© Provided by TheGamer
Sonic Frontiers has been out for a while now, and while plenty of players have already finished it and moved on to other things, the Blue Blur’s dedicated fanbase has been hard at work finding new tricks and exploits that somehow make Sonic look even cooler than he already is.
Related: Changes To Make Sonic Frontiers Go From Good To Great
Whether it’s your first time playing through Frontiers or you’re just revisiting the game after the free DLC dropped, the game has no shortage of exciting things you can do. Some of these tricks are harder to pull off than others, but with a bit of practice, you’ll be pulling off these pro player feats in no time at all.
Draw An Infinity For Endless Boost
A lot of people might already know about this, but it bears repeating: by drawing an infinity symbol with Sonic’s brand-new Cyloop ability, you will temporarily be able to use Boost as long as you want without worrying about running out of Boost Gauge and being forced to walk the rest of the way.
This is probably the easiest of these tricks to perform, but it still takes a bit of practice to consistently draw the shape right on your first attempt. Master this, and getting around the map will be faster than ever.
Drop Dash Up Icy Mountains
The Drop Dash is an ability Sonic has from the very start of the game. You perform it by pressing and holding the jump button after Sonic has already performed a double jump. Once you land on solid ground, Sonic will go spinning forward and can even deal damage to enemies while curled into a ball.
Related: The Most Beautiful Locations In Sonic Frontiers
It’s a pretty cool move, albeit one that you probably either don’t know about or do know about but never use. That said, Drop Dashing has a handful of practical uses. Most notably, it’s the only way Sonic can move over slippery surfaces, like the icy mountain peaks of Chaos Island. Try it out next time you visit the location.
Stay On Asura After Destroying Its Weak Point
Asura is one of the earliest Guardians Sonic is able to battle. Fighting one usually plays out the same way: you wait for it to slam the ground, you run up its arm, you destroy one of its pointed spires, it knocks you off, rinse and repeat two more times until it’s defeated. Normally this process can be a little time-consuming, but did you know there’s a way to immediately get back on?
When Sonic gets shaken off, he goes into a special animation where he can do almost nothing (emphasis on “almost”). If you Boost back towards Asura, you can actually grab onto the side of its body and climb back up straight away without having to wait for it to smash the ground again. If you’re lucky, your boost can even land you right back on top.
Boost Cancel To Maintain Air Momentum
This next trick is one used almost exclusively by speedrunners, or by completionists looking to earn an S-Rank in every Cyberspace level. When Sonic does a Homing Attack, he’ll pop upward a bit. This is great for giving you a second to find the next target to Homing Attack, but it also slows Sonic down a tad. So let’s fix that.
Related: Sonic Frontiers: Things To Do After You Beat The Game
If you press Boost right after Sonic lands his Homing Attack, you’ll cancel the little upwards pop he would’ve normally done, letting you get right back into the action. Who says hedgehogs can’t fly?
Do A Rail Launch (And Stick The Landing)
The premise of Rail Launching is simple. Grind rails massively bolster Sonic’s momentum, and Boosting while on a rail multiplies that speed to ludicrous proportions. So what happens then if you decide to jump off the rail after initiating a boost? Simple. You’ll free Sonic from the linear path of the rail and send him flying with tons of momentum in whatever direction you choose.
The hard part of Rail Launching isn’t so much doing it as it is controlling your massive speed with the precision needed to land on a midair platform, or even another rail. Speedrunners are already using this to set new records in Cyberspace levels that are full of rails. deliver it some practice, and you’ll be setting your own personal best times very soon.
Magnet Dash For Huge Distance
Magnet Dashing is very similar to Boost Canceling in that they both involve the Homing Attack and the Boost. The similarities end there though because to do a Magnet Dash, you’ll want to use Boost to cancel Sonic’s Homing Attack before he hits his target. Doing so will send Sonic flying past whatever he was trying to hit, but with the momentum from his Homing Attack.
The distance this trick covers is absurd, letting Sonic easily skip past entire sections of Cyberspace levels. The timing is the hardest part. Press it too late, and Sonic will just do a normal Homing Attack. Supposedly, Magnet Dashes are easier to do in 2D levels, so hop into one if you want to deliver this trick a go.
