(image via Yobeat)

agoodreed: Austin, how is this week treating you?
Austin Will: It’s Monday. Pretty bitching so far. Waiting for ESPN to review and approve some comps for commercials I’ve been working on last for the last month. Been relaxing. Now I get to kick back and drink some beer.

agr: Sounds like a solid Monday. What kind of stuff are you doing for ESPN?
AW: It’s similar to synchronized ping pong on rollerskates. They call it “action sports”

agr: Extreme. So it doesn’t involve Charles Barkley?
AW: Charles Barkley surfing. Reggie Bush back tail the clamshell.
Shaun White beating Jesse Owens in a 100-meter dash, just smoking pipe and drinking PBR.

agr: Even better. ESPN is a big fish to fry, how did you go from Airblaster to ESPN?
AW: I’ve been working for Nemo Design for over a year now. They have some major clients and ESPN is one of them. They are launching a new site, espn.com/action.

agr: Good stuff. What is your favorite non action ESPN sport?
AW: Synchronized ping pong on roller skates.

agr: ESPN is quite a contrast to Airblaster. Do you prefer working for bros for no money or for fat cats with lots of cash?
AW: There is this killer Thai place down the street. The fat cat pays for me to eat with my best buddies. Hands down, anyday, I would much rather be with my friends.

Airblaster’s “August” Sneak Peek from Austin Will on Vimeo.

agr: That seems to have been what “August” was all about. How did you get involved with those cats?
AW: Right place. Right time. Good friends. Motivated to work on a project I’m gonna be syked on in 15 years. You ever check out the cheesedickkult blog?

agr: Yep.
AW: It’s amazing.

agr: It has a nice mix of skate, fat girls and poop.
AW: Right now I’m watching some ski ballet video. It’s amazing.

agr: You are in Portland, yes?
AW: Yeah.

agr: Born and raised?
AW: Practically. Spent a year or two here and there. SF and east coast.

agr: Portland has great coffee, do you like living there?
AW: I love coffee and Portland. Just moved into this new place near this great coffee shop. Nemo has a fresh pot or two brewed every morning. So when I finish my cup on my walk to work I get another once I get here. Helps me get more than enough done.

agr: Sounds like heaven. Where did you learn your tricks of the trade: school or the streets?
AW: Mr. Robbins and the man from Marz that lurks 5th and couch couldn’t help me with this one. Internet and books. Self taught. Minus film. Took a few classes at the NW Film Center.

agr: Do you like merging film and snowboarding?
AW: I’m on the fence. Keep going back and forth. I want to make a movie about snowboarding. It would be different than anything you ever saw, which is easy to say, but it’s one of the only way I’d do it.

agr: Fair enough. Any plans to undertake this project in the near future?
AW: A lot of time and thinking has gone into it. I just need to make sure the right people are involved. There is a lot that would go into making it.

agr: For sure. You have gotten to work with some very unique riders. Any you have particularly enjoyed working with?
AW: My friends are always the best to work with, because then it’s not work. It’s them doing what they love and me doing what I love. Got a few of my favorite shots out of this storm that overtook the NW.

Snow Day Gap from Austin Will on Vimeo.

agr: Pow day or perfect rail?
AW: Pow day for sure.

agr: Best beer?
AW: It tastes like it’s in my cup right now.

agr: And that is?
AW: No idea. Whatever is in the keg here at work.

agr: What are your thoughts on January 20, 2009?
AW: After 8 years the world will like us again.

agr: God willing.
AW: I bought this 1988 Playboy the other day and I am pretty sure Palin was on the cover.

agr: I believe it. What techniques and elements do you try to capture on film, i.e. what makes your shots unique?
AW: I usually just make sure my camera is upside down. Then I invert the colors and put a management tune in the background.

Austin Will- Demo Reel- 2008 from Austin Will on Vimeo.

agr: What is the most difficult part of creating video media: the filming or editing?
AW: It’s easy to point and shoot. Easy to cut video apart. It’s a package deal. If your filming sucks, it takes some aggressive editing to make it feel the way you want. If your edit sucks then you might as well not film. Or get someone else to edit your stuff.

agr: Fair enough. Are there any snowboard filmers that you think are putting out exceptional shit?
AW: Graham Foy. Carlino put out a great video last year. Justin Meyer–looking forward to the Videograss project. Pierre Wikberg. Per-Hampus Stalhandske. Jake Price.

agr: How about outside of snowboarding, whose work do you appreciate?
AW:Sam Kuhn. Jess Gibson. Truffaunt. Godard. Van Sant. To name a couple. List goes on for days.

agr: Killer. Tell me a funny a joke, and that will do it.
AW: Jed Anderson Sucks.

nemohq.com

studionemo.com

espn.com/action