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Nevada City, California · Video & Brand Production

Films worthy
of the work.

A video production company based in Nevada City, CA. We make brand films, campaign videos, and documentary work for nonprofits, health systems, public agencies, and businesses doing meaningful work across Northern California.

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Selected work

Recent projects

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The Work of Sierra Nevada Memorial Hospital Foundation
2026
The Work of Sierra Nevada Memorial Hospital Foundation
Learn all about how you can help us increase access to health care in Western Nevada County
47,000 Square Miles: California's Creative North
2026
47,000 Square Miles: California's Creative North
In May 2022, Nevada County Arts Council was selected as the Administering Organization for a 19-county service region under the California Creative Corps, a program of the California Arts Council. With funds from the Governor’s Task Force on Business and Jobs Recovery, The Creative Corps was the first state organized program of its kind in the nation, responsible for distributing $60 million in grant awards across 58 counties. County arts agencies across California’s 19 county Upstate Region—State-Local Partners with the California Arts Council—announced grant awards in late June, 2023. 32 partner agencies and 48 lead creative partners, with a total of 460 paid artists, culture bearers and cultural workers, supported initiatives serving our least represented peoples, and most vulnerable communities and environments over 47,000 square miles. 88% of our grantees were in receipt of state funds for the first time. 47,000 Square Miles—California's Creative North, showcases the work of just nine of our eighty grantees, whose role was to create awareness for issues critical to society, and to highlight their work as invaluable members of the workforce following the COVID-19 Pandemic.
Standing Dead - Full Documentary
2026
Standing Dead - Full Documentary
Overstocked. Overgrown. Overdue. Our forests are sending a message. What we see as beauty… may also be a warning. Standing Dead is a powerful look at the forces building behind the next catastrophic wildfire—and the communities already living with the consequences. From Butte and Plumas Counties to the forests of Nevada County, the risks are real—but so is the opportunity to act. Because entire towns don’t burn by accident. And the future isn’t written yet. There is still time to change the outcome. Start by watching. Then be part of what comes next. Support our mission of a wildfire ready Nevada County at www.wildfirereadync.org. Wildfire Ready Coalition of Nevada County Resilient in the Face of Fire. Built to Withstand the Blaze.
From the studio

Field notes

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The studio

Small by design.
Built to scale.

Kit Kohler founded Riparian Studios in Nevada City after nearly a decade making ads for national brand campaigns in San Francisco. The move was deliberate: toward clients whose work matters to this specific place, and away from distance-produced content that never quite lands.

The studio runs lean on purpose. A tight core that keeps quality high and overhead low, with a trusted Nevada County-based production bench that scales to fit what the project actually needs.

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Kit Kohler
"If I'm doing my job right, the story outshines us."
Kit Kohler, Founder

What clients say

5 stars · 4 reviews on Google ↗

"Working with Val and Kit at Riparian Studios is a dream and everything we wanted in a video production team. These two are master storytellers and excel at their craft. But beyond creating visually stunning and compelling video, they are fun and enjoyable to work with. From day one, they took the time to really listen to us and understand the vision for our project. We were impressed by how they treated everyone involved with respect, kindness and professionalism. The project was completed on deadline and in time for an important event. If you're looking for a stellar team to tell your story, we highly recommend hiring Riparian Studios to do the job! - BriarPatch Food Co-op Marketing Department"

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BriarPatch Food Co-op Marketing
3 years ago

"Top notch productions. Most companies specialize in one thing, but Riparian is a full service shop the does excellent work in all aspects of production. From development, to the shooting & DP work, to the editing, to the VO work, to the audio and finishing, the quality is second to none."

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Cameron Pro Audio
2 years ago

"We worked with the Riparian Team for over a year to capture the construction of a Cancer Center project from start to finish. Val and Kit were very accommodating, professional, and brought our vision to life."

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Colin Construction Company
3 years ago
Taking on new projects

Working on something
worth documenting?

Riparian takes on a limited number of projects each year. The work is deliberate — not high-volume, but high-quality.

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