BMX Video
Anthem II
Anthem II is Stew Johnson's 2010 follow-up to Anthem, a two-disc DVD shot in black and white with parts from Mike Aitken, Sean Burns, Chris Doyle and others.
Updated 2 min read516 words
Anthem II is a BMX video filmed and edited by Stew Johnson and released as a two-disc DVD on 1 December 2010. It is the follow-up to Anthem (1997) and keeps the same approach: sections from a handpicked group of riders, shot in black and white and built around style rather than contest tricks. Mike Aitken's opening section is among the most praised trails parts ever filmed, and the video also has full parts from Sean Burns, Chris Doyle, Mark Mulville, Clint Reynolds, Geoff Slattery and Brian Yeagle.
Background
Thirteen years passed between the original Anthem (1997) and Anthem II. In that time the full-length BMX video had become the main format for brands and filmers, the standard of filming had risen sharply, and free online video had started to compete for riders' attention.
Stew Johnson, by then based in Austin, Texas, again chose riders from across sponsors rather than building the video around a single team. He filmed, edited and funded the video himself and released it on his own Anthem label. Filming ran over several years, and Mike Aitken was seriously injured in 2008 while the video was being made.
Contents and sections
Anthem II follows the same rider-section structure as the original, edited in black and white.
- Full parts. Mike Aitken (opening the video), Sean Burns, Chris Doyle, Mark Mulville, Clint Reynolds, Geoff Slattery and Brian Yeagle.
- Mini parts. Brian Foster, Eli Platt, Chase Hawk, Dave Thompson and others.
- Friends sections. Footage from riders including Mat Hoffman, Joey Garcia and Kevin Porter.
- Second disc. The original Anthem, reissued on DVD.
The soundtrack leans on classic rock, with music from artists including Judas Priest, Bruce Springsteen, Bob Seger, Rush, Neil Young and Dinosaur Jr.
Standout parts
Mike Aitken's opening section is the one most riders remember. It shows the high, smooth and stylish approach to trails that made him one of the most admired riders of the 2000s, and it carries added weight because of the serious injury he suffered during the years the video was filmed.
Sean Burns' part is the other most discussed section and was nominated for video part of the year. As with the first Anthem, the editing is a standout in itself. Johnson's pacing gives each clip room, and the mood is consistent across the whole video, which was increasingly rare as fast-cut editing became the norm.
Impact and legacy
Anthem II arrived when most new footage was already being released online in short web edits, and it is often cited as an example of what a long-filmed, single-editor video could still offer: sections built over years, with one person's vision shaping the whole. Johnson has said it won a NORA Cup award for video of the year.
The video confirmed Stew Johnson's standing as one of the most respected filmers in BMX. For the context of the transition from DVD to online video, see the web edit era.
Related
- Anthem: the 1997 original
- Mike Aitken
- Sean Burns
- Chris Doyle
- Fit Life: the 2007 Fit Bike Co video with sections from Aitken, Hawk and Brian Foster
- Trails and park
Frequently asked questions about Anthem II
Is Anthem II a sequel to Anthem?
Yes. Stew Johnson filmed and edited both. Anthem II, released in 2010, keeps the black and white, style-first approach of the 1997 original, with a new cast of riders.
Who has the best section in Anthem II?
Mike Aitken's opening section is the one most often singled out. Sean Burns' part was also nominated for video part of the year.
Do I need to see Anthem first?
No. Anthem II stands on its own, and the original Anthem is included on the DVD set. Watching both shows how Johnson's filming and the riding itself changed across more than a decade.
Related articles
Anthem
Anthem: Home of the Brave is Stew Johnson's 1997 trails video, released on VHS on his own Anthem label and regarded as a classic of the genre.
2 min readMike Aitken
Mike Aitken is an American dirt and trails rider from Utah known for his style, his Fit Life video part, and his recovery from a serious crash in 2008.
4 min readSean Burns
Sean Burns is an American street rider from Pembroke, Massachusetts, known for roof drops, raw speed, heavy slams and his long association with Bone Deth.
5 min readChris Doyle
Chris Doyle is an American BMX dirt and trails rider known for huge doubles, 360 turndowns and several X Games dirt medals over a pro career of about 20 years.
4 min readTrails
Trails is the BMX discipline of riding hand-built lines of dirt jumps in the woods, valued for flow, style and the digging culture that keeps the jumps alive.
5 min readPark
Park BMX is the discipline of riding skateparks, linking airs and tricks across ramps, bowls and box jumps, and is the format used in most major contests.
4 min read