Forgettable is expensive.
We craft strategic, story-driven films that stick
because your work deserves more than a fly-by in the feed.
You’ve built something worth believing in, but belief doesn’t happen by accident.
It happens when people feel the why behind your work.
When they see themselves in your story.
When your mission and impact become personal.
That’s where we come in. We uncover the human heartbeat of your brand and craft films that make your audience care, remember, and act.
In a world drowning in content, authenticity is the sharpest tool you’ve got.
This is the secret sauce for strategic story assets that drive results and define reputations.
Your brand holds powerful narratives waiting to be told.
Here’s a few ways we helped clients win hearts, minds, and markets.
About This Project
The Quiet Side
When Steve took over a roadside motel in the Eastern Sierra, he wasn’t just continuing a business, he was crafting a refuge for himself and his guests. Our film helped shape and share that vision. More than showcasing the property, we told Steve’s story: a man escaping the chaos of his own life to build a place where others can do the same.
The result? A brand built on stillness, intention, and authenticity. Three years later, guests still cite the film as the reason they booked.
Impact:
About This Project
It’s Been A Week
When a student wrote a suicide note to his teacher, Gaggle’s AI flagged it. The principal got on the phone. The teacher called 911. The student, sitting in a bathtub waiting to die, was saved.
This film doesn’t promote a product. It honors a mission. It gave Gaggle’s team, clients, and future districts a visceral reason to believe in the power of prevention.
In the Gaggle office, there’s a wall listing names of students who are still here because of their system. This story gave one of those names a voice.
Impact:
About This Project
No Delay. No Excuses.
In an emergency, every second matters. But in Sacramento County, response times were growing; some stretching beyond 20 minutes. Aging firehouses, outdated equipment, a growing population. Our first responders were being asked to do more with less.
We partnered with the Sacramento Area Firefighters to change that. This film anchored a grassroots effort to pass Measure O; a $415 million bond to upgrade fire stations, replace critical equipment, and ensure the region’s fire service keeps pace with the people it protects.
This wasn’t just a campaign. It was a turning point.
Impact:
Helped pass a $415M bond measure in a single election cycle
Made firehouse conditions and response times visible and urgent
Positioned the union as aligned with community needs, not politics
Turned statistics into stories that moved voters to act
Portlight Creative is a team of award-winning documentary filmmakers who believe story is your most underutilized business tool. Since 2013, our films have:
Helped win 9-figure construction bids
Raised millions for mission-driven organizations
Attracted top talent and aligned company culture
Inspired investment, belief, and action
We make films that align your brand narrative with the outcomes you care about.
Filmmakers
Years of Stories
Stories Told
Early in my career, I held press credentials to The Senate Press Gallery, The White House and the Governor’s Press Office in Sacramento, capturing news as a freelance photojournalist. I was documenting events like presidential inaugurations, State Of The Union addresses, hearings and more. That work led to an appointment from Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger as his Chief Photographer.
Through all that work, I discovered a love for authentic, documentary storytelling. For the last dozen years or so, my work has shifted from still photography to motion pictures and my passion for the craft has only deepened.
Throughout my professional life, I’ve worked in multiple industries in different capacities - from leading a team of 100+ team members in one of the fastest growing wireless companies in the country, traveling the Seven Seas working for a cruise line, guiding white water rafting trips in the Northwest, to many years as a pastor and chaplain - but the through line is people. I’m driven by hearing people’s stories and curious about what motivates people and discovering their uniqueness, which is why I love my role getting to find great stories in unexpected places and share them to offer others a fresh perspective on people, companies and their missions.
Filmmaking has been my passion since my teenage years, a love that led me to pursue a degree in Digital Film Production at Grand Canyon University. My journey has taken me across different aspects of filmmaking—from shooting and editing to directing and producing.
At Portlight, working on a diverse range of projects has sharpened my ability to create stories that speak. That passion for storytelling extended beyond my day-to-day work when I traveled last year to my home country of Ukraine for six weeks, documenting the lives of people navigating life in a war zone. That experience challenged my perspective on the role of a filmmaker in capturing truth and continues to shape my approach to documentary storytelling.
Grady is a graduate of Digital Film Production from Grand Canyon University. Starting in middle school, Grady began exploring his creative pursuits in video production. Through the years, his expertise in creatively using the various tools from cameras and lights to software and technology has deepened. Every project is an opportunity to explore something new and with the speed with which AI is changing the filmmaking landscape, there’s an endless amount of avenues to discover.
Our clients come from many industries, but they all share one trait: a desire for impact.
Whether you’re a nonprofit, brand, startup, or institution, if you’re driven by purpose, we’re your partner!
