Meet the Filmmakers Lindsay Sunada & Elaine Simon
Elaine Simon and Lindsay Sunada are a film and digital, video and photography duo based on Oahu, Hawaii. They primarily shoot for fashion and lifestyle brands, and have executed campaigns across California, Hawaii, and Byron Bay! When not working, you can find them surfing, walking their dogs, or wandering around the home decor section of Target. They directed “Liquid Daydream” which will be screening at this years’ festival.
How did you get started in the surf film industry?
This project was actually one of our first exposures to the surf film industry! It's funny, because the both of us are always shooting OR surfing, so with this project we got to blend the two things we really love.
What’s different about directing a surf film than a more mainstream film?
Anyone who shoots surf films/photos can probably relate, but scheduling for surfing is HARD! Even in Hawaii where you think it would always be sunny, we were hit with a few rainy/windy days and then a few days with no swell, so just coordinating everyone's availability and then making last minute adjustments is always a unique challenge. It's not like you can book a studio weeks out, and then just show up and tweak the lighting however you want. Mother nature makes the rules, and we just had to be ready to work with it.
What do you hope the audience takes away from the film?
Hannah has a really beautiful and positive look at crowded lineups, and speaking to her about it definitely shifted our mentality. We hope that other people are similarly affected, and try their best to see a crowd as a group of potential new friends, rather than people you need to fight for waves with. That's not to say that we all still don't get a little frustrated when we don't catch as many waves as we want!
In the film, Hannah talks about how the lifestyle in surfing is about community and friendships and coming together. How would you describe your surf community at home or in the filmmaking world?
I’m sure this is an experience in every surf community, but especially in Hawaii, our regular spot really does feel like a tight knit group. It’s so fun to see the same people day in and day out and form friendships in the water that end up transcending just surfing.
Where can we learn more about your work?
