An interview with Detroit local Justin Thompson about the Brush Park BMX project in an abandoned lot in the Motor City. Crafted by Jeff Tabb.
Author Archives: Scott Marceau
Wesley McGrath Photo Gallery
Southwestern TCU contributor Wesley McGrath has a photo gallery up on The Albion‘s website. Flip through, get inspired.
“Remember the name Wesley McGrath. He’s one of a new breed of talented BMX photographers. Judging from this photo gallery we’ll be seeing his photos for years to come.
Over the last couple years I’ve gotten to know Wes pretty well and it’s been awesome watching his skills as a photographer grow. This past year it seems like he has really hit his stride and is starting to make a name for himself. They say hard work pays off and Wes is one of the hardest working photographers in the game. He’s always out shooting and has extremely high standards for the images he puts out into the world. The thing most notable about Wes’s work is his ability to make even the simplest tricks look extraordinary. His images are full of energy and you can’t help but wish you were there to witness that one 1/500th-second in time. I can’t wait to see what 2014 will bring for Wes and I’m glad to not only call him a colleague but also a friend.” – Chris Mortensen
Talking Shop: Steven Hamilton and his Video “13”
In the BMX world, Steven Hamilton needs no introduction. I wanted to talk with him more in-depth about his numerous, varyingly experimental and always entertaining video projects. Having just finished his latest video “13”, I called him to get the inside scoop while the process was still fresh in his mind.
So, what’s in the name “13”?
Well the reason that it’s called “13” is because I worked on it through all of 2013, among other reasons… It’s was a big year for me because I was born on December 13th, and it was 12/13/13, and since there are only 12 months it can never actually be 13/13/13. Also that thing about how the world was supposed to end on 12/12/12, then the next day would have been my birthday, so… It was a big year for me. And I finished the video on the 13th of this month.
It’s possible that this is also your 13th video release, no?
Yeah, I guess it’s possible. If I were to count all of the VHS tapes and DVD’s I’ve made it would probably be close to 13.
Was the whole thing filmed with your TRV-900?
Yeah.
And that modded Lomo fisheye?
Yeah, the fisheye I hacksawed off of a little Lomo camera. But I got a new fisheye for Christmas this year so video 14 is gonna have a real fisheye.
What are some of the filming locations?
Off the top of my head- Columbus, New Jersey, The Bronx, Dayton and Philly…
Is this video anything like your previous videos? Can you compare it to any of them?
Yeah, I’d say it’s a mix between “The Price is Right” and “Inception 1”.
You mean “The Price is Wrong”?
No, “The Price is Wrong” was that Animal video, “The Price is Right” was my video.
Really? I had no idea. What is Lobsterspine Productions?
(long silence)
You’ve never seen “The Price is Right”?
No, I’ve never even heard of it. Where can I see it?
Well it’s sold out now but it was the first DVD I ever sold through Empire.
Damn. I’ll have to get my hands on that.
You can see it on the Coca-Cola promo video.
So what is Lobsterspine Productions?
Lobsterspine is my production company.
Do you guys venture outside of BMX or you just do BMX videos?
Just BMX videos.
Where did that name come from?
I was walking around Seattle one night- all night- and in the morning I found this thing… Well what it ended up being was the thing that holds nails for a nail gun, but I couldn’t figure out what it was, I thought it was a sort of bone or something. I was like “What could this possibly be?” and the only thing I could come up with was a lobster’s spine. Then I remembered that lobsters don’t have spines, but I thought it was a cool name, so I kept the name.
When did you get your first video camera, and when did you make your first video?
I got my first video camera in the eighth grade, then I finished my first video, “Inception 1” during my senior year in high school.
How many copies of these videos were you making?
I probably made 50 or 80 copies of Inception 2.
Damn. All on VHS?
Yeah.
Just VCR to VCR?
Well we had a stack of ten VCR’s so I could make ten copies at a time.
You have more than one YouTube page don’t you?
Yeah, I have one for Lobsterspine and then I have Sonicyouth4130
What’s the deal with you deleting your Vimeo account?
It was a couple years ago, but what happened is that I had put so many videos on there- I had over 100 videos and a lot of them were repeats or just the same video edited a little bit differently and I just got sick of it… But I don’t really like Vimeo that much anyway so I just thought “Screw it, I’m just gonna delete it” so I just got rid of it. I kinda regret it a little bit though because some of the videos that were on there I don’t have backed up anywhere. I still have the footage but a lot of them were live videos where I had my camera hooked up directly to my computer or had two videos playing at once… I kinda wish that I had kept the account and just made some of the videos password protected, but I just ended up saying “Fuck it” and deleted the whole thing so it’s gone now.
What kind of music is in “13”?
It has a mix of punk rock, indie rock and hip-hop.
Who has full parts?
Eric Probst, Ian Fendrick, Darius Hart, Jimmy Kleoudis, me, Damian Racut, Mike Rose and Luke Padelski.
You said you edited this video in one session. How did that go?
