The Slow Mo Guys Explained

The Slow Mo Guys
Channel Direct Url:TheSlowMoGuys
Views:2.4 billion (The Slow Mo Guys)
47.8 million (The Slow Mo Guys 2)
Occupation:Entertainers
Pseudonym:Gav and Dan
Origin:Thame, England
Years Active:2010–present
Genre:Science and technology
Subscribers:14.6 million (The Slow Mo Guys)
847,000 (The Slow Mo Guys 2)
Channel Direct Url2:TheSlowMoGuys2
Silver Year:2012
Gold Year:2013
Diamond Year:2018
Stats Update:27 November 2022
Silver Button:yes
Gold Button:yes
Diamond Button:yes

The Slow Mo Guys is a science and technology entertainment web series from Thame, England, created and owned by Gavin Free, starring himself and Daniel Gruchy. It has been described as the biggest channel for slow motion videos on YouTube.[1] [2]

The series consists of a wide variety of things filmed in extreme slow motion using a range of Vision Research Phantom high-speed cameras, capable of shooting over 1,500,000 frames per second.[3] The series premiered on 15 October 2010.[4]

Format

The Slow Mo Guys is heavily influenced by Mythbusters; in a typical episode, Free and Gruchy attempt to film some sort of natural or physical phenomenon in extreme slow motion: subjects of the filming are often some type of spectacular chemical or physical reaction, stress tests of certain objects under extreme conditions, while some episodes simply aim for an aesthetically pleasing result, often by the use of rainbow-coloured paints. To emphasise the science angle, the pair wear lab coats. Because the original lab coats Free ordered were too small for Gruchy, Gruchy's lab coat tore; the torn off right sleeve has been carried on as a tradition on newer lab coats as well.[5] Gruchy's lab coat is the more stained of the two, with Free's coat in fairer condition. The most prominent of the few stains on Free's lab coat is a blue paint smear on the right shoulder "autographed" by a Blue Man.[6]

The episodes generally feature Free as the cinematographer and camera operator, and Gruchy, a former ammunition technician corporal[7] in the British Army who served in Afghanistan,[8] as the rigger and often also as the stuntman.[9] [10] Over the years, Gruchy suffered numerous injuries, such as a lacerated ear, a glass shard lodged in his finger, an oil burn[11] and a fractured wrist;[12] he jokingly noted that he has suffered more injuries during the filming of the show than during his tour in the Afghanistan war zone.[13] Some episodes feature Gruchy explaining how some explosives work, such as grenades and detonation cord, allowing him to draw on his background in the military. Following the popularity of their most viewed video, Giant 6ft Water Balloon,[14] Free and Gruchy have regularly produced further videos involving Gruchy in or around several-foot water balloons under the event of "Giant Balloon June".[15] [16] [17] [18]

The episodes are generally filmed in Free's backyard in Austin, Texas, usually with only the two of them involved. In the case of The Super Slow Show and Planet Slow Mo, as the budget of the show increased and more cast was involved, the experiments got larger and more elaborate; the availability of a designated camera crew allowed Free to participate in the stunts as well.[19]

History

Inception

In 2006, Gavin Free joined Green Door Films, the first production house in Europe to utilise Phantom digital high-speed cameras as a source of slow motion, working as a data technician and camera operator.[20] He began working on adverts, music videos, and films such as Hot Fuzz. In 2008, he was hired to direct the seventh season of the Rooster Teeth machinima series Red vs. Blue. Afterwards, he had decided to make a move to Austin, Texas and work full-time for Rooster Teeth, for which he needed to get a work visa; however, as he didn't go to university, his only option was an application for an O visa, a visa that requires an "extraordinary achievement" in arts or science.

Being a video/film producer, he decided to utilise his access to slow motion cameras to create The Slow Mo Guys along with his friend Daniel Gruchy, who he first met while working in a Waitrose in their home county of Oxfordshire.[21] [22] According to Free, the Slo Mo Guys name partially comes from a comment Richard Hammond made on the set of Top Gear:

Success

In April 2011, the channel was voted the winner of YouTube's On The Rise program, which highlights up-and-coming YouTube partners on the homepage.[23] In September 2012, their episode involving crushing watermelons was featured on The Tonight Show.

On 20 February 2013, Free confirmed that the series had been picked up by Rooster Teeth for broadcast and that further episodes of the series would be released on Rooster Teeth's website, as well as the series' existing YouTube channel, with Free remaining as the sole owner of Slow Mo Guys.[24] A best of compilation was released by Rooster Teeth Productions for home video on 10 September 2013.

In January 2014, in collaboration with GE Global Research, the R&D division of General Electric, they released a video showcasing the company's latest innovations, including superhydrophobic surfaces and how magnetic nanoparticles behave like liquid magnets. Two additional videos featuring them demonstrating MEMS and "cold spray" 3D painting technology were also released on the official GE YouTube channel.[25]

The series has been featured as part of YouTube's "Rewind" year-in-review video in 2013,[26] 2014,[27] 2015,[28] 2016,[29] and 2017.[30]

The series was used as part of a 2014 YouTube advertising campaign.[31] The advertisements featuring Free and Gruchy were titled "You Make Every Second Epic".[32] A large image of Free and Gruchy was printed on a London bus as part of the campaign,[33] alongside TV commercials, billboards and Tube station posters.