Boost Jump Off Uneven Ground
This trick is where things really get interesting. If you have Air Tricks unlocked, you may have noticed that Sonic can really go flying when he Boosts off of a rock or some other patch of uneven ground. Usually, it’s only a small leap, but if you hit one of these surfaces at just the right angle, you’ll get massive airtime, as well as enough momentum to fly to spots on the map that would normally be much harder to get to.
Related: Sonic Frontiers: All Islands, Ranked
Despite the name of the tech, there’s no jump input involved. All you have to do is boost at the right rock at the right angle. It will probably take you a lot of tries to pull off right, but pro speedrunners are already using it to skip whole small sections of the game.
The Massive Height Exploit (A.K.A. “The Hedgehog Space Program”)
If you thought the previous tricks on this list were awesome, you haven’t seen anything yet. The Massive Height Exploit is a trick that, if performed correctly, launches Sonic up into the stratosphere of whatever zone he’s in.
Doing it is simple enough. First, find an enemy and lock on to them. Next, perform a dodge. Then, cancel your dodge into a Stomp attack (which you’ll need to unlock first). Finally, before it has a chance to go off, cancel your Stomp into a Boost. You’ll know if you timed it right when Sonic ascends into a higher plane of existence.
In a surprise to no one, this exploit is very popular among speedrunners, who use it to glitch into Titan Boss Fight arenas way earlier than you’re supposed to.
The Infamous “Pinball Skip”
Ever wanted to skip the forced Pinball minigame on Chaos Island? Well, now (with a glitch), you can. The exact process is a bit complicated. It involves breaking a specific crate, quitting back to the title screen during the Pinball mini-game, and throwing Sonic off a cliff once you reload your save.
If you’re even thinking about trying this yourself, looking up a guide is a must. It’s so difficult to pull off correctly that even some speedrunners have trouble with it. Also, keep in mind that this is technically a glitch, albeit one you are unlikely to come across in a regular playthrough. There’s no telling if or when SEGA will patch it out of the game.
WINNING a teddy on a crane machine is a famously tough challenge.
But that bitter disappointment is about to be banished thanks to one expert hack.
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Gone are the days of wasting all your twenty pence pieces and coming home empty-handed - a TikTok page called Arcade Friends has revealed an easy two-step method to bag a cuddly toy.
According to the experts, timing is key to stop the slippery claw dropping your prize.
The video, which has over 250,000 views, begins with a view of a popular grabbing machine.
The text reads: “Some people don’t know the secret about double tapping the claw machine.
“Watch my hand to see how I double tap…”
First, the cameraman is seen tapping the button once to lower the claw over his chosen prize.
As the claw closes over the little pink bear’s head, he double taps the button.
“This gives the claw a strong grip and keeps it from rotating too far,” he writes.
The claw is seen lifting the teddy by its head and gliding across the top of the glass box before dropping the prize into the bucket.
It’s a revelation for arcade game fans, who can end up spending tens or even hundreds of pounds trying in vain to win a cuddly toy.
Usually, gamers find that the claw loosens its grip and can’t lift the toy more than a few inches.
But with this hack, we could all be in with a chance of winning.
TikTok users have gushed over the revelation, with one exclaiming: “BEST TIP! Doesn’t guarantee a win but def ups your chances.”
A second gushed: “Really this works.”
And a third replied: “I did this when I was younger then got a plushie by its tag.”
This isn’t the only crane machine hack on the TikTok user’s profile.
Arcade Friends boasts hundreds of video tips to help gamers win big on every try.
In one clip, they show the ‘tag trick’ - aiming one of the claw’s three pincers to hook a teddy’s tag - and according to the expert, it works every time.
Another video tells gamers to aim for the far corner of a round teddy instead of the middle, as there’s more chance of moving it where there’s thinner material.
An appreciative viewer replied to this clip: “That’s why you’re the best claw machine/UFO catcher account.
“You have real techniques and skill rather than just getting lucky on claw machine apps.”
I have a lot of screwdrivers. My favorite set for repairing tech gadgets is my trusty iFixit Pro Tech Toolkit, but that set has so many parts that I'm reluctant to take it out and about with me in case I drop it, forget it, or have it stolen.
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This compact Wera screwdriver kit solves all that. Here's a screwdriver kit I can pop into a pocket or bag, and not compromise on quality or power.
