Coinciding with the arrival of the first models, Porsche Middle East and Africa FZE is celebrating the new all-electric Taycan Cross Turismo with a thrilling video that showcases the versatile model being pushed to its limits in two remote locations with opposing climatic extremes. Driving cinematic content creation to a new leveI, it is the first time that an automotive brand released a campaign video captured entirely by a first-person view (FPV) drone in such challenging conditions.
Two identical racetracks, one in the sandy desert in Liwa (UAE) and the other on a snow-blanketed frozen lake north of the Arctic circle in Levi (Finland), play host to the project, titled Drive2Extremes, which sees the Taycan Cross Turismo power between two contrasting worlds. Taking the viewer on this visual journey is the FPV drone videography of talented Johnny Schaer, heralded as one of the world’s top drone pilots and better known as Johnny FPV.
Reflecting the nature of the Taycan Cross Turismo, the world’s first electric Cross Utility Vehicle, the landmark hero film features ground-breaking FPV drone cinematography capturing epic driving moments, extreme landscapes and genuine, compelling human performances.
Key to the project’s success and the visual appeal is the unique combination of exciting young talent. Drone innovator Johnny Schaer, and Emmy-award-winning director, Nicholas Schrunk, link seamlessly with professional racing driver and Porsche driving instructor, Jukka Honkavuori, to create the world-merging edit, captured between the biting cold of Levi and the blistering heat of Liwa. We interviewed Johnny FPV to find out more about the project, the process, and his love of racing.
What is your relation to cars? What is your favorite Porsche and why?
I got into cars through filming with the FPV drone a few years back and have been really interested in them ever since. During the filming for the Drive2Extremes campaign I was lucky enough to get an extra shot of adrenaline when I tested the Taycan Cross Turismo on the ice track in Finland. That was such a crazy moment and so much fun! I love speed and high performance which is something that can definitely be associated with Porsche, and I’d say that my favorite car would have to be the Porsche 911 GT3.
Drive2Extremes was a project of many extremes and firsts. From your perspective, this is the first time you officially cooperated with a motoring brand for film project and it is also the first film production in the industry to be solely filmed using first-person view drone cinematography. What made you interested in this project? Why did you decide to work with Porsche on this?
Well, I guess I’ll start by saying that Drive2Extremes was an awesome concept that came together perfectly through two extremely different worlds – the heat and the cold. I love to challenge myself and something this bold caught my attention straight away. I’m also a massive fan of the brand, so it was an absolute honor to be considered to be a part of something like this. I love to film cars that are immersed in the nature and spitting up material, so whether they’re drifting on ice in Finland and on sand in Liwa. Creating some amazing content is what I’m after and it was definitely one of the most incredible and diverse things I’ve ever worked on.
You were one of the first in the world to get up close with the Porsche Taycan Cross Turismo, an all-electric sports car. What did you think of the car before the project started and has your perception changed?
I was a bit familiar with the Taycan saloon before the project. I knew it was Porsche’s first all-electric sports car and extremely powerful. Before the project, I didn’t think the Taycan Cross Turismo would be quite as sporty, more like a family-friendly kind of car but I was so wrong! Once we got on site, I witnessed the model in action, I was amazed at how well it was able to perform at the highest level in such extreme climates and terrains, with heavy drifting and the conditions between sand and ice. It was amazing to see and even more amazing to film; it completely blew my mind to be honest. Thankfully, it was that good and whenever there is something that good, it makes the footage so much better as well.
What were the biggest challenges for you with regards to filming on ice in Finland and in the desert of Abu Dhabi?
Working in the cold where your fingers are frozen was tricky, but we were lucky to have an incredible support team that provided us with portable heaters! Also, the equipment would get hit with ice which would then again melt, causing the drones to have some electronic issues. Filming in the desert also presented some challenges, like getting hit by rocks and pebbles that were shooting up from the car as it drifted. We were breaking a lot of propellers at the start because of this but then switched to more durable ones which saved us. All in all, I would say that Finland was slightly tougher than Liwa, but they were both challenging in their own ways.
This project involved filming a fast-moving car driven by Finnish GT3 Cup champion Jukka Honkavuori. What were the biggest challenges for you and how did you work together to solve them?
Working with Jukka was amazing. His driving skills are incredible, and it was really impressive to see how easily he adapted to the different tracks, which made my job easier. He drove the car extremely well with a lot of passion. When the subject looks cool, it makes my job a lot easier. There were some challenges from the technical side of things, including keeping the equipment working when it was getting hammered by the sand and the ice, but Jukka was very patient and drove flawlessly. Thankfully, we had practice days at each location. The first day was all about figuring out how the car would drive and how fast it would go. After doing that, I synced the speed of the car with the drone speed, as long as Jukka’s driving was consistent – and he was always consistent!
What advice would you give to aspiring creators?
The most important thing you can do in the creative field is doing something unique, even if it’s a slight change to something someone else has already done and putting your own signature on it. That’s the best way to stand out, get recognition and kind of expand your opportunities. Utilize social media and get in front of as many eyeballs as possible – and if you’re lucky it’ll become a monster on its own with fans and people sharing your content. Social media is definitely a powerful tool any content creator should take advantage of.
Where is the best place to look for advice and guidance as a drone pilot beginner? What is the best way or even exercise to start?
The best thing is to absorb as much info as possible. For example, if it’s FPV drones you want to know about, make sure you consume all FPV drone material on YouTube to see the different types of drones, how to build your own one, how to pilot them and so much more. Immerse yourself in that world and with so much content out there on the internet, you can easily master something quite quickly. Then practice as much as you can to develop your skills, start off with simulators online to avoid crashing and then get into the real flying of drones.
What made you pick up a drone for the first time and how old were you?
FPV caught my attention when I was 17 or 18, when I randomly came across a YouTube video of an FPV drone flying through an abandoned building. I thought it was the coolest thing of all time. So, the very next day I bought a little toy drone and practiced with it every day before eventually getting the headset to fly an FPV drone for the first time. So, I was basically obsessed with it from the moment I saw I saw the first video.
There is a bit of creativity running around my family that I’ve been exposed to growing up. But I do think a lot of my passion was quite random. It all was unleashed when I started flying with a little bit more finesse than everyone else and the ability to do something different and unique.
Currently you are one of the best in your field. How do you see your competition evolving?
Being a professional FPV filmmaker is something new. When I first started filming about two years, it was something different, something niche. Maybe it was just myself and maybe one or two other people. Now fast forward, now there are definitely a lot more people doing it on a professional level. So, the industry is definitely growing. There are some really great pilots out there who are doing an amazing job. I guess it’s my job to try and deliver even better work, try and do something that is even more unexpected. It’s all good for the growth of the industry. So, I encourage people to do amazing things with their FPV drones.
As a young successful entrepreneur what is your opinion on the future of cars?
I think the direction of the industry is heading towards electric, but I still really want to buy my first sports car that has a loud, crazy engine. I like that sound. At the same time and especially after Drive2Extremes, it’s amazing to see the ability of electric cars! My guess is in 50 years, there might be some combustion engine cars, but probably not too many.
For more information, visit Porsche Centre Kuwait Behbehani Motors Company, please call 1870 870 or head to porschekuwait.com. For the latest updates on social media, follow @PorscheCentreKuwait on Instagram and Facebook.
