When the Aspen Skiing Co. first decided to host The Meeting - a convergence of top-flight ski and snowboard filmmakers and athletes - in the fall of 2004, it naturally included movie screenings, parties, concerts and even a winter fashion show.
But the four-day, 4-year-old event that kicks off this weekend in locales around Aspen has already grown into a bona fide gathering of the ski film industry, offering insiders the opportunity to share ideas, identify trends and even learn something new about a field that has grown as fast and astonishingly as the sports it seeks to capture.
This year 12 films, many featuring local athletes and mountains, will screen at the Wheeler Opera House, along with the usual array of musicians, cocktail parties and fashion shows.
"Back in 2004 when we were looking at new events to put on, we really identified this as a void in the broader ski and snowboard calendar," says Deric Gunshor, senior event marketing manager for SkiCo. "There is definitely a party, festival atmosphere to the event, but we've been working hard to build the business side."
Focusing on the business side means focusing on seminars and workshops that help people in the industry become better at what they do, according to Gunshor. In years' past they've brought in music licensing firms to explain the increasingly complex process of acquiring music for films, and hosted a sponsorship forum where they walked athletes through the difficult process of gaining corporate sponsorships inside - and outside - the ski and snowboard industry.
"This year we're bringing in people to discuss the emerging HD technology in terms of what's coming next, how to use it, and new light-weight cameras that are great for the backcountry," he says.
And it's these types of advances in technology, coupled with access to the newest and latest information, that have led to an explosion of action-sports production companies, and ski flicks in particular, over the past decade.
Between home computers capable of running small countries, more affordable pro-quality cameras, and editing software suites effectively as good as any professional studio, the barriers to entry into the world of ski porn have dramatically decreased.
"There's a ton of people making ski films these days, way more than when I started out," says Steve Winter, president and founder of 16-year-old ski film giant Matchstick Productions. "And it's been really great for the industry. The more ski film companies out there, the more people watch ski films, the better for all the companies."
This year marks Matchstick Productions' first entry at The Meeting, a move that signifies the fledgling event is truly making a name for itself throughout the ski world.
"It's really out of respect for The Meeting that we're in it this year," Winter says. "We've always done our own show, but The Meeting has been so successful and so influential that we've foregone doing our own thing to be a part of it this year. In other industries, you rarely see companies who compete against each other for business get together, hang out and trade ideas."
In addition to gaining a larger fan base from the increase in the number of ski films being produced annually, Winter says the market saturation pushes the boundary forward for big-budget firms like Matchstick, forcing them to use new shooting techniques and newer, better equipment to improve on the production quality of their movies.
Curt Morgan, co-founder of two-year-old Brain Farm Productions along with pro snowboarder Travis Rice, agrees. Their film "That's It, That's All" is playing this year at The Meeting.
"As the sports and the athletes get better, production companies respond by increasing budgets for films to try to capture that talent better," Rice said. "And what ends up happening is that the big films get bigger and the small films get smaller."
So what, then, happens to the men in the middle?
"It's definitely an intimidating position to be in, and it will continue to be intimidating for a while," said Nick Waggoner, 22-year-old founder of Sweetgrass Productions. He founded the company just over a year ago, and has since taken his movie "Hand Cut" on a tour throughout the United States and Canada.
"The first thing people compare you to is Warren Miller, and getting over that hump takes time and perseverance."
Waggoner won the Steamboat Springs ski film festival The Beating - a jab at Aspen's higher-profile, big-studio festival The Meeting - last year, and notes the irony of being in his position is that he's probably too big now to submit to Steamboat's festival.
But it's not just Steamboat or audiences that discriminate against smaller companies, it's a lot of people in the industry.
"It's not just the marketing side that's difficult," he says. "On the production side when you go to places like Alaska and there's a film company there with a budget of like $100,000 and your budget is $3,000, everybody up there you work with - the athletes and even the heli operators - treat you like you're a $3,000 company."
Waggoner says his films focus more on the culture of skiing, with long shots and engaging, low-key music, but adds that given the chance next year, he would certainly participate in The Meeting.
"It's really a no-brainer. You get an instant fan base and get to discuss your film with some of the top people in the industry."
As for the benefit to SkiCo for hosting such an event, Gunshor says that re-branding Aspen as a young, hip, friendly place is always at the top of their lists.
"We also always have discussion about working with many of the film companies for their upcoming projects," he says, adding that about four of the movies at this year's event features scenes filmed in Aspen/Snowmass. "And a lot of our partners like Helly Hansen and Red Bull show up, which keeps Aspen in the forefront of their minds. But the biggest benefit for us is getting people excited for the season."
damien@aspendailynews.com
