Sage Joske & Bret Caller from The Heart & The Sea
TB: Was the process in making this film different than your other films? How long were you working on “THATS” (Did you know THATS is the acronym for the film? Classic).
NO: Haha. Never thought about it before. You’re the first person to point that out!
The process was pretty similar really, apart from those overseas trips. I’ve always just gone filming in school holidays and done my editing in between trips away. I’ve worked on “The Heart & The Sea” for over three years, and “Seaworthy” was about the same. “Lines From A Poem” was a little quicker, about two years worth of work, because although I was already teaching back then, I hadn’t become a father yet and I had more free time. It takes me a long time to make films because it’s not my real job and also because I’ve always done everything on my own: song acquisition, shooting, editing, production, promotion and lots of other stuff.
TB: You are a school teacher? What year do you teach?
NO: Yes, I’ve been a full-time primary school teacher for 14 years now. I’m trained to teach all grades–from kids aged five to 12 years. At the moment, I’m teaching a Year 4 class, so the kids are all aged nine or ten.
TB: Do you think that your skills as a teacher help you with storytelling and outlining your films? It would seem to me that being a teacher would be a great skill in filmmaking because you have to lay out a lesson plan that can keep kids’ attention but still be able to educate them.
NO: That’s an interesting question and one I haven’t given much thought to before. I’m not sure that it’s the case really. Long before I was a teacher I was interested in language, narrative, writing, and story telling. I’ve always been most moved by surf films that told a story, even if those stories were told in less concrete and abstract ways. My primary influences as far as surf films go were those that had a narrative element–films by Bruce Brown and Jack McCoy’s work. But even other films that were less overtly stories and more like visual poems–movies like “Morning Of The Earth,” “Litmus,” and Sonny Miller’s “The Search” films had a profound impact on me both as a surfer and as a young filmmaker. Even later, it was the stories in films like “Thicker Than Water” and “Shelter” that affected me most as opposed to other films that were saturating the surf movie market at the time that tended to just be more like nineties skate videos–trick after trick after trick.
TB: Do you ever incorporate your surfing and filmmaking into your school lesson plans?
NO: Not really. As a primary school teacher, it’s my job to teach across all of the key learning areas from English to math, science, drama, art, social studies and sport. But my heart is always in literacy. It’s a beautiful privilege being able to teach children how to read, spell, write and construct language. Until recently, filmmaking hasn’t really entered the equation. But lately, with advances in technology, I’ve been enjoying integrating filmmaking in everyday classroom activities. I’m teaching my kids how to shoot and edit with iMovie on iPads. As an educator, it’s a really interesting and challenging opportunity to explore these new tools. I’m learning at the same time as the kids in my class.
TB: What skills do you think are important for someone making films?
NO: The foundation of good filmmaking for me is the narrative element–telling a story in a compelling way that engages the audience. In this day and age, anyone can grab a camera, capture images and throw them up online on YouTube or wherever. The difficult thing is constructing something that’s significant and beautiful–something that affects people and something that stands the test of time. I’m interested in exploring how valuable and meaningful surfing can be in peoples’ lives, my own included. Those are the sorts of themes I like to explore in my work. That’s why I think it is important for me to tell human stories in my movies. I appreciate that some people aren’t interested in story, they just want to quickly watch some big turns and crazy airs, cut to fast music and get psyched before a surf. And that’s cool too, if that’s what they’re after. But the human element will always be a part of my work. So my films always have that documentary undercurrent of storytelling moving through them.
TB: Do you think that element of storytelling is often overlooked in today’s surf films?
NO: Not really. There’s plenty of surfing films nowadays that have a narrative, documentary style. Just as there are plenty that have no narrative and are focused purely on high performance. Surfing’s become so specialized now–logging, big waves, shortboarding, tow-ins, contests, air guys. We see that specialization occur in surf films too. I just happen to be drawn to those kinds of films that reflect my interests in surfing: riding a quiver of different boards, exploring human stories. And I make those sorts of films because that’s what I’m into. But I can also enjoy state-of-the-art high-performance shortboarding films too, whether or not they have a narrative element.
TB: From your blog and interviews, it seems like you are a very loving and devoted father and husband. How do you find time to balance your profession, family and filming/photography?
NO: Again, this is a great question, an important question. Being a good husband and a good dad are my highest goals in this life. Everything else is secondary, whether it’s working as a full-time school teacher, surfing or making stuff. Honestly, I’m finding this balance harder and harder to achieve as my kids are growing up. As they get older, making surfboards, photographs, and films have increasingly had to take a back seat. It’s the season of life I’m in at the moment.
I’ve always made films as a full-time teacher. I just film during school holidays and edit at night after work. It’s been a healthy hobby. And it’s also been good for my family. My wife and I had our first child eight years ago and ever since, she’s been a stay-at-home mum. The income we’ve generated from my surf films has been modest, but it’s enabled Eliza to stay at home to look after our kids. This has been a real blessing financially for us. Also, as a result of me making films, we’ve been able to experience a little bit of travelling as a family. I always bring Eliza and our kids along with me when I travel to shoot. They are so much a part of me I don’t like to go away without them. But, as a family, with the kids getting older, I’m feeling a bit torn. I feel less inclined to stand on the beach behind a camera shooting surfers. I just want to be hanging with the kids on the beach making sandcastles, pushing them into waves on surf mats, tandem surfing with them on our family twelve-footer. Once my new film “The Heart & The Sea” is done and dusted, I’m looking forward to a break from all of the shooting and editing. I’m looking forward to life being a little less cluttered.
