Jason Baffa Films

cali warmth

2012-01-09T09:38:00.000-08:00

i picked up a new lens and started playing around - man, ya gotta love indian summer in california. warm, glassy and good surf. i'm feeling blessed.

barefoot wine's, one beach, on sundance

2011-12-21T11:20:00.000-08:00

we are super stoked to announce that our film, One Beach, will air on the Sundance Channel this month. starting at 9p on 12/21/11 with further screenings through the week. dvr away - yew!

oh-my-slow-mo

2011-12-13T16:34:00.000-08:00

i don't often post random videos but this is well worth it - i truly hope i can use a phantom on my next surf project. yowzers.

PHANTOM WATER EDIT from Chris Bryan on Vimeo.

reel-y?

2011-11-29T14:00:00.001-08:00

we've been layering in some of the new imagery from some recent work to my reel montage. a big thanks to the talented people i've been working with at farm league. a special thanks to my d.p. scott kassenoff for his tireless work on barefoot wine and to d.p. dan moder for consistently throwing me into fun adventures!

you can check full segments, full hd and more here.

montage of directing & camera work from jason baffa films on Vimeo.

quiver shot

2011-11-17T16:47:00.001-08:00

i like to say that i judge filmmaking time in trucker hats. so, a four year movie like One California Day was about 4 trucker hats. I think One Beach for barefoot wine was about a 1 Trucker hat project. here is my current hawaii-trucker quiver shot. these don't last too long at $2.99 ea.

i know truckers were in for a while - then out - now maybe kinda in again if you are into that sort of thing. i guess i rarely do any fashion accessories. so wearing a hat, is my one feeble attempt at fashion flare and for some reason, the trucker just feels right. Toes on the Nose has done a few really cool trucker hats for us with the One California Day logo. they are doing a new "patch" version for the holidays. their's last a lot longer than the ABC store hat. if i didn't feel self-indulgent wearing a hat with my own film's name on it- i'd wear their's all the time. it would probably last me for a few films. i'm stoked that you all can enjoy : )

toes ocd trucker & and now board shorts too. yew!

One Beach Cast profiles

2011-10-06T12:18:00.000-07:00

as part of One Beach, a series of short films that dive deeper into the lives of each cast member will be released in the coming weeks. the first 3 are live along with the feature film here:

www.youtube.com/barefootwine

check back to learn more about Tim Silverwood and Surfrider.org CEO, Jim Moriarity soon.

one beach premiere

2011-09-23T10:35:00.000-07:00

thanks to all for coming out or logging online to support our new environmental documentary short, One Beach. Presented by Barefoot Wine, you can view the film and the first "deeper dive" mini-doc. via youtube.

click here: Watch ONE BEACH

or via: www.onebeachthefilm.com

"the best way to curb the issue of beach plastics is to help educate and inspire those around us. please share the message of this film with your friends and slowly, we can all make a difference. thank you for watching." - jb

one beach premieres live on facebook 9/20

2011-09-14T08:29:00.000-07:00

we are off to new york to celebrate the premiere of our new documentary short film, One Beach. Presented by Barefoot Wine, this film takes a look at five people who, through creativity and optimism, have dedicated themselves to keeping our world's beaches "barefoot friendly".

i'm truly proud of this film's message and all the hard work from our team. a special thanks to sean o'brien, curt o'brien, my tireless d.p. scott kassenoff, the entire crew at woodshed / farm league productions as well as all our friends at barefoot wine and the surfrider foundation.

on tues. sept. 20th -

you can watch the film all day via facebook and at 3:30PST - you can join us LIVE via facebook simulcast for the premiere - including the film screening and a Q&A with cast and crew.

join us here

www.onebeachthefilm.com

see the new trailer here

one beach, venice mural

2011-09-04T16:03:00.000-07:00

a hand made collage of marine debris just went up in Venice Beach to announce the premiere of our new documentary film, "one beach." the film, about beach plastic and marine debris, directed by jason baffa, is presented by barefoot wine in conjunction with the surfrider foundation

live premiere on facebook, sept. 20th. for more info, click here

or go to: www.onebeachthefilm.com

pleasure and pain surfing bali

2011-08-29T17:13:00.000-07:00

3 weeks in, we continue to be amazed by the warm spirit of the indonesian people. from taxi drivers, restaurant owners to guys in the line-up, there is a unique love of life here in indonesia.

we spent a few days near uluwatu. the swell was pumping and i did my best to take on "impossibles" with my 9'2" single fin. truly a leg-burning left, i got some of the longest and fastest backs-side waves of my life. the photos are from our perch at Rock N Reef hotel, check it out if you want a VIP view of this stretch of reef.

Backside on a traditional single fin in this kind of surf is pretty tricky, but nothing about Tyler Surfboards is truly traditional. The double concave vee and knifey rails really worked well on the speed sections - the board took a fast, high line. As surfing goes, right when i started feeling a bit confident, i got caught up with my board in the white water and re-arranged my schnozola via board smack.

I've been meaning to get in and fix my deviated septum and i think i may have accomplished it minus the costly US medical bills. we'll see how it heals up.

looking to find a right that offers up a nose-ride section, so my nose, can ride a little more safely!

the hills of ubud, bali

2011-08-17T18:09:00.000-07:00

i guess i'm on a roll of staying high above see level. that said, this spiritual, ubud region is truly rejuvenating. i arrived with my wife for her yoga retreat (she is teaching) with a sinus/ear infection from my body-surf session in rio and a pretty flared up lower-back from all my travels- that said, i've enjoyed 5 relaxing days in the hills. running, stretching, connecting with the locals- the balinese are truly a warm and generous people. i can feel my body getting stronger each day.

the one thing i've noticed, in what is a tourist region, is that the craftsmanship of the locals is unreal; sculpters, woodworkers, artists -- i am so impressed. i've tried to snap a few portraits of local faces along the way.

o a surf note: i did sneak down to echo beach near canggu for a surf - the tide was too low on the reef and the swell had dropped, so the bali-bobby-dazzler did not get wet but i did find a corner dumping onto a shallow sand-bar; so i grabbed the fins and body-surfed into my first bali shacks. i look forward to finding some more views in the near future.

