The Surfers View

Jersey Bros: A Surfing Life And The South Jersey Stoke
Movie Trailer & Chat w/the Director 

By Mike Reynolds
June 21, 2010

The following is a quick chat with David McCarty, the Director of the soon-to-be-released surf movie, Jersey Bros: A Surfing Life And The South Jersey Stoke. It’s a sharp, well-produced documentary on New Jersey surfing that highlights the local characters and waves of our kickin’ state. Strung throughout is the passion that causes us all to paddle out in the winter, be there when conditions come together regardless of commitments and base our whole existence around the wave-making, weather patterns. See what he’s got to say below and definitely check out the trailer.

I’ve been an art director and copywriter, working primarily for advertising agencies, my entire career. I’m currently a partner and creative director for an international ad agency (Panzano & Partners), which gives me the opportunity to travel all over the world. About 10 years ago, I began seriously pursuing photography after buying one of the first digital SLRs. I’d also been directing television commercials for about 15 years, so I had a lot of experience in commercial filmmaking, but had never done a documentary, or anything longer than 30 seconds for that matter.

Last year, Canon came out with a DSLR that I believe is changing the way people think about recording motion pictures. It’s basically a still camera that also shoots 1080 HD video. The big deal is that it has a full frame sensor and you can shoot with professional 35mm lenses. To get a sensor this size in the traditional motion picture world, you’re talking Vista Vision, which is very expensive. On top of this, you’re talking about a small, extremely mobile camera. What you get are extremely high quality, cinematic images, for an indie film cost.

Why do the film, Jersey Bros: A Surfing Life and the South Jersey Stoke?

I started surfing late in life. My step-son was 7 years old and he wanted a surfboard for Christmas. Someone told me to try Surfer’s Supplies in Ocean City and I was able to find a used board. That spring, I figured the best way to look out for him while he learned to surf, was to buy a board and get in the water myself. So I did.

About 12 years ago, we moved from Cape May to Goshen, which is due west from Stone Harbor and we began going to 110th Street (Nun’s Beach) because that was the surfing beach. At first we just kept to ourselves and I didn’t really know anybody. The crew there is pretty tightly knit, but slowly over the years I got to know them all.

Anyway, I was looking to make a film and needed a subject. I was looking for a project; something that would allow me to take advantage of this camera. I thought, 'Hey, what about a film about surfing in NJ.' I mean, with all the surfing here, you don’t really ever hear about NJ surfing. I travel all over the world for work and people are constantly surprised when I tell them that I surf. I don’t know why that’s so odd, I mean we have several hundred miles of coastline here and pretty famous beaches, so of course we have waves. And where there are waves, there’s bound to be surfers.

What are you looking to achieve with the film?

From the beginning, I set out to make a documentary, as opposed to a traditional surf film. What most surfers are used to is what a lot of people call surf porn. Hotshot, pro surfers in exotic locations, ripping perfect waves, set to either hardcore music or Jack Johnson-style indie pop. I’m not knocking those films, and I own quite a few of them. It’s just not what I wanted to do.