http://drawn-lines.blogspot.com/2011/12/manufacturing-stoke-review.html

I don't normally write film reviews — there's probably a good reason why I became a designer instead of a writer — but I wanted to have a go, in support of Manufacturing Stoke. The director Pierce Kavanagh is surfing's answer to Michael Moore — the movie can be hard to watch at times, but it's something I think every surfer should see. Anyway. Here I go...

Manufacturing Stoke (directed by Pierce Michael Kavanagh, misfit pictures)

Rob Machado, Dan Malloy, Kassia Meador and Alex Knost do not appear in this film. The first surfer featured is 9-year old Tiara Thompson: an environmentally-aware, frothing girl-grom from California. And that is perhaps the most refreshing aspect of Manufacturing Stoke — it is one of very few independent films not relying on 'in-crowd' surfers to garner appeal. In fact, the lack of prominent surfers and locations makes this almost an anti-surf film. If sponsored shredders are the tip of the surfing iceberg, Manufacturing Stoke goes below the surface to bring up a colourful and varied cast of pioneers and commentators including the eccentric and inspirational Carl Ekstrom, Richard Kenvin, Jon Wegener and others.

For the first part of the movie, you could be forgiven for thinking you were watching an episode of Grumpy Old Men — grey-haired blokes with a malibu-chip on their shoulder about an industry that is partly responsible for propelling the planet towards environmental doom. And you could also be forgiven for thinking that the man behind it all is Grubby Clark. But as the film rolls on it becomes apparent that there is a future for surfing — and it's getting progressively greener. The old guard are graciously handing the baton to a new breed of environmentally conscious independent surfers, shapers and manufacturers like Danny Hess, Lucas Dirkse, Ed Lewis, and Clay Peterson of Marko Foam. As the focus shifts to this new generation, the outlook seems increasingly positive. Here are a growing group of modern-day pioneers whose innovations are starting the next big and much-needed change to the surf industry paradigm — what some commentators are labeling surfing's true renaissance. It's an exciting time to be a surfer, and Manufacturing Stoke gives us a peek into future possibilities.

Manufacturing Stoke's production values follow the lead of pictures by directors like Jason Baffa and Thomas Campbell — with plenty of atmosphere, sensitive camera work, a palpable story-line and a bespoke soundtrack. But it's the film's core message that makes it so different, and so challenging. This is not the sort of movie you put on to fill the background. It demands concentration and a willingness to look at your own surfing habits in the cold green light of environmental responsibility.

Much like the nature of the youthful surfers featured, Manufacturing Stoke asks hard questions and urges you to answer them. While it provides an insight into how the industry is changing for the better, at the end of the day it is up to individuals to make responsible choices and change their own habits at a personal level. There's no neat-and-tidy happy ending here, but the education that this film provides brings us one step closer.

3 WAYS TO MANUFACTURE STOKE THESE HOLIDAYS:

We here at misfit pictures are excited to announce that MANUFACTURING STOKE has been released for view/download on The Surf Network (www.thesurfnetwork.com).  The film is available to either view ($4.99) or download ($14.99).  We hope that if you or your loved ones have not yet seen the film, or if you just NEED to see it again, that you will take this opportunity to see the movie that was created on your behalf.

Understanding that money is pretty tight, especially around the holidays, we have tried to create some great ways to get the movie into your hands without spending too much money.  So misfit has teamed up with some of the retailers featured in MANUFACTURING STOKE to offer a FREE promo DVD (full length feature, but no extras) of our film as a gift with purchase. To see a detailed list of retailers and the deals offered please visit our website: www.manufacturingstoke.com.  PLEASE SUPPORT THESE FINE RETAILERS.

And finally, misfit pictures will be giving away MANUFACTURING STOKE DVDs on our own website with the purchase of a LIMITED EDITION DAMIAN FULTON SIGNED FILM POSTER or ORGANIC/RECYCLED MANUFACTURING STOKE T-SHIRT, www.manufacturingstoke.com.  Inquire about multiple DVDs to stuff all your friend’s stockings.
***misfit pictures will donate a portion of the proceeds to Rock the Autism***

We hope that everyone is excited for a holiday season full of great waves.

