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Tuesday,
January 1st, 2008
"Happy New Year!"
Filming for
"The KROC Show" (Photo by Scott
Lukaitis)
2008
is here! 2007 was a great year for HG Films. I had a lot of fun this
year doing more short videos for you all and also, explored new things
along the way to make your experience at HG Films a great one! After
three years of filming, I am really excited to see how far I have
come from filming my first local race at Blue Diamond back in April
2005 to now, with my latest DVD, "Moto Xposure 3: The Xposure
Continues". Everything just seems to come by so quickly but I
have enjoyed every minute of it! Let's go through some of the highlights
for HG Films through 2007.
The
result of my night at the Mohegan Sun.
Boo
Koo AX Series - Mohegan Sun Casino, Connecticut
The final round (ever, sadly to say) of the Boo Koo AX series was
my first big race of 2007 and it was sure an exciting one. I had a
lot of fun hanging around the casino and enjoying the entire resort.
(Note: I turned 21 about a month before the event.) I was there filming
a short video for the folks at Shift Racing on their top arenacross
athletes, Tyler Bowers and Zach Ames. I have shot photos at many arenacrosses
before but this was the first time I was able to get a video camera
down on the floor and film the craziness of arenacross. This was my
first (and again, sadly, last) Boo Koo arenacross and I loved their
entire program. Mike Kidd and the hard working crew knew how to put
on a show and the track itself was the best looking arenacross course
I ever saw. So, I filmed most of practice (mostly focusing on Bowers
and Ames) and got a lot of great shots leading into the night program.
The night's racing was amazing and the huge crowd on hand were for
sure loving the action happening on the arena floor. After filming
the 250F main, I decided to get some extra footage of the pit bike
main event. This ended up being a not so great idea as I felt more
than just close to the racing action on the floor. On the white flag
of the main event, I was filming across the track and suddenly, a
rider battling for position decided to not get the rider but get me
standing on the first turn! Now, I have had lots of close calls the
past 4-5 years but this was the first time I actually got hit. (Oh
darn, I broke the streak!) I got hit pretty hard and flew my ever-so-precious
video camera out of my hands and onto the arena floor. Thanks to the
film god, my camera only suffered a busted piece of plastic on the
handle that did not affect the camera and it still works to this day!
I, myself, was not too lucky as I hobbled to the tunnel holding my
elbow and my semi-wrecked camera. I couldn't move my elbow at first
and felt like I broke it. The EMTs checked it out and decided to send
me to the ER to get it checked out. It did hurt pretty bad, and I
can deal with pain pretty good thanks to my numerous dirt scooter
accidents. After sitting in there for a few hours, waiting....and
waiting....and waiting, the people in the those white jackets (doctors
I guess) said it was just a bad contusion (bruise). I got a HUGE cast
on my arm and that was not fun to have on for two weeks. That wasn't
fun but I got what I needed (the footage, not the injury!) for Shift's
latest video and you can check out my hard earned video at their site
(www.shiftracing.com) .
Also! Check out Moto Xposure 3 to see the whole accident happen as
I was recording when it happend! Another ALSO!! Thanks to the Mohegan
Sun limo driver for driving me back to my truck parked at the resort
in style!
Filming at
the Doublin Gap LL Youth Regional (Photo by Kaelyn Sheedy)
Weekly
Videos and Rider Spotlights
At HG Films, everyone likes to see the weekly videos from the previous
weekend of racing. It has been a regular deal ever since I started
filming. Everyone asks me, "Finish the video yet?", "Is
the video up yet?", "Are you making a video for this weekend?",
and many other questions like that. It does take lots of time to capture
and edit the footage for each week and I put twice the work on myself
this year by doing a new feature called "HG Films Rider Spotlights",
which are rider profiles on some of the top racing talent from that
weekend of racing. I got into a roll with the Rider Spotlight videos
for the first number of weeks but more work piled on and piled on
like a cascading snowball. They were fun to do and you can check out
some new Rider Spotlights in Moto Xposure 3, that are not featured
on the site! But the videos that grabbed a huge number of hits were
the Budds Creek LL Area Qualifier, Unadilla LL Amateur Regional Qualifier,
and Tomahawk LL Area Qualifier. You can check out all the videos from
2007 (along with the Rider Spotlights) on my neato "Videos"
page at the left! The racers and fans alike love to see these videos
and I, hopefully, plan on doing the same in 2008.
World
Mini Grand Prix
I have been to Vegas three times before (3 US Opens) but this was
my first time to the NMA's World Mini Grand Prix at the Las Vegas
Motor Speedway. I had a week off of work and decided to make the trip
out there to see what the race was all about. Not many Northeast racers
were there but the handful that made it there (Lowell Spangler, Jay
Weller, Garret Toth, Nick Desiderio....) sure made one long trip to
this desert hot spot. I decided to do a daily video update feature
on my site for the first time. I wanted to do something different
that I haven't attempted before. After many long nights editing, converting,
designing, and posting on the internet, the videos were a smash hit
as it grossed the highest number of hits HG Films has ever had on
the site! During that week, the site was generating well over 100,000
hits in that one week period. Amateur
MX stepped up at the World Mini and supported my solo project
that week and it couldn't have been a great success without them.
It was impressive and you (yes, YOU) made it possible and thank you
for checking out the videos. You can check them out in the "Videos"
gallery for the time being. I plan on going back there in 2008 and
you'll have to wait and see how I'll do them this year!
Filming AMA Motocross Champion Grant Langston at Unadilla.
