Last week 'we' 'sat down' with Cory Hagelstein, the man behind the lens of Recess and asked him some questions to try and better understand him and the making of what should be a very good video. This week, we bring you the second part of what 'we' decided to call the Recess Round Table, a group of small interviews with those involved in it's production. Think of these interviews as a group discussion, much like a DVD commentary. I can only hope you find what might be one of the last print interviews to be enjoyable. Hopefully this project will be profitable to the video by building anticipation and interest. Thanks to all involved.
-Allen Dillard
Who is your favorite person to film?
My favorite person to film would have to be Ivan. It's fun hauling ass trying to keep up with him. Plus his style is on point.
Do you have a favorite filmer?
Yoan Taillandier for sure.
What about a favorite editor or editing style?
My favorite editing style would have to be what John Cowart or Spandakill do on YouTube. It's funny how they put it together, but it's not like a mess around montage, if that makes since. I also like Jimmy's (MiSkateage on YouTube) editing style. He is crazy with editing, his stuff is always entertaining. Mad props to him!
Obviously you've made a million edits, from full video parts to montages of varying lengths and editing styles. What's the one you're most proud of, and why?
I'd have to say I'm most proud of my KOTA edit from this year. I'm really satisfied how it came out. I went in to it with a plan to shoot a bunch of B side shots on my phone, and obviously film a bunch with the VX. So it was really rad to see how it came out in the end.
What can we expect from the Recess video?
A part from Weezy F Baby, and a soundtrack featuring Ace of Base & Young Scooter.
How did you come up with the title?
I was sitting in algebra 2 and the thought about names popped in my head. I couldn't think of anything. All of the sudden, this kid out in the hall screamed "recess" and ran out of the building. I was just like, yes, that's it. There's not a release date as of right now. But I'm thinking of sometime in January 2014.
Who's blowing it?
Everyone, especially Allen Dillard.
Who's killing it?
Me.
Who's part are you looking forward to most?
I'm really stoked on Ivan's part. Like I said, his style is on point and the stuff that he skates it super sick. Wallie wallie wallie pole jam wallie... It seems like he's happy with what he has, I think he just needs an ender and that's it!
What is your motivation?
Biggby hazelnut roast, re-tweets and favorites.
How long have you been working on Recess for?
12 years. Going on 13.
Will Ivan's part be ALL wallies/wall rides?
UOENO.
I'd say the differences between my video (Model Mouth) and Recess is that I just filmed whatever, really, and just kinda threw stuff together. I don't know much on how to edit videos, where as cory just kills it at filming, editing and getting perfect colors. His film will be more professional.
When we were filming Efil, we weren't thinking about it as a video really. It wasn't anything serious, it was just us skating and having fun with a camera. In both of my parts im just doing me! Having fun and trying to fuck some shit up. I never stressed out much about tricks besides maybe this wallride line I wanted to film ; I had to go to the spot three different times to get it. Im looking forward to Joeys part because that fool does some crazy ass shit out of nowhere and its amazing.
Some people just need to get their shit together and get out and get shit done more. Fuck, too many people influence me. I cant really choose favorites, as for the tricks yes, I see people do shit that looks sick and I learn it ; Friends and skateboarding in general is my motivation. I think everyones fucking shit up man, Joey, Scott, Jared, Corys killing it with filming and skating but he needs to start doing a little more of both if you ask me, haha.
It's been about a year now since we started working on the video, if not more.
I'm excited for everyones part man, it should be sick as fuck... and no Adam my part won't be all wallies and wallrides. I threw in some kickflips just for you.
Efil was definitely an unexpected project. From what I remember, I'd Just pull my camera out and film stuff, or if I had a line I'd hand the camera over to someone and make them film me, haha.
For Recess, being that it's been two years in the making, it'll probably the first actual video that will show my potential In the skate world. It's like the icing on the cake, because most skaters might not ever put out a video that will premiere to potential strangers (if the premiere is that big). It's also a more serious process for me... like planning, I really hate that cause when you plan things out sometimes they don't work out, and that can make me fustrated. Also, with the stuff I have for Recess, it is something I'm totally proud of. I worked hard and it shows that if I keep working I'll be even better next time.
For recess it was serious but it's ending in a non serious way, we really haven't gone out since early October to get clips but I only need a few more clips, but it's snowed already so who knows. I have a emergency ender just in case.
For Babanga, I was gonna just have fun and let the tricks come to me, but I think after recess since I'll have a break from filming (due to Dillard being in surgery and winter months) I wanna take it more serious. Skating is the only thing I can actually do sorta ok, so why not give it my all again? Also, I already filmed some good stuff for Babanga, but if anything is different [between filming for Babanga and Recess] it is that we've travelled to different states, and the spots that Dill[ard] takes us to aren't always the easiest spots to skate, which is good, because you have to think to get a trick. Also I like the 'pass the camera along system' for we've used for Babanga. Everyone can get stuff, even Dill can get stuff done.
The hardest moment getting a trick was at wood chip gap. It took at least 8 trips going there to actually get one trick throughout two years and I finally ended up getting it this summer, along with another trick that luckily came during that eighth session, and also I had to deal with a broken toe during filming.
I'm excited for Joeys part. As for my part... Haha, you know we got the Dylan look, then we got a little Austyn, and now I look normal.
