UpRise Nashville
The gala film we produced in six days, and helped UpRise Nashville raise $700,000.
The situation
UpRise Nashville was planning its biggest fundraising event in its history and needed one of our testimonial videos to set the tone for the evening. Days after we delivered the video, which featured one of its graduates, UpRise learned she’d been fired — and could not release the video. With less than three weeks before the gala, the team asked if it was possible to shoot, edit, and deliver an entirely new film in time for the event.
Still from Roz’s film for UpRise Nashville.
The challenge
The answer, of course, was yes. As former journalists we’ve faced tougher deadlines, but to get the job done we needed a different approach. Typically, our process allows for a creative treatment, an in-person visit with the subject, and a scout of all the locations where we plan to film. Those, by necessity, got cut from the timeline. Within three days of finishing the old video, we were out filming the new one, and meeting a woman named Roz for the very first time.
When things don’t go according to plan, Barry is the teammate everyone hopes to have. He is creative, flexible, and an incredible problem solver who always finds a way forward. We trust him completely and simply cannot imagine telling UpRise’s stories without him.
What we did
We called together our trusted lightning-strike team and compressed the typical two-day production schedule into one. What we knew was this: Roz, a recent UpRise graduate who’d once been homeless, was graduating from nursing school — and several UpRise staff would be at the ceremony to cheer her on. What we didn’t know was whether it was enough to build out an entire story with a beginning, middle, and end.
On every film we make, we break down the elements we know we’ll need into scenes. And for Roz’s story, if it was going to work, we’d need three scenes that built toward a satisfying ending. We knew her graduation ceremony was the end, so we looked for an opening scene to get into the story. As we talked to Roz about it, she told us she had an appointment that morning to get her makeup done — so we followed her there.
Roz at her makeup appointment.
We delivered the finished video a day early, complete with professional color grading and audio mixing. Did we work some long hours? You bet. But when we take on your project, we become your partners you can depend on to get you across the finish line, no matter what.
Results
$700k
Raised at the 2026 gala
35%
Over the previous year's gala
6Y
A partnership that continues to grow
In their words
The video Stonecastle created about Roz was one of the most powerful moments of our Songs & Stories event. They told her story with such honesty, dignity, and heart and brought our mission to life in a way that words alone never could. Stonecastle didn’t just create a beautiful video. They helped our guests connect with Roz, cheer her accomplishments, and understand why investing in our Leaders matters.
Stills
We hit home runs even when we get thrown a curve ball.
Our team has seen it all. What can we do for you?