Launching a Lifelong Dream

We met Owen and Christine Shapiro, the founders of the Syracuse International Film and Video Festival (now SYRFILM), as they were preparing to get their project off the ground. They hoped to give voice to independent film makers and introduce upstate New York and the film industry to each other. The founders initially relied on pro-bono design work and had struggled to generate viable brand identity for the festival's inaugural year. We entered the scene and offered to help. Six years later and still counting, our relationship has stretched far and wide.

Brand Guardians

The Nuanced Relationships

As SYRFILM has grown, our process in working with them has evolved. Our first years of working together required us to educate their staff about working with a design team. We brought folks up to speed on everything from the ins and outs of print production to web architecture and planning ad buys. Over the years, we've witnessed the growth of the organization. We're intimately aware of where they are. We're sensitive to their unique challenges and try to adapt our recommendations to them to fit their scale. We try to help them maximize, to get the biggest bang for their buck because we want to see them grow. We love their mission and their commitment inspires us.

Mutual Gratification

We've helped a very grassroots organization that had limited funds and resources project a strong image that has helped establish the festival and strengthen its reputation both among its local audience and in the independent film world. It has been so rewarding to attend the festival every year. We've had the opportunity to interact with the film makers, the wide range of people involved in producing the event and the local folks who make up much of the audience. We hear directly from all of the stakeholders to learn how the work is received, and we apply our knowledge to the following year. Hyperakt and SYRFILM have grown up together over the last six years, we've learned about the complexities of developing an arts organization and they have challenged us to deliver design that will push them into their future.