Happy Holidays,

Pierce and Petra Kavanagh

misfit pictures

MANUFACTURING STOKE ON DEMAND through thesurfnetwork.com

LIMITED EDITION MANUFACTURING STOKE ORGANIC/ RECYCLED T-SHIRT

misfit pictures and Local Clothes have teamed up to bring you the limited edition MANUFACTURING STOKE t-shirt. Damian Fulton supplied the amazing artwork and Dan Beauchane and the crew from Local created these amazing t-shirts utilizing their eco-friendly and always creative processes. No screens, no dyes and no run-off. Collaboration at it's finest. Thanks to all involved.
T-shirts come in black or white and sizes run from S-XXL. We did a limited run so sizes and availability varies. Once they are gone, we move on. 
MANUFACTURING STOKE graphic on the front and film poster artwork on the back.  Local graphic on the sleeve.
***FREE MANUFACTURING STOKE HOLIDAY PROMO DVD with purchase***...while supplies last.
PMK
$20 + tax and shipping.

Color

Black $20.00 USD White $20.00 USD

Sizes

Small Medium Large XLarge XXLarge

MANUFACTURING STOKE LIMITED EDITION DAMIAN FULTON SIGNED FILM POSTER

I saw a flyer for a Damian Fulton art show at SurfIndian during the filming of MANUFACTURING STOKE last winter.  His aesthetic was exactly what the film was speaking about.  I emailed him and asked him for an interview before the show.  We met up and became instant friends.  And by friends, I mean family so I asked Damian if he could just scribble out a design concept for our poster.  He told me he was extremely busy with two other projects but if I could wait a month he would have something for me.  I was willing to wait and had no idea what he would come up with.  I almost passed out when I saw the full scale film poster painting he did.  Literally, my knees buckled.  The fact that this artwork was spawned from the film was overwhelming.  Even if people didn't get the film, we always would still have this incredible artwork.  Thank you Damian.
We teamed up with www.greenerprinter.com whos large format prints are produced using Hewlett-Packard's Latex Print system, which offers an eco-friendly solution that addresses the sustainability of not just the final product, but the entire production process, including the manufacturing and disposal of consumables. The Latex Print system features non- toxic, water-based latex inks and recycled printheads and cartridges.
Poster prints are 22" x 28" Limited to 100...maybe 40 left.
Each poster is individually signed and number by Damian Fulton.
***FREE MANUFACTURING STOKE HOLIDAY PROMO DVD with purchase***...while supplies last.
$30 + tax and shipping

MAX

http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/notes/ed-lewis/grain-in-analog-by-max-schmige/10150327598519613

Thank you from misfit pictures

A sincere and heartfelt thank you to everyone who helped out on the MANUFACTURING STOKE summer tour. We had an amazing time traveling the States and getting to meet all of you. And isn't that what it is all about?
Gearing up for an international tour but until then some much needed rest.
PMK

MANUFACTURING STOKE'S TRIUMPHANT RETURN FOR THE SACRED CRAFT WEEKEND

We are stoked to announce that misfit pictures is teaming up with Woodshed Films for a double feature with MANUFACTURING STOKE and Keith Malloy's new bodysurfing film COME HELL OR HIGH WATER. After an amazing US tour we are returning to where it all began...BIRD'S SURF SHED.
Friday, October 7th:
COME HELL OR HIGH WATER @ 7PM
MANUFACTURING STOKE @ 8PM
Saturday, October 8th:
MANUFACTURING STOKE @ 7PM
COME HELL OR HIGH WATER @ 8:30PM
BIRD'S SURF SHED
1091 W. MORENA BLVD.
SAN DIEGO
92110
Tickets available online only at www.manufacturingstoke.com
PMK

VIP PARTY for the CARDIFF SURF CLASSIC and RERIP GREEN FEST- Wed. Sept. 7th

Tomorrow night is the VIP PARTY for the CARDIFF SURF CLASSIC and RERIP GREEN FEST. Rimel's Courtyard in Cardiff at 6pm. Come see the film thousands have loved and one guy hated. MANUFACTURING STOKE at 7PM.
Tickets available at www.cardiff101.com
See you there.
PMK

