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AFQ: KIRK DIANDA INTERVIEW: CRAIG METZGER
In this AFQ (”A Few Questions”) I link up with director/filmer Kirk Dianda. Kirk is well known for his filming contributions to skateboarding and was one of the main people behind the cult favorite On Video skateboard magazine that dove deeper into skateboarding as a culture and it’s young history. I have had the pleasure of working with Kirk on a few commercials and projects (which are featured in this segment). We really hit it off creatively and I truly admire his skill and vision. If you are into skateboarding you know of Kirk and if you are not, consider yourself in the know.
1) What would be the dream filming project for you?
I’ve always loved film-making because of who you get to work with. Someone else’s dreams are your responsibility to bring to life. For me, it’s the experience, surrounding yourself with talent. So to me, the dream project consists of the people involved, and what comes of it.
I love art, architecture, design, and fashion. Being able to work with someone, documenting something from start to finish would be incredible. Not sure what the outlet would be, but that’s what would dictate the content. I think researching peoples thoughts and inspirations would be amazing to watch unfold. Like seeing a building or any type of design come to fruition, especially from preconception. I like the idea of telling a story as it happens, not looking back at it in a historical take. Very few times can we do that.
OR, I dream of working on those Corona commercials. The ones where they film their feet with a tropical horizon in the background. I’d get to set a camera on my belly, sip beer, throw my phone in the ocean, and get paid for it.
2) Do you think On Video was ahead of it’s time or is it the lack of interest in skateboard history that halted project? Hell, what stopped On Video?
I like to think both. It died a confusing death because of it’s lack of sell-ability, which was due to timing and interest… The in-depth content was better suited for TV, but that wasn’t an option at the time, so we put it out on DVD. Generally speaking though, people don’t buy DVDs in stores if they haven’t seen that movie, TV show, or series already. So to only offer ON Video on DVD, limited its viewer-ship.
ON was also a bi-product of a sinking ship; 411. In the end, we weren’t cutting it, and this had a negative effect behind closed doors. The moral dropped, people had been let go, and I dealt with it poorly. I’m sensitive to negativity, and jumped ship. The LOVE Park story was our final nail in the coffin, and still to this day holds a very special place in my heart.
People still tell me they love ON Video, and I’m thankful for that. I miss working with everyone, as we had an amazing team. Not to mention, it was almost impossible to do better than Danny Way’s life as the premiere story.
3) Where do you see skateboard filming going in terms of company videos and direction? Lakai set the bar with that gnarly hollywood intro of explosions. Is it headed towards a more hollywood-esque production or is it biz as usual.
I think of that intro as the epitome of skateboarding and its brilliant minds. They took common shit, and made it extra-ordinary. There have been a million explosions in movies, but Ty, Spike, and the team were able to make something so dumb, look so beautiful. It’s sarcastic awe-inspiring beauty.
It’s hard to compare that kind of thinking with what you think we’ll do in the future… Anyone could’ve thought to do that, but no one did. And so that’s how it goes. As long as there are talented creative people, which there are, then the bar will keep getting raised. But with Lakai, it’s like a proverbial skate-spot just got shut down.
Who knows what’s next. That’s what’s exciting to think about, and keeps people moving forward.
4) Do you only wear black and white? How many items of clothing do you own that are black and white? Also, how many black and white accessories do you own?
I can’t believe I’m answering this.
I don’t own an exorbitant amount of clothes or accessories. It’s actually opposite.
I’ve got OCD issues, and would get into odd mental battles with myself when getting dressed. It doesn’t make sense when you say it out loud, but I wanted to simplify my life. I took inspiration from Ryan McGinness and Albert Einstein. I heard that Einstein only had one outfit, but multiple copies of it. He proclaimed that he would spend less brain energy getting dressed, and more doing what he wanted to. Hilarious concept, but totally made sense, at least to me. Nevertheless, I was also enamored by Ryan McGinness’s white button up uniform. This was something I could relate to, as I’m a huge fan of white button-ups (unlike green sweaters and khakis). My idea was to make a wardrobe, where I could grab any one piece and it would bound to work with the other.
All I own now are black or white everything; pants, shirts, shoes, and accessories, which can be interchanged infinitely.
5) What kind of advice would you give a student or a budding skate filmer with regard to filming and breaking into the skateboard industry or should I say “action sports”?
It’s all about attitude, and then talent and technical ability. It’s who you are and how you interact with your world. If you suck at life, it’s going to be tough to make much of it. But the ability to learn new ways of thinking and meet people will take you further than you can imagine. That’s what opens doors.
I’m not great at most things, but I have a love for life. This has given me the opportunity to be surrounded by greatness. Skateboarding never stops progressing, and has bred an amazing personality of forward thinkers who look at the world differently.