Yeah, normally once I get going with editing I don’t want to stop, so I just banged it out and did the whole thing in one editing session. I was up for… I don’t know, as long as I could possibly stay up and until the video was done.
What is your editing process, as far as the soundtrack goes?
I kinda lay out a couple clips then try to come up with a song, then once I have the song figured out I’ll edit to the song. Sometimes I’ll have an idea for a song and I’ll see if it works, then edit right off the song.
What is your favorite video that you’ve made?
Right now I really like “The Price is Right” but “Inception 1” will always be my favorite because I worked so hard on it and it was the first video I edited and I spent so long on it.
Do take your camera with you every time you go riding?
No.
Do you film anything outside of riding?
I film my dad’s basketball games every Tuesday.
How important to you is the quality of the picture? Do you clean your lenses and set the white balance and all that?
I usually set the white balance, not necessarily on something white but the cleanliness of the lens does’t really concern me that much. I’ll wipe it off with my shirt or something, but it’s not really that important to me.
You just stuff your camera into a backpack, yeah?
Yeah I’ll usually just wrap it in a sweatshirt and throw it into my backpack.
What software do you use to edit?
iMovie.
Do you watch all the current BMX videos that are released?
Yeah I try to.
What is your favorite movie outside of BMX?
Right now my favorite movie is “Raising Arizona”.
You also shoot still photos- will you ever do a project with those?
Yeah, hopefully someday I’ll do something with my photographs.
How is “13” packaged?
The DVD’s are contained in handmade folded paper sleeves.
So how can people get ahold of the video?
It will be available through Empire this Thursday.
Will filming for “14” begin immediately?
Yep.
You have any big plans for this year?
Just filming for the next video. I’m pretty excited to film with this new lens. I just got a new bike too so I’m excited about that as well.
Posted in BMX, Gear, Talking Shop, Video
Tagged 13, Coca-Cola, DVD, Empire, Inception, Interview, Lobsterspine, Steven Hamilton, Talking Shop, The Price is Right, TRV900, Undercover Autopsy
“Kicking Around” Film by Tripe Tree
A short film from Brazil about the thrill of street riding and the love for an unknown/unknowable future around each corner and down every alley of a city. Spectacular cinematography and a heartfelt message.
I got a roughly translated behind-the-scenes account from director/filmer/editor/co-writer Germano Gamba:
“Well, me and my friend Julyanno started riding bmx before you even know that it took that name. Surely with our 14 or 15 years to really begin to understand this universe s what he meant to us. We live in a town very large n then we have only one bmx itself in mid-2009 over the internet because everything is happening slowly here on the bmx.
We started in Dirts but did not have much time to ride because we worked from 13 years to keep the bike moving, and if that was not enough we could not have the same long dirts because the owners of the land to put them down . That was really sad but it broke new ground , began to venture into the street since our houses were far from unique skate park . And the street was really where we learn virtually all tricks and movements that we know . Surely as every young man who begins to walk wanted to learn as many tricks and get support to maintain and live bmx bike . But bmx was so grateful to his teachings and good times that we did not want more learn the best tricks but make the cutest possible , as if it were a work of art !
Other difficulties appeared the worst .. Lesions , particularly I almost lost my left leg with a compound fracture en different my friend , but always were one supporting each other and going against our parents who supported us and did not realize that this was more than a sport that was our life!
On this film, we wanted to show a little than think about BMX, to go up against this madness trick trick in the world of BMX.
We film all our rides in our own city (many say they have no places to walk here , but in my opinion ride on the street is having creativity ) so with a more artistic language, film or if you prefer, use only 2 DLSR cameras and some old lens and a lot of creativity and patience e sensibility to chose the best angles.
All features we use
Camera : Canon 600D ( T3i ) and Canon 650D ( T4i )
Eos Lens : Canon 18-55 kit , Canon 70 – 300mm 4.0
Analogic Lens : Yashica ML 50mm 1.9 , 50mm 1.4 Yashica M42 , Pentacon 135mm 2.8 M42 , M42 Revuenon 35mm 2.8
Microphone : Shenggu SG -108
Suports : Black Lambel , Gazslider , Gaz Smartstabil Mini
Started filming in March 2013 and the interrupt filming in July 2013 because Julyanno crashed at work (he fall on the head of a roof as cleaned, and spent several days in a coma with a serious head trauma, but he recovered 100% and we were able to release the film with images that had until then)”
Check out the official website for the film here.
Tagged Germano Gamba, Julyanno Brogni, Kicking Around, Tripe Tree
Gutstains Autophoto
Our own Tristan “Gutstains” Afre has an Autophoto gallery over at Defgrip. Check it out.
Photo of the Week: David West
This photograph is visually striking because of the color contrast. The rider’s red shirt against the gelled blue environment demands your eye’s attention. The angle is simple but I like it- I feel like I’m standing there on the side of the ramp watching him ride it. The composition is great and I love that the coping meets the corner of the frame perfectly. From a riding standpoint, this is a first-rate tabletop at heights out of a vert ramp that most riders will only dream about.
