Has anybody ever noticed the clip of Anthony Pappalardo sitting on the ground with a fart noise at the  1:32 mark? So weird.

Made it on EASTERN BOARDER

So between Elliott and myself, DIRTY WATER has over 20,000 views on vimeo in four days. I put in a search for Dirty Water on Youtube today and THIS CAME UP. Gotta love tagging for views. Keep the views coming!

It's finally here - Dirty Water in all it's glory. We have decided to release the whole video online - for free. If you'd like to support us and your shop, you'll be able to buy a DVD in a few weeks - just check in your local shops. You can either watch each individual part here, or watch the entire video up on Vimeo. Dirty Water...
Dirty Water from Chris Fiftal on Vimeo.

Just got a copy of Fallen's new video Ride The Sky in the mail today. It starts off real well with two amazing parts with Tommy Sandoval who's a mix between Tosh Townsend and Jamie Thomas, but he has some crazy bangers. Next is the best part of the entire video: Gilbert Crocket. He has the best style I think I've ever seen for anybody who jumps down big things beside Arto Saari. His kickflips out of grinds and slides will blow your mind, along with his 7 bangers at the end. I'm going to skip over all the other parts... the first 3 things in Tony Cervantes part are good but thats about it. Last is Chris Cole, obviously. It's pretty much exactly what you'd think, alot of bigspin heelflips that spin way too much and make some sort of a new flip that I don't even know how to say, I think theres a gigantic flip spin in there... but it's pretty nuts... worth the $17 plus shipping from Utility...

So throughout this week, all the parts from Dirty Water will be posted. We're also going to post the entire video in real good quality on Vimeo, so check our accounts throughout the week for updates. For now, heres the intro on youtube.

School's started back up in full force, and hopefully that means lots of new posts. Started to help out Jay Brown shoot for his new video, I havn't seen much of the footage he's got yet but from what I've heard, and who we've been filming with it's sure to be pretty serious in terms of both tricks and filming. As for now, here's the reason why skateboarding keeps getting worse every year. Enjoy

Josh Stewart posted this video up a few weeks back. It's got some real good Paris footage in there - just wait until you see Nick Swanson's destruction on most of the spots in here, when we release the full Paris Video in about a week on Vimeo. Keep your eyes peeled for it. By the way, did I mention that we're releasing the full Dirty Water video, with a completely redone Swanson part on Vimeo next weekend? Gotta love the interweb.

In the mean time, check out the josh stewart Clip Here

Here's an update for you guys to check out that might actually make you smarter for once. While on one of my summer boredom surfing sprees, I came across a blog by an Author named Molly Young. From what I've read of her's, she has a style of writing that actually appeals to me - not something I can say too often. Her main website is Magic Molly, which has been her blog over the last few years. I've been following it on and off for about a month now and she's got a new one here, Tumblr. Both keep me entertained for hours, and each entry is filled with a personal, witty thought about a topic that you've never as in-depth about, as she has. Here's my favorite video of hers.

So no updates for weeks... selling my HD camera. Lots of changes for this upcoming year back in Boston. But here's some good news, finally you can watch the intro to Dirty Water in full HD quality, thanks to vimeo. Enjoy.

The Dirty Water Intro HDV from Chris Fiftal on Vimeo.

One of the more funny thing's I've heard this week.

Someone just sent this to me. Title explains it all, because I don't know what to say about it.

I've been teaching a video camp all week and havn't been able to do anything with skating at all... but here's something inspiring for once thats been done with skating. Check out the 3flip to crook to back lip to switch front croook... kinda crazy

HDV scrap footage from the last month of summer. It's all I've got. Fishing Updates soon, and maybe a feature in the works...
Summer Update 1 from Chris Fiftal on Vimeo.

Summer has it's slow moments, so I decided to upload a few older videos up on Vimeo so they can be viewed in much better quality. Enjoy these two Dirty Water classics...
Dirty Water at the Boston Skate/Snow Expo from Chris Fiftal on Vimeo.
Technical Skateshop at Academy Skatepark SD from Chris Fiftal on Vimeo.

Dirty Water is done... except a few new extra banger's from Paris that will be in the final, DVD pressed version of the video - not the same "premier copy" we sold at Coolidge. Until then... enjoy this footage I shot the other day while in Boston.. pretty weird...
UFO Sighting from Chris Fiftal on Vimeo.

