Welcome to another in-depth feature on the LUXBMX Journal, as we sort through the maze of personalities within this beautiful BMX landscape. 

Today, we travel overseas, landing in the Arizonan desert of south west America with professional videographer, tall guy and bagel afficionado, Ryan Chadwick. Having held a video camera for more than 20 years now, Chadwick has done the rounds, both as an amateur and a professional as well as in the BMX industry and beyond.

I suppose most of our readership would know of Chadwicks work from his time as videographer/team manager (TM) for The Shadow Conspiracy, producing their 2016 full length project 'What Could Go Wrong?' which featured 3 years worth of work from the entire crew, in a global effort to produce the best quality video for all to witness.   

Anyone involved in a project of this nature knows how much work is required to make it happen, particularly from the producer. It isn't always a positive experience, as we get into with Chadwick - touching on why he eventually left his gig with The Shadow Conspiracy and the circumstances impacting the BMX industry. 

This is an illuminating conversation for anyone interested in the state of BMX and particularly, content creation and media output. 

Link in as we get into the nuts and bolts of BMX videography with Ryan Chadwick.

Before we get too deep into the years at The Shadow Conspiracy, it would be ill practice to ignore the work of the early camera setup being the parents Sony Handicam (Hi-8) and later on, a Panasonic DVX100.

These badboys worked themselves into the ground, with the DVX100 coming into play at the time of college (studying film) which was around the time that the dude started producing his first full-length, legit video projects under the name of 'I Got Work' (which was originally shot as a video for the local bike shop 'Kore Bikes' - and eventually became a Chadwick project). FYI - 'I Got Work' got its name from the filming process occurring between all the crew having full time jobs and being students, hence the oft used phrase when asked if riding was on being 'I got work'. 

As Chadwick details:

"I eventually saved up enough to get the DVX (with a little help from the parents) and that became my main setup for years. It had a Century fisheye lens and it just made me feel so legit. I used that cam to film my first two videos ‘I Got Work’ and ‘I Got Work Strikes Back’ and even had it all the way up until I got the job at Shadow. I actually brought it to Florida and shot a random Shadow Vultus Fork edit with Trey right before we made the switch to HD."

You can sense that Chadwick is full commit, with momentum gathering. Having a connection to Ryan Sher at Subrosa, Chadwick eventually made contact with Ronnie at The Shadow Conspiracy to help distribute his video projects. This then led to a 6 week europe trip which was ultimately a trial for being videographer/TM for The Shadow Conspiracy as well as an interbike gig and lastly, Chadwick being part of a Shadow trip as they came through Arizona. 

The rest is history!

At this point, shit gets serious with The Shadow Conspiracy role, symbolised by the upgrading from SD to HD and a rig which would last a long time and complete some of the dudes seminal work. 

"The HD setup was a Panasonic HMC-150 with a Canon 60D for fish. Those two cameras filmed everything from Trey & Lahsaan’s Shadow Pro edits, to ‘What Could Go Wrong?’, and finally ‘ONE’. 

That combination of cameras, along with the sick handle Jacob Conard made for my fisheye, will always be my favourite. I’ve always tried to keep it simple with my gear. I don’t want to have a million different things to put together before a guy tries something gnarly, I want to be able to pull the camera out and go.

Today, I shoot with a Panasonic GH5s, GH5, and a HC-X1500. I have a DJI Ronin-S gimbal that I use for the cinematic looking stuff I do for Fit Father Project, but I still rock the dad cam + fish for BMX. I actually picked up the HC-X1500 before doing the Trey ‘Barcelona’ video a few years ago, because I was so sick of not having a rocker zoom while filming Simone’s ‘X Games’ vid and Trey’s ‘No Fun’. Having that little guy has made filming so much fun again because I finally have a long lens camera again."

Moving back to the swing from riding as a priority, to filming and managing a team as the priority. I wanted an insight from Chadwick around the dynamic of being videographer/TM, particularly in managing a sensitive position between filming your mates and the responsibility of stacking footage to make the dollars spent, worthwhile.

"If you’re the team manager, you’re the boss. Your goal is to make sure everything goes smoothly and efficiently. You gotta wake the guys up, feed them, drive them to spots, and get them to shop stops on time. You want to maximize every moment and get as much done in as little time as possible so you can spread the worth of that dollar out, all while still handling your normal day-to-day of emails, social media posts, etc. This was a job first and fun second.

As the videographer, you are there to get footage. You’re the hype man, an idea guy, their own personal psychologist. You are at the riders beck and call. Whatever they want, whatever they need, you need to make it happen so that they get the clip. Just keep the positive vibes going by any means necessary. If that means sitting at one spot for four hours, roasting in the sun, so be it.

I never got a break. From the moment I woke up, to the moment I went to bed, I was constantly working. It just wasn’t something that was sustainable. The worst would be when I’d have to come down on a rider for something stupid they did mid trip. I’d go about bringing it up poorly because I was all stressed out, bum the rider out, and then have to turn around and try to hype up that same dude so they’d send themselves for some ridiculous clip.

