Level Army

For as long as I can remember the Level has been home to Heroin Addicts, Pissed up women selling sex for booze in the toilets and the Level Army, a bunch of drinking, smoking, swearing, skating little toe rags who just happen to be some of my mates. Now, since the birth of the affordable camcorder (mid 90’s) kids have been down the level filming their tricks and slips on the ramps. These have been compiled over the years into low budget short films recorded over their sisters 7th birthday on VHS, and then watched by the people who made them and there mates in their bedrooms.
Ed Hubert though has just finished making LA*, a proper proper real skate film. It’s been in production over the last year or so and promises to be a lot more than just a few mates messing with a camcorder.
We contacted Ed over facebook. Oh technology.

So the new Level Army skate film is premiering soon at the Sallis Benney Theatre. Is the whole film produced by your good self?
Footage has come in from filmers across the country but the majority is filmed and edited by me yeah. I’ve had loads of help from Slim Jim who released ‘Brighten’ earlier this year and Nathan Cowdry seems to have self-appointed himself Assistant Producer which I guess is chilled.

I’ve seen you¹ve done a lot of films over the years on youtube and stuff, can we expect to see completely new unseen footage on the new film?
Yeah everything in LA is brand new surprise footage, we been filming for it for nearly a year now so my hard drive is pretty much overflowing with footage. Most of which probably will never see the light of day. Theres some shit that we spent hours filming ages ago that I look at now and think why did we bother.

Is your education in filmmaking or is just something you got well into?
I just finished a 2 year video production course but been messing about with cameras for years.

Is there much money to be made doing what you do? Do you care?
Ha nah not really much money in it. At the moment the whole vids being financed pretty much by the jobcentre haha. This vids main purpose though is too promote the scene and hopefully makes an enjoyable video.

What are your plans for the future? More films, bumming about etc?
After this is finished, I don’t know…maybe look for a job. It’s a lot easier to just sit at the level all day though and chill with the pikeys.

Is the level just a place or is it a way of life. Expand?
It’s just a place full of pissed off kids really. Nothing glamourous about it. I guess its quite an intimidating place for new comers, there is a kind of aggressiveness to outsiders.

In the teaser someone sets light to a tramps hair while he¹s doing a shit. Do you not think that¹s a bit cruel considering he probably doesn’t have a home?
Actually he was asleep. Don’t blame me; I’m just documenting level life.

Finally who, if anyone, do you think could make it big from the level?
Hard to pick one person out of them all as everyone’s killing it but the most obvious is Isaac Miller. Watch out for that name. Hopefully this video will get a few faces recognized on a more national level.

LA* will be premiering at the Sallis Benney Theatre on Saturday 14th November at 7pm. Tickets available at ‘Another’ Skateboard shop, 29 Gloucester Road (Underneath ‘Cool Hand Lukes’ in the North Laine) £3. Get down there and enjoy it.

Photo by Milo Belgrove

Tags: level army brighton, level brighton, level skate, level skate park, skateboard