Matador x CoenFilm: The SEG42 Videos

Micheal and Tabitha Coen, better known as CoenFilm, have been good friends of the Matador team for some time now. Over the years, we've collaborated on countless videos- from our dynamic studio demos to those epic lifestyle videos that push the limits of what a bag promotion can and should be, they've been the folks in our corner with that magic touch. 

In light of our most recent project: SEG42 + Scotland + CoenFilm, we thought it was appropriate to pass the mic and let Tabs and Mike say a little, in their own words, about themselves and their most recent adventure.

How would you say you approached the SEG42 project?
Tabitha: This bag is so unique that we wanted to use the video to really showcase how different it is. Communicating the compartmentalization aspect was a priority when we were brainstorming and developing our shotlist. We felt it was important that the visuals match the bag as far as its sleek aesthetic, functionality, and one of a kind design.

We decided a mix of studio and lifestyle somewhere moody would give us the edginess we were going for. A large studio was key, and we got to play with some fun effects like making fake rain, lightning and fog. Matador helped us decide on Scotland as the lifestyle location, and after some research I came up with a game plan for that trip so we could hit some really cool spots on a whirlwind of a road trip to really optimize our time in getting the lifestyle shots that we needed to fit the story.

Were there any notable stories from filming and exploring in Scotland?
Michael: When we were on the Isle of Skye, one of the biggest storms to hit the islands in the last few years hit basically as soon as we arrived. We drove out to the Neist Point lighthouse to get some shots, and when we got out of the Defender, the winds were so strong that Tabitha could barely walk! Our model, Zach and I decided to head down the trail to the lighthouse, but Tabitha looked like she was going to fly off the cliff. She had to opt out of that adventure. We should have put stones in her pockets.

What was the catalyst behind the founding of CoenFilm? 
Tabitha: CoenFilm started basically because Michael decided that the corporate world wasn’t for him; a 9 to 5 job wasn’t the lifestyle he wanted for himself. Thinking back to the videos he used to make with his friends growing up, he realized that he wanted to pursue a career in video production full time.

My background is in event and live music production, which crosses over to video production really well, so I’ve been able to help Michael with CoenFilm on the side ever since it was established. Up until 2019, when we weren’t traveling abroad I always had another full time job to give us some stability, including a year working at Matador, which brought us out to Colorado.

Now, we’re both in it full time which is really fun and challenging. We work well together because our skill sets are very different. Michael thinks more about how to make it interesting while I’m more focused on “how do we get this done?”. I suppose it’s a classic Director and Producer combo.

Thoughts on the SEG42, handling it on a huge trip for the very first time?
Tabitha: It’s a kick-ass bag all around. The organization aspect is brilliant and solves a lot of problems we experience when we’re traveling. As people who travel a lot, we definitely want this bag for our future travels! We also put it through the wringer as you can see from the lifestyle portion of the videos. We filmed in hail, harsh winds, rain, etc. and this bag took a beating but came back looking good as new.

Let's Talk Gear: what are you workin with?
Michael: We like to keep our setups as small as possible, especially on shoots like this where we need to work fast. We used the Black Magic Pocket Cinema Camera 4K and 6K versions in the studio with an array of lenses.

I love these cameras because they’re super simple to operate and the picture quality rivals larger cinema cameras that cost significantly more. Paired with a Ronin-S for stabilization, that little combo has been very good to us.

In Scotland we used the new Panasonic S1H because we needed something highly weather-proof and it’s both a video and stills camera. However, the jury is still out on the S1H. It has been really buggy for us so we can’t yet give it the full endorsement.

For aerials, we used the DJI Mavic 2 Pro, which is very popular for good reason. It’s so small and I’m always impressed with the image quality for such a little drone. Other than that, lots of batteries and dry towels!

Is there anything else that you want to say?
Michael: Just how fun it is to dive into a piece of gear and tell its story. There’s so much consideration that goes into these thoughtfully designed products like the SEG. We get to study them, learn their ins and outs, and ultimately develop a great appreciation for the problems they solve and the value they bring. Hopefully that translates in our videos because we really have a blast doing it.