Well in a few hours I’ll (Coalition) be making my way to Gatwick Airport with Boiski (Animal), George Marshall (Ride UK) & Safe Nath (Mutiny) to get on a plane headed for Madrid. I’ll be posting some updates from our little excursion over the next week so be sure to pop back and see how we are getting on…

Seeing as Ben has now been added to the FFWD family, I thought it would be a decent idea to find out a little more about him…

Name: Ben Green

Age: 23

Location: South London

I have been riding for: 12 years

My top riders are: Gav Shortall, Max Wood, Dan Boiski, Joss Fenn (there are to many to mention…)

My favourite place to ride would have to be: LDN

The place I most want to visit would be: Japan

If I didn’t ride, I’d probably: be in a band playing drums

If I had the choice between flying to a big contest a long way away, and a weekend roadtrip, I’d go for: obviously a weekend roadtrip

The 5 things to make a good day for me are: sunshine, bikes, new street spots, filming, fit girls (in that order)

In 10 years time I: i’ll be a millionaire

My camera setup is: Canon 5DmkII, Canon 15mm fisheye @ f2.8, Canon 24-105 @ f.4.0, Manfrotto tripod with fluid head & a Glidecam 400 pro

My top video/photographers are: Ricky Adam (photographer) & Joe Cox (videographer)

..Their work stands out for me because: it is the standard that everyone aim’s to achieve

I prefer video over photo because: i just love moving image!

The number one rule of video is: Mike King quote - ”only in doubt should you get the fish out”

In my edits, I try to: represent the rider as best I can

Print or online, I’d have to say: they both have their place

3 things that I find tedious in web videos nowadays are: an intro over 30 seconds long, curb sessions & brakes

My favourite video I’ve shot is: Genesis

The last video I’ve shot was: Southside

The next video I’m looking forward to shooting is: going to be street riding filmed entirely at night…

If I could film with only 3 riders, for 3 hours, at one spot, they’d be: Ed, Vinnie & Bob

A video stands out for me when: the right mix of music, video composition and graphics blend seamlessly and represent a rider.

I can’t wait for someone to do an edit with: the camera’s they shot the intro to the ‘Lakai Fully Flared’ on.

Thanks/shout outs: Anyone who rides a bmx

Tell us about your two favourite videos, firstly, one you’ve shot, and one that just sticks in your mind:

One More Brew:
I was asked to film a section for ‘One More Brew’ during the Winter of 2008. I had already been filming during the summer and had about 2-mins of usable clips in the bank before I had even started. The hard part came when I had to go out and get new footage, I basically had 2-months to get about 3-mins worth of usable footage. Filming during November and December is no easy feat and was really hard work but we did manage to get some great clips. Coincidently Nigel Sylvester had recently put out an edit advertising his new shop ‘Format’. They had a simple but effective set-up which was to film him riding a white block at night all lit up by lights. Boiski, Boi & myself thought this looked like fun so set about making something of a similar vain, the results of which can be seen HERE

Van Homan: Criminal Mischief 2001 :
What can be said that hasn’t already been said about this video-part. I was 15 years old when this video dropped and had been riding for just over 4 years. A good friend had brought Criminal Mischief on VHS from our local bike shop and I remember watching it for the first time and being completely overwhelmed and inspired to go ride my bike. Van Homan has been and still is one of the most influential riders tout there. The filming is spot-on and of a good quality considering it was filmed during the early naughties. The music is epic and only a few people could pull off this song with such conviction. This video encapsulates everything that BMX is and should be about. For me it’s about personal achievements not competitions placings or sponsorship deals etc. There have been times when I have felt like giving up but as soon as I hear that song or get a glimpse of this video-part I realise why I love riding. Thank-you Van Homan & everyone involved in creating this video because you have inspired a whole generation to ride & keep on riding.

Watch this space for much more to come from Ben.

This is exciting news! Ben is the second of the two UK videographers, whos work I have long admired, to be added to Fast Forward.

Ben has already earned himself a respectable and recognisable name in the BMX industry, both behind, and infront of the camera.

Ben’s a good, down to earth guy, always provides an overwhelming amount of support to his friends, makes the most of every opportunity in life, and, as displayed in his work, is always putting 100% into what he does.

I’m really excited to have Ben involved, and of things to come, for both the site, and himself.

Watch this space for more to come from Ben, take a look at his profile in the ‘about’ section and get to know him a little, I’ll be asking a few questions in the next day or two so you can find out more, for now, check out below this short film he made to kick things off, documenting life through a bmxers eyes in London, then take a look at what a day with ben green is like, and his recent trip to NY.

Southside from Ben Green on Vimeo.

2009 UNSEEN FOOTAGE from Mike King on Vimeo.

Well, here it is, Pretty much all the left over footage I have from September to now, a shit load of clips left over form the ‘Mark Webb and Alex Coleborn Vital video’ and clips I only just got to work on my computer from my JVC HD-7 which I ended up selling. Aswell as a few XM1 and VX2100 clips floating around too.

Song: Phoenix – 1901 (as if you didn’t already know!)

NYC bmx edit feat Ben Green, Dan Boiski & Joss Fenn from Centric Media on Vimeo.

Ben just hit me up with a  link to his bike check over on fat bmx. And incase you missed it first time around, here’s and edit he made while he was over in NY.

More BMX >>

You may remember this edit from a while ago. Robin Fenlon spent a day with tweedle-dee and tweedle-dum and despite the rain, came out with this really arty edit that I think made for a great watch, turns out I’m not the only one that thinks so.

Defgrip just posted it up, and if Harrison Boyce thinks it ‘could be one of his favourite edits of the year’, you know its worth re-watching..

following bruzas last one, up next on the ‘a day with’ series is s&ms ben green and uniteds dan boiski.

evidently, the weather was against them, but this video truly shows what ‘a day with’ someone is meant to be, not a bunch of different spots cut together,  things dont always go perfectly, but theres nothing you can do about the weather. 

check out this dope video courtesy of robin fenlon.

Two Blocks from Mike King on Vimeo.

Ben Green and Dan Boiski were given a small area to show off some stuff at a show, two blocks was all they needed to get a few solid clips.

Song: M83 – Teen angst

Bank Holiday Weekend from Mike King on Vimeo.

Despite some camera issues, Ryan Winterbotham, Ben Green, Dan Boiski, Warren Daniel and Ollie Burston shred a couple of parks over the bank holiday weekend.

Song: La roux – in for the kill