In the world of action sport cinematography, there’s nothing more important than personal style. Every shot takes extreme precision and care to develop the intended look. Brian Hockenstein, longtime videographer and editor of 33MAG.com, knows all about this.
Born in Montreal and based out of Whistler, Hockenstein is a back-to-back recipient of the Whistler Art Council’s People’s Choice Award for his works Icewall and Method with Dark Clouds in 2008 and 2009, respectively. His success in the action sports cinema world gives him authority on the topic of personal style.
AR: What first got you interested in action sports cinematography?
Brian Hockenstein: Well, I’m super extreme. Obviously. Haha. Snowboarding is my life and has been since I was 12. When I realized I wasn’t that interested in learning all the new tricks and hucking my meat on what passed for a jump in the 90s, filming my friends came naturally. A video camera given to me by my brother was another big catalyst to getting me behind the lens.
AR: What about cinematography is most attractive to you?
BH: In the world of snowboarding and skateboarding, photography and video go hand in hand with the action. Without one, the other could not exist, or at least on a public scale. Being behind the lens has always come naturally to me and nailing a perfect shot, one that conveys not only the action itself but also the environment and mood, is as satisfying to me as a perfect pow turn.
AR: From your experience, what are some tips for getting connected into the extreme sports cinema scene?
BH: Honestly, there is none. If it’s your life, it’ll come naturally, if not, no offense, but you should probably go check out what’s going on down at the baseball diamond. That said, be cool, treat people with respect and never take anything for granted.
AR: What is your gear of choice?
BH: I’m a DSLR guy. They are a pain in the ass for video but I feel the results speak for themselves. Photography glass makes for killer shots. Now that there are finally some real options for proper video cameras that accept photo lenses though, I will most likely be picking up a new camera in the next year. But I will continue to use Canon glass.
AR: What techniques do you employ to give your shots an identifiable “Brian Hockenstein” look and feel?
BH: I wake up fucking early and spend my days in the most beautiful places on earth.
AR: Once established, is there a constant pressure to explore more experimental styles?
BH: For me personally, I don’t listen to or frankly care what other people think I should be doing. I do what I do, how I do it, because that is the vision I have in my head. If you like my work, that’s sweet. If not, that’s just fine as well.
AR: How has extreme sports cinematography evolved in the past decade?
BH: Well, the cameras are way more extreme. That’s for sure. Make sure to use a bunch of exclamation points. The cameras are way more extreme!!!
No seriously, things have changed more in the past ten years then in the century before. Up until about 6–7 years ago, all action-sport movies were filmed on 16mm cameras. Mostly Bolex’s. Then came the HVX which changed everything and let people shoot HD at 60 frames per second, which really was the turning point.
Oh yeah wait, the Red Epic. That’s kinda the next and last big shift. Anyone who could afford that was the man for the past two years. Now you can get a FS700 and just tell people it was shot on RED.
AR: What about extreme sports cinematography captures your interest both creatively and emotionally?
BH: Just bringing the feeling to the masses. If you’ve ever stood on top of a 8000 foot mountain as the sun sets behind the peaks way off in the distance, you know what I mean. If not, well, maybe one of my shots or edits can make you feel some part of that.
Hockenstein is currently the editor at 33MAG.com
Check out his most recent projects here.
