Something There

Change by Way of Appreciative Inquiry & 5D Modeling

PROJECT OVERVIEW

This page reflects on my experience leading my filmmaking team, 38 Gigabytes, through the 2025 Buffalo 48 Hour Film Project while applying the Appreciative Inquiry (AI) 5D model as a framework for organizational change. Entering our eleventh competition, I sought to address leadership challenges of team cohesion, equitable delegation, shared ownership, and creative growth. By grounding our process in AI’s strengths-based approach, the project deepened team relationships, fostered ownership, and honored Adam Kreutinger’s legacy of collaboration and joy. This reflection demonstrates how applying AI and the 5D model in a creative context can strengthen both the product and the people who make it, offering transferable lessons for leadership in other organizational settings.

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INTRODUCTION

THE 48 HOUR FILM PROJECT

An international film competition where teams of filmmakers create a 4-7 minute short film within a 48 hour time period
Every team in the host city is given the same three required elements: a character, a prop, and a line of dialogue
Each team randomly selects a mandatory genre, which they must use to tell their original story

38 GIGABYTES

My team, now called 38 Gigabytes, had competed in the 48HFP then times since December 2013
We typically use puppets in our storytelling process
Films are often beloved by audiences but not recognized by competition judges
2025 would be our first production following the death of my creative partner, Adam Kreutinger

THE CHALLENGE

4 KEY GROWTH AREAS

Team Cohesion & Bonding To ensure old and new team members are effectively merging into one creative force

Delegation of Tasks To focus my workload as team leader, fully engage volunteers, and ensure a more equitable delineation of tasks

Skin in the Game To boost engagement of financial and time resources to offset production costs and generate a greater sense of ownership

Continued Creative Growth To challenge ourselves to create a finished product that pushes the boundries of what we thought capable

MY HYPOTHESIS

Strengthening the working relationship of the people making the film will strengthen the final product, as a result.

CHANGE OPPORTUNITY

The film would be the product, but the real outcome would be the growth of our collaboration. This dual goal reflected what I was learning about leadership: it is not simply about getting things done but about how people grow, connect, and flourish in the process.

Team Cohesion & Bonding

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Open Communication & Socialization

Delegation of Tasks

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Equity in Responsibilities

Skin the the Game

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Ownership & Accountability

Continued Creative Growth

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Industry Recognition

APPRECIATIVE INQUIRY

THE AI PROCESS

Brainstorming
Find the Bright Spots
Envision the Future
Develop the Path
Proceed & Adjust

Developed by David Cooperrider and colleagues in the 1980s, Appreciative Inquiry (AI) is an approach to organizational change that flips the script: instead of asking “what problems need fixing,” it asks, “what strengths can we amplify?” (Cooperrider & Whitney, 2005). The process has been widely used in corporate, nonprofit, and community contexts, and at its heart is the belief that change is most sustainable when it is rooted in the positive core of a group.

I was drawn to IA, as it resonated with my own values as both a leader and a filmmaker. Storytelling, whether on screen or in a team setting, is all about possibility, imagining futures that do not exist yet and giving people a reason to believe in them. In that way, AI felt less like a management tool and more like a creative framework. It allowed me to look at leadership not just as fixing issues but as co-creating a vision with my team.

MY 5D MODEL

DEFINE Brainstorming

Exploration through Opportunity Tree exercise revealed areas of improvement
Solidified my resolve that putting more faith in team members could directly impact film quality
Problem Tree
- Preliminary exercise to identify problems (tree roots) and extrapolate the worst case scenarios (tree leaves)
- Titled this tree “How Can I reduce Burn-Out by 30%?”
Opportunity Tree
- Follow-up to problem tree that begins by looking at the best case scenario (tree leaves) and interpolate what our team did to get there (tree roots)
- Titled this tree “The 38 Gigabytes Family Tree,” a nod to my aspiration to make the team feel like a familial repertory company

DISCOVER Find the Bright Spots

Team Google Form collected
- Cast and crew preferences
- Contact info and allergins
- Availability to assist
- Hype-up music
Helpful in my own mental organization/preparation for the competition
Added bonus of expediting paperwork and credits

DREAM Envision the Future

1:1 Discussions with key team members
- Ensure we’re on same page
- General troubleshooting
- Clarify logistical details
- Further team-building
Puppet research, development, and rehearsal
- Planned to use a full-bodied puppet, inspired by Sesame Street’s Big Bird
- A chance to prepare for a difficult style of puppetry I had never done before
- Watched many films for reference and inspiration
- Spent time preparing the puppet and rehearsing with him on camera