And this screwdriver has some cool hidden tricks.
First, it can go from a stubby to a long screwdriver (and back again) with the press of a button.
This is super handy for tackling a variety of jobs. I was a little skeptical of this feature initially because I panic it would make the screwdriver flimsy, but it doesn't.
It gives me all the flexibility of a small screwdriver, and the ability to turn it into a bigger screwdriver for heavier jobs.
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The mechanism is super strong and reliable. I've leaned into this screwdriver with all my weight -- I'm a big bloke -- and it didn't budge.
The other hidden feature is the handle is home to six screwdriver bits, hidden away in a compartment that you access by pressing a button on the top.
Press and pop!
The bits in the handle are securely stored, so nothing rattles about!
The six bits in the handle of the Wera screwdriver are securely held in place
I love this design. It's small enough for me to pop into my pocket for jobs where I know that I'll only need a screwdriver -- things like changing a graphics card or swapping out a lock on a door -- but it's versatile enough so I can be ready for anything.
The screwdriver is also magnetic, having a "just right" amount of magnetic pull -- enough to keep a fastener on the bit, not so much that it's being pulled all over the place inside a PC or some other delicate bit of kit.
The magnet is strong enough to be useful, and not too strong as to be annoying
This screwdriver excels in a place where a lot of "multi" screwdrivers fail -- it's really tough. Despite the built-in mechanisms for the shank and handle, it feels very much like a regular screwdriver in the hand.
Six bits not enough for your needs? That's what I thought!
So, not wanting to the lacking in the screwdriver bits department, I also got the 30-piece bit set I can pop in my pocket along with the screwdriver if I think I'm going to need more. This has a very good selection of slotted, Torx, hex, Phillips, and Pozidriv bits.
These bits are hard-wearing and excellent quality.
All in all, this is a great kit. The screwdriver is better, stronger, more versatile, and not much bigger than those multitools that people carry (in all honesty, I think this is a better alternative to expensive multitools for a fraction of the money), and even adding the extra bits doesn't add much in the way of cost or bulk to the kit.
THERE are many tricks that makeup artists use to perfect the perfect glowy look.
But unfortunately these aren’t widely known.
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And unless you pay a fortune to do a makeup course, you’ll probably have a few trial and errors when getting dolled up.
However, the internet has now become a great resource for discovering professional tricks and tips.
Especially TikTok, as many beauty fans and professionals take to the platform to share their advice.
And one latest trick has shocked many makeup fans.
It’s how to apply your blush, and it’s not the way you think it is according to this makeup pro at cosmetic brand Il Makiage.
In a video, shared to their 151k followers, the pro films herself applying a red blush with a brush.
She starts off by showing the wrong way to do it.
Demonstrating herself, she dabs and brushes the powder on her cheek just under her eye.
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She then follows this by showing the correct technique when applying a blush.
The makeup pro holds the brush and begins adding powder to the high end of her cheek, closer to the corner of her eye.
She claims it will deliver you an instant lift to your cheeks.
However, there were mixed opinions from people commenting on her video.
One wrote: “There is no wrong way, it depends on your face shape and the look you try to go for.”
Another added: “Depends on face shape and age.”
A third wrote: “That’s super cute.”
© Provided by TheGamer
Managing your first colony in Rimworld will often end in starvation, immolation, or frustration. There is a lot to learn before you can achieve stability, but making it over that hill allows you to fully explore the heart of the game. Take the time to reach sustainability before you get too invested in trying to tame a megasloth.
RELATED: Dwarf Fortress Vs. Rimworld: Which Game Is Better?
Once you get a handle on the basics, there are a lot of ways to increase the efficiency of your base and reduce potential headaches. Using the zoning tool effectively and creating more complex defensive setups will go a long way towards making you and your colonists happier. Life on the Rim is unforgiving, but that doesn’t mean you can’t eventually master it.
Undead Revival
The death of a colonist may seem like the closing of a book, but newer players may not realize there is a way to cheat death. Certain quests or ancient shrines will reward you with a resurrector mech serum. This marvel of technology has the power to bring a colonist back to life.
As long as a corpse hasn’t been desiccated, it can be made to once more walk among the living. Fresher bodies incur less side effects upon resurrection, so you will want to freeze your favorite colonist's body as soon as possible until a serum is acquired.
