Affordable Homes, Lasting Impact

We just wrapped our annual video for Habitat for Humanity East Bay/Silicon Valley. At Brookfield Court, where Jimmy Carter helped build 12 homes in 2013, staff Krys Morganthaler and Ben Grubb reflected on the incredible impact of volunteers and donors in making affordable homeownership possible. Today, Brookfield Court is a thriving neighborhood and a living reminder of how community effort can change lives.

Inside UC Berkeley’s MCS Speaker Series

This semester, Fine Grain Pictures filmed ten incredible speakers at UC Berkeley’s Masters of Climate Solutions program, from climate investor Tom Steyer to marine biologist and policy expert Ayana Elizabeth Johnson. Students got to engage directly with environmental leaders, and we captured it all! Soon, we’ll be sharing bite-sized clips from each speaker—your sneak peek into what it’s like to be an MCS student.

Community Power at work

This week we filmed a video showcasing how local leadership and workforce training are powering California’s clean energy future. In Richmond, we captured a heat pump installation with Larry Waters, founder of Electrify My Home, and newly trained electrician Imonii Solario. In San Rafael, we visited Marin Clean Energy (MCE), a public, not‑for‑profit energy provider delivering clean, affordable, and locally controlled electricity. MCE reinvests revenue into communities, supports renewable energy programs, and trains workers for in-demand careers like home electrification. Produced with Canary Media, the video also features interviews with MCE leadership including CEO Dawn Weisz, and Board Member Devin Murphy, highlighting how community-driven energy is creating local jobs, cutting emissions, and advancing a cleaner, sustainable future.

Higher education reimagined

We had the exciting opportunity to film the Western Governors University (WGU) conference in Stockton, capturing an event dedicated to innovation and lifelong learning. WGU’s mission is to expand access to quality, affordable higher education for adult learners, using a competency-based approach that lets students advance at their own pace while mastering skills that matter most in today’s workforce.

The conference highlighted WGU’s student-centered philosophy, with engaging panels, interactive workshops, and meaningful conversations that reflected the university’s commitment to practical, real-world learning. Filming the event allowed us to showcase the energy, collaboration, and dedication that make WGU a leader in redefining higher education.

Berkeley Lights Up for Clean Energy

Fine Grain Pictures was back in Berkeley last night to film Canary Live, Canary Media’s annual Bay Area event at Freight & Salvage, where the clean energy community came together for a high-energy night. The program featured lively conversations with leaders like David Hochschild of the California Energy Commission, Kim-Mai Cutler of Initialized Capital, Mark Toney of The Utility Reform Network, David Roberts of Volts, and Canary Media’s Julian Spector and Jeff St. John. Along with capturing the buzz of the room and the moments on stage, our team filmed interviews with both attendees and panelists to create video coverage that brings the excitement of the night to life.

Service in Action

Today we filmed at Brookfield Court, a Habitat for Humanity development in Oakland that holds a special place in President Jimmy Carter’s long history of service. For 40 years, Carter volunteered with Habitat for Humanity, building homes and inspiring countless others to do the same. We sat down with Krys Morganthaler and Benjamin Grubb, who shared heartfelt memories of working alongside Carter on volunteer builds. We also spoke with Basudeb Dey, a homeowner who built his own house here with Carter by his side. Hearing their stories was a moving reminder of how one person’s dedication can ripple out through families and communities. It is a legacy we were honored to help capture and preserve.

Under the hood with ALLDATA

Yesterday we spent the day with ALLDATA in Sacramento, filming at a brand-new, state-of-the-art mechanics garage on the American River College campus. It was the perfect backdrop to capture the cars, the tech, and the people who are shaping the future of automotive repair. The footage from this shoot will make its debut at a major automotive event in Las Vegas, where thousands of industry professionals will get a first look.

A Bay Area Hub for Play, Sports, and Connection

We recently spent a day at Strawberry Recreation District in Marin County, cameras in hand (and drones in the air). What a spot! From the swimming pool and tennis courts to baseball fields, basketball courts, children’s camps, and tucked-away pocket parks, there’s something for everyone here. Strawberry Recreation District is one of those places that reminds us why we love filming in the Bay Area. It’s vibrant, welcoming, and surrounded by natural beauty!

On Location in Louisville, KY

Last week our team at Fine Grain Pictures had the privilege of traveling with producer/musician Marc Capelle to Louisville, Kentucky, as part of our ongoing work on a documentary about the influential Trappist monk and writer Thomas Merton.

