Here's Elliott's new update for the upcoming Emulsion Apparel video - the newest clothing line out of Boston. Their site should be up soon, and from the sneak look I got at the line it looks SICK. Check back weekly for more updates, and keep on eye on their SITE

Check out some recent Polaroid photography I've got to shoot on my off time: CLICK HERE FOR POLAROIDS

I saw this update from Nike today featuring Stefan Janoski. I was so psyched to see some originality in video artwork, mixed with skateboarding again. It's been years since I've seen something like this that I was so excited about. The skating is amazing, (note the switch bs flip over the rail, into the bank), as is the artwork. I'm hoping Nike has the ability (and creativity) to put out a full length video with this sort of vibe to it. Good job mates:

I don't care, but digi cam, bro status footage of skateboarding will never be cool if you try to make a video out of it. If it's a single trick it is cool. If you try to hype a video full of it, your boring to me. Had to get that one out of my system.

Here is some extra/throwaway footage that I've shot over the last few months for the new Emulsion Apparel video we're working on. It features some team riders, and friends.

Emulsion Update 1 from Chris Fiftal on Vimeo.

So you film skateboarding, but do you really film skateboarding? There are numerous ways to mimic the look of the skateboard videos you buy from your local skate shop, but when it comes down to it, your doing exactly that - mimicking it. You may be shooting with a Panasonic, and we hope your not shooting with a Canon GL2, but either way it’s not going to look exactly how it should. Want a tip? Get your hands on a Sony.

Sony VX-1000's have become the camera if you want to film skateboarding correctly. The problem with VX-1000’s, is that they don’t make them anymore. In fact, they were discontinued by Sony in 1999 following the release of the VX-2000. Once you do get a hold of the VX-1000, you will soon see that it’s a very reliable camera, but due to the fact that it is now 14 years old, you may run into a few problems with it. If this is the case, and your front lens mount was torn from the camera, or your viewfinder’s ribbon cable stopped working (which is the most common problem with this camera), you’ll need a reliable place to bring this hard-to-find camera to get it fixed.

I’ve had a few of these cameras over the last few years, and it’s not a camera that anybody can fix. It’s insides are unbelievably complex, and it’s parts are very unique, so most camera shops can’t go about fixing these gem’s any longer. I recently had to send my own personal VX-1000 out to get fixed, and was recommended a place very close to Boston. The shop is simply called Video Electronics, and is located on Main Street in North Reading, Massachusetts. I took an afternoon and drove my camera there personally, as I didn’t want my camera in JUST anybodies hands. I walked in and it was a very small place with TON’S of VX-1000’s lined up on their shelves. I could tell I was recommended this place for a reason. The technician, Kerry, was a very knowledgeable guy, and a person I felt comfortable putting my VX-1000 in the hands of.

These guys know their stuff and have seen almost every problem imaginable with this camera I’m sure. They did a great job fixing up my VX-1000, and it’s working better than when I bought it. Their prices are very reasonable, and in my opinion, are the only people I’ll ever send my equipment to in the future. They can be trusted, and especially if you’re a skateboard filmer who demand’s the best for your equipment.

If your having a problem with you VX-1000, or any camera for that matter, give them a call and I’m sure they will treat you with the care they did myself. Here is their info:

Video Electronics
135 Main Street
North Reading, MA 01864
1-978-664-9992

Buy the Dirty Water Skateboard DVD here!

PJ's gone and blown my mind again. DC Shoes must be making loads of money because even their shoes are looking a little blinged out. I'm not really going to write too much more on this topic so just watch the video below and realize why PJ rides for the highest paying companies in skateboarding. Nollie fs flip back tail kickflip to fakie, NOLLIE halfcab flip to switch crooks, and a Half cab flip crook back 270.

Here we go here we go! Heath Kirchart for skateboarder of the year? We'll see after Stay Gold.

It's been a while since I've opened up this blog, but I felt it necessary as this entry's a little more important than my daily blogs about nothing, which you can follow HERE.

I figured I'd have done this one a long time ago, but life has caught up with me and there's been no skate filming lately - thanks to that surprise 14 inches of snow that we got here in Boston.

Mind Field! This one was great - I loved it. Let the hating begin please, because this is Photosynthesis II - or as close as a video ever could come to it. Yes I know, No Castrucci this time. But what would you have done differently to make it more like Photosynthesis? Love Park is gone, the teams changed drastically and there's no Habitat section because skateboarding is corporate now.

