Particles is a short fun bike film that was played in the 2012 Bend Bicycle Film Festival. BikeAroundBend.com did a short question/answer interview with me about the film.

Bike Around Bend: What was your inspiration behind connecting pixie dust with riding?

Coughlin: The idea came from several interesting things I found online of people using colored powder. I saw some skateboard videos using the colored powder, but they didn’t have really any story or flow to them. Another source of inspiration was from a festival in India called “Holi,” which is a festival were people celebrate colors and throw handfuls of colored powder everywhere.

Bike Around Bend: Why did you select those two forms, street and dirt, of bicycling to showcase, rather than say BMX or cyclocross or road?

Coughlin: The reason why I choose the dirt jumping and urban biking was because I wanted some contrast between the two environments. I also wanted the riders to have a more dynamic ride so that the powder would hopefully fall off better and be more visually stimulating; road biking is just too constant. I also didn’t feel that BMX bikes fit with the Bend bike scene.

Bike Around Bend: How long have you been making films?

Coughlin: I started making videos when I was 14 years old, so about 10 years now. When I finished high school, I work part time with Hans Skjersaa at Flick Five Films working on commercials while I attended COCC and OSU Cascades. Since then I’ve been doing mainly freelance work for Flick Five Films and other agencies around town.

Bike Around Bend: Why did you decide to submit a film to BBFF?

Coughlin: The BBFF is an excellent excuse for me to make a fun video, try something creative, and work with friends.

Bike Around Bend: What are your future film making plans?

Coughlin: My film making plans are to do less commercial work and more documentary. I’m very eager to work with a small group of versatile and multi-talented filmmakers to create documentaries that share the stories and adventures of people who do new and extraodinary things.

Filmmaking requires the help of lot of people, even on this small project I had the help of Hans Skjersaa (from Flick Five Films and XproHeli), Ari Delashmutt (Art Director/Magic Dust), Carson Storch (dirt jumper), Austin Chaz Line-Bailey (urban biker), and Trinity Bikes in Redmond and their new T2 shop in Bend.