Shot on Sigma Series Cultural Shortfilms
A series of short films centered around the preservation of culture and nature around the world told through the eyes of interesting subjects in these spaces. Shot throughout the world with an emphasis on using Sigma Cine Autofocus Lenses to capture these films.
This series is the culmination of two passionate creatives who want to highlight stories of culture around the globe. We've seen a push to storytelling in the past few years and want to work alongside Sigma to capture these stories in partnership with Sigma.
The process starts long before production. We research, connect, and spend time understanding who these people are and why their story matters before we ever get on location. By the time we arrive we're not strangers with a camera, we're guests who've done the work to properly capture these stories. That relationship is everything, it's what allows a subject to forget we're filming and what separates a real documentary portrait from a produced one.
On the ground we work close, following our subjects as the story unfolds and allowing the moments to come to us. We sit down with them, let them talk, and those conversations become the backbone of the film. Documentaries that give their subjects room to exist fully on screen and give audiences a reason to care about a world they've never been part of and the opportunity to act beyond just watching the film.
who we are
I began my career as a brand strategist and digital designer. This has been an incredible asset in my creative work. Having a designers perspective helps me think critically about important elements in the projects I work on, such as what's the relevance of the project to the brand, whether it's geared toward the appropriate audience, and if this project embodies that brand's identity.
Based in Los Angeles, but rarely home due to his travel focused work. Bryce is often on the move, capturing stories from around the world unless he's grounded on a film project.
Storytelling lies at the heart of both his personal and professional work, and he’s committed to doing whatever it takes to capture the perfect shot and create moments that leave a lasting impact.
the team
Film
Objectives
Cultural Awareness
Call to Action
Distribution
Sigma has been carefully selected as our top choice as a partner and would ideally be our sole partnership across these films. We are aiming to produce 1 short films a year in partnership with Sigma using Sigma Cine lenses for the main film and Sigma photo lenses for the BTS photography content. Aligning with Sigmas push to create cultural impactful and relevant shortfilms and content, these films feature individuals from around the world whom are deeply involved with culturally significant practices and activities to these areas.
With Sigma having limited marketing material for their cine lens line we aim to be a partner to Sigma to source and shoot these films, develop distribution strategies, and collateral products in collaboration with the Sigma team.
The main goal of the team with these pieces is not only to create the shortfilms but alongside them create initiatives and collateral products that will help further impact and reach of these films to these areas and individuals. These collaterals will be designed by our team to then be approved, ensuring the Sigma branding is represented in totality across all of these products such as: Photobooks, prints in collaboration with Sigma, and custom websites for the films with CTA's to drive the initiatives of the films to name a few.
With these films there is also potential for a partnership with a streaming service should Sigma be interested in going down that route as well.
The focus with these short films is to capture these authentic cultural pieces around the world using the new auto focus Cine lenses (or any lenses Sigma wants to promote) through a strategic approach of the film itself accompanied by a BTS film that showcases the use of the lenses in these scenes and their performance. Furthermore these lenses will be featured in detail on the custom designed website with links to contact the Cine team / rent these lenses.
We've carefully sourced these individuals as unique subjects for the first two short films of this series to be filmed in 2026, and are currently talking with other leads for shortfilm selections in 2027.
Click the arrows to see subject details
Temoana is from the Polynesian island of Moorea, one of the best places to whale dive in the world. During the fall months these sacred islands see thousands of whales migrate to their waters and give birth to young calves. This natural phenomenon brings people to the islands to witness the water giants but in recent years that has become problematic for the ecosystem with overdevelopment. Teomana is the founder of an organization called "Keep Moorea Wild" that is dedicated to protecting it’s forests one square meter at a time, with vision of expanding protection to all islands of the South Pacific.
Production Schedule:
- Pre-Production: July-September
- Production: October
- Post-Production: November - December
Massimo is a safari guide from South Africa who has been operating a camp in the Okavango Delta region of Botswana. This is an incredible location for wildlife as the delta is home to a variety of animals that exist in it's lakes and delta. Massimo is an expert level guide who we will be accompaniying while he treks across the delta on foot tracking wildlife and learning about their habitats.
