What Scribe Video Center, Inc. does

Scribe Video Center, Inc. is a non-profit media arts organization founded in 1982 and headquartered at 3908 Lancaster Avenue in West Philadelphia. Its mission is participatory community filmmaking, providing education, equipment, exhibition venues, and fiscal sponsorship to independent media makers in the greater Philadelphia region. Core programs include the Precious Places Community History Project (100+ community-produced documentaries with neighborhood groups from Philadelphia, Chester, Ardmore, and Camden), the Documentary History Project for Youth (DHPY) for middle and high school students, the Film Scholars Program for emerging documentary filmmakers (capped at 12 participants), Street Movies! (an annual outdoor neighborhood screening series now in its 27th year), the new North Philadelphia History Festival, and the WPEB community radio station broadcasting at 88.1 FM and 95.1 FM. Additional community projects include Power Politics (oral histories of political empowerment), Muslim Voices, Community Visions, and Great Migration initiatives.

The underlying technology stack is conventional digital media production infrastructure: Adobe Premiere Pro and AfterEffects for editing instruction, standard video/audio equipment (cameras, lights, microphones, drones, projectors), and broadcast facilities for WPEB radio. Scribe does not develop proprietary software platforms; its differentiation is built on community relationships, a 40+ year archive of neighborhood oral histories, and curated exhibition/distribution channels including WHYY/PBS, Philadelphia Film Festival, and BlackStar Film Festival.

Revenue is generated through a diversified set of small-ticket streams: workshop fees ($30–$150 per workshop; $500 for Film Scholars), membership dues, screening admissions ($3–$8), DVD sales to educational and institutional buyers ($5.95–$139), space rental, a 4.25% fiscal sponsorship fee on contributions to sponsored projects, and grants/donations from foundations (Hamilton Family Trust, Rosenlund Family Foundation, People's Media Fund) and federal arts agencies (National Endowment for the Arts). Customer segments span independent filmmakers, youth, community organizations, educational institutions (Higher Ed, K-12, public libraries), and West Philadelphia residents. The organization operates a multi-channel marketing presence across email (Mailchimp), social platforms (Facebook, Twitter/X, Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube, Vimeo, Tumblr, Patreon), community partnerships, and earned media.

Name

Scribe Video Center, Inc.

Legal name

Scribe Video Center, Inc.

Website

https://scribe.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1982

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Scribe Video Center is a 1982-founded non-profit media arts center in West Philadelphia that provides participatory community filmmaking education, equipment, exhibition venues, and fiscal sponsorship to independent media makers, youth, and neighborhood groups across the greater Philadelphia region.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Media Arts Education

NAICS

Radio and Television Broadcasting Stations (5161), Motion Picture and Sound Recording Industries (512)

SIC

Radio Broadcasting Stations (4832), Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Production (7812)

akta.pro primary industry

Media Arts & Film/Photography Nonprofits (BPAGAHAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

National Public Radio Networks & Member Stations (NPR-style) (MPABADAB), Media Center & Audiovisual Lending Operations (Equipment Checkout, Production Support) (EDAEAGAG), Educational/Instructional Public Media Services (Schools, Distance Learning) (MPABADAH)

Keywords

• Community media arts
• Documentary filmmaking education
• Media arts workshops
• Community radio broadcasting
• Fiscal sponsorship services

Headquarters

HQ city

Philadelphia

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Programming, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Workshop Fees: Fees charged for workshops on filmmaking, editing, audio production, animation, scriptwriting, and other media arts skills. Pricing varies by workshop with member discounts available.
2. Video/DVD Sales: Sale of documentary DVDs through catalogue, including individual films and compilation volumes from Precious Places and Documentary History Project for Youth programs.
3. Membership Dues: Annual membership fees providing access to programs, workshops at discounted rates, equipment use, and other member benefits.
4. Screening Admissions: Ticket sales for film screenings, producers' forums, and special events. Pricing typically $5-$8 for general admission with discounts for students, seniors, and members.
5. Fiscal Sponsorship Fees: Administration fee of 4.25% of contributions for providing non-profit tax-exempt umbrella status to independent media arts projects.
6. Space Rental: Rental of multi-purpose space for private events including seminars, screenings, and community meetings. Includes access to audio-visual equipment.
7. Donations and Grants: Contributions from supporters, foundations, and government arts agencies to support community media programs.

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels11 records

Core offering

Scribe Video Center is a non-profit community media arts center founded in 1982 in West Philadelphia that teaches participatory documentary video-making as a way to bring voice to communities. It operates hands-on filmmaking workshops, runs the WPEB 88.1 FM community radio station, produces documentary films and oral history projects, hosts public screenings and film series, and provides fiscal sponsorship and equipment/space rentals to support independent media makers.

Product overview

Scribe Video Center is a non-profit media arts center founded in 1982, offering participatory community filmmaking programs. Its core offerings include workshops teaching video, film, audio, radio, animation, motion graphics, and editing skills; film screenings through Storyville, Producers' Forum, Body of Work, and the annual Street Movies! outdoor series; community history documentation through the Precious Places Community History Project (100+ documentaries with neighborhood groups); the Documentary History Project for Youth (annual workshop for middle and high school students); the Film Scholars Program (multi-course documentary filmmaker training); WPEB community radio broadcasting on 88.1 FM and 95.1 FM; and community projects including Power Politics oral histories and the North Philadelphia History Festival. Support services include equipment rental, space rental, fiscal sponsorship for independent media projects, the Student Media Makers Fund, and the Independent Media Fund. The organization operates from its West Philadelphia location at 3908 Lancaster Avenue.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• WPEB 88.1FM / 95.1FM: Member-supported, noncommercial community radio station providing local, progressive, and accountable media outlet serving West Philadelphia's diverse communities
• Precious Places Community History Project
• Documentary History Project for Youth (DHPY)
• Film Scholars Program
• Storyville
• Producers' Forum
• Street Movies!

Products and services

• Documentary Filmmaking Workshops

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 100 community histories produced through Precious Places
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• WHYY-TV (PBS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing broadcast partnership with Philadelphia's PBS affiliate for airing documentary productions including Precious Places and DHPY films.
• Philadelphia Film FestivalminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAnnual festival screenings featuring Precious Places documentary collection.
• BlackStar Film FestivalminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional film festival partnership for independent media arts content.
• Community Organizations (Various)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOver 100 community groups from Philadelphia, Chester, Ardmore, and Camden have collaborated on Precious Places projects to document neighborhood histories.
• CinespeakminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPhiladelphia-based cinema publication engaging diverse audiences through independent film programming.
• SIFTMedia 215 CollectiveminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCooperative centering Black and Latinx women-identified independent media artists in Philadelphia.
• Lightbox Film CenterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPhiladelphia's leading venue for repertory film, independent premieres, and avant-garde cinema.
• PhillyCAMminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPublic access television network providing equipment and training for non-commercial programming.
• Black Public MediaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational non-profit supporting diverse media about the Black experience.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Center for Asian American Media (CAAM): Non-profit media arts organization dedicated to presenting stories about Asian Americans for television, film, and other media. Comparable community-media-arts non-profit with similar programs in documentary production training, exhibition, and broadcast distribution.
• Vision Maker Media: Non-profit that supports Native American storytelling through public media. Comparable community-driven media arts non-profit with educational, documentary, and broadcast programs that align with Scribe's mission and operational model.
• PhillyCAM: Philadelphia's public access television network providing equipment and training for non-commercial programming. Directly comparable as a Philadelphia-based community media access organization offering equipment, training, and exhibition opportunities to local media makers.

Broad incumbents

• ITVS (Independent Television Service): National non-profit that funds, distributes, and promotes independent documentary films for public television. Comparable as an independent documentary infrastructure provider serving underrepresented voices, with similar fiscal sponsorship and broadcast distribution functions.
• Black Public Media: National non-profit supporting diverse media about the Black experience, with comparable missions of community-centered media production. Operates at larger national scale but shares the participatory, community-empowerment media arts mission with Scribe.
• WNET / Thirteen (PBS): Major PBS affiliate with broadcast infrastructure and educational programming that overlaps with Scribe's WHYY-TV partnership and educational documentary mission. Scribe supplies content to similar public broadcasting outlets.

Regional players

• Lightbox Film Center: Philadelphia's leading venue for repertory film, independent premieres, and avant-garde cinema. Operates in the same Philadelphia market with adjacent programming (independent film exhibition, filmmaker forums) overlapping with Scribe's Storyville and Producers' Forum screenings.
• SilverDocs / AFI Silver Theatre: Documentary-focused cultural venue and film festival serving a regional Mid-Atlantic audience. Comparable in providing documentary exhibition, filmmaker forums, and educational programming adjacent to Scribe's screenings work.

Others

• Reel Sisters of the Diaspora Film Festival: Festival centering women filmmakers of color in documentary and independent media. Comparable in supporting underrepresented voices through independent documentary programming and community-focused exhibition events.
• National Association of Community Broadcasters: Industry association supporting community radio stations including WPEB-style member-supported outlets. Ecosystem-level peer as Scribe's WPEB community radio faces similar regulatory, funding, and audience challenges documented by this trade body.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses3 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ScribeVideo
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/ScribeVideoCenter
• Facebookfacebook.com/ScribeVideoCenter
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-scribe-video-center-inc
• Instagraminstagram.com/scribevideocenter

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Scribe Video Center, Inc.