This Is Livin’
8 YEARS · 250K+ SUBSCRIBERS · 85M+ VIEWS · 700+ EPISODES
ROLE
Filmmaker · Editor · Producer
THE PROJECT
Eight years documenting the life of professional surfer Koa Rothman from Pipeline and Waimea Bay to strike missions around the world.
THE CHALLENGE
Capture unpredictable real-world moments and turn them into compelling weekly stories often while traveling and working with extremely fast turnaround times.
WHAT I DID
Concept development · Cinematography · Story development · Editing · Music · Color · Delivery
THE EDDIE - KOA ROTHMAN
Filmmaking · Cinematography · Editing · Same-Day Turnaround
Professional big-wave surfer Koa Rothman throughout the Eddie Aikau Big Wave Invitational at Waimea Bay, documenting his experience from inside one of surfing’s most historic and prestigious events.
Rather than creating a traditional event recap, I approached the project as a character-driven documentary following Koa throughout the day and capturing everything from preparation and behind-the-scenes moments to the intensity of competing at Waimea Bay.
Working independently in an unpredictable live environment, I had to anticipate moments as they happened while simultaneously thinking about how the story would come together in the edit.
After filming throughout the day, I transitioned directly into post-production reviewing footage, building the narrative, selecting music, shaping pacing and delivering the finished episode on an extremely fast turnaround.
CODE RED TAHITI TEAHUPOʻO
Filmmaking · Cinematography · Editing · Documentary Storytelling
I documented Koa Rothman during one of the most significant swells to hit Teahupoʻo in years, capturing the experience of being on the ground in Tahiti as waves reached the 40–50 foot range.
Rather than focusing solely on the spectacle of the surf, I approached the episode from Koa’s perspective building the story around the anticipation, preparation, uncertainty and intensity that comes with surfing Teahupoʻo when conditions reach this level.
Working in an extremely unpredictable environment meant constantly adapting to changing conditions while capturing both the scale of what was happening in the water and the smaller moments surrounding it. The challenge was being ready for moments that could happen only once while still thinking about the larger story unfolding throughout the day.
In the edit, I shaped that footage into a narrative that builds alongside the swell, balancing big-wave action with behind-the-scenes moments and Koa’s experience to give the audience a sense of what it was actually like to be there.
The finished film goes beyond a traditional surf edit, documenting the atmosphere, risk and emotion surrounding an historic day at Teahupoʻo through the perspective of one of the surfers experiencing it firsthand.
JAWS “Pe’ahi”
Filmmaking · Cinematography · Editing · Big-Wave Documentary
I documented professional big-wave surfer Koa Rothman at Jaws (Peʻahi), following his experience through the preparation, anticipation and intensity surrounding one of the most demanding waves in the world.
The project went beyond capturing big-wave surfing itself. I approached the episodes as an inside look at what it takes to compete at this level, following Koa through the moments leading up to the event, receiving a wildcard into the competition, preparing equipment and ultimately putting himself in position to surf Peʻahi.
Working in a fast-moving environment meant constantly anticipating where the story was going next. Conditions, competition schedules and opportunities in the water could change quickly, so I had to capture the action while also documenting the smaller moments that gave the story context and personality.
In post-production, I brought those elements together into episodes that balanced high-impact surfing with the story happening behind the scenes using pacing, music and character moments to build tension around the event rather than simply presenting a collection of waves.
The finished films give viewers an inside perspective on competing at Jaws and demonstrate my ability to independently document high-level sporting events while building a character-driven story around the action.