via the Drifter surf shop in seminyak- i got word that chris del moro is nearby and i look forward to hooking up with a friendly face to take on some unfamiliar reef breaks. chris rides for bing and my old friend and long time shaper matt calvani makes his boards - so it will be pretty classic to have two haoles rolling around on tylers and bings in bali high. hana hou.

tyler's bali-bob-dazzler

2011-08-10T10:12:00.001-07:00

i've been talking to tyler hatzikian for a while about creating a pulled in longboard gun that would be a bit scaled down from what he charges hammerland on. this conversation has evolved ever since the el nino winter of 2009 and finally, we found the right inspiration to get this vehicle made.

after my non-stop run of work travel i've happily booked a month long trip to bali with my wife who will be there teaching a yoga training. this is my first trip to bali and i knew i would need some pretty tuned equipment for the quality and level of surf i'm going to find myself in.

i hooked up with tyler earlier this summer and discussed the possibility of crafting a longboard-gun for the trip. zeke, the good friend he is, put aside his 80 hour-a-week work load, smiled, and said, "yah, we'll figure out a way to get you on that board." in zeke we trust... the mustache rides again.

i just stopped by the factory for a day- my head somewhere between South Africa, Rio, El Porto and Bali -- tyler pulled a gorgeous, 9'2" 60's inspired gun off the laminate rack. i can't tell you how exciting it is to see such a well crafted piece of equipment, custom made for a surf trip. most of my surf trips entail renting camera lenses, packing bags of gear, listing expensive equipment with customs -- this is the first trip to begin with picking up a hot-rod.

zeke has coined the new ride, the Bali-Bob-Dazzler - an off beat reference to a tee-shirt he bought years ago on a tube-riding jaunt through the region. i will check in periodically with up-dates, so that my good friend burning the mid-night oil to finish boards for friends, can mind-surf along with me. thanks zeke - let the adventure begin.

note: the bali-bob is the middle board with pale-green color. waiting finish sand and a fin - about 20hrs pre-flight to kuta.

film IS NOT dead

2011-08-03T20:05:00.000-07:00

fewer people are shooting it - even fewer are processing it. but DAMNIT there is no replacement for the organic feel and beauty of something shot on film. i can't and don't want to tell you why i feel this way. i just like looking at images and letting the feeling explain itself.

canon AE-1 used by my parents and still working great.

Fuji 400 superia and Kodak 400 T-max

process from Neg to Disk by Rose Photo - Venice, Ca.

you can see more shots here.

high above rio in rocinha

2011-08-03T19:30:00.000-07:00

while shooting for our environmental documentary in Rio, i was lucky enough to meet a couple local surfers who grew up in the favelas (slums) on the hills above Rio. Their area in particular is called Rocinha and is the largest slum in the city. their story is unbelievable and the subject of a documentary worth checking out called, Surfing Favela. having come from broken homes and poverty, the ocean has given them a place of refuge, inspiration and meaning. the bigger story is that they have established a surfing school and spend their time teaching youth surfing and a respect for the environment they love to play in.

the beaches of Rio are loved by all- young, old, wealthy and financially challenged. it is inspiring to see all these people come together through organizations like surfrider to take care of the beaches as a collective of like-minded people. A special tip-of-the-cap to a local surfer, named Bocao, who has put together the Rocinha Surf School - a project focused on giving kids a positive outlet for their energy, focused on surfing, community and environmental awareness.

the guys took us up into Rocinha, an experience which is hard to put in words. I just got back my 35mm film and can only share a few images. a special thanks to surfrider brazil for making this day possible.

from Namibia to Rio

2011-07-30T06:14:00.001-07:00

well, 2 days of travel later i've made it to Rio - frankly, after 12 flights and about 20,000 miles of traveling this last six weeks, i went to bed feeling a bit ready to get home... but alas, i woke up to a warm, hawaii-like off-shore breeze, and fun looking shore-pound at copacabana and ipenema - so i went for a jog to loosen the joints and body-wamped for 2 hours into some views to shake the south african jet-lag. feelin' much better. amazing what a little ocean time will do for ya.

high a-top the namibian dunes

2011-07-28T13:16:00.000-07:00

the trek continues... special thanks to dan moder for snapping some shots of me working in between his set-ups. it's been an amazing journey through Lesotho, Namibia and South Africa. We even got to surf an epic 200 yd. left hand, hollow, sand point !

now i'm off to Rio to shoot a sequence for my environmental docu. more to come.

Trekking through S. Africa - camera in hand

2011-07-17T01:38:00.001-07:00

I've been lucky enough to jump on a commercial shoot traveling through 3 countries in S. Africa. This is my first trip to SA and I've been blown away by the kind spirit of the local people and the amazing power this land posses. The hawaiians speak of "mana" and the energy a land exudes, Africa definitely embodies the spirit of it's long breathe of cultural history.

We spent our first days traveling up a long windy road called the "Sani Pass" into a region known as Lesotho - i've never really seen anything like it. We are now by a stretch of beach that feels like it hasn't changed in 100 yrs. I'm looking forward to the adventures to come.

manly good fun

2011-07-01T06:16:00.000-07:00

after making singlefin: yellow, i thought australia was my favorite trip and i thought i'd go back to visit every year after. well, cut-to four years making one cal day, four more years trying to put some money in the bank and yowzers, an every year visit became ten years before i could get back. but now i mean it, i'm going back every year! anywhere that takes it's surfing, beer drinking and espresso as seriously as i do, is high on my list and australia did not let me down.

i also feel so blessed to be introduced to the guys at the sugarmill surf shop. it's been a long time since i've hit the road with no plan and no agenda- these guys adopted my scally-wag vagabond-traveling arse in like i was their own. it was a full adoption and i can't thank them enough. if you are ever in the Sydney area and need to bone up on your surf style, stop by the sugarmill. they'll even fire up the espresso maker for ya. who knows, you might even see them paddling around in their new row boat... or maybe row-boat tow whipping joel fitz into some slabs. boo-ya.

but seriously, check out this surf zone if ya can. great people, fun waves and a really beautiful area. further props out to my buddy shanon and the heritage surf shop for all their support. everyone made me feel so at home.

i leave you with the danny-boy-chonger-fitzy-baff list of surf titles turned porn film mash-ups: top 5

5. chrystal vee

4. inner most limits of carnal fun

3. pelvic momentum

2. endless hummer

1. thicker than walter

happy international surf day - i'm off to Oz!

