Creating a truly memorable skate video is an elusive art, not a formula. While the internet might offer tips, tricks, and even satirical takes on the subject, the reality is that a good skate video is something you feel, not something you can easily replicate. To understand this better, let’s delve into the work of Cooper Winterson, a filmmaker whose unique approach has resonated deeply within the indie skate scene. His videos, like m/, Ether, and Heady Mental, along with his latest, The Sex Emo Promo: The Video, showcase his distinctive style, which emphasizes feeling over technical perfection. We talked with Cooper about his creative process, his musical influences, and his unique perspective on skateboarding and filmmaking.
Cooper Winterson, a filmmaker known for his unique approach to skate videos.
So, are you vegan?
[Laughs] No, I’m a pescatarian.You seem like someone who would be vegan.
Not totally off [laughs]. I don’t eat mammals. I eat fish and dairy, which I have been doing since I was like 12.
A close-up portrait of Cooper Winterson, highlighting his laid-back demeanor.
Your video, m/, came out about ten years ago. Did you think people would still care about it today?
Honestly, I didn’t, and it’s still bizarre when people tell me they love it. It feels like a lifetime ago. It’s weird how long I’ve been doing this because it’s not my career per se. That might change soon, but more on that later. If you create something, it will get a response. People will watch it, and someone will be stoked. You’d almost have to try to make a skate video that everyone hates [laughs]. That would be quite a feat, actually.
Could you actually make a skate video that 100% of viewers hate?
Now I almost want to try. It’s not the first time I’ve thought about this. When it comes to picking music, I often think, “What song will I like, but everyone else will hate?” Even when working on my own parts, I’ve considered that. Skate videos often feel stale now. I’d rather watch a video that confuses me than one that is boring or predictable. While skate videos are not inherently thought-provoking, it’s nice to feel something other than boredom when watching one.
What are the worst skate videos and why are they bad?
Nothing really comes to mind right away. The cardinal sin is being boring, and if a video is truly boring, I probably forgot it even exists. A “bad” video, on the other hand, can be entertaining in its awfulness, making it worth watching.
A banner featuring Cooper Winterson, promoting his distinctive style.
A GIF showcasing a stylish skateboarding trick, demonstrating the kind of footage Cooper includes in his videos.
Another banner of Cooper Winterson, highlighting his influence on skate video culture.
You were using emo music in your videos before it became popular. Do you think people jacked that style from you?
[Laughs] Yeah, it’s all my fault. Kidding, of course. It’s not really up to me to decide that.Well, when you started using emo music, were others doing it?
I don’t know. I’ve thought about it. It’s definitely in the zeitgeist now, which is interesting [laughs]. I credit people like Ben Kadow and Stu Kirst for introducing me to a lot of music and influencing my direction. Ben, who I’ve known since high school, reintroduced me to the punk music I liked when I was younger, like Discharge and Void. I found Cap’n Jazz through Stu. Stu and Ben are more “famous” than I am, so many people are probably pulling from their influences as well. If you’re talking about influence, I’m just a small piece of the larger music scene in skating.
A candid shot of Cooper, deep in thought, possibly contemplating his creative direction.
So, it’s hard to say if people are copying you, but what about someone like Strobeck?
When something becomes trendy in skateboarding, fashion, or music, it’s usually not a conscious copy. It’s logged in your memory, and when you go to create, it becomes part of your reference point. I don’t think people actively copy Bill Strobeck, but they also don’t analyze their influences. They’re not filming a trick thinking, “Will this look like Strobeck?” It’s a conscious subconscious dilemma. I copy people all the time. When I started filming, I was literally just copying Aaron Randi. You’ll always copy people on the way, and that’s ok. You’ll never make something 100% original, and that’s fine.
How do you edit a video when you have clips of people who are pro-level and beginners?
Everything goes into the video. I literally use every single clip that hasn’t been used elsewhere. It’s about who’s around and involved. If they want to be part of it, I use it. It has nothing to do with how good they are, because I don’t care about that. Everyone’s good at skating now, so just showing difficult skating isn’t my goal.
Why do you think Ty Evans’s work used to be so good but feels sterile now?
There’s a level of “professionalism” that comes with age and the time spent on a career that can lead to making videos in a certain way. People also often just grow into more boring versions of themselves. They care less about the thing itself, and more about just having to do it for a job, and their own opinions become shielded.
A banner featuring Cooper Winterson, showcasing his unique style and contributions to skate culture.
A GIF of a long grind trick, exemplifying the diverse skill levels in Cooper’s videos.
Another banner with Cooper Winterson, emphasizing his influence in the skateboarding community.
So what is Sex Emo? Is it a company or a skate team?
