I had the exciting opportunity to film the House of Vans event at the abandoned Jefferson Intermediate School in Detroit. The project kicked off months before the event, allowing me to explore the eerie, empty halls, abandoned lockers, and spooky, dark bathrooms of the school. Despite its dilapidated state, the building was still under heavy surveillance, a testament to its multi-million dollar value.
Vans used my footage for social media teasers leading up to the House of Vans event, a community skateboarding contest. I was also hired to film the main event, which unfolded over a cold, snowy weekend in February. I spent the entire weekend getting creative behind the camera. The rest of the Vans videography team edited my footage with a 24-hour turnaround, creating promotional reels that were featured on the Vans Instagram feed.
Contributing to the social media marketing for this Vans event was incredibly rewarding. The video I captured was transformed into multiple reels that hyped, highlighted, and recapped the event. I don’t usually get these corporate events in the city, so this felt like a special moment for me. Hanging out with Danny Brown and the crew, who are longtime friends, added to the experience. I even captured the peak moment when a skateboarder dropped from the top of the basketball backboard.
Hanging with Detroit creatives and influencers made for a great weekend. Vans hooked me up with some shoes for the weekend, making the experience even sweeter. A big thank you to the good folks at House of Vans for this unique opportunity!