Strip Mining
When you first crash-land on a planet, you will notice exposed mineral nodes scattered all about the rocky areas of the map. These nodes will be your primary source of steel and components in the early game. However, these zones will inevitably run out. A great way to thoroughly exhaust all the nodes before seeking alternative sources is to strip mine.
Mine long straight lines into rock formations along both the X and Y axis. This will allow you to efficiently search for mineral nodes without wasting too much time.
Customizable Zones
Whenever you build structures in your colony, the designated ‘home zone’ expands in turn. This catch-all area will determine where colonists do tasks such as cleaning and firefighting. Zones actually have a much greater utility than glorified housekeeping. Creating custom zones will allow you to do all sorts of things, such as manage animals, regulate safety, and corral unruly guests.
RELATED: Rimworld: Relatable Things Every Player Does
If you’re tired of your boomalope bringing a bomb hazard into your base, simply use a custom zone to designate indoor areas as off-limits. Or better yet, create a pen for your explosive buddy, so you can harvest that sweet, sweet chemfuel.
Use A Killbox
Having your base fully established feels great. Your food needs are covered, recreation is satisfied, and everyone has a bed. Getting your base burnt down because you lack effective security measures doesn’t feel so great. An effective method for reducing the difficulty of hostile raids is by creating a 'killbox.'
Wall off your entire settlement except for a single section of your choice. From here, create a snaking set of walls that slowly creep into your base. Lay down spike traps at frequent intervals, and have the last of your walls expand to create a hallway watched by barricades. The attacking AI will be enticed to walk through your traps to attack your base, since that section is not blocked off by a door. Any enemies who make it through the traps will find themselves caught in the hallway, and can be easily mopped up by colonists behind the barricade.
Indoor Agriculture
Crops don’t have to obey the seasonal laws of nature. By creating a greenhouse or researching hydroponics, you can reap the benefits of year-round agriculture. Indoor crops will no longer have to worry about the scorching sun or the freezing winters. Hydroponics basins also grow crops at a highly accelerated rate. For all the convenience that indoor growing offers, there is one major caveat — sun lamps. These are required to grow any roofed crops that don’t have access to natural light.
The problem is that these little balls of light require a massive amount of energy to maintain, almost as much as an entire geothermal generator. If you want to experiment with indoor agriculture, it is very important to consider all of your energy needs first.
Use Devilstrand Clothing
Fresh Rimworld players who want to beef up their colonists' personal defenses will likely turn toward flak jackets. They are a common piece of protective wear that are inexpensive to craft. Devilstrand dusters, and clothes in general, are a much better option. Devilstrand mushrooms can be grown after researching their respective tech block, and you certainly won’t regret it.
RELATED: Rimworld: Biggest Changes With Biotech DLC
The fabric made from devilstrand is very tough, and any clothing made from this material grants great protective bonuses. For example, a duster made from this material is stronger than flak jackets and doesn’t reduce movement speed. Hyperweave and thrumbofur are tougher materials than devilstrand, but they are also much rarer.
Day And Night Shifts
Disasters in Rimworld can happen at any moment, and if your doctor is sleep deprived during surgery at three in the morning, their mood break might be worse for the patient than a wound. Each colonist can be given specific hours for their tasks, including things like work, sleep, and recreation. If you’re feeling extra wild, you can even have them work for 24 hours — although they will likely collapse before their shift ends.
By setting your pawns' schedules to alternate, you can have certain roles working at specific times. For example, having one doctor work during the day and another at night will mean that your hospital will always be on duty. Or, to avoid needless mopping, your house-cleaning pawn can do all the dirty work at night after everyone goes to sleep.
Organize The Colonist Display
The top of your screen will always display your active pawns. This is a highly convenient feature to avoid searching for them on the map individually. The issue is that when you start having over ten colonists, each with different skills and specialties, it becomes a bit unwieldy to look at the display bar. Fortunately, right-clicking and dragging colonist portraits actually lets you reorganize them.
For example, you can arrange all your melee colonists on the right, with range on the left. Or, you can do things like group your pacifists separately from psychopaths.
