Behind the Lens - Alexandre Valentino

Alexandre Valentino has been a mover and shaker in the European BMX scene over best part of two decades. It’s hard to put Alex into one bracket; a pro rider in his own right, a brand founder, the Vans EMEA Team Manager, one of the best core filmers and photographers in the game with a keen eye for storytelling that’s transcended into commercial work photographing the likes of premier league footballers, magazine editorials and fashion campaigns. Aside from his profession, you’ll find Alex residing in the south of France, a family man that keeps it humble and low key despite his numerous achievements in the core sphere and beyond. As part of our Behind the Lens series, we gave Alex to call to talk to one of the most diverse and accomplished people in the BMX scene.

Give us a little background on yourself.

My name is Alexandre Valentino. I’m 39 years old and live in the southeast of France. I used to be a professional BMX rider, and I’m now a filmmaker, photographer, and team manager for the Vans EMEA BMX team.

Where did this all begin for you?

I started riding first, and filming came shortly after. I loved watching BMX videos and wanted to create something similar with my friends. We tried to mimic the video magazines that were huge back in the day, Props Magazine, which was basically everyone’s bible in the BMX world in the early 2000s.

I always loved filming and being behind the lens. When I was younger, my parents bought a camcorder, and I stole it straight away to film BMX, they never saw the camera again. That’s really where it all began. I’d spend hours watching videos and filming friends from my neighbourhood. We were filming all the time but had no way to edit as we had no computer.

Still, I completely fell in love with the act of filming itself. We kept collecting clips for a video that actually came out three years later. I think it’s still up on Dailymotion somewhere…

How did the journey progress from there?

With my early love and passion for filming, after high school I went to university to study Art and Cinema. Although, looking back, I’m not sure it was the best choice for me. Sometimes studying something you love in school can actually kill the spark especially when you’re still young and vulnerable.

After three years of university, I decided to focus on my BMX career instead. Around that time, my pro career was starting to take off, I was getting more sponsors, more interest, and more trips — so it felt like the right move. Quitting school was a tough decision, but I talked to my parents about it, and they were really supportive.

From there, I focused fully on riding and traveling, and everything else grew naturally from that. In 2009, I started my own brand and that’s when my passion for filming really came back.

Being a pro in any of those sports brings a lot of art into your life, you end up hanging out with talented photographers, filmmakers, and graphic designers. Shout out to Manu Sanz, Vince Perraud, and Thibaut Grevet.

Did you find it hard to mix filming and riding at that stage?

That’s the thing, at one point, you have to take a step back if you want to become a good filmer. When I created my brand MarieJade, I wanted the world to see the talent and style of the riders around me. I thought, this is too good, and I naturally wanted to start filming.

It didn’t really feel like I was putting my career on the side. I was still the one being filmed, working on big projects with my main sponsor United BMX, as well as Vans, Carhartt, and others. MarieJade just became another way for me to express myself.

What do you find more rewarding - riding or filming?

Honestly, that’s a hard question. It’s the same and it’s different.
When you’re the one being filmed, you see yourself through someone else’s eyes, and everyone sees things differently. Sometimes you can watch yourself and it looks beautiful, and other times, after a lot of hard work, it can feel disappointing.

As a filmer, you’re putting your own vision of a moment, of people, places, and a specific time into the world. And when you feel like you’ve captured it right, the result can be incredibly satisfying.

How do find the mix of photo and video?

I’ve always considered myself more of a filmmaker than a photographer.
But lately, I’ve been shooting more photos than videos, it’s been a bit of a pivot, but at the end of the day, my passion is storytelling, whether it’s through images or film.

What are your favourite mediums to shoot with?

Oh man, I’ve got tons of cameras. I feel like it doesn’t really matter which one you use, it all depends on what you want to say. Some cameras just help tell the story a little better.

A VX can give you that Y2K nostalgia, but if you want something super clean, you’ll go for an FX3. Right now, I really enjoy filming with the Panasonic HMC150 for Vans projects. Again, it’s all about the look you’re going for, that specific vibe that gives the whole video its own BMX feel.

Having shot the likes of Mbappe for Fifa, as well as numerous other commercial campaigns, how do you like the mix of commercial and core? Are there challenges to that?

