One of the reasons I loved Alta and Joe Johnson’s “On the Lift With” series was the fact that, aside from scheduling the lift ride with the interviewee and the lift ride itself, each episode took virtually no time to create.

The same could be said for a couple of recent video series – one produced by a resort the other not – that caught my eye.

The Idea
The concept, as I alluded to in the title and header image, was quite simple.

Lure a visiting artist, speaker, etc. onto a gondola, turn on the camera, and go. Ask questions, let them perform, whatever, use the length of the ride as a limiting factor and the gondola cabin as a unique, intimate setting.

No major editing, just a few cuts to bring it down to the length you;re shooting for.

The Execution
The first was created by Lutsen Mountains in Minnesota during their Snowball Festival. Various performers jump in a cabin, answered a few questions and/or played a quick tune.

The second was a series created by hornytoad during Mountainfilm in Telluride, Colorado. The gondola ride, which was one of the most beautiful I’ve ever experience, was the perfect backdrop for forward thinking, intelligent people to talk about their lives and craft.

Again, basic editing, a simple intro, but a really unique, entertaining bit of content.

The Results
I like this idea for a few reason, some of which I’ve already shared, but let me wrap it up in a quick list.

• Exlusive/Intimiate: the gondola creates intimacy and very one-on-one feeling and removes scarves, goggles, etc. that would get in the way of that vibe
• Easy Production: with no wind to screw up sound, a nice shade above the subject, it’s easy to get a good looking video that requires very little editing
• Showcasing: the ride shows an activity that’s available at the resort with a sample/teaser of the actual experience

Really like this style of content.

About Gregg & SlopeFillers
I've had more first-time visitors lately, so adding a quick "about" section. I started SlopeFillers in 2010 with the simple goal of sharing great resort marketing strategies. Today I run marketing for resort ecommerce and CRM provider Inntopia, my home mountain is the lovely Nordic Valley, and my favorite marketing campaign remains the Ski Utah TV show that sold me on skiing as a kid in the 90s.