In this final part of the Madera video interviews, you can see what John Ludwick, Bill Politis, Bryce Toole, Bobby Valentine, Tom Villarreal, and Matt Coplon had to say about working on this project. If you missed parts one or two you can check the links at the bottom to get to those. The video should be available anywhere Profile/Madera is available now. So check out what these guys had to say, then go check it out!
Years Riding:
7.5
Sponsors:
Madera, UGP shoes, Sea & Sky Clothing, Eastern Boarder, Rye Airfield Skatepark, TEAM JEFF DUPAUL.
When your first got word about this new video project how did you feel? Did you know who you wanted to work with for filming?
I was excited about the project for sure, I’ve been apart of Madera since 06, so we had been talking about doing a dvd for quite some time.
When it came time to actually start working on the project, I knew I’d be working with Bill since he’s been a good friend of mine for a while now & he lives in Boston which is pretty close to where I lived in NH.
Did you have an idea of where or what you were going to film or was it more of a “if it comes up, it comes up” situation?
I usually always have an idea what I want to film for edits or videos, but filming for this video took place mostly in california & at random spots we’d ride. So for this project it was more “on the spot” type of thinking/riding.
Have you done much traveling to get the filming done? Where all have you been? Any trips in the works?
See above haha. I spent almost all of December in southern Cali to film, & went back again in January for a couple weeks. Other than that, all other clips were around the northeast area.
Have you had any complications come up like injuries, getting kicked out of spots, traveling to discover the spot had been destroyed?
Not really, when Bill went out to Cali with me in January, he hurt his wrist real bad a few days into it, definitely a bummer, he had some wild moves lined up.
How much left do you have to film for your part?
It’s finished now, but I was the last guy finishing up filming for it.
What’s the craziest, or coolest thing you have experienced while doing this project?
Definitely being able to spend most of the winter out in California, the northeast winters are always real brutal & you certainly can’t ride/film outside anywhere haha.
How do you feel people will react to this when it’s all done? “good” or “fucking awesome”?
I think it’s definitely an all around “Good” video, it’s not a wild ground breaking video, but a bunch of good friends having fun riding their bikes. I definitely think the video as a whole came out awesome & I think kids will be pretty psyched on it.
Whose part in the video are you anticipating most?
Definitely Dave’s part, he’s got some moves I haven’t seen before. But I’ve always loved watching mike ride, so I’m real pumped on his part as well. I think everyone came through with an awesome part.
Have you been working on any other filming projects outside of this video?
I just finished up an interview for Vital, and I’m currently working on a video for Sea & Sky Clothing.
Do you have any shout outs or thanks?
Definitely thank God for keeping me healthy through this entire project haha. Matt Coplon & everyone at Madera for making all of this even possible (travel budgets & all that), Larry Alvarado, Alex D!, Justin Kosman, Kyle Hart, Dennis Enarson & his family for putting me up out west & helping film, & Bill for filming, traveling with me, & editing my section.
Name:
Bill Politis
Years filming/editing:
Around 5 or 6
What kind of camera(s) and editing software are you using?
A Panasonic HVX200 and all sorts of apple products for editing
When you first found out you were picked to help film the project, what were you thinking? Have you filmed much with the person you have been working with before?
I was most likely in a deep state of meditative thought, so revealing my thoughts would reveal my vision for John’s part, which I cannot do until the video has dropped.
How do you go about filming? Do you have a thought process at all when it comes to setting up a shot?
Beauty, created through movement, is the essence of action. John’s movement through space created a pocket of beauty in time that sparked beauty in the lens of my camera. No set up needed.
Have you done much traveling to get the filming done? Where all have you been? Any trips in the works?
We went to California for a week to film and it was my first time going on a plane/out west, so the whole trip was an awesome experience. I like heckling John and he was a good sport, plus I met a bunch of x games dudes who were down to earth and all around really nice people.
Have you had any complications? Camera failure/damage, lack of lighting, time, things not going as planned, etc?
Nothing went wrong besides falling and hurting my wrist halfway through the California trip.
Have you had any of your work in other videos?
I made a Massbmx section for The Come Up DVD, thanks again for that Adam22.
What’s the craziest, or coolest thing you have experienced while doing this project?
The best experience would be going to California and being in warm weather!
How do you feel people will react to this when it’s all done? “good” or “fucking awesome”?
I think they’ll be psyched to see Ludwick’s footage and hopefully they don’t even notice the filming/editing!
Whose part in the video are you anticipating most?
LIL JEFF
Have you been working on any other filming
projects outside of this video?I’ve been writing a film that I’ll be making in the summer, but nothing in BMX right now besides some secret Massbmx videos.
Do you have any shout outs or thanks?
Thank you’s go to Matt Coplon because he has got to be one of the coolest dudes in BMX by far!!
Name:
Bryce Toole aka Bruce after a few cocktails
Years Riding:
Since I was a grom
Sponsors:
Madera, Sputnic, Mesh skatepark,
When your first got word about this new video project how did you feel? Did you know who you wanted to work with for filming?
