Potomac Valley ProductionsI recently made a video about my kids’ preschool – Whole Kids Academy. I’m a big softie and really love and appreciate all the school has done for my children. I wanted to highlight the school’s warmth and tenderness and share what a blessing it has been for my family. I snuck in a few shots of my children and will treasure the experience and care we received at Whole Kids forever.
Stewards for Affordable Housing for the Future is a nonprofit dedicated to preserving healthy, sustainable, affordable rental homes that foster equity, opportunity, and wellness for people of limited economic resources. When SAHF came to us to feature the human impact of some of the programs they support, we chose to highlight two case studies: Battery Park Apartments in Asheville, TN and Crossroad Gardens in Sacramento, CA. We took extra care in the casting and you can see that in the warmth of the personalities here.
We worked with Burgundy Farm Country Day School, a progressive K-8 school in Virginia, on a video promoting the community and kinship the school fosters. The project held special meaning to Andre, who attended Burgundy as a child.
One of the best parts of this job is we’re always meeting interesting clients and learning about their work.
We work hard to understand each client’s unique needs, issues, and challenges in order to support their brand and message.
One of our most successful relationships is with Community Oncology Alliance. Cancer treatment is not a light topic, but the strength of this relationship has yielded a successful video campaign supporting the nonprofit’s growth.
Clients often ask us to create a video about a specific program or policy they support. By humanizing the issue through relatable people and narratives, we allow the viewer to connect more personally and consider new perspectives and actions.
One our most inspiring clients was a group of environmental organizations dedicated to fighting the Keystone XL pipeline. Over the course of three years, we documented the protests and activists as they grew their coalition into one of the biggest environmental movements of the past half century.
Corner Plot is an independent short doc made by old friends and filmmaking partners Andre Dahlman and Ian Cook. The film explores the life of Charlie Koiner, an 88-year-old man who farms the one-acre plot behind his home. The documentary made an imprint on the festival circuit as an official selection for AFI Silver Docs, the Environmental Film Festival, and DC Shorts, among others. The U.S. Department of State also featured Corner Plot as part of its annual American Documentary Showcase. As part of that program, Andre traveled to Tajikistan and organized workshops for local filmmakers to discuss documentary filmmaking.
The Access Fund asked us to cover their annual two-day lobby blitz on the Hill.
It was very moving to watch the biggest names in climbing and the sport’s most passionate advocates get together to help our lawmakers understand the importance of protecting climbing access across the county.
Any time the top minds of a particular field gather together in one place, there’s bound to be energy, collaboration, and new ideas. Our videos aim to capture that special energy that conferences can generate.
Our clients are often seeking foundational videos to tell the story of who they are. Tackling these projects effectively requires us to learn about the organization in depth, get to know the minds behind it, and understand where they stand on issues. Along the way, we always absorb new information and insights.
We learned a great deal from Energy Efficiency for All and NEWHAB, two organizations ostensibly focused on energy, environment, and housing, but when you peel back the layers, truly advocating for equity, access, and justice.