Sony and Tony Hawk Create a Zero Gravity Skateboarding Shoot

There are few shoots where everyone involved gets to have a great time, but this is one of them. Sony Electronics teamed up with Tony Hawk and Aaron "Jaws" Homoki to conduct a photo shoot of skateboarding in zero gravity. I had to take a moment when I first read the video's description to quash my simmering jealousy at how unthinkably enjoyable some people's lives are. The official press release doesn't hold back on inciting jealousy of both the content of the shoot and the tools at hand (for both Sony shooters and camera nerds with less allegiance).

This spring, Tony Hawk and Aaron "Jaws" Homoki took a very special flight in the Zero G airplane. Accompanied by a small crew of filmmakers and technicians, Hawk and Jaws set out to perform skate tricks that they have only dreamed of doing on Planet Earth. As the Zero G aircraft did a series of flying parabolas, the skaters and production team got to experience actual weightlessness.

The film crew, led by veteran 900 Films Productions Cameraman Jared Prindle, used a full spectrum of Sony cameras, including the Sony 4K Action Cam, Sony a7S II, Sony FS5, and Sony FS7 to execute the shoot. Filming at different frame rates and from various camera positions inside the aircraft, they created a film of Hawk and Jaws attempting to pull off tricks that simply aren't possible in any other environment.

As fun as this shoot clearly was, it wasn't without its challenges or pressure. As is discussed in the behind-the-scenes video linked below, the team only had two tries to get the shots they wanted — not a good time to start chimping.