Video

Feb 06 2014

Chuck Norris humiliates JCVD

A video as popular as the Jean Claude Van Damme commercial for Volvo, where he did the splits between two moving Volvo semi-trucks, and one that went so viral, was bound to be copied and parodied. (Much-maligned Toronto mayor Rob Ford hilariously copied it, for example.) This parody features another martial arts action star popular in the 1980s, Chuck Norris—or, at least, a CGI version of him. Here, Chuck “performs” the stunt (with the help of CGI and Delov Digital) between two planes, and with a team of special forces operatives aligned atop his cowboy hat in the shape of a Christmas tree, no less. A monologue from Hamlet and the beautiful song “Only Time” by Róisín Murphy complete the video, which has gone viral in its own right.

+ Who

It is not clear wherChuck Norris is an American martial arts actor, who starred in action movies in the 1980s and is best known for his work staring in the television show Walker, Texas Ranger in the 90s. He is a native of Oklahoma and served in the United States Air Force before becoming an actor. Jean-Claude Van Damme is a Belgian martial arts actor who has stared in many films. He was most popular in the 80s and 90s for films like Bloodsport, Kickboxer and Universal Soldier. The full splits were a feature in virtually every movie he did, and became something of a signature move. Delov Digital is a Hungarian studio that works in almost every medium imaginable, from print to motion pictures to animation and even painting. 

+ Where

This video appears to take place between two jumbo jet airliners, high in the sky, but is in fact a product of animation from the studio Delov Digital. It isn’t clear whether Chuck Norris actually had anything to do with the video. The planes, the sky, the commandos and the actor himself have all been rendered with CGI.

+ What

The video opens with a close-up shot of Chuck’s face, and a tough-sounding narrator reading from Hamlet, Act 1. (Some say that ever ‘gainst that season comes wherein our Saviour’s birth is celebrated. The bird of dawning singeth all night long. And then, they say, no spirit dares stir abroad; The nights are wholesome; then no planets strike, No fairy takes, nor witch hath power to charm, So hallow’d and so gracious is the time.) The camera begins to pan back, revealing the scene, finally revealing, at (0:30) the commandos in the shape of the Christmas tree, the airliners. (0:44) Then we see the commandos light up like a Christmas Tree and the narrator says “Merry Merry Christmas, and a Happy New Year to you all.” The video finishes with a long shot of the airliners and the commando Christmas Tree. Credits roll at (1:07).

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Feb 02 2014

Team Zoic at Rebounderz

This fun video highlights Team Zoic, a parkour and freerunning team out of Orlando as they take on and conquer Rebounderz, a trampoline park in Orlando Florida. The team bounces around the trampolines, doing flips and kicks from trampoline to trampoline and into a foam pit. They also play dodgeball and dunk basketballs. The guys show off their parkour and freerunning skills all over this trampoline park and show how to get the most out of an amazingly fun theme park. Watch this video and you’ll definitely get the itch to head to the closest trampoline park to you get some bouncing in.

Rebounderz is the best trampoline park I’ve been to so far. Last time I was in Orlando I visited out another one called Airheads first, but it was closed for a kid’s birthday party. When I visited Rebounderz I was glad I hadn’t paid at the other one since it looked way better equipped. I spent a few hours jumping around and playing dodgeball. It’s amazing how tiring it is if you go all out.

+ Who

Team Zoic, or Zoic Nation, are a group of traceurs/freerunners from Orlando, Florida in the United States. The members are Jon Watson, Andy Taylor, Angle Santiago, Gareth Norvell, Mark Stowell, Will Brown, Crazy Stupid Kid Jimmy, Casey Jones. They have a very active presence on social media including Facebook, Twitter, Youtube and Vimeo. In their own words, they are a group dedicated to having fun and spreading their love of parkour, and not getting tied down in defining what it means to do parkour, free-running or tricking. They are simply all about having fun and accepting all styles as they get better and enjoy life.

+ Where

This video was filmed at Rebounderz in Orlando, Florida. Rebounderz is an indoor trampoline arena promising family fun and fitness. They have an open jump arena, with trampolines on the floor and sides that adds up to 24,000 square feet to jump. They also have a foam pit jumper, where you can launch yourself into a pit of foam squares, a dodgeball arena, and a basketball dunking jumper. They also host parties (which include pizza) and summer camps. On the Rebounderz website you can take a virtual tour, sign your wavier form (all jumpers must sign a waiver) and book your party.