Stack Wind Turbines And Solar Panels
The description for wind turbines says that obstructive objects will decrease power efficiency. This is true, as objects such as trees and walls will significantly hamper power production if they are within the designated turbine zone. However, what many new players don’t realize is that solar panels don’t actually count as an obstruction. You can place solar panels directly in the path of wind turbines without any interference.
This is great because it saves a ton of space, and doesn’t require extra wiring to connect the two power sources. Just remember to place fire-retardant gadgets, such as firefoam poppers, nearby. You don’t want the entire colony's power infrastructure to potentially burn down half of your base.
Remember To Use EMP Weapons
The early raids of Rimworld are usually quite tame. Unarmored bandits and club-wielding primitives won’t pose too much of a threat to your colony. Late-game raids are a whole different story. Raiders and mechanoids will start bringing shield generators to absorb gunfire. These can be devastatingly effective if you’re not prepared.
These situations demand the use of EMP weapons. While rather ineffective in the early game, they become much more useful when they can shut down shields and stun mechanoids. A well-placed EMP grenade can completely stop the human-hunting machines, and leave them vulnerable to retaliation.
The Ring Video Doorbell is one of the best smart doorbells of 2023. Not only is it affordable, but it can capture HD video, store footage for later review, and is remarkably easy to install regardless of your existing setup. However, if you’re looking to make the most of your fancy smart doorbell, you’ll want to dive into its accompanying smartphone app and make a few tweaks to your settings. Here are five tips and tricks for the Ring Video Doorbell to Boost its performance.
Set up your motion zones
The first thing you’ll want to do after installing your Ring Video Doorbell is set up motion zones. These are customizable areas that will trigger an alert if motion is detected — and properly setting them up will save you the headache of getting unwanted updates. To customize your motion zones, load up your Ring app and tap the three lines at the top of your screen. From there, select Devices, then navigate through Motion Settings to Motion Zones. You’ll now be able to add zones and adjust the size of existing zones.
Turn off motion notifications
Motion zones do a great job of reducing unwanted motion alerts — such as when people are walking on the sidewalk outside your home or far off in the peripheries. However, sometimes you want to turn off motion notification entirely (a useful feature if someone in your family will be going in and out of the front door repeatedly over the course of a few minutes). To turn off your motion detection or motion alerts, simply open the Ring app, click on the three lines at the top of the screen, then head to the Devices menu. Select the device you want to adjust, then toggle the Motion Detection or Motion Alerts button on or off.
Activate Mode Settings
Want your Ring Video Doorbell to monitor your home while you’re away, but turn off entirely when you’re home? Consider setting up Mode Settings. These allow you to automatically activate certain features with a single button press instead of wading through a sea of menus. To enable this functionality, head back to the Devices screen and click on the product you want to modify. Next, click Mode Settings. You’ll then be walked through the activation process. Once enabled, you’ll have the option to choose three different Modes – each one offering different functionality and activated with just one touch on the Device menu.
Extend your battery life
Unfortunately, there’s no foolproof way to deliver your Ring Video Doorbell a significant boost in battery life. You can eke out a bit more juice by disabling motion detection or moving your Wi-Fi router closer to your front door, but those will only get you so far. You might also consider picking up a new battery pack if yours is a few years old, as they lose their longevity as they age. And keep in mind that during the winter months, you’ll probably see a drop in performance – cold weather tends to drain the battery faster than warm weather.
Sync with your smart home
The Ring Video Doorbell can be paired with several different smart home ecosystems, including Google Home and Alexa. Once paired (see our guides for Google Home and Alexa), you’ll have access to several different features depending on what else is in your home. One of the coolest features is being able to check your front door on your smart display, which offers a much larger view of your front door than your smartphone.
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You can’t keep track of everything on paper. Excel can play a significant role in your daily workload. Whether you’re a beginner or a pro user, there’s a lot to learn — like these five useful Excel tricks.
Want to become an Excel expert in 2023? It’s a good strategy for small business owners who want to grow this year. After all, you’ll generate tons of data. Speaking of which, here’s how to stop third parties from selling your data.
Maybe you’re overlooking the most useful Excel strategies. Scroll down for five Excel tricks that will make your professional and personal life much easier.
1. First of five useful Excel tricks: Solve errors
Microsoft Excel is chock full of practical formulas. They help save hours you’d otherwise spend clacking away at a calculator.