I loved it, the art was pretty on par minus those awful animations of the monsters and penguin with the snake in it's mouth, and they shot some film! I havn't seen much good super 8 shot lately, so that was refreshing. The soundtrack was also great, lot's of dinosaur Jr. but you had to expect that - old AWS lovers.
Everyone's parts in this were really good. I could hate on Steve Berra for putting those stupid yellow bars at two different spots and trying to trick us into thinking it was actually a spot, but now that he has the berrics he's a lazy guy - but still can do really good fakie flips. Dyrdek is an MTV star who can put together pretty good lines, and Omar is a beast - such a machine. I was psyched on his part. Who else is in this... Dylan Ryder is sick, amazing style and such clean tricks - kind of a wacky dressing style but I dig it. Grant Taylor's part was amazing with some really interesting new spots in there, including a waterpark? AVE is still awesome, but has gone 30+ year old hesh style with the red curb skating, but makes up for it in the last minute or so of his part with switch back tails to noses, nollie crooks on huge handrails and lots of ollie over to grinds on handrails. Mikey Taylor had a really solid part too, but it still wasnt in bloom. Maybe he's just meant to skate to a beat.

My personal favorite parts were Arto, even though they stole my song! (SEE HERE) Jake Johnson, who I think is one of my all time new favorite skateboarders (check his part out in Short Ends) Kalis who absolutly blew my mind, and of course Heath Kirchart. The ender part of this video was absolutly amazing and well earned. Heath Kirchard is a mysterious man and will remain so forever. His skateboarding abilites and style while going so big that I get scared watching makes me wonder when he'll start to slow down. Certainly not in this video. The style on that back lip is absouly amazing - watch the arms just throw down!

All in all, I love this video - a much different team than Photosynthesis, but the times have changed in 10 years, and so have you. Enjoy Mind Field and definitely go out there and buy yourself a copy - it comes with a nice little photo book too and is worth every penny you spend.

Did you guy's even see this one coming?

This was such a surprise here in Boston, but pretty amazing at the same time. Who'd-a-thunk- that Kellen Jame's would ever been in the same video as Corey Dufflel, or Bobby Worrest, All I know, is I"m psyched! A new Worrest part out, a new Brezinski part out, and a new James part out will be sure to blow minds. Oh yeah...and Matt Beach? Do any of you actually know how good this guy is? He can skate anything... and I mean it. I remember watching him skate one of thouse half circle, long bowl thing's in the old Firm video and just being amazed. I just never thought him and Corey...

Like it or not, Corey Dufflel is a good skateboarder. That's right kids! I said it! I'm not proud of it... but it's true. Spandex pant's wearin' duffel is an amazing skateboarder with tallent that's hard to hate on. He goes big - real big, and we know you all like it. AND he'll probably have last part. I'd like to be surprised and wrong about that last one, but it's true. I'm most excited for Kellen James though. Or maybe it's Bobby Worrest... or maybe it's Brezinski...or Beach's style? Tthis is going to be a good one...

Check back soon for somemore updates on this video. I"m hopin' they'll send me the downlow soon so I can hook all you guy's up with some info. For now:

Another long break from blogging - it got boring for a few weeks so I took up some new hobbies. I've recently taken up brewing my own home made hard apple cider and this week I plan on moving along to trying a brew of beer. I've also been shooting a lot of 35mm lately which you can check out on my PhotoBlog which I seem to update even less than this one.

It's been a high of 20 degrees the last few weeks here so there hasn't been much filming done, other than with die-hard Jimmy Lake, so be sure to keep an eye out for his name in some upcoming videos out of Boston.

But back to the countdown!

Today's entry is Heath Kirchart from Transworld's Sight Unseen video. This is video was so gnarly when it first came out that it would make me try to kickflip as high as I possibly could on my rugged floor in my bedroom as a little grommit. It was an overall great video - one of Transworld's best, but what really made it stand out so well was the last part.

Heath Kirchart kills it - he always has and always will. It's put best by Berra I believe in Anthology, maybe its Reynolds, but he's strictly business. It shows with his temper, as well as with his tallent. This dude goes so big it's insane. I feel like a few tricks in here could have easily taken his life if he didn't have that tight-rope balance. Also, remember how they just threw that backside-noseblunt down the square handrai in the middle of his part? NO BIG DEAL.

