Our History
Shape Cleveland was founded in 2017 with the mission to provide hands-on opportunities to young people interested in photography and film.
Beginnings
The idea of Shape came from our founder Patrick Fenner, who is a high school teacher by day. His students are required to intern their senior year of his program, and Patrick wanted to be able to take his industry and professional knowledge a step beyond the classroom. Shape began as a way to allow students to work hands-on creating content for clients so they could learn from professionals in the field, and gain experience in how the industry works. What started as a small concept has quickly grown into a nonprofit that works with more and more interns and more and more clients each year.
Growth
Since our beginning we have grown rapidly, offering a wider variety of opportunities to our interns. Students have gotten the opportunity to work with major companies and organizations in Northeast Ohio including Cleveland Clinic, Kent State University, Cleveland Metropolitan Schools, and Supply Technologies to name a few. It is paramount we give students exposure to various types of work in the media industry so they can find their niche in this vast industry. Each client we work with has a unique story, mission, and set of goals, and our student interns are a part of every process to create the final product for clients.
Where We Are Now
A Letter from our Executive Director
For 7 years I had been teaching photography and videography for a two-year career and technical consortium. It was my job to help my high school students find opportunities and show them what it would be like to be to have a career in the industry.
In 2016 several like minded and creative professionals came together. Two of those people are our Managing Director, Delaney Canfield and Board President Nate Mucha. It was our collective vision to create something that was different. We wanted to combine an educational component of offering opportunities for those wanting to learn more about the industry with the business aspect of a company that provides professional products for our clients. We wanted to be visual storytellers teaching the next generation. Through the hard work of many bright minds Shape became a full-fledged 501c3 in August of 2017.
We have found ourselves in the very fortunate position of having a great balance of clients in both the nonprofit and local business sectors. Our partnerships with so many wonderful Cleveland based organizations have truly helped our network grow over these 4 years. Many of our clients love working with us because of our core values. We believe that one can be educated in Cleveland, and work in Cleveland. Listening to our clients allows us to not only be respectful of their story, but it makes us all the stronger in being an effective storyteller for all that we partner with.
We love our City, we love our clients and we love our Shape Scholars (student interns) who work so hard to learn more and are becoming the next generation of creative professionals.
Mission
Shape Cleveland inspires the next generation of visual artists (or storytellers) through hands-on educational opportunities.
Vision
We seek to build a thriving film community for visual storytellers.
Community
Our team engages with the nonprofit and business community in Cleveland to provide the best opportunities for our interns.
Creativity
There is no such thing as a bad idea at Shape, and We cultivate an innovative and curious environment for telling stories.
Problem Solving
We provide tools for exploring and encouraging independent thought.
Professional Development
We prepare our interns for the next chapter of their careers.
Collaboration
We value partnering and working with industry professionals.
Diversity & Inclusion
We believe that when a workplace has respect amongst all people the environment allows individuals to be more creative, innovative, and successful.
What We Do
We are all about education at Shape.
The idea of Shape came from our founder Patrick Fenner, who is a high school teacher by day. His students are required to intern their senior year of his program, and Patrick wanted to be able to take his industry and professional knowledge a step beyond the classroom. Shape began as a way to allow students to work hands-on creating content for clients so they could learn from professionals in the field, and gain experience in how the industry works. What started as a small concept has quickly grown into a nonprofit that works with more and more interns and more and more clients each year.
Our Internship Program
The internship program is the core of what Shape does. Shape hires interns on a rolling basis, with our primary hiring period being in early summer. Shape interns range in age from high school seniors to recent college graduates, but we are always open to other age groups. Interns who are earning high school or college credit for their experience are unpaid, however they can begin to earn an hourly wage should they be invited to stay with Shape after earning their credits.
Interns leave Shape with an understanding of basic video techniques, photography skills, an understanding of the job market available to them, and the business skills needed to be successful in this industry.
Our Community
Shape is dedicated to engaging with the Northeast Ohio community through the clients we work with. Shape works with nonprofits and businesses of all sizes, the majority of which are based in Northeast Ohio. By creating content for these organizations we are helping them spread the word about the amazing work they do and helping them reach new audiences.
This community engagement is critical to Shape’s growth over time and to providing the best possible experience for our interns. We want to empower local businesses, nonprofits, and corporations to spread the word of their missions, goals, and more to the community and to the world.
Our Work
Shape offers a wide range of media based services to our clients.
Some of these include commercial video, product photography, event coverage, live streaming, call to action videos, and everything in between. Our goal at Shape is to work with our clients to accomplish their goals and tell their stories through photography, film, or even graphic design. We work with both nonprofits and businesses and our goal is to never turn anyone away for budgetary reasons.
Our Clients
Cleveland Metropolitan School District
Gigi’s Playhouse
Supply Technologies
Coach Sam’s Inner Circle Foundation
Providence House Phriends Group
General Electric
Oceanne
Race to Cure Sarcoma
Wick Poetry Center
BVU
Excel TECC
Fitty Awards
Aerial Agents
LLS Fundraising Team
Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad
Rooted in Trees
Recovery Works
Cleveland Clinic Alumni Association
LLS Boy and Girl and Honored Hero
Cuyahoga Arts and Culture
2020 Shape Reel
2020 Expenses
Programs & Services
$52,571 (67%)
Equipment
$18,845 (24%)
General Administrative
$7,030 (9%)
2020 Revenues
Client Based Revenue
$98,288
What's Ahead
We recognize that we are still a young nonprofit with lots of space to grow in the coming years.
Of course it is always our goal to engage with more clients to not only help the community, but to provide more opportunities to our team of interns. The more clients we work with means more hands-on experiences for our interns and therefore the more they will learn. It is also a goal of ours to collaborate more with the film community in the Greater Cleveland area to provide unique opportunities for our students.
We do not want our interns to ever feel locked to Shape for their opportunity, but rather to see Shape as a touch point for a greater network. We’d love to be able to partner with other organizations to provide opportunities on motion picture film sets when larger budget films shoot in the area.
Let’s Shape something great together.
Shape’s affordable and professional services are available to all Cleveland-based nonprofits and local businesses. Learn more or get in touch with us about your next project.
Phone
(440) 570-5189
Company
FAQ
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