Bryan Johnson has just wrapped his second feature surf flick, Mecca 2 – the sequel to his 2013 San Diego love note, Mecca. The young filmmaker has done one hell of a job bringing together an eclectic cast of surfers, from Torrey Meister to Ryland Rubens, to star in the kind of movie he wanted to be in as a grom. This time, he’s taken the project a step further and ventured beyond the waves in his backyard to bring viewers a fun, core production that is made with love and hard work.
Congrats on the new film. In a nutshell, what’s different about Mecca 2?
Bryan Johnson: It’s a bigger film in HD, with better editing and more locations. The boundaries of Mecca were in San Diego – San Diego surfers, San Diego bands and waves. And now with the sequel, I decided to branch out, grab some different talent and go a bit further abroad.
What was your vision for making Mecca 2?
It’s a quality film, but there’s still a very grassroots vibe about it. It’s still a do-it-yourself, in-your-face movie that makes you want to rob a bank and then go surfing.
There’s a great spectrum of talent wedged into it. You’ve got Cory Lopez, a surf video icon who was at the forefront of surf films in the 90’s with …Lost and Ricky Whitlock, who jumped onboard near the end. Then there’s Torrey Meister from the Big Island, Nate Yeomans, and Jeff Lukasik from San Clemente. Finally, the local San Diegans – Ryland Rubens, the fourteen-year-old grom from La Jolla, JD Lewis, Austin Ware, Hunter Lysaught, and David Suhadolnik.
Ryland Rubens.
I liked those intro skits – the cool “Loose Change” type themes with each surfer getting different characters. How did you come up with the concepts for each one?
I wanted to give each surfer the chance to introduce themselves through these fun, symbolic skits that said something about themselves. Each of them responded differently to being on camera and it was interesting to draw their ideas out. Some guys were really camera shy and awkward, others were really into it and natural.
Frame grab from Nate Yeomans.
Kind of like Taylor Steele’s “Loose Change” acting, but with your own spin?
Definitely. He’s one of my heroes in surf films, and he started up at Cardiff with a small group of friends, which is exactly what I did. I guess that’s something I really want to relay to groms and aspiring filmers out there – that you can take what your heroes are doing and make it happen yourself if you’re willing to work hard and put effort into your craft. I’m proud of this film and can’t wait to show the finished product.
What drives you to do this?
Technically, this whole thing encapsulates a childhood dream. When I was a kid, I always wanted to be in a surf movie. But that never happened, so I wanted to give that opportunity to others who deserve it. So that’s what I’ve done. I’ve got some legends, some underground guys and some groms, and I have put them in the kind of film I’ve always wanted to be in.
Torrey Meister.
How’d you get the cast together?
Austin Ware and Nate Yeomans recently signed a sunglasses deal with Hoven, while I signed film contracts with them, so there was a perfect alignment there. And then I made a lot of friends throughout this process. I got introduced to Torrey Meister through JD Lewis, and once he was onboard, he reached out to Cory Lopez and he was all about it, and so it all happened like a domino effect.
You work full-time and have to squeeze making films into your already busy schedule. How’d you get through everything?
With the out-of-town guys, it was all business in a way. Cory flew out here for three days and surfed for nearly seven hours straight. Torrey, too. We went to three islands in three days and he surfed his ass off. I had to film them for hours on end, so it’s definitely hard work on all ends.
Typically, with a big production surf film,s there’s a filmer, an editor, marketers. One person for each of those job. Well, my job is all those things. I do the editing, e-mailing and production on top of a full-time job eight hours a day in engineering. I was thankful to have a co-cinematographer, Riley Mundia, who did a lot of the skits and editing.
When all is said and done, and it’s successful, it’s very, very rewarding and that’s why I do it.
* Mecca 2 is premiering on July, 30 at the La Paloma Theatre in Encinitas, California. The film is presented by Hoven and co-sponsored by Hanen, Avasin, Grind Media and XYZ Clothing.
