• comedy format “Eckelsteins” revolves around the Formula One idol from Kerpen
• before each race on RTL’s “countdown”
• cutting-edge stop motion production

HE is back – the God of Formula One from Kerpen, Germany. Just in time for this year’s season start in Melbourne Schumi returns. Not to the track but to the Driver’s Bar “Eckelsteins”. And he will surely win back his fans’ hearts – the gummy Schumi.

Yes, it’s true: To the beginning of the Grand Prix racing season RTL launched a new comedy format on the seven-time world champion from Germany – and it was strikingly successful. The “Eckelsteins” is the latest creation and production of the scopas medien AG based in Frankfurt. scopas medien used cutting-edge stop-motion techniques to realize these carefully developed, witty sports clips: The characters are made of silicone-rubbery material. Between two pictures taken, the figures just make minute movements. Thus 25 individual pictures per second perfectly simulate smooth moves – comparable to a flip-book. This special format enjoys increasing popularity: For months now Germany has been laughing about “Deutsche 11 backstage”, a teasing comedy on the German national football team distributed by the internet portal www.D11B.tv.

And now this concept also applies to motor sports: The fans get closer to their stars. In “Eckelsteins”, the bar on the racing track, we learn who does what when and where in the world of Formula One. And we see what Schumi does when he is not phoning Corinna. Just before each race on “countdown”.