After 11 days of eating entirely too much bread and cheese instead of filming, I finally decided to pick up the old VX1 and head out for an evening. Here's all footage Elliott and I got from last night while we were out filming downtown Paris at, Le Dome and the Eiffel Tower, along with a few drinks. Appréciez...




Paris Update 4 from Chris Fiftal on Vimeo.

After seeing and filming many Parisian spots, I've got a whole new respect for Soy Panday. If you haven't checked out his part in Static III yet,  here it is. It's now my new favorite part in this video. Honestly, the filming doesn't do most of these spots any justice.

So I've been here in old Paris France for about 3 weeks and have fully been taking advantage of the relaxation portion of this trip - good food, great wine, and a visit from the lady friend.  I haven't picked up a video camera in about 10 days, but Elliott has. He's also put together these two little videos of all this throwaway footage from the trip, so enjoy. Here's the most recent Paris updates, in order:

Part 2




Part 3

So I've been over here in Paris for the last two weeks with Elliott, Luke Suvino and Nick Swanson eating a lot of bread and cheese. We left 8 days after the Dirty Water premier, so we never got much of a break from holding video cameras and skateboards. I was originally planning on putting a short clip up every two days, but we've been so busy between filming more, eating, and hangin out around Notre Dame and the Eiffel Tower that I haven't even had time to check my e-mail. Here's a little montage Elliott threw together this morning of some footage we got while out filming. Definitely keep your eye out for the Dirty Water DVD when we get back in July... theres sure to be some new Parisian bangers in there from Luke and Swanson after this trip. Enjoy this for now Download



Paris Update # 1 from Chris Fiftal on Vimeo.

Recognize This Anybody? Menikmati...

It's been about a week since the Dirty Water Premier and I don't know what to do with myself. Good thing Frankie Nash lands so many tricks so I could make this 7 minute long throwaway part for him of all the extra footage we didn't use. Hope you enjoy it. Make sure you get ahold of Dirty Water -  the DVD's should be out by July.



Frankie Nash's THROWAWAY Part from Chris Fiftal on Vimeo.

So if you havn't heard yet, Dirty Water is now going to premier at The Coolidge Corner Theater Friday, May 16th at Midnight, INSTEAD of Underground. It's been two years in the making, so it's definitely worth coming to check it out if you can. Hope to see you all there Friday. Here's the official flyer:                                                                                                                                              

Eric Kay sent me this gem which made my day today. Maybe its because I've been staring at a computer screen for 18 hours a day over the past week, but this made me laugh for about 10 minutes.

Finally a skateboarding update this week - and this ones good. Really good. Torey Pudwill has just been killing everything lately, and this part proves it. I honestly think it gives Mike Mo's part here a good run for his money. Watch out for Torey and the rest of the DVS crew in thier new video, Dudes Dudes Dudes:

Whilie I was over in Ireland two years ago, I was sitting in The Spaniard Pub drinking a Guinness and listening to some live Irish folk music when a short little man walks through the door with a big orange shaul on. He was greeted by everybody with friendly hugs and handshakes, and was then summoned by the entire bar to sing a song for my camera. I was lucky enough to witness this first hand, and record it for the rest of you to all see. I posted THIS up on youtube when I got back from Ireland, and from there on it has become a "number one hit." Once again, thanks to Vimeo, you can all now watch it in much better quality. The Marijuana Song by Kevin "Taz" O'Grady:
The Marijuana Song - Kevin O'Grady from Chris Fiftal on Vimeo.

Got back from filming Jimmy and Swanny tonight just in time to catch the second showing of RAW's new skate short, Know The Ledge Volume # II. If you want to see some real good skateboarding out of the city of Boston, check this out. Everyone kills it.

So if you don't know about xtreme-net.org yet, you should. It's a site where you can watch pretty much any skateboard video for free (awful quality, but its free), as well as look up the name of any song in any video. Last night around 10 they posted up what the first title in the video described as, the Baker Deathwish "Promo." If you go to the site now, it has been taken down, which wasn't up any longer than 10 hours. I was lucky enough to stumble upon it last night around midnight, and downloaded it. 

Ran across this video as one of the top 5, most viewed videos on YouTube today. I was surprised to see Donny Barley, a local Groton, CT resident such as myself, starring in it.

