Meet Catey Nelson and Claire Green | Cinematographer and Producer;

We had the good fortune of connecting with Catey Nelson and Claire Green and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Catey & Claire, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
After attending the Horsetooth International Film Festival in 2021, Claire and I were moved by the work of other filmmakers and decided to make a short film of our own, with the intention to submit it to festivals the following year. As best friends, ski buds, and driven media specialists, we knew this might not be the only project we take on together. In order to take advantage of all the time we spent driving up to the mountains to film every weekend, as well as all the other resources that go into making a film, we decided to start a production business. As full-time college students at the time, it was essential for us to be smart about budgeting while pursuing the production. Creating an LLC not only helped us avoid paying for everything out of pocket, but also gave us the freedom to pursue all the creative avenues we had been craving in making our own work. Now, as college graduates, we’ve begun to build a more solid foundation for our business, grow our clientele base, and expand our business to more than just Fort Collins. It’s been the perfect avenue for us to channel our freelance work under one title, stay organized with film grants and revenue streams, and use earnings from our business to continue to expand our equipment base, further our reach, and hopefully soon, expand our team.

– catey

In school they tell you to choose one part to play in the world of film. You can either; be an editor, director, producer, etc. It didn’t sit right with me that I would have to choose just one part when I love every part. Starting our own business solved that issue for me, we get to wear all the hats, and have a say in every part of the film making process. This business was formed for the pure love of film.

-Claire

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
Please tell us more about your business. We’d love to hear what sets you apart from others, what you are most proud of or excited about. How did you get to where you are today business-wise.

White Room Productions is something Claire and I have the exciting opportunity to make whatever we want it to be. So far, we’ve worked on music videos, a winter short film (ski-focused), and promotional videos for local outdoor companies. As far as the future, we want to challenge ourselves with bigger projects, like documentaries, ski films, and short film narratives, while also still providing our services to businesses and artists in whatever community we find ourselves in. Our goals are big, and learning to run a business comes with its challenges, but so far it’s been an exciting process to work toward them. Also, it’s a nice bonus that it gives us a lot of practice in the skills we care about it like cinematography, editing, and producing.

– catey

Please tell us more about your art. We’d love to hear what sets you apart from others, what you are most proud of or excited about.

My passion for video creation was kindled in the summer after high school graduation when I started bringing my camera everywhere I went. I adored capturing moments of my friends and the beautiful places we traveled to throughout that summer, along with the little stories that each shot reminded me of. When I got to CSU, I spent a weekend editing everything together from that summer, and I swear I’ve never had so much fun sitting in front of a computer for 19 hours.

From that point on, I began participating in different filming groups on campus, such as CTV and Student Video Productions, where I learned a number of invaluable lessons from my peers. It brought a lot of late nights and tight deadlines, but it taught me how to critically think about how I tell a story, how important diversity is in portraying perspectives, and how to break out of the box I tend to put myself in. Being in student media as long as I was was huge for me.

Quality video production and storytelling hypes me up more than most things, and I’m so stoked to continue progressing my career in it.

– catey

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Since I currently live in Fort Collins, the first night I’d take them to the Social for a nice night out. It’s my favorite bar in town, and due to its jazzy, 1920s, speakeasy feel, eating a bit of charcuterie and drinking some top-quality cocktails in there is a special experience. The next day, I’d show them one of the hidden beaches in Lory State Park, take them on a drive through Horsetooth, walk through my favorite spots on campus, and hit the Starry Night cafe for an afternoon coffee. I’d take them to some shops in Old Town like Kansas City Kitty, then make them join me in a ladder climb up to a secret rooftop to watch the sunset. After it gets dark, I’d end the night with a good laugh at the Comedy Fort. If my friend brought their ski gear, I’d undoubtedly spend the rest of the week showing them my favorite mountains and taking them down some of my favorite lines. First on the list would be A-Basin, then Winterpark/MJ and Steamboat Springs.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Yes! I’d like to send a huge thanks to the CSU Journalism and Media Communication Department, and to Rocky Mountain Student Media Corp. for helping us out by supplying extra camera gear, editing feedback, and guidance on how to go about building our LLC. Also would like to shout out my parents, Arne and Robin Nelson, for encouraging me to pursue what inspires me, and supporting me when I make mistakes along the way.
– catey

I want to give a huge thank you to the Horsetooth Film Festival. When I graduated from CSU, they took me in and taught me everything I needed to know about the industry. I didn’t know I would get into film before I graduated, but I knew that I would spend my life chasing film because of the Horsetooth Fest.

-Claire

Website: www.cateynelson.co

Instagram: @cateynelson_ ; @clairemariegreen

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/catey-nelson-13ba15170/ ; https://www.linkedin.com/in/claire-green-79a435193/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@cateynelson1005

Image Credits
All from claire green and catey nelson, picture of us in front of balloons was from Ruby Hart, one of us in ski gear was from kate Collins. One in red carpet was Franz Quinones.