“This is how I hitchhike!” he says in one, and then seemingly jumps from the side of the street through the door and into the front seat of a passing car. Using his skills as an editor and effects wizard King created a genre he called “Magic Vines,” clips in which he’s seen doing impossible things thanks to his technically wizardry.
The move to Vine, the online platform that allows users to upload six-second looping videos, opened a new world of micro-filmmaking opportunities. By December 2012 when King was set to graduate he says, “I kind of realized I could do this for a living.” Things took off from there – two Jedi Kitten sequels, a kitten-as-Pikachu from Pokemon and a real-life version of the game Temple Run earned even more attention on YouTube. Three-and-a-half years ago he and a friend made a short video titled “Jedi Kittens” – it’s fluffy little kittens battling with visual effects light sabers, and yes, it’s every bit as adorable as that sounds – and a day later it had over 1 million views. Zach King, 26, says he’d loved making videos since he was a young kid, and early in his time at Biola created a YouTube channel to post his short films and how-to clips to share his expertise in areas from editing to special effects. So we tracked them down to find out what their experience on “The Amazing Race” involved, what it taught them about themselves, and perhaps most of all, how did a film student at Biola University end up an online celebrity for his short YouTube videos and even shorter ones on Vine? Yet even without any of the tricks that have made Zach King a social media superstar – the theme and shared background of all 11 teams this season – the couple look strong through the first two episodes. Photos & videos: How did Zach King, Seal Beach resident and Vine star, and wife Rachel end up on ‘The Amazing Race’? – Orange County Register