Yoan Taillandier / 5 W's!

Yoan Taillandier, The shadowman? Few skate filmers may reasonably take pride in their works having made such a cultural impact that the influence of their style can still be felt years down the road in other people's videos - yet you won't find yoan ever claiming anything, besides, perhaps, some flavor of genuine love for universal skateboarding - the japanese scene he is popularly associated with only making for one magnified instance of this. quite the humble, discrete person, sometimes to the point of socially awkward amid a social environment Inclined toward self-promotion, yoan's mind (most notably behind the 2010 full-Length "MINUIT") is an essentially creative one, respectful of people's nature but still favoring production and action over mindless banter - which is exactly why we'll be cutting the crap just now, as for you to better enjoy yoan's take on our 5 W's!

 

Where do you happen to be right now?

 

I'm in Bordeaux right now, and about to move to Paris, sometime over the course of the next few months!

 

What projects have you been working on?

 

I'm soon going on a skate trip with my friends who run the clothing company Futur so we can film and complete their next, upcoming video edit: "Timeline 04" [editor's note: see here, here et here for the former installments in the "Timeline" series]. I've also been working on a new Minuit montage, for I have a lot of footage left aside still; and I'm also working on new, other types of stuff on the side...

 

When do you reckon the world might ever get to see a new Minuit full-length?

 

Projects like those require a certain budget, but I'd like to get one going on as soon as possible; I already have ideas aplenty, now, I need to find ways of materializing them.

 

Why is all your work coming out independently besides the Minuit designation?

 

As soon as the release of the first Minuit video back in 2010, I started working for Magenta Skateboards, a collaboration which went on for quite a few years during which everything I would film would naturally get used by the company. After that ended, I felt like going back to the original Minuit thing and working on expanding it, for it is what I feel the most comfortable with; Minuit enables me to express myself the way I truly feel like doing it, and to showcase and convey the imagery and style that are the most representative of my vision of skateboarding. I try to get my friends (and really anyone who's down) involved as much as I can, and would like to thank everybody who's contributing and helping out, by the way.

 

Who are your current inspirations - filmmaking-wise, skateboarding-wise, life-wise?

 

That's a tough one, I'd say everything inspires me all the time: I try to be some sort of sponge in that everytime I see something I like - be it on the streets, in a magazine, at the library, on a screen... the format doesn't matter - I will want to retain some of its essence. As far as new skateboarding moves and flavors, I'd say, right now, Instagram. And as far as visions, vibes, feelings, creativity and innovation: Zach Chamberlin, GX1000, Colin Read, Takahiro Morita, Tightbooth Productions, Strush wheels, Toriotoko, Pass-Port, Palace, Buttergoods... I can only really relate to everybody's complementarity: what I really like is how everybody contributes to skateboarding the way only they know how. One luv!