The Slow Mo Guys

The Slow Mo Guys is a science and technology entertainment web series from Thame, England, created by Gavin Free, starring himself and Daniel Gruchy. It has been described as the biggest channel for slow motion videos on YouTube.[2][3]

The Slow Mo Guys
Personal information
Born
  • Gavin David Free
  • (1988-05-23) 23 May 1988
  • Daniel Charles Gruchy
  • (1988-07-28) 28 July 1988
OriginThame, England
OccupationEntertainers
YouTube information
Also known asGav and Dan
Channels
Years active2010–present
Genre(s)Science and technology
Subscribers14.6 million (The Slow Mo Guys)
847,000 (The Slow Mo Guys 2)[1]
Total views2.4 billion (The Slow Mo Guys)
47.8 million (The Slow Mo Guys 2)[1]
NetworkRooster Teeth
100,000 subscribers2012
1,000,000 subscribers2013
10,000,000 subscribers2018
Last updated: 27 November 2022

The series consists of a wide variety of things filmed in extreme slow motion using a range of Vision Research Phantom high-speed cameras, capable of shooting over 1,500,000 frames per second.[4] The series premiered on 15 October 2010.[5]

Format

The Slow Mo Guys is heavily influenced by Mythbusters;[6] in a typical episode, Free and Gruchy attempt to film some sort of natural or physical phenomenon in extreme slow motion: subjects of the filming are often some type of spectacular chemical or physical reaction, stress tests of certain objects under extreme conditions, while some episodes simply aim for an aesthetically pleasing result, often by the use of rainbow-coloured paints. To emphasise the science angle, the pair wear lab coats. Because the original lab coats Free ordered were too small for Gruchy,[6] Gruchy's lab coat tore and has traditionally had a torn off right sleeve.[7] Gruchy's lab coat is the more stained of the two, with Free's coat in fairer condition. The most prominent of the few stains on Free's lab coat is a blue paint smear on the right shoulder "autographed" by a Blue Man.[8]

The episodes generally feature Free as the cinematographer and camera operator, and Gruchy, a former ammunition technician corporal[9] in the British Army who served in Afghanistan,[10] as the rigger and often also as the stuntman.[11][12] Over the years, Gruchy suffered numerous injuries, such as a lacerated ear,[6] a glass shard lodged in his finger,[10] an oil burn[13] and a fractured wrist;[14] he jokingly noted that he has suffered more injuries during the filming of the show than during his tour in the Afghanistan war zone.[15] Some episodes feature Gruchy explaining how some explosives work, such as grenades and detonation cord, allowing him to draw on his background in the military.[9] Following the popularity of their most viewed video, Giant 6ft Water Balloon,[16] Free and Gruchy have regularly produced further videos involving Gruchy in or around several-foot water balloons under the event of "Giant Balloon June".[17][18][19][20]

The episodes are generally filmed in Free's backyard in Austin, Texas, usually with only the two of them involved.[21] In the case of The Super Slow Show and Planet Slow Mo, as the budget of the show increased and more cast was involved, the experiments got larger and more elaborate; the availability of a designated camera crew allowed Free to participate in the stunts as well.[22]

History

Inception
Gavin Free and Dan Gruchy hosting a panel at RTX 2013

In 2006, Gavin Free joined Green Door Films, the first production house in Europe to utilise Phantom digital high-speed cameras as a source of slow motion, working as a data technician and camera operator.[23] He began working on adverts, music videos, and films such as Hot Fuzz. In 2008, he was hired to direct the seventh season of the Rooster Teeth machinima series Red vs. Blue. Afterwards, he had decided to make a move to Austin, Texas and work full-time for Rooster Teeth, for which he needed to get a work visa; however, as he didn't go to university, his only option was an application for an O visa, a visa that requires an "extraordinary achievement" in arts or science. Being a video/film producer, he decided to utilise his access to slow motion cameras to create The Slow Mo Guys along with his friend Daniel Gruchy, and reach viral success.[6]

