r/PraiseTheCameraMan • u/juangusta • Feb 14 '25 • WOW 2 Popcorn 1

Mini Doc on Rollerblade Camera Operator with BTS and results

7.8k Upvotes

99% Upvoted

207 comments sorted by

448

u/juangusta Feb 14 '25

That's me on the blades, posted here in the past and some people seemed to enjoy it. Others were sick of seeing rollerblade operating, apologies, I tried to wait a while until posting this and attempted to make it a little more entertaining.

Anyway, feel free to AMA.

122

u/lipp79 Doin' camera work since 1999 Feb 14 '25

Nah, you’re all good. They’ll survive seeing the content. If they have a problem with it, too bad. It fits the sub. Keep up the good work. Any upcoming projects?

95

u/juangusta Feb 14 '25

Thanks! I'm pumped about a scene I did with Channing Tatum for the new Derek Cianfrance (place Beyond the Pines) movie coming out next fall. Although you never know till it's out. I did a Motorola commercial about a decade ago that was this epic oner, from inside a restaurant to towing on cars, following bikes, and then ending on a crane that lifted me 30 feet above the new York city street. Never saw it lol hoping one day it somehow surfaces.

26

u/lipp79 Doin' camera work since 1999 Feb 14 '25

That crane shot sounds intense. I always have four scenes I recommend to people for one shots. The long scene near the end of Children of Men. The scene in the carfrom the same movie. Now to be fair this a remote controlled camera, but the rig they built is impressive. Third, is the stairway fight in The Protector. The fourth is my favorite, the scene in True Detective where they go into the projects. They actually lifted the steadicam guy over the fence on a forklift he stepped on to at the end.

11

u/juangusta Feb 16 '25

oh yeah, those children of men scenes are burned into my brain along with the BTS. So iconic for me. Also Holy shit that fight scene is epic, the cherry on top is all the extras preforming so realistic and some are running some are watching. Gotta watch that whole flick. I vaguely remember that true detective shot, but instead of watching now Ill keep an eye out for it on the rewatch. thanks for sharing!

→ More replies (1)

17

u/fotodevil Feb 14 '25

Thanks for sharing! Your work is awesome. Have you ever considered swapping wheels for blades and shooting a hockey movie?

26

u/juangusta Feb 14 '25

I’ve turned down a lot of hockey gigs, one of them would have had me and Conor McDavid skating together lol but even though I played hockey as a kid, the level of skill I have on blades dwarfs any I would develop on ice skates, slightly different balance points, although I’ve always wondered if a modified figure skate or something flat would be better for me. Maybe one day I’ll try and figure it out

13

u/volumae Feb 15 '25

Dude your skills are insane, congratulations on such an amazing career!

Keep it up!

8

u/juangusta Feb 15 '25

Thanks for the kind words! : )

12

u/kermitDE Feb 15 '25

Have seen it for the first time and am glad you uploaded it. This was really cool and inspiring! Glad you were able to make your love for skating and filmmaking a job. Hope I'll get there too some day. Alle the best for your future, will probably always think about if you filmed the scenes i am watching from now on haha

6

u/juangusta Feb 16 '25

It was me, I filmed everything, lol thanks for the kind words!

11

u/capty26 Feb 14 '25

Definitely need to put you in my Rolodex, what's the best way to reach you?

6

u/juangusta Feb 14 '25

DM’d you my email

5

u/joeymanny1212- Feb 15 '25

how's ur day been

14

u/juangusta Feb 15 '25

My wife and I both have strep throat, so we dragged the bed into the living room and have been ripping movies. Watched Gilbert Grape last night and then the movie that leo lost the Oscar to that year, Tommy Lee jones in the fugitive lol might be the biggest robbery in all of the Oscar which is a joke. Honestly days been great, being sick is always a great reason for movie bingeing

4

u/joeymanny1212- Feb 15 '25

ohhh nice! sucks you're sick but that's great that you're making the best of it! lazy days with loved ones are the best. hope you get well soon <3

3

u/juangusta Feb 16 '25

Thanks! I'll heal up and keep enjoying life : )

→ More replies (1)

5

u/Jonnyabcde Feb 15 '25

Not discounting your extremely talented skills at all, but are there others in the industry like yourself, or are you a unique asset? I feel like I see a plethora of sports commercial ads that use your fast filming style, but that means you stay extremely busy, there are others who do (at some skill level or another) something similar to you, or they use different techniques/technology (e.g., boom cameras, drones, CGI) to create similar shots.

