Thrillhead Creations was one of the first filmmakers on NossaTV, as an entry in The Beating Film Festival that NossaTV sponsored in December of 2006. We first heard about them when their Schralptown tour rolled through Utah last fall. Now, Thrillhead is our first sponsored filmmaker. Mike S. interviewed Ellis Smith, co-founder of Thrillhead, about the new movie, the nationwide tour, and something called an "adventure farm."
NossaTV: Where are you guys from and what got you into filmmaking?
Ellis: As a film company, we’re based out of Ft Collins. I grew up in Mobile, Alabama, and my partner Jessie is from Spencer, Mass.
NTV: How did you guys end in Colorado?
I did an Outward Bound when I was 21 years old and got exposed to mountaineering in general and wanted to pursue a career in climbing. I was supposed to go to school at Western State. But I moved to Ft. Collins to get residency, decided I wanted to stay there and go to CSU instead.
Both Jessie and I were college athletes: I played soccer and he played baseball. He came out to take a 90-day NOLS semester. He decided to move west and finish school out here. Parallel to me in a sense, we met in the same major as CSU, Natural Resources, Recreation, and Tourism. Basically we were showing up late to class and realized we were both skiing the same slopes before coming to class.
NTV: Where did the name ‘Thrillhead Creations’ come from?
My brother has been calling me a ‘thrillhead’ for years. I was just this good old boy from Alabama. That kinda stuck with me for a while. I always wanted to create a company around thrillhead, something I’d call a “sustainable adventure farm.”
NTV: How did Thrillhead get started?
So Jesse and I met in school and did a lot of backcountry touring around northern Colorado and I would always carry my camcorder with us and shoot everybody. We always talked about making a film that was different from what we had been seeing in the industry. So this idea was born to separate ourselves from the rest of the pack by focusing on the backcountry, avalanche awareness, and environmental stewardship. So we started to cut the footage we were compiling and people really enjoyed what they saw and really encouraged us to pursue it further. So with a trailer in the works we began writing proposals, creating our logo, and we produced our first movie 16 months later and the rest is history.
NTV: Can you elaborate on the adventure farm?
I have this idea of living on a farm that is 100% sustainable. We grow all of our own veggies year round, hunt and fish for meat, and live in a home that is net zero or requires little or no outside power source. We would run this adventure based outfitter type bed and breakfast/ranch where we take guests out to do different activities. While they are hiking, fishing, climbing, or whatever the activity, they will learn about the flora and fauna, the ecology and geology of the surrounding area, helping them gain a stronger appreciation for their surroundings. We will also educate our guest about how we live self sustained off of our farm such as growing our veggies year round (permaculture) to harvesting eggs from the chickens, to how to live in a net zero home. We want our guest to leave with a great understanding that they too can live a similar lifestyle just by learning how to do it.
NTV: What are your thoughts on “environmental stewardship?”
Honestly, I grew up hunting and fishing my whole life. I grew up on the Gulf Coast and my dad always had me outside. The outdoors had a big impression on me and I have always had a strong connection to it. Coming to CSU really helped mold my views of the environment. That’s where it developed even more. I was exposed to all these ideas. It really helped instill environmental stewardship in me.
We live in a community that is very progressive as far as environmental activism goes. The values we gained at CSU really help mold the way we run a business and the companies we choose to work with as sponsors. As our mission, we strive to work with like minded businesses that view our environment the same way we do. So, I have had this issue with trying to label or identify with the kind of green work that we do and believe in. Tree hugger and granola head just don’t fit well for today’s politically correct, so I have begun to coin the term “Green Collar” businesses or eco-conscience businesses. In this wave of greening going on all around us, it is only appropriate to be able identify us in a positive sense.
NTV: I can’t remember if I told you about The Beating film festival, or that’s how we found about you.
That’s how you found out about us. We heard about it going on in Silverton and you contacted me afterwards. We weren’t there but you remembered seeing a flyer in the Salt Lake REI or something, were bummed you had missed our Utah shows.
