(Journalism, Documentary Journalism, Video Editing, Social Media Marketing, Graphic Design)
Cyrus Bennett is a professional skateboarder based in Brooklyn who rose to prominence during the mid-2010s via a series of short films produced by cinematographer, Johnny Wilson. Lovingly dubbed “The Most Productive Crew” in New York, Cyrus and his friends became amongst the most significant skateboarders in the culture during a transformational period where the media shifted attention from a California-centric industry to grassroots pockets around the world. During Summer 2022, I produced two interview-based articles, in video and written form, profiling Cyrus and his career.
‘Favorite Spot with Cyrus Bennett on The Sombrero’
‘Favorite Spot’ is a documentary series exploring the relationship between skateboarders and space. This episode focuses on Cyrus’ relationship with ‘The Sombrero’ and provides a candid and humorous account his regular interactions with an architectural oddity over the course of his skateboarding career. This video piece was conceptualised, written and edited by myself as part of my ongoing ‘Favorite Spot’ series for New York-based skateboarding, publication, Quartersnacks.
(Tools: Adobe Audition & Premiere Pro)
Teaser & Social Asset
A trailer edited for Quartersnacks’ social media channels. (Tools: Adobe Audition and Premiere Pro)
Editorial: ‘Sitting Around Hurts My Body’ — An Interview with Cyrus Bennett
A companion piece to Cyrus Bennett’s episode of ‘Favorite Spot’ discussing his time in skateboarding’s spotlight since moving to New York, his career, injury recovery and founding his own brand, Limosine Skateboards. (Interview condensed for length, full story here.)
FG: Earlier we talked about you being hands on. I feel you have a pretty proactive approach to skateboarding too.
CB: Anything that really takes your concentration and attention away from regular bullshit – working hands-on, skating, or people who like to play video games – anything making you focus on what you’re doing in that exact moment really helps me.
It feels better to be focused. I’m a physical person, so skating works. I’ve been adapting to working on the computer, but that hurts my back. Sitting around hurts my body more than skating and actually hurting my body does.
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You’ve managed to spend your whole career in the company of your closest friends. Does that beat anything else you could have gotten out of professional skateboarding?
Absolutely. People are all it comes down to. Who’s going to be there when you can’t skate anymore? The people you know and the friends you spent time with. I don’t really know what else you get out of it. Experiences — yeah — but friends are there every step along the way, the whole time.
Cyrus Bennett Interview — Social Asset (Personal)
A social media asset made for my personal accounts combining audio from the interview, video footage and typographic elements. (Tools: Adobe Premiere Pro, Audition, Photoshop, Illustrator & After Effects)
Social Asset — Articles Recap
Additional asset to promote Cyrus Bennett’s video and text articles for Quartersnacks. (Tools: Adobe Premiere Pro & Audition)
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