From the landlocked mountains of Colorado to the crashing waves of the North Shore, filmmaker Nolan Grose’s path to ocean storytelling is anything but conventional. His journey into filmmaking began with a Canon ZR65 (circa 2003 camcorder) from his grandmother and a fascination with his grandfather’s “creepy darkroom” – a heritage of visual storytelling that would later shape his distinctive approach to ocean cinematography.
Unlike many ocean filmmakers who grew up with salt water in their veins, Grose’s relationship with the sea began with a healthy dose of fear and fascination. As a child, he was paradoxically both terrified of the ocean and obsessed with sharks, accumulating encyclopedic knowledge about these marine predators long before he ever encountered one in the wild.
The transition from landlocked filmmaker to ocean storyteller came through his commercial work, where client projects unexpectedly placed him in the midst of maritime communities. It was through the eyes of Hawaiian lifeguards and Alaskan watermen that Grose began to develop his own connection with the ocean. “It was seeing their deep love that made me want to love it too,” he reflects, highlighting how these encounters transformed his perspective from outsider to advocate.
One pivotal moment stands out in his evolution as an ocean filmmaker. While shooting a piece about Hawaiian lifeguards at Keiki Beach on Oahu’s North Shore, Grose found himself in over his head – literally. Armed with a heavy dive housing better suited for calm waters than surf, he was thoroughly thrashed by the waves. The experience could have deterred a less determined filmmaker, but for Grose, it became a moment of transformation. “I honestly felt like I might drown,” he recalls, “but after catching my breath on the beach, I felt so alive and decided to get right back in.”
This resilience and willingness to push beyond comfort zones characterises Grose’s approach to filmmaking. Since founding his production company in 2016, he has carved out a unique niche in ocean storytelling that bridges the gap between those who know the sea intimately and those who, like his younger self, view it with a mixture of wonder and trepidation.
At the heart of Grose’s work lies a profound understanding of filmmaking’s power to shape perception. “As a filmmaker, you are trying your best to get the viewer to think and feel the way you want them to,” he explains. “Whether the viewer gets your intention or not, that is somewhat out of your control. But at the heart of it, you are trying to control how someone experiences a story.”
This philosophy, combined with his outsider-turned-insider perspective, brings a fresh approach to ocean cinematography. His work often captures not just the raw power and beauty of the marine environment, but also the human stories that unfold at its edges – the lifeguards, the watermen, and others whose lives are intrinsically linked to the sea.
From that first Canon camcorder to today’s sophisticated underwater housing systems, Grose’s evolution as a filmmaker mirrors his journey with the ocean itself: from distant observer to passionate participant. His story reminds us that sometimes the most compelling ocean narratives come from those who didn’t start with their feet in the sand, but rather found their way to the shore through a combination of curiosity, courage, and an unwavering desire to share stories that matter.
Among Grose’s work is “The Call,” a film that exemplifies his ability to capture both the power and intimacy of ocean stories. Set in the lush landscape of Kauai, the film follows Mike Coots, a naturally gifted surfer and photographer who captures the breathtaking world of Hawaiian surf culture with remarkable artistry. Through Coots’ lens, local surfing scenes transform into powerful visual stories, revealing the deep connection between humans and the sea. But at the heart of the film lies a story of transformation – a life-changing moment that forces Coots to reimagine his entire relationship with the ocean, embodying the very kind of resilience that drew Grose himself to maritime storytelling.
The genesis of “The Call” perfectly illustrates how Grose’s most compelling projects often emerge through unexpected connections. While in Kauaʻi for a shoot featuring a local surfer, they needed help capturing surf footage and were pointed toward Mike Coots. What started as a simple day hire and a few hours of filming left a lasting impression on Grose, who was struck by an unusual discovery: “Literally – and I actually mean it – everyone likes Mike,” he recalls. Years later, when his friend Matt Linduaer at Olukai approached him about shooting a film series centered around what the team was calling “aloha moments” – instances where life is forever altered – that initial connection proved fortuitous. “The honour was truly all ours,” Grose says of the project, which brought him back to work with “Mike and all his Ohana.” The production faced its share of iconic Kauaʻi challenges, particularly the island’s ubiquitous chickens, whose persistent screeching made capturing clean audio nearly impossible across the entire island. But for Thor, their sound recordist, it was just another day of problem-solving in paradise, contributing to the authentic island atmosphere that permeates the film.
We are so excited to be screening Nolan Grose’s – ‘The Call’’ at the Ocean Film Festival 2025!
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