Originally slated to co-direct this thrilling parkour ride through Mojave’s airplane boneyard with his long time collaborator Ben Hansford, Andrew had to hand directing over to Ben at the last moment due to the sudden and premature birth of his son. In the end, Andrew produced, edited, and provided much of the stitching, cleanup, and graphics for this segment of season two of USA Today‘s episodic 360º show VRtually There.
Featuring freerunners from Tempest Academy and filmed using cable cam, rover, and head-mounted 360º cameras from Spherica and SilVR Thread, this film takes viewers on a parkour tour of an incredibly unique location. Along the way the voices of Tempest’s elite athletes introduce the extreme sport that they have had such a large hand in creating and building up.
From the official video description:
Parkour and freerunning are often used interchangeably. Parkour is about moving your body efficiently from one location to another. This can mean running, climbing, jumping, and swinging to get around obstacles. Freerunning is when the route is more about creative expression than optimization. Freerunners take pride in having fun and enjoying themselves. It’s no surprise that many people are drawn to the sport because it represents a return to the childhood mindset of testing one’s limits and abilities without judgment from others. Indeed, the state of play and individuality are celebrated in the community.
Even though the moves of elite parkour athletes appear spontaneous, there’s a lot of work that goes into complex tricks behind the scenes to ensure they are executed safely. No matter the level of the athlete, training in a progressive manner is encouraged. Starting small and working slowly towards the goal means patience and self-awareness go a long way in parkour. Sometimes, going through this learning process can be more rewarding than landing a new move. Professional freerunner Cory DeMeyers says the sport has given him a new perspective. He now sees obstacles – both physical and the ones he encounters in his daily life – as opportunities.
“Parkour can be that thing that you use to put yourself in an uncomfortable situation that shows you who you really are and who you really can become,” DeMeyers says.
The barriers to entry into the sport couldn’t get much lower. All you need is a comfortable pair of clothes and a good attitude to begin. The next step is to start moving, almost anywhere, and build upon that throughout different environments.
“Parkour is not about competition, it’s about mastering yourself and your movement and your mind,” DeMeyers said.
Other adventures featuring Tempest freerunners can be found on their official Youtube channel, and they can be found individually on Instagram: @Tempestfreerunning, Frosti Fresh: @frostifresh, Sydney Olson: @sydneyolson1, Marcus Gustafsson: @zyrken, Josh Yadon: @joshyadon, Corbin Reinhardt: @corbin_reinhardt, Gabriel Nunez: @GabrielNunez1, Cory DeMeyers: @CoryDemeyers.