This is a reprint of my interview with Film Director, Tristan Patterson. It originally appeared on Yahoo! Sports.
On the subject of skate documentaries, the film Dragonslayer has been pulling in the industry awards as of late. The skate documentary, in case you are not familiar with it yet, takes an unflinching look at the life of skateboarder Josh Sandoval aka Skreech.
It is such an interesting skate documentary that I decided to make contact with the film’s Director, Tristan Patterson, to uncover what he has taken away from his time spent with the skateboarder as well as his thoughts on skateboarding and the documentary film making industry in general.
Here’s what Patterson had to say about it all:
Gonzalez: I read that you met Sandoval at a party being held at an abandoned airfield in Chino, California. Does that mean that you are a skateboarder as well?
Patterson: I skated a little growing up—I was definitely a huge fan of Search for Animal Chin when I was a teenager. I loved all the Bones Brigade stuff. But I wasn’t really looking to make a skateboard film at all. I drove out to Chino see Rikk Agnew from The Adolescents play—they’re one of my favorite bands from that first original wave of punk. I couldn’t believe their guitarist was going to be performing in the driveway of a house party 30 years later. It just seemed so true to the original spirit of the music. This was right after the American economy collapsed and the party was really crazy. Kids were destroying everything in sight. It was like all the prophecies of the punk generation had come true and now a new generation was being forced to confront what comes next, after the decline of western civilization. Skreech was at the party. When I met him, I thought he might make for a new kind of cinematic hero. He was a total original and by skating abandoned swimming pools he had figured out a beautiful way to find joy in what felt like really apocalyptic times. The more homes that got foreclosed in California, the more pools he had to skate.
Gonzalez: Now that the film is complete, do you still keep in contact with him and the others?
Patterson: Yes. I was there when they were going through some really intense experiences in their lives and I’m so grateful they had the courage to let me document them. I’ll feel a connection to them always.
Gonzalez: Do you have any plans to make a follow-up documentary about Sandoval?
Patterson: Dragonslayer was really about capturing a specific moment in time. It’s a portrait of a new generation of kids confronting the future. Now that it’s finished, I think it’s time we all get on with our lives without cameras. One of the things I love about Skreech is that he’s really the least likely star of a movie ever. And I don’t have any interest in trying to turn him into anything other than that.
Gonzalez: What surprised you the most about the California skate scene? What surprised you the least?
Patterson: I don’t think there’s really such a unified thing as a “California skate scene.” It’s not like in the 70s when you had this singular group of teenagers redefining the culture on their own terms. But I think a lot of people would be surprised to find out that just because you’re getting your pictures in magazines, or getting free boards from sponsors, it doesn’t necessarily mean you’re getting paid. There are really two worlds out there now; one that’s convenient for corporations that want to capitalize on a culture they see as having street-cred or whatever, and another that’s really about kids who have found something they love and are willing to live and die for it. I think those kids in a lot of ways are truer to the original impulses of why kids starting skating in the first place. It wasn’t anything some corporation told them was cool to do. If anything, the world told them not to do it. But they did it anyway, because it was something they loved.
Gonzalez: Having such an intimate look at Sandoval’s life must have left an impression on you. With that said what did you take away from the time you spent immersed in his world?
Patterson: I think what I never had completely considered was how truly egalitarian skateboarding is. All you need is a $10 used board and you can do it. And I think for a lot of kids out there who may be from broken homes or trapped in really rough circumstances, skateboarding can really be something positive to believe in. You get on your board and go to the local skatepark or wherever, and suddenly you realize you’re not alone; there are a bunch of other kids out there going through things just like you, and before you know it you have a brand new family looking out for you.
Gonzalez: How did you find out that Dragonslayer won the Jury Award for Best Documentary Feature and Best Cinematography at the 2011 SXSW Festival? What was your initial reaction to the news?
Patterson: I found out when everyone else did, at the SXSW Awards Ceremony when it was announced by Lisa Schwartzbaum, the critic from Entertainment Weekly who was a member of the jury. I recall screaming quite loudly and hugging her, perhaps a little too hard. I think her feet left the ground.
Gonzalez: Is Dragonslayer currently being considered for any additional awards?
