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INTERVIEW: AMELIA BRODKA DATE: 1/30/12 What are the biggest challenges facing women skaters today? The main challenge is bringing media exposure to the growing level and participation of girls in skateboarding. This lack of media involvement fuels a lack of opportunities for girls who are interested in pursuing skating and keeps it from growing to its full potential. How many women's contest are there now? As for women and girls who skate transition and vert, it looks like the Combi Pool Classic is the only contest for 2012. For the girls who skate street there's X-Games and the Supergirl Jam. I think some small events may happen here and there but for now those look like the only major ones. Do you feel that the Skate Industry is embracing and supporting the woman's sector? There's definitely support coming from the industry, a lot of companies are psyched on girls who can skate well and will flow girls product. But in a lot of ways it seems like there's not much room to progress beyond flow status. A few girls have done it and some companies have officially turned girls pro or promoted the girls they support but it's rare. The irony of that is that female skateboarders or skate enthusiasts are becoming a lucrative demographic. And although there are many skate companies that have girls' shoe or apparel lines, they have yet to successfully market to that demographic. If they did so, for example if they used talented female skateboarders in their ads instead of just models, they would prove to be more enticing to those consumers while also creating opportunities for female skaters. It seems like it would be a win-win situation. What made you want to embark on your film project UNDEREXPOSED? 2011 was a harsh year for women in skateboarding. There were many cutbacks on the already limited opportunities that existed for girls who skateboard. At the same time, the number of females who skate and the level of their skating has been growing rapidly. UNDEREXPOSED asks the marketing and media professionals in the skateboarding industry what the challenges are in promoting women's skateboarding and what can be done to generate more opportunities for girls and women involved in skating. How is your documentary UNDEREXPOSED coming along and what have you learned during the process of making it? I've been slowly chipping away at editing it pretty much every day but there is still more filming, interviewing and compiling of footage to be done (and editing that too, of course). My goal is to have a rough cut by late March and a polished version in May. This project has definitely been a great learning experience. Not only have I gotten the chance to pick some of the greatest brains in the industry, I've learned filming techniques and camera specifics, how to use FinalCut, that a trailer is not allowed to be more than 3 minutes long, that Lance Mountain can always spot a speck of dust on your lens, that today's technology loves to make you lose hours of your life by closing unexpectedly... Having Brian Lynch as the producer has definitely saved the project from some of my naivete...If it weren't for his help and insight I would be horribly lost. Thank you to everyone who has been kind enough to give me their insight on the topic! I've been fortunate enough to meet many supportive people along the way who constantly inspire me to keep working hard to get it done. Thank you!!! |
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| Amelia wears the S-One Kid Helmet. |
