Sierra-Media

What Sierra-Media does

Sierra Media is an independent, solo-operator creative video production studio based in the Pacific Northwest (Everett, Washington area) and led by founder Daniel A. Cardenas, a filmmaker with 20+ years of experience working as director, director of photography, and editor. The studio produces documentary-style films, commercials, and brand videos, offering end-to-end services spanning creative development (story/message development, concept ideation, treatment writing, scriptwriting, location scouting, visual language planning), on-location production with 4K+ cinema cameras plus drone, gimbal, and light motion support, and full post-production editorial including music licensing, sound design, color correction, and captioning. Cardenas operates as a one-person shop and scales crew as needed depending on project scope, emphasizing direct collaboration with clients and journalistic storytelling over agency-style overhead.

The studio's product portfolio includes the award-winning feature documentary "Hopped Up - How Yakima Valley Changed Craft Beer Forever," distributed on Amazon Video and various streaming platforms; the in-production feature documentary "Beyond the Salish Sea," which explores environmental stewardship in the Salish Sea region and is actively seeking additional funding; and the NWL (Nature. Water. Life.) YouTube channel, which functions as a Pacific Northwest documentary series covering nature, culture, craft, and adventure. Named client engagements span enterprise software (Valant Software, mental health), craft beer/agriculture (Yakima Valley hops documentary), and environmental conservation (Beyond the Salish Sea), with stated customer segments including nonprofits and mission-driven organizations, purpose-driven brands, small businesses and regional organizations, and founders/individuals.

Sierra Media monetizes primarily through professional-services fees structured as time-and-expertise plus expenses with an industry-standard 25% markup on live-action production expenses (AICP line items A through K), standard payment terms of 50% upon project commencement and 50% net 14 days after completion, plus ancillary revenue from documentary licensing/streaming royalties. Distribution is direct and sales-led, with Cardenas personally consulting clients who reach out via contact form, phone, or email; the NWL YouTube channel and LinkedIn/Instagram presence provide organic top-of-funnel discovery. The company is bootstrapped, founder-owned, with no external investment, parent entity, or subsidiary structure disclosed.

Name

Sierra-Media

Legal name

Sierra Media

Website

https://sierra-media.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2022

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Sierra Media is an independent, solo-operator video production studio in the Pacific Northwest producing documentary-style films, commercials, and brand videos. Founded by Daniel A. Cardenas, it serves nonprofits, purpose-driven brands, and small businesses with full creative-to-delivery production capabilities.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Video Production Services

NAICS

Motion Picture and Video Production (51211), Postproduction Services and Other Motion Picture and Video Industries (51219), Broadcasting and Content Providers (516)

SIC

Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Production (7812)

akta.pro primary industry

Branded Documentary / Nonfiction (Corporate & NGO) (MPADADAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Social Issue & Advocacy Documentaries (MPADADAG), Docuseries & Episodic Nonfiction (TV/Streaming) (MPADADAB), Public Media Digital Platforms & Streaming (Apps, On-demand, Podcasts) (MPABADAG)

Keywords

• Documentary video production
• Creative development services
• Post-production editorial
• Brand film production
• Corporate documentary filmmaking

Headquarters

HQ city

Everett

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Video Production Services: Project-based professional services for creative development, production, and post-production of documentaries, brand films, and commercials. Fees are proportional to time and expertise required plus expenses. Industry-standard 25% markup on live-action production expenses (AICP line items A through K).
2. Documentary Licensing and Distribution: Feature documentaries available on streaming platforms (Amazon Video, various VOD services) and limited edition DVD sales for films like 'Hopped Up'.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Sierra Media is an independent documentary-style video production studio that produces films, commercials, and branded content for organizations. The studio delivers full-service production across creative development (story development, treatment writing, scriptwriting, location scouting, visual language planning), on-location production (4K+ cinema cameras, audio capture, gimbal, drone support), and post-production editorial (color correction, sound design, music licensing, captioning, multi-format delivery for web, broadcast, and social). Beyond client work, Sierra Media self-produces feature documentaries (e.g., "Hopped Up") and runs the NWL (Nature. Water. Life.) YouTube channel showcasing Pacific Northwest storytelling.

