The Edge of Our Comfort Zone

For the better part of a decade, filmmakers MAK and Owen (Bound for Nowhere) have taken to the road in search of all things beautiful and compelling. From hiking the High Sierras to posting up in charming small towns off the beaten trail – they’ve found inspiration in both grandeur and ordinary. But more than that, they’re good-hearted folks looking for purpose and meaning like the rest of us, and they were kind enough to sit down for a conversation about life, gear, and what they’ve learned from the road.

See also: Bound for Nowhere’s definitive guide to Wyoming.

8 years on the road together is no small feat! What inspired you to start living and working out of a van?

 

MAK: Owen and I preferred to give each other experiences more than we preferred to give each other gifts. When we started dating we realized we both had a deep love for the outdoors. My parents hit the road before my dad’s first military assignment, and we really admired how much they talked about and loved that trip.

Owen: That planted the seed. We were still in college, and by the time we graduated we saved enough to hit the road (borrowed some of the same equipment from MAK’s parents) and traveled around in a Honda Element and a tent. This was back in 2012. We realized it wasn’t just one single place,  but travel and movement that we loved.

MAK: We wanted to make it sustainable. So when we made the decision to hit the road again, we put a date on the calendar and made steps in that direction each day. We left on the exact day we planned.

What are some of the most memorable spots you’ve filmed? Any favorites?

 

Owen: Specifically places we’ve filmed Katmai National Park in Alaska.

MAK: If you’re thinking of a bear fishing for salmon, these pictures were taken there.

Owen: Three days of life-changing nature in its purest form. It reset how we looked at bears in general.

MAK: Also profound in the sense that at that time we just started filming organically. But three days of capturing such a captivating environment showed us a life we didn’t know we wanted. I realized I wanted to be a filmmaker.

Owen: Newfoundland in Canada, thought was one of the generally most beautiful and nicest places we’ve visited.

MAK: The NICEST people. And geologically, Nova Scotia is a radical place with the most exposed timeline of the earth’s history on one cliff line. Known for continuously turning up new fossils. Also the Vikings completely circumnavigated the globe and human civilization there.

What’s it like working full-time from the road? The good? The bad? Any tips?

 

Owen: It’s changed a lot recently thanks to Starlink. Pre-Starlink it was all about public libraries…free and public wifi. 

MAK: Historic buildings are also really cool places to work. But since Starlink, it has made our life a lot more possible. Not a fan of everything that entails, because the ability to disconnect is still important. We have a lot of logistical issues with mail, gas, water, solar, etc. Every time we move or need to move, we have an hour-long commitment (even if it’s just down the road). Continuously we’re thinking about the resources required to sustain life…but that’s time that we can’t necessarily be productive.

Owen: To dovetail off that, that influences our pace of travel. My best advice is to slow down. We tend to hit camp and sit still for a few days…to give us time to rest.

MAK: We get to truly marinate in an environment that way. Pay attention to landscapes and wildlife and geology. Our slow pace has made us incredible observers.

Have you faced any significant obstacles on the road?

 

Owen: Probably the biggest challenge was starting out in a van from the 70s..trying to make it reliable and putting a lot of work into that…it got to the point where it was financially crippling. The big challenge was cutting ties with something that we had invested so much time, heart and love into. We had to put the priority back on what’s practical, and put the emphasis back on the travel (and not just the vehicle).

How has living on the road influenced your filmmaking or creativity in general?

 

MAK: I feel like we are filmmakers because we are on the road. I truly shudder to think what life would look like if we never left. The big thing that happens when you make a very large life change (and take a bet on yourself)…I was a graphic designer before we hit the road. I was fine with that as a creative holdover, but our inspiration really came from hitting the road…and without that, I wouldn’t have had the comfort and space to start over and pivot. We’re just documentarians at the end of the day and it just felt like a natural outlet.

Owen: We’ve always been into photography, but hit the road for other creative outlets. Slowly we started to expand out and that’s what led to filmmaking.

MAK: We’ve always felt collaborative and multifaceted in our field of interest. Savannah.

Can you speak to what the creative process looks like on the road? Where and when do you find the most inspiration?

