What Happens When You Just Go For It – Filming Max Willcocks
Late 2024, we packed the gear and hit the New Forest to shoot a passion project with model, cyclist, and YouTuber Max Willcocks. No client, no pressure — just an idea we’d talked about for ages and finally made time for. We used a RED V-Raptor for the cinematic stuff, a Canon C70 on the gimbal, and Max brought along a stash of Insta360 cams we rigged up in creative spots. What started as a day out of the office turned into a film that got picked up by SunGod, shown in a cinema, and gifted us some fresh kit. It’s a reminder: don’t wait for the perfect moment — just back the idea and shoot it.
Late 2024 we headed out to the New Forest to shoot with Max Willcocks — a model, cyclist and all-round good bloke we’d been wanting to film with for a while. This wasn’t a paid job or a big campaign. Just something we’d talked about doing for ages, and finally made happen.
The goal was simple. Get some fresh content for our showreel, push ourselves creatively, and work with someone who looks unreal on camera and knows how to move on a bike. The difference between filming an amateur (Dan) and someone who does this for a living is actually mad. Max just got it. With a rough moodboard and a bit of a brief, we knew what we wanted and he brought it.
The weather showed up for us too. We’d planned to hit four locations across the south of the forest but ended up spending 2.5 hours at the first spot. It was that good. We ended up cutting a few of the other spots but it didn’t matter — we got what we needed and more.
What started as a free shoot ended up being shown in a cinema as part of a SunGod event. Off the back of that, we were gifted SunGod kit and now there’s a brand association that came from just making something cool. Proof that putting time into passion projects can actually lead somewhere.
Why we shot it
Something for the reel
Wanted to shoot cinematic cycling content
Had the idea for ages and finally acted on it
What we got out of it
Showreel content we’re proud of
A good connection with Max
SunGod picked it up and screened it
Free kit and a link to a brand (priceless)
A reminder to stop talking about ideas and just do them
What it cost
Day out the office
Bit of food and fuel
100% worth it
Camera chat
We kept the camera setup pretty light but punchy. Static shots were done on the RED V-Raptor, giving us loads of depth and flexibility in post. For movement, we switched to the Canon C70 on the gimbal — fast, reliable, and perfect for keeping up with Max through tight trails and open road sections.
Max also turned up with a load of Insta360 action cams, which we rigged onto the bike, helmet, and roadside trees for a bit of extra perspective. Having all those angles meant we could build something that felt fast, immersive, and real — not just glossy.
Summary
We’ve sat on ideas like this for too long. This year we said no more of that. If you’ve got something you want to shoot, make it happen. You don’t need a client to green-light it. You just need to back yourself.
Got a passion project sitting in the notes app?
Go shoot it. Don’t wait for a brief or a budget. The best stuff usually starts with just backing an idea and making time for it. If you’ve got something you want to make and need a crew who gets it, drop us a message — we’re always up for a good story.
