Inspiration Dispatch #3

Dream Work Wednesday 07/08/25

Jul 09, 2025

Welcome, friend!

You’re currently reading Dream Work Wednesday, a curation of creations made by incredible humans just like you.

We created this newsletter to help connect people to deep, meaningful, creative work; because all could use a little less competition and a lot more inspiration.

“Skills have been emphasized in art, as elsewhere in the culture. Instead of seeing great art as an indication of what humanity can achieve, it comes to be seen as an expression of what another being, a potential competitor, has achieved.”
― Iain McGilchrist

Whether you’re an agency EP, a freelance DP, a Content Creator, an Entrepreneur, or just someone who loves things made with love - we hope this gives you an inkling of humanity can achieve, together.

To submit a project (yours or otherwise) for consideration, email: dreamwork@challengermediahouse.com

We’d love to make this a team sport - if you’d like to share your own inspiration Dispatch… don’t keep it a secret. Let’s make it happen.

Today’s Dispatch is written by Evan Bourcier, who leads the team at Challenger Media House.

That’s more than enough setup - let’s get into it.

Home is a Feeling - Bethesda Foundation

This piece was Directed and Edited by our good friend Stephen Gray who hails from the beauty of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. Stephen was recently on the podcast where we talked about his journey from wedding filmmaker to full time in-house creator to Directing his film After Death, one of the highest box-office documentaries of all time.

“In just two days, we filmed this story created to help Bethesda Foundation’s efforts to raise funds for more end-of-life care rooms in Steinbach. The story we crafted follows a daughter’s reflection as she cares for her father in his final days. In her words, we’re taken back to childhood memories. Building snow forts, learning to drive, celebrating moments now as a mom with her family in her childhood home. A family photo bridges the gap between her dad’s living room and the present-day palliative care room, helping the space feel more like home.”
~ Stephen Gray

I love so much about this… and I just want to call out that home IS a feeling, not a place.

Client: Bethesda Foundation
Production Company: Awaken Films
Director, Editor Stephen Gray
Director of Photography, Color: David Warkentin
1st AC, Gaff Kaeleb Visram
Grip, BTS: Matthew Reimer
Hair & Makeup: Tori Nicole
Casting: DJT Casting
Casting Director Derek James Trapp
Starring: Adeline Lange, Lacey Bohemier, Peter Fuchs, Sebastien Faucher

Somebody Like You - Tiera Kennedy

This was sent in by my friend Kam, who was a massive help on our doc Making Moonrakers back in 2019!

“It's amazing to see the incredible space you're building with Dream Work Wednesday. A line in the beginning caught my eye, "Made By Humans". I wanted to submit something for consideration, especially given the deeper meaning behind the platform.
When I’m not immersed in other projects, I work as a creative director alongside my wife, Tiera Kennedy. She’s an independent country artist who has also been featured on Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter. Together, we focus on spreading love and positivity, especially during times when the world seems to need it most.
My submission is for her latest single and the one-take video we created for it. The song centers around the themes of community and having someone to lean on. You can check out the video here. I also shared a short behind-the-scenes clip on my social media, which you can view here. Tiera and I have been collaborating for years, and I think the video reflects that. Fun fact: the take we ended up using was actually the first one we did!”
~ Kamren Kennedy

I love the music, I love the look, and I wanna know what lens that is.
It feels like a super wide Petzval lens, or a modified lensbaby… but in the BTS it looks like a super speed… anyway - we digress. (Kam let us know in the comments). One-takes are such a fun experience and demonstration of synergy, with multiple artists finding the magic in the moment. It’s a beautiful reminder of the value of simple, intentional play.

The Career Archetypes - Joel Uili

Joel Uili is the genius behind The Career Archetypes, an incredible substack publication for those who want to pay their bills doing soul-filling work.

I love the way he pairs powerful excerpts from his writing with simple, clean, beautiful designs. I screenshot way too many of these, and I hope you do too ;)

You can follow The Career Archetypes below.

SHAPE - Grain Surfboards

“Located on Maine's rugged coast, Grain Surfboards stands as a beacon of craftsmanship and sustainability. This boutique surfboard shop crafts custom boards from locally sourced wood, merging respect for the environment with the thrill of surfing. Each board is not just a piece of equipment but a narrative of the forests it came from and the adventures it promises. This video takes you behind the scenes, showcasing the passion and community values that drive Grain Surfboards. Experience the connection between Maine's forests and the vast ocean, where every surfboard tells a story of tradition, sustainability, and the pure joy of riding the waves.”
~ Lone Spruce Creative

I LOVE the first 20 seconds - this is “the hook” done right. It slaps you in the face subtly, with underwater cinematography, an INSANE sunset, and visceral sound design. I’ll save us all from my digressions on the incredible harmony in the storytelling itself, and call out that the gear-shift from intense water world to the silence of the workshop is profound. Killer work all around.

edit - Thomas Bourget
color - Flip Kotsishevskiy
surf/underwater - Camden Spear
dp - Clayton Simoncic
dir - Mark Fleming
ac - Chris Turner
prod - Bennett Mosseau
sfx - Thomas Bourget
talent - Nolan Collins

Rocket Ramps - Keen

“This campaign for Keen and All Gear Digital takes you into the high desert for a day in the life of trail building group, Rocket Ramps. Here we find that trail building is about a lot more than a job and a paycheck - it’s an opportunity to uplift and support the mountain biking community Ted & Henry care about most.”
~ Gnarly Bay

I love how immersive this feels for an interview/b-roll video. The shot structure and sound design adds an incredible amount of energy to the simple interviews.

There are some banger one-liners in here; “It’s hard to support yourself on two wheels alone” is such a an honest and poetic line. I’m curious whether these were scripted or naturally came up during the interview - either way, it’s working.

The last thing I’ll call out is how they’re emphasizing the importance of perspective in their work - what most people see, what they see, and how they find opportunity to serve somewhere in the middle.

Produced by Gnarly Bay.
Director: Evan Grainger
Editor: Christian May
Color + Sound Mix: Jared Blizzard
Client: All Gear Digital, Keen

On Choosing Violence - Challenger Media House

“It is easier to tell a story of how people wound one another than of what binds them together.”
― Anne Carson

I’ll admit: when it comes to this film, I’m biased. I’m also incredibly proud of how everyone showed up to share this story. Part of why I’m re-sharing it (and will be sharing a deeper project breakdown shortly) is that Denis’ story is back on the move.

Instead of a being taken to bloody operating room, this time Denis is heading to the Chicago Marathon as he begins the next chapter of his life, and he’s looking for support.

I am so grateful that Denis shared his story with us. You can learn more about the man and the mission on his website.

Back to the film: I love the honesty. I love watching his eyes search for words as he articulates the depth of his experience. I love how it all happens in one spot. I love the mystery of it all, and how we were able to get to the heart of incident without putting the audience in a position the play jury. I love that we didn’t pull punches, and that we didn’t make monsters out of anyone either. I consider that to be success.

A Challenger Media House Film.
Post Production by The Edit House.
Director/DP: Evan Bourcier
Camera Operator: Billy Freeman
Editor: Steven Lester
Editor: Gabe Fuson
Mix: Jeremiah Clever
Music by our friends at Musicbed - use code CHALLENGER for a month free.

That’s it for Week Three!

Thank you for being a part of our dream to help artists cut through the algorithm and connect with other deep humans. The response already surpassed our expectations - thank you to everyone who has submitted, subscribed, and told a friend. If you haven’t told a friend yet, now’s a perfect time to send this to someone who inspires you.

We’d honestly love to know - what was your favorite piece this week?

Discussion about this post

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