Red Bull: Mad Mike vs The Beast

For the shoot, we gain exclusive access to the Kirov Plant, including the assembly line of the St. Petersburg Tractor Plant. The project is under strict confidentiality: we transport Mad Mike’s car under a tarp to ensure no one learns about the event prematurely. We use multiple cameras, such as the Phantom Flex 4K at 1500 frames per second with a rare Cooke Taylor Hobson 25-250 mm Cine Varotal T3.9 lens for a key shot in the story. During one of the stunts, we run a train, adding industrial flair to the main scene. An additional location with a platform where we arrange containers to simulate a drift track becomes an exciting sports challenge. The sound engineer uses various microphones to capture different sounds: the loud roar and exhaust of an 800-horsepower rotary engine Mazda RX8, the low diesel rumble of a KAMAZ truck, and the industrial noises of the Kirov Plant. We mitigate risks related to temperature and volume with several homemade inventions. After filming, we take our New Zealand guest Mad Mike for a ride through the center of St. Petersburg in low-rider cars. Besides the main video, we create a «making of» film, short POV clips, interactive stories for social media, and provide raw footage for use by global media outlets.