2011-06-20T07:58:00.000-07:00

our awesome documentary team is headin' on the road again to shoot the 4th episode of an upcoming documentary film i'm directing about people making a positive effort to keep the beaches of the world clean. i can't wait to fill you in more, it's been inspiring, enlightening and most of all, really fun to shoot. this film is made possible by the generous support of surfrider.org and barefoot wine. today is international surf day - go grab a wave & grab a few pieces of trash on your way back. we can all make a difference !

railroad recovery

2011-05-01T09:11:00.001-07:00

wow. what an amazing experience shooting the docu. film for the railroad revival tour. i can't thank everyone on our team and the the extended teams for ea. band enough. it was the trip of a lifetime and although we were all beat up from 20 hour days and the rock-star lifestyle, it was truly epic. a highlight was when the Mumford and Sons roadies stepped onto the train- all wearing One California Day trucker Hats. They spotted them after the S.B. bowl show and thought they were "cool." it was surreal watching 3 English roadies building a stage in New Orleans wearing OCD hats, classic.

these photos don't even begin to tell the whole story. look for emmett malloy's film later this year to get the full story.

a railroad revival rockin' good time

2011-04-20T18:46:00.000-07:00

i am so stoked to be jumping on the railroad revival train with team woodshed and emmett malloy to document the journey of mumford and sons, edward shapre & old crowe medicine show for an upcoming film. good music, seeing the good ole usa from a steam engine and great people - i can't think of a better way to spend the next ten days. i pretty much suck on twitter but i'll try to update any fun. we'll see ya all on the other side. cheers - baff.

North Shore Chill Sess

2011-04-05T12:20:00.001-07:00

always fun to watch the surf come up at pipe. even more fun to see my nephew conner cutting his teeth on a few.

the surfer's journal 20 years

2011-02-02T10:59:00.001-08:00

jb films just finished up a really exciting project patagonia asked chris malloy and us to create. steve and debbee pezman are celebrating their 20th year of producing the perennial magazine documentation of the surfing lifestyle, "the surfer's journal."

c.m. and j.b. took the pacific surfliner from ventura to san clemente with patagonia founder, yvon chouinard, to document the magazine's history.

it was truly a joy to spend time with both yvon and the pezman family. patagonia was one of the first companies to advertise in the journal (who is a subscription based magazine with six select sponsors). yvon states that quality in any business is the key to survival and "the journal" is the best magazine out there. chouinard also offered, "if my house was burning down, my wife would grab the photos and i'd grab my collection of the surfer's journal."

we have to agree with the sage business leader and thank him for the inspiration.

MOVIE LINK now available: click here

ford

2011-01-07T08:05:00.000-08:00

i found a link to view our new ford explorer commercials. click here to view. there are three total. hope you enjoy.

The Shed Goes Do

2010-11-29T14:39:00.000-08:00

we just wrapped camera on a rockous, 1500 mile exploration into the world of fun via team woodshed for the new ford campaign. i want to thank our insane camera crew, ty emmett, august thurmer, e.j. misisco and dr. michael p. jones for keeping things cracklin' and our fearless leader d. moder for always motoring. kudos to team 'shed and capitan c.m. for taking us on the adventure of a lifetime. i'll post the edit when it finishes... for now, some images from the road - cheers to ford, team detroit and mutt industries... malibu to aspen, what an epic ride. go. do.

JB Films & C. Malloy collaborate for Patagonia

2010-10-13T05:58:00.000-07:00

i've been lucky enough to team up with my friend and fellow filmmaker, chris malloy, on an exciting short film series for patagonia clothing. everyone i've met at patagonia is truly passionate about what they do and chris had a cool idea to highlight a series of people who also do what they love, for a living. called, preOccupations, we've been able to hang out with some really fascinating folks and spend a few days in their life documenting. it's been a rewarding experience on many levels, meeting these people and learning about what they do, experimenting with new digital filmmaking technology and enjoying the creative process with a good friend. you can see one of the first videos in patagonia's new online catalogue, here. hope you enjoy.

One Cal Day Plays with James Blunt

2010-09-28T12:49:00.000-07:00

We were really jazzed to support the Help for Heroes Concert - James Blunt, a fan of One California Day, asked if he could show some clips from our film during his performance. Glad we could contribute to a good cause. you can find One Cal Day here.

new toy

2010-08-04T16:02:00.000-07:00

i've been messing around with some new photo toys - i must say, it is a fun time to play - so many options!

grey whales & cold beer

2010-08-02T13:21:00.001-07:00

my friends at woodshedfilms are showing a little baja adventure i shot for them last may. this thursday, august 8th at the shore break hotel in huntington beach. cool poster by ty warren 'ta boot.

5d vs 7d

2010-06-24T14:08:00.000-07:00

well, as my good friends know, my full 7d camera package got ripped off out of a TSA LOCKED pelican case traveling from LA to Georgia. why didn't i carry my gear on you ask? well, i thought i had faith in the system, and humanity, and those idiots at TSA. FYI shooters, airlines do not cover theft or damage of camera gear in checked baggage. the police also claim "no jurisdiction." so, carry on or make sure you have some form of insurance - i did neither and it blows. anyways, after shooting a spot with the talented danny moder, i decided to replace the 7d with a 5d. in looking at the dailies - the image just seems a bit tighter and well, i truly couldn't stomach having to replace my beloved 7d that had already treated me so well.

that said, i think i like the menu on the 7d better - and dare i say, sometimes, i even like the image better for action... less jell-o effect & love the slow mo - but alas, the 5d in certain scenarios is a crisper image and i love the full frame sensor. also, i recently edited some 1D mark iv footage and it looked beautiful as well, so, lotsa choices. some of the pre-stolen footage is in this montage of my work. see if you can spot what is 7d and what is 5d. happy shooting and travel safe.

