MediaStorm
MediaStorm is a privately held, founder-led multimedia production studio and SaaS platform provider founded in 2005, producing documentary films and licensing its interactive storytelling platform to nonprofits, media organizations, and visual storytellers worldwide.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2005
- HeadquartersBrooklyn, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What MediaStorm does
MediaStorm is a privately held multimedia production studio founded in 2005 by Brian Storm in New York. The company operates as a vertically integrated documentary producer, proprietary technology platform provider, and training institution for visual storytellers. Its business spans four revenue streams: client creative and production services for nonprofits, corporations, and media organizations; SaaS licensing of the MediaStorm Platform (an interactive toolset supporting covers, slideshows, playlists, PDF embedding, and AI-powered semantic search across 350+ films); a training catalog including one-day and three-day master classes plus a week-long residential Storytelling Workshop; and a $23.95/year consumer subscription to its documentary publication via Vimeo OnDemand.
The underlying MediaStorm Platform is the technical centerpiece, providing content creators with control over creation, presentation, and monetization of multimedia work. Notable technical components include Filmstrip Cover templates inspired by streaming services, Splash Cover Video Animations, interactive maps, embedded PDF documents, and the 2026 launch of AI Archive Enrichment with semantic search and hybrid retrieval. The platform runs semantic search locally at query time, ingesting AI-extracted metadata (topics, entities, themes, key quotes) across the full film archive. Customer implementations include CatchLight, Pictures of the Year, College Photographer of the Year, ICP Infinity Awards, Photojournalism Archive, and the Seattle AI Film Festival.
MediaStorm's go-to-market combines direct enterprise sales for production services and platform licensing, event-driven demand generation through workshops and conference speaking, and self-serve B2C subscription access. The company maintains a small team of approximately 10-20 people including senior editors, producers, a Creative Director, Director of Distribution, Full Stack Developer, and Business Development Lead. Owner-operator structure under founder Brian Storm with no disclosed external institutional investment.
MediaStorm firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- MediaStorm
- Legal name
- MediaStorm
- Website
- https://mediastorm.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2005
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- MediaStorm is a privately held, founder-led multimedia production studio and SaaS platform provider founded in 2005, producing documentary films and licensing its interactive storytelling platform to nonprofits, media organizations, and visual storytellers worldwide.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
MediaStorm industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Multimedia Production Services
- NAICS
- Postproduction Services and Other Motion Picture and Video Industries (51219), Media Streaming Distribution Services, Social Networks, and Other Media Networks and Content Providers (516210), Broadcasting and Content Providers (516)
- SIC
- Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Production (7812), Services-Prepackaged Software (7372), Services-Allied To Motion Picture Production (7819), Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Distribution (7822)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Branded Documentary / Nonfiction (Corporate & NGO) (MPADADAK)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Remote Review, Approval & Dailies (screening, annotations, version compare) (MPAHANAB), Educational/Instructional Public Media Services (Schools, Distance Learning) (MPABADAH)
Keywords
Where MediaStorm is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Brooklyn
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices3 records
Markets served
MediaStorm business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Creative and Production Services: Full-service multimedia production for clients including documentary films, interactive storytelling, and visual narratives. Serves corporations, nonprofits, media organizations, and causes.
- MediaStorm Platform Licensing: SaaS platform toolset licensing for content creators, organizations, and media companies to create, present, and monetize their visual storytelling. Includes features like covers, slideshows, playlists, and embed functionality.
- Training and Workshops: Master classes, methodology workshops, and storytelling workshops generating revenue from tuition. Includes One-Day Master Class, Methodology Master Class, and Storytelling Workshop programs.
- Publication Subscription: Annual subscription to MediaStorm's curated publication of documentary films and multimedia stories via Vimeo OnDemand.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | Publication Subscription - Annual Access |
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | One-Day Master Class |
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Methodology Master Class (3-day) |
| Freemium | Pay-as-you-go | Storytelling Workshop (tuition-free) |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels5 records
MediaStorm product offering
Product offeringCore offering
MediaStorm is a multimedia production studio that produces award-winning documentary films, interactive storytelling, and visual narratives for corporations, nonprofits, foundations, and media organizations. The company also licenses the proprietary MediaStorm Platform, a SaaS toolset that enables content creators and organizations to host, present, and monetize photojournalism and documentary content via interactive covers, slideshows, playlists, and embedded media. Complementing these is a training business spanning one-day online master classes, three-day methodology master classes, and a week-long residential storytelling workshop.
