Pells brand video 2025

We really put in the work on this video for Pells. We kicked off the shoot in Finale Ligure – an iconic location that’s a true paradise for cyclists. The second part of the production took place closer to home, combining outdoor spots around Prague with carefully staged scenes in the studio in front of a green screen, that allowed us to include shots that just wouldn’t have been possible out in the wild.

A mix of sweat, dust, laughter, and a few post-production tricks. The result? Pells – the way we feel it.

full video

There are offers one simply can’t refuse. Not because they’re the biggest or the most profitable, but because they come from the heart. Pells was a brand that accompanied me since I was a kid – it was my very first bike, which I got many years ago. So when Ondřej Šimko, the brand’s new marketing manager and a good friend of mine, reached out to ask if I wanted to shoot a video for its relaunch, I saw it as an opportunity to give something back for what it once gave me.

The brief was straightforward: to introduce the entire Pells product line – gravel, road, e-bikes, and mountain bikes – in a roughly one-minute video. But I didn’t want it to be just a visually pleasing collage. I wanted to give it at least a simple concept, some emotion, some contrast. That’s how the idea came about to connect two worlds that are an inseparable part of cycling: the harder, uncomfortable moments – rain, mud, wind, crashes – and, on the other hand, the pure joy of riding, the beauty of nature, and that sense of freedom you get on a bike. And it was this contrast that I wanted to make the backbone of the whole video.

Since the video needed to be ready by the end of March – so it could be released before the season and cycling trade shows – the prep time was tight. We had to scout locations while nature was still in winter sleep, and we were limited logistically – we couldn’t transport the e-bike battery by air due to flight regulations, so we had to stick to places we could reach by car. In the end, we chose a trusted cycling mecca: Finale Ligure in Italy.

Before we left, the weather wasn’t on our side, so we decided to shoot some of the footage in advance in the studio. These were mostly close-ups – cassettes, derailleurs, pedaling through mud, rain, water crossings… We even tried a few shots with greenscreen – which sometimes felt more like slapstick comedy than filming – but it was a great learning experience. Every shot needed different lighting and a different setup – building all that technically wasn’t easy. Meanwhile, we tested various camera mounts, rigs, ways to attach the camera to the bike frame, and brainstormed how to make things easier for ourselves out in the field.

After a few postponements, we finally made it to Finale. At first, we scouted the area as a team of two – the MTB trails had been pre-selected in collaboration with local guide Dominika Durčáková, and we looked for good road sections on site. After two days, the rest of the team arrived along with the client and riders – thirteen of us in total, with at least two riders for each bike type.

Then followed three and a half intense days of shooting – early wake-ups, traveling between spots, chasing the light, evenings spent backing up footage, prepping for the next day, and occasionally sharing a group dinner. We worked from the first morning light to the last rays of sun, trying to make the most of every hour.

After returning to the Czech Republic, we moved into post-production – editing, color grading, and shooting a few additional narrative shots. A big part of the process was also filming with Eva Samková, who became the new face of the brand but couldn’t travel to Italy due to other commitments. We used the terrain of Divoká Šárka and once again returned to the studio with a greenscreen – this time for a crash shot, which was quite improvised but filled with humor.

I believe we managed to create a video that shows cycling as it truly is – tough and beautiful, demanding and fulfilling.

Thank you for the opportunity.

behind the scenes video

photos

credits:

talents

Eva Adamczyková
Petr Hampl
Tomáš Novotný
Anetta Nyitraiová
Adam Brachtl
Radek Jastrzebski
Renáta Dychusová
Matěj Urbaczka
Michal Zapletal
Martin Halčin
Petr Malý

team

Client: Pells
Brand manager: Ondřej Šimko
Dir.: Martin Bernard
DP: Vít Kratochvíle
FPV: Vojtěch Pollák
AC: Matěj Kormunda
AC: Aleš Foff
Foto: Šimon Tietz
Sound design and mix: Deadcat Studio I Lukáš Pešek
Text and translation: Jiří Holzel, Jana Kusá
Finale Ligure guide: Dominika Durčáková
Brand support: Eliška Macošková

Thanks for watching.