race Wheels Ad Campaign
Take a look at the first two ads in the Method Race Wheels Campaign we have been working on.
"Ballistic" BJ Baldwin Flies through the sky outside of Las Vegas, NV.
Bryce Menzies blasts out of a corner in Primm, NV.
BJ Penn RVCA viral commercial
We just finished this beautiful viral commercial with “The Prodigy” BJ Penn for RVCA. Shot entirely on RED at RVCA’s Costa Mesa headquarters, we spent two days with BJ and the RVCA camp showing the connection between art, action sports and MMA. It’s all art! Be sure to watch BJ Penn defend his title against Diego “The Nightmare” Sanchez at UFC 107, live on pay-per-view this saturday night. Here a few pics from the shoot and a link to the final piece.
RVCA commercial shoot with ” The Prodigy” BJ Penn
Here is a litlle sneak peak at the RVCA commercial we are working with lightweight champ “The Prodigy” BJ Penn. The champ looks super crisp and ready for his upcoming title defense against Diego “The Nightmare” Sanchez at UFC 107.
2009 World Rally Highlights
There is no form of racing gnarlier than WRC! Have a look at the highlights for 2009.
20 years of Danny Way
In a world full of followers Danny Way is a prime example of what is possible.
Go do something remarkable!
Timelapses
Mike has been busy working on some spectacular timelapse shots for Bajaflo 4.
Check it out!
Summer 2009 Time Lapses from Mike Flores on Vimeo.
Mad Media Produces Exclusive Viral Video Content for Codemasters DiRT 2 Video Game
This summer Mad Media produced exclusive viral video content for the worldwide video game developer and publisher Codemasters. Following up on their smash hit “Colin McRae’s DiRT”, Codemasters released “DiRT 2” this September to hordes of excited fans. DiRT 2 features an exhilarating off-road racing experience, powered by the third generation of Codemasters’ EGO™ Engine tech. It’s packed with thrilling new race types, big event atmosphere, stunning locations, and a peerless line-up of super-charged speed machines.
The new DiRT title features Travis Pastrana, Dave Mirra, Ken Block and Tanner Faust, who have gained notoriety here in North America as superstars of the Rally America race series, and have appeared in Mad Media’s viral films showcasing the Subaru Rally Team USA for the past five years.
“We met with Ken Block and Codemasters earlier this year and discussed how the game was going to evolve into something much bigger than just rally and off-road racing,” said Joshua Martelli, Director of TV/Film Production at Mad Media. “It became clear right away that Codemasters needed help producing engaging, branded content to explain Ken’s involvement in the game, as well as hype the new features in the game, such as X-Games Super Special stages. So we scoured our existing library of rally and off-road footage, and began producing and shooting important promotional films for them about Ken and these new features.”
Mad Media produced six viral films for Codemasters, as well as an exclusive Colin McRae memorial tribute video that appears in-game. Mad Media video assets were also used to create the interactive menus for DiRT 2. Then as the games release date approached, Mad Media produced a custom DiRT 2 / DC Shoes promotional DVD that was awarded to those who pre-ordered the DiRT 2 title from local “Game Stop” stores.
“DiRT 2 is an amazing piece of work – and in many ways speaks to the new generation of racing fans in a way that most titles don’t,” commented Mad Media Creative Director, Matt Martelli. “The design and layout of the game, and the game-play itself were very well executed – the best we’ve seen. So it was a real treat to have our cinematography and editing work – which we work very hard to produce – alongside such a clean and professional title.”
Mad Media Joins the RED Revolution – Purchases RED ONE #6783
Mad Media has just joined the ranks of the nearly seven thousand cinematographers, producers, directors, rental houses, and camera junkies that have embraced the RED ONE by Red.com, INC. Heralded as a groundbreaking acquisition format since it first shipped, the RED camera has redefined the playing field for filmmakers who want the same tools that working Hollywood professionals use, without the extremely expensive point of entry.
Mad Media’s directing and producing team, The Martelli Brothers, are no strangers to the RED and it’s ability to deliver next-level results. “We began experimenting with the cameras as soon as they became available and were blown away by the results from the get go.” commented Creative Director Matt Martelli. “But we also realized, that like every camera, the RED has strengths and weaknesses. It’s not a very lightweight set-up, and at the time it was released there were some initial issues with the firmware. We waited patiently for the right film to really put the RED through its paces, and that happened this summer with the Gymkhana Two project.”
Mad Media produced the most successful automotive viral film ever this year, with the help of some astounding driving by Ken Block, the use of two RED cameras, and a compliment of traditional HD gear.
