Nathan Olfield, réalisateur de Lines from a Poem et Seaworthy
© Poster courtesy of N. Oldfield
Nathan Oldfield est un homme extrêmement généreux. Pour preuve, il ne s'arrête pas au simple fait de donner, mais s'investit totalement. Son métier de professeur en est la parfaite illustration. Je l'avais contacté il y a plusieurs mois déjà, et il m'avait donné de nombreux conseils pour la réalisation vidéo. A chaque question, une réponse. Ainsi, je lui ai proposé de faire une interview afin d'en savoir un peu plus sur lui. Bien qu'il soit très occupé ces derniers temps par la sortie de son dernier film Seaworthy, il a accepté de répondre et la précision de ses propos témoigne encore une fois de la manière dont il s'implique dans chacun de ses projets.
Can you introduce yourself in a few words?
Sure. I'm Nathan Oldfield. Born in Australia. I am half Australian, half Spanish, 34 years of age. I live about an hour's north of Sydney on the Central Coast of New South Wales with my lovely wife & two children. I'm a full-time primary school teacher. I like to make & ride my own surfboards. I also like to make surf films & to take photographs.
When do you discover surfing? How?
For as long as I can remember I have loved the ocean. When I was a little kid I would play in the shorebreak while my Dad and his brothers surfed outside. I would happily bodysurf all day and pause every now and then to watch one of them ride a wave. Even from the earliest age, I always knew deep in my heart that I would be a surfer.
I have been riding surfboards for nearly twenty-five years now, having started off on my Dad’s old handshaped single-fin when I was ten. I then progressed onto regular shortboards and rode them exclusively during my teens, but I now ride a whole range of equipment. Depending on the conditions, I ride standard shortboards, fish, new and old single-fins, alaias, traditional longboards and I like to bodysurf. I am fortunate enough to have had a Dad who taught me how to shape surfboards when I was still in high school, so I have a fairly varied quiver. I enjoy the different feelings I get riding different surfboards and I like exploring the unique trim patterns and performance of each board.
How did you get into filming and photography?
I have taken photographs from a young age, with an old 1960s Canon SLR that my Dad gave me. So I guess that I’ve always looked at the world with a bit of a photographic eye.
And I've been in love with surf films ever since I saw The Endless Summer as a little kid. I thought it was incredibly beautiful & engaging, and I held onto the dream of making my own film one day. About eight years ago, I began to experiment with filming surfing. It kind of happened for me in a very organic kind of way. I have always been a very passionate and grateful participant in the act of riding waves, so making surf films has been a natural extension of that.
My interest in surf filmmaking operates on a few levels. Firstly, I aim to document and record something of the activity that has given me so much. Also, I hope to give something back to surfing, through presenting it in an honest & sensitive way through film. In another sense, too, I think surf films can open people’s hearts & minds to how surfing can teach us how meaningful life really is. If my work ever inspired anyone out there to surf with a little more gratitude, then I’d be a happy man.
Are you a self-taught man, in terms of film making?
Yes, I'm self-taught. Once I managed to get my hands on some equipment, I began to teach myself how to shoot and edit. The shooting side of things came quite naturally, because years of photography had taught me a lot about framing, composition, how to use light, looking at subjects in different ways. The editing was a much slower process, learning to use complex software programs. It has been a long learning curve but it's something I've been committed to, just because it’s something I am so passionate about.
In lots of ways, learning to make films has been like learning to make boards. It’s just part of who I am as a surfer, it’s just an extension of my surfing life, rather than a conscious decision or whatever. And like making my own boards from start to finish, you know shaping, glassing, fin-making, the whole deal – making my own films is similar, I shoot and edit, I write and produce, I do the whole thing. So it’s a very satisfying process.
What are your favorite things/people/situation to film?
Well, it’s kind of obvious, but nothing beats good surfers in good waves in good light. But I’m also interested in more than that. I like to shoot in locations that offer a little context or texture, because it contributes to an aesthetic as well as a narrative. I’m always looking at telling a story, even if it is only the simple story of one surfer’s experience of a single session. I am always looking towards showing a surfer’s connection to the seascape and landscape, and their connection to their equipment, as much as I am interested in showcasing their sheer prowess.
Who is the surfer who has impressed you the most?
