4Front Studios Partnerships

More Than Filmmaking.

We help organizations turn important business moments into stories that create clarity, build trust, and move people to act.

Most companies come to us asking for a video.

But the real need is usually deeper: clarity, trust, credibility, recruitment, fundraising, sales support, or action.

That is where a 4Front partnership begins.

We do not start with cameras or deliverables. We start with the business outcome: what needs to change, who needs to believe something different, and what action needs to happen.

The examples below show how a surface-level request became a stronger strategic opportunity.

Case Study: Anthem Film — Brookings Regional Growth Alliance | The Spirit of Brookings

Four organizations. One shared vision. A community ready to write its next chapter. When the Brookings Area Chamber of Commerce, Brookings Economic Development Corp., Downtown Brookings, and Visit Brookings merged into a single entity — the Brookings Regional Growth Alliance — they didn’t just need a video. They needed a story powerful enough to launch a new identity and prove that Brookings, SD was a community on the rise.

The Client’s Ask: “Our city commercial feels outdated and too long. We need something fresh.”
The Deeper Problem: This wasn’t a refresh — it was a rebirth. The Brookings Regional Growth Alliance was a brand new entity built from four legacy organizations, and the stakes were higher than anyone initially framed it. The old commercial leaned on the same familiar faces and the same tired narrative. If the new film did the same, it would signal more of the same — not a bold new direction. They didn’t need a shorter version of what already existed. They needed a story that could carry the weight of an entirely new chapter.
Our Strategic Approach: Through our Storyfinding process, we challenged the instinct to spotlight the historically known stakeholders and instead went looking for the voices the community hadn’t heard yet — the people living the story of Brookings from the inside out. What emerged was a richer, more energetic portrait of a city in motion. We helped the Alliance define not just what they wanted to say, but who could say it best — and built the film around those new faces and fresh perspectives.
The Result: The Spirit of Brookings — an anthem brand film that captures the vibrancy, momentum, and character of a community that refused to stand still. It gave the Brookings Regional Growth Alliance a launch asset that didn’t just announce their arrival — it made people feel it.

Case Study: Brand Film — Koch Hazard Architects | A New Chapter

An architecture firm 65 years in the making. And a milestone approaching that most companies would spend on a party. What began as a conversation about anniversary marketing became a bold reintroduction of one of the region’s most accomplished firms — and a declaration of where they’re headed next.

The Client’s Ask: “We want to refresh our marketing outreach as we approach our 65th anniversary.”
The Deeper Problem: Koch Hazard had decades of work, relationships, and trust built into the fabric of this community. But a milestone video would honor the past — and immediately become obsolete. Celebrating 65 years was the easy answer. What the firm actually needed wasn’t a celebration. It was a repositioning.
Our Strategic Approach: Rather than wait until the anniversary was on the doorstep, we recommended starting early — giving the story room to breathe and the firm time to clarify its own voice. Through our Storyfinding process, we connected with their clients and stakeholders to find the real throughline: not 65 years of history, but 65 years of proof. From those conversations, we built a brand film that honored their origins while positioning the firm boldly toward what’s next.
The Result: A brand film that doesn’t just mark a milestone — it uses one as a launching pad. Koch Hazard enters their next chapter with a story that reintroduces the firm to the Sioux Falls community on their own terms: anchored in legacy, pointed firmly at the future.

Case Study: Brand Film — Paul TenHaken | The Leadership Arena

A city’s mayor. A company’s founder. A man stepping into his next chapter on a national stage. What began as a request for a speaker sizzle reel became something far more powerful — a cinematic brand film that introduced a proven leader to an entire country that didn’t yet know his name.

The Client’s Ask: “I need a sizzle reel to promote my speaking career as I transition out of the mayor’s office.”
The Deeper Problem: A sizzle reel would have resonated with audiences in Sioux Falls — people who already knew Paul. But his goal was national. To build credibility with rooms full of people who had never heard of him, he needed more than highlights. He needed proof — proof of his character, his leadership, and his impact, told through the people who witnessed it firsthand.
Our Strategic Approach: We recommended shifting from a sizzle reel to a full brand film. Through our Storyfinding process, we identified the people closest to Paul’s journey — professional colleagues, city officials, and community leaders — and gathered their stories before a single camera was turned on. What emerged wasn’t a career recap. It was a portrait of a leader defined by authenticity, service, and the ability to bring people together through crisis and change.
The Result: A brand film that travels with Paul wherever he goes. By building his credibility through the voices of those who know him best, it introduces him to new audiences as a trusted, proven leader — giving him a compelling asset to anchor his speaking platform and open doors across the country.

Case Study: Impact Film — FeedFlo + Mogler Farms | Farming Smarter, Not Harder

A fifth-generation pig farm in rural Iowa. A Canadian tech startup disrupting agriculture. And a story that was never really about software — it was about legacy. What began as a request for a simple testimonial became an impact film that gave FeedFlo their most powerful sales and fundraising asset.

