Ready for the unexpected...

OUR CREW

No strangers to challenging situations. Beyond our backgrounds in video, audio, and music production, our crew are experienced emergency management professionals with years of experience responding to and supporting major disaster events.

DEREK AND RYAN

Derek and Ryan are not just the adventurers behind the Baja XL Film—they are the entire crew, wearing every hat from drivers and cooks to navigators, producers, and editors. Derek, a successful geologist and devoted family man with a wife and two beautiful daughters, brings a diverse set of skills to the project. He’s not only a seasoned scientist but also has a background in podcasting, music production, and content creation. His talent on the guitar and his knack for storytelling make him a natural when it comes to weaving the emotional threads of the journey into the film.

On the other hand, Ryan, with over 25 years in media production, brings a wealth of experience to the project. A former firefighter and crisis consultant who spends his time traveling the country, Ryan has always fantasized about embarking on a project like this—one that challenges both his technical skills and his personal limits. Despite their contrasting backgrounds, Derek and Ryan’s paths crossed in life, and together they saw an opportunity to merge their unique talents and bring to life a raw, unscripted, untitled documentary that explores adventure, uncertainty, and the untold stories behind a pursuit of freedom. Set to launch in January 2025, their journey will ultimately evolve into a film that asks why so many of us are afraid of the unknown—and how, perhaps, a leap into the uncertain could enrich our lives in ways we never imagined.

CREW MEMBER ONE

DEREK

Whether on ground, water, or air, I find the essence of living in that narrow space between boundary edges and boundary limits.

derek…
ADVENTURE LIFE INFO

I grew up taking trips into the California desert every year with my family, and those formative experiences heavily influenced the direction my life would take. The desert taught me how much I loved to explore. Whether it was finding new trails to ride on a dirt bike, or abandoned mines and cabins to investigate, I became infatuated with the freedom of discovery. The many years spent rock hounding no doubt set me on my current career path of becoming a geologist, and my need for excitement helped me gravitate toward the engaging career field of emergency management.

I grew up riding dirt bikes and even raced motocross for a short period of time, so going fast on four wheels seems like a logical progression now that I’m a dad in my 30s. I’ve never adventured on four wheels like I have on two wheels, but I feel like most of the same principles translate: go fast and try not to crash. The Baja XL will actually be my firsts real 4×4 expedition, and it feels akin to jumping straight into the deep end with all of my clothes on and my phone still in my pocket. I don’t know what I don’t know, but I do know I typically don’t execute flawlessly on my first attempt at anything. This feeling of unknown and uncertainty is perhaps the most appealing part of this journey. How often are you confronted with doing something truly difficult? As somebody who is knee deep in the rigors of middle-aged routine and structure, the appeal for driving into the desert for weeks has never sounded more invigorating.

CREW MEMBER TWO

RYAN

Whether on ground, water, or air, I find the essence of living in that narrow space between boundary edges and boundary limits.

RYAN…
ADVENTURE LIFE INFO

Hi everyone. I am Ryan. I guess I am an adventurer at heart, always seeking the next thrill that combines adrenaline, exploration, and a hint of risk. Whether it’s rock climbing, bouldering, caving, or jumping off of (or out of) things. I am drawn to experiences that demand helmets and liability waivers, though I prefer when the helmet is recommended, but optional. One of my most memorable adventures was descending into a 150-foot moulin on Alaska’s Knik Glacier, where I got to place my hand on, and peer into 50,000-year-old ice (it was like looking back in time at the bottom of a terrifying well in a glacier where if your rope failed, the earth swallowed you). I love pushing limits and exploring the edges of all things to feed soul and fill my heart.

I also have a passion for speed. That’s a whole other level. I have chased powerboats at 120 mph while hanging out of the side of helicopter filming for the Florida Powerboat Club, an exhilarating experience when your altimeter is reading 20 feet above the water. This experience also granted me entry into the 100-MPH club on-water when aboard a 52-foot MTI. On land I also love high-speed, and I guess my induction to that is owed to my big brother back in high school when I hit the 100 MPH club before I could even drive (sorry mom and dad).

Now, I get to channel all of these passions for adventure and high-speed action into the Baja XL Film, an ambitious project that combines my production expertise, disaster and crisis experience, and zest for danger. As one of the two producers, cameramen, editors, writers, directors, drivers, navigators, and mechanics, I get to wear many hats, tackling each role alongside friend and teammate Derek. The rally and film bring me an opportunity to draw on a lifetime of wild adventures, professional production experience, and a healthy dose of chaos (and lessons learned from bad choices) to create something extraordinary. For me, I guess the Baja XL isn’t just a project… it’s the ultimate expression of my boundless energy, creativity, and love for the unpredictable.

It is an opportunity to dive headfirst into uncertainty!

RYAN…
CAREER INFO

I come from a distinguished family legacy in firefighting and emergency management. In one of my careers, I was a Battalion Chief and Special Operations Unit Commander before transitioning to leadership in my own companies. I am a Director for the Barry University Alumni Board. I am a disasters and crisis consultant, and these days I travel the county in a bit of a vagabond lifestyle living in hotels and rental cars trying to help disaster impacted companies, governments, and communities prepare for, respond to, and recovery from disasters.

My father, Hank was a Battalion Chief in the Atlanta Fire Department, a DMAT Commander, and an Emergency Management Director. My Grandfather, Henry, Sr. “Pop,” left his mark as a District Chief in the Miami Fire Department and later as a Director of Fire Science, nurturing the next generation of firefighters (after surviving the attack in Pearl Harbor when he was in the navy). My family’s commitment to public service spans three generations, leaving an indelible impact on fire safety and emergency response. It is one of my passions…

My other career passion has always been media production. Somehow, I stumbled into a life that hasgiven me a path where my career and life passions all seem to instersect. Believe me… I know how rare that is and I never forget how fortunate I am!

HOW CAN YOU HELP?

The Baja XL film team built camera rigs, fabricated mounts, tested audio configurations, and shot a feature documentary from inside a vehicle bouncing across ~2,500 miles of Baja, all while participating in the expedition itself. The indie film production search space is saturated with short content and institutional productions, but almost no one is preseneting a real film shot under genuinely extreme physical constraints with zero budget. That specific intersection of indie filmmaking and expedition conditions is unoccupied territory.

IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN SPONSORING, DISTRIBUTING, OR SUPPORTING THIS FILM IN OTHER WAYS, REACH OUT TO US.