Help Kyle Tidey Film Again-We Can't Give Up!!!!
Donation protected
Being the man behind the lens, I'm always telling a story, but rarely my own, this is my chance.
Who am I?
My name is Kyle Tidey and I am a 31 year old House painter based out of South Florida. Although I pay my bills by painting houses, painting houses is not what defines me. I'd far prefer to reference myself as a filmmaker. I shoot primarily surf and skimboarding adventure films and have recently taken a break from painting to film and direct a webseries documenting the Phase 5 Wakesurf team as they travel the world this summer. As many of you may already know (this will also be news to many of you) all of my camera gear was stolen from me upon arrival to Minnesota on our second Phase 5 Summer Ride Tour web series stop. All of it. Both of my cameras, all of my lenses, monitors, microphones, recorders, batteries, follow focus, and the list goes on. Outside of my stabilization gear, which was packed in a different bag, I lost everything. Over $15k in camera gear that I've slowly worked for and built over the last five years, and my entire life's passion, gone in a single moment.
My Foundation
I spent nearly my entire childhood in or on the water. My father was a waterman of epic proportions and had me getting kneeboard pulls behind his boat at just shy of 3 years old. He practically drowned me until I got up, but I got up. He coached me through the transition from getting up on twined skis to dropping one and riding slalom by 8, and I eventually realized I wanted to fly so I started wakeboarding. The hours spent fishing and snorkeling and lobster diving and riding and just enjoying the water with my father would be impossible to calculate. There were just too many. But what goes along with any young waterman's journey is his time away from the water. Mine was spent either skateboarding or watching videos. These two activities go hand in hand. The older I'd get, the more obsessed with these videos I'd become. I'd watch them over and over so many times that I could tell you, from memory, the order of tricks throughout the entire video.
Humble Beginnings
Fast forward a bit and I find myself a college graduate, degree on my wall, but miserable managing the reception office at a local resort. I decided, because my father was a painter, that I'd just do that instead and get out of that damn office. I quit my job at the resort and started working for a local painting company for wages, all the while still obsessively watching every bit of skate or surf media I could get my hands on. And then it just hit me. This is it. This is what I'm meant to do with my life. I'm not meant to just watch these films, I'm meant to make them. The grind started here. I'd take on any side job I could and save up money in blocks until I could afford my first camera and lens setup. It was a sketchy Canon 60D with rotting grips and a single kit lens that I bought from craigslist. But it was mine. That exact same grind and progression continued over the next four years until I'd built myself a two camera full production kit worth over $15,000. On my own, for projects I was not being paid for.
I have zero formal training in film making. Every single thing I know I've either spent hours researching and teaching myself how to do online, or learned how to do while out in the field shooting. My filming journey began shooting skateboarding but slowly transitioned itself back to my first and true love, the water. I spent the next four or five years filming every single project I did for free. It was about the love. The hype when your buddy gets a perfect wrap barrel and you film it as crispy as humanly possible is indescribable. Then to get home and edit it perfectly to a sick song was even more exciting. I'd find myself losing it in excitement over an edit transition all alone at my computer at night. Now this was the kind of office work I could do, or better yet, love.
My Come Up
A bit down the line I shot coverage for the Shorelb Mulligans skim jam. I never formally met John Akerman that day but I did manage to get a few clips with him and considering he podiumed, I stuck him in my edit. A few days after that video released, John sent me a message. It simply stated that he liked my filming style and was blown away by how little of a following I had on Instagram, or at all for that matter, but that he'd love to shoot something with me if I'd be willing. I told him that I just love filming and never really self promote, my following isn't what drives me, but I'd love to go film. He picked me up three days later before sunrise on a Tuesday morning. This was the first time I actually met John and shook his hand. I'll never forget this day. We loaded gear and drove to Sebastian inlet to film a skim edit. We walked up the boardwalk to an empty beach, literally not a soul but a single fisherman, and some of the best, biggest, and most hollow shorebreak I'd ever seen in Florida. John put on a show for three; that fisherman, myself, and my cameras. I went home and did my thing with the footage and kept hanging and shooting with John. Zap Skimboards loved it, and my relationship with John grew. John and I quickly passed the filmer and rider relationship threshold. We clicked on a truly fundamental level, we became genuine friends and it began to show in the media we released together. Phase 5 was loving what we were shooting behind the boat so John pitched that they send me to 2018 nationals with him in Waco, TX. They bit, we packed, and the next thing I knew I was on a plane to Texas with the current Wakesurfing World Champion and 6x flowboard World champion Sean Silveira to do what I loved. Once again, we did our thing and everyone loved it. From here, there was seemingly one final test. Everyone knew what I could create in prime environments, but could I continue the same quality of work hiking and grinding and sweating for 8 days in mainland Mexico? Zap gave me the shot. The result was our most recent 3 episode web series, "Right at Home" in mainland Mexico. The answer to the question of, "Could i rise to the occasion?" was Yes.
