Most surf films main theme is about surfing…which is great. That is what we love to watch. Progressive maneuvers, classic style, big tubes, and beautiful waves. But young filmmaker Thomas Contarino is focusing on a different aspect, the surfers, in his upcoming project “Another Short Surf Film.” Let’s face it, there are some interesting characters participating in our sport. They do a variety of things in life other then just ride waves, especially in a place like New Jersey, where Thomas’s film is focused. So why not take a look at those individuals and appreciate their place in the world outside of the ocean.

How did you get into filmmaking? What projects have you worked on in that past?

I was always interested at a young age, playing with cameras and making little videos with friends, but I didn’t get serious until about a year and a half ago when I decided to go to film school. I’ve worked on some small productions and produced some of my own content. Short surf edits, some experimental and narrative work, but this is the first time I’ve actually shot surfing and done interviews or done a documentary type piece at all actually.

What is it that drew you to filmmaking in the first place?

Visuals and creativity. Film is such an expansive medium it’s just awesome to see it all come together.

Tell us a little bit about your film. How is it different from other surf films?

The film is about surfers, not just surfing. Brian Wynn is a dedicated local shaper and Tim Daley and Dave Werner are two stand up guys I hooked up with through Long Beach Island based company Jetty. I wanted the film to give some insight into Jersey surf culture and the types of people who make it possible by showing three guys who have made a life around what they love to do and these guys definitely fit the bill.

What is the message you are trying to convey with your film?

That surfing is made up of individuals and that each individual contributes back to the community in their own way.

How do you think diversity affects our sport?

Diversity is what helps our sport progress, it’s what keeps people interested and creates culture. There’s always new and interesting content whether it’s a new film or blog, a trick or wave, a new superstar or artist there’s always something new going on and so many people contribute from all around the world.

What makes Jersey a special spot for surfing? And for living?

Theres nothing like paddling out to overhead barrels and an empty line up on a cold winter day. Not many places left in the world where you can do that, but beyond that we have some beautiful beaches, great surf and awesome people.

After completing your formal education, how will you continue your education to become better at what you do?

By continuing to make films, asking questions and assisting on other projects.

When can we expect to see the full film and what can we expect from you in the future?

The film should be released relatively soon.. just need a couple more shots and some final editing. As far as the future who knows. I’d like to develop the idea into a series of short films or a longer feature or maybe I’ll move onto a new idea. Gotta find an internship, finish school and continue working too so I have plenty on my plate, but I’ll definitely be producing more content in the near future so stay tuned.

For more, check out www.tomcontarino.com and www.tomcontarino.tumblr.com

It’s not too often you hear of female filmmakers in the surf industry? Why is that? We weren’t so surf but it just so turns out that Hayley Gordon, an Encinitas resident, recently began sending us some clips she was putting together, so we decided to ask her about the lack of women in surf filmmaking.

Hayley, originally from Eastern Long Island, New York, moved to Encinitas three years ago. She has been making videos since fifth grade, and made her first surf video edit in 2006. Combining two passions in life: surfing and filmmaking, and Hayley is stoked to be able to start focusing on making her own videos in the last few months after finally buying a new camera and an updated computer to edit it.

How did you get started in filmmaking? Do you have a formal education in filmmaking?

I’ve been making short videos on and off ever since I was maybe 10 or 11. It all started with the video camera my friend’s parents owned and let us play around with. Eventually I got my own camera and started videotaping everything. However, editing was hard back then since the technology for at-home editing was still pretty rudimentary. I eventually got an early version of Adobe Premiere and made a couple of short surf videos. I went to school and studied film at the University Of Michigan. It was mainly theory based, but I think I definitely learned a few things while I was there.

What was the draw to filmmaking for you?

I absolutely love the interplay between images and music. That’s my favorite part of any movie. If a film has a good soundtrack that suits the visuals, I’m hooked. I think the soundtrack is 50% of a good movie, no matter what the genre. I think a great example is the recent movie Drive. The soundtrack added a really unique dimension to the film that wouldn’t have been there otherwise. But that’s just my opinion. I also love the emotion that films can draw out of you. It’s such a unique experience.

Where do you look for inspiration?

I started out watching surf movies like Shelter, September Sessions, Thicker Than Water, and others from those same guys…the Malloys, Jack Johnson, and Thomas Campbell. Those were my favorites. I think Shelter is probably my favorite surf video of all time because of all the nostalgia for me, but right now I love Modern Collective and what Kai Neville has been doing. The new snowboard movie Art Of Flight blew my mind. I’ve also been inspired by filmmakers I’ve discovered through Vimeo. Even just going to the movies and observing the cinematography and overall filmmaking techniques is fun. I want to draw as much inspiration as I can, but I also want to find my own style and not just be derivative.

Do you find that being a woman in surfing allows you a different access to or give you a different view of the sport?

I don’t really focus too much on this, but I would say yes. I think the girls have a different perspective on surfing, and bring different talents and personalities to the table. I really want to showcase this…I think there’s a severe lack of coverage in female surfing, and a lack of diversity of the surfers covered. You also tend to see the same faces over and over. There’s some incredible and relatively unknown talent out there and these girls deserve some credit. I don’t want to make it about guys vs. girls and who’s better and all that. I’d rather just showcase the girls’ talents and make something enjoyable to watch. I noticed that there’s a bunch of cool mini-films on the internet but it’s 99% guys. I enjoy watching the dudes, but I also want to see what the girls are doing.

Why do you think there are not more females out there doing what you are doing?

Honestly I have no idea! [laughing] I am not sure why filmmaking in general is so male dominated. I think if there are women out there that like doing this that they should get a camera and start shooting. I do think you’ll see more and more women get into filming though. Now that good equipment is easier to come by, hopefully more women will start. There are some great female filmmakers and photographers out there right now, and I’ve had the pleasure of getting to know some of them. I’ve also been lucky enough to become friends with the founders of Mahfia.com, a media group that is promoting women’s action sports using video as the main vehicle, as well as JettyGirl.com.

Where do you see women’s surfing going in the near future? And what have you observed in the progression of women’s surfing that has stood out most for you so far?

I see the talent continuing to get better and better. I see the girls launching (and landing) airs and throwing buckets, and the overall progression has been incredible over the past few years. It seems that coverage has been shrinking a bit rather than growing, though. You kind of see this with the women’s magazines that popped up then disappeared. Even the Surfline Women’s section is barely updated anymore. I really hope the tour adds more contests and that general coverage will be more widespread and democratic. I think it was very cool that Carissa Moore was included in the Sunset contest this year. That was fun to watch, I wished the waves were better for her heat. But at the same time, I wonder why the women’s tour has reduced the amount of events, and why genuine coverage continues to shrink.

Who do you enjoy shooting the most?

I enjoy shooting with people that are enthusiastic about filming and pushing their limits, aren’t too cool for school, and keep on paddling back out to get more even if it’s not the most epic day. The girls I’ve shot with so far have been awesome, and I have to thank them for helping me get going and giving me material to work with.

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What kind of equipment are you using?

I’m shooting with a Canon T3i and an assortment of fun lenses. I have become a lens nerd. I’m using Adobe Premiere to edit. Gotta love my Manfrotto tripod as well (at least when I don’t leave the tripod plate on other people’s lenses and then drive 2 hours to shoot. Whoops.). On my wish list is a setup to do water shots, and one of those pocket dolly sliders.

Besides surfing, what else are you interest or involved in filming?

All action sports. I recently started shooting skateboarding, and I’m hoping to get into some snow and wakeboard shooting in the future. I also enjoy doing travel pieces and just experimenting with imagery. And filming my friends goofing off.

What’s next for Hayley Gordon?

I would love to work on a full length surf video…something that will stand the test of time and people will continue to watch for years to come. Right now I’ve just been doing shorts and trying out new ideas and perfecting my technique, but my wheels are turning for a bigger project in the future.

Check out more of Haley’s work at http://www.leashless.tv/

Born in Montreal, Canada, Mark Laurin began his action sports life as a snowboarder for 15 years, working in the music industry doing tour management and creating all the visual creative from video, photo, graphics, and more. He eventually found his way into surfing and has now embarked on a project exploring the connection between our daily habits and wilderness entitled Seeking For A New Port.

The idea behind the project is to touch base with watermen, artists, and surfers from Alaska to South America, learning how these they create balance between the virtual world and the real world. Marc and his crew will be examining how computers have changed where these creatives live, surf, and relationships they have with kids & friends and over all lives. Seeking For A New Port is a project powered by GotSurf.ca. Marc is one of their collective filmakers and they are helping to provide him a platform to share his project.

Tell us a little about where you grew up and how you first got into the surf scene.

I grew up on the south shore of Montreal, in your typical suburb where you’ve got direct access to all resources and plenty of opportunities available. All you really need is some motivation and the world is yours! I’ve been in contact with water at a young age. I grew up having swimming lessons, going out fishing and going out on boats. As I grew older, skateboarding and snowboarding took up most of my time, and with it came stills and videos. In august 2008, a friend of mine invited me on a weekend surf trip to New Hampshire, and that’s basically when I got bit by the surfing bug. From then on my life followed a totally different path.

How do your local breaks in the Atlantic Northeast compare to other places you’ve surfed? Do you feel that the surfing experience up there offers something special or unique that other parts of the world do not?

The breaks I’ve surfed in the Maine and New Hampshire are cold water beach breaks that pick up swell mostly during hurricane season… this means paddling out in random peaks in a 5mm wetsuit. Most of the time, we do the 5 to 6 hour drive only to get choppy waist high surf…so we now opt for exploration! When we’re not traveling we river surf around Montreal, or we make the 13 hour drive to Nova Scotia when we know a hurricane is on its way. The surf in the Atlantic Northeast is so different from the other places I’ve traveled, from the water temperature, the breaks, the lineups, the sets; it’s all very different yet anywhere you go the passion that unites surfers in the water is universal. There’s dedication and passion involved when you are a land lock surfer and manage to surf 100 days a year. I guess that’s why I’m so stoked when I surf; there’s so much time and effort put into just reaching the beach, that you enjoy the surf that much more.

