Why I Ride – A Self-Shot Masterpiece – Video
A reel stand-out.
Heading out the door? Read this article on the new Outside+ app available now on iOS devices for members! Download the app.
From Louis Citadelle: Why I Ride is a project that came up to my mind last year once the summer season was over. I wanted to create something that had no restrictions, no rule book to abide by, essentially give myself all the time and freedom I needed to come up with something I’d be happy with. The idea of making a video showcasing all the aspects of riding I enjoyed the most came up to mind, and I tried to pay tribute to them as much as possible alongside all the incredible locations I’m fortunate enough to have right at my doorstep.
One thing I really wanted to do was build my own trail specifically for the project, so I spent a fair amount of time last winter carving shapes in the woods. In the final video only a glimpse of it is shown though, as I decided to keep the best features for an even bigger project I want to tackle next.
I didn’t have a full on storyboard written down, but I made a list of sequences I wanted to have in the film and then worked my way down to shot-lists for each sequence which allowed me to start figuring out how I could combine everything together with smart transitions, moods, etc…
There’s something very special I find in being out there all by myself trying to document the things I get up to on a normal day/ride. Obviously being self-shot means the whole process is quite a bit more time consuming and exhausting than an average day out to say the least, making the lows really low and the highs really high, but taking the time to do things right and every now and then look around and appreciate the environment I’m fortunate enough to be in was particularly humbling.
In the end Why I Ride took almost a full year to complete, from scoping locations for the trail build in November 2020 to filming the final sequences and editing just a few weeks ago. Looking back I feel very grateful to be in a position where I get to do what I love most in such an environment, and hopefully my way of giving back is by making a few people want to get out there and explore after they watch this video…