Chasing Legacies
A cinematic journey with Karl Shakur, produced in collaboration with Sam Newton and Vincero Collective.
Project Overview
This project was commissioned by Sam Newton and Vincero Collective to create a cinematic travel film featuring adventure photographer Karl Shakur. The goal was to produce a visually engaging story that highlights both the journey and the brand, using raw footage and voiceover narration provided by the client.
As part of the creative team, my role included editing, visual storytelling, and color grading, transforming the supplied assets into a polished final film while maintaining the client’s vision.
Provided Materials
- Raw travel footage captured by Sam Newton
- Voiceover narration by Karl Shakur
- Project branding elements, including Vincero watches assets
- Guidelines on tone, pacing, and style
Timeline & Deadlines
The project began following Sam Newton’s announcement in late August 2021, with a clear framework for deliverables. With a final submission deadline of September 7, 2021, I had roughly 10–14 days to organize the footage, edit the sequences, handle sound design, apply color grading, and deliver the final film, ensuring all elements aligned with the client’s expectations.
Color Grading
The raw footage was captured in Canon Log 2 (C-Log 2) using the Rec. 2020 color space and delivered via Dropbox in 4K resolution. C-Log 2 provided a flat gamma profile that preserved details in both shadows and highlights, which was particularly important for the darker shots of Costa Rica’s jungles and shaded landscapes.
A LUT was applied to convert the footage into gamma 2.2, enhancing contrast and color fidelity while maintaining flexibility for further grading adjustments in DaVinci Resolve, a professional-grade software for color correction.
Additional manual adjustments were performed on exposure, contrast, and saturation to ensure consistency across shots. Special attention was given to preserving shadow details and textures in low-light scenes, resulting in a balanced, cinematic, and natural look throughout the film.
Result
The final film, ‘Chasing Legacies’, combined engaging travel sequences with Karl Shakur’s voiceover narration. Through cinematic color grading, refined sound design, and seamless transitions — along with a subtle nod to the Vincero timepiece — the film delivered an immersive experience that captured both the spirit of the journey and the brand’s aesthetic.