Interview by Monica Staniec
Photos by Patrick Beaudouin and Dayman Cash

I caught up with Dayman, who directed and produced SYMMETRY. It’s an independent skateboard film that was shot in the S.F. Bay area.

Introduce yourself: Where you’re from, where you live, what got you into skate filmmaking.

I was born in New Orleans and now live in beautiful San Francisco for the past several years. I would have to say it’s simply a passion for me to create and engage in media, especially in skateboarding since I am a skater and love the sport. Starting out it was just like most, point and shoot, just get the trick, OMG manual settings!?, etc. It is now far more evolved for me and I’m constantly trying to improve and be creative.

How did you hear about the LA Skate Film Festival?

A friend of mine sent me an email and suggested I should submit the last video I worked on. I’ve never entered any contests, so what the heck.

What was your first thought, when you had received the news that your film was nominated?

I was really surprised. I have little visibility into the ins and outs of the plethora of films out there. Mostly just do my own thing. Simply being nominated was special to me. Winning was amazing.

Who or what would you cite as your major influences/inspirations in this film?

The SF Bay Area as a whole is one of my major influences and inspirations. Every time things go in the wrong direction I just take a step back and realize where I live and how it has progressed me as a person and filmmaker. I would also say having a supporting cast of talented skaters really kept the motors churning for Symmetry: Julian Klein, Patrick Beaudouin, Blake Svendsen, Robbie Bilbao, Johnny Voskuyl, Marco Lerma, and Josh Spira. Atlas skateboard store definitely deserves a shout out.

What challenges did you face and what was the hardest thing about filming this video?

Good question. Doing basically everything myself in such a short amount of time is a huge challenge. I literally spent an entire year churning on the soundtrack, listening to sooooooo many songs. I also have a full time job as a Software Engineer, so getting anything done for the video had to work around my real job. It doesn’t help skateboarding is the most unpredictable sport I have ever been involved with in almost every way. Spots disappear overnight, nobody wants us around, cops, driving, weather, injuries, broken cameras and boards, you name it.

What’s next for you?

I have been working on HD shorts for youtube this year, and plan to do a few more in the short term. As cliche as it sounds I picked up photography in July and now getting some exposed in installations. Long term will most likely involve branching into other film genres, hopefully creating a short film, and working on an HD full-length skate video “Personified”. Whew.

Is there anything that I had not touched upon that you would like to add?

Hmm. I hope what I produce inspires others, as it is what I live for, and keeps me running fervently through these crazy streets.

What are your top 3 Favorite Movies?

Now that’s tough. I pretty much just have top set of movies and there are a ton of them. Three of those are Gangs of New York, Dumb and Dumber, and Memento.

What’s your favorite breakfast meal?

This one’s easy – avacado, egg, and cheese croissant. Oui oui.

What’s on your iTunes right now?

Some are Small Black, Dax Riggs, Tunng, Wild Beasts, Real Estate, Unspoken Heard, Sam Prekop, Mark Lanegan, and Edwin Starr.