Chapter 1:

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.

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Hand Crank Video Shoot for Mackie

Chapter 2:

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.

 

Hand Crank Video Shoot for Into the Lavender Creases of Evening

Creative Projects and Personal Stuff

Check out the catalogue
Lavender Siobhan Lines and Blood Films See Details
Tim Wilson play with Ivan & Alyosha live with the Seattle Symphony at BenaRoya Hall Ivan & Alyosha See Details
Production still for a video created for a scientific society SPIE See Details
Children of Gasoline & Smoke Lines and Blood Films See Details
Say Hello ++++

We’re going for the emotions. Joy, sorrow, laughter, love - we want it all. And we want to work with people that understand that language. Partners who will challenge us to be better and push us to grow, so when we share it with the world, we've made something that matters.