In surfing, as in life, variety is the spice. So I appreciate a broad range of surfing styles and approaches. That’s why I have such a varied cast in ‘Seaworthy’, including Tom Wegener, Dave Rastovich, Alex Knost, Beau Young, CJ Nelson, Dane Peterson, Belinda Peterson-Baggs, Sage Joske, Heydon Bunting. They are all beautiful people and amazing surfers. I feel very grateful for the privilege of working with each and every one of them. Every one has something different to offer. Every one contributes something special to the film. They all definitely impress me. But aside from variety in terms of the people I like to document, I also like to film diversity in terms of equipment. Lots of different boards are ridden in ‘Seaworthy’: logs, fish, olos, alaias, quads, twins, thrusters, toothpicks. For me, part of the thrust of documenting those different kinds of surfing ties in with the idea of developing an intimacy with the sea. If you’re willing to ride everything, you can open yourself up to wider range of experiences in surfing, & you can connect with the sea in deeper ways. In other words, a broad quiver of wave sliding toys enriches a surfing life. I am always impressed by surfers who can ride equipment from across the whole spectrum.
What do you enjoy when you are not filming?
Spending time with my family. Surfing. And I like looking after my bonsai collection, listening to music, reading, gardening, tea drinking, bushwalking, skateboarding, camping and sea-gazing, among other things.
As regards your shaping experiments, what kind of boards do you like shaping? How many boards have you shaped?
I have been shaping since I was sixteen, but I’ve made less than thirty boards. It’s something I’ve only ever really done for myself, and it’s usually only one or two boards a year. Some boards are easier than others for me to shape. Like it’s easier to make a singlefin than a quad fish, just because there’s less fin setting, less sanding etc. I have been so busy working on ‘Seaworthy’ that I haven’t shaped for a while, but I have a couple of blanks in my shed that I am keen to work on.
What are your projects in the future?
I am looking forward to a little time off after working on ‘Seaworthy’ for three years pretty intensely. I want to spend more time with my family, & catch up on a few other things in life, like making some more boards & hopefully surfing more. But then I’ll start shooting again, just slowly collecting footage for my next film. I already have some ideas about where the film might go, who it will involve. But it’s all fairly loose at the moment. Apart from that, I’ll work on a few smaller projects, film clips, shorts, photos, stuff for friends.
Have you got something to add or some words to conclude?
For me personally, riding waves is a very spiritual activity and I am extremely thankful to God for the great, good, generous gift of surfing. I just hope that I am able to share something of this heartfelt appreciation through my filmmaking. And I hope some of that sentiment resonates with the hearts of people who watch ‘Seaworthy’. Thanks for your time.
Thanks a lot Nathan, that's a great honour. Don't worry, the sentiment you was talking about at the end already resonates in your answers in this interview. All the best for you and Seaworthy.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Can you introduce yourself in a few words?
Sure. I'm Nathan Oldfield. Born in Australia. I am half Australian, half Spanish, 34 years of age. I live about an hour's north of Sydney on the Central Coast of New South Wales with my lovely wife & two children. I'm a full-time primary school teacher. I like to make & ride my own surfboards. I also like to make surf films & to take photographs.
When do you discover surfing? How?
For as long as I can remember I have loved the ocean. When I was a little kid I would play in the shorebreak while my Dad and his brothers surfed outside. I would happily bodysurf all day and pause every now and then to watch one of them ride a wave. Even from the earliest age, I always knew deep in my heart that I would be a surfer.
I have been riding surfboards for nearly twenty-five years now, having started off on my Dad’s old handshaped single-fin when I was ten. I then progressed onto regular shortboards and rode them exclusively during my teens, but I now ride a whole range of equipment. Depending on the conditions, I ride standard shortboards, fish, new and old single-fins, alaias, traditional longboards and I like to bodysurf. I am fortunate enough to have had a Dad who taught me how to shape surfboards when I was still in high school, so I have a fairly varied quiver. I enjoy the different feelings I get riding different surfboards and I like exploring the unique trim patterns and performance of each board.
How did you get into filming and photography?
I have taken photographs from a young age, with an old 1960s Canon SLR that my Dad gave me. So I guess that I’ve always looked at the world with a bit of a photographic eye.
And I've been in love with surf films ever since I saw The Endless Summer as a little kid. I thought it was incredibly beautiful & engaging, and I held onto the dream of making my own film one day. About eight years ago, I began to experiment with filming surfing. It kind of happened for me in a very organic kind of way. I have always been a very passionate and grateful participant in the act of riding waves, so making surf films has been a natural extension of that.
