Catching up with Perry Gershkow, talking about his new project "Keep it in the Shadows"

Re: creating surf films outside the algorithm

A couple years ago Noah Wegrich reached out to me about a trip for his upcoming film. It was to Ireland, the trip was just meant to be Noah, Perry, and myself. I had seen their earlier work, ELUDE (if you haven’t watched, do yourself the favor) and was honored to be included on their next. The trip was an absolute hoot. Noah and Perry are a dynamic duo. Both at the top end of their respective games it was incredible to see them working together in real life. We sorta got skunked for waves but scored on the vibe and it opened up my eyes to how Noah and Perry operated while making these momentous projects. Nothing was rushed.

That trip stayed as an open tab for another one, which led us to Chile which went down as one of the greatest of my life. We scored points for weeks, drank natural wine with the locals, and had the best crew.

You probably haven’t seen anything from either of those two trips. They were a couple years ago now. Since then I have grown a friendship with Perry Gershkow and will constantly reach out for advice and catch ups. He is a true classic. A spirit unbreakable with a masterclass talent in camera work. He is five years in, and starting to see the exit line for this new film, Keep it in the shadows. Very few people can pull off something of that magnitude and not let it leak or spill before showing.

I recently had the pleasure of catching up with him to pick his brain on such matters. Hope you enjoy.

Perry, you’ve had an incredible and long-standing relationship with Noah Waggy working on long format projects. What is it about Noah and the recipe that you guys have together that creates such impactful work?

Yeah, I think the reason Noah and I work so well together on these bigger projects is because we both understand what we want out of them. We go into each project knowing we’re in it for the right reasons, or at least the right reasons for us. That alignment is huge when it comes to finding the right recipe for collaboration. Being on the same page and genuinely wanting to create something meaningful, something that helps elevate each other's work, that’s everything. Noah is also such a gem of a human being, his positivity and energy not only translates into his surfing, but it's just fun to be around. It can be very difficult to stay positive in an industry that is constantly changing, more so in ways that dont benefit the professional surfer or filmmaker, so it's great to be around someone who doesn't rely on the ups and downs of the industry for their happiness.

Your last film “Elude” took around 2 years of time, and now “Keep it in the shadows” has been an open timeline for almost 5 years. What is it that draws you towards creating these projects that span over years of time?

It might sound cliché to say we wanted to make something special, unique, and different from what everyone else is doing in the surf industry, but honestly, that’s exactly how we feel. What I’ve come to really appreciate, though, is the process of coming back to the work. Reworking scenes, reshaping storylines, fine-tuning the rhythm and the flow of the film. That time and space to step back and revisit things, it’s where the real insight comes from.

You start to see what needs to change, or you pick up on things you didn’t notice the first time. And the truth is, it’s hard to get the best out of your work when you’re rushing for the clicks and views.

What makes it even harder to call something 'done' is when you're deeply obsessed with the experience of creating it. There’s something about being out there, filming, hanging with your friends, drinking beers by the fire, laughing all night long until you wake up to see pumping waves on the horizon, that’s addictive. So when it’s all over, when you finally wrap the film, it leaves you with this strange emptiness. Because those experiences, the ones you lived through while making it, they’re over, at least for the time being.

And at that point, you’re left with a choice: start from scratch, or let it go forever.

What are your thoughts on the current state of content? I don’t want to draw conclusions but it feels to me that you create projects to be revered in a more timeless manner than a single use edit? Is there a bigger purpose to doing that?

At the heart of it, I just want to create something timeless, something I’m truly proud of. These days, everything feels so fast, so rushed and overwhelming. That constant intensity feeds my anxiety, and honestly, it makes it hard to stay grounded.

Slowing down, enjoying the process, and having a creative space I can return to, especially between my non-surf projects, feels like a gift. It’s something I look forward to, and that anticipation fuels my love for the work. It reminds me that creating doesn’t always have to be pressure-filled. It can be fun.

The old surf films had this magic because of the quality, the care that went into the surfing, the storytelling, and the production. You could feel how much people loved what they were making. That’s the energy I want to bring back!

For me, slowing down and making art isn’t just about the final product, it’s the most important thing I can do for my well-being. It’s what keeps me connected to why I started doing this in the first place.

You’re a renowned director/ cinematographer both in and out of the surf industry. Does that have an influence on your filter of surf projects and how you create them?

