Exclusive: Amanda Kirkpatrick Talks RIDE

Transmoto‘s Kurt Teague speaks with Fourohfour‘s Amanda Kirkpatrick about RIDE: The Australian Off-Road Moto Film, which is set to premiere in Sydney this Saturday night.

Where did the idea to produce a feature off-road film on this scale come from?

After covering Aussie off-road racing events, so we had in the back of our minds to produce a feature film on these great riders, in the most stunning locations. I guess at the end of 2012, Fourohfour had been established in the industry, we knew the riders and we had the contacts. We then said that 2013 was going to be the year that we would move beyond web-videos and create something no one else has produced in Australia.

Why Australian off-road riders and locations? Why not the international stars?

Our riders are world class. That has been proven at international events such as the ISDE, the Dakar Rally, the GNCC and the EWC. If it was a film based on internationals, many of these riders would be featured anyway. This film wasn’t just about creating a film. It was more so about promoting a sport that is thus far not as showcased in Australia in more mainstream media.

How many hours do you think have been put into making this project come together?

That number of hours would sit beyond the point of sanity. We have worked full-time all year in addition to producing this film. There truly hasn’t been a day taken away from project – when we aren’t at a race, we are filming, editing, logistically planning, communicating with sponsors, riders and property owners. I did keep a log of logistics – 26 hire cars, 58 airports and 67 nights in hotels/motels. There have been more days than not that we have spent on average 16 to 19-hour days editing or filming. We’d usually go back to the hotel room at the end of the day and edit for half the night to view what footage we had, so we knew what style of footage would need to be shot the next day. It is tolling, but it keeps the footage fresh, with our focus to shoot new stuff for each rider, so they stand out in their own right.

I remember reading somewhere earlier in the year that you wanted the film to be on the level of the American MOTO films. Do you think you’ve achieved this?

Looking back, I said it was set to rival the American MOTO genre films. This standard of production was well overdue for these dedicated top athletes. I think it’s like the cliché of comparing apples and oranges. The MOTO genre films are unique to their own formula, with filming, editing and style. Fourohfour‘s creative vision is very different from the MOTO films. Which is always great to offer variety and different styles to all the dirt bike fans out there. Fourohfour‘s goal is always focused on promoting these dedicated athletes, and RIDE is about raising the level of respect of the sport in Australia.

What can we expect to see in the way of riding and locations?

The locations are as diverse as the riders. For each featured rider, we were always conscious of making sure we captured the unique talents of each rider, and filmed them in some of the rarest Aussie riding locations. Who would have thought a dirt bike racer would be allowed on the ski slopes of the summit of Mt Baw Baw, or 300m down a gold mine, or blasting past crocodiles in the muddy marshes of remote Darwin? RIDE will showcase everything from extreme log hopping, to massive sand dune freeriding jumps; from being pinned across remote deserts to technical rocky mountains. Thats what’s awesome about off-road, there is no limit to the challenges these riders take on in the most extreme terrains.

The film’s set to premiere this Saturday in Sydney. Pumped?

Politically correct answer: Hell yeah, we are pumped! The truth: We are buggered (laughs)… We’ve been working flat-out over the last few days. I don’t think anyone would truly realise what it takes for only two people to do everything from start to finish to produce a feature film of this magnitude – filming, editing, directing, graphic designing and never-ending marketing and logistical management. It’s been a project of passion, where we have adopted a code to do whatever it takes to get the perfect shot and give these riders the justice they deserve on film. Can’t wait to celebrate on Saturday night with all the riders, their families, sponsors, dirt bike fans and just have a great night out with the best bunch of folk. It’s been such an adventure, and we can’t wait to start filming our next film ‘RIDE World Elements’ in 2014.

Sounds awesome. Where will people be able to buy the film, and when will it be available?

The RIDE film is available several ways. You can buy the DVD directly from the website. We offer shipping for the DVD to all overseas countries. It’s also available for sale on Saturday night at the cinema. Very soon, it will be promoted by Garage Entertainment via iTunes and XBOX. Selected distributors and dealerships will also hold the DVD.

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To check out the trailer for RIDE: The Australian Off-Road Moto Film, click here.