“It definitely pushed us to a whole new level of production.” said Joshua Martelli, Director of TV / Film Production and Director of the Gymkhana Two film. “We needed to shoot between eight and ten set-ups a day to stay on track with the shoot, including major FX shots as well as product shots for DC Shoes. So we had to make very quick decisions about position, light, focus, framing, the orientation of the car, when to dump footage, etc… But in the end it went very smoothly and we were able to review proxies in the RV with Ken and the other folks involved almost immediately after each shot. That was incredible. In fact it fired everyone up as we progressed through the shoot because we knew we were getting great stuff.”
Mad Media’s purchase of the RED camera is recognition that many of their current and emerging clients not only understand the benefits of RED 4K (or more) acquisition, but are requesting it for key projects. “We have several commercial projects in production, and some ridiculous viral films in pre-production at the moment. So it just made sense to bring one in house. And believe me as soon as the Epic becomes available that will be in our hands too. If you consider that cinematography is really just painting with light, than cameras are our paintbrushes. The RED allows for some spectacularly broad strokes when shooting.” commented Joshua. “Not all of our shoots are appropriate for RED. But with seven different acquisition formats in-house, including multiple Panasonic P2 cameras, a Canon 5D Mark II, and a barrage of Sony HD POV systems, we can cover just about any situation thrown at us. And that level of coverage is one way we can guarantee our clients the results they demand.”
Gymkhana 2 is The Number One Viral Video in the Country!
The Number One Viral Video in the Country! Need we say more!
Bajaflo 4 to feature world class line up of off-road veterans and rising stars in action packed documentary
The Bajaflo film series has become a staple in off-road culture. Just as action sports films are integral to the action sports industry Bajaflo has been an important tool in exposing the spirit of off-road culture to new audience, as well as launching careers within off-road racing. The Bajaflo series is the brainchild of award winning cinematographer/director Mike Flores. “ I started the Bajaflo film series to be an evolving exploration of the spirit, beauty, and power of off-road racing”, stated Flores.
The film will feature off-road racing legends Carl Renezeder and Rob MacCachren, as well as rising star Rodrigo Ampudia Jr. and Rick Huseman. The film will also star a ton of additional off-road racers including Roger Norman, Johny Greaves, Andy McMillin, Casey Currie, Robby Woods, BJ Baldwin, and Todd Leduc. Covering both short course and desert racing, Bajaflo 4 will bring you into the action.
“Bajaflo 4 will pick up where the previous films left off, continuing to explore the culture of off-road racing through a series of short stories. With each film I have evolved as a cinematographer, director and story-teller. With this one I intend to push myself and the genre into new and unexplored areas,” stated the enthusiastic Flores.
Creator and director Mike Flores has enlisted the branding and marketing expertise of Mad Media and the production experience of the Martlelli brothers to push his creation to the next level. The film will be distributed internationally and feature a viral web campaign building up to a March premier at the legendary MINT 400. Filming has already begun and will be completed by the end of January, 2010.
“This will be one of our most ambitious projects to date. We are going to employ equipment and camera methods previously not used to capture the action of off-road racing. We intend on pushing the envelope, ” stated Mad Media Director of Film and Television Josh Martelli.
Media Provides HD Cinematography for Harley Davidson H-D INK Clothing Spot
Media Provides HD Cinematography for Harley Davidson’s H-D INK Clothing Spot
Earlier this summer Mad Media cinematographers provided principal photography for a Harley Davidson commercial highlighting their new clothing line, dubbed “H-D INK”. Shot on location in Los Angeles, the Mad Media crew worked directly with Harley’s advertising agency Carmichael Lynch to develop and document the viral ad that showcases Harley’s new brand of apparel. The H-D INK clothing line features art inked by tattoo master from around the world, and is designed to appeal to both young and old.
“We’ve worked with Carmichael Lynch on a number of campaigns, including the Subaru WRX spots we shot this year, so it was great to get the call to assist with photography on the new Harley H-D Ink campaign. This particular product line, as well as the new Harley bikes that are tailored for the younger 18-35 demographic, fit our style of creative production work particularly well.” commented Joshua Martelli, Director of TV/Film Production at Mad Media. “Our job was to produce a good collection of authentic night-life images that could be tied together in post, as well as capture some of the scenic settings that LA affords.”
