He’s one of surfing’s most iconic filmmakers, gracing the culture with cinematic gold that helped define a generation. And Taylor Steele’s hunt for visual storytelling takes him to the far corners of the globe, which is why he needs a big ‘ol manly truck to get to his rugged locales, as seen in a new TV spot for GMC. Surfers have shilled themselves out to commercial branding for years – Kolohe ordering a pizza in the barrel with Visa, Danny Fuller looking impossibly handsome for Chanel Allure Homme – but it’s not every day that you see a surf filmmaker in a commercial. And if anyone was going to be the face of four-wheeled adventure, this is the guy. With surf movies being a huge part of the industry, Taylor’s eye for wave riding cinema has become legendary. And though it’s just a marketing scheme, the GMC video sheds an eye-opening light on Taylor’s devotion to cinematic glory.
“The word ‘passion’ in Latin means to suffer,” Taylor says while lugging a camera through a moss-laden glen. “That means you have to work hard through those difficult times to give everything you can into it. In the end you truly find what your passion is.”
From the comedic genius of Loose Change to the blockbuster, generation-defining hit Campaign, Taylor’s passion has been one of surf cinema’s longest-running and innovative careers. And aside from making TV spots, Taylor continues to capture the eyes of surfers with creative cinema. One of his latest projects was with surfer Ian Walsh in a search for undiscovered big waves. Travel, adventure and hucking yourself over a ledge and into the unknown – that’s what surfing is about. Check it out here.