It’s basically a group chat [laughs]. Everyone in the video has some sort of contribution to Sex Emo. We’re just a group of friends that makes stuff. I made the video, but most of the content is made by Ed Fisher, Weston Kearl, Aiden Yobear, and Jaren Morganelli. It was a bunch of different things before it was Sex Emo. We even made a shirt that said “Ned’s Place” a few years ago and joked about starting a company called that. So Sex Emo is another iteration of that. It’s just us coming up with stupid fake brand names. This one stuck, and now we’re doing it. Getting stuff like t-shirts and lanyards made was just a facet of the joke.
What does “emo” even mean?
Emo is a weird word historically. In the late ’80s and early ’90s, people started using the term to differentiate between meathead hardcore and the more thoughtful, emotionally intelligent type of hardcore. It was less aggro anger and more disdain for the world anger. But even someone like Ian MacKaye, one of the pioneers of the genre, has the infamous quote, “What the fuck is emo?”, criticizing the term. The whole thing has been a shit show from the start, with people who didn’t want to be called emo getting labeled as such, and others who wanted to be called emo being told they weren’t. So, your question is unanswerable.
Are your two bands, Aspartame and Pique, “emo” bands?
Yeah, why not [laughs]? For me, the term has specific associations, like bands such as Boilermaker, Mock Orange, Boys Life, and At the Drive-In.
Cooper pictured with his bandmates, highlighting his passion for music.
You’ve filmed with a VX1000 and HPX. Is there a decent alternative to skateboarding’s most popular cameras?
Not really, because the widescreen sensors are too big for the original death lenses, and those lenses aren’t built for that aspect ratio. The Canon C100 or C300 cameras are essentially mirrorless photography cameras geared towards video. But the way those sensors process skating feels unfavorable to me. The HPX renders footage in a way that’s closer to home for those who grew up watching VX1000 videos. I had a Canon 60d and one of the Peleng 8mm fisheyes for a short time, but I never liked how long lens DSLR looked. It’s super shaky, and there’s no proper way to zoom. Having rocker zoom is essential for long lens filming. The depth of field on the shotgun cameras is also better for sports because it’s deeper, and you get more in focus. DSLRs are full-frame sensors, so you get a shallow depth of field, which is great for a short film but not for filming skating.
If you could only use one camera, what would it be?
The VX1000 will always be my favorite. The cliches are true—standard definition is better for skating because you’re dealing with vertical subjects. Also, I feel more creative when filming long lens with a VX1000. There’s something about the way I can frame shots with it, partly due to the minimum zoom focal length. The HPX, when fully zoomed out, has an awkward focal length.
A photo of Cooper holding a VX1000 camera, emphasizing his connection to classic skate filmmaking technology.
You seem very knowledgeable about the technical side of filmmaking. Did you go to school for videography?
I went to school for photography and got my BFA. I’ve worked as a photographic printer for seven years at My Own Color Lab. If anyone is interested in color or black-and-white darkroom printing, give us a call.
A banner featuring Cooper, highlighting his diverse expertise in both filming and photography.
A GIF showing a crook grind, showcasing the type of skating featured in Cooper’s productions.
Another banner of Cooper Winterson, underlining his influence in the skate scene.
You skate for Glue, right? Are there any obligations or contracts with your sponsors?
I do have contracts with Noah and Krux trucks, but they leave it up to us as skaters to do what we want. With Glue, there are no contracts. Stephen [Ostrowski] and Leo [Baker] are trying to build it up, and the goal is that if it becomes a big thing, they’ll be able to support everyone involved. For now, it’s just a board company with a group of friends. The goal for Stephen and Leo is to make whatever they want, having been in positions where they couldn’t be themselves. They want to put something out there that they want to contribute because no one else is doing it the way they want.
Do you think when brands become popular they lose control?
We blame companies for becoming shells of their former selves, but I can’t imagine how hard it is to be in that position. If you have an extremely successful, individual brand, you need to uphold your standards while not being repetitive. You need to reinvent yourself every five to ten years if you want to be relevant, but it’s hard to do without being “trendy”. It’s easier for companies to do a recycled version of what they’ve done for 20 years. They’re sticking to themselves rather than being trendy. It’s hard because you have to reinvent yourself while also being yourself. And when you’re an established company you are supporting so many people, and taking risks can be risky. So you end up with something recycled that you’re known for but it isn’t improving, or is stale.
If VF Corp wanted to buy Sex Emo, are you selling?
[Laughs] Yup! Selling the fuck out, baby! That’s my final answer.Interview by: Larry Lanza
Photos by: Leo Baker, Jess Newman, Jaren Morgenelli, Yazan Odeh
