INTERVIEW:
Read an interview about George Saunders on www.kiteflorida.com
Who's
The Dude With The Camera? KiteFlix! written
by Chris Terry (www.kiteflorida.com)
I
don't think there is a kiter anywhere in the world today whom hasn't
seen his work. KiteFlix is the #1 spot for kiting video downloads.
His monthly bandwidth exceeds that of WhiteHouse.Com (ya, there's
bush there but it ain't the President)! While there are tons of
videos on the shelves for sale--KiteFlix breaks the mold with the
largest collection of kiting videos anywhere--all for FREE. Is this
guy nuts? We went to find out....
George
Saunders of KiteFlix
We met George for breakfast
at the Green Turtle a family owned restaurant in Delray Beach, FL
the home of KiteFlix. And I'll tell you what--video production makes
you hungry! As he wolfed down his Ham Scramble we discussed his
background and the KiteFlix story. Originally from Long Island,
George Saunders attended UCLA where he studied English Literature
and Film. His sole focus was to be a screenwriter. He started at
the bottom of the ladder evaluating scripts and doing rewrites,
a "writer for hire" as he said. Finally he began to fulfill
his life long dream of writing entire screenplays. George has writing
credits on over 20 projects and five if his scripts were feature
films: Mission of Justice, Scanner Cops, America Ninja 5, Marshall
Outlaw & Malicious. Folks, I'm not sure if you know what an
accomplishment that is. Over 50,000 scripts per year are submitted
and only a couple hundred or so get made. The odds of 5 films is
off the charts.
Then life through him a curve ball, it was
the mid '90's. There was a tragic death of a loved one, LA was on
fire (Rodney King riots), and it was shook to the ground (the earthquake
of earthquakes). In addition to this crap he was working on a project
with a group that was not going where he wanted to go. The producer
said the film didn't have enough violence! With personal loss and
enough real violence in the streets George did what all of us dream
about--he told the Hollywood scene to shove it! He pack his bags
and left. Can you imagine having the balls to walk away from being
a Hollywood screenwriter? I can't.
The entire Hollywood experience, while
very important, left him feeling empty. You can tell from talking
with George it is important for him to contribute positively to
society. It's funny because he is the opposite of his screenplays.
I think this dichotomy is what gave him the courage to leave LA.
Now that he was free with money
in the bank and no responsibilities he decided to venture into the
"independent film" arena where he could produce films
that had socially redeeming qualities. He ended up in Austin TX
for a while; a hotbed for small film production. As he stated, "once
his script was sold all he got was a chair on the set". Now
he had a chance to do more. It was here in Texas George learned
the fundamentals of film production that are used in KiteFlix today.
In 2000 his family called and asked him
to join them in Florida as they had relocated from NY. With the
latest technology of DV Cams and PC based editing, there was no
reason why the "independent filmmaker" couldn't work anywhere.
So once again he pack his bags and moved. Good thing for us Kiters.
For a couple of years he experimented with
his equipment. Never being part of the actual film production process
George learned, like everything else, it is much more difficult
than it looks. Practice, practice, practice. George's typical day
would be a "dog" film at the each--the unpredictable of
movements of Aiko help George hone his camera skills.
Aiko
(I-ko) the KiteFlix mascot.
The summer of 2002 it happened. He was panning
around the beach with camera and there was a "surfer"
over his head! There were two local riders on a downwinder: Andy
DePhilippis and Bill Kraft. George used his entire tape on these
guys as they went by. Immediately he went home and started to edit,
adding music by Crystal Method and arranging the wicked air shots
to the wicked sound--the very first KiteFlix video was born. While
at the time he didn't know what "Kiteboarding" was but
he did know immediately it was his calling. Prior to this George
described himself as a "Filmmaker in search of a subject."
Bill Kraft & Andy DeFilippis
Enter the web. Like most people at the time,
George dubbed the videos to VHS tapes so others could share in the
fun. However this was very time consuming and costly so he decided
to post them on the web to simplify distribution. The KiteFlix domain
went live in August of 2002. This was the world's first site dedicated
purely to Kitesurfing videos and remains so today.
