Case Studies
Business Coaching, Punk Rock, and a Whole Lot of Heart: Inside Maker Division’s First Retreat
Maker Division is a powerhouse for creative freelancers and small studio owners who want to level up their businesses. Founded by Ben Burns and Stephanie Owens, they’ve built a thriving community full of coaching, curriculum, and accountability—all designed to help creatives land clients and grow confidently. Their online world was already buzzing with energy, but they decided to take things offline for the very first time, bringing their people together for a live event in Las Vegas. And when a brand like Maker Division says they’re going big, they mean really big.
This retreat was a huge milestone—the first live event Maker Division had ever hosted, and the first time Ben and Steph were in the same room together. They planned a three-day experience that blended business, creativity, and a bit of rock and roll, complete with workshops, parties at Area 15, a visit to The Punk Rock Museum, and a dinner at Primal.
They wanted the entire thing captured—the energy, the emotion, the vibe—so they could share it with their community and keep the momentum going. Steph originally said she just wanted some “quality b-roll,” but it quickly became clear this project would be much more than that.
We started with a few Zoom calls to get aligned, then built our own creative shot list full of expressive, emotional, story-driven moments—faces, hands, details, hero shots, and depth-filled frames that made viewers feel like they were there. Once in Vegas, we went full run-and-gun mode, chasing genuine reactions and real moments as they happened. We even pulled off something wild—getting permission to film inside The Punk Rock Museum, which normally doesn’t allow cameras. Throughout the retreat, attendees laughed, cried, and connected in powerful ways, and we captured it all with a cinematic eye. In editing, we cut everything to feel clean yet edgy—feel good meets punk rock—just like Maker Division.
We created a 45-second cinematic recap video that packed three unforgettable days into one powerful visual story, plus daily 1–2 minute recaps that captured each day’s unique vibe. The videos featured fast-paced, emotional cuts set to orchestral music driven by strings, giving everything a sense of intensity and inspiration. Along with that, we delivered around 150 color-graded stills pulled from the footage—each one crisp, moody, and full of depth. The final pieces felt cinematic and professional but still had that rebellious spark that defines Ben and Steph’s brand, designed to make viewers say, “I’m going to the next one.”
The Maker Division team immediately put the footage to work, repurposing it for marketing, social media, and future event promotions. The content elevated their brand, giving them a stronger, more polished presence while still keeping their raw creative spirit intact. Steph told us the footage helped her establish authority in the creative space and market future events—exactly the impact she hoped for. Engagement around the videos has been huge, and their next retreat is already in motion. For us, the best part was helping capture the magic of a community that thrives on creativity, connection, and courage—and making it look as epic as it felt.
Riot Fest 2025: Three Days of Pure Punk Chaos
Riot Fest is a three-day celebration of loud guitars, wild energy, and pure creative chaos that takes over Chicago’s Douglass Park every September. For twenty years, it’s been the go-to festival for fans of punk, rock, metal, and every glorious genre in between. This isn’t your polished, corporate music fest—it’s raw, real, and unapologetically independent. From carnival rides to full-album performances to couples literally getting married on-site, Riot Fest is a world of its own. That’s exactly what makes it so special, and exactly why Stoptime Live!, the team behind the festival’s video content, needed to capture every gritty, joyful second of it.
This year marked Riot Fest’s 20th anniversary, and the energy was off the charts. Stoptime Live! was on a mission to film the festival like never before—to show off the artists, fans, and everything that makes this event a cultural landmark. I’d followed their recap videos for years (they’re a huge reason I got into video production), so when I found out I’d be attending the festival, I reached out to Chris from Stoptime Live! on Instagram and offered to help in any way I could. A few messages later, I had pit and stage access, a camera in my hands, and a dream come true: capturing the spirit of Riot Fest from inside the madness.
For gear, I went all in. Day one, I rolled out with my Blackmagic Pyxis 6K and a Panasonic 24–60 mm zoom lens, using a Sakk camera saddle for stability. Day two, I stripped it down—handheld Blackmagic Cinema Camera with a Sigma 18–35 for that up-close, intimate feel. The run-and-gun approach was perfect for a festival where anything could happen. With pit access, I moved between fans and bands, catching everything from Toby Morse of H2O diving into the crowd to spontaneous moments of laughter and chaos. I wasn’t just filming—I was part of the energy, fist-pumping to the beat with the fans and capturing the heart of the festival from the inside out.
By the end of three wild days, I handed over one terabyte of Blackmagic RAW footage—a visual time capsule of Riot Fest 2025. The footage was packed with the festival’s heartbeat: crowd surfers, circle pits, a guy waving a giant Riot Fest flag, and even couples saying “I do” mid-mosh. The mix of super-wide and tight close-ups created a sense of scale and intensity that made every frame feel alive. It wasn’t polished or posed—it was honest, sweaty, and real, just like the people who make Riot Fest what it is. Stoptime Live! took the reins from there, using the footage to fuel their signature cinematic recaps.
Stoptime Live! told us the footage turned out great—and while we can’t share the final edits on social media because of an NDA, knowing that our work contributed to the official Riot Fest archives is an honor in itself. For us, this project wasn’t just about filming a concert; it was about being part of something that inspired us from the start. Getting to help document Riot Fest’s 20th year was a full-circle moment—a mix of passion, punk rock, and pure joy. And if the goal was to capture the heart of the festival, we’d say mission accomplished.
The Punk Rock Museum: Loud, Raw, and Real.
The Punk Rock Museum isn’t your average museum—it’s a loud, unapologetic shrine to 45+ years of rebellion, creativity, and noise. Founded by punk legend Mike “Fat Mike” Burkett of NOFX and a crew of other punk veterans, the museum is home to everything from handwritten lyrics and ripped leather jackets to a re-created Pennywise garage and even a punk rock wedding chapel. It’s the kind of place where you can grab a drink, play a donated guitar, and learn about punk’s messy, glorious history all at once. This Vegas institution doesn’t just celebrate punk—it lives it.
While we were in town filming another project, we reached out to the museum because, honestly, how could we not? The team saw our work and decided they wanted to capture some customer testimonials—something raw and real that showed off the energy of their guests and the spirit of the space.
They didn’t want corporate or polished; they wanted punk. They saw an opportunity to grab some authentic, from-the-heart footage to keep in their back pocket for future use—and we were more than ready to make it happen.
With travel gear in tow, we went minimalist and mobile. Using our Blackmagic Pyxis 6K and Cinema Camera 6K, a couple of compact tripods, three portable lights, and an external mic, we got to work. Each interview was filmed in a different corner of the museum to keep things visually fresh and to show off more of the space’s gritty, colorful character. From the jam rooms to the bar, every backdrop told a story. Partway through filming, the bar manager asked if we could snag a few shots for The 3 Star Bar—and, of course, we said yes. Punk’s all about saying yes to the moment, after all.
We filmed four interviews featuring five visitors and cut everything together into a fast, grungy two-minute video full of authentic testimonials and B-roll of people exploring the exhibits. The video had that gritty, lived-in look—edited with the raw energy and visual tone of The Decline of Western Civilization. It felt real, loud, and unapologetically punk. Alongside the main edit, we delivered the raw interviews for future use and even surprised them with a separate 25-second video dedicated to the 3 Star Bar. The whole thing looked like it belonged on a big screen at a punk show—unfiltered and full of heart.