RED BULL STRESS TEST
Red Bull Stress Test: England Rugby take on the Kamaz
Move four incredibly heavy tyres. Catch some sky-high balls. Pull an 8.5-ton truck. These are the basic tasks that faced the England men's rugby team in Red Bull Stress Test – a team bonding exercise that's far from your average day at the beach. Watch on Red Bull: https://www.redbull.com/gb-en/videos/stress-test
In preparation for their autumn internationals, the team travelled to Jersey to take on a unique mental and physical workout. It would hone their ability to handle decision-making when fatigued and under pressure, and test their to the max. Oh, and it would pit them against a 1,000hp colossus of the Dakar Rally, too...
Stamp devised and executed every aspect of the challenge filmed under pressure of the tide in Jersey. Extreme care was taken with protecting the environment and we worked closely with the local environment authority to ensure we filmed responsibly.
England men's Head Coach Eddie Jones is always looking for new ways to strengthen the bonds between his players. Red Bull Stress Test proved to be the energiser they needed and just the right blend of assault course and Mensa puzzle."We wanted a physical challenge, a mental challenge, and something that brings them together – and I think they got all three," says Jon Clarke, the RFU's Head of Strength & Conditioning.Here's how Red Bull Stress Test works...
WHAT DOES RED BULL STRESS TEST REVEAL TO THE COACHING TEAM?
“The first thing we’re looking for is hard work,” says Clarke. “The second thing we want is for them to come together as a team and the third thing is problem solving – can they do it on their own? Can they adapt under fatigue. It is important for Red Bull to be authentic and give participants and viewers something they can learn and take away from all their content. This was no exception.
DESIGNING THE STRESS TEST
Red Bull relied on Stamps expertise in elite sport to create the challenge that would test Englands greatest current Rugby players. It was designed to mentally, challenge them, fatigue them and create pressure to ensure leaders could come to the fore. Building a pitch with posts on a beach which is covered by the sea as high tide was a challenge that had to be overcome. Any shoot involving nature needs further rigorous procedure to protect it. All of this was arranged and executed by the Stamp team.
from start to finish.”
EXECUTION
Key crew were Stamp's team Martyn Black as Exec Producer with Benjamin Uttley Directing and DOP. We utilised local crew for many other position to reduce travel emissions and engage with local communities. All edits were lead by our senior editor Andrew Bedwell with some faster turnaround edits being picked up by our Australian lead Jack Lawrence who could edit overnight by remoting into Stamp HQ.
CAPTURING THE CHAOS
Every player in the 32 man squad was fitted with a go pro camera and it gives the feeling of being amidst a battle. With limited time, we had to ensure we could brief the team and fit the cameras within two minutes so the players wouldn't get cold on the wind swept location. Along with our primary cameras we then crafted the story for multiple assets and platforms. England Rugby, Twitter, Facebook, Tik Tok, Linkedin and Youtube all had differing versions targeted for the audience of each. .
across the board."
The need for speed
Working with our friends at XM2 (Mission Impossible, Lord of The Rings) we utilised, drone and RC vehicles to get fresh perspectives and put the viewer in the heart of the action.
