Escalante, Utah

Escalante, Utah offers one of the most diverse filming environments in the American Southwest, the route provides countless opportunities to capture adventure, camping, and outdoor cooking while moving between multiple locations in a single day. I’ve spent countless days in the region, camping, hiking and teaching photography courses for the University of Utah. This location is approximately 4 hours south of where I live. While it has easy access to backcountry camping, the town of Escalante has cabins that can serve as a base for the production staff / charging for equipment etc.

Here’s what the area looks like:

The heart of the location is Hole-in-the-rock Road. It features minimal development, light traffic, and vast public lands, the area allows for efficient filming with very little interference. The corridor provides access to iconic locations such as Devil's Garden, Zebra Slot Canyon, Coyote Gulch, and numerous overlooks. This unique area offers a wide variety of visuals without the permitting complexity associated with national parks (It’s public land, no permit required). Filming would showcase authentic backcountry camps, roadside cookouts, and panoramic sunsets that embody exploration and outdoor living.

This area is significant and recognizable for locals who love to hike and camp, it’s also an inspiring once-in-a-lifetime trip for many tourists visiting Utah and the American Southwest.

The versatility of Escalante would allow for 2-3 variations of a video based ad while keeping continuity for a stills based campaign.

I propose a 2-3 day shoot to fully capture enough footage for versioning and a variety of stills.

Optional Storyboard:

Scene 1: Aerial overview of 4X4 vehicle traveling on Hole in the Rock road

Scene 2: Pulling equipment / backpacks out of vehicle (see an Ooni oven in the periphery)

Scene 3: Hiking slot canyon

Scene 4: Hiking through water underneath Jacob Hamblin Arch or a through a large vista.

Scene 5: Returning to campsite

Scene 6: Setting up Ooni Oven

Scene 7: Cooking

Scene 8: Laughing, enjoying company while eating pizza

Scene 9: Wide shot of sunset and camp