Product overview
MediaStorm is a multimedia production studio that operates both as a film production company and a technology platform provider. The core product is the MediaStorm Platform, a comprehensive toolset for content creators enabling control over how work is created, viewed, and monetized. This platform supports interactive covers, slideshows, playlists, embedded video, and sophisticated content presentation features. Complementing the platform is a suite of training offerings including the One Day Master Class (online), Methodology Master Class (3-day hybrid), and the intensive week-long Storytelling Workshop (now tuition-free via MPB partnership). The company produces documentary films and series while also building technology that empowers other storytellers to present their work professionally.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- MediaStorm Platform SaaS toolset that enables content creators, organizations, and media companies to create, host, present, and monetize photojournalism, documentary, and multimedia storytelling content. Includes interactive covers, slideshows, playlists, embedded video and PDF documents, and an AI-powered semantic search across the film archive. Targeted at photojournalists, filmmakers, nonprofits, foundations, and media organizations.
- One Day Master Class One-day online workshop delivered via Zoom that provides an overview of documentary video and multimedia storytelling approaches, covering interviewing, editing, and distribution techniques. Taught by founder Brian Storm and targeted at photographers, filmmakers, photojournalists, and multimedia storytellers.
- Methodology Master Class Three-day intensive — available in-person in Los Gatos, California, or online via Zoom — providing behind-the-scenes access to MediaStorm's workflow and storytelling methods, covering both creative and business aspects of digital storytelling. Targeted at photographers, filmmakers, photojournalists, and multimedia storytellers.
- MediaStorm Storytelling Workshop Intensive week-long residential workshop in the Santa Cruz Mountains, California, where participants produce documentary films with the MediaStorm team. Tuition-free thanks to sponsorship by MPB, with participants creating intimate, character-driven documentaries under direct MediaStorm mentorship.
- Online Training Digital educational content including making-of education modules and methodology resources available online for self-paced learning on documentary and multimedia storytelling.
- Back from the Brink (Documentary Film) Documentary film about the resurgence of the Catalina Island Fox, telling the story of one of the greatest conservation successes in United States history; produced for the Catalina Island Conservancy and selected as an Official Selection for the 24th Annual Wild & Scenic Film Festival.
- The Darkroom MCs (Documentary Series) Documentary series showcasing the most important underrepresented photographers of our time. Created and directed by Russell Frederick and Anderson Zaca, premiering on PBS, ALL*ARTS TV, and YouTube.
- Lights in the Shadows (Documentary Film) Documentary film produced during the 2024 MediaStorm Storytelling Workshop following Batman of San Jose and Crimson Fist as they provide outreach to the unhoused community in San Jose. Recognized as a 30th Annual Webby Awards honoree in Video & Film - Documentary: Longform.
- Creative and Production Services Full-service multimedia production service including documentary films, interactive storytelling, and visual narratives. Serves corporations, nonprofits, media organizations, foundations, and causes needing professional visual storytelling to advance their missions.
- MediaStorm Publication Annual Subscription Annual subscription giving individual consumers full access to MediaStorm's curated publication of documentary films and multimedia stories via Vimeo OnDemand, priced at $23.95 per year.
Quantifiable outcome
- Reached millions of viewers with documentary content across platforms
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use MediaStorm
Customer profileNamed customers9 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
MediaStorm technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability6 records
Feature9 records
MediaStorm partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Six partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.
- Culture & CodeminorCulture & Code, a podcast and AI automation company, commissioned MediaStorm to build the Seattle AI Film Festival website. Previously collaborated on visual implementation of 'Burner Face' podcast using MediaStorm Platform.
- MPB (Mobile Photography Bay)minorMPB, a used camera and lens reseller, sponsors the tuition-free MediaStorm Storytelling Workshop. Partnership enables free access to week-long residential workshop in Santa Cruz Mountains, with MPB branding as workshop sponsor.
- CatchLightcoreCatchLight collaborated with MediaStorm on multiple projects including Impact Report website built using MediaStorm Platform and Creative Services. Joint project 'Documenting Dual Eligibility' won Anthem Award.
- International Center of Photography (ICP)coreMediaStorm has produced films for ICP Infinity Awards for multiple years, honoring legacy photographers including Sebastião Salgado's Lifetime Achievement Award (2022). Harbers Studios commissioned films on behalf of ICP.
- Catalina Island ConservancyminorCatalina Island Conservancy engaged MediaStorm to produce 'Back from the Brink' documentary about the Catalina Island Fox recovery. Film was selected for Wild & Scenic Film Festival.
