Bear’s Trail

Here at Flatlight, we love the North, nature, and snow surfing. We’re also pretty damn good at documenting action in challenging conditions. So, we set ourselves a challenge: to create something that combines our shared passions and share it with the world.

We studied maps, sought out partners, and talked amongst our crew before deciding to embark on an adventure in Oulanka National Park in Kuusamo. The storied Bear’s Trail is surrounded by snowy hills and steep riverbanks, perfect for a snow surf expedition, the first of its kind!

With our challenge accepted, we had to establish how to complete it. We wanted to create an honest, genuine documentary that would bring the audience with us on our adventure. The crew would have to walk with the riders, hauling all their camera gear and batteries, and work as one to give you a first-person experience of the journey.

With our destination, plans, and partners locked in, we assembled our company: three riders and a crew of hard-working professionals from our production team. Even our founder and CEO Miikka Niemi joined the expedition, making his directorial return to snow sport productions after a 14-year hiatus.

We set out on a multi-day trek into the National Park, hauling heavy sleds and sleeping in wilderness huts. The riders would surf in the golden sunlight as well as the dark, using headlamps to navigate between the trees. After the exhausting yet rewarding journey, we began the process of assembling the most captivating film we can.

We knew that music would play a pivotal role, so we worked with our friend JP Koivisto to craft a soundscape that reflects the reality of the journey as well as the mood we wanted to create. This also allowed a unique opportunity to host audiovisual concerts at the film screenings: JP performed the score live at the premiere and two subsequent screenings.

We created several trailers and teasers and worked with our partners to post them on social media for the best leverage. Eventually, we released the full film on YouTube for all the world to see.

The response online has been astonishing, but the audiovisual concert screenings were the most rewarding: each time, the audience was just as spellbound as we were.

The film was also praised among travel marketing professionals for the way it presented the Ruka-Kuusamo region, validating our belief that passion projects can serve commercial purposes as well as our creative needs.

Want something similar?

Challenge accepted