This is one in a series of short Q&A’s with people in the outdoor/active lifestyle industry who are doing cool, inspiring things. Want to nominate someone? Leave their name in the comments and we’ll see what they’re all about. Name: Ian Durkin
It’s hard to define a dream job, but we’d say Ian Durkin’s is up there. As a video curator for Vimeo – a popular video sharing platform for independent filmmakers— Durkin spends his days not only watching videos, but is an influencer behind the selections for Vimeo’s famed Staff Picks. A graduate of Middlebury College, where he was an American studies major, Durkin landed a 6-month internship shortly after graduation and the rest is history. Durkin was a panelist on our recent POV panel during the 5point Film Festival, which you can read about, here. We tried to squeeze a bit more information from him about his super cool job (he’s also a filmmaker and photographer on the side) and what’s trending in the Vimeo world these days. Here’s the lowdown :
Photos by Ian Durkin
As a video curator, what does your job really entail?
My job entails a few different things. Daily, I’m watching a bunch of videos and featuring the especially great videos on the Vimeo Staff Picks Channel, but i’m also talking with filmmakers about the stuff they’re making via email and at film festivals. Otherwise, I’m working on one-off projects; be it curating programs for festivals or putting together editorial content.
But you’re also a filmmaker. Is watching other people’s videos all day inspiring or frustrating?
If I didn’t do it as a job, I know I’d watch a lot of videos anyhow for fun or to get ideas. So yeah, it’s very inspiring to watch great content all day. It gets me motivated to try to make my own.
What would you love to make a video about but haven’t gotten the chance to yet (or are working on currently)?
I’m currently working on a video from a surf trip I did down in Baja with some friends. My videos tend to be trip based, so I’d love to get back to New Zealand to make one.
Who is making a big impact on the Vimeo world lately and why are their films grabbing so much attention?
That’s a tough one. There are definitely a lot of people who, when you see they’ve uploaded something new, you know it’s going to be good. I’m a sucker for style, and these guys bring a unique offering to the table each time. From the trips themselves (trains for a skate trip and Iceland for a surf trip), to shooting solely on 16mm film, to pitch perfect cinematography/editing/music selection, not to mention great skating and surfing to boot. These videos do more than simply document a trip, they bring in an extra element that gets me psyched to do something of my own, which is what it’s all about, right?
Name: Ian Durkin
