How did your approach to Vol. 2 change from LSD - Love Snowboarding Dude? Feels a bit more personal.
Yeah, Vol. 2 is definitely more personal. I put a lot of myself into this one and have Easter eggs hidden throughout the film. For the first LSD, I was still learning how to make the animations. I'm still learning and improving the way I make them now. The animations are frame by frame, and it used to take me 1 hour per second to create. Now I can complete them in a quarter of that time, and I'm sure there's an even faster way to make them with all the technology that is out there. But it's whatever; the more I do stuff like this, the more I learn.
I had a concept in mind for the first one but no storyline. It was just visual after visual. I've looked back at it recently, and like with most things in life, I wish I knew what I know now. All the little mistakes I made in it jump out and taunt me. I was super proud of it at the time, and viewers would reach out to me about it every once in a while, telling me how they included it in their trips. I'm still proud of it; it's a good reminder of the progress I've made with this type of art, and I hope that I will say the same thing about Vol. 2.
As for the props and set design, what are some of your biggest takeaways from the process?
The biggest takeaway? I feel like it's a job interview. (Clears throat) Mhmm, mhmm, the biggest takeaway I got from building the props and making the sets is that art supplies are quite expensive, and I'm glad that I subscribe to Michael's newsletter because the coupons they send out are what’s up.
How long have you been making art?
I've been creating art for as long as I can remember, and over the years, I've continually discovered new ways to express myself through art.
Did you experience any creative blocks or have to go back and re-do a scene?
Yes, constantly but I became part of the process.
What advice do you have for anyone who wants to take a more hands-on approach to filmmaking in general - who may not have the resources?
Do whatever it takes to get you to where you want to be. Lie, cheat and steal if you have to. Nobody will carry you to the finish line. Take a good look at the people around you, every single one of those people can and will push you aside to get themselves ahead. I’m just kidding, kinda. Literally just go out and start making things, use your iphone, use a gopro, use whatever you can get your hands on and just tell people it was part of your creative vision. The snowboard industry was created kids and is still ran by children. There are no rules here. Use a coupon.