In Tempo: Movements in Mountains – a film by Thomas Woodson – runner and musician Kyle Richardson takes the viewer on a pulsating journey through the mountains of Colorado, to the sound of him playing drums. According to Woodson: “Movements in Mountains is a conceptual exploration of the connections Kyle finds between his athletic pursuits in Boulder’s Flatirons, and his background as a musician. Experienced through three short movements, Kyle performs a live score in a visceral interpretation of his expression in the hills.”
We had the chance to catch up with Woodson and ask him about the film, his connection to running and how he met Richardson.
Like the Wind: How long have you been making films? How did you get started?
Thomas Woodson: I’ve been making films for 7 years now, starting with a bikepacking film I made with my best friends Joey and Sam in 2014. Joey wanted to try a pretty big alpine bikepacking loop in Peru and document the whole thing. Some brands gave us a little cash and some gear, we didn’t totally know what we were doing but the amateur enthusiasm landed well. That film toured with quite a few festivals and really launched our careers.
LtW: What is your relationship to running?
TW: Running to me is an escape from all the gear and technicalities of biking/skiing/filming. I really dig running solo, on trails, and just checking out. I didn’t have any sort of background in it, just started running mountains to prepare for ski season when I moved to Boulder, CO. Trail running is where I can find a lot of inspiration and new ideas. Hoping the roads bring that someday, though I mostly look at my watch too often.
LtW: How did you get to know Kyle?
TW: Kyle and I met through instagram. We went out for a scramble on the 1st Flatiron, where he mostly sat above watching me cautiously climb. We really connected geeking out on the local mountains, swapping stories of skiing and scrambling on the continental divide. I think we have a lot of complimentary experiences and knowledge of the hills.
LtW: How did the idea for such a unique style of running film come about?
TW: I was curious about some sort of short profile on him, wanting to make a story piece over an adventure film for a change. Through a lot of running and chatting, we found that we were both over your average 5min film format. Every brand is cranking out films these days and we wanted to change things up a bit. What if we let Kyle’s music and running do the talking? I was deeply curious about how he would interpret video of him running as a film score.
LtW: What was it about Kyle that caught your attention as a filmmaker and storyteller?
TW: Kyle has a keen eye for style and ethics in the mountains. He’s quite understated and well read on those that came before him. Seems like the right formula for gaining some notoriety.
LtW: Do you have filmmakers who inspire you? If so, who are they?
TW: If you’re looking for some incredible outdoor films, check out the work of Talweg Creative, Felt Soul Media, Duct Tape Then Beer and Gnarly Bay. All those folks have been huge inspirations and I’m lucky now be able to call them friends.
LtW: What do you have in the pipeline as far as future running film projects go?
TW: Stay tuned! We’re looking to push the concept further and shoot Tempo II next year.
Enjoy the film on Vimeo below:
TEMPO. Movements in Mountains. from Thomas Woodson on Vimeo.