Eventually, you learn the in’s and out’s of your guys and how to navigate all that tricky stuff. Spending that much time together on the road, working towards one single goal, you experience all sorts of ups and downs. It brings everyone together, regardless of how different you all maybe. You become a family and that’s the one thing I truly miss about working in BMX."

Having experience in this role, I can appreciate the difficulty of being a videographer/TM. It would appear that Chadwick took the role very seriously which is something that I also grappled with, in trying to be fun and on a level with the guys who are on a roadtrip and trying to enjoy themselves, whilst also making sure we don't come home with nothing to show. Chadwick is a professional in this space.

"I always made sure that the dudes understood that this was a job first. They were being paid and there were always going to be expectations that came from that. If we were on a trip and the goal was to film, then I expected them to go out there and give it their all. If we were at a shop stop, I wanted them to ride, hang out with the kids, and sign autographs. If they were home, I was hopeful they would film some insta clips or work on a solo project. My guys were all pretty solid with that stuff. There were always times when clips wouldn’t work out, or the thought of a million kids coming up to them stressed them out, but they still tried their best at every occasion."

Despite the determination and commitment of Chadwick, the videographer/TM role at The Shadow Conspiracy had to come to an end. While this wasn't a major issue at the time, it is notable in that the media output from The Shadow Conspiracy has significantly decreased - which is a shame. 

I've noticed this occurring with another couple of brands and it has made me wonder, is this a coincidence or is something larger happening? Alternatively, there are a couple other brands that absolutely kill it (i.e. Kink, Sunday/Odyssey, BSD, Cult, Federal) which really works to solidify their status and thus reputation and ability to grow. 

I asked Chadwick for his thoughts. 

"I’ve definitely noticed too! Haha. That’s just what happens when you go from having a fulltime in-house video person, to relying on riders and random friends of riders to get you footage.

To me, the whole point of a brand is the team. Very rarely does a kid buy your product because of the part or design, they buy it because they saw one of their favourite riders rocking it and they want to be like that dude. Cult isn’t Cult because of their logo. They’re Cult because they got the top riders on their team, combined them with one of the best filmers to ever touch a camera, and made THAT their image.

It’s a simple formula. It’s what I set out to do with Shadow (and Subrosa when I had the opportunity). I see brands like Odyssey doing the same thing with Krejmas, BSD and Sowerby, Wethepeople and Grant C, Kink and Calvin, etc. Kids want to see RIDING and if you can present that in a well done, cohesive way, you’ll have fans for life. You can put out as many new designs, colors, and parts as you want, but if you aren’t making videos, you are just leaving so, so, so much on the table. Especially in a world that is so content obsessed."

Building on this sentiment, it seemed relevant to highlight that the situation in which Chadwick finds himself, has also been the experience of a handful of other videographers - think Veesh at Cult, Justin Benthien at FIT, Christian Rigal, Dave Sowerby at BSD, Darryl Tocco at Kink, Mike Mastroni at Volume/Demolition. 

I get the sense that behind this transition, in terms of branching out and moving on from BMX, is a sort of 'valuing your work' type situation whereby it simply isn't practical (or feasible) to continue in the BMX industry. Clearly, there is a stark distinction between the value of a videographer in a BMX setting Vs another industry, such as marketing or real estate or tourism, or any other professional/corporate type setting. At some point, the fuel of passion must run out in place of making ends meet and fulfilling the value that one possesses. I wondered if Chadwick related to this experience.

"100%. That stark distinction in value is the other reason I left Shadow. To be brutally honest here, the money in BMX sucks, straight up. Unless you’re an owner, you are basically paying a tax to be a part of the industry. It was a tax I was happy to pay, but as time went on, it just felt like I was putting in way more than I was getting out. It started to become a grind. When industry money got tight, the joy of trips started to turn into dread. It wasn’t just about going out and filming rad shit anymore, I had to think about maximizing every minute to create as much content as I could so we could stretch every penny spent. I was really good at my job, but it took its toll and by the end of it, I pretty much just hated riding, filming, and BMX in general.

I felt I needed something more to justify all the work that I was doing. To feel appreciated for all my years of service. To have some financial stability so I could plan for my future. Just enough so that I could feel like I had a “REAL” job instead of a “BMX” job. Eventually, I worked up enough courage to ask for what I felt I needed and was told that it just wasn’t possible. After that, I started to look around for other opportunities.

I had a friend who worked at Fender Guitars and he put in a good word for me. I got the gig and let Shadow know I would be leaving. It was an incredibly difficult decision, one that I still struggle with to this day, but I know for a fact that it was the right move to make. I didn’t even last long at Fender, It took me all but 6 months to realize an office job is not for me and decided to focus solely on freelance. I’m so glad I did, because after that moment is when I won both an X Games Silver medal and the NORA Cup for Video of the Year. Funny how that works."

