MX DIRT posted on February 22, 2010 21:48
Blake Shipman of BShipman Films has been working hard on his new movie “Shred Dirt” that will showcase the best talent in Oklahoma motocross. Blake is an up and coming videographer that has produced two movies and currently has been contracted to travel the country working on a quad video for a company out of California. MXDIRT is proud to have Blake as our staff videographer. We caught up with Blake to see what he’s up to:
Blake, you have been making videos for some time now. What is your background and how did you get started?
I started at the age of 13 with my dad’s hi-8 camcorder, which was ancient to me at the time even at that age. I grew up with the beginning of freestyle in the “Crusty Demon’s of Dirt” videos and have been into it ever since. I always enjoyed sketching and painting so being artistic was my hobbie. After I picked up a little nicer quality camera, which was a small consumer style Panasonic MiniDV camcorder, I really got into shooting and couldn’t put it down. Editing came along much after I began shooting footage because of how expensive. I would always record from the hi-8 onto a VHS. Then, my friends and I would sit around the T.V. with the stereo blazing to our favorite songs to see if it would accidentally sync to our footage we shot. Those days I did not imagine being able to do what I am now and I’m nowhere close to meeting my goals. I never got into shooting silly things like “Jackass” imitations or skits of friends and me. I wanted to be original with anything I did and I knew instantly that motocross was my number one choice and here we are now with MXDirt, shooting video’s people apparently enjoy!
Recently you had a video or movie come out, tell us more about it.
I did release a film called “Unsung Heroes 2” which is about everything from Rhino’s to FMX. I like all aspects of motocross because it is interesting for me to shoot and edit so I wanted to make a video about it all! I have to say though that it is no easy task to put emphasis on each individual sport in a video so I probably will no longer be producing those types of videos. From now on, it will be one discipline of motocross.
I see you have done some FMX, Quad, Motocross and some other kind of videos. What kind of videos do you prefer to do?
As far as shooting/editing in general, I prefer any action sport. It is much more exciting for me to do what people see as the boring part of the job. But it is very exciting on my part to be able to bring the same feeling from the crowd and channel it through footage for the viewer to feel. Motocross is such a high rate of speed but it is easy to get caught with a boring video after it is all said and done. Every time I shoot and release a clip or video, my goal is to release something that leaves your hair on your neck and arms standing. People ask me how I get my videos out so fast after I shoot them but really, I have them all edited in my head before I lay them down on the timeline. It’s all about how you see it and what makes your imagination come to life is what can make or break your video.
We have been watching your videos over the last few years and it looks that you have gotten a lot of experience. Well, I guess what I am trying to say is that I see a big difference in the quality of videos that you are making now. They are improving quite a bit. Is that because of the experience that you have gained or a combination of equipment and experience?
I would have to say that equipment does give you that edge that comes with progression of filmmaking, but definitely does not “make” the video. It takes a lot of vision and creativity to be able to put something out that people have not seen. Anyone can hold a camera and add music on a timeline. I’ve got friends that shoot for me (when I actually get to ride), and I’m literally like “hey, just remember what you see in my video’s and do that with the camera. I’ll take it from there when it is time to edit.” Long story short, you can make a solid video with a consumer style camcorder it just takes vision and imagination to make it work. Trust me; I’ve done so for years at a time. When I jumped up to a high-def camera I only did so for the quality of footage that it allowed me to shoot. Though that is a big attribute, it definitely is not needed. Look at some of the most popular videos now days. They are mixed with some grainy footage that looks like a 3 year old shot. It is all about the vision of the director and how they see fit. I for instance, like a clean cut product with quality behind it.
Will we see you at the local races shooting videos?
I will be attending some of the local events but right now it is so hard to schedule around everything that is going on with the film business. I got into this with intentions of being my own boss on my own schedule but in all reality, I’ll always be on someone else’s watch so it makes it extra tough to be where I want. Especially if the promoter from out of town that has contacted me prior to, flakes out and leaves me hanging when I could have previously scheduled a shoot at a local event.
What can we look forward to in the future from BShipman Films?
I would like to say big things are in store. I have caught some eyes of bigger producers on the west coast and they’ve got all recourses imaginable so if they like it then maybe you all will too! I just landed a deal with a distribution company in California that distributes to Wal-Mart. They will be budgeting my next yearly video about quads. I will be around the country for the rest of 2010 shooting and scheduling the best of the best in the quad video world so stay tuned for that as well! This second I am waiting for footage to load on my computer for my newest project “Shred Dirt” which showcases all of the best talent in motocross from Oklahoma. It is all new footage that no one has seen and it has been going amazing! Be sure to catch it MID-APRIL by attending the OKC premiere. I will hold it at a sports bar/grill so that the kiddo’s of our great sport can attend as well! Also, it is not an explicit video so bring the family!
It’s great to have you as a part of our staff here at MXDIRT. You do great work and we are really looking forward to showing your videos and motocross stories. How can somebody get a hold of you if they wanted some event video or personal videos shot?
The best way to contact me is bshipmanfilms@yahoo.com because it goes straight to my iPhone, which I am never without. So if anybody is interested in having me shoot your event or have any other inquires, drop me a line! Always interested in what people have to say!