Patagonia - “PowSlayer Vlog”

Brief

Connection to Nature: Create an immersive, meditative experience that allows viewers to deeply connect with nature—to notice and appreciate the details of the landscape, at a pace that allows the viewer to see both its beauty and the human footprint/impact. The focus is on the slow and intimate moments of backcountry touring and camping, allowing the audience to feel like they are experiencing the journey themselves.

The Big Idea: An outdoor sport vlog with a deliberate, meditative approach is a unique niche. The idea is to take people beyond just seeing the sport — rather, you’re sharing an experience where every moment feels meaningful, deliberate and grounded in nature.

This is a slow vlog, which means no voiceovers, no frantic cuts or high-paced action. The pace mirrors the serene nature of the activity and surroundings, encouraging viewers to relax and soak in the environment.

The emphasis is on self-sufficiency, appreciating the journey and fostering a deeper understanding of the natural world by experiencing it at a slower pace.

Skiing/Riding Style: Yoder’s style matches perfectly what we want viewers to feel (connection to nature). The terrain will be chosen to reflect the mindset of the project, highlighting playfulness, exploration and connection to the environment. Nothing really steep or super exposed.

Tone: Meditative. We want viewers to relax and get fully absorbed by the content they are watching. Natural sounds are key. No talking to the camera; the only potential dialogue will be Yoder talking to himself. This absence of voiceovers will be crucial to maintaining the authenticity of the moment and allowing the audience to feel like they are part of the experience.

Audience: Core snow but will go broader to target people for which that connection to nature is important. We have insights work on that.

Runtime: 5 - 10 Minutes

To showcase the Powslayer line, we will follow Alex Yoder on a 2-night backcountry camping and snowboarding trip in Grand Teton National Park.

Location

To document the Powslayer line in its intended environment, we will venture into Teton National Park, Wyoming with Alex Yoder. This location will offer us fun terrain and plenty of scenic locations to set up camp. Being Yoder’s backyard — it also serves as a natural backdrop to his riding.

Production Approach

Production will be sparse. To ensure a meditative feel, I want to rely almost entirely on lock offs with a tripod and drone. The desired effect is that the viewer will feel that they are observing Yoder alone in the backcountry. Sound will also be important, and will be running at all times to capture the satisfying tactile noises that will juxtapose against the otherwise entirely quiet environment.

Story Flow

1. We will begin with skinning into the backcountry. Long takes of wide vistas mixed with shots of Yoder passing the camera.

2. Next we’ll begin setting up camp. We’ll observe Yoder stomping out his area, setting up his tent, gathering wood and boiling water.

3. Then, we’ll watch Yoder make his dinner and prepare for bed.

4. The next morning, we’ll watch as Yoder gets ready to go snowboarding from his basecamp, first by getting his gear on and ready, followed by skinning to his desired zone.

5. We will then watch Yoder snowboard down lines of his choosing through long lock offs both from Tripod and Drone as well as from Yoder’s own POV.

6. The snowboarding section will end as he navigates back to camp, where he again sets up for an evening meal and a night in the backcountry.

7. The following day he will break down camp, load it into his backpack and begin the skin out of the park.