Let’s start from the beginning.
Find your story
I was introduced to Lizzy through a fellow producer/EP who coincidentally represented her as an athlete. He had seen a short sports documentary I shot and directed about six years ago called “The Good Wolf,” and we’d kept in casual contact over that time, supporting each other’s work.
It’s a great reminder of why it’s important to take the time to build relationships.
He invited me to meet with Lizzy for coffee during the film’s premiere in Austin in October 2023, where we would have a heart-to-heart conversation about her story, what she wanted to share, and what’s important to her — no pressure, no expectations, no brands.
After really thinking about her story and what she wanted to convey, I suggested a story direction that she could relate to, created a pitch deck, and pitched her story and what we could do to several brands.
They all said no.
But her story really resonated with me as a filmmaker on so many levels. It was about confidence in yourself, about believing that you’re enough, rather than being defined by what you do. Those are all things that continue to challenge me, and I loved how she talked about facing those challenges.
Her message was exactly what I wanted to convey to my four-year-old daughter.
So I said, “Yes.”
3-time Paralympian Lizzy Smith stuns BTS! Follow her on IG here.
Film Development
Over the next six months, I gathered collaborators from previous projects and told them what I wanted to do and why. I outlined a budget that would keep me out of trouble. And that was it. I had no plan, no hope of actually selling. I just knew it had been a long time since I’d done something for my soul, and this was the start.
So where does Invisalign come into the picture?
Lizzy is a brand ambassador and they reached out to me about two weeks before the shoot and we talked about filming her before the Paralympics and she was like, ‘Actually, I’m shooting next week!’ I updated my collaborator deck to an Invisalign-focused deck, showed how the story aligned perfectly with their confidence journey, and sent it to our co-EP who knows their team well.
I didn’t hear back, so I flew to Austin and started filming in May.
Then, on the second day of the three-day production, Invisalign called us on set and said they were interested in the project as it stood and wanted to add a product shot somewhere in the background. Great! Done.
I will also be clear that I did not sell it for a huge amount, but rather for a sum that provided a reasonable salary increase for the cast and crew and did not put a negative strain on my bank account.
Most importantly, it gave Lizzie’s story a platform, and that was the win I was most excited about.
Frame from “Swimming with Butterflies.” Photo by Joe Simon, Color by Ariana Shining Star.
This is not a business model
But why did Invisalign say yes?
Because Lizzy’s story “aligned” with their core marketing theme of confidence (#dadjokes). She already had their attention. The VP of Marketing at Invisalign already liked Lizzy. All completely unrelated to this project.
In short, we were lucky.
But… we were lucky because we all took a chance on something we believed in. We didn’t expect anything in return except a sense of creative fulfillment, the joy of collaboration, and for me in a practical sense, another project to pitch in the future.
In this industry, it’s too hard to rely on external success, whether it’s pitching to brands or getting into festivals. I’ve been chasing it for 14 years and have only had a few glimpses of “success” – certainly not enough to justify the journey.
Filmmaking is a pie-eating contest, so make sure you like what you’re eating.
But what keeps me going is making films out of passion – films that I love and that mean something to me – and that allows me to have a career that I can be satisfied with.
Filmmaking is not a sprint. It’s not a marathon.
It’s a part of our lives, but only a small part. Go on and enjoy it.
Check out Karl’s awesome BTS videos here and here.
