Tier I · 2–4 minute film
Profile
Custom quote
- One founder interview, lit and recorded on cinema cameras
- Half-day of filming at one location
- One hero film and two short social cut-downs
- Licensed music and color grade
- Two rounds of revisions
Founder Films by Black Atlas
Your company has a story. Film it like one.
Documentary portraits of entrepreneurs and the companies they built, made by the crew behind Modern Day Warrior and Urbanball.
A founder story video, built the way we make our own films.
No script for the founder to recite. We interview the people who were there, film the work as it happens and build the edit around the story the company actually lived: the bet, the near misses and what it took to keep going.
The result is a film people watch to the end, and an archive of the company's history told by the people who made it.
For the business, that means one owned asset that explains why the company exists: on the website, in front of investors and boards, in recruiting and at every milestone, for years after it is made.
Where Founder Films are used
One film, many rooms
Brand story
The film at the top of your website and the start of every pitch.
Investors & boards
Raises, acquisitions and annual meetings, where conviction matters.
Milestones
Anniversaries, launches and openings, marked with something that lasts.
Succession
The founder's story recorded in their own words for the next generation of leaders.
Recruiting & culture
Show new hires why the company exists before their first day.
The archive
Interviews and history preserved while the people who lived it are still here.
Process
How a Founder Film is made
Your timeline, review rounds and usage rights are agreed in writing before production.
- i.
Discovery
A call with the founder or leadership team about the story, the audience and where the film will live.
- ii.
Story research
Pre-interviews, archive review and a written story outline you approve before we film.
- iii.
Production
One to four days with a cinema camera crew, at your company and the places that matter.
- iv.
Post-production
Edit, color, sound and score, with two rounds of review.
- v.
Launch
Premiere screening, final masters and cut-downs for web, social and events.
Commissions
Packages
We scope and quote every Founder Film after a discovery call.
Tier II · 8–15 minute film
Company Story
Custom quote
- Up to four interviews: founders, team, partners or customers
- Up to two filming days
- Company archive and product history worked into the story
- Hero film, trailer and three short cut-downs
- Two rounds of revisions
Tier III · 30 minutes or longer
Feature
Custom quote
- A full documentary production on the company and the people who built it
- Multi-location filming and archival research
- Festival-grade edit, sound mix and optional original score
- Trailer and campaign cut-downs
- Scope, schedule and usage rights set in writing
Every Founder Film is scoped after a discovery call. Usage rights, travel, additional filming days and extra cut-downs are defined in your proposal.
Recent interview work
One Humanity Foundation
A multi-camera interview series for a worldwide charity organization, including its founder and invited guests.
Who runs the interview
Directed by people who interview for a living.
Founder interviews are directed by the team behind our feature and sports documentaries, who have interviewed fighters, founders and public figures on cinema camera packages from Los Angeles to Abu Dhabi. We prepare the questions with you, keep the room calm and let the story come out in your own words.
The craft, from our own films
Questions
How is a Founder Film priced?
By scope: the length of the film, number of interviews and filming days, locations and deliverables. We send a written proposal after the discovery call.
What is a Founder Film used for?
Founder story videos are used as brand documentaries on company websites, in investor and board meetings, at anniversaries and product launches, in recruiting, and as a company history film for the archive.
Is this a commercial?
No. A Founder Film is a short documentary. It can sit on your website or run in paid media, but it is built on real interviews and real events, not a sales script.
Who approves the film?
You approve the story outline before filming and review two cuts in post. We tell the story truthfully and make sure it represents your company accurately.
Can you work with confidential information?
Yes. We sign your NDA or ours before discovery, and nothing is shown publicly until you sign off.
Tell us what you built.
Commission a Founder Film