theclevelandfilmco

What theclevelandfilmco does

The Cleveland Film Company, Ltd. is a privately held, founder-controlled film production studio established in 2008 and headquartered at a P.O. Box in Cleveland, Ohio. The studio produces documentary, commercial, animation, and narrative films for a global client base, with a portfolio exceeding 40 completed projects. Its work spans branded documentaries for LeBron James's UNINTERRUPTED and the LeBron James Family Foundation (TROPHIES, The Bet, I PROMISE Village, Redefining Community, The Gold Standard, Fam Jam), broadcast television production for the Science Channel (Mysteries of the Abandoned: The Real Shawshank, 2018), editorial-association projects with NPR (Stories from the RNC, 2016), and corporate films for clients such as Walmart, L.L.Bean, Goodyear, and Chase Brass and Copper. The studio also produces regional arts and cultural work for Cleveland Public Theatre, Apollo's Fire, Karamu House, and The Cleveland Cultural Gardens.

The company's core technology consists of conventional film production craft across multiple formats — documentary, commercial, animation, narrative, music video, and television — with no disclosed proprietary software, AI tooling, or platform infrastructure. Differentiation rests on creative storytelling, access to high-profile sports and entertainment talent, and a selective relationship-driven client acquisition model; the company explicitly does not accept unsolicited pitches. Its competitive positioning emphasizes authentic narrative craft and a simplified project management approach over volume.

The business model is project-based service revenue: clients commission individual productions on a one-time license basis, with pricing not publicly disclosed and prospective clients directed to contact the studio via email. Distribution is handled through client-owned channels (UNINTERRUPTED, Science Channel, Fox, NPR, Walmart's eko platform) and through the studio's own portfolio website and Vimeo/YouTube presence, supplemented by regional film festival submissions (Cleveland International Film Festival, Chagrin Documentary Film Festival, Short.Sweet. Film Festival). The studio is independently owned with no disclosed external investors, parent company, or private equity participation.

Name

theclevelandfilmco

Legal name

The Cleveland Film Company, Ltd.

Website

https://clefilmco.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Short description

The Cleveland Film Company is a private Cleveland-based film production studio founded in 2008 that produces documentary, commercial, animation, and narrative films for global enterprise brands, broadcast networks, and regional arts organizations on a project-by-project basis.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Film Production Services

NAICS

Motion Picture and Video Production (512110), Motion Picture and Video Production (51211), Motion Picture and Sound Recording Industries (512)

SIC

Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Production (7812), Services-Allied To Motion Picture Production (7819)

akta.pro primary industry

Content Production (Video, Design, Copy, Studio) (BPAFAAAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Corporate & Internal Communications Video (MPADAEAC), Branded Documentary / Nonfiction (Corporate & NGO) (MPADADAK), Video/Film Creative Agencies (Concept-to-Creative) (MPAAAAAG), Arts & Culture Documentaries (MPADADAI)

Keywords

• Film production services
• Documentary filmmaking
• Commercial video production
• Animation production
• Narrative film production

Headquarters

HQ city

Cleveland

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, Others

Revenue model

1. Documentary and Commercial Film Production: The company produces documentary, commercial, animation, narrative, music video, and television content on a project-by-project basis. Revenue is generated through client-commissioned film production work serving clients all over the world.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

The Cleveland Film Company is a Cleveland, Ohio-based film production studio that produces documentary, commercial, animation, and narrative films for clients worldwide. The company operates on a project-by-project, client-commissioned basis, handling end-to-end production including filming, editing, and creative direction across unscripted storytelling, brand narratives, scripted dramatic work, and animated content.

Product overview

The Cleveland Film Company is a film production studio offering documentary, commercial, animation, and narrative filmmaking services to clients worldwide. The company produces a diverse portfolio of films including award-winning documentaries like 'Fusion - The Art of Collaboration' and 'Hidden In Plain Sight', branded commercial content for clients such as L.L.Bean, Walmart, and the LeBron James Family Foundation, animated series like 'J-Zon: The Series', and narrative films. They serve as a full-service production partner handling filming and editing, with work appearing on platforms including the Science Channel, and in collaboration with organizations like UNINTERRUPTED.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Documentary Filmmaking
• Commercial Filmmaking
• Animation Production
• Narrative Filmmaking