 

MAK: We’re constantly being surrounded by nature as our biggest inspiration…but it’s really the mental space it gives us. I feel like I’m at my creative best when I’ve had nothing to do with the internet for at least a week. Outside noise is the first thing that clutters my own creative judgment. If I feel like I need to hash something out, I turn everything off and go outside. I am also a meditate in motion kind of person. I always love to take voice memos.

Owen: It’s about giving yourself that space.

Can you describe a typical day in your life on the road? What’s your routine? How do you balance life, work, and travel?

 

Owen: If we’re just having a normal camp day (75% or our days), we wake up and have coffee, walk the cat and get outside.

MAK: We like to work through the “bad light” and spend time outside mornings and evenings with the good light. We try to work on weekends because no one is trying to email us. When we’re in busy areas, or school is out, we try to reverse our weeks.

Clearly, you’ve perfected the art of life in a pop-up. What tips or best practices should aspiring campers keep in mind?

 

MAK: I want to make publicly known that it’s okay if it feels hard. A lot of times it gets depicted as this effortless thing…but nothing about what we do is effortless. We’re spontaneous people, but we’re also intense planners. If it feels like a lot of work, that’s okay. If you’re willing to change your mind about how you’re doing things, that’s very helpful.

Owen: Don’t take things too seriously. Glass-half-full mentality. Have a good time.

MAK: I like working with parameters. 

Owen: Being open to spontaneity and having an open mind is a huge part of what we’re doing.

What can you tell us about “Press On”? How did the idea of hiking the High Sierra turn into a full-length feature? 

 

MAK: We have Jet Boil to thank for making that the project that it was. We’ve had the goal to do that hike for a long time. Big fan of the Sierra Mountains and backpacking. That particular hike we wanted to do for a while, and Jet Boil approached us about making a film out of it. This was months of planning and permitting. And then nothing went according to plan. Felt like nature was conspiring against us at every turn, and wasn’t the experience we set out for…but we learned so much about ourselves and why we go into nature. Hurricane Hilary hit when we were supposed to start…delayed us. Then we came across a forest fire. Then we were hiking in forest fire smoke that made us sick. Then we started to feel better until that crazy storm that stranded folks at Burning Man left us stranded at Mount Whitney. You never know how you’re going to react when you get into a potentially life-threatening situation. Obviously it’s not what you expect to happen, and we had to make a lot of quick decisions, which ended up being good decisions.

We came out here to have fun, but now we’re feeling the weight of this storm…but we have to get up over that mountain because it’s our only way out. You just have to trust that you’re making the best decisions that you can. It was a wild experience, and turning around to make a film wasn’t the upbeat, go-lucky film we thought it would be. You also don’t have to summit Everest to have an intense experience. It was a rewarding story to tell.

Speaking of filmmaking, can you tell us a little about your gear setup on the road?

 

Owen: We recently switched over from Sony to Fuji, but we still have to have professional bodies (X-H2S, Sh-2). The lenses are a lot smaller, though. 

MAK: Even though space is a premium, we’re still bursting at the scenes with gear.

Owen: {Laughing} We’re probably not the best people to ask about compact systems.

How do you fund your travels and filmmaking projects? 

 

MAK: This is an ever-changing thing. But we typically pitch our projects to our brand relationships. We’re always looking for an organic brand relationship. I like to reach out to someone we already know, love, and are deeply entrenched in our everyday life. Typically when we have an idea or an individual film, we take it to our brand partners and pitch it. I’m so thankful that we are fortunate to be able to do what we do, and so many of our brand partners come back and help us fund new series. 

What advice would you give to aspiring filmmakers who want to live a similar lifestyle?

 

MAK: I feel like if you feel like you have an idea that deserves to exist in the world, stand by it. If you truly believe what you’re doing, that will read to people when you go out looking for funding. Make the best possible work that you can do, for yourself. At the end of the day, everybody’s going to have something to say, and if you let those things filter in it becomes your client…but if you make yourself happy and proud of your work then you’re doing the right thing. We are never sure if a series will be funded (even as far in as we are), but if you really want something and go to bat for it, it will work out in the end.

Owen: Follow your passions. Don’t do something you’re not excited about. When we started making videos on YouTube we were still doing design work. It was our creative outlet without outside input or clients. Our YouTube was content that was exciting to us. That’s what’s behind MAK’s advice. We never want another voice to be the driving voice behind what is being produced.