Free and Gruchy met while working in a Waitrose in their home county of Oxfordshire.[21] The Slow Mo Guys, featuring slow motion footage of various pranks and stunts of the pair, has garnered millions of views since it launched in 2010. According to Free, the name partially comes from a comment Richard Hammond made on the set of Top Gear:

"[Richard] Hammond was the first person to ever refer to me as a "slow mo guy" because he knew there was a high-speed camera on the shoot that we were doing, which was him going around in a Formula 1 car. And he hopped over the wall as we were setting up the Phantom... he said, "oh you must be the slow mo guys," and I thought that sounds pretty good."[24]

Success

In April 2011, the channel was voted the winner of YouTube's On The Rise program, which highlights up-and-coming YouTube partners on the homepage.[25] In September 2012, their episode involving crushing watermelons was featured on The Tonight Show.[25]

On 20 February 2013, Free confirmed that the series had been picked up by Rooster Teeth and that further episodes of the series would be released on Rooster Teeth's website, as well as the series' existing YouTube channel.[26] A best of compilation was released by Rooster Teeth Productions for home video on 10 September 2013.

In January 2014, in collaboration with GE Global Research, the R&D division of General Electric, they released a video showcasing the company's latest innovations, including superhydrophobic surfaces and how magnetic nanoparticles behave like liquid magnets. Two additional videos featuring them demonstrating MEMS and "cold spray" 3D painting technology were also released on the official GE YouTube channel.[27]

The series has been featured as part of YouTube's "Rewind" year-in-review video in 2013,[28] 2014,[29] 2015,[30] 2016,[31] and 2017.[32]

The series was used as part of a 2014 YouTube advertising campaign.[33] The advertisements featuring Free and Gruchy were titled "You Make Every Second Epic".[34] A large image of Free and Gruchy was printed on a London bus as part of the campaign,[35] alongside TV commercials, billboards and Tube station posters.

The series was nominated for a Webby Award in Best Web Personality/Host (Online Film & Video) in 2016.[36] At the 2016 Streamy Awards, the series won in the Cinematography category.[37]

On 27 March 2020, Oculus TV premiered their eight-part series collaboration with The Slow Mo Guys called The Slow Mo Guys VR. In this show, people would be able to watch Free and Gruchy recreate their videos in 3D slow motion.[38]

Several videos have been made in collaboration with other entertainers. This has included filming of a sabrage competition with Rhett & Link;[39] dropping bowling balls with the Blue Man Group;[8] and providing Will Smith (wearing Gruchy's lab coat) a flamethrower to use on cardboard cutouts of himself.[40]

YouTube Originals

In 2018, Free and Gruchy launched their first YouTube Original, The Super Slow Show. This was essentially The Slow Mo Guys, but on a grander scale, featuring new equipment; larger stunts, such as crashing through walls; and special guests, including Dylan Sprouse and Mayim Bialik.[41]

In 2019, Free and Gruchy launched their second YouTube Original, Planet Slow Mo, in which the duo would travel around the world and film special events and stunts. A trailer was released on 21 January,[42] with the first episode airing on 23 January.[43]

COVID-19

During the COVID-19 pandemic, as Gruchy lives in the United Kingdom, the international travel restrictions prevented him from travelling to Texas to take part in filming for about a year and a half.[44] In video comments of later videos, Free would make a running joke about Gruchy digging a tunnel underneath the Atlantic Ocean to sneak into Texas.[45] Gruchy would then reference the joke by digging himself out from the ground in the first video he was able join in again in 2022.[46]

Dr. Anthony Fauci, then-head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, appeared in an October 22, 2020 video in which he and Free advocated for "the importance of wearing masks and face coverings" to prevent the spread of COVID-19.[47] Dr. Fauci subsequently described the video as "a perfect demonstration" of the need for people to wear face masks.[48]

On February 4, 2021, Free appeared on behalf of the Slow Mo Guys on a Gates Notes-sponsored episode of PBS Digital Studios' Be Smart to promote herd immunity and COVID-19 vaccines.[49]

Television

On 1 September 2022, Free and Gruchy's first television show, The Slow Mo Guys' Big Adventures, premiered on Sky Kids in the UK.

