A cinematographer’s ability to capture unique moments of surfers on film has introduced the world to the whole new realm of possibilities. Not only can surfers showcase their talents with people all over the planet, but filmmakers can share their passion and creativity towards surfing into a single compilation of cinematic art. Film technology has allowed surfers, editors, and videographers to gain worldwide recognition and viewership.
The surfing film industry had been dominated for years by a man named Taylor Steele. Many modern-day surf legends aspired to be in one of Taylor Steele’s surf films before they became popular to put themselves out there and become recognized in the surf industry. Steele also introduced upcoming artists in some of his early films like Blink-182, Pennywise, and Jack Johnson, which helped them become recognized around the world and give musical influence to surf culture. Surf films impacted how people viewed the sport and helped launch professional surfing careers of many young, passionate amateurs. Steele’s films served as an inspiration to surfers around the world and motivated them to take their skills to the next level.
Nowadays, there are various ways surfers and filmmakers can showcase their talents through video. One great example is through social media. Anyone can use social media to produce content for the world to see. Vlogging is a style of filmmaking used by many free surfers to show their viewers what is going on in their lives and the surfing world. It is a simple way to incorporate aspects of their everyday lives and their surfing lives to produce a fun, lighthearted video to keep their followers up to speed. Big-name brands in the film industry created different types of movies that have sold out in theaters around the world. Documentaries and movies based on surfer’s lives are popular ways of getting information out about the surfing world. For example, movies like “Chasing Mavericks” and “Soul Surfer,” are movies based off of true stories of surfer’s lives, but the characters were played by actors. The main characters that the movies were based on are influential figures in the surfing world, and their impactful stories were made known to the public once these movies came out. Similarly, “Momentum Generation” is a recent documentary that tells the incredible story of 7 surf legends and how they became recognized and why their journeys are important. Movies and videos have provided the world with digital illustrations of surfers and their significance.
One of the most influential aspects film provides to the surf community is the ability to show what is going on at different breaks around the world. The surf community can check into different locations and learn about current conditions and instances anywhere they would like. For example, surfers from any country in the world can check out what’s going on in the surfing world in Bali. Bali is known worldwide for having incredible surf breaks and a wide variety of options. From beginner waves to advanced reef breaks, you can find surf for any level in Bali. Odysseys Surf School uses video to showcase the surfing that goes on at Kuta Beach. They video surf lessons and compile surf footage every week into making a short film that can be viewed by the public. People can view the videos from around the world to get a taste of what it might be like for a beginner to surf Kuta.