THESE ARE THE STORIES OF AMERICAN WORKERS
"...and to aspire to live quietly, and to mind your own affairs, and to work with your hands, as we instructed you, so that you may walk properly before outsiders and be dependent on no one." 1 Thessalonians 4:11-12
Adam Scepaniak is the lead editor for AllOutdoor.com and an overall incredible guy. It's always been a goal to get into the outdoors industry and Adam opened that door for me. Case in point, here's a crispy Sitka reel for a blog post Adam handedly created on one of their puffer jackets. There will be more work in this field coming out, so stay tuned.
SnowWolf is a Burnsville, MN based manufacturer on the bleeding edge of the snow removal industry. We shot this round of detailed long-form promos this year to counteract Covid's effects on in-person sales tactics. Mark acts as spokesperson, and being a master of his craft, he was able to knock out his pitches largely unscripted. An edgy music bed and bold, simple graphics help tell the story of this industry-leading plow.
Croix Gear & Machining is a Hudson, WI company
with a rich history and story of conquering
adversity. Ruthie's husband passed away and it
was all left to her-- having very little experience in this space, no one thought she
could take over. She did. And it's growing at a quick clip, pushing the boundaries of the industry and setting a high bar for competitors.
Another accompaniment to a blog article-- this one on the Chevrolet Realtree Edition pickup. We got to take a weekend up north and drive around. That's it. Driving around, hiking, and filming it. This job seems too easy sometimes. Especially when the subject matter is as incredible as this. Adam is the perennial model for these, but you watch-- we're gonna make this man famous.
This one was for my friend Deven and his wildly successful lifestyle brand, Sledheadzzz. Where snowmobile riders can find community and content. He got a collab with an up and coming supplement company, BLACKLABEL, founded by Troy Bell. If you've ever ridden snowmobile, you'll quickly find how physically worthy you need to be. Supps can aid that. It makes sense I think? It's a weird one, but a sick collab regardless- and a blast to be a part of. Like many of my ads, it was shot in my driveway/garage, so extra enjoyable, yes.
Stonebrooke Equipment is the sister company of SnowWolf in Burnsville, MN. The Holman family knows their craft well, and their business sense is apparent in the growth of their companies. Stonebrooke specializes in custom metal work and fabrication on vans, trucks, etc. for delivery use and other very job-specific vehicles. Which makes for a lot of fun shoots for me :)
Testimonials are the most fun I have making videos for businesses. And in my opinion, they're the best means of portraying how awesome your brand is. Someone that you made happier, or who's life was improved by your work is sitting down and taking time out of their day to sing your praises and recommend YOU. That's a big deal. I always push business owners to reach out to clients for testimonials, the stories they have to tell are so valuable.
EZ Dock & Lift is a young company run by the Irvin brothers. Jordan & Tyler are insatiably hard workers, hitting long days on the barge and in the water to get their jobs done efficiently. Minnesota has no shortage of dock & lift jobs, and these boys are crushing it. The poem is
Sea Fever by John Masefield.
Abbey's hubby Joe was my roommate in college, and I shot their wedding a few years ago. I hadn't met their pup Huron, but he was as fun and awesome as they are. I had seen Abbey posting about her restorations on Facebook and instantly reached out to make a vid, because this is such meaningful work. Making old things new again. Being stewards of what we're given. There's heart in this work.
I work with NorthWing Digital on much larger commercial projects if you landed here looking for that, so head over there if you want to have a bigger scope in mind.