Inside My Work as a Commercial Director in the Outdoor Industry
I’ve filmed in a lot of wild places - on the side of granite walls in Yosemite, in backcountry powder lines above 12,000 feet, across the Atlantic in remote surf villages, and most recently, during the Barkley Marathons, one of the most unpredictable races on Earth.
That one hit different. I didn’t know anyone, didn’t have a plan, didn’t even have a subject when I showed up in Tennessee. Just a camera and the hope I could tell something true. What I walked away with, besides three days of sleep deprivation and a 19-minute documentary edited in less than five days, was something I keep returning to: meaningful stories can only emerge when you’re willing to lean into the unknown.
That mindset is what I bring into every branded documentary and commercial I direct. Whether it’s a film for Patagonia, a social series for KT Tape, or a doc-style campaign for a trail running shoe launch, I’m always looking for more than a clean shot or a polished aesthetic. I’m trying to find what makes it human. The quiet decision before the summit push. The breakfast at 3 a.m. before a race. The conversation between old friends under a headlamp.
This blog is here to walk you through what I’ve learned building a career as a commercial and branded documentary director in the outdoor lifestyle space - how I got started, what makes a campaign work, and why the best outdoor content isn’t really about the outdoors at all.
The Early Days: Finding a Camera, Finding a Story
I didn’t go to film school. I came up through documenting my outdoor adventures like surfing as a kid on an island in the Pacific Northwest, later getting into climbing, skiing, and trail running. My camera was just a tool to capture the people I was already spending time with. At some point, those videos started getting traction online. Then brands started calling.
Early on, I was just stoked to be asked. I’d make ski edits with friends or follow climbers on weekend trips and turn it into something watchable. But somewhere in those first few years, I started to realize I didn’t just want to shoot pretty footage, I wanted to understand people. I wanted to hear what brought them to these places. What they were chasing. What they were carrying.
That’s what pulled me into documentary-style commercial work. Not just shooting in the outdoors, but telling stories that happen there. Films with a heartbeat. Content that doesn’t feel like content.
The Niche That Found Me: Human-Centered Outdoor Stories
When people ask what I do now, I usually say I direct branded documentaries and commercial campaigns for outdoor lifestyle brands. That means I work on projects that range from full-length doc films to campaign launches, short-form social storytelling, and sometimes even stills.
But the throughline is that I’m always trying to make work that feels honest.
I’ve been lucky to work with brands like Patagonia, The North Face, Mammut, La Sportiva, the Olympics and some of the monsters in the film industry like Netflix, HBO, and Hulu. I’ve filmed athletes on expeditions around the world, interviewed Olympians on dirt trails in Boulder, and run alongside new endurance athletes in documentaries that follow first-timers tackling big goals. Some of the best moments I’ve ever captured were on day five of a shoot when someone finally let their guard down and told the story they didn’t expect to share.
I’m the guy who can make a meaningful story in a short amount of time. I travel light. I often shoot and direct simultaneously, and I spend most of my time trying to build enough trust that the real story comes through.
What Actually Makes a Branded Documentary Work?
A lot of people assume that directing branded documentaries is all about sweeping landscapes, slow-motion grit, and climactic voiceovers. Those things can be powerful, for sure, but I’ve found that the most effective branded work - especially in the outdoor space - resonates when it doesn’t feel like marketing at all.
If you’re a marketing team reading this and thinking about your next campaign, here’s what I’d say:
1. Focus on the feeling, not the feature.
Don’t sell the waterproof jacket. Show the moment someone zips it up in the dark before heading into a storm. Let the product serve the story, not dominate it.
2. Characters are everything.
It doesn’t have to be an elite athlete. Sometimes the most memorable campaigns come from everyday people doing something extraordinary. People remember people.
3. Emotion is the currency.
A good branded documentary should make you feel something. Maybe it’s awe, or quiet pride, or a gut-punch of recognition. If your story has that, the brand association lingers long after the logo fades.
4. Make it real.
We’re past the era of glossy, overly polished outdoor ads that don’t reflect real life. The audience is smart. The market is saturated. What cuts through is something that feels true.
And honestly, that’s good news—for brands and creators alike. It gives us permission to make work that matters.
Commercial Work That Doesn’t Feel Commercial
Let me be clear: not every project is a documentary. Some are campaigns with a product launch or tagline to hit. But even in those more structured spots, I try to keep the soul intact.
That’s how I like to work. Holistic. Strategic. But still grounded in real human experience.
I’ll dive into more of that process—how I plan, film, and direct these campaigns—in the next section of this post.
How I Approach Branded Documentary and Commercial Campaigns
When people reach out to hire me for a campaign, it's usually not because I have the fanciest camera or the biggest crew. It’s because they’ve seen something I’ve made that felt real.
So how do I build branded campaigns that resonate?
I always start with the core idea behind the brand or product. Not the copywriting on the homepage, but the lived experience someone has when they interact with the brand. What does it mean to them? What are they doing when they use it? What are they hoping for?
Once I understand that, the rest is about building an honest framework that allows people’s stories to unfold.
Step One: Find the Right Person, Not Just the Right Shot
Before I storyboard anything, I focus on who the story will follow. That could be a trail runner preparing for their first 50K, a climber navigating life after injury, or someone chasing a feeling they can’t quite explain.
You don’t need someone who knows how to talk on camera. You need someone who’s willing to feel something in front of it.
The person becomes the anchor. Everything else builds from there.
Step Two: Keep It Small
On a lot of my shoots, it's just me or me with one or two people. That’s intentional. In the outdoor space, small crews move faster, go further, and - most importantly - create less of a barrier between filmmaker and subject.