LIQUID SALT INTERVIEW

Pierce Michael Kavanagh

by Glenn Sakamoto · 0 comments

Pierce Michael Kavanagh is a tal­ented San Diego surfer/filmmaker. His recent film Man­u­fac­tur­ing Stoke raises ques­tions about the toxic chem­i­cals used in the surf­board indus­try and asks us all: How can we make a dif­fer­ence for the envi­ron­ment? Pierce speaks to us about his inspi­ra­tion for the film and his cur­rent obses­sion for bodysurfing.
What was your life like grow­ing up?
Amaz­ing on one hand and absolutely scar­ring on the other. I grew up in La Jolla, just up the beach from Win­dansea. Our house was really close to the beach so we got really good waves but my Mom could also come down and call us in for any­thing. She would come down to the bot­tom of the street and just belt it out… “Pierce, Den­nis… come in for sup­per…” Let the heck­ling begin. Sup­per? My folks were from the Bronx so they didn’t know any bet­ter. It was really fun though. La Jolla was a small beach town with a bunch of big fam­i­lies. Every­body kind of looked out for each other, both in and out of the water. The surf scene is well estab­lished, so one learns quickly how to behave.
Who did you look up to and admire when you were younger?
La Jolla has bred some of the most amaz­ing surfers (and a freak­ishly large amount of broth­ers who surf together). So here is a shout out to all the broth­ers who have shared, bat­tled, and grown up surf­ing together. My brother Den­nis (he rips, I do not), the Lit­tle­mores, Feighans, Fitchs, Huff­mans, Aguir­res, Ken­vins, Elliotts, Bak­ers, Gumi­nas, McCul­loughs, Kings, Far­sons… the list goes on. Oh, and Henry Hunte surfs so good he doesn’t need a brother – cheers, Henry.

What was the feel­ing you had when you first stood on a surf­board?
Life chang­ing. It may be one of the clear­est mem­o­ries of my life. Matt Feighan took my brother and I to Lit­tle Point on one of his rad old Skip Frye sin­gle fins with the inten­tion of get­ting us off our boo­gie boards once and for all. I was 11 and my brother Den­nis was 9. We shared 2-foot peel­ers all after­noon. I was amazed at look­ing down and watch­ing the eel­grass sway as I passed over the reef with each and every wave.The water was crys­tal clear and you could see all the way to the bot­tom while you were surf­ing. Noth­ing has been the same for me since.
Where did you inter­est in film­mak­ing come from?
I think it was going over the falls at Big Rock in the wipe­out sec­tion of Chris Bystrom’s “Son of the Last Surf Movie.” This com­bined with the fact that film is such a beau­ti­ful and evoca­tive art form. My fas­ci­na­tion started at a young age with pho­tog­ra­phy and the abil­ity to cap­ture a soli­tary moment in time. It evolved nat­u­rally through my love for surf­ing and skat­ing and all of the mags and movies from the 80s. We used to wear out VHS tapes at Bird’s surf shop when the surf was flat. Pretty sure I melted “Beyond Blaz­ing Boards” and “Mad Wax” a cou­ple times. Now that I think about it, film­mak­ing has come full cir­cle for me. I used to shoot VHS from the beach when I was around 13 and after a film degree and sev­eral decades later, I still shoot at the beach. Go figure.
What inspired you to cre­ate “Man­u­fac­tur­ing Stoke”?
Last fall, my wife Petra & I went to the Green Expo at Sea­side Reef in Cardiff to watch our friend Gary play music. While wait­ing for his set we walked around to all of the booths and saw a lot of cre­ative and amaz­ing ideas. The excite­ment and inspi­ra­tion that came from the ven­dors was really refresh­ing. The fes­ti­val had a “new guard” indus­try vibe to it and con­sisted of Indi­vid­u­als that were striv­ing for a more sus­tain­able surf indus­try from a grass­roots level. One booth that blew me away was *enjoy handplanes.

