In-Sync Publications

19 N e e d f o r S p e e d B y R o b e r t R e n d e r H a r r i s o n I first saw 'Need for Speed,' Shane Hurlbut's latest movie in Real D 3D. After the screening, walking around the 14-screen theater in Petaluma, CA, I saw 'Need for Speed' was playing an another theater, this time not in 3D. I liked it so much I stayed for another ride. And what a ride! Amazing stunt driving a great action cinematography. Writing this review, I saw many Internet entries proclaiming that the star driver of 'Need for Speed' died in a car crash. Not so. That was Paul Walker, star of 'Fast & Furious,' while Aaron Paul starred in 'Need for Speed.' A passenger in a Porsche Carrera driven by a friend, the car was clocking about 90 mph when the driver lost control. Both men died in the fiery wreck. The car encountered a light pole bearing a speed limit sign: 45mph. In-Sync Publications offer our sympathy to the friends and family of both men, and to our readers we wish to emphasize the statement at the conclusion of 'Need for Speed.' In essence, it's this: don't try to drive like they do in these movies on public roads. If you want to learn drifting, or any other fancy techniques that will guarantee that you fail your drivers license test, there are driving schools that specialize in race driving, highway survival, executive protection, and advanced road and circuit racing. Check out the Bondurant driving school on the Internet. Enticing, and expensive! Do you have a 'need for speed.' I do. Well I did, when I was Paul's age, I used to 'jam' on my '61 250 GT Ferrari on Highway 1. My favorite was to drive fast just by the light of a full moon. Once I took a prospective buyer for my Ferrari on a fast trip over Mount Tam. I apologized for not going really quickly, because the mother of a friend of mine had lost it around there, her car had gone over the edge, and her body wasn't found in the canyon she landed in for two years. She had apparently vanished without trace. "I'd give you a license," said my passenger. "Gee, thanks," I said, presuming he didn't like my driving and was being sarcastic. "No," he said, " I meant I'll give you a license to race; that's what I do. I adjudicate on competition licenses for the Sports Car Club of America." I asked what he himself raced. "Volkswagens,"he said "Volkswagen Golfs." I laughed; I didn't know there was a class devoted to racing these things! I thought they were for going shopping. I did race my 250 at Sears Point; I saw 145 mph on the clock, saw Big George Crithfield blow the engine of his drop-head 250 right ahead of me, and my car was the last to come off the course in the Ferrari Owners Club 'friendly' race in 1982. I've still got the car; it's time for a rebuild, but I digressOOO..come by the booth and I'll show you a photo. What I really want to say is that 145mph on a racetrack is a walk in the park compared with what I saw in 'Need for Speed,' even allowing for plenty of CG. Few movie budgets would allow writing off a Bugatti Veyron; the thing costs two to four million dollars! Go see the movie. Get your 'Need for Speed' out vicariously; watch amazingly skilled drivers do amazing, unbelievable things, and enjoy. Just don't try to do the same on the roads, people. Be safe! Shane Hurlbut, ASC, cinematographer on 'Need for Speed' will be giving talks on the Canon booth (C4325) at 10am and 3pm, and the Tiffen booth (C8818) at 1pm, all on Monday only, at NAB. In-Sync's booth is C11431, but I'll be at Shane's talks on Monday. We hope to have an article on Shane's use of GoPro cameras in our next issue, mid-May, going to Cine Gear Expo.

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