Who Are We?

About

We’re a video production outfit based in Bellingham, Washington that specializes in video production for the outdoor industry. Since 2015, we’ve been telling stories and helping brands make meaningful connections to their audience. Our mission is simple: Tell stories that move people.

Stories can be told in all shapes and sizes but the work we do generally falls into two disciplines: commercial and documentary filmmaking. We can manage the creative, pre-production, production, and post-production of each project to ensure a streamlined process for our clients from start to finish.

The outdoors never cease to amaze us but amongst that beauty is a constant state of change. We’ve structured our business, processes, and staffing to adapt to the outdoors and the specific task at hand. Our team consists of professionals who are experts in their craft and competent in the outdoors.  We’re equally comfortable dangling from a rope or post-holing through the snow.

After producing over 150 episodes on the Backcountry Marketing Podcast, we’ve realized a simple truth. Marketing is storytelling. We believe that storytelling when combined with an effective marketing strategy has an incredible ability to move people, transform a brand and increase sales .  If you work at a brand or agency in the outdoor world and you need help leveraging the power of storytelling, let’s chat more and see if we’re a good fit for each other.

Capabilities

  • Strategy
  • Concept Development
  • Scripting
  • Pre-Production
  • Shot Listing
  • Storyboarding
  • Moodboarding
  • 4k + RAW Capture
  • Aerial Cinematography
  • CableCam Cinematography
  • Editing
  • Color Grade
  • Sound Design
  • Visual Effects
  • Format Cut Downs

Our Process

1. Base Camp

Clients typically come to use either two ways. 1) they have a project they need help with or 2) they come to us with a challenge to help overcome. We work with you to establish the goal of your piece, understand key background information, and equip ourselves with the tools we will need to begin our ascent. We know that no two organizations are exactly alike. That’s why we take the time to understand not just the goals of the piece but the challenges you face organizationally. Then, together, we craft a plan specifically suited to meet your needs.

2. AScent

This is where our unique knowledge and skills shine. With your knowledge of your company and our ability to bridge the gap between marketing and storytelling, we will identify and develop a story that harnesses the power of film to achieve brand objectives. We will dig into the resources you provide, conduct discovery sessions and interview potential subjects, seeking a story that has emotional power while achieving your goals. Whether we're creating a feature documentary or launching a new product, we collaborate with you to develop a story that works within your marketing plan.

3. Summit

As we near the end of the ascent, it’s time for the summit push. This is where most other video production companies begin: pre-production, production, and post-production. But to us, this is the final stretch. From here on out it's a matter of executing the plan we've crafted together.


Curious what Happens Next?

If you'd like to learn more about us, our work, what makes us tick, check out our Behind the Scenes content for a deepr diver.

Cole and the team at Port Side have been among the most productive, collaborative, and creative teams we’ve ever worked with. They are exceptionally organized and kept the complex and challenging project on track no matter the obstacles, which were many! They were tremendously attentive to our creative vision and needs and willing to offer insight and suggestions based on their experience and storytelling expertise. Their communication was impeccable. It was clear our team had the opportunity to offer input and make suggestions at every turn of the project. As if this weren’t enough, the project itself is visually stunning, with cinematic qualities beyond our expectations. Not to mention the powerful storytelling that marries the visual experience. We are so proud of the project and the story it tells. We could not have done it without the talent, hard work, and organization of the team at Port Side. It was an absolute pleasure to work with them. They took on an incredibly daunting task, which included our inexperience, and made it an experience we hope to do many more times.

Mason Gravley

Lead Adventurer, Athletic Brewing Company

“I reached out to Port Side Productions for their help in leveraging an already-shot project in a new and exciting way. Pushing content beyond its original intent is never easy, and Cole’s team took on this challenge to find creative solutions and they did so with efficiency. The project had stunning photography, but it was the team at Port Side that pulled together a strong narrative thread. They did a fantastic job of taking a massive and unrelatable athletic feat, and humanized it through personalized storytelling.”

Stephen Matthews

Content Production Manager, SRAM

I’ve worked with Cole and the team at Port Side for over a year now and have been super impressed with them. They are smart, fast, authentic, humble, respectful, resourceful, creative, and highly communicative. They are a thorough group that gets it and does what it takes to get the job done. I’ve literally worked with hundreds of agencies and creative partners throughout my career, and I can honestly say they are awesome. I would highly encourage you to work with them if you have a project in their wheelhouse. When I first met Cole, the roles were reversed. He invited me to be on HIS podcast. I was his guest. He was so pro, and really made me feel comfortable. His approach, mannerisms, communication and respect were amazing. His curiosity was genuine and intelligent. Fast forward a couple years, and when I had an idea for a podcast, and promotions to support it, there was nobody I was going to turn to but Cole and Port Side. He quickly put together an A-team of insiders and partners to execute and they nailed it. I’m so happy, and stoked to be working with this team. They only mistake you might make is NOT hiring them for something!

David Zimberoff - VP of Marketing

SRAM

“From start to finish, Port Side Productions exuded creativity, professionalism, and execution. Cole and his team were easy to work with and adapted quickly to changing variables. They delivered a top-notch video that perfectly captured our vision.”

Ross Roberts - TruckVault

Creative Director

Cole and the team are on their P's and Q's. Organized and efficient. They know how to honor the core narrative at play and have have all the editing tricks in their bag, to boot.

Ryan Shepard

Account Strategist at We Are Unicorns

"We worked with Port Side Productions on a video shoot for our hotel company, highlighting a musical artist who is a brand ambassador for our company. Cole and his team were incredible to work with. They were professional, organized, brought great ideas, and worked within our budget and delivered exactly when they promised. We have received really positive feedback on the video, and we look forward to working with Port Side on future projects."

Gavin Burns

Head of Business Development at LOGE Camps

Cole was an absolute pleasure to work with. He's professional, came to the table with impactful ideas and turned around a finished product ahead of schedule. His capabilities in videography and editing speak for themselves. Needles to say, we’d love to work with Cole again!

Aron Bosworth

Chief Content Officer, Outdoor Project

Cole and his team were fantastic to work with. I would highly recommend Portside Productions to anyone looking for a creative team that really listens to what you want and goes the extra mile to make sure you get it. They were great communicators throughout the process. They not only created an awesome promo video for our event - Bellingham Bay Marathon - they also handled all of our live social media needs on event day in a fun and professional manner that people really responded to. We will definitely be looking for ways to work with Port Side again in the future

Brooke Larrabee

Bellingham Bay Marathon

Clients and Partners

Cascadia Vehicle Tents logoSRAM logoFreehub Magazine logoLOGE logoIZIP logoMammut Logo
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