My new friends Ed and Kipp, are recy­cling hand­planes from dam­aged surf­boards and wet­suits oth­er­wise head­ing for the land­fill. Bingo. I went home and started research­ing the indus­try and was shocked about how toxic it still was since Clark Foam closed down. I wanted to do four short films high­light­ing indi­vid­u­als chang­ing per­cep­tions about wax, board con­struc­tion, wet­suits and cloth­ing. As soon as we started film­ing we real­ized we had some­thing way big­ger than we orig­i­nally thought and shifted gears toward a fea­ture length doc­u­men­tary. And after seven months of hard work, mis­fit pic­tures is proud to present… Man­u­fac­tur­ing Stoke.
What has been the reac­tion to the film?
For the most part, reac­tions have been over­whelm­ingly pos­i­tive. I am extremely proud of the film but I am blown away when some­body watches the film and then comes up with tears in their eyes hug­ging and thank­ing me. I was not ready for that. It is both trippy and so pow­er­ful. We all have friends in the indus­try so it is extremely impor­tant that they are safe.
After every screen­ing, I always hear the same ques­tions, though. Where was so-and-so? How come some “green” com­pa­nies are not in the film? Does Jasper have any­thing more to say about surfing’s over­seas industry?
When you get down to it, Man­u­fac­tur­ing Stoke is the film surf indus­try lead­ers do NOT want you to see. So yes, some peo­ple are going to be pissed, but they can be pissed from their man­sion on the hill. mis­fit pic­tures gave all the major com­pa­nies in the indus­try a chance to be involved and most wanted noth­ing to do with us. Would you rock the boat if you knew your Guc­cis could get wet?
Of all the places you have trav­eled to, what place in par­tic­u­lar stands out? And why?
I have trav­eled far and wide and recently went to Oahu and fell in love with the place. We were invited to the Hon­olulu Surf Film Fes­ti­val and my wife and I jumped at the oppor­tu­nity to go. We spent 10 days on Oahu and had an incred­i­ble visit. We scored back-to-back south swells in addi­tion to show­ing our film in par­adise. The beauty, surf, womp, soft sand, great weather, road­side grinds… what more could one ask for? If I could get tan, I would def­i­nitely move there. Mahalo to Gina Caruso and the Kelleys.
Who/what inspires you?
My beau­ti­ful wife, Petra.
What is the great­est thing you have learned in your life?
This is a gnarly inter­view! I believe we never stop edu­cat­ing our­selves. When I was younger, a part of me wanted me to burn it all down to the ground because I didn’t believe all the bull­shit I was fed. Now that I have mel­lowed with age, I believe small con­trolled fires are the way to go. Man­u­fac­tur­ing Stoke is a small con­trolled fire. So my approach to things has changed a bit, as I have got­ten older. With that in mind, I am curi­ous to see what my thoughts will be 20 years from now. If this makes absolutely no sense, I apologize.
What are you most proud of?
The col­lab­o­ra­tion involved with the mak­ing of this film. We had no bud­get, no mar­ket­ing depart­ment, and no indus­try clout. In fact, nobody even knows who we are. Every­body who got behind this project con­tributed to this film sim­ply because they believed in the project. This film owes every­thing to the crew, artist and musicians,.
What mean­ing does surf­ing hold for you and how has it changed your life?
Surf­ing started for me in front of my folks’ house and has led me around the world. What started as boy­hood intrigue devel­oped into a life­long obses­sion. Sur­pris­ingly, this project got me reac­quainted with the often-overlooked nuances of just being in the water. Because there is a lot of water footage in the film (I wanted to put the viewer right in the line-up) I spent a long time exam­in­ing the clips dur­ing the edit­ing process. The ocean is so beau­ti­ful and this film cel­e­brates that. There is no way surf­ing can­not pro­foundly impact your life. Surf­ing has def­i­nitely made me a bet­ter per­son. In fact, I am tak­ing a break to go womp­ing… I will be back.
What brings you the most hap­pi­ness in the world?
Right now. I am the hap­pi­est I have ever been. I am thank­ful for everything.

Who are some of the peo­ple you feel are shap­ing the path for surf­ing today?
Lucas Dirkse and Ryan Burch. Both of the­ses guys rip any­thing and every­thing. From long­boards to body­surf­ing – they have it cov­ered. I am stoked for them and all the kids com­ing up right now. They have access to more board designs than ever before. There is no right or wrong in surf­ing, just what­ever works.
Carl Ekstrom looks at board design like nobody else. He is not just con­tin­u­ing the shap­ing tra­di­tion; he is on a com­pletely dif­fer­ent plane. It is good to see that Sacred Craft is hon­or­ing Carl with their “Trib­ute to the Mas­ters Shape-Off” this Octo­ber. It is well deserved. There are many oth­ers like Danny Hess, Grain Surf­boards, Eco Board­works and Matt Bio­los who are uti­liz­ing alter­na­tive mate­ri­als in their board con­struc­tion. Minds are open­ing in surf­ing every day.
What is your favorite board? Your favorite surfspot?
My favorite surf­board is a mid-1970s 6’9” Terry Fitzger­ald Hot But­tered sin­gle fin. It is prob­a­bly about 3” thick a foot from the nose and surfs like noth­ing I have ever rid­den. Right now it is down at Scor­pion Bay and I miss it. If any­one is going down, let me know… I need it brought back.
But my favorite board right now is an *enjoy hand­plane. I have been rid­ing them for months now and have never got­ten so bar­reled body­surf­ing. Besides com­ing out of bar­rels you can actu­ally cut­back with these things. No lie. I dig the resur­gence of body­surf­ing. Body­surf­ing is the new black. I can’t wait to see Malloy’s “Come Hell or High Water.”
As far as favorite surfspot?
Low­ers… tell everyone.
What’s your favorite meal?
Bacon. A close sec­ond would be more bacon.

