FiveSix Chills with the Canadian Michael Jordan
Last week, FiveSix Productions did a little audio mixing and provided some grip gear to a friendly (of course) group of Canadians on a shoot with the one, the only, Wayne Gretzky. If you don't know who the Gretz is, that's okay guy, weird, but okay. Wayne Gretzky is one of the greatest hockey players in history, and along with Maple Syrup, Ryan Reynolds, and their border with us, is a national treasure. The voice of the biscuit master and purported Moose Whisperer was strong and pure, and our grip gear kept the lights and green screen in place, buddy. All in all, life was good, and we made a whole bunch of new fwiends, okay guy. So soorry, time to get back on set, L.A. waits for no one. Until next time, keep your edges sharp, eh? God save the Queen.
Boardroom Interview - Robert August Part 3
Beginning in 1965, August worked for Jacobs Surfboards in Hermosa Beach, first as a salesman and then as a shaper before becoming a freelance shaper in late 1966. Then, as the shortboard revolution hit the surf industry, Robert found himself making adjustments to the changing sport. In 1971, he opened the Endless Summer restaurant, a business he later described to Longboard magazine as one that "set a world record for losing money." In 1974, he launched Robert August Surf Shop in Fullerton, California and relocated it to Huntington Beach in 1976. Stocked with shortboards because of their popularity at the time, Robert was still a longboarder at heart. "In the '70s, you couldn't even find a longboard blank. I knew I wanted one, but I didn't know if they would sell. Finally, I made five of 'em and everyone came in the shop going, wow--a longboard!"
This clip was produced by FiveSix Productions, a Las Vegas video production company.
FiveSix Goes Golfing
We all know the harmful effects of too much sun and pollution, but we aren't much for heading professional medical advice, and we certainly know how to live dangerously. One of our favorite early spring clients came through, and we were back on the golf links, soaking up the rays, breathing deep, the sweet, city air, and driving our golf cart like we stole it. The day took us from fairways, greens, and tee boxes, to the clubhouse, and eventually, back to the Encore Resort where a ceremony was held to cap off the day. We tackled the day with our reliable Canon C300 Mark I and a Sound Devices 633 audio mixer with our best microphone and boom (complete with all the wind-diffusion we could find). All in all, it was a great day, and as soon as our sunburns heal and our lungs clear up, we'll be ready for another round of Las Vegas video production.
BoardRoom Interview – Robert August Part 2
Just a few of months after graduating from Huntington Beach High School--where he was senior class president--Robert was presented with an opportunity that would change his life forever. Along with 21 year-old Mike Hynson, filmmaker Bruce Brown chose 19 year-old Robert August to travel the world in search of the perfect wave while making the famed movie The Endless Summer. August was selected over better-known surfers because to Bruce Brown, Robert represented surfing in the positive way he perceived the sport. Not a stranger to Brown's camera, Robert had appeared in three of his movies prior to Endless Summer, including Slippery When Wet (1957), Barefoot Adventure (1960) and Surfing Hollow Days (1961).
Filmed in 1963 and debuted in '64, The Endless Summer played throughout America, with Brown originally providing masterful live narrations. In 1966, Newsweek Magazine named the film one of the 10 best movies of the year, and it gave August the recognition that would serve him extremely well in his future business ventures. This once-in-a-lifetime experience, coupled with a lifelong friendship with Brown, made a lasting impression on Robert's life, the effects of which are still evident today.
Here is Part 2 of our interview with Robert.
FiveSix Goes To A Concert
Five Six Productions capped off it's weekend excursion with rocker Carlos Santana and his band at a very special concert at the House of Blues at Mandalay Bay Resort here in Vegas. We provided our teleprompting services for this portion of the weekend, aiding the artists in their performance of their new album Santana IV, and of course, a couple classic songs. Music legend Ronald Isley stopped by and aided the band on two new songs, and FiveSix Productions was happy to lend our services there, too. All in all, we had a great weekend working with Santana and his band, and sure appreciate all the help from our great freelancers. So, until the next one, keep rocking, friends.
BoardRoom Interview – Robert August Part 1
Robert Alan August was born in Hermosa Beach in 1944 and grew up just down the California coast in Seal Beach. His father, Orral "Blackie" August, was a lifeguard at nearby Redondo Beach and was one of the first surfers to ride its waves. Blackie often surfed with Duke Kahanamoku when The Duke would visit Southern California, and had Robert surfing at the age of six.