- Harbers StudiosminorHarbers Studios commissioned MediaStorm, on behalf of ICP, to create short films for Infinity Awards ceremony honoring recipients across photography categories.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
MediaStorm competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- DocSociety: Nonprofit organization that supports documentary impact campaigns and filmmakers globally. Directly comparable to MediaStorm because both operate at the intersection of documentary production, impact storytelling, and training/resources for documentary makers, with overlapping nonprofit/foundation client bases.
- Participant Media: Media company dedicated to documentary and narrative content that inspires social impact. Comparable to MediaStorm because both produce documentary films for nonprofit and impact-oriented clients, leveraging storytelling to drive mission-driven outcomes, though Participant operates at significantly larger scale.
- Kartemquin Films: Independent documentary production house producing Emmy-winning social issue films for 50+ years. Directly comparable to MediaStorm because both are documentary-first production studios serving nonprofit and impact-driven clients with a mission-oriented, founder-led organizational model.
- Passion Pictures: Academy Award-winning documentary and branded content production company. Comparable to MediaStorm because both produce high-end documentary films and branded storytelling content for foundations, NGOs, and corporate clients, with similar production values and award-winning credentials.
- StoryCorps: Nonprofit organization dedicated to recording and preserving personal stories. Comparable to MediaStorm because both are mission-driven, nonprofit-facing storytelling organizations that produce documentary-style content for social impact, though StoryCorps focuses specifically on oral history interviews.
- Field of Vision: Filmmaker-driven documentary unit producing short-form documentary films for impact. Comparable to MediaStorm because both produce short-form documentary content for social impact causes, often collaborating with independent filmmakers, though Field of Vision operates as a filmmaker collective.
Broad incumbents
- Vimeo: Video hosting, streaming, and OTT platform that already powers MediaStorm's publication subscription via Vimeo OnDemand. Comparable to MediaStorm Platform because both serve content creators with video hosting, monetization, and presentation tools, though Vimeo operates at vastly broader scale across many verticals.
- Brightcove: Enterprise video platform serving media companies, broadcasters, and brands. Comparable to MediaStorm Platform because both provide video hosting, monetization, and distribution infrastructure, though Brightcove targets large enterprise customers while MediaStorm focuses on visual storytelling creators.
Emerging players
- Wistia: Video hosting and marketing platform focused on businesses and creators. Comparable to MediaStorm Platform because both offer video hosting, embedding, and presentation tools targeted at content creators and organizations, though Wistia focuses more on marketing video while MediaStorm emphasizes documentary storytelling.
Regional players
- Dogwoof: Independent documentary sales, distribution, and production company based in the UK. Comparable to MediaStorm because both operate in the impact documentary space, though Dogwoof focuses on theatrical distribution and sales while MediaStorm emphasizes production services and platform technology.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
MediaStorm social profiles
Digital presenceMediaStorm financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
MediaStorm leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles6 records
MediaStorm funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
MediaStorm M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about MediaStorm
What does MediaStorm do?
MediaStorm is a multimedia production studio that produces award-winning documentary films, interactive storytelling, and visual narratives for corporations, nonprofits, foundations, and media organizations. The company also licenses the proprietary MediaStorm Platform, a SaaS toolset that enables content creators and organizations to host, present, and monetize photojournalism and documentary content via interactive covers, slideshows, playlists, and embedded media. Complementing these is a training business spanning one-day online master classes, three-day methodology master classes, and a week-long residential storytelling workshop.
Is MediaStorm a public or private company?
MediaStorm is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was MediaStorm founded?
MediaStorm was founded in 2005. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is MediaStorm based?
MediaStorm is headquartered in Brooklyn, United States, in the North America region.
How does MediaStorm make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Creative and Production Services are the primary driver. The others are mediaStorm Platform Licensing, training and Workshops and publication Subscription.
Who are MediaStorm's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are DocSociety, Participant Media, Kartemquin Films, Passion Pictures, StoryCorps and Field of Vision. Broad incumbents are Vimeo and Brightcove. Wistia is listed as an emerging player. Dogwoof is listed as a regional player.
Does MediaStorm have an API?
No public API is recorded for MediaStorm.
What industry is MediaStorm in?
MediaStorm's product category is Multimedia Production Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPADADAK, Branded Documentary / Nonfiction (Corporate & NGO), with a secondary code of MPAHANAB, Remote Review, Approval & Dailies (screening, annotations, version compare). Its NAICS code is 51219 and its SIC code is 7812.