Author: Ian Reid

Last week on LinkedIn, I got two seconds of fame: I posted a BTS (behind-the-scenes) video of my friend and collaborator Mike Curry talking about why we shoot on high-quality cinema equipment instead of iPhones.

“I mean, Apple commercials are shot on iPhone, right?”

Well… kiiinda. Not really. It’s mostly a marketing half-truth. eh…just go watch our video, that’s the myth we unpack.

But that’s not the point. The point is that the video struck a chord. In just two days, it racked up nearly 50k organic impressions and around 20k views, without spending a dime. 

Granted. These are not huge numbers compared to the millions of views garnered by many of the campaigns we work on with our incredible partners (including many of you reading this). But there is a key difference: Those videos often have 5-6 figure investments, paid promotions, and months of work and strategy poured into them.

In contrast, this was a video that took 15 minutes to film, 20 minutes to finesse the AI-generated captions, and 5 minutes to upload to LinkedIn. And in LinkedIn terms, I’m told that’s semi-viral. (Look, Mom, I’ve made it!).

The point is, people cared. About 80% of the comments, reactions, and shares strongly agreed with the premise: Your tools should be chosen based on what you want to accomplish as a brand. Whether it’s film equipment, a web platform, or an email marketing service, the right tool depends on the goal.

The other 20%? Outraged. (I was told to use a $5 word in this newsletter, so: aghast.) How dare we suggest you can’t create cinematic, beautiful content on an iPhone? “Steven Soderbergh shoots feature films on iPhones!” “My cousin Joe thinks iPhones are the future of filmmaking!” etc., etc.

Well, with all due respect to Soderbergh and Cousin Joe (and putting aside my opinions on whether anything shot on an iPhone can actually look good without doctoring the process so much that it’s not really an iPhone shoot anymore), this debate isn’t actually the point of this email.

The real point is why the video struck a chord. Why? People were invested because they themselves had wrestled with the question before they watched our video.

After all, in the age of endless content, almost everyone has asked, “How do I create something that stands out?”

Even more practically: “What tools do I need to stand out?”

And our little behind-the-scenes video met audiences in their worries and in their questioning. In a broad sense, that’s what successful storytelling, film, video, and content creation shoulddo. It should ask the fundamental questions your audience is already asking, wrestling with, and worrying about.

The biggest irony? The video about why Distant Moon uses high-end cinema gear was shot on an iPhone.

Which only proves my point: there’s a time and place for high-end cinema equipment if you’re building a brand reputation, making a bold statement about quality, timelessness, and excellence. That’s why we’ve invested a half-million dollars into the highest end equipment and pour months of our teams lives into projects like our documentary online course on Communism with our partners at Hillsdale College or years into projects like The Moment with our friends at Prolific (more on that in coming emails).

But there’s also a time and place for quick, raw, “shot on iPhone” BTS videos that tackle real, human questions in a candid way.

Anyone who tells you there’s no place for iPhone videos is lying. Anyone who tells you there’s no need for high-end cinema equipment is also lying.

Our job is to determine the answers to two questions:

1. What does the audience need in this moment?

2. How do we serve them, challenge them, inspire them, and move them?

After 20 years of making films and video content, I’m more convinced than ever that the best strategy is a well-developed plan. A strategic mix of what I call industry-defining films (the ones that blow audiences’ minds with storytelling and production value) and UGC/found footage content (the stuff that feels less produced and more accessible right now).

SO HERE’S THE TLDR:

1. Know and define your audience.

2. Ask yourself (or them) what they deeply feel that they need (rather than what you need from them), and. . .

3. Craft a content strategy that includes the two extremes of video: Highly produced, brand prestige content (these are vital for establishing your brand’s authority, institutional excellence, and capabilities) AND Simply produced, inexpensive and high-regularity content that meets the viewer where they’re at emotionally and intellectually in a down-to-earth way.

The brands, nonprofits and thought leaders who do this, will always lead their industries, because they will be the ones creating true value for their audience and humanity in general.

And that’s why we got into this in the first place, right?

Here’s to human flourishing,
-Ian

This week was supposed to be the start of production on the sequel to our choose-your-own-adventure film, The Moment: Part 1 (warning: mature content). It was going to be a 15-day shoot with hundreds of cast and crew. It’s tough to describe the pressure, adrenaline, and heightened state that being on a film set induces. There was a palpable energy leading up to the production. And… then, it got delayed. Pushed to late 2025 or beyond due to factors outside of our control.

