Kid Gusto vs The Matrix (2001)
Shot and directed by Pong Yen as demo reel material for Chris Bowers.
Battle Of The Stunt Monkies 1 (2003)
A compilation of three experimental short fights shot in one afternoon.
Chase & Fight (2004)
A practice project shot in 4 & 1/2 hours with no prior rehearsals.
Winter downtime put production of Title Pending 2 on hiatus for months so Tony and Larry made US vs HK (at Tony’s old workplace in Hayward) in two days in January ’02. There used to be a disclaimer but nobody got offended at our parody of antiquated US style action.
ZeroGravity started with a few college students who loved martial arts. We would routinely get together and exchange knowledge then experiment with concepts in various situations. Thus not only sharpening our individual styles but also learning to interact with others. At the same time, we were huge fans of Hong Kong style martial arts movies. With the popularity of Jackie Chan, Jet Li, Sammo Hung, Yuen Biao and many others, we observed their movements, gestures, fighting concepts and styles. At some of the practices we began creating our own HK style choreography.
One day there was a posting for a talent show in San Francisco. We decided to try and audition for that show the same day, entering in the Specialties Act for the Pinnacle Fantasy Productions Talent Spokesmodel Showcase. Upon being selected to perform in the show, we were inquired about what the group’s name was. Hence, ZeroGravity was born. (The logo was designed by Tony Chu.) Throughout 1998-2000, various venues consisted of cultural festivals, talent showcases and import car shows. ZG has collaborated with martial arts competitors, hip-hop dancers and independent filmmakers. Many members have come and gone, staying for a few projects and then usually moving on to different careers and priorities.
In late 2000 the members of ZG decided to make their first short film. Although the production was wrought with many difficulties, Title Pending was released online and the public reaction was very positive. The core members of ZG found that film was definitely the new focus for the team’s creative efforts. In 2001, Kerry Wong moved to Los Angeles and founded ZG South. Over the next two years ZG would produce several short films including Kid Gusto vs the Matrix, US vs HK, Title Pending 2 and the DAMN series.
After 2003, ZG began to branch out from the indie scene. Over the next few years the majority of the team relocated to Los Angeles. We proceeded to break into Hollywood and other parts of the entertainment industry. Today ZG exists not as a stunt team but a network of friends who got their start in an ambitious period of pre-Youtube infamy. ZG’s lifespan resulted in some very successful stunt careers.
So old it’s new! Also I immediately remember why I stopped working on websites for the past eight years.
Edit: Reconstruction finished on 9/17/19. Hopefully I won’t have to touch any of this again until the technology completely changes and we have to update this for holograms or whatever.