I believe t his actually won best part of the year when Sight Unseen came out. The filming was amazing for this time, when people really began to experiment and tweak the colors on the VX-1000's. Really solid filming, as well as editing makes each trick of his as legitimate as they would be in real life. You've also got to love Transworld's night filming - their notorious for it. All this to a Moody Blues song, as well as tailslides down 16+stair, curved handrails makes this a legendary part. Number 27 on my top 30 favorite parts ever, Heath Kirchart:

Number 28 on my top 30 video parts is Rob Welsh's from Ryde or Die. This part is in my top 5 favorites skateboard wise, but this top 30 is a mix of filming, skating and editing.

Rob Welsh has one of the best styles in skateboarding. He chooses solid tricks to do, and makes them look fun. His pop out of slides and grinds is amazing (watch beware of the flare if you have time). He kills the Pier manny pad in more ways than one, and seems to live the lifestyle that east coast skateboarders love.

The filming in this is part is solid - nothing too fancy at all, but definitely up to par to be noticed. Being an older video your not going to see any fancy 16mm film shot, or any of this stupid HVX-200 orange colored footage, but the VX footy looks really good.

 The editing is really on point too - I'll say it again - if you don't notice anything bad about editing, they did a great job.

HOWEVER: While you watch this, notice those black flashes when there is fast drumming? If I ever see anybody do that again I'll tell you right to your face that your the most un-original editor that I've ever met. There is absolutly nothing worse than putting black flashes in a video. If I meet anybody who does this, you don't deserve to edit skateboarding. I hate it. You had no better footage to use, or you couldn't edited two tricks back to back?  And another thing...

All this mixed with such a solid song makes this one of my favorite part's ever.

So remember that time I was going to post up a new part everyday for 30 days straight? Well that went right to shit. The day I posted the first one I decided to jump  in my buddies car and drive down south through Asheville NC and down into New Orleans for a week of warmth. The day I got back from that I headed up to VT for the last 5 days to spend a bunch of time snowboarding in -18 degree weather. Due to how busy life has been lately, I've slacked hard over the last two weeks.

School's starting up next week so you can be assured that I'll be posting these up much more frequently.

Today's post for my all time top 30 skateboard parts is Donny Barley. This guy has killed it from the beginning. Back from the old Toy Machine days to his footage from the new Zoo York videos, Barley has always been a machine. He skates faster than you and will kill any tranny and your local park harder than your local park-shark. I remember growing up and watching him skate Groton skatepark, my local park from back home in Mystic, CT. It's one of the gnarliest park's on the east coast for sure, mainly becuase it was built by all the locals around the area. Watching him skate it made you feel kind of sick to your stomach - it was easy for him.

This part is amazing, not due to filming in any sense, but strictly to how amazing Donny is on a skateboard. Note how tech he was so long ago with the switch hardflip-5050 in the middle of his part. He skates so fast, and even has a few Barley grinds in there. Enjoy this, number 29 on my top 30.

The countdown begins today with Nate Jones' part from Real to Reel. This has always been one of my favorite parts strictly due to how effortlessly this guy skates. His style is amazing, especially because Nate's such a tall guy. His kickflips are up to par with Reynolds and you've got to love Gonz's guest back tail. There's nothing all that unique about any of the filming, but it's all solid enough to make you not really notice anything bad about it - what a skateboard video should be. All this mixed with a Gil-Scott Heron song makes this the 30th best skate part ever made. Enjoy Nate's skateboarding.

Happy New Year everybody - I hope you all had one that you can remember - even if it's just fragments of the night. Don't worry, I was throwing up all night, but not from a single drop of booze. NOPE. I was lucky enough to catch some sort of food poisoning that took over 72 hours of my life starting on New Year's Eve, morning.

Annnyyway.

With the delivery of a new year, means a delivery of some new ideas. We all have our own resolution, so while your most likely failing to accomplish yours, here's one of mine strictly for your entertainment, and hopefully some concrete schooling on rolling around.

For the next 30 days or so, I'm going to be posting up the best 30 skateboard video parts ever made. This includes the best filmed, best edited, and best skating. Some are legendary, and some are just my favorite for certain reasons. I will post them in order, from 30-1 according to my personal favorites. I will give you a brief description why, and then allow you all to hate as hard as you want on anything I say (which all us Dirty Water head's will most likely laugh very hard at and make fun of you for about 7 minutes straight in the comfort of our rooms).

The first one will be posted tomorrow, so start checking back each day. I'll try to post each one in the morning, but I cannot guarantee anything other than the fact that one WILL be up each day (according to this year's resolution of mine).

- Chris Fiftal