(Photo by Brian Wilcox)
Racer
X Motocross Show
The 1st season of the Racer X Motocross Show was a big hit around
the country and the world. Davey Coombs went all out to get the shows
and webcasts as best as he can to give the fans what they wanted!
More motocross!! DC, along with Wes Williams and Robb Swiatek, were
kind to hook me up and get me out there to help film for these shows
and give them a helping hand. I was able to make the trip to Budds
Creek, Red Bud, Unadilla, and Steel City rounds. It was just surreal
after the Budds Creek race just knowing that I was filming a pro national;
something that not many people do. I have shot photos at many pro
nationals before but this was a first in the filming department. I
knew basically what happens on the other side of the fence but with
this show, it was just amazing to meet people I never thought I'd
ever meet and be able to help out with such a great show. I got some
amazing shots during those four nationals I went to and was more than
happy to contribute and make the show better any way I can. You can
check out the shows at live.motocross.com.
Thanks DC and everyone at Racer
X for the opportunity!
Loretta
Lynn's 2007
2007 marked the fourth trip for me to Loretta Lynn's ranch in Tennessee.
Every year, I tell my boss at UPS to give me the first week in August
off....no matter what! I barely got away with it for 2008 but I will
be back there again! Loretta Lynn's is just an amazing event. There
is nothing like it out there. Thousands of racers going through numerous
qualifiers to have a chance at racing the 42 top racers in the country
in their class is just awesome. The event is a pure paradise for any
hardcore amateur motocross racer (or fan) out there. Every kid's dream
is to make it there but also to hold that #1 plate up high after three
20 minute motos at the end of the week. This year, I filmed the race
for Moto Xposure 3 and it sure was exciting to see how the Northest
racers did against the rest of the country. Some did very well. Some
didn't have lady luck on his/her side. But each one of them knew how
much work and dedication it takes to make it to this prestigious event.
Just like the World Mini's, I did a daily update feature from the
Loretta Lynn's ranch that you can see on the "Videos" link
on the left. You can check out all action I got on film that you won't
see online in Moto Xposure 3!
"The KROC Show" - Racer X Films
The
KROC Show
The Kawasaki Race of Champions from Old Bridge Township Raceway Park
near Englishtown, New Jersey is a race I always attend. This race
is very special to me. Not only is this big event an hour down the
road from where I live. This is also where I saw my first motocross
race in person (1998). The event is now 31 years young and still striving
strong! For 2007, I wanted to do something that the KROC has never
had before and also, something I had never done before....host and
produce my own show. After some experience with the Racer X Motocross
Show, I tried my hand at doing a two-part show each night from Raceway
Park. The show was a huge success and I'd like to thank the people
who were involved. Rich Schmidt, Raceway Park's MX Track Manager,
for allowing me the chance to prove myself and show what the KROC
is all about. Rich Trevelise, Raceway Park's MX announcer, for making
me look like a complete spode at talking into a mic all weekend! You
did a great job!!! Brett Hayes for putting an extra camera out there
on the track so I would take it easy and focus more on the show. The
guests who were kind enough to give their perspectives of the KROC
on the show that include, Mike Napp (Owner of Raceway Park), Harold
Glissen, and Mickey Kessler. Don Heider for allowing me to use some
retro KROC footage from the mid 80s for the show. Jay Irwin and Scott
Lukaitis for helping out with the history of the race and everything
in between. You can check out The KROC Show in the archives at Racer
X Films! Thank you all and I'll be back to KROC in 2008!
Moto Xposure 3 Cover (Designed by Mad Designs)
Moto Xposure Video Series
The Moto Xposure video series is what I focus on more than
anything. This all the hard work I do throughout the year and put
it all onto one DVD. The series "xposes" the best of the
Northeast motocross scene. From the little 50cc kids to the oldies
rolling around in the Vet classes, I try to get everyone in the video
that deserves a spot. It's tough for me to see these racers work so
hard during the week and on race day to just get a 1-2 foot of pure
shiny plastic. Throughout the last three years, I do my best to scout
out the hard working racers who have been through the highest of highs
to the lowest of lows to be where they are at now. It's all about
progression for these riders and just to see that is amazing in of
itself. You can check out a racer from Moto Xposure 1 and see them
in Moto Xposure 3 and see how far they have come. It is all about
"xposure" and trying to help get these racers' names out
there. I have been in there shoes before and I know that just a little
"xposure" can go a long way. And these videos have done
very well over the past three years, thanks to Impact Video for distributing
the video and numerous of other supporters! Moto Xposure 3 has only
been out for 3 weeks and already this video is about surpass the last
two videos I have had out....COMBINED! For 2008, I am having a "Moto
Xposure 3 Release Tour" throughout the year and this winter,
I plan on hitting selected award banquets around the Northeast to
show off the video more and get the Moto Xposure name out there. I
am also drawing up plans for an at-the-track setup at the races each
weekend so you can check out my videos and numerous of other cool
things that I plan on doing at the races! You can check out more updates
and features at the official movie site of Moto Xposure 3 at http://www.motoxposure.com/3.
Eating at Pleasure
Valley (Photo by Kaelyn Sheedy)
Well,
there goes 2007. It has been a great year. HG Films is growing bigger
and bigger and for 2008, I will be stepping it up A LOT to prove what
I got and also, do the best I can to offer you the best videos out
there in the motocross industry. There will be a lot of surprises
and new things you will see happening with HG Films! I can't wait
to get the year rolling and show off what's in store for 08. I can't
say much more..........so there you have it!
Check
back here for more "Blurbs" and updates in the very near
future and don't forget to head to the HG
Films Vendor's Row to see the entire line of Moto Xposure videos!
Happy
New Year!
-Woz
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