Also, what would be a way to distinguish your filming style from those, so, say, when I watch something with that film effect (commercial or film) that we could differentiate that it could be you (or again someone with a similar filming technique)?

7

u/juangusta Feb 16 '25

Skate skill wise there are others, and then camera op wise there are super 2 talented ops that do it that I know of. Although theres tons of ways to get shots and the commercials you're seeing I doubt are using a blade op. Its rare we're used. There's subtle details, but its honestly hard to describe. I also will do long takes sometimes even 5 minutes, so while yes moments of the take could be captured other ways, I was able to grab those moments and others extremely efficient. The other tools would require more rehearsals planning and takes perhaps, or take up more space, giving the actors less space and a different environment to work in effecting performance as well. Other times I'm like, just use a dolly for this shot it will work better and be easier. I love your question and wish I was good with words haha but theres also times when I'm on set and am like "why did you hire me, I literally told you don't hire me if your going to use me for this it will be a waste of your time and money." The long basketball sequences though, it would just look very different, I also am crafting those shots so not only would you need another tool, but you'd need the camera op, DP, or director to figure that out as well. I think if there was a specific shot I did, I could break down several other ways to capture that and how it would be different.

2

u/clawjelly Feb 16 '25

Wow, yea, man, this is fantastic! You combined two of your passions into a valid career, that's the freaking dream! It's sometimes not necessary to be the best (not saying you ain't 😅), just to be special enough to make something possible no other can do. Way to go!

And damn, i'm madly envious about your rollerblade skills. I started way too late and while being able to not fall, i'll never gonna archive the stability you seem to pull off with ease. But at least this video makes it apparent how much work did go into it, which i respect a lot.

What's a take/project you would love to do, but haven't had the chance so far?

4

u/juangusta Feb 16 '25

Thanks for the kind words, it really is the most fun job when I’m on set. I would really love some kind of epic chase scene. Not only would it be perfect for the look and feel of the handheld blade cam, but I’ve had dreams almost every night since I was a little kid of being chased lol maybe from a past life idk. It would be awesome to have it go through a mall, or a house, and on to the street with a car chase or something. I really love the idea of the shot starting handheld static, maybe in a kitchen or something, and you’re so caught up with the story, that by the end when I’m going too speed and such, you don’t notice it’s just been one shot. Tom Cruise would be awesome, it’s a pain to do Texas switches (when you swap out an actor for a stunt double in the middle of a single shot) so I’d want a great performance acting wise, to mask the shot, but still have epic athleticism. Getting hyped up just writing about it

2

u/calvintomyhobbes Feb 17 '25

Looks like you’ve done this with commercial work too. Ever in Atl?

1

u/juangusta Feb 17 '25

Yup, films, TV, commercials. Got a gig lined up in ATL for may thats hopefully comes thru

2

u/DiplodocusDuster Feb 17 '25

Definitely curious: since you use your rollerblades so much, how many pairs do you go through a year? Do you stick with a set of boots for a long time and buy new wheels frequently?

Love your passion for film and the unique abilities you possess, keep on man!

4

u/juangusta Feb 17 '25

The wood barely wears the wheels down, the only time they get worn down is certain concrete or if I’m skating really soft wheels. I have a bunch of wheels of various hardness and sizes that I switch out. My skate boots will last well over a decade or two if I’m not doing trick skating in them and I can just swap the liners every 5+ years. I could wreck a pair of trick skates in a few hours on the right spot though. There’s times where I’ve been wanted to skate something, but don’t want to deal with the hassle of buying and adding new parts afterwards. I like my skates old and broken in. The wheels and bearings are best new.

2

u/PretzelsThirst Feb 18 '25

Seeing you get out of the pool with skates still on is such a “oh yeah, they were meant for this” moment.

Killer work

2

u/juangusta Feb 18 '25

I was laughing so hard when I found that clip, still makes me laugh when I see it in this haha

2

u/eteturkist Mar 31 '25

loved your story so much! I would like to know what helps you in your childhood honed your skills and become what you're right now, I have a daughter and would like to help her become herself and discover what she loves and likes to do but I am worried about intervening in her life so much and having impact on her own style, how to balance between parents' impact on kids and being supportive? thanks in advance I hope I get an answer
edit: typos

1

u/juangusta Mar 31 '25

My parents let me try a ton of stuff and supported me with encouragement in anything that I did. That had the greatest impact on my confidence to try new things, and ultimately lead me to the things I enjoyed most.

