The power of a well-told story cannot be overstated. Stories connect hearts and move people to action. Storytelling and connecting people is something I am deeply passionate about.
Over the last several years, because of my creative work through my main job, organizations and ministries kept asking me to help tell their stories. Maybe it’s because I struggle to say “no.” Or maybe it’s because God put something inside me to deeply desire to participate in their vision through my skillset. So I began partnering with local nonprofits who were doing amazing work, and I realized not only that their vision was compelling and their successes deserved to be told, but that I experienced an unexpected joy in serving them & connecting with them. Time and again, when I shared the finished video with a client, they were amazed, remarking how it was much better than what they had originally planned on doing with their iPhone. Telling compelling stories with excellence became a passion and a focus.
On location with the team at LifeWorks.
There was, however, one tension point: money. Telling these stories is expensive and time-consuming. The equipment, the software, the knowledge, the experience; none of it is easy to come by. And when your passion is serving nonprofits who spend all their time saving money, stretching the dollar, and limiting expenses, there isn’t much margin for ancillary projects. So there I was, caught in the middle, being asked to help these organizations, while working to limit their cost with equipment that was nearing the end of its life. It was an unsustainable model.
Then, in 2024, through the Brethren in Christ regional conference my church belongs to, I was awarded a technology grant that allowed me to significantly upgrade my equipment. It was a windfall for the church and for my ability to tell compelling stories. Now one of those tension points was alleviated. I had cameras and equipment certified to the stringent technical standards of Netflix and Amazon Prime, equipment essentially gifted to me for the purpose of telling the most compelling stories in the most compelling way.
A multi-camera interview, lit and mic’d for broadcast-quality storytelling.
From there, it took only a couple of conversations to give birth to what would become Bridge Productions: a nonprofit storytelling organization that is financially supported by businesses and individuals, with the express purpose of telling professionally produced stories about community good at limited cost to the client. From that, the dream of the Bridge Network was born. The Bridge Networks is a way to connect creatives doing amazing work and looking to make a living with organizations doing amazing work but lacking the funds to have their stories told.
Setting up for a client interview.
That’s where Bridge Productions thrives. We’re supported by the community to tell stories of development, transformation, and impact where we live and we can’t wait to partner with you.
—James Yutzy on behalf of the Bridge team
Have a story worth telling?
Let’s tell your inspiring story together.