2007 winner of the Go Film Skate Day Contest!!
/ WINNER!
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The Wild Adventures of Dirty Dirk - Go Hunt Skateboarders Day (Vancouver)
The winner of the 1st annual Go Film Skate Day has...  108 702 |
Skateboarders around the world can breathe easier now that C1RCA is giving Dirty Dirk shoes for a Year!
Check out the video if you don't know what I'm talking about!
He's also walking away with a brand new Panasonic Camera, Mac Laptop, Cash and more!
The Interview
How did you find out about the contest?
I am not exactly sure how i heard about the Go Skate Day contest, because I remember seeing the webflyer on the C1rca.ca site, then I received a forwarded email from Alex @ Underworld. I asked some other filmers and friends if they had heard about the contest. I figured why not, try it out. i have never entered a contest before, it should be fun.
How long have you been filming?
Hold on, let me take off these spider webs off from my arms. I have been filming for a long time now. I remember in high school i use to borrow the schools shoulder mount VHS camera and fooled around with it, by filming my friends skating and the random high school fights. Eventually i saved up and bought a hi8 camera. I really bought it so that i can make a sponsor tape for myself, cuz i was skating alot and had those Girl/Chocolate dreams. But i ended up filming with my friends, then I started to meet other good skaters, like Dustin Montie, Randy Monchalin and Scott Reid from Abbotsford, BC. Some how i became the filmer. So i would say i have been filming roughly for 8 years.
How did you come up with the concept for your video? it's pretty original.
Well, Dirty Dirk took some thinking. I read the guidelines on Rip.tv, and they mentioned "Funny" and they wanted something original, including music. So I thought about it for awhile when i went to bed to dream. Since Go Skate Day was coming up quickly, in like 1 week from when i found out about the contest, i had to make a decision. One thing I knew, is that I had to have a Canadian spin on Go Skate Day. As well, I figured that the other filmer contestants would probably just film their local Go Skate Day event. In Vancouver, the guys at Timebomb organize the Go Skate Day for Emerica's Wild In The Streets. They did it last year, that i filmed. As well, I am involved the Bringing It To The Streets contest, which is pretty much same where skaters take over city skate spots. So I had already filmed and edited those events into standard skate video montages, before. I knew that I wanted to do something different. i hate doing the same thing twice. I like to consider myself an artist. If I continue to repeat my work in the same manner, i feel like i am a machine. But you do have to find and use a formula that works. As well, I figured that every other filmer in the Vancouver area would film the event. I didn't want to have to go elbow to elbow with other filmers to get the same shot, I'd rather enjoy Go Skate Day and film the wonderous moments when all the skaters moved together like a school of fish. So I had to be original. I got my good ol' buddy Chad Dickson involved, in the contest. I have known Chad for a few years now, and I know that he is very committed in doing projects. He is a good actor. We watched a lot of YouTube videos together for inspiration. Then I tried to remember TV shows that I liked when i was a kid. My favorite TV show when I was 12 years old was CBC's The Kids In The Hall. We watched some of the shows and found the skit called the "Suit Trappers." Then we watched some SCTV shows to find Bob and Doug Mckenize. We mixed those two skits together and sprinkled a little Spike Jonze style ontop; thus The Wild Adventures of Dirty Dirk the Skateboard Hunter was created.
Have you made other videos, or is this the first?
I have been making skate videos and been involved in so many videos to name. My first video that was published and self-financed was called "The Substance." I think I made the first skateboard video in Canada to be on DVD. Then I worked with Jeremy Petit with "North." Did some other projects outside of skateboarding, then teamed up with Underworld to continue "The Under Attack Shows." Last year, I made a core skateboard video for Underworld called "Yesterdays Future." Those videos were made to fit the skateboard enthusiast. Good tricks, good spots, good music and ok filming. To make a dramatic video is a lot harder for a filmmaker. Especially a comedy. When I wrote the script, i don;t know if it would be funny or not. Or how to film it. It's just words on a piece of paper. It is only until Dirty Dirk cracks open his beer and starts saying his lines, that i know that it will turn out.
Did you go to film school or have any training? or just a lot of practice?
