Past Filmmakers

Will Stroud
Ryan Barrett Pro BMX
(Premieres October 11, 2003, at 11 PM)

Interview Questions:

1. How did you come up with the idea for the film?

I have been good friends with Ryan Barrett for a long time and I have worked on numerous BMX video projects with him before I decided to do "Ryan Barrett Pro BMX".  I completed the documentary for a final film course during my last semester at UNC-Greensboro.  The focus of the entire class was to make a good film.  I don't feel that I am good at writing narratives, dramas, or comedies, so I decided that I wanted to do a documentary.  Since my lifestyle revolves around riding my BMX bike I thought it would be a fun project to do something involving BMX.  So I called Ryan the next day and asked him what he thought of doing a documentary about himself as a professional rider.  Ryan instantly agreed that it would be a fun project and it just went from there.

2. How long did the production process take?

Good question.  The production process for shooting BMX takes a long time.  The entire length of the project was around seven and a half minutes, and in those seven minutes of the actual film there are about twenty-five or thirty different locations.  So the hardest part of shooting this film was driving from location to location to location.  During one day of shooting Ryan and I drove about three hours to get to Charlotte to shoot at a particular spot and I only ended up shooting about thirty feet of film (about 45 seconds).  Because the average shot typically lasts about 3-4 seconds, there are tons of shots and scene changes in a very short amount of time.  In the end I think it took about twenty days to shoot this short project and two weeks to edit.

3. What challenges did you experience in the creation of the film?

Most of the challenges were based on coordinating shooting dates.  I did this project as a full-time student and Ryan is a professional bike rider that travels all of the time, so it seemed like both Ryan and I had really busy and sometimes-conflicting schedules.  We had to plan ahead to figure out shooting days.

4. What is your favorite memory from creating the film?

My favorite memory of creating this film was going to England.  It worked out that there was a competition in Bournemouth, UK in April and Ryan's sponsors sent him to compete and the production company that I work for was able to send me to document the contest.  We were only in England for three days and the contest lasted two days, so on our free day we went to shoot at the South Sea skate park in the beautiful city of Portsmouth, England.  It was really a good time and a great experience.

5. When someone has finished watching the film, what to you hope they take away from the experience?

I just hope that this documentary enlightens people on BMX in general.  With hit programming like the X-Games on ESPN, most television viewers only see the big shot BMX riders who make tons of money.  Don't get me wrong though, there is nothing wrong with those riders in the X-Games but I wanted this documentary to focus on an average person with a normal life who just loves to ride bikes.

6. What type of reaction has your film received from viewers?

I have received great responses from almost everyone who has seen my project.  I can't take all of the credit for the good responses though.  I think Ryan is an amazing person with incredible talent.  He is humble and sincere and I think these aspects carries the documentary very well.

7. What advice would you give to aspiring young filmmakers?

My advice is to get a camera and start shooting whatever you're interested in.  I started out shooting BMX videos when I was about sixteen with my grandmother's old VHS camcorder that she bought in the 80's.  The camera was such a piece of junk but it taught me the basics of composing shots and framing techniques.  So it doesn't matter if you lack the latest camera equipment or have super tight budgets.  Just learn the basics first and if you put your mind to it you can make anything happen.

8. Please tell us about the next film you plan to work on.

Well, I just graduated from UNC-Greensboro in May and I've had a really busy summer working on numerous random projects.  Tomorrow I am moving to Dayton, Ohio to begin working for an advertising agency called Axis Media and Marketing.  Axis has hired me to be their one man video production guy, so I guess my next project will be whatever they tell me it will be.  Axis Media deals mostly with companies in the BMX industry, so my new job is really a dream come true.  Plus I am really good friends with the owners.  Wish me luck...

9. What are your thoughts on the film industry in NC?

You know, I really don't know much about the film industry here in NC.  I know it's sad because I have lived here my entire life, but I've done all of my work with companies that are outside of NC, so I really can't say I know to much about our film industry.  I wish it could take off and offer more jobs for graduated film students.

9. What are your thoughts on the film industry in NC?

You know, I really don't know much about the film industry here in NC.  I know it's sad because I have lived here my entire life, but I've done all of my work with companies that are outside of NC, so I really can't say I know to much about our film industry.  I wish it could take off and offer more jobs for graduated film students.