The Makers is a film about one of the largest privately held shipbuilders in the United States. Established in southeast Louisiana, also known as Cajun Country, this film tells the story of Bollinger Shipyards — from its creation in 1946 to how it has evolved over the past 75 years. Told from the perspective of the people who make up the fabric that is Bollinger Shipyards, the film juxtaposes the quaintness of a company born out of Cajun Country, now in its third generation of family ownership, against its importance to America’s military and exploration landscape.

Director's Statement:

When you start a project like this, there are two competing narratives — the story the client thinks they want to tell and the story they need to tell. Shorter form content like commercials, can feel very restrictive when trying to tell a story. It’s films like The Makers where those lines blur with longer-form content and allow a full story to emerge.

I had the opportunity to spend three days scouting nine different facilities, meeting the Bollinger family, their employees and getting a chance to know them. There was one thing that rang true with everyone I encountered — authenticity. I have never met a group of people that were more genuine, kind and honestly committed to getting the job done.

Because the objective of the film is to celebrate Bollinger Shipyard’s 75th anniversary, I felt I had one chance to get this story right. I wanted something that captured the authenticity I experienced and conveyed it in a way that even if you have no association with Bollinger Shipyards, you’d walk away feeling a connection and understanding to the people in the film.

Visually, I wanted to create something that could translate the size and scope of the work of Bollinger Shipyards. The size of the ships and other marine vessels they build are massive, and it was that motivation that drove the film’s aspect ratio.

Production took place in southeast Louisiana over four days at two different shipyards and a studio location. We had a challenging schedule to contend with, weather disruptions and restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Ultimately, we averaged an aggressive 35-40 setups a day with only a five person crew to overcome these challenges.

I believe this film does justice to the dedication and sheer grit that all of the workers and the Bollinger family have demonstrated over the years to bring the company to where it is today.