Crisp has been working on commercial projects for years, but I’ve have always had a dream of creating a series of passion projects that would showcase what it is like to be an extreme athlete. Not the guys that are making huge money and living the dream day in and day out, but the everyday extremist. The rider who just does it solely for the love of the sport. I started the series years ago with Casey Grant, a surfer from South Africa and since then I’ve progressed as a film maker and wanted to re-start the series and this was the first of more to come. I actually stumbled upon Antoine Gagnebe-Marriott, an avid mountain biker through his dad, and knew he would be the perfect subject for their project. The film’s concept was never to showcase huge tricks but more to show the sport in its true beauty, to show you the viewer what it feels like to be a mountain biker, the rush of adrenaline, and the sense of freedom that comes with it.
I gathered a small team and we set out to a Kent forest, excited and ready to capture Antoine’s story. I knew that filming extreme sports could be challenging and we spent three days, tirelessly working to capture every moment of Antoine’s ride down one of the many trails, from the breathtaking views to the intense action shots. We faced several challenges, including unpredictable weather conditions, tight filming schedules, and the risk of injury to Antoine but nothing really prepared my for how difficult it would be moving equipment around. However, we persevered, and the result was what I think is an incredible film that captured the true essence of mountain biking.
I can’t iterate enough the importance of passion projects, honestly it cannot be overstated. These projects allow us to express our creativity, experiment with new techniques, and push the boundaries of what is possible. They also serve as a reminder of why we started doing what we love in the first place. Passion projects help us reconnect with our love for our craft and remind us why we started doing it in the first place. They also allow us to showcase our skills and creativity in a way that may not be possible with commercial projects.
On the flip side though, Filming extreme sports can also be one of the most challenging types of filming. These sports often take place in unpredictable environments, and the action moves incredibly quickly, leaving little room for error. It requires a lot of planning, coordination, and technical skill to capture the perfect shot. Any way, enough ranting. I hope you enjoyed this as much as we enjoyed making it.
