Jan 18, 2022
HBO's original documentary Dear Rider tells the inspirational story of Jake Burton Carpenter, who pioneered the sport of snowboarding.
Fernando Villena, award-winning filmmaker and the director of Dear Rider, discusses Jake’s life as a snowboarding legend. The film shows how Jake took his favourite childhood toy and turned it into a global cultural phenomenon.
Fernando not only talks about Jake's vision and passion for the sport he invented, but also how multiple diseases tragically ended his life prematurely. The legacy Jake left behind inspired millions including Woody Harrelson, who narrates the film.
“His mind exploded and he thought, oh my god, I can actually surf on snow. And that became his obsession, that along with making a lot of money.” – Fernando Villena
Watch the interview at https://factualamerica.com
Time Stamps:
00:00 - The trailer for Dear Rider.
03:19 - Jake Burton Carpenter’s entrepreneurial
journey.
06:11 - What made him so successful
at turning snowboarding into a sport.
10:09 - Jake’s passion for sport
and his talent for marketing.
13:00 - The target market for
Jake's snowboards.
14:20 - How he influenced the
creation of the film.
16:56 - The snowboarding community
and the value Jake put on human connection.
19:50 - How Jake communicated with
others despite having Miller Fisher syndrome.
22:03 - How the project started and
how Fernando ended up directing the film.
26:57 - How Covid affected the
production of this film.
29:30 - What it was like making a
snowboarding film without being a snowboarder.
31:50 - The title
Dear Rider
and why they used Woody Harrelson
as the narrator.
36:24 - What it’s like working with
Red Bull.
39:00 - How Fernando transitioned
from editing to directing.
40:12 - The next project Fernando
is working on.
Resources:
Dear Rider (2021)
The MovieMaker Podcast
Innersound Audio
Alamo Pictures
Connect with Fernando
Villena:
IMDb
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