“I woke up to the first snowstorm of the season in Baltimore with the day off work. Charm City Skatepark is our local indoor park here and they had just finished building one of the smoothest vert ramps on the east coast. First thing I did that day was gave my good friend John Burnie a call so we can shred that thing. He brought up the idea of grabbing a photo.
Once I got there I had noticed that the ramp was a much lighter color than anything else there. I am a huge fan of using color gels and had the idea to throw a #8 on an Einstein and hide it behind the matching pillar at the bottom of the ramp. I placed the other at the top of the ramp and got to work. John is a rider that get higher off the ground than anybody you’ll see without a sponsorship so he was the man for the job, ended up pulling a couple of steezy tabletops that this photo doesn’t do full justice to. End result was this photo, which is one of my favorites. I originally wanted to have the entire ramp in the photo but I had limited space. What I ended up with was much more satisfying than the goal set.
Camera: Canon 5dmk2
Lens: 17-40 @17mm
Iso: 800
Aperture: f/8
Shutter: 1/400 sec
Triggered with pocket wizard flextt5 with mc2’s for einsteins, both lights at full power (for hypersync)”
Check out more of David’s work here.
See more of John’s riding here.
Join the Flickr group and post your photos for a chance to be featured here next week.
Posted in BMX, Gear, Photo, Tech
Tagged Canon, David West, John Burnie, Paul C. Buff, Photo of the Week, Pocket Wizards
Through The Lens: Print vs. Online
The Union‘s Jeremy Pavia wrote a piece describing the individual advantages and disadvantages of printed and digital media.
“With a magazine, you can throw it into a bag and bring it with you anywhere and read it anytime, regardless of battery power. Hell, even in pure darkness you can still read a magazine with the flame of a candle. Try reading an online article with a dead laptop battery and tell me how that goes.”
Read the rest here.
Talking Shop: Bob Scerbo and the Animal “QSS” Series
(All photos by Scerbo)
I initially emailed Bob simply to ask what “QSS” stood for. An almost instantaneous response prompted a couple further questions and before too long, we had a slightly informative conversation on our hands. Bob was nice enough to supply me with an advanced copy of the DVD which is, in my mind, one of the best to date. A Chocolate Truck mix, a Japan trip section and full parts from Mark Gralla and Ben Lewis set a stage scattered with the most current and groundbreaking street riding from the likes of Mike Hoder and Tom White (wait until you see their clips- you’ll know which ones I’m talking about) along with the usual cast of Animal‘s worldwide team and family. It is worth noting that the soundtrack to this one is a considerable departure from the hip-hop norm that Animal has long been associated with (along the lines of Hamilton‘s ending section in QSS 5).
Firstly, does “QSS” stand for anything? How did the project come about?
It stands for “Quick Shit Series,” It was just something I made up to put on the Animal Roadtrip DVD in 2006 so it would not get categorized as “The new Animal video” when it came out. It’s more like a mixtape series for lack of better words.
Have you edited all of the QSS releases so far?
Yes- Navaz did the Chocolate Truck section in this one, other than that I have done everything else.
The soundtrack to this one is quite different from previous Animal releases. Any reason for that?
No reason in particular other than that was the way it went together. I knew I wanted to use that Janis Joplin song for Ben’s part for a while now and the song In Rat’s part is a song he sent me years ago as a potential song for an older part we had worked on. I forgot about it until one night I had my iTunes on random and it came on. I wanted to use that Husker Du song just because I miss that kind of music being in videos- it sounds like something in a video from the late 90’s early 2000’s and I think that was a sick era for riding and videos and general. I thought that song had a lot of energy and it was a good way to get a video started.
Is there still a new Animal full-length in the works?
We are supposed to begin working on a full-length after this comes out, so I guess technically anything that gets filmed from now on will go toward that.
Word. Still rocking the TRV-900?
Nah, the one I have is broken as of a few months ago. I have a VX2100, a Canon T3i and Panasonic HVX (which I have not used yet)
You guys have any big plans for this year?
I honestly have no idea because I am really only involved with the video stuff. As far as parts, clothes and all that stuff goes- I really don’t pay attention. I personally am just focused on getting this full-length team video rolling, hopefully doing some shit with Skapegoat and potentially helping with some filming for T1.
Nice. Where are you stationed these days?
Philly at the moment, about to head to Austin for a while though and then hopefully aimlessly around the country after that- if weather permits a potential Skapegoat trip to Alaska and then probably back to Philly.
Hell yeah. Anything else?
Thanks to anyone who attended the premiers and supports my videos in any way, I appreciate it.
QSS 6 will premiere online Monday the 20th and DVDs will be available shortly thereafter. For now, check out these teasers and follow @skapegoat256 for updates from the field.
Team SAF Photo Gallery
There’s a dialed photo gallery of the SAF crew riding some local spots in New Jersey over on The Albion website. Shot by Josh McElwee, these photos are definitely some of the cleanest to grace the internet.
Push It A Stop 