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The Cooper Eddy Interview

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Cooper Eddy has been a pro for SWEETS kendamas since 2015. Known for creative tricks and signature style, he also has a knack for edits. In honor of his 2017 pro video, DS sat down with Cooper to pick his brain.



DS

I want to skip all the basic questions, and just get right into talking about filmmaking. But first, how did you link up with Sweets?

Cooper Eddy
I linked up with Sweets Kendamas back in 2013 when I entered their first video sponsorship contest. Norx won the contest, but I was put onto the CKG (cross kens gang) which later turned into the homegrown team once the Homegrown was created. I grinded on the team for two years making videos, throwing events and being proactive in the community and eventually was promoted to the Pro Team!

DS
And that ultimately led to you Producing "The Sweets Life" and most of what you see from Sweets since then...Right?

Cooper Eddy
Yeah i have been making a majority of Sweets content since ive been pro but we have so many different people on the team that produce their own videos and keep our youtube up to date!

DS
So I want to talk about the 2017 pro edits. They are so well done, and each one so far has had its own unique feel. What do you look for to make an edit "personal"?

Cooper Eddy
In order to make an edit "personal" you can do so many things. The reason why the 2017 Pro vids are so personal and informative is because i interviewed each pro and used their quotes over the footage. This is super common in the film industry but storytelling like this is rarely used in kendama videos. I knew that the community would appreciate an in-depth documentary style series of videos. Visiting each pro where theyre from really helped me catch their vibe and translate that somehow into video. Their quotes together formed a story, which is really pleasing for the audience. Also, the music is a major major factor which i can go into foreverrrrr, but then just add some nasty bangers, b-role, and close-ups and your'e good!

DS
Storytelling is something that is so often overlooked. I think you have a knack for it. [Specifically I thought it was great allegory to show the fountain "pissing" after Norx talking about how much red bull he drank] Do you have any formal training in filmmaking?

Cooper Eddy
Yeah bro drinks way too much redbull! Im glad you picked that up But I don't have any sort training in filmmaking at all. I started making videos before i started playing kendama. I would just make dumb little videos with my friends and play around with special effects and stuff, but kendama is really what sparked my interest. The whole time I was getting good at filmmaking i was editing only kendama edits, I didnt make a different type of video till the past couple years or so. I would just go on youtube and look up tutorials for anything I wanted to pull off in videos. I started with Windows Movie Maker which is what i used for most of my early edits, then moved onto Sony Vegas which is a slight upgrade. Then I got into Final Cut pro, exhausted that software for eveything i could, and now i use Adobe Premiere Pro which does almost everything i need. So i really worked with what i had! I started with kendama edits using a digital camera and movie maker, and now I make videos for my job!

DS
Anyone who wants to tell a story can do so now. There's really no excuse when you have an amazing camera in your pocket (in the form of a cell phone.
What do you think kendama needs right now?

Cooper Eddy
Exactly. Its less about the camera and more about what the camera is filming. Content is key. I have so many videos with barely any views and thats because there's no point to them, the content is meaningless.

I think kendama needs more viral videos. The most nasty banger ever could go viral to an extent, reaching people in the kendama world and maybe a little outside of that, but there needs to be more videos that show kendama in a light that the majority of the world will enjoy. Thats the only way I think kendama will go to the next level of popularity. Thats another reason why I made the pro videos the way i did. I wanted people to enjoy it who normally wouldn't, and show kendama in a different/more inspirational light.

DS
agreed.
Downspike is trying to foster that.

Cooper Eddy
Yeah DS is definitely moving kendama in that that direction!

DS
Ok lastly, Sweets hooked us up with your pro mod, and We want to open it up to anyone who read this and watched your edit. So, take it away...

Cooper Eddy
Thanks for having me! Shoutout to everyone who has copped a Coop Mod. You are directly supporting me when you do that and I appreciate it so much. And shoutout Youtube for teaching me everything I know. I want to give away this Coop Mod to the person who can think of the coolest video concept, and posts it in the comments (for example: a black/white theme or a hanging upside-down Prime unboxing or something crazy like that). Im going to pick my favorite who will win the Coop Mod, and us at Sweets might make your video concept a reality!

