Fabio Wibmer's fans are already used to some heart-stopping moments - Fabio repeatedly shows what goes wrong with his stunts in outtakes or behind-the-scenes footage. A normal biker would probably be out of action for months after these crashes or even hang up their MTB. But even Fabio Wibmer is not indestructible - and this can be seen in a short opening scene of the new production "Video Game".
Trial star Fabio then launches into a world of images that is strongly reminiscent of the video game "Grand Theft Auto" (GTA). Fabio is a big games fan himself. The camera - which is the first thing you notice compared to Wibmer's other videos - is very often behind the character (Fabio) in the typical gaming perspective and slightly elevated. There are gaming-style transitions, loading bars, a change of clothes, a redesign of his bike and game menus. Even the music, as Grand Theft Auto is known for, is almost hit-heavy: Macklemore, Roxette, Iron Maiden... Even the sound effects (comments from passers-by, side characters) in Video Game are similar to those in the classic video game.
Fabio Wibmer Video Game: 3 bikes, motorboat, sports car, helicopter - everything is possible
In terms of content, Fabio Wibmer once again unpacked all the moves he could. His "Bunny Hop from Bench to Bench Thailwhip off" - he says - was the most technically demanding trick in the film, for which he needed the most attempts. The balancing act over a dam wall is not for the faint-hearted.
"It wasn't easy to adapt to the different cycling disciplines during filming. My goal is always to deliver my best possible performance at a high level in every discipline. That was a big challenge from a sporting point of view." - Fabio Wibmer
Because a different bike is needed for urban riding than for an epic descent through the trails of the Côte d'Azur, three different bikes were used in Wibmer's "Video Game":
- Trial Bike - Canyon Stitched CFR FW (in two different colours)
- Jib/Enduro Bike - Canyon Spectral
- Freeride Bike - Canyon Torque
But Fabio also relies on extravagant means of transport - just like in GTA. He wins at the casino and gets a sports car with a canyon bike on the roof. Fabio drives a sports boat with a mermaid on board. And he seems to fly a helicopter to get to the mountains.
"The scenes were much more complex than in my other videos. For example, the helicopter flight, the motorboat ride, the cliff jump or the set-ups in the city. Another challenge was to link the different scenes together to create a smooth rhythm and flow." - Fabio Wibmer
Wibmer's "Video Game": Things also go wrong during filming
Fabio Wibmer's latest edit, like all his productions, looks light and playful. An incredible flow connects all the scenes and it mostly looks as if everything was shot in one go. In fact, the almost 10-minute video took 50 days to shoot on the Côte d'Azur. Fortunately, Fabio now lives there and can practically fall into his own bed after filming.
A heatwave during this time, when temperatures regularly climbed to 40 degrees Celsius, also made work difficult. But Fabio wouldn't be the superstar if he didn't always show us some of his fails. At the end of Video Game you can see a few crashes - including a visit to hospital - that would probably cost us normal bikers our hobby. But someone has to do it!
Marc Strucken
Editor
