On The Road Episode VII: Welcome to the Jungle – The Joy Trip Project

On The Road Episode VII: Welcome to the Jungle – The Joy Trip Project


Adventure filmmaker Nick Waggoner posts the latest dispatch on his epic journey through the southern hemisphere. While the rest of us up north endure a scorching hot summer, the crew from Sweetgrass Productions shares their amazing search for snow across the Peruvian Amazon in the short film On The Road Episode VII: Welcome to the Jungle.
Though most adventure storytellers struggle with the idea of sharing their works in progress, Waggoner brings to life the intimate details of what he, the athletes and the production staff go through just to get on location. They encounter colorful locals, get bitten near to death by insects, eat dog-size jungle rodent and make the most of mechanical mishaps. With stunning imagery and a narrative style that is every bit as engaging as it is eloquent, these mini-docs provide that behind-the-scenes view to build anticipation for the finished work like nothing else.
You might not always want to watch while as artist paints a picture and even if you look forward to those DVD special features Waggoner’s commentaries are worth your while. Just like the journey itself the finished film is only part of the story.
“On a trip like this there’s not much doubt whether you’ll make it to the destination,” he says in narration. “It’s less about the where you’re headed so much as how you get there.”
After almost five years making films on the road Waggoner says he’s become a “connoisseurs of the weird, looking forward to the moments where the ka-ka hits the fan and things get fun. ”
It’s those unusual circumstances that unfold to make great storytelling truly come alive. And audiences can’t wait to see where the journey leads.


The Joy Trip Project is made possible with the support sponsors Patagonia, Rayovac and the New Belgium Brewing Company