Tesla. Anduril Industries. FightCamp. What do these companies have in common? They’ve all leaned heavily into high-end visual storytelling. Not as an afterthought, but as a core strategy.
Five years ago, a company might hire an agency to shoot a campaign once or twice a year and let the social media intern handle iPhone clips in between. Today, top industry leaders are building Hollywood-grade studios inside their organizations, hiring directors, cinematographers, editors, and storytellers who might have credits on the last Marvel film. They’re not just chasing short TikToks, they’re producing blockbuster-level films that sell, persuade, and endure.
Tesla doesn’t launch products like an automaker. Their reveals look like film premieres. Anduril Industries has built an in-house team producing films on par with major studios. And they’re doing it while securing billions in defense contracts. Their content doesn’t just look good. It builds confidence with investors, Congress, and military partners. When you’re pitching to governments, the Pentagon, and investors at a multi-billion-dollar scale, owning your narrative isn’t optional.
Even smaller firms are getting it. Tommy Duquette at FightCamp built a studio to create training content. That content became marketing fuel, community glue, and a way to land partnerships with names like Mike Tyson. They didn’t rely on agencies. They built it themselves.
North Dakota recently secured more than $100 million in federal funding for a minerals processing facility at a former lignite mine site near Beulah (Talon Metals Beulah facility). Part of their pitch involved high-level storytelling aimed at Congress and the Department of Energy.
That’s a smart move. When you’re competing for nine-figure funding, a six-figure film budget is a rounding error, and the return on investment is huge. The footage from a production like that doesn’t expire. A soundbite from former Governor Doug Burgum can now be re-used with elevated authority using his new title, U.S. Secretary of Energy. Interviews with senators and local leaders can be repurposed, and b-roll harvested and recut into shorts, teasers, and future campaigns. A single investment in film becomes an asset library that pays dividends for years. Whether you’re talking about energy, defense, or economic development, film gives you credibility and reach you can’t buy any other way.
That’s the difference between checking the “we do video” box and building a serious storytelling strategy. Many companies today are still stuck in the first category — putting a junior marketer with an iPhone in charge of their brand’s narrative. But the leaders at companies like Tesla , Anduril Industries , and FightCamp know better. They invest in high-end production first, then slice it down into shorts that dominate feeds. Start with the blockbuster, then cut the TikTok.
I’ve spent nearly 25 years years in marketing, including 12 years in Hollywood perfecting the art of storytelling. I’ve seen firsthand how narrative, structure, and visuals combine to shape perception and drive decisions. And I’ve watched clients close multi-million-dollar deals the moment the credits rolled.
The companies that win tomorrow aren’t just the ones with the best engineers, products, or pricing. They’ll be the ones who tell their story bigger, better, sharper, and with the kind of vision people can see and feel.
About the Author
Sheldon Charron is a Creative Director, Brand Strategist, and Product Innovator with 20+ years of experience leading storytelling, branding, and product development across industries from tech to hospitality to defense. A former Hollywood Executive Producer, he has created branded films and documentaries distributed on Amazon Prime and national TV. Beyond storytelling, Sheldon has led the development of physical and digital products, from e-commerce platforms to AI-driven technology, that have scaled into multimillion-dollar businesses. Today, he works at the intersection of creative leadership and product innovation, helping companies scale, secure funding, grow revenues, and launch category-defining brands.