<aside> 🎯 Friends in Merced,

If you know me you know I am not one who is personally flashy or trying to inflate my personal brand. This means it is strange to me to put this type of document together. But, I believe greatly in Merced.

My family and I moved here 4 years ago and we love it! Never before have I lived in a city with so much potential and opportunity. To me, Merced feels like it could be right on the verge of breaking through to something amazing.

I believe there are many in the world who would want to know about Merced if we were willing to help them experience the possibilities as well. Is there a fit for me to help bring Merced to the world and the world to Merced?

So that you can properly discern, here are a few case studies to show what I’ve done in the past (that you probably have no idea since I don’t boast about it). I hope that this is at a minimum a blessing to see. But even more-so, I pray it sparks your imagination and belief that great things can be ahead for Merced. I can see it.

It sure would be fun to paint a picture of Merced that could inspire the world.

• Brent Gudgel

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Relevant Career highlights:

• Has directed over 350 documentary projects, in 30+ countries, for a long list of causes and clients.
• Over $1 billion has been raised from the foundations Brent’s films have laid for clients so that the right awareness, opportunity, and momentum could build.
• Had a film on Showtime about HIV/AIDS (Dear Francis, 2005), a comedy series on Hulu (Lovin Lakin, 2008), and work featured in the opening ceremonies of the Rio Olympics.
• Has helped elevate brands from only local to a place where international outlets like BBC and NY Times are writing about them. (See case studies below.)
• Successfully told a local city’s story in Texas to prompt a national city ordinance movement (The Ordinance, 2015). The film is now on Amazon Video.
• Directed the #1 theatrical documentary of 2020, Free Burma Rangers, which is now on Amazon Video with over a thousand 5-star reviews.
• Moved to Merced in 2020 after working for 20 years in Los Angeles and Austin, TX.

STORIES FROM SKID ROW (LOS ANGELES UNION RESCUE MISSION)

The Challenge

• Rebrand the face of homelessness in Los Angeles so that people would get engaged.
• Raise visibility for the underdog, LA’s Union Rescue Mission, and help them be recognized as a premiere rescue mission on the west coast, worthy of premium support.
• Raise support - Help make fundraising and partnerships not only easier, but make the “yes” become obvious.

What We Did

• Our strategy was to tell great stories about people at the heart of the issue.
• Each video also featured the CEO so that his visibility and expertise was elevated.
• We started with a contract for 5 videos.
• The CEO and key city leaders also leveraged the stories through personal interactions as it was an tool to re-engage or build new relationships.

The Results

• Hundreds of corporate partners brought in from the stories and inspiration (i.e. Toyota, LA Clippers, Wells Fargo, LA Dodgers, LAPD, local churches, etc)
• Thousands of volunteers brought in from the brand inspiration.
• The stories proved so powerful strategically that we were put on retainer for 10+ years to release a new story every month.
• Millions of views.
• Over $250 million raised since the series began.

Sample Videos from Project

First we told “hero” stories to set the stage:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OuAC9dN0K1Y

Then, as momentum built, partners started coming in…

i.e. In partnership with LA Clippers:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KQHwG9G1M-o

In partnership with Toyota:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ddBknrUMr4Y

In partnership with LAPD:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bNIrGqGZLXc

GLOBAL REFORESTATION & POVERTY RELIEF

The Challenge

Help the small nonprofit Eden Reforestation Projects ($150k/year) grow into its potential:

• Present Eden Reforestation Projects to the world.
• Figure out what story they have to tell and then tell it.
• Pray it brings in new funds and corporate partners.

What We Did

• We began with the same thing we’ve done with our other clients: tell great personal stories about the heart of their work and show their hope.
• We started with a handful of videos and eventually went on retainer to do 2 videos a month.
• The videos were so helpful that we worked with them for over a decade.

The Results

• The videos laid a foundation which helped ERP grow from $150k/year to $75mm per year in donations/revenue (49,000% increase).

• Eden grew into a vision that expanded into 8 nations.

• The videos helped bring in partnerships with major businesses such as Salesforce, Cisco, Apple, and Delta, among many many more.

• After a decade of faithful growth, ERP has was featured on the cover of the NY Times weekend magazine:

  Can Planting a Trillion New Trees Save the World? (Published 2022)

• Rachhya, the subject of one of our videos, came to the attention of the BBC and was featured in a story:

  The Conversation - Women planting trees - Women planting trees - BBC Sounds

Sample Videos from Project

https://www.facebook.com/edenreforestationprojects/videos/the-true-village-story/10154591032016461/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NS8A8n6KUwY

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QqCGDM9yvmk

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XKynjGwBawE

<aside> <img src="/icons/megaphone_orange.svg" alt="/icons/megaphone_orange.svg" width="40px" />

*In Steve’s words: “It’s almost comical how many business partner conversations I have that start with them saying they love our videos.

Bottom line is that the work Brent did for us was critical to our growth. Our organization now has 20,000 village employees, all over the world - which is lifting them out of poverty. So, I’d say Brent’s work was world-changing.”*

• Steve Fitch, Founder, ERP

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THE ORDINANCE (Local Politics, National Impact)

The Challenge

To protect local families from predatory payday lenders by inspiring local city councils to enact life-changing ordinances.

What We Did

• A 30 minute film that followed a city going through the entire process.
• This we hoped would model to other cities and city councils how change could happen.
• Goal was to get it on Amazon.
• We figured out a way to tell a story that could include Democrat voices, Republican voices, Catholic Voices, and Baptist voices. It was truly special how “lines” were crossed for a common story.
• Project was funded by three groups who are very different but aligned in heart to protect the poor:
  • Texas Appleseed (A community legal action group)
  • Texas Catholic Conference
  • Cooperative Baptist Fellowship

The Results

• The film helped payday lending ordinances became a known model and opportunity for city councils everywhere.

• Over 45 Texas cities enacted similar ordinances. (Report) Other states were inspired to start their own efforts as well.

• Debt Relief was provided for millions of families living under the poverty line.

• The film elevated a narrative that ultimately prompted the US CFPB to pass new consumer protections!

  What the CFPB's New Payday Lending Rule Means for Consumers

Trailer for Film

https://youtu.be/yi_Sf6ScA4w?si=Omyd-gCZOISiL0hj

The full 30 minute film can be viewed on Amazon Video or on YouTube.

OTHER WORK

Thought not related to community development, here are a few other noteworthy chapters and tidbits from my career thus far:

LOVIN’ LAKIN (Hulu)

(Brent on the right with his camera operator, producer, and actress Kristen Bell.) In 2007 I directed a short comedy series for Hulu called Lovin Lakin, featuring Christine Lakin, Kristen Bell, Seth MacFarlane, Kristin Chenoweth, and Jamie Lee Curtis, among others. Hulu carried the series for a few years before it was put on YouTube.

Lovin’ Lakin series trailer:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s3eAluV3Suw

Entire series, now on YouTube:

Lovin' Lakin