I'll place links to the episodes here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WRhJtNB6Rlg&t=9s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dqG4agzbmdg&t=398s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0c3F9WtRqi8
The Big Deal
After the success of the Mexico series, I began work with Phase 5 on building the structure to direct a comprehensive web series that followed their wakesurf team on their travels and competitions this summer. We came to terms, I quit painting for the summer, and I committed to shooting and directing the series. We shot episode 1 In Orlando, Fl as an introduction episode for the team in April. It was an absolutely incredible day on the water. I came home and began to edit.
Tragedy Strikes
The episode has 7 rider features and I was halfway through my introduction to the fourth rider when I took a break. I hopped in the car and drove a few miles to my close friends house for a little fresh air and clarity. It was the evening of May 13, 2019. While there I received a phone call from a number that was not in my contacts list. I answered. What I heard was a solemn voice who asked, "Is this Kyle Tidey?" I responded, "Yes." What came next fundamentally changed me as a human being. I was told that I was speaking to a detective and that my father had killed himself that afternoon. My waterman, my friend, my Dad, was gone forever. The next morning I took a trip by his house, and then took a few days for myself to gather my thoughts. What I had seen in his house that morning was very difficult to comprehend, let alone act upon. On day three I put on my headphones, some rubber gloves and my big boy pants and I went in there and cleaned it all, alone. Then I took a few more days to search myself for any strength I had left and while staring at the ceiling on the floor of my living room one evening I remembered that I was halfway through my new Phase 5 edit. It was the first positive feeling I had experienced in the prior 6 days. One small glimmer of hope on the horizon. So I walked to my office, booted my PC, and started editing again. I stared at that screen through an endless waterfall of tears but I kept clicking and watching and cutting and just kept going. Days turned to weeks and the sun continued to rise every 24 hours. I finished that episode. I don't know how, I don't even truly know why, but I know that I did, and that I did it with more passion than I've ever edited with in my half a decade of film making.
Pushing Forward!!
I made a decision. I'd live out my fathers legacy through films. He loved them, I loved them, and we both loved the water. What better possible way to celebrate his life than to just keep doing what I already was.
Here's episode 1 "Florida" of our Phase 5 Summer Ride Tour.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jdWMw9xvKFs&t=26s
The Final Blow
We took off to Minnesota and I boarded that plane with a sense of purpose unlike any other I've ever experienced in my life. I was conflicted of course, but ready to go live my life regardless of my obstacles. What happened in between arriving to Minnesota and checking into our hotel I'll never fully be able to explain. My camera bag literally vanished. The cameras at the airport show us loading everything up( I didn't need them to tell me, my cam bag was my baby, I already knew I'd loaded it in) and leaving. With no stops we headed to our hotel and upon check in went to bring our bags up and my cam bag was gone. There is no logical explanation.
So there I sat, in Minnesota, on the journey meant to heal me with no tools for my craft. Empty inside and empty handed. Everyone was sure the bag would show up at some point, but it didn't. We rented a single camera and lens setup with overnight delivery and I filmed because that's what I do, whatever it takes.
A Call For Help
This concept brings me to the entire reason for this campaign. I've always done what I've had to. I don't ask, I earn. But earning takes time, and sometimes doing what you have to means humbling yourself and asking for help. I don't have another 5 years to build a production kit again. My opportunities are in the present. So I come to you with a humbled heart asking for your help. I make films as a passion. If you've ever watched even one of my videos and felt something please donate. I will not give up. I don't know how. I've set my goal at $10k because my primary mission is to rebuild at least one single camera production kit. This is my cost to cover a single camera full setup equivalent to what I've been using to produce my level of content. I love every single one of you for even reading this. My dream WILL NOT DIE.
