NEWS & STORIESArchives
Interview with Jay Peak Video
10/5/2009
| By: Tim Fater |
| Ski The East Writer |
| Contact |
I think a lot of people have heard about Jay Peak Video, but don't really know much about you guys. What is JPV all about? OPK: In the beginning, JPV was a website which started as platform for folks to upload their own videos. We had a program called Get Shot where we would take folks out skiing and riding, tape them, and produce an edit for them. We would also produce weekly/biweekly edits throughout the season to highlight the conditions and get real-time media out there about Jay. Before JPV, we started a few film projects that were never finished. I began to realize I did not want to take on the burden of full-length films. Instead, JPV focused on video shorts, or edits, which have become all the rage on the web. The Get Shot program is cool; but difficult in practice. You really need to charge a lot more than what we were charging to make it worth your while. This is how we found Adam, though; so it was all worth it - we hired him! AM: We are all skiers who feel the same way about skiing and Jay Peak. There are certain moments where we just stop and think: "wow, this is why I dedicate everything to skiing and why I make the long drive twice a week". We try to re-create those moments using video. We are out there because we have fun with what we do and want to let others know about it.
How did the idea start? How long has JPV been around? OPK: After years of searching various states in New England, we set our roots at Jay Peak; we did so with some high mountain real estate and a belief that Jay Peak was going to be the biggest thing since sliced bread. We called it LodgeTheory. LodgeTheory is a vast topic in itself - but, essentially, it is a ski community that abuts Jay Peak’s West Bowl. We wanted to show everyone the amazing conditions. At the same time, we've marketed the lifestyle of living in a ski bowl that rolls like the Wild West - snow totals included. So, we had a vested interest in seeing the place grow. I had some exposure to video from my days at Killington Television, and I had just finished building a network operations center for my web company and presto! JPV was born. JPV filled a void. At the time, Jay Peak was not producing any videos. As a result, people had limited knowledge about what Jay had to offer. It also tied my life to skiing and to showing off one of the best mountains in the East. If it is now your job to film powder, well, you must drop everything and go when the snow falls. “Sorry folks, 'gotta go. It's gonna' be a big one.” 
On your website, JayPeakVideo.com, it reads: "JPV is a promotional engine that runs on reciprocal relationships. With a strong focus on solid action and lifestyle video, we can showcase Jay area facilities, amenities, and the products needed to carve it, ride it, hit it, enjoy it, and achieve the non-corporate indirect marketing that is so highly coveted". That is a pretty concise summary. Now that you are a few years in, how are you finding it has worked? OPK: Jack Daniels has actually written us thank-you letter [Laughs]. No, seriously: “Born in the east, the JPV guys were our bros who became our first grass roots marketing/multi media squad. We sort of built Bern and JPV at the same time. After five years here, I have had the blessed opportunity to work with similar crews from California to Austria and Japan. I have also had the proud opportunity to see JPV become our delta force in the viral online guerrilla marketing war. These guys get it done.”
Josh Walker
Marketing/Team Manager, Bern Unlimited
Most new LodgeTheory members say JPV is how they heard of it. In my book, that says mission accomplished. Maybe we should spend more time on marketing and getting more sponsors? [Laughs]. Besides having a partnership with Jay Peak, who else are you sponsored by? OPK: Bern is the biggest one. We did some work with Spy and Mike’s Electric, locally. Ski Market has continually donated product for our event giveaways. The Roxy girls came out to Portsmouth, New Hampshire last year with some product support, as well. The big new one for this year is Amp energy drinks.
Who is in your crew? OPK: Primary folks are myself, Brian Kelley, Joe Fitzpatrick, Adam Mikaelian, and Dan Gladu, with Patman5000, Matt Tuohy, and Huge Mike Steeves on cameras. Who does the filming? OPK: Pretty much all of us film at one point or another. Patman5000 has been our dedicated camera man and we have a few new guys this year - Matt Tuohy and Huge Mike Steeves. AM: Joe did a lot of filming last year and wants to keep going with it. Patman5000 help us out a ton, he dedicates all of his time with us to strictly filming. Everyone holds the camera multiple times a season and each of us gets a chance to see the entire perspective of what goes into capturing a good shot. 
