Ikon Pass
My Ikon, My Joy
What is joy, and where does it come from? Through the lens of Olympic snowboarder Yuki Kadono, professional big-mountain skier Madison Ostergren, and leading experts in the field of neuroscience, this award-winning brand film explores the intersection of science and joy that comes together on the slopes, and what keeps us all chasing that unmistakable mountain-high.
CASE STUDY
Frank Pickell, Amy Sabreen
Mathison Davis
Production & Post
“Joy is such a big topic to distill down in a short film. It’s a universal feeling we all understand, but our challenge was explaining the science of Joy through the lens of the ski experience.”— Director, Frank Pickell
A recent study conducted at Steamboat Resort by Professor June Gruber and graduate student Stevi Ibonie for the University of Colorado observed that “life satisfaction increased from pre-ski levels to post-ski levels” and “self-reported distress – including stress, anxiety, and depression – all significantly decreased from pre-ski to post-ski levels.” This groundbreaking study will be published by the Positive Emotion & Psychopathy Lab.
While solitude and fresh air are calming, moments shared with others are also essential. When asked whether they prefer to ski and ride alone, Yuki Madison both said that friendship and camaraderie are much of what makes their days on the mountain memorable. Previously roommates, Yuki and Madison are now good friends with a shared passion for snow, the outdoors, and a deep-rooted belief that mountains breed joy.
“In snowboarding, people can feel that joy even if you don’t speak the same language. I couldn’t speak English, but snowboarding showed me my friends and how to connect. Snowboarding is a language.”— Olympic Snowboarder, Yuki Kadono
Back in the Futuristic studio, Editor Mathison Robinson struck a balance between science and story, weaving together interviews, on-mountain action segments, textural shots, archival footage, and custom graphics. "As we settled into our edit groove, the story really found its rhythm," says Mathison.
"It drifts into quiet stretches of reflection or tackling setbacks, then bursts forward with the rush of a perfect carve, only to circle back and dig into the science again. Through every shift in pace, it’s really Yuki and Madison’s friendship, and their contagious energy on-camera, that brings it all together."
Dr. June Gruber, Dr. David Heeger, Florence Williams
Christian Silberbauer
Dylan Stephens
Will Gardner
Sam Sigler
Brittany Horwege
Emma Harris
Jonnie Sirotek
Adam Espinoza
Jeff Yellen