In Peru, With REI Adventures

World-class Production, Whatever the Weather

REI sought a storytelling agency team capable of operating in remote locations and challenging conditions. We've field-tested outdoor gear amidst the freezing, rain-soaked peaks of the Colombian Andes with Backpacker Magazine, filmed elusive birds in mosquito-infested jungle swamps, and biked for days across the rugged spine of the Pyrenees, all while lugging camera gear. So when we were sent the filming plan by REI Adventures to visually document their new 10-day Peruvian trekking tour, we knew how to confidently prepare for what was in store.

Filming at High-Altitude in the Peruvian Andes

What was in store was a marathon trekking voyage across some of the highest mountain passes in the Peruvian Andes, accompanying five seasoned travel journalists on the adventure of a lifetime, documenting their thoughts and experiences, and capturing the breathtaking landscapes. Our deliverables included a portfolio of still images and a series of video testimonials showing off the highlights of this spectacular tour, which is classed as “Vigorous” in REI's rating system.

Literally and Figuratively Breathtaking Conditions

One of the biggest challenges of this trip was trekking for days on end at more than 5,000 M/16,500 ft above sea level while managing to stay alert enough to capture fleeting moments on film and pilot a drone in tricky conditions. At those sorts of altitudes, even the most seasoned outdoor adventurers can be laid low by the effects of altitude sickness.

Thankfully, lung capacity isn't something we lack at WhereNext, and our Head of Video, Julian Manrique, is an experienced high-altitude veteran. As a dyed-in-the-wool long-distance cyclist born at 2,650 meters in Bogota, Colombia’s altitudinous air, Julian was our go-to videographer to take on this challenging task.

The iconic lookout point over the surreal panorama of the Rainbow Mountain.

There’s a timelessness to these mountain trails - it feels like this scene could have been captured 500 years ago.

Staying a Few Steps Ahead At All Times

The key to getting the footage we needed without interrupting the trip's flow was to stay ahead of the team of guides and hikers constantly. In this way, Julian could capture moments organically without the need for retakes and repeats. Many of the visiting journalists were also battling the crippling effects of altitude sickness, so we couldn't very well ask them to hop back down a steep mountain ridge and come back up for a second take. This role required fitness, flexibility, and a certain degree of calm under pressure.

A Thorough Pre-Production Process

Julian's preparedness for the task was aided by an exhaustive pre-production process during which our storytelling agency team pared his luggage down to the barebones video production essentials, leaving him able to operate with agility but without sacrificing an ounce of quality. He ultimately traveled with two cameras, one mirrorless, and one SLR, and a compact drone. With this minimalist setup, he was able to move swiftly over the rugged terrain and still capture brilliant video footage and stills of the mountain panoramas, locals, wildlife, and visiting journalists.

The local guides' team helped things flow smoothly, even during the most physically arduous trek sections. REI Adventures works with certified local guides with mountaineering experience. This not only means their tours are safe and well-managed, but it also guarantees employment and financial support for isolated Andean communities with few options for profitable employment.

Exploring ancient archaeological ruins with REI in the Peruvian Andes.

The Rewards of Field Production in Remote Peru

This particular tour, the Ausangate Lodge Trek, includes an acclimatization period in Cuzco and Machu Picchu before a 5-day trek across the Cordillera Vilcanota. As well as a stop at the famed Lost City of the Incas, a big part of this tour's appeal is the chance to trek to the world-famous Rainbow Mountain on an alternative route, avoiding the crowds that now flock to this 'Instagram famous' natural wonder. It's an authentic bucket list experience that requires a good level of fitness and the ability to spend long days hiking and then sleeping at altitude. The reward for this hard work is long days spent in some of the most remote and beautiful corners of the Andes, far from the maddening crowds often seen at Peru's more familiar tourist spots.

Marketing Services and Deliverables Which Tell the Story

Hero Video, Interviews, and Social Media Performance Testing

Our deliverables for this project included a 2:20-minute hero video of the adventure and a shorter 1-minute edit of this video for REI’s homepage. We also provided five short social media videos of interviews with each of the visiting journalists. Social media testing from our digital marketing department led us to the conclusion that portrait videos perform significantly better on social media, so these videos were created in portrait format to maximize their exposure to potential clients.

Highlight Video Shorts and Animated Posters

Additionally, we created a suite of six 20-second ‘itinerary highlight’ videos focused on the guides, the wildlife, and culture, along with two trip highlights videos and a gear video. These videos served as a visual itinerary to excite potential guests and send them to our client’s homepage, where they could explore the tour in more detail. Similarly, we created two 20-second visual postcards using our drone footage and one 10-second ‘animated poster.’ Our social media testing had also shown that animated moving images perform just as well, if not better, than short-form video, so the ‘animated poster’ also served to send potential clients to the tour homepage. These micro-videos were optimized to drive attention to the client’s product through organic reach and paid social media campaigns.

Photo Assets for Print, Website, and Events

We delivered a suite of 270 photographic images of the trip for the client to use in all of their promotional material, including brochures, tourism fairs, and their website. You can see a small sample of these images in this blog post.

One of REI Adventure Travel’s local guides.

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Learn more about our Creative Studio + Film Production Company HERE.

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