HOW TO MAKE A TRENDY SKATE VIDEO
If you’ve been following skate videos closely over the past few years, you’ve probably noticed something: there’s a recipe for success that editors follow to create a trending video. You might think that’s a bad thing since skateboarding is supposed to be about originality and creativity, but in the world we live in today being trending is perfect which makes things ultra-shareable on Instagram ( what we all know ultimate cultural capital).
After studying countless videos, I think I’ve finally cracked the formula. Just follow these simple steps if you want your 12 minute homie edit to actually get some views.
Assemble a crew that looks good
Chuck Taylors, wall rides, steep tail drops, face and head tattoos… You simply have to have this type of skater. You can get away with a few homies in dunks, but make sure they wear baggy light wash denim. It’s hard to single out a 19-year-old who just moved to New York for art school, so you need to make sure everyone gets their fit right.
Put two random words together
Strawberry Plug, Metal Curve, Dick Pimp. What do all these titles have in common? They mean almost nothing to the viewer, but still collect a lot of views. Use these as reference points. Maybe name it “New Lighter” because lighters make fire and your video will be on fire and get a bunch of fire emoji comments. Screw it, name it “:;” so no one knows what to call your video. It doesn’t matter what the title means, as long as it gets people going!
Find the right soundtrack
Find a local hardcore band and ask them if you could use their song for free. There’s bound to be a crowd from your small hometown looking for a big break. If they need extra convincing, tell them this feature could make them the next hub. Just make sure the singer isn’t one of those hardcore old guys with a high school girlfriend — you don’t want a 15-page SLAP thread about how your t-shirt brand loves abusers.
Bonus tip: Add an early 2000s pop hit to play both sides of the field: punk and quirky.
Slow motion, slow motion, slow motion
You want to build up the drama in your video as much as possible, and slow motion is one of the best ways to add a sense of tension to your video. Cops are also quite stressful, so make sure to catch them on camera when they show up at the spot. Even if the cops don’t give a shit that you’re skating, you should still film them (in slow motion, of course) because what’s worse than showing people that the police have come to arrest you? Nothing, except maybe some slow motion zooms of your friend’s bloody hands.
Don’t sweat the technique
Camera shake used to be a bad thing, but now it’s part of the aesthetic, so you’ll want to make sure your shape is locked. For the authentic Parkinson’s vibe, grab a 50mg Adderall before the session.
Go off-road
Skateboarders are notoriously dirty, so don’t miss the opportunity to show off the dirty side of skating whenever possible. Skating dirt hills is a way to show that you’re spot chasing unexpected places and not afraid to get a little dusty. Have your buddy with the sketchiest style in the crew come by on a dirt hill bomb (can’t make it look too easy!), and also make sure the buddy doesn’t roll away on the first try. This way you can capture a clip of them falling and rolling down the hill. Once they get up, you should film them walking up the hill (again in ultra slow motion) and make sure your angle shows how much dirt they have on their white t-shirt.
Smoke them when you have them
Cigarettes are timeless. Even if you’re literally burning money, it’s an easy way to make every everyday thing you do look cool, so it’s worth it. If your b-roll shot of the homies sitting in place looks flat, just toss someone a cigarette and let it light, then exhale directly onto the lens. Instant gold.
Send it to each magazine after posting it
Gone are the days when you needed skate magazines to feature your videos. Why let a magazine put an ugly watermark or bumper on your video just so they can publish it on their YouTube premiere? Screw it, run it on your own channel and send it to all the magazines a few hours after you publish it.
Don’t worry if most of them say no, we know a magazine that offers it 100% free!
Editor’s Note: Send all your video submissions to [email protected] and make sure you cc: [email protected] so he is forced to watch them all.