Our journey took us to the Thomas Merton Center at Bellarmine University, where we conducted in-depth research into Merton’s writings, correspondence, and legacy. The center houses a remarkable archive that gave us deeper insight into the spiritual and social dimensions of Merton’s life.

We also captured stunning aerial drone footage of downtown Louisville—where Merton experienced his famous moment of spiritual awakening on the corner of Fourth and Walnut—as well as the peaceful grounds of Gethsemani Abbey, where he lived for 27 years as a Trappist monk.

It was a moving experience to walk the same paths Merton once did, and to begin stitching together the visual and emotional landscape of a figure who still speaks so powerfully to the world today. Stay tuned for more behind-the-scenes updates as this project continues to unfold.

A Day of Impact: TEDx & Tacos

Today our production team filmed TEDx & Tacos, a one-of-a-kind event that brought together powerful ideas, bold Filipino flavors, and a strong sense of community. We captured inspiring talks from local voices and youth leaders, including host Mary Claire Delgado, fresh off her TEDx debut in Manila. With every taco served and every story shared, the event fostered connection and raised crucial funds to support Oakland’s unhoused neighbors. We’re proud to have helped preserve such a meaningful and memorable day on film.

Resource Renewal in Marysville

We’ve just wrapped filming the final interviews for our short film on Resource Renewal Institute’s Fish in the Fields project, a pioneering fish-and-rice co-cultivation initiative. Our conversations with Deb Moskowitz (President) and Chance Cutrano (Director of Programs) took place in the neon-green rice fields of Marysville—the very farm where their research journey began. With filming complete, we’re now turning to the editing phase to shape the story behind this innovative project.

The Future of Cybersecurity

Fine Grain Pictures was delighted to partner with DeepTempo, one of just three finalists in the 2025 Snowflake Startup Challenge. They’re rethinking how cybersecurity works by using AI to make it easier for companies to detect and respond to threats faster and more efficiently. They’re also the first cybersecurity company to build a fully integrated app on Snowflake, making their solution both powerful and easy to deploy. Our job was to capture all of that innovation in a tight, engaging video that helped them stand out on a global stage and we were proud to help tell their story.

A New Strategy for Supporting Literacy

Last week, we had the exciting opportunity to film inside an elementary school classroom in the Oakland Unified School District to create a new teacher training video focused on literacy instruction. The video showcases a dynamic small-group model, featuring one teacher-led group, one student-led group, and one independent group — all designed to foster deeper engagement and differentiated learning. Each group rotates throughout the session, giving students varied ways to build literacy skills while allowing educators to target instruction. This real-classroom footage will serve as a practical, inspiring tool for teachers across the district.

Women's Leadership Build 2025

We had a great time diving into Habitat for Humanity East Bay/Silicon Valley’s Women’s Leadership Build at Sequoia Grove in Hayward, a powerful annual event where women come together to build affordable homes for local families. Since the groundbreaking last fall, the site has been buzzing with energy and transformation. Today, volunteers were roofing, framing, and raising walls, making significant strides toward completing these future homes. It was inspiring to witness skilled hands at work and steady collaboration, all driven by a shared commitment to building something lasting.

Approaching Gender Parity in the CA Legislature

Today FGP was in Sacramento on the capitol steps with Elevate Public Affairs filming a press conference for Close the Gap California. Led by powerhouse Susannah Delano, Close the Gap recruits and partners with diverse progressive women with the goal of achieving gender parity in the California State Legislature by 2028. Less than a decade ago, only 26 of 120 California legislators were female. Today 58 women are now serving – a historic high of 48% – so their efforts are paying off! We got to interview legislative superstars Cecilia Aguilar-Curry, Aisha Wahab, Susan Rubio, Pilar Schiavo, and Susanna Delano and feel the buzz and excitement as Close the Gap closes in on its goal.

Fish in the Fields

This week FGP was in Arkansas documenting Resource Renewal’s third annual Fish in the Fields Harvest! RRI’s Fish in the Fields project adapts the ancient practice of rice/fish co-cultivation to modern agricultural practices by raising small fish in winter-flooded rice fields. This process reduces the demand on our oceans for fish, decreases methane emissions, builds biodiversity, enriches the rice fields, and provides an added revenue stream to rural communities.

Scaling Hyper-efficiency

Harvest is expanding to multifamily developments, starting with Eden Palms, an affordable housing community in San Jose. Eden Housing serves 22,000 people in California, providing high-quality housing for low to moderate-income families, seniors, veterans, people living with disabilities, and the formerly homeless. By partnering with Eden, Harvest will bring more savings to more residents and reduce greenhouse gases on an even larger scale.