Shark Shop Creative, led by principal cinematographer Chuck Fryberger and director Kyle Berkompas, released their newest film Exposure II earlier this week.
Exposure Vol II, directed by Kyle Berkompas, follows athletes Daniel Woods, Jimmy Webb, Alex Megos, Alex Puccio, and Dmitry Sharafutdinov as they push both both their own personal limits and the limits of climbing. This years film brings you stories and ascents from around the globe including Russia, Switzerland, Germany, Bishop, Squamish, and Colorado in a heart-pounding, forearm pump inducing journey to discover the impossible. Catch Daniels ascent of Lucid Dreaming 8C/V15, Alex Megos on Action Directe 9A/5.14d, and Alex Puccio on her first V13/8B, Top Notch.
Squamish Climbing Magazine had a chance to see the film and here is our review.
In an era of vimeo and youtube, it has never been easier to access climbing media online. Whether it is someone who made a video of their latest send or a company paying its top athletes for the next five minute fix, it has become increasingly difficulty for any cinematographer to draw a line between themselves, and everyone else. The team behind Exposure II draws this line with ease, flaunting their skill with beautiful cinematography that leaves us wondering what adventure still lies out there beyond the horizon.
Rather than beginning with your typical climbing montage, Exposure II begins with a close up of the obsessed. Top athletes committed to the detail that it takes to push the limits. We start by joining Jimmy Webb and Daniel Woods as they travel through one our favourite areas, Squamish, BC. The cinematography in this section is stunning and the storyline is true to the nature of the area. During the filming of this section, Squamish was hot! I mean it was borderline not worth going out and both Jimmy and Daniel continued to try their best despite these conditions. Kyle Berkompas, the man behind the lens, managed to capture a number of classic problems with inventive new angles and was able to showcase the majestic nature of the area. Both the sections of Squamish, BC and Bishop, CA are surely not to disappoint.
The strength of Exposure II is showcased with its choice to follow two enigmatic individuals who often live outside of the limelight, Dmitry Sharafutdinov and Alex Megos. While watching the section on Dmitry, I cannot help but draw a parallel between previous footage shot of Patxi Usobiaga and his indoor obsession. But this time it is different. The conditions are hard and the culture even harder. We are left with the feeling that, under any circumstance, an individual can succeed if they continue to try, try, and try again. In contrast, the section featuring Alex Megos makes everything look, well, simple. Lines of distinct difficulty look easy and the lifestyle even easier. The footage captured here seems like it is just the beginning. This will not be the last time we see a section dedicated to this young climber.
Exposure II is not without its flaws. The transition from the hot summer of Squamish to the blistery winter conditions of Bishop seems to force the narrative. The film also lacked a final punch. We are left with Alex Megos trying a project close to his home that does not seem to be ground breaking nor a big deal to the athlete himself. This could simply be a product of circumstance, with true ground breaking ascents being few and far between. Finally, the music in the film was good but seemed to lacked intrigue. Like its skateboard counterpart, climbing media has the opportunity to introduce people to new and exciting sounds. One of my favourite sections in the film is accompanied by the song Bad Feelings by Ginger Ale. This is a great example how new music can really add to a climbing part.
Overall, Exposure II is definitely worth the price of admission. With access to online media growing exponentially, it is important for the climbing community continue to support those who have a bigger vision for our sport. Perfecting your craft and creating art takes time and that will always comes at a price. Make the investment before it is too late!
Exposure II can be downloaded here.
Digital Download: $14.99 Running Time: 82 minutes