This looks like the follow up to Forcast - a video with high production values, taking full advantage of how cheap HDV is to shoot, featuring Paul Rodriguez. Although I've got to say, other than Mike-Mo's part in Forecast, I wasn't into the video at all, this one is looking slightly better. For once in a long time, both the skating and the cinematography looks really good (the hardflip starting things off, and what looks like Stanton's back

Here's one I bet Ty hasn't found out about yet. Whatever comes next after Boston's Dirty Water, I'm gunna be using this to film some new lines:



Even though these are designed as underwater casing for MKII's, think it would work if a board hit the lens? Am I serious?

We took a lunch break from filming today at Sean's house and he showed me this video:



On a more skateboard related note, you can also watch this little guy:

So no skating yesterday due to rain, and this lightning:


Lightning from Chris Fiftal on Vimeo.

Also check out this Polaroid Dave DiAngelis took: Lightning Burned Polaroid

On a note completely off skateboarding and video, you need to watch this. Its really... weird

Not only is Raymond Molinar an amazing skateboarder, but he's got an eye for photography and is pretty skilled at using the polaroid medium in every way possible. Here's a link to his page of polaroids on Flickr.

Now I'm not a Doctor... but I'm pretty sure this is actual footage of Ryan Sheckler's parents starting him off right, and teaching him how to skateboard


Funny Videos

Thanks to Vimeo being way better than Youtube. Here it is up on vimeo:


Dirty Water Trailer from Chris Fiftal on Vimeo.

By the way, the official crew of riders is:

Frankie Nash
Jimmy Lake
Luke Suvino
Sean McCabe
Massi Mongiardo
Mike Sullivan
Schuyler Ricketts
Rick Sullivan
and
Nick Swanson
not to mention a banger friends section.

May 16th, 9pm and Snow/ Skate Underground. - Be there for the premier!

Sorry for the lack of entries lately, but heres the good reason why. The new DIRTY WATER Trailer is up on youtube:




It took Elliot and myself some time to put this little guy together so enjoy it, but make sure you come to the Dirty Water Premier May 16th, 2008 at Boston Underground Snow/Skate Shop at 9pm to witness Dirty Water in it's fully glory.

Want to check out some wild tricks? Click HERE to see some of the Best Trick Contest at Tampa Pro this year. The last one is completely insane.

If you haven't heard yet, Boston's Eli Reed has recently joined the Zoo York roster. Check out the video of his first add:

Now to switch it up a little bit from the daily skateboarding update - some new art that you should check out.

Local Boston artist Dave DiAngelis has recently started up his new daily image blog titled, The Shroomsday Device. The idea behind it is simple - to post up original artwork involving a mushroom each day for all you psychedelic heads to geek out over.

Today's is especially amazing, created by Sean McCabe - one of the gnarliest artists I've met, not to mention his skateboarding ability is glazed with style you'll never come close to. On that note, make sure you keep your eye out for his part in DIRTY WATER. Here's some throw-away footage while shooing with Sean and Massi in Barcelona:

Remember how gnarly this was when Flip's first video, Sorry came out? Check out this clip with the aftermath and Ali's reaction. It's one of the funniest things I've ever heard.

Over the past few months, we've all had our fair share of being fully flared, so now it's time to absorb the aftermath - the extra's of sorts. Here is a very informal video interview with Ty Evans himself speaking on what he knows best.



It really gives a good perspective, especially to outsiders, on what it takes to film for a full length skateboard video, as well as what it takes to be a professional skateboarder these days.

Elliot Vecchia put together this montage of all the extra NYC footy not going in Dirty Water. Definitely check it out:

If you don't know the name Rob Pinheiro by now, you should. He's been raging the skate scene here in Boston shooting some really amazing photo's. A lot of them have been published here in Focus Skateboard Magazine.

Over the last few months, he's been working with a lot of Boston's finest, including Nick Swanson and Jimmy Lake, who will both have full-length part's in our upcoming video DIRTY WATER, out spring/summer of '08.

For all of you filmers and videographers out there who have not read this TY EVANS INTERVIEW yet, make sure you click on that link and check it out - you may just learn something. It also offers some real interesting insights about the shooting process for Lakai's latest gem, Fully Flared.

So a few weeks back I saw the trailer for Transworld's new video, The Now. This video is featuring: Kenny Hoyle, David Gravette, Nick Trapasso, Richie Jackson, Matt Miller, and Sean Malto - wow!





