Waymakers is an Adventure & Environmental film production collective, focused on narrative-lead documentary work and commercial campaigns centred on stories with real meaning – focusing in on our connections with outdoor sport, landscapes and wildlife.
We are based in the UK and we are rooted in our love for telling those stories that aren’t told as much in the outdoor world, and using media as a form of social and environmental advocacy.
By exploring these connections our individual and collective health has to the environment and to wildlife, and the way our outdoor spaces are changing using film, we hope to create positive change.
We operate in extreme and uncomfortable environments – icy mountain ridges, beneath the waves, with experience shooting all over the world from the Andes mountains to the glaciers of Iceland, Our base is in the Scottish Highlands, so we’re no stranger to changing weathers, and we will always snap your hand off to shoot something here locally in the beautiful landscape of Scotland.
Contrary to some of our imagery, we also love a sunny, warm shoot day with a low level of suffering, as long as we can spend our time shooting in nature we’re a happy crew.
Waymakers Collective is founded by award-winning adventure filmmaker, Rachel Sarah.
Rachel has a breadth of experience as a filmmaker in the outdoor space, working with brands such as GORE-TEX, Patagonia, The North Face, Talisker and more. She a multi-skilled shooting producer-director & you’ll find her tracking wildlife, shooting from a rock face in the mountains, or in the open sea, immersed in the water, camera in hand.
“One of the reasons I founded Waymakers was because I realised I’d spent the last few years not actually being a solo freelancer – I’d instead been building up production crews to produce documentary and short films – for agencies, for brands, and independently. Bringing talented folk together to tell meaningful stories in the outdoor space is something I love doing and I feel there is a real need for more sharing of opportunities and creative collaboration in our industry.”
Find Rachel’s personal portfolio here.
Waymakers is more than a few faces.
Waymakers is a collective; we are a network of creatives and, for each individual project, the team will be different. We build the perfect crew of creatives that is best suited to the project we’re taking on. Whether that’s specialising in shooting a mountaineering documentary or a producing a creative campaign that takes us under the waves of the North Sea, we’ll ensure that we’ve got a talented and experienced crew for each production. Hiring local is also of huge importance to us and is something we try to do as much as practical whilst still hiring the right people for the project. We do this to minimise environmental impact as much as we can, whilst providing opportunities to those who have an intimate connection to the area we’re operating in.
Here are just some of the folk involved in Waymakers.
Rachel Sarah
Founder & Filmmaker
As founder of Waymakers you’ll find Rach at the heart of most projects, but in no way precious about stepping aside for a more suitable director. She has produced & been a part of higher-budget commercial creative campaigns as well as indie documentary, and has worked just about every role from producer to editor. She is a CAA PfCo drone certified pilot & her main joy is in directing films that shows connection between human & landscape.
Eilidh Munro
Shooting Director Producer
Eilidh is a BAFTA Scotland winning self-shooting documentary director who specialises in observational creative documentaries. Her films have been screened across the world in film festivals and broadcast, and have been used to influence policy and decision making both in the UK and internationally. She has a particular interest in stories about the environment and social injustice but works with clients across a range sectors, from broadcast to brands and charities.
Roxanna Barry
Cinematographer
Roxy is freelance photographer and filmmaker, specialising in showcasing diversity and championing sustainability in the outdoors and adventure sports. As a mixed-race, queer person, shining a light on what outdoor communities can look like, beyond what is typically portrayed, is very important to Roxy and they have produced & directed a number of short films highlighting stories in the adventure space.
Veronica Melkonian
Photographer & Writer
Veronica Melkonian (she/her) is a UK-based British-Armenian commercial outdoor photographer, specialising in adventure sport with a focus on climbing, and diversifying the outdoors. Starting out on 35mm analogue film and working with Oscar-nominated cinematographer Bradford Young to build his cine technology brand TRIBE7, Veronica now shoots on digital and 35mm across commercial and events photography.
Jessie Leong
Director & Photographer
Jessie Leong is a Sheffield-based adventure photographer, award winning filmmaker, writer and presenter with a passion for climbing, mountaineering and outdoor inspiration. She is focused on the importance of storytelling and proud to provide support and elevate the narrative of communities that are underrepresented in the outdoors.
Ryan Balharry
Cinematographer
Ryan is an adventure photographer & cinematographer specialising in shooting in challenging conditions in remote locations. From the remote cliff of St Kilda to El Capitan in Yosemite. Growing up in the Scottish Highlands, Ryan enjoyed climbing, sea kayaking, mountain biking, and much more. He has a love of the outdoors and being with people who share a common passion.
Leonie Maya Isaac
Photographer
Leonie is a London-based Commercial Sports & Adventure Photographer with a huge range of projects for brands, such as Nike, Adidas, JD Sports & more.
With a background in commercial fashion & lifestyle photography alongside her experience in documentary sport & adventure, Leonie is a versatile photographer with a hybrid knowledge of how to capture a subject, wherever they are and however they are feeling.
Hannah Bailey
Filmmaker & Producer
Hannah Bailey is a passionate award-winning producer, photographer and communications consultant in the Social Impact Entertainment space. Over the past 15 years, her projects across comms and content focus on sports ability to drive social and behavioural change for the good of people and the planet.
The collective continues – from producers, editors & speciality cinematographers to artists & mountain safety, our production crews are built from talented folk in the UK & beyond. We are a network of freelancers & small businesses come together to create beautiful film with real meaning and tangible impact.