My interest in surf filmmaking operates on a few levels. Firstly, I aim to document and record something of the activity that has given me so much. Also, I hope to give something back to surfing, through presenting it in an honest & sensitive way through film. In another sense, too, I think surf films can open people’s hearts & minds to how surfing can teach us how meaningful life really is. If my work ever inspired anyone out there to surf with a little more gratitude, then I’d be a happy man.
Are you a self-taught man, in terms of film making?
Yes, I'm self-taught. Once I managed to get my hands on some equipment, I began to teach myself how to shoot and edit. The shooting side of things came quite naturally, because years of photography had taught me a lot about framing, composition, how to use light, looking at subjects in different ways. The editing was a much slower process, learning to use complex software programs. It has been a long learning curve but it's something I've been committed to, just because it’s something I am so passionate about.
In lots of ways, learning to make films has been like learning to make boards. It’s just part of who I am as a surfer, it’s just an extension of my surfing life, rather than a conscious decision or whatever. And like making my own boards from start to finish, you know shaping, glassing, fin-making, the whole deal – making my own films is similar, I shoot and edit, I write and produce, I do the whole thing. So it’s a very satisfying process.
What are your favorite things/people/situation to film?
Well, it’s kind of obvious, but nothing beats good surfers in good waves in good light. But I’m also interested in more than that. I like to shoot in locations that offer a little context or texture, because it contributes to an aesthetic as well as a narrative. I’m always looking at telling a story, even if it is only the simple story of one surfer’s experience of a single session. I am always looking towards showing a surfer’s connection to the seascape and landscape, and their connection to their equipment, as much as I am interested in showcasing their sheer prowess.
Who is the surfer who has impressed you the most?
In surfing, as in life, variety is the spice. So I appreciate a broad range of surfing styles and approaches. That’s why I have such a varied cast in ‘Seaworthy’, including Tom Wegener, Dave Rastovich, Alex Knost, Beau Young, CJ Nelson, Dane Peterson, Belinda Peterson-Baggs, Sage Joske, Heydon Bunting. They are all beautiful people and amazing surfers. I feel very grateful for the privilege of working with each and every one of them. Every one has something different to offer. Every one contributes something special to the film. They all definitely impress me. But aside from variety in terms of the people I like to document, I also like to film diversity in terms of equipment. Lots of different boards are ridden in ‘Seaworthy’: logs, fish, olos, alaias, quads, twins, thrusters, toothpicks. For me, part of the thrust of documenting those different kinds of surfing ties in with the idea of developing an intimacy with the sea. If you’re willing to ride everything, you can open yourself up to wider range of experiences in surfing, & you can connect with the sea in deeper ways. In other words, a broad quiver of wave sliding toys enriches a surfing life. I am always impressed by surfers who can ride equipment from across the whole spectrum.
What do you enjoy when you are not filming?
Spending time with my family. Surfing. And I like looking after my bonsai collection, listening to music, reading, gardening, tea drinking, bushwalking, skateboarding, camping and sea-gazing, among other things.
As regards your shaping experiments, what kind of boards do you like shaping? How many boards have you shaped?
I have been shaping since I was sixteen, but I’ve made less than thirty boards. It’s something I’ve only ever really done for myself, and it’s usually only one or two boards a year. Some boards are easier than others for me to shape. Like it’s easier to make a singlefin than a quad fish, just because there’s less fin setting, less sanding etc. I have been so busy working on ‘Seaworthy’ that I haven’t shaped for a while, but I have a couple of blanks in my shed that I am keen to work on.
What are your projects in the future?
I am looking forward to a little time off after working on ‘Seaworthy’ for three years pretty intensely. I want to spend more time with my family, & catch up on a few other things in life, like making some more boards & hopefully surfing more. But then I’ll start shooting again, just slowly collecting footage for my next film. I already have some ideas about where the film might go, who it will involve. But it’s all fairly loose at the moment. Apart from that, I’ll work on a few smaller projects, film clips, shorts, photos, stuff for friends.
Have you got something to add or some words to conclude?
For me personally, riding waves is a very spiritual activity and I am extremely thankful to God for the great, good, generous gift of surfing. I just hope that I am able to share something of this heartfelt appreciation through my filmmaking. And I hope some of that sentiment resonates with the hearts of people who watch ‘Seaworthy’. Thanks for your time.
Thanks a lot Nathan, that's a great honour. Don't worry, the sentiment you was talking about at the end already resonates in your answers in this interview. All the best for you and Seaworthy.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________