About 4 years ago we made the April Fools Tour video. Matt Sharkey was our team manager, Alan Petersen was with us, we met up with Windsor James and he was 14. Kinda seems like a long time ago but it really wasn't very long ago at all. We released that video in VHS only. Not that many people bought skate dvds.
By the time we released our next video, Blown out, it was only 2 years later but we only made DVD's because VHS was completely phased out.
Now, here we are about to finish up our third Krux video, which is not too shabby for a truck company. Name another truck company that makes videos? Tick tock, times up, you lose. Ok, if you said Krepershow or Full Power Trip (80's Gullwing flick) you win a ticket to the Skate Nerd-i-con convention coming this January in any hotel bar in a 12 block radius of the San Diego ASR.
This April will be the release of "Feelin it!" our newest and best video yet. Uh, sorry, Eric, I mean film. The full length film will be for sale but we're thinking about making a shorter edit for some promo copies for magazine inserts and whatnot. Dont' worry about it.
Why, when videos are getting better, the quality of filming is geting better and the quality of skating is skyrocketing would the value of these videos go down?
I'll say it.
You tube.
I remember right when the Enjoi video came out. I'd seen it once at a little private showing with Caswell and Kyle Camarillo, one of the producers (am I namedropping?). It was fresh off the presses and we all know what a great vid that turned out to be. Kyle mentioned to me that Jerry Hsu's part had already been posted up on you tube twice and they had to keep removing it so people would have to get the Enjoi DVD to see it. Seeing as how they spent all the effort (years!) to make the video I'd think that was fair.
So now I'm hearing "the buzz" about how You Tube is the future of video and how its going to "change the industry" and all that.
That maybe so. And I'm not here to try and change that or even say I don't watch all kinds of awesome stuff (and crap) on "The Tube". Hell I get tubed daily. Green room all the way. Where else would I get to watch clips like Faith Hill getting pissed about losing a music award, the choicest part of a Colbert Report, or an awesome skit about shoes? (see below) I'm not saying that You Tube isn't the way things should be heading but I will say this and I'm going to say it loud cause this is my only point:
THE QUALITY OF THESE VIDEOS TOTALLY SUCKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Whew, I hope nobody heard me yell that down the hall. I'm breathing hard, I just threw my hat at the wall and I'm sweating.
There's more video of more amazing skaters than there has ever been. Rad clips of the hottest rippers out there, veterans that are still shredding, and the kids that are becoming the future of skating as I type from my soapbox.
So why is the so called "future" taking a half hour to load? Why then, when I get back from making a coffee or dropping the kids off , do I have to lean over and squint at some choppy, dark, dirty, pixelated, 3"x3" box where I can't tell who's skating, whether it was switch or regular or what the damn trick even was???!!!!
I'm sorry, this isn't all on you tube. Maybe this is a call to Quicktime I don't know. A lot of my anger comes from websites and press releases with footy attached. Really good, new, footage I've never had a chance to see on a big screen and never will cause it sits in a compressed box in cyberland.
I would think the future would provide clips that lean towards enjoyment over frustration.
That being said, checkout this press release for these Flip/Fury demos coming soon. I would never dream of harshing on them cause they're providing the goods. Raw shredding!
I just want the medium that the goods are displayed on to do the skating justice. So get on it Quicktime! Bone's getting pissed!
Flip/Fury Demos
Is it just me? I had to rewind that last trick a couple times to see that it was indeed a nollie bigspin to backside tailslide to big spin out.
Maybe its just me but I want to see my Appleyard footy in hi def.
Now that's a future to look forward to.
Daily disclaimer: I may not know how to work a computer properly.
shoes!
