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INTERVIEW: TAYLOR STEELE
Probing the top surf filmmaker about his newest, user-generated video project
By:
Steve Nug/nugable.com
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The man who has become synonymous with surf filmmaking has been busy lately.
He recently completed Rob Machado's travel vehicle, The Drifter, produced another Drive Thru and his company, Poor Specimen, released Kai Neville's ultra-hip, punter's manifesto Modern Collective. Since he burst onto the scene in 1991 with the landmark Momentum series he has made more than 20 surf films.
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WHEN DID YOU COME UP WITH THE CONCEPT FOR INNERSECTION? I was talking to Nathan Myers about how the big, section-based movie's future was limited. Especially with YouTube and other ways the Internet shows movies, and also the number of great surfers and amateur video makers out there. He had an idea on having the surfers work independently for film, since in some ways that's what was already beginning to happen. Then ideas bounced around until we came up with Innersection. EXPLAIN BREIFLY HOW THE CONTEST WORKS. It's a platform to have the top surfers submit their own sections edited by themselves or people they chose. The public votes on the sections, and those go on to create the final movie. WHAT DO YOU HOPE TO ACCOMPLISH WITH THE PROJECT? I hope it takes what was started with Wave Warriors and continued with Momentum to Stranger than Fiction to the next level -- move it to the 2010s. Those films were always a forum for surfers to exhibit their skills in an up-to-date, comparative format. We're hoping to use the strengths of the Internet for good, not evil. ISN'T IT A BIT OF A BOLD CLAIM TO SAY THE WINNER WILL BE "WORLD CHAMPION OF FREESURFING"? Of course, the "best free surfer" is subjective term, but our winner will be voted on as the best surfer from around the world in our contest of video freesurfing. So, no, it's not too bold. Hopefully, this will be accurate to the common opinion. On some level, it's up to how hard the top video surfers try. I don't think the final result will be far off who would normally get the last section in one of my films, but hopefully we'll have some surprises in there as well. We're already hearing from some newer surfers who are already working on their sections, so it will be cool to see who gets recognized from this. THE WEBSITE SAYS, "INNERSECTION IS SURFING'S VERY OWN YOUTUBE, WITH A DASH OF AMERICAN IDOL AND A MEMBER-GENERATED DVD AS A RESULT." DO YOU REALLY WANT TO COMPARE THIS THING TO AMERICAN IDOL? I kind of regret Nathan (Myers) making the comparison to American Idol, but it's hard to explain the concept until people can see it in action. It's voted by the surfers. So, in the sense that it's voted by the people makes it similar to the cheesy shows on TV, but this will be insane surfing instead of bad singing. SOME PEOPLE ARE SAYING YOU ARE EXPLOITING SURFERS AND ASPIRING FILMERS WITH THIS CONTEST. THOUGHTS? You can look at it like that or you can look at like it's a platform for new filmers and surfers to breakthrough. I loved the fact that Mitch Coleborn wasn't on my radar for Stranger than Fiction until he sent 10 waves of himself to us. Then he went from unknown to having a great section in the movie. We're not making anyone do anything. We're just providing a forum. No one has to compete in surf contests or enter film festivals either. The opportunity is there if people want to take it. YOU TOOK A PUNK ROCK DO-IT-YOURSELF ETHIC AND GAINED NOTORIETY ON YOUR OWN AND BECAME PERHAPS THE BEST SURF FILMMAKER OF YOUR GENERATION. WHY SHOULD ASPIRING FILMMAKERS ENTER THIS CONTEST RATHER THAN TAKE THE ROUTE YOU DID? Well, it's different times now. When I came out there were only two or three other independent filmers. There was no real market. But that is another story. I think Kai Neville's model of success is a better way for new filmers today. He made a half-dozen free magazine DVDs to learn and get experience. He didn't just make Modern Collective. It took him six years of making anything and everything to get there. The more movies you make the better you will get. So maybe this platform will help filmers/editors hone their skills. Also it could help them be recognized on their skills and get them future opportunities. "We're not making anyone do anything. We're just providing a forum. No one has to compete in surf contests or enter film festivals either. The opportunity is there if people want to take it."