It’s tough to describe your emotions when a project you’ve been tending for months in development and pre-production suddenly grinds to a halt. Sadness? Frustration? Relief? (haha. joking. but am I?) 

Filmmaking, like impact-building, is never a straight path. It is more like a winding road with surprise detours and the occasional landslide. And as I’m often reminded by life, usually, what looks like a setback is actually an open door.

Because of that delay, I was able to attend the National Religious Broadcasters convention, where our project American Principles Series won Outstanding Achievement (the top award of its category) 🏆.  More importantly, I had conversations with a couple of my heroes in independent film, the kind of people who have built sustainable, culture-shaping storytelling outside of Hollywood. I can’t share the details of those conversations yet, but I honestly believe they will lead to impactful storytelling and filmmaking for audiences around the world over the coming years.

The filmmakers, executives, and teams pioneering independent and faith-based cinema are firing on all cylinders. They are not just making art based on instinct and guesses. They are applying data and a rigorous examination of how audiences react to different stories to answer the question with which most of Hollywood struggles: What moves viewers?

This is the core question I pose in almost every strategy conversation, but in different words. What does the audience need? What serves them? What makes their lives tangibly better?

Independent cinema has never been savvier or more focused. We are about to see a huge power shift in film and media. Which is all just to say:

The way brands reach audiences is changing…

Last night I was watching the Academy Awards (at least until Hulu’s epic streaming glitch). And the winning films at the ceremony reinforced something we have known for a long time: Independent films, creators, and filmmakers are having a moment.

Take Flow for instance: A wordless, animated film made using Blender, a free open-source software, just won the Oscar for Best Animated Feature. It beat out Inside Out 2 and The Wild Robot. (Also, my kids were RIVETED when we watched it this weekend. More than I’ve seen them for most films.) It was produced for $3.7 million (a budget that wouldn’t even cover Pixar’s coffee expenses. Hey. I’m not the finance guy. don’t quote me.). I think it accomplished this because it delivered something big studios often miss: originality, emotional depth, and artistic risk-taking.

Or Sound of Freedom, which shocked Hollywood last year by grossing $184 million domestically. It earned more at the domestic box office than Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny and Mission: Impossible Dead Reckoning Part One. At least among Americans, an independently released, mission-driven film outperformed some of the biggest franchises in the world. Guess existing IP isn’t all its cracked up to be, huh? (maybe audiences want original stories?)

Then there is The Brutalist, nominated for 10 Academy Awards this year. And it was produced completely outside of the Hollywood system by a young filmmaker with a dream that took 7 years to pull off (largely on his own until he finally snagged a killer cast to join him in his vision). Its success proves what we are seeing across the industry. The old model is no longer the only way.

One of the biggest takeaways for 2025 is impact outside of Hollywood. Independent filmmakers, international studios, and mission-driven creators are shaping film and media in ways that were once impossible. And they no longer need Hollywood’s permission to create massive cultural impact.

I think everyone can learn lessons from this shifting power dynamic in film and storytelling.

For marketing directors, brand leaders, and nonprofit storytellers, the opportunity to use film for real impact has never been greater. Here are a few takeaways that come to mind:

1. Authenticity Wins – Audiences are tuning out Hollywood’s formulaic storytelling in favor of real, human stories. Mission-driven brands should lean into stories that are honest, often raw feeling, and deeply meaningful.

2. Niche Audiences Are Powerhouses – Films like Sound of Freedom and Flow prove that passionate audiences can turn a film into a movement. If your brand or nonprofit has a dedicated following, they are your most valuable asset.

3. Interactivity and Engagement Matter – Our choose-your-own-adventure film showed us something profound. People want to engage, not just watch. Whether through interactive films, docuseries, or digital campaigns, inviting your audience to participate deepens the impact.

4. You Do Not Need a Hollywood Budget – Flow had a tiny budget ($3.7 million) compared to Pixar films, yet it won animation’s highest honor. With the right story, the right audience, and the right distribution, even a low-budget film can shift cultural conversations.

So back to the winding path…

Doors open and doors close (hows that for mixing metaphors?), but I’m more excited than ever about what the future holds, because storytelling is a lifelong pursuit, and those who achieve cultural impact are the people who stay on the path, constantly moving forward.

If your nonprofit or brand has a story that needs to be told, now is the time. There are no shortcuts to impact, but with the right strategy, your message can reach the audiences that need it most. And you’re not alone in that pursuit of impact, we’re here right alongside you.