Sincerely, Kyle Tidey
Who am I?
My name is Kyle Tidey and I am a 31 year old House painter based out of South Florida. Although I pay my bills by painting houses, painting houses is not what defines me. I'd far prefer to reference myself as a filmmaker. I shoot primarily surf and skimboarding adventure films and have recently taken a break from painting to film and direct a webseries documenting the Phase 5 Wakesurf team as they travel the world this summer. As many of you may already know (this will also be news to many of you) all of my camera gear was stolen from me upon arrival to Minnesota on our second Phase 5 Summer Ride Tour web series stop. All of it. Both of my cameras, all of my lenses, monitors, microphones, recorders, batteries, follow focus, and the list goes on. Outside of my stabilization gear, which was packed in a different bag, I lost everything. Over $15k in camera gear that I've slowly worked for and built over the last five years, and my entire life's passion, gone in a single moment.
My Foundation
I spent nearly my entire childhood in or on the water. My father was a waterman of epic proportions and had me getting kneeboard pulls behind his boat at just shy of 3 years old. He practically drowned me until I got up, but I got up. He coached me through the transition from getting up on twined skis to dropping one and riding slalom by 8, and I eventually realized I wanted to fly so I started wakeboarding. The hours spent fishing and snorkeling and lobster diving and riding and just enjoying the water with my father would be impossible to calculate. There were just too many. But what goes along with any young waterman's journey is his time away from the water. Mine was spent either skateboarding or watching videos. These two activities go hand in hand. The older I'd get, the more obsessed with these videos I'd become. I'd watch them over and over so many times that I could tell you, from memory, the order of tricks throughout the entire video.
Humble Beginnings
Fast forward a bit and I find myself a college graduate, degree on my wall, but miserable managing the reception office at a local resort. I decided, because my father was a painter, that I'd just do that instead and get out of that damn office. I quit my job at the resort and started working for a local painting company for wages, all the while still obsessively watching every bit of skate or surf media I could get my hands on. And then it just hit me. This is it. This is what I'm meant to do with my life. I'm not meant to just watch these films, I'm meant to make them. The grind started here. I'd take on any side job I could and save up money in blocks until I could afford my first camera and lens setup. It was a sketchy Canon 60D with rotting grips and a single kit lens that I bought from craigslist. But it was mine. That exact same grind and progression continued over the next four years until I'd built myself a two camera full production kit worth over $15,000. On my own, for projects I was not being paid for.
I have zero formal training in film making. Every single thing I know I've either spent hours researching and teaching myself how to do online, or learned how to do while out in the field shooting. My filming journey began shooting skateboarding but slowly transitioned itself back to my first and true love, the water. I spent the next four or five years filming every single project I did for free. It was about the love. The hype when your buddy gets a perfect wrap barrel and you film it as crispy as humanly possible is indescribable. Then to get home and edit it perfectly to a sick song was even more exciting. I'd find myself losing it in excitement over an edit transition all alone at my computer at night. Now this was the kind of office work I could do, or better yet, love.
My Come Up
A bit down the line I shot coverage for the Shorelb Mulligans skim jam. I never formally met John Akerman that day but I did manage to get a few clips with him and considering he podiumed, I stuck him in my edit. A few days after that video released, John sent me a message. It simply stated that he liked my filming style and was blown away by how little of a following I had on Instagram, or at all for that matter, but that he'd love to shoot something with me if I'd be willing. I told him that I just love filming and never really self promote, my following isn't what drives me, but I'd love to go film. He picked me up three days later before sunrise on a Tuesday morning. This was the first time I actually met John and shook his hand. I'll never forget this day. We loaded gear and drove to Sebastian inlet to film a skim edit. We walked up the boardwalk to an empty beach, literally not a soul but a single fisherman, and some of the best, biggest, and most hollow shorebreak I'd ever seen in Florida. John put on a show for three; that fisherman, myself, and my cameras. I went home and did my thing with the footage and kept hanging and shooting with John. Zap Skimboards loved it, and my relationship with John grew. John and I quickly passed the filmer and rider relationship threshold. We clicked on a truly fundamental level, we became genuine friends and it began to show in the media we released together. Phase 5 was loving what we were shooting behind the boat so John pitched that they send me to 2018 nationals with him in Waco, TX. They bit, we packed, and the next thing I knew I was on a plane to Texas with the current Wakesurfing World Champion and 6x flowboard World champion Sean Silveira to do what I loved. Once again, we did our thing and everyone loved it. From here, there was seemingly one final test. Everyone knew what I could create in prime environments, but could I continue the same quality of work hiking and grinding and sweating for 8 days in mainland Mexico? Zap gave me the shot. The result was our most recent 3 episode web series, "Right at Home" in mainland Mexico. The answer to the question of, "Could i rise to the occasion?" was Yes.
