RE: PH Blog: Ken Block's Gymkhana ... snooze
Discussion
poprock said:
Ken Block’s videos make absolute sense when you remember that he comes from a skateboarding background.
He made his fortune as a founder of DC Shoes, and made a ton of skateboard videos over the years. Making a rally/drift car video in the same style (and by the same process of try and try again until you nail each trick) was a moment of absolute bloody genius.
There’s some interesting grassroots car culture getting a bigger audience in the wake of it. Try this, for instance (also a result of skaters and BMXers getting older and starting to play with cars): Keep Drifting Fun
^^^ that's what Block is all about.He made his fortune as a founder of DC Shoes, and made a ton of skateboard videos over the years. Making a rally/drift car video in the same style (and by the same process of try and try again until you nail each trick) was a moment of absolute bloody genius.
There’s some interesting grassroots car culture getting a bigger audience in the wake of it. Try this, for instance (also a result of skaters and BMXers getting older and starting to play with cars): Keep Drifting Fun
Its just getting started in the States, so expect to see a few more Gymkhanas.
The use of the name 'Gymkhana' is genius from a US marketting angle - a play on the Rodeo scene, which is still massive cultural roots thing in the states.
Killboy said:
s365 said:
Killboy said:
When last did you watch X-Games?
Last month, why?Its silly, but fun to watch.
The rest of the GRC series has been pretty dull too, Gronholm has won every race he's in by a massive margin.
Killboy said:
4 cars a circuit, with plenty in the way of obstacles and drama, similar to ROC but with X-Games flair. Isn't that what you wanted, or does it have to be 2 lane?
Its silly, but fun to watch.
2 lane KO comp with Gymkhana circuits exactly how Block would set them out (old airfields, embanked racetracks, etc). Someone already mentioned Japan, not sure if this is how they do it over there?Its silly, but fun to watch.
Anyway this is all what it would take for me to be interested in number 6.
He has a market and he knows how to meet the demand, it may not be a 'PH' thing but his huge following shows his success, he is a showman. As said before this is just another step forward from his background.
On a tangent I would love to see an American style Rallycross event over here, the Global Rallycross races look brilliant.
On a tangent I would love to see an American style Rallycross event over here, the Global Rallycross races look brilliant.
poprock said:
There’s some interesting grassroots car culture getting a bigger audience in the wake of it. Try this, for instance (also a result of skaters and BMXers getting older and starting to play with cars): Keep Drifting Fun
That was an excellent video, thanks for sharing.To me these continued Gymkhana videos are a bit like the Saw films, gradually you've seen what makes them special so many times they start to lose that edge. Still a nice bit of driving though so I appreciate it for that alone, but I don't get excited about them like I did for the first few. I can't really see how he can vary them much more without losing the gymkhana aspect either, but they're free videos, so I'll continue to watch them!
Crow555 said:
poprock said:
There’s some interesting grassroots car culture getting a bigger audience in the wake of it. Try this, for instance (also a result of skaters and BMXers getting older and starting to play with cars): Keep Drifting Fun
That was an excellent video, thanks for sharing.It’s intended as a teaser for a feature-length documentary … I’m not sure it would hold my attention for that long, but at half an hour I reckon that’s spot on.
scholesy said:
To me these continued Gymkhana videos are a bit like the Saw films, gradually you've seen what makes them special so many times they start to lose that edge. Still a nice bit of driving though so I appreciate it for that alone, but I don't get excited about them like I did for the first few. I can't really see how he can vary them much more without losing the gymkhana aspect either, but they're free videos, so I'll continue to watch them!
Agree with this.Great video, entertaining, extremely well made, fantastic driving... but taken along with the previous 4 the excitement begins to wear a little.
I liked the sideways jump, and thought the bit with the bike was good as well. The rest of it, although very good, doesn't really offer anything over the predecessors. Dare I say... becoming slightly over-produced in some parts?
7/10 from me.
I like the videos but now they just seem too perfect and artificial. Seeing the streets coned off makes you realise the environment is too sterile and without any real danger other than hitting some plastic barriers. That, combined with the lack of competition, just makes it a bit dull.
The problem is, the videos are just designed to be a quick hit of entertainment that you remember and tell friends so they watch it too. They are not like a film with interaction between people and no storyline that makes you want him to do well or escape. The only thing he has to work with is the location, the car and a couple of cones.
I don't mind Block, he comes across as a nice bloke. A behind the scenes video might make him come across more human though; showing mistakes he makes, perhaps some witty comments by the director/camera operators when he gets something wrong and an equally witty retort from Block when he gets it right, seeing him chill out and talkiing to mechanics between takes etc.
But, it would have to be genuine, or at least appear that way, and could be a load of rubbish if they try to script it, which wouldn't surprise me if they did.
The problem is, the videos are just designed to be a quick hit of entertainment that you remember and tell friends so they watch it too. They are not like a film with interaction between people and no storyline that makes you want him to do well or escape. The only thing he has to work with is the location, the car and a couple of cones.
I don't mind Block, he comes across as a nice bloke. A behind the scenes video might make him come across more human though; showing mistakes he makes, perhaps some witty comments by the director/camera operators when he gets something wrong and an equally witty retort from Block when he gets it right, seeing him chill out and talkiing to mechanics between takes etc.
But, it would have to be genuine, or at least appear that way, and could be a load of rubbish if they try to script it, which wouldn't surprise me if they did.
May I offer this video in defence of Ken Block?