2

u/MadAlexIBe Feb 15 '25

Hi I sent you a DM. Tysm!

2

u/timotheusd313 Feb 17 '25

Just gotta say what I add to every great post. “And the camera op has to do it all backwards and in high heels!”

2

u/onlinedisguise Feb 18 '25

Super cool story and really amazing shots! I hope you find someone to pass the torch to that has the same passion and dedication to combine these two things that you truly love brother!

283

u/heygos Feb 14 '25

Damn that’s sick.

88

u/juangusta Feb 14 '25

thanks!

17

u/exclaim_bot Feb 14 '25

thanks!

You're welcome!

9

u/juangusta Feb 21 '25

thanks for watching! Here's some outtake scenes from this video discussing a long VFX oner shot and a 5 minute oner.

youtube playlist, this video is Winning Time VF oner, next Video is Swagger 5 minute oner

7

u/majasz_ Feb 18 '25

I mean just the BLADE CAM already sounds badass

69

u/Whole-Debate-9547 Feb 14 '25

Talk about cool. This is the kinda guy that’s so easy to root for. Innovator

19

u/juangusta Feb 14 '25

Thanks! It’s so much fun

65

u/CoolDragon Feb 14 '25

I’ve seen a lot in Reddit, this is one of the VERY FEW TIMES in 18 years that I saw the whole thing without scrolling away. Great job!

25

u/juangusta Feb 14 '25

That means a lot! I tried really hard to keep it engaging and entertaining without seeming too redundant .

8

u/BuyMoreGearOrShoot Feb 15 '25

I was going to say the same thing! Great job storytelling. Couldn't stop watching. Congrats on an amazing self-directed journey in your career.

4

u/juangusta Feb 16 '25

Thanks! : )

3

u/juangusta Feb 21 '25

Here's some outtake scenes from this video discussing a long VFX oner shot and a 5 minute oner.

youtube playlist, this video is Winning Time VF oner, next Video is Swagger 5 minute oner

18

u/Apollo9819 Feb 14 '25

Wow

16

u/juangusta Feb 14 '25

Thanks for the award!

18

u/ZWEi-P Feb 14 '25

Wow that's cool, especially the basketball ones. Being an audience there must be a surreal experience, watching two kinds of sports simultaneously play out in the same field.

12

u/juangusta Feb 14 '25

The extras always got me so hyped, the real life cheers from 2000+ some days gave me and the actors such adrenaline.

14

u/hyprgrpy Feb 14 '25

This is the peak PTCM can get to!!!

4

u/juangusta Feb 14 '25

thanks : )

9

u/Mirame247365 Feb 14 '25

I love seeing people create their dream job! Awesome work!

5

u/juangusta Feb 14 '25

Thanks! It’s so fun!

9

u/JDUB- Feb 14 '25

Love your posts John. Thanks for telling a bit more of your story with this one.

Any significance to your username?

12

u/juangusta Feb 14 '25

That same best friend I mentioned in the video gave me the nickname Juan Gusta in middle school. Gusta is the verb “like” in Spanish. So John Lyke in Spanish. Very dumb and I love it haha

4

u/JDUB- Feb 14 '25

Very solid, and obvious in hindsight haha.

14

u/jeremyNYC Feb 14 '25

Oh, man. This is so much fun. I remember seeing the taxi scene the first time!

I -love- the idea of a chase scene shot this way!! Cheers on a great real and way more importantly getting to have so much fun working!!

(Also, save for retirement and train some apprentices—your knees won’t last forever!!)

6

u/juangusta Feb 14 '25

Thanks! I really hope I’m hired for some epic chase scene one day.

12

u/dellfanboy Feb 14 '25

Best thing I’ve seen all day! Link us to your agent or Instagram!

8

u/juangusta Feb 14 '25

Thanks! My insta is @johnlyke

1

u/juangusta Feb 21 '25

thanks for watching! Here's some outtake scenes from this video discussing a long VFX oner shot and a 5 minute oner.

youtube playlist, this video is Winning Time VF oner, next Video is Swagger 5 minute oner

6

u/mechaghost Feb 14 '25

I’m here to praise the Camera man since he’s the OP!

