Every film starts before we
pick up a camera.
We make short documentary films, built on a strategy session
and shaped by how much time we spend with you.
Films start at $3,500.
Not everybody is meant to be on video. Everybody can be filmed.
Making video usually means a shot list, a set, and someone reading lines they'd never say out loud. Filming is different. We take the time to understand the people in front of the camera, and we build the shoot around what makes them comfortable. What comes out is them.
On one Accenture shoot in Georgia, a team member arrived with index cards, trying to memorize a script. We told her she didn't need them; we wanted her words, not ours. After a few takes, she broke down and told us she felt safe. She became one of the two people the whole film was built around.
First call
to
finished film.
1. A first conversation
A short call with Steve about who the film is for, what you need them to feel, and whether we're the right fit. If we aren't, we'll say so.
2. The strategy session
Ninety minutes, remote, with the person who needs the film to work. We ask who you need to convince, what they already believe, and what they haven't heard yet. Every film gets this session in full, whatever its size.
3. Preparation
Prep calls with the people we'll film, and a scouting visit if you're close enough (photos of the space if you're not), so nothing on shoot day is a surprise. What we learned in the strategy session becomes the plan for the shoot, and sometimes a script you approve.
4. The shoot
A small crew: Prashant behind the camera, Steve on sound. We find where each person is most themselves and start there.
5. Your film
Prashant edits, Steve finishes the sound, and you get a short film, typically with clips cut from what we captured.
If you decide partway through that you want more, the strategy session carries over. You never start again.
You're buying time with us.
What we make depends on what we capture, so we don't sell a fixed list of deliverables. Here's what each length of shoot typically delivers.
2 hours
One short film,
or 5 clips for social
Half a day
One short film and about 15 clips
Full day
Your choice: more volume, or more story. We'll work out which with you
More
Scoped with you, once we understand the purpose and the budget
Films start at $3,500, strategy session included. Travel outside Chicagoland is billed separately.
What we need from you
Time. On shoot day, we need the people we're filming to be there, not fitting us in between meetings. A family need or a real emergency is the only thing that should interrupt a shoot. Everything else can wait until we wrap.
What we won't promise.
We won't promise you a revenue number. What a film does depends on where it goes, who sees it, and how often, and we don't control that part. What we can promise is that nobody will work harder to understand you, and that the film will reflect what you gave us that day.
We also keep productions small, so more of your budget can go toward getting the film seen. If you need a marketing partner to do that, we'll help you find one.
Questions you may have
What if our people are nervous on camera?
Most people are. Everyone we film has talked with one of us before the shoot, and on the day we start where they're most comfortable. If someone would rather not explain what they do, we film them doing it.
Do we need a script?
No. If one helps, it comes out of the strategy session and you approve it first. Most of the time we want your people's own words.
Where do you film?
We base location on the story being told. It will be near you but not always where you work. We're based in Evanston and work across Chicagoland. Travel beyond that is billed separately.
Can we use the clips on social media?
Yes. Clips are cut from the same footage as the film, so the story holds together wherever people find it.
What if we want more after the shoot?
Tell us. Your strategy session carries over, so adding a shoot or a second film never means starting again.
Do you work with non-profits or founders, or only companies?
All three. If you have to prove your impact to the people who fund you, whether that's a buyer, a donor, or an investor, we make films for you.
Who do you
need to convince?
Tell us who your film is for and what you need them to feel.
Steve will be in touch.
Our Craft
Learn More
Moments of Emotional Truth, Honestly Observed and Documented
based in Evanston, IL. serving the globe.