Crafting the next great story

Ten years ago, two of my closest friends and I decided to start a production company: a company enmeshed with our particular expertise and style. 

We were all professional skiers who had fallen in love with production by way of the adventure ski films we made on the side. Gradually, we grew as filmmakers and our films became more and more focused on perseverance and inspiration - we became focused on the story.

That focus on story is still the foundation for everything we do. At Stept Studios we’ve developed our own unique approach over the years to keep sharing the stories we are passionate about. Here are a few of the key components for success that we’ve honed in on this last decade when it comes to developing and producing the dozens of short films we make in partnership with brands each year.

Director-led projects

A key element in the success of these projects is to develop stories from scratch with directors, then actively seek out brand partners whose messaging aligns with the creative vision of our team. We’re always looking for new ways our directors can share stories that inspire them. Our belief is that this kind of cross-pollination in creativity, between traditional advertising and more long-form branded content or short films, exercise different muscles and facilitate growth in the director, as well as the production team. 

We encourage the directors on our roster to bring us stories they have sourced. When the stories are motivated by what the directors are seeing and hearing in their everyday lives; when they are looking for topics and subjects that are special to them and that they find genuinely exciting, then the resulting film is that much more powerful. Ultimately, when a director leads an idea, they are that much more invested, following their curiosity and making it personal.

In many ways Stept can operate as a kind of movie studio, which is heavy on the kind of development pipeline and production processes that can be used to innovate in the commercial production space. 

This is definitely reverse-engineering the typical process when it comes to the pitch, but it offers creative freedom for many directors. For instance, when Max Lowe was shooting some photographs for National Geographic, he learned about the polar bear conservation movement happening in the arctic, spearheaded by Polar Bear International (PBI). When he researched a bit more, he discovered that one of the main funders for the nonprofit organization is the luxury apparel brand Canada Goose. So we called Canada Goose to let them know that this award-winning filmmaker wanted to do a film about PBI, and within days they were all in. Thus was born Bare Existence, a 20-minute documentary.

Similarly, when director Jess Colquhoun heard about a Sunday concert series that had been going on for over a quarter-century in Harlem, she went to check it out. She was so moved by the music and captivated by the story of Marjorie Eliot, the woman who has been hosting this series in her living room all these years, that she wanted to share her story with the world. She brought the story to us as something she hoped to make, and we began reaching out to brand partners that felt appropriate to the spirit of the piece. 

Ultimately, when a director leads an idea, they are that much more invested, following their curiosity and making it personal.

Ultimately we were able to find a home for the film with Diageo and Crown Royal; they chose to support the project as part of the brands’ desire to partner on creator-led projects that are not in response to a brief. Once they learned about Marjorie’s story and read Jess’s treatment they signed onto the project, resulting in the hauntingly moving short film, Sundays at the Triple Nickel.   

Brand and Story Fit 

Inspired matchmaking between the story and the brand is a crucial part of this method’s success, as is pairing the right narratives with the right creatives. When thinking about an appropriate brand partner, look at the finances required for the project, but, more importantly, look at the connection of the story to a brand’s values. It has to be the right fit or it won’t resonate with the audience.

With Sundays at the Triple Nickel, the film connected with Crown Royal’s stated purpose - to inspire exceptional generosity. They are proponents of the belief that status isn’t what you have, rather it’s what you give and how you give it. With Jess as the director of the project about a female protagonist, it also supported Diageo’s mission of equal gender portrayal in front of and behind the camera. 

When the stories are motivated by what the directors are seeing and hearing in their everyday lives; when they are looking for topics and subjects that are special to them and that they find genuinely exciting, then the resulting film is that much more powerful. 

At Canada Goose, they wanted to highlight their decade-long partnership with PBI and all of the progress the organization had been making with little support. A film like Bare Existence could raise greater awareness for the plight of the polar bear, and in the process add value to Canada Goose by spotlighting their northern heritage and their feeling of responsibility to help secure its future.