Who does the editing? OPK: I did all of it in the beginning. In production for Drive last year we had everybody pick a segment and edit it. That was pretty interesting. Drive is a cult classic already; you either love it or hate it. Adam is now taking over as our primary editor. You've made a number of films over the last few winters, including 2006's Kindness and Goodness, 2007's Will Work 4 Powder and 2008's Drive. Now you are putting the final touches on 2009's Someone's Winter? OPK: Yup. We said we would stick to the edit format in the beginning, but, once you have all this footage - it is hard to resist the seasonal offering. Someone’s Winter is a visual essay on facelessness and focuses on nothing but Someone. 
That's deep, Kevin. What were some highlights of last season that will be in the new film? OPK: Adam’s first back flip; my helly-cross grab in a Big Jay seven foot powder hole; getting back to our roots with trips to Sunday River to see old friends and prep for the Dumont Cup. AM: Jay Peak nightlife, yes it does exist! Oh, and 5 feet in 5 days at the end of February; that's all I’m saying. Where do you get the music for your videos? OPK: Joe Fitzpatrick is our sound guy. He trolls the bars and music scene for local acts and unsigned artists. AM: Yeah, Joe will talk to anyone anywhere about anything. Sometimes they have sick music. 
All of these videos are exclusively around the Jay Peak area, right? OPK: Yup. A lot of times we do not say where we are specifically, per backcountry/side country etiquette. AM: Mostly around the Jay area. This past season we went to a lot of other places for competitions around New England, though. We went to the Dumont Cup and the Mad River Glen Unconventional Terrain Comp; both were awesome. What are some of the advantages and challenges of filming in and around Jay? OPK: Advantage: powder and conditions. Challenges: powder and conditions! Blowing snow and cameras don't go well together. We have get up extra early. Often times we've been up late ferrying stuff up to the lodges and/or partying, etc. We stay a mile and half up into Gravity Bowl; our place is only accessible by tracked vehicles. We're constantly buried. Getting the crew up and out to the mountain is probably the hardest part. AM: Where we film is not best terrain in the world but the cool thing about filming here is that it just makes you work harder and be more creative with what you’re doing. The new film is being premiered at the Greatest Bar in Boston on November 19th, right? OPK: Yes. The Greatest Bar is, well, one of the greatest bars, for sure. Michael Kalil is the man. Great place, great time - they always hook it up for us. AM: Yup, it's the first night of the Boston Ski Expo, too! Doors open at 8 pm, come check it out. Live performance, giveaways, and there is a bikini contest right after. Why wouldn’t you go? You guys were putting out regular short edits on Ski The East last winter. As we've all seen with the success of Will Wesson and Andy Parry's Traveling Circus, the edit seems to be the future. You plan on continuing that this winter? OPK: Absolutely. As I've said, the edit was our original production technique. Yet at the same time, we've sort-of succumbed to the seasonal wrap-up video. The web has enabled us (and everyone else) to get stuff out there so quickly. Going forward, we look forward to producing both. AM: We really liked cutting the edits together during the season. Last year we focused on them a lot, which was cool. It enabled us to show the ‘updated’ conditions at Jay. This year we want to focus even more on this. We want to step it up this season find new terrain, showcase what we are doing and what's going on up at Jay. All in HD (well, most of it - the headcams are 720X480 but super rad. There is no other way to show the tight trees unless you have a helicopter). How can people find more information about Jay Peak Video? OPK: Get on the chairlift; lets rip it. AM: JayPeakVideo.com. Also, check out our Facebook and Myspace pages; and we're on Newschoolers. And now, the exclusive peak at JPV's new film, Somone's Winter. 2 replies: Sign In/Register to Reply
BACK TO TOP
Geoff
Burlington, VT
452 posts
LodgeTheory
jay, vt
15 posts