Stab Magazine | Filmlyfe: Matt Kleiner
347 Views

Filmlyfe: Matt Kleiner

Welcome back to Filmlyfe, a series of journeys in which we swirl through time and space, and bathe in the blissful technicolor aesthetics that only an auteur can sling. The premise we’re rolling with? Men of the lens answer questions for us with visuals instead of words. It’s all motion. It’s a view into their souls. When he was 15, Matt Kleiner and his brother would film each other surfing with their Dad’s camera. Matt would then edit it down with the vcr by hitting stop / play on the cam. From that point on, it was a whole lot of self-teaching. This is how one of our sport’s best cinematographers came our way. After a degree in marketing Matt quickly realised his head and heart were behind a viewfinder, so he bought a camera, computer, a bootleg copy of Final Cut Pro, some books about filmmaking and photographer, and never looked back. You know him from Way Of The Ocean: Australia and as the man who’s making Josh Kerr’s new film, which’ll come out this year. As if you weren’t already thrilled for that, the above episode should get you extra buttered… Get at Matt’s online portal, here.

style // Mar 8, 2016
Words by stab
Reading Time: < 1 minute

VHS_08Welcome back to Filmlyfe, a series of journeys in which we swirl through time and space, and bathe in the blissful technicolor aesthetics that only an auteur can sling. The premise we’re rolling with? Men of the lens answer questions for us with visuals instead of words. It’s all motion. It’s a view into their souls.

When he was 15, Matt Kleiner and his brother would film each other surfing with their Dad’s camera. Matt would then edit it down with the vcr by hitting stop / play on the cam. From that point on, it was a whole lot of self-teaching. This is how one of our sport’s best cinematographers came our way. After a degree in marketing Matt quickly realised his head and heart were behind a viewfinder, so he bought a camera, computer, a bootleg copy of Final Cut Pro, some books about filmmaking and photographer, and never looked back. You know him from Way Of The Ocean: Australia and as the man who’s making Josh Kerr’s new film, which’ll come out this year. As if you weren’t already thrilled for that, the above episode should get you extra buttered…

Get at Matt’s online portal, here.

Comments

Comments are a Stab Premium feature. Gotta join to talk shop.

Already a member? Sign In

Want to join? Sign Up

Advertisement

Most Recent

Joyride: The Slater x Tomo ‘Mindcraft’

A 5-fin snub-nosed space missile, as seen in Mikey February's EAST.

Apr 2, 2026

Dane Reynolds On Shaper Polyamory, Tour Politics + The Aussie Treble | StabMic Episode 8

The OG cast digs into the WSL season opener.

Apr 2, 2026

What Is The CT Riding In 2026? An Exhaustive Equipment Breakdown

Two brands own 40% of the tour, two World Champs refuse to be pinned down.

Apr 2, 2026

Steam On Mirrors, Slater Milked Dry, And Europe Gets It In Every Hole

Surfing’s 2026 Q1 Report

Apr 1, 2026

The Long Year Starts Here

A Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach preview.

Mar 30, 2026

Is The Aussie Treble A Crystal Ball?

An SUV is nice, but the numbers suggest the World Title comes with it too.

Mar 30, 2026

Watch: The Kelly Files Vol. 2

"If your mind isn’t open to discovering new things on different waves, you just get…

Mar 29, 2026

Who’s Gonna Win The 2026 World Title?

Picks from Josh Kerr, Sterling Spencer, Dane Henry, Jimmy Wilson, and more industry heavies.

Mar 27, 2026

The Top 5 Aerialists Of All Time, According To Chippa Wilson | StabMic Episode 07

"The sections he hits are beyond gnarly."

Mar 27, 2026

“People Were Fucking Swimming Out Of Their Homes In The Middle Of The Night”

A North Shore flood report from Nathan Fletcher and lifeguard Kyle Foyle.

Mar 26, 2026

Stab’s 2026 Rookie Class Review Featuring Owen Wright, Doug Silva, And CJ Hobgood

Crisp insights from a 4x CT winner, a supercoach, and a World Champ.

Mar 25, 2026

Could Paul Naudé Buy Rip Curl At A $200 Million Discount?

Corporate lobotomy at Kathmandu.

Mar 25, 2026

Watch: The Kelly Files Vol. 1

Unredacted interviews from Stab in the Dark X + Kelly's boards up for grabs.

Mar 25, 2026

Breaking: Gabriel Medina Has A New Coach For 2026

He's a fellow Brazilian world champ, heat tactician, and dare we say the perfect man…

Mar 25, 2026

Teaching People How To Surf Is Now A Legitimate Career Path

Enter the land of private jets and A-list cliques.

Mar 24, 2026

Robbo’s Back On Track(tors), Medina’s Ménage À Trois, Rip Curl Drops Wright, Tenōre In Turmoil 

Some days you’re the dog, some days you’re the hydrant.

Mar 22, 2026

A 15-Year-Old Snowboard Phenom + A 3-Minute Tube Hunter Walk Into StabMic

“If I didn’t have a GoPro, no one would believe me,” says Koa Smith.

Mar 21, 2026

Stab Interview: Israel’s First CT Surfer

Anat Lelior on military service, online hate, and her unique path to professional surfing.

Mar 19, 2026
Advertisement