Written by Karl Stelter
Every project starts from somewhere emotionally—and this one started as creative recovery from some pretty severe burnout.
But that has nothing to do with how I was introduced to three times Paralympian Lizzi Smith (now competing in Paris on September 6 and 9—watch via Peacock!), or why Invisalign bought the project.
Let’s start from the beginning.
Finding the Story
I was introduced to Lizzi through a fellow producer and EP who also happened to represent her as an athlete. He’d seen “The Good Wolf”, a short sports documentary I’d shot and directed about six years ago and we’d casually kept in touch, championing each other’s work in the interim.
A great reminder on why building relationships over time is important.
He suggested I meet Lizzi for coffee while in Austin for a film premiere in October 2023—where we had a soulful conversation about her story, what she was wanted to share, and what was important to her. No pressure or expectations or brands.
After mulling over her story and what she wanted to say, I pitched a story direction to her that she connected with, created a deck, and then pitched a few brands on her story and what we could do.
They all said no.
However her story really, really resonated with me as a filmmaker on a number of levels. It was about being defined by more than the thing you do. About finding confidence in yourself. About believing you are enough. All things that continue to challenge me—and I loved how she spoke about facing those challenges.
Her message was exactly what I wanted to share with my 4-year old daughter.
So I said yes.
Three time Paralympian Lizzi Smith crushing the BTS! Follow her on IG here.
Developing the Film
Over the next six months I brought in collaborators from previous projects, pitched them on what I wanted to do and why. I outlined a budget I could afford without getting myself in trouble. And that was it. I did not have any plans or real hopes that we’d sell it, I just knew it had been a while since I did something for my soul, and this was it.
So, where did Invisalign come in?
Lizzi is a brand ambassador, and about two weeks before the shoot they reached out to talk about getting some footage of her before the Paralympics—and she said, “oh, we’re actually shooting next week!” I updated my collaborator deck to an Invisalign focused deck, showcasing how the story aligned perfectly with their journey of confidence, and sent it over to my co-EP who knew their team.
We didn’t hear back, I flew out to Austin, and we started filming in May.
Then on day two of our three-day production, Invisalign called while on set to tell us they were interested in the project as is—and to organically add a product shot somewhere in there. Great! Done and done.
I’ll also be transparent that it was not sold for a lot, but enough to give cast and crew a modest pay bump, and to avoid it being a mark against my bank account.
Most importantly, it gave Lizzi’s story a platform—and that was the win I was most excited about.
Frame from 'Swimming with Butterflies'cinematography by Joe Simon, color by Arianna Shining Star
This is Not Exactly a Business Model
But why did Invisalign say yes?
Because Lizzi’s story "aligned" (#dadjokes) with their core marketing theme of confidence. She was already on their radar. The Invisalign VP of Marketing already loved Lizzi—all entirely independent of this project.
In short: we got lucky.
But… we got lucky because we all took a chance on something we believed in. There was no expectation of a return other than creative fulfillment, the joy of collaboration, and in a practical sense for me. Another project I could pitch with down the road.
This industry is too hard to rely on external success—whether selling pitches to brands, or getting into festivals. I’ve chased that for 14 years, and only glimpsed "success" only a handful of times. Certainly not enough to justify the journey.
Filmmaking is a pie eating contest — so make sure you like what you’re eating.
But what will sustain me, is making films from a place of passion. Films that I love, that mean something to me. That will enable a career I’m happy with.
Filmmaking is not a sprint. And it’s not a marathon.
It’s a part of our life, but just one part. Keep going and enjoy it.