Nike Inarritu'

2010-05-24T08:09:00.000-07:00

A good friend and very talented DP just sent me the new Nike World Cup spot by director Alejandro G. Inarritu' (21 Grams, Babel). This is truly one of the most dynamic & visual commercials i've ever seen.

7D 1.0

2010-04-16T10:45:00.001-07:00

here's my first applicable go-around with the 7D for the team at Dolan Clothing. Jodie has been a friend and a client for a while & we thought documenting their Fall photo shoot would be a nice calling card for her national reps. lens canon f2.8 24-70mm & f1.4 50mm. loving the camera's low light capability. you can see a 1 min. cutdown here.

film vs. digi shoot out

2010-04-11T10:41:00.001-07:00

the debate goes on. i'm known as a surf "filmmaker" and i'm proud that people relate my work to shooting 16mm. since finishing One California Day, i've had the opportunity to work as a freelance shooter on various HD systems, RED, Varicam, F900, f35, hvx, hpx, etc - with new formats being released everyday, it's hard to know what the best system is for you and your production. cost, aesthetic, logistics - taking all of these factors into consideration, i've been amazed by the quality of the new Canon DSLR systems.

truth be known, about %75 of the production budget for Singlefin: yellow and One Cal Day went to film, film processing & film telecine. for a low budget project, that's a huge number. in the current market environment, where people aren't buying as many dvds - i've been searching for a creative solution to keeping the aesthetic high but the budgets low. In playing around with my new 7d, i have a reinvigorated personal excitement towards guerrilla filmmaking.

here's a system that delivers gorgeous imagery. it is small & compact - i made both my films with one bolex camera and a back pack. my canon system now lives in that same pack.

i'll be posting a few short projects we have been working on in this format soon. but moreover, i'm excited to have a cost effective alternative to shooting film that holds up to my visual standards. for some pretty amazing insight into this new technology check out these videos.

below is a short clip regarding low light photography.

stories of guinness and big waves

2010-03-12T14:49:00.001-08:00

my friend joel conroy did an interview for the beach reporter (our local news press) about shooting his film Waveriders and had some fun stories to share about my work on the project, here.

the yellow board

2010-03-05T15:44:00.000-08:00

after making singlefin: yellow, tyler & i put together a short piece about his thoughts on the whole process. you can now check it out at korduroy.tv

passing the knowledge

2010-03-04T11:28:00.000-08:00

i've had the pleasure of hangin' on the n. shore with my nephews conner & parker coffin along with friend, keith malloy. i just got a new camera so we decided to jump over, share some waves, shoot some stills and enjoy the aloha. the groms have been cutting their teeth at pipe and keith has been really generous passing down his knowledge. he's also bagged a few gems in the process. he is, the real deal.

you can keep up with the coffin brother antics at their new blog, here.

jb films & malloy team up for primo

2010-02-10T09:45:00.000-08:00

chris malloy and i got a call from our friends in hawaii to cut a 15sec promo for primo beer. here's a first time look at our finished cut. we were stoked to get some epic archival footage to use. keep your eyes open for it on surfline over the next few months. man, this makes me want to go to hawaii or at least, drink a beer!

stoke

2010-01-20T18:22:00.000-08:00

a friend passed me a stack of old surf films transferred to dvd. my new guilty pleasure between sessions is cracking a cold primo and watching some of this classic stuff. case in point, the "stoke" section of bill delaney's Surfers the Movie, Take 2. if you haven't seen this one, do yourself a favor and track it down. if not for the 80s neon, do it for the candid interviews and great film footage. too classic.

Go ISA team usa

2010-01-14T09:18:00.000-08:00

my nephews, conner and parker coffin will be surfing in NZ next week for the ISA world cup. you can watch live online and cheer on our usa team members here.

here's a little warm up at rincon.

View this video at Hurley.com

Jan 10th Hammerland

2010-01-11T15:05:00.000-08:00

me and tyler definitely have a different idea of fun. thanks to mike kim for shooting vid. what a winter it has been

frontline docu.

2010-01-06T10:06:00.001-08:00

this has nothing to do with surfing but everything to do with what is going on in the world. it's an amazing "frontline" pbs docu. about our current war effort. if anything, check out the first 5 minutes of gripping combat documentary footage by danfung dennis... stunning images & important content, all captured with new hd digital cinema technology.

why always wednesday?

2009-12-19T09:13:00.000-08:00

god bless john milius & before him john severson. the john's knew... every great swell of size seems to show up on wednesday. its a really weird, consistent thing. can fritz coleman, dallas raines or the busty girl on nbc morning give me some meteorologic feedback?

all i know is that i hope we have a few more before the winter is over.

tyler hatzikian, hammerland - big wednesday - dec. 2009

allan c. weisbecker, still mad

2009-12-19T08:48:00.001-08:00

i don't know why but it seems like all of us self proclaimed surf artists tip toe across a very thin line between completely self indulgent and certifiably mad. from timmy turner hiding out in the staff infested indo' bush to the meanderings of allan c. weisbecker - traveler, writer, mad man. at its core, surfing is a pretty selfish experience & yet certain artists have been able to convey their thoughts, feelings & ideas in a way that connect with the tribe. in the end, its all pretty primal. like the campfire stories passed down from our ancestors, modern surf media whether web based, broadcast, dvd or print form, tries to capture the essence of the experience and share it with others.

have you ever had a perfect session with no one out & wished you had just one friend around to share it with? i know i have and yet, i've had 100s of crowded sessions when i wished everyone would just go away. surfing is a weird thing that way. how do you share something special with your friends yet keep it all to yourself? just thinking about it is as painful on the brain as analyzing the space time continuum parodox of Terminator 2. if one thing exists, how can the other co-exist and vice-versa? headache coming on. weisbecker has been playing this role for a while and it seems he's found a new act. i'm not as jazzed on the creative as i am intrigued by the glimpse into an underground wanderer's mind. i will add, kudos to utilizing new technology in the cathartic effort to portray unique visual meanderings for the campfire.

