I (Kyle Carlson) and Vital BMX contributor Ryan Galvan recently checked out Mutiny's new video, Let's Get Mystical. We each wrote a bit up about what we though of the video. My review is first, followed by Ryan's. REVIEW #1 - Kyle Carlson
Mutiny sent over a copy of Let's Get Mystical for me to check out. Obviously, I had pretty high expectations. Mutiny and Joe Simon have a very high reputation when it comes to BMX videos and there are a lot of fresh faces on the team that I haven't seen much from.
When I first started watching the video I quickly realized it was a video that documented team trips to a few different areas. I was expecting a stereotypical team video featuring sections from all of the riders, and that's not what this is. This is definitely not a bad thing, I was just caught slightly off guard.
I guess I'll get right to the good parts...
As I had anticipated, the filming/editing is on point. Joe Simon comes through once again with beautiful camera work and proper usage of all of the tools he uses. Visually, my favorite section was the Northwest trip. As corny as it sounds, some of the shots made me feel like I was actually there.
The team shreds. No surprises here. Ryan Smith and Matt Roe have awesome style, Hanson Little jumps a limousine, Justin Simpson isn't scared, Andy Martinez does some big stuff, etc.
Brandon Hoerres. I've always been a Brandon Hoerres fan, and he has a couple of amazing clips in this video. Decade drop? Check!
And, to me, the biggest highlight of the video.... GEORGE BOYD. Seriously, I knew little to nothing about George Boyd going into this video and WOW! He's ridiculous. I think 80% of the clips I had to rewind and watch again are of him. I look forward to seeing a lot more of George.
The bad parts...
There really aren't too many bad parts to this video. A lot of spots are repetitive because it's a trip video. Also, if you really want to get critical, most of the riding isn't quite on par with videos like End Search or Nike 6.0's Writing on the Wall.
As a whole, the video is a good watch. It's should be a must have for all BMX videographers out there, and would be a nice addition to the collection of any rider.
REVIEW #2 - Ryan Galvan
Mutiny sent over a copy of Let's Get Mystical for me to check out. Obviously, I had pretty high expectations. Mutiny and Joe Simon have a very high reputation when it comes to BMX videos and there are a lot of fresh faces on the team that I haven't seen much from.
When I first started watching the video I quickly realized it was a video that documented team trips to a few different areas. I was expecting a stereotypical team video featuring sections from all of the riders, and that's not what this is. This is definitely not a bad thing, I was just caught slightly off guard.
I guess I'll get right to the good parts...
As I had anticipated, the filming/editing is on point. Joe Simon comes through once again with beautiful camera work and proper usage of all of the tools he uses. Visually, my favorite section was the Northwest trip. As corny as it sounds, some of the shots made me feel like I was actually there.
The team shreds. No surprises here. Ryan Smith and Matt Roe have awesome style, Hanson Little jumps a limousine, Justin Simpson isn't scared, Andy Martinez does some big stuff, etc.
Brandon Hoerres. I've always been a Brandon Hoerres fan, and he has a couple of amazing clips in this video. Decade drop? Check!
And, to me, the biggest highlight of the video.... GEORGE BOYD. Seriously, I knew little to nothing about George Boyd going into this video and WOW! He's ridiculous. I think 80% of the clips I had to rewind and watch again are of him. I look forward to seeing a lot more of George.
The bad parts...
There really aren't too many bad parts to this video. A lot of spots are repetitive because it's a trip video. Also, if you really want to get critical, most of the riding isn't quite on par with videos like End Search or Nike 6.0's Writing on the Wall.
As a whole, the video is a good watch. It's should be a must have for all BMX videographers out there, and would be a nice addition to the collection of any rider.
REVIEW #2 - Ryan Galvan
Let me start by saying that Mutiny's Stoked on Being Pumped is one of my favorite bmx videos of all time. Joe Simon is one of the best cinematographers in the bmx industry. This is definitely something rare to hear because there are few filmers in our industry that I would designate as cinematographers. He truly is an artist and his work must be appreciated as art. His latest work, Let's Get Mystical, only expresses this fact even more clearly. He raised the bar on bmx film making with SOBP by using tools and techniques seen in many art film projects, from his wedding films, to the set of the latest Hollywood blockbuster. Some examples of this would be his use of Glidecam stabilizer systems and Cinevate cranes and dollies. In LGM, he took it a step further by using a collaboration of not only state of the art HD technology but also beautiful 16mm and 8mm film stock.
The concept behind LGM is based around several road-trips the Mutiny team took around America and Europe this year. Despite them going on these trips, the bmx community stayed pretty ignorant that anything was going on until about a month ago. Instead of the typical rider specific video parts, the film is broken into chapters, each designating a new region and a new trip. However the video still contains an artsy side with several B-roll montages, which add so much worth to any Joe Simon production. Who can forget the beautifully done slow-motion montage and final mix section in SOBP? These portions of the film are not meant to showcase the riding skill levels, so to speak, but more geared to showcasing the beauty of everything that surrounds the riding, something commonly forgotten until the transition to HD film making. This video includes the whole American Mutiny team: Brandon Hoerres, Hanson Little, Justin Simpson, Ryan Smith, Randy Taylor, George Boyd, and Andy Martinez, along with a few UK members including Josh Bedford and the legendary kook Mat Roe. Also along for the first part of the ride are ex-Mutiny members Niki Croft and Morgan Wade. It was great of Joe to see the importance of the work that Niki and Morgan put in for his video and I'm glad that this was not another example of sponsor changes causing a loss of good footage forever.
