In the world of daredevils and enthusiasts pushing the boundaries of what’s possible, there’s one name that stands out: “Crazy Rocketman”. Bob, the “Crazy Rocketman,” is known for his homemade rocket carts. He can be seen blasting across a dry lake-bed or on many viral YouTube videos on his YouTube channel. As an automotive enthusiast my passion myself, I was very excited to be working with Bob.

Recently, I had the opportunity to work alongside the renowned cinematographer Julien Jarry, and I was tasked with rigging the POV cam on Rocketman’s latest rocket cart. What made this experience even more exhilarating was the use of Atlas’ cutting-edge Mercury lenses to capture every heart-pounding moment. I didn’t realize it until the day of the shoot, but we would be rigging and shooting with 3 unreleased lenses and shooting a piece that Atlas would then go on and use launch the second set of focal lengths.

What made this collaboration even more exciting was Rocket-man himself. Bob, as he is known to those lucky enough to work with him, is not your average daredevil. He used to skydive for 15 years which we immediately got along with, and has hand build every one of his carts. His creativity, fearlessness, and passion for pushing the boundaries of what’s possible is impressive and just downright wild. Rocketman’s uniqueness demanded a cinematographic approach that was just as extraordinary—a challenge that Julien and his second shooter Sam Lu embraced with enthusiasm. As the Mercury lenses were mounted onto the cart, there was a palpable sense of anticipation. The rocket cart, fueled by Rocketman’s ingenuity…and fuel, blasted off into desert, and the Mercury lenses went to work.

Take a look at the final video below.