Unfortunately, it’s easy to make mistakes when calculating through Excel. Its formulas reference many cells — and if you don’t pay attention, you can confuse them. Use this table to fix common Excel error messages:
| Error message | Why you get it | To fix it … |
| ##### | One of your columns isn’t wide enough. | Increase the column width. |
| #DIV/0! | Your formula refers to a cell that has 0 or is blank. | Make sure your divisor in a function isn’t blank or zero or try these other solutions. |
| #REF! | Maybe you deleted or moved a cell one of your formulas refers to. Either way, your cell reference isn’t valid. | Restore any cells you deleted or change the formula. |
| #N/A | One of the values in your function or formula isn’t available. | Replace #N/A with new data. |
| #NAME? | Excel doesn’t recognize the text in your formula. | First, make sure the cell name exists. Then, check for spelling errors. |
| #NULL! | You made an error when specifying an intersection of two areas. | Use a colon (:) to separate references to a contiguous range of cells. Are you referring to two areas that don’t intersect? Use a comma (,) instead. |
| #NUM! | Your formula or function has invalid numeric values. | Make sure the arguments used in functions are numbers. |
| #VALUE! | You used the wrong type of variable or value in a math operation. | Double-check your formula, function and cells referenced by the formula. |
2. Transpose data in a snap
So you transferred some data into Excel — but it didn’t look how you wanted it to. Maybe you entered the data as rows when you wanted them to become columns. Don’t worry: You don’t have to reformat each cell manually.
With these steps, you can rotate data in your worksheet from columns to rows and vice versa.
- First, select the data in your desired column or row.
- Then, press Ctrl + C to copy the selected cells.
- Right-click an empty cell in a row or column where you want the copied cells to go.
- Select Transpose from the paste options.
Just like that, you’ll be able to reformat your data.
3. Master the substitute function
Want to replace a specific character or set of characters with a new set? First, select the cell you want to replace, like so.
Then, enter the = sign and type Substitute. A formula window will pop up.
Double-click the Substitute function. Then, type the cell location followed by a comma. Here’s what it will look like:
Next, type quotation marks and enter the old text you’re replacing, followed by a comma. Since I’m replacing the words “WestStar Multimedia Entertainment,” I typed that.
Then, type more quotation marks and enter the new text exactly how you want it to appear. Enter another comma. Close the function by typing a close parenthesis, the “)” symbol, and pressing the Enter key.
Select Enter. Just like that, I replaced the data in one cell with the data in the other cell, C4, that I typed. Nifty!
4. Quickly split columns
Let’s say you have multiple words in a single cell. You want to move one of those words into another cell. Maybe you’re writing a spreadsheet full of business contacts and wish to make a column for first names and another for last names.
Good news: You can use the Text to Columns feature to spread text across multiple columns. Here’s how:
- Select the column to the right of the column with your data. Right-click on an empty cell and select Insert.
- Then, select the column with your data. From the Data tab, select the Text to Columns button.
- Then, select Delimited > Next and select your delimiter from the available options. (Not sure what a delimiter is? That’s a character that separates the text in your column, like a comma or space.)
- Lastly, go to Next > Text > Finish.
This will save you a ton of time if you use Excel to keep track of business contracts. Want more small business tips? Tap or click here for five useful productivity tricks to try this year.
5. Last of our five useful Excel tricks: Set your own styles
There’s a lot of creative potential in Excel. Here’s how to create a style:
- Put your cursor in a cell.
- Select the Home tab, find the Styles group and click the Cell Styles button.
- Next, click the New Cell Style button… at the bottom of your dialog box.
- This pops up a Style Name box.
- Enter your style name. (NOTE: You can’t use spaces.)
- Then, click OK.
Then, you can apply those formats to text — or a range of text — simultaneously. Just do this.
- To apply a style, select a cell or range of cells.
- Then, go to the Home tab in the Styles group.
- Click the Cell Styles button.
- Select your desired cell style from the Custom styles area.
Just like that, you’ve applied a style and added some pizazz to your spreadsheet. Although you’ve learned some of the most useful Excel tips and tricks, remember that Excel can’t do everything. Sometimes, you need a tool with more robust features.
