Darryl Tocco

Professional BMX rider turned Videographer, Darryl Tocco, films for a variety of clients both inside and outside of the BMX world including X Games, Stok Cold Brew Coffee, and Amazon Prime Video, to name a few. While filming, he relies on NEO 150 Mini and the legacy Hypercore 9 Mini’s to power up his RED DSMC2. We recently caught up to get to know more about him in the Q&A below.

1. Tell us about yourself and how you got started in the professional video industry.

I grew up on a BMX bike, and a camera was usually firmly planted in my hand. I started a pro career in BMX in my early 20’s and with that opportunity I was also fortunate enough to start making BMX films for various brands throughout the industry. As the projects got larger I was able to learn a lot with the help of other people in the industry and eventually started to do work outside of BMX. Bikes will always be my home but it’s been fun and educational stepping out into other projects.

2. What are a couple of your most memorable projects and why?

The first one that comes to mind is the most recent full length BMX film I directed, Kink BMX’s “Champagne”. 2 years of filming in a dozen or so countries with an amazing group of people. The kind of project that comes with a lot of blood, sweat, and tears. Everyone involved worked themselves to the bone to create something we were all proud of, I love working on projects that truly require a group effort. On a non-BMX level, a few years ago I helped shoot The Speed Project for Red Bull. We followed a group of athletes that ran from LA to Vegas on foot. I got to work with a great group of creatives alongside some of the most badass athletes I’ve ever met, it was an amazing experience.

3. Do you come across any challenges while working on-set, and if so, how do you overcome them?

My set is usually in the streets, and there are challenges everywhere. We’re constantly dealing with security guards, police, pedestrians, traffic; you name it. Like any other field, sometimes you need to get creative to get around those things. Quick decisions need to be made to make sure we get our shots without blowing it or getting into trouble!

4. What Core SWX products do you use, and how are they beneficial to your productions?

I’m currently running NEO 150 Mini and Hypercore 9 Mini’s. Having reliable and accurate time frame on battery life is crucial to what I do. When it comes to BMX I’m shooting extremely dangerous stuff, and if the rider gets the trick, they are not going to do it again. I can’t risk having a battery go from 40% to dead in the blink of an eye (which has happened with other products). I have plenty to stress over on those big shoots, with Core powering my gear it’s just one less thing to worry about.

5. Do you have any exciting projects coming up that you’d like us all to keep an eye out for?

The 2020 X Games “Real BMX”video competition just aired on ABC and will be available on YouTube sometime this week. I was partnered with the first adaptive athlete in X Games history, Julian Molina. Julian lost his leg at 9 years old and now rides BMX on a professional level with no prosthetic. His story is incredible and I was honored to help tell it to the action sports world.

 

Stay connected with Darryl via Instagram and his website.

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