A New Wave: Director Chris Clark Shapes His Craft in the Surf
Film Construction director Chris Clark talks about how surfing prepares the mind for his day job as a commercials director and how his surprising new film 'Wai Is The Yang' is creating moving discussions about the ocean, community and mental health.
In his film Chris’s intimate exploration of surfing offers a glimpse into the mind of an artist who is constantly pushing creative boundaries. Here Chris invites audiences to experience surfing’s meditative qualities and transformative power. Far from creating just another floaty, summery surf film, 'Wai Is The Yang' is hearty and as brutally beautiful as the ocean in the depths of winter.
As a respected director, Chris’s has created a film that is testament to his unique vision and ability to capture the human experience and is a must-see film for anyone with a heart for humanity, a love of nature and all seekers of deeper understandings of the human psyche. Chris lives at the beach and had sandy feet as we caught up with him between shoots.
View Chris’s work here
Why does a commercial director make a surf film?
Chris> Play! The longer I’m a director, the more I need to create opportunities to play with my craft. Trying new things just for the adventure of it all is at the core of the relationship I’ve had with the medium since I was a kid. That’s where it all started. It’s easy to lose that initial spark, especially when directing is your career. It’s important to find new ways to play. To keep it fresh, deep and hearty, while pushing further into new areas of craft and creativity.
What lessons from the surfing world do you apply to your craft?
Chris> So many lessons! While the conditions are ever changing, you can recognise the key elements which need to align to allow for a rewarding experience. No two waves or jobs are the same. Smile, play and at the heart of it… Let go. There’s so much about surfing and filmmaking that you can’t control. It’s all a swirl of energy that you should intentionally prepare yourself for and place yourself in the best position for. Then the more you do it, you can paddle towards the best opportunities and ride them the best you know how. In both processes we’re just along for the ride. As the film says, “On the stormiest wildest days some of the waves can be big and crazy, but the way you can play in that!” There’s that word... Play.
Without getting too philosophical, how does surfing center you?
Chris> I’m finding the longer I do it, the less it’s about getting my quota of waves and more just an excuse to be in the ocean. The ocean makes you present. There’s nothing else. You’re either having a yarn, or watching the horizon, or in the reactive moment of being on a wave. And sometimes I guess, you’re under the water waiting to hit the surface to get some air. The act of surfing places you in your body, stimulating and calming you. It’s a form of mediation.
Your work has a rhythmic feel - is that a parallel of catching a wave?
Chris> Thank you! Rhythm is everything in filmmaking. And yeah, I think it’s a strong parallel to wave riding. I’m fortunate enough to know a number of great surfers, who all have an instinctual rhythm to their surfing. Naturally linking their movements to the section of the wave they are on. They’re in the moment, while forecasting the waves next section. Like film, there’s a constant flow from one state to the next. Highly in tune with where the viewer currently is, while preparing them for what’s about to happen, all feeling natural and pleasing to the senses.
Creative visions versus practical constraints. Discuss.
Chris> That’s the constant tension… The vision of an end goal that has to run through the gauntlet of practical reality. I set a precedent early on as a young filmmaker, when it was always about making the creative idea work beyond the means that were at hand and not allowing anyone to notice my constraints. It’s still 100% like that, particularly in commercial production. No one cares about the constraints you were up against, all that matters is how it makes them feel when they watch it. I love that. Whatever the circumstances, I create an environment that makes people feel good right through the creative process, until they’re watching it finished at home. Smiling. It’s how I’ve always done it.
Change is constant in this industry. How do you deal with that?
Chris> The concept of change transcends this industry right? Change is an evolution that either shapes or defeats us. Surfing has helped in this regard. The glassy morning waves give way to onshore sea breeze. The tide turns. Sets give way to lulls. In life if we stay present, in-tune and nimble, dealing positively with change happens as a by-product. Trying to rage against change seems like you’re going against the nature of the universe.
You meet great characters in the surf community. Do they make their way into your commercials?
Chris> For sure! Some of them have been in a few of my ads even. When casting a commercial I’m after a distinct look and a certain energy. Generally there’s a healthy natural glow to someone who spends a lot of time in the ocean, so they’re going to look great on camera. And energetically they’ll have an ability to embrace something out of the ordinary, which commercial production certainly is. With those casting requirements filled, a surfer is likely to treat the shoot as a fun adventure. Sounds like a casting dream to me.
How did you capture the meditative qualities of surfing in your film 'Wai Is The Yang'?
Chris> I produced a thorough 10 page director’s treatment in prep, which was a very clear tonal and visual representation of where the film would end up. Sharing the treatment and the incredible selection of music I was going to use with my crew set a clear direction and allowed me to be more playful in the moment. Then in post-production, 15 hours of footage and the incredible heart felt stories of my cast, inspired me to work the hardest I ever have in an edit. It was the most creatively challenged I’ve ever been, which is exactly what I wanted. It really forced me to find new ways to play. Now, as the film is finding its audience it’s clear that people are “feeling” the film, more than “seeing” it. Which seems like the highest compliment. If fostering a sense of play can powerfully connect the filmmaking process to our audience’s heart, then I’m going to be playing every opportunity I get.
