Surfing LA’s principle photography was completed in one day in the spring of 2004. The three participants spent the day touring some of Los Angeles’ oddest spots including Hyperion Wastewater Treatment Plant, The Metropolitan Detention Center, The Hollywood Forever Cemetery and of course Venice. Bestselling author and psychologist James Hillman and famed essayist Michael Ventura spend the first half of the hour long DVD chatting about the LA mindset. Their good friend and Doors drummer John Densmore joins them the second part for further reminiscences and explorations of 60’s LA and her weird place in the world’s psyche. Surfing LA , conceived by director Kevan Jenson, corresponds with major themes in Hillman’s depth psychology. Hillman’s dictum that “conversation is consciousness” was tested here in the attempt to bottle the spontaneous intellect, wit and insight that flashes within conversation, much like improvisation in jazz.