Patterson: We just won the Grand Jury Award for Best International Feature at HotDocs. It’s one of the world’s premiere international documentary film festivals. It was a total surprise and awesome to get that kind of love from the international film community. I think in some ways, they were able to have a purer reaction to the film, because they didn’t bring any preconceived expectations to it about what it should or shouldn’t be. They just had an experience with it.
Gonzalez: Do you think that overall today’s skate documentary films add to the general public’s misconception about the nature of skaters and skateboarding or detract from it?
Patterson: I can’t really say. But one thing I would argue the world needs less of is propaganda films. I like to think people are capable of experiencing something and drawing their own nuanced and thoughtful conclusions in colors other than black and white.
Gonzalez: Do you have any other films that you are currently working on? If so what are they and when do you expect to release them?
Patterson: I’ve been working on a feature called Electric Slide that’s based on a true story about a guy who robbed 63 banks in Hollywood and Beverly Hills in the early 80s. It’s a pretty expensive movie—a lot more expensive than Dragonslayer, to say the least. I’ve got financing now, but it may not be enough. Ewan McGregor wants to play the lead, so I’m really hoping I can make it a go.
Gonzalez: I’ve read that you’ve worked on film projects with some pretty big name studios like Fox, Disney and Warner Brothers as well as smaller studios. What is the most challenging thing about working with each size studio? Is there one size/type of studio that you prefer working with over the other?
Patterson: Everything has its advantages and disadvantages. It’s always incredibly hard work to write anything, much less a screenplay that will require millions and millions of dollars. Even with small movies, you’re still trying to find investors willing to risk large sums of money. As a writer, I’ve really learned that each new job is a brand new experience with a brand new set of problems to try to figure out. It never gets easier. That said, the best experiences I’ve had been collaborating with people who are passionate and committed to doing the work.
Gonzalez: You must have also worked with a number of incredible on-camera talents as well. Is there a particular actor or actress that you haven’t worked with yet but would love to do so?
Patterson: There are so many. I love it when actors take really unexpected turns you never quite expected of them. And I love the moments of discovery, when you see someone brand new do something really exciting. One of the best things I’ve seen in the last year was Bronson starring Tom Hardy. I’d never heard of him before and his performance in that movie blew my mind.
Gonzalez: What emerging trends are you seeing in the documentary film industry?
Patterson: I think technology is hopefully going to allow for people to take a lot more chances. It’s hard to convince people to put money into something that’s never been done before, but as a filmgoer those are the movies I’m dying to see. With Dragonslayer I put flip-cameras into the hands of my subjects and told them go off and film their own lives. What came back is some of my favorite footage in the movie. If I had waited for someone to sanction that, I’d still be waiting because it’s just too risky. There’s absolutely nothing you can point to that says it will work, which is exactly why I was so excited to try it. I couldn’t have made this movie five years ago, but now with the technology that’s available, I was able to go out and just do it myself.
Gonzalez: Thus far, what have been the most memorable moment and most challenging moments of your film making career?
Patterson: Finishing Dragonslayer was probably the most memorable. I went so far off the reservation to make the movie; just knowing that it existed was like a dream come true. The most challenging thing has probably been trying to find a balance between making a living and doing what I love. But that’s just life. And I actually think it’s healthy. It’s good to have stakes.
Gonzalez: What words of advice would you offer aspiring directors in regards to making skateboarding related documentaries?
Patterson: I would give them the same advice I’d give anyone; don’t try to copy what other people are doing and don’t do anything because you think it will make you rich or famous. It has to be coming from a pure place inside you.
Gonzalez: Other than DocuWest and Underground Film Festivals in Sydney and Arizona, where else can people catch a screening of Dragonslayer this year? Do you plan on releasing it on DVD and if so when and where?
Patterson: The record label Drag City is releasing the film theatrically in the states. It opens in New York at Cinemal Village on November 4, 2011 and will be travelling all over the country after that. People can visit the facebook page for all the details.
Gonzalez: Let’s change gears a bit. If you could cook and have dinner with five famous people, living or dead, who would you choose, what meal would you make and why?
Patterson: I’d rather cook dinner at home with my girlfriend, a couple of close friends and a couple of their close friends. The meal would probably involve pasta and a lot of red wine.
Gonzalez: If could only be remembered for one thing in this life, what would you want that thing to be and why?
Patterson: Being open-minded and kind while forging my own path.
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