Posting skate videos on the interweb is reminiscent
of the Wild West – in and amongst the highly accessible ways to get those
videos out there, it's interesting to see how creative-types approach the
constantly swirling white-wash of both good and suspect skate content. But
Montreal's Jeremy Elkin and Jason Auger have an answer. They've combined their
talents to deliver Elephant Direct,
an artistically packaged DVD feature they're looking to release sometime in
summer 2010.
Elkin brings a refined east coast skateboarding feel
to the table with his digital video work; his last release, ‘08's Lo-Def,
is the defining example. Auger, who put out REpublic in '07,
offers his experience and preference for classic motion picture film formats.
Needless to say, their collaborative efforts are sure to provide a solid
stoke-perspective to those who feast their eyes on the Elephant.
"So far it's been more about making a film that's
hand-made and looks raw," says Jason Auger. "Old ideas are being thrown away,
some recycled. Keep the Elephant
moving. This film is a tribute to the working class."
We all know oversaturation numbs the senses. In
response to that, an air of mystery and exclusivity surrounds Elephant Direct in a time when that's
increasingly difficult to achieve. The only sure way to get a visual sense of
the Elephant is to keep tabs on their
Color magazine's web video channel, which strategically leaks weekly
"throwaway" cuts leading to the anticipated final product.
Elephant
Direct will feature the skating of Kevin Lowry, Andrew McGraw, Marc Tison,
Torey Goodall, Justin Gastelum, Seb Labbe, Russ Milligan, Pat O'Rourke and Mike
Fyfe. Here's An Inside Look with
Jason Auger and Jeremy Elkin:
Elephant Direct is a pretty abstract
title, what's the story behind it?
Jeremy Elkin:
It's the name of a convenience store down the street from here. It's located in
the middle of where Marc Tison, Justin Gastelum, Barry Walsh, Mike Fyfe, Torey
Goodall and I live in downtown Montreal. Torey and I usually skate flatground in
front of the store, then we decide whether or not to venture off with the
camera equipment for the day. It's a small, rough block that's never short of
house arrests, drug deals, and bums running and hiding from the police. We get
to see all sorts of life going on in and around the Elephant.
Jason, you
work with film a lot – your Elephant
Direct-related cut "Roadbags" is proof
of that. Why do you enjoy the fickle medium and how will it be applied to the
feature?
Jason Auger:
There will be a lot of super 8mm and 16mm mixed in with the digital footage and
animations. I'm really into making animations and stop-motion stuff; I like
being involved in every single frame and it's really cool watching as your work
progresses. The idea is to have a little of everything without going all over
the place. Even with the super 8 and 16, we'll be extremely selective. The
extras we'll use for the weekly clips.
What have you
learned from past projects that you've applied to Elephant Direct?
Jason
Auger: I think our main objective is to keep it simple. The skating in
general will be close to what you saw in Jeremy's last video, Lo-Def. By that I mean the style of filming,
spot selection, and the aesthetic behind the video. The titles and whatnot are
going to be mostly hand-made. Overall, it'll be more like doing a lot with very
little. It'll be the little-big video.
Russ Milligan, switch backside 5-0 to shuv. Clifford sequence.
As was the
case with Lo-Def, a media
relationship was established with Color
for this project that involves weekly Elephant
Direct "throwaway" clips. What's the strategy with these shorts?
Jeremy Elkin: The weekly clips are a good way for us
to recycle footage. I'm a strong believer of not giving away too much with them
either. I'm not going to show spots that I want people to see for the first
time when they watch someone's part at the premiere. The primary reason we're
doing it is because of Color's site – I knew that my stuff wouldn't look pixilated and it definitely wouldn't be
treated the same way as a YouTube video that gets posted onto a million sites
every morning. I enjoy the fact that it's the only place you can go to watch
it. In a sense, it preserves some authenticity.
Where has the
Elephant taken you, travel-wise?
Jeremy Elkin: Trips are a way to enjoy filming,
because it gets pretty redundant going to the same MTL spots week after week.
Last year, I went to Ottawa a few times to start off filming and I spent a
large portion of my summer in New York. This year we'll be doing most of the
shooting away from home – Los Angeles to skate some backyard pools, San
Francisco, North Carolina, Boston, Philadelphia, New Jersey, Albany, Toronto
and Québec City are all on the map for the spring and summer. Just trying to
keep it continental and within reason.
Who are some
of the new skaters you're working with that you haven't been included in past
projects? Jeremy, you mentioned some "comeback" or rare parts...
Jeremy Elkin: Torey [Goodall] says this will be his
retirement part. Hopefully that won't be the case, but it's definitely a rare
part for him considering his last skate video appearance
[Baby Steps, ‘05] was when he was
like 17. I think Justin Gastelum's part is going to shock some people; he's
underground and skates for fun. When I was talking about comeback parts, the
one I had in mind was Marc Tison. I think his
last one was in a Skate Canada?
For more about
all things Elephant, bookmark their video channel on
Color magazine's website.
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Related:
The Follow-Up: Lo Def
Quik Welcome Video For Torey Goodall