What are you cur­rently lis­ten­ing to on your iPod?
I don’t really lis­ten to my iPod that much. Between the Sony Walk­man, punk rock shows and the shore­pound, I prob­a­bly have about 60% of my hear­ing left. Lately, I have been lis­ten­ing to the Mon­tal­ban Quin­tet. Sup­port local music.
What causes/ projects/ orga­ni­za­tions do you sup­port?
I sup­port the under­ground. If I had more money, I would sup­port a lot more things.
What are you most grate­ful for?
Friends, fam­ily and per­fect shorebreak.
What’s next for PMK?
Oh, man… we have been really busy. We have been tour­ing around the west with the Man­u­fac­tur­ing Stoke Anti-stadium Sum­mer Tour and Expres­sion Ses­sions and have a few more Cal­i­for­nia shows before we go back east for a stretch. We will have shows in Encini­tas, Ven­tura, Santa Cruz and San Fran­cisco later this month. Our East Coast leg starts at Grain Surf­boards Surf Re-Evolution on Sep­tem­ber 10th and we have about 8–9 more shows lined up. Stops include Boston, Prov­i­dence, NYC, Brook­lyn and Atlanta. Aside from that, we have been in film fes­ti­vals in France, Ger­many, Aus­tralia and Japan.
I am very grate­ful for the expo­sure and great recep­tion that Man­u­fac­tur­ing Stoke has been receiv­ing. This film was a labor of love and it is good to see that peo­ple are stoked on it. To fol­low along on the progress, check out www.manufacturingstoke.com
Future projects include help­ing my wife with a short film she is work­ing on. I also have 2 more doc­u­men­taries that I am work­ing on as well as pro­duc­ing a cou­ple of other projects. My pas­sion will always lie with doc­u­men­tary film­mak­ing, but I look for­ward to any­thing that comes my way. Who knows? Maybe Man­u­fac­tur­ing Stoke II!
Learn more about Pierce Michael Kavanagh and his film here. Top pho­to­graph by Kevin Roche. All other pho­tos cour­tesy Pierce Michael Kavanagh.

“Never doubt that a small group of committed people can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.” -Margaret Mead

Cheers
PMK

Check out the Greener Blue Interview

PMK, the Manufacturing Stoke Interview

Pierce Michael Kavanagh is the San Diego based filmmaker behind the ground breaking picture, Manufacturing Stoke, which recently hit the somewhat big and somewhat small screen(s).   Pierce’s film dares to go where others haven’t; aligning the act of wave riding (stoke) with the acts of the surf industry (purveyors of stoke) showing the intrinsic disconnect where there should be intrinsic and overt connectedness.
TGB’s been playing email tag with the multi-tasking director, attempting to go behind the scenes of the man behind the lens and his passion project.  This e-interview is the outcome, hope you enjoy it.


