Trent and Marlena: A Few Of Our Favourite Things

Directing duos often share the odd creative trinket... but what if they also shared a marriage certificate?

Gravy Films pair Trent and Marlena prove that a shared life makes for an even richer collection of Favourite Things. With a career that fuses Marlena’s subtle sense of beauty and Trent’s knack for emotional storytelling, they’ve brought their collaborative passion to brands like Colgate, Disney and Subaru.

From stop-motion training dummies to well-worn concert tickets, their selection speaks to a creative life lived together.

The Holy Smokes

Both: Trent’s mum brought frankincense back from Israel for us. 

At first, we thought, “Church vibes? Pass.” 

But then we lit it, and it filled the air with this kind of campfire calm. 

Now it’s our work kickstarter. 

Thanks, Mum!

The Wire Man

Trent: I made this figure in eighth grade, just wire and medical tape, nothing fancy. 

At the time, I had my dad’s Super 8 camera and was trying to teach myself stop-motion. 

I filmed him moving, frame by frame, not knowing if it would work, not knowing if I’d even exposed it correctly. 

But when the film came back... it moved. 

It actually moved! 

It was a powerful feeling. 

I keep him around to remind myself of that magic.

The Super 8

Both: That same camera is still with us. 

These days, Marlena uses it to film family and friends. 

There’s something about holding it that makes you pay closer attention. 

The way the film clicks through, the little punch of the shutter – it slows you down. 

Even picking out the stock and loading it becomes a quiet task, like boiling water for tea. 

Filming with it will never be perfect, but somehow it’s always right. 

It reminds us not to be so precious.

The Baton Trophies

Marlena: We only have two on display, but there’s a box of them somewhere… too heavy to lift, overflowing with ribbons and medals. 

I don’t talk about it much. 

Trent likes to bring it up more than I do. 

But there’s something to be said for the hours I spent learning to spin and throw and catch that baton. 

It’s not something I brag about. 

But I did that.

The Cowboy Hat

Trent: This belonged to a young Native American man I worked with on a film in Montana. 

At the end of the project, he lifted it off his head and handed it to me. 

I knew how much it meant to him. 

It fits perfectly, and I don’t wear it lightly. 

It reminds me that stories are shared, not taken.

The Old Photo

Marlena: There’s a photo of my great-grandmother I keep close, mostly because of the look in her eyes. 

Maybe it’s the fuck-it energy. 

Maybe it’s the ancestral reminder that the future is wide open and the past is always watching. 

Either way, it reminds me that I come from women who moved forward, even when the world didn’t quite move with them.

The Angelika Tickets

Both: We found a pair of Angelika tickets while unpacking. 

$8.50 each, and they never expire. 

Everything else in life has an end date, but not these. 

That kind of immortality is rare. 

So we’re holding onto them. 

Maybe we’ll cash them in when tickets hit $85. 

Or maybe we’ll just keep them forever – a tiny loophole in time to pass down like an heirloom.