Interview: Henry Genualdo Kingsford.
An interview with filmmaker Tom Pickard about his upcoming video mission, Particles.
Speak us via your transfer from London to Hastings a few years again.
I’m initially from Bexhill-on-Sea, which is the following city on from Hastings, however I moved as much as London in 2009 and lived there for 13 years. After Covid, me and my girlfriend have been sort of over London and the price of dwelling. There was no actual purpose for us to be there any extra due to distant working, so we began occupied with transferring out. Bristol was on the playing cards as we had some associates there, however then Richard Moore from Supply BMX in Hastings hit me up about pushing the skate aspect of issues there and requested if I’d be concerned about heading the mission. On the time, I used to be shedding the love for digital camera and directing work, which was my most important job, so I assumed: “Why not make a change, transfer to the coast, see how issues go?” We moved down in Might, 2022.
Briefly, inform us about Jumble Sale, the video you made for Supply again in 2022.
Jumble Sale was all about displaying the scene and all of the totally different skaters and kinds locally, getting individuals skating collectively and creating some hype within the native space.
And for functions of readability, am I proper in pondering your new video Particles is an impartial mission?Sure. This can be a video that comes purely from me. It’s not a Supply video; it’s a video by Tom Pickard. The Supply has clearly supported, however that is me filming outdoors of labor hours with individuals who I respect and are keen to skate some fairly crusty spots.
How did the Particles mission come about? Al (Hodgson) stated that Chris Collins was a catalyst.
I carried on filming after Jumble Sale, however to be trustworthy, there was not a lot traction. Slowly, I began getting clips of Sonny Wright and Sam Allison right here and there. In a approach, Chris getting on board did heighten the mission, as a result of we began hitting a great deal of new spots in Kent and witnessing Chris’s stable potential on a skateboard. So it did step up a gear, nevertheless it was actually when Al Hodgson acquired correctly on board that the video turned an precise idea and began coming collectively.
I do know you had fairly particular targets when it comes to the sorts of spots you wished to movie. Inform us about this.
I didn’t wish to retrace previous spots or shoot ones that had been milked. I wished to seek out new spots or make the most effective out of what we now have. I wished to indicate that there are at all times extra spots to seek out for those who look laborious sufficient and that the tougher you strive, the extra satisfying the result.
What geographical space is roofed in Particles?
I wished to maintain the areas related to the skaters, so East and West Sussex and Kent, however there are some clips from Surrey, Essex and Cornwall too.
Had been you impressed by every other filmmakers’ work, when it comes to the spots you select to doc, but in addition how the movie appears to be like?
In all probability subconsciously, however there wasn’t actually any particular video. Josh Stewart has at all times been an inspiration to me as a result of the Static movies have consistently showcased contemporary, new, cutty spots in a really underplayed however pure approach. (Dan) Magee’s Conor Charleson half Slight Inclination acquired me hyped as a result of it was a bit totally different and there have been some actually distinctive spots in there. You might actually really feel how tough they have been – nice texture ranges! When somebody like Conor is skating a spot that you’ve by no means seen earlier than, it usually means that he’s the one individual that’s touched it, so it’s a really laborious spot to make one thing out of. That is what I like: the concept of wanting tougher, figuring out the spot, persevering after which lastly strolling away with one thing.
Give us a rundown of the principle individuals in Particles and the way they got here to be concerned.
So there’s Sam Allison from Brighton, who I met via Jordan Marowitch. Sam is a rad child with an previous coronary heart. His Dad skates, so he understands the roots of skating and doing it for the best causes. Sonny Wright from Hastingsis additionally a younger one, however the nicest child I do know. I filmed him for Jumble Sale and sort of simply carried on. He loves skating and being a part of the crew – superb vibes. Mike Nicolls is an previous West Sussex head initially from Worthing, however now residing in Hastings together with his household. I randomly met him once we performed Somnium on the store. Al informed me about his appearances in previous Brighton movies and prompt I movie with him. This discovery of an previous OG gem led me on to a different true OG: Matt Ransom! It was laborious to pin Matt down at the start as he’s such a lone, spur-of-the-moment sort of man, however after some time he was actually behind the concept of discovering spots and began getting on it. I’ve at all times beloved Matt’s skating and I knew he had extra in him. As I stated earlier than, Al Hodgson was integral to the mission as he’s such a pressure of nature relating to spot searching. That man is on a mission and I used to be fortunately asking for pins on a weekly foundation. He actually lifted the idea and I’m very grateful to him for this. Chris Collins got here into the image early on. I met him on the Jumble Sale premiere and began seeing ins and outs of him on social media. I simply thought he was sick, so I messaged him to see if he can be concerned about filming some stuff and he was into the concept. He’s such a superb man and may be very concerned in numerous scenes in Kent, at all times serving to individuals out, going to jams and supporting small crews and homies. I preferred the concept of getting numerous skaters scattered throughout the south, showcasing spots native to them.
