Forget globe-trotting, it’s all about globe-flipping for adventure seeker Chris O’Neill. You may remember the Hong Kong-based stuntman from his jaw dropping video “Chris Across Hong Kong”, where he flipped, jumped, and tumbled his way across our city. The high-flying filmmaker is back, but this time on a more epic scale as he takes on South America the only way he knows how, with a giant spring in his step and a huge smile on his face. Enjoy amigos!
Fun Facts
What it took to make this video:
6 months of filming
80 gigabytes of footage
17,847 photographs
399 hours of bus rides
68 hours on planes
29 hours on boats
15 hours hitchhiking
4 hours on trains
Immeasurable hours on foot
Why did I choose to flip and jump my way across South America? Simply to make others smile. That’s all I have ever wanted. I don’t make money off of these videos. I don’t have any sponsorship, or even affiliation with anyone. I am a one-man show. I do all of the planning, filming, acting, stunts, camera work, and editing on my own.
I have also developed a knack for traveling pretty affordably. So, for the past few years I have tried to combine my love of travel and making others smile. I started filming my journeys in 2010. That year I visited every state in the USA and performed a martial arts trick in front of the most iconic places in each state. You saw the Hong Kong video I made, and South America is the latest instalment.
I spent literally days deleting the videos that don’t make it. I’m such a perfectionist in this area too, so it’s like torture for me. My leg is bent in one shot, I’m not smiling in another. The sun was behind a cloud in that one. It’s a lot of work. Filming the shots is an entirely different level of difficulty. It’s nice to see Machu Picchu. It’s beautiful naturally, but what people don’t always see is that literally thousands of people go there ever single day. It is like a zoo! It’s so difficult to get good shots sometimes, but I love the challenge! It is SUPER rewarding after a long days work.
One of the best things about making these videos is meeting people afterwards. Recently I ran into a new expat from Argentina. He just arrived in Hong Kong and didn’t have many friends. His face lit up immediately when I told him that I was just in Argentina! That feeling of not being alone is very important to people. I never want anyone to feel alone or left out. Being able to connect with others this way is such a blessing.
All of this being said, I would love to find some like-minded company or individuals to help with my next project! I have no ulterior motives outside of wanting to make the world a better place. However, the truth is, I am not so talented. I’m not so smart. I’m not so strong. I don’t have the best flexibility, or even a decent grasp of gymnastics, but I do have the desire to make people smile, a strong desire. Cultivated with many years of Martial Arts practice; the easiest way for me to make others smile is by performing.
As my ideas grow and my dreams get bigger, I know I will need help in the future. I look forward to it!
Check out Chris’s globe-flipping adventures on his
YouTube Channel or
Facebook page.
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