national outdoor leadership school (NOLS)
“tales from the trails" Campaign
NOLS (National Outdoor Leadership School) is a nonprofit that teaches students life and survival skills in the wild for the past 50 years.
To reach the next generation of NOLS graduates we were asked to create a series of films defining the NOLS approach to leadership.
Our solution recognized that often a journey is defined not by the peaks we reach, but by the valleys that define us. We collected stories from alumni and parents to create a campaign that celebrates these moments, augmenting footage with painstakingly hand drawn traditional cell animation.
In the last video in our Tales from the Trail series, Fatou talks about her first night in the woods.
Chris and his group come together to weather out a storm.
“When you get above the tree line, and you look across and see 360 [degrees of] mountains…It’s the first time where I remember being in awe.” David learns the skills needed to thrive in the backcountry.
“I thought I was prepared…I was totally not prepared.” Ann rises to the challenge in Wyoming's Bighorn Mountains.
“No matter who you are out there, everybody is valuable.” Tyrhee learns about relying on his group as he discovers a lifelong passion for the mountains.
“There’s water in the tent.” Ben went to the Pacific Northwest wilderness after high school and discovered what is and isn't a catastrophe.
Produced all in house while at GrandArmy - Director: Damian Riddell - Original Score: Antfood