Vacationland Studio

Name

Vacationland Studio

Legal name

Vacationland LLC

Website

https://vacationland.film

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Vacationland Studio is an independent documentary production company that creates original feature documentaries for the festival circuit and commissioned brand storytelling for global enterprises across automotive, technology, and consumer goods.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Brooklyn

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Original Documentary Production: Producing award-winning documentary films that uncover untold stories, targeting film festivals and streaming platforms for distribution.
2. Brand Storytelling/Commissions: Producing thought-provoking commissioned works for select brand clients including automotive (Toyota, Cadillac, Rivian, Land Rover), technology (Samsung, Microsoft, Meta), consumer goods (Pepsi, REI, eBay, Patagonia, Yerba Madre, Tazo, New Balance), and agencies. Projects include commercials, social content, and branded documentary series.
3. Shorts & Series: Nonfiction storytelling across platforms including short-form documentary series and multi-season productions for brands and streaming partners.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Vacationland Studio is a documentary production company that creates original documentary films and produces commissioned branded content for global brands. The studio delivers end-to-end production services — including creative development, production, post-production, casting, animation, and photography — producing award-winning feature documentaries (e.g., Havana Libre, Row of Life, A City in the Forest) for festival and streaming distribution, alongside brand storytelling campaigns for clients such as Toyota, Samsung, Meta, Pepsi, Cadillac, and Patagonia.

Product overview

Vacationland Studio is a documentary production company that creates two main offerings: Original documentary films and Commissioned brand works. The Originals portfolio includes award-winning feature documentaries like Havana Libre (surfing in Cuba), Row of Life (ocean rowing), A Wonderful Kingdom (Portuguese winemaking), Engineers at Ground Zero (9/11 structural engineers), and A City in the Forest (Atlanta activism), among others. The Commissioned works include brand storytelling campaigns for clients such as Samsung, Toyota, Meta, Pepsi, Cadillac, Rivian, New Balance, Patagonia, Microsoft, eBay, Tazo, Adobe Stock, Cisco, REI, and Land Rover. The company offers full production services including creative development, production, post-production, casting, animation, and photography, managing projects from development to delivery.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Uncommon Films on Uncommon Ground: Company tagline and brand positioning

