School's Out - Video

In February 2015 my good friend Max and I set out to create a YouTube channel. As two 13-year-old kids, neither of us had ever edited a video before in our lives, nevertheless filmed one as well. All we had was a desire to create and a love for the outdoors. The first video we made was by no means good. It was a first, and thankfully not a last. We didn't give up, and that very next month we had a new video. These videos, being filmed in February, were both skiing videos. To be honest, we weren't even very good at skiing. It was my own first year, and we could count the number of tricks we could collectively do on one hand. Not surprisingly though, those were some of the most fun days I can remember. Watching those videos now, I can vividly remember the feeling of hurtling between trees, barely being able to turn, and flying off a jump which I could definitely not clear. I always get a warm feeling inside when I watch them.

Max all geared up.

Those first two videos sparked a flame inside of us which still hasn't been quenched. It has flickered at some points, but it is still very alive at the point of my writing this. Many videos later, we have improved so immensely it is almost hard to believe that two years ago we were using the same 720p30 shots three times in the same video. Small breakthroughs like filming with a DSLR camera or building a new berm to rail have kept us going on a path of improvement which I hope will never end. Making videos allowed us to document the things we loved most, and now documenting them is one of those things. A huge turning point in our story was when we built our mountain bike trails.

Our friend Jesse hitting a wood feature at the trails.

Since 2012, Max and I have had an interest in creating trails. For as long as we can remember, we have been riding our bikes. Trails that started out as trampled grass leading into "jumps" consisting of a few sticks and a shovelful of dirt have evolved into shaped dirt roller coasters filled with high-speed berms and large doubles. These trails may have been one of the best things that have happened to us, video wise and otherwise. They have allowed us to improve our mountain biking and filming skills immensely, while at the same time allowing us total creative freedom to make whatever we want. None of this would be possible without my kind neighbor allowing us to use his woods.

Best. Moment. Ever.

Another giant turning point for us was when we won the 2016 Main Outdoor Film Festival's Broke and Stoked video contest. We created a 2:30 minute edit consisting of our trails and some rope swing action and submitted it to the judges at MOFF. To our astonishment, we made it into the top ten. After publicizing our video to the moon, we still weren't sure if we would have enough votes to win. The feeling of standing on stage, waiting for the winner to be announced was awful. The feeling of hearing our names, however, was amazing. It was one of the best days of my life, to see all of our years of work pay off. Since we won last year, we are especially motivated to succeed again. That is why I am presenting you with our 2017 MOFF Broke and Stoked entry. It's due tomorrow, 8/16/17, and I won't know if we make it into the top ten for a few weeks. Either way, this video is definitely our best piece yet and I am glad to share it with you.



The school year is a stressful time for everyone. Therefore, when summer comes around you must make the most of your free time. Every year though, that free time is cut shorter and shorter. This video is about our commitment to what we love: Mountain Biking. We hope you enjoy this piece since we have put more time into it than any other video before. Whether it be early morning rides or late night editing sessions, this video is quite simply our free time. Thank you for watching, and be sure to like and subscribe. Special thanks to Mrs. Sanzone, and also thanks to Lincoln Stone and Joren Taylor for helping us out during filming.

---

MENTIONS: @keatonistheguy

---