Photo: Salomon
“Progression” is a word that gets thrown around all the time these days. Observers use it to describe how quickly athletes raise the bar at the X games, or how visually stimulating all this media has become. Ski movies already look different than they did five years ago; but when a new batch is released every year — and often multiple times a year — it can be difficult to differentiate one from another.
And these days, all you need is a GoPro. A mere few years ago, the only double corks you would see would be in the top-shelf ski films of the year… now, it’s a very different story. Even expensive-looking camera work has become more common. So, in an era marked by extreme accessibility and an ever-growing pool of talented athletes, how do filmmakers produce unique content? One way is to emphasize the narrative and use more more stylized editing. No group perfectly embodies that movement better than Super Proof. Their debut movie Recruitment took the ski world by storm last year, winning iF3’s Best Editing category.
The production quality was an 11/10. But that’s not what set Recruitment apart. The above-and-beyond factor was its use of an actual narrative enhanced by ski footage. Not the other way around. Many ski films offer incredible footage and great soundtracks that feature a behind the scenes narrative: how rad the skiers are, how life-changing a trip to the BC backcountry was, or the adversity the filmmaking crew faced when Mother Nature did not cooperate (admittedly all fun to watch). But Recruitment gives you the narrative first, and uses ski footage to underscore the mood in each scene. Progression, ladies and gentlemen.
That is all a long-winded way of saying: get excited for Super Proof’s new film, Masquerade.
Another type of progression that has impacted the ski movie industry is a movement away from features. With so much of that aforementioned media available throughout the year, some experts have decided that it is better to release video installments throughout a season than one recap after it is over. While the rowdy ski movie premiere will never lose its popularity, the anticipation for certain shots may be reduced by the accessibility of short video clips released online before the movie comes out. You used to see a picture of an athlete from a shoot in Alaska, and then wait for the accompanying segment to come out after the season ends. That model is becoming less and less common. Wallisch & Co. decided to create a three part video series this year, moving away from features. Poor Boyz scrapped the feature and took their talents to the surf world, working with Jamie O’Brien on Who Is Job.
The movement to video installments is definitely a more controversial form of progression. I know I loved waking up on Christmas to three or four of the most anticipated ski movies. But I also know I love having access to that kind of media during the season. With that in mind, here a trailer for one of the pioneering video series in the ski world, known as Salomon Freeski TV.
These guys were on the forefront of the movement and put out high quality media every year. Last year, their hard-work and talents were rewarded with an iF3 award for Best Web Series. I can’t wait to see what they produce for us this year.