Al talked about to me that the timing of Particles was good for him, as after engaged on Somnium and Gradient, he wished a break from filming and skating in Brighton.
Yeah, Al has actually exhausted Brighton spots and I feel he was lacking the journey of simply getting out within the sticks and discovering new issues. It was good timing, as Harrison (Woolgar) was hyped on filming a Brighton video (Headz) and had that younger spark that’s wanted to present a scene video traction. We clearly filmed in Brighton, however I attempted to remain away and never tread on Harrison’s toes (an excessive amount of).
We’ve established that carefully-chosen spots are central to the mission. How did you go about selecting places?
It initially got here from the place the skaters have been primarily based, however then progressively expanded. Like Kent, for instance. By means of Chris and going to a couple video premieres in Folkestone, I noticed native spots and naturally I wished to hit them up, particularly in the event that they have been fucked or haggard and wanted work. Then there have been the staple spots that we return to for movies that somebody can at all times work out new methods to skate, just like the Buckshole Reservoir financial institution in Hastings or the Newhaven lighthouse. The brand new finds have been an important although, as a result of skating untouched stuff is at all times the dream. Al discovered a spot behind a phone alternate constructing and it was good. Figuring out you’ve a spot like that, which will be showcased and skated by totally different individuals within the video, is what you want.
Speak us via the way you went about discovering new spots (as in spots that, so far as we all know, hadn’t been skated earlier than) for the mission?
So for me, it’s usually simply biking or driving round, or often, phrase of mouth. I search for spots on Google Maps every now and then, however I don’t actually have time to do this often. After I was in London, I’d at all times cycle an extended route or take a unique path, simply in case I discovered a spot, so I simply carried on doing that down south, however with extra driving than biking. Al is a spot fiend. He’ll go to locations particularly to verify for spots. He’ll be on Google Maps for hours, looking. He has a greater nostril for spots than me.
The spot with the handrails and banks by the A23 has an attention-grabbing story behind it. Inform us about that.
I used to be driving again from Bristol very late, struggling to remain awake, and Al immediately jolted up and began shouting. A automobile had come off the highway and he had one way or the other seen that it had knocked over a handrail, doubtlessly leaving a financial institution down some steps open to skate. He went there the following day and the automobile had been cleared away, leaving the financial institution open. We needed to clear it up, nevertheless it was fairly rattling good. Then, on one other go to, Al wandered throughout to the opposite aspect of the principle highway and located one other financial institution, which was about thrice larger than the small one. It was utterly coated in brambles, mud and particles. Myself, Al and Matt cleared the entire financial institution and once more, it was good: good run-up, good run-out, and with a cover of timber over the entire space! We knew that each banks would look pretty on footage and in images, so over time we saved going there with totally different heads. There was additionally an evolution to the spot as a result of ultimately, they put in a brand new handrail on to the small financial institution. We have been fairly stunned about that, however in true Chris style, he skated the handrail.
Are you able to speak about a number of the older, maybe semi-mythical spots within the area you visited and in some cases, excavated for the mission?
