Shoot to Thrill: Interview Sessions with Color Mag Sandro Grison

RB: How has STT progressed to what it is now from what it was in the first year?
SG: It¹s come in to it¹s own. At first it was all about photography, and now it¹s more about filming and photography is just an added feature I guess. The photographers played a big part in each team though because most filmers shoot strictly digital and didn¹t know how to meter light or load film.

RB: Speaking of progression: the first contest was just a photo contest and in the second year was using super8. Now finishing its 3rd year with 16mm, are their plans to do a 4th year, and what will change (if anything) about the format?
SG: Imax!!! Just kidding.

RB: The amateur contest of STT which was all digital was also great, what was the original intent for that and how did it pan out?
SG: At first we called this division of the contest "amateur" and the film division "pro", but then we realized the talent signing up for the digital division and how that word didn¹t really fit. We called Richard Sarrazin and Dave Nolan¹s team up from the digi-division... Those are heavy hitting skaters, so right there we knew this wasn¹t about am vs. pro. Not many of the skaters in the film category are pro either, they¹re just people who kill at what they do. So much goes into the films that nobody sees, so the digi contest allowed for some eye-candy online while the film division teams worked on their edits.

RB: Who were your personal STT film favorites of 08?
SG: That¹s a hard one because literally, every film is so, so different. I get a warm feeling every time I watch the Solid Waste (Vancouver Island)¹s film. (below)

RB: How did a frenchman and non-canadian like French Fred get involved in a rather ALL Canadian project from Canada?
SG: Every team kind of has its captain. Usually this is the director, but for Vancouver¹s team it was Rick McCrank. I think it¹s important to film with people you¹re comfortable filming with and for Rick that happens to be people that live elsewhere. It worked out really well because Fred got to do an art show at Rick¹s shop during his stay.

RB: Color magazine has always done a great job with marketing and collabing greatly with STT. What has been the magazine response, and what are some of the things you have learned over the course making STT after the last 3 years?
SG: Readers who know us have followed this project since its inception, including other magazines who have produced very similar projects themselves. I think it would feel really lame if we just thought up an idea and sold out, or vice versa, sold out and hopped on board on someone elses deal. The response has been great. Whether everyone understands the true extent of the projects being film based with tight timelines and unpredictable weather and all that, I don¹t know. But either way, it¹s strong skating and so creative that there¹s not a bad thing to say about it.

RB: What's your goals if any, in the future with expanding this event to the world?
SG: Collaborating with French Fred was the first step to opening this project up to the world. I don¹t think it needs to be so focused and bound by our borders. I¹d like to give the skaters and creative minds on each team the option to do whatever they want to do. Offer them the means to produce something they wouldn¹t have the resources to do otherwise. I¹m not afraid of failure when the reward can be something unique that people haven¹t seen before. That¹s success to me.

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