September 15, 2014
by Motorcycle Film Festival | Sep 15, 2014 | Uncategorized |
Hi Roland. How did you hear about the Motorcycle Film Festival?
I think I originally saw it on the interweb through friends and social media, but was formally introduced through Paul d’Orleans. And then there was that drunken night at Paul’s house in New York when I was officially pulled into the fray.
You’ve really moved up in the motorcycle wrenching world. You started by sweeping floors on your way to becoming Director of R&D before establishing your own company. What set you on this road?
I was a motorcycle racer. After ten years of dedicating myself to going fast and getting hurt, I figured I should try something else. I missed racing terribly and after getting really depressed I found solace in building and designing motorcycle and motorcycle parts. I loved the job so it stuck.
What are your favorite films? Motorcycle or otherwise, and what do you like about them?
I love films with real emotion that pull me out of my own reality. I like to go other places, to other worlds and feel a sense of displacement that gets me out of my own head. We spend enough time swimming through our own skulls, and movies do a good job of giving you something else to focus on beside yourself, kind of like riding a motorcycle.
You’re a builder and a designer, what will you be looking for in this year’s submissions?
I’m looking for passion without the cheese. Something outside of the typical ride a bike with a half helmet on and light a campfire. There are real stories out there, and they need to be shown and experienced. Of course I love racing and bike building and a new spin on either of those things would be really cool. A little depth into why people do what they do is always a plus as long as it’s not manufactured. A little fear is never a bad thing. The motorcycle horror genre hasn’t been explored in a while.
How does your experience as a road race inform your builds and view of motorcycling?
I just like to build bikes that work—that you can ride hard. The aesthetic is important, but if it works like shit I’m not interested. It has to have a purpose. I suppose I like movies that serve a purpose as well. Even if that purpose is to freak you out.
Your recent designs, especially in clothing, have a vintage feel. Is this a personal influence or do you sense a trend or zeitgeist in the motorcycle community?
I build the motorcycles I like. There’s not a lot out there I’m in love with, so it motivates me to build something I can really appreciate. It’s the same thing with motorcycle parts and apparel. I like to have a reason to do something; it’s not just about creating something for people to buy. It’s about creating something new I really dig.
You just opened another shop in LA. What was the inspiration behind that?
I’ve always wanted to have shop in LA. My buddy Nevo from PowerPlant had an opportunity, and we made it happen. For me it’s about getting the brand out there in an authentic way with my friend in a cool environment. It’s a place we can throw parties and events as well as show off what we do and how it’s done.
You never seem to slow down, what’s next
That’s the question I ask myself every day when I wake up. BMW parts, an Indian build, a bunch of new riding gear and Bell helmet designs rise to the top of the mental pile currently. I have a part in the new On Any Sunday movie, which is really cool and hopefully is one of the movies that makes the festival. I’m voting for it anyway if that’s allowed.
September 12, 2014
by Motorcycle Film Festival | Sep 12, 2014 | Uncategorized |
Toast, as taken by MFF Judge JP
The 2014 Motorcycle Film Festival trailer is brought to us by Toastacia “Toast” Boyd. Based in Los Angeles, the multi-talented video artist has a knack for sounds, movement, rhythm, pace and texture. Between breaths Toast took a minute to talk to us.
Which came first: bikes or movies and how did they come together?
Well, they’ve both been in my life for a long time. My sister and I used to jump garbage cans on our BMX bikes as kids, playing at being Evel Knievel while pretending to shoot film through the eye of our Six Million Dollar Man doll! But those weren’t real motorcycles or real film. I guess in actuality, motorcycles came first. A few of us saved up our paper route money and went in together to buy a used YZ100…we kept it down by the river to hide it from our parents.
Whenever asked what I wanted for my birthday or Xmas, I begged relentlessly for the same three things: a motorcycle, a drum set, and a movie camera. I guess faced with the other options, a movie camera appealed to my parents most! Once I got my mitts on a Super 8 camera, I began to film everything I could afford, including Mad Max recreations and action sequences.
In the MFF 2014 trailer you worked with the Velvets MC. Who are they and how did you meet?
The Velvets are a bunch of cool chicks that made a pact with me to go out and to dirt bike more. It started as a dare and turned into a sisterhood! So we’ve organized into an MC so we can push each other even further – improve our skills and enjoy the thrills of riding, wrenching and rocking!