How did you get into filmmaking? Have you been doing it for a while or is it something more recent? What had you been up to prior to teaming up with GotSurf?

Prior to this, I’d been working for a music label for 7 years doing tour management, graphic design and music videos for French Canadian bands. At the same time I had my own small video production business. I studied both visual and music management so it felt like a good environment to grow and develop my skills. In the last few years, I started to focus on working more as a freelancer in projects that inspire me and aren’t music related. I especially wanted to bring together my passions for surf and visual. Back in June 2009, I did a little “newcomer” project (Surf101) in Costa Rica to get in touch with Montreal’s growing surf scene. A year later I teamed up with Olivier Barrette-Laperrière for GOTSURF, and now here we are after a few surf clips!

What is the idea behind your new project, “Seeking for a New Port”? What inspired you to embark on this journey?

Working as a freelancer and being in front of my computer a minimum of 10 hours a day made me realize that most of our life is lived through a screen. If sitting in front of a computer wasn’t enough, we now carry our access to this cyber world with us everywhere through our smart phone. This “life 2.0″ has somehow become more important then what surrounds us. This reality got me feeling like I had to do something in order to help the future generation, instead adopting this crazy lifestyle the 265 days a year when I’m not surfing. The idea of connection kept coming to me. The way I see it, there are two main connections: connection with nature/human contact and connection to the internet. We are losing connection with nature/human contact due to our connection to the internet. Seeking for a new port is about finding out if it’s still possible to keep a balance between the two, and how to achieve it. My own balance in the past couple of years was maintained through surfing, so I decided to explore this phenomenon further. We are following the coast through different climates, economy and culture to see how watermen, surfers, and fishermen are able to use the internet as a tool and still maintain a strong connection with the wilderness.

Can you describe how the process has gone so far? Where have you been and where are your next stops?

We left Montreal on July 24th and crossed Canada to Skagway, Alaska in 7 days. From there we took a ferry to Sitka where, for the next two weeks, we were welcomed by locals I’d contacted prior to our departure… thanks to the internet! Then another ferry brought us to Prince Rupert, BC and we drove through the Canadian Rockies. After a quick stop in Whistler, BC., we drove to West Vancouver to hit yet another ferry heading to Tofino. Partners from GOTSURF, Adam Dewolf and Raph Bruhwiler, with all their knowledge and good will welcome us during our stay. Time for the fourth ferry, this one crossing USA borders to Port Angeles, WA. We surfed in Wesport a total of 3 days and then continued our trip south. We went through Oregon quite fast, because it was really windy and there was a lack of contacts in that area. As we set our wheels in California, the swell picked up, so we surfed several spots from Crescent city to San Clemente where we stayed for the Hurley Pro. We got to surf Trestles 6 hours a day! Next stop was in the San Diego area where I filmed a few interviews and enjoyed the party scene since the surf wasn’t good. On October 9th we arrived in Baja California and surfed places like the Seven Sisters, Pescadero area, and the East Cape. After spending 5 weeks in Baja, we’re going to get on…guess what… yes another ferry! This time from La Paz to Topolobampo so we can get into the mainland. We plan on staying in Mexico on the mainland for the next 3 weeks then head down to El Salvador for 2 weeks in December. After spending the holidays there, we want to get to Nicaragua in early January and end the trip in Costa Rica sometime in February. Then the fun will be to drive ALL THE WAY back to Montreal…

Is there a particular theme or message that you hope viewers gain from watching your film?

I just hope that people will understand their role as an active part of the earth and take better care of our planet instead of spending all their time in a cyber world. It’s just a matter of balancing it all out. Internet is indeed a great tool and I do believe we should be aware of the technologies at our disposal, but that doesn’t mean losing touch with the real world and neglecting our planet and mental health. Internet must remain just a tool or activity without overwhelming our lives.

What kind of difficulties or challenges have you experienced along the way?

I’d say that the hardest part would have to be the long distance relationship through Skype calls and Facebook e-mails. But then again, these social networks are a great help in a way; it allows me to keep in touch with my girlfriend as much as possible. Finding a good, free internet connection is a challenge, however. And when you think about it, that’s another reality that most North American kids grow up with; free Wi-Fi everywhere. Try to find Internet in the Baja desert… Another thing that’s been challenging is finding drinking water out here, which back home isn’t an issue we have to face. You begin to appreciate and cherish every drop of water, trust me!

We understand that you have a pretty sweet ride to get you down the coast…Can you tell us a little about the RV and how it has added to the whole experience?

I’ve always dreamt of having one of those epic surf safaris from the 70’s to go on discovering empty breaks and remote pieces of paradise… so I figured there was no better way to visit our continent than the old fashion way; in an RV! The goal was to be able to surf and stay everywhere and anywhere we want; total freedom. With the RV, I get to jump on the roof at sunrise for a better lookout at the surf conditions, while my buddy Fred is inside brewing coffee… now that’s a classic morning! The best part is not having to stay put at a single break. We can pack up everything, drive out to explore a bunch of other places and gain not only greater knowledge, but a better surf experience. All this thanks to our GMC Élite 1984!

What can we expect to see from Marc Laurin in the near future?

When I come home from this journey, I’ll take the time to plan out how I can push the envelope. These past few years I’ve realized the importance of future generations. I think it’s important to open their eyes on the rest of the world and keep them from drowning in a cyber universe. So I guess maybe I’ll aim in that direction…

Stay up to date by checking out Seeking For A New Port’s at http://seekingfornewport.gotsurf.ca/en or https://www.facebook.com/seekingforanewport

Tobin Yelland grew up immersed in the skateboarding culture on the streets of San Francisco. At 14 years old, he found his passion, photography, and began shooting pictures of his friends and fellow skaters. A year later he had his first work published in Thrasher Magazine. From there, an amazing career as a photographer began which eventually transformed into filmmaking where he has worked on projects with some well known clients such as Nike, MTV, DC Shoes, and also was the eye behind the lens for the feature documentary, Beautiful Losers. In the interview below, you’ll learn a bit more about Tobin’s path and his view on the DIY sub-cultures that has developed around skating, street art, surfing, and more.

Growing up in San Fransisco and being part of that skate scene in the 80′s and 90′s, how do think that culture has affect you as an artist? How has that culture affect mainstream society?

Looking back I think my friends and I cared more about having fun and having a good day skating then anything else. Fast forward 20 years, I think if it is not fun then something is wrong and I better change course with what I’m doing.

I hope skate culture has affected mainstream society by teaching people to think on their feet and to just go ahead and do what you want without asking for permission. You are skating through the city as a young person with not much power and you are skating different public and private property skate spots and just seeing how long you can skate before getting kicked out and then when you are get kicked out, you haggle with security guard or just come back when they are not looking and make your trick. I think street skating has taught me that there are no excuses to working to get what you want.

When did you start shooting photographs and what were your primary subjects your early years of photography?

I started in 1984 at 14 years old. I shot all my friends goofing off and skate action shots. I pretty much shot everything. Stupid self portraits and girls that were cute. I tried to copy photographers I liked. Like Edward Weston and Grant Brittain and many more.

You started filmmaking 5 years after picking up a still camera. What drew you to filmmaking? What does shooting motion allow you capture that stills do not?

I started through skate videos. I shot Stereo, A Visual Sound and Anti Hero, Fucktards both with Hi 8 video and Super 8 film and some Pixelvison. The first real introduction I got to cinematography was when Director Mike Mills needed a location to do a Coors Light commercial. Dave Carnie and I were roommates and Mike used us as the actors drinking and falling asleep in front of the TV. Scott Henriksen was the DP and I asked him all kinds of questions about his 16mm Ari SR that he was shooting with and we talked a lot. He hired me a couple months later to shoot some 16mm Bolex of a live concert for a record company. It was the first time that I was loading and shooting 16mm and I was so stoked ! Shooting motion is so fun because you get to tell your story with hundreds and thousands of images instead of one or a handful. I love both stills and motion although I’ve been slacking in the stills department lately.

Today you shoot both stills and motion. Artistically, when you think it’s best to shoot stills? Motion?

I think stills and motion are both so cool. It’s nice to blend them together. When I’m shooting a still sometimes I think ‘wow this would make a great motion shot’ and when I’m shooting motion sometimes I think the opposite and just want to capture the action in another way.

The short film “Encinitas Realization” was made during the months you were living in Encinitas with Thomas Campbell before move to NYC. How did your time here affect you?

Living with Thomas and Michelle Lockwood was great to get introduced to surfing. And also to take a break from San Francisco.

What did you like about the area?

I like that you can just walk to the beach anytime your at home and that people take time out to go watch the sunset. That’s super cool.

What did you find it lacking?

My sublet with Thomas ran out and I wanted to move downtown San Diego. I was shooting lots of skate photos and I needed to be closer to the photo lab and Encinitas was a little slow.

Korduroy headquarters is in Encinitas and we were rolling after we watched “Encinitas Realization”. You hit the nail on the head with that one. Where did the idea come from and what were you hoping to convey?

Chris Johanson wrote and directed the film I think he was influenced by staying with Thomas and just his take on Encinitas surf culture mixed with his sense of humor.

You moved to NYC in 2001 and now have a family in Brooklyn. Why the move? What do you most enjoy about living there? Are there any other spots where you could see yourself living?

I actually moved to LA and have lived here for a year. Living in New York for 9 years was an adventure for sure (I had lived in Brooklyn for six months before 9/11. I watched it all from my roof. ) Brooklyn is a fun place to live and really hard at times with the weather and all; but I’m glad to live in California now where the weather is nice.

You do a lot of commercial work now. Growing up documenting areas of life that were untouched my corporate agendas, did the transition to commercial work come easily or was it difficult? What advice would you have for artists adapting their work into the commercial world?

When I started I was doing skate photography the difference between commercial and editorial could be the same photograph but just a bigger check for a print add so I always wanted to use my photos for adds considering how little magazines paid. For me my balance has always been trying to get enough personal work done that I’m having fun with and then going after commercial jobs to earn some income. My advice for transitioning into commercial world is don’t be upset if you don’t make it all at once. success happens to some people quickly but just be sure you enjoy what your doing and then just work every angle business wise to do the jobs you want to do. Find the people who know what you want to know and take them out to lunch or work as intern etc and find out what you need to know to get closer to what you want to do.