Here’s to Human Flourishing!
-Ian

Oh, also, have I mentioned “The Moment?” 

Last year we and several clients/partners launched “The Moment” to entertain and inform gen-z and alphas about the importance of their decisions. We’ll be sharing BTS and more information about using Entertainment and Narrative filmmaking to reach tough audiences in coming newsletters, but in the meanwhile, check out “The Moment: Part 1.” 

As I sit here writing, my legs ache, and I stare at this blank page with more trepidation than usual.
We’ll get back to the aching legs in a second. But the trepidation? That, I’ll explain now. I feel a bit like a hypocrite because today’s topic is investment. Not investment of money, but the investment of time, relationships, and energy. And the subject gives me pause because I’m no expert – merely an inexperienced practitioner learning the ropes as I try to grow, build, and invest wisely.
But, from one earnest investor to another: How are your “life” investments going? I’m sometimes succeeding, often failing, and always learning. Here’s what I’ve learned.

1. Investing is a long game.

I’ve spent eight years building a film production company and nearly 20 years in film. Only now am I seeing the traction I dreamt of at 11 when I first decided I wanted to “make movies.” Last year, I completed my first feature film (at 34). This year, that film has led to multiple new projects. Our team at Distant Moon has grown to a team of between 17 and 25 depending on how you count full-time vs freelance team members. And at 35, I feel like we’re just getting started, but every door opening now is the result of long nights, stressful days, and decades of behind-the-scenes work. Unless you’re one of the rare “overnight successes” (which I doubt exist), investments take decades to pay off.

2. Investing is often deceptively frustrating.

Whether it’s money, raising kids, or building something meaningful, my wife, Yetta, and I have learned that painful moments, valleys of despair, and “Will this even work?” doubts are far more common than mountaintop experiences. But, wow – when those mountaintop moments come, they’re incredible.

3. Most people discuss the success of their investments, not the costs.

Investing costs – money, time, energy. This is obvious financially (you have to sacrifice capital to buy stocks or property), but it’s even more true with people and businesses. Last week, Distant Moon had a mountaintop moment at the American Advertising Federation Awards in DC. The Moment swept its categories – two golds, a silver, and two best-of-classes. From the outside, it looked like pure celebration. What the crowd didn’t see? Weeks of intense deadlines, late nights, weekend work, strained relationships, and even medical emergencies from the stress. Every investment has a cost. The key question: Does the return outweigh it?For Distant Moon, we ask: Does this create cultural impact? Deepen understanding of humanity? Help people flourish?

4. Investing reshapes your priorities.

Now, about the aching legs. Last May, I hit a breaking point. I was gaining weight, unhappy with how I looked and felt, and making poor health choices. But work was demanding – I couldn’t fit in consistent exercise. Then, after hearing my family repeatedly say, “We’re worried you won’t make it to 45,” I had a wake-up call. Around the same time, I kept seeing ads for a local CrossFit gym. “What even is CrossFit?” I thought. “Well, my buff friend Andrew does it, so…” Cue the voice in my head: “You’ll never stick with it. You’re too busy.”
I shut that voice up. Instead of “making time,” I put CrossFit where nothing else existed – 5 a.m. Let me tell you, waking up at 4:30 (four days a week) is brutal. But you know what? No one else is working, emailing, or vying for my time at 5 a.m. And as I invested that hour, my schedule and priorities naturally rearranged. (Also, some workouts destroy your legs – Friday’s was a mile run, 50 burpees, 75 squats, and 50 box step-ups. Way harder than it sounds.)
My point? Investing is exhausting. But the return is a longer, healthier, fuller life. And people stop telling you you’ll die at 45.

🪦

So where does this meandering train of thought leave us?

I feel trepidation writing this because I worry it’ll sound like either:
– A “humblebrag” about my life.
– An Eeyore-like complaint that life is soooo hard.

I hope it’s neither. My goal is to show both realities: Life is hard and joy-filled at the same time. There are valleys and mountaintops. Investing in meaningful things takes time, sacrifice, and struggle – but it’s worth it.
In many ways, I still feel like I’m just beginning. But for the first time, I’m seeing real fruit from the investments Distant Moon, Yetta, and I have been making for decades. And I hope you’re seeing the same – watching your investments in work, relationships, and time flourish in ways you never imagined.

Here’s to human flourishing.
– Ian

P.S. here are some pictures of the awards gala in DC last week. Only some of the team was able to make it out, but it was a blast!