Product overview

Sierra Media is a creative video production studio operated by filmmaker Daniel A. Cardenas. The company produces documentary and branded content, offering services across creative development, production, and post-production. Key products include the feature documentary 'Hopped Up' (award-winning, streaming on Amazon), the in-production documentary 'Beyond the Salish Sea', and the NWL YouTube channel for Pacific Northwest documentary storytelling. Production services encompass creative development, on-location shooting (4K+ cinema cameras, drone, gimbal), and full post-production including color correction, sound design, and delivery in multiple formats.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• NWL (Nature. Water. Life.): A YouTube channel and documentary series dedicated to Pacific Northwest storytelling about nature, water, life, and culture. Features cinematic documentaries, short stories of culture and adventure, NWL Sessions (music + place), and adventure/exploration content.

Products and services

• Production Services Full-service video production services for organizations, including creative development (story and message development, concept ideation, treatment writing, scriptwriting, location scouting, visual language planning), on-location production (4K+ cinema cameras, audio, drone, gimbal), and complete post-production editorial (color correction, sound design, music licensing, captioning, multi-format delivery for web, broadcast, and social). Intended for nonprofits, mission-driven organizations, purpose-driven brands, small businesses, and corporate documentary buyers.
• Hopped Up: How Yakima Valley Changed Craft Beer Forever

Quantifiable outcome

• Award-winning feature documentary 'Hopped Up' available on Amazon Video and various streaming platforms

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Amazon VideocoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAmazon Video serves as a primary distribution channel for Sierra Media's documentary 'Hopped Up - How Yakima Valley Changed Craft Beer Forever', available for streaming purchase. This partnership enables global reach for the feature documentary.
• Various Streaming Platforms (VOD)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDocumentary 'Hopped Up' is available on various streaming platforms in addition to Amazon Video, expanding distribution reach for the feature documentary.
• Bakerbuilt WorksminorOthersFormer full-service production agency operated by Daniel A. Cardenas with national clients, talented teams, and award-winning work. Now consolidated back into Sierra Media brand. Bakerbuilt Works produced NWL series content.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Kartemquin Films: Chicago-based independent documentary production company behind landmark social-issue films (e.g., 'Hoop Dreams,' 'The Interrupters'). Comparable as a mission-driven independent documentary producer focused on social impact content across nonprofit, broadcast, and streaming distribution channels.
• Insurgent Media: Independent documentary production company producing nonfiction content for streaming platforms and global brands. Comparable as an independent narrative nonfiction production shop pursuing both commissioned brand work and original documentary IP with social-impact framing.
• Still (formerly Stillmotion): Portland, Oregon-based boutique studio producing cinematic documentary-style storytelling for brands, nonprofits, and weddings. Highly comparable as a Pacific Northwest-rooted boutique doc-style production shop serving mission-driven clients with a similar full-service creative-development-through-delivery model.

Emerging players

• Concordia Studio: Los Angeles-based independent production company founded by Laurene Powell Jobs focused on nonfiction storytelling, including feature documentaries and series for major platforms. Comparable as a producer of socially conscious, purpose-driven documentary content for streaming audiences.

Broad incumbents

• National Geographic Studios: National Geographic's production arm producing premium documentary films, series, and specials across nature, science, and culture. Comparable as a producer of high-quality, purpose-driven documentary content (with environmental and conservation themes) distributed through major streaming platforms.
• PBS (Public Broadcasting Service): U.S. public broadcaster with deep documentary programming across nature, science, and culture (e.g., 'PBS Nature,' 'Frontline,' 'POV'). Comparable as an institutional commissioner and distributor of award-winning public-purpose documentary content distributed across broadcast and streaming.
• Discovery Studios (Warner Bros. Discovery): Production arm of Warner Bros. Discovery producing premium nonfiction and documentary content for Discovery+, HBO Max, and networks. Comparable as a large-scale producer of nature, science, and adventure documentary content distributed across global streaming platforms.
• Participant Media: Los Angeles-based media company producing documentary and narrative films with a social-impact mission (e.g., 'An Inconvenient Truth,' 'Radium Girls'). Comparable as a larger-scale producer of purpose-driven documentary content with both theatrical/streaming distribution and nonprofit-aligned storytelling.
• VICE Media / VICE Studios: Global youth-focused media company with VICE Studios producing original documentaries, brand content, and branded entertainment. Comparable as a producer of documentary-style content for purpose-driven brands and the documentary streaming/library market.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@NWL-PNW
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sierra-media
• Instagraminstagram.com/andremaple
• Facebookfacebook.com/SierraMediaInc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Sierra-Media