Archival Ninjas

U.S. Against the World premiered in St. Louis this week—and Mandi was there to celebrate! 🎬⚽ After 2+ years of archival work on this project, seeing it come to life on the big screen was incredibly rewarding. @bssoutpost (the post production house we've worked with on multiple projects) hosted the premiere, bringing together friends, family, filmmakers, and local St. Louis soccer lovers. The best part? Watching people react in real time—laughing, getting quiet, cheering, fully locked into the story. It hit Mandi how many people it took to bring this thing to life, and getting to celebrate together after 2+ years of work made the night feel really special. Shoutout to the entire post production crew who were there—editors, colorist, graphics team, and the musician who created the theme song. This is what it's all about. The first episode is out now on @hbomax . Go watch it! 🎥 📸: @bssoutpost @babyshmay #SportsDocumentary #USATW #DocumentaryFilmmaking #HBO

TONIGHT | U.S. Against the World premieres on HBO Max The five-part documentary series follows the USMNT on the road to the biggest sporting event in the world, kicking off with Episode 1, “The Golden Generation”. We could not be more proud to have been apart of this show, created by Park Stories, and to work alongside an unbelievable team of creatives and collaborators. New episodes drop weekly leading up to the 2026 World Cup, offering an unprecedented look into the players, coaches, culture, and the evolving identity of the U.S. Men’s National Team during a defining moment for soccer in America. Are you with us? Tune in tonight. #UsAgainstTheWorld #HBOoriginal #USMNT

Happy Mother’s Day from the Ninjas! 💐 Today we’re celebrating moms by looking back at three projects featuring powerful, inspiring mothers who’ve shared their stories on screen—each one Archival Produced by our team. In The Arena: Serena Williams: After 27 years in professional tennis, Serena shares a deeply personal account of her most meaningful Grand Slam appearances—navigating motherhood while competing at the highest level. Breaking Glass: The Pat Summitt Story: Director Dawn Porter and Robin Roberts honor legendary coach Pat Summitt, highlighting her profound bond with her son Tyler—who was often at practices as a child. The film explores her battle with early-onset Alzheimer’s and features Tyler’s active endorsement of the project to honor his mother’s legacy. Surviving Mormonism with Heather Gay: Heather Gay, Real Housewives of Salt Lake City star and mother of three, explores the dark history of the LDS Church in this powerful 3-part series, highlighting systemic issues, trauma, and the courage it takes to break free. Three very different stories. Three incredible mothers. Grateful to have been part of bringing their voices to the screen. #MothersDay #DocumentaryFilm #ArchivalFootage

The Ninjas were invited to Getty Images’ FIFA World Cup archives at their London headquarters—and it was incredible. 🏆📸 Our Research Manager, Logan Combest-Friedman got a behind-the-scenes look at their climate-controlled warehouse facility, filled with rows upon rows of archival materials spanning decades: glass plate negatives, contact sheets, negatives, and collections from Hulton, Keystone, and beyond. Less than 5% of the millions of photos are digitized—which means the real treasures are offline. One of the highlights for Logan? Meeting a conservator who shared a story about working on a Queen Victoria photo—the only copy in existence—and being absolutely terrified of damaging it. That’s the kind of care and expertise that goes into protecting our visual history. We also heard from Getty Images photographer Michael Regan who covered the last four World Cups, giving us insight into what it’s like to capture these global moments in real time. Grateful for the tour and the reminder of how much incredible material exists beyond what’s searchable online. 🎬 #GettyImages #ArchivalResearch #FIFAWorldCup #DocumentaryFilmmaking #ArchivalFootage

Check out the full trailer! U.S. Against the World: Four Years with the Men’s National Soccer Team – Archival Produced by the Ninjas, is coming to @HBOMax May 12! We’re excited to watch this doc leading up to the World Cup this summer! ⚽️🏆 #SportsDocumentary #WorldCup #Soccer #HBOMax