Dazed and Confused from Nomad Productions on Vimeo.

Allan Weisbecker has written three books: Cosmic Banditos, In Search of Captain Zero, and Can't You Get Along With Anyone?. To buy the books, for more info and to sign up for his newsletter, go to banditobooks.com.

the future of magazines?

2009-12-17T14:01:00.000-08:00

i remember when i friend of mine told me about the concept of digital magazines about 10 years ago and i thought he was on crack. now it seems like it's only a matter of time for paper to disappear. i do love the tangible process of holding a mag or seeing it on my coffee table but i must say - this new prototype for a digital magazine looks amamzing.

Mag+ from Bonnier on Vimeo.

nalu magazine interview

2009-12-17T09:29:00.000-08:00

nalu magazine in japan recently interviewed me about living in the south bay of los angeles. there is an online version here but fyi - you must be able to read japanese!

liquid salt interview

2009-11-03T08:45:00.000-08:00

glenn sakamoto kindly tracked me down to chat about all things surf for his insightful blog, liquid salt - check it out.

vibe ride...

2009-11-02T15:40:00.000-08:00

i shot this with keith malloy, scott soens & scott kassenoff as a surf unit for a feature film that we won't mention. this was a pre-visualization we cut for the main unit to reference.

one cal. day - collector's board

2009-09-28T11:08:00.000-07:00

after making singlefin: yellow, i asked tyler to build me a replica board of yellow that i could travel with. this point model has now traveled the globe and is probably the best, all around board i've ever owned. it's fun in small surf and really turns on in bigger point and reef waves. it even ended up in my 2nd film, one california day, when dan malloy took it out for a few waves in baja mexico. thanks to danny, my every day board is now a part of surf history. the board is well used but water tight - ready to ride or we can polish it up for a collector. i'm re-tuning my quiver and offering this board for purchase via the tyler shop. please call katherine for details. 310.322.6861

some lost images

2009-09-04T16:42:00.001-07:00

i stumbled upon a few behind the scenes images from making one california day. thought they might be fun to share.

the masonic order of the rusty projector

2009-08-26T15:20:00.000-07:00

the masonic order is doing some fun grass roots screenings on the sand at san onofre. they will be showing One California Day this saturday, aug. 29th @ sundown. i believe myself, mark jeremias and a few of the surfers will be there to enjoy the fun. all are welcome and it is free, well, minus the new $15 state park day fee to surf san'o.

the power of the doc.

2009-08-26T13:26:00.000-07:00

hey guys, this is a powerful film about a very important topic. i'm not one to get political but i do appreciate the importance of filmmaking to inspire, educate and promote change. for more info check out the devil came on horse back. this title is available for dvd purchase and for rental through netflix.com.

aloha in a glass

2009-08-19T16:52:00.000-07:00

so, my good friend's know that when i'm not making films or surfing, i'm usually checking out new bars and restaurants with said friends who happen to own bodega wine bar. i love to cook and i love to make a good cocktail, so i'm always interested in what others are doing.

on a recent trip to hawaii, although i wasn't supposed to be "working", my wife and i did take it upon our selves to savour a tour-de-force romping of waikiki's various drinking establishments - in simple, to rate the region for one thing:

thy best mai tai.

i find most mai tai's on the mainland a bastardization of hawaii's most delectable treat. the manhattan beach "rock n fish" navy grog is the best rum drink i've found with close 2nds to the mai tai's from the "outrigger canoe club of newport beach", the "purple orchid" of el segundo and the "bel air bay club". if you've found another good one - let me know, i'd love to check it out. fresh juice, crushed ice and a dark rum top off are key for me, always served in a bucket glass-never a pint.

and yes, i know the grog is a grog and not a mai tai - but that's my point, it is better than most mai tai's i've had in california... damn the man who first put grenadine with rum in a pint and passed it off as something even similar to the discussion at hand.

for the most part - the old fashioned and the "Ivy gimlet" have won me over in LA for drinks with flair. the margarita and dirty martini for simple fun.

but alas - having recently built our late gramp's stebbins famous mai tai recipe - i finally feel ready to play with this hawaiian concoction. the stebbins mai tai is an absolute classic, a secret family recipe created over 25yrs of island living, cheers to him. any of these, taste better in hawaii but for the record - here is what we found out on the shores of waikiki.

Magnum PI's old hang-out, the waikiki outrigger canoe club (not the hotel) has one helluva meyers rum mai tai and an even better view of sunset, perhaps it's private club status make it taste even better but good all the same.

the mai tai bar at the royal hawaiian is also worth checking out - named after the drink itself, one can imagine, they offer a pretty good one but they also offer a couple "variations" and in my book, do one thing, really, really well. ditch the variations guys. or at least, don't call 'em "mai tai's", call 'em "rum punch", "waikiki willies" or "moon over mai tammy's".

that said, hands down, the BEST mai tai we found in waikiki is that of the "house without a key" at the Halekulani hotel, it's not as sweet as others, offering a fine blend of citrus and a power pack of rum - 3 and i was pretty much on my ass... and much like the grog and the ivy's happy drink - the crushed ice was a big plus.

no surveys are perfect but don't worry - we had a few to make sure. they aren't cheap but we found them worth every penny or at least after one, you don't really care that you are drinking your dinner (we did that). live, classic hawaiian music on the Halekulani patio is a big plus and so is the view of diamond head but either way, this is truly one first class drink - no paper umbrellas or pineapple slices to garnish, your drink comes with a slice of lime, fresh mint, a sugar cane stick for a swizzle and a beautiful orchid. amazing. a complimentary basket of maui potato chips pushes things over the edge.

i found the attached recipe - although one server slyly mentioned that fresh squeezed lime juice is the secret - so perhaps this recipe is a sham? but it looks really close. worth trying it out at home, no ?

http://archives.starbulletin.com/2002/08/28/features/request.html

Halekulani Mai Tai
3/4 ounce (1-1/2 tablespoons) Bacardi Gold rum
3/4 ounce (1-1/2 tablespoons) Bacardi Select rum
1-1/4 ounce (2-1/2 tablespoons) lemon juice
1/2 ounce (1 tablespoon) Lemon Heart 151 rum
>> Mai tai mix:
1/2 ounce (1 tablespoon) orgeat syrup
1/2 ounce (1 tablespoon) orange curacao
1/2 ounce (1 tablespoon) rock candy syrup (simple syrup)

Combine mai tai mix ingredients and pour over crushed ice. Add Bacardi rums and lemon juice. Gently pour Lemon Heart rum on top so it floats.

