Read an interview with Dan Kreitem about his latest video project. Slam employee and Bromley representative Dan Kreitem spent 5 months filming the video LDN-LAX for a new company called Yardsale. Dan has done a lot of the edits which have recently appeared on our blog.
The new video features the talents of Darius Trabalza, Curtis Pearl, David Bowens, Adrian Adrid and Jhian Namei. Dan filmed Darius and Curtis on home soil while the LA contingent were filmed by Stephen Spilker. We caught up with Dan quickly to find out a little more about the project…
How did the idea for this video come about?
I don’t feel like there are many companies in the skate industry apart from the obvious, that put out videos that you keep going back to watch. Having visited LA a bit in the last few years I saw a side to skating that is completely different from the usual street league shit that gets put out. I wanted to make a video that represents that, full of the type of skating that I want to see.
What came first, the idea for the company or the footage?
Simultaneously. It was a year after i’d visited LA. I was filming with Darius a little but for nothing in particular. I realised that I could make a video that showed the side of London skating I love and incorporate the side of LA skating which struck me when I visited there. Starting a company made sense, it brought the two things together.
How did you pick who appears in the video?
Darius is a good friend of mine, I have grown up skating with him. In the past year I’ve seen him progress to a point I don’t think anyone has seen from him. He naturally fit the bill.
With Curtis I feel like he skates London in a way that gets you excited to go out and skate. He has a fresh outlook on skating the City.
The LA side came about from my friend Jhian showing me Stephen’s videos and the guys he filmed. That’s the side of Los Angeles I wanted to capture, they all skated together and filmed with Stephen so it happened organically. Seeing the way they skated at spots I hadn’t seen was refreshing, an underground take on things I felt mirrored what we were doing here.
With Stephen as a videographer, I also felt like we were both independently trying to do the same thing. I was just as stoked to have him film as I was to have any of the guys on the team.
Darius Trabalza and Dan Kreitem on a LDN-LAX mission
What products have you made so far? What plans do you have in the pipeline?
So far we have just made t-shirts, I want to focus on creating well-thought-out, quality pieces rather than just bringing out loads of rough ideas. We’re working on a few different ideas for October,. There are a few hoodies flying around but I’m still trying to find the right fit and style.
Who dealt with the design aspect of it all?
Basically, nine months ago I met up with my cousin who is an artist and we spent three months working on ideas during the Winter. We both had a clear idea of how we wanted the clothes and designs to look We wanted to focus more on a classic feel with thought-out imagery and colours rather then something minimalistic and contemporary. It was exciting seeing things develop from our initial ideas to the finished product.
How was it making the music choices? I hear you were privileged enough to visit the Jon Laidlow record room for some consulting. Was that a surprise?
Jon’s knowledge was a lot of help. I’m definitely going to use some of his choices on the next edit. He lives in Bromley and owns a vast record collection that fills up a dimly lit lime green room with two decks at the front. He schooled me on a lot of underground stuff I had never heard before. His music knowledge combined with an ever-expanding library will definitely be put to good use in the future.
Do you have a website on the way?
Yeah we’re working on it at the moment, it will be ready when it’s ready. Hopefully in not too long.
Are you excited about the premiere? When and where is it?
Excited and nervous, it’s been a long time coming but it feels good to create something from just an idea and see it finished. I’ve made loads of smaller edits in the past but this is an opportunity to show more fully the way I’d like to see skateboarding. I’m excited to see what people think of it. The premiere will be held here at the Wayward gallery on Mowlem Street this Saturday the 28th, the LA premiere will be at the Downtown Independent theatre on the 26th.
Watch the Yardsale LDN-LAX video. Shop for Yardsale and all other Skateboard Decks