1) Give us an introduction about yourself, where you are from and how you got into making videos
I live and work near Stuttgart / Germany. Just as many little boys dream of later becoming a football player, train driver or astronaut, my childhood dream was to become a film director or a writer. Unexpectedly, I became a social worker. Artistic and creative, narrative occupation was always important to me and so I discovered photography with people for myself 10 years ago.
After 5 years I thought there had to be a way into videography as well and it just so happened that my first attempts were something with people and balloons. That there was such an overwhelming interest in my little videos from the beginning surprised and overwhelmed me. So I left the photography aside and focused on balloon videos.
2) Can you remember the first video you ever made? What happened?
My first videos were model image videos, I copied what I had seen. Then I was asked on facebook if I would like to make a car trampling video, for a fee. A model was willing to take part in addition to the photo shoot for a little pocket money, so we shot it. After I published it on Youtube, it suddenly got a lot of views and I got subscribers. I don't remember why I shot a video clip with balloons afterwards. When I published the balloon clip on YouTube, the number of hits and subscribers exploded. Since shooting was fun, I kept going.
3) We love your style of outdoor and natural shooting, how did you decide to shoot like this?
As a photographer, I never shot in the studio either. Outside in nature or in ruins, in old houses, you have a lot more mood and exciting light situations. In addition, you don't have to pay any studio fees. It has always been a hobby for me, so I had to keep costs down. You can take great pictures outside with natural light, I always found that much more exciting. It was only natural that I kept that workflow with the videos. The videos were and still are an artistic hobby.
4) What have been some of your most memorable shoots so far?
I cannot tell individual, special stories. All shootings have their special moments, as balloons always bring an unpredictable element to the story. Every shoot is actually something special. It is always a pleasure for me to work artistically with the models, some of whom are very enthusiastic and committed.
5) How are your models reactions usually with shooting with balloons?
That depends a lot on the temperament of the model. During the auditions I found out that models who tend to have a melancholy or generally negative point of view, who are unhappy in life, have little use for balloons. Models who are open and communicative, like to laugh and have fun, are usually enthusiastic and don't want to stop at all.
6) In future is there anything you'd really love to do with videos
Yes, my dream is to make a real balloon feature film. To develop a story and a drama that holds the tension for over 100 minutes, with great actors, great balloons, a lot of action, humor and of course a great director :)
7) What is your own personal relationship with balloons
Despite all the enthusiasm for balloon videos, it may have become clear that I have nothing to do with balloons as a fetish. I find balloons funny and symbolic, they have a lot of artistic potential that is far from exhausted. One of my models showed her friends her sitpop and blowpop videos on Youtube and everyone laughed to death. I think the videos I'm making aren't just interesting for looners. They should be funny and sexy and fun.
8) Anything else you'd like to add or say to the looner community
I would like to thank everyone who supports my work and my fun. As a social worker, I just have to dive into a fun world sometimes and making balloon videos helps me a lot. If I can give fun back for that, that's only fair :)
Fun and entertainment are important and serious elements. Many people work hard for their livelihood and we all need a balance that makes our lives easier and happier. Let's do it together :)
9) Please give us links to all your channels and where people can get your clips
Nik Bone's balloon videos are available by subscription or in various shops. In our Facebook group you will always find all the news and receive free videos and pictures. There are also pictures on Instagram and Twitter.
The most important links are:
PS: I would like to mention our book. There are people who read. In “edition aeria I” in 2019 we published around 40 photos and two long balloon stories in DinA 4 format on 80 pages. You can find an introduction to the book here: https://youtu.be/HdqCsP2nM0I