The Client’s Ask: “We need a testimonial video featuring Mogler Farms to show our product works.”
The Deeper Problem: FeedFlo wasn’t just selling a feed sensor — they were selling a new future for family farming. Their goal was to move from early adopters to the mainstream market, and eventually land the industry’s biggest players. A talking-head testimonial wouldn’t move that needle. They needed a story that made farmers feel something before they ever ran the numbers.
Our Strategic Approach: We spent a full day at Pig Hill Farm before a single camera was turned on. Through our Storyfinding process, we listened to the Mogler family — their history, their hesitations, and the moment things changed. What we discovered was the real story: a family carrying five generations of tradition who found that embracing technology wasn’t a departure from their legacy, it was the only way to protect it.
The Result: An impact film built around one of FeedFlo’s most compelling visionary clients — giving them a story that resonates with farmers across the country while positioning them as a true partner to the agricultural community, not just a tech vendor.

Case Study: Culture Film — RP Constructors | The Invitation to Mastery

A construction firm sending crews across the country for months at a time. Elite work, a dedicated workforce — and a talent pipeline that couldn’t keep pace with either. RP Constructors came to 4Front about a podcast. What they really needed was a story powerful enough to make the right people say yes before they ever filled out an application.

The Client’s Ask: “We want to produce an internal podcast.”
The Deeper Problem: RP Constructors doesn’t build ordinary projects — and the lifestyle isn’t for everyone. Crews deploy for extended periods, traveling to some of the most demanding job sites in the country. Recruiting for that life takes more than an ad. It takes proof — the kind only the people already living it could provide. A podcast couldn’t get there. A standard ad campaign couldn’t either.
Our Strategic Approach: We led RP through a comprehensive Storyfinding process — conducting more than 16 interviews across their entire organization, from field laborers to superintendents. What emerged wasn’t a collection of endorsements but a portrait of a culture built on grit, craft, and brotherhood forged in the field. From those conversations, we identified the characters and stories that would speak directly to the talent RP needed — and built the entire campaign around them.
The Result: A culture film that gives RP Constructors what no ad campaign ever could — proof of life. Prospective hires don’t just hear about the work; they see the people doing it and feel the culture surrounding it, giving RP their most powerful recruiting asset.

Case Study: Gala Film Series — South Dakota Symphony Orchestra | Beyond the Stage

An orchestra that has shaped the cultural identity of Sioux Falls for decades. An annual fundraising gala where a single ask video had always been the closing act. And a relationship deep enough to ask a different question — what if the story didn’t just close the night, but carried the whole room to that moment? What began as another ask video became a complete narrative strategy that transformed how the SDSO told their story from beginning to end.

The Client’s Ask: “We need a video to support our annual fundraising gala.”
The Deeper Problem: A single ask video at the end of the night does one job — it asks. But donors arrive with varying degrees of connection to the SDSO’s mission, and by the time the ask arrives, the room’s emotional temperature is already set. Without intentional storytelling woven throughout the evening, the most powerful moment of the night was being asked to carry all the weight alone.
Our Strategic Approach: Building off the trust we developed from working with the SDSO in prior years, we recommended they trust us to help curate the evening’s programming through a series of short films built around the gala’s theme — Beyond the Stage. The series opened by honoring the audience: recognizing their contributions and making them proud of what the SDSO had built together. It then invited them behind the curtain to see the Lakota Music Project — one of the orchestra’s most meaningful community programs. The final film closed not with a traditional ask, but an invitation to become part of a living legacy.
The Result: The gala ran smoother than it ever had — and the mission moment that closed the evening raised over $71,000 in just 8 minutes. When the story is built with intention from the first frame to the last, the ask takes care of itself.

Case Study: Artist Film — Joe Schaeffer | Where Design Meets Art

A graphic design professor. A fine artist. A gallery owner. Joe Schaeffer has spent his career existing at the intersection of two worlds that rarely speak to each other — and most people didn’t know it. What began as a request to capture a few testimonials for his website became a portrait film that gave Joe the platform to introduce himself to the world on his own terms.

The Client’s Ask: “Can you film a few people saying nice things about my art for my website?”
The Deeper Problem: Joe wasn’t trying to reach a general audience — he needed to earn the attention of elite curators, tastemakers, and collectors who operate in a world where credibility is everything. A string of testimonials wouldn’t establish that. He needed a film that communicated his vision, his depth, and the rare space he occupies where commercial design and fine art converge..
Our Strategic Approach: Rather than let others simply describe Joe, we put Joe at the center of his own story. Through our Storyfinding process, we uncovered the throughline that defined his journey — from accidental discovery of his father’s design portfolio, to professor, to painter, to gallery founder. Then we layered in the voices of those who had witnessed his evolution firsthand, building a narrative that positioned him not just as an artist, but as a movement.
The Result: An artist film that travels with Joe into every room that matters. It doesn’t just show his work — it communicates his world, his philosophy, and his trajectory, giving collectors and curators exactly what they need to take him seriously.

LET’S MAKE IT HAPPEN.

605.360.7842

114 S Main Ave, Suite 220

Sioux Falls, SD 57104