What’s the best part about making movies with other bikers?
The best part is how passionate bikers are… about where they’ve just come from and where they’re headed. Cool thing is, it’s not just the people, but the bikes too!
Is there a common thread between riding and making movies?
Oh yes, yes, yes! It’s easy to say they both take you on a journey blah blah blah… but it’s way more than that. I always try to make film slightly more sensory by using texture, motion, and focus so it’s not just a window you look through, but light and shadow that you move through… Kind of like the difference between driving a car past a dirt field with the windows rolled up versus being on a bike so you can smell that it’s actually a strawberry patch!
Rumor has it you used to be in a punk band. Wanna tell us about it and how it fits with filmmaking?
It’s true! I began played in bands as a much cheaper way to be creative… Compared to the cost of making films, definitely! I definitely find rhythm a valuable tool. Since I do a lot of in-camera editing, always having a song in my head helps me keep a sense of pace. I love cutting to music in the edit room too. It’s like collaborating with an old friend!
How did you get involved in making the MFF ’14 trailer?
I’m not sure! When the subject came up, I was under the impression that mine would be one of several. I’m pretty sure that if I had realized that it was to be the “official” trailer of the festival that I would have sweated it a lot more! It’s probably a good thing that I didn’t have any idea – so I kept it somewhat whimsical!
Why did you choose to film it in Super 8?
I love shooting film for its texture and graininess. I used Super 8 because it’s small and portable. You know, hidden easily if you have to throw it in your jacket and take off on your bike!
What were the best parts of making this trailer and most challenging, besides us rushing the hell out of you?
We all had such had a blast taking turns riding around on the police bike – that might have been the best part. That mechanical siren is seriously a piece of art! It runs off a drum on the rear wheel, so you can really get a lot of personality out of it by altering either your speed or the amount of pressure on the handlebar lever or both. It screams at higher speeds and then it mournfully wails as you pull to a stop…so cool! Of course, we scared the hell out of some school kids that were cutting class.
As for the challenging part, that was probably the tricky development scenario I got myself into… sometimes I do “over-experiment”!
Do you have a favorite moto movie?
It’s almost impossible to pick just one, but I do have a small collection of old Regular 8 films about hill climbs and scrambles that I bought at a yard sale. I have no idea who shot the film, who those daring riders are that are in it, or exactly when or where the footage is from. But every time I watch the reels, I notice another peculiarity. The footage is very raw, almost rapturous. It’s a heartfelt documentation by an amateur immersed in a historical moment. It’s completely inspiring.
What are you working on next?
I’m working with the amazing and inspiring Cris Sommer-Simmons. We’re putting together a film about her coast-to-coast journey on a 1915 Harley-Davidson during the 2010 Motorcycle Cannonball. The footage I shot was originally to be B-Roll for a bigger project, but since that film never transpired, we’re going to use the film we have to put together her story. Stay tuned!
If you need more Toast, head over to her website at www.toastola.com and you can find toastola on YouTube too.
September 5, 2014
by Motorcycle Film Festival | Sep 5, 2014 | Uncategorized |
“It’s a free road.”
In the 1992 film Roadside Prophets Joe Mosely (X man John Doe) road trips to El Dorado on a ‘57 Harley-Davidson FL Hydra Glide with the ashes of his new found friend in a ’65 Electra Glide tank. Along the way he picks up Sam (Beastie Boy Adam “Ad-Rock” Horovitz) riding a mysterious Triumph. As he tells Joe, “I wasn’t too sure about this bike. You know? I mean, it looks kind of fucked up, not all cherry like yours, but it’s tight man. It’s tight! Man, it’s great. Power. Freedom. First bike I’ve ever owned. It’s perfect.” We also get appearances from Timothy Leary, Arlo Guthrie, John Cusack, and Don Cheadle. Though, one of the biggest debates on the interwebs is: What kind of Bonne is that? In the film it’s called a ’68 Bonneville, but as many point out it has a rear disc brake of the T140, which appeared in ’75, but before the air cover change in ’78. Writer goof, forgotten line, ad lib? Regardless it has some great bikes and an epic road trip. Director and writer by Abbe Wool (co-wrote Sid & Nancy) delivers one of the best two-line exchanges ever: Caspar (John Cusack) asks, “So what do you guys do?” Sam’s answer, “We ride.”