I'll place links to the episodes here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WRhJtNB6Rlg&t=9s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dqG4agzbmdg&t=398s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0c3F9WtRqi8
The Big Deal
After the success of the Mexico series, I began work with Phase 5 on building the structure to direct a comprehensive web series that followed their wakesurf team on their travels and competitions this summer. We came to terms, I quit painting for the summer, and I committed to shooting and directing the series. We shot episode 1 In Orlando, Fl as an introduction episode for the team in April. It was an absolutely incredible day on the water. I came home and began to edit.
Tragedy Strikes
The episode has 7 rider features and I was halfway through my introduction to the fourth rider when I took a break. I hopped in the car and drove a few miles to my close friends house for a little fresh air and clarity. It was the evening of May 13, 2019. While there I received a phone call from a number that was not in my contacts list. I answered. What I heard was a solemn voice who asked, "Is this Kyle Tidey?" I responded, "Yes." What came next fundamentally changed me as a human being. I was told that I was speaking to a detective and that my father had killed himself that afternoon. My waterman, my friend, my Dad, was gone forever. The next morning I took a trip by his house, and then took a few days for myself to gather my thoughts. What I had seen in his house that morning was very difficult to comprehend, let alone act upon. On day three I put on my headphones, some rubber gloves and my big boy pants and I went in there and cleaned it all, alone. Then I took a few more days to search myself for any strength I had left and while staring at the ceiling on the floor of my living room one evening I remembered that I was halfway through my new Phase 5 edit. It was the first positive feeling I had experienced in the prior 6 days. One small glimmer of hope on the horizon. So I walked to my office, booted my PC, and started editing again. I stared at that screen through an endless waterfall of tears but I kept clicking and watching and cutting and just kept going. Days turned to weeks and the sun continued to rise every 24 hours. I finished that episode. I don't know how, I don't even truly know why, but I know that I did, and that I did it with more passion than I've ever edited with in my half a decade of film making.
Pushing Forward!!
I made a decision. I'd live out my fathers legacy through films. He loved them, I loved them, and we both loved the water. What better possible way to celebrate his life than to just keep doing what I already was.
Here's episode 1 "Florida" of our Phase 5 Summer Ride Tour.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jdWMw9xvKFs&t=26s
The Final Blow
We took off to Minnesota and I boarded that plane with a sense of purpose unlike any other I've ever experienced in my life. I was conflicted of course, but ready to go live my life regardless of my obstacles. What happened in between arriving to Minnesota and checking into our hotel I'll never fully be able to explain. My camera bag literally vanished. The cameras at the airport show us loading everything up( I didn't need them to tell me, my cam bag was my baby, I already knew I'd loaded it in) and leaving. With no stops we headed to our hotel and upon check in went to bring our bags up and my cam bag was gone. There is no logical explanation.
So there I sat, in Minnesota, on the journey meant to heal me with no tools for my craft. Empty inside and empty handed. Everyone was sure the bag would show up at some point, but it didn't. We rented a single camera and lens setup with overnight delivery and I filmed because that's what I do, whatever it takes.
A Call For Help
This concept brings me to the entire reason for this campaign. I've always done what I've had to. I don't ask, I earn. But earning takes time, and sometimes doing what you have to means humbling yourself and asking for help. I don't have another 5 years to build a production kit again. My opportunities are in the present. So I come to you with a humbled heart asking for your help. I make films as a passion. If you've ever watched even one of my videos and felt something please donate. I will not give up. I don't know how. I've set my goal at $10k because my primary mission is to rebuild at least one single camera production kit. This is my cost to cover a single camera full setup equivalent to what I've been using to produce my level of content. I love every single one of you for even reading this. My dream WILL NOT DIE.
Sincerely, Kyle Tidey
Organizer
Kyle Tidey
Organizer
Port Saint Lucie, FL