ECU alumnus riding a wave of documentary success
Editor’s note: The ECU alumnus featured in this story lives in southern California. At the time of publication, he and his family were safe from devastating fires.
As a lifelong surfing enthusiast, Tony Gentile ’04 learned to watch for the best waves. He followed the method in his film career as well, always on the lookout for the best story. The two passions of his life converged in 2022 when Gentile discovered a “cranking” surfing story, and it became his first feature documentary film.
“Shaping the Future,” co-directed by Gentile and his production partner Robert Helphand, dives into the story of surfboard shaper Lance Collins and his impact on Southern California culture and the legacy established by his unique surfboard brand, Wave Tools. The documentary earned the Best Action Sports film award at the 2024 Newport Beach Film Festival.
Gentile is bringing his Southern California film east for a screening in his hometown of Greenville and plans to share his career experience with East Carolina University students.
The Eastern North Carolina Alumni Chapter is joining Gentile in presenting the exclusive screening of the film at Golden Ticket Greenville on Jan. 24. The evening will include a free screening of the film and an opportunity to converse with Gentile about Collins’ legacy, as well as his own journey from ECU to Los Angeles.
The School of Art and Design film and video production program and the Honors College have scheduled a session for students to meet Gentile at the Jenkins Fine Arts Center while he is in Greenville.
“To this day, I love to work on things that inspire, engage and educate people through my skill. I love real life, real people stories,” Gentile said. “Everyone has their own unique journey and climb and tribulations. I think as a culture, the more we share and learn about other people’s stories, (it) can help us progress individually, but collectively as well.”
Gentile, an independent filmmaker, editor and director through his production company Blue Water Post in Los Angeles, has worked in video production in university athletics, commercial production and film editing, including work for MasterClass, Givewith and Commune Media.
In addition to Blue Water Post projects, Gentile also works in the creative services department with the Milken Family Foundation.
“I graduated college in ’04 and (came) to California for an internship. I mean, why not give this a shot? I had envisioned it being one year and here I am 20-plus years later,” Gentile said.
ECU alumnus Tony Gentile poses with Lance Collins and production partner Robert Helphand at the premiere of “Shaping the Future,” a documentary about Collins’ life that was co-created by Gentile.
Finding his footing
Gentile entered ECU to study computer science. A friend connected him to a part-time job shooting video at athletic events. He had a knack for the cameras and equipment. The part-time work became a full-time job and the beginning of his journey.
Garrett Killian, now a business and technology applications specialist at ECU, was in the information technology group on campus and saw something in Gentile and pushed him toward broadcasting.
Gentile filmed anything taking place at ECU — sports, live productions — and PBS’s “Antique Roadshow” was held on campus.
“As a college kid, you know, you’re just trying to find your footing. You don’t know where you’re going. And so, I was like, what the heck, I’ll take a summer class in the communication department,” Gentile said. “I swear when I walked into that building, I felt like I was home.”
A former media production professor also was instrumental in encouraging Gentile to tap into programs and projects that were critical to his studies, such as helping other students in the campus editing lab. The hands-on experience he gained in filming athletics allowed Gentile to understand the gear and equipment used in the lab and gave him the opportunity to teach others.
Gentile accepted a one-year internship at UCLA and continued to absorb knowledge and skills from peers in the field. From camera operation and lighting to editing and post-production, he learned the craft, took risks and began to trust his instinct for putting all the pieces together to tell a story as an independent filmmaker.
Having a screening in Greenville is a full-circle moment for Gentile. “Number one, it’s home,” he said. “The time that I spent at ECU shaped who I am, and it inspired me to tell the stories here that I am telling today. I mean, that was the foundation of it all.”
Gentile hopes that sharing his career journey can inspire others to pursue their dreams. “I would have never thought I could do any of these things, but my career path and the decisions that I’ve made helped carve out that pathway for me,” he said. “You can tell your own stories. It doesn’t have to be in California but follow your passion and follow your journey and what inspires you. That will take you where you need to go.”
The Shaper
While working on a series on surfboard collectors, Gentile and Helphand learned about Collins and interviewed him for the series.
“I thought, God, this guy’s just got like the craziest story. There’s no way this is for real,” Gentile said. “We went and we researched his information and thought, we’ve got to make our next story with this guy.”
Collins began creating surfboards in California in 1969. He became known as the shaper of Echo Beach and was renowned as the master craftsman behind the surfboards of the time.
“It’s a great human story. It’s such an uplifting and positive story. I think a lot of people will find something they can relate to,” Gentile said. “This guy has kind of a checkered history, but you know, ultimately it’s an inspirational story about someone who’s been up and down in life and has followed their instinct and pathway and it’s got them to find peace and happiness, basically.”
Audiences have agreed that “Shaping the Future” is worth seeing. The film had two sold-out screenings at the Newport festival. The film also won Best Feature Documentary at the Los Angeles Movie Awards. Gentile and Helphand have entered the film for consideration at other festivals. They expect to have the film accepted for screening at festivals throughout the United States and internationally this year.
Gentile said he feels “Shaping the Future” is one story from a missing gap of real stories. He is looking forward to watching for and telling those human stories.
“If you want to try to do anything in your life, you have to give it a go,” Gentile said. “Without the risk, there’s no reward and without that failure, there’s no learning.”
Visit Blue Water Post to learn more about “Shaping the Future” and Gentile’s other projects. Limited seating is available to attend the Greenville screening. To find out more information about the screening and ticket availability, visit the ECU Alumni Association.