UPDATE: The links to the screenplay analyses (via file hosting site) are no longer accessible. Noted for now, but at the moment continuing to work on other projects.
Reading
Spiritual Places by Sarah Baxter; Illustrated by Amy Grimes
The term “armchair traveler” is new to me, but seems apt. There is so much connection (history, genealogy, wisdom, etc.) around us in both nature and edifices to serve as great inspiration.
Skating was my greatest introduction to both my hometown and the city I currently live in. It’s taken me down random side streets, shopping malls, schools, private residences, military bases, abandoned buildings, parking decks, active businesses, and all likes of spaces - some better than others. But the one constant was all of these places forced me to look beyond their existing form and function, and to reimagine them to fit my needs. In that way, skating has always provided me with more than what meets the eye.
In the book Spiritual Places, by Sarah Baxter, the author explores some of the more noteworthy sites, structures, ruins, and geological wonders of the world as well as the folkloric stories surrounding them and documented histories dating them.
Mystical Places by Sarah Baxter; Illustrated by Amy Grimes
This book, alongside Mystical Places (same author) has introduced many reverent spaces not known to me before, with illustrations that have a fable-like quality to them. They’ve definitely helped spark some ideas, but also just fed genuine curiosity.
Looking forward to checking out Cinematic Places next.
Feature(s)
The Cook, The Thief, His Wife & Her Lover by Peter Greenaway
This was an unexpected, but welcome surprise. I haven’t read up on it yet, but it looks as if it were filmed on soundstages.
It took me through a wide range of thematic elements as though a dining course, ranging from sweet, tender, passion-infused moments paired with tart, bitter, and downright disgusting flavors.
Hope to learn more about what inspired this project by writer/director Peter Greenaway.
This was my most anticipated film of the summer, and it did not disappoint.
Dìdi is a coming-of-age story, that I knew involved an element of skateboarding, but it hit me harder in other ways as a member of the internet generation.
It’s nice to see another sincere, narrative exploration of skateboarding (Kids, Mid90s, Skate Kitchen) and witness real-time the creation of a wider cinematic lens, at least for a niche subculture.
Looking forward to future projects from Wang.
Television
Succession created by Jesse Armstrong
My feature screenplay has been on hold for most of this year, but after finishing Succession - the series concluded in 2023 - it definitely got me inspired about two characters I’ve been struggling with.
It’s a fantastic character study, and is a great reference point to use against personal experiences - none within proximity of this type of activity. Moreso, a great reference point to determine how flushed out my two characters wants, needs, and goals against such memorable versions of (fictional) people.
Music (Videos)
Big Dawgs - Hanumakind
This song is dope. Energy 10/10. And I feel the same about every artist (and video) below.
Succession HBO OST by Nicholas Britell
Visual Art
Jerry Hsu featured in ‘Bag of Suck’ [Enjoi Skateboards]
During a Sundance Collab webinar, the director of Dìdi shared a BTS edit of the filmmaking. The clip was set to a song [Cass McCombs - Sacred Heart] in one of the greatest video parts of all time, by one of the greatest skaters of all time, Jerry Hsu - the website linked is designed to look like this way.
I remember reading his Thrasher Interview in middle school, and can remember him talking a little about his experiences with racism - inside and out of the skate industry. But he presented something really new to me with the expression, “yellow fever”; please note, this expression is only used for context. At the time, my vocabulary didn’t include fetishization but I understand now it is a different, nonetheless harmful, face of racism. More importantly, it introduced me to the person behind the skating and his experiences off the board.
***UPDATE 08/13/24: Please note, my recollection of the Thrasher Magazine interview (p. 74) mentioned above was incorrect in terminology, and the expression “jungle fever” was actually introduced to me.***
The 2024 Olympic Games concluded in Paris, with skateboarding included for the second time. I didn’t watch any, but I didn’t put the most effort into seeking it out - whatever was on NBC (via leaf antenna) is what I saw. More importantly, the clips below are just a few French skaters to make major waves in the U.S. and the world over.
Bastien Salabanzi featured in ‘Sorry’ [Flip Skateboards]