You’ve really seen the transformation of these DIY subcultures like skating, tagging, surfing, etc. grow into large industries. What you think about this transformation?

I can talk about skating. I shot a lot of skating from 1985 to 1999 and Its great to see people do well and great to be a part of something when money isn’t the main purpose to why you are doing it. I have so many good memories of skating around San Francisco all day and I have watched companies grow and It seems like the successful companies are making things that are inspired and you can tell that what they make has something behind it.

Who have you seen go “big time” but still retain the mindset of when you were groms? And what attributes to their ability to maintain a healthy mindset amidst the change of pace of stakes?

Anti Hero Skateboards has stayed true I think. They really focus on skateboarding and I think that keeps things simple. They have the best adds and videos. Also Independent truck print adds have never changed and I think that’s so cool. They just focus on a great skate photo and simple design and that’s it.

For more on Tobin, check out his website at http://www.tobinyelland.com/

Grant Thompson had no connection to slacklining or highlining until about 4 months ago. By utilizing modern technology, he was able to contact some of the world’s best, dive head first into the sport, and experience something that would quickly change his life. He was hooked from those first steps along the webbing. And now he wants to share that gift he was given with the rest of the world and so begins his first film, Highliners. In this in-depth and personal interview, Grant shares his experiences in his new found community, what standing on the line can do for you mentally, physically and even spiritually, and how you can help his dreams become a reality (although it doesn’t seem like anything will stop him). And who knows, maybe getting into slacklining will improve your surfing…

Tell us about your film. What is the goal behind it? How did you get inspired to create this film?

About 4 months ago, I didn’t even really know anyone who slacklined or highlined. I had known about highlining for a few years, watched many videos on the internet, but when you don’t know anyone doing it, it feels difficult to approach and understand. I finally got fed up with the fact that I had no idea how to make this sport apart of my life. So I emailed probably about thirty people with cool videos on Vimeo and YouTube asking where I should start. Brian Mosbaugh, a highliner from Oregon, responded kindly and ended up inviting me to meet him and his friends around Smith Rock State Park. My first day there, I walked my first highline, and then rigged and walked another one the next week. I started walking longer slacklines on the ground and lines made from different materials. I felt so moved and inspired by this sport, the kindness of the people who practice it, and the natural beauty of the places where it is practiced. The combination of these three things have completely changed my life. They have made me clear on a life I want to live and work for. Parts of myself that used to feel anxious, fearful or depressed now seem to feel calm and whole, and all I want to do is be able to share this feeling with as many people as possible.

This film will share the stories of different people who practice this sport, leaving the viewer feeling like they have met the highliners themselves. My goal is to document and share highlining in an honest, inclusive and engaging way that will impact the viewer long after the credits have run. I want people to be inspired by these stories and the pristine beauty of the world we live in. I want to remind the audience that there are many kind, generous people out there who are doing incredible things. The film will be engaging for anyone, people who slackline and those that don’t. Regardless of their interests, it is my goal to get the viewers psyched on dedicating themselves to whatever they care deeply about.

Grant's first step on his first highline. Photo: Jacqueline Harrah

Where is it being filmed and who is involved?

Thus far I have been working mainly with Jerry Miszewski, who currently shares the world record for longest slackline walked (1260ft) and shares the world record for the longest highline walked (375ft). In addition, he designs and distributes different slackline webbings and devices through his business, Balance Community. And most importantly, he is a kind person who is sharing something he cares deeply about. Up to this point, I have mainly been shooting with him and Chris Rigby, a highliner from Arizona, in different locations throughout California. There are other highliners I am planning to work with in California, Nevada, Utah, and possibly Oregon. The different people all manage to incorporate this sport into their lives in different ways while balancing it between the demands and responsibilities of adulthood.

What’s your background in film? And where do you hope that this film will take you?

I grew up making skateboarding videos with my friends and was into photography throughout high school. I also took film classes in college and wanted to pursue a degree in film, but I figured making this film would likely be a better way for me to approach this career.

I see this film as my first solid step towards a career that revolves around working with stoked and motivated people.

For those who don’t know much about slacklining or highlining, can you please explain a bit about the sport and what is involved. What is the difference between the two? And what happens if you fall?

Slacklining in a nutshell is generally stretching a flat, 1-inch-wide strip of dynamic webbing between two anchor points. You can anchor it between trees, rocks, just over water, very high off the ground, or where ever you see fit. Varying pulley systems are used to tension the lines. You can walk on the line, jump, flip, bounce, do yoga poses or dynamic movements with the line. When you rig a highline, redundancy is critical. You can rig two lines together or a line and a rope to make sure if your main line fails you don’t die. Ideally, you want every aspect of your rigging to be backed up, so there is not one single point that your living existence is dependent on. You run both lines through rings, and join yourself to lose rings with a climbing harness and a rope. So if you fall, you are attached to the line and essentially just get whipped around from your momentum. It’s actually an incredibly draining process falling, then climbing up your leash and getting back on top of the highline. Ideally, when you fall you catch the line.

How long have you been slacklining/highlining? And how long did it take you to get it wired (no pun intended)? How has it changed you?

I started getting into slacklining last spring, but I couldn’t really find anyone who was doing it. I had a very basic set up and it wasn’t as enjoyable doing it alone. Consequently, I put it on hold until I got better equipment and started meeting highliners a few months ago in July. But I was watching so many highlining videos before that I would say I have been hooked on it for about two years. So just the process of going from deeply yearning to be apart of this sport, to avidly pursuing it, to being so warmly received by these wonderful people has been absolutely inspiring. After walking my first two highlines, I immediately shifted all of my focus into being able to create this film, so walking lines quickly went onto the back burner. That said, rigging and walking long and high lines has had a profound impact on me. Rigging highlines demands huge amounts of integrity. You have to trust your decisions with your life and the lives of your friends. Then actually walking requires huge amounts of faith and trust in yourself. I’ve learned that even if I feel terrified, sometimes taking a step forward is the best course of action. When the line shakes, it is because of your own unsteady thoughts, feelings, and actions. So in order to walk lines successfully you must own the responsibility for any unsteadiness of the line. You must correct yourself to bring the line back into a peaceful state. Life on earth is exactly the same way. Walking lines has taught me to take full responsibility for my life and my actions. It has reminded me to make a constant effort to work through my patterns and tendencies that have resulted in any negative repercussions. And for me, that mindset has given me a sense of freedom.

Talk about the devotion it takes to be good at slacklining and highlining. What kind of mind frame must you have to be successful? What are some of the steps a slackliner must take in order to mentally prepare themselves? And how do you stay calm?

The way I see it, the mind frame of walking a line is based in the nature of experience. You can sit on a highline and look across it forever and never want to get up and try it because it looks so scary, even though falling is harmless. When your in that mind set, your preconceptions of what you think is possible are governing you. Your not actually getting up and trying it, your letting your fear come between you and your experience of life. When your able to work through it, stand up and start walking, it starts to feel easier. I think to successfully walk lines you must be immersed in your experience of life and let go of what think it is or what it should be. You must fully cultivate your senses and become aware of what is going on inside and outside of yourself. How to stay calm is the hardest part of it all for me. If I get freaked out or upset, it is extremely difficult for me to call upon a calm state of mind. That seems to be a huge part of it all, developing the skill to summon a calm state of mind in any and all circumstances.

As far as preparations go, I think it varies person to person. If Jerry can’t cross a line one day, he goes as far as trying to force himself into dreaming about successfully walking it during his sleep. And he said it has worked almost every time.

What are some obstacles you have faced while making this film? I would imagine you must be a climber of sorts to get some of your shots…

Honestly, I have been amazed how smoothly everything has been flowing. Although this is my first serious, full length film, it seems to have gone from being just an idea to having a life of it’s own rather quickly. I would say the biggest challenge is being responsible for every aspect of the production and to always focus on making sure the different phases run smoothly. Right now the main obstacle I am facing is how to be able to continue working on this project full heartedly with no funding. As far as shooting goes, I am not a climber. I love shooting this sport so much and am always working as hard as I can to get as many different angles as possible, which often requires some hiking and occasionally some serious bush whacking.

How can our viewers help?

We have recently launched a fundraising campaign through Kickstarter.com. Donations are met with rewards like digital downloads of the film, slackline friendship bracelets, photographs, and signed DVD’s. Even if you can only afford a small donation it helps so much! Readers can also help us share what we are doing and get others stoked http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1544822309/highliners-a-film-about-staying-calm-and-loving-yo Being that we are a surf website, how does slacklining/highlining relate to surfing? Do you see this is a good training tool for our sport?

I absolutely see a connection. I think that slacklining is the only other sport where one actively interacts with large, visible energy waves. When I first started sitting on long lines, I would feel awkward and not know how to sit on the line and be comfortable with the oscillations. It reminded me of when I first started surfing and felt so uncomfortable sitting on my board in the ocean. As far as training goes, slacklining and highlining gets you in shape! You really get a full body work out, and it helps a lot with posture. I also have found that highlining is great training for bigger surf because it makes you cultivate a calm, logical, and confident state of being in situations that appear terrifying. Slacklining is a great way to stay stoked when there’s no waves.

What’s next for Grant Thompson?

I am leaving today for an international highlining gathering in Utah. It looks like we will have some new world records by next week and I feel so stoked and honored to be a part of it and document it. I’m excited to hop on some lines myself too. Beyond that, I look forward to being able to share this sport with you the way I see it and feel it in my heart.

For more on the film, check out the official website at www.highlinersfilm.com

Making an independent film of any kind is tough. Add in a feature length runtime, Bolex cameras, 16mm film, traveling to far off destinations, scoring an original soundtrack, and being pretty much self taught in filmmaking, Jeremy Rumas has NO easy task in his upcoming film, Hangs Upon Nothing. But with a lot of hard work and patience, perseverance will pay off. And by the look of it, it will. Hangs Upon Nothing takes you on a journey around the world to experience life as a surfer. We are excited to share with you Jeremy’s official teaser for the film as well as an in depth interview about the man behind the project…

How does your art background translate into filmmaking? What skills do you find go hand in hand between the two?