More good news! We’ve been shortlisted for Best Use of Footage in a Sports Production at the @Focal_International Awards! Shout out to @archivalninjas for their dedicated efforts to source and license the material, including precious b-roll and rare competition footage. We’re so grateful for the recognition of how we used archival footage to bring Nick's decades-long journey to life. Big Star: The Nick Skelton Story is now streaming worldwide (available platforms below & in link in bio) @primevideo (UK, US, Australia, France, Germany and the Netherlands) @appletv (UK, US & Select Countries Worldwide) @youtube (UK, US, Canada, Ireland & Australia) @sky_uk (UK only) @googleplay (US only) @fandango (US only) @vimeo On Demand (Worldwide) #bigstar #biggercomeback #nickskelton

Earlier this month, the Ninjas hosted a Copyright 101 session covering the layers, complexities, and common misconceptions around archival rights. From sports footage to social media posts, we broke down what every filmmaker needs to know about copyright ownership. Key takeaway? Just because you found it online doesn't mean you can use it. And there's ALWAYS one more layer of ownership than you think. Swipe through for the full breakdown, and drop a comment if you have copyright questions! 👉 #Copyright #DocumentaryFilmmaking #ArchivalProduction #FilmProduction #Filmmaking

Exciting news from the Ninjas! 🏆 For the second year in a row, Archival Ninjas has been nominated in the sports category at the @Focal_International Awards, celebrating the very best use of archival footage across creative and cultural industries. This year, we have TWO projects up for Best Use of Footage in a Sports Production: Big Star: The Nick Skelton Story British showjumper Nick Skelton breaks his neck, defies doctors' orders, and makes an against-all-odds comeback with his horse Big Star to pursue Olympic gold in Rio. Nothing But a Winner: The Alabama Football Story Chronicling Alabama's football dynasty under Bear Bryant and Nick Saban—highlighting Bryant's fight to integrate the team despite opposition from Governor George Wallace. Two different sports stories. Two different archival challenges. Both recognized for excellence in archival storytelling. Grateful to the filmmakers and production teams who trusted us with these projects. 🎬 #FOCALAwards2026 #SportsDocumentary #FOCALInternational

When A Witness Recants— Archival Produced by the Ninjas—is heading to Hot Docs! After premiering at Sundance earlier this year, this powerful documentary from director Dawn Porter and author Ta-Nehisi Coates will screen at the Hot Docs Festival in Toronto from April 23 to May 3. The film examines the wrongful conviction of three teenagers who spent 36 years incarcerated for a crime they did not commit—a case built on coerced false testimonies that reveals the profound injustice faced by the Black community within the US justice system. Proud to have been part of preserving and presenting this essential story. If you're attending Hot Docs, this is a must-see! #HotDocsFestival #WhenAWitnessRecants #DocumentaryFilm

Check out this clip from Breaking Glass: Pat Summitt Archival Produced by the Ninjas, this documentary takes you inside the legendary coach’s journey, featuring rare interviews and never-before-seen archival video. Director Dawn Porter and Robin Roberts share a glimpse into Summit’s humble beginnings, her incredible achievements and the impact left on generations of athletes. Watch now with @Hulu on @DisneyPlus ! #PatSummitt #SportsDocumentary #BreakingGlass #CollegeBasketball

Exciting news to kick off the month! U.S. Against the World: Four Years with the Men’s National Team, a new @HBO Documentary Series leading up to the World Cup, premieres May 12 on @HBOMax . The Ninjas Archival Produced this documentary, and also provided research and clearances. We can’t wait for you to see it! Check out the teaser trailer and let us know if you’ll be watching. ⚽️🏆 #HBO #SportsDocumentary #WorldCup #Soccer

We're thrilled to share that we currently Archival Producing the new CNN Original Series Craig Ferguson: American On Purpose, premiering later this year! Hosted by Emmy and Peabody-winning comedian Craig Ferguson, this series takes viewers on a cross-country journey exploring what it really means to be American today—unpacking the country's chaotic, triumphant, and controversial 250-year journey as the nation celebrates its 250th anniversary. "Craig Ferguson brings this uniquely American, quirky perspective that's unlike any traditional history series—his love for this country as a naturalized citizen really shines through. The archival work reflects that diversity: we're pulling everything from Ben Franklin illustrations to low rider car culture to high fashion, and it's been an absolute blast,” says one of our Ninjas, Jennifer, who is working on this project. #ComingSoon #AmericanOnPurpose #CraigFerguson