PoRtfolio
BOLDLY FORWARD
Project Details
Client
Shift4
Industry
Corporate & Business
Shift4 Payments, Inc. is an American payment processing company based in Allentown, Pennsylvania. Founded in 1999, Shift4 processes payments for over 200,000 businesses in the retail, hospitality, leisure and restaurant industries. The company specializes in commerce solutions such as mobile payment software and hardware.
About the Project
Challenges & Solution
A NASA Nomination Sparks a Legacy Film
After Jared Isaacman, founder of Shift4 Payments, was nominated to lead NASA, Shift4 reached out to Skynine to create a commemorative branded documentary — not only to honor Jared’s incredible journey but also to capture the evolution of the company he built from a basement startup at age 16 to a global commerce powerhouse.
Titled Boldly Forward — named after Shift4’s company motto, which is also emblazoned in bold letters across the company’s headquarters lobby — the film reflects the spirit of continuous momentum that defines both the business and its founder. With a history of crafting cinematic narratives for companies like Draken International, Skynine was the perfect partner. The result was an interesting, high-impact film that weaves together vision, innovation, resilience — and the people behind it all.
Building the Blueprint
Our collaboration with Shift4 began at the strategic level. We worked closely with the Shift4 marketing team to:
Coordinate 18 interviews across four shoot days, spanning Pennsylvania and Florida.
Build a cast of storytellers: We identified key employees — past and present — whose personal stories paralleled the company’s growth. These individuals represented every phase of Shift4’s evolution, from its startup roots to its IPO and beyond.
Develop the narrative structure: Shift4 supplied a detailed chronological timeline of the company’s milestones. Using this, we constructed a working script that broke down the branded documentary into thematic chapters.
Craft interview prompts: Our goal was to elicit honest, unscripted reflections. We created tailored prompts and guiding questions to bring out emotional moments, critical decisions, and breakthrough innovations.
Bringing the Story to Life On Set
Production was fast-paced and focused. Across five production days, we captured the entire foundation of the film:
Interviews were filmed over four intensive days:
2 days in Center Valley, PA — the heart of Shift4’s operations.
1 day each in Miami and Naples, FL, where several key personnel now reside.
A standout interview setting was Shift4’s iconic “Moon Room” — a visually striking space featuring a massive moon-wall print and a monochromatic rug with cratered textures reminiscent of a lunar surface. The environment offered a subtle but powerful nod to the space-themed arc of Jared Isaacman’s journey, and became one of the film’s most visually symbolic backdrops.
Aerial cinematography was shot on a fifth production day. Our licensed drone pilot captured sweeping, cinematic shots of the Center Valley campus at golden hour — the warm, setting sun providing a symbolic tone of legacy and transition.
Editing a Multilayered Story of Innovation and Impact
This phase was a massive editorial undertaking — stitching together over a dozen narratives to form a cohesive, emotionally resonant branded documentary:
Narrative Editing: We reviewed, transcribed, and logged every interview to map out the arc of the story — one that touched on entrepreneurship, disruption, resilience, reinvention, and exploration.
Archival Integration: Skynine had previously produced Shift4’s recruiting video, which allowed us to repurpose high-quality b-roll from the Center Valley and Tampa offices. We also incorporated:
Archival photos submitted by interviewees.
Internal promotional footage from across Shift4’s brand history.
Thematic Layering: Jared’s future with NASA served as the narrative spine, allowing us to thread mission-based language, aspirational visuals, and metaphors of flight, space, and legacy throughout the film.
Celebrate the Legacy, Inspire the Future
We delivered three final cuts of the branded documentary, each crafted with a unique audience and purpose in mind:
“Event Cut”
Premiered at Jared Isaacman’s private celebration dinner, this version distilled the story into a high-impact narrative arc.
It balanced business achievements with personal tributes, tailored for an audience of family, friends, and key partners.
“Full-Length Cut” (40 Minutes)
This is the complete Shift4 branded documentary, tracing the full journey from basement startup to global platform — and ultimately, Jared’s transition to a new mission at NASA.
Designed for internal use and legacy branding, it preserves the rich, multi-voice tapestry of the company’s story.
“Personalized Cut”
This version includes the full film, but with a special final segment featuring direct-to-camera farewell messages from each of the interviewees.
Created as a personal gift for Jared Isaacman — a heartfelt time capsule of gratitude and admiration from the team he built.
This documentary project became more than a retrospective. It was a bold, inspiring tribute to visionary leadership, company culture, and the relentless pursuit of innovation.
Skynine is proud to have crafted a film that not only tells Shift4’s story — but also honors the people behind it.
