Ken Block And Neymar Face Off In Football-Fueled Castrol Spot

Leading up to the 2014 World Cup, Logan & Sons director Ben Conrad fueled an invigorating short film for oil company Castrol featuring rally car driver Ken Block and Brazilian football superstar Neymar Jr. The film is an extension of Conrad’s ongoing work with Block — this time with an extra “kick” in the form of a worldwide football phenom.

The exhilarating short film depicts a thrilling football-inspired Gymkhana session in Brazil, appropriately entitled, “Footkhana.” The piece expertly fuses burning rubber with dazzling football stunts for a one-of-a-kind match that stacks Neymar’s insane free-balling skills against Block’s drifts and donuts as the two compete against each other in a shootout.

“This was by far the most complex of the films I’ve done in the Gymkhana series, but it was a blast to put together,” Conrad said. “You have a superstar and his skillset and then the challenge of integrating it all into what Ken does in the car to create a union of two very different worlds. A lot of planning went into it, but some of the best stunts were on a whim. The result is a tremendously unique sports match that fans have just gone wild about.”

The integration of the two sports involved the liberal use of a variety of cameras, including GoPros, Cannon 5Ds, RED’s EPIC, and a Drone RC Copter to capture the action and maintain the raw filter consistent across Conrad’s Gymkhana series. In order to incorporate the football, the team had to be a lot tighter with the geography of the shots, resulting in Block’s figure 8s which allowed for the football players to showcase their tricks. With an arsenal of talented artists under one roof, LOGAN also handled all aspects of post-production including offline editorial, VFX, and color grading.

Unlike a traditional broadcast spot that is confined to specific time constraints, “Footkhana” is truly a unique showcase for Castrol and conveys the rawness, grit, and energy of a live sporting event. The short film has garnered more than 14 million YouTube views and continues to reign in popularity.

In addition to his continuing projects with Block and Gymkhana, Conrad has contributed to some of LOGAN’s most exciting pieces of work in recent months, including a behind-the-scenes look at the production for Miley Cyrus’ Bangerz Tour.