flow, style and tricks on all wheel sizes
Published: 04/04/15
Saturday Snaps with
Zeyad Ahmad
Who is Zeyad Ahmad?
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A 30 year old lightly bearded BMX’er Designer/Filmer/photographer.
Years filming:
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I made my first BMX edit 14/15 years ago with Archetype BMX co owner Rob Coe with a Hi 8 camera, 2 VCR players and a tonne of wires. I think we used Slipknot and Blink 182 for the music!
What got you into filming?
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The thing that got me really into it was helping film during my first overseas BMX trip to Berlin in 2005 with a bunch of great friends. I loved capturing them pushing themselves and having fun.
First video related memory:
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Probably me and my sister messing around with my dads video camera, watching it back and being amazed that we were on the TV! My first BMX related memory would have been making the Chrome Riders video back in 99/2000. We made that before I'd even seen any BMX videos! The first BMX video I watched was either No Where Fast or Etnies Forward around 2001.
Best videographer experience:
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Not sure really? Probably every time the person I'm filming nails the stunt! I filmed a really fast hop to manual to 180 down some big stairs with Sven Hackett a couple of weeks ago, it took him a fair few goes, bailing out mid 180 a couple of times, landing it sketchy, hurting his heel, cranking it each time straight after each try! Then he got it perfect. That kind of thing always gets me hyped.
Worst videographer experience:
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Nothing too bad. Probably turning up to a spot with Ben Basford and forgetting my memory card, then riding home to get it, film the clip, then when I came to edit, somehow losing it. Must have deleted the clip!
Advice for filming and making a BMX video:
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Capture the fun and vibe. Plan your angles with a mix of long lens, zooming and not too much fisheye! But most importantly, have fun!
Three favourite film makers:
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Tough one, but generally speaking:
Rich Forne
Will Evens
Video highlight/achievement:
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My personal highlight would be making the Archetype Summer Mix EP. I filmed it over the summer of 2013, traveled everywhere from Edinburgh to Kent. Nick Armstrong contributed with the filming, then I edited it all, burnt it to DVD and hand screen printed the sleeves and stamped the DVDs. We premiered it in a Derby pub along with the Cult DVD maybe(?) and everyone seemed hyped on it!
Why do you make videos?
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Mainly to document my friends shredding! Most of the stuff I film is for Archetype edits, whether it's day edits or long term projects. I also love creating stuff!
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Selected media:
Archetype Summer Mix EP - 2013
As I said before, I filmed this all over the country. Street, park and trails all mixed in! Filmed with a Panasonic AG AC160 and Canon 600d with 30mm 1.4 Sigma and 10mm Sigma fisheye lenses and a Libec fluid head tripod.
Karl Feix 2014 - Archetype bmx
This was filmed over the Spring/Summer of 2014, through Derby, Nottingham, Birmingham and at Staff trails. Filmed with Panasonic AG AC160 and Canon 600d with 30mm 1.4 Sigma and 10mm Sigma fisheye lenses and a Libec fluid head tripod.
Rollersnakes Rollpreme/Passion For Thrashin'
Not BMX but still great fun to make. These were made on my day job at Rollersnakes to promote the Rollersnakes branded clothing. Rollpreme edit.
An Hour With Ben Basford at Clifton
I love Ben's riding! Don't get to film with him enough... He's recovering from knee bullshit right now, but once that's out the way hopefully we'll get back into filming more stuff!
Istanbul (not Valencia)
We were meant to go to Valencia but our flight got canceled so we swapped our tickets for Istanbul instead. Not much to ride there, but the trip was great fun anyway! Filmed with my old Canon XM-2, Optica fisheye lens and a 3 ship Panasonic camera.
Ben Basford, Derby. Shot with Canon 600D with Sigma 30mm 1.4.
Karl Feix, fun times at Monkey Bumps! Shot with Canon 600D with Sigma 30mm 1.4.
Ben Basford, Notts. Shot with Canon 600D with Sigma 30mm 1.4.