Every riders individual style is showcased throughout the video even with the lack of full rider sections. Standouts include the flow team rider George Boyd for one. He impressed me throughout the whole video and I see a bright future for this young rider. He is super tech and has many street lines, which he makes look so simple that you have to go back and look again to appreciate what happened a second time. Those looking back to SOBP may be expecting to see more of Hanson Little jumping every seemingly impossible gap in sight at high speed. Trust me, you will not be disappointed. Mat Roe showcases his tech tricks with lots of impressive style. I could watch his footage all day, be it bangers or B-roll. Justin Simpson also did well in showing off his I-don’t-care-about-my-physical-health style.
Standout chapters include a sweet film stock trails section with UK rider Robbo in Pennsylvania. There is nothing that motivates me to ride like a chill trails video and this section is no different. Robbo definitely has a sweet style. The second half of the Midwest section has an awesome vibe with a Soulja Boy rap track laid down and plenty of big tricks and lifestyle clips thrown in for good measure. You really pick up on the fun vibe I'm sure these guys shared while out traveling and filming for this video. The Texas section is my favorite for sure. You truly get the feeling that this is representative of just another day out riding with friends. Big show stopping clips are frequent but you also get the impression from some of it that these riders are just a bunch of friends out filming each other for a local scene video (filming each other very well however) while out sessioning a few spots. This chapter really hit a perfect balance of business tricks and fun, everyday, riding. Also, you better believe that Joe took advantage of Texas being the hometown and took the time to make sure the filming of every clip was planned out perfectly. This is definitely some of his best work yet. The main video ends with an awesome mix section of apparent bangers that the team can definitely be proud of. A title card and a few awesome mix sections of leftovers and b-roll follow this.
After reviewing my favorite moments from this film, I have to conclude that this is another all around excellent bmx film from Joe Simon and a great follow up to SOBP. Is every clip a jaw-dropping stunt or life changing aerial maneuver that will change bmx forever? No, but that is not what I think Joe and Mutiny are all about. They are about showcasing bmx as core as possible. Bmx isn't always about who can do the biggest tricks or make the most money its about sharing fun, laughs and adventures on your bike with your friends and Mutiny hit the nail right on the head in this video. I will definitely be getting my own copy of Let's Get Mystical and making it one of my staple videos to watch before any day out sessioning with my homies. I suggest you go out and do the same.
The concept behind LGM is based around several road-trips the Mutiny team took around America and Europe this year. Despite them going on these trips, the bmx community stayed pretty ignorant that anything was going on until about a month ago. Instead of the typical rider specific video parts, the film is broken into chapters, each designating a new region and a new trip. However the video still contains an artsy side with several B-roll montages, which add so much worth to any Joe Simon production. Who can forget the beautifully done slow-motion montage and final mix section in SOBP? These portions of the film are not meant to showcase the riding skill levels, so to speak, but more geared to showcasing the beauty of everything that surrounds the riding, something commonly forgotten until the transition to HD film making. This video includes the whole American Mutiny team: Brandon Hoerres, Hanson Little, Justin Simpson, Ryan Smith, Randy Taylor, George Boyd, and Andy Martinez, along with a few UK members including Josh Bedford and the legendary kook Mat Roe. Also along for the first part of the ride are ex-Mutiny members Niki Croft and Morgan Wade. It was great of Joe to see the importance of the work that Niki and Morgan put in for his video and I'm glad that this was not another example of sponsor changes causing a loss of good footage forever.
Every riders individual style is showcased throughout the video even with the lack of full rider sections. Standouts include the flow team rider George Boyd for one. He impressed me throughout the whole video and I see a bright future for this young rider. He is super tech and has many street lines, which he makes look so simple that you have to go back and look again to appreciate what happened a second time. Those looking back to SOBP may be expecting to see more of Hanson Little jumping every seemingly impossible gap in sight at high speed. Trust me, you will not be disappointed. Mat Roe showcases his tech tricks with lots of impressive style. I could watch his footage all day, be it bangers or B-roll. Justin Simpson also did well in showing off his I-don’t-care-about-my-physical-health style.
Standout chapters include a sweet film stock trails section with UK rider Robbo in Pennsylvania. There is nothing that motivates me to ride like a chill trails video and this section is no different. Robbo definitely has a sweet style. The second half of the Midwest section has an awesome vibe with a Soulja Boy rap track laid down and plenty of big tricks and lifestyle clips thrown in for good measure. You really pick up on the fun vibe I'm sure these guys shared while out traveling and filming for this video. The Texas section is my favorite for sure. You truly get the feeling that this is representative of just another day out riding with friends. Big show stopping clips are frequent but you also get the impression from some of it that these riders are just a bunch of friends out filming each other for a local scene video (filming each other very well however) while out sessioning a few spots. This chapter really hit a perfect balance of business tricks and fun, everyday, riding. Also, you better believe that Joe took advantage of Texas being the hometown and took the time to make sure the filming of every clip was planned out perfectly. This is definitely some of his best work yet. The main video ends with an awesome mix section of apparent bangers that the team can definitely be proud of. A title card and a few awesome mix sections of leftovers and b-roll follow this.
After reviewing my favorite moments from this film, I have to conclude that this is another all around excellent bmx film from Joe Simon and a great follow up to SOBP. Is every clip a jaw-dropping stunt or life changing aerial maneuver that will change bmx forever? No, but that is not what I think Joe and Mutiny are all about. They are about showcasing bmx as core as possible. Bmx isn't always about who can do the biggest tricks or make the most money its about sharing fun, laughs and adventures on your bike with your friends and Mutiny hit the nail right on the head in this video. I will definitely be getting my own copy of Let's Get Mystical and making it one of my staple videos to watch before any day out sessioning with my homies. I suggest you go out and do the same.
hopefully we can start getting them in good old blighty soon enough