Products and services

• Havana Libre An 82-minute original documentary following a group of Cubans who rise up to demand legitimacy for their beloved sport of surfing after decades of cultural prohibitions, training to compete on the world stage. Directed by Corey McLean and distributed via Apple TV and Amazon.
• Row of Life An original documentary following renowned ocean rower Angela Madsen's 2020 attempt to row solo and unassisted across the Pacific Ocean from Los Angeles to Hawaii. Official selection at Big Sky Documentary Film Festival 2025 and OCEAN25 Film Festival; partnered with TIME Studios and TogetherXR.
• A Wonderful Kingdom An observational documentary set in Portugal's Douro Valley celebrating Old World winemaking traditions, narrated by Malcolm McDowell and directed by Carlos Carneiro.
• Engineers at Ground Zero An original documentary highlighting the role of structural engineers following the September 11, 2001 attack on the World Trade Center, focusing on their recovery work and influence on building design. Directed by Kalim Summerday Armstrong.
• A City in the Forest An original documentary about Atlanta activists mobilizing to stop the construction of a police training center in the Weelaunee forest, chronicling the "Cop City" movement. World premiere at Sheffield DocFest 2025; selected for the International First Feature Competition.
• The Dark Knot at the Center An original documentary reimagining women's clandestine journeys across the United States to access underground abortion care in the 1960s, connecting to post-Dobbs reality. World premiere at Tribeca Film Festival 2026; official selection at DC/DOX.
• For Ahkeem A coming-of-age original documentary following 17-year-old Daje Shelton as she navigates alternative high school, gun violence, and pregnancy while Ferguson unfolds nearby.
• 9 Degrees An original documentary about Demetre Papageorgiou discovering eight half-siblings through DNA testing, separated by distance and decades, coming together for the first time. Official selection at DOC NYC 2019.
• Remember the Rain An original documentary on the rise and influence of Haitians on Montreal's creative culture, featuring music by producer High Klassified.
• We The Power A Patagonia-commissioned original documentary about the citizen-led community-energy movement in Europe, following local energy cooperatives.
• Diamond Cutter An original documentary about 92-year-old diamond cutter Max Fuchs working in New York City's diamond district, shaping rough stones into modern cuts. Published via The New Yorker.
• Telling the Story of Slavery An original documentary about The Whitney Plantation museum, founded by lawyer John Cummings to honor those enslaved on plantations. Published via The New Yorker.
• First Move A short original documentary about a New York City elementary school girls' chess team preparing for the 2019 National Elementary Chess Championship.
• Thomas Fire An original documentary about John Davis and Lorrie Brown's fire-resistant home design in Ventura County following the Thomas Fire destruction. Published via TIME.
• Samsung - Beyond Boundaries Commissioned commercial campaign for Samsung highlighting their Care Beyond Boundaries program providing in-home TV and appliance repair across the U.S.
• Pepsi - The Sauce Commissioned series in partnership with Pepsi and Copa90 exploring the unique food cultures and fan traditions of soccer cities in America.
• Toyota Trucks - Piel Dura Commissioned docu-style campaign showcasing Toyota Tacoma and Tundra TRD against a Joshua Tree backdrop, featuring Latino athletes Oswaldo Sánchez, Mayra Pelayo, and Wilyer Abreu.
• Ride Also Commissioned launch campaign for an electric bike brand in collaboration with Rivian, featuring cinematic teasers and a reveal film. Creative directing by Joel Fox and Jennifer Jordan Day of Smile Mountain.
• Meta - Threads Commissioned documentary series for Meta Threads exploring UFC athletes' post-fight rituals, featuring Max Holloway, Tracy Cortez, and Michael Chandler.
• Toyota Tacoma Commissioned docu-style reality spot featuring Latino Tacoma enthusiasts racing and competing in challenges to showcase Tacoma capabilities.
• Cadillac - Escalade & Vistiq Commissioned campaign featuring actress Michelle Park in the Vistiq and dancer Mike Song in the Escalade IQ, showcasing electric luxury vehicles in motion.
• Cadillac - Lyriq Commissioned "Undeniably Seen, Undeniably Heard" campaign featuring AsianBossGirl founders in the all-electric Cadillac Lyriq.
• Toyota - El Conquistador Commissioned partnership with Univision following competitors from the reality show El Conquistador and showcasing Toyota trucks in sand dunes.
• Rivian - Hot Weather Test Commissioned documentary capturing Rivian engineering team's testing of the R1T's towing capacity, battery cooling, and cabin comfort in the American Southwest.
• New Balance - Front Runners New York Commissioned film telling the story of Gilbert Gaona's journey to community and belonging through Front Runners New York, an LGBTQ+ running club.
• REI - Discover Your Best Self Commissioned videos for REI's "Better Is Out There" campaign juxtaposing Bay Area urban life with the peace of nature.
• Land Rover - Discover the Undiscovered Commissioned film about a guide, photographer, and astrophysicist traveling to view the Milky Way constellation in Southern Utah's darkest point.
• Cisco AppDynamics x Alaska Airlines Commissioned case study capturing how Alaska Airlines uses Cisco AppDynamics solutions to improve customer service experiences. Won 2 Telly Awards.
• Meta - Social Skills A 3-season commissioned series from Instagram for Business and Facebook for Business featuring social media managers from top companies discussing marketing strategy.
• Microsoft - Surface Experiments Commissioned collaboration with Microsoft and The Madbury Club to create a mobile projection unit, plus coverage of artist Steven Harrington's work.
• eBay - Seller Spotlight Ten short commissioned documentaries for the 2022 Seller Spotlight series featuring eBay sellers sharing stories about transforming passion into business.
• Tazo Tea - RZA Commissioned campaign featuring Wu-Tang's RZA as guide at Camp TAZO in Staten Island, NYC.
• Adobe Stock - Artist Awards A 41-second commissioned animated showcase of nominees for the first-ever Adobe Stock Awards, using cell animation and After Effects, in partnership with Lisbon-based animation studio Dialogue.
• Yerba Madre - Come to Life Commissioned rebrand campaign for Yerba Madre (formerly Guayakí Yerba Mate), creating visual content showcasing the brand's regenerative values.

