At the ForeFront - Films about skateboarding ‘artists’
I would like to discuss two films that I think are the closest thing there is to WeCanFly: Format Perspective by Phil Evans and Rolling: without footage its fiction by Rohum Portahmasbi.
Format Perpective was released in 2011 and like WeCanFly is constructed in ‘parts’ focusing on 6 Skateboarding photographers from the UK and Europe. Also similar to WeCanFly Format Perspective is more than just a film. It becomes an interactive experience through different platforms. There is a website http://www.formatperspective.com which includes trailers and snippets of the film.
Screen grab from the Format Perspective website
Also on the website are sections of the featured artists work and their profile. I really like this feature and think that I will produce a similar feature for WecanFly
Screen Grab of an artist profile page on the Format Perspective Website.
The whole film is available on a Vimeo Download or on DVD. The DVD comes as part of a book which also features the work of the photographers featured in the film. This is a really nice format to have as it put as much importance on the featured photographers as it does the film and I really appreciate this balance. Another exciting interactive element is the DVD menu which allows you to navigate through the skate photographer parts or chose to watch the film as a whole. The film is structured in these parts and unlike WeCanFly the elements to not combine with each other. This works well because the focus is on the photographers themselves and not the idea of skateboard photography as a broader topic. The parts are linked through skate parts that become unique through Evans use of Super 8 film throughout the films entirety. Evans justifies his use of the old school aesthetic in the book that accompanies the DVD “the gritty,grainy old Super 8 seemed like the perfect counterpoint to the nicely lit photos; it emphasised the photography while also showing what was going on behind the lens” (Evans, P 2011). This is true and when you watch the film you really do get the contrast between the still of the featured artist work, the skateboarding itself and the ‘behind the scenes’ portrait of the photographers at the centre of this film.
The second film I want to discuss is about skateboard filmers. It is a contentious choice to place at the forefront as it is directed by an ex student that I taught from 2012-14. Rohum Portuamasbi’s Rolling started life as a university project and It was a 5 minute film. Rohum filmed in LA and the UK for this project and got so much footage that he decided after University he would take this project a step further. Rolling focuses on the role and experiences of skateboard filmers and although it features some key characters including Ty Evans and Henry Edwards Woods it is predominantly about the action itself rather than these people. That said the film gives an passionate insight into the life of a skateboard filmer alongside some debate about aesthetics and technology. Opposing Format Perspective’s old school grittiness, Rolling celebrates the high budget, HD side of skate boarding film. Shot itself on a RED digital, sheen and quality are imminent in this film throughout.
Rolling premiered on Friday 14th July at the House Of Vans which in itself tells you about it kudos as a skateboarding film. It is also due to be screened at The Berics in LA later this month.
Rohum at the Rolling Premier at The House Of Vans - Picture by Kelli Watson
Both Rolling and Format Perspective focus on skateboard media. Format Perspective also features the interactive elements that WeCanFly does. So how does my film differ from these? Firstly, the film is based on skater artist in a way that combines what Rolling does with what Format Perspective achieves. I use the artists themselves as central parts of the narrative but the film is not solely about these artists - rather the subject of how creativity and skateboarding link. There are section in WeCanFly which focus on the artists but these are in the interactive version. In regards to aesthetics my film sits somewhere between Evans’ low-tech a Poutahmasbi’s high definition.
I had some feedback from a colleague who early on in this project asked why I wasn't focusing on skate video or photography (considering, i teach these things). My response was that I wanted to explore a breadth of artistic expression to investigate whether creativity was inherent to skateboarders. My film has a totally different aim to these examples and has a more abstract concept. That said both Rolling and Format Perspective are highly influential and watching them both supports my theories about creativity and skateboarding and reinforces the ideal that this is a worth while and interesting subject to be explored.
Sources
Website Screen Grabs http://www.formatperspective.com
Rohum Portahmasbi image - By Kelli Watson (14-7-17)
Evans, P (2011) - Format Perspective [DVD and Book] published by Work in progress GmbH (2011)