MAK: The internet is full of regurgitated stuff. Everything looks the same. It’s a unique time when we need unique creativity and unique stories. There’s so much value to being willing to stand out on your own and do something that’s different. The world needs more of it. And the world would be a better place if people were following their passions.

You clearly have beautiful shots. Is there one in particular that you both just stop and go, “Wow. That one worked out!”?

 

MAK: I have one from Katmai National Park in Alaska. There’s one that really stands out and feels like the quintessential photo from Brooks Falls (where the bears are fishing). All the bears are leaning out over the fall and the bear has his mouth open and the fish is going right for it. There’s a seagull flying out in the same direction…it just felt like this arms race for resources. The constant jostling for position. That’s how summer feels in Alaska…and this feels like it perfectly captured that.

Owen: I can’t pick a single one…we’ve taken hundreds of thousands of great ones. There’s one we took on the Alaskan Ferry with some crazy cool blue and red light. The light was just insane. 

MAK: It felt like something out of Tron. The lights are red because they’re heat lamps from the deck.

Owen: Also the ice cave in Juneau. They often come into existence and then disappear quickly. This one happened to be filled with water and drained by the time we came into town. Right place, right time.

Okay, I know y’all are avid surfers and hikers. What are some of the best spots you’ve found so far?

 

Owen: Best spots for surfing are in Mexico. Baja, specifically.

MAK: I would say the Southeast of the U.S. for climbing. Tennessee, Kentucky, Georgia, Alabama. For hiking Wyoming is amazing.

Owen: The Wind River Range is the most picturesque mountain range I’ve ever seen…and we’ve been to Patagonia.

MAK: {Laughing} Wow! Humble brag.

Owen, as a Falcons fan, how do you feel about them going all in on Kirk Cousins and then immediately drafting Penix in the first round? JKJK.

 

Owen: It’s fine. The timing is whatever. Ever since the Super Bowl debacle (Super Bowl LI), I’ve held them at arm’s length. I love sports, though. It’s a unique way to connect. The parody of sports and anything that can happen is so cool.

Authors note: The Falcons are actually pretty scrappy this year. Could Owen’s luck be turning?

How do you decide where you’re heading next? What are your road travel plans?

 

MAK: Owen is my live-in travel agent. So I’ll let him take that question.

Owen: Travel is very seasonally inspired for us. We account for winter – especially where winter is a very real thing. We try to come up north in the summers and get all the nice daylight during those limited windows. We try to be really efficient in our route planning. We really like to focus region by region and season by season.

What’s a road adventure you still have on the bucket list?

 

MAK: An away-from-vehicle item would be a pack rafting trip in Alaska. I want to be dropped off in the middle of nowhere with a pack raft and then get out. I mean, the untouched wilderness would be great for filmmaking. There’s a quote from Neil Degrasse Tyson that’s really stuck with me – “As the area of our knowledge grows, so too does the perimeter of our ignorance.” We try to keep that in mind. We just feel like we’re at our best standing on the edge of our comfort zone. 

What advice would you two give 2016 MAK and Owen before setting out?

 

Owen: {Laughing} Sell the van before you go!

MAK: We needed that experience.

Owen: Take things slow and open yourself up to spontaneity. Also, talk to strangers.

MAK: Yeah, that’s a cheat code.

Owen: We’ve had some of the most enriching and rewarding experiences by just striking up conversations with random people. We’ve received great recs for food, laundry, places to stay, etc. One time the Mayor of a town in Newfoundland came up to us and gave us so much history about the town (Hearts Content). “You can be anywhere in the world, but you’re here with us tonight.” And then gave us the crest of the town.

MAK: This was after a really hard day and then I had this incredible interaction. And then the following day was one of the best days ever.

Last question. I know you’re both fans of The Office, so is there a Michael Scott quote you live your life by?

Owen: “You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take. – Wayne Gretsky – Michael Scott”

Author’s note: And all jokes aside, this feels like the perfect quote to end on.

Further reading.

Looking to chart out your next great road trip? How about Wyoming? MAK and Owen were also kind enough to put together an itinerary full of their favorite sights and bites in the Cowboy State.

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