DONUT × Drift Masters Eurotrip 2025: Our First Appearance on Drifting’s Biggest Stage
Some projects are planned around an event. Others are built around a story that simply has to be captured.
Adrian Petričević and Nikola Ilić’s journey to Ferropolis was exactly that kind of project. Both drivers were preparing for their Drift Masters debuts at one of the largest and most demanding drift competitions in the world, with the DONUT team following them throughout the entire weekend.
Our task was not simply to record what happened on the track.
We wanted to bring the audience closer to the full experience of their first appearance at this level — from arriving at the venue and preparing the cars to the technical problems, emotions, competition runs and everything happening behind the results shown on the official broadcast.
A DEBUT THAT NEEDED TO BE TOLD FROM THE INSIDE
The sixth round of the 2025 Drift Masters season took place at Ferropolis in Germany, a venue widely known as the “City of Iron”.
The event was organised in partnership with Iron Drift King, whose distinctive industrial setting gave the entire weekend a unique visual identity.
For Adrian and Nikola, this was not simply another event on the calendar. It was their first appearance on one of the world’s largest international drift stages, surrounded by drivers, spectators and an organisation operating on a completely different scale from the competitions they had previously attended.
For that reason, the content could not be reduced to a collection of their best runs.
The result on the track mattered, but the real story was found in everything that happened before it.
A STORY THAT DEVELOPED WITH THE WEEKEND
Over the course of three days, we followed the preparations, conversations with the drivers, the atmosphere in the paddock, technical problems, moments of anticipation and the reactions after each run.
A content plan had been prepared before we arrived at Ferropolis, but it was impossible to know in advance exactly how the story would unfold.
In documentary sports coverage, the most important moments are often not those listed in the official schedule. They happen between the official activities.
The production team therefore had to remain present throughout the weekend without disrupting the drivers and teams during moments when their focus needed to remain entirely on the competition.
The aim was to show the audience the weekend as Adrian and Nikola experienced it — including the problems, pressure, highs, lows and emotions that are not always visible on the official broadcast.
REAL-TIME CONTENT WHILE THE STORY WAS STILL UNFOLDING
Alongside the production of the main aftermovie, we published content throughout the event itself.
Over three days, we produced:
nine feature videos and interviews
31 Instagram Story posts
photography covering the journey, competition and paddock
content for TikTok, Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts
the official aftermovie of the entire trip
The real-time format allowed the audience to follow the development of the weekend almost as it happened in Ferropolis.
Interviews, short reports and driver reactions provided context between individual runs and brought viewers closer to everything taking place outside the official broadcast.
This type of work requires two different production rhythms.
One part of the team must identify, film, edit and publish content quickly enough for it to remain relevant. At the same time, the team must continue collecting material for the aftermovie that will later connect the entire experience into one complete story.
FROM FAST-PACED REPORTING TO A DOCUMENTARY AFTERMOVIE
The short-form content followed the event from hour to hour, while the official aftermovie had a different purpose.
Once the weekend was over, a large volume of footage had to be shaped into a story that would work as more than a summary of the results.
The film needed to communicate what this appearance meant to the drivers, the pressure they experienced and what it feels like to compete at this level for the first time.
The final aftermovie was delivered seven days after the event.
DONUT × Drift Masters Eurotrip 2025.
CONTENT THAT EXPANDED INTEREST IN THE CROATIAN DRIVERS
The content published throughout the weekend generated millions of views across digital platforms and created significant audience interest in the performances of Adrian Petričević and Nikola Ilić.
Following their journey through interviews, reports and short-form videos allowed viewers to connect with the drivers before they even entered the track.
During the project, the official broadcast also recorded a 35% increase in viewership.
The result was not simply one successful video. It was a multi-day content story that guided the audience through the entire competition weekend — from the first preparations to the final aftermovie.
