As part of the visit, we were asked to make a quick reel for socials, and create a recap video for the competition. For the full-length video, rather than just stitching together highlights, we were given full creative freedom, and so decided to explore a little deeper. Over the course of a week we documented the route-setting process to the event itself, not just to showcase and record what happened, but to capture the exchange of processes and offer some invaluable behind-the-scenes insights from the duo themselves.

We knew from the start that the real goodies weren't just in the moves on the wall, but rather in the perspectives off of it. Sometimes the most valuable insights don't come from a how-to guide — they come from listening to people who've lived it, are passionate about it, and who've thought deeply on the matter. It's always interesting to hear from other people in a shared craft and see what they think about, and so we knew early on that the interview component would be the cornerstone of our video.

With the help of a translator, we conducted them in Japanese, making space for authentic, unfiltered expression. We were curious to hear their thoughts on what makes Japanese climbing culture so distinctive and what philosophies inform their coaching and setting styles, and so allow our audience to consider what we could learn from them and what parts of their approach can be translated to the Australian scene.