There is no question that Steve Maloney got into filmaking for a different reason than most which is what Epic Underground found out when we sat down with him.  With  his first film featuring heavy hitters in surfing like Mick Fanning, Joel Parkinson, and Taj Burrow you know Steve means buisness.  He started with a cheap camera and an even cheaper computer but after last years release of his first movie "Resistance is Futile", Steve has started to make a name for himself.  He is a man with a purpose who also has some great tips on getting started we hope you enjoy meeting Steve Maloney.... 

    Living on the Gold Coast of Australia and growing up in Queensland definitely has its perks if you're a surfer.  Not only do you have access to some world class surf everyday but you also grow up with some of the best surfers in the world.  Such is the case with surfer/ filmmaker Steve Maloney.  He was sponsored for surfing by companies like JR Surfboards , Von Zipper , and Pro Lite until recently when he decided to trade up his surfing time for filming.     

EU:  So, how long have you been making surf films?

Steve Maloney:  About four years now.

EU:  How did you get started?  

Steve Maloney:  To be honest, it was Jesus.

EU:  Jesus?

Steve Maloney: (With a bit of a laugh) Yeah mate, Jesus.

EU:  I have to ask, how does that happen?

Steve Maloney:  I started making video resumes for myself and the boys.  Just filming around town and stuff.  I just felt the Lord wanted me to make a movie that had a bit of truth, a bit of reality, and a bit of the Gospel story.  So I started working on a film.

EU:  Is this what you do full time?

Steve Maloney:  Yeah pretty much.  I also still work at Rip Curl.

EU:  What kind of equipment are you using right now?

Steve Maloney:  For my video camera, I'm using a Canon XM2 (Canon GL2 in the US).  It's a 3 ccd camera that has really nice picture quality.  I also use an Epic Pro V1 from Epic Camera Housings for my water housing. 

EU:  What about the editing side?  What kind of set up do you have for that? 

Steve Maloney:  I have a little desktop computer with a lot of gig in it.  It's a little juiced up.  I had it custom made to build movies.  As for programs, I use a bunch of small programs for effects and stuff.  I also use Adobe Premiere, Windows Media, and a couple others.  

EU:  How long have you been editing for? 

Steve Maloney:  About four years.  Before the Lord told me to do "Resistance is Futile", I could barely turn a computer on.  I was pretty bad.  I pretty much taught myself.  

EU:  Do you have a crew that you work with or are you shooting all by yourself?  

Steve Maloney:  I have shot footage with crews, and I shoot footage myself.  I also have a mate who lives right on Pipe in Hawaii.  He sends me over footage which comes in handy.  I also network footage from different places.

EU:  How do you get surfers together to film?  Do you set it up beforehand, or do you just show up and film?

Steve Maloney:  A bit of both.  It's pretty tight down where I live.  There are a lot of pro-surfers that live around here and everyone sort of knows everyone.  I call them up sometimes they call me and other times I just show up at the beach.  

EU:  You got any tips for filming in the water?

Steve Maloney:  I found out that filming at beach breaks is not a good thing.  When you film beach breaks you just get pounded from every angle by every set that comes in and  you don't get very many clips.  You really need a wave that is going to run down the line for you, a defined peak so you can line yourself up. 
    Another thing about filming in the water is that it's trial and error.  It takes practice to learn how to hold the housing and know what shots are going to work.  There were times when I thought I got a really sick clip but realized i held the camera too high.  You also gotta keep spitting on the lens and keep it clean.  You learn as you go. 

EU:  Where do you start when making a surf film?  Do you sit down and script it or do you just start filming? 

Steve Maloney:  It's like a painting I guess.  It starts with an idea and like art, the more you do the picture starts coming together.  Like a puzzle, one bit at a time, it starts to come together.  Then you get a name for it and the sections start to come together.  Then you add music.  As you go it becomes what it's meant to be.  

EU:  How do you get music for your videos?  I know if there is one thing that can break a budget it's music.

Steve Maloney:  I have a bunch of crew that I work with at the moment.  I got these guys in America called Corey Red and Precise who are hip hop artists.  They have some really cool music and they're into the Lord.  I also work with Tooth and Nail Records .  I basically tell them I'm an independant filmmaker and I'm doing these films to share the Gospel.  They give me permission to use the music and it's good promotion for them here in Australia.

EU:  As for bringing your video to DVD and distributing it, how did you do it? 

Steve Maloney:  The first one was out of my own pocket.  I borrowed money from my parents to get a thousand copies made.  I had a friend who distributed movies to Christian bookstores before, so he got the word out for me and they bought a bunch, which paid for the movie to get made.

EU:  Do you think a filmmaker should wait on making a movie until they have all the right equipment?

Steve Maloney:  I would just start.  When I started I had a crap laptop that shutdown on me every two minutes and it literally made me want to pull my hair out.  I had a little handycam camera that was disgusting.  I just trusted God that he wanted me to do this and now I have a good camera, a nice computer, and Epic Camera Housings hooks me up with great water housings.   

EU:  What advice would you give to someone who is just starting out? 

Steve Maloney:  Don't get caught up in all the hype.  Don't let someone tell you what is good art or good movie making.  I just trust in Jesus man.  He's what motivates me and gets me up in the morning. That's what makes me want to make movies when I'm standing on the beach in the hot sun and all my mates are getting shacked.

While I talked with Steve Maloney the one thing that I noticed about him is this guy knows how to network.  If you are and up and coming filmaker take note.  For the rest of us don't forget to look for 'Resistance is Futile", and  when you get a chance go check out Steve's website www.myspace.com/jcundergroundproductions

Coming Spring 2008 from Steve Maloney  "Global Warming"   

Click here to see some of Steve's footage .