Truly a monster, the AMS Alpha 12 is a heavily modified Nissan GT-R and we filmed it tearing up Willow Springs International Raceway. A collaboration between me and director buddy Will Roegge, this is a fast paced ride in one of the most insane cars I've had the joy of being in.
Another video review for Car and Driver, this time for the Fisker Karma.
Csaba Csere provides narration and review, I direct the film crew and provide all editing and color.
The direction:
Shoot f#%ked up.
Capture the energy and madness that is Chris Rado, in composition, editing, music and pacing.
My role here was camera op, editor, motion designer and colorist.
The first project in my short stint working with Car and Driver magazine, I directed a video review of a comparison between modern high-performance cars against the classic 1965 Shelby Cobra. Sam Smith provided the narrative and hosting, I directed a crew of camera operators and did all editing for this piece.
A collaboration of three directors, Andy Laputka, Will Roegge and Skylar Smith, this project for K&N Engineering was a viral success. Formula Drift champion Vaughn Gittin Jr. chases an HPi R/C Car version of himself around the manufacturing and distribution facilities of K&N Engineering, a high-performance air filter company.
My responsibilities for this production were co-directing, shooting, editng and providing motion graphics and animations for the final piece.
A long time friend, and mentor, Will Roegge asked me to help him put the finishing touches on his grassroots drifting documentary Keep Drifting Fun. Him and his cohort Joshua Herron had been traveling the country in a VW Bus covering small drifting venues and cultures.
I was brought in to help edit the final piece, and to help film and edit the final segment in Phoenix, AZ.
My first project as Skylar Smith Media, Insight Racing hired me to cover their efforts at a Grand-Am Rolex race in Mid-Ohio. The team featured a familiar face, Tyler McQuarrie, a driver for Falken Tire's Formula Drift team.
This job was performed solo by Skylar Smith, all camerawork, motion graphics, editing and color were done by him.
Falken Tire began racing in ALMS while I was their Multimedia Specialist. Their first year was a constant struggle, but they reinvested in the program for their sophomore run and wanted to document their race for a win in 2011. Here, I directed a piece on their testing in Sebring, Florida of their new Porsche GT3 RSR.
We had a closed course for some car-to-car filming and I was in charge of a second camera operator for this shoot. All motion graphics (including the opening 8-bit intro) editing and color were done by Skylar Smith.
As part of my role of Multimedia Specialist at Falken Tires, I was in charge of directing the first full-length real-time on board camera video of an Unlimited Class car competing in the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb. Monster Tajima is a name synonymous with Pikes Peak and was chasing the ever so elusive ten-minute record for Pikes Peak.
With a partnership from GoPro Camera, we covered as many angles as possible on Tajima's insane Suzuki and let the world really see what it was like to race up America's Mountain.
This video quickly became viral, and has reached millions of views on Youtube. The most popular Pikes Peak video since "Climb Dance"
Direction, editing, color-grading and motion graphics by Skylar Smith.