Macathon at Macalester College | Twin Cities Video Production Story

As a Minneapolis documentary filmmaker working across the Twin Cities, I’m always looking for projects that feel alive, creative, and mission-driven. Shooting Macathon at Macalester College checked all those boxes. This was my second year covering the event, and once again it reminded me why I love doing video production for Minnesota colleges and nonprofits.

Macathon is a 24-hour innovation challenge where teams dream up real solutions to real problems. No prep work allowed. Just raw creativity, sharp minds, and a full day (and night) of thinking, building, and pitching. I filmed the event across three different shoots — brainstorming, the long overnight push, and the finals — and my friend and collaborator Renny McCauley shaped it all into the polished edit below.

The students came from all over the world, each bringing a different lived experience. One team tackled a long-overlooked issue: how temperature-reading tools depend on lighter skin tones, creating inaccurate readings for darker complexions. Another standout project — the eventual winner — was a clever solution for preventing feeding tubes from freezing during Minnesota winters.

From a filmmaking standpoint, Macathon is a fun. High energy. Big ideas. People working together because they care. As someone who does a lot of Twin Cities video production for colleges, nonprofits, and foundations, stories like this show what’s possible when a community invests in imagination and empathy.

Here’s the finished video:

Watch the Macathon 2025 recap video →

If you’re looking for Minneapolis documentary storytelling or Twin Cities event video production — from campus programs to nonprofit events — feel free to reach out. I’d love to help bring your project to life.