Named customers14 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• UNINTERRUPTEDcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUNINTERRUPTED is LeBron James's athlete empowerment media company. The Cleveland Film Company has produced multiple projects for UNINTERRUPTED, including the docuseries TROPHIES following LeBron James and Draymond Green through NBA Playoffs 2016–2018, The Bet micro-documentary, and The Gold Standard documentary. The relationship is ongoing and multi-project.
• LeBron James Family FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Cleveland Film Company has produced multiple films for the LeBron James Family Foundation, including I PROMISE Village documentary, Redefining Community, The Gold Standard, Camp by Walmart (featuring LeBron James and I PROMISE School staff), and University of Akron ad campaigns. This is one of the company's most prominent and recurring client relationships.
• The Cleveland Foundation (Creative Fusion Program)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Cleveland Foundation's Creative Fusion program is an international artist exchange program. The Cleveland Film Company's documentary Fusion followed an artist from Sri Lanka (Kapila Palihawadana of nATANDA Dance Theatre) brought to Cleveland through this program, working with Inlet Dance Theatre. The film documents the creative collaboration facilitated by this foundation program.
• Cleveland Public Theatre (CPT)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Cleveland Film Company collaborated with CPT and WKYC Studios to co-direct and produce filmed performances for the Awakenings: A Virtual Gala, a one-hour television special celebrating Cleveland Public Theatre. This is a co-production partnership involving filmed performances and segments featuring the CPT Executive Artistic Director.
• WKYC StudioscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWKYC Studios collaborated with The Cleveland Film Company and Cleveland Public Theatre to co-produce the Awakenings: A Virtual Gala television special. WKYC Studios handled the broadcast production while The Cleveland Film Company handled filmed performances and director segments.
• L.L.BeancoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerL.L.Bean partnered with Trust for Public Land to make the outdoors more accessible for Cleveland's Lakeview Terrace community. The Cleveland Film Company was brought in to film the documentary series Putting The Outdoors in Play documenting this partnership. L.L.Bean is a high-profile brand client.
• Trust for Public LandcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTrust for Public Land partnered with L.L.Bean on the outdoor accessibility initiative in Cleveland's Lakeview Terrace community. The Cleveland Film Company was engaged to film the documentary series Putting The Outdoors in Play documenting this initiative.
• Science ChannelcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Cleveland Film Company was responsible for all on-location filming of The Ohio State Reformatory (The Real Shawshank prison) for the Science Channel's series Mysteries of the Abandoned, Season 3, Episode 9 (2018). This represents a significant broadcast television production credit.
• GoodyearcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGoodyear partnered with UNINTERRUPTED and The Cleveland Film Company to produce The Gold Standard documentary, following St.Vincent-St.Mary High School (LeBron's alma mater) students in a basketball competition against Stow-Munroe Falls High School.
• NPRminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIn association with NPR, The Cleveland Film Company produced Stories from the RNC, a documentary series presenting an intimate look at people and events surrounding the 2016 Republican National Convention in Cleveland. NPR association provides editorial credibility.
• Refresh CollectiveminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRefresh Collective is a Cleveland-based community organization. The Cleveland Film Company and Refresh Collective co-presented 'Refresh the Neighborhood,' a micro-documentary series highlighting members of the Cleveland community. The company filmed and produced the series in partnership with Refresh Collective.
• The Musical Theater ProjectminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Musical Theater Project and Karamu House presented a multi-media concert about the historic Shuffle Along musical. The Cleveland Film Company provided all filming and editing of the concert film documenting this significant African American theatrical event.
• Karamu HouseminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCleveland's historic Karamu House co-presented the multi-media concert about the Shuffle Along musical with The Musical Theater Project. The Cleveland Film Company filmed and edited the resulting concert film.
• Inlet Dance TheatreminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInlet Dance Theatre is a professional modern dance company based in Cleveland, OH. The Cleveland Film Company's documentary Fusion follows the company's collaboration with Sri Lankan artist Kapila Palihawadana during a Creative Fusion residency. The film documents the collaborative artistic process.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Discovery Studios: In-house production arm of Discovery producing unscripted and documentary content for cable networks. Comparable broad incumbent producing documentary and reality programming for broadcast television audiences.
• VICE Studios: Large global media company producing documentary, branded content, and news programming. Comparable broad incumbent working across documentary and commercial formats for major brands and broadcasters.
• National Geographic Studios: In-house production arm of National Geographic producing documentary series and specials for global distribution. Comparable broad incumbent delivering premium documentary content to broadcast and streaming platforms.
• Anonymous Content: Larger production and talent-management company producing feature films, commercials, and documentary content (Spotlight, The Revenant). Comparable as a cross-format production house spanning narrative, commercial, and documentary work.

Direct peers

• Zero Point Zero Production: Independent production studio known for food, travel, and documentary series (Anthony Bourdain, Mind of a Chef). Comparable to The Cleveland Film Company in producing premium documentary content for major brands and broadcasters.
• Smuggler: Globally distributed commercial and branded content production company with award-winning work for major brands. Comparable to The Cleveland Film Company's commercial film production arm serving enterprise brand clients.
• Magical Elves: Independent unscripted and documentary production company producing shows for networks like Bravo and Netflix. Comparable in delivering premium documentary/unscripted content for major brand and platform clients.
• Pulse Films: Independent production studio producing feature documentaries, branded content, and music videos for global brands. Comparable in offering integrated documentary, commercial, and branded content services to enterprise clients.
• Tool of North America: Independent production company focused on commercial and branded video content for major brands and agencies. Comparable to The Cleveland Film Company's commercial filmmaking practice serving enterprise clients.
• Kartemquin Films: Mid-size independent documentary production studio in Chicago with a long filmography of social-issue documentaries. Directly comparable to The Cleveland Film Company in operating model, scale, genre focus, and award-circuit reputation.

Market position

Strengths1 record

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/travis-pollert-film-and-video

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 theclevelandfilmco