A creative studio that invites marketers back into the process.

Clever is a strategic and creative studio producing beautiful, human-centered brand films and episodic series. Led by founders Emily Peterson Boone and Bill Kruse, we collaborate with brands and their marketing teams to tell stories with intention and care, creating work that connects authentically with audiences and advances business objectives.

Why Clever?

You know your brand. We know filmmaking.

The best work comes from bringing our expertise together. We invite your team into the creative process.

Strategy before the story.

We get to know your audience and business objectives before deciding what stories to tell.

Filmmakers at heart.

We bring curiosity, creativity and care to every project.

The right crew for the project.

We handpick the right team for your story, budget, and timeline.

Activation beyond the film.

We help your content reach the right people long after production wraps.

Care for the people behind the story.

We earn the trust of the people we film, making them feel comfortable sharing their experiences.

What We Believe

Our values shape how we collaborate, create and show up for the people who trust us with their stories.

Elevate curiosity

Honor the audience

Willfully empower

Deeply invest

Inspire infectiously

Meet the founders

We live by deeper engagement with our clients and are guided by our values to: elevate curiosity, honor the audience, willfully empower, deeply invest, and inspire infectiously.

Emily Peterson Boone

Founder/Executive Producer

Emily brings decades of experience leading production teams to Clever, where she approaches her work with enthusiasm and fearlessness. She’ll get things up and running, hire the exact right teams, and see each project through to the very end. Emily is a true empath and can coax an emotional story out of anyone, which is one of the things that makes her an incredible director. She doesn’t take herself too seriously and aims to make every production fun, even in tough circumstances. Emily loves to drink champagne, golf, travel, and hang out with her husband and two kids. Her favorite place in the whole world is her grandparent’s farm in Tyler, Minnesota.

Bill Kruse

Founder/Creative Director

Bill has spent his career producing and overseeing creative with inspiring brands. He guides the strategic process at Clever, working with clients and their teams to uncover the best path to success. Bill’s history as a filmmaker drives him to produce ambitious creative with compelling narratives to touch audiences. Bill thrives when he’s taking on complex client communication challenges, telling dad jokes, or grilling for his wife and three kids.

“When I moved to Inspire Sleep, Clever was the first partner I brought with me – it was non-negotiable! Clever’s incredible expertise doesn’t stop at filmmaking – they have been instrumental partners in establishing content and competitive strategy, all while carrying the same amount of passion for the work as anyone on our payroll. There truly isn’t a singular content or creative task I wouldn’t trust them and their team with to provide a thoughtful, perfectly executed output – and a whole lot of fun along the way.”

Anne Yetzer

Marketing Manager, Inspire Medical Systems

“Clever combines deep research, smart strategy, and exceptional storytelling in a way that feels different from a typical agency experience. Bill and Emily are genuine, thoughtful partners who earn trust quickly by truly understanding the category and the people behind the story. The work moves fast, the production quality is incredibly high, and the end result delivers meaningful impact far beyond what you expect from the investment.”

Kari Nelson

CNS Marketing Director, Novocure

“Partnering with Clever is a consistently excellent experience from start to finish. Bill and Emily are equal parts strategic, creative, and talented. They helped lead our team through content strategy development, culminating with the creation of a beautifully produced film series. The storytelling through these amazing films not only captured the essence of our mission, but also deeply resonated with our patients, staff, and the community. I can truly say that Clever has helped elevate our brand.
(…not to mention they are good people who are fun to work with!)”

Jonathan Comito

Marketing Director, Hennepin Healthcare

“Clever is hands-down the best creative partner with which I have had the pleasure to work. They seamlessly integrate into your business - intimately understanding the market, the products and the consumers - to ultimately craft transformational content based on smart strategy. They ensure clients are brought along for the ride, consulted along the way, and ecstatic with the final product.”

Eliza Zenk

Senior Omnichannel, Product Manager Boston Scientific

“With Bill and Emily’s depth of experience, there is an implicit trust and ease that comes along with every Clever project. They are astute listeners, well adept at planning complex shoots, working within layers of stakeholders, assembling a nimble team of experts and executing flawlessly. Their collaboration and vision for crafting engaging human-centered stories has helped us grow our brand and our business — thank you to the entire Clever team!”

Molly Sullivan

Vice President, Creative and Brand UnitedHealthcare

FAQs

What does Clever do?

Clever is a strategic and creative studio specializing in brand films, documentary-style storytelling and episodic series. We work with marketing teams on video strategy, production and activation to create content that connects with audiences and supports business objectives.

What industries does Clever work with?

We work with brands across industries with a particular emphasis on healthcare, medtech, and financial services.

How is Clever different from a traditional video production company?

We bring strategy and filmmaking together, inviting your team into the creative process from the start. We take the time to understand your business, handpick the right crew and help your content make an impact beyond the final edit.

Where is Clever based?

We're based in Minnesota but produce films across the country. We build the right production team for each project and travel wherever the people and stories take us.

Does Clever offer video strategy and production, or just filming?

Both, and more. We can support your project from initial strategy through production and activation, or step in wherever your team needs us. Our approach is flexible, with the right people and services for each project.

Can Clever create a documentary series or multi-part branded content?

Absolutely. Episodic storytelling is one of our specialties. We develop connected narratives that explore different perspectives and give complex subjects the time and attention they deserve.