The ten-episode series features themed episodes about historical events such as the Wild West, the Viking era, and the first rocket launches.

Awards and nominations
Year Category Award Result
2015 Science and Education[50] Streamy Awards Nominated
2016 Web Personality/Host[51] Webby Awards Nominated
Team Internet: YouTube Ensemble[25] Shorty Awards Nominated
Cinematography[52] Streamy Awards Won
2017 Cinematography[53] Streamy Awards Nominated
2018 Film & Video – Science & Education[54] Webby Awards Nominated

References
  1. "About TheSlowMoGuys". YouTube.
  2. Goodman, William (5 May 2011). "Giant water balloon exploding in super slow-motion". CBS Interactive Inc. CBS News. Retrieved 25 February 2016.
  3. RTX 2013 Panel: The Slow Mo Guys. 15 July 2013 – via YouTube.
  4. Glass Explosion at 343,000FPS! - The Slow Mo Guys. The Slow Mo Guys. 17 July 2016 – via YouTube.
  5. "The Slow Mo Guys – Trailer – FIRST VIDEO". 15 October 2010. Retrieved 17 April 2020 – via YouTube.
  6. "10 things you may not have known about The Slow Mo Guys" – via www.youtube.com.
  7. "Flint and Steel at 5000fps – The Slow Mo Guys" – via www.youtube.com.
  8. "Bowling in Slow Motion with Blue Man Group – The Slow Mo Guys". 16 May 2017 – via YouTube.
  9. "Det Cord Shockwaves in 4K" – via www.youtube.com.
  10. "Giant Paint Explosion – The Slow Mo Guys" – via www.youtube.com.
  11. "The Challenges of High-Speed Filming" – via www.youtube.com.
  12. "Dan's New Look". YouTube. 4 May 2017. Retrieved 22 June 2017.
  13. "How Dan Hurt his Hand – The Slow Mo Guys" – via www.youtube.com.
  14. "Dan has an accident" – via www.youtube.com.
  15. "Slow Mo Guys Q&A Panel – RTX 2016" – via www.youtube.com.
  16. "Giant 6ft Water Balloon – The Slow Mo Guys". 3 May 2011 – via YouTube.
  17. "6ft Man in 6ft Giant Water Balloon – 4K – The Slow Mo Guys". 21 July 2015 – via YouTube.
  18. "Submerged inside a 6ft Water Balloon – The Slow Mo Guys 4K". 17 June 2017 – via YouTube.
  19. "Slow Motion Camera INSIDE Giant 6ft Water Balloon – The Slow Mo Guys". 24 June 2019 – via YouTube.
  20. "Giant Balloon Sandwich in Slow Motion – The Slow Mo Guys". 27 June 2022 – via YouTube.
  21. FOSTER, ALASTAIR. "How the Slow-Mo Guys have amassed 7.5 million YouTube subscribers around the world". Evening Standard. Retrieved 16 April 2016.
  22. "Crashing Through a Wall in Slow Motion" – via www.youtube.com.
  23. "The SloMo Guys". Greendoor High Speed. Retrieved 17 April 2020.
  24. "Slow Mo Guys Q&A Panel – RTX 2016". The Slow Mo Guys 2. Retrieved 17 July 2016.
  25. "About the Slow Mo Guys". Shorty Awards. Retrieved 25 February 2016.
  26. "The Slow mo Guys Jornal Post". Rooster Teeth Productions, LLC. 2013. Retrieved 24 February 2016.
  27. Gutelle, Sam (6 January 2014). "GE Lets The Slow Mo Guys Play With Its Cool Science Gadgets". Tubefilter. Tubefilter Inc. Retrieved 25 February 2016.
  28. Youtube Rewind 2013. YouTube (YouTube Rewind Channel). YouTube. Retrieved 24 February 2016.
