THE BLACKTOP RALLY Television Production

The Blacktop Rally

An Adventure across 2000 miles

I think it’s safe to say that we’ve all been on a long road trip. The long hours on the road, the endless stream of tar laid out in front of us, and when you check on the time - it seems stagnant. The Blacktop Rally isn’t one of these trips, it’s a 2000 mile adventure where the journey… is the main attraction. A carefully planned out route that takes 24 strangers in 12 cars, across some of the most scenic and beautiful countryside the world has to offer. A place where a select few become legends and test the performance of their vehicles like very few can.

"Thanks again for all the time, blood, sweat, and tears in making this show. From hanging out the back of a combi on the Krugersdorp highway last September shooting the pilot, to going on the recce, and to sticking it out after the rally to get the show done. Truly, greatly appreciated!"

Clen Cook - Event Organiser

Objective and Challenges

Ultimately the objective for the Blacktop Rally is to give drivers the opportunity to push the limits of their vehicle, but also to experience a bit of the “rock star” lifestyle at the many parties along the way. Because the show airs on one of the country’s leading sports channels, the media exposure is considerable, not just at the parties and live events, but also on television. As a result, many brands opted to sponsor their own vehicle in the rally.

From a production perspective, our goal is the same as it always is. Entertain the audience, showcase the sponsors, give everyone some screen time, and produce at the highest quality. To accomplish this, we hired three crews that would leapfrog each other, capturing all the important moments as they happened. Because the show was reality-based and unpredictable, Justin Henning – our Creative Director, journeyed the route himself prior to the event to develop a soft script.

Finding a sponsor

We had a show, we had a broadcaster, but without a sponsor to pay for the production the whole project was at risk. With the show slated for release in October, so we didn’t have enough time to find a sponsor to fund the production. As a new show in an untested environment there is always risk, but at the same time we knew the potential of the show, and the competency of our crew - so we decided to fund the show ourselves, believing that the final product would speak for itself.

In the end, one of our existing clients sponsored the show, taking a massive amount of media exposure. The channel had given us 60 seconds of ad time – repeated 3 times a week, as well as two 10 second bumpers, and in-show exposure.

The Results.

During the course of six days, we filmed 12 cars, as they were put through their paces across 2000 miles of pristine blacktop, a high-speed oval, an airstrip, and a race track. 25 Strangers left as life-long friends, and Lunchbox produced a six episode, high-quality, cinematic, reality show - that was enjoyed by millions of viewers.