Red dirt road winding through Malawi from above

Aerial view of homes in a Malawi village

Cynder Media · Travel Documentaries

Your trip has a story. Let's bring it home.

I travel with mission teams, study abroad groups, nonprofits, and companies to make documentaries that move people to give, to go, and to get involved.

▶ Watch the film Plan your trip's film

Most recently: Malawi, Africa

How this started

It started as a joke.

I was filming content for the preschool program at HOPE Church in Voorhees, NJ. Half kidding, I said, "If you ever do a mission trip, let me know. I'll come shoot it."

He didn't laugh. He said, "I'll pay for your ticket."

So I went. I spent 16 days in Malawi with HOPE Church and UrbanPromise International. Both helped sponsor the trip.

My job was simple: find the powerful stories, then hand the mic to the people who lived them. No scripts. No staged moments. Just real people telling real stories.

HOPE Church · Voorhees, NJUrbanPromise International

The team in front of a school building in Malawi

0Days on the ground

0^miFrom Philly to Malawi

0Short films

0⁺Photos captured

Featured film

The Daughters
of Malawi

Documentary5 minMalawi · 2026

In Malawi, many girls leave school to marry young, and their families often depend on the “thank you” payment that comes with it. Choosing school means doing it alone. But when a girl breaks the mold, she earns more, teaches her future kids more, and helps build a middle class.

From the field

The people behind the stories.

Every film starts with a face and a name. Here are a few of the people I met in Malawi.

Tap any photo to see it big

The Malawi series

Seven films. One trip.

16 days in Malawi turned into seven short documentaries. The first one is out now. The rest are on the way.

01 / 07Watch now

The Daughters of Malawi

A man in a green hard hat in a field in Malawi

02 / 07Coming soon

The Champions of Food

03 / 07Coming soon

Threads of Promise

04 / 07Coming soon

Lonjezo University

+ 3 more films in the edit bay

Who I travel with

You'll find incredible stories. I'll capture them.

Phone photos and videos just don't do trips justice. Professional video brings stories to life and makes the viewer feel something.

Church mission trip team in front of a school in Malawi

Church mission trips

Show your church the fruit of their giving and prayers. Then watch next year's team fill up.

Mission trip team working outside a school in Malawi

College mission trips

Give students a film they'll keep forever, and give your program its best recruiting tool.

Study abroad programs

Show future students what it feels like to learn beyond the classroom. A brochure can't do that.

Women showing handmade dresses at a nonprofit program in Malawi

Nonprofits & NGOs

Bring donors into the field without the plane ticket. Show the impact of every gift, not just the numbers.

Safari vehicles on a group trip in Africa

Company retreats

Show off your culture. A retreat film boosts morale, helps you recruit, and tells your brand's story.

Your next adventure

Service project, family trip, or once-in-a-lifetime journey? If it's worth telling, let's tell it. Let's talk →

What comes home with you

Content built to move people.

Every piece has one job: get people to go, give, or get involved.

Short documentariesThe heart of the story. Show them on Sunday, at fundraisers, and online.
Fundraising videosShort, focused asks that turn viewers into donors.
Recruiting videosQuick, exciting cuts that fill the seats on the next trip.
Social clipsReels and shorts that spread the word on Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, and Facebook.
Interview storiesReal people in their own words, perfect for newsletters and donor updates.
Photo librariesEdited photos for websites, newsletters, slideshows, and donor reports.
Aerial footageDrone shots that show the scale of the work, where it's allowed.
TrailersTeasers that build buzz before the full film drops.

How it works

Simple from start to finish.

Let's talk

Tell me about your trip, your people, and what you want the film to do.

Plan the story

We map out who we'll meet, what matters most, and how the film will be used.

I come along

I travel with your team and capture it all, while staying out of the way.

Bring it home

You get the film, the clips, and the photos, ready to share.

Their story, their voice

The people we meet tell their own stories. I just make sure they're heard.

Dignity first

No pity shots. I film people the way I'd want my own family filmed.

Light on my feet

Small crew, small footprint. Your trip stays about the mission, not the camera.

Let's go somewhere

Got a trip on the calendar?

Mission trip, study abroad, or a project in the field, let's talk about it. No pressure. Just a conversation about your story and how we can use it to inspire people to go, give, and get involved.

Book a discovery call

Or reach me directly at [email protected]