I like creating whether it’s drawing with pencil and paper, playing a guitar, shaping a surfboard, or filming and editing. I feel like they are all interrelated. I’ve done a lot of traditional animation for work, and with that I’ll be working on a few seconds of animation for a couple weeks. I’m not really sure if that relates directly to filmmaking other than teaching me patience. I guess it might help with pacing too.

I think that surfing is a lot like making art or music. It’s spontaneous and flowing, it’s in the moment. You’re drawing your own lines on a wave. I’ve noticed that a lot of surfers and skaters and snowboarders are really creative people. A lot of us draw or paint or play music. I think we see the world a bit differently.

I think just being a creative person can translate into filmmaking. Having a vision, and wanting to see it realized. That’s where I started, and then I learned the tools to help me realize it.

What is your background in film? How did you get started? What projects have you worked on in the past?

I took one filmmaking class at Columbia College in Chicago where I learned to shoot with a Bolex. That was 13 years ago. After that I got more into animation. I thought I had a more realistic chance of getting work if I pursued animation, and I figured I could later on try to get into filmmaking on my own.

I’ve worked on a bunch of different stuff as a commercial artist, from educational software, to slot machines, to animating the Trix Rabbit. Really, whatever drawing work I could find at any given time, all in Chicago.

What led you to this film project, Hangs Upon Nothing.

I learned to surf when I was 24 during a solo trip to Samoa. I bought a longboard and went there with my bike, and a trailer to haul around my longboard with. It had been a life long dream to surf, and I finally went for it. I wanted to go somewhere way different than Chicago where I was living, and I chose Samoa. I biked around until I ended up in a village where a few local kids knew how to surf. They had a beat up bodyboard, and we took turns on my board in some little waves out front. I traveled on, and my second week surfing there I ended up in what are still to this day the heaviest waves I have ever been out in. My first day in real Samoan waves I got the closest I have been to drowning. But I stuck with it and I caught solid waves on the south coast of Upolo. I was floored by how beautiful surfing was. I couldn’t believe I’d been missing out on this my first 24 years.

The whole experience changed my life and sent me off in a different direction. It was during that trip that I decided I wanted to make a film about surfing. Over the next year I thought about it, and then started arranging things in my life so that I could do it.

That was seven years ago now. The first two years I was shooting with a video camera, and that was more like a test run. The footage that’s going to end up in Hangs Upon Nothing is from the last five years, all 16mm and Super 16mm Bolex footage. I’ll also mention I’ve put in time on this off and on when I can. This isn’t all I’ve been doing for seven years. I’ve spent more time than not back home working between trips.

Tell us a bit about your film. Who is in it? What do you hope viewers gain after watching?

Hangs Upon Nothing is really just about experiencing life on earth. It’s about what it feels like to experience the world as a surfer. I have to admit it’s so hard for me to put the film into words.

My idea for filming this was just to follow around a few different surfers with my camera, and film what their lives are like. I wanted the viewer to feel they are experiencing life as the surfers in the film experience it.

The surfers in this are all people I’ve met while traveling, with the exception of Chuck Corbett who I contacted through the internet after stumbling across some of his postings about lonely equatorial waves. They were rambling postings, half finished thoughts, and stories of surfing alone. Chuck spent about 30 years in the equatorial Pacific, and a lot of that time he surfed reef passes far off the beaten path. He sometimes refers to these places as wave monasteries.

Mikala and Daniel Jones of Hawaii are a big part of this. Their brother Keoni is in this also, and some of their friends became a part of the project too, like Ryan and Timmy Turner.

And then there’s also a group of local kids from Bali. They’re not really kids anymore, but they still act like it. You might have seen one of them in surf news recently, Darmaputra Tonyo (also spelled as Tonjo). He’s been making his way up in competition surfing.

The idea is having a representation of the past, present, and future.

It seems like filmmakers who are committed to using 16mm run into financial problems, especially doing it independently. Do you think this is the biggest obstacle to overcome when shooting with film? Or is there something else that creates a bigger hurdle when shooting film?

I think it’s one of the big obstacles among many. The expense is one thing, it’s an expensive process for sure. It’s daunting as an independent. To keep funding this as I have trudged along with this project I have done everything from working as a commercial artist to washing dishes and setting up tables and chairs at my friend’s banquet hall.

Another challenge is transporting film, it’s heavy, x-ray sensitive, and heat sensitive.

With shooting with a Bolex, I shoot 100 foot rolls of film that are just under 3 minutes a piece. So I shoot with a mindset like I’m editing while I shoot. I only pull the trigger when I see something happening that I think is unique, or interesting, something that I think can make it into the final film. The nice plus side to this is that the footage I get back seems to flow like a roughly edited film already.

I’d say the biggest challenge though while filming surfing is having to change film. I’ve missed some good rides while changing rolls of film. I’ve even upset a few friends at times because of this, and I can understand the frustration, if I missed their best wave. It can happen when shooting 16mm film.

Shooting in the water is pretty tough too. Heavy camera and housing, a few minutes of footage, less if shooting slo-mo, and I have to manually wind my camera back up between shots, while trying not to get pounded by waves or swimming against currents. I love shooting in the water, and it also scares me a bit. It’s a rush, and it’s a unique way of experiencing waves, especially the views from inside a wave as surfers pass by a few feet in front of you, it is fast and powerful. You can feel it. That is amazing to experience.

I think choosing to shoot film is going to be worth it. I love the look of surfing captured on 16mm film, especially with a camera like a Bolex. Bolex footage is not perfect, and I like that. To me, it just feels a bit different. It feels real. It feels more human. Kind of in the same way that late 1960′s rock recordings have this sound/feel that impacts me more than today’s studio recordings. I like the sound quality of Hendrix and Zeppelin recordings more than I do newer stuff. And for this project at least, I like the look of film.

After doing this film independently, would you choose that path again if you were to make another?

Well, I’m not sure. It is very tough trying to make a feature length film independently. After I finish this, I’d like to go back to a bit of a more normal life again. Hopefully that includes making more films. Right now my focus is just finishing this film and I’ll take it from there.

You have some pretty well known surfers in your film. How did you hook up with these guys?

During one visit to see Chuck Corbett, Mikala and Daniel Jones came out with a few other guys to stay on Chuck’s boat for a couple weeks. At first I did not plan on shooting any of them even. I did not have much film, and I planned on only shooting with Chuck. When I saw them all surfing though, I just started shooting. The sun was shining through the backs of these turquoise waves, there were local kids out in the shorebreak body surfing with little wooden boards. It was too good not to shoot, so I shot that day.

I was able to show them a bit of footage of my project in progress, and Mikala and Daniel really liked it all. They gave me an open invitation to come film with them. After that they became one of the main parts of the film and they became good friends too.

When do you expect the film to be released?

That’s up in the air still, but I hope to be wrapped up shooting and editing by the end of summer 2012. Doing the soundtrack on our own, that takes a while. It will get done one way or another!

Stay updated with the film at the film’s official blog: www.hangsuponnothing.blogspot.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Hangs-Upon-Nothing-a-16mm-surf-film/246361802068338

After traveling on the grueling WQS and then suffering a life threatening injury to the head on his 21st birthday, Sam Page knows what it takes to endure some really difficult times. The long road to recovery after a coma and head trauma became a pathway to a new way of life for Sam as he found a major passion for shooting and editing video. Now, Sam and his boys, Nick Cheadle and Michael Spencer, head up the website, VelvetSea.tv, which documents their incredible talents on surfboards and behind the lens. In this Filmmaker Feature, Sam explains how he transitioned from contest surfer to filmmaker, how his injury changed his life, and what it takes to survive the blog-o-sphere in this day and age…

Tell us about your website Velvet Sea. Who is involved? What’s the goal, etc?

There are three of us who manage the site. Luke Cheadle, Michael Spencer and myself.

We have traveled together on the ‘QS for many years and worked with several film makers and photographers so we have a good idea of what goes on in the industry.

 We feel that there is a place for us in the surfing media and our viewers trust in our taste, opinions and our quality of original content.

I’m excited about trying to create a fresh look that has something different to what others are doing.

Seems as though there is a new surf blog popping up almost daily. Since you guys have been at it for a while, what do you think it takes to stand out these days? Is there anything you guys are trying to do differently then what others are up to? And where do you see the future of surf blogs/surf films?

It is amazing in this day and age that you have access to video clips all over the web. Majority of blogs pump out recycled content. We also try to spread the love embedding clips which impress us. There are so many creative people producing incredible footage. But the real point of the blog is to showcase the original stuff we’re doing. Its difficult to stand out but hopefully our original content has something that others aren’t doing.

Who knows what the future has on offer. Now there are also sites holding competitions with major sponsors getting involved, the possibilities are endless.

You had a pretty bad accident on your 21st birthday and ended up in a coma with some serious injuries. It was a while ago but have you fully recovered from that? How has that incident changed your view on life?

They were some dark times for me. I had some great support especially from my parents. For 4 months I couldn’t surf or drive. My speech was poor and I was depressed. But somewhere in all that it all clicked into place for me.

I had an epiphany. I felt a sense of insignificance. A speck in this complex phenomenon. I was grateful to still be alive. Everything was different now.

It took the whole year to find my feet in the surf. After that year my head was definitely in a different place.

You’ve gone from surfing on the ‘QS to now being behind the camera and computer, shooting and editing. How did you get started in filmmaking? Anyone take you under their wing or is it something you picked up on your own?

It’s strange to look back at it all. I was going really well on the QS just before the accident. I had my best results pretty much back to back. 5th in the Hossegor Super series and 3rd in the La Santa Canaries. Competing is harder than people think, but I felt like I was really getting it right.

If I didn’t get struck down by that bouncer I believe I would still be devoted to competition. But being put in that coma was possibly the best thing that happened to me. Being at rock bottom made me re-evaluate my life.

I wasn’t surfing or driving so to relieve my boredom I purchased an SLR camera.

I was hooked.

