#035 Be a Maker with Nate Houghteling | Portal A

This week, we're joined by Nate Houghteling — filmmaker and co-founder of Portal A, an award-winning branded and original content company.

Nate walks us through his journey from 24-hour film competitions in college to co-founding Portal A, the creative force behind major brand collaborations and cultural moments like YouTube Rewind.

We dig into:

• His early web series experiments in the wild west of pre-YouTube internet
• A decade of reinventing the YouTube Rewind format
• How spontaneous creative projects opened doors to big-name partnerships with Gap, Benefit Cosmetics, and more.
• The making and self-distribution of Fault Lines, his new documentary on the housing crisis in San Francisco.
• And his latest project: Year 5, a web series starring NBA star Anthony Edwards.

We also dive into his biggest lessons, pivots, and yes—some of his favorite documentaries. If you're into storytelling, internet history, or just love a good creative hustle, this one’s for you.

Links

• Fault Lines | Documentary
• Year 5 | Web Series
• Youtube Rewind

Nate’s Favorite Documentaries

• Hoop Dreams
• Waiting for Superman
• Seven Up! Series
• When We Were Kings

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From CRY, a Creative, Production, and Post house based in New York City.

Brought to you by CRY www.filmcry.com

Intro mixed by Micheal Hartman - [email protected]