This looks like the new Am video of the year, which I'm sure will only raise the bar of skateboarding even higher. Lately I've felt that Transworld's last few videos have actually been slacking a bit, not in terms of content or quality of skating, but in the way they have been put together in terms of the classic, Transworld video feel.

Remember the days when there were some more East Coast heads out of Philly with full parts, and you could really see the grimy side of skateboarding? Lately it's rather been showcasing the glamorous California, rockstar skateboarder feel, with perfect, skate park concrete street spots. I've also missed the old 16mm montages shot on Bolex's, most of the time in black and white, synced up with some real synthy music. Maybe I'm just starting to become old in the skateboarding world, and that was just the style of skating in my time, but nevertheless, I feel that a certain type of "video template" has been created in their last three videos.

Now understand, of all people, I am one to agree that change is good, especially while adapting new technology to video projects, but I felt that it's still important for creators to stick to their roots. However, with this new video The Now on its way out, I've got to say this video looks like its a new breath of fresh air to the Transworld collection. It could have something to do with the fact that we see that Jon Holland has teamed up with Chris Ray (one of Lakai's Fully Flared filmers) for this video. Also, Jason Hernandez's name isn't in there after a good streak of projects, but it looks like this video has a lot of potential to change up the swing of Transworld's rhythm.

All in all, this video looks nuts - something comparable to In Bloom out in '03, which definitely was one of the best Transworld videos ever made, featuring the "upcoming" Am's of its time. It was a real classic in terms of original production quality and skating content - comparable to The Reason, and Feedback. I've got a lot of faith in this video really being one of the heavy hitters of '08 - especially with Jon Holland's name behind the video, as always. Make sure you buy a hard copy of this one, out summer of '08 - it will be worth seeing on the big screen.

Here's the HD follow up video to the SD video of Technical Skateshop at Academy Skatepark two weekends back. It's an entirely different video so make sure you check it out:




Technical Skate Shop at Academy Skatepark HD Montage from Chris Fiftal on Vimeo.

Last month some of the Dirty Water guys made it up onto the Transworld Video website in a video I shot at the Hudson Skate Park. Check out the link:

Dirty Water on Transworld.com

or you can watch it here on youtube:

Last weekend I drove two hours to Woodbridge, CT with Frankie Nash to shoot the Technical Skate Shop team destroy the Academy Skate park. Here's the best trick over the channel gap:

Technical Skate shop at Academy SD

Or you can watch it here on youtube:


For you videographers out there interested, this was shot on a Sony VX-1000 with an MK1. The shutter speed was slightly too high in this clip as you can see, the darks are very dark. White Balanced on light blue cards.

This is compressed using the new H.264, with a bit rate of 2000kbps at 320x240. with mono ac3 audio.

So for those of you who haven't heard yet, over the last year and a half myself and Elliot Vecchia (the raddest skateboard filmer in Boston right now) have been working on a skateboard video called Dirty Water. It's a very new-age video project, involving as much as the Boston skateboard scene as possible. We're really trying to bring the video scene back to a more classic look, while incorporating new techniques of High Definition video in place of classic 16mm film.
Check out the HD Promo I've just recently posted on Vimeo (the new youtube for HD Video Work):



HD Promo from Chris Fiftal on Vimeo. Shot on the Sony FX-7 (Sony FX7)

So I've finally got Skate News Network up and running! My purpose of this website is to create a place for skateboarders, filmers, artists, musicians or anybody interested in the world of skateboarding to come together and learn something new about video, the skateboard industry, or anything thats related.

I will be giving you the low-down on video cameras, lenses, video software and all other things related, with a major emphasis on video production related to skateboarding.

For a brief background of myself, my name is Chris Fiftal and I am currently a video/film major at the Massachusetts College of Art and Design. I have been making videos for the last eight years of my life, and have extensive experience with video production. I have also been a skateboarder for the last eight years of my life, and have merged my obsession with video and love of skateboarding together over the past four years, and currently focus the majority of my video work on producing skateboard videos in the greater Boston area.


For a look at some of my work, you can go to my youtube page:
Chris Fiftal's Youtube Channel

Check back every few days for new updates, important links, tricks and tips on video work, or to see whats new in the Boston skateboarding scene.

- Chris Fiftal