UNBIDDEN is an Emmy Award-winning short film directed, shot and edited by Christopher Cymbalak and Ben Harper on location in Cleveland, Ohio. The docu-narrative tells the story of a U.S. solider's letters to his mother while serving in Iraq and how rowing has helped her cope with his death in 2005 from a roadside bomb. Her desire to keep his memory alive led to the creation of the Nowacki Scholarship Fund, which sponsors individuals in Northeast Ohio training to become police and safety officers.

It started as a local Facebook group to connect adults over 50 wanting to practice martial arts. But it grew beyond their expectations to inspire people of all ages, all over the world, with the message that it's never too late to reinvent yourself, to continue to learn, to grow, to be living proof of what’s possible.

Impact Lives. Inspire Change. Be the Solution. The staff at OhioGuidestone make a difference for families and clients every day.  This employment recruiting video was produced to inspire prospective employees to become a part of the OhioGuidestone family. 

Breakwall Media loves telling a great story and we enjoy working with all kinds of non-profits because the impact they have locally and nationally is often remarkable given their tight budgets and limited resources. We love that a Breakwall Media-produced video will result in greater visibility for the organization in the community and increased donations during fundraising events and campaigns.

Author Carrie Sechel wanted a better way to personally connect with her audience and describe how her latest book, BASE Jump Finding Yourself in an Unfulfilling Professional World., could help them gain the courage to make a major life change. Breakwall Media worked with her to create this visual representation of her message to promote the release of the book.

Breakwall Media was honored to once again work with USAID's Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance for this video production. We traveled to Ethiopia to document the work that local organizations are doing, including providing access to clean water. We were awed by the diversity and beauty of Ethiopia's landscapes and the strength and friendliness of its people, captured in this highlight reel of the 15-day production. 

Cadie was a 15 year-old playing softball when her heart stopped as she slid into 3rd base. Everything had to go right in order for her to survive. Now as a mother, how does she cope knowing her son has the same genetic heart condition that nearly killed her 19 years ago? Working on behalf of the American Heart Association, Breakwall Media produced this intimate look at how one family's brush with tragedy illustrates the need for continued heart research. Originally aired at the 25th anniversary of the Cleveland-area chapter of the American Heart Association’s Heart & Stroke Ball, this vivid and emotional narrative has been nominated for an Emmy Award.

Breakwall Media worked with the Organization of American States (OAS) to produce this engaging look at the Energy and Climate Partnership of the Americas (ECPA). Production took place in Honduras and Costa Rica. 

Breakwall Media loves creating memorable hype wrapup videos for all types of events, from festivals and concerts to corporate conferences and non-profit panel discussions. Contact us to find out how we can showcase your event in new and creative ways!

What is the modern American West really like?  In this short film, we meet the Hampton Family and see how hard work and dedication to family is one of the core values "Out West." They've been ranching on their land in Wyoming for four generations and wouldn't trade their way of life for anything. This vignette was one of a series commissioned for an international audience.

Cleveland Whiskey welcomed hundreds of fans to their Bourbon and Chocolate Open House. Those who braved the cold weather were able to get a tour of the distillery, sample their newest whiskey, "The Eighty-Seven" and meet the team that makes it all happen. Breakwall Media created this short teaser for sharing on social media.

“Service is Everything” Commercial to highlight the brand new design of FFCCU branch locations.

Once denigrated as "rodeo lite", there's nothing easy about this sport that's traditionally competed in by women throughout the American West. Barrel racing requires a lot of practice and daring, but gives its participants back even more than the effort they put in. This short vignette was part of a series on what modern life is like "Out West."  

Breakwall Media covers all kinds of events, including weddings! While we don't film them regularly, we'll always make an exception for the right couple! Kasia & Andy and Julia & Daniel were indeed two of those amazing couples and their wedding days were filled with lots of laughter and happy tears. We were incredibly honored to win the 2016 nationwide International Live Events Association “Esprit” Award for Best Event Filmmaking for the Rossi+Jacobs wedding video!

Breakwall Media was the cinematographer and editor for this production filmed in Tacloban, Philippines immediately following Typhoon Haiyan. It is focused on USAID’s Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART) and their work in providing aid and recovery assistance to the areas devastated. The original videos were edited in only a few hours, with the goal of providing timely updates throughout USAID’s social and traditional media networks. This short film is a compilation of moments from each of the pieces produced in the field.

Can going to the orthodontist be fun? Breakwall Media certainly had a blast collaborating on this upbeat video produced by Seven10 Productions and edited by Chris Cymbalak.

While some parts of the American West are still doing things the same way they have for generations, there are also many modern technologies driving innovation "Out West." In this vignette, we meet some helicopter cowboys and a tough Texan who's been driving the growth in one of the world's largest capacity wind farms. This piece was edited by Chris Cymbalak. 

This series of videos were filmed in advance of the one year anniversary of the devastating earthquake in Haiti. They were commissioned by the U.S. Department of State's Bureau of International Information Programs to show the various ways progress was being made on recovery and were released to the media and shown on television in Haiti and the Dominican Republic. Breakwall Media traveled to Haiti for a week-long production, but due to unrest following disputed election results, filming was limited to only a day and a half. But Breakwall Media finished the series using footage shot by a FlipCam and beautiful photographs from USAID's in-country photographer, Kendra Helmer. 

Breakwall Media traveled to some of the poorest areas of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil to film a 10-minute portion of this 30-minute documentary on the positive influence of soccer on youth around the world, debuting on international television just before the 2010 World Cup. 

Goal! Soccer for a Better Future was edited by Caleb Stewart and produced by Jason Katz.

This short video was filmed in summer 2008 in New Orleans for the Bureau of International Information Programs at the U.S. Department of State. The piece was part of a series designed to show what Americans do with their leisure time. In this case, hundreds of volunteers used their vacations to spend a week in New Orleans helping to build homes for Hurricane Katrina survivors. Still one of our favorites after all this time, this video was shot pre-HD, but we think it holds up pretty well!