How the life goes with Guido Perrini

the man behind the film lens

Insert: 14.10.2012

Guido Perrini is a man behind the lens, shooting the best big moutain films with the best riders. Guido was, is and definitely will be a part of the best big mountain film projects on this planet. Please meet this extraordinary man. Please meet Guido Perrini.

Hi Guido, how was your summer holiday? What did you do whole summer? Have you been to interesting snow trip to the south hemisphere or just surfing?

Hi there, most of my summer has been spent editing our new film with Xavier de Le Rue (white noise) I had a 10 day trip to chile with the Falquets for their film too which was good. Not enough surfing this summer though, but I’m getting a short trip to Senegal in before the winter.

Could you tell us what equipment are you using for filming and photo shooting?

I used to shoot super 16mm for many years, now it’s almost all digital, I’m in the process of getting a sony FS700, We also have cranes dollys and a drone which we use quite a bit now.

How was last winter season for you? Have you been working on any film project? Could you share more details with us?

Last winter was mainly shooting with Xavier, and a bit with the Falquets, when I’m not shooting with them I sometimes do other shoots for TV or commercials, for example this winter got a few days work on Top Gear for the BBC which was fun and interesting! And breaks up the winter nicely.

I believe you have been to lot of places around the world. But if you can choose your best and the worst filming trip ever. Where was it and why?

I think the best was probably Antarctica with Xavier and Jeremy Jones, that place is incredible there is nowhere quite like it, amazing mountains, scenery, wildlife, just an incredibly powerful place with some of the best terrain I have ever seen. We’re actually going back there in December for a month and this time on a sailing boat, pretty exciting…and scary! !

Worse was probably last year to Jackson Hole, although I like Jackson!. We were there to film with Jeremy Jones for his film Further and they were supposed to ride the Grand Teton, then we were supposed to head straight to Alaska. Anyway day 1 one of the other cameramen almost killed himself falling off a rock, then a few days later we were involved in a huge avalanche situation which almost killed another guy we were with. Then the heli operation we were supposed to go to in Alaska shut down because of lack of snow, so basically bit of a wasted trip…the beer was good though!!

If you could judge a freeride film, which films would you put into the top 5 freeride movies in the history.

I’m old school so here goes!

1. Hot Dog (the movie) saw it when I was 14 and decided that’s what I want to do!
2. Blizzards of Ahhh
3. Deeper
4. The tribe (machstick films)
5. Last of the ski bums (dick Barrymore)

As a cameraman you are always standing on more or less “safe” places. But have you ever been buried or just hit by an avalanche during filming?

As I get older I get into more and more safer places, but back in the day I used to shoot mostly onslope. I’ve had 5 proper avalanche experiences 4 of them in a 2 week period, in those 2 weeks I had to find someone completely buried (she was OK) got caught with another girl in a small slide in the trees (she hit a tree and broke a rib), and I set off a huge slide when I was skiing but managed to ski out of it, since then I’ve been quite cautious!

Are you currently working or preparing any new project? Could you tell us some details about it?

Were just putting the finishing touches to White Noise with Xavier which should be online early November ( www.timelinemissions.com ), and preparing our trip to Antarctica.

I saw your movie TEN. I can say that it is amazing. What inspired you to do this film? I believe it was your biggest film project. Or am I wrong?

Thanks, I made that whilst I was laid up with chronic back pain so couldn’t do much else. Last winter we made ‘This is My Winter’ which went down pretty well (I think over 500,000 views over various players).

Have you ever been working with some production like MSP, TGR, Level 1 or are you always working with your own crew?

Last year we created ‘timeline films’ but much of what we shoot goes to other productions like standard films, but I have shot with MSP, TGR, Warren Miller and a few others in the past.

What do you see as the future in the freeride movies? Or do you think there will be no progression and everything has been already made?

I think the future is in serious big mountain stuff, and more towards documentary film-making, also I think it’s irrelevant if it’s skiing or snowboarding. Many of the top freeride snowboarders ride with skiers and viceversa, I personally like watching/filming both. At the end of the winter were trying to set up a big mountain documentary with Xavier and Samuel Anthamatten which should be interesting.

Author: Jirka Zelinka

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How the life goes with Guido Perrini

the man behind the film lens

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