Honestly, I’ll always feel like a core photographer and filmmaker doing more mainstream stuff. I really feel at home in the streets, filming BMX — but I also like the challenge of bringing my vision into different worlds.

Outside of Vans, the thing I do the most is creating content for my girlfriend. Her brand is called Billynou, and it’s also a great way for me to express myself creatively. You should check it out!

What have been some of your favourite Vans trips you have been on to date?

As a filmer, back in the day we made a series called The Palmistry Guide. It was more of a documentary-style project, going to places no one had really been to ride before. Everything felt so exotic to film; everything was new and beautiful, totally different from what I was used to.

We went to Morocco, Iceland and Thailand, renting a van and putting ourselves in the hands of local guides who showed us things you’d never normally see. Sleeping in the desert, on boats, eating amazing food in the middle of nowhere, and riding the most incredible spots.

How is your local scene?

It used to be such a huge scene. For a random place in France, we had a big community and a really high level of riders. The energy was amazing, that’s honestly why I started my brand in the first place.

Now, I have to admit, it’s not quite the same anymore, we’re all getting older. Let’s hope the next gen carry the torch.

How do you feel about the BMX scene in Europe?

It’s not without its challenges, but the younger riders are really motivated. I was recently on a trip in Paris, hanging out with some of them, and their energy really reminded me of what BMX is all about at its core.

There are also more and more female riders now, and a growing women’s community that’s really pushing the limits, it’s amazing to see.

What are your favourite locations to shoot?

I really like everything. I like finding the beauty in everything. Every place has something to offer. I love Paris for its architecture and history; the city itself is an incredible backdrop. But I also love rural places.

During Covid, I shot a photobook about my hometown, and it was really refreshing to try to see the beauty in a place you’ve known your whole life. It completely changed my perspective, and honestly, it was great for the mind. The book came out in 2022, and people from my hometown contributed texts and poems to it. I’m really proud of that project, it’s called Smile.

Any filmmakers or photographers you look up to that have inspired your work?

Working with Thibaut Grevet back in the day was one of the best things that ever happened to me creatively. We were working together on a video series in 2012 called Another Perspective. That project was amazing, but what I really remember is this little game we had: trying to take the best “random” photo on our phones and comparing them afterward.

It was funny, but it also opened our eyes to details we probably wouldn’t have noticed otherwise.

Artists who’ve inspired me the most outside the BMX world are Michel Gondry, Sofia Coppola, Henri Cartier-Bresson, Pierre Boncompain, Monet, and Picasso.
Within the action sports world, I’ve always looked up to Manu Sanz and Vince Perraud and nowadays, Arnaud Wolff and Ben Gea are doing an amazing job.

Outside of photography, filmmaking and BMX – do you have any other interests?

Outside of BMX, I love to create. I like to paint, mostly portraits or nudes of my girlfriend, and it’s actually helped me a lot with understanding colour science.

I also just finished a children’s book that I wrote and illustrated myself, every illustration is basically a little painting.

And I recently got back from a bikepacking trip, which has become one of my favourite things to do in my free time. It brings together two of my biggest passions, bikes and nature. We’ve got a little bikepacking crew on Instagram called Summer Mixtape Fanclub, give us a follow!

With all the above, do you still have the time to ride BMX yourself?

Always!

Also as the Vans Europe Team Manager for BMX, you must have a pretty in-depth understanding of the dynamics that pull trips together as an ex pro, filmer and  photographer?

I think that’s why Vans hired me. As a team manager who’s had a pro career and also works as a filmer, you naturally get a certain level of respect from the riders. When they’re trying a hard trick, they know you understand, they know it’ll be captured the right way.

But above all, there’s a sense of empathy. We all get each other, and we understand where everyone’s coming from.

Any last words? A message for the internet? A message to your former self?

I had this discussion with one of my riders recently, she was a bit scared of crashing badly, especially after another rider had a serious accident. Riding can be risky, and she had that moment of realization: is it really worth it?

It made me think a lot. I told her that sometimes it’s better to just enjoy it. You don’t have to risk your life in action sports to have fun. Some of the best riders are the most stylish ones, and personally, I’m really sensitive to style and aesthetics.

Try to focus on making your riding beautiful.