NTV: So what’s your opinion on film festivals? Are they gaining in popularity?
Yes, I think so tremendously. Ever since I moved to Colorado I’ve tried to go to every film festival from Denver to Silverton. They are a great tool for artists who are tying to get their work out there. I think we entered 15 or 16 film festivals last season.
(Film festivals play) a huge role because we do spend a lot of time and effort promoting the tour we do on our own. Festivals make it easier for us. So for us it’s great.
NTV: What kind of cameras do you use for filming?
We shoot 2 Canon GL2’s. We shoot one Sony VX2100. We shoot two Panasonic PVGS. Those are all 3 CCD. We shoot about three different helmet cams. I personally own a Viosport helmet cam.
NTV: What is your editing suite?
Avid Express Pro, PC version. Very finicky, a million options, you have to make sure everything is set right.
NTV: Where do you get your information from?
For festival updates Withoutabox.com is a great source, that’s how we found all the film festivals to enter.
NTV: What has been the toughest part of making and selling ski movies?
The toughest part is getting the funding to make one. Then, being a nobody trying to sell ski and snowboard movies to people who have no idea who you are. It’s pretty difficult to break into a new market.
NTV: What’s been the best part?
Man! Getting to call this a job (laughs). Getting to splitboard for a living! I love being in the mountains. Getting to share these experiences. To me that’s the best part. Our movies are realistic, and anybody in our audience can relate to (what we do). It isn’t something that only stunt men can do.
NTV: What do you think about downloadable video?
It is the wave of the future. I don’t just make ski movies, I do real estate videos, as well. It makes it easier to upload and share your work.
NTV: How is NossaTV helping you?
It’s helping me be exposed to new markets I wouldn’t try to tackle. You have such a wide array to what we’re doing. We’re trying to find any avenue to reach new markets.
NTV: Tell us about Return to Schralptown.
It’s the same idea as (the original) Schralptown. Except now we’ve got better athletes, locations, imagery. The skiing and snowboarding, unique twists as far as the environmental aspects that are going into it . . . helps get this message across.
NTV: Any other current projects?
We’ve got a kayaking project going on. It’s been a lot of fun changing it up from skiing to kayaking; it’s been a fun crossover. Also the “To Cross the Moon” segment of the new movie. 2XTM (the kiteboarding guys) transformed the tour for us, (gave us the idea to) offset the carbon footprint (and put) a big sign up showing what our carbon footprint is. Giving money to trees, water, people. Really inspiring as far as being eco-adventurists. Really inspired us to “green’ our tour as much as we can.
NTV: Tell us about the tour.
So yeah, basically, our tour is going to very unique. We’re going to drive a bio diesel car to every one of our shows, based out of Fort Collins. (At) each one of our events we’ve invited community members that have some sort of environment connection. It will be like a 4th grade science fair, learn what these people are doing to Keep Winter White. We’re calling it the KW2 Tour. Educate people about what’s going on in their community and get them involved. Do something completely new, outside the box!
We are traveling across the country this year for our 40 show Keep Winter White “Return to Schralptown” movie tour. We will travel to all of our shows in a veggie run diesel with fuel provided by our sponsor Blue Sun Biodiesel. Each show will educate our viewers about the impact caused from making this movie and traveling across the country for our tour and how we will ask for support to offset our carbon footprint thru donations. We want to change the way snowsports movies are seen while influencing our audience to question themselves about the impacts they are causing in their lives.
NTV: Any shout outs?
All the people that have believed in this from the get go. Loki has been huge, really supportive. Family and friends. Backcountry Magazine. Blue Sun Biodiesel, and all our other sponsors.
NTV: Thanks Ellis!
Watch for the trailer for "Return to Schralptown" on NossaTV any day now. In the meantime, check out the preview for "Schralptown" below, or by following this link to NossaTV.com where you can download the whole movie with our media player, and watch it full screen.
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