A couple of weeks ago we had a big film production week in preparation for our new ATV/UTV and Jet Ski rental business to launch.
A full week of filming with a professional crew and the whole shebang! I couldn’t go without writing a blog about our week because it was so full of adventure, fun, and craziness.
We had no idea what it takes to create such a production. What we lack in video production experience we made up for in hard work and pulled it off. It was well worth the effort and we are excited to show our customers how fun our recreational vehicles can be! You should really consider renting one. We have ATV/UTV rentals, Jet Ski rentals and more.
DAY 1 Video Shoot (Warrior Rentals)
Day 1 of filming we didn’t have our new helmets yet so we couldn’t do much. It was a bummer they came in late but we knew they’d be here that afternoon so we did what we could.
We had two videographers, and only two drivers that day. We spent the afternoon scoping out more territory and adjusting our schedule according to the weather changes. We knew a storm was coming and swapped our lake day to Thursday to avoid that.
We went out to the Sand Hollow Dunes and got a few drone shots and worked on sound effects. That night I took one of the videographers up the Hurricane Hill above the “H”.
We were in the Maverick X3 XRC perfect for this little adventure. We could see the dark storm clouds far off in the distance and didn’t realize how quickly they were creeping up on us. The trails on the Hurricane Hill were narrow and full of rock obstacles to climb over. It was a blast. Pretty soon we felt drops of rain and realized the storm clouds looked heavy and were about to pour on us. We booked it down the hill as fast and as safely as we could. We made it down safely but not without scaring the videographer and speeding home.
By the time we got into town, it was pouring and we were being pelted in the face. By the time we got home, we were soaked! Lesson learned time goes by fast when you are riding and having fun and of course, watch the weather! The rest of the night was spent preparing for day two.
Most nights I wasn’t in bed until midnight or later, washing machines, prepping equipment, and organizing the schedule and people. This was just the start to a very busy week.
Day 2 Riding into the storm
Day 2 was the dirty day. The storm left clean dune hills as far as we could see. No tire tracks, just rolling hills of smooth lightly packed sand. Ahhh looked like heaven when we first got there early in the AM.
I was tired from the night before but that scene was a breath of fresh air! Today we had helmets, four drivers, 2 videographers, new flags, clean machines, we were ready for a good day! It was partly cloudy making for perfect temperature as well as great lighting for filming, seemed like everything was going to go smoothly.
After driving for a bit I was able to relax, take my mind off the production part of it all and just enjoy the ride. I lead the team of drivers up and down the sandy hills and muddy trails we traveled all the way to Warner Valley where we tore it up!
The storm left a valley full of puddles and mud and it. was. fun! It is hard to explain the rush of speeding through the dunes and thrill of tearing up dirt until you actually do it! I was happy to have friends and family out there to help me, they seemed to be having fun and that is what this business is all about! We had a minor bump in the road when one of the machines tipped over. Although it’s never fun to watch a machine tip, it was the softest tip i’ve ever seen.
I watched as the driver came down the hill, slowly, maybe 15 mph, he turned the vehicle and came to a stop and plop the vehicle tipped. What in the Hurricane Hell just happened?! Well, I’ll tell ya, you cannot turn on a hill and stay turned when even a little momentum is pulling you down. When this is the case it is quite easy to tip the machine.
Luckily there was minimal damage, and the driver was safe and sound. I was praying that night we would be accident-free and safe the rest of the week! Of course, most of that night was spent cleaning the thick mud off the machines in prep for day 3. We like our machines to stay as nice as possible for as long as possible, which means a lot of time is spent taking care of them.
Day 3 Warner Valley Muddin
Day 3 was rock crawling day. We slept in because I was up into the wee hours of the night. Once again the amount of preparation was unforeseen until it was actually happening. It was a more relaxed day and we filmed about half the time we did day 2.
We started out with some rock crawling trails up in Sand Hollow and got some great footage of the side by sides doing what they do best, handling any terrain they came up against. These machines continue to amaze me at what they are capable of. It definitely helps make things easier too if you are an experienced driver. What is awesome about Sand Hollow is there is something for every level of driver.
It is a place where the terrain is your best coach, easy, moderate and hard all there ready to be driven. We drove these trails until just before sunset making the scenery around us even more beautiful. After rock crawling we parked the machines to get some time-lapse footage of the sunset and some more photos. Myself and some of my closest friends and family who were my drivers for the day sat and talked for an hour or so. Taking a breather, after a sick ride in one of the most beautiful places on earth…all I could think was I have an awesome job!
Day 4 Sunset Trails In Southern Utah
Day 4 of filming came up on us fast, lake day! We planned on filming in the evening and based on the previous 3 days I decided to start prep about 9 am. You must think I suck at prepping by now, almost every day I was surprised at how much preparation was needed to make these awesome videos, so I started early!
More friends and family were planning on coming excited to participate in our day on the lake. We would have plenty of people to make this a great evening! We brought every toy you can think of: wakeboard, paddle board, kneeboard, a tube, beach balls, spike ball, and of course all the jet ski’s. Many many things went wrong getting to the beach, nothing life shattering so I won’t go into it but it was rough and a bit stressful.
Felt like a victory getting everyone and everything there set up and ready for film. After we got all situated on the beach we fired up the grill, set up spike ball, got the party going and let the videographers do their job. We put the drone up in the air and followed those who were speeding around on the jet skis.
Pretty soon amongst our fun the sun started to set and the videographers let us know that was our cue to get as much film out on the water as we could. We put all our energy into wakeboarding, tubing, and all the jet ski fun we could have! These machines are powerful! Especially the wake pro with 230 HP, such a thrill.
I grew up in Southern Utah and have been to the lake many times with my family or friends mostly without lake toys. We would swim, jump off the rocks and play on the beach, all fun but nothing compared to enjoying a day on the lake with jet ski’s. They are a must-have for family get-togethers!
Warrior Rental Behind the scenes
Day 5, last day of filming. This was a day of playing catch up on anything we may have missed which was mostly pictures. We also filmed a drop-off and pick up of the machines to be able to showcase our awesome free service.
I have rented before in Moab and in Hurricane and I always loved the companies that did the drop-off and pick up for me, so easy! This day was pretty and more enjoyable as is any downslope of a major event.
I was just hoping that we were able to capture the real experiences you can have on both the side by sides and the jet ski’s, the adventure that is to be had in machines capable of taking you to breathtaking views, and most of all how much fun it can be! It was a great week of film, we learned a lot and had a blast!
Drop off and pick up
If you are looking for ATV or Jet Ski Rentals in Southern Utah. We can get you what you need.
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