Welcome to Louis (Lou) Dawson's backcountry skiing information opinion website and e magazine. Lou's passion for the past 45 years has been alpinism, climbing, mountaineering and skiing -- along with all manner of outdoor recreation. He has authored numerous books and articles about
backcountry skiing and is well known as the first person to ski down all 54 of Colorado's 14,000-foot peaks, otherwise known as the
Fourteeners! Books and free back country news and information here, and tons of Randonnee rando telemark info.
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It was too much of a sales pitch for me, not enough creative, fun stuff, although the ski clips were excellent. Really inspiring. The video is too much like a tv shop advert. You guys will do much better clips, even if the video quality isn’t as professional.
I think scarpa skimping on advertising, delivering a youtube clip with minimal technical information for the various blogs to post (i assume for free) is pretty well lame.
Yes, the production values are poor and i don’t think this clip nor most of the stretchy- black pants – wearing backcountry community (myself included) warrants ‘funky’ ‘artsy’ or any other adjective as an excuse for advertising clips shot in hotel lobbies.
I think it is a sales pitch for shop employees. I imagine they want to show themselves as not being mainstream, thus the sort of funky look. I prefer videos that a smoother and more professional looking. The challenge for web video is putting things together quickly to continue to provide fresh content.
Is this the guy who made the boots, is that why he’s out there? Maybe buy him some better clothes! I agree that the video could have been a little more polished and that it seemed geared more to the shop employee out there (the guy looks like he works in a shop). While I’m pretty tired of the average ski/boot company’s promo glitz/flash/bang and this one has a kind of retro feel, it goes a little too far into the other direction. Add the ski sequence at the end and it all doesn’t fit together. Love Scarpa – don’t love the video.
Agree with Tom G on the sales pitch. To leap from this to something ‘more professional’ takes much, much more work, time and money.
Perhaps its a bit quick and superficial, yet it gives a feel for what’s new. More in-your-face detail might be nice.
Watched the clip a couple of days ago and was appalled at how poor it was. A truly dreadful piece of production and presentation which they should probably remove from Youtube as soon as possible. I didn’t even dream of positing this to my site. Are you sure Dynafit isn’t behind this
?
I agree with David.
This thing looks like the rehearsal before they shot the real one with the real primary.
I understand the whole ‘trying to look like we are casual dudes who care more about making the best boot than the best video’, but really, this thing isn’t fit for public display. I mean, lighting, frame, etc. It is amateur and it takes away from their product.
McDonalds was always famous for saying that if there is a coffee stain on a table in the dining room people will assume the kitchen is not clean.
Everything you show is what people see and perceive.
Hmmm, interesting comments you guys. I’d give them an A for effort and actually don’t mind the funky lighting and compression, but in my opinion the voice over should be better, perhaps not Hollywood movie quality, but just better enough so it’s easy to understand. Also, since the vid doesn’t show much detail because of size and compression I’d like to see the camera zoom in more on the features as they’re talked about. I’ve tried to do that myself and it’s tougher than it looks to do it effectively, but it can be done.
I admire you Lou for putting this up. Chris sounds like he is on mogadon and is really badly rehearsed, he doesn’t inspire me to go check out his products at all because, erm, er, uhm err.
I don’t mind the compression but the intercuts of skiers (are they on the new line up or not) jars. I agree with your comments on zooms etc. It is like he’s done this alone in mom’s basement. Even 8 year old kids on Youtube would have been ashamed of the production but this is Scarpa USA. I don’t think you can do folksy when you are a pro outfit. If Lou or RandoSteve or Ttips had done this I would say, yeah great effort guys but then the amateur production would maybe add some cred to the comments.
Sorry for the negative vibes, I just thought the clip must have been put up by a mistake when I saw it.
maybe next time Scarpa will have Beavis & Butthead to show their latest freerando boots to the public
hey Butthead, what’s a Skookum?
shut up Beavis, we’re like in a video…
hmm, uhhm, yeah yeah
I think I prefer bad marketing over bad engineering
Thanks, Lou -
Don’t over-think this. We shot it during a break in the sales meeting. There was no story-boarding or cool factor strategy. It is what it is. Chris Clark giving the quick pitch during a break in the meeting with some footage spliced in.
We just figured it would be an easy way for people to get a little heads-up on what was coming down the line.
I agree that production value of the vid should match the production value of the products and that will be the case next time.
Party!
Hey Mike, we’re all watching it, that counts for much! Mainly, good that you’re experimenting with web vid. We are as well.
Since were on Scarpa, when’s the F3 review coming? Interested on your take on them.
Funny you ask, workin’ on ‘em today.
Lou,
That’s great news. I am about to decide between the F1 and F3 and really look forward to your review.
Best,
Tim Whalen
Are “production values” as important as the information conveyed? I think substance is more important than surface fluff. I don’t care about “production values” myself. I care about what they’re telling me. In my book, “production values” means “ramp up the cost to make things pretty and shiny.”
We’re talking about ski eqiupment sold to fanatical backcountry skiers. You really think you have to fill it with puff and fluff? I don’t. I think stuff sells itself if you just give accurate information. I don’t think it needs to be “marketed” or “promoted” or “boosted.”
I’ll bet that information given in rough but accurate format would work just as well as the psychological manipulation techniques used in “post-production values enhancement” efforts.
I’d rather the costs of “production” of information stay low, and keep the costs related to ACTUAL PRODUCTION of the PRODUCT. Not every backcountry skier is a rich person who lives in Boulder. In fact, most are not.
So maybe Tom G had it about right, this was more a bit of info for parties close to Scarpa that has maybe received an exposure beyond its target audience?
> Are “production values� as important as the information conveyed?
they are, in my opinion, if the production gets in the way of the message. Why splice lots of hot shots of skiing with Chris’s message? Surely a bit more focus on the features of the boot, with, as Lou suggests some close-ups, would not have been too much to ask.
I personally hope it is useful for Scarpa to get some feedback.
You guys are great, awesome to get your take. I’m sure Scarpa NA is hanging on every word.
The Video is fine. Love to see some humor thrown in the mix. A infomercial parody with the dumb guy and the guru (Lou). Here’s a sample script: Dumb guy “How can I walk all that way in ski boots?”
Lou: “One switch of the forward lean adjustment and you can stand straight up in these boots” Dumb guy: “Wow! Thats amazing Lou” Lou: “Come back next week and I’ll show you how to take your skins off…without taking off your skiis” Dumb guy: “Wow Lou that would be great, I wouldn’t miss it for the world”…
Lou,
It provides a brief overview on Scarpa’s new boots. Not the best done video, but worth my listening to.