ReFocus Media was started in 2010 by filmmakers / photographers Sam Nuttmann and Keith Bolling. While working on a film / photo project for several non-profit companies in Ethiopia in March 2010, we realized there are so many non-profit organizations out there doing amazing work that desperately need everyone's help and support to stay in operation. Many of these organizations go unnoticed because they do not have the resources to demonstrate to potential investors and contributors what it is they do, in the best possible light. We know there is an incredible story behind every non-profit organization in every country across the globe. We hope to capture as many of these stories as we can on film and share these stories with the people of the world who can help these important organizations thrive and help the people who need help the most.

Sam Nuttmann
Co-Founder | President of Videography

Sam is ReFocus Media's video guru. He has been producing videos for over 10 years and started his own video production company Session 7 Media in 2009. Along with being a video producer, he is also a music composer and scores most of the video projects he creates. He is an avid world traveler and feels just as at home in the Ecuadorian jungle as he does at his home in Seattle, WA.

Q: What is ReFocus Media all about?
A: ReFocus media is my and Keith's response to the experiences we had in Ethiopia in 2010. We were exposed to a handful of non-profit organizations while we were there and the stories behind these non-profit organizations were just amazing. Unfortunately, most of these non-profit organizations have very few resources and cannot afford to create professional quality videos and photographs that tell their stories to the rest of the world that they so greatly need help from. That's where ReFocus Media comes in. On a minimum budget, Keith and I can go to non-profit organizations all around the world and using our state of the art digital video and photo technology, we can capture the organizations' story without the need of a large production crew or an extensive equipment kit. We travel and work light, efficient, and as inconspicuous as possible.

Q: Why are you so interested in helping non-profit organizations and their causes?
A: There is something particularly interesting in true stories, especially ones about modern day heroes. Non-profit organizations always have these great stories behind them and behind the stories, these amazing people that lived them. The story-telling part of me loves uncovering these true stories and sharing them with the world. The rest of me just wants to use my creative gifts to help as many people as I can in this world while I'm here. I lost my sister to domestic violence and created a documentary about it in 2009. I realized through this experience, through meeting with survivors of domestic violence, how important it is that our stories are told. The stories and the people that live them are the face of a cause, they are the reasons why people are compelled to contribute to the non-profit organizations that represent these causes. People all over the world connect in a deep and emotional way through storytelling. Non-profit organizations only survive through the contributions of people around the world, so the best way to connect with these contributors is for the non-profit organizations to tell their stories in an impactful, emotional way. That is what Keith and I set out to do with every project we undertake.

Keith Bolling
Co-Founder | President of Photography

Keith is ReFocus Media's photography expert. He has been snapping and processing photos since his hands were big enough to pick up a camera. He operates the freelance photography studio Keith Bolling Photography when not collaborating with Sam on projects for ReFocus Media. Keith's photography has taken him all over the world and he doesn't plan on slowing down his world traveling any time soon.

Q: Why is professional photography so important for non-profit organizations?
A: As they say, a picture is worth a thousand words. Mediocre photos unfortunately don't say the words we'd really like them to say. I see a lot of really great non-profit organizations with amazing causes use not-so-amazing photos in their print media and online and it's very frustrating for me to look at. Non-profit organizations need to connect to their contributors on a very emotional level and a great emotionally-charged photo will help them do that. I focus all my energy on capturing the emotion of the subject I'm shooting every time I release the shutter.

Q: What do you hope to accomplish through ReFocus Media in the next few years?
A: I really hope Sam and I will be able to get in contact with as many non-profit organizations around the world as possible and get out there and capture their stories. I feel like there is a ton of work to do in Africa and I'd really like to spend some more time there. In addition to capturing the stories behind non-profit organizations, I'm really looking forward to seeing the positive results of our work in the form of better funding for the many amazing non-profit organizations that need it so badly.