I can’t even believe it, but Keep Drifting Fun won Speedhunters Video of the Year! What absolutely blows my mind is that it beat out Ken Block’s Gymkhana 5, amidst a long list of equally fantastic videos. Incredible!
I am still super honored to have been a part of this project. Both in front of and behind the camera. I’m so proud of what this simple phrase has matured into, and even more proud of all the people who helped make it what it is today (you know who you are). It is truly amazing.And in case you’ve been living under a rock…
Rowdy Road Trip. from Andy Sapp on Vimeo.
The first weekend in October, we all pitched in on a 16-passenger van and trekked up to Nashville for Adam and Alyson Szczuka’s wedding. This is a glimpse at what went on.Special thanks Hertrech Eugene for tag teaming on the shots!
I’ve been eagerly awaiting the full length cut of this story featuring Magnus Walker. It did not disappoint in the slightest. The cinematography is gorgeous, the story is concise, and Magnus as a focal point is just downright interesting. I think it is pretty damn safe to say that I would get along with this dude. WELL. Bravo to all involved in producing this. I think it is outstanding.Read more about Magnus over at Driving Line.
Blackberry Smoke – “Yesterday’s Wine” from Jon Grimson on Vimeo.
Back in May of 2011, I handed footage that I shot of Blackberry Smoke during studio sessions in the summer of 2010 off to Jon Grimson, so that he could edit a music video for CMT. The song, “Yesterday’s Wine”, was originally written by Willie Nelson, and this version of the song was recorded in Nashville with the legendary George Jones and Jamey Johnson.
Fun-fact about my family and George Jones: when we lived in Nashville, we lived in the neighborhood next to him. As Boy Scouts, we were going door-to-door selling M&M candies. Good ol’ George, invited us into his home, and bought all of the candy that my two brothers and I had. ALL of it! So, with that in mind… it is pretty cool to me that so many years later I got to shoot footage that made it’s way into a music video with him in it. Unfortunately, the shots with George and Jamey in it is the only footage NOT shot by me… so I didn’t get to share that story with the man himself.
Regardless, I think this video turned out really cool, and I’m honored to have been a part of it. Very special thanks to Brit Turner for having me along to shoot it, to Richard, Charlie, Paul, and Brandon for always being great to shoot, and to Jon Grimson for editing it all together.Shot using Canon cameras (5DMKII, 7D, and XLH1). Be sure to check out more of my adventures with Blackberry Smoke by clicking here.
Having just passed a kidney stone, I decided to try and shoot the rally, instead of riding the 40+ miles. Since it is impossible to be in more than one place at the same time, I only walked away with five shots from an entire day of shooting, and because of one slow car… I wound up missing the one shot I set out to get. Frustrating, nonetheless… but still fun.
Back in February, I followed my father (David), my brother (Jon), and family friend (Joel) into the warzone of the Tough Mudder to document their battles with the obstacles. Little did I know, I would also basically be running the event to ensure I got to the obstacles before they did. Only in substitution for the obstacles, I was running around the woods all day with massive amounts of camera gear on my back.
This was easily the most difficult day of shooting I have ever been subjected to. Freezing temperatures, doubled with intense winds hospitalized dozens with hypothermia. I had on two pairs of full long-johns coupled with a leather jacket and I was still freezing. I have no idea how anyone could have finished this event. The conditions were THAT brutal.Regardless, I am SUPER proud of my Dad, Jon, and Joel for running in this… AND FINISHING!
2012 Motion Picture Reel from Andy Sapp on Vimeo.
Where do I even start? This is a project that I have been wanting to do for years. On the surface, it is merely a 3-year montage of footage I have shot using my Canon 7D since diving head-first into the realm of DSLR videography. But I feel strongly, that it is impossible to view this video from the surface. In fact, this video pulls you into the very depths of my heart and soul in ways I never thought possible. I stand strong in my conviction that I have never created anything in my life up to this point that harnesses and exposes that very same unfiltered heart and soul. Simply stated… this is the most powerful work I have ever created. Read more
I had a chance to sit down with Will Roegge and Skylar Smith while they were in town for Formula Drift and discuss the current state of the legislation to ban drifting inside Atlanta’s city limits… and really try to touch on why Turner Field is such a special place for drifting.I can’t thank Will and Skylar enough for putting this piece together. It really conveys a strong, positive emotion about the epicenter of our drift community here in Atlanta. Plus, 300FPS slow-motion RED Epic footage in the rain just looks BREATHTAKING.
