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Jordan is one of the resident tattooers at Frith Street Tattoo.
He’s been with us since 2010.

In this clip Jordan talk about his role in the Frith Street family, how the people he works with influence his work ethic, his future at Frith Street and he shares a story about the first time he came to the shop and got tattooed.

I interviewed Jordan last August, in his home shortly after he returned from his ill-fated road-trip across the USA.
This is one of the first interviews I did. As a result, the lens I used on the wide shot proved that it wasn’t up to the task of shooting moving people in dimly lit rooms. For the next interview (Lee M. Knight) I used a higher quality lens that’s excellent in lower lighting conditions. I won’t be able to use the wide shots in the finished film as a result.

We’ve known Lee since he started working for our friend Aaron Hewitt at Cult Classic Tattoo in Romford.

In August 2012 we asked him to work a few days each week at Frith Street.

Lee touched on some very interesting topics and added depth to the pre-prepared questions I had for him.
He has a very different view of our shop than someone like Chad. Lee has worked in the same shop for around five or six years.
We talked for over 90 minutes. It was great to chat with someone who is very passionate about tattooing and who feels the weight of Frith Street Tattoo’s history.

You can see some of his work here.

Thanks for watching,

Stewart.

I’m Back from San Francisco. I didn’t get to interview any more tattooers for this project mostly due to the tight time schedules we all keep at conventions and a few people I wanted to speak to had to leave early to avoid Hurricane Sandy on the East Coast. Everyone got home safe.

But here’s just over a minute worth of Chad Koeplinger.

Chad has been visiting Frith Street Tattoo for a good few years now. So he has seen various incarnations and changes, he’s seen people come and go, he’s been part of some of the most memorable times at Frith Street, he visits A LOT of tattoo shops around the world, so he has a decent perspective on what makes Frith Street Tattoo different, or the same as other places.
We love Chad and he loves us but he’s not afraid to speak his mind about things he thinks could be improved.

I interviewed Chad in London, last September after a long day’s work. We went back to his hotel, ordered room service and he gave a great interview, full of gems and pearls of wisdom for well over an hour.

Thanks,

Stewart.

Here’s a clip made from short sections of an interview I did yesterday with Valerie, here in San Francisco.

This was a quick interview, in a hotel room away from home. I didn’t have space in my luggage to fit all my camera and audio gear next to my tattoo equipment. I used an on-board mic for the audio so it doesn’t sound as good as it could but I wanted to get the interview done right before a major convention rather than wait until we got home.
Among other things, we talked about how on earth we got to be invited to one of (in our opinion) the best tattoo conventions in the world, alongside most of our favourite tattooers and many of our tattoo heroes. and the difference between checking out a tattooer’s portfolio online and watching them make a great tattoo in the shittiest of conditions.

Thanks for checking it out.
Stewart.

That’s right, I’m in San Francisco.
That has no real bearing on this first post, it just happens to be where I am when I find the time to start this production diary.

I guess it’s a good time as any because right before I came here (the night before my early flight, to be exact) I decided on a working title for this film:

“FST: Standing On the Shoulders of Giants”

I hope it conveys the way I feel about Frith Street Tattoo, my place within it and one of the many things I’d like to say with this film.

I have more to say, but that can wait for another diary entry.

Thanks for reading,

Stewart.