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- Gavin Rudy films professional skiers performing tricks.
- He grew up skiing in Colorado and started out filming his friends as a hobby.
- This winter, he plans to film in Austria and Japan. He works for the US Forest Service in summer.
This as-told-to essay is based on a transcribed conversation with Gavin Rudy, a self-employed cinematographer, about making ski films. It has been edited for length and clarity.
I'm a self-employed cinematographer, editor, and artist. I primarily make ski films — action-sports movies that feature professional skiers doing tricks on mountains and in urban settings.
I grew up skiing in Colorado. I loved skiing when I was younger and wanted to get out there and ski with my friends. I also liked making videos as a hobby, so I put the two together and started filming my friends doing ski tricks. I had fun doing it, even though we weren't pros.
I didn't go to school specifically for film – I studied mechanical engineering in college. Instead, I picked up a camera and learned as I went.
I was able to learn some things about camera work in a high-school class, but the most important thing was that I already knew how to ski. I don't have to think about my skiing when I'm filming, which makes it easier to focus on the shot I want to get.
I started out using an old Canon helmet camera in the early 2000s and got a GoPro when they came out. Now I mostly like to film with an old tape camcorder.
Even though camera technology has come a long way since I started, I'm not always inspired by the latest technology. I like the feel an old tape camcorder gives to the films; it's more grounded and looks less overproduced.
My career got started when I shot some professional skiers at resorts in Colorado. Eventually, I went to shoot at Windells, a summer training camp in Mount Hood, Oregon, for professional and up-and-coming skiers. I worked with Newschoolers, a prominent website in the free-skiing world.
Eventually, I began working on projects with a production company called Strictly. One of the coolest projects I got to work on was our film "Strictly Business." We shot professional freestyle skiers all over western North America.
I work full time as a freelancer, which means I have to actively seek out work throughout the season
I don't like to take on work that doesn't directly inspire me, like commercials. During the winter, I make some of my money by making ski films — as both a cinematographer and an editor.
I also make some money selling my art — woodblock prints, sketches, and digital works. The price depends on the piece, but my benchmark is 2 ½ times the cost it takes to make.
In the summer, I pick up other jobs, like working as a wilderness ranger for the US Forest Service. This means in the winter, I can take jobs that allow me to use my creativity with filming and editing.
I usually take on jobs filming professional skiers for wider brand projects. Both me and the skiers are paid by the sponsors. I'm normally paid a flat rate on a per-project basis, but sometimes I'm paid an hourly rate.
What I make from a single project varies, though it's often about $5,000 with all my travel expenses covered. I live frugally so I can afford to capitalize on projects that I'm excited about.
Making ski films for a living has taken me to some exciting destinations. This winter, my two main jobs will be in Austria and Japan.
To get the footage, we often have to follow the forecast. We keep an eye on where it's snowing and follow big storms whenever possible.
Other times, with bigger international trips, we have to make plans and hope that the conditions are good for skiing and filming. If a storm rolls in or lighting is bad for filming, we might have to wait for things to clear up or get creative with filming tactics. We can usually make it work.
The skiers and I normally plan every part of the trip together
We have to use our budget from the sponsors to pay for expenses like transportation and lodging. Usually, the leftover money at the end of this is what I get paid.
Skiing powder — where you ski on lighter, fluffier snow — and doing tricks looks like a lot of fun on the screen, and it is. But the films I make are the products of a lot of hard work from both the skiers and me. You're not just going out and skiing with your friends.
If we're filming tricks in urban areas, it requires a bigger team to get everything set up. We have to build the jumps and make sure the features are good to go. This might mean packing snow to make a ramp for a jump or moving snow onto pavement to create a landing at the end of a rail.
On top of that, we have to help direct the shots and make sure the lighting is right. Sometimes we have to set up a generator for light if we're filming at night. When we're filming powder skiing and backcountry skiing, we have to be aware of avalanche conditions and carry extra gear for safety.
At the end of a shooting day, the work isn't over for me
I usually spend the rest of my day uploading footage to my computer — and ensuring it's well organized and backed up on hard drives so that I don't lose any of it.
At the end of the winter season, after we've finished filming, I spend part of the summer editing the footage.
This work gives me the freedom to work creatively and travel to interesting places.