Posted by: Cheech_Sander


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Comments:

  • Aloysius_hung_
    Aloysius_hung_

    -Hyperlapse at a kendama event,
    -3 cam setup for inerviews, 1 B roll, one static on tripod from the side, one static right in front
    -close ups of some trick at the beginning to start off the vid or back to end off vid ( make sure the mic captures the clack)
  • Prax_slays
    Prax_slays

    I have always thought that an edit all filmed in a car would be pretty cool. Tricks just seem a little bit more satisfying when you are sitting in a small space and lace.
  • quacktaped
    quacktaped

    great edit man :)
    I've always loved the loud click-clacking of the kendama
    so it would be cool to have that as the beat of the song in an edit.
    I like the look of cardboard and neon signs.
    So a cardboard style wall in the background with a neon sign I feel like would work pretty well.
    Also creativity is the key for an awesome edit. ben heralds recent edit is a great example.
  • JC Novallasca
    JC Novallasca

    set up the camera for a full/wide shot and you will have different shots in different locations but you will be in the same place. You'll lace the same or different trick every location. This would be a great idea when you start to travel around the world :)

    Its pretty much like this video but instead of dancing its dama tricks
  • Blake W.
    Blake W.

    I feel like what would be pretty dope would be something like a "yank around the world" type deal where you have everyone submit clips of them yank spiking and say what they love about kendama, as well as where they're from and you could compile that into a sick video. I feel like yank is good because it's something that everyone can do.
  • Kendamaac
    Kendamaac

    Make spectra ken for each of the pro model tamas and it would sick
  • magicdamadude
    magicdamadude

    Do an in-house paint contest! Bring in a bunch of people from the sweets office and have them all paint their own tama.
  • Instagrom3
    Instagrom3

    have you ever seen the invisible skateboard video?
    doing something like that for kendama would be pretty interesting

    either have the kendama blanked out so you have to guess what trick they're doing or have the player blanked out so you only see the kendama, personally i like the first idea a bit better because it would focus more or the player and less on the trick

  • James Hoang
    James Hoang

    Have all of the pros(including you) do a K.E.N. battle against each other with one other person(or any odd amount of people for that matter to even out the number of people), but the challenge is that you all have to stand on one leg and use your non-dominant hand to lace. Also, you have to use a mini Sweets(optional challenge).
  • James Hoang
    James Hoang

    Also, I could tell some of the tricks and scenes were shot in Japan. When Cooper was filming at the rocks and river, you could see he had blonde hair(he bleached it), and when it zoomed into his pro model at 6:34, you can see that the seal had no white ring around the cross kens, and that was pretty much the prototype seal for all the mods released at KWC back in the summer.
  • Ben Lowe
    Ben Lowe

    Great interview and edit. More please!

    I've been thinking it would be super cool and unique to have a video that was shot from the perspective of the kendama itself. Like kind of personify the kendama, or look through the "eyes" of the kendama on its journey, as it performs new tricks, maybe is played by different people, its relationship to other kendamas, etc. I know it is pretty out there, but hey, there you go. :)
  • Owenm
    Owenm

    something like the sweets like but The sweet life you attach a small lightweight camera to a kendama and film the entire day of seshing dama or at a comp
  • Brian Castillo
    Brian Castillo

    Have an obstacle course competition at a park with balance beam, giant spider, rope ladder, sand pit, swing and giant octopus!!! And a speed ladder competition at Stonehenge if the wind isn't blowing 30 mph...lol! SWEETS LIFE. #Odessa
  • Dan Reinstein
    Dan Reinstein

    It be cool if someone had an all green dama and Ken, and you could green screen it out to be a video of outer space or something
  • Mr. Von Braun
    Mr. Von Braun

    I would love to see an aerial/ground edit. Loved the ground view of Wiens in the old Kaizen stripe edit. Think it would be nice to see tricks from directly above and below (also think that would make for some nice editing). Maybe even get some drone action involved!!
  • Owenm
    Owenm

    Duct tape yourself to the wall and do an unboxing or a review or a collection or even an interview but something involving duct taping yourself to the wall!
  • Matthew Dam
    Matthew Dam

    - the whole sweets team ( focus, hg, legends and pro) in 1 huge edit

    - revamp the sweets kendama tutorials by adding more tricks like made up tricks by pros

    - SWEETS LIFE IN ROMANIA

    - the making of a sweets kendama (in house painting, assembly,)

    - going to more elementary/middle schools
  • Alexander Hansen
    Alexander Hansen

    What about a Sweets X Sweets edit - Sweets as in candy, so a candy themed edit. You guys have some of the most crazy tama colorways, and some of them really looks like candy with the intense colors. So an edit with "sweet" kendama players from Sweets, playing on Sweets kendamas who look like sweets(candy), while eating real sweets(candy, not the man...), with some "sweet" editing, haha.
    Maybe you can make it like a series, with each episode representing a different candy - ex: A licorice themed edit, with black tamas , black clothes and a more heavy and "dark" vibe in the editing. Or a gum themed edit, with bright pink tamas, pink clothes and a fresh/hysteric vibe in the editing.

