Even though he's predominantly known for being slick with the skate stills, Vancouver's Brian Caissie began his camera fascination by pressing record before clicking the shutter.

"I actually started filming before shooting photos. I just bugged my Dad for a Sony Hi-8 camera when I was around 15, and he told me to get a summer job and buy it myself," he explains. "I just filmed skating, had fun with it, and slowly got into photography."

Somehow managing to defy the time/space continuum and basic laws of physics, Caissie manages to squeeze 30 hours out of a day. He often goes on photo missions and returns with enough material for magazine features, blog fuel, and even video clip trimmings he'll edit into web shorts while he hoists a java cup at Waves on Main. This work ethic has led to an impromptu side job as a white-balance-checking, VX wielding, contributing videographer—a key position in skateboarding that's often not financially sustainable for many.

"I sold my gear years ago and took a long break from filming to focus on stills. It's hard to make a living off filming," he says. "There are a lot of filmers in Vancouver, but a lot of them have regular jobs, or they go to school and don't have the money or time for trips."

Caissie has managed to go on a handful of few exotic filming trips in order to provide the DV clip commodities for assorted skate video productions, and has even done so without owning the most basic tool for the job—a video camera. This paradox might have you wondering, "How's that possible!?" Well, good things happen when you consistently churn out quality photography, and develop solid working relationships with heavy hitters in the skateboard industry over the years.

"There are a lot of photographers out there today. With the digital era, anyone can go out, get a camera, and start shooting. What separates Brian from your average trigger finger first off is his motivation," explains Paul Machnau. "He's always down to go shoot, and if you already have plans with another photographer, he's down to come out and film."

Here's the Part 2 Q & A with Brian Caissie:

You're usually pretty busy with photography. What are some examples of you working video into the mix, simultaneously or otherwise?
I've always done both, but I bought my VX last year so I could go out and strictly film sometimes—I missed it a lot. I went on a DC trip to Vancouver Island where I did both. I put a little video together with some of the footage, and all the photos came out in a Concrete feature [#94, July ‘08]. I try to shoot and film together a little bit, but it ends up being a lot of gear. You can get so much more done if there's both a photographer and a filmer around.

These days, for a magazine to run a skate photo, it's got to be something pretty heavy. Sometimes I don't shoot photos for 2 weeks, but I'll film all the stuff that doesn't always translate well into photos, like street lines and certain manual tricks.

What video camera gear are you toting?
I have the typical Sony VX-1000—a skater's favourite camera—with a Century fisheye, a little video light, and a couple batteries. I bought the setup in March ‘08 off Nick Scurich—a US skate photographer who shoots for Thrasher. Before that, I didn't even own one for 5 years. It was kind of funny being asked to go to Shanghai by Globe to film without owning a camera. For years I just borrowed Chris Haslam's or Machnau's. Sometimes I would even bring my own tapes and just use someone's video camera that I'd bump into. Once people heard that I had a camera, the jobs just came to me naturally. Going to Hawaii with Globe went down like that, since I get along with their riders.

Explain some of the filming-only trips you've been on over the last few years.
I actually went on quite a few trips to film and they've been a lot of fun. I went to Shanghai with Haslam in June ‘07 strictly to film him for his Globe United By Fate Episode 2. In December '07 I went to Hawaii for 2 weeks with Machnau, Haslam, and Jordan Hoffart for Globe. I filmed for Momentum on their August ‘08 Japan tour with Haslam, Corey Sheppard, Ted DeGros, Magnus Hanson, Yoshiaki Toeda, and Hiroyuki Matsuo. I also had a chance to go on tour with the Plan B team this summer [hit up parts 1 and 2 of Canada 3D in the November 2008 archive on Plan B TV]. Sean Hayes (Plan B TM) called me up one day and asked if I'd like to go and film alongside their filmer, Hoops.

How is it being behind the video camera rather than the still camera?
I think that photographers have a bit more faith in working with me as a filmer since I've dealt with filmers a lot over the years. I know how not to ruin the photo or piss off the photographer. There are a lot of differences between the two. When shooting a photo, you have to crop so much more and fine tune what's in the final frame; you can't have any camera bags, filmers, or their shadows in the shot. When you're filming, it usually involves long-lens panning or a fish-eye shot in a quick clip, so you don't see the imperfections as easily as you can with stills.

What are some notable videos your filming has appeared in?
Strange Brew, 411VM, Globe UBF videos, Un Momentum Por Favor, the Flip "Feast" Canada Tour, and some smaller web-based projects.

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Related:
Brian Caissie Part One (Still Photography)

Vic West Park Session (Filmed by Caissie)

Plan B Demo at South Parc (Brian is the filmer in the white tee)