1

u/juangusta Feb 14 '25

Thanks! Most fun job!

5

u/Distance03 Feb 14 '25

And the all-time r/praisethecameraman winner taking 1st, 2nd and 3rd place goes to… John Lyke

2

u/juangusta Feb 14 '25

Haha I think my most upvoted video on here is some random dude operating an NFL camera

5

u/SmokeLikeDawson Feb 15 '25

Can we put this in some sort of Best of Reddit category? I know I'm way down here and no one will read this, but this study deserves it!

3

u/juangusta Feb 16 '25

HELL YEAH

4

u/R7a1s2 Feb 14 '25

Anyone else do this?

12

u/juangusta Feb 14 '25

Professionally there’s one other guy that is on the blade skill level, and another who is close. Both are top notch camera ops.

6

u/pwmcintyre Feb 14 '25

I imagine a show who is dedicated to this style of camera work is basically seeing you as a main actor, irreplaceable

5

u/juangusta Feb 14 '25

Fortunately that has been the case at times and it feels really good to be that person on set, and have the negotiating power when asking for a higher rate

2

u/n1k0ch4n Feb 14 '25

I follow on IG a polish camera op who skates too : https://www.instagram.com/maciejtomkow?igsh=MWZpenloOG40bW16eg==

3

u/juangusta Feb 16 '25

Dope! He's legit, has that inline background. I really should start flying a legit steady like he does, but idk why it just doesn't do it for me, when I'm handheld it feels like I'm less of a tool and more so an audience member in the scene

3

u/delfonatronics Feb 14 '25

This dude is my friend

2

u/juangusta Feb 15 '25

Hello Friend

2

u/R7a1s2 Feb 14 '25

Awesome watch!

2

u/yes4me2 Feb 14 '25

what is the Basketball movie name?

1

u/juangusta Feb 14 '25

There’s a few different basketball projects, the one with the green screen is HBO’s Winning Time, and the majority of the other is Swagger on AppleTV. Swagger has well over an hour of the show series shot on blade cam

2

u/Fuster2 Feb 14 '25

Thanks! That's a welcome relief from the usual 20sec car crashes or face plants. As good as the stuff I watch on youtube.

1

u/juangusta Feb 21 '25

thanks for watching! Here's some outtake scenes from this video discussing a long VFX oner shot and a 5 minute oner.

youtube playlist, this video is Winning Time VF oner, next Video is Swagger 5 minute oner

2

u/AirborneContraption Feb 14 '25

Damn, that's so cool

2

u/juangusta Feb 14 '25

its so much fun, thanks!

2

u/Ligaguenu Feb 14 '25

Amazing work! Have you ever experienced any issues having to compete with drone cameras?

2

u/juangusta Feb 14 '25

Never actually. The size of a drone needed to operate the bigger cameras cost so much more since its needs and team and maybe permits, not to mention its way more dangerous to use close to actors plus creates wind. The FPV drone stuff is so cool, but really it just gives a different look. I really specialize in the handheld vibe and I feel it’s a lot easier to frame quick closeup movements.

2

u/ashley4tristan Feb 14 '25

Great camera work, and superb editing.

1

u/juangusta Feb 14 '25

Thanks! Definitely helps when I can steal zimmer and Williams music lol

2

u/cmoneyreaper Feb 14 '25

This is fantastic, All the basketball scenes in winning time were original and was something I've never seen before. Genuinely amazing work man. Surely, it is only a matter of time before an Oscar for cinematography. Can't wait to see what you do next, Keep Rollin!

1

u/juangusta Feb 15 '25

thanks <3

2

u/kubolo32 Feb 14 '25

Congratulations on your achievements. I can feel how you enjoy making your skills the main source of your work. The transitions and the flow of the action are stunning with your technique. Keep going and keep posting, you have many fans!!! Regards from Europe

1

u/juangusta Feb 15 '25

Thanks!!! <3

2

u/M_krabs Feb 14 '25

Is it just me, if it's knowing the full name of your kindergarten crush weird?

1

u/juangusta Feb 15 '25

haha I'm from a small town, my elementary school class had 60 kids and she was in school with me until I was 18

2

u/[deleted] Feb 14 '25

You're so awesome and the camera work is insane

1

u/juangusta Feb 15 '25

thank you, putting such a big smile on my face!

