Who are our ambassadors?
Pierre is passionate about video and what it can convey. It was during a trip to Australia 5 years ago that he discovered his interest in photography and video. Although he wasn't predestined for this path (in the middle of his economics and management studies), he nevertheless continued to train and explore the audiovisual world that so attracted him. It was during this period that he met Maxime. After completing his studies, Pierre set up his own full-time business in audiovisual creation. Since then, he has worked with companies, brands and for himself.
Maxime is as passionate and emotional as Pierre. Although they met during their Master's program and have continued to evolve ever since, Maxime is now involved in two facets of the profession. He creates videos and content for brands and companies, and trains video enthusiasts and beginners on his YouTube channel. There, he shares tutorials, product tests, advice... and gives a little of his time, when he gets the chance, to train and coach the lucky ones.
Today, each lives from his passion, leads projects for brands and companies, runs his own business... But they also sometimes find themselves on projects together, working for the same brands, and interweaving their visions.
"There was a slightly magical moment [...] capturing images like that, experiencing them too, it does something."
We asked them to tell us about their trip to Madeira, the landscapes and their impers
What do you love about your job, about video?
- (Pierre) What appealed to me when I started out, or at least the vision I had of it, was that video is an incredible vehicle for telling stories and conveying emotions. This has always been my leitmotiv in all my video creations, at least my personal ones. After that, it's true that when you work for brands or companies, you also have to adapt to their challenges and needs. But as soon as I had to create videos that were a little more personal, I always had this desire: that they have meaning, that they inspire people and that they convey a message that is positive and inspiring.
- (Maxime) We both kind of grew up with video, so we've got the same motivations. So for me it's like Pierre, it's all about emotion, and the term I agree with him on most is " telling a story ". The aim is really to show something to people, so that they don't really realize that they're watching a video, finishing it and thinking that the images are magnificent... It's really this aspect of trying to tell something in a short time and trying to convey emotions, desires to do the same thing... That's what's so nice about the challenge.
Whose idea was it to go to Madeira?
- (Maxime) The Madeira project was also a project with a big drone brand called DJI, with whom I had a partnership to organize a drone video. I wanted to go to a nice, accessible place, where you could easily get around in a few days. The priority was to be able to make magnificent drone images, and in this video I knew that we'd have a lot of rush to do on the ground too, that it was going to be fun and that we'd be able to create content other than by drone. That's why I talked to Pierre about it, he has a style that I appreciate. The two of us sat down and started thinking about who we could work with, what style of video we could make and for what brand.
Did you already know Flotte, or did you think of us while you were looking around?
- (Pierre) That's more me, I knew you from the "Who wants to be my partner? That's when I got to know the brand, I appreciated the values and the pitch from the two founders, which was pretty cool, and then I continued to follow the brand on social networks. As soon as Maxime suggested this little trip to Madeira, which is a destination that could well lend itself to the need to wear a raincoat because it's a volcanic island where the climates are quite changeable, I said to myself that we'd try to contact Flotte to be accompanied. And it's funny because we hadn't heard back, and the day before it was Lyly who got back to me, saying "I hope it's not too late, and that you haven't already left! In the end, we went to the showroom the day before and it was done, so we don't regret it at all.
Can you tell us a bit about the place, the scenery and your first impressions?
- (Pierre) What surprised me first of all was that you could drive around the island quite quickly, from west to east it seems to me that it's a maximum 1h30 drive. And that's really nice, because we had the challenge of staying there for 3 days, which in itself isn't very long, but we still had enough time to do the island's main spots. And then, as for the landscapes... Max, if you want to take over...
- (Maxime)-Laughs- Thanks! In fact, since I'd prepared this road trip to Madeira, I'd really done a lot of research, and I had a list of every place I wanted to go, with photos and so on. So I "knew" what to expect from this trip. It was the first time for both of us, but you have to realize that Madeira is a destination that people in our profession know a little bit about because, as Pierre says, everything's close by, so you can do a lot in a few days, and it's got magnificent landscapes that we're not used to seeing, so it's really nice. There are quite a few mountains and above all a lot of wind, so the weather changes very quickly. It could have been better, but it could have been worse, and in the end it suited the mood we wanted. We had a bit of rain, so we were able to play with that in the video.
