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BANGERANG! A video by DW
Daniel Wheatly's latest video project is called Bangerang! If you have been paying attention you may have seen various snippets online featuring the anticts of DW, Ryan O'Connor, Bert Wooton and friends sailing across the land pillaging spots in search of bangers.
If you haven't had the pleasure you are in luck because in effort to keep the world connected, Myspace has enabled DW to post lots of photos and clips documenting all the random behind the scenes hilarity and absurdity.
In addition to clips and pics, I thought it might be fun to interview DW about his video, and the questionable company he keeps here on southskate.com. I hope you enjoy. Here goes...
DW, I hear you are the new nerd over at USS replacing Derek Percoski as web guy, filmer guy, team manager guy etc... How are you going to fill such big shoes? I definitely don't think I could even fill his shoes. Derek was super involved with team stuff, video stuff, Orlando's scene, so it is definitely hard when you look at it like that. When he left, I just sort of took his place at USS, but a lot has changed since a good year ago, like there is not really a "team" anymore, there isn't a USS video being worked on, there's no I-Drive store, etc. It's a whole lot more low key you could say. But I love my job, and it is all thanks to Derek that I get to have such a fun easy way to get paid.
So why do you hate Derek so bad that you would steal his job and run him out of town? What did he ever do to you? Haha, nothing like that happened. After buddy, BUDDY came out, I started to tag along with that group of dudes, and from my experience, it was pretty much like a group of friends slowly parting ways to go on to other things. Some went off to college, some stayed and met up at Howard every saturday. Eventually, I brought Bert and Dylan along, and the crew slowly evolved into Derek Perc, Andrew Nedimyer, Rodney, Wes, O'Connor, Myself, Bert, and then whoever else that we liked tagged along. After a while, Wes moved to Seattle, Andrew stopped showing up, etc. Our buddy Chad Robinson moved out to Colorado to teach, and Derek had the opportunity to move out there and get a job, and he had someone he knew who skated to potentially hang with, and he just went for it. He had been here in Orlando for years, I could definitely see wanting something new after so long in one spot. He seems to be doing good, we're going to visit him in the Spring for a little skate mission, so it's all good. Derek is the man
Explain to everyone what all you do for USS and the team.
After Spotless was done, some of the guys went on to do better things, try and make it a little farther as far as sponsorship goes, and I'm glad. Fred and Steve have some potential, and USS is only gonna take you so far. Other kids just sort of flaked, as flakes tend to do, and then it was just Bert, hahaha. Derek put some kids who hung at the I-Drive location, like Petey. There was a little bit of a team going on again, then Derek kind of just packed up and split. So i was on board, knew none of the kids, and basically by then Todd(USS Owner) was just sort of over the "team" deal, so everyone but Bert stopped getting the little bit of a hook up. It has been low key ever since. As far as the team manager thing goes, I basically just get to deal with all the kids who want free stuff. I tell 'em "bring me your dvd dude, I will check it out, if you're good enough we will talk about flowing you some boards or something." Some kids come back with a dvd that I do watch, most don't get a call back, but the ones who are in the shop a lot, I will tell them "keep it up, buddy" or some other inspirational words, haha. The only kids who get product more frequently are Bert, and Dylan Ferguson. Long answers, I apologize..
So you're video is called "BANGERANG" and I loved the name as soon as I heard it. Explain why you chose this name.
Thank you! I wish I was the genius behind the name, but it was Bert. I started skating with him around 10th grade, he would always make little movies with his little shitty camera, and once he got into skating, it was just this little video name that he came up with. His favorite movie is "Hook", so that is where the actually word came from. Kids from Chuluota(pronounced Chili-Ota, and is a woodsy semi-redneck area that city people consider "the country") have too much free time, haha. Bert really does have too much time on his hands, that is why he got so good at skating, haha, only kidding Bert.
Is "BANGERANG" the next USS video?
No! I get that a lot, but it isn't. I just work there, and am the video guy. It is a private project, I might look for a little bit of sponsorship when it comes time to make copies though..
Tell us who we can expect full parts from in BANGERANG.
Good question, I was waiting for this one. Here is the line-up:
Corey Lindholm
Eric Carter
Cody Lucas and SDP
Ryan O'Connor
Mike Gratz
Jake Martinez
Bert Wootton
and is Co-Starring Dylan Ferguson and Rodney
SDP is the gang who made Share The Streets, a video from southFL. Cody's is going to have a full part with Ian Rosenberg, Matt Webster, and Scott Hensel guest footage in the middle of it.
What are some of the cities you've been to while filming this video?
We have really been all over. We don't go to these places filming for the video though. We do a summer trip every year, to somewhere that looks fun for all of us to skate. I am sure I am the only one with the video in mind the whole time, but it is just to go somewhere new, meet some locals, skate some amazing spots, and the camera is there to get anything worth catching on film. In the past couple years it has been Boston, New York City, Philly, Jacksonville, Miami, and some randoms along the way. We have Denver planned for Spring, and Seattle and Boston planned for summer. By then we are going to try and finish up the video! Best trips I have ever been on in my entire life, my friends are amazing.