It's hard to not feel bummed for both parties. For Chadwick not getting the support and reimbursement becoming of his skills and passion, and for The Shadow Conspiracy (and BMX more broadly) to lose a quality videographer, knowing that if it was possible, it would have happened. Imagine a world in which filming BMX is a fully appreciated and valued role. The more resources in the BMX industry equals more competition which leads to more (quality) videos and with this - BMX grows!

Anyway, this isn't the case, so we do the best with what we have.

As Chadwick mentions above, the gig at Fender only lasted a short while, with the dude finding himself as a videographer/editor for an online mens health and fitness program.

"The new gig is definitely WAY different from anything I ever did in BMX. It’s a lot of editing with much less filming. Originally, it started as a remote gig. My boss would film himself, upload the footage to G-Drive, and then I’d edit and return it. Nowadays, we meet up about once a week for a video shoot where we’ll film advertisements, sales videos, long-form YouTube content, Insta Reels, etc. 

Every so often we’ll do a retreat trip up north to Sedona with some of the members where I’ll do interviews and document the whole experience. Those events are very much like a BMX trip where an eclectic group of like minded individuals come together for a shared experience. You take them out of their element and force them into some tough scenarios where they have to push past their comfort zone to achieve what they set out to do. Basically the same thing as looking at a gnarly set up and coaxing a rider to get down! Haha."

While it may have been a quick departure from the BMX industry, which gave life for so many years, you just know the difficulty around leaving BMX for good. It's not surprising, but Chadwick still has love for the scene. 

"As an outsider looking in, I miss it. Straight up. There’s nothing better than spending life on the road with your buddies, cruising new cities, filming insane footage, eating good food. I do enjoy making a decent living wage, but at the end of the day, no money in the world is going to match all the incredible experiences I’ve had. Like I said before, I understood that I was taking a pay cut to be a part of the industry. I knew enough guys that were in deep to not have any unrealistic expectations of what the job would provide, but as you said, seeing the company flourish can definitely add some ripples. 

Sitting now from an outsider's perspective, I wish I would have appreciated things a bit more. I wish I would have been more relaxed on trips. I could have focused more on enjoying the moment, rather than hyper worrying about all the little things, but that’s where I was at the time."

Hindsight is a bitch. While the tone of this discussion lingered in a state of nostalgia, I wanted to discover which video produced by Chadwick stands as the most special project and why.

"Tough question, but I’d have to say 'What Could Go Wrong?' 

Yeah, I could have chosen ONE because of the NORA Cup or the X Games Real BMX edit with Simone, but making a full-length video was always my number one goal from the moment I was hired at Shadow. Watching the credits reminds me of everything that went into making that video a reality. I think we filmed it over the course of like four years, hundreds of hours of footage, so many trips, so many spots, so many memories. I remember saving clips before Ronnie Bonner even gave me the ok of doing a full-length because I knew it was something I was going to make. It’s just a massive culmination of so much effort on so many different peoples' parts.

Premiering it in NYC with all my friends and family present. Knowing it was being shown in 100+other shops all over the world. Seeing it for sale on the iTunes homepage. Those are all things that I would never have imagined possible when I was just a kid and I will forever be grateful to Ronnie for giving me the opportunity to realize that dream."

Now don't let this sentiment conclude that the dude is done with filming BMX, not the case. As we were working on this discussion, Chadwick was actually travelling to Europe to film with long-time friend, team rider for The Shadow Conspiracy and superbly skilled biker, Simone Barraco. I was interested to know if the move from the BMX industry resulted in a loss of connection to the scene and people in it, such as Simone. 

"Besides living continents apart, Simone and I are just as close as ever! We both started with Shadow and Subrosa around the same time and kind of came up through the ranks together. We met at the first Interbike I worked at for Sparkys and ended up traveling from Vegas to San Diego and Los Angeles for two-weeks of filming. From that moment on we were essentially inseparable, constantly doing stuff together, learning from each other, and just progressing in our respective fields. 

It was an honour for him to pick me as his videographer for the X Games ‘Real BMX’ competition. At that point we had done two full-length parts, countless web videos, and had been filming together for more than 8 years, so it just made sense for us to continue the collaboration. And it really was a collaboration. We worked on every aspect of that project together. From the choice of tricks, to the angles, music, graphics, etc. Everything in that part was a collective effort and I’m very proud of it still to this day. 

Simo is still doing his thing in BCN and is still one of the most creative and unique riders BMX has ever seen. Word on the streets is that he’s got a few new projects in the works, but I can’t say much more than that!"

Wrapping up, I wondered if Chadwick had any final sentiments to leave, after a somewhat bittersweet period with filming. Having gone from youthful passion project, to reality to having to leave it behind and finally, all the way back to semi-youthful passion project with videography continuing to offer a career - just not in BMX. Wild ride!

'In a world full of cameras, the only thing keeping you from being a videographer is you, so get out there and start shooting.' 

Simple and true!

Thanks to Chadwick for his efforts to create this interview, as well as the contributing photographers.