My first ‘QS back I made 3 heats and made enough prize money to buy a HD tourist video camera. Instantly my passion shifted from stills to video.

Editing was a great way to start using my brain again so I have taught myself everything. There’s been so much to learn.

What equipment are you using these days?

Canon XHA1s, 7D, Rode Mic, Canon 10-22 mm, Canon 28-135, Nikon 50mm and a Holga.

There are so many different creative techniques using the 7D. They are a lot of fun.

Your AM/PM series feature Craig Anderson and Kai Otton. What is the idea behind this series, and do you guys have plans for more?

People want to know what happens behind the scenes. I tried to tell a story with Kai’s AM/PM. Show what its like to be competing at that level. Everyone always captures the winners but I enjoyed creating a project about Kai’s loss and how he pulled it back together.

Who has been your favorite surfer to shoot in your experience?

Mitch Coleborn has such a relaxed style and his turns are so explosive. I have also had some great footage of Jamie O’Brien at Cloud Nine.

What’s next for Sam Page?

Keen to film some of my friends skating over the summer. I also have a view concepts in mind which i would like to go through with.

I have a knee injury that I need to sort out. It’s been holding me back for a year or so. In France till November filming some of my friends on their Qs leg. Hopefully i can have my knee mended by the time I finish filming so I can get some fun waves out Hossegor. Hopefully my best surfing is still to come.

For more visit, www.velvetsea.tv

Nat Lanyon is a 24 year old, Australian photographer/filmmaker. Only shooting for about 4 years, Nat’s polished style is well beyond his years of professional experience in the field. With a strong passion for surfing and skateboarding, it is clear in Nat’s work that he has a bright future ahead. When he recently sent us over his reel, we had to dive in a bit deeper and find out a bit more about this young talent…

What came first for you…photo or video? And how did you get started in shooting?

Photography came first. Istarted shooting about 4 years ago. I would just muck around taking skate and surf photos with my mates while at Uni… I was just learning and having fun. I remember I sold some photos of Christian Wach to Gotcha about 3 years ago and thats when I got kinda amped and thought I would try and take it a bit more seriously. I’ve been shooting video for 18 months now.

Describe your style.

I think it’s kinda nostalgic, vivid, fun colours and lots of nice little moments. It’s evolving but..I hope, haha.

Talk about the great things of being a young filmmaker in 2011. What about the difficulties?

I like the lifestyle it brings, the travel and meeting new people. I’m setting my business up at the moment and I’m on a small business program with the government so the next 12 months should be pretty productive. The difficulties are sometimes getting people to pay on time and not fuck you around in general. Some people want stuff done for next to nothing.

What are the most important things that you have learned over the years about photography/cinematography that you always go back to?

That it’s okay to be hungover when filming, especially surf. Haha, nah, seriously maybe that you have to self-promote your work, not in a bad way but make sure you try to get it out their so that it can reach more people. Also, to be creative and try things that might not work. Sometimes it’s a waste of time but it can also really add value to a clip or a range of photos for a lookbook. You just have to give it a go.

What do you focus on when shooting? Is there a particular method you have when approaching a shoot? A routine, if you will…

Depends on the shoot. Obviously with surfing, I just gotta make sure I don’t miss anything and try to use any cool available angles without sacrificing view-ability. I prefer (or at least try) to shoot most surf lifestyles away from the beach or use nice landscapes that I’ve captured on the road because so much shit is played out. If I’m shooting a lookbook or video for fashion, I usually spend some time with the owner and we run through a set of photos they have collected for inspiration and that helps envision what we going to try and achieve. Sometimes a little storyboarding can be a fun way to make a fashion video a little bit more interesting.

Is there certain criteria that you have for yourself in order to release your next video clip. In other words, are there certain things that a clip must have for you to approve it for the world to see?

Nah, not yet. Obviously it depends if it is a paid job or if its just a personal edit. I’m pretty carefree with my personal edits. I try not to make them as professional as my paid work. I try to make them a little more fun and purely for enjoyment.

What kind of equipment do you use?

My equipment is pretty damn basic. I’ll be looking at a major upgrade in the next few months but until then I’m running a Canon 550D, 100-400mm L series Canon lense, Sigma Wide Angle & 3 Canon prime lenses. Canon Flashes and yeah that’s it.

What does it take these days to be a successful photographer? Filmmaker?

You have to be a combination of things: good technical skills, good post-production skills, creative, a solid networker and be happy doing some self-promotion.

What has been getting you stoked lately?

Just enjoying life and getting a few waves myself. Been road tripping to Byron Bay a bit, listening to good garage rock, OFWGKTA, other punks clips on Vimeo, different types of pale ales and wines, Seinfield (haha, I shouldn’t still be getting amped on that show should I?) and all the pretty ladies that this amazing weather is bringing out.

For more of Nat’s work, check out his websites:

What’s next for Nat Lanyon?

In the next few months…just working hard. I have two entries in the last round of Innersection (an online shortboarding comp ran by taylor steele), more work for Rhythm as well, which I’m amped on. I’m heading to Indo for a while in February to shoot some fashion videos and lookbooks which I’m also amped about.

Richard and Andrew James are twin brothers, 26 years old, from Freshwater Beach in Sydney. Surfing and travel have been their lifelong passions so it was natural for them to embark on a filming mission that most would turn and run the other way at the thought of exploring such far off regions of the world.  Thirty Thousand: A Surfing Odyssey from Casablanca to Cape Town, the brother’s first film, is their story of a year long search for waves down the west coast of Africa (30,000 km), a place that some would consider as foreign as the moon. The film won the Audience Choice Award and Best Soundtrack at the International Surf Film Festival, France. In the interview below, Richard gives us some insight into the film, his experiences, and what it takes to find waves where there is little or no evidence of ride-able surf.

Tell us a little background into your film Thirty Thousand. How did the idea come about? How long was the trip? Who was involved, etc…

The west coast of Africa is such a long coastline with so much surf potential that hasn’t really been properly explored. We didn’t really know much about the areas we were going before we left – we were just inspired by looking at the map and wondering what must be out there. The plan was to go down the entire length of the coast, from north to south, starting in Morocco and ending up in South Africa. We gave ourselves a year to do the trip, but really we had no idea how long it was going to take. In the end we had to bypass a few countries by boat, places where we didn’t see much surf potential, because otherwise there was no way we could have done it in 12 months. For the most part it was just my brother Andrew and myself. We had another cameraman, a good friend of ours Tristan Fitzherbert-Smith, who was with us for the first few months, but unfortunately he couldn’t do the whole trip.

Traveling thru Western Africa, you must have some interesting stories. What were some of the more memorable parts of the trip?

Angola was really interesting. It was a really difficult place to travel through. In most places we got by with a little bit of French, but there everyone speaks Portuguese and not a word of English. It’s also incredibly expensive, about $250 per night for a basic hotel room. The only reason we could get by is because we were set up with our own car and camping gear. The economy has been turned on its head by all this oil money that’s coming in there now. People are still dirt poor, but prices are exorbitant. We also heard some crazy stories about the civil war there from a few ex-pats. These guys were amazingly unfazed by the whole thing; gunfights would be going on in the streets and they were just going about business as usual. Then driving out of Angola into Namibia, and the change of scenery from savannah to desert, with so much open space and distance between places it’s almost impossible to believe. The landscape in that part of the world is just incredible, it’s like you’re driving on the moon.

What would you say was the biggest eye opener about Africa in general? And what misconceptions did you have that have now changed after spending time down there?

Everyone associates Africa with poverty, and it’s an accurate impression to some extent, but what surprised up was the incredible inequality of wealth within Africa. There are plenty of super-rich people around, who have made money through government corruption, or oil, or mining. The extent of natural resources that some of these countries have is massive. What we realized is that there’s enough wealth within Africa to turn the entire continent around, if only Africans would start helping Africans.

How did you know where to look for waves? What did it take to access some of the spots in the film? And if you were to go back, where would you hit first?

In most of the countries we visited we knew beforehand there were good waves. It might have been just rumors, or an old photo we’d seen, or something like that. But it’s not easy to find spots. We had to use Google Earth and just figure out the setups with the most potential, and then follow our nose until we thought we’d found a good spot. Then it was a matter of waiting for swell, which could sometimes take up to a month. Access was a big problem – sometimes we were on private land owned by mining companies, sometimes it was a local village who didn’t want you surfing or were trying to make money from you, or the police asking for permits, wanting bribes, things like that. We just had to be low key about it, keep the camera hidden as much as possible, and generally we were able to film what we wanted.

If I had to chose a place to go back, I guess it depends on the kind of waves you’re after. Southern Morocco and Western Sahara have amazing longboard waves, perfect right-hand sand points. And it’s a fairly cruisy area. For barrels I’d go back to Liberia, it has these amazing bowling lefts, and it’s an incredible country to visit, but getting there and getting around is much harder.

If people were to take away one thing from watching Thirty Thousand, what would you hope it would be?

We just want people to be inspired to go travel and search for waves. We wanted to show how much is still out there to be discovered. The world is a smaller place in a lot of ways, because of the way we travel and communicate, but it doesn’t mean that you can’t find perfect waves to yourself if you’re willing to get out there and look.

As far as filming goes, any difficulties in that arena being in some remote areas and the fact that there was only the two of you?

It was hard when there was just the two of us. One would have to film while the other surfed, and then we’d swap over. When the surf was big, and we were in the middle of nowhere, going out on your own isn’t much fun. Especially in Southern Africa sharks are always on your mind. Storing all the footage and backing it up was also a challenge. We had our own generator so we were self-sufficient for power. We’d shoot HD straight onto hard drives, and then post a drive home every month or so.

What’s your background in filmmaking and how did you get started?

I’d done six months of a filmmaking course back in Australia, but I dropped out to do my own projects. I think it’s a better way to learn. Making this film has been a huge eye-opener for us in terms of figuring out how much is involved in putting together a film, as well as how the industry works. It’s been a pretty steep learning curve.

How can people see your film?

