Action films on fast forward

Cable’s FUEL-TV has solved the typical trajectory of documentary-length action sports films: starting fast but diluting into leftover footage and “what does it all mean” interviews. The channel’s “Exposure” program boils down two recent films into a half-hour episode containing footage from the films and original chats with the filmmakers.

“Exposure” appears slapped together at times -- in rough transitions between film footage and interviews -- but overall it sheds light on the motivation and methods of the action sports filmmaker. Viewers learn how film projects begin; for example, a random introduction at a party, when film student Gregory Schell met veteran surfers Kevin Naughton and Craig Peterson, whose decades-old photos and footage ultimately became the raw material for “The Far Shore.” We also get glimpses of life on the road: long delays because of inclement weather, separation from friends and family and a genuine sense of wonder expressed by the athletes that, yes, ripping is their day job.

-- Emmett Berg