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the movie was absolutely dope. The intro is one of the best intros in recent memory as far as I'm concerned. It was a really clever way to introduce the riders as well as the general vibe and tactics with which these guys approach filming. It gave you a sense as to how important timing and teamwork are when it comes to filming urban, as well as giving an appreciation for how much actually has to go right and what all goes into getting just one workable shot.
Stept are the best storytellers in ski filmmaking right now. What makes them so effective is the visual language, and the tone. So many ski flicks work to beat you over the head with themes, and narration in attempts to shed light on....to put it bluntly....pretty basic concepts. No one needs to be briefed at length on the fact that skiing with friends is fun. Stept touches on many of the same old topics and makes many of the same old observations about skiing and ski culture, but does so in images and sounds that actually resonate and convey those feelings in an entertaining way. It's the difference between direct exposition in a traditional film (white text on a black screen telling the viewer what's going on or a voice over), and developing characters through subtle shots where what's going on is implied and inferred. Basically, stept gives viewers some credit that they'll be able to pick up on things instead of spoon feeding.
The soundtrack is varied, original, and not in the slightest predictable. I thought it paired with the footage in a really positive way and even though I like hip-hop, it's nice to see them go in a different direction, particularly in Cam and and Clayton's parts.
I also think stept does a really effective job of finding visually and aesthetically diverse filming locations. In urban segments, and especially flicks that focus on urban nearly exclusively, they can get monotonous when pretty much the only difference shot to shot is the color and location of the various handrails. It's made worse when segment after segment features the very same locations and setups. In years gone by, you saw one segment, you saw them all because after all, you see one 270 on the same dub kink, it becomes anticlimactic to see a different rider hit the same feature. While there are definitely some features where multiple riders logged shots, for the most part, each segment featured an entirely new set of setups, which I really appreciate.
And, lastly, the "filler" shots as they've been referred to, I found to be exceptional. There's an artistry to establishing context, consequence, and scale when filming urban locations, and they nail it. Sometimes I get annoyed by over the top "here's our artsy shot" pandering, but when used tastefully, it adds a lot to the overall package. For me, they nail that balance and I see this movie appealing even to a casual audience because of the quality of the shots and the editing.
Overall, again, I loved this movie, and even if factors beyond their control (bad snow year, injuries, etc.) limited their output to a small extent, I think what we're left with is something damn impressive.
BUY THIS FLICK.
