“Every day I am grateful this is my job”: film alumnus on creating visuals for outdoor lifestyle brands

Sam Sherring’s career as a freelance filmmaker and photographer has led him towards filming content for big name clients such as Xtratuf, Bentley and Speedo.

From capturing a professional surfer riding waves in Portugal to launching a powerful campaign with the lifesaving charity Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI), Sam’s high-quality visuals help brands connect with their audience by capturing their attention with meaningful storytelling; a skill gained from his time studying BA(Hons) Film at Falmouth.  

Sam shares more about creating content for well-known brands, giving an insight into how his time at Falmouth acted as a springboard for his career - one that has been a ‘dream come true’.    

How did the opportunity to work for Xtratuf first come about? 
 
Xtratuf first approached me when looking to launch their campaign with the RNLI. It was a huge win for myself as a freelancer, and I took great pride in creating the visuals for the campaign. The hero video I created was their most viewed video at the time which I was stoked with.  

Since then, I've been working with them consistently for two years which is a dream come true for me.  

Tell us more about the work you have created for Xtratuf 
 
I created the hero video and stills for Xtratuf’s campaign to launch a new boot in collaboration with big wave surfer Andrew Cotton. The idea was to introduce audiences to Andrew Cotton’s story whilst threading in key elements that resonate with the brand. The film needed to feel rugged and epic, but we equally didn’t want it to be a heavy sell, so I kept Andrew’s voiceover as feeling genuine.  

Visually, I had plans to match shots from his home in Devon to Nazaré in Portugal to show his journey. When we went to shoot, however, the weather was stormy with heavy rain on the Devon shoot day which made it tough to get everything we needed. In a way, that project was great practise in learning to adapt your idea to what you're given, and I think it turned out better than I had planned. We also went out on a jet ski in big swells in Nazaré which was one of the best filming experiences of my life.  

We've shot loads of cool photos and videos, both in and out of the water, travelled abroad and told powerful stories. I really value them as a client and the people at Xtratuf show a lot of trust in me as a creative.