    I know it's kind of a meta idea, but I think it holds a lot of different possibilities.
  • Austin De La Cruz
    Austin De La Cruz

    Big fan of your videography. Your style is very different from everyone else. It got a soulection vibe.
    I think for a cool video concept, it should be a timeline. So for an example, clips from day one with Kendama until now. You could even sesh with your very first dama. And keep adding the soulection feel to it. Congrats on your first pro model.
  • SnipesDama
    SnipesDama

    A video where the Kendamas came to life would be awesome! Sort of like toy story, but only in the fact that they come to life. Maybe a Kendama that gets sad after it's put down for it's last jam session or something?
  • Nick Dodenhoff
    Nick Dodenhoff

    As simple as it sounds, we all just want a kendama documentary featuring all of the people who made kendama what it is today.
  • Nel.slay
    Nel.slay

    I have always thought making a kendama movie would be the most amazing thing. For example, the KUSA japan bonus footage edit is about as close as our community has gotten to this. I feel like getting to follow along with the player's journey, and watching the progression and things made the entire thing just amazing. If a kendama movie were made that followed a few of the pros through an entire year of kendama, (events, trick grinding, everyday life, behind the scenes at a dama warehouse, etc.) that would be absolutely sick. That would be something I would love to watch and definitely share with friends.
  • Albert Ngo
    Albert Ngo

    Love all of the pro edits!

    Would be interesting to see some stuff with the 360 camera. Either people surrounding the camera doing sync tricks or those lines involving multiple people where you pass the kendama around.
  • Jee Hurbaux
    Jee Hurbaux

    Huge fan of the vids, I actually just bought a coop mod so should out to you. But I would like to see more friendly competition maybe some games of Ken loser has to draw from a list of dares to do
  • Ion_dama
    Ion_dama

    Love your pro mod and congrats on all your succes!!! You should do a trick tutorial series where you and other sweets players teach tricks that people maybe vote for on your Instagram.
  • Ion_dama
    Ion_dama

    Another better idea(forget the last one) You should recreate some of the crazy tricks that maybe you or Max have done in some of your really really old videos.
  • Steezdiaz
    Steezdiaz

    Finally got around to watching this, did not disappoint. Keep killin it Coop!
  • TheWickEffect
    TheWickEffect

    Nice edit Coop! I love edits where color is incorporated in some way. I am from the PNW as well and you totally nailed the moss and trees in your colorway. I especially like the shot where the kendama comes into focus on the other side of the stream. It looks like it is a part of nature. I think it would be cool to make an edit that incorporates hyper-contrast. I'm thinking like Sin City where everything is black and white except for one color. (Red lipstick, blue eyes, etc.) You could shoot a noir style edit in black and white except for the tama colors. You could even do some backlit silhouette trick shots!
  • Joel Clayton
    Joel Clayton

    Cooper is my role model
  • Jess Latta
    Jess Latta

    I'd say a big thing for Sweets right now is how its getting into the biking scene with Reed Stark and No jumper features. So doing more of this will help to expand the community. Do more videos that concentrate on kendama and other sports or activities an equal amount to get people from different categories of life to become interested in kendama.
  • Cheech_Sander
    Cheech_Sander
  • Santiago Zúñiga
    Santiago Zúñiga

    Yoo cooper you can go to the place you were born and make a video with the friends that you started in the kendama and go to the spots that you used to jam and also film your new spots and make like a timeline since you beginning and talk about how the kendama change your life as well. Also your video of the pro announcement is the best dude good job you inspired me everyday boy
  • Cooper Eddy
    Cooper Eddy

    LOVE ALL THE IDEAS! CANT WAIT TO CHOOSE MY FAVORITE!
  • Ethan Howard
    Ethan Howard

    sick edit mate!
    it's a bit adventurous but you could put every state of America on pieces of paper and pick one randomly, then travel to that state and lace 50 tricks (one for each state) and build an edit from that! i think that would be great and alot of fun.
    keep slaying
  • Wriel Blancarte
    Wriel Blancarte

    @Cooper Eddy What about do some simple? Kendama stuff and light paint that shit?