While our discussions latest over 3 hours
and George's passion for his work had shone the entire time it was
clear that the "fuel" is feedback from viewers. He still
recalls getting his first email from someone in the South Pacific
in perfect detail. On a daily basis he gets messages like: "Last
time I watched a video that got me so pumped up, I wound up spending
9 years in the army!" or "DUDE! Very cool site. Now I
can show the guys at work what this sport is about. Needless to
say you dropped some jaws" or "It's like watching The
Terminator but it's all kiteboarding" or simply "Keep
up the great work we all depend on you for the no wind days"
There is no doubt that these letters are not only appreciated but
keep KiteFlix going.
I asked George if he felt there was any distinction
between his kite videos and the others available on the web, DVD
or VHS. He was quick to point out that other videos on the market
were excellent and he is a fan of many kiteboarding titles and filmmakers
but his real role models are skiing, surfing and skateboarding directors
like:
When pressed he said that, "If there
is a difference it might be that KiteFlix is less about the tricks
then it is about the ride." Each KiteFlix video is different
and can range from 30 seconds to 5 minutes and they all seem to
convey a mood and tell a "story" of sorts. We spoke at
length about this. While most other videos focus on the hottest
new riders and their moves, KiteFlix films mostly locals and friends.
This choice of talent has brought its share of criticism from some
industry insiders. George recalls more than one occasion where he's
heard something like, "Your videos are great but you need to
film better riders. Let me introduce you to...". In his typical
laid-back style he just rolled with the punch and commented, "I
am sure the top kiteboarders have enough cameras on them without
me getting in the way and I do look forward to my chance to film
them but people who make comments like that don't understand what
interests me."
George says he is fortunate to have a talented
pool of local riders to film in Florida but he chooses his subjects
based more upon "their character and not their technical prowess."
He also believes that every rider (unless they are total beginners)
have their "moments" each time they are out on the water.
His years developing stories for film taught him about these magic
"moments" - if you can string enough of them together
you will have a great film. I asked him, what makes a magic moment?
"They are around us all the time if you open your eyes. In
kiteboarding it might be when a guy finally lands a trick he'd been
working on. Just because the trick might not have been executed
well doesn't mean that he didn't feel the same exact exhilaration
and rush as a top pro would have felt if it had been done perfectly.
So cinematically the moment I look for in editing might not be the
execution of the move but the expression on his face when he lands.
An ear to ear grin is worth a thousand words. This is cinema at
its purest form - life unrehearsed - real and in the moment. After
so many years of sitting in a room typing up made up stories I cannot
tell you how refreshing this is for me."
Billy Blackmon & Flip in
Islamorada 2004
It seems like the negative aspects of Hollywood
and life has made a lasting impression on George. You can tell when
you talk with him there is always a call for balance and positiveness.
You don't have to be a Pro to be on KiteFlix and it's not about
the tricks it's about the ride. So what is next for KiteFlix? He
said enough people have been asking him to put out a DVD so there
will be one coming. He claims to have enough footage for ten DVDs
but he's been trying to avoid stringing together just a series of
clips. "As a screenwriter at heart, I'm looking for the story,
a hook or a through line to pull it all together. Maybe I'm over
thinking it but that's just the way I am. But if people want to
see my videos all they have to do is click on my website. I post
new videos all the time. One very positive aspect I see about releasing
a DVD is the quality. I spend a lot of time and effort getting the
clearest and best shots I can and if people could enjoy them on
a big screen at full quality, well, that would be pretty cool."
Hamish MacDonald
The time we spent with George Saunders wasn't
what we expected. His passion for his work, his background, his
loss and wins in life added up to be much much more than "a
dude with a camera". The Warren Miller of Kiting has arrived.
- Chris
Terry, www.kiteflorida.com
Chris
Terry of KiteFlorida.com filming in Miami