+ What

The video begins with the Zoic crew getting out of their cars and heading in to the arena. They begin jumping (0:17) into the foam pit, and then take on the open jump arena (0:24). Shots of foam pit jumping and open pit jumping and flips are mixed until (1:18) when the crew gets together for an exciting game of dodgeball. At (1:38) we see some breakdancing on the floor. More dodgeball and shots of Rebounderz are joined by more foam pit jumping and then (2:15) basketball dunking. (2:35) the video ends with Jon Watson, the Youtuber and member who uploaded the video, talking about next week’s video and instructing users about how to manage their Youtube subscriptions.

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Feb 02 2014

B-Boy at the Edgewood Murals

This stunning high definition shows break dancing in ultra slow motion. It was shot with a Phantom HD and a set of Superspeed Zeiss Primes. And the images displayed are truly stunning. B-boy moves that seem to defy gravity at full speed are even more amazing in slow motion, and as you watch you half-expect the dancer to drop to the floor at any moment. The video was shot before a beautiful mural at Edgewood Murals in Washington DC in the United States. The dancer is local b-boy and instructor Geoff Chang, also known as Toys Are Us. The great sound track to the video is provided by DJ Shadow and the song is “Building Steam with a Grain of Salt.”

+ Who

Geoff Chang, or Toyz Are Us, is a b-boy and instructor. He works at Words Beats and Life Academy in Washington, DC. The academy was founded with a mission to transform lives and communities through the presentation and teaching of hip-hop culture. They offer free classes to young people in the elements of hip-hop: DJing, beat production, b-boying, emceeing, and graffiti. Plus they also teach photography, street art, spoken word and chess. Toyz Are Us is one of the most known and respected b-boys in the Untied States. He has been b-boying since 2000 and represents the Lionz of Zion crew. He uses old school techniques with a new school twist. He has won numerous competitions, including Hip Hop Addict 2011 and Break The Floor 2012. 

+ Where

In the summer of 2009, five artists (Decoy, Pose 2, Joshua Mays, Quest Skinner and Chor Boogie) combined efforts on the largest mural in Washington DC. Called “From Edgewood to the Edge of the World,” it began as a wall 280 feet long and 15 feet high. It doubled in size with a project called The Edgewood Mural Jam, as over 65 artists combined to pain the adjacent wall. The mural is located in the parking lot of the Rhode Island Avenue Shopping Center.

+ What

oyz Are Us enters with a couple of flips in front of a stunning section of the Edgewood Mural. At around (0:30) the shot shifts to the b-boy dancing on top of a piece of paper before the same section of mural. The video continues with his dance routine, with some hand work at (0:50), and an overhead shot at (1:00) all in slow-motion. At (1:40) there is a closeup of his pivot hand on the ground and then at (2:00) a closeup of his face straining with the effort of the moves. (2:25) is an overhead shot of some spins. (2:45) a more close in shot of some back spins, showing the strain on Toyz’s face. We move back at (3:10) briefly, and then back in for a long sequence shoulder spins. He pops up at (4:20) and at (4:35) he poses in front of the mural. Then, credits (4:56).

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Jan 30 2014

What happens when you cross gymnastics and basketball?

This video from Inspiri Productions features world-class European gymnasts performing creative and elaborate routines before a live audience. Male and female gymnasts mix traditional gymnastics disciplines such as floor, bars, and vault together with rhythmic disciplines and even basketball dunking and dance. Strength, balance, speed and yes, even drama, combine to produce an incredibly entertaining show. This beautiful high-definition video, shot with Canon and GoPro cameras, is mixed with the up-beat and appropriate Cash Cash song “Kiss the Sky.” It’s a fast-paced and action-packed three minute video that will have you on the edge of your seat and clapping your hands.

+ Who

Inspiri Productions is a public relations, photo and video studio company that produces simply spectacular videos. They have produced several viral videos and even been featured on Good Morning America in the United States. Their Youtube videos, primarily sports related, have hundreds of thousands of views. This video features world class gymnasts from Germany, Russia, Ukraine, France, Belgium and Hungary. Many of the gymnasts featured have performed for Cirque du Soleil, and some of them were world champions in their gymnastic discipline. The amazing basketball dunks in this video were performed by the Hungarian stunt team Lords of Gravity. Lords of Gravity perform all over Europe.

