Scalpel: The fastest ride in town
Punch your ticket and clip in; this is a thrill ride like no other
We all know the feeling
The hair-raising twists and turns, the adrenaline rush, and the screams as you descend faster and faster down the trails—riding bikes is quite the rollercoaster.
So, when Cannondale came to us with the idea of taking riders on the ultimate thrill ride with their next-generation Scalpel XC bike, we buckled up immediately.
The challenge
Plan and shoot across two hemispheres in the middle of winter to capture two ideal locations—with and without the entire race team present
Harness our in-house post-production team to seamlessly tie the hero film together in one continuous thrill ride
Convey the sheer velocity and thrill of Cannondale’s most advanced XC bike
A wild idea to pull off, but stranger things have happened.
From Canterbury Waltzers to Cape Winelands
Winter in the south of England and the south of Africa looks a little different, to say the least. So, one of our key challenges was matching the footage to tie the narrative together.
How we did it
Shot between a private fairground in Kent and the trails of Stellenbosch, where the Cannondale Factory Racing team was training, we used body doubles*, green screen, and over 40 separate VFX composites to seamlessly capture the setup, confrontation, and electrifying climax: a ride on the Scalpel.
*Fun fact: one of our body doubles, our very own account manager, Craig, committed to the act and shaved his legs for the shot.
Did it make the cut? No, it did not.
A launch (pad) like no other
Taking cues from classic fairground rides and BMX racing, we mocked up our bike launcher, which incorporated a working start gate, aluminium chequer plate, and fairground-esque lighting, complete with on-brand Scalpel signage to blend in with the rides from our first location.
Constructed by set designer Mark Davis, the ride launcher features ghost train-style PVC curtains and a hydraulic riser.
The finishing touch
Matching the mood of a classic fairground scene from your favourite 80s blockbusters, we embraced anamorphic lens flares, filmlike grain, and fog to take you along for the ride and immerse you in the nostalgic glow of our bygone carnival world.
Working with the Cannondale Factory Racing team and featuring a cameo from their coach, Phil, the launch film is a wild ride for mountain bike fans and 80s film fanatics alike—what's not to love?
Watch the hero film here, and don’t forget to scream if you wanna go faster.
Campaign and BTS stills by Rupert Fowler.