The best place to get the film is direct from our website: http://www.thirtythousand.com.au

Nick Chalmers is an Australian artist/media maker/bodysurfer we met on our last trip to Oz. Full of energy and creativity, he made a lasting impression. So when his friends at Rhythm sent over an interesting little clip he did starring Harrison Roach and Dane Peterson, we got all curious and wondered, “what is this Nick Chalmers guy all about?” below are some answers..

Tell us how you got into surfing and making art.

I think I started surfing when I was around 6 years old. Not full on every day or weekend, just once every now and then. It wasn’t till I was about 12 that I really took a liking towards it. Without sounding all hippy, the ocean really gives me grounding and makes me feel comfortable no matter where I am in the world. I always like having the ocean near by even if it’s just for some fresh air or a swim just to get my blood pumping and have that real ”clean” feeling.

As for my art I started like most kids do with crayons and colour pencils drawing and scribbling colours, doing my best to stay in the lines. Unfortunately I wasn’t part of the Nintendo/Playstation Club so I’d get severely bored on school holidays. My entertainment ended up being drawing and painting so I guess it was a progression from there. I’ve always enjoyed the process of creating though, no matter what medium.

Photo: Angus McDiarmid / http://angusmcdiarmid.com

What gets you excited?

First thing that comes to mind when I think “excitement” is definitely traveling. I like going places I’ve never been before that are ‘in my backyard’ so to speak, whether its going to a beach I’ve never been to or going for a rainforest walk I’ve never seen. Then there’s the other extreme which is sitting in a plane seat watching the hostess run through the safety demonstration and just having that feeling of knowing that you are going to a country you’ve never been to and not know what’s in store for the days to come.

Photo: Matt Rabbidge / http://www.greaterthen.tumblr.com

You’re known for garnering a speedo while bodysurfing. What is the purpose behind this choice of apparel?

Hah! I guess I enjoy the speedo just because I feel less restricted, not that boardshorts really restrict you that badly when they’re above the knee but I just like the feeling of swimming in the ocean and feeling it cover your whole body. I really don’t know why I wear them though haha, I think they’re more comfortable than trunks and just more practical – even if some people get freaked out by it.

When I was in Noosa, I saw your artwork with unique price tags on each piece. One read “Price-2 packs of cigarettes, an egg and sausage sandwich, and a candy bar to be delivered to our hotel room by 9 am tomorrow morning”. Have such prices worked? Did you get anybody to deliver such goods?

You must have been hazed that night…some of the sales were “1x Carton of Coopers Green”, “3x Pizzas”, “1x Bottle of Absolute Vodka, 1x Lime and 2x bottles of soda water” “5x Cream cheese bagels with avocado and 5x coffees”…or something like that. Haha

I don’t think I’ve sold an artwork in exchange for anything besides an ‘artwork swap’ or cash before, but the novelty prices haven’t worked yet, unfortunately. At the Noosa exhibition I guess people didn’t like my work enough to want to go order pizzas and bring them to the apartment I was staying in, or just didn’t like the art. I wasn’t really phased if I sold the work or not though, I’d just had an awesome week and thought why not have a little party to finish it off and make people think and giggle.

How is the NSW, Australian surf scene unique from other parts of the world?

That’s a tough one. 10 years ago there was no one really riding alaias, quads, logs, SUPS, mats. The majority of surfers were just riding conventional thrusters, with the odd fish or experimental board in the line up. Nowadays there’s every form of wave riding in the water and it’s more accepted than it used to be even 5 years ago. I’m not sure how unique NSW or Australia is compared to other parts of the world but there is definitely a lot of people who are accepting of the whole “sub-culture” if you could call it, who aren’t your typical thruster riding, World Tour following surfers.

How did you get into making video clips? What do you like about the medium of expression?

I first started making surf clips when I was about 12 years old. I used footage of my friends and I surfing that we or our mums had filmed of us. I literally used to record the waves I wanted to use onto a VHS tape then once that was done I’d set up the camera in front of the TV and would play Blink 182 on the stereo and film the TV screen. Once that was done I’d record the final edit back onto VHS and it was done. For titles I’d use Microsoft Word and would film them straight off the computer. The whole process was unintentionally 100% lo-fi. I like video as a medium just because it’s moving picture and once you add audio as another element it can become a very emotive medium opposed to a picture. Movie is just another way I like to document my life and to communicate my ideas and interests to an audience I guess. It’s also just another creative outlet I enjoy and a challenge trying to learn Final Cut.

Screen grab from my first surf movie I called GROM ATTACK

If you could go back in time and tell yourself 3 things when you were 13 what would you say?

I would have told myself:
1. Befriend a few computer savvy people.
2. Pay the computer savvy people to build a website where people can communicate and upload photos (and take full ownership rights)
3. Invest in some property and travel the world all whilst living off a social website by the name of ‘Facebook’.

For more of Nick’s work, check out his website www.nicholaschalmers.com

Toby Cregan was born in a small town on the southern coast of NSW called Berrara. While many people questioned what there was to do in place like that, Toby used his time to surf and become a better filmer and editor. Now, the 20 year old has moved to Byron Bay for film school and has been creating some amazing clips as the in-house filmer for Ocean and Earth.

How did you get started in filmmaking? And what have been your steps to learning the art of filmmaking?

I have always had a camera and played in bands so the first clip I made was of a friend of mine playing a gig down the snow, the next morning, I broke my leg skateboarding so that pretty much meant the next 6 months for me out of the water. I ended up filming heaps of surfing, bands, etc.

From there everything has kind of snowballed, at the start of the year, I moved to Byron Bay to go to film school but I ended up doing a movie for Ocean and Earth that came out with the July issue of Tracks magazine so I didn’t really have time. I am not going to go to film school for the time being.

What type of equipment are you using these days?

I use a Canon 600D with a 1.4 50mm lens for shooting lifestyle and interviews and a Sony HDR-FX1 for shooting surfing.

When approaching your next filming session, what are you looking for in terms of angles, lighting, etc?

It all depends. Every place you shoot is different. I usually just go to shoot with an idea of how I want the clip to feel and go from there.

What is your role with Ocean and Earth?

I am the in-house filmer for Ocean and Earth. I have worked there for a long time. My first job there I was probably 8 years old tying swivels for leg ropes.

My dad started the company in 1979. Before that he shaped boards and was a surfer starring in the movie Band On The Run, which also featured Rabbit Bartholomew, Bruce Raymond and Paul Neilson.

That was a huge inspiration for me seeing my dad in a surf movie and old surf mags, the old dude still rips as well.

I do work for other companies as well.

What is your feeling on the state of surf films right now in this digital age where people are posting all this free content? And where do you think it is headed?

I think it’s great at the moment. I know there is probably a few older guys in the industry that might feel a bit bitter about what is happening with a lot of younger guys being able to do now what only a select few could do ten years ago.

I am only 20 so I have always been one of the guys giving out the free content so yeah I’m into it. That is for sure the way it is going. People can just watch their favourite surfers and waves directly.

With the increased accessibility of HD cameras and editing software, what do you think it takes to make a viral webclip? And are you doing anything to differentiate yourself from what everyone else is doing?

I think for a surf clip to go viral there has to be good waves or good surfing having a good song helps too. I just try cut my clips as good as possible. I think everyone has there own editing style. I just hope people like mine.

What gets you the most stoked right now?

I have been watching heaps of skate movies, Doped Youth has been my favourite movie forever. Living in Byron is great too. I live in a house with 8 people and they are all my friends. Everyone in the house is creative so there is always stuff going on. At the moment there are 6 boards being shaped.

Harry Triglone also does pretty much the same thing I do. He lives here so we help each other out a little bit…not much but if he missed a clip and I got it, I would give it to him.

Duncan McNicol lives here as well. The way that dude surfs is the kind of surfing I like to watch…big airs and heaps of tricks.

What are your goals for the future and what can we expect from Toby Cregan next?

I would like to do another movie, just something super fun. I was thinking of doing a movie called Throw Up, in spite of the Billabong movie Blow Up. I actually like the movie but i thought it could be funny.

I am working on a clip at the moment with 13 year old superstar from America, Kanoa Igarashi. The kid is so rad. He has done a few of the biggest airs I have ever seen.

For more of Toby’s work, check out tobycregan.blogspot.com

Capturing natural beauty clearly is a key to filmmaker/photographer Matt Kleiner’s creativity. With great attention to detail and finding those magical moments, he has developed a style of his own that is now recognizable in and out of the surfing world. Utilizing a number of skills, including his musical talents as well as his expertise behind the lens, Matt has become a force to reckon with which is showcased in his latest project, Way of the Ocean, a five part series around the globe revealing the connection between man and the ocean.

What was the initial draw to filmmaking for you?

Initially I was really drawn to film, specifically super 8 and how it really seemed to capture a moment and the feeling. My dad used to film a bunch of super 8 of my brothers and I when we were growing up and it was always so cool to see how it translated to the screen. I think that really sparked my interest and made me look at things differently from then on. Once digital video was introduced and it was actually affordable to practice shooting I picked up a camera and never really looked back.

Did you start shooting video or photos first? And how have the two helped one another along your artistic path?

Video was first for me, partly I think because we had a video camera in the house growing up and it seemed so much cooler at the time because it was new. I didn’t really get into taking photos until a few years ago and it was sort of out of necessity. The work I was doing at the time required stills and we didn’t have a budget for a photographer so I just filled in and started getting really drawn to it. The challenge of capturing an emotion or a story all in one single frame was really cool and it took me awhile to feel comfortable but I think it has helped me develop as a film maker tremendously and vice versa.

What makes surfing such a strong creative focus for you?

I pretty much grew up at the beach and once I started surfing, it took over my thoughts. As most groms do, I would day dream of waves until school let out and I would spend every minute I could in the water. I think surfers are really lucky in the sense that we see things that most people won’t ever get the chance to and maybe it was that perspective that led me into surf film making. Surfing was the reason I started to travel and traveling is what inspires my film making so it all goes hand in hand for me.

How does diversity in filmmaking help one project to the next?Is there a particular type (or genre) of job that you seek out?

