This interview was originally printed in Issue 6 of Cierra Los Ojos Para Ver. In support of Collin's recent video release, Liminal (Full Video Here), here is the entire interview and some photos from filming during that time.
How did you get started as a filmer?
Well I guess it started when I was like 10 or 11 years old; I used to film myself doing ollies and kickflips on my family’s digital camera. My little brother and I would also try to film each other do lines in our driveway and would build sketchy ramps and stuff. Eventually I became super hyped on Ryan Sheckler- specifically his part in the Oakley “Our Life” video. In the clip where he ollies the Costco fence in Laguna Niguel, there was a fisheye angle that I was obsessed with. Not really sure why but I thought it looked super cool. There was a similar (way smaller) gap in my neighborhood that I wanted to ollie and have someone film the same exact way. I asked for a baby Death Lens for Christmas that year and put it on my dad’s old Hi8 camera. I ended up doing the ollie but my neighbor who filmed it blew it. After that though I used that setup to start filming some of the Escondido locals I met, who were way better than I was. Basically realized I liked the video aspect of skateboarding more than working for tricks myself. Do you think VX is dead? Yes, no? If yes, why? In my opinion it’s dead. Respect to those who keep trying to use it despite all the challenges now, but I think the time has passed. Most VX footage nowadays looks like trash compared to the golden era, and I just don’t see the benefit of continuing to use it. The HPX is the new VX anyway, and you can even film in 4:3 on it. Sk8rat made an HDVX tutorial video and I think that looks great. Do you think full length video parts are still necessary? Yeah one hundred percent. In the skate industry, I think full length parts are still used as a determining factor if someone fits on a brand or has the work ethic to be a professional. I always find it crazy when a skater has psycho clips on IG but no parts when I look them up on YouTube. I guess we’ll see if that shifts in the future though. What kind of camera do you use? I currently use a Panasonic HCX1 and Lumix GH5. Do’s and Don’ts as a filmer? I don’t really think there are too many rules as a filmer anymore. Do’s: Do whatever you want, find your own style. Don’ts: Don’t be put in a box. Did Instagram kill the video part? In a way yes, like I mentioned earlier some kids just focus on getting clips for IG and don’t care about filming video parts. In the long run though I don’t think that’ll work, I think the skaters who take time to film and craft a part will be the most successful. The most memorable thing a skateboarder can produce is a great part, in my opinion. When you think of someone like Shane O’Neill, you don’t think of his iPhone clips, you think of his various Nike and Thrasher parts. What is Shop Basement and how did it start? Shop Basement is my girlfriend Shannon and I’s vintage clothing business. It originally started with Noah Lora and I- we were thrifting a lot and trying to find cool stuff. Around 2017 I was inspired by a page called Vintage Sponsor and liked how he was curating around the skate and snow culture. I convinced Noah to start a page with me and we both started sourcing and posting stuff up on IG. Shannon and I would go thrifting together and she’d help find stuff, so she became involved as well. Over time Noah wanted to do his own page (Jonestown Vintage) so he left the Basement and it just became our thing. We’re now top sellers on Depop and still post stuff up on Instagram as well. Have you always been interested in thrifting? My mom has been thrifting and selling stuff since 2005. She would occasionally find me stuff that I’d wear. But I didn’t get fully into thrifting until my senior year of high school when I was trying to develop more of a style. It didn’t take too long after that to find out what was vintage was, but it took a while to actually figure out what I was looking at and the value of items. |
A large part of being a filmer is scouting for locations. Are there any skills you’ve built as a filmer
that translate into thrifting, or vice-versa? I think one skill I use for both filming and thrifting is being able to read my surroundings. When you’re out street skating, you need to be pretty aware of what’s going on around you; whether it be people walking by, looking for security, or looking for the perfect angle. It’s similar with thrifting, you need to be aware of how a store runs, patterns with stocking, and on the look out for other people who may buy what you’re looking for. I’ve definitely been in a store before and noticed someone holding a shirt I’d want, and bought it off them before they checked out. I’d also say that good skate spots and good thrift spots are kind of similar in that they often don’t last forever, and you need to get there while the getting is good. Best thrift find? A pair of Levi 501’s from 1947. Found those at a normal thrift store somehow, they appeared to have only been washed once. Is it hard to not keep things for yourself? It depends. I have certain items that I will keep for myself no matter what, like vintage Pink Floyd shirts or vintage skate T-shirts. But any other random stuff I don’t really care, since I see so much of it. Fit is really important to me too, like if I find a perfect pair of Levi’s Silvertabs but they’re just a little bit too big or small, I’ll sell them. The process and time it takes for me to find the perfect piece of clothing makes me appreciate it so much more. If I love something I’ll wear it till it falls apart. Each skater has a unique skating style and it shows in how and what they skate. Do you think a skater’s fashion choices can influence their skating or communicate who they are as a person? Yeah of course. I’ve had my entire opinion changed about a skater because of a style change. It’s like “oh, now I see it!” A great clothing style can add depth and elevate one’s skating, which is why I’ll sometimes tell a homie “you should change your shirt out,” or “maybe try a different pair of jeans with that fit.” As far as communicating who they are as a person, I’d look at Ali Boulala as an example. The way he dressed in his “Sorry” part just screamed that he didn’t give a fuck; his skating clearly spoke the same. Fashion and skateboarding have always and will always go hand in hand, in my opinion. You sell a lot of clothing to your skateboarder friends. Is it hard for you to let pieces go, knowing they are going to get skated and potentially ruined? I usually don’t care too much because it’s their money, but there’s been a few times I’ve told them “hey, maybe don’t wear this shirt when you’re skating stairs.” Even with vintage jeans it’s hard, because I’ll find them a perfect pair, but as soon as they destroy them, that’s it. You usually don’t find repeats of the same exact size and cut. Thoughts about current brands releasing clothing that imitates older styles. Cool or corny? I think for pants and jeans it’s fine, since the originals are so hard to come by in good condition. For anything else though, I think it’s lame. The reason people love vintage clothing is because of the quality and history. Why support a fast fashion brand like Urban Outfitters when you can buy from a small business and get higher quality stuff? Over the years I’ve really noticed the difference between vintage and contemporary, and it’s pretty huge. Clothing from back then was made to last, and now it’s made to fall apart so you buy more of it. What are your thoughts about the fashion industry commodifying the skateboarding culture as a trend? I feel like that’s always been happening. Skateboarding is hugely influential to fashion and what’s considered “cool” in our culture. I don’t mind it, it just puts more attention on skateboarders and brings more money into the scene, which can be beneficial for a lot of people. Maybe as a trend it’ll cycle out, but skateboarding doesn’t need the fashion industry. That’s why it’s survived so long without it. Skateboarders walking in fashion shows or showing up in editorials for high profile brands. Is that great exposure for the industry or just selling out? I don’t think it’s selling out. There’s only so much money in the skate industry, so I would hope if someone had an opportunity like that, they’d take it. In my opinion it would open more doors than it would close. I don’t think there is as much of a stigma on skateboarders “selling out” anymore, with social media people promote themselves more than ever. It’s just a different world now than it was 10 years ago. Any advice for somebody who wants to try make a career as a filmer? Be open to trying new types of videos. You may discover that you have more talents and interests than you think. Also, actually learn how to use your camera and what all the settings mean. That took me way too long. Accomplishments of 2022. Goals for 2023? Grew Shop Basement by double and got some new video clients. For 2023 hoping to continue more of the same and plan to come out with a small personal project as well. |