From Austin, we passed the Hill Country and wound down south of Interstate 10, trying to make it to the front gate before sunset. Behind an angry maze of prickly pear, ocotillo, and sotol lies the Desert Door Ranch.
In 2020, Desert Door acquired a ranch in West Texas, and they wanted a video to share the news.
When asked about the project, Desert Door brand designer Carolina Colantuoni said, “We needed to share a bit about the Ranch in an authentic way. It was important for us to call attention to wild spaces and spark curiosity in others to learn more about conservation, specifically of West Texas. Working with Ocotillo Films made that possible.”
Capturing a 2,000+ acre property is no small task. Our first morning we boarded a Polaris and took to the old cattle roads that connect the ranch. The first site is a midden oven –– where tens of thousands of years ago, early humans were creating alcohol from the sotol plant.
Next to our first stop was an ancient shelter, the roof of the cave still charred with memories of a campfire and warmth. Ryan Campell, one of the three Desert Door founders, shows us a cup full of arrowheads he’s been collecting throughout the day.
“I just feel myself come alive when I’m out here,” Ryan remarks, “when people come out here, they immediately feel in their own heart… something they were missing.”
He’s talking about sharing West Texas with others –– students, artists, chefs, friends, and people from all across the state. Desert Door hopes to make this place a living, breathing museum to West Texas.
We share a similar love and appreciation for West Texas. It’s one of the few wild places left in America, and that’s something worth sharing and protecting.
Beneath the stars, we captured an interview around the fire. After dinner and a few cocktails, of course.
We have the privilege of partnering with like-minded brands and people in our work. The team at Desert Door is incredibly thoughtful about how they can make an impact through the story of their product.
“Because the ranch is remote, these images and clips help share the land in an accessible way and open up conversations about a place that usually doesn’t cross people's minds. From a visual standpoint, the content was also beautiful,” Carolina adds.
There’s a an unexpected history about this part of Texas and the sotol plant –– learn more about that and the work Desert Door is doing to promote stewardship and conservation here in Texas.