A natural goofy-footer, Robert quickly developed the smooth, relaxed style that allowed him to become a successful contest surfer at a very young age. He finished fourth in the men's division of the 1963 West Coast Championships and third in the '64 U.S. Invitational. In 1965, Robert placed third in the U.S. Surfing Championships and was invited to surf in the Duke Kahanamoku Invitational.
Below is part 1 of our interview with Robert. If you enjoy this you should check out our surf documentary, BoardRoom - Legends of Surfboard Shaping.
Executive Producer: Robert Jax
Producer / Interviewer: Robert Bell
Director: Markus Davids
A Weekend with Santana
Video production in Las Vegas takes us to many different venues, shooting many different subjects. FiveSix Productions had the pleasure of doing a weekend shoot with guitar and rock legend, Carlos Santana and his original band. The rocker has a new album coming out soon that includes all his original band mates from his first few albums. Our crews shot interviews, shows and rehearsals, and other video clips and sound bites to help promote his upcoming album and concerts. We always enjoy the opportunity to be around such talented and accomplished artists and other such folks, and strive to give them, like all our clients, the best experience possible. We have one more day of shooting, so we better get to set. Rock on friends.
BoardRoom Interview – Bing Copeland Part 3
Here is the final segment of our interview with Bing Copelamd.
Bing Copeland influenced surfing in many ways and worked with some of best-known surfers of the time. Names like Donald Takayama and David Nuuhiwa were included on the list of famous Bing team riders; Takayama is also a very talented shaper and introduced the Bing Donald Takayama Model. He also helped develop two extremely popular Bing models bearing the Nuuhiwa name--the "Noserider" and the "Lightweight"--of which an estimated 10,000 units were sold between 1965 and 1967. In 1967, surfboard designer Dick Brewer shaped the Bing Pipeliner, a model that Brewer still shapes today. In 1973, Bing produced a trademarked Bonzer model, a design introduced a year earlier and one of the first to use three fins--now a standard on all performance shortboards.
By 1974, Bing licensed his popular name and moved his family to Idaho, where he lives at least half of each year. He spends winters in Baja, where he still surfs 3 or 4 days a week. Bing Copeland has been extremely gracious about sharing both his insights and his adventures during the greatest days the sport has ever known. Today, talented surfboard shaper Matt Calvani and well-known '60s surfer Lance Carson have teamed up to make Bing surfboards and clothing available once again.
If you enjoy this clip your sure to enjoy our film. You can purchase your copy at www.boardroomfilms.com
New CineBags
Every time FiveSix Productions heads out to L.A., we like to get in touch with our good friends at CineBags. Recently, we acquired a few new light panels that are just awesome, so, CineBags founder and owner Markus Davids hooked us up with some prototype bags that are a perfect fit for our 1x1 light panels. These bags are made with the same quality and functional design that we have grown to love and expect from CineBags. In fact, CineBags is the only bag that FiveSix Productions uses for our cameras, computers, external monitors, recorders, and now, light panels. We are honored that Markus has let us give these rare bags a go, and we're sure we'll love them, and they'll go into regular work, shoot after shoot. (Oh, and, happy St. Paddy's Day!)
Here's a fun CineBags video from our hermanos over at F11 Rentals:
BoardRoom Interview – Bing Copeland Part 2
Here is part 2 of our full interview with Bing Copeland. These interviews are from our film BoardRoom - Legends of Surfboard Shaping.
Bing was born in Torrance, California in 1936 and grew up just a few blocks from the Manhattan Beach pier. When he was 12, Dale Velzy--working as a lifeguard at the time--asked Bing if he wanted to try one of his old boards. As Bing recalls, "the board was about eight feet long and weighed about eighty pounds...we pearled for the first ten or so waves but then finally I remember standing up and riding straight off all the way to the beach." I knew at that moment that this was the sport for me."
Dale Velzy mentored many of the best-known shapers of the '60s and early '70s, and Bing Copeland was one of them. In the early '50s, he helped Velzy by gluing up balsa blanks, shaping wood fins, sanding boards, but "mostly sweeping up balsa shavings." He also worked as a lifeguard between 1954 and 1955, the savings from which allowed him to make his first trip to Hawaii in September 1955. Money ran out in a few months, so Bing and good friend Rick Stoner joined the Coast Guard. Fortunate enough to be stationed near Honolulu, they surfed Ala Moana every afternoon and the North Shore during their annual 30-day leave.
You can see the full list of our interviews at boardroom-documentary
Purchase your copy of the film at www.boardrooomfilms.com.
Executive Producer: Robert Jax
Producer: Robert Bell
Director: Markus Davids