I had an inventory of locations I wished to hit that have been skated some time again, however have been sort of forgotten about, just like the Denge sound mirrors or the ocean partitions alongside the Kent coast, however after I realized about spots additional afield, just like the Crabble financial institution in Dover, it was so satisfying to seek out them, clear them up and make them skateable once more. The Crabble financial institution, as an illustration, is at all times moist as a result of it’s a pure nook the place rain can collect, however due to this, and the truth that it was as soon as a ’70s skatepark, we needed to hit it. One other one I used to be tremendous hyped on was in my dwelling city of Bexhill. South Cliff is a richer a part of the city, with massive homes that again on to the promenade. The promenade has banks that go as much as individuals’s gardens – I feel they have been used to carry boats all the way down to the seaside. We used to skate components of the spot once we have been younger, however there was one steeper financial institution that we by no means touched as a result of it was at all times coated in crops. I realised how good it could look on digital camera, so we cleared that up and acquired a load of tips on it. Clearly it was laborious to skate, however once more, the extra you place in, the extra you get out. This mission undoubtedly made our spot goggles stronger as a result of that was the impetus.
The Newhaven lighthouse has had some memorable appearances in movies over time. How does what has occurred at a well known spot like this earlier than, inform what you doc there and the way?
This was a tough one as a result of the lighthouse clearly labored very well for the video, however had been skated to loss of life. I knew I wished to go there, however needed to be cautious about tips, so I actually took Al’s lead on this as he knew all of the ABDs. I simply wished Al to have a trick there as a result of it’s one in all his favorite spots and he has showcased that place very well in his Orwellian World Panorama again catalogue.
Had been any Particles missions notably memorable for any purpose, good or unhealthy?
In the future we hit coastal spots alongside by Camber and St Mary’s Bay. It was a superb impromptu crew: Jordan was over from Cornwall and Sam, Chris, Matt and Lizzie (Heath) have been down. We hit a bank-to-drop first, after which headed in the direction of a seawall additional alongside the coast. En route, I acquired a puncture in a really desolate space and all of us pulled over close to a home surrounded by fields. As me and Chris have been getting the spare wheel out, Matt identified a wood mini-ramp within the backyard of the home. This brightened everybody’s temper. After altering the wheel, all of us headed over to the ramp. We spoke to a beautiful woman who informed us that that they had made the ramp for her youngsters and that she was hyped on us skating it. We had a extremely enjoyable session. This was an ideal instance of the kind of joyful accident that may happen when venturing out road skating. I additionally had a whole lot of actually memorable missions with Al, which at all times meant quite a bit as a result of he understands precisely what it’s prefer to be behind the lens.
Inform us about a few of your favorite clips within the video.
The plain one is Sam’s wallride on Brighton’s promenade. He tried it so many instances over three totally different classes and slammed tremendous laborious, again and again, due to that tiny run-out. I wished him to roll away from it a lot as a result of he’s from Brighton and it’s fairly an notorious spot. When he did, I’m fairly certain I shed a tear. Chris’s Lewes roof ollie and Brighton rail feeble have been insane as a result of he did them one after the opposite, on the identical day. That was undoubtedly the gnarliest day of skating I’ve ever witnessed first-hand. All the South Cliff clips are favourites as a result of I like that spot a lot: the best way it appears to be like on digital camera, the best way the tips work for the financial institution, and it’s proper subsequent to the ocean.
How would you describe your total expertise engaged on Particles? From the surface wanting in, it appeared like a good way to spend a summer time, however I do know tasks like this may be aggravating in some ways.
On the entire, I really feel that the mission has been actually rewarding as a result of we now have a stable crew and everybody will get alongside and has the identical aim. Filming all through final winter was fairly brutal, however I really feel like that course of actually helped form the principle crew and pushed everybody to profit from this summer time. The one stress got here from a number of ankle accidents that Chris needed to take care of alongside the best way, however that man is a beast and might one way or the other get well in a matter of months.
Particles was accepted at this yr’s Vladimir Movie Pageant. How necessary is that this type of recognition for you personally, and for the mission?
I simply actually respect impartial movie festivals. I’ve been to a fairly a number of previously with quick movies and I discover it very inspiring to be with like-minded individuals who share the identical values as you. I’ve at all times wished to go to Vlad, however by no means managed to, so I took the chance this time round with a mission that I’m actually pleased with.
What are your plans after Particles wraps up? Do you’ve any new tasks in thoughts?
To be trustworthy, I do not know. I’m undecided if I’ve one other skate video in me. I’m approach too previous for this shit. Sorry.
