August 16, 2011 – Huntington Beach, CA – Today DC and Ken Block released the highly anticipated Gymkhana FOUR video on YouTube.com. Ken Block’s Gymkhana FOUR: The Hollywood Megamercial takes production and concept to the next level, surpassing all of the previous films in Block’s hit viral series, which have amassed over 110 million views to date. In line with the style of Ken Block’s Gymkhana TWO: The Infomercial, this video, which was filmed at Universal Studios Hollywood, brings focus back to high production camera work, 1000 fps slow motion, plus a bit of comic relief. From robotic sharks, deranged zombies, stunt men in gorilla suits, and massive pyrotechnics to intense, 100-percent raw, flat-out driving and copious amounts of tire smoke, Ken Block and his Ford Fiesta Hybrid Function Hoon Vehicle (H.F.H.V.) bring the magic of Hollywood and gymkhana together.
Known as the place where movie magic begins, Block took over the backlots of Universal Studios Hollywood, converting them into a giant playground for GYM4. Filmed over the course of five days, iconic movie locations and backdrops provided real-world obstacles, which increased both the danger and difficulty of the course and tricks.
“With each Gymkhana film, we’ve raised the bar, making it tougher and tougher to outdo ourselves,” said Block. “So we opted to go over the top on FOUR with a big Hollywood production and Universal Studios provided the perfect place for it. The backlots provided real life obstacles, plus an extremely varied collection of settings all just minutes from each other. Without question, Gymkhana FOUR is the most ridiculous film we’ve done yet, but it’s also packed with some of the hardest and most dangerous driving I have done in these films.”
Paying homage to iconic Hollywood movies, the video opens with Block and his H.F.H.V. blazing through the War of the Worlds set. He drifts past the famous clock tower from Back to the Future and screeches through Psycho’s Bates Motel. Block and his H.F.H.V then proceed to rip through Whoville, coming face to face with Jaws. The video wraps with the perfect movie star ending and a surprise Bollywood tribute that could make Slumdog Millionaire pant.
Block and his team brought out the big guns on Gymkhana FOUR by joining forces with famed director Ben Conrad and his production company LOGAN, one of themost respected Hollywood production houses in the business. Known for his work on Zombieland, famous iPod commercials, and most recently as title designer on 30 Minutes or Less, Conrad had a distinct vision and plan for the Gymkhana FOUR video. Conrad utilized the most innovative technology in cameras, lighting and effects, including a revolutionary GoPro array camera setup that was custom fabricated to allow multiple GoPro cameras to be strung together to shoot footage in unison, creating a Matrix-style bullet time effect.
“The Ken Block Gymkhana videos have become a viral phenomenon, so we really wanted totake it even further and blow everyone away with this video,” said Jeff Taylor, VP of Marketing at DC. “That’s why we brought on Ben and his team at LOGAN. They are known for their cutting edge approach and using the most advanced filming technology. The level of production on Gymkhana FOUR is unparalleled. Between LOGAN’s film editing, Block’s skills, and Universal Studios, Gymkhana FOUR is above and beyond what everyone is expecting.”
Every Hollywood action star needs a great sidekick and in Gymkhana FOUR, Block’s is none other than his new 2011 Ford Fiesta H.F.H.V, a unique race car built by the Monster World Rally Team to be transformed for Block to compete in Stage Rally, Rallycross and Gymkhana. For this film, the H.F.H.V. was putting down 600hp and 665lb-ft of torque through a custom 6-speed sequential gearbox that’s mated to a mechanical all-wheel-drive system. At only 2,755 lbs, the H.F.H.V. does the sprint from zero to 60 in an astonishing 1.9 seconds, giving McFly’s DeLorean a serious run for its money to 88 mph.
Fellow YouTube sensations and friends, Epic Meal Time-ranked no. 14 on YouTube’s most subscribed to videos list-also make a hilarious cameo in the video. The Epic Meal Time guys actually set the bacon down for a moment as Block tears through their set drifting around the kitchen. Epic Meal Time also filmed the teaser for GYM4 which can be viewed at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b2DMPNtPK84.
Featured in the opening credits, the KenBlock Teamworks Collection is a character of its own, putting the Megamercial in GYM4. Making their debut for the first time, the KB Spartan Mid, the KB Summit Jacket, and the KB Stripe Hat were designed specifically by Block for the launch of Gymkhana FOUR and will be available online as of mid-August. Originally created in 2005, the Teamworks Collection and design inspirationstems from Block’s rally and gymkhana car liveries. For more information and to check out the entire Ken Block Teamworks Collection, please visit http://store.dcshoes.com/family/index.jsp?categoryId=4374337 .
The DC x Ken Block Gymkhana franchise ofvideos is one of the most successful viral video contents ever produced fromthe action sports, footwear and auto industries. Since the first Ken Block Gymkhana Practice video was released in 2008, the Ken Block Gymkhana video series on YouTube has gained over 110 million views worldwide and has won ten prestigious viral video awards. The Gymkhana THREE video reached 1 million views in less than 24 hours after being unleashed on the public, creating abona fide YouTube phenomenon.
For additional information on Gymkhana FOUR: The Hollywood Megamercial, photos,exclusive interviews and more, please visit www.dcshoes.com/gym4 and http://youtu.be/btViXvIDsi0