Where’d you grow up?  How long have you been a surfer/water enthusiast?
La Jolla and all of my life.  My folks moved from a pretty gnarly Bronx neighborhood and eventually settled down within a block of the reefs.  I was literally raised by the beach.  I grew up in a big family (seven kids) so there was no way to watch all of us.  My folks made sure we all had swimming lessons and then let us loose.  The beach was our front yard and the older kids were our babysitters.  It was feral and I loved it.
What got you in to making films?  Was there a seminal moment or from movie lover, to camera enthusiast/story teller, to…
I have always loved to draw and read so everything stems from those two lifelong passions.  Mix in music and there it is.  I started as a teenager with a video camera and ended with a film degree from UCSB.  With filmmaking I can create pictures I cannot draw, tell stories that will not bore you and weave in music I cannot play.  It is a genius medium for me.
Should have figured a man with your talent was a Gaucho.  Day 1 of what was to become Manufacturing Stoke, get us in to your head a bit, what were you setting out to do and did you have a working title?
I went to a green surf expo at Seaside reef last fall with my wife Petra and noticed a shift in surfing involving organic products and recycled materials while steering away from petrochemical components.  I did my initial research and told Petra I think I had a film about sustainability in the surf industry.  I recruited my old film schoolmates Geoffrey and Max and set off to do a documentary miniseries called Sustainability: surfing looks inward. Originally, we were going to do four 15 minutes episodes based on surf wax, board construction, wetsuit materials and finally, the clothing industry.
When did you know you were on to something and/or when did any initial film direction shift?
I noticed a huge shift after our first couple of interviews.  Since we started with wax we interviewed John Baker Dahl of Wax Research, Matt Mattoon from Matunas Wax and Lucas Dirkse who made his own wax.  These guys have great stories.  I knew after these three interviews that we had a feature length documentary so we went ahead and scheduled all of the interviews and changed our direction drastically.  Over thirty interviews later we have rare and amazing insight into the inner workings of the surf industry.  The good, the bad and the ugly.
What were some of the hardships you encountered in your production journey?
The majority of films in the surf industry are brand driven and financed by deep marketing pockets.  Since this is an independent documentary analyzing the surf industry, we had to finance it ourselves.  How do you take money from a company without being influenced?  So, that being said, this film would not have been possible without the “collaborative” mentality.  We had amazing production support from family, filmmakers, musicians, and artists alike.  I was amazed and honored by all the people who truly got behind this film in any way they could.
Without divulging your thesis or giving away the “best parts,” is there a particular situation or common theme that was a shock to you?
The truth is shocking.  I wanted to provide a platform for surfers to discuss their thoughts on the industry.  I did not want to influence this film at all.  I commend the brave individuals who agreed to be filmed and to be honest.  Some companies know they have a checkered past but are still striving to do better.  Some companies knew that doing an interview could possibly be damaging.  While other companies flat out refused to talk to me.  Think about who is in the film, and then think about who is not in the film.  Everybody had a chance.
Is the film going to making the rounds on the circuit/where can folks check it out?
MANUFACTURING STOKE has a very busy summer schedule.  We have been officially selected for international film festivals in Hawaii, France, and Germany.  And misfit pictures also presents the MANUFACTURING STOKE anti-STADIUM SUMMER TOUR and EXPRESSION SESSIONS.  Check www.manufacturingstoke.com for more film and tour information.  Any excuse to get in the water is a good enough excuse for me.
Whose been your inspiration and assisted you along the way….shout-outs?
My beautiful wife Petra, who produced the film as well.  My two fellow producers, Geoffrey Smart who wrote the story and Maximilian Schmige our director of photography.   Sara Iyer for doing an amazing job editing.  Jeff Phaklides for sound, Craig Mieritz for color and Emanueal Garcia for graphics.  Eric Ramirez contributed immensely to the water photography.  Damain X Fulton created the jaw dropping artwork for the film poster.  Chris Prescott stepped up huge with the music and composing some amazing jams (while touring).  Which reminds me of all of the bands that contributed.  Support your local bands. This is what I mean by collaboration.  So many people put their time and effort into the making of this film.  Ed Lewis for our website and everything else.  Basically everyone in the film as well.  Envirosurfer, Arcona and Grain Surfboards helped make post-production easier.  I made a lot of great friends because of this film.  Shout outs go to Tiare Thompson, Niko Traubman and Lucas Dirkse.  You guys are the future…demand a better one.

MANUFACTURING STOKE IN FRANCE

http://www.surf-film.com/film.php?id=96
PMK

Looks like MANUFACTURING STOKE will have a busy summer...PMK

http://hhonolulu-events.de/surf-festival-neu/

MANUFACTURING STOKE at the 4th Annual Honolulu Surf Film Fetsival

http://www.honoluluacademy.org/events/films/11727-manufacturing_stoke_el_mar_mi_alma
Aloha,
PMK

coming soon...MANUFACTURING STOKE anti-STADIUM SUMMER TOUR AND EXPRESSION SESSIONS PMK

THANKS and the story behind MANUFACTURING STOKE...pt. 1

We just finished up the MANUFACTURING STOKE WORLD PREMIERE WEEKEND and it was quite an amazing ride.  I initially wanted to thank everybody involved and tell you where we are going...but rather than that, I first wanted to let you know where we have been...
(Wayne's World flashback effects and cue Foreigner's "Feels Like the First Time")
The concept of MANUFACTURING STOKE was conceived in Fall 2010 while visiting a Seaside Reef "Green Expo" and seeing recycled handplanes.  I passed this booth twice and it blew my mind.  No way, handplanes?...do people even bodysurf anymore?  I had to go back.  Manning the booth turned out to be none other than Ed Lewis and Kipp Denslow of *enjoy handplanes.  The sun was shining, the surf was 2-3' and I was holding in my hand a beautifully constructed handplane that was created from a recycled surfboard that was heading to the landfill.  It was completely surreal.
(Side note, what is with the term "landfill" anyway?  It's a DUMP.)
Back to the story, because it was such a beautiful day and I didn't have the heart to tell them that people DO NOT bodysurf anymore, I did enjoy chatting with them and thought well at least they have an amazing business card.  It was shaped like a mini hanplane out of a recycled cardboard box with a handprinted *enjoy logo on it.  Now that was cool.  I just figured I would see them in the unemployment line because those things would never work.  I was wrong...DEAD WRONG.
(Roll massive shorebreak and cue Led Zeppelin's "Immigrant Song" at 11.)