+ Where

This video was shot in Germany and France in December of 2013 before live studio audiences. The gymnasts performed in an open, indoor arena with the space necessary to perform their amazing routines. They used typical gymnastics equipment such as bars, mats and trampolines as well as basketball goals. The entertaining show has been performed all over the region to the delight of those lucky enough to see it live. For the rest of us, we luckily have this wonderfully shot high definition video.

+ What

The video beings with two female gymnasts on the uneven bars. At (0:08) we go to a male gymnast doing a tumbling routine. Then (0:12), a female gymnast dressed as a referee performs on the trampoline. It transitions quickly between two male gymnasts on a see-saw (0:18) into a dunk from a trampoline (0:19). Then there is another tumbling routing (0:20) and two male gymnasts performing a floor routine with giant hoops (0:23). Several women gymnasts perform a rhythmic floor routine (0:28) and then several male gymnasts perform an acrobatic floor routine (0:30). The Lords of Gravity take the floor at (0:35) for basketball dunks. The female trampoliner returns at (0:42) and at (0:48) we return to the see-saw team. A dancer hits the floor at (0:50) and then we return for several more acrobatic and tumbling routines. At (1:03) we see a new dancer, doing a break-inspired routine. More of the see-saw team, the Lords of Gravity and tumbling follow in quick succession. At (1:16) a male gymnast works the parallel bars. Immediately after we see more of the giant hoops and then more tumbling at (1:21). The Lords of Gravity perform more elaborate dunking at (1:25). Hoops, rhythmic floor routine, dancing, dunking, trampolining, team floor work and team tumbling follows. The video is rounded out by more of the same. The performers get face time and at (2:23) and then take bows.

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Jan 30 2014

The GoPro Bomb Squad: The World’s Most Exciting Job

Extreme Sportsmen Marshall Miller, Neil Amonson, Jesse Hall and JT Holmes are the GoPro Bomb Squad. They are daredevils who have made their love of extreme sports into a full time job. This video has many heart-racing scenes from the GoPro cameras the guys carry. They jump off buildings and from helicopters and airplanes, and they plummet off the side of sheer rock faces. As you watch you feel as if you are right there with them as some of the world’s most beautiful scenery flies by. The twists and turns, from the point of view of the jumpers themselves, will have your heart in your throat and your stomach turned inside out even as you watch from the comfort of your computer chair.

+ Who

This is a video from Barcroft Media, an international media company based in London, England. They specialize in “the amazing side of life.” They deliver and market extreme content to clients all over the world. The video was directed and shot by the GoPro Bomb Squad themselves, a team of four friends. They formed the Bomb Squad in 2008 after securing sponsorship from GoPro. They were able to turn their hobby into their careers. Now they travel the world and showcase their skills and guts in paragliding, speed flying, wingsuit cloud surfing, base jumping and skydiving. The GoPro Bomb Squad are Marshall Miller, Neil Amonson, Jesse Hall and JT Holmes.

+ Where

This video was shot in various locations. The video makers don’t outline exactly where the team is performing their exciting stunts, but they range from the top of a building in a city to remote and more exotic locales. They hang from helicopters and jump out of planes over sparse, desert terrain and beautiful, mountainous locations.

+ What

The video gets started with the team hiding out in a bathroom and they quickly move to the roof of a building (0:18) and jump off, landing in a parking lot nearby. Then they dangle from the skids of a helicopter (0:30) and jump off. The team is introduced at (0:41). They ascend in a helicopter at (1:00) for further jumps wearing wingsuits. At (1:20) we see several breathtaking jumps off of cliffs. (1:39) shows a jump off of a very tall tower and (1:48) is a jump from a rock towards a street and body of water below. At (1:54) we see a jump from a plane and at (1:59) a helicopter jump and the landing.

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Dec 17 2013

SCUBA Diving in Egypt’s Red Sea

A beautifully shot high-definition video of a group SCUBA diving in the Red Sea in Egypt. Dazzling scenery includes the plants and animals of the sea and a gorgeous ship wreck. Sharks and other colorful and exotic sea creatures swim among the coral in the amazing blue waters. A breathtaking video of a truly breathtaking dive experience. The video uploader and diver, eastanubis, says that what he remembers most about the dive is the amazing visibility. The visibility and the abundance of sea life, as well as the right equipment for shooting underwater in high definition, made for a great video.

I personally went scuba diving in several countries including Mexico and Thailand, and I must say the best and most accessible reefs I’ve ever come across were those in the Red Sea near Hurghada.

