Anon suggested a Ryan Lay thread, but I thought it might be interesting (or not) to broaden it out slightly to reflect the new(ish) style of skate video that his videos are part of.
I feel like pre-Covid self-filming was frowned upon and seen as a bit kooky. The preserve of skate vloggers and their tripods. Now, in contrast, it seems lots of legit and respected pros will film themselves for quick social media clips. See Nick Boserio, Bobby Puleo, even AVE’s at it.
However, a few have turned this quick-hit technique into something a bit more refined and artful, producing longer montages usually for YouTube.
Brad Cromer:
Ryan Lay:
And avant garde pioneer Scott Gall:
These videos all seem to be received pretty positively, particularly in comparison to the more mixed reaction skate vlogging gets despite pros like Tom Asta and Maurio McCoy starting their own vlogs.
Anyone got any other good examples of self-filming done right? And why do these videos standout amongst the general social media onslaught and constant barrage of new footage?
I do wonder what skate videographers think of these. Is this a worrying glimpse into a possible future where every pro skater is their own filmer and editor, and paid skate filmers have all but died out? A cheap content model for an industry which is too strapped for cash to pay to make proper, longer videos any more?
I don’t think so because filming yourself well and making a good edit isn’t something everybody can do, plus filming missions will always be part of core skateboarding I suppose.
Big fan of Ryan Lay’s and Brad Cromer’s edits, I’m always hyped on those.
Their skating is obviously phenomenal but it goes way further than that:
They show me parts of Florida and Arizona I might never see in person. All of it. City, suburbs, nature.
They show me things Cromer and Lay struggle with when it comes to skating, adapting to spots, building temporary spots like we all did as kids (and still do), which is very relatable even if we skate totally differently.
It reminds me that they skate on their own, which is pretty inspiring as I do it a lot too, especially since the pandemic.
Those edits are aesthetically pleasing, watching them feels more like watching a short movie than a skate vid, which is just great. They are different from regular skate vids and there’s so much shit I’m tired of in classic skate vids. I’m 44 years old, my time is too precious, I can’t waste it watching spotty kids smoking cigarettes. Show me Floridian iguanas and the Arizonan desert.
Those clips feel very authentic, they show you real life shit, the way Cromer and Lay skate on the daily.
Like a lot of skateboarders, I love documenting tricks but I always felt like I was wasting people’s time if they filmed me. As a result, every trick I’ve had in scene vids was pretty much done first go. It might sound rad but what it really means is that I did not try hard at all. On the other hand, I love filming a staticam clip if I’m on my own. The whole process of finding the right angle, working on a trick, doing it again and again until I’ve done it how I wanted to do it can be intense but most of the time it’s pretty fun and really satisfying.
I made solo edits which I posted on Insta these past winters but I didn’t feel like doing one this winter as I made a conscious effort to call my mates and go skating with them more as I was probably too much of a loner which isn’t really good for my mental health in the long term.
TBF I always enjoyed static cam as my type of skating × ability never really gelled with getting a mate to film.
Finding an angle that captures the spot, the run up/out and the trick in its best form is a joy in itself, plus I don’t have to worry about wasting 2-3h of somebody’s life whilst I land a trick 17 times, waiting for “the one.”
Plus I’m quite a perfectionist and would worry about my mate not filming “the one” well, haha.
Staticam filming is always pretty good for the soul, it takes me far away from shit I worry or think about on the daily. I love this special moment when you know you are in the zone, it’s kinda like meditation in a way and you feel so liberated and happy once you got your clip. And when you don’t, it doesn’t even matter, you went out and tried and sweated and that’s good too.
I quite like what Tom Asta and Maurin McCoy are doing. It’s definitely not as fantastic as the clips Brad Cromer and Ryan Lay make but I like knowing about the way those guys work and learn new tricks, plus they’re often (especially Asta) in shit parks in rural Pennsylvania where it’s cold which I can totally relate to as someone who was born and bred in the Alps.
Tom Asta trying to get his AVE on on a shitty narrow ledge with tons of snow around, he doesn’t even land his trick but the process as a whole is rad, and I love how he usually films those clips while his kids are at school, real life stuff.
Self filming serves a modern day purpose. People want throw away clips for the constant content world. You’re not going to get a filmer out of bed for that. Now we have a video camera in our pockets daily, it’s only natural people want to keep a record of what they are doing too, so they can look back on their day. Be stoked or want to improve on the session next time.
I also think as drones get smaller, cheaper and improve in ways to follow you, it will only become more popular if anything. Maybe even taking over as the norm one day.
Thanks for posting some thoughtful replies Franc and everyone.
On the above quote, I hope you are correct. But I could see professional skateboarding adapting to the current industry downturn and becoming even more about self-promotion, with companies looking more for self-sufficient skaters who can create good content beyond purely just skating. You can see that with the current Powell team - it’s mainly a bunch of YouTubers which Powell knows will pump out content promoting their brand.
Somethings these edits bring is a view of a cityscape that’s previously been ignored because visiting pros focus on the “hot” spots due to time restrictions, and this new era of selfie tech and sharing.
100% this - I like a quick blast around after work & documenting more as a diary than anything else. Do like the process of making a little edit afterwards too, as you say, good for the soul!
This article’s interesting on the general topic, wonder if there’ll be a pro part produced like this at some point?
How do you self filmers get amped enough to skate at a good level on your own?
I never feel like I can get enough inspiration or motivation being by myself. Being with friends and decent people around helps me get to that place otherwise I don’t feel like trying.