Filming for Ain't Nothin' Better, Great Lakes Great Times, Spazzatura and Symbiosis were all interesting experiences... each part represents a different phase of my life. ANB was the first video I had the opportunity to be a part of, so that is memorable in itself. I was also in my first two years of college, so I was younger and dealing with the "college transition" at the time. I also had to deal with my dad's passing, so the completion of it felt like my chance to begin a new phase in my life. The 1% video was sick because I had the chance to start skating with a lot of the local guys I grew up looking up to. Garrett, Bobby, Flaugher, Jamie were all inspirational to me in one way or another, so to be in the same video as them was rad. 1% was also my first product based sponsor, so it was nice to help support the OPP (RIP?). Spazzatura was filmed while I was filming for the 1% video as well as my last two years of college, so I was dealing with a lot of field experience classes in schools and skating took a backseat. Scartzel was originally going to have ender, but he didn't have a "last trick," and I was lucky enough to find enough time during the fall of 2011 to film enough stuff to have the last part again. I'd say I worked the hardest on that part, and I'm most proud of that one so far. Symbiosis was originally supposed to be a Jeremy/Dale Decker part, but Dale had more footage with Jackson Thursby, so Jeremy ended up using a lot of my "throwaway" footage for that part. I like the editing/song choice a lot in that part and it was during my blonde hair/Gosling obsession phase. Strange times for sure, but Jeremy did a super sick job with that part. I was stoked to be a part of a collaborative project like that with some of Michigan's finest.
Filming for Recess in comparison to ANB, GLGT, Spazz, and Symbiosis comes down to the fact that I'm super lazy and blowing it. Cory and I haven't really been out skating as much as I have been out with Jeremy for Ruff Ryderz 3. Cory and everyone else in Recess are strictly fun-first type skateboarders, so it's never a "mission" to go out and get tricks, which is how it should be, but you know how that goes.
When it comes down to the differences between the filmers I've worked with, it mostly comes down to comfort. Jeremy [Cooper] is my best friend, so he knows how to motivate and push me to get through a trick because of how long we've been skating together. Working with [Allen Dillard], Cory, Pat [Miller], and anyone else isn't weird by any means, but it can be different in the sense that Jeremy knows exactly how I might react when falling, or even when my board is going to head directly for his lens (sorry for hitting your cameras soooooooooooooooo many times). It breaks down like so:
Jeremy: Knows how to push me without being a "skate coach". My go-to guy.
Cory: We trippy/hyphy
Allen: Eye for aesthetics/also trippy
Pat: Will push you to reach your full potential by always providing his input. Often results in your line looking 99% different from what you wanted (not bad)
Jim [Tumey]: Will take you to fresh spots/also an eye for aesthetics
Kyle [Eby]: Hijinx...(see "Sponsor Me 2012" on his Youtube page)
I hope that when RR3, Babanga and Recess are done it shows how much fun I had working on each project. RR3 has had most of my focus lately, so that will probably show a lot of tricks I had to really work for while filming. You'll definitely see a lot of feeble variations, basic flip tricks, and a gap or two... maybe even a rail! I did try and throw in a few surprises, though. Recess and Babanga might show the calmer side of me, if that makes any sense. I enjoy trying to get the most out of spots and to skate them in unique ways. Unfortunately, Recess will probably be mostly extra RR3 footage, but I'm still stoked on that stuff regardless. I just hope Cory is as well.
The parts I'm looking forward to the most by video:
RR3: Donny [Stock] and Kenny Walsh. Kenny might be the best skateboarder period.
Recess: Scotty, because I've seen him progress so much since I've known him.
Babanga: [Ryan] Schendel (if he gets off the Mortal Kombat kick). I personally think he's the most underrated skateboarder in MI.
I will have definitely have a full part in RR3, and I'm trying my best to have as much footage as possible in Recess and Baganga, at least enough to split a part for each video... I think I actually have more footage for Babanga than Recess, but as of now, I'm content with the footage I've gotten for each project. Cold War just came out and it's definitely inspired me to try and get a lot of single tricks, even though I like lines more.
I have way too many skateboarders that I could say have influenced me. Chris Troy sticks out because of the bigpsins and 270 variations, and I also could say Nate Broussard['s style and trick selection] has always been easy on the eyes. [Mike] Carroll for the feebles... everyone knows I love feebles on ledges now. Locally, Justin Zimmerman is absolutely killing it.
My motivation is to simply have fun and push myself to be the best I can be on my board. At this point, I NEVER would have imagined being where I am now with skateboarding. I love it to death and never want to stop. Roll forever for those who can't.
As far as who's killing it, I already told you Zimmerman and Donny are killing it. Robby Pauli is coming up, and that Nixon Dixon dude is killing everyone right now. There are also a lot of younger dudes that are going to be in a video called "Days at Large" and I've seen some of the stuff they are doing...unreal. Vinnie Mango 4 Prez though.
Who's blowing it? Easy, me. There are probably others, but I'm blowing it the most.
In regards to Recess, I've been filming for it since spring 2012 (see, blowing it), and I'm most excited to see Scotty and Joey's parts. Jared Howell is also going to kill it.
And to confirm rumors, Ivan's part WILL be ALL wallrides. You heard it first. Recess is different because it's just a bunch of friends out on their skateboards having fun on the playground...just like Recess.
This whole article ended up being so awesome to work on, even if it ended up being a lot longer than I expected. I can easily say I am a fan of all of these guys and I'm definitely inspired by everything they do. Go to the premiere. Also, my computer has taken a shit on me, so some of the surprises I spoke of in the past will have to wait. Sorry.
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