Australian big surf riders track giant ocean storms on a quest to capture the perfect wave in the new documentary “Storm Surfers 3D.”
There have been some defining surf movies that have resonated over the years with Malibu — “The Endless Summer” (1966), “Step Into Liquid” (2004), or “Big Wednesday” (1978) come to mind. Next to be added to that list might be “Storm Surfers 3D,” starring a couple of Australian big surf riders who spent some time in Malibu recently for the premiere of their film.
The documentary, starring two-time world surfing champion Tom Carroll and big wave pioneer Ross Clarke-Jones, has a novel premise. First, tap meteorologist and surf forecaster Ben Matson to track giant oceanic storms. Then, travel 10,563 miles on seven missions over four months and find waves taller than buildings to surf. Finally, conquer these swells with 3D camera equipment attached to your gear.
The result is a film experience that literally pulls you into the tubes with the men, sharing the ride from their perspectives in often staggeringly perilous situations of pounding, rushing water, where a mistake will literally cost you your life.
Are these men crazy?
Maybe a little, according to Carroll.
“We may well be out of our minds from time to time,” Carroll said. “It does take discipline to keep the boxes ticked and equipment in order which will either save or cost a life. I think we all have to be a little crazy to push ourselves beyond the comfort zone. Otherwise I feel dead, [and there is] nothing worse.”
The team traveled from Australia to Hawaii, under the co-direction of Chris Nelius and Justin McMillan. They had first teamed up in 2005 to film surf documentaries aired on the Discovery Channel. Several of those films took them from South Africa’s Cape of Good Hope to New Zealand, always in search of the most daring swells.
But “Storm Surfers” presented new challenges with the myriad equipment (specially designed boards, camera equipment, jet skis, helicopters, etc.) and the fine calculations that went into determining just where they would head next. The film’s appeal is due as much to the focus on exploration, teamwork, friendship and adventure as to the adrenaline-pumping moments associated with big wave surfing.
The two surfers not only had to negotiate 30-foot-high waves, they were part of the camera team. Their boards and jet skis were mounted with GoPro 3D setups and they carried cameras attached to ergonomic handles, which they would hold out to the side or rear as they released the tow ropes launching them into waves.
McMillan, directing from a jet ski in front of and to the side of the surfers, said everything was challenging when you have no control of the environment.
“The simplest of scenes was difficult to shoot correctly in native 3D,” he said. “We were pioneering 3D documentary shooting on the ocean, so we had to learn from our mistakes and learn fast. We built all our camera systems to shoot in bad weather, but we were constantly refining and improving our equipment throughout the filming.”
The results are “awesome” Carroll said.
Nelius and McMillan ended up shooting 1,500 hours of footage (times two for 3D), with post-production synching every shot of 135 million frames. The results were so voluminous, the movie is being made available as a downloadable eBook, an interactive app and a 20-part webisode series.
“Storm Surfers 3D,” which is narrated by actress Toni Collette and features cameos from professional surfers Kelly Slater, Paul Matthews and Mike Morgan, screened on July 20-21 at the Aero Theatre in Santa Monica. Carroll, 51, and Ross-Jones, 47, even took some time the day before to hit Surfrider Beach in Malibu and perform a few tricks.
While a normal person might view the making of “Storm Surfers 3D” as, well, reckless, that opinion is not shared by its makers, who said that “getting the viewer in on the action” was an incredibly rewarding experience.
When asked if there was ever a moment of doubt about the advisability of the mission, Carroll was succinct. “Never!”
The “Storm Surfers 3D” crew traveled 10,563 miles on seven missions during four months tracking giant waves. The veteran surfers would then conquer these swells with 3D camera equipment attached to their gear.
Two-time world surfing champion Tom Carroll and big wave pioneer Ross Clarke-Jones recently visited Malibu for the premiere of their film, “Storm Surfers 3D.” The documentary follows the big wave surfers as they track storms in search of big surf.
