Let Knowledge Serve

The Portland State University Foundation commissioned this film for the largest fundraising campaign in the school's history. The challenge was inspiring major donors to see what the community already knows: PSU doesn't get the national attention of Oregon's flagship universities, but it's foundational to Portland. It’s a school deeply woven into the city's urban identity.

We wanted to let the students tell the university's story. The goal was to raise money for students, so students needed to be the heart of everything. We auditioned and selected eight students. We didn't want them to simply read a script, but were looking for performances that would carry the weight of the university's history and mission.

The visual approach was deliberately stark: all black room, no props, just students and their words. I wanted it to feel like powerful stage monologues, with all attention on the performers and what they were saying. The cast of students was amazing. They were passionate about their school and determined to get it right. We did take after take, coaching them through the emotional arc of each section, helping them find the power in the words.

We produced two versions of the film. The first was designed for the fundraising dinner. It was presented across three massive screens spanning over 100 feet, in front of 1200 potential donors. The second, shown here, is the single-screen version edited for the campaign website.

We opened with students preparing for their performance in complete silence. This was designed specifically for that room and audience, giving people time to settle in and focus entirely on what was about to unfold. By the time the first student began to speak, we had silence and the attention of the room.

Working with the PSU team was a fantastic collaborative experience. They were completely invested, helping with logistics and research while supporting our push for a unique creative approach. The crew, the student performers, the client - everyone was on board to do something different and memorable.