I was stoked, anything Madera thinks of is usually radical and us riders have a lot of say in it. Then Matt said we get to pick our own filmer dude to do it all….stoked for sure. Yeah, the first person I thought of was Bobby. Good stuff
Did you have an idea of where or what you were going to film or was it more of a “if it comes up, it comes up” situation?
I really enjoy the free spirit of things and really wanted it to be chill and fun! I feel that’s what we did. There is some riding, some hung over moments, and I’m happy with how it came out!!
Have you done much traveling to get the filming done? Where all have you been? Do you have any other trips in the works?
We really didn’t have to go anywhere gnarly to get anything. I stayed in Pittsburgh over the summer with bobby, Jeff Smee, and Mark Mulville, so we rode when we wanted and stuff, so it all just went together smooth
Have you had any complications come up like injuries, getting kicked out of spots, traveling to discover the spot had been destroyed?
Nothing really comes to mind, like I said it came together smooth, like a babies bottom
How much left do you have to film for your part?
You know she’s done
What’s the craziest, or coolest thing you have experienced while doing this project?
That people are into seeing fun sections and not just bangers.
How do you feel people will react to this when it’s all done? “good” or “fucking awesome”?
Radical. I’m hoping people will laugh, and drink a beer shortly after they see it haha
Whose part in the video are you anticipating most?
I’m really looking forward to seeing Dave’s. I really get along with him a lot on and off the bicycles. I’m really stoked that were in the same little project!
Have you been working on any other filming projects outside of this video?
Banned 4 and Welcome 2 Pittsburgh 8 I believe it is now! Good shit
Do you have any shout outs or thanks?
Thanks to matt for being Matt. Thanks to Bobby for helping me out with this.
Name:
Bobby Valentine
When you first found out you were picked to help film the project, what were you thinking? Have you filmed much with the person you have been working with before?
When I found out that I was asked to film a section for Bryce I was really excited. I’ve filmed parts of Bryce for videos I’ve made, and he and I hang out almost everyday anyway, so filming a part really didn’t require any extra effort. With Bryce, you just turn the camera on and footage appears.
How do you go about filming? Do you have a thought process at all when it comes to setting up a shot?
The idea of “going out filming” is something that I’ve found to be kind of counter productive. We usually just go out riding and bring a camera. If someone wants to do something they’re scared of or doesn’t want to do more than once, I film it. As far as setting up a shot, I take a function over fashion approach. I want the clip to do justice to reality. A lot of time I’ve seen some follow along street clip in fisheye and it looks swell, but you can’t really tell that that ledge is actually a foot over bars, or that he had to jump over that curb and then that big drop.
Have you had any complications? Camera failure/damage, lack of lighting, time, things not going as planned, etc?
I don’t really have any cool stories about that complication question, so I’ll just going to skip it.
Have you had any of your work in other videos?
I’ve made some ‘Welcome To Pittsburgh’ videos and some stuff for Profile and UGP on the internet, but this is really fun to see a single part that I made mixed in with a bunch of other riders made by a bunch of other filmers. I can’t wait to see the different filming and editing styles all back to back.
What’s the craziest, or coolest thing you have experienced while doing this project?
Hmmm stories… With Bryce, there is always a story. This one day we went out riding. Yeah, we brought the camera, but we weren’t really expecting much. We were still stumbling out of a whiskey haze, and Bryce is decked out with this Tie-Dye T-shirt with a peace sign on it and cowboy boots, and we end up in a shadier area of Pittsburgh and, as always, Bryce strikes up a conversation with these two “questionable” fellows on a street corner. They tell us that they are going to a bar down the road to watch the Penguins in the Stanley cup (Go Pens!). We decide to join them. When we entered the bar, there was that record-stopping silence; the crickets really came out. Bryce wearing his –I’m not sure there is a word for it–clothing, and myself in cut off jean shorts and a filthy T-shirt didn’t exactly fit in with the baggy pants and bass blasting music. Fortunately we had the Pens to act as our ambassadors; the dollar PBR pints helped too. After a period and pint or two, we had made some new and unexpected friends. I think this story really sums up Bryce because he is one of the few people I know who will talk to literally anyone, and it usually works out for the better. Granted, I said usually.
How do you feel people will react to this when it’s all done? “good” or “fucking awesome”?
I’ve found that no matter what you do with a video, some people are going to love it, and some people are going to hate it. I just hope that by that time the credits are finished rolling, people are already on their way out the door to ride their bikes. That’s the point of a video and I think people forget that. Just get psyched and go ride.
Whose part in the video are you anticipating most?
I’m really looking forward to Dave McDermott’s part, because I saw him at the trails yesterday, and he had swapped all of his pegs for a set of brakes. I’m curious to see what the Street Dragon is doing when he’s not ripping pipe on the clay.
Have you been working on any other filming projects outside of this video?