For me, diversity is a huge thing and it really helps not to get burnt out or stagnant. With any thing that’s creative it is inevitable that there will be slumps or downtime so having a bit of diversity keeps the brain working in different ways and helps keep things rolling. Its easy to get frustrated with surfing at times because everything is up in the air and you really can’t count on anything. So being able to work on something completely different will allow me to recharge my focus and get excited about the unpredictability of surfing. If I had my choice of a particular job I would just photograph beautiful women in beautiful locations all the time but I think I will always enjoy making surf films even if it’s just for fun.

What tools of the trade do you feel are most important (besides a camera, of course) for you to have a successful shoot?

There are so many factors involved in filming but I think the most important thing is light. Whether is it natural light or artificial light it’s the main ingredient in a successful shoot. Another big thing is making sure you are in the right mind state and able to adapt quickly and make changes as things happen. When you work with sun light it is constantly changing and sometimes there are only a few minutes or less for the perfect shot to take place so you have to be ready. Then there is always the subject, when working with people its all about chemistry. If everyone is having fun or getting really into what they are doing then the outcome is usually reflective of that.

Is there any specific advice that you have received over your career that has stuck with you today that you still go back to?

The best advice I have received was really just to go for what you want, work hard and find something you truly enjoy doing. As cliché as it all sounds it seems to have worked out. One thing I always try to remember that my parents told me is that you get back what you put out. It’s pretty easy sometimes to get down in this profession. Most of the time work isn’t steady or reliable and there are a lot of ups and downs and no one ever seems to have a budget. Staying positive and putting that positivity out there is a huge key to success and will usually result in good things coming back to you.

Your cinematography and imagery is extremely rich and beautiful. What is the key to finding those images?

It all kind of goes back to light I suppose. I always try to wait for the right time to do shoots and make sure to capture some sort of emotion or a specific feeling. I spend a lot of time choosing locations and finding out what angles look good to me and then just try to make sure I am on it when the time is right. Another thing to keep in mind is camera settings. Its always good to play around with the settings and find the look you are going for. Personally I’m really intrigued by color and usually try to achieve a very rich look and its kind of just trial and error until you find what you are looking for.

You have been HIGHLY involved in every aspect of your latest film, Way of the Ocean, from shooting, editing, music and more. Why take on all these different aspects to the film? And what is the most rewarding part of the film for you?

I really enjoy every aspect of filmmaking. When I’m shooting things a lot of times I can see how I want the edit to work and hear sort of what I want the music to sound like. It can be a bit overwhelming at times to have all that work on one plate but I think I’m just addicted to creating things. Working on all these different aspects of the film allows me to break it up a bit and not just film everyday or not just edit all the time. I really can’t sit still for too long so having to wear a few different hats keeps me plenty busy and I learn a lot in the process.

Way of the Ocean is sort of a personal project for me, it’s something I have been working on and wanting to do for awhile now. I think a lot of surf movies now days are just one giant ad for the big corporations and I really wanted to do something with out any of that. Just really have fun making something with no deadlines or any other cooks in the kitchen so to speak. I’m also pretty lucky in the sense that I have two really talented brothers to work with. We all work well together and between the three of us we can cover all the bases. My older brother Ryan is an insane artist and musician and did all the design and art direction along with a really cool acoustic track for the film. Justin, our younger brother worked with me on the soundtrack for the film and the trailer and all their help really gave the project a unique and cohesive feel.

I would have to say the best part though was spending all that time in Australia working with some of my favorite surfers and scoring great waves. It’s hard to balance between filming and surfing but that was another reason for making this a personal project so I could take my time and enjoy everything.

All in all, I enjoy every singe bit of it and getting to work on my dream project with no bosses or deadlines or any creative hold ups was the best experience ever.

You also are in a band with your brother. How long have you been playing music?

When I was 15 I started messing around making recordings at home and I guess over time it progressed into something more. Music has always been a huge part of my life and a driving force in my visual work so I guess it was natural to get involved with it at some point. My brother Justin started producing music around that same time and after college he started taking it more serious and buying real equipment. He put together an album under the name The Protist and it was really cool stuff for editing so shortly after that we started working on a few tracks for short films and other little projects. We were having so much fun recording that we decided to work together on an album and add vocals and make it more of a full on band. Aside from a bunch of tracks fro the movie, we’re currently working on an album as The Protist that we hope to put out in the next year.

What’s next for Matt Kleiner?

A cold beer and a warm surf trip are in the immediate future. Finishing Way of the Ocean was a huge task and I’m looking forward to releasing it and surfing my brains out for a couple weeks. After a little decompressing, I have a few music videos lined up to shoot, finishing and recording the Protist album and then starting production for Way of the Ocean: North America which should be a lot of fun.

For more, visit:
http://mattkleiner.com
http://wayoftheocean.com/blog/

Combining radical surfing with comic relief, Alex and Koa Smith have started their own video blog, Lastnamefirst.tv, teaming up with their friends, Dan Treanor and Dune Newhouse, to document their travels and share their ideas and visions with the world. With a sparked interest in video at the ripe age of 12, Alex has taken to the art of editing and is now focused on increasing his production value, while keeping it youthful and fun. Koa’s outgoing personality has also been groomed from a young age, hosting red carpet events as well as various other behind the camera gigs, which will certainly lead to more hilarious characters in the upcoming videos from LNF. With their sights set on big things, Alex and Koa will undoubtedly keep us wondering what’s next!

What sparked your interest to get involved in video production and editing?

I think it’s from watching surf videos obsessively growing up. I would watch Taylor Steele movies all day; Loose Change, Campaign 1 & 2 and also Raw Irons. I watched them so much that when ever I heard a song, I would visualize a crazy surf segment in my head matching to the music. My interest in video production is sparked by the fact that all I need is a camera and a computer to bring that vision to the world. I think the potential to making a good surf edit is limitless. There’s so much freedom to get weird and it is exciting to hear what people think when they see my finished products.

How long have you been at it?

My parents used to film my brothers and I surfing all the time when I was 12. I would put all the clips on iMovie and make basic videos. I still have a 5 minute part strictly of wipeouts somewhere at home. It’s all time. Then a guy from Kauai named Bob Sato gave me Final Cut when I was 13. I guess I had interest in it at a young age. Between then and now Iʻve created weird little edits. Check them out on a rainy day on my old Vimeo account (http://www.vimeo.com/user2579266/videos). Now that Koa and I have started our blog lastnamefirst.tv, I’m taking the production part of things a little more serious than before.

How has the learning process gone for you? Did you have someone show you the ropes or was it just a natural progression of getting behind the computer and going for it?

Iʻve been on a bunch of trips with lots of great filmers & editors. I’ve always paid attention to how they shoot and approach different subjects. I recently went on a Globe trip to Mexico and was heavily inspired by Joe G and Dion Agius. Joe is an all around legend. And it was cool to see him do his thing during the making of Year Zero. I think Dion started the whole surf blog trend. It’s cool to see how he got to a great place in surf world by blogging, designing and editing. I want to try to head in that similar direction over the years. After that trip I went straight home and started up Lastnamefirst.tv, a place where Koa and I could showcase our ideas.

Where do you look for inspiration when editing your next clip?

I go through phases on what inspires me. I’m always finding new stuff on the internet like music videos, mental music and pictures that give me ideas. I’m currently in Bali filming for a LNF web series (due out in September). I recently saw a music video with hot chicks and good/weird editing. We want to do something similar so we made some calls and have models coming over next week to do a shoot. I’m excited to see how this one turns out…

What is the goal behind your website Lastnamefirst.tv?

The goal behind LNF is to showcase a youthful vision of creative edits, photos, and stories following our travels. Beside Koa and I ,our LNF team consists of Dan Treanor, who is an editing mastermind and Dune Newhouse, a solid filmer and legend in his own right. All four of us collaborate on ideas and bring them to life. Our goal is to put extra effort into the production and editing side, showing our own style while not holding anything back. It’s something fun that we would do anyways. Now it’s a big bonus that we can get attention doing it all. We’re always looking forward to the next step and hopefully in a few years this will develop into something larger.

Seems as though every pro surfer now has his/her own camera man. How much does having a camera on your every session improve you surfing?

Being filmed has made a huge impression on how I surf. Whenever I get filmed I’m critiquing myself. Iʻve always tried to imitate my favorite surfers and being filmed is the best way to mold my style the way I want it to be.

You stunt at Lowers (Lowers Raid) was all time. Give us the back story to that. Who’s idea was it? How many people were down there? How did it all go down?

It was our friend from San Clemente, Riley Metcalf who organized it. A few months before he sent out an invitation on Facebook for the “Lowers Raid!” We showed up at his house and there was only like 15 guys in pirate outfits. As they marched from the top, more and more pirates flooded down to Lowers until there was about 60-80 of them. It was out of control. I’m surprised no one got hurt but it was so damn funny. I bet next year the Army is going to be dropping out of helicopters and arresting everyone.

You recently edited your friend Dylan Goodale’s Innersection video in the 11th hour. How did that all go down? Were you happy with your edit?

I did what I could do in the half day I had to edit it before the deadline. I started at 12pm with no song and finished with the color correction at 12am. I would barely call that editing. It was just one clip after another. I definitely needed more time.

For more on Alex and Koa, be sure to check out:
http://www.lastnamefirst.tv
http://instagators.tumblr.com

After traveling the world on the WQS grind, Kepa Acero was not finding what he needed. Rather than focusing on contests and being caught up in one thing in life, he decided he needed to explore his other interests in the world. With very little knowledge behind the lens, Kepa purchased a few cameras, got an around the world ticket, and set off to document the people, cultures and waves he was visiting.

Kepa’s recent film “THE NORTHERN ROUTE” won the Jury Prize at the 2011 Amstel Surf Film Festibal for best local short. In the film, Kepa rides his bike over 670 miles along the “Way of Saint James” documenting the other travelers, waves, and culture he comes across along his journey.

Can you tell us about the trip that you took for your short “Northern Route”? How long did it take? Where did you go?

The Way of Saint James is a traditional road that people have been walking for thousands of years, all around Europe, crossing the Iberian peninsula, all the way to Santiago City in Galicia, and then to Finisterre (the most western part of mainland, where at old times, they used to believe that was the end of the world, “Finish-Terre”).