It was really important to step outside of the surf world and explore other areas of filmmaking. That shift allowed me to challenge myself creatively and pursue what I’m most passionate about, telling real stories and creating beautiful imagery that pulls you into the environment, that makes you feel the elements.

I can’t overstate how much my time in the surf industry shaped me. It helped me develop a skill set that now carries into everything I do. So much of what I learned, whether it was pacing, capturing movement, or working with natural light, still influences my work across all types of projects. It's literally the reason why I get hired for most of my other work.

The surf world gave me the foundation, but stepping beyond it has helped me grow into the filmmaker I am today. It’s all connected, and I carry that experience with me into every frame I shoot to some degree.

Keep it in the shadows… Give us the insight behind the name, and what can we be prepared for when it comes out?

Keeping in the Shadows is definitely an ode to the films I grew up watching. It’s about doing things for the right reasons, like I’ve always tried to. On a more literal level, it’s about resisting the pressure to constantly post, promote, and flood people’s feeds with what we’re doing. Instead, it’s about moving to the beat of our own drum, creating with purpose, and letting curiosity build naturally. I get flashbacks to the excitement I would get when I'd watch a Joe G trailer or a Taylor Steele trailer. I'd re-watched the trailers 100 times over and when the film would finally come out, it was electrifying. It was the experience and the feelings I felt while watching these films that inspired me to do exactly what I'm doing today.

We have years’ worth of incredible clips that could easily be posted for quick attention, more followers, more traction, all the things that come with being constantly online. But for us, that’s not what success looks like.

So Keeping in the Shadows means a lot of different things. At its core, it’s about holding things close, making art with intention, and staying true to why we started doing this in the first place.

As this project starts to wind itself into the editing bay, do you think you’ll continue to work in surfing or will this be the Magnus opus microphone drop and you’ll continue to work more in non endemic roles?

Man, that’s the question that always gets me, grinds at my anxiety and tests my self-control haha. It’s incredibly hard to imagine being done with this film, especially knowing it might be the last big surf film I ever make.

The amount of time and energy that goes into something like this is hard to even describe. I get emotional just thinking about it, like legit intense feelings, hundreds of hours standing on beaches, swimming in the water, driving up and down the coast for days, flying across the world on my own dime. And yet, despite all that, it's still my favorite thing in the world to do haha. It's highly addictive!

I’m addicted to that feeling of showing up somewhere and scoring waves with your friends, as well as setting up the perfect angle that no one has used before. I used to think that feeling might fade once I started taking on projects outside the surf world, but it didn’t. It just shifted.

So when people ask me if I’m done, the truth is, I don’t know. Maybe it would be easier, and better for my mental health, to stick with smaller projects haha. But there’s just something about these long, drawn out film journeys that gets me excited in a way nothing else does.

As you are starting to see the sections come together, which of them is most personal to you and why?

Every section of the film has its own vibe, its own rhythm and story, so it’s tough to say which one feels the most personal. They all mean something different to me. Of course, being from the Bay Area, the Ocean Beach section hits close to home. That’s where it all started for me. But honestly, the trips we’ve taken and the people I’ve had the chance to travel with, those experiences are just as personal. Those experiences are incredibly meaningful to me too. There’s something unforgettable about sharing those moments with some of your closest homies. Each section of the film carries a specific mood or energy that sets the tone, and that’s intentional. Whether it’s the music, the way it’s shot, or the pace of the edit, every part was crafted to reflect the feeling of that moment in time.

Which do you think will surprise the viewer most?

At this point in the surf world, it’s tough to really surprise people. So much has been done, so many places have been filmed over and over. Finding something original feels like a real challenge.

For me, what makes this film special is the way the colors come together with the style of surfing, and the waves we chose to chase. It’s that unique combination that creates a fresh feeling in my eyes.

Every surfer in this film is not just an incredibly gifted and stylish surfer, but also someone I consider a close friend. That connection brings an energy to the film that goes beyond just surfing, and feels a lot more personal.

Over time we as surfing will look at your body of work and will have certain takeaways, what do you hope they are and what do you hope to leave the viewers with after watching your films?

I’d love for people to walk away from my film not only wanting to score fun waves, drink cold beers, travel, and meet new people, but also notice the little details that give the film a timeless feel.

More than anything, I want to get the next generation hyped about making passion projects, doing it just because they love it and it fires them up. No amount of money can buy the joy I get from creating these films.

THANKS PERRY!

Definitely follow Perry to know when KITS will be premiering in a zone by you.