Surf Wednesday: Riley Blakeway

Riley Blakeway is a relatively new name in film making from the surf community. He has quickly become a heavy hitter on scene with films produced for Analaog and Gravis. His film, "NOW," produced for Analog is considered the pinnacle of his film making career thus far. Check his interview below.


NOW. from Analog Clothing on Vimeo.


DTV: How did you get started in Filmmaking?

RILEY: I've had a camera in my hands for as long as I can remember. I got given my first video camera when I was 11 and I have been shooting like crazy ever since. At first it was just a huge old camcorder that took VHS tapes. I could never get the footage off the tapes to edit but I would shoot stupid shit all day with my friends and we'd all crowd around a TV and watch later that night. Things progressed from there and I got serious after in High school. I eventually dropped out of Uni to make my first film and wrote email after email until I finally got a couple of starts in the surf industry. That then led to some amazing opportunities. Film has always been a constant in my life.

DTV: How long have you been a surfer?

RILEY: I started surfing a little later, when I was about 13. I spent allot of time out of school living abroad when I was 13/14 so I picked it pretty quickly.

DTV: Of the films you have made, what are your top three favorite films and why?

RILEY: My fav films to date would have to be 'NOW', 'Gravis - Sammy Winter at home' and 'Thom - A Portrait of Modern Youth'. NOW I consider the best surf film I have made - It was a huge leap for me personally and career-wise. It also depicts some of the best memories and moments of my life. Thats a huge part of it for me. The Gravis clip is short but definitely a fav. For me I feel like it is my best cinematography to date. 'Thom's film premiered at the NY surf film festival this year. I funded the project entirely myself and it was more pre/post production then anything I've made previously. It's like nothing else I've made and definitely represents a strong evolution in my work.

DTV: What kind of cameras do you use while shooting?

RILEY: At the moment I have the Sony PMW-EX1, The 7D, a 16mm Bolex and a Nizo super 8mm.

DTV: Do you have any film projects you're working on currently or that we should look for soon?

RILEY: Thom's film will be released in the next few weeks and I have just started working on another film for Analog over the past few months. This one is due to arrive early next year!

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