Sarah Koenigsberg
owner / director
Sarah Koenigsberg is an award-winning filmmaker, an educator, and an adventurer. Her films and teaching cross disciplines, illuminating the power of storytelling as a medium through which to explore complex science and policy issues. She loves strong coffee, dark chocolate, organizing cupboards, and finding an excuse to climb up high things to "get the shot." She hates sticky jar lids, tangled power cords, and lima beans.
Sarah grew up in the mountains of Ashland, Oregon, climbing trees, playing in the creek, and reading every Nancy Drew book she could find. She graduated from Whitman College in 2002 with a degree in Environmental Studies and Politics, intrigued by the work of place-based collaboratives in the American West, and determined to facilitate that type of problem solving in public land use and watershed issues. She stumbled upon filmmaking by accident, nearly dropping the elective "Intro to Cinema" course when she learned they'd actually have to make a short film. But, in that moment when she first dropped a couple clips into a timeline and added a track of music, she was captivated by the magic and power of montage, and something clicked. Documentary film could be the medium through which she would explore environmental and political stories.
After a stint in New York, a gig crewing for a documentary in rural Ecuador, and then working here and there, editing this and filming that, she ended up back in the Pacific Northwest, back in Walla Walla, and founded Tensegrity Productions in 2008. Her commercial clients include the Grand Canyon Trust, the US Forest Service, the National Park Service, American Rivers, Methow Salmon Recovery Foundation, Pacific Northwest National Laboratories, Horizon Wind Energy, enXco, The Walla Walla Valley Wine Alliance, dozens of fabulous Walla Walla wineries, and The Friends Program; her artist portfolio includes work for Bernard Hosey, Squire Broel, John Mowatit, Ian Boyden, ArtWalla, musician Anna Burgess, and instrument maker Kurt Schoen. As a cinematographer she's shot for Discovery Channel Canada, James Redford of Shadow Creek Films, author Patrick Carmen with Scholastic Children's Book Publishing, and the US Department of Energy. As an educator, she frequently works with Whitman College teaching video and audio production, and interdisciplinary storytelling. From 2008 to 2016 she taught the media and storytelling component of Whitman's environmental studies field program Semester in the West, developing the curriculum for their semester-long comprehensive project, an audio podcast. Her studio doubles as a community events venue, hosting everything from movie screenings to live music performances to yoga retreats.
Most thrilling shoot moment: dangling out of a helicopter at 100 mph to film a newly constructed wind power project. Coolest shoot location: the Sumpter, Oregon gold mining dredge. Trickiest shoot location: chest deep in beaver pond. Most intense interview: Bill McKibben. Most stressful "one-woman-band" moment: filming Bill Gates while running three cameras, leveling four mics, and mixing house sound, all at once, alone, with only 15 minutes to set up, all off of one massive tripod of gear for the 2012 International Nuclear Suppliers Group annual meeting at the Seattle Center.
Chris cresci
editor, cinematographer
Chris is a freelance documentary filmmaker, cinematographer, and editor based in Portland, Oregon. He's been part of the Tensegrity Productions family since 2010, and was assistant editor of our film The Beaver Believers. Check out his work at www.chriscresci.com.
After graduating from Chapman University’s Dodge College of Film, he co-founded the doc production house, Rainhouse Cinema. As a freelancer, he has worked on a variety of documentary, commercial, and narrative projects for companies like Patagonia, The Home Depot, and The Atlantic. His work has screened on PBS stations across the country, and film festivals across the world including AFIDocs, Banff, Big Sky, Wild and Scenic, and MountainFilm.
Chris strives to create compelling and inspirational films that connect people to and emphasize the importance of the natural world. He loves running in the rain, a good hoppy beer, and he spends entirely too much time working in his basement.
One of the best parts of calling Walla Walla home is having the opportunity to collaborate with our talented friends and colleagues. We couldn't do the work we do without their help!
Michael Simon, Coffee Ring Studios
When we need to record original music for a score, we head to Coffee Ring Studios. Michael is a meticulous producer and recording engineer, as well as a fabulous musician himself. We've known each other since 1998, when we met our freshman year of college. Thank goodness we know more now than we did back then!
Learn more at www.coffeeringstudios.com
Phillip Lynch, guitarist
Phil has composed and performed the score for several of our pieces, including our work for Schoen Guitars and The Grand Canyon Trust. A man of many talents, he also teaches at Whitman College and several area schools, as well as performs regularly around the region.
Squire Broel, Broel Studios
Squire is a stunning fine artist, but when no one's looking he helps us with drawings and animations on the side. Shhh, don't tell, it's kind of a secret. He's worked with us on pieces for the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, The Grand Canyon Trust, and he sketched our adorable beaver logo for The Beaver Believers!
Check out his work at www.broelstudio.com
Tyson Kopfer, photographer
When we need someone to shoot additional stills (who isn't afraid of mountains, mud, roaring rivers, and exposing his gear to the craziest conditions) we call Tyson. He's an experienced photographer for everything from weddings to commercial shoots. But really, he'd rather be fishing.
Brian Griffith, the web guy
When we get stuck using the internets or the google box machine, we call this guy. A man of many hats, he is also a drummer, a live sound engineer, a basketball coach, a mobile apps developer, and an all-around computer understander.