Named customers18 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• TIME StudioscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTIME Studios partnered with Vacationland on Row of Life documentary about Angela Madsen. TIME has also published abridged versions of Engineers at Ground Zero and Thomas Fire documentaries.
• TogetherXRcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTogetherXR (togethxr-logo) partnered on Row of Life documentary production, appearing as a production partner/logo on the film's page.
• The New YorkercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe New Yorker has published Vacationland films including 'Telling the Story of Slavery' about the Whitney Plantation and 'Diamond Cutter' documentary. These films appear on The New Yorker's video platform.
• Tribeca StudioscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTribeca Studios partnered on 9 Degrees documentary, with the film available through their YouTube channel.
• UnivisioncoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorUnivision partnered with Vacationland on Toyota El Conquistador campaign and Toyota Trucks - Piel Dura project, providing distribution and reach into Latino markets.
• CrispinminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerCrispin agency partnered with Vacationland on Samsung Beyond Boundaries campaign, providing creative agency services.
• Mirror DigitalminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerMirror Digital partnered as diverse-owned media vendor on Cadillac Lyriq and Escalade campaigns, developing content alongside cultural tastemakers.
• CaratminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCarat media agency partnered with Mirror Digital and Cadillac on Escalade & Vistiq campaign.
• Copa90minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCopa90 partnered with Vacationland on Pepsi 'The Sauce' campaign exploring soccer cultures and food across American cities.
• DialogueminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLisbon-based animation studio Dialogue partnered with Vacationland on Adobe Stock Artist Awards project, providing animation services.
• Instagram for BusinessminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorInstagram for Business partnered with Vacationland for Social Skills series - a 3-season production featuring social media managers from top companies.
• Facebook for BusinessminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFacebook for Business partnered on Social Skills series alongside Instagram for Business.
• Smile MountaincoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCreative directing partnership with Joel Fox and Jennifer Jordan Day of Smile Mountain for Ride Also electric bike launch campaign with Rivian.
• ProteinminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProtein partnered with Vacationland to help The Madbury Club realize their mobile projection unit project for Microsoft Surface Experiments campaign.
• The Structural Engineers Association of New York (SEAoNY)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSEAoNY shared stories and provided access for Engineers at Ground Zero documentary about structural engineers' role following 9/11.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Anonymous Content: Major independent studio producing feature films, episodic series, documentaries and branded content. Operates at much larger scale but overlaps on documentary production and global brand commissions.
• Participant Media: Media company focused on documentary and narrative content with social impact themes. Comparable on the documentary originals side; broader portfolio and studio-distribution infrastructure than Vacationland.
• VICE Studios: Broader media company's production arm producing documentaries, branded content and series. Much larger scale but overlaps in socially-engaged nonfiction and brand documentary work.

Direct peers

• Radical Media: Radical Media is a premium independent production company producing both feature documentaries and high-end commercial/brand content for global brands. Most directly comparable peer given overlapping brand storytelling and documentary portfolio.
• Prettybird: Independent creative studio producing commercials, branded content and longer-form work for global brands. Closely aligned on the commissioned brand-content side and similar premium positioning.
• XTR: Documentary-focused production and streaming studio funding and distributing nonfiction films. Comparable on the originals strategy and festival-to-platform distribution pipeline.
• Pulse Films: Global production company producing music videos, commercials, branded content and feature documentaries. Overlaps on the cross-platform nonfiction storytelling model and global brand client base.
• Tool of North America: Independent commercial production company working with global brands and agencies on documentary-style advertising. Closely comparable on the brand-commission work Vacationland performs for automotive, tech and consumer brands.
• Arts+Labor: Independent creative studio producing commercials, branded content and short documentaries for major brands. Similar scale and aesthetic positioning to Vacationland's commission work.
• Sandbox Films: Documentary production company focused on science, culture and socially-engaged nonfiction. Comparable on prestige documentary originals positioning and festival-circuit strategy.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/vacationland
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/vacationland-film

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 Vacationland Studio