Always Build

09/22/2025

A polar bear mom and her cub catching some Z’s after a feast on a beluga whale carcass. Just another day in the life of the sub-Arctic.

Captured with

09/19/2025

Our Photography of the Year polar bear in fireweed has been making waves.

From magazines to conservation platforms, this image has carried a glimpse of the Arctic to audiences around the world. Each feature reinforce why we tell these stories - to connect people to the wild moments that matter.

📸 Polar Bear Amid Fireweed Blooms | Chris Paetkau | Captured with

09/11/2025

🍽 What seat does Sysco bring to the table?

When launched A Seat At Our Table, it wasn’t about selling food—it was about showing the human side of our food system. From family-run restaurants to farmers at dawn, from warehouse teams to essential deliveries during BC floods, this campaign captured the stories behind every plate.

Across cities and years, one story carried a national brand—and reminded us that great marketing isn’t just strategy, it’s soul.

Read the full case study on how narrative drove connection, trust, and lasting impact on our blog - link in bio.

09/04/2025

Before the polished film, comes the fieldwork and long days.

This project with took us to Churchill, Manitoba — where the story of Western Hudson Bay and Arctic marine protection comes alive.

From conversations with local leaders to capturing the vast sweep of the Bay, the process is as much about patience and presence as it is about storytelling.

Deep thanks to the voices who brought this story to life: , Mike Spence, and of Custom Churchill Tours.

Watch the full video on our blog - link in bio.

08/28/2025

Ran into some bison yesterday while scouting locations for an exciting new campaign with .

Safe to say they stole the show! 👀🦬

08/27/2025

Something exciting is in the works… 👀

We’ve been busy behind the scenes bringing a new project to life. Here’s a little glimpse of the action while we cook up what’s next!

08/25/2025

Six weeks on an icebreaker. Through the Northwest Passage. No second chances.

That’s the story we got to tell in Breaking Ice: The Arctic Uncovered, now streaming on the National Film Board of Canada.

We lived it alongside the scientists and Coast Guard crew - sleeping in bunks, filming in whiteouts, and capturing the pressure of doing science in one of the most extreme, fast-changing places on Earth.

We’ve already screened it with students, scientists, and northern communities. We even built a 360° VR experience so people could step right into the story. And now, we finally get to share it with you.

This one is close to our hearts. Hope you’ll watch.

08/19/2025

The Arctic is one of those places most of us will never see in person. That’s why working with and the on Beyond Ice was so meaningful for us.

We helped bring this exhibition to life using real ice, sound, and story - so visitors could not only see the Arctic, but feel it.

Watching people touch melting ice, hear the winds, and listen to voices from the North reminded us why we do what we do: storytelling that connects.

Image of museum by Cynthia Munster.

03/06/2025

Big win!

We’re stoked to share that an image from our studio just won Photography of the Year in the 2024 Nature Photography Contest.

The shot? A polar bear, perfectly framed in a sea of fireweed—an unexpected contrast of power and fragility, captured in the Arctic.

Huge thanks to Churchill Wild Polar Bear Tours for next-level guiding along with the judges and to everyone who believes in the power of nature storytelling.

Check out the winning shots in the The Guardian here: https://bit.ly/Paetkau

Onward!

02/12/2025

🚀 Big News! 🚀

We’re stoked to introduce Always Build Studios—our brand-new commercial-only division exclusively built to serve our clients better than ever.

Think: Strategy. Advertising. Integrated marketing funnels.

You know, the FUN stuff.

We’ve got big things coming for this channel, too… but that’s a secret for now.

What we can tell you?

This spring, we’re doubling down on Natural History in a whole new way.

✨ A dedicated natural history studio
✨ Plus, a fresh way to connect people with the wild

The jam starts pumping on that soon. So, stay tuned.

Meantime, get a sneak peek at what we’re up to over at www.alwaysbuild.com.

Tell your friends. Tell your boss. Tell your mom. Tell your friend’s boss’s mom.

Thanks for being part of this wild ride—we couldn’t do it without you!

11/04/2024

Will AI lead to the extinction of Natural History Filmmaking?

The BBC says viewers still love the classics. 10.5 million viewers for Planet 🌎 3 is massive after all.

But at the Wildscreen Festival, we shared a new approach:

We showed a polar bear clip from the Arctic that we pulled together in just TWO days using AI.

Less than 24 hours in the field filming. Another 24 with ChatGPT scripting, ElevenLabs voicing, and some editing finesse from the Always Build team.

The result? A broadcast-quality sequence you'd expect from top-tier nature docs.

Imagine filling in story gaps, enhancing scenes, and amplifying conservation messages…

Is this the future of wildlife filmmaking?

Read more on our take 👇

At the annual natural history-focused Wildscreen event in Bristol this week the usual concerns about the decline in traditional business models and stagnant creativity were present, but few threats gripped delegates like that of AI.

10/18/2024

Just got back from our second Wildscreen Festival. Fantastic time. The discussions around how AI is influencing natural history filmmaking were eye-opening. Really exciting to see how this technology is shaping the future of storytelling and conservation. Feels like a new chapter is being written for wildlife content. Glad to have been part of the conversation 🤘🏼.