-- Taylor Steele
TECHNOLOGY IS CHANGING SO RAPIDLY. HOW HAS TECHNOLOGY CHANGED SINCE YOU STARTED MAKING SURF MOVIES? Every time there is a major shift in technology it's been hugely exciting and scary at the same time. I have seen some really drastic changes in technology like shooting only film to video to digital. From editing big beta tapes to using the computer in a nonlinear method. Distribution from VHS tapes to iTunes downloads. Right now the biggest challenge is the Internet. It's such a force. Good and bad. There are a lot of issues for musicians and filmmakers with piracy online. Instead of fighting it, I want to embrace the change. I want to use its strengths. The biggest strength is how many people you can reach. HOW MUCH DID IT HELP YOU TO HAVE FRIENDS WHO WERE/ARE THE BEST SURFERS IN THE WORLD? ISN'T THAT HALF THE BATTLE IN MAKING A GOOD SURF MOVIE? Yes, my friends were the best surfers in the world. That is more than half the battle -- that is everything. Without the surfers working really hard on videoing I would be nowhere. So I really appreciate the relationship between the surfers and the movie. It's not taken lightly. Surfers are the stars and everyone else is secondary. HOW MANY MOVIES HAVE YOU MADE NOW AND WHICH ONES ARE YOU MOST PROUD OF? I don't know how many movies I have made. Movies that pop in my head when asked are Momentum, Loose Change, Shelter, Sipping Jetstreams, and The Drifter. I UNDERSTAND YOU'VE BOYCOTTED THE SURFER POLL AND VIDEO AWARDS. WHAT DOES IT SAY ABOUT THE EVENT WHEN ARGUABLY THE BEST SURF FILMMAKER TODAY DOESN'T SUPPORT THE EVENT? I don't think they have the judging down yet. My suggestion would be to have past winners who aren't nominated vote. Sort of like the Oscars. Instead, their whole system is back-room bro-downs with advertisers. Look at the past winners for proof. OTHER THAN THE INNERSECTION CONTEST, WHAT ARE YOU WORKING ON FOR 2010 AND BEYOND? Castles in the Sky will be coming out in June. That is our follow up to Sipping Jetstreams. It will be very different but with the same romantic view of the world. We are also doing a movie called The Drifter Sessions with all the surfing from The Drifter that was never used. Some really good stuff of Rob, Dane, Shano and many others. That's all I can think of right now. Buy Taylor Steele videos here. MORE SURF NEWS SURFLINE HOME PAGE |
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Comments: (22) Add Your Comment
92109 01/27/2010 11:18 PM
Sounds like a bad idea for our sport! You want to know whats good for our sport? Films like "The Lost Prophets"!
Azza 01/27/2010 10:49 PM
Jim, you mentioned Jordy in your piece as someone who's surfing looks "ugly". Have you seen Modern collective? Anyways Taylor, checked you in Cape Town the other day, cant wait for the product!
rabajoie 01/27/2010 11:47 AM
Taylor !!! You're the best filmmaker ever !!!
Chris Thompson 01/27/2010 08:47 AM * PREMIUM MEMBER - Real Name
no way,my movies are the best!Just kidding,I have learned and am still learning a lot from you.Keep up the progression!
Vic 01/27/2010 06:35 AM
Classic!!! He is up to his old tricks. Taking the $$$'s and making everyone else do the work... I got an idea!!! everyone send me your money and who ever sends me the most money wins a prize!!!! Wake up young filmmakers Taylor Steele does not need anymore help... Help yourself... Pearls to Swine
Stan 01/26/2010 07:49 PM
Bodyboarders didn't invent the concept of a user submitted contest. Pa-lease! And if there's anyone out there who's ever even heard of Bodyboarding Expedition, please stand up.
christian 01/26/2010 07:05 PM
i will send in some footage then!
ALex the bronze Matiingley 01/26/2010 06:00 PM
DAne reynolds gonna win. his blogs dashit
mike bronson 01/26/2010 02:32 PM * PREMIUM MEMBER - Real Name
this isn't anything new....... just American Idol or any "Public Votes" contest coming to surf industry. Bodyboard expedition has been doing this for years in a better format anyways. A group goes to a quality destination for an extended time, get footage, edits, and public votes on winner of contest. To me there is no reason to turn it into a video since everyone will see the individual clips anyways. Unless the winers film entirely new clips for the video.
Jarrod Tallman 01/26/2010 01:03 PM * PREMIUM MEMBER - Real Name
This will no doubt be an interesting project. Definitely looking forward to the diversity and progression it has the potential to showcase.
Jim 01/26/2010 12:24 PM
Call me old school, but I want to see a movie that shows waves start to finish. Mike Losness may look good on a single air, but his style is atrocious. Also, I am sick of surfers who can pull tricks but whose surfing just looks ugly (Mitch Coleburn, Jordy Smith, Ozzie Wright, Christian Fletcher (talk about old school) to name a few).
I used to bodyboard and now im a surfer, but.. 01/25/2010 04:47 PM
this idea came from bodyboard expedition series!!
www.bodyboardexpedition.com so he didnt invent this or create this ideaa on how it was limited, i think its wrong that even tho surfings cooler and harder than bodyboarding, to myself as well, its overlookd and this guy is getting all the credit for this contest idea when someone else started it, and has been doing this for years now. - no hard feelings haha ilove the surfing film industries as i do bodyboarding
scramblegg 01/25/2010 04:04 PM
Surf videos are kind of like porn, a few minutes is all I need.
Rico Suave 01/25/2010 03:05 PM
So the fans watch the clips to vote on them and then the same clips are put into a movie? Seems like the public won't have anything to look forward to.
Bryan 01/25/2010 01:14 PM
View All Comments (22 comments)
There's a few thousand filmmakers out there nowadays that have the talent but don't have the experience, like Taylor Steele, to put together a quality surf movie. I can't wait to see the finished product!!
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