Consider 'genre-proof' situations
- Begin the mental exercise of creating characters and situations that are compelling regardless of genre
- Attempt to answering the question, “why is this the most important story about these people?”
- The creative equivalent of training for a marathon

DESIGN Develop the Path

Devised a comprehensive schedule that was strict, yet malleable in case order of operation needed to change
- Turned my anxiety into a super power
Secure potential locations, props, and extras
Facilitate team sub-committees
- Production to editing pipeline
- Puppet wrangling and safety
- This is where problem tree became useful as a way to identify worst-case scenarios

DESTINY Proceed & Adjust

Competed for the 11th time August 8-10 and submitted film on time
Something There — when attempting to capture a historic moment in theme park history, a documentary crew uncovers the behind the scenes magic of one cast member's unrequited love
Production was a (relatively) well-oiled machine
Kept 3EO to improve for next time

A PLAN IN ACTION

All the preparation, reflection, and planning I had done leading up to the competition came into sharper focus once the cameras started rolling. The 48HFP does not allow much margin for error; there is no “next weekend” or “we’ll fix it in post.” Everything depends on the team’s ability to stay organized, communicate well, and adapt quickly.

I discovered was that the principles I had worked so hard to strengthen—open communication, equitable delegation, shared ownership, and creative risk-taking—yielded very tangible results. These shifts didn’t just ease my workload; they transformed the way the team functioned and related to each other.

Open Communication & Socialization

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Mea Culpas & Dance Parties

Equity in Responsibilities

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S**t Still Got Done

Ownership & Accountability

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Novel Props & Food Deliveries

Industry Recognition

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Early Critical Buzz

RESULTS

Looking back on the project, I see the outcomes as extending far beyond the film itself. Yes, we submitted on time, produced a technically ambitious project, and received enthusiastic feedback. But the deeper result was the transformation of our team dynamic. We left the experience more bonded than ever. The moments of laughter, dance, and teamwork during the competition translated into ongoing connections afterward.

And the exciting epilogue to this Change Project...? Something There was named the 2025 Best Film! We also took home Audience Favorite, Best Actor, Best Ensemble, Best Editing, and Spirit of the 48. The film is now headed to Filmapalooza 2026 in Lisbon, Portugal, where it will show alongside 100+ Best 48HFPs from across the world.

The AI 5D process made this possible by giving me a framework to not only envision but also enact change. And perhaps the most encouraging part is that it feels like the beginning, not the end. AI is described as a cycle, and I can already see how we will use it to guide our future projects. Each time, we will ask: What worked? How can we build on it? What can we dream up next?

REFLECTING WITH 3EO

This project pushed me to redefine responsibility—not as doing everything myself, but as creating conditions where others could thrive, contribute, and feel ownership in the creative process. What I learned is that leadership is not about holding everything together by myself but about trusting others enough to build something together. It is about balancing vision with vulnerability, preparation with adaptability, and responsibility with delegation. The real legacy of leadership lies not in the awards won or the products created, but in the relationships nurtured and the communities sustained.

The 48HFP gave me a chance to test these lessons under pressure, but I know they will resonate long after the credits roll. My hope is that as I continue to lead with three eyes open. I will carry forward both the spirit of AI and the creative, collaborative energy that Adam embodied. If I can do that, then I will know that my leadership has not only grown but also contributed something meaningful to the people and projects I care about most.

WHAT?

The interpersonal conditions and connections of team members can be strengthened with AI/5D modeling.

SO WHAT?

Strengthening the working relationship of a team can enhance their creative output.

NOW WHAT?

38GB will continue the AI/5D process as Something There is shared with the public and we approach future projects.

REFERENCES

Catmull, E., & Wallace, A. (2014). Creativity, Inc.: Overcoming the unseen forces that stand in the way of true inspiration. Random House.
Cooperrider, D. L., & Whitney, D. (2005). Appreciative inquiry: A positive revolution in change. Berrett-Koehler Publishers.
Greenleaf, R. K. (1977). Servant leadership: A journey into the nature of legitimate power and greatness. Paulist Press.
Heath, C., & Heath, D. (2010). Switch: How to change things when change is hard. Broadway Books.
Kotter, J. P. (1996). Leading change. Harvard Business School Press.
Pink, D. H. (2009). Drive: The surprising truth about what motivates us. Riverhead Books.

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