Watch: ‘Window’, A Short Skateboarding Documentary By Ian Wishart
Beautiful, simple, and with very, very good skating, Window is a short film shot on 16mm by Ian Wishard and starring Tristen Rowean, a skateboarder in New York City recovering from and discussing a major injury suffered the year prior, something that every skater can empathize with.
It isn’t uncommon for skate videos to have film clips sprinkled in throughout for the sake of a good vibe. In fact, it’s sort of fashionable, a given. However, it’s quite an interesting thing to be a self-starter and a self-funder when shooting an entire documentary film on film- an interesting and expensive and drawn out thing for an independent filmmaker like Ian Wishart to pursue. I call that passion. What would he call it? Find out below, and watch Window above or at www.monsterchildren.tv.
Got a short film? A skate film? A documentary film? Send it our way at editorial@monsterchildren.com.
Where did this idea come from?
I guess I had been wanting to shoot something like this for a while. I shot one roll of super8 for a skate edit a few years ago. It’s pretty fun getting footage back from the lab when you space out each shot. It’s even more fun when you shoot a bunch of film all at once haha.
Why did you choose to work with Tristen?
I met Tristen in San Francisco through my friend Anthony years ago. I’ve probably known him since 2017. When he moved to NY I knew he would be good for this. He’s so consistent, it’s crazy.
Where did the process begin?
We definitely tried to map out the day ahead of time so we could hit as many spots as possible. I had 1,000 feet of film so I tried dividing that up in my head a bit too. We wanted to skate close to his apartment in Clinton Hill, then go to the city, and end our day on the ferry.
Why did you decide to shoot on film?
I actually think I would be doing something else with my life if it wasn’t for 16mm film haha. I worked on my friend’s short films when I was a kid and that really got me hyped on movies. I love film and I try to find an excuse to shoot with it when I can.
Why do you think that this might be relatable to other skaters/viewers? -
Well mostly I just wanted to get some sick skate clips of Tristen on film. The quick interview over the phone came later. I guess for everyone there’s moments in your life when you start thinking about all the things you want to do and how to balance it. I feel like these moments are pretty universal and sometimes come with an injury or moving to a new city. It’s cool seeing Tristen skating so much again and it seems like he found a way to do it all.
Skating by Tristen Rowean
Shot by Ian Wishart
Music: TRANS FX Chris McDeezy and Tynair Mabery
Film Processing: Negativeland NYC
Camera Rental: Stephen Marino
