Paul Young is wrapping up filming for his third independent video, Down By Law, a full length set
to premiere January 2024. Over some cold beers we talked about what full lengths mean to him,
how this video came to be, what he’s learned in 13 years of filming, preferred cameras, and some other skate shit. I was also able to get a few photos this last summer while being present on sessions.

Photos and Interview by Tristan Smith

What’s more fun for you, editing or filming?
I was going to say filming is more fun and editing is more rewarding. The moment the guy lands the trick and everyone is like “Oh shit” and hopefully you filmed it good, going home with that product is very gratifying. They’re different though, you can’t compare. Editing is cool because it’s like doing a puzzle, more mentally engaging.

Favorite camera?
VX1000.

Least favorite camera?
HPX170.

Do you prefer night clips or day clips?
I definitely used to think everything looked cooler at night, but I also used to have a generator. When I was younger I feel like you, Justin White, and Jersey Dave in particular would trip on when it was getting dark and you had to put the light on but the sky is still blue, do you know what I’m talking about?

Yes. That in between light. Sounds like Dave.
Uh huh.. “Oh is it going to look good? It’s like too in between…” getting fake mad when you go to put the light on, and then those clips always end up looking the best. So, maybe those dusk clips when they work out. There’s also something pleasing about long lens on a perfectly sunny day.

Favorite place you’ve filmed in?
New York. Manhattan in the daytime.

Least favorite place you’ve filmed in?
Ohio.

What’s your preferred spot to film? Somebody tells you “Hey I got a spot” what are you hoping they say?
Depends on the skater because sometimes it’s fun going to something cuttier, and that’s probably the skating I like watching the most. But filming “traditionally hard” shit never gets old, a rail or a hubba. Okay here’s an example, like what’s going to get me the most excited, Aaron Herrington hitting me up like “I want to skate Brick Nine rail during the day.” So you get the midtown lighting, the look of the buildings in the background, that’s a good phone call. The unpredictability keeps filming exciting too though, a lot of the times the spot can inspire how you document it.

Bump to bar or cellar door?
Cellar door. More options.

Do you have a purist’s inclination to filming or is it whatever the job requires? You did that piece with Richie recently on Hi-8 and that’s an old school technology.
That was Vans idea to do it that way. They pitched it. So to me I’ll say purist but I think a purist is more the attitude behind the camera and how you use it. Not the medium.

So you’re not a stickler about the camera as long as it’s the attitude?
If it’s my money, my project I’ll be a stickler about the camera.

And what camera is that?
The VX1000.

You’re now working on your third video called Down By Law, seven years after Bleach. What’s changed now in 2023? What could you say about your maturity as a filmer?
When I was working for Quasi, even though I was mostly just dealing with Rich and Josh, something I learned was going on a trip type pace even when you’re home. Where you try and go to like 8 or 9, 10 spots a day. I didn’t really tap into that fully until I started working on my own thing though. If you’re going to go out, go out for the full day. I’ll try to project a positive attitude and that’s not always easy when you’re just working for someone else. But now that I’m working on my own project, it’s like, how am I expecting these guys to want to be there if it looks like I don’t even want to be there? So I try and put out my best attitude every single day and be on it. “Let’s go to Home Depot, let’s fix some shit, I got this shit in my car, let’s cut this” you know, just on it much more than before. I’m extremely grateful for everyone’s time and effort towards the video, so it comes naturally. Plus, a lot’s changed since age 22, going to the bar every night.

What’s good with the title Down By Law, how’d you come up with that?
I think a lot of people think it’s a law enforcement oppression thing which it is, but it’s an old school hip-hop vernacular as well. “Are you down? I’m not just down, I’m down by law.” Like, “I’m in the book, I’m certified.” It’s the title of an MC Shan song, but you’ll hear it a lot on older records.

You’re heavily influenced by hip-hop right?
I’m a hip-hop fan of course. It’s like a little flex. You know, like I’m from here, most of my guys are from here, we’re down by law.

How much of the video will have hip-hop?
More than 60% less than 80%.

What’s your motive for making a full length?
My motive for making a full length is inherently selfish I’d say. It’s like, I want to put a bunch of guys together that wouldn’t necessarily be together otherwise. Trying to showcase skaters I like, in the format I enjoy seeing skating in. They’re also just amazing snapshots of time. The premiere is always the big incentive. That’s the most gratification you’re ever going to get in one small dose. They’re just so fun and everyone is on such a high at a good premiere.

How long have you been filming for Down By Law and do you remember when you decided in your head that you wanted to make a new video again?
Sure. During the summer of Covid, Joe Russo and I filmed this back nosegrind on the top of a table with a VX. At that time I was still filming HD, but had just started to work for Josh Stewart at Theories using a VX again. That got me hyped. You know, I love Joe. Anything I work on he’s the first person I’m calling, so us getting a couple clips got me sparked. I didn’t know what it was going to be for, but a couple weekends later we filmed a few more things, a line and a single. Then it’s like “Okay, well now I have to make something.” Originally I thought I was going to sneak him into the new Static video somehow.

Would you like to see more full lengths coming from people in the future?
Fuck, I don’t know. Full videos are great when they’re cohesive pieces. When they seem scatterbrained you’re just going to fast forward to parts you want to watch. Fuck it, yeah people should make full lengths, it’s better than making the side project. There’s a fun dynamic that goes into the process of an independent video if you’re doing it right, like Grady Smith and Joe Russo for example. When they hang out that gets me hyped. That’s a sick dynamic that wouldn’t really happen anywhere else.

Camera operator or filmer?
Filmer. Filmer sounds more like… I think there’s more dignity in being called a filmer. Like a monkey could be a camera operator.

So what’s a filmer?
It has a skate connotation. Do civilians say filmer? It conjures up more artistic value in my mind than “camera operator.”

Who will have full parts?
I can give you some answers and there will be some surprises. Joe Russo, Aaron Herrington, Ben Tenner, Justin Helmkamp, Dick Rizzo, Josh Wilson, Vin Perso, Grady Smith, Arty Smith…

Which skate filmers have influenced you?
Justin White. He had a super clean and effective way of filming. He’s helped me personally grow as well with my own video, providing some useful guidance. Josh Stewart. I think he’s a master. A pioneer with the camera. Those come to mind right away. JP Blair, I only realized this recently, but he really inspired me to put your friends on the same playing field as whoever you might be filming who’s “hot.” Treat your hometown buddies with the same presentation that you’d film the upcoming amateur. That really stuck with me.

Top five skate videos?
In no order, Static 2, Aesthetics Ryde or Die, Photosynthesis, Last of The Mohicans, Skypager.

If you could film any skater that has ever existed who would you film?
Stan Karbine. We filmed a couple things but I would have loved to film a full part with him.

What’s a trick you were really juiced on when filming but it got away?
There are a couple but one that comes to mind is Richie almost frontside ollie’d over the bench at Con Ed Banks a couple different times while we were wrapping up his part for Mother. Fully sticking it too.

What advice can you give on doing bs slappys?
Okay, this is some real fucking pool skater shit, but I remember reading something in another skate magazine that read, “10% skill 90% attitude.” But it’s true man, sounds corny but it really is some shit like that. It’s all in your toes. They nailed it, although that quote was not what I was thinking while learning it.