by Brian Tucker
…Ride – a local moto-x flick was shot in and around North and South Carolina last year. Released last month, the fifty minute disc is the brainchild of Brian Brown and Gary Nance.
…Ride incorporates terse motocross footage and intermittent scenes of goofing around, bmx action, bridge jumping and more. The dvd is all action with a little Jackass thrown in. Riders range in age from young to early twenties.
The footage is down and dirty, mixing high jumps and low ground dirt trails. The shots of motorbikes soaring through the air is awesome. There’s something acrobatic to the whole thing, flying in air as though held on by wires. Needless to say there are no wires. These riders look so coordinated and their landings are nothing short of spectacular, like a mechanical ballet.
There are scenes of crashes and bent rims but it serves only as a reminder of how dangerous the sport can be. These riders take the dirt hills and jump them with tremendous confidence and bravery. They make it look easy when it has taken a lot of practice and physical endurance to learn this extreme sport.
The disc includes a photo gallery, bonus footage and MTF Training School footage with more riders. Includes music by Eight Foot Stride, Clone Cycle and The Hottness.
BOOTLEG: How did the idea come about?
Brian Brown: I had a guy from work (Gary Nance) come to a track with me in Clayton, N.C. and he used a digital camera to take pictures and used the filming feature to get 10 to 15 sec clips of me riding. He gave me the clips to keep on my computer. I have this editing software most people have heard of, Microsoft Movie Maker. Its a cool program for people who have never edited before. I used that to edit the clips, put music behind them and some title screens. It turned out pretty good for never doing anything like that before so I thought; I wonder what I could do with a good camera, software, and computer? That is how the idea of a video came about.
BOOTLEG How long did you film?
BB: I filmed for 6-7 months just on this project almost every weekend. I spent a week in Georgia just filming at a training facility (Millsap’s Training Facility).
BOOTLEG: What was the main focus or was it a matter of can we do it and it’ll take shape later?
BB: the local scene. I wanted to give the locals something they could call their own. Precision Cycles did a local street bike film a couple years back and I remember the stir that it created and I wanted the same thing only for the motocross scene. Local riders and tracks were the focus from the beginning.
BOOTLEG: What type of camera are you using and how long have you been using it prior to this project?
BB: I am using a Panasonic 3 ccd camera. Not a bad camera for the money. I actually bought it for this project. I have used video cameras in the past when I rode BMX but they were old 8mm, not as nice as this one. I would say I am still learning the do’s and don’t’s of filming.
BOOTLEG: Was it easy to get the tracks and riders to let you film them?
BB: Yeah, the tracks and the riders were stoked to be a part of it. Some tracks can be a little political if they are really big and have a big name to uphold. For the most part the tracks and riders were behind me 100% and were happy I was doing something like this for the scene.
BOOTLEG: How hard was it to get music for the DVD?
BB: the music was kind of hard to get. I had to make a lot of phone calls and emails. a lot of bands are signed to a label which makes it difficult for a first timer to get their stuff. I have some friends in bands which really helped me with the music. I’m glad to have some connections in the Wilmington music scene because without that it probably would have held me up a little bit on completion. Music can really make a video so I was glad to get some good tunes.
BOOTLEG: Where did you learn editing and what are you using to edit …Ride?
BB: I learned editing on my own but I watched hours and hours of other motocross videos to get ideas of what looked good and what didn’t. I made some mistakes but it’s my first time. I can see room for improvement which is good because I want my videos to get better and better. I am using Adobe for my editing software right now. There are some other programs id like to learn.
BOOTLEG: How large is the motocross scene in NC & SC? Did it start out underground like Skateboarding? Or was it something that just grew in the area?
BB: Motocross in NC and SC is a big thing. I don’t know if it has the same underground feel as skate or BMX freestyle has but it isn’t mainstream either. District 29 (NC and SC) is one of the fastest districts in the country with some of the fastest kids in the country. Most people don’t know that. Everyone thinks California is the best which as far numbers. It probably is but I know our riders are just as fast or faster.
BOOTLEG: Where can the disc be found locally, besides the Internet?
BB: At the moment Action Surf Shop in Morehead City, and Team Power Sports in Garner, NC. I plan to have some in Britt Motor Sports in Wilmington, Precision Cycle, and Redline Power Sports in Myrtle Beach.
BOOTLEG: What is the next project?
BB: I am already starting the next video. it is going to be a little different from the first one. I am planning a trip to Ohio to film some riders up there and also I want to make another trip to Georgia to a facility there which has quite a few different tracks. I am still going to have a lot of local riding in it but I am going to expand a little on the riders I film.
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