The first story is a little unusual, highlighting a new movement called “catting.” A group of Utah climbers, tired of leaving their cat companions at home, decided to bring their pets with them into the desert. They discovered that the cats would stay close if they let them roam free, and if they followed the cats they would take their humans to places they would never have experienced otherwise. Matchstick scouted and secured the locations, filed for all applicable permits, and managed a challenging production schedule.

The second story is about an avalanche dog named Tremper who lives in Lake Tahoe. His owner, Andrew, is the head of snow safety at Mt. Rose. During the two days we had to initially shoot the project, it snowed an astonishing 50 inches (with an eventual storm total of 71 inches). While the fresh snow provided an amazing setting, it also shut down roads and hindered Matchstick’s ability to access our chosen filming locations. Our team worked closely with the client and agency to adapt to ongoing changes and closures, and the film shoot was ultimately postponed until we could capture Tremper’s story on a bluebird day at Mt Rose. 

Both pieces launched online in late April of 2017 with significant views and nearly universal acclaim. Big thanks to everyone at Stainmaster and Pace Communications for having us involved, and high fives to our talent – Andrew, Tremper, Zac, and Kenneth.