Let's keep it very simple. The point of the UFO contest was to re-boost a long-gone skating video genre which saw the light in 2002 with the mythical ROB video, and was followed by many others as soon as 2003, thanks to yearly contests organized by late RollerFR.net. Other websites followed the move, especially CSK (now Kompakombo) with slalom video contests, the first edition dating back to 2005. That auspicious period for freeskate and old school freestyle online videos ran out of steam by the end of the 2000's.
At the time, the RollerFR contests had one major rule: there should be a maximum of three cuts in the whole video, mainly in order to highlight the performances of the skater (and of the cameraman, too often forgotten). No such rule was stipulated this time, to widen the panel of skaters, and probably because of the evolution of technology too: you have easier access to cool equipment and editing software now!
MASHUP
I had been thinking about this video for a couple of years, and fate had it that ALL THE ELEMENTS WERE GATHERED to do it, and I could not miss it:
- a contest with a dead-line for the motivation
- a great photographer in whom I trust for the shooting
- a well-known urban setting (Bordeaux, my skating craddle) for the inspiration.
I am aware that I am not
the best freeskater of the world (and I never even pretended to be one) but I think that the sum of it all
makes the video different and pretty dynamic. The no.1 aim was to match elements that do not naturally go together, in order to display the richness and the endless possibilities of skating, and make you want to put your skates on and hit the streets right away.
SYMBOLISM
Many symbolic details revolve around the video:
- This video is somehow an overview of my skating life so far: the roots and branches of my evolution... the streets and the disciplines that followed.
- Almost 10 years have passed since MY FIRST HIT VIDEO was released. It was a slalom-freeskate video shot for the second RollerFR contest, in September 2004.
- The 2013 edit was also shot in Bordeaux, in September. Same place, back to the source. Same time of the year, same automn mood... and the circle is complete. We even shot a sequence in Meriadeck, the district of the first video.
- One of the cameramen is Kami, my friend and sponsor of 2004, who did the chasing shots and guided Julie, the main shooter, with her first steps into videoshooting and skating capture.
- The soundtrack had to be a royalty-free music. Fortunately I had the perfect track in my last album waiting to be used. About old women fussing with you at the traffic light because you've got skates on. True story. Related here and there.
TOO LONG
I was so excited once we finally decided to shoot it, that I skated the city, looking for suitable spots for varied interactions with the urban setting. I ENDED UP WITH A DOZEN SPOTS. We stole the last three days of summertime to shoot. They also were my last days in Bordeaux after a five-month break away from Paris, before heading to Berlin.
 |
| Shooting's over. Thumbs up! |
The first version was 5min30. TOO LONG AND I KNEW IT. But I could not resign myself to cutting some parts. Yet, encouraged by a handful of privileged friends who saw the preview, I plucked up courage and started over from scratch, and the video dropped to 4min without any spot removed! Genius.
Last but not least, in order not to waste valuable footages, I made a TEASER out of the failed outtakes, which you can enjoy here!
Watch and watch again, and SHARE if you please:
the more views, the better ranked for the contest!
DEADLINE: NOVEMBER 23, MIDNIGHT.
REGRETS
I have two: No.1 is not to have done a 'zoulou' jump from the small piece of wall in the grass, No.2 is not to have done a shift at the end of the heel wheeling on the low wall.
The first was hardly practicable because we shot in-between two rain showers and the stone was very slippery, the second was totally doable but it was the last spot of the day, I was exhausted and we were running out of time because the sun was going down, so that I just simply did not think about it.
TIRED BUT HAPPYIndeed just like any shooting, it was tiring. SOME SPOTS TOOK AGES to be recorded because we could not find the right angle, because we did not get the right shooting/skating timing, because several view angles were needed... Some scenes took almost a dozen shots before we were satisfied with the rendering (egg. the thief jump over the wall).
But it was very rewarding. Indeed because we are proud of the final results, but also because I had to surpass myself and OVERCOME A COUPLE OF MENTAL BLOCKS. Let's mention the tac-tac going down the flight of stairs. Last time I did that, I did not take enough speed in the run-up so that my wheels got stuck halfway and I broke a slab with my butt at the landing. No harm but a great fright!
MANY THANKS
...Of course to Kami and Julie, but also to Wonka who shot the opening and the closing sequences of the video. Thanks again to Wonka as well as to my bro' and Karla for the urban combo ideas.
SKATING: Chloé Seyrès
SHOOTING: Julie Bruhier, Kami Graphy, Wheely Wonka
EDITING: Kozmic Bruise
MUSIC: Akouphën "Shit Talker"
Bordeaux, September 2013
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Vraiment très fière d'avoir participé à cette vidéo. Merci d'avoir bien voulu écouter (plein de) mes conseils. <3
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