WAY OF THE OCEAN: a film by Matt Kleiner
WORLD PREMIERE: Santa Barbara Museum of Art, Saturday, January 29th at 1pm.
2nd SCREENING: Metro 4 Theatre, Monday, January 31st at 1pm.
SYNOPSIS: "Way of the Ocean: Australia, SYNOPSIS: explores the connection between man and sea through a visual feast of poetic motion. The world’s largest island provides a breathtaking backdrop to some of the best surfing found on the planet. Since it was first introduced in the early 1900′s, surfing in Australia has become a mainstream pursuit and for this country devoted to the ocean lifestyle, it is more than a way of life. From the tropical paradise of the Great Barrier Reef down through the frigid Southern Ocean and up to the arid desert of the west, the film captures an intimate portrait of this unique land. Vibrant super 16mm and High Definition cameras bring to life the stunning visuals, set to a heart thumping original score. Welcome to the odyssey of your life. Welcome to Australia."
STARRING: Asher Pacey, Josh Kerr, Taj Burrow, Adam Robertson, Jordy Smith, Dane Reynolds, Craig Anderson, and Kelly Slater
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Words of Wisdom by filmmaker Matt Kleiner
Q&A by Desiree East
We are surrounded by a growing number of aspiring and talented artists, especially here in Ventura and Santa Barbara Counties with the Brooks Institute of Photography in Santa Barbara and Brooks Institute of Film in Ventura. I've seen a handful of student-turned-professionals from these schools, whether it be through word of mouth, coming across their portfolios online, or even through friends and family (like my brother, Art Director, Kalae Gam and his crew of colleagues).
There are also many blooming self-taught artists in the area, and I've seen first hand, the hard work and long hours that these young artists dedicate themselves to. Whether it's blindly scouting a location for a shoot, designing and building a set with a five-hundred dollar budget, or losing faith or motivation in between projects, being an artist in the photography or film industry takes patience and diligence, and you definitely have to pay your dues while building a growing portfolio...so what do you do?
As an educator (and a life-time learner), I constantly look up to other professionals for creative insight and solid advice, and if given an opportunity, I will ask them questions about what 'drives' them...what makes them tick? How do they come up with solutions to problems? Where do they look when they need more inspiration or motivation?
Because no matter what field of work you are in or what type of business you are running, you can always learn from those who are successful. And if you surround yourself with successful people, then you will be successful. AND then, when the time comes, and the opportunity presents itself, you can become a mentor to others (in direct and indirect ways) and have a profound and positive effect on someone who needed that extra push.
So, although these might be a similar set of questions (my favorite ones to ask, can you tell?), the answers are all very valuable, because the people and mentors that we look up to always have a different answer from a different perspective, and if you ask the right questions, they may have a few words of advice that we can all learn from.
Without further ado, here is some valuable insight and encouraging words from surfer and film director Matt Kleiner of Circulate Motion Pictures. (Oh, and by the way, don't forget to check out their blog at Way of the Ocean ... the photography is insane, and Art Director, Ryan Kleiner, is working on a hard cover book which will consist of the photography and art behind the movie).
DE: There are a growing number of young film students (and self-taught filmmakers, for that matter) breaking into the indie film scene. As an independent filmmaker, what advice would you give to the next generation of filmmakers?
MK: It's pretty exciting right now with new technology making it more affordable for emerging film makers. There are a lot of really creative people that finally have the tools necessary to share their vision. One of the main things I would say as advice to up and coming film makers is to be patient and enjoy the film making process. If you really put your heart into it and spend the time to do it right, people will notice your work and things will happen naturally. Dont ever let budget restrictions stand in the way of your goal, get creative and if there is a will, there is a way.
DE: Budget, Budget, Budget...If you could go back in a time machine to the time when you were just getting started, what is one piece of advice you would give yourself regarding the challenges of working on a limited budget?
MK: Well I wouldn't have to go in a time machine to discuss the challenges of working with a limited budget. Ha. I think no matter what, you are always going to be working with less than you would like to have and for me, I like the challenge of having to make things work. It forces me to get creative and find ways to do things I wouldn't normally have thought of. It gives you a great sense of satisfaction to create the illusion of a giant budget and in the long run it makes turning an actual profit into a much closer reality.
If I had to give one word of advice to myself when I was starting out , it would be not to get discouraged and be ready to be extremely resourceful.
DE: As artists, we tend to fall 'in and out' of creative mode, kind of like writer's block. When you feel like you have a creative block, what do you usually do to get motivated? What is your biggest source of inspiration?
MK: For me, I find that taking breaks is really important. Almost as if to let the creative part of the brain refill and refresh. Traveling always inspires me. No matter how much of a creative slump I seem to be in, once there is a change of pace and new scenery everything seems to flow. Surfing has been a huge part of my life and has taken me to some amazing places and it always seems to help keep my mind on the creative side. It keeps your imagination going and there is always somewhere new to discover whether in or out of the water.
way of the ocean