"You feel like you're in some kind of weird paradise where you see nothing around you, and then the sun falls in front of you".
Do you have any anecdotes to tell us about what you saw or did over there?
- (Maxime)-reflects- I think that, for both of us, the most memorable moment was when we were above the clouds, watching the sunset. We're going up into the mountains, there are a lot of clouds, we're thinking " well, it's not going to be great ", and in fact we arrive and in 5 seconds we're above the clouds. You feel like you're in some kind of bizarre paradise where you can't see anything around you, and then the sun falls in front of you. It was a magical moment, capturing images like that and experiencing them too, it's really something.
- (Pierre) There's a little anecdote that comes to mind that's quite funny. It was when we went to Pico Ruivo at the end of the day. It's Madeira's highest point and it's a 1h, 1h15 hike to get there. So it's pretty physical. We went up at last light. We were very happy because there really wasn't anyone left, and as soon as we arrived and started setting up our equipment, two French people recognized us -laughs-, plus Maxime at first thanks to his chain. It was weird for us because we weren't expecting to see people at the start of the evening, let alone French people, let alone people who knew both of us. But it was very cool, they were people who were also a bit passionate about photography and video, so we were able to chat, and then we ate together the next evening. It was a great time.
Why did you choose theAnatole Ginger and theAmelot Rouge?
- (Pierre) We didn't really have a clear idea before we came. It was only when we got there that we were able to see the pieces, because we didn't know the whole collection either. I'd spotted the shorter, more urban piece -Anatole- a little beforehand. I found a coherence with the orange because, on Instagram, I like to highlight sunsets and warm colors, so it was consistent.
- (Maxime) For me, it was a bit more practical. Since I knew it could rain, I wanted something that would protect me and have a hood over it, so I was more interested in the -Amelot- impers. I wanted something that would protect me from the rain, but that would also look good on video, since we were filming ourselves. We had to be dressed properly and with a bit of style. I decided on Rouge because it's linked to my YouTube channel. I often wear a Rouge cap, it's a color that I've made my own and that I try to wear as much as possible, so I thought it would be nice. Besides, I like the fact that it's a little colorful, a little bright, I think it makes a statement. After all, when you're doing drone rushes, I think it's nice to have a color that stands out from the landscape.
In the end, what did you think of impers? Good companions for the road?
- (Pierre) Absolutely, they're very light, very compact. We didn't curl them up to put them in bags and little pouches, but they were still practical to carry around. We didn't feel damp under the raincoat once we had it on, so there's nothing to say about that.
- (Maxime) It was very good, very practical, and exactly where we were going. We needed something that was all-terrain, that we could put on and stand when we were hiking uphill. It doesn't stick to your skin too much, and it's not too hot either, so if it starts raining within 10 minutes, you know you're protected, while still looking stylish. That's the problem, you can find a lot of "technical" clothing for your job, but you won't necessarily have the style to go with it. In this case, the cut was pretty good, the seams etc. were also top-notch, and there were little touches of style that we liked, which is also why we went with Flotte and thought it might be nice. And even when it was a bit windy, it cut out the wind too, so it was quite pleasant. It protects well. As Pierre says, "it does its job very well"-laughs-.
The TOP 5 boys in Madeira
Pico Ruivo 🌅
A must-do if you want to be above the clouds, it's magical, especially for sunsets and sunrises.
Fanal Pond 🌲
An enchanting, misty place, best visited on a cloudy day.
Sao Lourenco 🏝️
A hike to see the islands spread out over the ocean
Caldeirao Verde 💧
Inland, a short hike through the jungle, taking in a majestic waterfall.
Anjos Waterfall 🚗
Or the waterfall that cleans your car as you drive by
Find Pierre on instagram @pierrefroger_ and on his website frogerpierre.com/ 📷
And Maxime on instagram @pileetface_ and YouTube Pile & Face 🎥
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