I’m working on another ‘Welcome To Pittsburgh’ video called ‘This Is Fun.’ It should be out in April.
Do you have any shout outs or thanks?
I always have to thank my mom, Lundy, because she birthed me and put up with all my bullshit, and Matt Coplon and Bryce for giving me the chance to work on this. I really owe the Bennett and Smee family for keeping a roof over my head this past year. I could spend a week writing down the names of all the people I am thankful for knowing, but they already know who they are, so hanks yinsers!
Photo: Mike Kuhn
Name:
Tom Villarreal
Years Riding:
6
Sponsors:
Madera, Chocolate Chip
When your first got word about this new video project how did you feel? Did you know who you wanted to work with for filming?
Well really I had no idea about it because when I got picked up on the team they had majority of the video done. They were just waiting on a couple things to be done with it so I didn’t really have much time to film anything. So we figured I’d just sit this one out and make a little intro edit for Madera which I was fine with. I guess the video took a little longer than expected to have done so that gave me time to get some filming done and I just so lucked out that I had enough for a part in the video.
Did you have an idea of where or what you were going to film or was it more of a “if it comes up, it comes up” situation?
Like I said earlier I had no idea I was filming for the video in the beginning so Matt and I would just go out and ride like any other day and if there was something I wanted filmed he would film it.
Have you done much traveling to get the filming done? Where all have you been? Any trips in the works?
No, I didn’t travel at all actually. I just kept it all in my area. Yes actually Madera’s doing a trip up north should be a really good time
Have you had any complications come up like injuries, getting kicked out of spots, traveling to discover the spot had been destroyed?
No injuries which is always good but I do have a job now and it blows. It’s taking up all my time from riding
What’s the craziest, or coolest thing you have experienced while doing this project?
I don’t know, I see a lot of crazy shit go on in the streets it’s kind of hard to say.
How do you feel people will react to this when it’s all done? “good” or “fucking awesome?
That shit was fucking good
Whose part in the video are you anticipating most?
Bryce Toole’s for sure. He is always doing something different and unique but crazy hard. I don’t get it
Have you been working on any other filming projects outside of this video?
No sir just some Chocolate Chip edits
Do you have any shout outs or thanks?
Big thanks to Matt Coplon for all the filming and support. Conall for editing my part and all my boys who I ride with
Years filming/editing:
Filming: 1-3/4 Years. Editing: Not one second.
What kind of camera(s) and editing software are you using?
Panasonic GS-500. He’s a little guy but he gets the job done.
When you first found out you were picked to help film the project, what were you thinking? Have you filmed much with the person you have been working with before?
I had been filming with Tom for month’s prior to us asking him to do a section. We compiled a good amount of wild stuff and thought “why not compile a section?” Conall took on the editing project and I think we were all pleasantly surprised with the end product.
How do you go about filming? Do you have a thought process at all when it comes to setting up a shot?
With Tom, the first thing that comes to mind is “How am I going to justify this on film?” Some of the stuff Tom pulled I didn’t want to ask him to film again…a case of the shaky arm out of fear is my biggest concern. I think you might actually see a knee jerk reaction in one of his clips. I like landscape–I think that’s my achiles heal when it comes to filming. Throwing in some nice Florida foliage is always a plus for me. Hopefully it wasn’t too much.
Have you done much traveling to get the filming done? Where all have you been?
With Tom, all local between Tampa and St. Pete. I think Conall grabbed a couple trails clips from Sarasota. We would basically rove the streets–it seemed that something popped up on every corner…Tom never ceases to amaze me. The most out-of-control-in-control person I know.
Have you had any complications? Camera failure/damage, lack of lighting, time, things not going as planned, etc?
Our conflicting schedule was the main draw back. Secondly was daylight savings time in the winter. We should all petition day light savings time. Its a waste of our lives. Riding is most fun in good lighting…lighting Tom and I ran out of quite often.
Have you had any of your work in other videos?
Web stuff on both the Profile and Madera sites…mainly from roadtrips over the past two years.
What’s the craziest, or coolest thing you have experienced while doing this project?
Tom blazing over a loading dock about seven times in a row. Then finally saying “fuck it,” and at warp speed, 360’d the whole thing farther than he had just jumping it. I was afraid for his life.
How do you feel people will react to this when it’s all done? “good” or “fucking awesome”?
It makes me want to get out and ride, so I hope it has the same effect for everyone else.
Whose part in the video are you anticipating most?
There’s not one in particular…I’ve seen the whole project and I’m pretty stoked on the whole. Just really glad to have all of these dudes aboard the project.
Have you been working on any other filming projects outside of this video?
Just team stuff in general….I’m always filling in the blanks for all of our web projects. Do you have any shout outs or thanks?
Thanks to Jim Alley for the financial support behind this project. And a giant thanks to all the riders and filmers for making this happen….can’t wait to get it to people’s door steps. Thanks for the interviews Kurt!
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