In this fantastic stop motion from 17 years ago, artist PES created a human skateboard. The video makes it look as if he's riding his buddy around town like a skateboard, and its genius. The sound effects, facial expressions of his friend, and seamlessness of the video make it totally mesmerizing.
Shot entirely in-camera using a Canon D20, the video shows seamless transitions as the "human skateboard" performs ollies, grinds, and 360s with authentic skateboarding sound effects making it seem like there are actual wheels rolling beneath him. The technical achievement required the actors to hold statue-still poses as thousands of individual frames were captured over six weeks of filming.
This video was an advertisement for a sneaker brand called Sneaux. It's definitely the best shoe advertisement I've seen. I'd never get tired of watching this.
While PES has created many commercials throughout his career, he singles out Human Skateboard as special, noting in an interview with Onepointfour that it's "the only commercial I ever shot that feels like a personal idea. It's like something I would have come up with on my own."
"This spot is a great example of the breadth of stop-motion. If something exists in the real world, it can be animated," PES explained, as reported by DVblog.
This must have taken forever to make. I wonder how the human skateboard's back felt after this? I wish there was a part 2!
See also: Watch skateboarders skate on frozen sand