Garnish with lime wedge, lime wheel, sugar-cane stick, mint leaf and a vanda orchid. Serves 1.

PS - for inner island travel, the mai tai at mama's fish house on maui and the princeville hotel on kauai both stand up as hawaii's best drinks. enjoy. a hui hou.

the longboard skate

2009-08-01T07:06:00.000-07:00

about 10 years ago now (hard to believe) some friends and i saw a peculiar looking 5 foot plank of wood in a surf shop. Some guy was trying to pawn it off as a longboard skate deck. collectively, we found the concept enticing but his outline was just plain ugly. so we got to the wood shop and worked out a few templates of our own. The final versions, 12ply birch, 60" long- i should know the wheel base but i'm too lazy to check the garage, maybe 53".

we used to ride the hell out of these things. this was before the whole sector9 craze and after we showed ours at ASR they came out with a very similar Luke Nosewalker. bastards. i was taking orders and designing ea one by hand. custom artwork, colors, pin stripes, hawaiian fabric inlays, even the odd dingle berry (tasseled fringed). i even teamed up with legend jerry madrid for a while in an attempt to mass produce... a very frustrating venture.

anyhow, i found some old photos that friend/shooter laura doss snapped in the hills of PV. these things really helped my surfing. drawn out lines, foot work, drop knee turns, etc. they have some flex and do better on the strand than on hills. i custom hand painted about 200. i now have some blank decks lying around if anyone is interested. painted or blank- they should be enjoyed. i'll try and post photos of the blanks soon. cheers, baffa big board.

festibal surf film, san sebastian spain

2009-07-24T21:28:00.000-07:00

i love spain. i truly do. i studied there over ten years ago, which makes me feel really old and well, i miss it - a lot. i've screened a few films at this festival and whenever i finish a film, i'm so broke from making it- i can't go visit the festival! that's just lame. my friend jamie went this year and i'm jealous and he's right, the redcam vs. 35mm debate truly rages on in every pub i enter!!! check out his cool article here and kudos to my buddy joel, the Waveriders gang and those cold looking beers they are drinking. hmmm... more jealous. maybe next year i can return to spain - with or without a film. definitely with a single fin.

the days before digital

2009-07-23T19:06:00.000-07:00

i just love the old days, when CGI effects didn't exist and you had to do insanely stupid things like this to sell a product.

wave painting in motion

2009-07-07T19:08:00.000-07:00

people have asked how i paint, so i thought it would be fun to post this - it was the wave painting for my series of prints. oil on canvas at 48 x 60 inches. created in manhattan beach, ca.

get surf stoked on your iphone

2009-07-01T14:22:00.000-07:00

don't ya just love technology?

okay - so, i'd much rather you watch my films on a big screen with a great sound system - but if you need a little surf stoke while stuck at the office, in class, or waiting for the significant other to find that perfect outfit, fear no more. Singlefin: yellow & One California Day are both available for digital download at the surf network. now you can take 'ole yellow everywhere you wanna go. laptop. ipod. iphone at high quality h.264. enjoy & thanks for watching.

www.thesurfnetwork.com

and at

surfline.com

this is epic

2009-06-25T11:21:00.001-07:00

sorry, but i am impressed.

I'm toying with doin' another film

2009-06-01T18:21:00.000-07:00

never say, never - right? hmmm... i guess. i keep swearing that my next film will be about something besides surfing - and i guess we did do the king of karaoke for fun but here i go again. had a long talk with devon howard yesterday about an idea he and i have toyed with for a while. it will have a coffee table companion book and possibly begin production this winter '09. no more four year beasts, i want to release this in fall 2010. i'm not giving too much away at this point but talking to the malloy crew and praying greenough borrowed falzon's copy of singlefin: yellow... and enjoyed it- i'll keep ya all posted.

Guerrilla Filmmaking II

2009-05-20T12:03:00.001-07:00

a lot of people email me who are interested in making their own film and want advice or feedback. here is an awesome resource i just found. guerrilla filmmaking 101

Guerrilla Filmmaking

2009-05-20T08:01:00.000-07:00

my friend ard has the below video posted on his site.

i saw it a long time ago and couldn't help but be inspired by viewing it again. proof of what one camera and a little creativity can come up with. i wanted to do some similar shots with tyler's roadster for One California Day but we were never able to put it together (above are a few of the original storyboards i drew to map out the sequence). Chris Reynolds was going to help me mount cameras but we were worried about el gundo police, who tend to be bored and in large numbers... we were going to shoot early with no permit - much like the video below. in the end, we were never able to find a day that tyler could help us get the shots- damn, it would have been rad.

about the video - as ard matthews tells it:

On an August morning in 1978, French filmmaker Claude Lelouch mounted a gyro-stabilized camera to the bumper of a Ferrari 275 GTB and had a friend, a professional Formula 1 racer, drive at breakneck speed through the heart of Paris early in the morning. The film was limited, for technical reasons, to ten minutes; the course was from Porte Dauphine, through the Louvre, to the Basilica of Sacre Coeur.

No streets were closed, for Lelouch was unable to obtain a permit. The driver completed the course in about nine minutes, reaching nearly 140 MPH in some stretches. The footage reveals him running real red lights, nearly hitting real pedestrians, and driving the wrong way up real one-way streets.

