Storyteller Studios

10/27/2026

We’re thrilled to announce that our project for Refuge Ranch has won a Mid-America Regional Emmy! Refuge supports at-risk and special needs families in Central Illinois who have faced trauma. Last year, they asked us to create a video asset as part of a capital campaign to expand their space and programs.

Congratulations to Kevin Christensen and Eli Ommen on your win! And thank you, Refuge Ranch, for your trust in us. We’re thrilled to have played a part in moving their mission forward.

10/27/2026

We’re so excited and grateful to share that “From Courtroom to Capital,” a project for Looking For Lincoln, has received a Mid-America Regional Emmy!

History buff or not, this piece draws you in and offers a side of Lincoln you may not have heard before.

Congratulations to our winners, Kevin Christensen, Payton McCabe, and Eli Ommen! And huge shout out to our friends at LFL for all their hard work and trust to execute on a project of this magnitude.

09/15/2026

Last month a whole crowd showed up at the Route 66 Drive In Theater to watch a documentary about their mechanic.

Eric and David Floyd have kept Springfield's European cars on the road since 1994. Now Floyd Imports is passing to the next generation. Instead of a box of donuts in the break room, they asked us to make a film. No script, no narration. Just Eric, Dave, the crew, and the Breakfast Club, the regulars who've met at the shop every Friday morning for years.

Here's the film. If you've ever had your car at Floyd's, we all made this for you.

Thanks to Floyd Imports and the Route 66 Drive-In for hosting the premiere!

09/04/2026

"Refuge Ranch: Stories of Hope and Redemption" is a 2026 Mid-America Emmy® nominee!

Long-form?! Everything in marketing says shorter, faster, cheaper. Refuge Ranch bet the other way. Their mission pairs horses with kids working through trauma, and that work doesn't fit in 30 seconds. The film gave it the time it deserves. No script, no narration. Just the people whose lives changed at the ranch, telling it themselves.

The film has helped raise awareness and funds for a mission that keeps growing. People today are starving for powerful stories.

Thank you to the Refuge Ranch team, Chris Daniels and the board for their trust in us, and to everyone who let our cameras into vulnerable moments.

Winners announced October 24. Watch the film: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=seCT8cJfNq8&t=153s

09/02/2026

BREAKING: "From Courtroom to Capital: Lincoln's Path to the Presidency" is a 2026 Mid-America Emmy® nominee for Informational/Instructional Long-Form Content.

This film was commissioned by Looking For Lincoln. It tells the story of the people and places on Illinois' 8th Judicial Circuit that prepared Abraham Lincoln for the national stage. It came with some pressure built in for all of us. It meant putting Lincoln on screen where his story actually happened, in a way historians could respect and eighth graders would want to watch.

Documentary work for museums and heritage organizations is some of the most demanding storytelling we do. And we love the challenge.

This nomination belongs to everyone who stood in the summer heat in wool coats and top hats (too many to name!), and to the Looking for Lincoln team and board for trusting us with the most documented man in Illinois history.

Winners are announced October 24.

09/01/2026

Eric and David Floyd built a great American small business the slow way. Thirty years of honest work, a shop full of customers who became family, and a Breakfast Club that still meets every Friday at 6 a.m. They didn't just run a business, they lived a great story, and it's a legacy the rest of us can learn from.

Thank you for your example, and for trusting us to tell the story. Andy, it's in good hands.

Floyd Imports Route 66 Drive In Theater

Floyd Imports is a family-owned automotive service and repair shop in Springfield, Illinois, specializing in import vehicles. With over 40 years of experience, we offer a range of services including tires, luxury detailing, fuel injection repair, tune-ups, struts and exhausts, clutch replacement, br...

08/23/2026

It's always a great day with the creative team at HRiA.org, this time in Chicago to film the incredible people behind the Illinois Helpline.

Need help? Call 833-2FINDHELP. Free, confidential, 24/7.

📸 Lydia Stuemke. Thanks for the hospitality, Peerspace (West Town)

08/06/2026

Floyd Imports has served Springfield for more than 30 years. We've been honored to partner with them on a short documentary to commemorate their legacy, and it premieres at the Route 66 Drive In Theater on Friday, August 21.

Gates open at 7:45p.m. It's FREE. The first 100 guests get a gift bag, and the feature films roll after ours. Three local family businesses pulled this together. Floyd Imports, Route 66 Drive-In, and us.

Bring the family and say hi to the Floyd Imports crew at the VW ID. Buzz!

This is it! This is what we've been waiting to tell you!

On Friday, August 21, Floyd Imports will host a FREE family movie night at Route 66 Drive In Theater.

Route 66 Drive In Theater has graciously agreed to show our short documentary BEFORE the evening's feature films (TBA).

Is there a better place to premiere a short film about an automotive repair shop than a DRIVE-IN THEATER? 😍🚗🎬😍

Doors open at 7:45 PM. The first 100 guests get in FREE and will receive a special gift bag.

We are so excited to share this experience with you! It's a joint effort between three local, family businesses: Floyd Imports, Storyteller Studios, and Route 66 Drive In Theater.

That's what it's all about: community, family, fun, commitment to quality -- and keeping it local.

Please help us spread the word by sharing this post far and wide. We can't wait to see you there! Look for us at the VW ID.Buzz -- and say hi!

07/10/2026

Amelia Darch was nine months old when a routine checkup turned into a fight for her life. Her family traveled from Missouri to New York close to 40 times for treatment. The National Children's Cancer Society paid for every flight, so her parents never had to choose between her care and their bills.

Amelia is nearly seven years into remission now. She rides horses. She loves to read.

We had the honor of telling her story. Watch the full film here: https://youtu.be/8dHab2DBy_k.

Follow The National Children's Cancer Society (NCCS) to see how they help families like the Darches.

07/04/2026

Get inspired for the 250th with our new 25 minute docuseries, “Conceived in Liberty: Lincoln and the American Experiment.”

Made possible with generous support from and pncbank