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The Vancouver
Collective Premiere |
Why have just one perspective of an event when you can have two?! - ed.
Report from The Collective premiere
Dave Pechter
I had high hopes for the premiere of The Collective. They (the Collective is a working group of filmmakers, photographers, and riders) had set themselves an impressive dual challenge: extend the boundaries of freeride cinematography while giving insight into the lives of the athletes pushing the limits of what's possible on two wheels.
Upon arrival at Richards on Richards, the vibe was eerily familiar to other bike film premieres held here: the film was late getting on, the guys outnumbered the gals 3-to-1, and the beer was flowing freely. I was getting leery that the The Collective would be just another bike movie.
First a bit of history and personal bias. The Kranked and Disorder films have done a commendable job capturing the frenetic, aggro energy of freeride mountain biking. While the production values and "bike porn" quotient of these franchises are both awe-inspiring, the films have always left me wanting more. In their quest for bigger hucks and faster metal guitars, neither the Kranked nor Disorders series have been able to capture the more soulful, lifestyle and landscape aspects of our sport. You know the apsects I mean, the "feelings" that Sterling Lorence consistently documents in his still photography.
Now back to the review. My first reaction to The Collective was, "finally, somebody made the mountain bike movie that's been playing in my head!" Back in the Saddle came close with its home-brew charm and excellent soundtrack, but fell short due to limited production value and locations. The Collective is the full package: A-list local talent riding in exotic locations (Utah, Hawaii, etc.), captured with first-rate production (most natural looking cable-cam work to date), overlaid with groovy tunes and the addition of thoughtful rider commentary. Let's be honest, these riders aren't exactly Martin Luther King and this is still a bike flick, but they're all eloquent and passionate about riding in their own way.
Surprisingly, my favourite footage from The Collective contained the tamest riding: Watson and Shandro ripping a ribbon of brown, buff single-track, cutting a swath through a background of greener-than-green alpine meadow dappled with blooming wildflowers. Both Watson and Shandro look like kids in the proverbial candy store, complete with shit-eating grins plastered all over their faces. I took a moment to look around the crowd at Dick's on Dicks, and everyone was nodding and grinning in agreement with Dave and Andrew.
Make no mistake, there's also some burly lines: Klassen, Berrecloth, and Vanderham hucking a house in Utah; Rossland gnar; Ryan Leach extending his Manifesto style even further; and the best Shore footage since Kranked III; the birds-eye-view cable cam shot of Wade gapping things out on Grouse will BLOW YOUR MIND.
The Collective certainly lives up to its ambitious vision. The film captures physical daring, beautiful places, and the soulful connection riders share with our sport.
Darren Berrecloth shooting in Utah for the Collective. Photo ~ Sterling Lorence
The Collective Premiere - Vancouver
Trisha Petrella
One of the best parts of attending a video premiere at Richards on Richards is the crowd of people queued up to enter the club after we all leave. The last time I was there the contrast between the cheerful, comfortably dressed, adrenaline junkies exiting the building, and the high-powered, high-maintenance club crawlers waiting impatiently to enter was striking.
You can't help but imagine what a premiere would be like if the club regulars were allowed in early. I'd love to see one of those buff-bobs shrieking metrosexually, "Ohmygawd! Did you see Darren stick that? Isn't he, like, the greatest EVER?!" Or, watching one of the polished-up barbies gleefully jumping up and down on her 3-inch heels because she'd just won a new pair of gloves.
It's a shame that, even if the bobs and barbies had managed to sneak in under the vigilant eye of the bouncer, they probably wouldn't fully appreciate the piece of bike-video genius they had just witnessed. 'Genius?' you ask skeptically, 'that's a weighty title for a 16mm bike film.' But, I know those of you who made it out to the Vancouver premiere of 'The Collective' Thursday night are all nodding vigorously in agreement.
At the Kranked 5 premiere the club was so packed you could barely breath, let alone move, and the crowd seemed to buzz with excited anticipation. Last night's crowd, smaller but still respectably sized, was very different. If you compared the feeling of a group waiting to see Metallica, to one waiting to see Jack Johnson & Ben Harper, you've pretty much got the picture. Despite the ridiculously loud music (yes, I'm getting old), everyone in attendance seemed to be caught up in the mellow, surf-like vibe of the promised film.
The movie opened to a chorus of Hoots and Whoops, as members of the audience cheered on their favourite riders (props to the Tyler Morland fan club at the back, you guys were cracking me up!). But, as the film progressed, a respectful quiet seemed to fall over the entire group as we were all pulled into its compelling beauty.
I could go into a scene-by-scene breakdown of the film, pointing out all it's finest moments and carefully critiquing each segment, but, like a perfect ride down a fast, flowy trail, dissecting the moment, would indeed, kill it. The genius of the film was in its ability to capture and deliver that moment of clarity and peace we've all experienced on the trail. Call it 'flow', or 'being in the zone', NSMB staffer, Jay Sinclair voiced it best when he said, 'This film has soul!'
Drawing from surf and ski/snowboarding tradition, Jamie Houssian, Darcy Wittenburg, and Sterling Lorence have gone beyond the heart-pounding adrenaline of our sport, and found it's soul. The visuals were stunning, the soundtrack was complimentary, and the riders have once again reminded us of why they make the big bucks. (ok…maybe not the last part) This beautifully-crafted work of videography has raised the bar, not only within the mountain bike community, but for sport-film makers everywhere.