  29. Youtube Rewind 2014. YouTube (YouTube Rewind Channel). YouTube. Retrieved 24 February 2016.
  30. Youtube Rewind 2015. YouTube (YouTube Rewind Channel). YouTube. Retrieved 24 February 2016.
  31. "2016 Rewind". YouTube. Retrieved 21 December 2016.
  32. YouTube Rewind: The Shape of 2017. YouTube (YouTube Rewind Channel). YouTube. Retrieved 17 April 2020.
  33. "This Super Slow-mo YouTube Spot Makes for Super Satisfying Viewing". Little Black Book Online. Retrieved 17 April 2020.
  34. Dredge, Stuart (25 September 2014). "YouTube launches primetime ads for Vice News, Zoella and Slow Mo Guys". The Guardian. Retrieved 17 April 2020.
  35. "I don't care where it goes. I am getting on this bus.pic.twitter.com/uixgoqmwd4". Twitter. @GavinFree. 11 October 2014. Retrieved 17 April 2020.
  36. Cavassuto, Maria. "Michelle Obama, Netflix Among 2016 Webby Nominees". Variety. Retrieved 16 April 2016.
  37. "The Slow Mo Guys Win Cinematography – Streamy Awards 2016". YouTube. Retrieved 9 October 2016.
  38. "'The Slow Mo Guys VR' Brings Scientific Showmanship to Oculus TV on Quest". www.oculus.com. Retrieved 4 November 2020.
  39. "Champagne Saber in 4K Slow Motion with Rhett and Link – The Slow Mo Guys". 23 April 2019 – via YouTube.
  40. "We gave Will Smith a Flame Thrower – The Slow Mo Guys". 9 October 2019 – via YouTube.
  41. Clarke, Stewart (24 January 2018). "YouTube Launches Ad-Supported Original 'The Super Slow Show'". Variety. Retrieved 17 April 2020.
  42. "Planet Slow Mo – Official Trailer" – via www.youtube.com.
  43. "The Slow Mo Guys Capture Beautiful 4K Footage of an Iceland Geyser and Waterfall in Slow Motion". Laughing Squid. 23 January 2019. Retrieved 17 April 2020.
  44. "Slow-Mo Pulse Jet Engine with COLIN FURZE! - The Slow Mo Guys" – via www.youtube.com.
  45. "Spinning an Apple until it Explodes at 28,500fps – The Slow Mo Guys" – via www.youtube.com.
  46. "Diving into a Moving Swim Cap at 1000FPS – The Slow Mo Guys" – via www.youtube.com.
  47. The Slo Mo Guys (22 October 2020). "Slow Motion Sneeze in 4K - The Slow Mo Guys with Dr Anthony Fauci". YouTube. Retrieved 14 June 2023.
  48. Moran, Lee (23 October 2020). "Fauci: This Slo-Mo Video Of Someone Speaking Proves 'Beautifully' The Need For Masks". HuffPost. Archived from the original on 5 December 2022. Retrieved 14 June 2023.
  49. Be Smart (4 February 2021). "Using a Bunch of Mousetraps to Explain How Pandemics Work (feat. @theslowmoguys)". YouTube. Retrieved 14 June 2023.
  50. "4th Annual Winners & Nominees". The Streamy Awards. Retrieved 17 April 2020.
  51. "The Slow Mo Guys -- 2016 Nominee". The Webby Awards. Retrieved 17 April 2020.
  52. "6th Annual Nominees". The Streamy Awards. Retrieved 17 April 2020.
  53. "7th Annual Nominees". The Streamy Awards. Retrieved 17 April 2020.
  54. "The Slow Mo Guys -- 2018 Honoree". The Webby Awards. Retrieved 17 April 2020.
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