The northern Way of Saint James crosses all of the Spanish state from one side to the other along the coast…676 miles. I thought it would be a great experience to do it by bicycle, to get in touch with the the “pilgrims,” the different cultures along the way, with nature and waves.

I have wanted to make this trip for many years with my friend and photographer Iker Basterretxea “Roke”. We planned to also do it with Niega, the editor of “3sesenta magazine,” but he left to Australia, so we said, “Ok, let’s do it…” Grabbed the bicycle and that was it, easy and simple.

It took us 25 days to cross from the French border to Finisterre, nearly 1000 kilometers around the coast. It is full of mountains, and that was the first time I have ridden a bike in the last 15 years…so yeah, that was pretty hard. The first day I was looking like a grandma on my bike…I was so destroyed that I thought, “Naaa, I am never going to finish this odyssey”…but at the end, we made it!

What was the inspiration behind it?

I believe that surfing is a way to be in a close relationship with nature, but also a way of life to be in a close relationship with people and cultures you find along the way. The waves keep me motivated, but in the end, you carry all these experiences inside yourself for ever. That is the important part for me in a surf trip, not only as a surfer, but also as a human being. Do it by the natural way, on the the bike, by land. You experience everything that is going on around you…straight contact with people, nature. It is a great feeling.

How were the waves?

It was hard to find the right waves with the right tide on the bicycle. You put all your hopes on a break, it takes you a long time and energy to get there, and once you get there the waves are shit. You cant go back another 20 miles. You have to surf there. I feel like back in the times when there was no cars, no trains, no nothing… you must have surfed shit waves a lot of the time, but it is great.

Anyway, we found a couple of nice left-handers deep in Asturias and Cantabria. It felt so good to find some good waves after all that effort.

Can you tell us about any challenges that you faced along the way? In other words, was there anything that happened that was unexpected?

The worst part was the bicycle. I wasn’t used to ride a bicycle so my balls where destroyed!!! It is pretty funny to watch on the video now but…

It was great to meet all the pilgrims along the trip. We all slept in the refuges in The Way, sometimes 30 people in one room. I got to know many of these people at dinner time and everyone had a reason to do The Way of Saint James: religious, mystic, or simply just walkers…or crazy surfers like us…

There was a very interesting man I met, who used to be a millionaire. One day he decided to give all his fortune to an orphanage, burned his passport and all goods, and started walking all around the world…around America to India. I found him in a dirty shelter-refuge somewhere in the way…it reminded me a bit of the story of Chris McCandless in the book “Into the Wild”.

How did you get started in filmmaking? Tell us about your other projects, “5 OLAS 5 CONTINENTES” and “THE FINAL FRONTIER”?

Actually, my first experience filmaking was last year, with the “5 waves, 5 continets” project. I used to compete a lot on the WQS and all that. I was traveling around the world and that was always nice. But competing, I felt that you had to focus on that beach, on your heat. Your world is limited to those 20 minutes. I was traveling around the world but not knowing what was going on around me. I had many other interests, worries, philosophical preoccupations. I wanted to know what was going on in these countries…mostly my interest were people, cultures and nature, including there waves, of course.

One day last year, I decided to buy an around the world ticket. I bought some cameras and I traveled by myself to Africa, Indo, Australia and Chile. My goal was to surf five unknown, world class waves around the world. I didn’t know anything about filmmaking. I didn’t know much about the places I was going to. It was just me, my surfboards and my cameras…

As soon as I went to Namibia, I slept in the desert by myself and I was filming with my camera in the shorebreak by myself with my camera and my tripod, editing the videos in my car in the middle of the desert. That was a great experience, very deep. Below is a autofilmed, autoedited video in the desert. I was the car to charge my batteries and long distance internet connection to upload it…

I met many people around the world and made some good, local friends who I taught how to use the cameras. They began filming me. In Indo, I found some perfects spots were I surfed by myself, missing my brothers to surf with…

That is why my films are technically no good. I don’t know how to use the cameras. The people that I met didn’t know how to do it either. But the experiences and relationships with waves, nature and people are real. There is no artificial details. Even a lot of the music is done by my friend Unai Azkune and me, recorded on the computer at home. It is all real and full of sensations and feelings.

I try not to get too technical, but rather to put my feelings on the screen. All the feelings takes surfing to another level, takes the sport activity to a spiritual experience. All this experience is inside you now, you can’t see it but it is with you. These experiences change the way you see the world, the people…you see a lot of poor people, a lot of injustice too.. and you find a lot of contradictions in our lifestyle back home.

What’s next for Kepa Acero?

My next trip is going to be to Alaska and Patagonia. My goal is to go on search and find places that have never been surfed yet. I take the influence of the 70′ surfers, where they just to go with the surfboard and the backpack, and do it by myself, with my cameras again. I don’t have much information, but that is the adventure…by land, shooting and finding new places, new people…

I am going to buy my ticket tomorrow, then there is no way back.

I am going in August to Alaska, spend there 45 days…then to Peru, spend there one month… and as the days get longer in the southern hemisphere, I will go down to Patagonia and try to find new waves there…

For more, check out

fivewavessurf.com

larutanorte.com

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Five-waves/120726354623195

Kyle Theirmann is a 21 year old pro surfer with a passion to systemically affect change. Combining surfing great waves around the world with making a series of short films about current issues, Thiermann focuses on the power we have to create a better world through everyday actions that we take. By utilizing video to focus on issues such as banking, plastics, shopping local and other topics that he feels people should become more aware about, Kyle has expanded ability to affect change by taking full advantage of today’s technology.

What was the eye opener for you to start your organization, Surfing for a Change? And what has led you to choosing the issues that you have tackled thus far (banking, shopping local, and plastics)?

I think the initial eye-opener for me was just waking up to how many problems can be solved by people changing simple daily habits. Whatever issue I cover in my webisode series, I make sure that it’s something that you can help solve by shifting a simple daily decision in your own life. When the show is over, you’ll know exactly what you can do to help. Also, a theme with Surfing For Change is that I go on a surf trip to uncover each issue. I think by going to fun destinations to cover an issue it’s opened the series up to a way bigger audience because it ties an adventure aspect to the show.

Have you found it difficult to uncover these issues? Or has the access to the information and such been easy to obtain? In other words, if someone is looking to make a difference on a certain topic, how difficult is it to actually access the information that they would need to properly explore their issue?

Well, it’s way easier to get educated on an issue now that we have tools like Google, Wikipedia, and Facebook. In episode 3 of the Surfing For Change series I went to Sri Lanka and visited a sweatshop to show our influence at home as shoppers. The way I got into this Sri Lankan factory was through connecting with the manager of the factory through Facebook! We live in an exciting time where you can connect with just about anyone for free because of the Internet. You can check Episode 3 at http://surfingforchange.com/

Sometimes it’s been more complicated and I had to learn how to read the small print on corporate financial statements to see where they got their funding, but once you know what you’re looking for, you can pretty much find it.

How did you get into filmmaking? And how has filmmaking enhanced your ability to spread your message?

I’ve had such a fun time learning to make movies. My whole family is in the movie biz so I’ve had the privilege of being around movie making since I was a little kid. More than anything though, I just love a good story. I see movies as a great medium for storytelling. Movies are also exciting to me because they are a way to get an important message out to (literally) the world, in a short amount of time. All of my webisodes are packed with tons of content and are all under 5 minutes.

I also have a huge amount of respect for my sponsors and I really appreciate them for blasting my movies out to their networks. Patagonia, Sector 9, FCS, and Pacific Wave believed in my decision to an unconventional surfing route and have stuck by me as the whole thing has grown into what it is today.

What do you feel are the key ingredients to create a power message and actually make a difference?

From my own experience I’ve found that when I make a movie that’s fun and focuses on the solution, not the problem, more people get involved. I’m the host in the series so I try to let it show on camera how much fun these projects are and that I’m having an epic time.

Another important thing is that when I convey a message, I’m not asking people to make unrealistic changes in their lives. A theme in my series it that you don’t need to identify as an activist to become part of the solution. And becoming part of the solution is as simple as making shifts in your life like banking locally, or bringing your own reusable bag to the grocery store. Those seemingly small shifts have a systemic and powerful benefit to your neighborhood and people all over the world.

What does it mean to you to be an activist?

To me, an activist isn’t limited to the dreadlocked dude holding a picket sign with a clever slogan at the town clock. Nothing against hippies, hippies are rad, but in the past, the word ‘activism’ has been pigeonholed into that category. But things are changing! I see an activist as Anyone who stands up for a cause that they believe in. It doesn’t matter if you’re a Republican, Democrat, Cowboy, Native American, Gay, Straight, Surfer, or Non-surfer. If you’re standing up for a cause that you’re passionate about, that is what an activist is to me.

Being as young as you are, do you feel that people may perceive you and your message differently then if you were, say, 35 or 40 years old? Or do you feel that regardless of age, as long as what you stand for is strong then that is enough?

Haha, if anything, being young has been an advantage. I’ve been able to film in places that I probably wouldn’t have if I were older. People just think that I’m doing it for a school project and let me film whatever I want.

If people could take away just one thing from one of your videos/website, what do you hope it would be?

I hope Surfing For Change sparks you to see the power you hold on a daily basis. Your daily decisions have a huge impact on your neighborhood and people all over the world and there are simple shifts you can make to become part of the solution. It’s as simple as that.

How can people participate or help to make a difference with Surfing for a Change?

Next time you’re on Facebook, type in Surfing For Change and check out the 4min movies and share ‘em with your friends. Or go to SurfingForChange.com

As far as surfing, what has been getting you the most stoked in the water these days?

I’ve been working on going left more. Growing up in Santa Cruz I go right so much that my backhand surfing has needed some attention. I surf with Nat (Young) a lot and he’s given me some good tips about backside airs. He told me that when he does a backside air, he turns his head so he’s looking at the tail of his board and that allows his body to rotate. That tip helped me a lot!

For more on Kyle and Surfing For a Change check out:

http://surfingforchange.com/
http://www.facebook.com/surfingforchange
http://twitter.com/#!/surfing4change
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q1Pb6cEC_gw