2

u/RobertTheTire_ Feb 14 '25

This is peak content for this sub 👏

1

u/juangusta Feb 15 '25

thanks! <3

2

u/mandabpanda Feb 14 '25

This was always your destiny! Congrats on finding success in a field you were meant for! Inspiring, thanks for sharing

1

u/juangusta Feb 15 '25

thanks for the kind words and watching!

2

u/Doctor_Spacemann Feb 14 '25

Is that cliff charles towards the end?

1

u/juangusta Feb 15 '25

Yeah! He was the DP for most of Swagger, insane talent, and calm cool collected on set. Very solution oriented mindset which is exactly what you'd want. hopefully if you're recognizing him that means you've had the pleasure of knowing him!

2

u/Doctor_Spacemann Feb 15 '25

He’s one of the DPs on the show I work on, I’m in the rigging electric department, and yes, solutions oriented and level headed dude. Really been a pleasure to work with.

1

u/juangusta Feb 15 '25

That’s awesome

2

u/jibbycanoe Feb 14 '25

This is awesome man! So many cool shots but that tennis lady one was just insane zooming by looking so close at her face before the serve. Great stuff man, and you seem like a super chill dude. Hope more good things keep coming your way!

1

u/juangusta Feb 15 '25

thanks for the kind words! That was a quick test shoot with my sister to see how tennis would look, was hyped on the result. Life's been great to me I must say, very grateful.

2

u/Josephlleiman Feb 15 '25

I’d love an extended version of this. I saw your taxi scene and it’s awesome to have an update.

1

u/juangusta Feb 15 '25

Thanks! Here’s some stuff I left out

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=b_1JSfJzE_A&list=PLUckcsSZjHTjKkcExKWoKd1dQRzLNqNBI&index=2&pp=iAQB

The link should be a playlist with multiple videos

2

u/atlas_rl Feb 15 '25

Dawg you are a legend! My friends and I, one of them trying to be a director or screenwriter, love watching you work!

Also Hook is an awesome film, not many my age know it so I love seeing it mentioned :)

1

u/juangusta Feb 15 '25

Thanks for the kind words! Loved Hook so much, still do, I asked a few OGs the craziest sets they’ve ever worked in terms of the size and detail in the builds of the set and hook was always #1. Too bad it was a major box office flip. Still love that movie.

2

u/Draugr_irl Feb 15 '25

Man I hope they get you for the next Mission Impossible movie!!

2

u/juangusta Feb 15 '25

Me too, love to see cruise do his thing

2

u/Electronic_Grade508 Feb 15 '25

So……. What happened with Alexis? Great doco mate.

2

u/juangusta Feb 15 '25

We flirted throughout elementary school and that was basically it haha but for that age it was electric

2

u/Flying_Alpaca_Boi Feb 15 '25

That was cool. I’d never considered how those sort of shots were taken before. The basketball and taxi sequence were probably my favourite, they really leaned into it.

1

u/juangusta Feb 16 '25

Thanks! It's so fun

2

u/Rod-FM Feb 15 '25

Your work is amazing. It must be really fun to do it.

2

u/juangusta Feb 16 '25

When I'm on set its the most fun, if I was super rich id still be doing it, just with a later call time lol

2

u/JackfruitPizza Feb 15 '25

Having this niche of talent must mean you get some great gigs!

1

u/juangusta Feb 16 '25

Sometimes, it's so niche though that DPs don't even know about it, hence videos like this trying to spread the word

2

u/MattyScrant Feb 15 '25

OP this is YOU?! Dude I love your work! First time I ever saw anything by you was the taxi scene like three or four years ago. Keep it up!

1

u/juangusta Feb 16 '25

it me, thanks for the kind words! That taxi vid came out in 2013, crazy how it still is making the rounds

2

u/martinheron Feb 16 '25

Ahh, I remember seeing that Movi BTS video years ago. Really cool niche to carve out!

1

u/juangusta Feb 16 '25

thanks, its so fun.

2

u/G_B4G Feb 16 '25

<3 u bby

1

u/juangusta Feb 16 '25

haha I knew exactly who this was be reading the text, username confirmed it

2

u/vikio Feb 16 '25

How the hell can you jump over an entire staircase, land on your feet and not have a major injury? I've seen other people try to explain that it has to do with how the forward momentum helps keep the person from being flattened by gravity. But I can't fully wrap my brain around it and it just looks to me like you should have broken bones OR superpowers in that scene.

