Onlangs kwamen we via Facebook op de episodes "Strange, Beautiful, Life" van filmmaker Tim Davies en surfer Alan Stoke. Naast de surf-actie viel meteen de goeie sfeer op in deze films. De bekende roadtrip beelden van episode 4 in Frankrijk spreken tot de verbeelding en zorgen ervoor dat je zo snel mogelijk weer een trip met je buddies wilt plannen. Benieuwd naar meer achtergrond van deze episodes namen we contact op met Tim Davies in Engeland...
The Strange Beautiful Life episodes caught our attention because of the good vibe, music and editing. How did you (and Alan Stoke) come up with this idea?
" The idea behind the Strange, Beautiful, LIFE series came early this year in Costa Rica. I just think that one off videos leave you wanting more and a series was something people could follow and just enjoy regular short fun videos. Alan is a big part of why the series works because he truly is an all-rounder in the water, whether its 3 foot wedgy beach breaks or 6 foot hollow barrels he can do it all with style and grace."
Alan Stokes doing what he loves best..Photo by Jason Feast
Besides the surfing the episodes are also appealing because of the funny shots and sceneries, it gives you the full "surf trip stoke". When shooting for an episode, do you have a clear view on what you want to film and show or is it more a go with the flow, film a lot and just see what happens?
" Well surfing isn't just a sport, its a way of life. From amazing sceneries to messing around with your mates it's all there on a surf trip and this was a chance to document the world through a surfers eye."
" Before I go on a trip I do have an idea of how I want the film to feel but when we're away shooting a lot of it is just letting mother nature throw us some elements and trying to capture natural reactions."
Can we get a little "look in your kitchen", what equipment you use shooting the films?
" Filming-wise I use a Canon 7D with a 300mm L series for surfing and I have a few different portrait lenses. In the water I use a Go Pro attached to a paint roller handle (professionalism haha). In the edit suite I mostly use a Macbook Pro with the Final Cut studio package."
Alan and Tim getting some stoke in the car...
Checking out your website there's more to see, like Seven Stops with surfers like Fanning, Smith and Parko. How did you roll into that?
" Before online videos were around the only way you could be a filmmaker was to share it through DVD. So Seven Stops was a film I made about taking part on a world trip to Seven amazing surf destinations, needless to say it was an amazing project to do and opened my eyes to the world."
What and who is your inspiration in making your own productions?
" There's a lot of good filmmakers out there so inspiration is easy but watching any of Taylor Steele's latest movies where he's adding a lot of culture along with amazing surfing is definitely up my street."
Where do you live and surf yourself in the UK? And what's your favourite local break?
" I live In a place called Swansea in South Wales. We don't get the best waves but it can be fun on its day. The area that I surf is 'The Gower' and it's a little peninsular with an assortment of beach breaks and reefs which all need a specific wind, tide and swell to get going which can be really frustrating but it keeps you keen. I love surfing my local waves but we don't get too much in the way of barrels so you need to travel to get your fix."
Any tips of what's new to expect from Tim Davies Productions in the future?
" Right now I just want the Strange, Beautiful LIFE series to keep growing. So mixing new destinations, music, art, culture and surfing and coming up with something different for viewers to follow and enjoy. Stay Tuned to Facebook.com/strangebeautifullife.tv for all the latest info."
Meer over Tim Davies werk vind je op zijn eigen website.