Mad Media opted for the portability, ease of use, and off-speed shooting capabilities of the Panasonic HPX500 cameras for the shoot. “It was important for us to be able to move quickly through each set-up and work both hand-held and on sticks, because we had a tight schedule and needed both interior and exterior shots.” said Milan Spasic, Mad Media’s DP for the shoot. “We used a lot of radical focus pulls, whip pans, and quick pushes/pulls so that the kinetic energy of the night-life scene would be accurately portrayed. It was basically a more seasoned and professional ‘shakey cam’ feeling combined with attention to the product, and Carmichael did a great job of following through on the post side to execute the final creative look.”
The new H-D Ink video went live on Harley’s site mid-summer, and is integrated into a beautifully crafted Flash based website that also features a photo gallery of the new product line and links to shop for H-D Ink products.
Casey Currie on Last Call with Carson Daly!
Mad Media Produces “Rally Horse” segment for MTV’s Nitro Circus / Travis Pastrana
Nitro Circus continues to be one of MTV’s most popular shows. As Travis Pastrana and the Nitro crew began to wrap up filming on their second season, they tapped rally superstar Ken Block for a new segment dubbed “Rally Horse”, and called Mad Media to capture all of the mayhem in pristine 4K resolution with RED ONE cameras. Shot on location at Miller Motorsports, the one-day shoot called for stunt coordination and direction by Mad Media TV/Film Director Joshua Martelli, and employed several of Mad Media’s top cinematographers for production support on the piece.
“We’ve spent the last ten years filming off-road, tarmac, and everything in between”, commented Martelli. “We know what rally cars are capable of and how they handle, and the best way to shoot them, so it was great to get a call from MTV and Dickhouse to come out and play. Ken and Travis have always had a friendly rivalry in rally, and that made for some hilarious TV. Obviously we roll with higher-end gear than a typical reality TV show has budget for, or time to use, but in the end I think the combination of the raw in-your-face filming that Tremaine and Knoxville use, will look great when mixed with our RED footage.”
Mad Media employed dollies, jibs, steadicam, and condor lifts in order to capture all of the chaos that ensued once Ken and Travis got in the car. “Basically they had a really funny list of ideas that we helped translate into realistic stunts that we knew would work. I was really impressed with their prop coordinator, the pace of the filming, and how well they captured all the funny moments between Ken and Travis”, continued Martelli. “I think Nitro fans are going to freak when they see what was thrown down.”
Nitro Circus is executive produced by Jeff Tremaine and Johnny Knoxville of Dickhouse Productions, Jeremy Rawle and Gregg Godfrey of Godfrey Entertainment, Travis Pastrana and Trip Taylor. Tony DiSanto, Liz Gateley, Chris Linn, Lauren Dolgen and Michelle Klepper are the MTV executives in charge of production.
Check out the behind the scene photos here:
Mad Media Produces “GK2.1″ with MTV’s Fantasy Factory and Rob Dyrdek / Ken Block
NEW VIDEO: Mad Media Produces “GK2.1” with MTV’s Fantasy Factory and Rob Dyrdek / Ken Block
The Gymkhana project has become the most successful automotive viral film campaign in history. So where do you go from there? Some would think bigger, but DC Co-Founder and Rally Team Member Ken Block teamed up with Rob Dyrdek’s Fantasy Factory and Mad Media, and went…smaller! Gymkhana 2.1 is a funny new video segment that was shot, directed, co-produced, and co-edited by Mad Media for MTV’s Fantasy Factory show and DC Shoes. It features longtime buddies Block and Dyrdek charging around a Gymkhana course side-by-side—Block in his Crawford Performance built Subaru Impreza WRX STI, Dyrdek in his mini shifter kart version of Blocks machine.
Gymkhana 2.1 showcases the same high-end cinematography that has become the hallmark of Mad Media film production, and was used in previous installments of Block’s Gymkhana videos. Dyrdek and Block brought the Mad Media film crew to El Toro Airfield to produce the piece, while the MTV crew documented the “reality” angle as it unfolded.
“Ken and Rob decided to get the kart built and film the clip when Rob made an appearance in the Gymkhana TWO video earlier this year.” said GK 2.1 director and Mad Media co-owner Joshua Martelli. “We were stoked to get a call from Rob and the crew at MTV to come out and use the same techniques and camera gear to create something totally hilarious, but equally cool to watch. We fleshed out the stunts onsite and created the main story edit. It was a blast to work with two super talented guys and come up with stunts that were scary but funny to watch.”
The complete version of Gymkhana 2.1 features more than what’s seen on Dyrdek’s hit MTV show, including near run-overs, drifting, racing and shenanigans that occur when two unique individuals like Dyrdek and Block hit the tarmac in polar-opposite-sized whips.To date, the clip has received over a million views on YouTube.
Watch the video here:
Check out the behind the scenes photo gallery here:
