Open Studios

What Open Studios does

Open Studios is a founder-led, 9-person creative production studio that develops branded campaigns, documentary films, and community events for brands and independent storytellers. The company's core service is end-to-end creative production across visual storytelling, spatial experiences, and cultural campaigns; its credited portfolio includes the branded editorial project METTLE (produced with Stak Studios and featuring Olympic athlete Kyra Condie), a slate of three feature-length documentaries in development for Fall 2026 and Fall 2027 release (OBLIVION, FORECAST HER, THE CITY THAT GREW US), and recurring event programming including The Women's Cut in Boulder and an LA Filmmakers Mixer.

The studio operates through a hybrid business model with three revenue streams: (1) professional services fees from creative campaign production for brand clients, generated through a sales-led model in which Founder & Executive Producer Cheyenne Smith drives business development; (2) transaction fees from the Open Studios Story Fund, a recurring $1,000 micro-grant program for independent filmmakers funded by $10 application fees (with 100% of fees passing through to the grant pool); and (3) event ticketing revenue through partner venues, notably a channel partnership with The Dairy arts venue in Boulder, Colorado. Distribution is primarily direct, via the company website (openstudios.co), email inquiry, social media, and venue-led event channels.

Operationally, Open Studios is a private, founder-owned entity with no institutional capital, no subsidiaries, no patents or certifications, and a US-only geographic footprint centered in Boulder, Colorado and Los Angeles, California. The studio's primary customer segment is emerging filmmakers and independent creators served via the Story Fund and event programming, while its commercial revenue depends on a small base of brand clients commissioning bespoke campaigns. No AI/ML technology stack, app, or API layer is part of the offering; the product is fundamentally human creative labor packaged as production services, IP development, and community programming.

Name

Open Studios

Website

https://openstudios.co

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Open Studios is a founder-led, 9-person creative production studio that develops branded campaigns, documentary films, and community events for brands, independent filmmakers, and creative communities, operating from Boulder, Colorado and Los Angeles.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Creative Production Services

NAICS

Motion Picture and Video Production (512110), Motion Picture and Video Production (51211)

SIC

Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Production (7812)

akta.pro primary industry

Creator Content Production & Co-Creation Studios (BPAFAHAD)

Keywords

• Creative production services
• Visual storytelling
• Documentary filmmaking
• Cultural campaign production
• Filmmaker micro-grants

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Creative Production Services: Open Studios develops and produces campaigns, stories, and experiences for clients and partners. Revenue comes from creative production fees for branded campaigns and storytelling projects.
2. Story Fund Application Fee: The Open Studios Story Fund charges a $10 application fee. 100% of submission fees go directly into the Story Fund to support independent filmmakers and storytellers.
3. Event Ticketing: Open Studios sells tickets to events they create, such as The Women's Cut premiere event, with ticket prices supporting community programming.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Open Studios is a creative production studio that develops and produces campaigns, stories, and experiences for brands, partners, and independent creators across visual storytelling, spatial experiences, and cultural campaigns. The studio also produces documentary film projects in development and operates the Open Studios Story Fund, which provides $1,000 micro-grants to emerging filmmakers, alongside ticketed community events such as filmmaker mixers and premieres.

Product overview

Open Studios is a creative production studio offering a portfolio of interconnected services centered on visual storytelling, cultural campaigns, documentary projects, and community events. The core offerings include creative campaign production (METTLE), documentary film projects in development (OBLIVION, FORECAST HER, THE CITY THAT GREW US), the Story Fund grant program providing $1,000 micro-grants to independent filmmakers with mentorship and platform access, and recurring events including The Women's Cut, ADAPTED Colorado Tour, and LA Filmmakers Mixer. The studio was founded by Cheyenne Smith, Executive Producer, and focuses on developing thoughtful campaigns, stories, and experiences that connect with audiences across mediums.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Open Studios Story Fund A $1,000 micro-grant program supporting emerging and independent filmmakers to bring meaningful stories to life, including mentorship, platform features, and community access for recipients.
• METTLE An editorial climbing commercial featuring Olympic athlete Kyra Condie as the talent, produced in collaboration with Stak Studios, with a cinematography breakdown showcase.
• OBLIVION Documentary project currently in development, directed by Mason Charles, scheduled for release Fall 2026.
• FORECAST HER Documentary project currently in development, directed by Heather Bayer, scheduled for release Fall 2026.
• THE CITY THAT GREW US Documentary project in development, directed by Alex Palumbo, scheduled for release Fall 2027.
• Creative Campaigns Strategic creative production services for brands and organizations, including visual storytelling, spatial experiences, and cultural campaigns.
• The Women's Cut An evening event celebrating women filmmakers and outdoor storytellers, held August 27, 2026 in Boulder, Colorado.
• ADAPTED Colorado Tour Film tour event partnership with 'Adapted the Film', details forthcoming.
• LA Filmmakers Mixer Networking event for Los Angeles filmmakers, date and details forthcoming.

Quantifiable outcome

• Recipients receive $1,000 grant plus feature on Open Studios platforms, mentorship, access to creative community, and premiere showcase.

Named customers1 record

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Stak StudioscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStak Studios partnered with Open Studios on the METTLE project, an editorial climbing commercial featuring Olympic athlete Kyra Condie. Stak Studios contributed to the production collaboration.
• The DairyminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorThe Dairy arts venue in Boulder, Colorado serves as the host venue for The Women's Cut event, partnering with Open Studios to present the evening of filmmaking and outdoor storytelling celebration.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Participant Media: Media company producing purpose-driven film and television content with social impact themes, overlapping Open Studios' cultural-campaign and documentary positioning at meaningfully greater scale.
• Pulse Films: Global production company spanning music videos, films, and branded content; comparable as a multi-medium creative production studio engaging directors across commercial and long-form work.
• A24: Independent entertainment company producing and distributing film, documentary, and branded content with a culture-defining creative identity; a broad incumbent whose documentary and campaign work overlaps with Open Studios' positioning at greater scale.
• Radical Media: Established production company producing commercials, documentaries, and branded content across multiple formats and platforms; comparable to Open Studios in spanning campaign work and long-form documentary production.

Direct peers

• JOJX Productions: Boutique creative agency producing brand campaigns, films, and immersive content with a strong creative-director-led model similar to Open Studios' founder-led studio structure.
• Sandbox Films: Independent production company focused on documentary and feature film projects with cultural-impact positioning; comparable to Open Studios in producing narrative-driven work for both filmmakers and brand-aligned partners.
• Story Syndicate: Independent documentary and branded content production company producing feature docs and premium episodic work, structurally similar to Open Studios' campaign-plus-documentary production model.
• Stak Studios: Boulder-based boutique creative studio that partnered with Open Studios on the METTLE project, operating in an overlapping creator-and-brand production space across commercials and documentary-style campaigns.

Emerging players

• Field of Vision: Filmmaker-driven short documentary production studio supporting independent directors; comparable to Open Studios in supporting emerging filmmakers and producing non-fiction work, though with a tighter documentary-only focus.
• Great Big Story: Short-form documentary storytelling brand partnered with major media networks; comparable to Open Studios in producing narrative-driven branded and independent storytelling content with a creator-network backbone.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/weareopenstudios

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 Open Studios