At Distant Moon, we believe the right story can change everything. Our mission is to foster human flourishing through film—by bringing together two worlds that need each other to thrive. For brands, studios, and agencies, we deliver access to world-class film directors, crews, and storytellers who create work that captures hearts and moves audiences to action. For filmmakers, we provide the network, resources, and logistical muscle to unleash their full creative power. We are the bridge—representing today’s most exciting emerging talent and delivering end-to-end creative and production services for projects that aim to change the world.
Storytelling should do more than entertain; it should move people to think, to feel, and to act.
Distant Moon is a film production studio dedicated to promoting human flourishing through storytelling. We empower our partners with films that challenge audiences to grapple with life’s essential questions, deepen their understanding of the world, and connect with the Creator who made that world.
Why We’re Different
Everyone says they’re different, so we’ll let our partners do the talking.
World-Class Filmmaking
From working with the White House to a grassroots nonprofit, we’re creating content that rivals Hollywood.
Unreasonable Commitment to Quality
Our team stops at nothing to make the best project possible.
I (@ianareid ) get asked occasionally, “why shoot on expensive cinema cameras? Can’t you use an iPhone nowadays?” My response: “yeah, but iPhone will actually cost more money in production, time, and crew.” Here’s why…
“Shot on iPhone” is a brilliant marketing tactic, but it’s not entirely honest. While the footage is technically captured with an iPhone, these campaigns involve professional cinematographers, controlled lighting, high-end stabilization rigs, external lenses, and extensive post-production, not to mention incredible amounts of post production to get the footage looking good. That’s why apple spends millions in production and post on their “shot on iPhone” commercials. The average consumer won’t achieve the same results by simply pulling out their iPhone and recording.
My friend and cinematographer Mike Curry and I discuss in more detail in the video below.
Merry Christmas from Distant Moon! We feel so blessed by all of you and especially our partners who’ve trusted us this year to tell stories that bring about Human Flourishing!
Day 3 of our doc shoot on technology’s impact on humanity. So far we’ve interviewed one of internet’s three inventors, the real life Ironman, and an author/technologist who specializes in human centered technology.
Developing a story, securing funding, managing the budget, hiring the cast and the crew, directing, camera movement, scene pacing, ensuring the final product aligns with the original vision, post-production, editing, marketing, distributing, and the list goes on. We love every moment of it. What is your favorite part of the process?
– Film, cinema, movies, photography, film photography, filmmaking, cinematography, films, filmmaker, video, director
Over the last couple years, we’ve come to realize the importance of constantly experimenting and pushing the boundaries. We try to run at least a few creative experiments/tests with every project we run and then incorporate lessons learned, new techniques, and revised processes into all the following projects we take on.
For several years now we have used static backdrops outside of windows or doors of our practical set builds. And everyone has been talking about the benefits of LED walls and Unreal, but there are always two issues with LED walls. First: they’re crazy expensive. We’re talking 500k-1mil to build good ones. And as much as 30k a day to rent the technology. Second: relying entirely on led wall backdrops usually actually still feels fake (unless you’re lucasfilm).
So our thought: what if you could blend the old school technique of projection with modern digital media and resolution and incredible set builds. Benefits? It still feels real AND at a fraction of the price of LED walls and volume stages.
The clip above is several different shots simply testing out the resolution, color, and mix of projection behind talent. The next test will be doing this sort of projection outside of practical sets and set dressing. That’s when the magic is going to really happen (or at least that’s our hypothesis).
“Awards shows are pay to play.” “Awards don’t mean anything anyway.” “I don’t care about the recognition, I know my work is good.” We’ve heard it all. And to be honest, we were the people saying this a year or two ago. But our opinion has changed recently.
Why? So glad you asked! Because over the past couple years we’ve realized that Distant Moon is not primarily in the business of “just making cool stuff.” We’re in the business of reaching hearts and minds and building up our partners for success.
Often a big component to success for our partners is to begin building momentum around awareness of their brand and the important work they do. And like paid advertising or word of mouth or viral videos, awards shows help build brand recognition.
At the end of the day, incredible storytelling and content accomplish little if nobody ever sees that storytelling. So over the past year our team has gone on a journey of discovery and internal reflection to realize that awards do matter because the clients, partners and people we serve matter and awards/awards shows help build up those people.
We’re testing the waters by submitting only a handful of projects to awards shows and industry events this year. But look for much more to come. This is only the beginning.
Let’s talk light rays. We always see them (even if we don’t consciously notice them) in films, commercials and TV shows. But why are we pesky filmmakers always putting light-rays in shots? And even moreso, HOW? And for all you long-suffering clients we’ve had the privilege of serving over the years, consider this our belated explanation to your very valid question of “Are you sure it’s VITAL that we wait for the haze machine to warm up?”
Filmmakers often use haze in film lighting to enhance the visibility and aesthetic appeal of light beams and rays within a scene. From a scientific perspective, haze, typically created using haze machines or smoke generators, consists of tiny liquid or solid particles suspended in the air. These particles scatter light, making it more visible to the camera and creating a visually appealing effect known as volumetric lighting or “god rays.” The scientific principle behind this phenomenon lies in Rayleigh scattering, which occurs when light interacts with particles smaller than the wavelength of light. In the case of haze, the particles suspended in the air are smaller than the wavelengths of visible light. When light passes through these particles, it scatters in various directions, making the light beams visible to the camera. This scattering effect creates a sense of depth and atmosphere in the scene, enhancing the visual impact and creating a cinematic ambiance. [continued in comments]
Social Proof
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