2004 Pontiac Infomercial - Secrets of the Stuntmen
 

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Car chases, narrow escapes, fiery explosions, and precision driving combined to provide viewers an inside look at the world of movie stunts while featuring the performance credentials of Pontiac's vehicles in the long-format advertisement, "Secrets of the Stuntmen." The program aired on several cable networks during April and May 2004.

"We wanted to find a very visceral way of telling customers about the power and handling characteristics of the new Pontiacs," said Mark-Hans Richer, Pontiac marketing director. "With 'Secrets of the Stuntmen,' we don't have to do a lot of talking about the cars. The way they perform on screen speaks for itself."

"Fear Factor" director Rupert Thompson and stunt coordinator Chuck Picerni assembled a team of four of Hollywood's hottest stunt drivers and introduced them to four of Pontiac's best performing cars: Vibe GT, Grand Prix Comp-G, Bonneville GXP and GTO. Over three days of shooting at the San Pedro pier area in Los Angeles, the team used up to 20 cameras simultaneously to capture enough automotive action to create a two-minute chase scene that provided the finale for the program.

Viewers were given a behind-the-scenes look at the planning, practice and filming of each stunt. "Our goal was to make the stunt look as scary and fast and dangerous as possible," said Thompson. The climactic stunt featured a 100-foot jump by a GTO onto a moving river barge.

Although the vehicles used in the program were modified for safety, the performance characteristics of each featured car remained the same as production models.

"Pontiac has a long tradition of being a favored stunt car for television and movies," said Richer. "Programs like 'Secrets of the Stuntmen' provide us with a fun way to keep that tradition alive and highlight the new power of Pontiac to customers."