TB: Do you ever feel like surfing can get in the way of some other important things in life? How important is it that you have a supportive family for your creative pursuits?
NO: When you’re a surfer, a husband and a dad, there’s definitely an art involved in making sure you’re achieving a healthy balance. Surfing is one of the most profound passions of my life. It keeps me healthy, happy and centered. But it pales in significance compared to my family. I have been so blessed to have been able to use surf filmmaking, alongside teaching, to support my family. But yes, surfing can definitely get in the way sometimes. I’ve been a dad for almost nine years now and you get used to surfing taking a back seat, but at times it’s not easy, especially when the waves are good! I’m always conscious to put family first. Sure, I don’t always do a perfect job, but I aim to do a better job day by day.
Family man Nathan Oldfield
TB: Do you think that it will get easier as your children get older and hopefully enjoy surfing as much as you do? While we are on it, how do you introduce your kids to surfing without forcing it on them?
NO: For sure. That’s my dream. At the moment they’re still young, but one day I can see us all surfing together. I already tandem surf with my eldest, Noa, who’s nearly nine. I push him onto waves when it’s small and friendly. It’s a really beautiful way to experience surfing–to share it with your kids. I think the key to introducing kids to surfing is just lots of no-pressure-to-surf beach time, lots of digging holes, making sandcastles, lots of mucking around in the shore break with surf mats and boogie boards. I admit that sometimes it’s hard when all I want to do is paddle the kids out the back and get some good ones. Sometimes I might get too pushy. But my wife’s always good at putting me in my place and getting me to get back to the basics of no-pressure-beach-time routine.
TB: For many of us who started surfing at a young age, there was someone who introduced us to surfing. Someone we looked up to. Your father played an integral role in introducing you to surfing. Can you describe what lessons your father might have passed on to you and how that has influenced your films?
NO: Dad started surfing and making boards when he was young. He loves surfing with his whole heart. He always has. But he also put family first. He had my sister when he was just 18 and me when he was 21. For several years, he moved inland, away from the sea, in order to work as a teacher and support his young family. It was only when I was 10 years old that he finally found a permanent teaching position on the coast. I have a lot of respect for his sacrificial work ethic. He also is a very do-it-yourself kind of guy–from fixing cars, making surfboards, renovating houses, fixing broken things. That determination, that willingness to have a go and make something from nothing was a great model for me growing up. I’m nowhere near as handy as he is, but his example has always taught me to try.
TB: Describe the moment when you had finished “Lines From a Poem” and you showed it to your father for the first time?
NO: I think both Dad and Mum were very gratified to see that I’d made something. They’ve always been very loving and proud of both my sister and I. And they’ve always supported us and our dreams and passions.
TB: Do you think it’s harder now to make a film and a profit than when you started? What do you think of all the films being released for free online? Do you think that the DVD is dead? Do you like the new digital format for viewing films?
NO: There’s clearly less and less money involved in surf films now. I’ve been making films for 11 or 12 years, but the profit I’ve made has never been something I could live off, let alone support a family with. Making money was never my motivation for making movies. I could have made a lot more money spending all those thousands of hours doing something much more lucrative. But at the same time, it sure would be nice if people attached more value to surf films. The landscape of filmmaking has entirely changed and lots of things have impacted how surf films are accessed and priced. We saw the same thing happen in the music industry. Digital files are so easy to duplicate so piracy has definitely had an impact and iTunes effectively killed the CD. The DVD is in the same boat, too. Soon the only way to access surf films will be through places like iTunes or other online download or streaming sources. Also, surfers are so used to being able to access free video content online nowadays, there is a reluctance to actually pay for a surf movie. Although I’m not an expert, this is my feeling about how the industry and market is at the moment. At the end of the day, it all adds up to less return for the filmmaker.
TB: Where do you think the future of surf films is going? Do you think the independent filmmaker can survive in this new digital age?
NO: I’m not sure to be honest. There are opportunities out there to work as a filmmaker for big companies. They’re making films all the time as part of their advertising strategies and then often releasing those films for free online. But it’s becoming increasingly harder for independent filmmakers to produce work and make a decent profit. I think we’ll see less independent feature-length surf films for this reason. But it doesn’t mean the independent surf film is dead. I think there will always be artists out there with the passion and creative drive to make meaningful contributions to the genre. I hope so because they are the kind of surf films I look forward to seeing.
Nathan Oldfield Shredding…
TB: The Surfing Version of the Proust Questionnaire:
Who is your favourite Surf Filmmaker?
NO: Bruce Brown.
TB: List your top three surf films of all time?
NO: The Endless Summer. Thicker Than Water. Sprout.
TB: What is your favourite surfing term?
NO: Empty.
TB: What is your least favourite surfing term?
NO: Crowded.
TB: What sort of wave turns you on?
NO: Empty ones. Preferably at long right points.
TB: What sort of wave turns you off?
NO: Crowded ones.
TB: What sound or noise in surfing turns you on?
NO: The delicious roar of a tuberide.
TB: What sound or noise in surfing turns you off?
NO: Surf rage.
TB: If heaven exists, what sort of wave would you like to surf for eternity?
NO: I absolutely believe heaven exists and I look forward to it. I’m hoping for a long right hander that slabs out the back over a rock shelf at the take off, then runs down a sand-bottomed cobblestone point in endless tapering corduroy lines. That way I could get barrelled out the back on a short board every morning and go logging along the inside every afternoon. Perfect!
Nathan Oldfield’s “The Heart & The Sea is now out on DVD and will be Premiering in New York at Anthology Film Archives on March 16th. For Ticket Information go to SMASHsurf.com