I emailed Ed and told him I wanted to try out a handplane (again cheap and doubting bastard) and he got back to me and said anytime.  Throughout the next couple of weeks, the idea grew from a 10-15 minute short film to a feature length documentary on sustainability in the surf industry.  I put in a "request" that Ed and Kipp be interviewed for the film and they accepted and from that moment on I have been getting really deep barrels on the *enjoys.  We actually filmed a lot of the footage seen in MANUFACTURING STOKE from a GoPro mounted onto an *enjoy handplane.  The combination was perfect.  I didn't want anyone filming with a large camera in that mayhem.  It's too dangerous.  When things got really gnarly, I would just let go of the handplane and it would be waiting on shore for me.  I have been womping for over 30 years and can honestly say I have never been deeper and more in control while bodysurfing.  I suggest everyone go out and grab a handplane whether it be an *enjoy, a Grain, a Danny Hess or a homemade jammer.  Go get barreled.
PMK

MANUFACTURING STOKE WORLD PREMIERE WEEKEND

Yes, Ed the "Mexican Blanket" is beautiful and we thank you for the generous contribution towards the raffle.  In addition, misfit pictures is collaborating with *enjoy handplanes on the "Waste to Wonderful" recycling project during the MANUFACTURING STOKE WORLD PREMIERE WEEKEND.  Please bring in any broken boards and old wetsuits and have them recycled into a beautiful new *enjoy handplane.  You will receive a handful of raffle tickets for your donations.  misfit pictures...keeping San Diego classy.
PMK

Enjoy Handplane Giveaway this weekend at Manufacturing Stoke Premiere

We are raffling this away at one of the showings of the Manufacturing Stoke premiere this Saturday 7pm (Sold Out) or Sunday (4pm) at Bird's Surf Shed. 

Buy your tickets online for the Sunday show at www.manufacturingstoke.com. Don't wait for that night as it could be sold out.

ALSO there will be a broken board recycling effort going on at the event. Bring your broken boards to keep them from the landfills.

See you there!

Bloggityblog blog blog

..excerpt from KorduroyTV interview.

What's your film background? What drew you to filmmaking in the first place?
I realized the power of film really early on because my father, with his unique child-rearing sensibilities, used to take us kids to see films like the Towering Inferno and the Poseidon Adventure.  These films scarred me for life so I guess the natural progression was to pick up a video camera myself.  My younger brother Dennis and I grew up on Chris Bystrom movies and used to film with a VHS camera around the La Jolla reefs when we 13 or 14.  I wish I still had those tapes because there was some really good surfing going on back then.  So my education with filmmaking started as a curious grom on the beach but ended formally with a film degree from UCSB.

Were your expectations going into the film different from what you ended up finding while making Manufacturing Stoke?

Definitely.  I told my crew that we were going to spend a weekend or two on a short doc and I had an $800 budget and minimal equipment.  Six months later, rent checks bouncing, an attempted mutiny, 90 hours of footage from California, Hawaii, Mexico and Puerto Rico we are ready to present a pretty amazing 80-minute documentary examining sustainability in the surf industry.

How has making this film changed your perception on the surf industry?

I have always had a love/hate relationship with the surf industry in general.  Let’s just leave it at that.

Who surprised you the most in filming the interviews for the film?

We interviewed over 30 people directly involved with our surf industry and got to discuss and experience some incredible insight into these individuals’ lives.  We received complete honesty even from those not necessarily doing the right thing but who are striving to do better.  All the interviews are amazing…okay; one of them sucked…just kidding.  But the most surprising comment comes from Jasper during a discussion on surfboards being manufactured overseas.  It blew us all away.

In time where technology and innovation is at it highest, surfing seems to be heading back to it's roots where surfers are making their own boards and redefining what we can ride. Why do you think we are coming back full circle?

