The LEFTCOAST SIGNATURE SHIRTS ARE HERE, & READY FOR YOUR NEXT ADVENTURE!
The very origin of these shirts is almost a decade in the making. When I was a kid sitting in the back of my middle school classes, I would often day dream of building a company of my own. Inspired at the time by the likes of the Coastal Crew and Chase Jarvis, I knew one day I wanted to have a production company, build a team of people that made rad stuff–a brand that had a purpose behind it.
Every spare moment I was scribbling down potential logo ideas, business plans and the vision behind what I wanted to create. At the very start I named the company after my own last name, "VanderKwaak Films."
It didn't take long to realize that spelling that out in person was becoming a bit of a hinderance for sharing where people could find the projects I was working on.
"VanderKwaak Films" turned out to be a rather difficult name for people to remember.
The search for a name continued.
I got a lot of clarity once I realized what I wanted the name to capture what I felt inspired me most to create. I wanted it to point to the very physical nature of my environment that had contributed to my development as an artist and a filmmaker.
The coastal mountain trees, powerful ocean waves and the vast landscape of where I lived that could be explored in any direction.
I found myself constantly in awe of my physical surroundings here in my home of British Columbia. The very nature of this place inspired the possibility for creating and capturing visuals and stories that moved people.
Leftcoast Media House came to be. It was the best combination that would encapsulate this feeling for me. The years of building trails in the tress of my back yard, endless days exploring in the mountains and chasing the rush of a surf in the cold ocean waves of Vancouver Island.
That was back in 2011 when a name was finally picked.
And yet even though I had a name, it proved difficult to develop an image behind this name that could be iconic (iconic for me at the very least). One that both captured the nature of coastal life, and yet I would be proud to wear on a T-shirt.
I never studied graphic design and frankly I actually don't know much about developing a visual brand, but what I did know is I wanted my logo to look rad on a T-shirt. Rad enough that a complete stranger would be willing to say,
"Woah that's awesome, where can I get one?"
This very thing happened on one my first trips out wearing an early version of the logo on a shirt. My wife who was with me just laughed and gave me a knowing nudge, "that's exactly what you wanted to happen." Let me get back to the story though, where did the idea of the bear even come from?
I was on a sailing trip on the BC coast when I got the experience of a lifetime. Getting up close and personal with the beautiful grizzlies of Knight Inlet.
It's hard to describe how incredible a moment like this truly can be. You can feel all the nerves in your body being hyper aware of any potential risk, and yet at the same time you are flooded with a sense of awe and admiration of these powerful creatures.
It was from very this sailing experience, that one unforgettable morning watching bears from our dingy, that the idea of using the likeness of a bear as our logo was born.
Months of sketching followed, but I am really proud of where we arrived. A bold and strong image of a bear. The bear is moving to the left to capture the unconventional nature of how we go about doing what we do at Leftcoast. The image itself is made up of clean yet intricate connecting lines showing both intricacy and simplicity of a powerful creature.
It is my hope that this logo will be a true representation of how we approach our work
Showcasing and symbolizing what we seek to create in the films we decide to make. Experiences built with intentionality, with intricate care for every detail, and yet at the same time bold, strong and moving in a direction with purpose.
Now is the day where you can finally own a piece of the Leftcoast Life yourself and wear it proudly on your next adventure. Check out our new shirts here and grab one for yourself!
