Alumna's Video Production Company Produces Viral Video with Important Message
Brownieland Pictures was started more than 10 years ago by Robyn Kranz (Journalism, ’90) and her partner Randy Frostig with the goal of giving back to their community through video production.
Based in Atlanta, Brownieland Pictures works with nonprofit clients specializing in healthcare, education and community. Clients include Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, Georgia Tech School of Industrial Design, and Atlanta Women's Foundation, to name a few. The company strives to share its clients’ stories and encourage people to give back and become philanthropically involved.
Videos from Brownieland Pictures have recently garnered nation-wide notoriety – “The Promise” for Rollins Center for Language and Literacy was shared at the White House Conference on Education and “Every Opportunity” for Atlanta Speech School went viral last year. “Every Opportunity” was created to show teachers and parents how systematically ignoring children and not hearing their voices can have disastrous effects. “It was a universal message that we really felt reached so many people and that was part of its success,” said Kranz. The video has over 1.5 million views and counting.
Following graduation from Cal Poly, Kranz worked as a promotions producer and community affairs director for local NBC affiliate KSBY, which she says planted the seed for giving back through her career.
“Cal Poly's Learn by Doing philosophy has really influenced my work,” said Kranz. “It resonates so much when you are hands-on in any environment, and in the nonprofit world, really learning about what an organization stands for and the work it does can only truly be done by volunteering with that organization.”
Kranz has brought that Learn by Doing approach to her work at Brownieland Pictures. To celebrate its 10th anniversary, Brownieland Pictures launched the #10in10 Volunteer Campaign. The team volunteered with a different nonprofit each month for ten months. On Dec. 8, 2017, one of the nonprofits was randomly selected to receive a free one-minute video. The lucky winner was Literacy Action, the Southeast’s oldest and largest nonprofit of adult literacy.
Inspired by their time volunteering through the #10in10 campaign, the team at Brownieland Pictures is continuing to volunteer at different non-profits each month and sharing the experiences on social media with #StoriesfortheGreaterGood.
Brownieland Pictures is interested in expanding its reach into the southeast and hopefully beyond, including in San Luis Obispo County. “San Luis Obispo is the place I consider home, and I still have ties there with family and friends,” said Kranz. “Coming back would truly be coming home.”