© Rich Van Every
Visionaries: Rich Van Every
Jan 20 2007 / Los Angeles, CA
Rich Van Every’s film "Full Circle" won 'Best Film' at the 2006 X-Dance Action Sports Film Festival. This film was also nominated for Best Cinematography, Best Soundtrack and Best Director.
But it was when he started shooting FMX that his life changed.
It was the late-90s and freestyle motocross was emerging as a hot new sport thanks to movies like Crusty Demons of Dirt and the X Games. This new sport was different than the roaring thunder of Supercross and motocross, in that it had the style and attitude of sports like snowboarding and surfing. It was about going big, showing off, pushing the limits of gravity. Van Every was quickly enamored by the scene and after shooting the TerraFirma film series for Standard Productions for a few years, he decided to produce his own film. It was called “Motorhead” and won most innovative video at 2005 Extremmy awards. “Winning that first award gave me confidence and credibility as a rookie in the filming scene. It was a significant honor and that allowed me to work on my second film”
The next year in 2006 he won film of the year at X-Dance, the action sports alternative movie festival that goes on in Park City during Sundance. His second movie titled “Full Circle,” featured Nate Adams over a two year period when he was injured in the middle of the filming. Of course for a moment Adam’s accident seemed like it might ruin Van Every’s dream of making a film about the young dominating FMXer. “Originally we had planned on doing the film in six months. But then Nate was injured. The fact that he was able to come back from such a serious injury allowed me to tell an amazing story.”
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Lat34: How many years have you been a photographer ?
Lat34: Where did you get your start?
RVE: I was offered an opportunity to go up to Tahoe and work with Standard films. I got to shoot the best riders in the world with those guys. There was this photographer Aaron Sedway, who was one of my mentors. He worked with them so I got to learn a lot from him. In high school it was a hobby and passion of mine to shoot video and photos of my friends skating. I didn’t know at the time it was going to be my career. It was just fun to do.
Lat34: What was the first cool trip you got to go on?
RVE: The thing that stands out in my mind most was going to Alaska the first year I was shooting. I was with these big name guys like Tex Davenport and Tom Burt. I got to heli-board in the best terrain in the world. It was terrifying and exciting and nerve wracking all at once.
RVE: It felt so primitive in the sense of being in the last frontier. I was fascinated by the beauty of the mountains and how big and vast it was. The wildlife up there was incredible. I was coming from Southern California and I was just this kid, all starry eyed and innocent. There were glaciers and huge peaks everywhere. It was a new realm of snowboarding for me. It was like sensory overload up there. It’s deceiving how big things are up there. It’s a whole different level. I love it up there.
Lat34: What’s it like to travel with the pros?
RVE: For the last five years I have been in the motocross industry. Over all of these years I have gotten to work with such a diverse list of athletes and it’s really cool to share these experiences with them and watch them push the limits of what is possible. It’s amazing to be a part of the evolution of something like this and document it because in a way you are recording a piece of history. From Jim Rippey doing the first backflip on a snow mobile to Carey Hart doing it in FMX. What’s really cool is when you make the connection between different sports. I was showing Rippey a sequence in a magazine of a snow mobile guy who tried to do a backflip and crashed and then two months later Jim Rippey did it and I was there. He was just like, “I bet I can do that.”
Lat34: What changes have you seen in the scene over the years?
RVE: Luckily these sports have grown rapidly and have become legitimate sports. It’s such a blessing to have the X Games and things like this to promote it. Back in the day guys were just trying to get by and having fun and now there is plenty of opportunity and potential. It’s amazing to see the immense growth. And seeing corporate America pick up on it is really interesting. I think it has a long way to go because the exposure and the accessibility is only now becoming available for people around the world. I love seeing that there are new skate parks, new small contests.
Lat34: When did you switch to moto from snowboarding?
RVE: In 2000. The time had come for me to move on from working in snowboarding. I had met some moto riders and decided to take up shooting some stuff with them. I got hired by DC shoes and that evolved from there. I met some great people and I had a lot of fun hanging with the dirt bikers. They are really gnarly. The consequences are so high for what they are doing. You need so much passion and determination to do what they do. You are going to get hurt and you know that when you are doing this stuff. Anybody who is at the top of a sport has a lot of skill going on, but in motocross, especially FMX, it’s aggressive and potentially life threatening. These guys are way calculated, but still the risk is immense.
Lat34: What do you like about filming it?
RVE: It’s a lot easier to shoot compared to snowboarding. The quantity is vastly more successful. I grew up riding bikes. I was never into moto. It’s great to see the variety of things they can do. I enjoy shooting it and it seems like there’s always a lot going on. It’s cool to see people jump big and go fast.
Lat34: What do you try and do differently?
RVE: I think for me it’s about filming with a lot of intention. Looking at these sports as an extension of life. Being in the present moment is really important to me. Expression, facing your fears. Living your dreams. Being connected to other people and doing what you are meant to be doing is really important to every aspect of what I do. This is where I am inspired by athletes. There is so much passion behind these guys. They are not just crazy. There is a lot going on and it all comes form the heart. I think these sports allow a gateway to help other people live their lives more fully and less fearful. My idea with film making is to inspire greatness and love and life and I hope that all of this type of thinking helps to save our planet in the end.
Lat34: What is next for you?
RVE: I have been focusing on my photography lately. I have two film projects that I am considering right now. That’s exciting. I am also doing a little bit of journalism work and building up my website. And of course making time to go surf.
Lat34: What do you shoot outside of action sports?
RVE: Nature and people and I like to travel and find interesting things. I like new challenges and variety so I look for new projects. It’s cool to challenge my photography.
For more information on Rich Van Every, check out his website: www.richvanevery.com