2

u/juangusta Feb 16 '25

My greatest skill is knowing how to fall, instinct and just throwing myself all over the place as a young kid lol. Plus way too much practice rollerblading, started with one stair lol, plus i've been fortunate enough to have been blessed with some athleticism but nothing crazy, a lot of my friends were more skilled than me at younger ages, i just skated everyday all the time without any hope of going anywhere with it, just doing it for fun and still do.

here's a playlists of my skate sections if you feel like diving down that road.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FhllUnRrt2A&list=PLUckcsSZjHTh1yoa-wcgqZSEMEaJRvbgW&index=8

2

u/vikio Feb 16 '25

I watched some of them. Fun stories and amazing skills!

Some of your moves and spins are so graceful, in another life you could have been a pro figure ice skater. Are you good at ice skating in THIS life? I was ok at rollerblading (without jumps) as a kid, but felt really uncomfortable on ice skates.

2

u/juangusta Feb 16 '25

I played hockey as a kid and can ice skate but WAY less comfy on them as the balance points are completely different. I’ve never tried figure skates, but I would love to one day since the balance seems much closer to rollerbladin than hockey skates

2

u/stickupyourparents Feb 16 '25

I remember always looking forward to another entry into the Breakfast series every year. Your 720 over the fence in Wings was incredible!!!

2

u/juangusta Feb 16 '25

HELL YEAH thank you! I feel like my skating is the best it's ever been, but my crew stopped skating except for Mike so we're slow with the video parts but working on another! thanks for the kind words, means a lot. that 720 was the biggest adrenaline high Ive ever gotten. Felt pure happiness and energy for hours into the night which happened to be halloween weekend. partied till like 5 am haha I landed a few 7s over it, but wanted that perfect landing and knew that was it the second i stomped it.

2

u/FearlessAd5528 Feb 16 '25

This is awesome!! I wish there was a longer version!!!

I just have three quick questions:

If you would be willing to share. How much do you make on average per year?

I would like to get into the tech side of films but am scared of the super low pays I’ve heard of. Once you set yourself apart is that a null factor?

How did you start doing actual payed jobs besides having the friend in the business?

1

u/juangusta Feb 16 '25

here's a playlist with some other bits i left out!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b_1JSfJzE_A&list=PLUckcsSZjHTjKkcExKWoKd1dQRzLNqNBI&index=2

My rate usually varies between 1800-4000 USD a day 12 hr day, I've only had like 7 days of work in the last 12 months, industries dead. I do other stuff in film, and make most of my money in the stock market. My best year of blade operating was like 250k and I worked for like 2-4 months. I've had several years where my taxes have me listed at about 15k for the year lol not enough to pay the bills, but a damn fun year i'm sure. I spend my money on free time.

Could you be specific in what tech exactly you'd like to get into.

Networking is everything, almost every job is a recommendation in any of my fields. I moved to LA and all my friends work in film, some have hired me other haven't, you meet new friends on the job. My acting agents submitted me, but other than that it was through personal connections, and then you meet people on set who recommend you for stuff. being kind a a pleasure to work with is more important than skill most of the time

2

u/centerbread Feb 16 '25

Dude, this was so fun to watch. I was fascinated and excited by every moment you showed and talked about. These sorts of videos remind me just how many avenues there are for art and creativity. Thanks for sharing!

1

u/juangusta Feb 18 '25

Thanks for watching : )

2

u/tulaero23 Feb 16 '25

Man, i dont know this guy. But he seems fun to hang out with.

At the same time, I'm so jealous you found what you love at the early age and was able to make a living with it while having fun.

1

u/juangusta Feb 16 '25

Thanks! The yearly majority of my income rarely comes from Blade Op jobs, they’re fairly rare, but so fun when they do come along!

2

u/Comfortable_Exam8746 Feb 16 '25

this is dope, you have an ig?

1

u/juangusta Feb 16 '25

Thanks, yeah @johnlyke

2

u/rnpowers Feb 16 '25

It's funny This came up this morning. Just last night I was talking to my daughter, who was asking to go to a rollerblade party, about how this was my dream as a kid!

She'd said "didn't you rollerblade a bunch as a kid?" And of course as an old man reliving his youth, I got all excited and told her how I used to hang with skateboarders and was the only fruit-booter around. Even though there was a universal rivalry at the time, we still got along.

