It often feels like media today is designed for optimization, not originality. Algorithms reward repetition, short clips prioritize trending soundtracks over substance, and every scroll feels like it’s escorting you toward a transaction. I know this sounds jaded, and I occasionally worry the cynicism is starting to calcify, but this is the headspace I was in when an email from Vancouver-based filmmaker and producer Georgia Waters landed in my inbox.

Water was writing to draw my attention to a short documentary she felt might fit Scout’s ‘ongoing celebration of creative and independent living’. I clicked, mildly skeptical and fully prepared to bail – but I didn’t. And I’m glad. The film was rad, and it turned out to be exactly what I needed.

Guides is a short-form adventure series that looks at British Columbia through ‘unexpected stories with exceptional people’. The episode I watched centres on Mark Abma, a free-skiing legend, spending his off-season building structures that fit with his vision for living sustainably outside the limits of city life.

What I liked about this film is how the crew captured Abma’s approach to a life that prioritizes curiosity. A few small moments sealed it for me. Abma explains that he chose to live off-grid because he didn’t like the rules of the city, but he’s clear that freedom still comes with ethics: ‘respect the land, respect your neighbours, then create what you want and have fun doing it’. Simple. I like it. Later, while the crew follows him shopping for pizza ingredients, Amba steps into a seafood shop and asks, “What’s fresh and what’s local?” It’s a small detail, but it neatly shows that his priorities are in the right place (at least as far as I’m concerned).

In a stretch of time dominated by greed and noise, this short film (under 10 minutes) genuinely made me feel happy. Inspired, even. Fuck yeah to living off-grid, breaking a few rules, and keeping an “anything is possible” mindset without losing your grounding. I like this dude. I needed this hit of positivity. Have a look for yourself:

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It’s worth flagging the previous episode too, set in Howe Sound and featuring Addison Farr of Sea Dog Expeditions.

I’ve wanted to get out on Howe Sound with Farr for a long time. He looks like someone who goes to interesting places, the kind that don’t show up on Instagram maps. The episode confirms it. Deep local knowledge, quiet confidence, and a real sense of care for the water and the routes he chooses to share. When people come to British Columbia for the first time, I hope that they choose to explore like people like Farr.  Watch that episode here.

I’ll be honest: knowing the series is produced by a brand and communications company with retail collaboration initially gave me pause. I have a low tolerance for strategy and branding masquerading as story. It can feel sneaky, like being sold to without being told you’re being sold to. But I don’t know that’s what’s happening here. And even if it is, I like what they’re selling.

The best brand-led projects come from teams who know how to recognise what’s actually worth paying attention to, then have the vision and talent to let those things shine through. Big credit to Georgia Waters, Skeleton Crew, and the guides themselves. I’m already looking forward to the next instalment.