Production Schedule:
- Pre-Production: July-August
- Production: September
- Post-Production: November-December
Alejandro has been Toro Wrangling in Costa Rica for the past 3 decades. His lifestyle at his ranch is the polar opposite to his time in the Rodeo, this balance of Chaos and Calm has established his temperament of generosity and humility.
With this story we take a look into the life of a man who has lived off the land, kept his hat down, and worked hard. But to appease the wild nature of man, he wrangles massive bulls with his trusted horses.
Production Schedule:
- Pre-Production: TBD
- Production: TBD
- Post-Production: TBD
For proper distribution of the film we have a few ideas that we would love to test and see how they are received:
- Custom Website for each individual film that links to Sigma
- Collateral products for purchase such as Photo books and Prints from each film
- Individual social page for each of the films that link back to sigma and website
- Film festival tour after post-production is complete to Tour the film
- Scheduled Screenings
With production of these films we want to ensure that we are creating the highest quality shortfilms with the Sigma Cine glass. Below we've estimated our budget breakdown as well as created potential partnership tiers that we think would fit how Sigma would like to partner with us producing these. We’ve designed two ways to collaborate that respect creative integrity while offering meaningful value to Sigma. Each tier allows Sigma to engage at the level that feels right, with individual films approved and developed separately.
Keep in mind that these are estimates...
Partnership
Tiers
This tier supports the creation of a short film from behind the camera where story, craft, and optics come together.
Sigma’s involvement is focused on the act of filmmaking itself, with lenses used organically in real-world conditions.
Includes
- Credit as Production Partner on the film
- A custom Sigma-exclusive edit (3-5 minutes), created specifically for Sigma
- Use of Sigma lenses during production
- A curated gallery of high-resolution stills from production
- Early access to the finished film prior to release
This tier is ideal for highlighting lens performance through authentic use, without extending into broader marketing or distribution.
This tier extends Sigma’s involvement across the full lifecycle of a film from pre-production through post-production and audience engagement.
In addition to supporting the story itself, this tier creates space to tell the story of how the film was made.
Includes
- All Tier One deliverables
- Elevated credit as Storytelling Partner or Series Partner
- A cinematic Sigma-exclusive narrative edit (5-7 minutes)
- A second exclusive edit focused on the making of the film
- Captures the creative process, logistics, and collaboration
- Highlights the gear, decisions, and people behind the story
- Designed specifically for creator and filmmaker audiences
- Captures the creative process, logistics, and collaboration
- Dedicated behind-the-scenes capture throughout production
- Inclusion in festival circuit materials and screenings where applicable
- Presence across post-production rollout and marketing touch points
Estimated
Budget
- Pre-Production Costs$1,000
Permits, Legal, and Insurance
Gear Insurance: $1000 - Production Costs$11,200
Crew (Traveling & Local)
3 Person Crew: $3,000 (1 Director, 1 Cinematographer, 1 Photographer)Talent and On-Screen Participants
Participant stipends / honorariums: $2,000Travel
International flights/In-country travel: $3,000Accommodations
Hotels / lodging (crew): $2,000 - post-Production Costs$1,000
Editorial
Primary film editing: $2,200 - estimated production total$13,200
- Pre-Production Costs$1,500
Permits, Legal, and Insurance
Location permissions and site access fees: $500
Gear Insurance: $1000 - Production Costs$12,200
Crew (Traveling & Local)
3 Person Crew: $3,000 (1 Director, 1 Cinematographer, BTS Cinematographer)Talent and On-Screen Participants
Participant stipends / honorariums: $2,000Travel
International flights/In-country travel: $4,000Accommodations
Hotels / lodging (crew): $2,000Rentals
Gear Rental: $1,200 - post-Production Costs$3,500
Editorial
Primary film editing: $2,000
BTS Film (Shot on Sigma): $1,500 - Marketing & Distribution (Tier 2 Focus)$6,000
Festival and Screening Costs
Festival submission fees: $1,000Marketing Assets
High-resolution photo selects and usage prep: Included
Social media cutdowns and teasers: IncludedCollateral Marketing and Distribution
Website developed with e-commerce for Prints and Photo Books: $3000
Print Book Designsed with exculsive Sigma Partnership Branding: $2000
Prints: Print on Demand
Photo Books: Print on Demand - estimated production total$23,200