No words. Just watch. Enjoy.
OR ELSE.
The date is fast approaching, and the time has finally come. Keep Drifting Fun. Fed up with watching fame, money, and sponsorship deals destroying friendship and camaraderie, I coined the phrase in 2008 in total frustration at the tail end of my professional drift career in this video. I saw too many people losing sight of why we got into this crazy sport, so as I made my exit from professional drifting, I wanted to leave with a message. Keep Drifting Fun. OR ELSE.
Little did I know at that time what an impact those three simple words would come to have on the sport (five if you include my threat). It is a simple message that has been embraced around the world… thanks hugely in part to none other than Will Roegge and Joshua Herron. After meeting the two of them, and collaborating with them on the Don’t Stop video and the DMGGMASD2 Video… Will and Josh told me they wanted to make a cross-country grassroots documentary in a Volkswagen Bus along the lines of Slide America. They told me they wanted to call it… “Keep Drifting Fun”. I knew if anyone understood the ethos, and could pull it off right, it was these two. And boy have they ever pulled it off. PROPER. I am incredibly proud of these guys, and VERY honored that they chose this message to spearhead the documentary into something invariably larger than the sum of all those involved.With the help of NOS Energy Drink, the world premiere of WR+Co’s Keep Drifting Fun will be right here in Atlanta on May 10th at the Midtown Arts Cinema… the Thursday night before Round 2 of Formula Drift up at Road Atlanta. There will be two screenings, one at 8pm, and another at 9pm. The entire thing will be available to watch FOR FREE online one week after. That’s right. FREE.
I am VERY proud to be a part of this in so many ways… and cannot wait for the premiere!In case you missed the trailer… it deserves a repost
I still have SOOOO much to write up about this… but this video that BFGoodrich just released should do a good job of explaining things in the meantime. Click the drivers at the end to jump-off to each participant’s personal experience.My edit. Yes, my phone rings in the middle of it.
Have I mentioned that this event was TOTALLY INSANE the production level from this event was OFF THE CHARTS!? If not… I will.
Full write-up SOON.
Pure. Drifting. Awesomeness. I don’t even remember saying that.
Also… what Ryan Tuerck says in this trailer is SO right on. I am forever in debt to this crazy sport for all of the experiences and relationships with incredible people it has bestowed upon me. Real talk.
My excitement level went through the roof when Will and Josh sent me a link to the rough cut of this teaser! I could not wait to sink my teeth into some motion graphics for the piece. I was worried, however… that my schedule wasn’t going to free up to allow me the luxury. Lucky for me, it did! I was eager to try some new things, and help give the teaser a deservingly polished style with the graphics treatment. I am very pleased how they turned out, and cannot wait to work more with Will and Josh on the rest of the project! I am enthralled at the idea of expanding on what I did for this teaser and further developing it into something even stronger for the project.Hats off to Will and Josh for the shots/edit. I really cannot wait to see more!
Where do I even start with this trailer? When I first met Justin and Joe, I remember thinking “these guys have the right attitude”. In case you’re wondering what I mean by that… well… watch the trailer. It hits the nail on the head. This duo obviously loves what they are doing, make a point to have fun doing it, and best of all… don’t take themselves too seriously. Like anyone with a passion for what they do, they have developed their craft and come into their own. The style in this trailer is off the charts, and fun exudes it from every angle possible. It embodies the chaos and energy I love about this crazy sport, while offering a unique look at all if it through the eye and lens of these two. I am so proud of these dudes. SO proud. Needless to say… I cannot wait for this DVD to drop.I don’t think I ever posted this up… but back in April of 2011… I helped them out with an animated intro for their videos. Justin sent me the logo, which was hilariously fun to animate. I even played the riffs to try and make even more over-the-top. Definitely a blast to work on… and I would love a crack at animating their new t-shirt design!
