“BUMPUP” is a video that pays homage to past generations that grew up filming park videos with homies. You know what’s up. 3rd Lair Skatepark‘s next wave of riders.
Starring Obie Drake, Tilda Will, Luka Johnson, Alastair Murphy, Ezra Johnson, and Toby Rydell. Filmed and Edited by Franco Romero

Read below for an interview with Franco Romero by Travis Drake

Interview with Franco Romero by Travis Drake

Hey Franco thanks for meeting with me here at the beautiful JJ’s Clubhouse, I’ve somehow never been here ha! Before we get into BUMPUP, you were born in Argentina Right?
Yep, I moved to Minnesota when I was about 2. Big Lake, MN way up north near St Cloud. My parents wanted to move out of Argentina due to the military unrest, and political upheaval happening at that time. They were trying to get to the US for the American dream. My dad was in the military and if you know anything about the country during that time, it was pretty rough.

Wow man, that’s wild. Basically you went from as far south to one of the most northern parts of the US. I remember hearing some crazy stories about your commute to 3rd for work?
Oh yeah, it was an hour plus drive from St Cloud to work at the 3rd Lair skate camps in the morning, then go work a graveyard shift from 3 a.m. doing speedy delivery. Sometimes I’d skate an hour to Elk River train station at 6 am, take the train downtown at 7 to work summer skate camps for 3rd, then skate around downtown until the bus started running, just hitting street spots by myself. Then get the bus back up to Elk River.

That is seriously so insane, and shows how much you wanted to be a part of it. What year did you start working at 3rd?
May 2018.

You have clips in the Slingshot video right?
Yeah, I shared a part in that. Just pulling up on those street sessions and not worrying about getting put on. Working at the shop during the days and trying to film at night.

Jack Olson spoke up to officially validate you?
Oh yeah, he stepped up at a team dinner and gave me the blessing. Then I was officially on.

That’s sick, Jack is a legend. Let’s talk BUMPUP.
The vibe during the premiere was lit, we had the premiere in the mini ramp room. Kids screaming the whole time, just going wild on every part.

Why (SD) instead of HD?
Honestly we were just playing with the TRV900 with the fisheye shooting clips and they were looking good! We were running long lens all summer working on the next 3rd Lair full length and wanted to switch it up. The TRV I could get so close on the follow filming, which made it seem fast, and nostalgic. So much of skating seems saturated and corporate, I just wanted to bring it back to the core vibe you know?

Yeah for sure, it reminds me of those older 3rd Lair videos.
Yep! Jack Olson, ‘Mayor of 3rd Lair’, the Jonathon Reese & Ty Stigney welcome to the team videos when they were little kids still. That’s the vibe for sure.

It made them come in ready to get clips, and learn to deal with all the issues of (SD), all the artifacts and blurry shots that you’d have to reshoot.
The kids def get it, they would show up with tricks in mind and once the VX was out they were ready to throw down and get the clip. We’d meet for After Hours from 9-11 p.m. they would get warm, then lock in and get their clips. It was good to have them see how the process goes, where sometimes you get a clip and sometimes you don’t.

What were you watching for inspiration?
The Masher videos on Thrasher, with Gregson follow filming. Definitely the first few Baker videos, with all the little kid hi jinx that were happening. I have so much of that, way too much to use. But those were the vibes I was hoping to see come out.

This was your first video right?
Yeah, I never used VX before and definitely never had a timeline this big. Ha!

You did it all on iMovie?
Yep and that’s why you get the Star Wars credits haha. After a year of long lens, the small TRV made it so fun and a no-brainer, which then set the tone for the video. It made it more fun, and I could get right up in their faces. That last ender session was such a party vibe, Tilda’s kickflip indy was probably 3-4 hours of trying, her thumb was bleeding from catching the kickflip. Obie’s crook on the vert wall with Sunami blasting just set the tone, all were getting their enders due to the friendships and vibes. Obie and Luka in the bowl just keeping the vibes high for Tilda, and that’s really why that ender happened.

I think the VX & TRV make the park footage look sick, it’s hard to make skatepark footage look fast.
The editing was from how Oskar Barrett did Slingshot, showing off the park and the way that Dylan Chazin-Bowman does the inserts in his videos. It’s the way that someone does something so right that you want to try and make it look like that.

This went longer than I expected but I appreciate the time and effort. Anyone you want to say thanks to?
Yeah – Noah at Skate Jawn for running this, Travis Drake, Jen Cummings, Matt Johnson and 3rd Lair!!!