  • Gasiek
    Gasiek

    I think video with effects like @Ben Lowe is doing (check his awesome job on his instagram @cutthenoise). Also edit whit videos from people all around the world, with flag of their country in the back wouldbe sick. I mean one quick combo from every country with their flag. Also fragment of painting a kendama in video would be great. But I think the best idea to make a video woul be "the normal day of pro kendama player". Starting when you are waking up, breakfast with quick combo, than going to work, kendama session during work, and ending on going to slepp. That would be dope. Love your edits!
  • Blaze Shomida
    Blaze Shomida

    Do a series like skate support from braille, where people send in videos of tricks they're trying to do and you respond with a video of what you see they're doing wrong and practice steps so they can do the trick... go check it out on braille skateboards channel.
  • Blaze Shomida
    Blaze Shomida

    Do a pro mod promo video short type of thing where your pro mod is held like a a gun and all the pros like have a war, like a lot of b roll and gun and explosion sound fx and you end it by saying "choose your weapon of choice"
  • 7Cabbages
    7Cabbages

    A video where they are turning the kendama. As they turn the big cup it cuts to a trick involving big cups. Turning the small cup, maybe a Nightingale trick. As they turn the spike, cut to a shot of someone landing insane spike trick. Turning the base cup, and someone lands a handle stall.

    It shows how important every little edge and corner of the kendama can be used and appreciated
  • Dæmon
    Dæmon

    I think it would be really cool to get a tama with no hole and film a yank spike edit
  • Gasiek
    Gasiek

    This could work with an apple :p
  • Timothy
    Timothy

    @Cooper Eddy it would be cool if you did a left hand only edit! Lace some gnarly bangers! It would be sick!!!
  • Ryalkid20
    Ryalkid20

    Go to an army camp and have them play your dama and teach them dama would be cool or and edit with you in a camouflage suit and playing your dama
  • Alex Vann
    Alex Vann

    A video where you go for a stringless whirlwind in Minnesota. It dissapears into the sky, then travels to cali and lands on norx's ken. Idk how you would make that happen but it'd be too funny
  • Kendamabrady
    Kendamabrady

    My video idea is this.
    I think you should have each individual sweets pro member pick a country, then travel to that country and go to some of the poorest spots of their country. and visit kids who are less fortunate then us. When the pro visits their country they chose they would give their pro models to Some kids in poverty of that country. When the specific pro visits there country and gives the dama to the kids, you should film the kids playing dama and put in the music used in each pros pro model video. So if Norx wanted to go to Japan, when he got there and gave out his pro mods you should film the kids playing dama with norx's song from his pro mod video, and do that for every pro at there country. Thank you very much!! - Brady Thomas (keymaster)

    P.s. S/o Piff Minneapolis
  • James Sevilla
    James Sevilla

    I'll revert back to the OG days. A small enough room (4 sided) to jam in (like fit a person like Coop), and put black sound canceling foam around it. Put the camera on one corner, with lighting, on 2 of the sides, on the other corner is the film sesh angle. Take green spray paint and spray the Cooper Eddy signature going onto and it'll have a split effect. Use the raw audio and inward lunar tank and it'll probably sound super crisp. Maybe add a green screen on the top side and bottom side of the signature and create effects. I haven't had a lot of experience with Adobe Premiere, only Sony Vegas Pro 13, so I don't know how Chroma Key works on there. Just an idea ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
  • Edric Owen Ladera
    Edric Owen Ladera

    hhmmm... how about one pro copy another pro's playstyle. depends if someone else gonna pick for that specific pro (i.e. the community voting for it) or just the pro itself. not inspired-like line but actual playstyle. this one actually test them out of their comfort zone.

    or

    Kendama Vs. (blank)
    now it can be a good test against a certain hobby/interest/etc. i see people playing kendama with tops & yoyo, but never against it. i want to see how it will contest against one of the other.
  • Dama_danny
    Dama_danny

    Uh freaking beast
  • Steph Lussier
    Steph Lussier

    -Lace a trick on every continent.
    -365 days of kendama (edit-style)