Upon showing the film in public for the first time, Lelouch was arrested. He has never revealed the identity of the driver, and the film went underground.

The Drawer

2009-05-07T09:12:00.000-07:00

i have a drawer full of crap. i suppose many of us have drawers full of crap. if we were to analyze these drawers we could probably get a pretty good idea of the person behind the drawer who throws all their crap into it. every now and then i try to go through this drawer and deal with said crap - the funny thing is, every now and then the said crap is actually a gem. my crap varies from receipts for projects i'm working on to a spaghetti tangle of fire wires, usb cables and iphone chargers, the odd drawing utensil, dv tapes, a lego bobba fett key chain (a gem) and a few undeveloped rolls of film - super 8mm and 35mm stills. it is the film that caught my eye last time - unmarked, unnoticed, un-claimed. i processed the 35mm rolls and realized that it was the last decent winter swell to hit the south bay. i love finding gems in my crap drawer. i wonder what's on the super 8

The Real Deal

2009-04-24T09:45:00.001-07:00

people always ask me if tyler really makes all his boards by hand or if that is just the image we convey of him in the films. well, i recently stopped by to shoot a few things in his glassing bay for a little project i'm doing and there he was... as usual, quietly building boards. now when i say building, i truly mean building. over the course of six hours i watched him jump between four rooms, sanding in one, polishing a second board in another, checking up on a fin he was setting on a third, taping a new resin layer on a fourth and patiently keeping one foot in the main room for the various groms who kept stopping by asking for advice on their equipment. zeke is the real deal.

then he was off on one of his triumph motorcycles to grab some lunch. i absorbed the quite space and reflected on the isolation. the resin fumes tweaked my brain into a rather even keeled state. just me and 5 beautiful works in progress. the silence was a bit loud.

zeke motored back and we talked bikes - i've been wanting to do a motorcycle film for a while - i've actually even tried to raise some money - tough economy to raise money in. we then talked cars. the factory looks more like a car repair shop these days than a surfboard factory. he put on a pot of coffee and we chatted about different design ideas and logos as we looked through old magazines from the 1950's.

i don't know if i benefit more from seeing his work ethic or just the passion he puts into building new equipment. either way, he is focused and inspired and it's contagious.

i told tyler about an old jacobs i had pulled from my neighbor mike's rafters - maybe a '64. it was dirty and hadn't been ridden for ages. i told mike that a sweet board like that needed to be enjoyed. he agreed and before i knew it, we were pulling it down and i was off to the beach. it was a small but clean el porto saturday, tall paul was posted up at rosecrans and i joined him. the board worked really well for me. i grabbed one set wave and high-lined through a one block section (that's a decent wave in these parts). upon kicking out, an older guy on the inside, bearded and weathered, eye-balled the d-fin on the jacobs. i could tell he was calculating from deep memory about what year the board was built. he stared long, he stared hard - it kinda made me uncomfortable. the ride had been good but i thought maybe i snaked his kid or something, then unexpectedly, a slight smirk pierced through his lips. he gave me a head nod and the double -that's right count 'em kids - two - the double thumbs up. an elder's respect for riding old equipment well, my day was made. it actually made my month.

i tend to like these "plankier" heavy single fins that i can drop knee turn and speed trim through sections - like it or not, i guess i've fallen into the 60's mold of a south bay power surfer.

tyler explained to me that my style and ability to sink the tail forgoes my need for a lot of rocker on a long board. he said, essentially, the rocker throws off my flow from sinking the tail, pivoting the board and shifting weight forward to gain speed. that's why- in his mind, i enjoy these older boards- they suit my style.

it wasn't long before we excitedly discussed the possibility of building me a new tyler off these older design theories. zeke is thinking something in the vein of a 60's pig - with a really nice tail outline, a bit pulled in around the nose - limited rocker, no concave, some belly roll and super clean round rails. i was stoked. the next moment was unexpected - tyler walks me "out back" and lifts up a tarp. now i've spent 9 years of making two movies around tyler but i've never seen this little area... it is here that my heart stops - some 7 or 8 classic 60s logs lie in a patch of grass - it was really weeds but grass sounds more romantic - a velzy, a hansen, a jacobs. he pulls out that jacobs and says, "here- try this one out, see if the outline works - we can adjust from there."

as life goes, since tyler handed me that board, i've been too damn busy to ride it. but alas, i will put that beauty into some surf and he and i'll will sit down again, with another cup of coffee and we'll draw out my new ride for summer.

more to follow.

Spit Studio, Hermosa Beach

2009-04-05T07:04:00.000-07:00

I was lucky enough to drop in on the SPIT studio opening for photographer Bo Bridges and Co. Bo's work is outrageously cool and his creative team has hooked up with David Carson, one of my print design idols. Spit is part gallery, part creative firm and the boys put on a killer host bar event flowing non other than Primo Beer. Talking surf, art, graphic design and Primo? hmmm... no wonder i had fun. Not to mention that the girl in the skate shot above was serving the drinks. Cheers to the Spit crew on a seriously cool space - how often do you get to stand in front of a Teahupoo grinder and pretend you're Andy Irons getting pitted? If you are anywhere near the hermosa pier, go by and check out Bo's photography.

Jasonbaffafilms.com

2009-04-04T08:28:00.000-07:00

JASONBAFFAFILMS.COM is up and running. This will be my central creative hub, with links to all the movies, my production reel, travel imagery and artwork. I'll be updating artwork and videos often so please stop by and visit.

Docu. tour with Utada - queen of japanese pop

2009-03-24T15:48:00.000-07:00

you may have never heard of "utada" but my guess is that you soon will. she is the number one selling artist in japan - of all time! she has broken all japanese pop album/song/music billboard charts and she is currently doing a marketing blitz in the US for the release of her new album and free video download on iTunes.

i'm about to get on a private jet with utada and her entourage. we are headed east for nyc and miami - i'll post some updates soon. my producing partner and editor of my films, one california day and singlefin: yellow - carl cramer, is along for the trip. should be fun.