Do you have any entertaining stories from the road?
Boy do I! Wow, this is going to be such a long one. Okay, so Gratz finds this place in Boston to stay called The Farrington Inn. It is this three story house in the middle of a not-so-great Boston neighborhood. We get there, a guy lets us in, we all are staying in one room, and the owner just splits. We have one key to get in, so when we get home from skating all the butter spots, the few of us with girlfriends are all outside talking to them on the phone. I go up first, and Bert comes up second. Mike and Cody are still down stairs. Mike calls us on the phone to come down and let him in, because we only have one key. Earlier that day Bert got naked and hid in mikes bed, Mike comes in and is like Bert get out, rips the sheets off to have naked hairy Bert in the bed. Back to the story, so I go Bert I'll pay you 12 bucks to run down the stairs naked to let mike in! He goes, OF COURSE ILL DO IT! and proceeds to run through the "hotel" naked yelling down three stories and lets mike in, who is now totally bummed to be seeing bert naked for the second time, hahaha. then Cody calls to be let in and it happens all over again. Good times. I have soo many stories, next interview Ill give you another.
How much money have you spent on camera repair thanks to Ryan O'Conner? There has been so many close calls, that specific clip from the Ocon Promo the board actually hit me in the head, Thank God. But I take good care of my camera, no direct boards to the lens..Yet..
Who would win in a fist fight: Ryan or Bert? (My money is on Bert.)
My money would probably be on Bert too, Bert has been in his fair share of fights, he really isn't afraid of anyone. Most of the fights he has been in were more than likely his fault though. Bert talks all sorts of shit to the Bros, or dick head security guards, random dudes. They all get pissed and expect this little bearded skate rat to back off, but Bert just walks up, and always screams "FUCK YOU, BITCH", hahahaha. 90% of the time, the guy backs down, we get in on film, but sometimes the guy is like what dude, and Bert steps up, and then the guy says "It's not worth it, BRO" Bert doesnt go looking for fights or nothing, he just stands up for himself.
Is skateboarding harder when you are 7 ft tall? (sorry had to do it!)
um, i'd probably say different rather than hard. skateboarding is hard regardless of your height, haha. i definitely notice time when i'm standing there just cruising, then i don't pay attention for a moment and i lose my balance. short people have better balance than us giants. also footage looks much different compared to a shorter person. i feel like when i see footage of myself it looks like i'm creeping, but when i look down at my board it seems like i'm going fast. also i make the ledges look like curbs, that is a little unfair.
What do you think of the filming scene in Central Florida currently? The filming scene in general? Ok, this is gonna take a second. currently i think the central florida filming scene AND the filming scene in general is pretty wack. there are so many skaters and filmers now that it seems like you HAVE to film. every kid has a the VX whatever-thousand, the DVX to film the artsy shots, then they just got the new HD to film the SUPER artsy shots. it seems like people won't even go skate without it, and that sucks. another huge reason is the kind of filmer dudes that could give less of a shit who they are skating with as long as the dude they are filming is good/doing a good trick. that is partially what is ruining skateboarding in my opinion. there are tons of these kids that are strictly "the filmer" and their entire purpose in skateboarding is to film. they have that "i'm the best filmer" attitude, ya know? then on top of being incredibly lame, they don't even skate. they only bring the filmer board..ONLY. i just hate that.
it seems like a lot of times they become "that kid" because they weren't especially amazing at skating, so they say to themselves "man getting good at this skating thing is hard, but look my parents can just get me this expensive camera and this big lens and now i'm cool! this is way easier than getting good at skating!" it just bums me out, you skateboard because it's fun. filming is not very much fun. there are so many times when i just want to throw the camera in the air and scream "FUCK THIS!" and just go skate, but then i remember i'm trying to make a video, and the camera is expensive..
that feeling of waking up saturday morning, just knowing that you are going skateboarding, and going out and trying tricks with your friends, playing skate, etc. is the best feeling in the world. i almost feel bad for the strictly filmer kids, because it seems like they have a job waiting for them every saturday
Word association time!
Ovideo 17: i went to school there/heard it was kickflipped
Guitar Hero: dance dance revolution for your fingers/occasionally fun
"The Life of Ryan": BRO!
College: im gonna be a teacher
Basketball: fun with the buddies, not fun when i get asked if i play by every human that walks by me
Denver: best free park ever
Metro: legendary, good flat ground, good setup, good memories
Wife beaters (shirts): people look stupid in 'em, but sometimes it's just that hot out.
Cool guys: my buddies
For more video clips, pictures, pirate posters and such go to the Bangerang! Myspace and look for Bangerang! to drop very soon!
