Here is the original version I submitted where everyone gets the props the deserve.
Give me a little background on your crew- how did you get started in film?
Who are the skiers?
I started filming probably about seven years ago when I was still in high school.
My buddy had a little digital camera and we made a snowskate and snowboard edit with a couple friends.
There was one shot of me knuckling a jump on some rec skis in there too.
We were complete gapers and loving every minute of it.
The skiers are simply just us and our friends.
It?s not about workin?
hard to get banger shots and to show off, its just simply, documentation.
This is what we did, let me show you it because it was a blast.
I think I like skiing too much to take filming to the next level.
I kinda filled in a sort of, director role for Too Nice.
I?m trying to guide the progress of the movie.
I sought out the help of three new filmers to make it another real collaboration.
We all take shots, get shots, and edit the shots.
It?s very much a team effort.
I see that MN is the clear inspiration/influence for Nice.
How did that collaboration start, and what was the success of that film?
The idea about a statewide collaboration movie in Minnesota has been kickin?
around for a quite a while, I want to say around 2005.
It was dubbed ?The Minnesota Movie?
and after talking back and forth forever, the idea fizzled and died.
Nice did something special for our scene.
After the last premiere, we were basically cleaned out.
Nice got us national attention.
Hell, we even shipped DVDs to England and Germany too.
We had more people asking for DVDs than we had made.
I still have kids asking me for stickers all the time.
I?m really proud of what we accomplished.
Does the sequel, Too Nice, carry the same MN flava??
Or did you spend time filming elsewhere?
We?re technically not calling Too Nice a sequel.
Without Jake, Dave, and Travis, I don?t think it can properly be called one.
It does follow the same formula though, Minnesota skiers, locations, and music all the way through.
That stuff is tucked away in the bonus features and Too Nice will be the same.
What has been the response to ski films coming out of the Midwest?
Admittedly, it?s not a mecca of skiing.
How are you overcoming that perception?
For the most part, I would say it?s positive.
There?s people that hate, you know like ?those tricks weren?t that hard?
or ?less park, more urban?
but like, that?s not really what we?re going for.
For me, this movie is all about the spirit and friendship of Minnesota skiers.
It?s a movie for the everyday skier you know?
Like, let Level 1 come in and slay our handrails, that?s cool.
We?re not making a Level 1 or Poor Boyz movie in any way.
I don?t think about overcoming perceptions really.
Minnesota will never be a destination for awesome terrain, that?s a given.
People will say what they want to say.
Minnesota has produced some nasty, nasty skiers over the years, that?s a fact.
either, even though we tend to do a fair bit of that.
It?s just about us having a damn good time.
How do you make the films happen?
There?s no question, making a movie is expensive.
Like I said, it?s a DIY thing.
We take it out of pocket and film ourselves doin?
Also, we are really good at being gypsies.
I put them in the basket I walked out of Safeway with.
Plus, I like my minimum payments where they are.
When does Too Nice release?
Any plans to take it on tour?
Too Nice will be out this fall.
Hopefully we?ll do a repeat of last years mini premiere tour.
I?m hoping to take the flick to some of the farther out scenes in the state.
you’re able to?t bring the state together if you are leaving people out!
Also, we?re gonna kick it out online for free after the new year.
Any plans to make another film?
I think I?ll be making movies and edits for as long as I?m skiing.
I don?t have plans to continue the Minnesota Movie theme though.
Who knows though, there?s always a new generation to pick it up.
Plus, everyone knows sequels suck and a third movie, call it ?Still Nice,?
would probably be about as good as Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 3.
