Off-Tempo is a collaborative skate video based out of Richmond, VA that’s filmed and edited by Ian Mondragon and Tyler Brady in association with Good Time Skateboard Co.
Ian Mondragon, krook pull out p- Tyler Brady
Interview by Zach Moeller.
When did you guys start working on the video and whose idea was it to start the project?
Ian: Sometime around 2018 after finishing up with a video called Click Bait that was filmed by DJ Williford I had some momentum and wanted to jump on another video project. I’ve filmed with and lived with Tyler before so we have a lot of the same friends. We both like making full lengths, so I figured if we worked together we could make something really nice.
Tyler: I remember in late 2018 beginning to shoot random clips here and there without a plan. After a little while more people wanted to get clips and Richie started stacking clips without a shirt on. As soon as he noticed, he wanted to put together an entire shirtless part. I wanted to put together a part for myself, too, since I never have. I guess it was about that time that we were thinking “let’s put something together.” Then, sometime in 2019, Ian and I started talking about everything we had been filming separately and that conversation kind of naturally turned into brainstorming about doing a full-length collaborative video.
Brian Geib, fs nosebluntslide p- Tyler Brady
How did the crew come together?
Tyler: Most of the crew has basically known each other for a decade now. If it’s any shorter, it sure feels like we’ve known each other forever. I remember meeting Ian, JD, and a lot of the other crew in 2009 when I moved to Richmond for college. At that point I had only been skating for a year or so, and wasn’t exposed to many local videos. Ian had made a video called Doormen that really opened my eyes and inspired me. I kept skating in Richmond over the last 10 years and made a solid group of friends to go out and create with, and I’m glad that crew continued to grow and include more and more people throughout the filming of this video too.
Ian: Richmond is a pretty tight city where everyone knows each other. Most of us have been involved in videos with each other before. Luckily I’ve known most our crew for over 10 years. I guess that’s what comes with being on the older side as a skater. We try to be very welcome to new heads who wanna shred and it’s been a pleasure to see some new faces come into play.
Tyler Brady, drop in p- Justin Anders
What’s the most challenging aspect of filming a full length in this day and age?
Ian: Well, as we all get older life doesn’t get any easier. Skating and filming comes in between working full time, domestic life, and just being old and getting hurt all the time. Also keeping all my old outdated camera gear running smooth has been expensive and tedious. Whatever though, life is challenging and I’m glad we have the opportunity to do something we love.
Tyler: My initial thought is that it gets harder and harder to sit in the sun and film just because it’s the right angle for the shot – that could have something to do with me being bald, though. But, coordinating everyone’s schedules was pretty hard especially toward the end, Covid made this video hard to work on at all, and I often felt like I had a good idea for one of the homies on a particular spot and we’d get there and I’d be so so wrong.
Jay Sholes, bs tailslide p- Tyler Brady
Most memorable moments from filming for the video?
Tyler: Richie filming an entire part shirtless. Evan dancing on the ground every time he fell. Anytime anyone fell really hard, got up, and then landed the trick after getting messed up. Most importantly, how close the Richmond community came together during the protests throughout 2020 – additionally, the support from the BIPOC community to skate and reclaim the former location of a J.E.B. Stuart statue on Monument Avenue.
Ian: There are so many moments, whether we are getting clips or not. Just seeing everyones passion get lit up when a video is on the line. Watching people work for tricks and come Through last try is so magical every time. Also just watching the world go through a pandemic and social movement during our video has been pretty memorable.
Richie Dahland, noseblunt pull in p- Colby Millsap
How did you promote the video around Richmond?
Tyler: Ian drew up these animations of our heads spinning to go into the video parts, but I loved them so much that I had to work them into the branding for the video. I tossed them and the information together to create posters that then I screen printed and hung up at parks and our favorite local spots around town. We’ve done some Instagram promotions since, and about 6 months ago we all had some promotional parts made of b-roll clips that were posted in full to Instagram TV. Our homie Evan Surmaj wrote and produced all of the music for those promo parts – he absolutely crushed it and makes some amazing music.
Ian: We designed some flyers together and Tyler screen printed them. Also social media is a really easy way to promote stuff like this these days.
Colby Millsap, hippy jump p- Tyler Brady
Where can people buy the video?
Tyler: The video is available as a DVD package that comes with a 48-page zine of photographs from the making of the video. As well, we have a limited number of packs of nine holographic collector’s cards and a sticker, since I’m a little obsessed with making trading cards, and we’re selling some of the screen printed posters too. They’ll all be available through Ian and I’s Instagrams and my website
