Lucas and I started filming as a one or two person crew. Between us, we would pitch, produce, take care of 2 cameras, lights, sound, conduct the interviews, manage logistics, manage the client, and in this particular shoot (see photo), speak broken Khmer fluently. So we started lean, learnt to be resourceful quickly and built great relationships with our clients and local subjects as there was no hierarchy to hide behind. Aimee as Lucas' equipment mule in Battambang, Cambodia

Photo credit: Shira Pinson This photo was taken in 2016 when Lucas went to film a story about Durga , a lovely 69 year old Nepalese man who walked 4 hours every day so he could go to school. At that point in Lucas' career, it was the best human-led story he ever told and he got the full-on experience; off to a remote part of Nepal, staying at Durga's home, flying a drone to witness the jaw-dropping landscape during Durga's walk to and from school, spending time with a lovely,

When it comes to branded content, everyone gets excited about the big “hero film.” The cinematic one. All resources from our team and the client are pulled into this “masterpiece.”  But here’s the truth I think nobody really wants to say out loud -  It ’s the 30-second version that does most of the work! (Oh yes I did)  That short cutdown is usually the video that gets pushed across social media and actually watched by the majority of people. It’s the one that gets all the im

It’s a question we get A LOT! When it comes to branded content, the “right” length depends on your story, your audience and what you want to achieve. But there are industry norms, and understanding them helps you make better decisions on your creative needs. 🎬 Story First If your main video leans toward a (human) story, it deserves room to breathe and to have some depth for viewers to connect on a deeper level. These videos rely on emotion and pacing so there's some impact

Photo by Thiago Matos I’m not going to make this about AI. But I’m a bit over constant the pressure and FOMO feeling that we could/should/will be screwed if we’re not using it more. It’s been super helpful where I do use it, so I’m not trying to knock AI at all. My unpopular opinion here isn’t about that. It’s about who/what we’re using to tell stories. It’s the utter gutter I’m seeing on our screens. With all this digital noise and it getting more and more crowded with AI-dr

A green screen set-up from one of our shoots in early 2025 One of the first questions I ALWAYS get asked about creating a short branded content film is: “How much would it cost?” I have tried so many different ways to standardise our production services but I just haven’t been able to as the costs vary so much depending on soooooo many factors. So here’s a brief lowdown on what shapes a production budget:   Creative Approach: A straight-forward interview is less resource-inte