The series was nominated for a Webby Award in Best Web Personality/Host (Online Film & Video) in 2016.[34] At the 2016 Streamy Awards, the series won in the Cinematography category.[35]

On 27 March 2020, Oculus TV premiered their eight-part series collaboration with The Slow Mo Guys called The Slow Mo Guys VR. In this show, people would be able to watch Free and Gruchy recreate their videos in 3D slow motion.[36]

Several videos have been made in collaboration with other entertainers. This has included filming of a sabrage competition with Rhett & Link;[37] dropping bowling balls with the Blue Man Group; and providing Will Smith (wearing Gruchy's lab coat) a flamethrower to use on cardboard cutouts of himself.[38]

YouTube Originals

In 2018, Free and Gruchy launched their first YouTube Original, The Super Slow Show. This was essentially The Slow Mo Guys, but on a grander scale, featuring new equipment; larger stunts, such as crashing through walls; and special guests, including Dylan Sprouse and Mayim Bialik.[39]

In 2019, Free and Gruchy launched their second YouTube Original, Planet Slow Mo, in which the duo would travel around the world and film special events and stunts. A trailer was released on 21 January,[40] with the first episode airing on 23 January.[41]

COVID-19

During the COVID-19 pandemic, as Gruchy lives in the United Kingdom, the international travel restrictions prevented him from travelling to Texas to take part in filming for about a year and a half.[42] In video comments of later videos, Free would make a running joke about Gruchy digging a tunnel underneath the Atlantic Ocean to sneak into Texas.[43] Gruchy would then reference the joke by digging himself out from the ground in the first video he was able join in again in 2022.[44]

Dr. Anthony Fauci, then-head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, appeared in an October 22, 2020 video in which he and Free advocated for "the importance of wearing masks and face coverings" to prevent the spread of COVID-19.[45] Dr. Fauci subsequently described the video as "a perfect demonstration" of the need for people to wear face masks.[46]

On February 4, 2021, Free appeared on behalf of the Slow Mo Guys on a Gates Notes-sponsored episode of PBS Digital Studios' Be Smart to promote herd immunity and COVID-19 vaccines.[47]

Television

On 1 September 2022, Free and Gruchy's first television show, The Slow Mo Guys' Big Adventures, premiered on Sky Kids in the UK.

The ten-episode series features themed episodes about historical events such as the Wild West, the Viking era, and the first rocket launches.

Awards and nominations

YearCategoryAwardResult
2015Science and Education[48] Streamy Awards
2016Web Personality/Host[49] Webby Awards
Team Internet: YouTube EnsembleShorty Awards
Cinematography[50] Streamy Awards
2017Cinematography[51] Streamy Awards
2018Film & Video – Science & Education[52] Webby Awards

