Excited to screen Havana Libre in Laguna Beach, Saturday May 2 at 7 PM, doors at 6:30 at the Rivian South Coast Theater. Tickets are free , register via link in bio or at the door.
Synopsis: after years of surfing being illegal, a diehard group of Cuban surfers rises up against their government to legitimize their biggest passion. This movie chronicles their fight in the face of political oppression, confronting boarders and outdated ideologies along the way.
Directed by Core McLean
#comecuriousleaveinspires
A Disco Ball, a Frozen Room, and Putting the Camera Down.
Second @puma shoot with @dixiedamelio . This time I went solo as DP.
I walked onto set and met the photographer. Low energy, not a communicator. The kind of person who works in their own head, which is fine until you need the room to sync up and nobody’s driving.
Then I saw the cast. PUMA had hired models instead of Dixie’s friends. This was supposed to celebrate her first shoe collab and her twenty-first birthday, a personal moment. But the models had no idea who Dixie was. They were starstruck, frozen, and the whole room felt like a waiting room.
So I put the camera down.
I walked over, made a joke, had them introduce themselves to each other. Not as talent and models, just as people. Gave them breathing room to become a group instead of strangers performing friendship. That one move made the rest of the day work.
We shot four or five scenes in a bar, pre-lit. I tweaked the lighting, had them blast the disco ball for sparkle. That scattered light bouncing off everything gave the footage energy you can’t fake.
But the real challenge was Dixie. The photographer kept firing the flash, not reading her. She’d get tired, go flat, check out a little, and he’d keep shooting. So I started stepping in between takes. A joke, a question, something to bring her back up. She’d light up, I’d get behind the camera, we’d get the shot. Then the flash would start burning her out again and I’d step back in. We zigzagged like that all day.
Shooting with talent is half psychology. The lighting matters. The camera matters. But none of it matters if the person in front of you has checked out. Read them. Make it fun. You get the shot when they forget they’re working.
I came in as DP. By the end of the day I was directing too. Nobody handed me that title, it just happened, because sometimes the job needs more than what’s on the call sheet and you either step up or you don’t.
And sometimes stepping up means putting the camera down first.
Fifteen Minutes, a RED, and a VHS Camera.
@puma was shooting a campaign with @dixiedamelio and needed a video team alongside the photographer. The job came through word of mouth.
This was during COVID. New protocols on everything. Masks between takes, limited crew, the whole strange choreography everyone was still figuring out.
Here's the setup: the photographer was the priority. She got fifteen to thirty minutes per set. I got fifteen. Three sets, fifteen to twenty minutes each. The entire shoot, for video, was roughly forty-five minutes of actual camera time.
I was on the RED. My buddy Dan was running B-cam doing a VHS-style look, that grainy nostalgic texture we'd cut together with the clean footage in the edit. Two cameras, two completely different aesthetics, stitched into one piece.
The thing that made it work was PUMA's creative director. She knew exactly what she wanted. No guessing, no let's see what happens. Every setup had a direction, every transition was planned. When you've got fifteen minutes per set, that clarity is everything.
Dixie I just treated like a person. Made jokes. Kept it fun, silly, respectful. No kid gloves, no special handling. Just two people having a good time while one of them happened to be on camera.
She was easy to work with. Genuinely easy. And that's the thing about shooting people: they give you what they feel. If the set is tense, the footage is tense. If it's fun, you can see it in every frame.
Forty-five minutes of camera time across three sets during a pandemic, and we walked away with everything PUMA needed. Sometimes the constraint is the gift. You stop overthinking and just shoot.
Friends, we invite you to join us for a community event on Saturday, March 14, 2026. Surf buddies @anastasia_mikai + @theresenugent are teaming up with a great crew of collaborators to share the beautiful and inspiring film, Havana Libre with you outdoors at our favorite art house in Oceanside - Dear Tomorrow 🤍. The movie from @makewild shares the stories of Frank and Yalia - who surf in a country where surfing lives in the shadows. We will open the doors at 6 PM with food from @destino_empanadas , drinks and sponsored natural soda from @strivesoda . We are also happy to share art from @bannarchy and Ray Orate from @interimcoffee . Or you can make art with @rebeccamckinneybarry . Time together makes all the difference. Please buy tickets in advance $15 via @_dear_tomorrow or website artmrw.com🤍🌊
Revisiting: The Cuba Unknown Book Design
The Cuba Unknown is a 180 page hardcover coffee table photo book on a mission to inspire travelers and surfers interested in finding Cuba. Through photos and stories from times on the island with local friends, it reveals a lesser-known side of the country, beyond the old cars and decaying buildings. The book also offers tips for those intrigued to make the journey to lessen the times you feel like a total gringo.
Learn more at www.radanimal.co
Rad Animal supported @makewild in the graphic design of The Cuba Unknown, designing the cover, chapter layouts, maps and an assortment of editorial layouts to help tell a captivating story of Cuban surfing and adventure.
#design #creative #bookdesign #coverart #creativedirection #travel #surfing
We’re psyched for this one!
Our talented friend and filmmaker, @kalimsummerday , is bringing Havana Libre to The Dance Hall in Kittery, ME for a special screening—and we can’t wait to watch it with you.
Kalim also hung out at our shop during our last workshop, quietly capturing the magic. Word is he’s putting together a little something to share at the screening… and yep, it’ll be just as much a surprise to us as it is to you!
So grab a friend (or a few) and join us at The Dance Hall next Saturday, May 10th. It’s gonna be a good one.
@vacationland@thedancehallkittery@makewild@summersessionssurfshop
Yeti or not, here we come!
After screening our film across the globe, it’s finally time to share our post-apocalyptic yeti escapade with our LA family. So we’re throwing a party to capture the spirit of everything that brought this project to life—from that magical week in the Mojave Desert to the unforgettable adventure in the Alaskan tundra!
Join us for an evening filled with screenings, drinks, games, music, and a celebration of each other and the incredible, wild piece of art we created.
DETAILS:
- Location: Haute Pursuit Studio in DTLA!
- Alley entrance between 8th and Sacramento
- UBER!!!
- Two screenings: 8pm and 10pm
- Bar with yeti-themed drinks! Bring your own cup - this movie is about climate change after all.
- Shenanigans and music
- Costumes encouraged: Dress as your favorite Yeti or show off your best post-apocalyptic style!
We can’t wait to see you there!
We all have a story to tell.
Are you ready to share yours?!
🚨Film submission prices go up August 1st!
👆Get your films in by September 30th for this year’s festival- submit through the link in our bio!
A look back at Coast Film Festival 2019 AUDIENCE CHOICE award winner TRANSFORMED: SAWUBONA with @giovannidouresseau . Directed by @ty_dunham@brendanjcalder .
🎥 You can find the incredibly inspiring short documentary TRANSFORMED: SAWUBONA on YouTube.
Come Curious, Leave Inspired.
#coastfilmfoundation #coastfilmfestival #lagunabeach #comecuriousleaveinspired #rivian #communityevents #conversationsthatmatter #documentaryfilm #surffilm #surf #makewildfilms #documentary #storiesthatinspire
