Mathieu Cowan

What were some of the highlights?

We found this spot with this double set, and then after the double set there is the St. Lawrence River right after it. We also lit a board on fire and blasted some hills with it, and did some 3-flips. That was so good. I can’t wait to see the transfers and see the shot.

What was the team’s overall strategy and goals?

Well, before I went to Quebec the guys there sent me some photos of what they wanted to skate and everything, so I basically had my idea of what I wanted to film. Every spot I wanted to film was something like more of an artistic shot than a regular skateboarding shot. The weather was the main problem, so every time we tried to plan something, it rained. Or, there was police.

What were the other difficulties? How was shooting 16mm?

Oh, I’m very used to it. I’ve shot like, 1000 roles of 16mm in my life so far. So, that was not a problem for me. The main problem was that I didn’t know Quebec City that much. I’m from Montreal, so it was a different territory, and I didn’t know what to expect exactly. The people are different too.

What do you foresee concerning the editing process upcoming?

I’ve got an idea. Pretty much I have my own style of editing. I just have a good way to make the spirit happen, so when you watch the video it makes you want to go skate. That’s pretty much what I want to do. It’s not about having a huge trick or something; it’s just the vibe of skating. With the dolly track, we could make some opportunities later for cool editing. We can bring the vibe up and I hope people will be stoked to watch it.

Whose performance stood out the most so far?

Ulysse Pinel definitely stood out. I love his style. I didn’t know him before. He’s kind of the one who doesn’t talk much but just does the trick and has fun. He doesn’t stress at all.

Where there times when you felt that you might not come out of this with a working product?

When the rain started going crazy, we though, “Dude, what are we going to do, you know?” We started thinking about what we would be able to do. We didn’t know what was going to happen. I heard in Vancouver it was super sunny and the whole east coast was shitty.

What do you think is the key to success with this type undertaking?

The key to success is having fun and not stressing a lot. That’s the key with filming 16mm because when skaters haven’t been shot on 16mm before they really stress. It’s a big stress. It’s not like shooting with digital. We only have ten rolls. Frank stressed a lot on that. I told him, “Don’t worry, dude. Just skate and have fun. Don’t stress.”

If you could have any other Canadian skater on your team, who would it be and why?

I would choose Rick McCrank because I’ve seen him skate a lot before and he always gets his tricks first time. It’s so much easier for me when a skater always lands their trick. When a skater is a pro, they don’t take much time to make a trick and it’s usually stylish too. You want a stylish trick. He’s so fun to watch; maybe Alex Chalmers as well.

What were your expectations before the weekend, and how did they change as the weekend progressed?

My expectation was just to try to take the most beautiful shot ever. I just wanted to film in a different way that nobody had filmed before. That was my plan.

Do you think you achieved it?

Yeah, I pretty much achieved it. The main problem was that I didn’t always get exactly what I wanted. I had the dolly track but you need someone to push you, and some people are not that good at it. You need to push it at the same speed all the way though, and if you don’t, the movement on the camera becomes kind of bad.

I think you are the only team that used a dolly.

We looked like some big Hollywood crew, and lots of people around were looking and asking questions.