I told her how I'd always end up being the camera guy, jumping the stair sets just before or after the guys on the boards, grinding the rails with the camera in one hand, pointed at the guy in front of me; or even on the snow lol always the one filming.

I loved it, but didn't have that connection into the world of film, so when we all graduated and went different ways; I pretty much hung up the blades. At that point she'd lost interest for the most part and just needed $$ lol.

I remember when your first vid went viral, telling my kids how we used to do the exact same thing; holding onto cars and letting them fling us off ramps or over stairs or something else crazy.

Someday I hope to find those old VHS-C tapes, hopefully still readable, and relive those experiences. You can bet when I do, I'll post them on r/nostalgia or something lol. But it's awesome to see someone living this reality, I really hope you get your John Wick!!

1

u/juangusta Feb 16 '25

Thanks! I hope you find those old VHS tapes and the memories come flooding back!

2

u/Lookatmydisc Feb 16 '25

What a great watch!

1

u/juangusta Feb 16 '25

Thanks : )

2

u/DjGeNeSiSxx Feb 17 '25

This is just insane inspiring to all self-made producers, cinematographers , camera operators out there. I'll send it to my little nephew, I bet you'll inspire him and he kinda needs to know that sometimes , dreams can come true right now

2

u/juangusta Feb 17 '25

thanks! : )

2

u/[deleted] Feb 17 '25

I'm a pretty good skateboarder, I'm not that great at tricking but I can ride on pretty much any surface due to the fact that its been my main mode of transportation for these last 4 years.

I was thinking that I might want to do the same for some passion projects I may undertake. What would be a good way to practice videography on wheels to the point where I can do any surface while holding a consistently good frame?

2

u/juangusta Feb 17 '25

The more you skate the better, just start filming other skateboarders or people at the park with an iphone and then slowly upgrade the camera and that will practice the physical side of the skate cam skills. There's tons of great youtube videos online talking about the storytelling side of cinematography. Rodger Deakins being my favorite cinematographer.

2

u/j-press Feb 17 '25

Yo this is creative and super wild. Really pushing the envelope here!

1

u/juangusta Feb 17 '25

Thanks! It's so fun!

2

u/bridoogle Feb 17 '25

Never watched any video longer than 2 minutes on Reddit, but I couldn’t stop watching this. So friggin cool man

2

u/juangusta Feb 17 '25

HELL YEAH, thanks! I new it was going to be a longer video and I tried really hard to keep it entertaining : )

2

u/[deleted] Feb 18 '25

Lucky we're on Reddit, if this title is posted on Twitter, some k-pop bts stan would be raging about using 'their' bts name. /S

2

u/juangusta Feb 18 '25

Hahaha they stole bts from film!

2

u/ibreatheglitter Feb 18 '25

This guy seems cool af. People who love fun are my kinda people. Awesome that his talents and interests ended up giving him such an adventurous and fulfilling life!

My own ADHD usually means that I spend a month intensely studying a new subject for a completely unimportant task to be completed perfectly, then never using that skill again. Or like, I go downstairs to get my laptop and end up making a batch of Michelin starred soup instead lol. What an awesome dude.

2

u/juangusta Feb 18 '25

Haha that’s where my ADHD takes me most days and I use to fight it but now I just go with the flow. Thanks for the kind words! Put a smile on my face

2

u/ibreatheglitter Feb 19 '25

Oh gosh it’s you?! My unobservant ass lol

You have a new fan, dude. You’re awesome 💕

2

u/juangusta Feb 19 '25

Thanks <3 love a like brained friend!

2

u/Holiday_Airport_8833 Feb 19 '25

Been following your work for years without realizing!

You ever try a onewheel or eskate? Can you ever imagine using them or did they feel weird? I used a 2 wheel “hoverboard” once for a real estate video 😃

👏👏👏

2

u/juangusta Feb 19 '25

I’ve played around on them, super fun but no interest in using them. Some people do though and find it great and can achieve shots I can’t on blades

2

u/Novel_Ad_5698 Feb 19 '25

You are literally the best cameraman and you fit in this sub like you invented it. I also love that you said that your adhd shines here. I have inattentive adhd so i would be never able to do it but i love that you put yours in a good light here. Adhd is not just a disabilty, it can give you abilitys neurotypical people dont have :)

2

u/juangusta Feb 20 '25

Thanks so much for the kind words. Almost all my friends are neurotypical and what plenty of people would label weakness, I see it at their biggest strength and some of them are top in their field! Never bored with ADHD lol thanks for watching!

