Rudy Johnson
When “Video Days” first came out did you have any idea that kids would be so amped on it?
“I didn't know that it was going to be that big. I didn't know it would be a classic. I just thought it would be another World video. You know, handi-cam? We knew it would be a little different with Mark.”
Were you guys on a heavy film schedule?
“No, we were really laid back. That’s why it was kind of fun. It was different times and we didn’t really have a deadline. Nowadays it’s like deadline, deadline, videos, videos.”
What was a basic day like back then?
“We would just hook up with Mark and Spike and go film. Mark would just out of nowhere take us to the most random parts of town. He had a lot of the ideas. He had even way weirder ones that I don’t think Spike was down for. Just popping up with the craziest ideas. Having the car go off the cliff was his idea. But ‘Animal Chin’ had that going too.”
Was it easy to film because you guys were so young?
“It was way easy. It was as easy as ‘Ban This.’ Just so amped to go film. You could just find stuff as you go. Pull over and skate it.”
When was the last time you watched the video?
“Not that long ago. Maybe four or five months ago. It’s been 10 years so it’s a pretty crazy time capsule.”
How was it filming with Spike?
“It was cool. Spike was cool.”
Did you think he would go on to do all these other things?
“No, he was just a BMXer to me. I saw him ride at the old World skatepark. He was pretty good. That was cool that he blew up.”
Do you own an original copy of the video?
“Yeah, Pam [his wife] kept one for me”.
Whose part was your favorite?
“Probably Jordan Richter’s [Laughs]. No I’m playing. A lot of people now are like, ‘The videos dope, but that dude Jordan’s part doesn’t fit.’ It was kind of a random thing because Jordan got on because of Danny Way and then Danny Way wasn’t on anymore.”
Did Danny have a lot of footage for the video?
“He had some footage. I don’t think Jovontae had that much. We think he got a little sour when me and Guy got on. My favorite part was Mark’s. His music is cool and he just looks like he’s shredding around, but doing like pretty sick things. Jason Lee and Guy too. Guy’s switch frontside 3s. It was pretty dope man.”
Was your “Video Days” part your favorite?
“I don’t know man. I think I like the ‘Ban This’ part ‘cause it was like all of us shredding, Gabriel, Guy, Paulo and me. It was our first video and it was kind of hi-tech for those days. I saw it not that long ago.”
Did you pick your own song?
“Yeah, Dinosaur Jr. A cover song from The Cure. It was cool.”
Was there really booze in the bottles at the end?
“Guy was drinking water, Mark was really drinking the Bacardi and the beers were real. We were really drinking and driving in Tijuana.”
Guy Mariano
When “Video Days” first came out did you have any idea that it would be as well received as it was?
“When I was filming for it I didn’t think people were going to get as psyched on it as they did. But once people saw it they were saying that it would probably be a classic. We were pretty blown away. The reason I thought it was good was because heads weren’t worried about too much stuff. We were just happy to be skating and filming. We weren’t really stressing it. When it’s like that, people are at their best.”
How does the video feel to you when you watch it?
“I haven’t seen it for a longtime. But I trip out on it.”
Were you psyched on everybody’s part?
“I thought Jason Lee could have had a better part because I used to skate with him and I’d seen all the stuff he could do. I kind of felt the same way about Mark too. I’d seen so much stuff that they would do when we were just skating. They could have definitely done more shit. But they did do great shit. Everyone’s part was dope.”
How long did you guys film for?
“Probably like a year and half. When we were filming for that video we were still skating for Powell. We were just skating and filming ourselves. We weren’t all the way down with Gonz yet or World.”
How was it filming with Spike?
“It was cool. It was fun because back then you landed more stuff. In one day you could get a lot of clips. Nowadays you’d be happy to get just one clip.”
Why do you think so many people to this day still think that “Video Days” is the best ever made?
“Blind was one of the best companies back then, everybody wanted to see video parts of Mark and Jason and the video had a lot of good skating in it.”
Did you pick out your own song (Jackson 5’s “I Want You Back”)?
“Mark picked it out. He was all amped on it.”
Would you guys go filming as a team or were you going on solo missions?
“Me and Rudy did a lot of filming together because we always skated together. I filmed a lot with Jason because he lived by my house. He went out with my friend’s sister.”
Was it intimidating skating with Mark and Jason?
“At first, but after awhile it was just whatever. I think it went both ways because me and Rudy were the younger kids. But we gave them a lot of respect because they have already been threw it all.”
What do you like better, your “Mouse” part or your Video Days” part?
“I probably like my ‘Video Days’ part more when I look back at it. I appreciate it more.”
Interviews by Aaron Meza in the spring of 2001.
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