The story behind the work
The most consequential projects of the next decade include energy transition, grid modernization, workforce development, and community investment. These are nearly impossible to explain with a press release or a data sheet. The people who need to understand them most are also the hardest to reach: local community members, permitting boards, impact investors, foundation donors.
Documentary-style video changes that equation. We've done it for wind energy companies, global energy-efficiency manufacturers, economic development foundations, and humanitarian organizations on four continents. Let's talk about what it could do for yours.
Danfoss
Danfoss is one of the world's leading manufacturers of energy-efficiency technology. From drives for wind turbines to district heating and cooling systems that reduce energy consumption at scale. We were embedded with their team over multiple months to document the build-out of a new advanced manufacturing facility in Utica, NY: monthly site visits capturing photo, video, and timelapse from groundbreaking through commissioning.
The work required operating inside active clean rooms and industrial environments in close coordination with their safety team. The result was a library of construction and operations content for both internal communications and external stakeholder use — the kind of documentary record that makes complex industrial investment legible to investors, partners, and community members alike.
Root Farm
The Root Farm is a mission-driven agricultural enterprise in Central New York with social programming at its core. This includes the first fully handicap-accessible high ropes course in the Eastern United States. In 2017 we led a full content overhaul: photo, video, website, brand voice, and campaign strategy, in collaboration with FMN Creative.
The launch video crossed 45,000 views, 500 reactions, and 150 shares in its first week. Followed by 200,000 views within the first month. All while coming in under the allocated campaign budget. Organizations like this one are why the work matters: clear visual storytelling directly expands what a mission-driven enterprise can achieve.
Air Rescue Systems
Simon was fortunate enough to help Lightbulb Media with this incredible project for Air Rescue Systems/Vita Inclinata. The goal was to showcase how their products & educational offerings are able to increase the capabilities of hoist operations for rescue missions. We spent 4 days in the woods of Southwestern Oregon with their training team capturing the incredible skills they were honing in before jumping back out to train SAR teams around the country.
The Community
Foundation HOC
The Community Foundation of Herkimer and Oneida Counties directs philanthropic investment into workforce development, civic infrastructure, and economic mobility programs across Central New York. Working with MPW Marketing, we built a campaign designed to reach people during a moment of deep civic polarization. launching the day immediately following the 2016 presidential election.
The film cut through. It won Telly Awards in Social Responsibility and Not-for-Profit categories and expanded participation in the Foundation's community investment programs. When the message is about shared economic futures, the story has to be bigger than the news cycle.
NEBOBONGO HOSPITAL
Nebobongo Hospital was the only full hospital serving 277,000 people in its province in the Democratic Republic of Congo. It is Congolese-run and supported by E4 Project, which provides development and funding assistance. Access to equipment and operating capital is the binding constraint on everything the hospital can do.
We spent 11 days on the ground in Nebobongo capturing photo and video. This was enough to sustain 4+ years of fundraising content for E4 Project. The material drove targeted campaigns that raised over $200,000 within 12 months, funding an X-ray machine, oxygen equipment, and a shipping container of critical medical supplies for a hospital serving nearly 100 employees and an entire province.
This is economic development work. The sector is healthcare. The approach we used with documentary storytelling built around real operational need is the same one we bring to every project.
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Let’s Collaborate
Working on a project in clean energy, economic development, or community infrastructure? Let's talk about what visual storytelling can do for it — from investor decks to community engagement to fundraising campaigns.