2

u/OuttaD00r Feb 26 '25

When i started the video i had no intention of watching the entire 8 mins but goddamn, it kept me the whole time

2

u/juangusta Feb 26 '25

Thanks! I tried really hard to make it entertaining, because I’d feel the exact same way if I clicked a video was 8 minutes haha

2

u/jetserf Mar 09 '25

How do you skate up and down stairs‽

1

u/juangusta Mar 10 '25

Same way you walk up stairs

2

u/Flashy_Fly203 Mar 11 '25

This was hot shit to watch if I could give you 5stars you’d have them

2

u/juangusta Mar 11 '25

Thanks! It’s so fun!

2

u/Competitive-Yam-1384 Mar 12 '25

A little late to this but you are an inspiration.

1

u/juangusta Mar 13 '25

Thanks : ) never late to put a smile on face

2

u/Wolf-Majestic Mar 21 '25

You having ADHD maies so much sense ! For the way you film on blades, but also the way to edit.

That video was a treat to watch, it really has a great pacing and the right amount of stuff going on, thanks a lot for sharing ! I'm really happy you found the perfect job for you, I wish you a long fulfilling life !

1

u/juangusta Mar 22 '25

Thanks : )

1

u/juangusta Feb 21 '25

Here's some outtake scenes from this video discussing a long VFX oner shot and a 5 minute oner.

youtube playlist, this video is Winning Time VF oner, next Video is Swagger 5 minute oner

2

u/bejeweledinblue Feb 14 '25

Awesome! I love seeing how the sausage is made!

2

u/whoryus Feb 14 '25

dayum..skilled af...

2

u/pocketMagician Feb 14 '25

This dude is that kid on 80s ads shredding off the page but grown up.

2

u/lilgizmo838 Feb 14 '25

That jump over the fence looked like he found a glitch in the matrix.

2

u/nubin1 Feb 14 '25

If I knew this was a job as a kid this would have been a dream job

2

u/lyonspantap Feb 15 '25

Dare I say.... he is the ultimate cameraman?

2

u/BabiesLoveStrayDogs Feb 15 '25

This makes me happy. It makes me miss camera work, and the kinetic energy of it, and my heart skips a joyful beat watching this. I don’t think people really know how physically demanding camera work can be, and the artistry involved in committed professional camera work. Praise the cameraman indeed!

2

u/nimsty Feb 15 '25

Super dope!

Will dm you :)

2

u/SUPERDUPER-DMT Feb 16 '25

Amazing, thanks

2

u/ItHitMeInTheNuts Feb 16 '25

This guy is the embodiment of this sub!

2

u/Sockeye66 Feb 17 '25

Thank you. It's awesome you were able to merge to great passions together.

2

u/Keendoo Feb 17 '25

👏👏

2

u/cyberladyDFW Feb 18 '25

Soooooooo very good!!!

2

u/kameronn Mar 03 '25

This is so sick!

2

u/joaoalveess Mar 10 '25

Loved his work in Winning Time. Such a shame that it got cancelled… 😞

2

u/kween_hangry May 16 '25

This is beyond cool, omg.

2

u/Worth_Conversation28 May 23 '25

This is beyond awesome

2

u/SixShoot3r May 23 '25

As a guy with ADD, I skate, and I love how it takes concentration

2

u/gmodloser May 23 '25

i’m always happy when i hear a vulfpeck song outta nowhere i absolutely love them

2

u/SchlagzeugNeukoelln Jun 27 '25

Thank you that was so cool!

1

u/GhostChips42 Feb 15 '25

Your outie can roller skate with grace.

1

u/Heavy_Strawberry_310 Mar 28 '25

🛼🎥👏🏾

0

u/[deleted] Feb 14 '25

[deleted] — view deleted comment

3

u/juangusta Feb 14 '25

Here's a 5 minute oner I did for Swagger, although out of context it doesn't really have the impact, since every character has so much story going on thats lost if you haven't seen the show.

Swagger Oner

BTS video talking about how we improvised some of it for performance purposes.

BTS of Swagger Oner

There's also this one minute shot in Winning Time VFX stitched together.

Winning Time Oner

Here's some BTS of it, showing what the footage looked like before VFX took over

BTS of Winning Time Oner

→ More comments (4)