02/27/2024
V_ZERO by Seb Konijnenberg
With the realease of his latest film, Sebastian Konijnenberg, a French Alps native and former professional snowboarder born in 1997, shares insights into his transition from competitive snowboarding to backcountry filming.
1/ Why the name V_Zero?
The name V_Zero stems from extensive discussions with the project's producer, Tom Granier. We wanted to highlight the concept of the first completely backcountry project, showcasing the initial version of me outside the park. Like producers often create multiple versions of their projects (V1, V2) with improvements until reaching the final version, in my case, this winter will be V_Un, and we'll continue refining until reaching V_Final!
2/ Can you share an anecdote from one of the trips?
We thought we'd easily finish the project at the legendary Riksgransen spot, thanks to its numerous backcountry locations. However, upon arrival, it rained continuously for a week, and conditions became disastrous. Consequently, all shots from the first part were filmed on the last day when the sun finally made an appearance.
The name V_Zero stems from extensive discussions with the project's producer, Tom Granier. We wanted to highlight the concept of the first completely backcountry project, showcasing the initial version of me outside the park. Like producers often create multiple versions of their projects (V1, V2) with improvements until reaching the final version, in my case, this winter will be V_Un, and we'll continue refining until reaching V_Final!
2/ Can you share an anecdote from one of the trips?
We thought we'd easily finish the project at the legendary Riksgransen spot, thanks to its numerous backcountry locations. However, upon arrival, it rained continuously for a week, and conditions became disastrous. Consequently, all shots from the first part were filmed on the last day when the sun finally made an appearance.
3/ What difficulties did you encounter on one of the trips?
It was my first time in Japan, and I quickly realized the challenges of filming there. The snow quantities are massive, and it's so light that after a simple turn, one disappears into a huge cloud of pow. We ended up with many shots where I vanished from the frame, reappearing 10 seconds later when the cloud dissipated. The same happened with landing some tricks; I landed tricks that had to be redone because a large pow cloud formed around me, obscuring the landing. It required careful consideration of each shot and angle to avoid
this.
V_ZERO is supported by Rip Curl and Nidecker Snowboard
It was my first time in Japan, and I quickly realized the challenges of filming there. The snow quantities are massive, and it's so light that after a simple turn, one disappears into a huge cloud of pow. We ended up with many shots where I vanished from the frame, reappearing 10 seconds later when the cloud dissipated. The same happened with landing some tricks; I landed tricks that had to be redone because a large pow cloud formed around me, obscuring the landing. It required careful consideration of each shot and angle to avoid
this.
V_ZERO is supported by Rip Curl and Nidecker Snowboard
