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A video that opens with a camel, a hawk and a cheetah might suggest a desert theme, but with its myriad locations, "Ken Block's Gymkhana EIGHT: Ultimate Exotic Playground; Dubai" feels much more like a race around the world. Created by Hoonigan, produced by Gen Pop, directed by Ben Conrad and colored by Luis Silva of Incendio, the video introduces Ken Block’s Ford Focus RS RX. We’re told the video will be “EPIC”, but epic may be too small a word: over the course of 9 minutes, we are taken from desert roads to city streets, an airstrip and more. 

 

The magnificent city of Dubai evokes, at various turns, the Emerald City, South Beach and the Bellagio fountains in Las Vegas. This diversity presented a unique opportunity for Silva, who set the looks across more than 200 shots, the stylized visuals keeping pace with Block’s constant speed and Conrad’s unrelenting kinetics. 

 

“Ben has a clear vision coming in, encouraging me to do my thing and push the color boundaries,” said Silva, who first worked with Conrad on B.J. Baldwin’s “Recoil” series. “We move incrementally from there until we end up at the finish line.”

 

In the case of Gymkhana EIGHT, which has racked up more than 13 million views, getting to the finish line involved changing up the looks to evolve with each new locale and stunt. “Dubai is clearly a character in the narrative,” said Silva. “We wanted to take advantage of this vibrant city, while emphasizing how Ken and this amazing car operated within it.”

 

At Incendio, creative artistry and technical excellence work hand-in-hand. The company motto reads, “Genius is talent set on fire by courage” - an adage that is both appropriate and inspiring for the team, which includes founder/colorist Clark Muller as well as artists Luis Silva and Santiago Padilla. Among Muller’s recent work is spot work for Fiat, Honda and Star Wars/Disney, and the official video for Coldplay’s “Hymn for the Weekend” featuring Beyoncé. Silva counts AT&T, Under Armour and Nintendo among his clients. Padilla’s portfolio spans features (upcoming Low Riders from Blumhouse, Universal), music videos (“Tamale” and “IFHY” for Tyler the Creator) and commercials (DirecTV, NBA). http://incendio.tv