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

Nate’s Favorite Documentaries

If you want a shoutout in a future episode please leave us a written review on Apple podcasts.

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 - michaelhrtmn4@gmail.com