The less intrusive we are, the more honest the footage becomes.
That’s not to say I never use lighting setups or two-camera interviews. But I keep it light, agile, and built for wherever the story takes us. Sometimes that means filming in a snowstorm. Other times it means pulling the camera out at the end of a long day around a campfire because the moment finally arrived.
Step Three: Focus on Moments, Not Messages
The best scenes aren’t staged. They’re earned.
A lot of my work involves filming long before or after the “important” stuff happens. The pre-dawn rituals. The snack breaks on trail. The pep talk before someone heads out for another loop, even when they’re exhausted.
I capture these in a doc style: handheld, responsive, often with natural sound as the foundation. Later, in the edit, these are the moments that land emotionally. They don’t spell things out. They just let people feel it.
Adapting Stories Across Formats
One thing that’s changed a lot in recent years is how these stories get shared.
Ten years ago, the end product might’ve just been a 5-minute brand film. Today, campaigns are ecosystems. That same shoot might need to deliver a long-form doc, a :30 second social cut, vertical reels, stills for paid ads, a homepage banner video, and even behind-the-scenes content for LinkedIn.
That’s why I plan my shoots with multi-format storytelling in mind. Here’s how I break that down:
Long-Form (3–20 min documentary-style films)
This is where we build emotional resonance. These are the cornerstone pieces—the things that show up at festivals, brand YouTube channels, or on campaign landing pages.
These films let you dig deep. They allow space for silence, reflection, pacing, and layers of narrative. It’s where I lean into cinematic visuals, subtle music, and interviews that go beyond soundbites.
Key goal: Create something people want to share, not because they’re told to—but because it moved them.
Short-Form (0:30–2:00 minute pieces, reels, TikToks, pre-roll ads)
Short-form has its own rhythm. It’s punchier, faster, and often format-specific.
These assets support the long-form piece but serve a different role. Their job is to pull people in—to spark curiosity or emotion and point toward the bigger story. I don’t just chop up the longer film. I craft these specifically to work on their own, with hooks that work on social, and pacing that’s designed for retention.
Key goal: Build brand familiarity, generate clicks, and invite new audiences into the campaign.
Web & Ad Assets (stills, homepage headers, quote graphics, etc.)
Sometimes the most overlooked part of a shoot is the moment you capture a still between takes or snag a frame that works perfectly as a hero image. These web assets matter. They’re the front door of the campaign.
I try to deliver stills that feel aligned with the tone of the film—images that aren’t too polished or over-directed, but still feel intentional.
When possible, I also create quote graphics from interviews or a few key pull quotes that can be used in paid ads or newsletters.
Key goal: Create campaign cohesion across channels.
What the Outdoor Industry Needs More Of
There’s something interesting happening in outdoor marketing right now. Brands are shifting. The audience is shifting. And the stories that land are no longer about elite achievement—they’re about deeper emotional connection.
We’ve seen this with Patagonia’s Unfashionable campaign, or Salomon’s Time to Play series, or even grassroots campaigns from brands like Gnarly Nutrition or COROS that focus on community as much as performance.
The best campaigns now lean into identity, belonging, emotion, and meaning—not just gear specs or adventure porn. The story behind the product matters more than ever. And if you can tell it in a way that feels sincere, people stick around.
Who I Work With
Most of my clients are in the outdoor, fitness, and environmental space—brands that make gear, support athletes, or exist to make the outdoors more accessible. But beyond industry fit, I work best with teams who care about story.
If a brand just wants a flashy edit with trendy cuts, I’m probably not the guy. But if they care about emotional tone, human connection, and the subtle details that build meaning over time, that’s where I thrive.
I’ve directed, shot, and edited for Patagonia, The North Face, Mammut, Outside Magazine, KT Tape, Hydrapak, Keen, Canyon Bicycles, and a number of smaller companies doing incredible work in their communities. Some of my films have gone on to screen at major festivals. Others were edited overnight and sent off to support a launch campaign with a 12-hour turnaround. I’ve been a one-man crew and I’ve led full productions. It all comes down to matching the energy of the project.
A Few Things I Believe
Story first. The camera doesn’t matter if the story isn’t there. Gear helps, but emotional clarity matters more.
Keep it scrappy. Some of my favorite films were made with minimal gear and maximal heart.
Respect the people in front of the lens. This work is about trust. Your subject always comes first.
Deliver what works, not just what looks good. I aim for content that performs across formats—long-form, short-form, and stills that extend the campaign’s reach.
Make work that lasts. A campaign might run for two weeks, but a good story will resonate years later.
Final Thoughts
If you’re a brand or agency looking for a commercial director or production partner to help you build something memorable - something that doesn’t just follow the trend but actually builds emotional equity - I’d love to connect.
Whether you’re planning a full-scale campaign or just starting to think through how storytelling could deepen your next launch, I’m always open to a conversation. I’ve worked with shoestring budgets and six-figure shoots. What matters most to me is the intention behind the work.
At the end of the day, what keeps me doing this isn’t views or awards. It’s the quiet moment on a mountain when you hit record and know you’re witnessing something real. That’s the moment I chase. That’s what I try to bring to every project.
Let’s make something honest. Something that makes people feel.
Let’s Connect
Roo is an Emmy nominated commercial/documentary filmmaker and photographer based in Boulder, Colorado but travels all around the world for his filmmaking career. He has directed documentaries for Patagonia in California, produced films for Outside Magazine throughout Europe and Africa, camera operated for Netflix in the Rocky Mountain West, photographed among indigenous communities in South America, and has received notable recognition in his hometown of Orcas Island in Washington State for his work telling uplifting stories in the outdoor space.