I’m officially on board with an exciting new film project. It’s a short called We Make Seattle, which I’m going to DP for Scott Berkun. Bryan Zug and Adam Baggett of Bootstrapper Studios are producing it. We need to raise $28k to make this film. Here’s the pitch:

I’m thrilled to be lensing this film because entrepreneurship is near and dear to my heart. My very first short, Shine, was all about small business people chasing their dreams. But perhaps most exciting for me is the opportunity to make a film with Scott Berkun. Scott is an incredible writer and all around bright guy, whose work I’ve been reading and following for five years or more. His latest book, The Year Without Pants, chronicles his adventures working as a remote employee for WordPress.com for one year.

Scott has made no secret about his desire to try his hand at filmmaking, and I’m deeply honored to have the opportunity to work with him on his first short. And, this is a film about my favorite city in the whole world. From the film’s website:

This short film is a celebration of what makes Seattle the best place in the world for entrepreneurs and creatives to live. It tells the story of the vibrant and supportive community we have for starting companies, betting on dreams, and chasing big ideas.

Despite being named the #1 tech city in America by The Atlantic, and consistent top rankings on the list of the world’s most livable city, we’re frequently overlooked as the place to go for people with big talents and ideas. This film will change that.

The film has three goals:

1. Celebrate the creative community. We have all personally benefited from the Seattle community, and the film will be a reflection back to the community itself on how many amazing companies, events, and projects are based here. In our daily lives we rarely step back to see the entire city, and We Make Seattle will inspire by telling the story of how many great things happen around us.

2. Help recruiters and entrepreneurs attract talent. NYC, LA and even Portland have produced short videos to help local companies tell the story of their city. Seattle has no such film, until now. The film will be the perfect one link to send to convince ambitious creatives, potential business partners, or top candidates from around the world to bring their passions to the northwest.

3. Have the community tell its own story. Everything about this project is built by the Seattle community itself, and led by well known leaders who have benefited from our creative city and want to give something back. We’ll be inviting people to contribute in various ways throughout the production of the film.

All funds beyond our budget will be used to promote the video, as PR and reaching a wide audience is as important as the video itself.