External links

Notes and References

  1. News: Goodman. William. Giant water balloon exploding in super slow-motion. 25 February 2016. CBS News. CBS Interactive Inc.. 5 May 2011.
  2. RTX 2013 Panel: The Slow Mo Guys. 15 July 2013. YouTube.
  3. Glass Explosion at 343,000FPS! - The Slow Mo Guys. 17 July 2016. The Slow Mo Guys. YouTube.
  4. Web site: The Slow Mo Guys – Trailer – FIRST VIDEO . 17 April 2020 . YouTube . 15 October 2010.
  5. Web site: Flint and Steel at 5000fps – The Slow Mo Guys. www.youtube.com.
  6. Web site: Bowling in Slow Motion with Blue Man Group – The Slow Mo Guys. 16 May 2017. YouTube.
  7. Web site: Det Cord Shockwaves in 4K. www.youtube.com.
  8. Web site: Giant Paint Explosion – The Slow Mo Guys. www.youtube.com.
  9. Web site: The Challenges of High-Speed Filming. www.youtube.com.
  10. Web site: Dan's New Look. 4 May 2017. YouTube. 22 June 2017.
  11. Web site: How Dan Hurt his Hand – The Slow Mo Guys. www.youtube.com.
  12. Web site: Dan has an accident. www.youtube.com.
  13. Web site: Slow Mo Guys Q&A Panel – RTX 2016. www.youtube.com.
  14. Web site: Giant 6ft Water Balloon – The Slow Mo Guys. 3 May 2011. YouTube.
  15. Web site: 6ft Man in 6ft Giant Water Balloon – 4K – The Slow Mo Guys. 21 July 2015. YouTube.
  16. Web site: Submerged inside a 6ft Water Balloon – The Slow Mo Guys 4K. 17 June 2017. YouTube.
  17. Web site: Slow Motion Camera INSIDE Giant 6ft Water Balloon – The Slow Mo Guys. 24 June 2019. YouTube.
  18. Web site: Giant Balloon Sandwich in Slow Motion – The Slow Mo Guys. 27 June 2022. YouTube.
  19. Web site: Crashing Through a Wall in Slow Motion. www.youtube.com.
  20. Web site: The SloMo Guys . Greendoor High Speed . 17 April 2020.
  21. News: FOSTER. ALASTAIR. How the Slow-Mo Guys have amassed 7.5 million YouTube subscribers around the world. Evening Standard. 16 April 2016.
  22. Web site: 10 things you may not have known about The Slow Mo Guys. www.youtube.com.
  23. Web site: About the Slow Mo Guys. Shorty Awards. 25 February 2016.
  24. Web site: The Slow mo Guys Jornal Post . Rooster Teeth Productions, LLC . 24 February 2016 . 2013.
  25. News: Gutelle. Sam. GE Lets The Slow Mo Guys Play With Its Cool Science Gadgets. 25 February 2016. Tubefilter Inc.. Tubefilter. 6 January 2014.
  26. Youtube Rewind 2013. YouTube (YouTube Rewind Channel). YouTube. 24 February 2016.
  27. Youtube Rewind 2014. YouTube (YouTube Rewind Channel). YouTube. 24 February 2016.
  28. Youtube Rewind 2015. YouTube (YouTube Rewind Channel). YouTube. 24 February 2016.
  29. Web site: 2016 Rewind. YouTube. 21 December 2016.
  30. YouTube Rewind: The Shape of 2017. YouTube (YouTube Rewind Channel). YouTube. 17 April 2020.
  31. Web site: This Super Slow-mo YouTube Spot Makes for Super Satisfying Viewing . Little Black Book Online . 17 April 2020 . en.
  32. Web site: Dredge . Stuart . YouTube launches primetime ads for Vice News, Zoella and Slow Mo Guys . The Guardian . 17 April 2020 . 25 September 2014.
  33. Web site: I don't care where it goes. I am getting on this bus.pic.twitter.com/uixgoqmwd4 . Twitter . @GavinFree . 17 April 2020 . en . 11 October 2014.
  34. Cavassuto. Maria. Michelle Obama, Netflix Among 2016 Webby Nominees. Variety. 16 April 2016.
  35. Web site: The Slow Mo Guys Win Cinematography – Streamy Awards 2016. . 9 October 2016.
  36. Web site: 'The Slow Mo Guys VR' Brings Scientific Showmanship to Oculus TV on Quest. 4 November 2020. www.oculus.com. en.
  37. Web site: Champagne Saber in 4K Slow Motion with Rhett and Link – The Slow Mo Guys. 23 April 2019. YouTube.
  38. Web site: We gave Will Smith a Flame Thrower – The Slow Mo Guys. 9 October 2019. YouTube.
  39. Web site: Clarke . Stewart . YouTube Launches Ad-Supported Original 'The Super Slow Show' . Variety . 17 April 2020 . en . 24 January 2018.
  40. Web site: Planet Slow Mo – Official Trailer. www.youtube.com.
  41. Web site: The Slow Mo Guys Capture Beautiful 4K Footage of an Iceland Geyser and Waterfall in Slow Motion . Laughing Squid . 17 April 2020 . 23 January 2019.
  42. Web site: Slow-Mo Pulse Jet Engine with COLIN FURZE! - The Slow Mo Guys . www.youtube.com.
  43. Web site: Spinning an Apple until it Explodes at 28,500fps – The Slow Mo Guys . www.youtube.com.
  44. Web site: Diving into a Moving Swim Cap at 1000FPS – The Slow Mo Guys . www.youtube.com.
  45. Web site: The Slo Mo Guys . 2020-10-22 . Slow Motion Sneeze in 4K - The Slow Mo Guys with Dr Anthony Fauci . 2023-06-14 . YouTube.
  46. Web site: Moran . Lee . 2020-10-23 . Fauci: This Slo-Mo Video Of Someone Speaking Proves 'Beautifully' The Need For Masks . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20221205181818/https://www.huffpost.com/entry/anthony-fauci-slow-motion-video-coronavirus_n_5f92b320c5b686eaaa105fca . 2022-12-05 . 2023-06-14 . . en.
  47. Web site: Be Smart . 2021-02-04 . Using a Bunch of Mousetraps to Explain How Pandemics Work (feat. @theslowmoguys) . 2023-06-14 . YouTube.
  48. Web site: 4th Annual Winners & Nominees . The Streamy Awards . 17 April 2020 . en.
  49. Web site: The Slow Mo Guys -- 2016 Nominee . The Webby Awards . 17 April 2020.
  50. Web site: 6th Annual Nominees . The Streamy Awards . 17 April 2020 . en.
  51. Web site: 7th Annual Nominees . The Streamy Awards . 17 April 2020 . en.
  52. Web site: The Slow Mo Guys -- 2018 Honoree . The Webby Awards . 17 April 2020.