Act 1: A nostalgic sequence introducing the main components of the film by giving the viewer a glimpse of different settings and powerful moments to come. Foreshadowing lots of my favorite clips we were able to get over the months of filming this sampler. I was watching The Blacklist one night and heard this song Divisionary for the first time and instantly saw the whole establishing sequence in my head. Speaking about a shared human experience of feeling like nobody else understands the struggle you go through to achieve your goals, the lyrics urge you that "you're not the only one suffering." As a tricker, I'm sure you can grasp the feeling of knowing that nobody beyond other trickers has even the slightest clue of what you're doing, yet you do it anyways. Driven to just be ourselves beyond what others think, this song's message synced up far too well with my ideology of "make yourself right, never mind them." This section never fails to give me chills, as we flash through beautiful moments from Euphoria, Vertigo, and Trixgiving 2022. One notable spot to visit if you're ever in the area is Brookside Gardens in Olney, MD. Filled with beautiful flora and a gazebo on the pond where Tiki and I threw some tricks, definitely spot by on your next visit to the DMV! Shot mostly by Zac Brannen (ZB) on a Sony A7iii.
Act 2: Now shot on my new Lumix GH6, I arrive in Amsterdam for my very first Hooked gathering. Unfortunately, my flight into Hooked got severely delayed into my connection into London and I got stuck in the airport for most of the first day of the gathering. Despite being told that I would sleep in the airport until the next day, I managed to find a standby ticket and make it just in time for the night show! However, I was still incredibly jetlagged so the clips from Hooked I was able to get all happened the Tuesday after the event. I still had the time of my life as Hooked feels like Disneyland for trickers, walking around getting properly acquainted with all of your friends around the world and having the biggest sessions possible. Fresh off of Hooked, I arrive back to my stomping grounds in Maryland to attend Brendan Morisson's Redemption gathering with friends along the east coast. This was a perfect way to start the year off strong and getting to reunite with the original tricking crew back in the DMV.
Act 3: Now we flash to Revival Gathering on the west coast in Talon's hometown in Roseville, CA. Inspired to make a video with a beach punk vibe, this section has a few fun dynamic shots around various parks in Roseville. I always loved watching skate videos due to the dynamic nature and storytelling elements combined with this raw energy the athletes brought, and wanted to try and bring some of that same energy to this section. Shot by Isiah Flores and Keenan Carr, this section always makes me smile and move a little bit as the energy was just so fun together while shooting. Followed up by an unreal session trailing into the early hours of the morning, Jeremy Chen stuck with me to film some bangers at the gym until my body gave out. Huge shoutout to Talon and Jeremy for hosting, and LK and BAHT for pulling up with the energy!
Act 4: Now the anime begins. I still get goosebumps when I think of the initial moments off the plane walking up to Avery, Yuki, Ziro, and Goh out of the airport. The energy was absolutely electric. We went to a different city almost every day and just explored the area, filming everything to cherish the memories. Irresistible food at an unbeatable price, saunas on every corner, and the best spring floors in the world, I can't believe I left haha. Above all however, the people and trickers there made us feel right at home and I'm so grateful to call them my friends. This was perhaps one of the single most impactful and inspirational trips of my life, and I can't thank Avery enough for making Kerbit gathering into a reality.
Act 5: A collection of my final moments in Japan before returning home to the US, this section serves to be one last emotional rollercoaster. Shots in the Yoyogi Shrine by Isiah, and around the streets of Akihabara, this section was originally to the Fullmetal Alchemist opening Rewrite by Kung Fu Generation. One of my favorite shows, I had reserved this song for a time when I went to visit Japan. Getting to sing along to these intros in the car with Haruki on the way to Tumdra for the first time, I was so excited to make a sampler with this song. However, Youtube had other plans, and I remembered a Radwimps song Taka had showed me years ago, which ended up being perfect still. This section features footage from the official Kerbit session at Leaf gymnastics in Aichi, and other fun moments from around Japan. If you are planning on visiting do yourself a favor and buy the Japan Rail Pass to travel around the country unlimited for an unbeatable price on the Shinkansen! After a few B-roll shots in the airport in Kansai, I arrived home to meet up with Richie and Blian for the most incredible welcome home back to the US. Driving around Topanga capturing beautiful landscapes during my layover, I can't thank you boys enough for the hospitality right off the plane! Finishing the entire sampler with one last training montage in Colorado, I was able to check off a few dream tricks and bring to life some wild combinations with the support of the local Colorado tricking community.
Acknowledgements: This sampler would not be possible without every single person involved in hosting these gatherings and pushing me to grow. Thank you to every person I had the opportunity to connect with over the course of these past few months, you are my inspiration.