+ Who

This video of SCUBA diving in the Red Sea is one of 16 videos currently hosted on the youtube channel of user “eastanubis”. He appears to be a relatively unknown youtube user, with only 126 followers of his fantastic underwater videos. On his channel page he describes himself as a lover of SCUBA who wishes he could get out into the water more often. In this video he is accompanied by two friends. This video is the highlight of his page, and has over 20,000 views. Most of his videos are between 3000 and 4000 views. His underwater dive videos are from all over the world, from Egypt to Thailand and Malaysia and beyond.


+ Where

This video was made in Egypt’s Red Sea and filming was done in six locations in the sea: Big Brother, Small Brother, Daedelus, Numida Wreck, Gola Abu Ramada and El Mina Wreck. The Red Sea is a seawater inlet of the Indian Ocean, lying between Africa and Asia. It is nearly 1,400 miles long and has an average depth of approximately 1600 feet. It is a popular dive spot and noted for it’s marine life and corals.


+ What

In this video three divers descend (0:15) into the Red Sea to explore the rich and abundant marine life below the surface. The sea is an inlet of the Indian Ocean and is the northernmost tropical sea in the world. It is home to an amazing variety of life, from large hammerhead sharks (0:50) to tiny fish (1:25). The divers explore the corals and sea floor (1:25) and swim among two beautiful and haunting wrecks (3:00 and 3:20). The stark gray of the wrecks contrasts with the vibrant colors of the sea life (4:29). As they go, they shoot high definition video using a Sony HDR 550 in a Light and Motion Bluefin 550 housing with Magic Filter, a Fathom 90 wide angle lens and two Sola 1200 video lights also from L&M. Music by Yanni accompanies the footage of the underwater scenery and the divers as they enjoy this fantastic dive and marvel at the sights of the sea. 


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Dec 14 2013

Calisthenics Tournament 2012 by Barstarzz

This amazing video features the Calisthenics Tournament 2012 organized by Barstarzz. The control some of these guys have over their body is awe-inspiring. If this video doesn’t make you want to get up and get in shape, nothing will.

+ Who

This video was made by a group of International Calisthenics experts who go by the name Barstarzz. Their mission is to “Inspire the World to Workout” through their Fun and Simple, Creative Calisthenics techniques. The feats are preformed by many nameless individuals involved with the Barstarzz team located throughout the world. With offerings of instruction in Modeling, Fitness, and Nutrition in locations around the world. These group of athletes have dedicated themselves to spreading their love of fitness, and getting people excited about being healthy.


+ Where

The video was filmed in Moscow, Russia. It was filmed during a Calisthenics Tournament that went on in the Summer of 2012. It showcases the Barstarzz team, an International group of athletes. The Barstarzz team members are spread out throughout the world. Their central locations are Moscow, Russia and New York City, New York. They offer instructional training in each of these locations for a fee. 


+ What

 This video displays insane feats of human strength. The Barstarzz Team incorporates gymnastics, weight lifting, and dance into an incredible Freestyle workout. The way they control their body’s shows off extreme strength and dedication. These individuals show mastery in many aspects of physical fitness, all while keeping a simple and fun feel to the workout


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Dec 11 2013

Base jumping off Kuala Lumpur Tower in Malaysia

This video is awesome. It features Fred Fugen & JP Teffaud Base jumping off Kuala Lumpur Tower at the Menara Kuala Lumpur 2012 Event. This tower stands at 1,379 feet. Base jumping is a fairly new sport that didn’t really develop its own identity until the mid 80’s, known for its high fatality rates. Don’t try this one at home, kids. Though unless you live in the Kuala Lumpur Tower, that might be hard to do anyway.

+ Who

Turbolenza FollowtheFlow was the user name of the person who uploaded the video on youtube.com. Fred Fugen & JP Teffaud are starring in the video. They are base jumpers attending a base jumping event in Malaysia.


+ Where

This video was made in Malaysia. Most of it was filmed on and around the Kuala Lumpur tower. It is where the base jump took place. Kuala Lumpur is the most populated city in Malaysia and has many sky-scrappers. It is for this reason that it is one of the better cities for base jumping in the world. The tower itself Stands at 1,379 feet.