Mikko Hirvonen proves doing skids isn't so easy.
People appear to have an irrational hatred of Block. Maybe there is an element of jealousy in that he has been a successful businessman and is now getting paid to drive fast cars and travel the world. He's never said he was going to be WRC champion, he's just there to live his childhood dream and to have fun.
The WRC would do well to embrace the Block effect and the millions of young fans who hang on his every word instead of eyeing him with suspicion and carrying on running the series into the ground because the marketing and deliverance of it is stuck in the 1970's.
I am sure Block and his crew have something else just as original as Gymkahana all ready and waiting to be released when they feel the current format has run its course.
Mikko Hirvonen proves doing skids isn't so easy.
People appear to have an irrational hatred of Block. Maybe there is an element of jealousy in that he has been a successful businessman and is now getting paid to drive fast cars and travel the world. He's never said he was going to be WRC champion, he's just there to live his childhood dream and to have fun.
The WRC would do well to embrace the Block effect and the millions of young fans who hang on his every word instead of eyeing him with suspicion and carrying on running the series into the ground because the marketing and deliverance of it is stuck in the 1970's.
I am sure Block and his crew have something else just as original as Gymkahana all ready and waiting to be released when they feel the current format has run its course.
A man gets permission to hoon a car around San Francisco - arguably more impressively than Steve McQueen/dodgy Ferrari 355s in "The Rock" did - and you think it's a bit 'samey'!?
Honestly, I think there's no hope here - none at all.
Do you watch motorsport much? Much as I enjoy it, it's really samey y'see - F1, the so-called pinnacle of motorsport, was - until recently at least - the ultimate form of samey. Ah hell it's the same in almost every category tho - EVERY week they ride/drive around in circles - you can even see their practice marks... ... ... ...
I'm really not sure what you're expecting him to do next - he does extreme hoon videos in his Fiesta, that's the deal here - it's not likely the next will be an ad for Iceland or some sort of extreme trouser test.
In the same vein, are you expecting Chris Harris to do a video about hair salons or colonic irrigation ("Let's just see if I can back it in here...") ??
p.s. I'm just going to say it, someone has a problem with the whole "Yo Brah" Monster/X Games culture I guess - did someone make fun of your kagoule at a rally event or something?
Honestly, I think there's no hope here - none at all.
Do you watch motorsport much? Much as I enjoy it, it's really samey y'see - F1, the so-called pinnacle of motorsport, was - until recently at least - the ultimate form of samey. Ah hell it's the same in almost every category tho - EVERY week they ride/drive around in circles - you can even see their practice marks... ... ... ...
I'm really not sure what you're expecting him to do next - he does extreme hoon videos in his Fiesta, that's the deal here - it's not likely the next will be an ad for Iceland or some sort of extreme trouser test.
In the same vein, are you expecting Chris Harris to do a video about hair salons or colonic irrigation ("Let's just see if I can back it in here...") ??
p.s. I'm just going to say it, someone has a problem with the whole "Yo Brah" Monster/X Games culture I guess - did someone make fun of your kagoule at a rally event or something?
Edited by 405dogvan on Wednesday 18th July 12:37
I'm one to see both sides on things, but this is fantastic. To shut down parts of a city and do that is incredible. Mesmerising even. If this was London (which lets face it, probably won't happen) it would be great!
Fair enough its not quite on same scale as the Finland Rally footage (which on several turns I thought it was Game Over for him). But I think thats becuase the Block footage its more trickster stuff than an actual rally course. Allbeit though, still very entertaining.
Fair enough its not quite on same scale as the Finland Rally footage (which on several turns I thought it was Game Over for him). But I think thats becuase the Block footage its more trickster stuff than an actual rally course. Allbeit though, still very entertaining.
FactoryBacked said:
I can't see what happened in that video, it was in LSD-vision and then the cameraman saw a very interesting piece of tarmac 
Dan Trent.........Bravo.
I could not agree more, yet when i mentioned it i got beaten donw by all the Skidz fanboys. Block is useless in WRC and i'm afraid you will see more of this rubbish as a result. I mean when did Loeb last do a glorified Autotest display.
Men With Big Balls race WRC and win
Men with big Sponsorship deals do youtube videos.
end of
I could not agree more, yet when i mentioned it i got beaten donw by all the Skidz fanboys. Block is useless in WRC and i'm afraid you will see more of this rubbish as a result. I mean when did Loeb last do a glorified Autotest display.
Men With Big Balls race WRC and win
Men with big Sponsorship deals do youtube videos.
end of
2 words: Shelf & Life!
It's a modern phenomina, with the incredibly broad access to media information we now have at our finger tips, instant gratification is availible to all, and as a result we now find things "samey" and "boring" very quickly indeed. 15 years ago, the very lack of media, and in particular motion pictures made viewers or fans watch each and every clip in detail and really try to absorb what was occuring. Now, thanks to constant exposure to such media, we just gloss over stuff and want another "quick fix". It's now about the next big thing, rather than the big thing we currently have.........
It's a modern phenomina, with the incredibly broad access to media information we now have at our finger tips, instant gratification is availible to all, and as a result we now find things "samey" and "boring" very quickly indeed. 15 years ago, the very lack of media, and in particular motion pictures made viewers or fans watch each and every clip in detail and really try to absorb what was occuring. Now, thanks to constant exposure to such media, we just gloss over stuff and want another "quick fix". It's now about the next big thing, rather than the big thing we currently have.........
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