Back in High School a took theatre classes and design communication classes where i made 2D character animations and played with 3D Studio Max. After school i would just skate with my friends. When I graduated I attended CDIS in Burnaby (which is now called Art Institute). I took a Video Arts Masters program, where I learnt about video pre-production, production and post-production. I learnt a lot about the process of making films. But mostly I had access to use the professional equipment at time. Linear and Non-linear equipment, video and film cameras, lights and most importantly i got to meet other talented people from all over. Secondary school really opened my eyes, but didn't mean i was going to be a professional. Actually far from it. I still had to work at Mcdonalds so that I could have gas money and able to buy new skate shoes. Luckily, i had made some good friends in my life that would help to continue to make videos, websites and etc. Every time I created something, i learnt something new. I think that is every important in life to continue learning.
Do you actually skate yourself? or just poach skaters, like the dirk did?
I still skate. Not as much as I like. It is hard, because i have a busy schedule. I have to work so that I can pay rent and bills. Every once in awhile i go skate at the Plazatron (Skateplaza.) I put on my headphones on so that i don;t have to talk to anyone, cuz I just wanna skate by myself like when i was a kid. Other times I am on filming missions with Spencer Hamilton, Ryan Bonnell, Dustin Montie, Jai Ball, Micky Papa, Grant Patterson or other Canadian skateheads that wanna go skate and film in Vancouver. I just play games of SKATE with them so that they can warm-up. Of course, I always lose to them. One day I will bet you Chad. I might have to use a baseball bat to your knees, but i will beat you.
Did it take you long to edit this vid? did it ever make you go crazy?
It was fun to edit. I laughed so many times at the outtakes. But honestly it wasn't as easy as editing skate videos, because i had to keep the story going, worked with multiple takes, and had to to deal with audio/music problems. When I was editing the video, I wished i had more of Dirty Dirk doing skate tricks, cuz he is so good and I knew that all those skatenerds out there would hate on it, cuz there wasn't many tricks. The reason why there wasn't a lot of Dirk skating on Go Skate Day, was because Chad Dickson had to skate with the LRG team, cuz he is on the Canadian LRG team and they all had to skate with everyone on Go Skate Day. If you watch Jordan Mayfield's video entry from Vancouver's Go Skate Day ( www.rip.tv/video/view/2049/), you will see Chad do a 360Flip Nosemanual. Chad is so talented.
What are you going to do with the winnings?
Well, Dirty Dirk and I are gonna split the winnings. We are also gonna have a party for all those peeps that propped us to win.
What camera/comp did you use to make your vid?
Since I don't have a camera of my own, I borrowed Underworld's VX2000 camera and edited on my Apple G4 computer.
What's dirty dirk like off camera?
Well, Dirty Dirk is hilarious. I think cuz he grew up in a small town Old Crow, Yukon he has a simple outlook on life. He doesn't see the complicity of the city life, he'll give high fives to strangers on hastings streets, whistle dixie if he is in a good mood, and he is always looking for the perfect spot to hunt skaters. He is an authentic Canadian.
Should kids watch out for dirty dirk in there neighborhood?
I think so. Even though Dirty Dirk has some new C1rca shoes to pond off to Gary, he'll still be hunting for more of those expensive skate shoes. Hunting is second nature for Dirk. So kiddies make sure you shoes are well skated in or Dirk will take those crisp, clean shoes off your feet.
Will there be a dirty dirk #2?
I know Dirk will be hunting and gathering in the city until the fall, because he has to prepare for the cold, Canadian winter months ahead, you know. I think Dirty Dirk will be spotted around town. Hopefully, he allows me to follow him again.
I just wanna say thanks to everyone that gave Dirty Dirk props. Much appreciation to Chad Dickson, Chris Conolly, Gary, my girlfriend Ra Mi Kim, Alex from Underworld, Montie, Bonnell, Jai Ball, Eli@Circle. Scott Decenzo for doing that nollie front boardslide, Nate LaCoste for being himself. The Korean crew (VISC) for helping out. Thanks to the crew at Timebomb for organizing the Go Skate Day in Vancouver. To all those haters that left negative comments, thanks for watching. A shout out to the other video contestants, Kyle Kimberling (VeniceBeach) , Blake Mcritchie and Matt Gravel (21st Dream), Jordan Mayfield, Caissie, Miami crew and to all the other videos that entered.
Thanks to C1rca for supporting this contest and most importantly to Rip.tv staff for having the balls to make this contest go down.
Hopefully, this video will inspire next years Go Film Skate Day contestants.