A visit with Danny Hess- SF, Ca

2009-03-22T13:27:00.000-07:00

i had heard about danny hess through the malloys and his beautiful boards caught my eye at the wet sand surf shop in ventura. later that year i shared some waves with dan malloy in front of keith's house and he was absolutely killing it on his hess shortboard. he explained to me the parabolic stringer set up and the flex it generated through his turns - all this resulting in explosive speed off the bottom. it was around the same time that dan got a surfer's journal cover shot riding the very same board at rincon.

while spending a day in SF tracking down local glassers with brad gerlach, we decided to stop in and say hi to dan hess and crack a few Primos. having spent a lot of time in shaping bays i was really excited to check out dan's set up. meeting new people can go in many directions and we sorta crashed in on dan un-announced but with our case of liquid social lubricant in hand, everyone settled in pretty quickly. this being one of the things i love about surfing, it never really takes long to relate on a really unique level. i've also found that as a filmmaker, i really enjoy talking with other craftsman. whether its a board builder, a contractor or an artist, anyone who's mastered a craft usually appreciates others who have dedicated themselves to something they do. the process of having a creative vision, mastering tools to execute it, staying open to where the process might take you seems to relate well with filmmaking and to building surfboards.

dan's setup is as much a carpenter's wood shop as it is shaping bay. tucked beneath an old SF home, two wooden doors open to a space filled with lumber, cork, saw dust, metal tools and the quite master craftsman himself. when i saw all the wooden "hand guns" he is also making for bodysurfing i knew we would get along well. my dad taught me to bodysurf when i was about 6 and my first love for surfing came from there. no one was around to show me how to ride a board so i would just bodysurf. i even made my on "hand gun" in mr. wydra's summer wood shop class. i think mr. wydra gave me an "A" on the project but that's probably because dan hess wasn't in my class. his stuff is unreal, functional art.

his hospitality was all time and his excitement for these sustainable wooden surf craft was infectious. the stringerless hess boards are built within a wood/cork outline. eps foam is then placed in the center and shaped for deck and bottom contour, wood panel sandwiches it all together with a final layer of 4oz glass and epoxy.

dan showed us a board he had ridden about 50 times and it looked pristine, literally, untouched. the whole concept is sorta mind blowing. he is utilizing recycled materials, organic materials and creates a product that is more durable than the competition. finally, the damn things just look really f'n bitchin'.

we had a great time chatting - and the beer disappeared pretty quick. dan kindly gave brad a wooden "hand gun" for body surfing. all in all it was one of the more memorable nights from our week on the road and i really want to thank danny for taking the time to hang and talk story. if you want to check out his work you can visit

www.hesssurfboards.com

Josh Hall Surfboards

2009-03-19T09:13:00.001-07:00

my old friend josh hall has been making some beautiful wave sliders out of san diego, ca. i first met josh about 15 years ago through a good friend and even then, he was dedicated to making pure surf craft. he's studied under skip frye and is truly tapped in. if you're interested in a new vehicle, check out - josh hall surfboards.

j. hall with tyler warren photo borrowed from ryan tatar at shakas and singlefins - check out ryan's photography, i'm really fired up on his work.

Waveriders an Irish Surf Doc

2009-03-19T08:19:00.000-07:00

i was lucky enough to work with director, joel conroy on his Irish surf doc. waveriders. we did a really fun trip with chris and keith malloy and then i went back for what is called the biggest day ever surfed in ireland. congrats to joel, the film has pulled in some big awards in ireland and he is a great, deserving guy.

Limited Edition Tyler Boards

2009-03-18T12:32:00.000-07:00

tyler did 20 killer, limited edition singlefin: yellow boards and they were absolutely beautiful. i think he maybe doing a series of one california day boards next. contact their shop if interested, they look insane. -JB

tylersurf@earthlink.net

Glass Roots

2009-03-17T18:01:00.000-07:00

i joined brad gerlach for seven days on the road delivering cases of free primo beer to all the glass shops along the california coast. titled, "the glass roots tour," gerr's idea was to pay homage to the age-old-tradition of leaving your glasser a sixer for that lil' bit of extra love in getting your board finished. primo re-launched in hawaii last year and is just now coming to the cali coast. iz gooood.

One Cal Day Merchandise

2009-03-17T17:42:00.000-07:00

for those looking for where to get one cal day tees or limited edition box set dvds - here is a link - we thank you for all the support.

new giclee artwork prints available

2009-03-17T16:09:00.000-07:00

"Impact II"

48 x 60 inches on mounted canvas

signed and numbered series of 250

$750 USD ea.

"lone palm"

24 x 24 inches on archival paper

signed and numbered series of 250

$2oo USD ea.

*plus shipping and handling

these are the first prints i've released and i'm super stoked on the quality.

for info: jgbaffa@yahoo.com

Fuel TV Network Promo with SALT

2009-03-17T15:48:00.000-07:00

i teamed up with my good friends at SALT to create a really unique network i.d. for fuel television. ian douglass and eric fulton spear headed the creative and scott kassenoff (singlefin: yellow and one california day) did the underwater dp work. the promo has inspired a short film mocu-mentary that the team is currently shooting in and around venice, ca.

collage inspiration

2009-03-17T15:45:00.000-07:00

this was the first collage test - old photo copies, aged photos and color tint on re-claimed wood.

keep-a-breast.org event

2009-03-17T15:28:00.000-07:00

i recently worked with tyler hatzikian's wife, katherine, to contribute a torso cast for auction. inspired by one california day, i created a collage of images that represent the history and tradition of the south bay - tyler's home. i also incorporated a few shots of zeke, the finished piece embodies much of the people and things that have influenced tyler and his wife's company, tyler surfboards. the benefit raised money and awareness towards www.keep-a-breast.org

JB Films new website

2009-03-17T15:18:00.000-07:00

we are currently re-tooling the jason baffa films website. please stop by in a few weeks and visit for updates on new projects, artwork and cool things goin. www.jasonbaffa.com