A little older, a little wiser.
Not without its fair share of twists and turns, 2023 shaped up as a full vibrant year with a variety of work around the world. From a self-funded project in Portland to three trips across the Atlantic for a hypercar launch to finally closing out the year with world-renowned racing talent, we’re extremely proud of the teamwork it took to get all of these outstanding projects delivered on time and within budget.
January
“The Frontier” – Rolls-Royce Motor Cars
We turned our 5-minute short “The Gunslinger” into a true 60-second advertisement for Rolls-Royce, by scripting and recording the VO with lead actress Claudine Quadrat and editing the epic into a made-for-sharing viral film. “Frontier” would go on to win the Best Narrative Short at the Grand Motoring Film Festival in November.
FEBRUARY
“Is the Porsche 996 C4S the perfect 4-season sports car for Colorado? – Glen Shelly
We began filming a new web series, Life’s Too Short For Boring Cars’ in February. Not-so-subtly inspired by Top Gear, we teamed up with Alex McCulloch of Glen Shelly Auto in Colorado, pointed the camera, and got out of the way. Putting cars from the Era of Greatness through an existential challenge, we find out if a 996 C4S is capable of reaching all 4 corners of the Colorado Rockies in the Winter. That was just episode one.
+ Valkyr also welcomed NY-based industry veteran Drew Miller as Executive Producer.
MARCH
“Force of Nature” – Polestar
Taking advantage of many of the lush and vastly different dreamscapes Oregon has to offer, we teamed up with DP Joe Victorine and the talented Cheria Young to craft a Polestar 2 ad featuring nature as the predominant character. Braving 4 days in the elements, shot on Alexa Mini and Kowa Anamorphics in the snowy mountains and along the pristine coast allowing viewers to “breathe” as they experience the quickening pace of the Polestar 2.
“Purpose” – Ineos
We jumped to the desert landscapes of Arizona for the North American launch of the new INEOS Grenadier. Using a pre-production model to a game of Grenadier cat and mouse through dry river bed wash, rugged mountain, and inhospitable rock gardens. We also took the creative lead, wrote the scripts, and handled post-production on this one. Many thanks to Scott Brady of Overland Journal for expert precision driving of the picture car.
APRIL
“A Stay Inspired” – Disneyland
Next up was a much different beast, a true artists-inspired effort to promote the opening of the new Villas resort at Disneyland California. Finding four unique artists and portraying their commissions, this 6-part series was the backbone for a sweepstakes campaign run by Disney Resorts. Shot over 3 days in cooperation with Disney/Yellowshoes/Dentsu we filmed around the park as well as within a black box set to capture the artists at work putting the finishing touches on their respective pieces.
MAY
“Is the BMW E39 M5 the one car that can do it all?” – Glen Shelly
Expanding on the theme, we took an e39m5 1000 miles through beautiful Utah to prove that it’s the ultimate grand tourer. Shot on the Moment Anamorphic adapter and FX3, these episodes started to expand to a proving ground for new optics and ideas, whilst remaining within the theme of our new series. Alex also starts to hit his stride as a presenter.
JUNE
“R390 LeMans GT-1” – Nissan
Teaming for a second time with Formula One legend Erik Comas, we trekked to Italy to film his newly restored, one-of-a-kind, road-legal 1998 Nissan R390 LeMans, purchased from Nissan after being a factory driver in the 1990s. Shot over 2 days by DP Oli Watts at the Balloco Test Track and the surrounding area of northern Italy, we tell the story of a legendary driver and car as it hits the public motorway- a rare site indeed. Thanks to Nissan Global, who shared the film on its main channels.
“Taste of Copenhagen” – The Bicycle Chef
Jumping directly from Italy to Denmark we followed up our 2018 docu-profile piece on Morten Kruger Wulff, known locally as ‘The Bicycle Chef’. Cooking for parties of 12 off of his modified bicycle kitchen, the Michelin-star chef takes patrons on a tour of the city, with their dining seats on their bicycles. The unique concept has garnered worldwide attention and our 3-day short follows Morten as he prepares for his busiest season yet. Also lensed by DP Oli Watts.
JULY
“Thrill of the Hunt” – Zenvo
The challenge of launching a $2.9M hypercar that doesn’t yet fully exist was our challenge for July. Scripting and storyboarding the project using AI, we generated a full-throttled aggressive concept intended to capture the intensity and beauty of Scandinavia as well as the darkness and sheer power of the Aurora’s V12. Filming plates and scenics for the hero film in Norway with DP Joe Victorine, we then returned a couple of weeks later to Europe with DP Oli Watts to shoot the practical full-scale models in a studio setting. Shooting a hypercar that does not yet run can be a challenge, so we partnered with the very talented Brain Tang and our friends at Impossible Objects to create some magic. Colored by Parker Jarvie at Company 3 and richly scored by Lueenas, based in Copenhagen.
AUGUST
“Can the Suzuki Carry Mini Truck Survive the 4×4 Alpine Loop in Colorado” – Glen Shelly
After two 1000-mile trips, we take a more focused challenge by seeing if a Suzuki Carry Mini truck can conquer the Alpine loop in the Colorado Rockies. One of the most popular and widely used utility vehicles ever made, the Mini truck has been serving businesses and farms for decades, but can it handle one the most challenging treks in the West? We found out.
SEPTEMBER
“Patrick Dempsey Carrera Rennsport” – Tag Heuer x Porsche
Director Quinn Else partners with us to profile actor Patrick Dempsey and his take on the new Carrera Watch and Porsche GT4RS. The newest “Sexiest Man Alive” and seasoned race car driver/car enthusiast celebrates the legacy of the Carrera name and its origins in the historical Mexican road race, La Carrera Panamericana. Shot by DP Celine Layous.
OCTOBER
“Road to Vegas with George Russell” – Ineos
Surrounding the Austin Grand Prix, we spend the day with Mercedes F1 star as he puts the new production model Grenadier through the paces and lets us in on a little of what makes him tick. With limited time with George, we captured our hero talent on a to-the-minute-planned day one while adding 2 days at a local ranch outside of Austin. Shot by DP Joe Victorine.
NOVEMBER
“Life’s Too Short for Boring Cars” EP 4 – Glen Shelly
What do yo do when hear the world’s oldest living tree has been cut down by mistake? You find Alex and shoot an impossible mileage challenge with the most unexpected ride: The Honda NSX Insight. The tree is called Prometheus. We set out to find the site over 600 miles away. One tank of gas. Release coming soon.
DECEMBER
We closed out the year with a less work-related function by competing in the Honolulu Marathon.
2024
With a new year on the horizon, we exciting to be expanding our roster with new talent, continue our relationships with ongoing clients and bring our personal and creative ambition to new clients in the advertising space around the world.
Hope to see you out there in 2024!
Jeremy Heslup – Founder /Director
Bonnie Gallanter – Executive Producer/Partner
Drew Miller – Executive Producer/ Partner
