This is a story about me, who I am and what I love to doā¦
In order to really know me you need to know where Iām from. I grew up on Orcas Island in Washington with the sea in my backyard. Although I still love the ocean I traded in my surfboard and kayak for a snowboard and climbing gear then headed to the Rocky Mountains where I chose to settle in Boulder, Colorado. It was here where my adventure filmmaking career really took off.
I worked as a drone operator for Netflix shows, directed and camera operated for some of the biggest outdoor brands and even starred in my own online tv show about surfing and environmental conservation for Outside Magazine.
It was through these experiences that I learned my life shouldnāt just about taking pretty pictures or making beautiful videos. I wanted to share stories that spoke to people, that brought a smile to the face and wonder to theyāre minds. In an effort to bring more positivity into the world, Iām choosing to share uplifting stories of hope, joy, and adventure.
So while thereās still a lot to me you may not know yet, I want to you walk away with thisā¦
Outdoor adventure is my passion, storytelling is my purpose
Showing people that I care about them, celebrating others achievements and holding up a mirror to the integrity I see in these amazing communities I work with is what my career is all about.
Thanks for watching, I love you and have the best day ever.
Shot on location in: Morocco, Ireland, Canada, Puerto Rico, Tennessee, Colorado, Washington, Utah, Mexico, Nevada, Montana, and Arizona
A few months ago, I got a chance to film/photograph the World Snow Polo Championship in Aspen, Colorado for a champagne company called Baron DāAvella.
I pulled out my phone to send a video to my family of how unique this sport is, and accidentally captured Prince Harry scoring a pretty epic goal.
Although that goal was fun, the rest of the lifestyle and action was so eye-catching and super memorable - in and out of the snow arena.
For this one, I was using a Sony a7siii, a 35mm f/1.8, and a gimbal while tracking alongside the runner (my wife, Mal!)
The trick with filming running is that the camera canāt fight the movement. Running already has so much mesmerizing movement built into it. Every step, arm swing, and shift in posture creates energy. So the goal is for the camera to reflect whatās happening in front of it - donāt get too fancy.
For a tracking gimbal shot like this, Iām usually thinking less like a cinematographer and more like a very tired dolly.
I trie to tuck my elbows, bend my knees, keep the gimbal close, keep the takes short and march the runners pace.
A gimbal helps absorb the little mistakes, but your body is still the first stabilizer. If youāre stiff, the shot feels stiff. If youāre rushing, the shot feels rushed.
This setup works really well when you want the footage to feel cinematic, controlled, and intentional. The runner gets to hold the energy of the frame while the camera moves with them instead of distracting from them.
I think thatās what makes filming running such a fun game. Sometimes you want it to feel super polished and other times you want chaos.
Next time you want something polished, grab that gimbal :)
When I got my first paycheck from filmmaking in 2016, I thought āwow, this is funā but my work wasnāt where I wanted it to beā¦
In 2017, I founded an LLC and hired 6 contractors to shoot for me. It was too much too quick and I learned a lot of hard lessons about scaling a business.
In 2018, I got my first international clients and started to travel places to shoot videos. I got sick a lot.
In 2019, I took the leap to making filmmaking my full-time job (part-time in-house, part-time freelance). Money was sometimes stressful.
In 2020, I went fully freelance and got into my first film festival. It was COVID so I couldnāt attend the festival as they did online.
In 2021, I traveled almost non-stop filming in some of the wildest places in the world - from French Polynesia, Morocco and all over the U.S. Money was flowing but I didnāt have time to enjoy my family and friends.
In 2022, I licensed a documentary to a small streaming platform and directing my first international campaign. I was overworked and burnt out.
In 2023, I directed and produced documentaries for the biggest names in the outdoor industry. I had to totally redesign how I ran my business as I moved to a different state.
In 2024, I won a handful of film festivals and presented my 3 touring documentaries in front of thousands of people. I didnāt make any money from all those film festival trips.
In 2025, I sometimes turned my camera on myself - setting up a tripod to record my own proposal and wedding. By far the most important footage of my career.
In 2026, I got a paycheck and thought āwow, this is funā
As Iāve now filled up my 80 terabyte hard drive and am about to start on another, I figured Iād throw together this reel with 1% of the memories Iāve captured over the years.
These are some of the highs and lows of my career but donāt reflect the whole journey. While I definitely feel like thereās a lot of growth left for me in this craft and industry, itās nice to know that my life today is because a 19-year-old Roo never gave up.
So, if youāve got a dream, never give up.
Give it enough time and attention and you can get all sappy with me in 10 years reflecting with me on all your wins :)
Iāve always been fascinated in surfing strange wavesā¦
I learned to surf when I was a kid but got really got into it in the cold waves of the Celtic Sea while living in Wales.
When I moved to Colorado for college, I took to river surfing to satisfy my surfing itch.
So, when I learned about surfing in a lake, I just had to give it a try.
A couple days after Christmas I heard there was a storm heading across the lakes that could potentially produce some waves. 6hrs after hearing about the storm, Mal and I drove from Colorado through the night to arrive on the shores of Lake Superior the next afternoon looking at the wavesā¦
After our surf we met up with legendary Great Lakes surf photographer @ryanrumpca to chat about all things surfing here and it was awesome to hear about these epic waves and the community that surfs them.
If youāre interested in learning more about this wild subculture of surfers, I HIGHLY recommend checking out his work - it might inspire you, like it it did me, to drop everything youāre doing and go jump in a lakeā¦
But dang, that was cold.
When I was a kid, my mom was running marathons.
I was always struck how she had the energy to raise four young kids and still run in her very limited free time.
I admired her dedication to her passions and motivation towards these big athletic endeavors. It inspired me in my own athletic goals as a young surfer, soccer player, golfer and mediocre basketballer.
When I got older, I asked her how she did it all. Surely she was exhausted and just wanted to nap.
She told me that running is what kept her in-touch with who she was.
I never understood it.
Now, many many miles later, I think I feel what she was talking about.
šø by the beautiful and talented @malfahey (whoās faster than me so has time to stop and take pics of me)
Itās live šš¬š²
My Business of Adventure Filmmaking course is officially out in the world! Itās a step-by-step business workshop for turning āI make cool stuffā into āI get hired and paid well to make cool stuff.ā
I cover sales, pitching, workflow, pricing, portfolio, social and give away the email templates, pitch decks and contracts I use in my business to help it run smoothly and sustainably.
If youāve been living in the feast/famine zone or just feel like you could use some help on the business side of filmmaking, this is for you!
Thereās a lot of value in there and after years of making YouTube tutorials, it feels super satisfying to tailor something to help people get real results in growing their film businesses.
Linkās in bio, check it out!
Limited spots available and only open until May 15th so go sign up and get started today šš
