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LAST UPDATED JULY 19, 2023 | 3 MIN READ
SHAPING AN EXPERIENCE
PROJECT: 'OLIO OFFICIAL RELEASE COMPETITION' VIDEO FOR OLIO CLIMBING
From the tip of an artist’s brush comes the painting, and the end of the carpenter’s chisel carves out a cabinet. Where does a climb come from — the hold shaper’s hands or the routesetter’s drill?
For Olio Climbing.
Filmed at Skywood Climbing gym in Freshwater, NSW.
Olio is the merging of minds from two of Sydney’s established routesetters (Yossi Sundakov-Krumins and Cory Cook), who came together when they found themselves asking the same questions about how the hold industry could be improved, not only in terms of the shapes that they designed but also in the way it engages with the route-setting community. The intention behind the brand is to create shapes that work as tools that could allow for more efficient workflows and more precise movement, as well as being functional and versatile enough that they could belong anywhere — be that the show-stopping centrepiece of a bloc, or the tiny jib that saves hours of tweaking.
We were originally approached to create a media piece for Olio's official launch that would be held in the form of a 'World Cup' style climbing competition, featuring the new shapes on display and in use. The piece was to include two elements: firstly, we were asked to capture some of the setting in the days leading up to the launch itself, and then additionally, we were asked to create a short trailer for each of the four hold sets that would be available to order on the official release. Yossi and Cory were very open to suggestions about the video style and form, with one caveat: they didn't want the video piece to "feel like an ad" — everything we filmed had to be authentic in the way that it happened. From this initial brief, we presented a treatment outlining our concept for a short-form documentary that introduces Olio and the key people behind it, exploring the processes leading up to their launch event.
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We intended to exhibit the holds at every stage of their journey: from shaping them ready for moulding, to setting movement with the finished products, and finally having athletes climb on them in competition format.
Throughout these three phases, we gain insight into the processes, the intentions, and the philosophies of Yossi and Cory as shapers/setters/climbers, revealing the values and direction of the Olio brand. Our goal was to build upon the existing Olio branding, and reveal an authentic behind-the-scenes look at the passion driving Olio, as well as emphasise the proficiency of the duo — that these holds are made by setters, for setters.
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Every project has its ups and downs, but this one was up all the way to our final export. It was a real pleasure to work with Olio on this video and be able to create a video that we're more naturally inclined to make. These sorts of projects leave us feeling energised and excited to continue, if not a little sad when they're over.
It was great to meet, get to know, and get wrapped up in the month-long journey that was launching Olio. It was our first swing at this style of documentary, and it was a real pleasure to watch the story play out in real time and be able to enjoy it right alongside. We're grateful for being invited into the world of Olio, and hopefully down the road, we'll get to visit it again.
WORDS: Tom Gilligan
PRODUCTION: Jungle House Creative
DOP: Tom Gilligan
ADDITIONAL CAMERA: James Gilligan
EDITOR: Wendy Lee
OUTPUT:
1 X 20m full length video
3 X 45s teasers
4 X 30s hold trailers
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