September 4, 2014
by Motorcycle Film Festival | Sep 4, 2014 | Uncategorized |
Lorenzo photo by Laure Fourcade
The 2014 Motorcycle Film Festival poster is brought to us by Lorenzo H-E Eroticolor Pictures. Based in Paris, the international artist has quite an eye for color and line. The extremely prolific artist took a break from his frantic schedule to speak with us.
Hi Lorenzo. Motorcycles are seen as powerful machines as well as beautiful art. When did you get excited by the art of motorcycles?
A long time ago, in a place far from civilization, lost in the confines of the North. It was at a weird family funeral, when suddenly the thunder of a flat twin appeared in a dirty cloud of smoke. The smell of burnt oil filled the air and a raven flying overhead darkened the heavens. A mysterious ghost-like figure, in black leather, appeared riding a used up R69S: a man of no age, covered in dust, his face sharp like a knife … a stateless, nameless man. I have the blood of this man inside me – we come from the darkest forests, and we ride in loneliness… For the rest of the story you’ll have to read my book Aristocratic Motorcyclist.
In fact, you have two themes in your work: Motorcycles and Erotica. Why those two subjects?
That’s not entirely the case: I actually have more. But erotica is the way I see and desire my world and motorcycles are what I need to stay among humans.
Your art combines image, illustration, typography… tell us about your influences.
I’m a solitary man, an old-fashioned character with this impossible hope of being the worthy heir of those who went before me. I have this secret fantasy of being the last of these men – the Lords of the Land of Phantoms… I believe in the Spirit’s power. I have never stopped following the road they travelled before me. (It would be rude to give you a list of names; they deserve so much more.)
Actually, inspiration can just as easily come from books – and movies. Or that perfect ray of light, cutting through the lost world. Whatever works!
Do you start with an idea or develop it by drawing? Tell us about your process.
Perhaps you have noticed that I always have a story to tell? In fact, I just draw my reality. I don’t try to concoct something fashionable or spectacular: I just try and invite people into my world.
I aim to build a work of art, something that will always remain. This work is not aimed at anyone or any particular moment in time. I don’t draw just for drawing sake – I’m done with that. I follow my desire and in turn tell you to follow me.
I’m just at the beginning, even if it’s the result of 30 years of work.
Posters are so simple and effective. In the past, manufacturers (and auto racing) only used poster art. Not so much today. Do you think the art of posters will make a comeback?
Unfortunately, my magical powers don’t extend to me being a diviner of what drives marketing’s sharks, but I work hard towards it, believe me. Maybe the art of the poster has metamorphosed into just art? Perhaps the marketing world is ruled by people without memories – do you think we can build anything without looking at the past? I don’t.
We’ve spotted several cafe racers and vintage racing motorcycles in your art. What do you ride and what is your favorite motorcycle?
I’ve had the pleasure of working for several magazines and doing some wonderful road trips on all kinds of motorcycles. My favorite is mine – a 1968 Bitza 900 R/5 BMW. But I confess that my most erotic souvenir is my Moto Guzzi Le Mans 1000, turned into an evil cafe racer.
How did you get involved with the Motorcycle Film Festival?
The organizers of the festival discovered my work at the Oil & Ink poster expo in Brooklyn and presented me with the great honor of designing the 2014 MFF poster.
What is your favorite motorcycle film?
The one that hasn’t been made yet.
Check out Lorenzo’s work at: www.lorenzo-eroticolor.com and www.aristocraticmotorcyclist.tumblr.com.
August 29, 2014
by Motorcycle Film Festival | Aug 29, 2014 | Uncategorized |
“…than some people live in a lifetime.” – Burt Munro. Photo: Anthony Hopkins as Burt Munro in “The World’s Fastest Indian”
In honor of Motorcycle Speed Trials (sadly cancelled this year due to flooding) at Bonneville, lids off to this 9-year old classic. Full of great writing, Sir Anthony Hopkins delivers an unbeatable performance in this biopic. New Zealander Burt Munro spent years building a 1920 Indian motorcycle and took it to the Bonneville Salt Flats in 1967 to set the land-speed world record. That’s the thread that holds together a series of great encounters and characters. Thank you Roger Donaldson for bringing this story from the salt flats to the silver screen.
