Chocolate Skateboards pro Kenny Anderson has a tendency to live a different route, whether it's the smooth way he skates or the way he presents his skating, from "1st and Hope" to his "L.A. to Vegas" nose manual video. His "Pretty Sweet" part will be the same, meaning "different," as he didn't go on many trips, but still managed to put together a series of clips from all over the world. ESPN.com got Anderson to disclose how not to waste clips, divulged what the Girl and Chocolate video title actually means and confessed to jumping down a set of stairs or two.
ESPN.com: You're someone who's been a part of a lot of creative projects. Where is Pretty Sweet on that list for you?
Anderson: It's right up there. I think every Girl/Chocolate project is like that, from "Yeah Right" to "Hot Chocolate," because it's not one kind of theme. It's planned but it's really loose with Spike [Jonze] and Johannes [Gamble], and everyone involved from Ty [Evens] to Rick [Howard] puts their ideas in. As far as "Pretty Sweet" goes, the skits are pretty much up there with the best Girl and Chocolate ones of all-time, and filming them was really fun.
Where does the name come from? Is it because girls are pretty and chocolate is sweet?
Yes. It's as simple as that. We tossed around names and "Pretty Sweet" was the one that won. I didn't get it at first, but it is as simple as that.
Was there a solid deadline to turn in your footage?
It was really loose because when we first started it was supposed to be a Chocolate video only, and it was going to come out a year later. A year passed and we started to really talk about it and had more and more meetings about it. It was decided it was going to be a Girl and Chocolate video and it was going to be bigger than we originally thought. There was never really a solid deadline, it just kept getting pushed and everyone kept skating, traveling and doing their thing.
How did your part come together?
I had little filming spurts, but when I first got on Converse is when I really focused in. I would go on all these trips and you have to turn in footage for the tour videos and promos and all the demand for content nowadays. I basically decided I would give out some of my footage here and there and do some random projects for other sponsors. I guess I was filming, but not filming as if everything was for "Pretty Sweet." I didn't go on really any of the trips because I was so busy with other trips. So basically I was filming off and on for this video since I got on Converse.
Where does most of your footage come from?
It's a clip here and there from all my travels in different countries. There's some L.A. stuff, but it's not much. It's pretty much one or two clips from almost every place I visited. It's actually going to be kind of cool for me to watch because it's kind of like a video diary of my memories. As I said before, I wasn't on any Girl or Chocolate trips, but I was on a random trip to the Amazon, so watching that clip reminds me of that whole trip, you know?
Was there any trick you filmed that took you weeks to get?
There was one and I didn't get it. I filmed all the way until Rick said, "That's it dude. You're done. There's no more time. We're handing it in tomorrow." That was last week, actually. I filmed until I couldn't move. From getting kicked out to getting hurt, off and on I'd say it took me three weeks so far. I won't say what I'm trying because I'm still going to try and get it, hopefully. Once the video is done I'll probably go and do it right away.
Are there any cameos in your video part?
Yes because my part is in a Chocolate section with other people in it. I can't say they're cameos though because they're other Chocolate riders. I had some cameos in mind, but they cut so much out of our own parts and I wanted to ask if I could have some cameos, but it wasn't going to happen.
In Raven Tershy's part we can expect to see some tranny skating. Will we see you skating tranny in your part too?
Not really. There's one trick on a tranny spot in Florida, but for the most part no. It would be nice to have a... ah whatever. Let's stay positive here.
Did you jump down any stairs?
I actually tried. I tried a couple times, but didn't get the trick.
Whose part are you looking forward to?
I saw bits and pieces of a couple people's parts so I honestly can't wait to see everyone's. Cory Kennedy -- after years of traveling with him just seeing what he's done live, I can't wait to see all that put together. Guy Mariano is on a whole different level. Marc Johnson too, so I'm just looking forward to everyone's parts. Can't forget Mike Carroll and then all the new kids like Stevie, Raven and Elijah. We're all really good friends and we travel together but we're also on our own too, so when we see each other's parts it's just as surprising as anyone else seeing it. I can't wait to see the whole video.
What can you say about the skits in this video?
I know we did skits but I never saw them finished. I can't talk about any of them without revealing too much, but I know the opening skit is awesome. It was planned for everyone to be there and of course everyone can't make it, but the majority of the people who showed up all don't live in the same city, so that was really cool. For me, traveling so much and getting to that point of seeing everyone there just to do a skit -- I liked that, and then afterwards Sean Malto filmed one of the gnarliest tricks in the whole video. That was a lot of fun. Working with Rick, Ty and Mike whether it's on the skating side or the creative side I couldn't ask for anymore. Everything they represent as a company and as people, being involved I'm so fortunate. It's pretty awesome just to be a part of this. Even just being part of the process, the video is the final project but it's all about the journey. It was an amazing time.