+ What

There are two professional base jumpers attending a base jump event in Malaysia. (0:01) Fred & Jp are both opening the video with a base jump right from the start. (1:48) they jump again. (2;20) another awesome jump. (3:00) They are on their way to the next jump. (3;34) They jump again. (4:00) They jump again. (4:20) They jump together. (4:47) They jump again.(5:30) They step take it to the next level and swing from the building from a rope. (6:20) Atop each other shoulders they jump from the building again. (7:00) They jump again holding hands.(7:25) They pretend to throw their friend off the building.


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Dec 11 2013

Parkour at Fantastic Gymnastics

It’s great to see these parkour enthusiasts found a safe environment to practice and learn in order to hone their skills before taking them to the streets. This video is a bit more artistic than the usual run-of-the-mill showcase reel, and the end-result looks great. Some of the moves are incredibly creative and I think I’ll try some of them next time I visit the gym.

+ Who

This video is compiled by Parkour Tour (a channel on YouTube) and contains multiple freerunners’ stunts. Guy Mercier is featured in this video however at the end of the video, there is a list of thanks to the following people (names or aliases): The Shelby Family, Tyler Harder, Joshua Rideout, Jorell Linsangen, Sonny Keyton, Micky Wall, Fantastic Gymnastics, Blackmill, Chris Poh, Janis Feye, Yann Bissonnette, Shai James Zachery Maller, Aniez, Marco Santana, Christian Lemay, Joachim Schilinger, Brian Prince, Sami Rauf, Mark R. Okita, Matthew Watkins, Sean Rogers, Cassio Casagrande, Christopher Buck, Georgi Georgiev, Kevin A. Chang, David El Achkar, Sam Binkin, Tommy Cooke, Paul Darnell, Kenneth McKnight, Micky Wall & Modus.


+ Where

The video was filmed at the home based studio of Fantastic Gymnastics. Which when you watch the video you will hear Guy Mercier, the owner, mention is located in Winnipeg. I wouldn’t mind spending some time training at this gym, it seems very well equipped.


+ What

The video shows a compilation of parkour tricks performed by students in practice on multiple mat protected surfaces. These tricks show many common moves as well as some advanced moves the students are learning. Many of the students are performing flips off walls, rolling landings, standing flips as well as utilizing gymnastic equipment! About 1 min in we are given a short explanation of the history of Fantastic Gymnastics by the owner Guy Mercier. He explains how good it has been for his studio and the students whom come from previous parkour background. At 2:50 is a very cool maneuver performed on the parallel bars.


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Dec 05 2013

Parkour video compilation of 2013

Parkour has been quickly gaining popularity in the past few years and this video is great example as to why. It can be hard to get a grasp on the concept of parkour when it is explained in words.  This video shows what all the fuss is about. Parkour is more than jumping and stunts, it is an art form. Art such as parkour is not meant to be described or heard, but seen and lived. This video shows what parkour really is and why people do it. 

+ Who

This video is compiled by MonthlyWinner (a channel on YouTube) and contains multiple freerunners’ stunts. The stars of the video that wanted their names(or aliases) known are as follows: In Motion, Cherepko, MegaMatrixs, sonicvova, DragonFireTeamLive, and AlexandeR RusinoV. Many of these users are simply interested in parkour and have multiple posts about them. For the others it seems to be a smaller interest of theirs. Their YouTube libraries contain a large amount of other parkour and stunt videos similar to those shown in this video. While some of the people in the video are from America, others are from France and Russia which shows the international popularity of the sport. While many users prefer not to have their names disclosed, they do have many of their stunts available under their aliases shown above.


+ Where

The video takes place in multiple undisclosed locations. The users come from America, France, and Russia as well as other countries of origin. The nature of parkour calls for city areas as well as other stunt friendly locations and that is exactly what the video shows. There are no famous landmarks or recognizable location that can be used to decipher precise location, but actor locations can be found on their YouTube channels. It can then be assumed that the videos likely took place in their countries of origin. Terrain also includes construction areas, malls, residential areas, parks, and several parkour training centers.


+ What

The video shows a compilation of parkour tricks from different people on multiple terrains. These tricks show many common moves as well as some that are seen as far more risky and are rarely performed by casual freerunners. Many of the stunts include jumping from high heights and landing flawlessly as well as standard freerunning techniques. There are multiple people doing the tricks in the video and all of them perform many styles of parkour. In contrast to most parkour videos, this video gives a good focus in cooperative parkour moves in combination with solo stunts. The video is a focused compilation of only parkour and is targeted primarily at parkour fans.


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