IGW 2014 - Interview and Video
Interview - IGW Founder Mike Cook
Today marks the release of the IGW2014 movie. International GoWorld Weekend movies have become a great benchmark in adventure films and we here at Human Spirit of Adventure are fortunate enough to score an interview with IGW's founder Mike Cook.
Mike is an adventurer/filmmaker out of Colorado who we at HSA consider ourselves lucky enough to have developed a friendship with over the last several years... Read the interview and see the new trailer below..
Interview
1. Tell us, how the IGW has grown since 2013? Wow… where to begin? As far as numbers go our Facebook following has gained 5,000+ fans in the last 6 months or so. GWP videos collectively have been viewed 200,000 times and we have also bolstered our overall number of GWP members (“member” meaning someone who contributes content to any of our many ‘projects”) to over 500 from over 50 countries… that’s 1/3 of the world’s countries! It blows my mind every time to think of that. We did a fraction of the promotion for IGW2014 that we did for IGW2013 and the number of contributors still grew!
2. When is the IGW2014 film set to debut? IGW2014 releases Tuesday July 15 on YouTube. Additionally, in an effort to ensure future sustainability of GWP we are releasing an extended paid version in the form of an instant download for only $2.99. Downloads include the movie and IGW2014 soundtrack in the form of multiple mp3’s. And as I try to do a little marketing here… You can preorder your copy of IGW2014 and get free additional GWP videos! (You can purchase your extended copy of IGW2014 here: http://goworldproject.com/projects/international-gopro-weekend/)
3. What was the response to the 2013 IGW film? It was amazing, as I know many fans told me that the production value as well as the movie itself exceeded their expectations. It’s biased, but I thought the IGW2013 movie came out awesome. And it moves me every time I watch it. Each year as GWP grows and grows and as I refine my skills more and more my videos become better and better. GoPro was also really awesome and they promoted the video on their Facebook page. I think within the first week of its release the video had been viewed 9,000+ times, and in the following 10-11 months it has been viewed and additional 6,000 times bring the total to just about 15,000. Additionally IGW2013 had been embedded on many notable websites like ThreeSixFive and Outside TV. To give you a sense of the growth in 2013 the IGW2012 movie has been viewed about 1,200 times.
4. Any particular adventure sport athletes we should keep an eye out for in this film? A few, yes. First off, check out Tory Grant. He is a skateboarder, and a good one at that! Tory has been a contributor to GWP since day-one and has been a part of all three IGW events. He’s young, he’s skilled, and he’s driven… all key ingredients to live a successful life as a professional athlete. He is already sponsored by Sketch Skateboards and currently accepted an offer for a sponsorship by us (GoWorld Project). Tory is a great person and very fun and inspiring to be around. He’s got a bright future ahead of him! The second bright star is Rob Pelon. Rob is a BASE jumper/wingsuit flyer and is very skilled at what he does. I’ve had the pleasure of working with Rob on the business front and I can say that he is a very good person with a great personality. Kind, patient, and wholesome, he too has a bright future ahead of him. He is wise beyond his years and has a lot to offer in all facets of his life.
5. What is your favorite sequence in the 2014 film? In the extended version: My favorite sequence would be the final sequence. It incorporates a lot of the most compelling and engaging content as well as my most favorite song. The pace is fast, the sequence is engaging, and it invokes the most powerful emotions of all sequences for me personally. I know that preferences are subjective and vary greatly across the board, but I do feel that on some level all viewers will appreciate the final sequence. Free version: Part 2 - Sebastien Barrier edited that sequence and Seb always has a propensity to outshine me… but that’s exactly what I love about him and why I have him team up with me to take on the editing. His editing skills encourage me to raise my bar.
6. What else is on tap in 2014? I’ve started promotion for Far Side Project 2014. People can still contribute footage up unto August 1 (contribute: http://goworldproject.com/projects/far-side-project/) . Additionally I have been working on our new Project “#TorySkatesCO”, an ongoing skateboarding series featuring our sponsored athlete Tory Grant. We flew Tory out to Colorado where he and I did a 4-day skating adventure through all of the top skate parks in CO. It was unbelievably fun and we captured a lot of great content that I will be turning into a 4 or 5 part series later this summer or fall. So be on the look out for that (http://goworldproject.com/discover/toryskatesco/). And while I’m on the topic of sponsorships I will say that I will soon be opening up the door to everyone who is interested in obtaining a sponsorship from GoWorld Project! I’m looking for skilled and driven athletes, musicians, and entrepreneurs. So if you fit that category make sure and seek me out!
I will also be doing another round of IGS Montage with Sketch Skateboards starting next month, so I’m really excited about that as we are expanding the Project’s theme to encompass all things with wheels and not just skateboards.
Lastly I am working on creating a digital publication for GoWorld Project… so like an online magazine that people could subscribe to. It’s still very early with that and I’m not %100 certain it will come to fruition, but don’t be surprised if late this year you see GWP Magazine!
7. Would you like to give any shout outs? Oh yeah… All of the GWP members, everyone who contributed content for IGW2014, Sebastien Barrier, Rob Pelon, Tory Grant, Sketch Skateboards, The Bitches (I love the Bitches), Dankys, Dedrex, Envoy, Driven Retro, Nit Grit, GoPro, and everyone who has ever been inspired by GWP or who has been moved in a positive way by it. I hope you guys are ready for IGW2014, because The World Is Yours…
GoWorld!!!
And NOW... What We've all been waiting for.... IGW2014
