Big Wave Surfing, Even Bigger Screen (Video)

The film – titled Big Wave: No Room for Error from director Bo Bridges – follows Heimiti Fierro (yes, of relation to the proverbial Queen of Teahupo’o, Vahine Fierro) as she challenges herself to face the wave of her dreams…and biggest nightmares. She preps for a big swell at Chopes, and ultimately (spoiler), snags a bomb. But really, the most interesting aspect of the film is the experience – through Cosm’s immersive screen, it really does feel like you’re in the lineup. In fact, at one point during the screening, while the camera was bobbing on a jet ski in the channel, I started to feel a little queasy. Ever been on “Soarin’ Around the World” at Disneyland? It’s sorta like that.

“We shot the entire film with a single fisheye lens, something that has never been done before in live-action at this scale,” said director Bo Bridges. “That meant every shot had to be up close and personal. There was no room for error. The camera had to be right in the heart of the action, in some of the most dangerous waves on the planet. When you’re in that theater, you don’t just watch the waves—you feel them. The scale, the depth, the movement—it’s as close as you can get to being there, and that’s exactly what I wanted for this film.”

It ain’t your average surf flick; it’s something new, something innovative. Bridges added:

“This project is a culmination of everything I’ve worked toward—the years of chasing swells, understanding the ocean’s rhythms, and perfecting how to capture that energy. It’s about bringing audiences as close as possible to the experience of riding these waves without actually being in the water.”

Get your tix for Big Wave: No Room for Error at Cosm Los Angeles here.