"Torched" is your Visually Stunning Video of the Day, described by Laughing Squid thusly:
In the short film “Torched,” skiers speed down a mountain in the Canton of Valais, Switzerland with rescue flares taped to their skis. The flares glow and illuminate the snow as the skiers move through the dark trails.
I don't feel that there's much to be added to that, really. Except that it's kind of hard to imagine using words alone, so let's go to the tape!
Produced by Nicolas Vuignier and Jules Guarneri, Torched is a short and conceptual Freeskiing and Snowboarding film exposing the wonders of the winter nights in Wallis, Switzerland. Using rescue flares to lighten the darkness, the riders appear as sparks to reveal an ephemeral world of shadows.
Amazing, no? There's something so dreamlike and mesmerizing about it. The music has something to do with that, surely. But the shocking contrast between the darkness and the reddish light, the occasional bursts of snow, and excellent use of slo-mo are probably the most effective bits. (Nicolas Vuignier and Jules Guarneri, the short's creators, posted a "Making Of" video, as well. It's not quite as spectacular, but still a ton of fun.)
Best part of all? It reminds me of "Afterglow," one of the "most cinematically profound ski movies ever made." (I'll be honest: that's not a category I consider with much regularity. But it's one with at least two entries in my book, now.)
Watch the full 12 minute film: https://vimeo.com/108679594 Presented by Philips TV and Atomic Skis Featuring: Pep Fujas, Eric Hjorleifson, Daron Rahlves, and Chris Benchetler Music: First Aid Kit: 'My Silver Lining' From the depth of the creative visuals to the groundbreaking, never-been-done-before scale of the shoot, Afterglow is being hailed as one of the most cinematically profound ski movies ever made. Deep pillows and Alaskan spines, all filmed at night, with massive lights, custom made LED suits, and a national governments worth of logistics, planning, and civil engineering. Filmed as a partnership between Sweetgrass Productions, Philips TV, and the Swedish Agency Ahlstrand & Wållgren, it's two parts creativity, one part branded content, and a pinch of masochism for good measure. Overall, it's an incredibly unique partnership between our vision of skiing and the color and light technology behind the Philips Ambilight TV. Supported by: Atomic, Freefly Systems (MOVI), NiteRider, Golden Alpine Holidays, Alyeska Resort & Talvista Lodge. Shot on location at: Golden Alpine Holidays Sentry Lodge, Alyeska Resort, and the Alaskan Wilderness Directed by Nick Waggoner & Mike Brown Executive Producer Nick Waggoner Produced by Zac Ramras, Mike Brown, and Max Santeusanio Edited by Mike Brown First AC Max Santeusanio Aerial Cinematography by Nick Wolcott and Zac Ramras Guides Cam McClellan and Ken Bibby Gaffer Mark Stuen Key Grip Kyle Metzger Best Boy Grip Shane Treat Cook AJ Frye BTS Unit Jason Mannings Agency Ahlstrand & Wållgren Account Director Ulf Ahlstrand Creative Director Joakim Wållgren Account Manager Helena Bengtsson Associate Creative Director Cristopher Gedda Westrell Art Director Johan Schonfeldt Agency Producer Mark Baughen, Colony