We’ve built worlds on the West Coast, captured history on the Indian Ocean, filmed magic in the big cities. We’ve collaborated with artists Tom Morello and Urban Aztec, interviewed a literal NASA Planet Hunter, and filmed some things that we can’t really talk about. And we’ve found the world’s best Gin and Tonic in Helsinki, which we can talk about… and probably have already told you all about it.
We are doing creative work, for amazing clients all over the world, getting a chance to work with some incredible talent in all different industries, while growing our crew of collaborators. But we are still not satisfied. We want to do more, travel farther, be better.
Where are we heading next?
That is something we are set to answer every day.
15 YEARS LATER
As Max moves on to his new venture, Pipeline, handing over the keys to Hand Crank Films, we get behind the wheel with excitement and humility. This is a privilege: the prolific output of beautiful and emotional films is inspiring. The bar is high; the crew, clients and community expect great things from every project, and so do we. That’s why we are here. Hand Crank Films means something to a lot of people, and it means something to us too.
Our team has a history with Hand Crank Films. Some of us have done the work and continue to, some of us have admired the work from a distance, some of us have hired the Crank to create something beautiful, and some of us have been lucky enough to be a part of building the Hand Crank Films brand back in the early days.
But with change, there’s always questions about what that change will look like. For the new Hand Crank Films team and all the returning talent, we know that the future is bright. We will continue to produce high quality content, driven by creative. But we will also be looking for new talent and find opportunities to amplify those voices to grow the Hand Crank Films brand. It won’t always be easy, but there is a solid foundation to build upon: a legacy of beautiful films made by amazing people. We will continue that moving forward.
Once Upon a Time
In 2005, Max Kaiser founded Hand Crank Films. He literally shot his first round of commercials using a Bell & Howell hand crank camera. His vision was to tell great stories through a cinematic lens. As he grew the company, he sought out and hired a talented group of independent filmmakers and artists to execute video on a high level. The creative energy under the Hand Crank roof was electric – you could feel it with every new project released. The goal was to make something emotional, something great. And people took notice.
The company grew, expanding out into Seattle and bringing in bigger clients and new talent. The legacy of Hand Crank was solidified: beautiful films made by amazing people.
