[ JAPANESE / ENGLISH ]

Photo_Yuji Yamada
Special thanks_studio sk4

VHSMAG (V)：　SYMPATHY was released a year after your TIMESCAN 2 part (www.youtube.com/watch?v=oXhb0qZ-8tI). How and when did you start filming?

Ryo Sejiri (R)：　The oldest footage is probably four years old or so. When I was originally working with the Burden crew, I started having Daisuke (Takahashi) on sessions during trips.

V：　How did you team up with Daisuke for this video?

R：　After the trips, if there was a spot I wanted to film, I would contact him and ask him to film. We kept doing that and I started to stack footage and we started talking about making a video part together. It was more of a natural process than having a plan.

V：　What are the thoughts and concepts behind the title?

R：　As we continued, we felt that our thoughts and feelings matched each other. Personally, when I'm passionate about something, not just skating, I have the feeling that there are more and more people nearby who share a similar feeling, even though I can't put it into words. That's how I came up with the title SYMPATHY.

V：　Both TIMESCAN 2 and SYMPATHY were made with independent filmers rather than sponsored videos, what's the best part of working with a particular filmer?

R：　I think it's good to be able to have the pure desire to create something together. I like the fact that we can work with each other to create something good, with no set form, image or deadline, or anything for someone else.

V：　How was working with Daisuke?

R：　I always felt that he was filming me with a particular image in mind. He's a professional. He's very particular, but I like his work, so I trust all the opinions he gives me!

Photo_Kaito Sagawa

V：　I get the impression that you're quite particular about the spots. How did you go about choosing the spots?

R：　When we started filming, I often had spots where I wanted to go from watching videos or asking Daisuke. I relied on him a lot because he knew a lot about spots in areas I wasn’t familiar with. From one point I started thinking that it would be nice to get clips at spots I had found myself, and from then on I just started looking around. I feel that the spots are well-balanced.

V：　The YMO song went so well with your part. How did you decide to use that song?

R：　This was Daisuke's idea. I like it too! It's called "Perspective" and means "Shiten" in Japanese, and I had just drawn a picture titled "Shiten" before that. Everything clicked like, "Sympathy!" We were super stoked (laughs).

V：　What are some of the tricks that stick out?

R：　The front nosebluntslide on the bank felt good. We had to walk through the bushes to get to the spot, and when I took a step into it, it turned out to be like a 20cm pond. I was covered in mud up to my ankles, and I did that trick right after that (laughs).

V：　What was most rewarding and most painful?

R：　There are too many moments that were rewarding. When I look back, I simply feel that I was able to work with a lot of different people. Because we were filming for a long time, the people I used to work with changed depending on the time of year, and through the footage I can remember that time and share it with everyone. The hardest part was that it was difficult to film the ender and I didn't know when we would be able to get the part out.

V：　Yeah, rumor has it that ender was taken over a span of a couple years.

R：　I went twice to the ender spot I originally wanted to film at, but I couldn't make it... After that, that spot was gone. It took me a while to think of another spot, and when I found that spot, I thought "this is it." I was really scared because I couldn't get my stance right after the first ollie, but Daisuke pushed me, Iseki was there to take photos, and Sora Negishi was there for the second angle. I felt like I had no choice but to do it (laughs).

V：　Now that SYMPATHY is live, what do you think about the filming?

R：　I'm glad I took the time. Nowadays, new footage is uploaded every day and I wanted to get it out as soon as possible, but I didn't know if I would be able to work on a part that takes a decent amount of time. It took a long time, but I'm glad that I was able to complete the part by facing the best I could do at the moment.

V：　Well done. What's next for you?

R：　We're working on an Element video and I'm starting to film for that. I also have another part that should be out by the end of this year or the beginning of next year.

Ryo Sejiri
@ryosejiri

Born 1996, Tokyo. Ryo is one of the pioneers who opened the door to the world with switch-based technical tricks. His parts include Far East Flow and TIMESCAN 2. He's currently also active as an artist.