Using the art of film for good is not a new idea, but it’s normally seen in the final product — in the actual film. One company is reframing this idea by changing lives through the process of making a film, by creating opportunities for those who need them.
Meet the team at Neighborhood Film Co, one of our keynote speakers from the inaugural Film + Music Conference. They’ve not only become a powerful force in the industry, working with Nike, Coca-Cola, Google, and many more, but they’ve become a powerful force for change for a certain group of people. They’ve instituted an apprentice program for the formerly incarcerated — three people each year — to create work opportunities that didn’t exist before. Neighborhood’s founder Ricky Staub isn’t shy about his thoughts on prison institutions, education, and the modern workforce. We’ll leave the explaining up to him, though. Here’s Ricky in a 2015 TEDx Talk:This is a company that walks the talk. Ricky Staub and the team at Neighborhood Film Co. have been thriving as a production company alongside industry veterans and they’ve done it with formerly incarcerated employees taking an active role in each production — and it’s not just world-class commercials. Recently Neighborhood released The Cage, the first in our Filmsupply Films series, which not only garnered a Staff Pick, but also earned Ricky a Young Director Award at Cannes Lions this June.
Shot in an area that many of its staff grew up in, The Cage is a gripping short film about a young man’s struggle to break free from Philly’s mean streets. As you’ll see in this BTS film, The Cage is fictional, but its subject matter hits close to home for many of the people that apprentice for Neighborhood.It takes a combination of courage and vision to institute such a bold plan, and Neighborhood’s efforts have been paying off with striking short films, commercials, and more. We’re proud to have worked personally with these talented people.
And if you haven’t seen The Cage in its entirety, check it out on our Vimeo page by clicking here.
