True Gent is Championing Visionary Voices with Launch of New Docuseries

Luminary Spotlight is True Gent’s original short docu-series celebrating bold, visionary founders. Those leaders who drive innovation, inspire change and follow their passion and purpose – the kind of people we look to when life feels lacking in magic.

The documentary follows Lucinda, an 8th-generation family farmer. She’s also the founder of Moink Box – a U.S.-based subscription service that sends ethically sourced meat and seafood directly to your door.

A self-described “tender-hearted carnivore”, Lucinda’s goal is to connect ethically conscious meat lovers to quality food by helping farmers farm and people eat. That’s the story the team at True Gent set out to tell in their 19-minute film. It’s done in a way that feels incredibly raw

If socials are anything to go by, then it seems viewers are loving it. The film, which launched only a few days ago, has already garnered over 300,000 views on TikTok, with Instagram following closely behind.

We’ve gone ahead and included some clips so you can whet your appetite, but we’d strongly advise digging into the whole meal. You can find the full documentary here.

LBB> How did you decide on the core message of the film, and how does it align with the brand’s mission?

Jordan> With any documentary, you go in with a thesis, but the story reveals itself as you film. Like how a butterfly emerges from a chrysalis… it becomes its own new creature.

I wanted to learn how family farms were surviving, and if regenerative farming was indeed sustainable. Lucinda was living proof it can be done ethically and profitably. I’d seen her get funding on Shark Tank, and need to do more. Lucinda wanted a no-BS mini-doc, void of that reality show manipulation – no “take 2”. So we aligned on an unfettered, candid approach.

She knew her story and mission; I needed to discover the best way to tell that by jumping off the cliff and just starting filming her.

LBB> This is about a family farm so what steps did you take to ensure the film stayed true to the real-life experience of the family? And how did your relationship, as father and son, help facilitate the storytelling?

Jordan> Trust – that’s what really made this so fun for us. My chief role was that of an unseen interviewer, and I trusted Ben to get the shots. (I also shot B camera, so my footage is the worst stuff.)

We’ve been shooting spots and docs since Ben was a teenager; we have an unspoken shorthand. Like in basketball, giving your teammate that no-look pass – we’re that in sync. He once documented a comedian across three continents, so he also knows intuitively what cutaways to get, and has great questions to ask of his own.

Shout out to DP Mike Svitak, who made a trip with me too. He’s like a fly on the wall and captured many gorgeous moments.

LBB> Docubrand storytelling requires subjects to be open and honest, revealing both successes and struggles to form a genuine connection. How did you approach Lucinda, and the Moink Farms team, in a way intended to make them feel comfortable enough to open up?

Jordan> I’m from a small town in Ohio. I speak fluent farmer.

LBB> Can you tell me about the different filming techniques you employed to execute this fly-on-the-wall storytelling style? The use of fisheye lenses, static cameras, etc.

Jordan> The vérité vibe of skateboard videos, putting viewers front and centre with the kickflip, tailslide and such. That inspired a cheap, wide-angle lens. I wanted to be up in people’s faces.

It allowed on-the-go conversations with Lucinda, and I could chat and engage from a few feet away. Ben and Mike both hate the vignette, but I like it. And better than a GoPro, which we had but never used in the cut.

We used two small Sonys and abandoned Lucinda’s microphone for half a day. It made her feel ‘bugged’ and somewhat tethered. So we used onboard shotgun mics and had a great mix with Session City Post.

LBB> Did you encounter any roadblocks in telling this story? Were there any challenges in balancing the farm’s authentic narrative with the brand’s objectives or image? If so, what happened, and how did you both work together to work out a solution and overcome this?

Jordan> Filming people putting frozen meat in a box was not telling the story of farmers. Lucinda’s passion for explaining how Big Ag exploits small farms was great, but we needed visuals. So, Lucinda invited us to tag along to the Heifer Ranch in Arkansas.

She met with three other family farms that all supply Moink.

A step further, she took us on a tour of the flerd (herd plus flock), free-range chickens and pigs. She and Donna Kilpatrick, director of Regeneration at Heifer Ranch, gave our cameras a crash course on regenerative farming.

LBB> Unlike traditional marketing or scripted ads, docubrand storytelling emphasises authenticity. It centres around real stories, real people, and genuine experiences that resonate with the audience – what was it about Moink Farms’ story that you found compelling? Perhaps tell us a bit about your introduction and relationship to Lucinda

Jodan> Lucinda is one of the most honest, straight-shooters I’ve met. ECD Stew Redwine of Oxford Rd. knew I wanted to make a docu, so he introduced us. Lucinda’s hunch that longer-form stories would connect with audiences was prescient.

Admittedly, my aim was a 7 to 10-minute piece and she wanted 30. We agreed on 20 minutes and had enough to cut a second story coming soon.

LBB> Branded docs are known for incorporating the brand's visual style in a way that complements the narrative, reinforcing its core message without overwhelming the story. How did you work with Lucinda and Moink to establish this?

Jordan> She gave us total creative freedom and told me, “You’re the person to tell this story of what I’m building. I trust you.” Trust is what every filmmaker needs to be their best.

LBB> What kind of emotional response did you hope to evoke in the audience, and how did you design the narrative to achieve that?

Jordan> We wanted Lucinda’s conviction and drive to shine. The credit goes to editors Susan Munro and Charla Baker for bookending the story with Lucinda expressing the calling she feels to take care of farmers and her own tribe. They also deciphered our journey into chapters, building blocks, so we could play with structure in post.

LBB> Do you feel that this style of storytelling is the future of brand marketing? How do you see the role of docu-brand films evolving in the next few years?

Jordan> We’re used to large personalities having a camera on them 24/7 and social reels give us montages of success – whether that is real or manufactured for the post.

It all starts to feel the same to me, and any brand can do that with the in-house videographer.

What interests me are those strong, central leaders whose conviction drives the brand. And having made a handful of feature documentaries, I think I ask the right questions and I’m not afraid to poke the bear.

These brands can score with a film like ‘Trust The System’. It’s why we call it our True Gent ‘Luminary Spotlight’ series. I’m already searching for the next bold visionary leader, although Lucinda is in a class all by herself.

LBB> You have been working with Moink for a while now – what do you think is so compelling about their story and why do you think True Gent were the perfect team to craft this narrative film?

Stew Redwine> Lucinda is the real deal. It’s her honesty and candour that resonate with everyone, from her customers to fellow family farmers and her team working the line. I’ve shot with Jordan and Ben a few times, and they’re just as down-to-earth and real. I knew they could embed with the Moink crew and farmers perfectly. 

LBB> What is your favourite scene or moment from the final film? And why?

Stew Redwine> So many great moments. But I love when Lucinda denies Jordan a Moink sweatshirt, telling him, “You gotta earn that!” There’s also a vulnerable moment when she confides in us that if Big Ag would just apply her system, real change can begin. It’s a raw, selfless moment that gives me chills.