Neo Vault™ : : SBC Shoot

If you watched any of the Olympics coverage then there is a very good chance you caught the SBC commercial featuring a pole vaulter.

If you've seen the videos then you may recognize the vaulter as Scott Slover, who was featured heavily in the first Neo Vault DVD, C'Mon.

Neo Vault was on the set to catch some of the behind the scenes action. As impressive as it was on TV I think we got a better angle on the actual stunt.

The above still is of the actual commercial.

The shoot seemed to go along as planned as you can see from later takes:

Later take 1	Later take 2

We broke for lunch and then came back for more shots. The camera men had set up a track to run the camera along Scott as he ran down the runway. The camera is worth about $250,000 and is rigged up on top of about a nine foot high scaffolding. Like the one that's fallen over in the still below.

Below is a still of Scott making a mid air observation of where all the crashing noise is coming from

The day wrapped and we headed back to Manhattan Beach. Neo Vault correspondent Jason Hinkin was shooting some stock footage and had a celebrity sighting. The body guard doesn't seem too happy about the grinning Jason behind the camera.

Some of the people we spoke with mentioned how the stuntman makes $600 every time he gets pulled. I counted 11 takes which would make for $6600 in about 45 min. He ended up earning it.

From what I remember they where trying to get a shot from a different angle without the landing pads in frame. It seemed like the stunt crew didn't take quite enough pressure out of the pulling device, unless of course the stuntman slamming his head on the ground was planned.

What I found ironic about the whole thing is that Scott is doing something far more dangerous than getting dragged onto some pads by a cable.

See the stunt man earn his $$

Scott explains what happened and describes the experience. He offers a possible theory as to what happened as he thinks someone threw a wrench into it. A playful punn maybe. I spoke with one of the camera guys later and he thought an electrical cord got caught underneath a wheel.

You never know what the camera is going to catch. Mine is an embarrassing moment as I climb the steep (and slippery) steps of Long Beach City College.

It's always good to end on a random yet funny moment brought to you by Jason Hinkin.