Believe it or not, I used to skateboard. It was way back in my high school days (I’m 26), when life was simpler. I was the “kid with the camera” and anytime you saw me I was filming stuff. This one time, my friends and I were at the local skatepark in my hometown of Grande Prairie, Alberta, (redneck as fuck) and some older kids were there too. I always tried to copy new camera angles I’d seen on skateboard videos, because that’s where I got most of my inspiration from. One angle I was particularly interested in was looking through a chain-link fence. I started to film through the fence and thought it was pretty neat, but this older kid started to argue with me about how the angle was stupid and that I couldn’t see anything. He proceeded to heckle me and then he called me a “CHINK.”
Besides wanting to smash this guy, I remember thinking to myself that what I was doing was justified. As the camera guy, I had the power to decide what my audience (friends) would end up seeing on TV, and to me it was the coolest job anyone could have.
I’ll never forget that moment. It’s funny to me now, because I’m finishing up my third year in the Motion Picture Arts program and am able to recognize how far I’ve come.
I guess the cherry on top is the fact that now I’m paying an exorbitant amount of money to not only learn and obtain a degree in Film, but also that I’m essentially paying people to judge me. It’s worth it though, trust me.
Taking photos is still something new to me and the time I spent snapping at RevScene’s annual spring meet reminded me of that time at the skate park. DISCLAIMER: I was not discriminated against at this car meet. What I mean is that I felt insecure with the kind of angles I was using and what people might think of my content.
At the same time, I was still super stoked to have the ability to deliver content to an audience (YOU) and give YOU guys some thing to chat about.
I must have a thing for Corollas? This picture makes me laugh because I only know the owner (Cory Cronk) of this car through Instagram and never bothered to introduce myself in person.
Don’t go assuming these guys are blazing just because I’m in B.C. If you don’t know what an E-cigarette is… just Google it.
If I could commit to a time-machine, I’d go back and give that guy a giant academic explanation of why I chose to film through the chain-link fence. Does anyone remember “Yeah Right!” by Girl Skateboards? Thanks for reading!
– Devan, “The Asian Cowboy”