Surfing used to be outlaw…and it is good to see that there are outlaws still out there.  I just saw a board that Ryan Burch shaped at Lucas Dirkse’s house.  The thing looks like a space ship and I bet it rides like one too.  Those two guys are a prime example of the paradigm shift that surfing is experiencing right now.  They both rip and can shape and surf anything.  Lucas was a big part of this film and I think he and Ryan will both reshape the way the world sees surfing.

What do you expect to see from the surf industry in the future?

Surfing is a billion dollar a year industry.  According to some, it’s not broke…so why fix it.  We all know that’s bullshit.  We are surfers, we are surfing, we are the industry, and we make the machine run. 

If we want surfing back…we can take it back.

PMK

ALOHA

MANUFACTURING STOKE has been invited to the Honolulu Surf Film Festival. We will be joining Innersection, Leave a Message, Stoked and Broke, The Still Point, Idiosyncracies, Bicycle Trip, Dark Fall, Going Vertical, Women in the Waves, Accidental Icon: The Real Gidget Story, Surfing the 50 States, Shadows of the Same Sun, and an array of shorts.
Mahalo
PMK

Can I use this as a blog entry?

So without further adieu, I share with you a few questions to PMK… a humble guy avoiding the limelight who just wants to shed some light (and dark) on the tumultuous system of the surfing world.— Adam “Trout” Traubman
AT: Pierce, the year is 2011. The push for eco-friendly solutions isn’t exactly new. So why did it take so long for a film like this to surface?
PMK: Good question. As surfers, we are kind of in our own little world. Let me start by saying that this is not a surf movie. Manufacturing Stoke is a documentary on sustainability in the surf industry. Yes, there is amazing surf footage, but there is way more. Surf movies these days are generally brand-driven and have team riders ripping beautiful waves all over the world. I love those movies. I have watched a million airs and deep tube rides, and I can’t wait to watch a million more. But since we (misfit pictures) don’t work for the surf industry, we do things a little differently. I guess we had the right thought at the right time and place.
You connected with a lot of individuals and companies along the way. What was the biggest surprise to you in creating Manufacturing Stoke?
The biggest surprise is how much the little guys are doing to get the ball rolling, while the big guys stand around and check their bottom line. I find it amazing that guys in their workshops are creating new designs with very little resources. In my opinion, that is where surfing started and that is where it seems to be going again.
You gave these entities a free platform to stand on and let the world know who they are and what they represent. Many shot your offer down without blinking an eye and, of that group, many were companies who preach “eco.” How does that make you feel?
I can’t take any of that personally. I mean, who am I? I approached every major surf company out there and in some cases couldn’t even get past the receptionist. The major companies have very close control over their PR and most of them wanted nothing to do with us. Cheers to the bold ones who took a chance.
Okay…that said, what transpired (if anything) just as you had imagined?
When I first looked closely into the industry, I was really inspired by certain individuals who are striving to make the future of surfing more sustainable. Getting to meet people that are reconstructing what the surf industry means to them was really refreshing. Those are the real stories that I wanted to highlight in this documentary.
This next question is pretty “vanilla” but it’s important enough where I feel the need to ask it. As the creator of this documentary, what is your ultimate goal?
PMK: I just want the film to make people think. Surfing is a $7.2 billion dollar a year industry and every time you open your wallet you should think about that. Make sure the companies you buy from follow your same beliefs. Before I did my research, I didn’t really know what was going on. Now that I know, I spend very differently.
Finish this sentence: “I hope after watching Manufacturing Stoke, you, the viewer…”
…will hold the surf industry you support to a higher level. Research where your boards, wetsuits and clothing come from. Your dollars can and will make the change. Trust me.
What’s next for PMK?
We have several different film projects that misfit pictures is going to be working on this year, but for right now I just want to go womping with my friends…who’s in?
The Manufacturing Stoke world premiere is May 21st at Bird’s Surf Shed located at 1091 W. Morena Blvd. in San Diego and all tickets will be sold in advance online at: www.manufacturingstoke.com.

Manufacturing Stoke: An Interview With Pierce Michael Kavanagh From Misfit Pictures

Manufacturing Stoke: An Interview With Pierce Michael Kavanagh From Misfit Pictures

Read about misfit pictures and Pierce Michael Kavanagh on the latest entry on surf.transworld.net!

MANUFACTURING STOKE WORLD PREMIERE MAY 21ST, 2011 BIRD'S SURF SHED... Writing these three statements make me a very happy man. Not much of a blogger. PMK

After 6 months, we have arrived at the final day of filming...

and it feels good.
Thanks for all the support.
PMK